Abstract: A front storage compartment for a scooter-type vehicle includes a plate member mounted on a cover member covering a vehicle body of the vehicle. The plate member and the cover member jointly define an upwardly open storage unit therebetween. The cover member has a water drain hole formed therein for draining water from the storage unit. The water drain hole is located at a position below a floor panel which closes the bottom of the storage unit. The plate member has a lower extension for covering the water drain hole and the cover member, below the floor panel. A water channel for guiding water to the water drain hole is provided between the lower extension of the plate member and the cover member. Such front storage compartment structure reduces an amount of water seeping out to the surface of the cover member.

Abstract: A stepping motor includes a rotor assembly and a stator assembly including two stator units axially coupled to each other. The two stator units each include a pair of yokes which each include a base portion and a plurality of pole teeth extending from the base portion and which are disposed such that each of the pole teeth of one yoke and each of the pole teeth of the other yoke are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction. The pole teeth are shaped symmetric and each include a pair of slant sides inclined so as to become closer to each other with an increase of distance from the base portion, and the slant sides of adjacent pole teeth are located close to each other wherein a magnetic pole gap between the adjacent pole teeth pole teeth is about 0.2 times as large as the thickness of the pole teeth.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus capable of, even when an object is moving, measuring the position of the object at a high accuracy. According to a vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus (10), an enlargement factor relevant to when the degree of correlation between an enlarged local region (EB(?i)) obtained by enlarging a local region (B(k?1)) at a previous time (k?1) and a local region (B(k)) at a time (k) later than the previous time (k?1) becomes the maximum is calculated as a change rate (Rate(k)) of the size of the local region (B(k)). Based on the change rage (Rate(k)), it is possible to measure the distance (Z(k)) from a vehicle (1) to the object or the position (P(k)) at a high accuracy even when the object is moving.

Abstract: A seat structure for a vehicle, such as a motorcycle, includes a seat arranged rearwardly of a fuel tank mounted on a vehicle body frame. The seat includes a cushion member, and a bottom plate for holding the cushion member. The cushion member is made of an elastic material. The bottom plate is fixed to the vehicle body frame and to the fuel tank. The cushion member includes a bulging portion which bulges forwardly from a front end portion of the bottom plate and onto an upper surface of a stepped portion of the fuel tank. The bulging portion is supported on the upper surface of the fuel tank.

Abstract: Provided are a apparatus and a method for vulcanizing a pneumatic tire, where are capable of: smoothly releasing a vulcanized pneumatic tire from multiple sectors separated from one another in a circumferential direction in each of an upper mold and a lower mold; and thereby lightening load on each mold. In addition to springs for biasing the sectors to always move into a smaller diameter, respectively, pushpins for moving the sectors into larger and smaller diameters are actuated by the respective cylinder rods of drive cylinders, and thereby the movements of the individual sectors into the larger and smaller diameters are controlled. Accordingly, even though the sectors would otherwise move abruptly into the smaller diameter due to biasing forces of the springs after the vulcanized tire is released from the sectors at the larger diameter, a radius-reducing movement speed of the sectors is control led by the cylinder rods in contact with rear ends of the push pins.

Abstract: A chain adjustment apparatus for a motorcycle includes a substantially C-shaped adjustment recess formed in an end piece member attached to a rear end portion of a rear fork. An adjustment member is slidably fitted in the adjustment recess. The adjustment member includes a projecting member having a substantially V-shaped projecting slope, and a recessed member having a substantially V-shaped recessed slope. The projecting member fits in the recessed member. When a wheel axle is passed through the adjustment member and the end piece member, the projecting member is brought into wedged engagement with the recessed member by axial force on the wheel axle, and upper and lower split bodies of the recessed member are moved, and pressed onto upper and lower face walls of the end piece member for increasing a coupling rigidity of the adjustment member with the end piece member.

Abstract: A transmission assembly includes a shift drum operable to rotate in first and second directions. The shift drum includes a common speed change position, where both a fastest forward gear and a reverse gear are capable of becoming engaged, in such a manner that a reverse stopper arm fits at a first end of a reverse cam groove formed on the shift drum. When the shift drum is rotated in the second rotation direction, opposite to the first direction, from a state where the reverse gear is engaged, the reverse stopper arm surmounts the outer periphery of the shift drum from the first end of the reverse cam groove, without requiring the application of an external force thereto, so as to become detached and to move towards a second end of the reverse cam groove.

Abstract: After the running wheels 12FR, 12FL, 12RR and 12RL are replaced from the summer wheel set to the winter wheel set (non-mounted wheels 12), when the vehicle 10 is running at a speed more than a predetermined speed, and if all ID numbers contained in the data received within a predetermined time are entirely identical to the sensor IDs corresponding to the non-mounted wheels 12, the sensor IDs identified in the sensor ID identification portion 54 are automatically switched from the sensor IDs corresponding to the summer wheel set to the sensor IDs of the winter wheel set.

Abstract: In a brake-by-wire brake system for a motorcycle, a pressure regulator is interposed between a pressure-generating unit and a brake caliper to regulate an output hydraulic pressure of the pressure generator, and to apply the regulated hydraulic pressure to a brake caliper. The pressure regulator is controlled by a control unit, based on input from an applied operating force detector, to minimize or prevent influences of engine vibration and heat on the pressure regulator. The pressure regulator is arranged between an engine body and a fuel tank disposed in back of an intake system connected to and extending upwardly from a cylinder head of the engine body; where the intake system is disposed on an upper side of the engine body. The pressure regulator is flexibly supported, through a flexibly resilient case, by a support cage attached to a body frame.

Abstract: A motorcycle includes a liquid pressure-generating unit, a pressure-regulating unit interposed between the liquid pressure-generating unit and a wheel brake, and a control unit for controlling operation of the pressure-regulating unit. The motorcycle also includes a support case, supportively containing the control unit and disposed on a lateral side of an engine body mounted on a body frame of the motorcycle, with the support case interposed between the control unit and the engine body. Further, a running airflow leading-in part for permitting traveling airflow to pass toward said control unit is formed at a front part of the support case, and a traveling airflow leading-out part is formed at a rear part of the support case for leading out the traveling airflow after the airflow has passed through at least one lateral side of the control unit. This arrangement lessens the influence of the heat from an engine upon the control unit while disposing the control unit in the vicinity of the engine body.

Abstract: A welding arrangement for plastic components includes a base member, a primary member abutting onto the base member and provided with a first positioning feature that engages a corresponding first positioning feature provided on the base member. A secondary member is vibration welded to the base member so as to at least partly interpose the primary member between the secondary member and base member. Because the welding is performed while the primary member is properly positioned relative to the base member on account of the first positioning feature cooperating with the corresponding first positioning feature, the positional precision of the primary member is ensured. The primary member may be additionally provided with a second positioning feature that engages a corresponding second positioning feature provided on the secondary member, so as to permit positional adjustment between them in a prescribed direction corresponding to a direction of movement of the vibration welding.

Abstract: An inverted pendulum type omnidirectional vehicle includes: a pair of wheels; a drive mechanism; a control apparatus; an auxiliary wheel; and a vehicle body. Each of the wheels includes: a rotation member capable of rotating about the wheel axis; a plurality of free rollers which are disposed all around an outer circumference of the rotation member, and each of which is brought into contact with a road surface at a lowest position of the rotation member and is rotatable about a rotation axis diagonal with respect to the wheel axis. The free rollers on both sides in contact with the road surface at ground contact portions each have the rotation axis extending in parallel with the road surface, and are arranged in an orientation in which a distance between the rotation axes of the free rollers is shorter toward a side of the auxiliary wheel.

Abstract: An inductance-type rotation angle sensor includes: a stator formed by printing an annularly formed magnetic conductor and a receiving conductor placed adjacent to the magnetic conductor on a glass-epoxy-resin substrate; and a rotor having an excitation conductor attached thereto in a manner opposing the magnetic conductor. In the sensor, a thermosetting-resin covering layer, which is connected together through a periphery of the substrate and a through-hole included in this substrate, is formed on both front and back surfaces of the substrate by molding; a portion of the covering layer covering the magnetic conductor and the receiving conductor is formed as a thin thickness part which is thinner in thickness than a remaining portion of the covering layer; and the stator is buried in a thermoplastic-resin control housing with the thin thickness part being exposed to an outside.

Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting appearance of long-length object takes images of lighted line every predetermined timing while making the hose move in the long-length direction. By this, the contours of the hose are taken continuously and correctly over the length direction of the hose. The height direction position data of the lighted line corresponding to each of the width direction position of the hose are extracted, and the height direction position data are subtracted by the base data provided so as to correspond to each of the width direction position. Thus, the arc shape of the outer surface of the hose is canceled from the height direction position data. Also, the height direction position data of each taken image which are given the subtracting is put in image-taking order, and an inspection image is made on the basis of the predetermined color.

Abstract: A hydraulic shock absorber includes a damper cylinder having a hollow bore therein. A piston rod and piston separate the bore into a rod side oil chamber and a piston side oil chamber. A pressure side damping force generator is provided with a sub piston in the piston side oil chamber. A first separator is provided in a sub piston side oil chamber of the sub piston, with a communication hole that communicates between the sub piston side oil chamber and a bladder side oil chamber. A hollow bladder is mounted in the bladder side oil chamber. A blow hole is provided in the bladder side oil chamber, the blow hole being normally closed by the bladder and opening when oil enters the bladder side oil chamber such that the bladder is contracted by an oil pressure when a volume of the oil reaches a predetermined capacity.

Abstract: A saddle-type vehicle includes a canister mounting structure. The vehicle includes a vehicle body frame, an engine fastened to the vehicle body frame, an exhaust pipe connected to the engine, a fuel tank mounted on the vehicle body frame, a canister for storing gasoline vapors form the fuel tank and a purge control valve for controlling purge of the canister. The canister mounting structure includes a canister holder having a first mounting portion for mounting the canister, and a second mounting portion for mounting the purge control valve therein. The canister holder is disposed adjacent the exhaust pipe. The canister holder is formed so as to cover sides of the canister and a side of the canister adjacent the exhaust pipe. Such configuration of the canister mounting structure provides heat-shielding measures for the canister, and achieves a desired ease of assembly.

Abstract: When a vertical acceleration is applied to a vehicle, the foot of a vehicle operator placed on the accelerator pedal may apply an unintended force to the accelerator pedal owing to the shock of such accelerations and vibrations and/or the inertia force of the vehicle operator's foot applied to the accelerator pedal, and this may cause an inadvertent depressing or releasing of the accelerator pedal. To overcome this problem, an engine control unit corrects the output signal of an accelerator pedal that governs the output of the engine according to the detected vertical acceleration of the vehicle so that the unintended change in the output of the engine which is caused by an external force applied to the accelerator pedal and may cause an unintended acceleration or deceleration of the engine can be canceled.

Abstract: A vehicle control device has a portable-unit restraining control unit which, when the portable unit is inserted in the slot in the drive-permitted state, irremovably fixed the portable unit, which is inserted in the slot, by the portable-unit restraining unit and, when the portable unit is inserted in the slot in the drive-prohibited state, releases the portable unit from the locking effected by the portable-unit restraining unit to allow removal of the portable unit from the slot.

Abstract: When a load facing to the rear of a vehicle body acts on a knuckle mounting portion of an arm main body of a suspension arm, if the line of action of the load deviates vertically relative to the cross-sectional center of the arm main body, a moment that vertically deforms the arm main body occurs.

Abstract: A W/O emulsion is produced from an aqueous solution containing a substance to be entrapped in a vesicle in a dissolved or suspended state and an oil phase containing an emulsifier; subsequently, the W/O emulsion is cooled to a temperature at which the aqueous solution of the W/O emulsion becomes a frozen particle and the oil phase maintains a liquid state, and the oil phase is removed; thereafter, an oil phase containing a vesicle constituent lipid is added to the frozen particle, and the obtained mixture is then stirred, so as to substitute the emulsifier on the surface of the frozen particle with the vesicle constituent lipid; and thereafter, an external Water phase is added to the frozen particle coated with a lipid membrane, so as to hydrate the lipid membrane by the external water phase. This process achieves a high entrapment yield of a desired substance while controlling desired physical properties such as particle diameter.