Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Katsuhiro Mori

Toshiyuki Kondo

Peter Hugh Birch

Shinobu Kaneko

Minoru Haga

Hisatoshi Yoshida

Alan B Turner

Yutaka Momose

Shinji Kawai

Mikio Yoshihara

Koichi Suzuki

Junji Maeda

Shigeyoshi Tabata

An on-seat occupant detector apparatus includes a seat occupancy sensor made up of an optical wave guide provided in the seat for allowing the passage of light. The optical wave guide has a light transmissive portion possessing a curvature that is variable, with the optical wave guide changing the physical quantity of the light passing through the light transmissive portion when the curvature varies as a result of occupancy of the seat. The sensor also includes a light emitting device for inputting light into the optical wave guide, a light receiving device for receiving light outputted from the optical wave guide, and a detecting device which detects occupancy of the seat when the physical quantity of light passing through the light transmissive portion changes due to a change in the curvature of the transmissive portion as a result of the occupancy of the seat.

Seat occupancy sensor

A method and apparatus for physically processing a workpiece by contact of a working tool with the workpiece, wherein a mass of bubbles of a working liquid is applied to an area of contact between said working tool and said workpiece. The apparatus includes a foaming device for foaming the working liquid to produce the mass of bubbles, a conduit for delivering the mass of bubbles from the foaming device, and a nozzle disposed at one end of the conduit remote from the foaming device, for applying the mass of bubbles to at least one of the tool and workpiece. The nozzle may incorporates a foaming device.

Method and apparatus for working on a workpiece, using foamed working

A high speed rotating electromagnetic motor/generator includes a rotor having a core of magnetic material, a layer of permanent magnet, a retainer ring and side walls of non-magnetic material. A stator is provided by magnetic steel laminations and winding slots. A case includes a cylindrical inner casing, a cylindrical outer casing and end caps which carry the machine bearings. The permanent magnets within the rotating part may be made of neodymium-boron-iron and produce a high flux density pole rotor. The motor/generator can be operated as a brushless direct current or synchronous alternating current machine. Efficient means of cooling is provided by helical channels, which carry a liquid coolant, and are formed in the casing.

Dynamoelectric machines

An apparatus for the domestic cogeneration of heat and electrical energy utilizing an inverted Brayton cycle gas turbine, a combustion chamber, an electrical generator and a compressor. Combustion air is preheated in a heat exchanger by gaseous combustion gases or exhaust gases exiting from the turbine. The combustion air is supplied at substantially atmospheric pressure to the combustion chamber where fuel is burned. The cooled gaseous combustion gases exiting from the heat exchanger are then fed to the compressor where they are recompressed to atmospheric pressure, and are finally used to heat the working fluid of a domestic heating system before being exhausted to the atmosphere. The apparatus can also include an acoustically and thermally insulated housing, an electric air blower for start-up, an engine ignition device, a frequency converter which conditions the electric generator output for connection to the main supply and a control system which is cooled by the engine intake air and which detects thermal and electrical demand and adjusts the engine power accordingly.

Gas turbine cogeneration apparatus for the production of domestic heat

An air-cycle air conditioning system comprises a first turbine disposed in an exhaust passage of a prime mover and driven by the energy of exhaust gases, a first compressor placed in coaxial relation to the first turbine and rotatable in response to the operation of the first turbine so as to intake and compress an air, a second turbine coupled to an outlet end of the first compressor through a first line and rotatable by the energy of a compressed air from the first compressor so as to expand and cool the compressed air, a first heat exchanger disposed in the first line and effecting heat exchange between the compressed air and an outside air, a second heat exchanger connected to the second turbine through a second line and effecting heat exchange between the air supplied from the second turbine and an air supplied from a fan, a second compressor placed in coaxial relation to the second turbine and rotatable in response to the operation of the second turbine so as to intake and compress an air, an auxiliary burner capable of burning the air supplied from the second compressor and feeding the resultant exhaust gases to the first turbine, a load sensor for detecting load condition of the prime mover, and a controller for permitting the auxiliary burner to feed the exhaust gases to the first turbine when the load sensor detects that the prime mover runs on low load.

Air-cycle air conditioning system

A rotating part for a high speed synchronous generator comprises a core of magnetic material, side walls of nonmagnetic material, and an outer circumferential portion. The outer circumferential portion is provided on its outside with an inner layer, an inner retaining ring, an outer layer and an outer retaining ring. The inner and outer layers are made up of magnetic and nonmagnetic portions. The retaining rings are of magnetic material. The greater strength and lighten weight of the nonmagnetic portions reduces the centrifugal forces on the magnetic portions. In an alternative embodiment, the outer circumferential portion comprises a number of layers comprising alternate portions of magnetic and nonmagnetic material, retained by rings of magnetic material. The nonmagnetic portions support the magnetic material, and prevent it from damage through centrifugal force. Another alternative embodiment includes recesses in the outer retaining ring and a nommagnetic material disposed in said recesses for securing the retaining ring. Another alternative embodiment comprises a magnetic core, a nomagnetic side wall of high strength, a magnetic portion, and a retaining ring divided into magnetic parts and nonmagnetic parts.

Dynamo-electric machines

An apparatus for accommodating an electrical cord in a heated toilet seat having a toilet seat body and a base cover pivotally connected to each other, wherein an electrical cord adapted for electrical connection between a heater mounted within the toilet seat body and a controller therefore is secured at one by a grommet provided on the base cover and at the other end by a cord fastener in the toilet seat body. Sufficient cord slack is provided in the toilet seat body so that the cord may be retracted or extended during the pivoting of the toilet seat body. The cord slack is in the shape of a loop, and a guide stopper is positioned within the loop to guide the cord during extension and retraction and limit the maximum extension of the cord.

Growing community of inventors

Aichi, Japan

Katsuhiro Mori