Abstract: A damper structure is constructed of a core plate, a retainer plate fixed on the core plate, a spring assembly carried on the retainer plate and having at least one spring, and a driven plate arranged coaxially with the spring assembly and having a flange engageable with the spring. The retainer plate is composed of an upper plate and a lower plate. The upper plate is provided with a lug portion formed by slitting a part of the upper plate and bending the slit part. The driven plate is provided with a stopper engageable with the lug portion. The damper structure is suitable for use in a lockup clutch for a torque converter.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a damper assembly in which, even if excessive load is received from an engine and if spring constants of springs arranged in series are changed, the springs are not damaged. The present invention further aims to make the damper assembly more compact. The damper assembly comprises a retainer plate and a driven plate and is designated so that springs are held in series through an intermediate member, and a relative angle between the retainer plate and the intermediate member is regulated by engaging a first projection provided on the intermediate member with a containing portion provided in the retainer plate and a relative angle between the retainer plate and the driven plate is regulated by engaging a second projection provided on the retainer plate with an abutment portion provided on the driven plate.

Abstract: To provide a portable electronic device which is easily shifted into a power save mode at the discretion of an operator, such as a user, and optimally reduces power consumption in accordance with the current use of the device. An operator can force an electronic device into a power save mode at the operator's discretion by manipulating a control. Electrical energy stored is thus reliably saved in accordance with the usage by the operator, and unnecessary power consumption is efficiently reduced, even more than in a method in which a device automatically stops the time display and is shifted into a power save mode in accordance with the presence or absence of power generation. Setting a time limit within which the operational state of the control needs to be complete, the operator is prevented from erroneously shifting into the power save mode, and the ease of use of the time measurement device is still assured.

Abstract: An airtight damper, an input axis, and a flywheel are mounted to the input axis with a bolt. A torque transmitter, a torque transmitter attachment unit of the flywheel, and a support plate are united with each other using a bolt. The torque transmitter includes a spline unit. A pressure plate engaged with the spline unit is pressed by a pressure spring so as to press a friction plate and a torque transmitter plate against the support plate. Since the torque transmitter plate is fixed to a drive plate by a rivet, the torque from the input axis can be transmitted to the drive plate. Although the torque from the engine is larger than an allowable value, a friction member can slip at a constant torque depending on the pressure of the pressure spring, thereby protecting the damper against an excess load.

Abstract: A power supply apparatus employs a unidirectional unit equipped with a diode, a bypass switch connected in parallel to the diode, and a controller which turns the bypass switch ON when a forward voltage appears in the diode in order to rectify or prevent the backflow of the power from a power generating unit built in portable electronic equipment of an arm-worn type or the like; it is able to eliminate almost all loss caused by the forward voltage at the time of power supply. The elctromotive force of the power generating unit incorporated in arm-worn type electronic equipment ranges from almost the same level to about a few times the level of the forward voltage; hence, the use of the unidirectional unit enables rectifying efficiency to be markedly improved.

Abstract: A starting clutch includes a planetary mechanism; a first clutch for outputting a torque to an outer diameter portion of the planetary mechanism; a second clutch for outputting the torque to an intermediate portion of the planetary mechanism; and a lock mechanism for locking a reactive force from an inner diameter portion of the planetary mechanism.

Abstract: This invention relates to a crystal oscillation circuit that oscillates stably with a low power consumption. This crystal oscillation circuit comprises an inverting amplifier, a crystal oscillator, and a feedback circuit that inverts the phase of an output from this inverting amplifier and feeds it back as an input. The sum of the absolute value of the threshold voltage of a first semiconductor switching element and the absolute value of the threshold voltage of a second semiconductor switching element is set to be greater than or equal to the absolute value of the potential difference between first and second potentials, when said inverting amplifier includes the first and second semiconductor switching elements.

Abstract: In a damper apparatus comprises springs, a holder for holding the springs, and a plate having pawls engaged by the springs, splines are provided on an inner peripheral portion and an outer peripheral portion of the damper apparatus.

Abstract: There is provided an oscillation circuit that enables oscillation at a stable frequency, unaffected by changes in the power-supply voltage of a main power source.

Abstract: In a starting clutch comprising a wet type multi-plate clutch having a clutch case, a housing attached to an output shaft of an engine and adapted to cover the wet type multi-plate clutch, and a damper disposed between the wet type multi-plate clutch and the housing, the damper is constituted by a spring, a retainer plate for holding the spring, and a pawl portion elastically engaging with the spring, and the retainer plate is attached to the housing and the pawl portion is attached to the clutch case.

Abstract: In the transition from a state in which charge is being transferred from a large-capacitance secondary power supply to an auxiliary capacitor through a step-up/down circuit by a step-up/down multiplying factor M′ (M′ is a positive real number excluding one) to a state in which the large-capacitance secondary power supply and the auxiliary capacitor are electrically directly coupled, the electrical energy is transferred from the large-capacitance secondary power supply to the auxiliary capacitor through the step-up/down circuit by a step-up/down multiplying factor M=1 in a non-stepping-up/down state. A potential difference between the large-capacitance secondary power supply and the auxiliary capacitor is less than a predetermined potential difference. Since a sudden variation in a power supply voltage due to changing the step-up/down multiplying factor is prevented, malfunctioning in an electronic apparatus resulting from the sudden variation in the power supply voltage is prevented.

Abstract: To reduce electric power consumed during the operation of adjusting the indication of time and reduce the time required for the time adjusting operation. Using a second hand driving motor and a hour/minute hand driving motor both capable of rotating in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions, the indication of time is adjusted by driving the second hand driving motor and the hour/minute hand driving motor at times different from each other. The hand driving method (hand driving direction) is determined on the basis of the time elapsed during the power saving mode measured by a time information adjusting part such that the hands are driven in a direction which results in a reduction in the power consumption or the adjusting time.

Abstract: The present invention provides a starting clutch in which an input side element and an output side element are joined together by applying an axial load thereby to transmit a power, which clutch comprises urging means for always providing the axial load, and releasing means for releasing the input side element and the output side element from the axial load.

Abstract: A damper assembly comprises a driving member, a coil spring, a driven member drivable by the driving member via the coil spring, and dividers by which the coil spring is divided. Relative rotation between the driving member and the driven member via the coil spring is limited by engagement between at least one of engageable portions arranged on the driving member and its corresponding one of engageable portions arranged on the driven member. The damper assembly may additionally comprise an intermediate member arranged for relative rotation between the driving member and the driven member and formed integrally with the dividers.

Abstract: In a damper apparatus for a lock-up clutch having a spring disposed in a lock-up piston, a retainer plate and a guide member covering the spring are integrally pre-assembled to provide a unit, and the unit is disposed in the piston by a necessary torque capacity. Also, the unit holds a plurality of springs disposed in series.

Abstract: A reliable power supply control function in a portable electronic device which includes a limiter circuit, or includes the limiter circuit and a voltage step-up circuit, to reduce power consumption. It is detected whether or not a voltage generated by a power generator 40 or a voltage accumulated in a power supply device 48, 80 exceeds a preset limiter-ON voltage. When the voltage generated by the power generator 40 or the voltage accumulated in the power supply device 48, 80 has become not lower than the preset limiter-ON voltage, a voltage of electrical energy supplied to the power supply device is limited to a predetermined reference voltage set in advance. When it is determined based on a detection result of a status-of-power-generation detecting section 91 that power is not generated by the power generator 40, detecting operation of a limiter-ON-voltage detecting circuit 91A is prohibited. Power consumption required for operating the limiter-ON-voltage detecting circuit can be thus reduced.

Abstract: In an electronic unit having a plurality of motors, a reduction in power-supply voltage is suppressed even if the plurality of motors are driven, and a difference in hand moving timing is allowed to be made inconspicuous. An electronic timepiece having a seconds motor for driving a seconds hand and an hour-and-minute motor for driving hour and minute hands, which serves as an electronic unit, moves the seconds hand and the hour and minute hands such that, when a seconds auxiliary pulse signal is output to the seconds motor at the hand moving timing of the seconds hand, control is applied in a way in which neither magnetic-field detection around the hour-and-minute motor nor the rotation detection of the hour-and-minute motor is performed at the hand moving timing of the hour and minute hands, and an hour-and-minute auxiliary pulse signal is output to the hour-and-minute motor.

Abstract: Portable electronic equipment includes a carried-by-user detector for detecting whether the electronic equipment is in a state carried by a user or not. When the electronic equipment is in a state not carried by the user, i.e., when the user is not employing the electronic equipment, an operating mode is shifted from a normal operating mode to a power saving mode to reduce power consumption of the electronic equipment. Useless consumption of power during non-use of the electronic equipment can be thus reduced. Further, in electronic equipment (timepiece) incorporating a power generator for generating power by converting first energy (motion, pressure or heat) into electric energy as second energy, whether the power generator is generating power, i.e.

Abstract: A damper structure is constructed of a core plate, a retainer plate fixed on the core plate, a spring assembly carried on the retainer plate and having at least one spring, and a driven plate arranged coaxially with the spring assembly and having a flange engageable with the spring. The retainer plate is composed of an upper plate and a lower plate. The upper plate is provided with a lug portion formed by slitting a part of the upper plate and bending the slit part. The driven plate is provided with a stopper engageable with the lug portion. The damper structure is suitable for use in a lockup clutch for a torque converter.

Abstract: A portable electronic apparatus and a control method for an electronic apparatus that detects the power-generating state of a power generating unit in a power-saving mode and to positively switch to a normal operation mode. The power-generation voltage of a power generating unit is detected in a power-generation-voltage detection process (steps S2 and S12), and the operation mode of a unit to be driven is switched between a normal operation mode and a power-saving mode according to the power-generating state of the power generating unit or according to the manipulation state of manipulation means in an operation-mode control process (steps S3 to S7, and S10 to S15). In a limiter control process (step S8), the operation of a limiter is disabled when the operation mode of the unit to be driven is the power-saving mode.