Abstract: A multi-layer piezoelectric element of high durability wherein the internal electrodes and the external electrodes do not break even when operated continuously over a long period of time under high electric field and high pressure is provided. The first multi-layer piezoelectric element according to the present invention comprises a stack formed by stacking piezoelectric layers and internal electrodes alternately one on another and external electrodes formed on a first side face and on a second side face of the stack, wherein one of the adjacent internal electrodes is connected to the external electrode formed on the first side face and the other internal electrode is connected to the external electrode formed on the second side face, and the external electrodes include an electrically conductive material and glass and is formed from a porous electrically conductive material that has a three-dimensional mesh structure.

Abstract: Provided is a multi-layer piezoelectric element having excellent durability wherein a conductive member is not peeled off from an external electrode even when the element is continuously driven for a prolonged period of time under high electric field and high pressure. A multi-layer piezoelectric element includes a stacked body wherein piezoelectric layers and internal electrode layers are alternately laminated, and an external electrode which is joined to a side face of the stacked body and electrically connected to the internal electrode layers, and the external electrode includes a plurality of open voids in a surface thereof. Due to the open voids, a joining strength of a conductive member to the external electrode is improved, thereby preventing peel-off of the conductive member. In addition, since heat dissipation characteristics are improved, it is possible to prevent the external electrode from being thermally fractured due to generation of heat.

Abstract: A stator for an electric rotating machine includes a stator core which has a plurality of slots and a stator winding which is provided at the stator core. The stator winding has a plurality of conductor segments each of which includes an inner conducting body accommodated in the slot of the stator core and coil ends exposed from the slot, and weld portions which are connected with each other by welding the conductor segments at least one of the coil ends. The weld portions are annularly disposed with an interval therebetween. The weld portions are coated with an insulating resin material. The resin material is formed of a plurality of layered insulating films.

Abstract: Provided is a highly durable multi-layer piezoelectric element wherein an external electrode has less possibilities of being peeled off from a side face of a stacked body even when the element is continuously driven for a long period of time in a high electrical field under high pressure. In a multi-layer piezoelectric element (1), a void (2) is formed in a joining interface between a side face of a stacked body (7) wherein piezoelectric layers (3) and internal electrode layers (5) are alternately laminated and an external electrode (9) joined to the side face. Since stress generated in the joining interface between the side face of the stacked body (7) and the external electrode (9) during driving can be reduced by the void (2), there are less possibilities of having the external electrode (9) peeled off from the side face of the stacked body (7) even when the element is continuously driven for a long period of time.

Abstract: The electric rotating machine includes a rotor, a stator having a stator core and a stator winding wound on the stator core, and a cooling liquid feeding function of applying cooling liquid to the coil end of the stator winding. The stator winding constituted by coils wound along the circumferential direction includes crossover portions each of which electrically connects the ends of two of the coils through which currents in the same phase flow, respectively. The crossover portions are arranged so as to overlap one another only partially in the circumferential direction. The cooling liquid feeding function applies the cooling liquid to at least one of the crossover portions.

Abstract: A stator includes a hollow cylindrical stator core and a stator coil comprised of electric wires. Each of the electric wires has n in-slot portions and (n?1) turn portions, where n?4. The in-slot portions are sequentially received in p slots of the stator core, where p?n. The turn portions are located outside the slots to connect adjacent pairs of the in-slot portions. The radial distances from the longitudinal axis of the stator core to the first to the nth in-slot portions successively decrease. Each of the electric wires further includes bulges. Each of the bulges is formed, on a surface of a corresponding one of the in-slot portions or a surface of a portion of the electric wire which falls on an imaginary line extending axially from the corresponding in-slot portion, so as to protrude from the corresponding in-slot portion in a radial direction.

Abstract: A stator for an electric rotary machine which includes a stator coil which is made up of conducting wires each of which includes in-slot portions disposed one in each of slots formed in a stator core and turned portions each of which connects adjacent two of the in-slot portions outside the slots. Each of the turned portions includes steps adjacent connected through a curved bend. The curved bend of one of the conducting wires is laid to overlap one of turned portions of the other conducting wire in an axial direction of the stator core through a gap. The curved bend has walls extending toward one of the turned portions of the other conducting wire to define a chamber. The walls increase a total area of the stator coil from which thermal energy will dissipate, thus enhancing the ability of the stator coil to be cooled.

Abstract: A multi-layer piezoelectric element of high durability wherein the internal electrodes and the external electrodes do not break even when operated continuously over a long period of time under high electric field and high pressure is provided. The first multi-layer piezoelectric element according to the present invention comprises a stack formed by stacking piezoelectric layers and internal electrodes alternately one on another and external electrodes formed on a first side face and on a second side face of the stack, wherein one of the adjacent internal electrodes is connected to the external electrode formed on the first side face and the other internal electrode is connected to the external electrode formed on the second side face, and the external electrodes include an electrically conductive material and glass and is formed from a porous electrically conductive material that has a three-dimensional mesh structure.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a stator for an electric rotating machine. The method includes the steps of: (1) forming a plurality of planar electric wires, each of the planar electric wires including a plurality of in-slot portions to be received in slots of a stator core and a plurality of turn portions to be located outside of the slots to connect the in-slot portions; (2) rolling each of the planar electric wires through plastic deformation into a spiral or circular-arc shape; (3) forming a hollow cylindrical stator coil by assembling the rolled electric wires through operations of making relative axial movement therebetween; and (4) assembling the stator core and the stator coil together to form the stator.

Abstract: In a current measuring device for measuring an electric current flowing through between a terminal of a battery and a wire, a resistance member has a length and first and second ends in a direction of the length. The first end is to be secured electrically to the terminal of the battery. The second end is to be secured electrically to the wire. The resistance member constitutes a current flow path between the terminal of the battery and the wire. The resistance member has a turned portion through which the current flow path extends. The current measuring device includes a circuit board in which a current measuring circuit is installed. The current measuring circuit measures an electric current flowing through the resistance member based on a potential difference between two different points defined on the resistance member.

Abstract: In a stator, when a number of a plurality of core segments circumferentially arranged is represented as n, a length of a maximum projecting portion of a circumferential projection of each of the plurality of core segments from one of the first and second radial sides thereof is represented as p, a radial length of a maximum projecting portion of the circumferential projection of each of the plurality of core segments from a circumferentially extended line from the bottom of the slot is represented as q, and a length of the slot with respect to the bottom thereof in a radial direction of the stator core assembly is represented as t, the number n, the length p, the length q, and the length t meet the following equation: 0 < np ? - q < t .

Abstract: A stator includes a stator core and a multi-phase stator coil comprised of a plurality of electric wires. Each of the electric wires has first, second, . . . , nth in-slot portions and first, second, . . . , (n?1)th turn portions, where n is an integer not less than 4. The first in-slot portions of the electric wires are located most radially outward and the nth in-slot portions are located most radially inward in the slots of the stator core. Each of the electric wires also has a first end portion positioned on the first in-slot portion side and a second end portion positioned on the nth in-slot portion side. Each of phase windings of the stator coil is formed of at least two of the electric wires. The first end portion of one of the two electric wires is connected to the second end portion of the other electric wire.

Abstract: A rotor for an automotive alternator includes a rotary shaft, first and second magnetic pole cores each having a plurality of magnetic pole claws, a bobbin, a field coil, a plurality of permanent magnets, and a positioning mechanism. The magnetic pole claws of the first magnetic pole core are interleaved with those of the second magnetic pole core. The field coil is wound around the first and second magnetic pole cores via the bobbin. The permanent magnets are interposed between the first and second magnetic pole cores. The positioning mechanism, which is made up of at least one of the rotary shaft, the first and second magnetic pole cores, and the bobbin, functions to position the first and second magnetic pole cores in the circumferential direction of the rotary shaft with intervals between adjacent pairs of the magnetic pole claws of the first and second magnetic pole cores being even.

Abstract: To provide a multi-layer piezoelectric element that is improved to mitigate the decrease in the amount of displacement under such harsh operating conditions, the multi-layer piezoelectric element, the multi-layer piezoelectric element comprising: a stacked body comprising a plurality of piezoelectric material layers and a plurality of internal electrodes, the stacked body being formed by stacking the plurality of internal electrodes and the piezoelectric layers alternately on each other; and an external electrode formed on a side face of the stacked body, wherein the external electrode comprises a base portion and a first protrusion protruding from the base portion toward an outside.

Abstract: An AC generator, referred to as an alternator, is mounted on an automotive vehicle for supplying electric power to an on-board battery and other electric loads. The alternator includes a rectifier device for rectifying alternating current to direct current. The rectifier is composed of a minus-side heat-radiating plate on which six minus-side rectifier elements are mounted and a plus-side heat-radiating plate on which six plus-side rectifier elements are mounted. Each rectifier is mounted on the heat-radiating plate in the same manner, i.e., by forcibly inserting the rectifier element into a mounting hole formed in the heat-radiating plate. A disc portion of the rectifier element has an outer peripheral surface on which knurls are formed. The outer peripheral surface having the knurls is tapered so that the disc portion is easily inserted into the mounting hole while establishing a firm grip and a good heat-conductive contact between the rectifier element and the heat-radiating surface.

Abstract: In a rectifier, a high-side heatsink in which high-side rectifying elements are mounted provides a common positive terminal attached to the high-side heatsink. A low-side heatsink in which the low-side rectifying elements are mounted provides a common negative terminal. A terminal block assembly includes a plurality of terminal blocks integrated with each other. The plurality of terminal blocks hold the conductive members. A fixing mechanism directly fixes one of the plurality of terminal blocks to the high-side heatsink. The one of the plurality of terminal blocks holds at least one of the conductive members. The at least one of the conductive members is connected to one of the high-side rectifying elements. The one of the high-side rectifying elements is located closest to the output terminal in all of the high-side rectifying elements.

Abstract: An automotive alternator mounted on a vehicle for generating electric power includes front and rear frames, a cylindrical stator and a rotor. The cylindrical stator is contained in the frames, and the rotor is rotatably supported in the cylindrical stator. A rectifier device for rectifying alternating current generated in the stator into direct current is mounted on a rear surface of the rear frame and covered with a rear cover. To sufficiently cool minus rectifier elements positioned at a place not easily cooled only by the outside cooling air introduced into the alternator, a base portion of the minus rectifier element is contacted to the rear frame thereby to establish heat conduction therebetween. A resilient heat-conductive member is disposed between the base plate and the rear frame to absorb any dimensional discrepancies therebetween.

Abstract: A multi-layer piezoelectric element of high durability wherein external electrodes do not peel off the surface of a stack even when operated continuously over a long period of time under a high electric field and a high pressure, a method for manufacturing the same and an injection apparatus using the same are provided. The multi-layer piezoelectric element comprises a stack 10 consisting of a plurality of piezoelectric layers 1 and a plurality of metal layers 2 which are stacked alternately one on another and external electrodes (covering member) 4 that cover at least a part of the side faces of the stack 10, wherein at least one metal layer 2a among the plurality of metal layers 2 is a porous metal layer 2a which has more voids than the metal layers 2b that adjoin the metal layer 2a on both sides thereof in the stacking direction, and a part of the external electrodes 4 infiltrates between two piezoelectric layers 1, 1 which adjoin the porous metal layer 2a in the stacking direction.

Abstract: A multi-layer piezoelectric element of high durability wherein the internal electrodes and the external electrodes do not break even when operated continuously over a long period of time under high electric field and high pressure is provided. The first multi-layer piezoelectric element according to the present invention comprises a stack formed by stacking piezoelectric layers and internal electrodes alternately one on another and external electrodes formed on a first side face and on a second side face of the stack, wherein one of the adjacent internal electrodes is connected to the external electrode formed on the first side face and the other internal electrode is connected to the external electrode formed on the second side face, and the external electrodes include an electrically conductive material and glass and is formed from a porous electrically conductive material that has a three-dimensional mesh structure.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a rotary electric machine includes a rotor with a rotary shaft, a stator surrounding an outer periphery of the rotor, and a frame supporting the rotor and the stator. Further, the stator has an outer surface at least part of which is exposed to outside of the frame, and a plurality of protrusions and recesses are formed on the exposed part of the outer surface of the stator, so as to enhance dissipation of heat generated by operation of the rotary electric machine. According to a further implementation of the present invention, the rotor includes at least one fan that works to create air flow, and the protrusions and the recesses are so formed that the recesses make up air flow paths, along which the air flow created by the fan passes over the outer surface of the stator, thereby cooling the outer surface.