Abstract: A face camera mount structure in a vehicle has a camera for imaging a driver's face being disposed on a reverse side of a dial at a portion that does not interfere with a speedometer design portion on the dial. A camera facing portion of the dial that faces a lens of the camera is covered with a print of a near-infrared light passing ink that selectively passes a near-infrared light. The high transparency factor of the near-infrared light through the ink makes it possible for the camera to image a sufficiently bright near-infrared light image without being recognized by a driver of the vehicle.

Abstract: A driver's eye condition detection is conducted by an eye condition detection apparatus including a right/left near-infrared light sources, a camera and an ECU installed therein. The right side near-infrared light source is positioned on a right side relative to the camera in a driver's view, and a light axis of the right side near-infrared light source is tilted to the right by 15 to 45 degrees relative to an imaging direction of the camera. Further, the left side near-infrared light source is positioned on a left side relative to the camera in a driver's view, and a light axis of the right side near-infrared light source is tilted to the left by 15 to 45 degrees relative to an imaging direction of the camera. In this manner, detection errors of the driver's eye condition are reduced.

Abstract: A driver's eye condition detection is conducted by an eye condition detection apparatus including a right/left near-infrared light sources, a camera and an ECU installed therein. The right side near-infrared light source is positioned on a right side relative to the camera in a driver's view, and a light axis of the right side near-infrared light source is tilted to the right by 15 to 45 degrees relative to an imaging direction of the camera. Further, the left side near-infrared light source is positioned on a left side relative to the camera in a driver's view, and a light axis of the right side near-infrared light source is tilted to the left by 15 to 45 degrees relative to an imaging direction of the camera. In this manner, detection errors of the driver's eye condition are reduced.

Abstract: A face camera mount structure in a vehicle has a camera for imaging a driver's face being disposed on a reverse side of a dial at a portion that does not interfere with a speedometer design portion on the dial. A camera facing portion of the dial that faces a lens of the camera is covered with a print of a near-infrared light passing ink that selectively passes a near-infrared light. The high transparency factor of the near-infrared light through the ink makes it possible for the camera to image a sufficiently bright near-infrared light image without being recognized by a driver of the vehicle.

Abstract: A cross-coil type indicating instrument includes a dial plate, a bobbin disposed behind the dial plate, a pair of coils wound around the bobbin to cross each other, a plurality of terminals, a circuit board supported at a rear portion of the dial plate, an indicator shaft, an indicator carried by the indicator shaft, and a permanent magnet disposed in the bobbin coaxially with the indicator shaft. The bobbin has a plurality of terminal holders at the outer periphery thereof. Each terminal has a base portion fixed to the terminal holder, an elongation extending from the base portion toward connection terminals of the coils, and a pressure-contact portion extending from the base portion toward the circuit board to pressure-contact the circuit board from behind by its resilience.

Abstract: An instrument panel for use in an automobile includes a speedometer, an engine rotational speed meter and other indicators. A pointer of each meter is driven by a stepping motor via a reduction gear train made of synthetic resin. Terminals of the stepping motor field coils are soldered on a circuit board. After the heat of the soldering is dissipated, the heat-sensitive gear train is assembled to the circuit board. Thus, the resin gears are protected from being damaged by the soldering heat. The soldering is performed under an automatic refolw-soldering or flow-soldering process. As long as the soldering is performed before assembling the resin gears, all the components of the stepping motor and the reduction gear train may be contained in a casing.

Abstract: A cross-coil type indicating instrument includes a bobbin having an upper center cylinder and a lower center cylinder, a cross-coil unit disposed around the bobbin, a shaft coaxially and rotatably supported by the upper and lower cylinder, a permanent magnet rotor, a dial, a pointer carried by said shaft, and a cup-shaped magnetic shield casing. The upper center cylinder has an upper bearing disposed to be generally flush with the upper surface of the cross coil unit, and the lower center cylinder has a lower bearing and extends through the magnetic shield casing so that the lower bearing is disposed at the back of the magnetic shield casing.

Abstract: In a bearing arrangement, a rotary shaft has an annular groove opposite a bearing portion so that a part of the annular groove extends outward from the bearing portion, and lubrication oil is disposed between the rotary shaft and the bearing portion.

Abstract: An electric connector arrangement for connecting two electric devices comprises a male terminal fixed to a first electric device and extending therefrom toward a second electric device. A circuit board is fixed to the second electric device and has an insertion opening and at least one slit. A female terminal receives the male terminal therein, the female terminal having a body portion adapted to be inserted into the insertion opening and comprising an elastic female contact for receiving the male terminal. At least one deformable connecting element extends away from a top portion of the body portion, each deformable element having a distal end tip extending below the body portion and adaptable to be inserted into one of the slits in the second electric device.

Abstract: A cross-coil type indicating instrument includes a bobbin, a cross-coil unit disposed around the bobbin, a shaft, a permanent magnet rotor disposed inside the bobbin, a dial having a zero position, a pointer carried by the shaft, and a magnetic shield casing for accommodating the bobbin. The magnetic shield casing has a projection member extending from the bottom thereof at a peripheral side of the cross-coil unit to meet one of magnetic poles of the permanent magnet when the pointer returns to the zero-position.

Abstract: A bobbin unit for a cross-coil type meter is composed of an upper bobbin and a lower bobbin. The upper and lower bobbins have an inner cylindrical portion which has a center through hole for receiving a indicator shaft therein. A bearing portion is formed at an edge portion of the center through hole and an oil reservoir portion is formed at a portion in the center through hole adjacent to the bearing portion. The reservoir portion has an inside diameter larger than that of the bearing portion and accommodates a lubricating oil. The reservoir portion is composed of a first annular groove for supplying the lubricating oil to the bearing portion by the capillary action, an oil holding groove and a seal portion having a small gap between the shaft and the inner periphery of the center through hole.

Abstract: A method of controlling an operating amount of an operation control means for controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine having an intake passage and an intake air quantity control means for adjusting the opening area of the intake passage to thereby regulate the quantity of intake air of the engine. The operating amount of the operation control means, such as a fuel injection control means, is controlled to required values dependent on operating conditions of the engine, in synchronism with generation of pulses of a predetermined control signal. When the engine is operating in a predetermined low load condition, a desired operating amount of the control means is determined on the basis of the detected value of the intake passage opening area.

Abstract: A method of controlling an operating amount of an operation control means for controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine. The operating amount is controlled in a first arithmetic manner determined on the basis of a first operating parameter of the engine during operation in a predetermined operating condition, while it is controlled in a second arithmetic manner determined on the basis of a second operating parameter of the engine during operation in a condition other than the predetermined operating condition. A first correction value appropriate to the first arithmetic manner and a second correction value appropriate to the second arithmetic manner are determined as a function of intake air temperature of the engine, respectively, during engine operation in the above predetermined operating condition, and during engine operation in another operating condition.

Abstract: A method of controlling an operating amount of an operation control means for controlling an internal combustion engine. The operating amount is controlled in a first arithmetic manner determined on the basis of a first operating parameter of the engine during operation in a predetermined operating condition, while it is controlled in a second arithmetic manner determined on the basis of a second operating parameter of the engine during operation in a condition other than the predetermined operating condition. A first correction value appropriate to the first arithmetic manner and a second correction value appropriate to the second arithmetic manner are determined as a function of intake air pressure upstream of intake air quantity control means for adjusting the opening area of the intake passage, preferably atmospheric pressure, respectively, during engine operation in the above predetermined operating condition, and during engine operation in another operating condition.

Abstract: An idling speed control method which is adapted to detect by detecting means predetermined rotational angle positions of an internal combustion engine having supplementary air supply control means that regulates the quantity of supplementary air being supplied to the engine, and to control the ratio of operating duty of the supplementary air supply control means to an interval of time at which pulses of a signal indicative of the predetermined rotational angle positions are generated, in a feedback manner responsive to the difference between actual idling engine speed and desired idling speed. When an abnormality is detected in the detecting means, which includes a sensor for sensing the predetermined crank angle positions, a maximum quantity of supplementary air is supplied to the engine by operating the supplementary air quantity control means to its operating limit.

Abstract: A method of electronically controlling an operating amount of a control means for controlling operation of an internal combustion engine, such as a fuel injection control means. When the engine is operating in a predetermined low load condition, a desired operating amount of the control means is determined in dependence on the detected value of a first engine operating parameter indicative of loaded conditions of the engine, whereas when the engine is not operating in the predetermined low load condition, the desired operating amount of the control means is determined in dependence on the detected value of a second engine operating parameter indicative of loaded conditions of the engine.

Abstract: A fuel supply control method for electronically controlling the air/fuel ratio supply to an engine, in response to the output from means for detecting concentration of an ingredient in exhaust gases from the engine. When the engine is in a feedback control region, the air/fuel ratio control is effected by the use of a first coefficient, the value of which is variable in response to the output from the exhaust gas ingredient concentration detecting means, while simultaneously a mean value of values of the first coefficient applied during the feedback control operation is calculated for use as a second coefficient. The second coefficient and a predetermined value are used for control of the air/fuel ratio, in place of the first coefficient, respectively, when the engine is in a first one of the particular operating regions and when the engine is in a second one of same.

Abstract: An air/fuel ratio feedback control system adapted to control the air/fuel ratio of an air/fuel mixture being supplied to an internal combustion engine, by the use of a coefficient having a value variable in response to actual exhaust gas concentration. The system is operable to calculate the mean value of values of the aforesaid coefficient for each of a plurality of subregions of the feedback control region when the engine is operating in such subregion. When the engine is operating in one of a plurality of particular operating regions other than the feedback control region, control of the air/fuel ratio is effected by the use of one of such mean values, selected from among the mean values so calculated for each of such particular operating regions, in place of the aforementioned coefficient.

Abstract: An idling rpm feedback control method comprises controlling the quantity of supplementary air being supplied to an internal combustion engine equipped with at least one equipment which creates a load acting on the engine and includes at least one electrical device, in a feedback manner responsive to the difference between actual engine rpm and desired idling rpm during idling of the engine. The method also comprising varying the quantity of fuel being supplied to the engine in response to detected values of the total quantity of intake air inclusive of supplementary air at each predetermined rotational angle of the engine, so as to maintain the air-fuel ratio of a mixture being supplied to the engine at a desired value.

Abstract: An idling rpm feedback control method for controlling the quantity of supplementary air being supplied to an internal combustion engine, in a feedback manner, responsive to the difference between actual engine rpm and the desired idling rpm. When the engine rpm drops to a predetermined rpm being the upper limit of the desired idling rpm, the above feedback control is initiated. When the engine is decelerated with the throttle valve fully closed, and before the feedback control is started, the supplementary air quantity is controlled in decelerating mode in a predetermined manner while the engine speed drops from a predetermined rpm larger than the upper limit of the desired idling rpm to the same upper limit.