Abstract: An impact absorber includes a energy absorbing member that is formed of a composite material obtained by reinforcing a resin with a fiber and absorbs impact energy by being crushed in a predetermined crush direction, and a pressing member that is disposed on the front side of the energy absorbing member and presses it in the crush direction to thereby crush the energy absorbing member. The energy absorbing member is configured by stacking, along a radial direction orthogonal to the crush direction, fiber layers having different elastic moduli to a load along the crush direction, and the front end portion of the energy absorbing member is inclined relative to a pressing surface of the pressing member such that the fiber layers are gradually brought into contact with the pressing member sequentially in ascending order of the elastic modulus as the energy absorbing member is pressed by the pressing member.

Abstract: A transmission includes an input shaft to receive a rotation of an engine, drive gears respectively attached to the input shaft to freely rotate individually, an output shaft disposed parallel to the input shaft in order to output rotation following a gear shift, driven gears respectively attached to the output shaft to freely rotate individually and to mesh with the drive gears, an engagement mechanism to fix a gear to be used in a gear shift individually, from among the drive gears, to the input shaft to be incapable of relative rotation, and a selector mechanism to fix, during the gear shift, the driven gear of a corresponding gear position individually, which meshes with the drive gear fixed to the input shaft by the engagement mechanism, to the output shaft to be incapable of relative rotation, and a hub that is fixed to the input shaft.

Abstract: An ultrasonic testing device includes: a liquid tank that stores the liquid into which the differential casing is to be immersed; a workpiece holder that holds the differential casing and immerses the differential casing into the liquid in the liquid tank; an ultrasonic probe that conducts an ultrasonic testing of the welded part of the differential casing by irradiating the ultrasonic wave to the welded part and receiving a reflected wave; an image processing module that generates an ultrasonic image based on the reflected wave received by the ultrasonic probe; and a replacer that replaces gas inside an air gap formed at a weld toe of the welded part with test liquid. The replacer replaces the gas inside the air gap by the test liquid before the ultrasonic probe irradiates the ultrasonic wave.

Abstract: An engine rotational speed display device includes: an engagement state determination module that determines an engagement state of a lock-up clutch; a target rotational speed setting module that sets a target turbine rotational speed according to a selected gear stage; a rotational speed for display selection unit that selects an engine rotational speed as a rotational speed for display when the lock-up clutch is not engaged and selects the target turbine rotational speed as the rotational speed for display when the lock-up clutch is engaged; a time measuring module that measures an elapsed time since a gear shift operation is received; and a rotational speed for display limiting module that limits a variation in the rotational speed for display per unit of time according to the elapsed time when the target turbine rotational speed is selected as the rotational speed for display.

Abstract: A cylinder-to-cylinder variation abnormality detecting device including a rotational fluctuation detecting module that detects a rotational fluctuation among cylinders of a multi-cylinder engine; a rotational fluctuation type abnormality determining module that determines whether a cylinder-to-cylinder variation abnormality is occurring, from the rotational fluctuation; an air-fuel ratio detecting module that detects an air-fuel ratio; an air-fuel ratio fluctuation type abnormality determining module that determines whether the abnormality is occurring, from a fluctuation in the air-fuel ratio; a frequency component type abnormality determining module that detects whether the abnormality is occurring, from a particular frequency component corresponding to one engine combustion cycle; and a cylinder-to-cylinder variation abnormality determination finalizing module that finalizes a determination of the abnormality, if the rotational fluctuation type determining module determines the abnormality and the air-fuel

Abstract: An oil level display device is fitted such that a float guide accommodating a float is attached to an oil filler neck and is plugged with a float cap. To check the amount of oil, the float cap is removed and the position of the float is checked. If a sufficient amount of oil is stored, an upward force derived from oil buoyancy is larger than a downward force of the own weight of the float, from among the forces that act on the float. The float thus protrudes beyond a large-diameter portion upon removal of the float cap from the float guide.

Abstract: A travel control apparatus for a vehicle includes a frontward environment recognition unit, a map information storage unit, a vehicle position information obtaining unit, a traveling road information obtaining unit, a rut information detector, a first course setting unit, a second course setting unit, and a target course setting unit. A target course over a road surface on which a vehicle is to travel is set as a first course on the basis of map information, the target course over the road surface on which the vehicle is to travel is set as a second course or a third course on the basis of rut information, the first course is compared with the second and third courses, and the target course over the road surface on which the vehicle is to travel is set on the basis of traveling road information and the rut information.

Abstract: A vehicle travel control device controls a following travel to a vehicle traveling in front of a subject vehicle. In the device, a preceding vehicle registration unit that determines whether a vehicle in front of the subject vehicle should be taken into consideration in a following travel control, and, if so, registers it as a preceding vehicle. A preceding vehicle width calculation unit calculates a vehicle width of the preceding vehicle, and stores the vehicle width of the preceding vehicle as a reference width. A control target point setting unit determines a center position of the preceding vehicle in a vehicle width direction as a control target point of the following travel, and estimates the center position based on the reference width so as to set the estimated center position as the control target point in a case where a part of the preceding vehicle being not detected.

Abstract: A vehicle body skeleton structure includes: a skeleton member bent to have a predetermined shape; and at least one reinforcement member welded to the skeleton member along a plurality of weld lines to be joined to a surface of the skeleton member, and bent along the surface.

Abstract: A vehicle headlight device includes optical systems that are respectively provided to light sources, and illuminate ahead of a vehicle by light emitted from the light sources, with light distribution patterns of which illuminating areas are offset to each other at least in vertical directions, a stoppable distance calculator that calculates a stoppable distance of the vehicle, and a light source controller that controls the light sources to be turned on and off so that an area ahead of the vehicle and away from the vehicle by the stoppable distance is illuminated by at least one of the optical systems.

Abstract: A plurality of elastic support members extends across a seat back frame that forms a skeleton of a seat back of the vehicle seat. A seat pad is disposed on the front sides of the elastic support members. An airbag is disposed between the elastic support members and a back portion of a covering in a deflated state. After having deployed, the airbag has such a shape that a deployment amount, in a front-back direction, of the airbag near a side of the seat back is greater than that near a center of the seat back. In a collision or the like, the airbag deploys in the seat back in such a way that, after having deployed, the airbag elastically supports an upper body of an occupant and elastically receives an impact force applied to a back surface of the seat back.

Abstract: A lane deviation prevention control apparatus of a vehicle calculates a lane width direction vehicle lateral position and a yaw angle of the vehicle with respect to a lane, calculates, on the basis of the lane width direction vehicle lateral position, the yaw angle, and vehicle speed, a lane deviation predicted time in which the vehicle deviates from the lane, calculates, on the basis of the yaw angle and the lane deviation predicted time, a target yaw moment applied to the vehicle for preventing deviation from the lane, observes a change rate of the target yaw moment, and, when the change rate of the target yaw moment is equal to or larger than a threshold set in advance, limits the change rate of the target yaw moment to be equal to or smaller than a change rate limit value variably set according to at least traveling road information.

Abstract: A shift-by-wire control apparatus includes: a first detector that detects a first vehicle state; a second detector that detects a second vehicle state; an auto parking controller that executes an auto parking control irrespective of a state of a shift range, on conditions that detection results derived from the first and second detectors satisfy respective predetermined conditions; and a malfunction determining unit that determines that the first detector is malfunctioning, on a condition that the first detector fails to detect a change in the first vehicle state. The auto parking controller executes, based on the detection result derived from the second detector, the auto parking control irrespective of the detection result derived from the first detector, on a condition that the first detector is determined by the malfunction determining unit as malfunctioning.

Abstract: Composite material sheets containing conductive fibers are laminated, and release films are interposed between the sheets so as to extend from one end to the center of the sheets. The sheets are heated under pressure to shape a composite material. Discrete conductive wires through which a measurement current is passed are connected to end surfaces of the respective layers in the composite material on the side on which the release films are interposed. A common conductive wire through which the measurement current is passed is connected to a surface of one of an uppermost layer and a lowermost layer at an end of the composite material opposite to the side on which the release films are interposed. A current is passed between the common conductive wire and the discrete conductive wires. Currents in the respective layers are sequentially or simultaneously measured using an ammeter.

Abstract: An external airbag includes an airbag body and an urging portion. The airbag body is deployed to extend in front of a front pillar and upward along the front pillar from a lower end of the front pillar. The front pillar is disposed along a lateral edge of a windshield of an automobile. The urging portion urges downward a vicinity of a leading end of the airbag body deployed upward along the front pillar such that the leading end is moved back downward along the front pillar, and that forms a space between an intermediate portion of the airbag body and the front pillar.

Abstract: A vehicle exterior environment recognition device includes an image acquiring module that acquires an image, a traffic sign identifying module that identifies a circle of a predetermined radius centering on any one of pixels in the image as a traffic sign, a traffic sign content recognizing module that recognizes content of the identified traffic sign, and a traffic sign content determining module that uses at least one template for one certain country to integrate traffic sign integration points based on correlation evaluation values with the content of the recognized traffic sign, uses a template for each of a plurality of countries corresponding to the content of the traffic sign having the traffic sign integration points to integrate total points by country based on overall evaluation values of the content of the recognized traffic sign, and conclusively determines a currently-traveling country.

Abstract: An air control device includes an air suction port, air discharge ports, and an air control system. The air suction port takes in air. The air discharge ports discharge the taken-in air. The air control system discharges the air through the air discharge ports alternately for respective preset times. An air control method includes: taking in air; and discharging the air alternately through air discharge ports for respective preset times.

Abstract: An impact energy absorption structure for a vehicle has a structure in which an impact absorption member is disposed between an outer panel and inner panel. The impact absorption member is formed of ribs in a grid pattern. Specifically, first ribs each having a major surface facing in a front-rear direction are disposed approximately at regular intervals in the front-rear direction. In addition, second ribs each having a major surface facing in a vertical direction are disposed approximately at regular intervals in the vertical direction. The first ribs disposed at ends in the front-rear direction are closer to the outer panel than the first ribs disposed at a middle portion in the front-rear direction.

Abstract: A diagnosis device for a temperature sensor provided to a power transmission device transmits driving force generated by a driving power source of a vehicle. The diagnosis device includes: an output voltage estimating unit to calculate an output voltage estimation value of the temperature sensor, based on the operating state of the vehicle; and an output voltage stuck malfunction determining unit to determine an output voltage stuck malfunction of the temperature sensor, in a case where the amount of change of the output voltage estimation value is equal to or above a first threshold value, and the amount of change of output voltage of the temperature sensor is equal to or below a second threshold value.

Abstract: According to one implementation, a machining apparatus includes an electromotive saw and an attaching structure. The electromotive saw cuts off a workpiece to be machined. The attaching structure attaches the saw to an arm of a robot. Further, according to one implementation, a machining method is provided. In the machining method, a machined product is manufactured by processing a composite material or a honeycomb structure with a cutting tool attached to an arm of a robot. Further, according to one implementation, a machining method is provided. In the machining method, a machined product is manufactured by processing a workpiece to be machined with a cutting tool attached to an arm of a robot. The workpiece is processed along a shape of a jig for setting the workpiece. The workpiece is processed with contacting a guide with the jig. The guide is attached to the arm.