Abstract: In a frictional hinge device, a metallic shaft has a rotational axis as a rotational center. A support block is made of a synthetic resin so that the support block rotatably supports the metallic shaft relatively. The support block is relatively rotatable in relation with the metallic shaft by a surface friction resistance between the support block and the metallic shaft. A surface treatment imparts Vickers number (Hv) of 800 or more with an outer surface of the metallic shaft. As an alternative, a hardened layer is provided around the outer surface of the metallic shaft and the hardened layer has Vickers number (Hv) of 800 or more with its thickness at least in 5.0 &mgr;m.

Abstract: In a frictional hinge device, a metallic shaft 10 has an axis as a rotational center. A support block 20 is molded in synthetic resin (PC, PAR, PPS or the like) around the metallic shaft 10 so that the support block 20 is relatively rotatable with respect to the metallic shaft 10.The support block 20 is held at any angular position by a surface friction resistance between the support block 20 and the metallic shaft 10. In addition, an outer surface of the metallic shaft 10 is processed with a surface treatment to attain a surface roughness (Ra) ranging from 0.15 to 0.35 m. This ensures a stable surface frictional resistance between the support block 20 and the metallic shaft 10 with minimum scratch and stickslip.

Abstract: In a frictional hinge device a support block 20 is molded in a synthetic resin around the metallic shaft 10 so that the support block 20 is rotatably supported by the metallic shaft 10. The support block 20 is held at any angles by a surface friction resistance between the support block 20 and the metallic shaft 10. The synthetic resin has a modulus of bending elasticity, a changing rate of which is up to 30% at an operating temperature ranging from −20 to 80° C. The support block 20 tightly engages with the metallic shaft 10 due to a residual stress appeared between the support block 20 and the metallic shaft 10 when cooling the synthetic resin to shrink. Due to the smaller changing rate of the modulus of bending elasticity, the surface friction resistance becomes stable between the support block 20 and the metallic shaft 10 under normal ambient temperature with the least amount of friction.

Abstract: In a frictional hinge device, an inequable strain distribution within a synthetic resin is determined to be 15% or less so as to increase a torque holding rate by 80% or more to tightly engage a support block 20 with a metallic shaft 10. This eliminates variations on a frictional torque with no substantial stickslip phenomenon, abnormal noise and initial scratches accompanied when pivotally moving the support block 20 relative to the metallic shaft 10 so as to maintain a stable surface friction resistance with good endurance for a long period of time.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for producing a helical spring which comprises the steps of providing a plurality of parameters for defining a desired configuration of a target helical spring, setting at least bending positions and twisting positions on the basis of the plurality of parameters, and bending and twisting the element wire at the positions set in response to every predetermined feeding amount of the element wire, to produce the target helical spring. The parameters includes number of coils, coil diameter and lead of the target helical spring. At least the bending positions may be adjusted in response to the cycle of alternating diameters between a local maximum diameter and a local minimum diameter of the target helical spring.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a curved helical compression spring having a plurality of coils along a curved coil axis. Each coil constituting the helical compression spring is increased and decreased in diameter, and the order of the increased diameter and the decreased diameter of each coil is reversed at a predetermined position on the longitudinal axis of the helical compression spring, so as to provide the curved coil axis, such as the coil axis curved in C-shape. For example, one section of each coil having approximately a half of the circumference of each coil, which is divided by a plane including the coil axis, is increased in diameter, whereas the other one section of approximately a half of the circumference of each coil is decreased in diameter. The curved helical compression spring may be mounted on a vehicle suspension.

Abstract: A push-pull type control cable having a conduit tube and an inner cable comprised of a core wire and a plurality of strands wound around the core wire and inserted into the conduit tube, the control cable being filled with lubricant at a clearance between an inner periphery of the conduit tube and an outer periphery of the inner cable, wherein the plurality of strands each are comprised of three pieces of twisted element wires.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an inclined helical spring having a plurality of coils along an inclined coil axis. Each coil constituting a part or the whole length of the helical compression spring is increased and decreased in diameter along the longitudinal axis of the spring, and forming the longitudinal axis of the spring in a free state thereof to be inclined substantially at a predetermined angle to an axis to be mounted with the spring. For example, one section of each coil having approximately a half of the circumference of each coil, which is divided by a plane including the coil axis, is increased in diameter, whereas the other one section of approximately a half of the circumference of each coil is decreased in diameter. The inclined helical spring may be mounted on a vehicle suspension.

Abstract: In a frictional hinge device, a metallic shaft has a rotational axis as a rotational center. A support block is molded in synthetic resin around the metallic shaft so that the support block is rotatably supported by the metallic shaft relatively. The support block is held at any angular position by a surface friction resistance between the support block and the metallic shaft. A shape factor (W) in relation with the metallic shaft and the support block is defined by the following inequality: 1.5≦W≦3.5, where W={1+(Do/Dh)2}/{1−(Do/Dh)2}, (Do) is a diameter of the metallic shaft, (Dh) is a diameter or its equivalent of the support block.

Abstract: tubular socket (3) is placed. The socket (3) has a male thread portion (3b), through an inner space of which an inner cable (4) passes. A nut (6) is tightened on the male thread portion (3b) to exert against an outer peripheral area (10b) of the notched opening (10). A torsion coil spring (7) urges the nut (6) in such a direction as to always tighten the nut (6) in order to prevent the nut (6) from becoming inadvertently loosened.

Abstract: A push-pull type control cable having a conduit tube and an inner cable comprised of a core wire and a plurality of strands wound around the core wire and inserted into the conduit tube, the control cable being filled with lubricant at a clearance between an inner periphery of the conduit tube and an outer periphery of the inner cable, wherein the plurality of strands each are comprised of three pieces of twisted element wires.

Abstract: An exhaust passage control valve has a valve element of a spiral shape mounted on a valve seat portion of a housing through which exhaust gases from an engine pass. The valve element is urged by a valve spring in a direction of closing the valve. A spring constant of the valve spring is kept low without enlarging the valve spring, and there can be obtained opening and closing characteristics in that the valve opens at a stretch when an exhaust-gas pressure has reached a predetermined value. As the valve spring, a helical torsion spring having a coiled cylindrical body portion is used. Arm portions on both ends of a coiled cylindrical body portion are engaged with a pair of spring receiving members. The spring receiving members are disposed in the housing on circumferentially opposite sides of the valve seat portions. The arm portion are engaged with the spring receiving members so as to be slidable in a longitudinal direction of the arm portions.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a helical compression spring which is mounted on a vehicle body to be compressed between an upper seat and a lower seat. The spring has a coil axis that is substantially curved at a predetermined radius of curvature in an unloaded state of the spring. A pitch of a lower end coil of the spring is set to tilt the end plane of the lower end coil at a first predetermined angle to the lower seat in the direction for shortening the longitudinal length of the spring at the inside of the curvature, and/or a pitch of an upper end coil is set to tilt the end plane of the upper end coil at a second predetermined angle to the upper seat in the direction for shortening the longitudinal length of the spring at the outside of the curvature. The coil axis of the spring may be substantially curved in accordance with at least two radiuses of curvature in the unloaded state of the spring.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a helical compression spring which is mounted on a vehicle body to be compressed between an upper seat and a lower seat. The spring has a coil axis that is substantially curved at a predetermined radius of curvature in an unloaded state of the spring. A pitch of a lower end coil of the spring is set to tilt the end plane of the lower end coil at a first predetermined angle to the lower seat in the direction for shortening the longitudinal length of the spring at the inside of the curvature, and/or a pitch of an upper end coil is set to tilt the end plane of the upper end coil at a second predetermined angle to the upper seat in the direction for shortening the longitudinal length of the spring at the outside of the curvature. The coil axis of the spring may be substantially curved in accordance with at least two radiuses of curvature in the unloaded state of the spring.

Abstract: In a positional detector device for a license plate of a motor vehicle, a camera is provided to photograph a front and rear portion of a motor vehicle so as to produce an image signal. An A/D converter converts the image signal into a digital image. A positional detector detects a position of a lisence plate of a motor vehicle based on the digital image. A cut-off treatment device cuts off a specified region from an original image photographed by the camera while scanning the original image when the motor vehicle approaches the camera member within a predetermined distance. An edge refining treatment device emphasizes a contour of a pattern represented by the specified region cut off from the original image. A contraction treatment device contracts an image size of the specified region which was treated with the edge refining treatment device. A calculation treatment device feeds the contracted pattern to a learned neural network so as to calculate an output value for a positional detection neural network.

Abstract: In a device for electronically transforming displacement of automobile accelerator lever, an accelerator pedal and a return member are provided, the latter of which returns the accelerator lever back to an original position. A detector device is provided to detect a displacement of the accelerator lever to generate an electrical signal. The detector device has a magnetic plunger which mechanically moves in association with the accelerator lever, and further has primary and secondary coils to surround the magnetic plunger so that the magnetic plunger mechanically moves therethrough. The primary coil is energized to detect an electromotive force produced from the secondary coil. A housing encloses the plunger, and the primary and secondary coils. An engagement piece is fixed to the accelerator lever to actuate a switch which detects whether or not the accelerator pedal is stepped.

Abstract: In a frictional hinge device, an inequable strain distribution within a synthetic resin is determined to be 15% or less so as to increase a torque holding rate by 80% or more to tightly engage a support block 20 with a metallic shaft 10. This eliminates variations on a frictional torque with no substantial stickslip phenomenon, abnormal noise and initial scratches accompanied when pivotally moving the support block 20 relative to the metallic shaft 10 so as to maintain a stable surface friction resistance with good endurance for a long period of time.

Abstract: The high-strength valve spring uses, as the material, a steel containing 0.5-0.8% C, 1.2-2.5 wt % Si, 0.4-0.8 wt % Mn, 0.7-1.0 wt % Cr, balance Fe and inevitable impurities, where, in the inevitable impurities, Al is no more than 0.005 wt % and Ti is no more than 0.005 wt %, and the largest non-metallic inclusion is 15 &mgr;m. In the oil tempering treatment, the heating temperature at hardening is between 950-1100° C., and nitriding treatment is performed after coiling. It is preferable to nitride at a temperature no lower than 480° C. Since the material is a high-silicon steel, the tempering temperature can be set at a higher temperature, and the nitriding temperature can be so high. In another way, after coiling, the spring is subjected to shot peening at least twice with shot particles of hardness 720 Hv or higher to produce a compressive residual stress of 85 kgf/mm2 at around surface.

Abstract: A push-pull type control cable having a conduit tube and an inner cable comprised of a core wire and a plurality of strands wound around the core wire and inserted into the conduit tube, the control cable being filled with lubricant at a clearance between an inner periphery of the conduit tube and an outer periphery of the inner cable, wherein the plurality of strands each are comprised of three pieces of twisted element wires.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a vehicle wheel suspension which includes a strut mounted at the upper end thereof on a vehicle body for supporting a wheel, a lower seat fixed to the strut, an upper seat mounted on the vehicle body, and a helical compression spring mounted between the lower seat and the upper seat, with the strut enclosed in the spring. The spring has a coil axis substantially curved at a predetermined radius of curvature in an unloaded state of the spring. The lower seat is tilted at a first predetermined angle in such a direction that the longitudinal length of the spring at the outside of the vehicle body is shortened when the spring is mounted between the upper seat and the lower seat, and/or the upper seat is tilted at a second predetermined angle in such a direction that the longitudinal length of the spring at the inside of the vehicle body is shortened when the spring is mounted between the upper seat and the lower seat.