Abstract: A stator for a rotating electric machine includes a stator core and a stator coil. The stator core is formed of a band-shaped steel sheet that is helically bent and laminated. The stator core has slots each opening at an inner periphery of the stator core and spaced from one another in a circumferential direction. The stator coil is formed of electrical conductor segments that are inserted in the slots of the stator core and connected with one another. The band-shaped steel sheet has slits each of which is formed, at a position corresponding to one of the slots, to be open to the corresponding slot. Each of the electrical conductor segments is substantially U-shaped and has a pair of leg portions respectively inserted in corresponding two of the slots of the stator core; the corresponding two slots are circumferentially apart from each other by two or more slot-pitches.

Abstract: A flat spring of a vehicular seat is elastically supported by means of supporting springs that extend in accordance with the load of an occupant. The seat has displacement sensors, first-stage determination step, second-stage determination step, and third-stage determination step. The displacement sensors output electrical signals corresponding to the respective elongations of the springs. The first-stage determination step determines the occupant in the seat in accordance with voltage values delivered from the displacement sensors. The second-stage determination step determines whether or not the result of determination by the first-stage determination step is maintained for a given period of time. The third-stage determination step compares the result of determination by the second-stage determination step with the preceding result of determination and specifies the occupant in accordance with the result of the comparison.

Abstract: In a vehicle occupant restraint system for restraining a lower part of a vehicle occupant, an arrangement for moving a restraining member from a retracted position to a deployed position upon detection and/or prediction of a vehicle crash by a crash sensor is adapted in such a manner that the restraining member cannot be made to move from the deployed position to the retracted position by an external force applied to the restraining member but can be made to move from the retracted position to the deployed position and from the deployed position back to the retracted position by a force transmitted from a power actuator to the restraining member via a power transmitting member. Thus, while the restraining member is capable of withstanding the load of restraining the vehicle occupant, even when the restraining member is deployed, it can be brought back to the retracted position so that the restraining system can be used repeatedly.

Abstract: In a vehicle seat, a central support member typically consisting of wire mesh or grid and supports most of the load of the vehicle occupant via spring members, and undergoes a relatively large displacement when the occupant is seated in the seat. Thus, by detecting the displacements of various parts of the central support member, preferably peripheral parts thereof, the magnitude of the total load and distribution of the load can be evaluated both reliably and accurately. Additionally, displacement sensors for measuring such large displacements are relatively inexpensive and easy to handle. Also, such sensors would not interfere with the existing seat designs, and would not be adversely affected by the equipment of the seat such as seat heaters.

Abstract: The present invention provides a weight sensor device for detecting a weight of an occupant seated on a seat having a seat frame and a cushion. The device has a sensing wire displaced downward in the seat frame as the cushion is deformed due to the weight of the occupant when the occupant is seated on the seat and a variable resistor for converting a displacement of the sensing wire into an electric signal indicative of the weight of the occupant.

Abstract: A flat spring of a vehicular seat is elastically supported by means of supporting springs that extend in accordance with the load of an occupant. The seat has displacement sensors, first-stage determination step, second-stage determination step, and third-stage determination step. The displacement sensors output electrical signals corresponding to the respective elongations of the springs. The first-stage determination step determines the occupant in the seat in accordance with voltage values delivered from the displacement sensors. The second-stage determination step determines whether or not the result of determination by the first-stage determination step is maintained for a given period of time. The third-stage determination step compares the result of determination by the second-stage determination step with the preceding result of determination and specifies the occupant in accordance with the result of the comparison.

Abstract: In a vehicle seat, a central support member typically consisting of wire mesh or grid and supports most of the load of the vehicle occupant via spring members, and undergoes a relatively large displacement when the occupant is seated in the seat. Thus, by detecting the displacements of various parts of the central support member, preferably peripheral parts thereof, the magnitude of the total load and distribution of the load can be evaluated both reliably and accurately. Additionally, displacement sensors for measuring such large displacements are relatively inexpensive and easy to handle. Also, such sensors would not interfere with the existing seat designs, and would not be adversely affected by the equipment of the seat such as seat heaters.

Abstract: In a vehicle occupant restraint system for restraining a lower part of a vehicle occupant, an arrangement for moving a restraining member from a retracted position to a deployed position upon detection and/or prediction of a vehicle crash by a crash sensor is adapted in such a manner that the restraining member cannot be made to move from the deployed position to the retracted position by an external force applied to the restraining member but can be made to move from the retracted position to the deployed position and from the deployed position back to the retracted position by a force transmitted from a power actuator to the restraining member via a power transmitting member. Thus, while the restraining member is capable of withstanding the load of restraining the vehicle occupant, even when the restraining member is deployed, it can be brought back to the retracted position so that the restraining system can be used repeatedly.

Abstract: The present invention provides a weight sensor device for detecting a weight of an occupant seated on a seat having a seat frame and a cushion. The device has a sensing wire displaced downward in the seat frame as the cushion is deformed due to the weight of the occupant when the occupant is seated on the seat and a variable resistor for converting a displacement of the sensing wire into an electric signal indicative of the weight of the occupant.

Abstract: Atmospheric pressure compensating means for an engine intake system, which includes an air bypass passage extending between the upstream side and downstream side of a throttle valve in an engine intake passage, and a control valve provided in the bypass passage for controlling the bypass passage area in accordance with pressure difference between the atmospheric pressure and suction pressure in said intake passage so that said passage area is increased in response to a decrease in said pressure difference.