Abstract: A device for estimating a road friction state in which a friction state of a wheel with respect to a road surface can be estimated accurately. A bandpass filter extracts, from a wheel speed signal detected by a wheel speed detecting unit, a portion of the wheel speed signal in a predetermined range which includes a torsion resonance point at which a frequency is greater than a low frequency regions. A vibration level computing unit computes a vibration level of the wheel speed signal. A road friction state estimating unit estimates the friction state of the wheel with respect to the road surface on the basis of a vibration level computed by the vibration level computing unit and an estimated value of a road &mgr; slope computed by a &mgr; slope computing unit, and on the basis of a relationship between the two determined for each road surface state.

Abstract: A novel polycyanoaryl ether exhibiting excellent heat-resistance, hydrolysis-resistance and weatherability, as well as industrially high general-purpose properties, and the method for the production thereof is to be provided. The polycyanoaryl ether of this invention is represented by the formula (1): wherein R1 stands for a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group of 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group of 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted alkylamino group of 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted alkylthio group of 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group of 6 to 20 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted aryloxy group of 6 to 20 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted arylamino group of 6 to 20 carbon atoms, or a substituted or unsubstituted arylthio group of 6 to 20 carbon atoms; R2 stands for a divalent organic group; and n stands for a degree of polymerization.

Abstract: This invention is to provide a macromolecular solid electrolyte exhibiting high ion conductivity even at low temperatures and a polymer used therefor. This invention relates to a polymer formed of structural units represented by the following formula (1): wherein R represents a linear or branched alkylene residue of 1 to 4 carbon atoms; X− represents a deprotonated residue of an acid; Y+ represents a cation of a nitrogen-containing compound; Z represents a residue of a monoethylenically unsaturated compound; m represents a number of average addition mols of a branched chain bound to the structural unit, —(RO)—, forming a main chain and is in the range of 2 to 20; n is in the range of 3 to 500; and p is in the range of 0 to 2, and macromolecular solid electrolyte comprising the polymer as an essential component.

Abstract: An optical data bus fixing board suitable for using an optical data bus as a signal transmission medium and an optical back plane board. A recess for inserting an optical data bus, which is made of a rectangular light transmissive resin substrate and comprises a step-wise side along the longitudinal direction and signal light incoming/outgoing areas formed by sloping the longitudinal end of each step at 45 degrees in relation to the substrate surface, is formed in the surface of a flat plate in order to easily and efficiently use the optical data bus as a signal transmission medium for interconnecting various signal processing circuits. The optical data bus is inserted and fixed within the recess by being pressed and biased from the back end by a first holding member including a reflective diffusion plate and from the side by a second holding member including a flat spring.

Abstract: A wheel velocity signal for each wheel detected by a wheel velocity sensor is input to a bandpass filter. Signals from frequency bands unrelated to the unsprung resonance are then removed from the wheel velocity signal and only signals from frequency bands related to the unsprung resonance are output. A road surface &mgr; gradient estimation device uses an online identification method to identify an damping ratio of a second order resonance model similar to a suspension—tire resonance model from the signal output from the bandpass filter. The road surface &mgr; gradient is then estimated from the identified damping ratio. The damping ratio of the second order resonance model corresponds to the road surface &mgr; gradient in the following manner: when the damping ratio is identified as being small, the road surface &mgr; gradient is estimated as being large; and when the road surface &mgr; gradient is identified as being large, the damping ratio is estimated as being small.

Abstract: A compact engine assembly employing an auxiliary shaft that drives engine accessories that are disposed on opposite sides of its rotational axis by separate flexible transmitters so as to reduce eccentric loading. Also, the drive pulleys for the accessories are disposed inwardly from one end of the engine so as to maintain a relatively short overall length as well as permitting a narrow width for the engine. An engine oil pump positioned within an engine end wall is also driven from the auxiliary shaft.

Abstract: A braking force control device is provided in which wheel speeds of respective wheels of a vehicle are detected. On the basis of detected wheel speeds, a road surface &mgr; slope, which is a slope of a coefficient of friction &mgr; between a wheel and a road surface, is estimated for each wheel. On the basis of the road surface &mgr; slope estimated for each wheel, a braking force of each wheel is controlled such that the braking force of each wheel is adjusted.

Abstract: A braking force control device is provided in which wheel speeds of respective wheels of a vehicle are detected. On the basis of detected wheel speeds, a road surface &mgr; slope, which is a slope of a coefficient of friction &mgr; between a wheel and a road surface, is estimated for each wheel. On the basis of the road surface &mgr; slope estimated for each wheel, a braking force of each wheel is controlled such that the braking force of each wheel is adjusted.

Abstract: A novel polycyanoaryl ether exhibiting excellent heat-resistance, hydrolysis-resistance and weatherability, as well as industrially high general-purpose properties, and the method for the production thereof is to be provided.

Abstract: This invention is to provide a macromolecular solid electrolyte exhibiting high ion conductivity even at low temperatures and a polymer used therefor.

Abstract: The sulfonation of a polyaniline or a derivative thereof by the use of a sulfonating agent, characterized by dispersing the polyaniline or the derivative thereof in a reaction solvent thereby inhibiting the formation of lumps of grains due to substantial aggregation. Preferably, the solvent for the reaction is an organic solvent incapable of reacting with the sulfonating agent. The initial stirring power for the reaction of sulfonation is preferred to be not less than 0.03 kW/m3 and the polyaniline or the derivative thereof is preferred to have a water content of not more than 8 wt. %. Further, this invention is characterized by subjecting a polyaniline having introduced a sulfonic acid group therein or a derivative thereof to hydrolysis in a mixed solution of water with a hydrophilic organic solvent. The hydrophilic organic solvent is preferred to be an alcohol.

Abstract: A braking device of diagonal type having two sub-systems each including a front wheel brake cylinder and a rear wheel brake cylinder which are connected to master cylinder through respective front and rear passages in which are first and second solenoid-operated valves are disposed. The rear passage is connected to a portion of the front passage between the first valve and the front wheel brake cylinder, and a third solenoid-operated valve is disposed in a reservoir passage connecting the rear passage to a reservoir connected to a pump. A controller for controlling the valves and the pump includes a device for alternately opening and closing the third valve in a predetermined switching pattern while the second valve is held open or is alternately opened and closed, whereby the rate of change of the braking pressure in each wheel brake cylinder can be controlled as desired depending upon the switching pattern of the third valve.

Abstract: The water-soluble electrically-conductive polyaniline of this invention is such that the aromatic rings of the skeleton thereof are substituted by an average of 0.1-4 sulfonic acid (salt) groups and an average of 0-3.9 H's or other substituents (providing that the total of the number of sulfonic acids (salts) and that of other substituents is 4) per aromatic ring and 0.025-1 nitrogen atom of each of the nitrogen atoms in the main skeleton is doped with an external dopant. It is obtained by causing polyaniline to react with chlorosulfuric acid and then subjecting the reaction product to hydrolysis.The antistatic agent of this invention is formed by using a water-soluble electrically-conductive polymer which has been doped with an external dopant.

Abstract: A multilayer laminated film pouch disclosed has an easy opening characteristics. The layers of the film is composed of an innermost film containing linear low density polyethylene, an intermediate film made of oriented polyolefin, an outermost film made of biaxially oriented nylon and/or PET.

Abstract: Proposed is a method for vascular embolization of the blood vessel of a patient by introducing an aqueous solution of a specific thermosensitive polymer, which is liquid at low temperatures but causes coagulation when heated up to the body temperature of the patient, into the blood vessel followed by in situ heating of the solution. The thermosensitive polymer found to be suitable for the purpose is a homopolymer or copolymer of an N-substituted (meth) acrylamide monomer having a specified intrinsic viscosity in tetrahydrofuran and gives an aqueous solution capable of exhibiting phase transition from a liquid to a coagulate at a transition temperature of 10.degree. to 37.degree..

Abstract: N-(2-methoxyethyl)-N-isopropylacrylamide is a novel compound. The polymer obtained by polymerizing this novel compound is a novel hydrophilic-hydrophobic thermally reversible type macromolecular compound having a transition temperature in the range of 12.degree. C. to 14.degree. C.

Abstract: A dispersion containing minute polymer beads possessing a thermosensitive characteristic is produced by a method which comprises preparing an aqueous solution of an acrylamide type vinyl compound, the homopolymer of which exhibits a hydrophilicity-hydrophobicity thermoreversible solubility characteristic, adding a cationic or anionic surfactant in a ratio equaling or exceeding the micelle concentration to the aqueous solution, adjusting the resultant aqueous solution to a temperature not lower than the clouding point thereof and, at the same time, polymerizing the acrylamide type vinyl compound in the aqueous solution thereby forming a polymer emulsion, exposing the emulsion to an ionizing radiation thereby cross-linking minute polymer beads in the emulsion, and thereafter depriving the resultant polymer emulsion of the surfactant.

Abstract: A fingertip pulse wave sensor includes a fingertip cushion supporting member having a fingertip cushion supporting surface, and a nail supporting member having a nail supporting surface which is disposed in opposed relationship with the fingertip cushion supporting surface at an interval smaller than the standard thickness of fingertips. Either of the fingertip cushion supporting member of the nail supporting member is fixed, and the other of the fingertip cushion supporting member and the nail supporting member is hinged. The hinged fingertip cushion supporting member or nail supporting member is urged in the direction in which they are moved to each other by an elastic body which is capable of applying a substantially fixed amount of pressure with respect to the variations in the pivot stroke caused by the variations in the thickness of the fingertips resting on the fingertip cushion supporting member.

Abstract: A fingertip pulse wave sensor includes a fingertip cushion supporting member having a fingertip cushion supporting surface, and a nail supporting member having a nail supporting surface which is disposed in opposed relationship with the fingertip cushion supporting surface at an interval smaller than the standard thickness of fingertips. Either of the fingertip cushion supporting member of the nail supporting member is fixed, and the other of the fingertip cushion supporting member and the nail supporting member is hinged. The hinged fingertip cushion supporting member or nail supporting member is urged in the direction in which they are moved to each other by an elastic body which is capable of applying a substantially fixed amount of pressure with respect to the variations in the pivot stroke caused by the variations in the thickness of the fingertips resting on the fingertip cushion supporting member.

Abstract: An electromagnetic proportional flow control valve includes an electromagnetic solenoid having a bobbin with an axial bore and a fixed core in the axial bore. A valve housing defines a first port, a second port and a valve seat fludically positioned between the first and second ports, while a valve is normally in a closing position for closing the valve seat and interrupting fluid communication between the first and second ports. A movable core is fixed to the valve and positioned relative to the electromagnetic solenoid such that the movable core is attracted to the fixed core upon excitation of the electromagnetic solenoid. As a result, the valve may move from the closing position upon excitation of the electromagnetic solenoid to fluidically communicate the first and second ports. An annular diaphragm is positioned between the valve and the electromagnetic solenoid and is sealingly mounted to the movable core so as to form a fluid tight pressure chamber on a side of the diaphragm opposite the valve.