Abstract: A brushless motor comprises a circuit protecting case; a holder disposed on the case; a motor shaft rotatably held by the holder; a stator disposed about the holder and including a plurality of coils which surround the motor shaft; a yoke fixed to the motor shaft to rotate therewith and covering the stator with a given space therebetween; permanent magnets held by the yoke; a circuit substrate tightly held in the circuit protecting case; a drive circuit arranged on the circuit substrate, the drive circuit including a switching section which switches the path of current directed to the coils of the stator and a control section which controls a switching timing of the switching section, the switching section including a plurality of switching elements which generate a certain heat when operated.

Abstract: In apparatus and method for controlling a rotation speed of a brushless motor, the rotation speed of the rotor is lowered by a predetermined gradient for the rotation speed of the rotor to be reached to a present target value of the rotation speed of the rotor when the rotor of the motor is rotating at a previous target value of the rotor of the motor previously calculated and the present target value of the rotor of the motor is lower than the previous target value thereof at which the rotor of the motor is rotating. The predetermined gradient is, for example, 100% per unit time.

Abstract: An electric wiring block composed of a block main body and various cassette blocks. The block main body includes a plurality of cassette receiving chambers which are identical in shape with each other and into which the cassette blocks are received, and, on the respective inner peripheral walls of the cassette receiving chambers, securing ribs are respectively provided. Also, on the outer peripheral wall of the block main body, external securing ribs for option cassettes are provided, while the external securing ribs are identical in shape with the securing ribs. Further, on the outside portions of the cassette blocks, which are identical in shape with each other and are used in common with different kinds of electric parts, lock claws are provided for inserting the cassette blocks into the cassette receiving chambers, and option lock claws are provided for fixing the cassette blocks to the outside portion of the block main body.

Abstract: An electric pump is turned ON and OFF by a main drive circuit including a negative pressure sensor for detecting a negative pressure in an accumulator, a first relay and a control device, and also turned ON and OFF by a back-up drive circuit including a negative pressure switch for detecting a negative pressure in an accumulator, and a second relay. For a period from the starting of the electric pump by the back-up drive circuit to the stopping of the electric pump by the main drive circuit, there is a period during which the electric pump is being driven only by the back-up drive circuit and a period during which the electric pump is being driven only by the main drive circuit. For each of these periods, a trouble of the main drive circuit and/or the back-up drive circuit can be determined by reference to a check signal indicative of the operational state of the electric pump. Thus, it is possible to reliably detect a trouble with the driving of the electric pump connected to the accumulator.

Abstract: A blend of high-molecular and a low-molecular organic material contains the high-molecular organic material in a proportion smaller than that of the low-molecular organic material, and has a three-dimensionally continuous network skeleton structure formed by the high-molecular organic material. The structure preferably has an average cell or mesh diameter not exceeding 500 microns. The removal of the low-molecular organic material from the blend gives a functional porous material consisting of the high-molecular organic material. The replacement of the low-molecular organic material in the blend with a solid or liquid, or a mixture thereof, gives a functional composite material containing the solid or liquid, or their mixture in the network skeleton structure.

Abstract: In an electric vehicle capable of regenerative braking of wheels, a differential pressure regulating valve is interposed between a master cylinder for generating a hydraulic braking pressure by operation of a brake operating element and a brake cylinder for a driven wheel. In a first region in which an input hydraulic pressure into the differential pressure regulating valve is equal to or less than a predetermined value, an output hydraulic pressure from the differential pressure regulating valve is maintained at zero, and in a second region in which the input hydraulic pressure exceeds the predetermined value, the output hydraulic pressure is lower than the input hydraulic pressure by the predetermined value.

Abstract: In a brake system in an electric vehicle comprising a follower wheel capable of being hydraulically braked by the operation of a brake operating element, and a driving wheel connected to and driven by a motor using a battery as an energy source and capable of being hydraulically braked and regeneratively braked by the operation of the brake operating element, the regenerative braking force for the driving wheel exceeds a theoretic distribution characteristic of the braking forces for the follower and driving wheels at least during an initial braking. Thus, it is possible to sufficiently perform the recovery of the kinetic energy of the vehicle by the regenerative braking to increase the possible travel distance of the vehicle. In addition, at least during an initial braking, the hydraulic braking of the driving wheel and the hydraulic braking of the follower wheel are inhibited, and substantially only the regenerative braking of the driving wheel is performed.

Abstract: The switchover is mode from a regenerative braking-preference mode in which the braking force for follower and driving wheels are more than a theoretical braking force distribution characteristic for follower and driving wheels, to a usual mode in which a braking force distribution characteristic thereof corresponds to the theoretical braking force distribution characteristic, is carried along an equal braking force line which is the sum of the braking forces for the follower and driving wheels. Thus, the sum total of the braking forces over the entire vehicle is kept constant even if the distribution of the braking forces for the follower and driving wheels is varied and therefore, a smooth braking is possible without a degradation of the steering stability. In addition, the switchover in mode from the regenerative-preference mode to the usual mode is carried out when the time-differentiation value of a wheel speed of the follower wheel or the driving wheel exceeds a predetermined value.

Abstract: A transmission control system in an electric vehicle in which a battery is used as en energy source for a motor and is charged with an electric power generated through the motor by regenerative braking of driving wheels which are connected to the motor through a transmission. In the transmission control system, a regenerative energy capable of being generated at a current transmission ratio, a regenerative energy capable of being generated when such transmission ratio is increased, and a regenerative energy capable of being generated when such transmission ratio is decreased, are calculated and compared with one another, thereby shift-changing the transmission into a shift position which permits the largest regenerative energy to be provided. This ensures that the efficiency of recovery of the energy can be increased to the maximum to effectively charge the battery.