Fujikura Limited

Hidenobu Anzai

Moritaka Gotoh

Youichi Hisada

Minoru Tanaka

There is disclosed a fluid clutch device for controlling transmission of motive power of a vehicular engine to accessory equipment such as an oil pump for a power steering mechanism or an air compressor for an air conditioner. The clutch device includes first and second members arranged for relative rotation about a common axis. The first member is operated by the vehicular engine while the second member is constructed to operate the accessory equipment. The first and second members are accommodated in a hermetically sealed clutch casing which is filled with an electroviscous fluid. A source of high voltage potential is provided for applying a voltage to the electroviscous fluid, and various units for generating information regarding driving of the accessory equipment are also used. A clutch control unit is electrically connected to the source of high voltage potential and the information-generating units, and regulates the voltage applied to the electroviscous fluid based on the information generated from the information-generating units to vary a driving power for operating the accessory equipment.

Fluid clutch device

An apparatus for regulating the pneumatic pressure of a tire according to the invention calculates the pressure difference between the specified pneumatic pressure entered therein through an input section and the actual pneumatic pressure of a tire measured by a pressure sensor and operates its air charging or discharging valve by specifying an extent of openness of the valve and a time for keeping the valve open as a function of the obtained pressure difference. Thereafter, it calculates the rate of change in the pneumatic pressure of the tire from the actual pneumatic pressure of the tire measured for the second time during the valve is kept open and, at the same time, the pressure difference between the specified pneumatic pressure value and the actual pneumatic pressure of the tire measured for the second time. Then, it calculates second time for keeping the valve open by dividing the pressure difference by the rate of change in the pneumatic pressure of the tire and operates its air charging or discharging valve by specifying for the second time the time for keeping the valve open while keeping the extent of openness of the valve same as that for the first time.

Growing community of inventors

Iwaki, Japan

Hidenobu Anzai