Sumitomo Electric Industries, Limited

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Co.

Koji Takata

Koichi Hashida

Teruhisa Kohno

Hideaki Fujioka

Yukinori Nishiyama

Masato Yoshino

Tohru Nakaura

Yoshiki Matsuzaki

Yuji Takahashi

Kazuhiro Kato

Yoichi Miyawaki

Tsuyoshi Fujimoto

Toshimi Habasaki

Koji Amemiya

Takashi Shinomiya

Teruhisa Kono

Tatsuji Matsumoto

Shinji Yamada

Fumitaka Uchino

Tatuji Matumoto

A controlling method in a controlling system which changes the controlled physical quantity to follow up a target value smoothly to maximum. The control system includes a target value setting portion for setting a target value Y of the controlled physical quantity and a desired variation operation portion for obtaining a desired variation dWx of the controlled physical quantity in accordance with the target value Y. Further, a control demand output portion for outputting a control demand value Z in accordance with the desired variation dXw and a controlled apparatus which changes the controlled physical quantity in accordance with the control demand value Z are provided.

Controlling method to follow-up target value

The present invention relates to a process for producing a porous glass preform for an optical fiber and an apparatus for conducting such a process. According to the process, fine glass particles are produced by heating and reacting vaporous starting materials in a reaction vessel. The resulting fine glass particles are thereafter deposited to obtain the porous glass preform. An exhaust gas containing non-deposited fine glass particles is exhausted through an exhaust duct at a velocity above 15 m/sec. Preferably, pressure fluctuation in the reaction vessel is minimized by supplying air from outside of the reaction vessel to the exhaust duct. In accordance with the present invention, the exhaust duct is less likely to become obstructed by non-deposited fine glass particles. As a result, the preform can be produced without interruption over an extended period of time.

Process for producing a glass preform for an optical fiber and apparatus

An arrangement for preventing the master cylinder of a brake system from getting damaged even if the brake fluid in the master cylinder reservoir is suctioned into the brake circuit during traction control. A wheel brake pressure control valve is provided in the main line. The system also includes a discharged fluid reservoir for storing fluid discharged from the control valve, a pump for returning the fluid in the discharged fluid reservoir into the fluid return point of the main line, a traction control changeover valve for checking any fluid flow from the fluid return point toward the master cylinder, and an intermediate reservoir provided in the supply line branching from the main line and adapted to communicate with the main line during normal braking. The system further includes a relief valve provided in a connecting line branching from the main line to check any fluid flow from the supply line toward the intermediate reservoir during traction control. Another changeover valve is provided to open and close communication between the intermediate reservoir and the discharged fluid reservoir.

Brake fluid pressure controller

The present invention provides a flow control valve which makes it possible to prevent the leakage of hydraulic fluid when the valve is closed while continuously controlling the flow rate. An axially slidable piston (12) housed in a housing (11) provided with a first port (13) and second port (16) is urged by an electromagnet (20). A first closing valve (14) for connecting and isolating the first port (13) and first fluid chamber (A), with a valve seat portion (14C) opened opposite one end portion of the piston (12) in the first fluid chamber (A) and a valve body (14B) which is seated in and separated from the valve seat portion in accordance with the axial displacement of the piston (12), is provided between the first port (13) and the first fluid chamber (A). An orifice (15) is provided in the conduit connecting the first fluid chamber (A) and the second fluid chamber (B).

Flow control valve and control method therefor

A wheel brake fluid pressure control device has a main fluid line and a return-flow type antilock control function. This device also has a fluid supply line branching from the main fluid line so that it has a traction control function as well. It is necessary to provide such a device with a shutoff valve for checking the fluid flow from the fluid supply line to the discharged fluid reservoir while the master cylinder is being pressurized. The shutoff valve employed is not an expensive solenoid valve or a pressure-responsive valve, but a pressure-responsive type check valve which closes when the brake pressure in the discharge line exceeds a predetermined level. This shutoff valve is simple in structure and low in cost and can improve the reliability of the entire device. Also, by using this valve, the traction control function can be added to an existing antilock control device at a low cost.

Brake fluid pressure control device

A brake fluid pressure control device has a wheel brake fluid pressure control valve having a discharge valve and provided in a main fluid passage extending from a master cylinder to wheel brakes. A discharged fluid reservoir is provided to temporarily store the brake fluid discharged from the discharge valve. A pump is provided to pump the brake fluid out of the discharged fluid reservoir and return it to the main fluid passage. A fluid supply passage branches from the main fluid passage at a point upstream of a flow return point from the pump and extends to the discharged fluid reservoir. A traction control changeover valve is provided to checking a fluid flow from the flow return point toward the master cylinder during traction control. A shutoff valve is provided to check a fluid flow from the fluid supply passage to the discharged fluid reservoir while the pressure in the master cylinder is being applied. The shutoff valve is a stroke responsive type check valve for checking a fluid flow from the fluid supply passage toward the discharged fluid reservoir if the amount of the brake fluid in the discharged fluid reservoir exceeds a predetermined level.

A zero-point correction device for a gravity-type accelerometer employed in a vehicle having wheels, includes a calculator for calculating an estimated vehicle acceleration Aw based on the wheel speed, and a detector for detecting a gravitationally detected acceleration Am based on said gravity-type accelerometer. A subtractor is provided for subtracting a correction amount Ao obtained in each operation cycle from the gravitationally detected acceleration Am to produce a corrected acceleration Ac which is a corrected version of said gravitationally detected acceleration Am. The correction amount Ao for the present operation cycle is obtained by adding to the correction amount Ao obtained in the previous cycle, a value commensurate with a difference between the estimated vehicle acceleration Aw and the corrected acceleration Ac.

Zero-point correction device for a gravity-type accelerometer

A wheel speed correction device for use in a vehicle corrects for the change of the circumferential wheel speed caused by variations in the wheel tire diameter, differences in the paths of the left and right wheels when the vehicle turns, and/or abnormal slipping between the tire and the road surface. The wheel speed correction device has a device for measuring a wheel rotation angular speed of each wheel, a device for correcting a coefficient representing a tire diameter and producing a corrected coefficient for each wheel, a device for calculating, from the measured angular speed, a diameter-corrected wheel speed using the corrected coefficients, a device for obtaining a turning correction amount from a difference between diameter-corrected wheel speeds of the left and right wheels, and a device for correcting the diameter-corrected wheel speed using the turning correction amount.

Wheel speed correction device which compensates for changes in tire

A brake fluid pressure control device has a wheel brake fluid pressure control valve including a discharge valve provided in a main fluid passage extending from a master cylinder to wheel brakes. A discharged fluid reservoir is provided to temporarily store the brake fluid discharged from the discharge valve. A pump is provided to pump the brake fluid out of the discharged fluid reservoir to return it to the main passage. A fluid supply passage branches from the main passage at a point upstream of a flow return point from the pump and extends to the discharged fluid reservoir. A traction control changeover valve is provided to check a fluid flow from the flow return point toward the master cylinder during traction control. A shutoff valve is provided to check a fluid flow from the master cylinder to the discharged fluid reservoir through the fluid supply passage while the master cylinder is pressurized. Further, the control device has an intermediate fluid reservoir provided upstream of the shutoff valve so as to be brought into communication with the supply passage during the traction control.

A vehicle travel direction estimating device is provided which has a wheel speed calculating device for calculating the speed and acceleration Aw of a vehicle. In addition, a gravity-type accelerometer is provided for producing a gravitationally detected acceleration Am. When both Aw and Am increase or decrease simultaneously, it is determined that the vehicle is travelling forward, and when one of Aw and Am increases while the other decreases, it is determined that the vehicle is travelling in reverse. To detect this feature, a calculating system is provided to form differential values Daw and Dam from accelerations Aw and Am. The vehicle travel direction is estimated using the differential values Daw and Dam.

Vehicle travel direction estimating device

A device for calculating estimated vehicle acceleration and speed for use in estimating vehicle speed Vv and vehicle acceleration Av, such that a subservient acceleration Az based on the wheel speed is used when As&gt;Az during acceleration or when As&lt;Az during deceleration, while the substitute acceleration As based on the gravity-type accelerometer is used in place of Az when As&lt;Az during acceleration or when As&gt;Az during deceleration.

Device for calculating estimated vehicle acceleration and speed

A flow control valve includes a sleeve formed with an inlet port and an outlet port and a spool slidably mounted in the sleeve. A fluid passage having an orifice connects a high-pressure end and a low-pressure end of the spool. An annular seal is liquid-tightly fitted in an annular groove formed in the inner periphery of the sleeve and extends into an annular groove formed in the outer periphery of the spool with a gap left therebetween. A biasing elements is provided to bias the spool in a direction opposite to the direction in which the fluid pressure differential between both ends of the spool tends to urge the spool. A seal can be effected by the annular seal and a shoulder portion of the spool defining the annular groove thereof. The seal, however allows fluid communication from the inlet port toward the outlet port through the orifice to be established with the movement of the spool.

Flow control valve

A brake system having at least one static pressure line having a static pressure generator. The static pressure line has a bilateral driving piston having one end thereof acted on by a brake pressure and the other end acted on by a control pressure, a changeover valve capable of shutting off the fluid flow from the static pressure generator to the wheel brake, a flow control valve for controlling the control pressure of the driving piston, and an electronic control unit for giving a control command to the flow control valve. The driving piston is controlled so as to keep its predetermined neutral position while the manual input is zero, and, in a normal operation phase, so as to move in such a direction as to reduce the capacity of the static pressure line so that a manual control stroke will be shortened in a predetermined relationship with deceleration or with other braking factors closely associated with the deceleration. In an antilock control phase, the driving piston is controlled so as to move in such a direction as to increase the capacity of the static pressure line, after the fluid flow from the static pressure generator to the wheel brake has been shut off by said changeover valve.

Brake system

A brake system has a manually controlled brake pressure generator, independent controlled brake circuits each having a wheel brake and a flow control valve for electronically controlling the pressure of the wheel brake, a dynamic pressure source necessary for the pressure control by the flow control valve, a reservoir, a sensor such as a wheel speed sensor, and an electronic control unit. A pair of check valves for introducing and returning fluid are provided in parallel to each other between an output circuit of the brake pressure generator and each controlled brake circuit. A solenoid changeover valve for antilock is provided between the output circuit of the brake pressure generator and the check valves for introducing fluid to close the line during antilock control.

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Itami, Japan

Koji Takata