All The Claims

What is claimed:

1. A seal for sealing a rotating shaft entering a housing comprising:
a. a stator surrounding a shaft and affixed to a housing, said stator having a main body and a projection extending both axially and radially beyond said main body;
b. a rotor surrounding said shaft and rotatively connected to said shaft;
c. said rotor and said stator abutting each other on said shaft;
d. said rotor encompassing said projection of said stator.
2. A seal, according to claim 1 wherein said rotor axially and radially extends beyond said projection on said stator.
3. A seal, according to claim 1, wherein the space between said rotor and said stator projection forms passages.
4. A seal, according to claim 3, wherein said passages include an axial passage opening to the space between said housing and radial extension of the rotor and stator.
5. A seal, in accordance to claim 3, wherein dimension of said axial passage is constant.
6. A seal, in accordance to claim 5, wherein the dimension of said axial passage is predetermined.
7. A seal, in accordance to claim 4, wherein said opening of said axial passage faces the stator.
8. A seal, in accordance to claim 4, wherein said opening of said axial passage faces away from said coolant, said rotor and towards said housing.
9. A seal, according to claim 1, wherein there is at least one labyrinth formed between the main body of said stator and said rotor.
10. A seal, according to claim 1, wherein said rotor and said stator are restrained from relative axial movement between each other.
11. A seal, according to claim 1, wherein a groove is formed in said main body of said stator, said groove augmenting the radial extension of said projection from said stator.
12. A seal, according to claim 1, wherein a groove formed in said body of said stator, augments the axial extension of said projection of said body of said stator.
13. A seal, according to claim 2, wherein said main body of said stator surrounds a portion of said rotor.
14. A seal, according to claim 3, wherein the radius of the radial internal surface of the rotor encompassing said stator is greater than the radius of the exterior surface of said radial projection of said stator.
15. A method of sealing a shaft exit a housing, the method comprising:
a. fixing a stator having a main body and a projection extending both radially and axially beyond the main body of said stator to the housing concentrically about the shaft;
b. mounting a rotor sealed on the shaft in close relation to the housing for rotation with the shaft;
c. the rotor encompassing the radially extremity of the radial projection of the stator and having overlapping radially spaced surfaces forming an axial passage between the surfaces of the rotor and the stator extension;
d. the opening of said axial passage faced away from said rotor and toward the body of said stator.
16. The method of claim 15, including at least one labyrinth between the rotor and the main body of the stator.
17. The method of claim 15, including the steps of rotatively connecting the stator to the rotor to prevent relative axial movement between the stator and the rotor.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A signal information processing device for a vehicle that processes signal information containing information on a state of a traffic light, the signal information processing device comprising:
a signal information estimating section circuitry which obtains signal information corresponding to a first traffic light, also obtains information on a relationship between a case in which a traffic of a vehicle is prompted and a case in which the traffic is inhibited as a driving environment for a vehicle corresponding to a second traffic light that is installed at a different location from the first traffic light, and estimates an instruction period at which the second traffic light instructs the vehicle to move forward or to stop as signal information on the second traffic light through a calculation based on the signal information corresponding to the first traffic light and the obtained information on the driving environment for the vehicle, wherein the second traffic light is installed at an intersection, and
the signal information estimating section circuitry estimates the signal information on the second traffic light through a calculation based on the signal information corresponding to the first traffic light and information on a driving environment at the intersection,
wherein the signal information estimating section circuitry is configured to obtain information of the driving environment corresponding the second traffic light as at least one of information on a number of traffic lanes of each of a plurality of roads intersecting with each other at the intersection and information on traffic amount of each of the plurality of roads intersecting with each other at the intersection,
wherein the signal information estimating section circuitry is configured to estimate the instruction period based on the information corresponding to the traffic amount such that the instruction period of the second traffic light instructing the vehicle to move forward is longer than that of a traffic light, that is different from the second traffic light, instructing the vehicle to move forward on the intersecting road in a case of which the traffic amount of the road on which the second traffic light instructing the vehicle to move forward is larger than that of the intersecting road,
wherein the signal information estimating section circuitry is configured to estimate the instruction period based on the information corresponding to the number of traffic lanes such that the instruction period of the second traffic light instructing the vehicle to move forward is longer than that of the traffic light, that is different from the second traffic light, instructing the vehicle to move forward on the intersecting road in a case of which the number of traffic lanes of the road on which the second traffic light instructing the vehicle to move forward is larger than that of the intersecting road.
2. The signal information processing device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the signal information estimating section circuitry calculates, as a time difference, a lag of the signal information corresponding to the second traffic light relative to the signal information corresponding to the first traffic light.
3. The signal information processing device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein
the signal information on the first traffic light further contains a starting time point at which the first traffic light starts permitting the vehicle to move forward, and
the signal information estimating section circuitry further obtains information on a time difference between the forward movement permission starting time point by the first traffic light and a forward movement permission starting time point by the second traffic light, and further estimates, as the signal information on the second traffic light, an ending time point at which the forward movement permission by the second traffic light ends based on the estimated instruction period, the starting time point of the first traffic light, and the obtained information on the time difference.
4. The signal information processing device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the signal information estimating section circuitry estimates the signal information on the second traffic light based on a presumption that a time interval at which the first traffic light repeatedly starts permitting a traffic to move forward is equal to a time interval at which the second traffic light repeatedly starts permitting a traffic to move forward.
5. The signal information processing device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the signal information estimating section circuitry estimates, as the signal information on the second traffic light to be estimated, a time interval between a plurality of forward movement permission starts repeatedly provided to a traffic.
6. The signal information processing device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the signal information estimating section circuitry obtains the signal information corresponding to the first traffic light and the information on the driving environment corresponding to the second traffic light from a roadside device that is provided at a roadside to correspond to the first traffic light.
7. The signal information processing device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the signal information estimating section circuitry is built in the vehicle.
8. A driving assistance device comprising a signal information processing device for a vehicle that processes signal information containing information on a state of a traffic light, the driving assistance device being configured to perform a driving assist for a vehicle based on information processed through the signal information processing device, wherein
the signal information processing device is the signal information processing device including: a signal information estimating section circuitry which obtains signal information corresponding to a first traffic light, also obtains information on a relationship between a case in which a traffic of a vehicle is prompted and a case in which the traffic is inhibited as a driving environment for a vehicle corresponding to a second traffic light that is installed at a different location from the first traffic light, and estimates an instruction period at which the second traffic light instructs the vehicle to move forward or to stop as signal information on the second traffic light through a calculation based on the signal information corresponding to the first traffic light and the obtained information on the driving environment for the vehicle, and
wherein the driving assistance device performs the driving assist for the vehicle in relation to a second traffic light based on signal information on the second traffic light estimated by the signal information processing device, wherein the second traffic light is installed at an intersection, and
the signal information estimating section circuitry estimates the signal information on the second traffic light through a calculation based on the signal information corresponding to the first traffic light and information on a driving environment at the intersection,
wherein the signal information estimating section circuitry is configured to obtain information of the driving environment corresponding the second traffic light as at least one of information on a number of traffic lanes of each of a plurality of roads intersecting with each other at the intersection and information on traffic amount of each of the plurality of roads intersecting with each other at the intersection,
wherein the signal information estimating section circuitry is configured to estimate the instruction period based on the information corresponding to the traffic amount such that the instruction period of the second traffic light instructing the vehicle to move forward is longer than that of a traffic light, that is different from the second traffic light, instructing the vehicle to move forward on the intersecting road in a case of which the traffic amount of the road on which the second traffic light instructing the vehicle to move forward is larger than that of the intersecting road,
wherein the signal information estimating section circuitry is configured to estimate the instruction period based on the information corresponding to the number of traffic lanes such that the instruction period of the second traffic light instructing the vehicle to move forward is longer than that of the traffic light, that is different from the second traffic light, instructing the vehicle to move forward on the intersecting road in a case of which the number of traffic lanes of the road on which the second traffic light instructing the vehicle to move forward is larger than that of the intersecting road.
9. A signal information processing method for a vehicle performed by a signal information estimating section circuitry for processing signal information containing information on a state of a traffic light, the method comprising:
obtaining signal information corresponding to the first traffic light and obtaining information on a relationship between a case in which a traffic of a vehicle is prompted and a case in which the traffic is inhibited as a driving environment for a vehicle corresponding to a second traffic light that is installed at a different location from the first traffic light; and
estimating an instruction period at which the second traffic light instructs the vehicle to move forward or to stop as signal information on the second traffic light through a calculation based on the signal information corresponding to the first traffic light and the obtained information on the driving environment of the vehicle, wherein
the second traffic light is installed at an intersection, and
the estimating of the signal information is executed by estimating signal information on the second traffic light through a calculation based on the signal information corresponding to the first traffic light and information on a driving environment at the intersection,
wherein obtaining information of the driving environment corresponding the second traffic light as at least one of information on a number of traffic lanes of each of a plurality of roads intersecting with each other at the intersection and information on traffic amount of each of the plurality of roads intersecting with each other at the intersection,
wherein estimating the instruction period based on the information corresponding to the traffic amount such that the instruction period of the second traffic light instructing the vehicle to move forward is longer than that of a traffic light, that is different from the second traffic light, instructing the vehicle to move forward on the intersecting road in a case of which the traffic amount of the road on which the second traffic light instructing the vehicle to move forward is larger than that of the intersecting road,
wherein estimating the instruction period based on the information corresponding to the number of traffic lanes such that the instruction period of the second traffic light instructing the vehicle to move forward is longer than that of the traffic light, that is different from the second traffic light, instructing the vehicle to move forward on the intersecting road in a case of which the number of traffic lanes of the road on which the second traffic light instructing the vehicle to move forward is larger than that of the intersecting road.
10. The signal information processing method for a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein estimating the signal information is to calculate, as a time difference, a lag of the signal information corresponding to the second traffic light relative to the signal information corresponding to the first traffic light.
11. A driving assistance method utilizing a signal information processing method for a vehicle performed by a driving assistance device including a signal information processing device for processing signal information containing information on a state of a traffic light, the driving assistance method comprising performing a driving assist for a vehicle in relation to the traffic light based on a state of the traffic light,
wherein the signal information processing method performed by a signal information estimating section circuitry of the signal information processing device is the signal information processing method including obtaining signal information corresponding to the first traffic light and obtaining information on a relationship between a case in which a traffic of a vehicle is prompted and a case in which the traffic is inhibited as a driving environment for a vehicle corresponding to a second traffic light that is installed at a different location from the first traffic light; and
estimating an instruction period at which the second traffic light instructs the vehicle to move forward or to stop as signal information on the second traffic light through a calculation based on the signal information corresponding to the first traffic light and the obtained information on the driving environment of the vehicle,
in which a driving assist for the vehicle in relation to the second traffic light is performed based on signal information on the second traffic light estimated through the signal information processing method, wherein
the second traffic light is installed at an intersection, and
the estimating of the signal information is executed by estimating signal information on the second traffic light through a calculation based on the signal information corresponding to the first traffic light and information on a driving environment at the intersection,
wherein obtaining information of the driving environment corresponding the second traffic light as at least one of information on a number of traffic lanes of each of a plurality of roads intersecting with each other at the intersection and information on traffic amount of each of the plurality of roads intersecting with each other at the intersection,
wherein estimating the instruction period based on the information corresponding to the traffic amount such that the instruction period of the second traffic light instructing the vehicle to move forward is longer than that of a traffic light, that is different from the second traffic light, instructing the vehicle to move forward on the intersecting road in a case of which the traffic amount of the road on which the second traffic light instructing the vehicle to move forward is larger than that of the intersecting road,
wherein estimating the instruction period based on the information corresponding to the number of traffic lanes such that the instruction period of the second traffic light instructing the vehicle to move forward is longer than that of the traffic light, that is different from the second traffic light, instructing the vehicle to move forward on the intersecting road in a case of which the number of traffic lanes of the road on which the second traffic light instructing the vehicle to move forward is larger than that of the intersecting road.

What is claimed is:

1. An off-road vehicle comprising a frame, a plurality of wheels arranged to support the frame, an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft configured to rotate, a transmission arranged to transmit the rotation of the crankshaft to at least one of the wheels, and a housing configured to house at least a portion of the transmission, the housing having an air inlet duct through which ambient air enters the housing and an air outlet duct through which the air leaves the housing, the air inlet duct having an inlet opening, the outlet duct having an outlet opening, the inlet and outlet openings positioned higher than the wheels.
2. The off-road vehicle as set forth in claim 1 additionally comprising a seat that defines a surface onto which a driver or passenger of the vehicle sits, the seat surface positioned higher than the wheels, and the outlet opening being positioned at an elevation close to an elevation of the seat surface.
3. The off-road vehicle as set forth in claim 2, wherein the outlet opening is faces rearward.
4. The off-road vehicle as set forth in claim 1 additionally comprising a seat that defines a surface onto which a driver or passenger of the vehicle sits, the seat surface positioned higher than the wheels, and a portion of the outlet duct extending next to the seat.
5. The off-road vehicle as set forth in claim 4, wherein the portion of the outlet duct that extends next to the seat is an uppermost section of outlet duct.
6. The off-road vehicle as set forth in claim 4, wherein the seat has a slant surface, and the portion of outlet duct has a configuration that corresponds to the slant surface such that the seat and the portion of the outlet duct generally nest together.
7. The off-road vehicle as set forth in claim 4, wherein another portion of the outlet duct extends upwardly along at least a front section of the housing at a location not more than just forward of the seat.
8. The off-road vehicle as set forth in claim 1 additionally comprising at least two seat assemblies disposed side by side on the frame, and the outlet duct having a portion extending between the seat assemblies.
9. The off-road vehicle as set forth in claim 8, wherein the outlet opening is directed rearward.
10. The off-road vehicle as set forth in claim 8, wherein each one of the seat assemblies comprises a seat and a pedestal configured to support the seat, the portion of the outlet duct extends along one of the seats and has a configuration corresponding to a configuration of the seat.
11. The off-road vehicle as set forth in claim 8, wherein the housing at least in part is positioned between the seat assemblies.
12. The off-road vehicle as set forth in claim 1 additionally comprising a seat that defines a surface on which a driver or passenger of the vehicle sits, the surface being positioned higher than the wheels, and the inlet opening being positioned at generally the same elevation as the surface or at a location higher than the surface.
13. The off-road vehicle as set forth in claim 1 additionally comprising a seat unit, the inlet opening is positioned at a location generally behind the seat unit.
14. The off-road vehicle as set forth in claim 1 additionally comprising a seat unit, the seat unit defining a surface on which a driver or passenger of the vehicle sits, the seat unit including a seat back against which the driver or passenger leans, the seat back having a top, the inlet opening of the air inlet duct being positioned at a location higher than the surface and lower than the top of the seat back.
15. The off-road vehicle as set forth in claim 1 additionally comprising at least two seat assemblies, wherein the air inlet duct at least in part is positioned between the seat assemblies.
16. The off-road vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein the inlet opening is faces forward.
17. The off-road vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein the inlet opening is faces rearward.
18. The off-road vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein the transmission comprises a belt-transmission mechanism, and the housing houses the belt-transmission mechanism.
19. The off-road vehicle as set forth in claim 18, wherein the belt transmission mechanism includes a drive pulley coupled to the crankshaft, an output shaft, a driven pulley coupled to the output shaft, and a belt extending around the drive and driven pulleys.
20. The off-road vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the inlet and outlet ducts is a member formed separately from the housing and is coupled to the housing.
21. An off-road vehicle comprising a frame, a plurality of wheels arranged to support the frame, an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft configured to rotate, a transmission arranged to transmit the rotation of the crankshaft to at least one of the wheels, a housing configured to house at least a portion of the transmission, and means for introducing ambient air into the housing and discharging the air from the housing and for inhibiting water from entering the housing.
22. An off-road vehicle comprising a frame, a plurality of wheels arranged to support the frame, an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft configured to rotate, a transmission arranged to transmit the rotation of the crankshaft to at least one of the wheels, a housing configured to house at least a portion of the transmission, the housing having an air inlet duct through which ambient air enters the housing and an air outlet duct through which the air leaves the housing, the air inlet duct having an inlet opening, the air outlet duct having an outlet opening, and a seat defining a sitting surface on which a driver or passenger of the vehicle sits, the inlet opening being positioned at generally the same elevation as or higher than the sitting surface, the outlet opening being positioned generally close to the elevation of the sitting surface.
23. The off-road vehicle as set forth in claim 23, wherein the sitting surface is positioned higher than the wheels.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a decoder to supply a decoded memory access operation from a memory access instruction;
a converter coupled to said decoder to convert said decoded memory access operation to a prefetch operation;
a multiplexor to receive said decoded memory access operation and said prefetch operation; and
an execution unit to receive a multiplexor output from said multiplexor.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said prefetch operation is switched to said multiplexor output responsively to a prefetch window signal.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said prefetch window signal is active when a thread switch signal is active.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a thread switch logic to supply said thread switch signal.
5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said decoded memory access operation is supplied when said prefetch window signal is inactive.
6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said memory access instruction is in a first thread, wherein control is switched to a second tread responsive to said thread switch signal.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said prefetch operation is complementary to said memory access instruction.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said prefetch operation is a hardware prefetch operation.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said prefetch operation is entered into a memory pipeline.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said prefetch operation does not update registers.
11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said prefetch operation does not generate exceptions.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said converter includes a lookup table.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said lookup table includes a complementary prefetch operation to a listed decoded memory access operation.
14. A method, comprising:
converting a decoded memory access operation of a first thread into a prefetch operation;
loading said prefetch operation into a memory pipeline when a prefetch window signal is active; and
performing said prefetch operation in said memory pipeline during execution of a second thread.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising activating said prefetch window signal when a thread switch signal is active.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein said converting includes looking up said prefetch operation in a lookup table.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein said loading includes switching said prefetch operation to an execution unit responsive to said prefetch window signal.
18. The method of claim 14, wherein said converting includes convening a software decoded memory access operation into a hardware prefetch operation.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein said performing includes preventing the updating of registers.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein said performing includes preventing the generation of exceptions.
21. An apparatus, comprising:
means for convening a decoded memory access operation of a first thread into a prefetch operation;
means for loading said prefetch operation into a memory pipeline when a prefetch window signal is active; and
means for performing said prefetch operation in said memory pipeline during execution of a second thread.
22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for activating said prefetch window signal when a thread switch signal is active.
23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said means for convening includes means for looking up said prefetch operation.
24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said means for loading includes means for switching said prefetch operation to an execution unit responsive to said prefetch window signal.
25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said means for converting includes means for converting a software decoded memory access operation into a hardware prefetch operation.
26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said means for performing includes means for preventing the updating of registers.
27. The method of claim 25, wherein said means for performing includes means for preventing the generation of exceptions.
28. A system, comprising:
a decoder to supply a decoded memory access operation from a memory access instruction;
a converter coupled to said decoder to convert said decoded memory access operation to a prefetch operation;
a multiplexor to receive said decoded memory access operation and said prefetch operation;
an execution unit to receive a multiplexor output from said multiplexor; and
a memory to return prefetched data responsive to said prefetch operation.
29. The system of claim 28, wherein said prefetch operation is presented to said memory via a memory pipeline.
30. The system of claim 29, wherein said memory pipeline is a level two cache pipeline.
31. The system of claim 28, wherein said memory returns said prefetched data via a system bus.
32. The system of claim 28, wherein said prefetch operation is a hardware prefetch operation.
33. An apparatus comprising:
a decoder to supply a decoded memory access operation from a memory access instruction;
a converter coupled to said decoder to convert said decoded memory access operation to a prefetch operation;
an execution unit to receive said prefetch operation when a thread switch signal is active; and
wherein said execution unit is to receive said prefetch operation when a prefetch window signal is active.
34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said converter includes a lookup table.
35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said lookup table includes a complementary prefetch operation to said decoded memory access operation.
36. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said prefetch window signal switches said prefetch operation to said execution unit.
37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said prefetch window signal is coupled to said execution unit to indicate that said prefetch operation is to be executed as a hardware prefetch operation.
38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said decoded memory access operation is from a first thread, and said prefetch operation is executed during execution of a second thread.