Abstract: A steering apparatus 200 comprises an outer column 10 provided with a guide groove portion 25, an inner column 11 provided with a stopper 300, and a steering shaft 3 on which a steering wheel 101 is attached. An adjustable range of a telescopic position of the steering wheel 101 is restricted by the stopper 300 being contacted with a portion, at a rear side of the vehicle, of the guide groove portion 25. The stopper 300 includes a stopper body 331 and a fastening and connecting means 332 for fixing the stopper body 331 to the inner column 11. The stopper body 331 and the inner column 11 are formed, respectively, with through-holes 331c and 11a communicated with each other, through which the fastening and connecting means 332 is inserted. With this configuration, a steering apparatus in which the stopper can be easily attached to the inner column is provided.

Abstract: Construction is achieved that is able to effectively prevent the displacement in the axial direction of a ball bearing 16 that supports the middle section of a pinion shaft 6 so as to be able to rotate freely, and that is compact and low cost. A fastening groove 28b is formed around the entire circumference of a portion near an opening of the inner circumferential surface of a sub housing section 12c of a casing 10c, and a radially outside portion of a C-shaped retaining ring 29b is fastened in this fastening groove 28b. As a result, a side surface in the axial direction of a radially inside portion of the retaining ring 29b is pressed against a side surface in the axial direction of an outer ring 18 of a ball bearing 16 that is fitted inside and supported by the inner circumferential surface of the sub housing section 12c.

Abstract: Construction is achieved that is able to effectively prevent the displacement in the axial direction of a ball bearing 16 that supports the middle section of a pinion shaft 6 so as to be able to rotate freely, and that is compact and low cost. A fastening groove 28b is formed around the entire circumference of a portion near an opening of the inner circumferential surface of a sub housing section 12c of a casing 10c, and a radially outside portion of a C-shaped retaining ring 29b is fastened in this fastening groove 28b. As a result, a side surface in the axial direction of a radially inside portion of the retaining ring 29b is pressed against a side surface in the axial direction of an outer ring 18 of a ball bearing 16 that is fitted inside and supported by the inner circumferential surface of the sub housing section 12c.

Abstract: Construction is achieved that is able to effectively prevent the displacement in the axial direction of a ball bearing 16 that supports the middle section of a pinion shaft 6 so as to be able to rotate freely, and that is compact and low cost. A fastening groove 28b is formed around the entire circumference of a portion near an opening of the inner circumferential surface of a sub housing section 12c of a casing 10c, and a radially outside portion of a C-shaped retaining ring 29b is fastened in this fastening groove 28b. As a result, a side surface in the axial direction of a radially inside portion of the retaining ring 29b is pressed against a side surface in the axial direction of an outer ring 18 of a ball bearing 16 that is fitted inside and supported by the inner circumferential surface of the sub housing section 12c.

Abstract: The electric steering wheel position adjustment apparatus of the present invention is constructed so as to improve the support rigidity of a portion that constitutes a steering column apparatus thereof, such that the steering shaft 2b and the steering column 5b have non-expandable construction, but are able to be displaced in the axial direction; holding holes are provided in at least two locations on the top side of the column holder 31 that supports the steering column 5b; and in each of the holding holes, a sliding plate 35, an elastic member 37 and a cover 38 are assembled such that the sliding plate 35 is elastically compressed by the elastic member 37 and pushes the outer circumferential surface of the steering column 5b.

Abstract: The electric steering wheel position adjustment apparatus of the present invention comprises: a non-expandable steering shaft 2b; a non-expandable steering column 5b; a column holder 31 that supports the steering column 5b so as to be able to move in the axial direction; a pair of left and right tilt shafts 33 that support the column holder 31 so as to be able to pivotally move around the center axis thereof; and an expandable intermediate shaft 28 that is connected to the steering shaft 2b by way of a universal joint 27b; and a tilt shafts 33 that are arranged so that the center axis thereof is orthogonal to the center axis of the steering shaft 2b. The center axis OC of the pair of left and right tilt shafts 33 is located in a range between the position OF of the center of displacement of the front-end section and the position OB of the center of displacement of the rear-end section of the universal joint 27b.

Abstract: The electric steering wheel position adjustment apparatus of the present invention is constructed so as to improve the support rigidity of a portion that constitutes a steering column apparatus thereof, such that the steering shaft 2b and the steering column 5b have non-expandable construction, but are able to be displaced in the axial direction; holding holes are provided in at least two locations on the top side of the column holder 31 that supports the steering column 5b; and in each of the holding holes, a sliding plate 35, an elastic member 37 and a cover 38 are assembled such that the sliding plate 35 is elastically compressed by the elastic member 37 and pushes the outer circumferential surface of the steering column 5b.

Abstract: In order to make it possible to stably and smoothly perform the operation of position adjustment of a steering wheel 1, the electric position adjustment apparatus for a steering wheel of the present invention is such that: a concave engaging section 19a of a moving piece 16a that moves in the forward/backward direction with an electric motor 56 as a driving source has a cylindrical concave-shaped inner-circumferential surface; a cylindrical column section 65 of a transmission member 17a that transmits the movement of the moving piece 16a to a steering column 5b is inserted into the concave engaging section 19a by way of cylindrical spacer 72 and has a cylindrical convex-shaped outer-circumferential surface; and a cylindrical spacer 72 has a cylindrical convex-shaped outer-circumferential surface and a cylindrical concave-shaped inner-circumferential surface.

Abstract: The electric steering wheel position adjustment apparatus of the present invention comprises: a non-expandable steering shaft 2b; a non-expandable steering column 5b; a column holder 31 that supports the steering column 5b so as to be able to move in the axial direction; a pair of left and right tilt shafts 33 that support the column holder 31 so as to be able to pivotally move around the center axis thereof; and an expandable intermediate shaft 28 that is connected to the steering shaft 2b by way of a universal joint 27b; and a tilt shafts 33 that are arranged so that the center axis thereof is orthogonal to the center axis of the steering shaft 2b. The center axis OC of the pair of left and right tilt shafts 33 is located in a range between the position OF of the center of displacement of the front-end section and the position OB of the center of displacement of the rear-end section of the universal joint 27b.

Abstract: In order to make it possible to stably and smoothly perform the operation of position adjustment of a steering wheel 1, the electric position adjustment apparatus for a steering wheel of the present invention is such that: a concave engaging section 19a of a moving piece 16a that moves in the forward/backward direction with an electric motor 56 as a driving source has a cylindrical concave-shaped inner-circumferential surface; a cylindrical column section 65 of a transmission member 17a that transmits the movement of the moving piece 16a to a steering column 5b is inserted into the concave engaging section 19a by way of cylindrical spacer 72 and has a cylindrical convex-shaped outer-circumferential surface; and a cylindrical spacer 72 has a cylindrical convex-shaped outer-circumferential surface and a cylindrical concave-shaped inner-circumferential surface.

Abstract: Construction is achieved that is able to effectively prevent the displacement in the axial direction of a ball bearing 16 that supports the middle section of a pinion shaft 6 so as to be able to rotate freely, and that is compact and low cost. A fastening groove 28b is formed around the entire circumference of a portion near an opening of the inner circumferential surface of a sub housing section 12c of a casing 10c, and a radially outside portion of a C-shaped retaining ring 29b is fastened in this fastening groove 28b. As a result, a side surface in the axial direction of a radially inside portion of the retaining ring 29b is pressed against a side surface in the axial direction of an outer ring 18 of a ball bearing 16 that is fitted inside and supported by the inner circumferential surface of the sub housing section 12c.

Abstract: An illumination unit 6 illuminates a scene object (i.e., mail) 2 moved in a predetermined direction by a transport means (transport conveyor) 1, the imaging distance up to the scene object 2 is detected before imaging, and auto-focusing is made according to distance data detected at the time of the imaging.

Abstract: Under a state of a normal temperature, a pitch B2 of a feed nut 55, 65 is formed to be slightly larger than a pitch A2 of a feed shaft screw 53, 63. Accordingly, since the screw thread of the feed nut 55, 65 is pressed to the screw thread of the feed screw shaft 53, 63 with a small interference, there is no backlash between the feed screw shaft 53, 63 and the feed nut 55, 65 so that a smooth feeding operation can be carried out. Under a state of a low temperature, the feed nut 55, 65 contracts more than the feed screw shaft 53, 63. As a result, a pitch B1 of the feed nut 55, 65 has the substantially same dimension as that of a pitch A1 of the feed screw shaft 53, 63.

Abstract: A tilt-type steering apparatus includes a steering column swingably supported by a tilt pivot shaft and rotatably supporting a steering shaft to which a steering wheel is attached, and a tilt bracket fixed to a vehicle body member and tiltably holding the steering column Stress cushioning member is disposed between the steering column and the tilt bracket.

Abstract: Both ends of a screw shaft 35 are supported on a vehicle body side bracket 19 so that only rotation is allowed. The screw shaft 35 is rotated by an electric motor 28. A nut member 44 is threadedly engaged with an intermediate portion of the screw shaft 35. The nut member 44 is held on inside of a nut holder 43. The nut holder 43 and nut member 44 are allowed to be shifted each other in longitudinal direction of the nut holder 43 which is perpendicular to both the shaft portion extending parallel to oscillation center axis of a steering column 4a and the axial direction of the screw shaft 35. The nut holder 43 is supported on the steering column 4a so as to be rotated about the shaft portion of the nut holder 43 relative to the steering column 4a.

Abstract: In a motor-driven steering wheel position adjustment apparatus, a nut 17 being a driven member is mounted such that it can be detached from an inner column of a steering column, based on a shock load applied at the time of a secondary collision, and therefore a threaded rod of a feed screw mechanism does not have resistance with respect to displacement of the inner column in the forward direction at that time. Improvement in the protection of a driver at the time of a collision can thus be achieved, and, since an integrated member can be used for the threaded rod, silence during the position adjustment of a steering wheel by the feed screw mechanism can be ensured.

Abstract: The present invention realizes a structure that can ensure silence during position adjustment of a steering wheel 8 by a feed screw mechanism 16, and that can achieve an improvement in the protection of a driver at the time of a collision accident. A nut 17 being a driven member is mounted such that it can be detached from an inner column 3a constituting a steering column 1a, based on a shock load applied at the time of a secondary collision. Therefore, at the time of a secondary collision, a threaded rod 18 constituting the feed screw mechanism 16, does not have resistance with respect to displacement of the inner column 3a in the forward direction, and hence an improvement in the protection of the driver can be achieved. Moreover, since an integrated member can be used for the threaded rod 18, silence during the position adjustment can be ensured.

Abstract: The present invention enables to increase the speed of recognizing characters on an undefined-size postal matter such as a flat mail. The flat mail often has an address area different in color or pattern from the flat mail itself. The present invention provides an image input apparatus including pickup means of monochromatic-mode CCD 31 having a fine resolution capable of recognizing characters and pickup means of color-mode CCD 30 having a rough resolution only sufficient for detecting an address area. These pickup means are mounted in a unitary block so that images are taken in from approximately identical positions and a color image is used to detect an address area and a monochromatic image is used to recognize characters, thereby significantly increasing the speed of flat mail classification. An illumination unit 44 is forcibly cooled so as to enable to use a large-output lamp tube 75 capable of illuminating a wide range to assure the character recognition.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image scanning apparatus 100 including a stand block 1 having a support arm 3, a scan type illumination device 5 for applying a slit-shaped light beam 8 onto a surface of a manuscript 2, and a manuscript image scanning device 4 mounted on the support arm 3 for receiving the slit-shaped light beam 8 reflected from the surface of the manuscript 2 and having a manuscript image. The scan type illumination device 5 applies the slit-shaped light beam 8 in a direction 11 vertical to the longitudinal direction of the slit-shaped light beam 8. The manuscript image scanning device includes a manuscript image input block 13 and a light detecting device 14 for receiving the reflected light 8′ output from the manuscript image input block 13. The manuscript image input block 13, in synchronization with the scan operation of the scan type illumination device 5, introduces the reflected light 8′ into a predetermined position of the light detecting device 14.

Abstract: There is disclosed an image input method, comprising the steps of: forming an image of a linear area on an original onto a row of linearly arranged light receiving elements of a linear image sensor by a lens, and outputting an image signal of the linear image formed on the light receiving elements from the linear image sensor. Moreover, the linear area formed into the image on the linear image sensor is moved by a sub-scanning mechanism to scan the entire image of the original. The linear image sensor further outputs a flicker detection signal having a voltage corresponding to a lighting light quantity radiating to the original. Assuming that a photoelectric conversion property of the linear image sensor is linear, a correcting section eliminates a voltage fluctuation of the image signal based on a fluctuation of the lighting light quantity based on the flicker detection signal.