Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Masaharu Takeuchi

Yutaka Nonomura

Kouji Tsukada

Yuji Nishibe

Jun Sugiyama

Haruyoshi Kondo

Hirofumi Komatsubara

Keiichi Shimaoka

Takeshi Morikawa

Takashi Takeuchi

Sanae Tokumitsu

Kazuhiro Sakurai

Hideaki Takahashi

Yoshiteru Omura

Tsuchio Bunda

Jiro Sakata

Keiichi Saji

Hideya Yamadera

Yutaka Obuchi

Isemi Igarashi

Masanori Miyashita

Sadayuki Hayashi

Kozo Satta

Kazuyoshi Kawaguchi

Koji Tsukada

Masaaki Abe

A magnetic sensor element 1 includes a substrate 10, a conductive layer 12 of a conductive material, and a magnetic layer 11 of a magnetic material, which encloses the conductive layer 12. AC is applied to the element from a drive power source 50, and a detector 60 detects an impedance change due to an external magnetic field. The magnetic layer 11 is bestowed with magnetic anisotropy in a direction orthogonal to the direction of energization of the element 1. With the provision of the conductive layer 12 of conductive material and also with magnetic anisotropy imparted to the magnetic layer 1, the element 1 may be made a low resistivity element. A reactance change and a resistance change of the element due to an external magnetic field change, thus can be effectively detected in drive frequencies two orders of magnitude lower than in the case of a prior art magnetic sensor element. The magnetic anisotropy of the magnetic layer 11 is controlled to prevent magnetic field detection dynamic range variations with drive frequency.

Multilayered magnetic sensor having conductive layer within megnetic

the present invention provides a force transducer having high compression fracture strength and high detection sensitivity, thus satisfying both detection precision and reliability, and also a method of fabricating such a force transducer. The force transducer is so constructed that a compression force is transferred via a pressure transfer block to narrow strain gages, which protrude from the surface of a silicon substrate and provide a small pressure-bearing area. Therefore, large compression strains act on the strain gages and thus the detection sensitivity is increased. When the compression force exceeds a predetermined value, the pressure transfer block comes into contact with the surface of the silicon crystal, thus improving the fracture strength of the strain gages. These narrow, protruding strain gages can be fabricated easily by a single mesa etching process.

Force transducer and method of fabrication thereof

A thin film mutilayered air-fuel ratio sensor having a sensor element including a first electrode formed on a porous substrate, a first solid electrolyte and a third electrode formed on the first electrode in this order, in such a manner that the first electrode is completely covered by the first solid electrolyte inclusive of its surroundings, and that the first solid electrolyte is completely covered by the third electrode inclusive of its surroundings, a second solid electrolyte and a fourth electrode and formed on the third electrode in this order, in such a manner that the peripheral portion of the third electrode is left uncovered by the second solid electrolyte and the fourth electrode and thereby left exposed. The first electrode, the third electrode, and the fourth electrode are made of a gas-permeable porous platinum, and the first solid electrolyte and the second solid electrolyte are made of a gas-permeable dense solid electrolyte having oxygen ion conductivity. The sensor has far improved performance as compared to the conventional ones and can be made compact.

Thin film multilayered air/fuel ratio sensor

A torque sensor which can detect instantaneous output torque of the engine is disposed on the output shaft of the engine, and the output signal thereof is frequency-analyzed to extract a half synchronous frequency component having a frequency equals to a half of the number of the revolutions of the engine per second and a synchronous frequency component having a frequency equals to the number of the revolutions of the engine per second, the electronic control unit (ECU) of the engine determines the misfiring mode of the engine including the number of the misfiring cylinders and the interval thereof in the firing order of the engine based on the amplitude of the frequency components and the waveform thereof, then the ECU determines the misfiring cylinders based on the determined misfiring mode and the phase angle of the frequency components of the torque sensor relative to a reference crank angle signal.

Device for determining misfiring of cylinders in multi-cylinder engines

A physical quantity detecting apparatus for detecting a physical quantity of an object of measurement. The position of movement of an object of measurement is divided into a given number of segments in advance. The output of a physical quantity sensor for detecting a physical quantity of the object of measurement is calculated on the basis of a correction operation expression which has an independent coefficient group for each segment so as to correct the offset component and the sensitivity. Thus, a physical quantity such as a transmitted torque is detected with high accuracy at real time without being influenced by the fluctuations of the offset output and the sensitivity depending on the position of rotation. The correction operation may also be performed using the temperature dependence function of the offset signal and the temperature dependence function of the sensitivity, thereby enabling the accurate measurement of the physical quantity without the influence of the temperature change.

Torque detecting apparatus

A semiconductor pressure transducer for detecting a pressure applied to a diaphragm. The pressure transducer comprises a diaphragm and a pressure detector including an Si single crystal which is so formed as to have a crystal face of {110 } as the surface to which a compression force is applied, and which is attached to the pressure detector such that the crystal face is parallel to the diaphragm, a first pair of opposing electrodes provided on the Si single crystal in the direction having an angle of 45 degrees with the direction of &lt;001&gt; on the crystal face of {110 } and a second pair of opposing electrodes provided on the Si single crystal in the direction having an angle of 45 degrees with the direction of &lt;110&gt; of the Si single crystal, either of the first or second pair of electrodes serving as output electrodes and the other pair serving as input electrodes and composite seat with one end thereof bonded to the crystal face of {110 } of the Si single crystal so as to transmit the pressure applied to the diaphragm perpendicularly to the crystal face of the Si single crystal as a compression force. The pressure applied to the diaphragm acts perpendicularly to the crystal face of the Si single crystal as a compression force and the output electrodes output a voltage corresponding to the compression force.

Semiconductor pressure transducer

A torque detecting apparatus for measuring the amount of magnetostriction of a rotary magnetic material which transmits torque by means of a magnetic sensor, and detecting the transmitted torque on the basis of the measured amount of magnetostriction. The apparatus comprises a magnetic sensor for measuring the amount of magnetostriction of the rotary magnetic material, a demagnetization coil which is opposed to the rotary magnetic material so as to restore the rotary magnetic material magnetized by a disturbing magnetic field to the state of zero magnetization, a demagnetization circuit for applying an oscillating current to the demagnetization coil so as to generate in the rotary magnetic material a periodic damping oscillating magnetic field having the maximum value larger than the coercive force of the rotary magnetic material; and a trigger circuit for outputting a drive timing signal for the demagnetization circuit. The transmitted torque is detected without being influenced by a disturbing magnetic field.

A torque measuring apparatus including a magnetic detection device for non-contact measuring strains in a rotating shaft of ferromagnetic material which is adapted to transmit torques, the detected strains being used to determine the levels of transmitted torques, the magnetic detection device including an exciting coil device wound around the outer periphery of the rotating shaft and adapted to magnetize the rotating shaft in its axial direction; a detecting core ring device in the form of an integral unit which includes a plurality of detecting cores arranged around the circumferential area of the rotating shaft to be magnetized equidistantly to form a ring, each of the detecting cores forming an independent magnetic circuit between the detecting core and the rotating shaft; and at least one magnetic detecting element for detecting a variable magnetic flux in each of the detecting cores depending on the level of the transmitted torque; whereby the strains in the rotating shaft can be non-contact measured based on the sum of detection signals from the magnetic sensors each of which is formed by each of the detecting cores and the corresponding magnetic detecting elements.

Torque measuring apparatus

A stress detector including an AC power source for generating an AC symmetrical wave form voltage, an exciting coil driven by the AC power source for alternatingly magnetizing at least a portion of a ferromagnetic material to be measured in a predetermined direction, a detecting coil for detecting a magnetic flux generated due to the alternating magnetization, and an adder circuit for taking out a part of a voltage applied to the exciting coil, setting an amplitude and a phase of a wave form of the taken-out part of the voltage to preset values, adding the voltage thus obtained to a voltage induced in the detecting coil. The detector gives an output signal representative of a value of stress applied to the material to be measured as a variation either in amplitude or phase depending on the preset phase.

Stress detector

A torque sensor for electrically detecting torque, such as the torque of an automobile engine, wherein a strain disk is provided in the path of torque transmission and the torque is magnetically detected in terms of the magnetostriction generated in the strain disk. The torque sensor comprises a magnetic rotating disk and a magnetic sensor disposed in the vicinity of and opposed to the strain disk. The magnetic sensor comprises a detection coil and an excitation coil oriented perpendicularly to each other with the excitation coil ordinarily being disposed outside of the detection coil. Supplying alternating current to the excitation coil causes an alternating field to be produced within the strain disk and the configuration of this alternating magnetic field is varied by the anisotropy of the strain caused within the strain disk by the transmitted torque. The variation in the configuration of the alternating magnetic field is noncontactingly detected by the detection coil, which outputs a corresponding electrical signal from which the torque can be determined with high accuracy.

Device for measuring torque of a rotary mechanism

A torque measuring apparatus for detecting torque in a noncontacting state on the basis of the magnetostrictive amount of a rotary magnetic member for transmitting the torque which is detected by means of a magnetic sensor. The measuring apparatus comprises: a timing signal generator for dividing the rotational angle of the rotary magnetic member into a given number of segments and outputting a predetermined timing signal every time a rotational angle of the rotary magnetic member passes each segment; an offset signal generator for setting in advance for each segment an offset signal to be output from the magnetic sensor depending upon the rotational angle of the rotary magnetic member, and subsequently outputting an offset signal which corresponds to a respective segment on the basis of the timing signal; and a subtractor for subtracting the offset signal from the detection signal of the magnetic sensor at each segment, whereby the transmitted torque of the rotary magnetic member is measured on the basis of the output of the subtractor.

A torque sensor for detecting variation in the drive torque of an automobile comprises an excitation coil wound on an excitation core and a detection coil wound on a detection core. The coils and cores are inserted into a chamber formed within a bearing for supporting a drive shaft and having an opening along the sliding surface of the bearing. The poles of the excitation core and the poles of the detection core are respectively disposed at prescribed clearances from the surface of the drive shaft in such manner that the poles of the detection core intersect the excitation core between its poles, whereby variation in drive torque is detected as magnetostriction.

Torque sensor

An engine vibration sensor for detecting the engine vibration as an electric signal including a vibrator set to resonate at a specific frequency of vibration of an engine to which it is attached, the vibrator being composed of at least one piezoelectric plate and having a root and a vibrator element; means for increasing the cross-sectional area of the vibrator element to make the second moment of area of the root of the vibrator relatively larger than that of the vibrator element; a base to be connected to an engine body; and a clamp for retaining the root firmly between the clamp and the base. The clamp may be provided with a projection having a flat surface for retaining the root of the vibrator. This construction prevents a change in the effective length of the vibrator element, thereby stabilizing the characteristics of the resonant frequency of the vibrator.

Engine vibration sensor

An improvement in an engine vibration sensor of the type including a vibrator set to resonate at a specific frequency of vibration of the engine to which it is attached, for example the engine knocking vibration frequency, wherein the vibration of the vibrator is converted to an electric signal representing the specific engine vibration. The improvement consists of forming the vibrator from a magnetic material and providing a magnetic field generator for applying a magnetic field of controlled intensity to the vibrator, whereby the resonant frequency of the vibrator can be adjusted by varying the intensity of the magnetic field.

A metal body having a very large surface area and high porosity, useful as a gasoline vaporizer, a heat exchanger for automobiles, a catalyst or catalyst carrier, a filter, or the like, and composed of a plurality of metal fibers which are entangled with one another to form a bed or stratum, the metal fibers being coated with a metal in such manner that the stratum provides rough and complex surfaces with cracks and irregularities. The invention also includes a process for making said metal body including the steps of entangling metal fibers to form a bed, placing the bed of fibers in contact with a coating metal, heating the fiber bed and coating metal so as to wet the fibers with molten coating metal, and cooling.

Growing community of inventors

Owariasahi, Japan

Masaharu Takeuchi