Resistance force

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a highly practical electromagnetic suspension system. SOLUTION: This suspension system for a vehicle can perform a self-acting resistance generating control for generating an actuator force as a resistance force against the relative operation of a sprung component unit of an actuator 30 and the unsprung component thereof in placed on a receiving target value dependent control for generating an actuator force according to a control target value determined by the control target value determination device 250 and without relying on the control target value determined by the control target value determination device 250. For example, the resistance force against the relative motion of the sprung component unit and the unstrung component unit can be generated by performing the self-acting resistance generating control when wheels pass over the projections and recesses on and in a road surface without requiring a time in which the control target value is transmitted from the control target value determination device 250 and a time required for the communication between the control target value determination device 250 and a drive device 144. COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Abstract: A seat occupant sensing system has a plurality of variable resistance force sensors (20) located between a rigid seat support member (16) and the floor of the vehicle. The force transferred from the rigit seat support member to the floor of the vehicle passes through said variable resistance force sensors which sense the magnitude of the force transferred therethrough and generate a signal which is indicative of the force transferred therethrough resistance force sensors interposed between a rigid seat support member and a rigid seat pan member (18) such that the weight supported by the seat pan member is transferred from the seat pan member to the seat support member via said at least one variable resistance force sensor which senses the magnitude of the weight transferred therethrough. A device, such as a microprocessor, processes a signal from the variable resistance force sensors to determine the weight that the rigid seat pan member is bearing. The signal processing device may control the activation and operation of a safety device such as an airbag or seat belt pretensioner as a function of the presence of and weight of a seat occupant.

Abstract: Understanding the response of granular matter to intrusion of solid objects is key to modelling many aspects of behaviour of granular matter, including plastic flow. Here we report a general model for such a quasistatic process. Using a range of experiments, we first show that the relation between the penetration depth and the force resisting it, transiently nonlinear and then linear, is scalable to a universal form. We show that the gradient of the steady-state part, K ϕ , depends only on the medium’s internal friction angle, ϕ, and that it is nonlinear in μ = tan ϕ, in contrast to an existing conjecture. We further show that the intrusion of any convex solid shape satisfies a modified Archimedes’ law and use this to: relate the zero-depth intercept of the linear part to K ϕ and the intruder’s cross-section; explain the curve’s nonlinear part in terms of the stagnant zone’s development. The penetration dynamics of solid objects into granular media has been described by theories that are constrained to the use of phenomenological models or empirical parameters. Here, Kang et al. propose and test a parameter-free model for the dependence of the resistance force on penetration depth.

Abstract: An apparatus for the development of body parts and muscles effecting the movement of a user''s body parts. The apparatus includes a frame on which is pivotally mounted a force applying member against which a body part may be placed and urged for purposes of developing said body part and muscles. The user is positioned on the front side of the frame during an exercise program. The apparatus also includes a weight pivotally mounted on the rear side of the frame and a force resolving spiral means rigidly connected to the force applying member for rotation therewith whereby the pull on the weight mass is continuously varied over the full range of rotation of said force applying member to produce a varying resistance force in direct opposition to the force applied to the force applying member by a body part and thereby to stress and develop said body part and muscles. The resolving spiral is in the form of one or more pulleys which continuously resolves the force of the weight mass to thereby provide optimum stress for developing the muscles. The effort of continuously exposing the body part undergoing an exercise to a varying force over the full range of movement will cause the muscle effecting movement of said body part to be subjected to optimum development conditions.