Abstract: A brake disc includes an annular disc body and fins. The fins are radially disposed on a back surface of the disc body. At least one of the fins have a bolt hole at a central portion of the fin in a radial direction of the disc body. The disc body includes an inner circumferential portion. The inner circumferential portion is positioned inward from the bolt hole in the radial direction. The inner circumferential portion decreases in thickness as the inner circumferential portion extends inward in the radial direction. The fins each include a top surface and a convex portion. The convex portion protrudes inward from an imaginary plane in the radial direction. The imaginary plane passes an end portion of the top surface and an inner circumferential edge of the back surface.

Abstract: An eddy current deceleration device includes a rotor and a stator. The rotor includes a hub, a rotor body, and a spoke. The spoke has neutral axes. The first neutral axis is a neutral axis when the spoke is bent in a circumferential direction of the rotor body. The first neutral axis is positioned forward in a rotating direction of the rotor with respect to a center line of the spoke in the circumferential direction. The second neutral axis is a neutral axis when the spoke is bent in an axial direction of the rotor body. The second neutral axis is positioned on a rotor body side with respect to a center line of the spoke in the axial direction.

Abstract: An eddy-current rail brake device includes a row of magnets, a supporting member, a case, and a lifting device. The row of magnets includes a plurality of permanent magnets that are arranged in a traveling direction of a railroad car. To the supporting member, the row of magnets is mounted. The supporting member has magnetism. The case houses the row of magnets and the supporting member and includes a bottom portion that faces the row of magnets and is non-magnetic. The lifting device raises and lowers the supporting member inside the case while the row of magnets is kept facing the bottom portion. The eddy-current rail brake device can prevent or reduce adhesion of a foreign object and can be reduced in size in a right-left direction.

Abstract: A brake disk unit includes a rotating member, a brake disk, and a control member. The brake disk includes a disk main body, fins, and convex portions and/or concave portions. The control member includes a support portion and a projecting portion. At least a part of the projecting portion is arranged between fins that are adjacent in the circumferential direction of the brake disk. A gap is formed between the projecting portion and the brake disk. On the surface of the brake disk, the convex portions and/or the concave portions are provided further on the outer side in the radial direction of the brake disk than a minimum opening portion of the gap.

Abstract: A brake disc for a railway vehicle includes: a disc plate portion that has a sliding portion of a front face; a plurality of radial fins that are provided on the rear face of a disc plate portion, and that have a shape that extends in the radial direction of the disc plate portion; and a circumferential rib that is provided between each pair of adjacent radial fins, and that has a shape that extends in the circumferential direction of the disc plate portion. A flow path for air is formed between the pair of radial fins, and the flow path for air is narrowed by the circumferential rib. On the circumferential rib, a gradual slope for suppressing fluctuations in an airflow that passes between the pair of radial fins is provided from a base part to a top part.

Abstract: An eddy current damper includes a magnet holding member, a first permanent magnet having a thickness (H1), a second permanent magnet having a thickness (H1), a conductive member, a ball nut, a screw shaft, and a copper layer having a thickness (H2). The second permanent magnet is adjacent to the first permanent magnets with a gap therebetween in the circumferential direction of the magnet holding member. The ball nut is fixed to the magnet holding member or the conductive member. The copper layer is fixed to the conductive member and is opposed to the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet with a gap therebetween. The thickness (H1) and the thickness (H2) satisfy, with respect to a distance (R1) between a central axis of the screw shaft and the center of gravity of the first permanent magnet: 0.018?H1/R1?0.060, and 0.0013?H2/R1?0.0065.

Abstract: A decelerating apparatus includes a brake member, primary and secondary permanent magnets and pole pieces. The primary permanent magnets are arranged in a circumferential direction to face an inner or outer peripheral surface of the brake member with a gap in between. Each of the primary permanent magnets has two opposite magnetic poles arranged in a radial direction. The secondary permanent magnets and the pole pieces are placed in the gap and arranged in the circumferential direction. Each of the secondary permanent magnets has two opposite magnetic poles arranged in the circumferential direction. Each of the pole pieces is positioned between adjacent secondary permanent magnets. Magnetic pole arrangements of adjacent primary permanent magnets are opposite to each other. Magnetic pole arrangements of adjacent secondary permanent magnets are opposite to each other. Each of the secondary permanent magnets has a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape including an upper base and a lower base.

Abstract: A support beam includes a first supporting portion, a second supporting portion, and an arm connecting the first supporting portion to the second supporting portion. The arm includes a web and a flange. The flange includes a first end, a second end, and a center portion. The center portion of the flange is connected to an end of the web. The flange includes bent portions at which the center line of the thickness of the flange is bent outward in the extending direction of the web in the region between the first end and the second end in a transverse cross section of the arm.

Abstract: An eddy-current rail brake device includes a row of magnets, a supporting member, a case, and a lifting device. The row of magnets includes a plurality of permanent magnets that are arranged in a traveling direction of a railroad car. To the supporting member, the row of magnets is mounted. The supporting member has magnetism. The case houses the row of magnets and the supporting member and includes a bottom portion that faces the row of magnets and is non-magnetic. The lifting device raises and lowers the supporting member inside the case while the row of magnets is kept facing the bottom portion. The eddy-current rail brake device can prevent or reduce adhesion of a foreign object and can be reduced in size in a right-left direction.

Abstract: A latent heat storage device includes: a heat transfer cylindrical body allowing a flow of a heat medium inside thereof and being rotatable about a longitudinal axis as a center of rotation; a fixed blade being adjacent to or in a slidable contact with an outer peripheral surface of the heat transfer cylindrical body; and a latent heat storage material disposed around the heat transfer cylindrical body, wherein by rotation of the heat transfer cylindrical body, the fixed blade scrapes a solidified body of the latent heat storage material adhering to the outer peripheral surface of the heat transfer cylindrical body off the outer peripheral surface of the heat transfer cylindrical body, and creates circulation of the latent heat storage material.

Abstract: Disclosed is a brake disc for a railway vehicle including: a disc plate portion with a sliding portion in a surface; and a through hole that penetrates the disc plate portion from a front surface to a back surface of the disc plate portion, in which a bolt for fastening the disc plate portion to a wheel of the railway vehicle is inserted. An inclined surface is formed at an edge of an opening of the through hole at a front side of the disc plate portion, and the inclined surface extends larger in a circumferential direction of the disc plate portion than in a radial direction of the disc plate portion.

Abstract: A crankshaft includes a plurality of journals, a plurality of pins, and a plurality of crank arms. The journals are coaxially disposed with the rotational center of the crankshaft. The pins are decentered with respect to the journals. Each of the crank arms is disposed between one journal and one pin to join the one journal with the one pin. One or more of the crank arms integrally include a counterweight. The counterweight includes two side surfaces. The side surfaces are each provided with a quenched layer.

Abstract: A decelerating apparatus includes a brake member, primary and secondary permanent magnets and pole pieces. The primary permanent magnets are arranged in a circumferential direction to face an inner or outer peripheral surface of the brake member with a gap in between. Each of the primary permanent magnets has two opposite magnetic poles arranged in a radial direction. The secondary permanent magnets and the pole pieces are placed in the gap and arranged in the circumferential direction. Each of the secondary permanent magnets has two opposite magnetic poles arranged in the circumferential direction. Each of the pole pieces is positioned between adjacent secondary permanent magnets. Magnetic pole arrangements of adjacent primary permanent magnets are opposite to each other. Magnetic pole arrangements of adjacent secondary permanent magnets are opposite to each other. Each of the secondary permanent magnets has a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape including an upper base and a lower base.

Abstract: A crankshaft includes a plurality of journals, a plurality of pins, and a plurality of crank arms. The journals are coaxially disposed with the rotational center of the crankshaft. The pins are decentered with respect to the journals. Each of the crank arms is disposed between one journal and one pin to join the one journal with the one pin. One or more of the crank arms integrally include a counterweight. The counterweight includes two side surfaces. An added layer of a material different from that of a crankshaft body is provided on each of side surfaces of the counterweight. When the Young's modulus of the added layer is E and the Young's modulus of the material of the crankshaft body is E0, E/E0 is 0.2 to 0.4.

Abstract: An eddy current damper includes a screw shaft movable in an axial direction, a plurality of first permanent magnets, a plurality of second permanent magnets, a cylindrical magnet holding member, a cylindrical conductive member having conductivity, a ball nut which meshes with the screw shaft, and a heat transfer layer which covers a surface of the conductive member opposed to the first permanent magnets and the second permanent magnets. The magnet holding member holds the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet. The conductive member is opposed to the first permanent magnets and the second permanent magnets with a gap therebetween. The ball nut is disposed inside the magnet holding member and the conductive member, and is fixed to the magnet holding member or the conductive member. The heat transfer layer has a thermal conductivity higher than that of the conductive member.

Abstract: A crankshaft includes a plurality of journals, a plurality of pins, and a plurality of crank arms. The journals are coaxially disposed with the rotational center of the crankshaft. The pins are decentered with respect to the journals. Each of the crank arms is disposed between one journal and one pin to join the one journal with the one pin. One or more of the crank arms integrally include a counterweight. The counterweight includes two side surfaces. An added layer of a material different from that of a crankshaft body is provided on each of side surfaces of the counterweight. When the Young's modulus of the added layer is E and the Young's modulus of the material of the crankshaft body is E0, E/E0 is 0.2 to 0.4.

Abstract: The disclosed is a deceleration device including a cylindrical brake member fixed to a rotary shaft, a plurality of permanent magnets arrayed in a circumferential direction of a circle around the rotary shaft, a cylindrical magnet holder holding the permanent magnets, and a switching mechanism that switches between a braking state and a non-braking state. The plurality of permanent magnets include primary magnets and secondary magnets that are arrayed alternatively in the circumferential direction. When viewed on a surface facing the brake member, north poles of the primary magnets are circumferentially adjacent to and in contact with north poles of the secondary magnets, and south poles of the primary magnets are circumferentially adjacent to and in contact with south poles of the secondary magnets. The magnetic holder is ferromagnetic.

Abstract: An eddy current retarder includes a brake drum, a magnet retention ring, and a switch mechanism. The brake drum is fixed to a rotating shaft. The magnet retention ring is arranged inside the drum and retains magnets at regular intervals entirely in a circumferential direction such that the magnets face the inner peripheral surface of the drum. The switch mechanism includes switch plates that switch, during braking, to a state in which magnetic circuits develop between the magnets and the drum, and switch, during non-braking, to a state in which no magnetic circuits develop. Protrusions are provided on an end face of the drum at regular intervals entirely in the circumferential direction. Electricity generating coils are provided in a non-rotating part of a vehicle at regular intervals entirely in the circumferential direction such that the electricity generating coils face the regions of the end face of the drum.

Abstract: A brake disc for a railway vehicle is provided in which noise arising from the brake disc during high-speed rotation of a wheel is reduced by a large margin. A brake disc for a railway vehicle includes: a disc plate portion that has a sliding portion on a front face thereof; a plurality of through-holes that pass from the front face to a rear face of the disc plate portion and are arranged in alignment in the circumferential direction of the disc plate portion, the through-holes allowing bolts to pass therethrough for fastening together the disc plate portion and a wheel of the railway vehicle; and a groove provided to link a plurality of through-holes on the front face side of the disc plate portion.

Abstract: The disclosed heat generating apparatus includes: a rotary shaft, a heat generator, a plurality of permanent magnets, a magnet holder, and a heat recovery system. The rotary shaft is rotatably supported by a non-rotative body. The heat generator is fixed to the body. The magnets are arrayed to face the heat generator with a gap such that magnetic pole arrangements of adjacent ones of the magnets are opposite to each other. The magnet holder holds the magnets and is fixed to the rotary shaft. The heat recovery system collects heat generated in the heat generator. A non-magnetic partition wall is provided in the gap between the heat generator and the magnets.