Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Panasonic Corporation

Nobuharu Katsuki

Tsuyoshi Nishio

Hiroshi Naitou

Shinji Fujikawa

Yuta Okazaki

Tsuyoshi Tanaka

Masaaki Katsumata

Masaharu Ushihara

Akihiro Takami

Hiroki Moriwake

Katsunori Matsubara

Takashi Tamai

Osamu Kanaya

Rihito Shoji

Toshiya Nakagaki

Hirotada Otake

Takeshi Matsumura

Masaki Tada

Junichi Yukawa

Takashi Ida

A steering wheel grip detection device includes a series circuit including an inductance element, a thermostat incorporated into a steering wheel, and a heater incorporated into the steering wheel; an electrostatic sensor circuit that detects a grip of the steering wheel by means of an electric or electromagnetic field; and a voltage detecting circuit that detects an open/closed state of the thermostat.

Steering wheel grip detection device

A steering wheel heater device including: a heating wire; a power line connected in series to the heating wire, for supplying the heating wire with power; a ground line connected in series to the heating wire; a lead-out wire connected to a point along a wiring pattern formed of the heating wire; and a contact detection circuit electrically connected to the wiring pattern formed of the heating wire through the lead-out wire, wherein a portion of the wiring pattern is connected in series between the ground line and the contact detection circuit.

Steering wheel heater and steering wheel

An electrostatic steering wheel hold detection device includes: a first heater element located in a steering wheel, and has one end electrically connected to a power source; an inductor&#x2014;that is electrically connected to an other end of the first heater element; a second heater element that is included in the steering wheel, and has one end electrically connected to the other end of the first heater element via the inductor; and a sensor circuit that is electrically connected to a connection point between the first heater element and the inductor, and detects, from a change in capacitance at the connection point, whether or not the steering wheel is held. An other end of the second heater element is electrically connected to a ground. The second heater element is located lower than the first heater element in the steering wheel when the steering wheel is in a neutral position.

Electrostatic steering wheel hold detection device

A heater device includes: a base member; a heater wire; and a sensor which measures capacitance of the heater wire, wherein the heater wire forms a first wiring pattern and a second wiring pattern connected in series, the first wiring pattern and the second wiring pattern each include N wire blocks, the N wire blocks included in the first wiring pattern and the second wiring pattern are disposed in a manner that arrangement of the N wire blocks included in the first wiring pattern and arrangement of the N wire blocks included in the second wiring pattern are reversed in the circumferential direction of the rim and facing each other in a direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction, and a sum of sensitivity of the sensor to capacitance of a pair of wire blocks facing each other is substantially equal to that of another pair.

Heater device, steering wheel, and transport device

A grip sensor includes: a plurality of capacitive detectors which are disposed in a grip of a steering wheel of a vehicle, and output values which vary according to whether a human body is in contact; and a controller which determines, at a preset timing, a reference value to be subtracted from the values output from the plurality of capacitive detectors, to determine whether the human body is in contact, wherein the controller identifies, from among values output from the plurality of capacitive detectors at the preset timing, one or more values each having an absolute value smaller than a first threshold, and determines, as the reference value, one of the one or more values identified or an average of the one or more values identified.

Grip sensor

There is provided a gas detector capable of detecting hydrogen concentration and humidity independently in the environment containing both hydrogen and water vapor. The gas detector comprises a high-temp exothermic detector unit and a low-temp exothermic detector unit provided with themosensitive resistors of different self-heating temperatures. The gas detector converts gas-level outputs produced by the high-temp exothermic detector unit and the low-temp exothermic detector unit responsive to the hydrogen concentration and humidity into electric signals, and outputs them after computing electrically levels of the hydrogen concentration and humidity contained in a gas introduced into the two detector units through a gas intake opening.

Gas detector

A carbon monoxide sensor having a fast response performance without leakage of object gas to an exterior atmosphere is presented. The sensor includes: a proton conductive electrolyte film; two electrodes having catalysts and being disposed at opposite sides of the proton conductive electrolyte film; a positive electrode current collector plate, where a gas passage having a gas inlet and outlet is formed, with the gas passage contacting one of electrodes; a negative electrode current collector plate having plural holes contacting the other of the electrodes; a direct-current power source having positive and negative terminals connected to the positive and negative electrode current collector plates, respectively; and a current detecting unit for detecting a current that varies depending on a concentration of carbon monoxide in an object gas, containing hydrogen, flowing in the gas passage.

Carbon monoxide sensor

An inclination sensor having excellent rotational performance, longlasting stability and high sensing precision. The inclination sensor comprises a pendulum ( ) rotatably attached to a case ( ) of a fixed body secured to an attached member, a magnetic flux-generating means ( ) attached to the pendulum ( ), reed switches ( ) and ( ) attached to part of the case ( ) corresponding to the locus along which the magnetic flux-generating means ( ) moves, and a flange portion ( ) which is a damping body being nonmagnetic and electrically conductive and disposed in the case ( ) along the locus of the movement of the magnetic flux-generating means ( ).

Inclination sensor

The pendulum assembly comprises a permanent magnet disposed in the vicinity of a pendulum, a U-shaped yoke by which most of the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet is gathered and passes through, and a rotation shaft. The direction of axis of the rotation shaft is parallel to the direction of magnetic poles of the permanent magnet. Eddy current brakes are inserted into the spaces between one of the magnetic poles of the permanent magnet and one of the ends of the yoke, and between the other magnetic pole the magnet and the other end of the yoke. This construction achieves a more compact and shorter tilt sensor which is resistant to disturbances such as geomagnetism and other magnetic fields and vibrations.

Tilt sensor

The present invention aims at providing an inclination angle sensor that can be mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, resistant to external disturbances such as vibrations, superior in rotational performance, and small in size. In order to achieve the object, an inclination angle sensor of the present invention includes: a non-magnetic and electrically conductive weight ( ); a rotary shaft ( ) fixed to the weight ( ); a bearing ( ) for rotatably supporting the rotary shaft ( ); a frame ( ) for securing the bearing ( ); one or two combinations of reflection type photo-interrupter ( ) consisting of a light-receiving element ( ) and a light-emitting element ( ) for varying signal in response to a movement of the weight ( ); a flange part ( ) provided to outstretch from an outer perimeter of the weight in parallel to or in a manner to form a predetermined angle with the rotary shaft ( ); and a magnet ( ) fixed to the frame ( ) in a manner produce magnetic flux primarily toward the flange part ( ).

Inclination angle sensor

In order to present a temperature sensor which works stable also in a high temperature condition showing only a small deviation in the resistance value of thermistor, the invented temperature sensor comprises a heat resisting cap (,) made of a metal, a thermistor (,) housed inside the heat resisting cap (,) and at least more than one lead wire (,) which is electrically connected with the thermistor (,) and is pulled out of said heat resisting cap (,), said heat resisting cap (,) being formed with an alloy containing Ni&mdash;Cr as the main ingredient.

Temperature sensor and a method of manufacturing the same

The invention relates to a temperature detecting apparatus and an automobile using the same, and is intended to improve the heat response characteristic. The apparatus comprises a first metal pipe, first and second metal wires accommodated in the first metal pipe, at least one end of each wire being projected from one end of the first metal pipe, an insulator for keeping an electric insulation of the first metal pipe and the first and second metal wires in the first metal pipe, a temperature detecting element projecting out of one end of the first metal pipe and disposed between ends of the first and second metal wires, and a metal cap fitted to one end of the first metal pipe for covering the temperature detecting element, wherein the temperature detecting element is in a substantially flat shape or in a flat shape longer in the length in the direction between the first and second metal wires than the length in the direction at right angle thereto, and a portion of the metal cap opposite to the temperature detecting element is in a flat shape in the same direction in a shape similar to the temperature detecting element.

Temperature detecting apparatus

The present invention relates to a zinc oxide varistor as a characteristic element of an arrestor for protecting a transmission and distribution line and peripheral devices thereof from surge voltage created by lightning, and more particularly a highly reliable zinc oxide varistor excellent in the non-linearity with respect to voltage, the discharge withstand current rating properties, and the life characteristics under voltage, a method of preparing the same, and PbO type crystallized glass for coating oxide ceramics employed for a zinc oxide varistor, etc. A zinc oxide varistor of the present invention comprises a sintered body (1) and a high resistive side layer (3) consisting of crystallized glass with high crystallinity containing the prescribed amount of SiO.sub.2, MoO.sub.3, WO.sub.3, TiO.sub.2, NiO, etc., formed on the sides of the sintered body (1) to enhance the strength and the insulating property thereof, thereby improving the non-linearity with respect to voltage, the discharge withstand current rating properties and the life characteristics under voltage. The crystallized glass composition for coating of the present invention comprises PbO as a main component and additives such as ZnO, B.sub.2 O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2, MoO.sub.3, WO.sub.3, TiO.sub.2, and NiO to enhance the crystallinity and the insulating property thereof.

Crystallized glass compositions for coating oxide-based ceramics

The present invention relates to a zinc oxide varistor as a characteristic element of an arrestor for protecting a transmission and distribution line and peripheral devices thereof from surge voltage created by lightning, and more particularly a highly reliable zinc oxide varistor excellent in the non-linearity with respect to voltage, the discharge withstand current rating properties, and the life characteristics under voltage, a method of preparing the same, and PbO type crystallized glass for coating oxide ceramics employed for a zinc oxide varistor, etc. A zinc oxide varistor of the present invention comprises a sintered body (1) and a high resistive side layer (3) consisting of crystallized glass with high crystallinity containing the prescribed amount of SiO.sub.2, MoO.sub.3, WO.sub.3, TiO.sub.2, NiO, etc., formed on the sides of the sintered body (1) to enhance the strength and the insulating property thereof, thereby improving the non-linearity with respect to voltage, the discharge withstand current rating properties and the life characteristics under voltage. The crystallized glass composition for coating of the present invention comprises PbO as a main component and additives such as ZnO, B.sub.2 O.sub.3 , SiO.sub.2, MoO.sub.3, WO.sub.3, TiO.sub.2, and NiO to enhance the crystallinity and the insulating property thereof.

Growing community of inventors

Kyoto, Japan

Nobuharu Katsuki