Abstract: An electric vehicle includes a main battery mounted on a vehicle body and a sub-battery detachably connected to the vehicle body. The electric vehicle travels with the electric power of the main battery in the case where the traveling distance is not long. In the case where the traveling distance is long, a trailer with the sub-battery is coupled to the rear of the electric vehicle, so that both the electric powers of the two batteries are used to drive an electric motor to allow the electric vehicle to travel. At the time of driving of the motor, the electric power of the sub-battery is preferentially used. When the sub-battery becomes completely discharged, the trailer is disconnected from the electric vehicle. In this case, with the vehicle body weight reduced, the traveling of the electric vehicle with the electric power of the main battery can be continued, and therefore the total traveling distance is further increased.

Abstract: In an electric vehicle having front wheels braked by regenerative braking and hydraulic braking and rear wheels hydraulically braked, it is possible to check the magnitude of the regenerative braking force easily and accurately, by using a two-axle chassis dynamometer. Assuming that the front wheel braking force F.sub.2 ' detected by the chassis dynamometer is the total braking force C.sub.2 ' of the front and rear wheels, the total braking force C2' is broken down into component forces according to braking force distribution ratio data previously stored in a memory, to calculate a reference regenerative braking force A.sub.2 'D.sub.2 '. Based on the actually detected pedal depressing force A.sub.2 and the distribution ratio data, an imaginary pedal depressing force A.sub.2 ' is calculated that is required to produce a total braking force of the driven wheels and follower wheels equal to the braking force F.sub.2 ', generated by the driven wheels in the actual pedal depressing force A.sub.2.

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: 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: A driving circuit for driving a stepping motor has a plurality of excitation coils, a plurality of excitation transistors for driving the excitation coils of the stepping motor, respectively, and at least one chopping transistor for effecting chopping control of current flowing to the excitation coils. A fault diagnosis transistor is connected in parallel with the chopping transistor. A current limiting resistance is serially connected to the fault diagnosis transistor. A CPU selectively turns on and off the fault diagnosis transistor. The CPU detects output states of the chopping transistor assumed respectively when the fault diagnosis transistor is turned on and turned off. The CPU compares the detected output levels of the chopping transistor with respective predetermined logic levels and detects faults in the driving circuit from results of the comparisons.

Abstract: A driving circuit for driving a stepping motor has a plurality of excitation coils, a plurality of excitation transistors for driving the excitation coils of the stepping motor, respectively, at least one chopping transistor for effecting chopping control of current flowing to the excitation coils, and a CPU for supplying at least one control signal to the at least one chopping transistor. High and low pulse duty factor detecting circuits detect whether the at least one control signal has a pulse duty factor thereof falling outside a predetermined range defined by predetermined upper and lower limit values. The CPU is responsive to outputs from the high and low pulse duty factor detecting circuits for interrupting the supply of current to the stepping motor when the latter detect that the pulse duty factor falls outside the predetermined range.

Abstract: A driving wheel slip control system installed in a vehicle and having abnormality-detecting and failsafe functions. The system includes a slip status signal-generating device for generating a slip status signal indicative of whether or not the driving wheels of the vehicle are in a predetermined slip state, and a slip level signal-generating device for generating a slip level signal indicative of a degree of slip of the driving wheels. If a logical relationship between the slip status signal and the slip level signal is abnormal, and if the prime mover for driving the driving wheels is not accelerating and at the same time the slip level signal indicates the predetermined slip state, the slip level signal is determined to be abnormal. If an abnormality is detected during driving wheel slip control, an amount of reduction in output of the driving wheels is set to a predetermined amount to thereby continue driving wheel slip control, until the prime mover enters an operating condition other than acceleration.

Abstract: A system for detecting the abnormality of a steering angle sensor comprises a steering angle sensor for detecting the steering angle of a wheel of a vehicle to be steered, a reference motional parameter determining apparatus for determining a reference value of a vehicle motional parameter on the basis of the steering angle, a motional parameter detector apparatus for detecting a vehicle motional parameter indicative of the same physical quantity as the reference motional parameter, and an abnormality judging apparatus for judging the abnormality of the steering angle sensor by use of the reference motional parameter and the vehicle motional parameter. It is possible to reliably and promptly detect the abnormality of the steering angle sensor.

Abstract: An ophthalmic solution suitable for adjusting intraocular pressure comprising (A) an ophthalmologically acceptable, water-soluble salt of 2-acetyl-7-(2-hydroxy-3-isopropylaminopropoxy)benzofuran, (B) benzalkonium chloride or benzethonium chloride, and (C) a member selected from polyvinyl alcohol, methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose and hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, the solution being adjusted to pH 5.0 to 8.0 with a buffer agent. The components (B) and (C) increase greately the intraocular penetration of the component (A) and reduce the irritation to eye of the component (A) so that the pharmacological action of the component (A) can be effectively exhibited. The ophthalmic solution produces an excellent effect on decreasing of intraocular pressure with reduced irritation to eye and stability for a long term.