Abstract: An opening of a waste gate vale is adjusted to control an actual supercharging pressure of intake air. Abnormality in a changing characteristic of the actual supercharging pressure relative to a change in a TCV control duty value can be detected. When an engine is in a steady operation condition, the TCV control duty value is forcibly changed repeatedly by a predetermined amount from 0% to 100%. A deviation between a target supercharging pressure corresponding to the TCV control duty value and an actual supercharging pressure is calculated each time the TCV control duty value is changed by the predetermined amount. This deviation is compared with an abnormality determination value to determine presence/absence of the abnormality in the changing characteristic of the actual supercharging pressure relative to the change in the TCV control duty value.

Abstract: An alkaline battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode and an alkaline electrolyte, the positive electrode including a positive electrode material mixture containing a nickel oxyhydroxide, electrolytic manganese dioxide and a graphite conductive material, wherein the nickel oxyhydroxide includes a crystal having manganese dissolved therein and having a ? type structure, and the amount of the manganese contained in the nickel oxyhydroxide is 0.5 to 10 mol % relative to the total amount of nickel and the manganese in the nickel oxyhydroxide.

Abstract: A separator for alkaline batteries exhibits excellent property for holding the alkaline electrolyte, is not degraded even when the separator is used for alkaline batteries using a positive electrode mix containing an agent having a great oxidizing ability for enhancing the discharging property under a great load, maintains the function as the separator even when the separator is exposed to high temperatures for a long time and can be effectively used for alkaline batteries which are used for portable information instruments requiring the excellent discharging property under a great load such as digital cameras.

Abstract: A computer calculates an estimated cylinder-intake-air amount based on outputs from an airflow meter and a throttle position sensor, and then calculates a reference cylinder-intake-air amount based on an air-fuel ratio in an exhaust gas and fuel injection amount. An error of the estimated cylinder-intake-air amount is calculated by comparing the reference cylinder-intake-air amount with an estimated cylinder-intake-air amount base value. The error is low-pass filtered. The estimated cylinder-intake-air amount base value is corrected to obtain the final estimated cylinder-intake-air amount.

Abstract: The alkaline dry battery of the present invention has a battery case accommodating a positive electrode including manganese dioxide and nickel oxyhydroxide, a negative electrode including zinc, and an alkaline electrolyte; a sealing plate for sealing an opening of the battery case; and a sealing member disposed in between the battery case and the sealing plate. And the alkaline dry battery has a sealant layer including a blown asphalt and polybutene in between the battery case and the sealing member.

Abstract: An alkaline battery comprising: a positive electrode mixture comprising manganese dioxide and nickel oxyhydroxide as active materials; a negative electrode comprising zinc as an active material; and an alkaline electrolyte, characterized in that the potential of the manganese dioxide relative to a mercury/mercury oxide electrode in a potassium hydroxide aqueous solution having a KOH concentration of 40 wt % is 270 mV or higher.

Abstract: In order to provide a method of producing a gel negative electrode for an alkaline battery for preparing a gel negative electrode in which a zinc powder, a gelling agent and an electrolyte are disposed uniformly, by means of an agitator comprising a cylindrical agitation container disposed so that the center axis X of the cylinder is parallel to the horizontal direction, the agitation container is rotated around the center axis X and the left and right portions of the agitation container are swung around an axis Y, which is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the agitation container, thereby agitating and mixing the alkaline electrolyte and the dry mixture.

Abstract: In order to obtain an alkaline dry battery low in the possibility of electrolyte leakage and excellent in discharge performance as well as an alkaline dry battery which is not likely to cause an internal short circuit even with the use of a thin separator, as a zinc powder used is one including 65 to 75 wt % of first zinc particles having a particle size of larger than 75 &mgr;m and not larger than 425 &mgr;m, and 25 to 35 wt % of second zinc particles having a particle size of not larger than 75 &mgr;m.

Abstract: An offset printing method comprises the steps of: a process for suspending a sheet-shaped or belt-shaped blanket by supporting both ends thereof at the leading and trailing ends thereof in the printing direction; and a process for performing ink reception from a plate to the blanket and also transferring ink from the blanket to a work, by pressing the blanket by a pressuring jig from an upwards direction down onto a plate or work situated below and sweeping in the printing direction. An offset printing apparatus is configured so as to carry out this method.

Abstract: In a system for detecting deterioration of an exhaust catalyst, when a catalyst temperature exceeds 150° C., the changing widths of the output voltage of an oxygen sensor downstream of the catalyst are integrated for a predetermined sampling period to determine data &Sgr;V reflecting the amount of purified gas component, and the deviation of the air/fuel ratio detected by an air/fuel ratio sensor upstream of the catalyst, and a target A/F and an exhaust gas flow rate or an intake flow rate are multiplied so that data &Sgr;A/F&Circlesolid;Q of the fluctuation of the gas component flowing into the catalyst are determined by integrating the multiplied values. At the instant when the catalyst temperature reaches 550° C., the data &Sgr;V, as integrated till then, are compared with a deterioration determining value, as set according to the data &Sgr;A/F&Circlesolid;Q, to determine whether the catalyst is deteriorated.

Abstract: A fuel vapor purge system has an apparatus for detecting leakage. The apparatus detects leakage based on a detected pressure in the tank. A remaining amount of fuel indicating a capacity of air in the tank and an introducing time of a negative pressure indicating an evaporated amount of fuel are taken into consideration of a detecting process. Therefore, the leakage detection is carried out accurately by compensating influences on the detected pressure by the remaining amount of fuel and an evaporated amount of fuel.

Abstract: When a diagnosis execution condition is established, a canister closure valve is closed, thereafter, a purge control valve is opened, a purge control valve is closed in a state where negative pressure is introduced into an evaporated gas system to thereby maintain the evaporated gas system in a hermetically-sealed state and the hermetically-sealed state is continued until abnormality diagnosis is finished. Time period for maintaining the evaporated gas system in the hermetically-sealed state is divided into three time periods of a pressure change determining time period at a first time, an awaiting time period and a pressure change determining time period at a second time.

Abstract: In a system for detecting deterioration of an exhaust catalyst, when a catalyst temperature exceeds 150.degree. C., the changing widths of the output voltage of an oxygen sensor downstream of the catalyst are integrated for a predetermined sampling period to determine data .SIGMA.V reflecting the amount of purified gas component, and the deviation of the air/fuel ratio detected by an air/fuel ratio sensor upstream of the catalyst, and a target A/F and an exhaust gas flow rate or an intake flow rate are multiplied so that data .SIGMA.A/F .cndot.Q of the fluctuation of the gas component flowing into the catalyst are determined by integrating the multiplied values. At the instant when the catalyst temperature reaches 550.degree. C., the data .SIGMA.V, as integrated till then, are compared with a deterioration determining value, as set according to the data .SIGMA.A/F.cndot.Q, to determine whether the catalyst is deteriorated.

Abstract: To accurately detect patterns of misfires in an internal combustion engine, misfire is detected by calculating angular speed variation responsive to crankshaft rotation and comparing that with a predetermined misfire reference value. The calculated angular speed variation includes a first elementary term showing rotational variation of two different cylinders and a second correction term showing the rotational variation of the same cylinder separated by one combustion cycle. The elementary term shows how much rotational variation is between the cylinder n and the previous cylinder n-1 due to the occurrence of misfire. In contrast, the correction term shows how much error in the rotational variation is caused in same cylinder (e.g., mainly when accelerating or decelerating).

Abstract: This invention is related to a supplemental mouthpiece which is adapted to be mounted on the mouth portion of a liquid bottle and provided with a partitioning strip extending into the interior of the bottle. The cap for the bottle can be mounted while the supplemental mouthpiece is left attached to the mouth portion. According to this supplemental mouthpiece, the partitioning strip is mounted on the mouth portion to partition the interior thereof and one of the partitioned passage is covered by a cover provided with a vent hole to prevent the splashing of liquid and at the same time to prevent the liquid from pouring out from the covered passage. The cover may be formed integral with the mouth portion, or with a securing member which is adapted to be mounted on the mouth portion, thereby allowing the cover to be detachably mounted on the mouth portion.

Abstract: A self-diagnostic apparatus of an air-fuel ratio control system of an internal combustion engine performs processes of starting the diagnostic process as the fuel-cut is started, reading and storing a sensor output at the start of the fuel-cut and counting an elapsed time after the start of the fuel-cut by actuating a timer, reading a time until when the sensor output rises from the start of the fuel-cut from the count value of the timer, calculating a rate of change of the sensor output and comparing the calculated rate of change with an abnormality determining value. When the rate of change is large, the response characteristic of the sensor is normal. When it is small, the response characteristic of the sensor is abnormal (degraded), so that the abnormality of the sensor is stored in a memory and an alarm lamp is lighted to inform a driver of the abnormality of the sensor.

Abstract: A catalyst deterioration determination is performed in two stages. In the first stage of determination, an amplitude of an output signal from a downstream oxygen sensor is detected and this amplitude is compared with a reference value in order to determine possible deterioration in a catalyst. When correct performance is expected, while taking into account variations (amplitude and response) in the upstream and downstream oxygen sensors, then the detection in a second stage is omitted. However when possible catalyst deterioration may be present, the determination at the seconds stage is performed. After adjusting the response of the upstream oxygen sensor to the characteristic of the slowest response, the total response delay time of the downstream sensor is obtained within a specified amount of time, and this sum then is compared with a reference value indicating catalyst deterioration. A final determination is made as to whether catalyst deterioration is present.

Abstract: The sputtering apparatus includes: at least one film-forming vacuum chamber in which a plurality of sputtering targets and a like plurality of box-shaped deposition-shield members are disposed, each deposition-shield surrounding the corresponding target in such a manner that each of the targets faces a corresponding substrate, each deposition-shield member having an opening which enables sputtered particles to travel from the target to the corresponding substrate.The arrangement of the sputtering apparatus may be such that the substrate is supported by a holder and the substrate holder is placed facing the opening provided in a wall of the deposition-shield member, wherein the area of the substrate holder is larger than that of the opening of the deposition-shield member, and a part of the area of the substrate holder which faces the wall of the deposition-shield member overlaps a closed portion of the deposition-shield member when viewed in plan.

Abstract: A catalytic converter deterioration detecting system for an engine derives a low-frequency component in an output of a downstream-side oxygen sensor provided downstream of a catalytic converter. The system detects deterioration of the catalytic converter based on the low-frequency component, such as, an amplitude of the low-frequency component or a period of the low-frequency component. For higher detection accuracy, an amplitude of a high-frequency component in the output of the downstream-side oxygen sensor is additionally used for detecting deterioration of the catalytic converter. Specifically, the system determines that the catalytic converter is deteriorated when the low-frequency amplitude is smaller than a given value and the high-frequency amplitude is greater than a given value.

Abstract: A process for preparing a magnetic recording medium by coating a magnetic coating material on a non-magnetic support and then drying the above magnetic coating material, which comprises imparting a magnetic field to said magnetic coating material with a magnet which rotates with the rotational surface at an angle of 5.degree. to 30.degree. relative to the surface of said support prior to drying of said magnetic coating material on said support.