Abstract: The variable valve actuating device (20) comprises a switch pin (53) slidably received in the valve lifter (24) so as to selectively abut the end surface of the valve stem as the valve lifter is actuated by the cam. The device further comprises a first spring retainer (36) attached to an intermediate part of the valve stem (32) to engage a first valve spring (35), and a second spring retainer (44) slidably engaged by an end part of the valve stem to engage a second valve spring (43). The valve stem is provided with a stem end (39) which is enlarged with respect to a part of the valve stem slidably engaging the second spring retainer so as to define a shoulder surface (40a) that engages the second spring retainer against a spring force of the second valve spring.

Abstract: A vehicle parking lock device includes an automatic transmission to transmit a drive force from a drive source. The automatic transmission includes a hydraulic actuator and a hydraulic circuit. The hydraulic actuator restricts rotation of a parking gear. The hydraulic circuit includes an accumulator and a line pressure controller. Pressure is accumulated in the accumulator with line pressure. Hydraulic pressure accumulated in the accumulator is supplied to the hydraulic actuator so that the hydraulic actuator is in a parking lock activation position when the drive source has stopped. Pressure in the accumulator is accumulated with the line pressure when the drive source has started. The line pressure controller boosts the line pressure to a level higher than or equal to a pressure necessary to fully fill up the accumulator in a case where a predetermined condition is satisfied after the drive source has started.

Abstract: A parking assistance device includes: a ground object detection unit configured to, in a predetermined detection region set in advance in at least a portion of the vehicle periphery, perform detection of a ground object defining a parking stall in which garage parking is to be performed; an end portion specification unit configured to specify an end portion of the ground object detected by the ground object detection unit, the end portion being located on an entrance side of the parking stall; and a target parking stall setting unit configured to set, based on the end portion on the entrance side specified by the end portion specification unit, a corner portion of a rectangular parking frame that defines a target parking stall in which the vehicle is to be parked, and set the parking frame to extend from the corner portion in the depth direction of the parking stall.

Abstract: An automatic operation vehicle that automatically performs an operation in an operation area is provided. The vehicle includes an image analysis unit configured to extract a marker included in an image captured by a camera provided on the automatic operation vehicle. If a situation in which the marker that was extracted from the image captured by the camera cannot be extracted by the image analysis unit from the image captured by the camera has occurred during a movement of the automatic operation vehicle in a constant direction. The image analysis unit determines whether the marker extracted before an occurrence of the situation and the marker extracted after an elimination of the situation are the same marker.

Abstract: In a fuel cell, an electrolyte electrode assembly is sandwiched by a pair of separators, which include a sandwiching section having a fuel gas channel for supplying a fuel gas to an anode and a fuel gas inlet for supplying the fuel gas to the fuel gas channel, a bridge having a fuel gas supply channel for supplying the fuel gas to the fuel gas channel, and a fuel gas supply section having a fuel gas supply passage for supplying the fuel gas to the fuel gas supply channel. During operation of the fuel cell, a pressure loss P1 by the fuel gas in the fuel gas inlet, a pressure loss P2 by the fuel gas in the fuel gas supply channel, and a pressure loss P3 by the fuel gas in the fuel gas supply passage have the relationships of P1>P2 and P1>P3.

Abstract: A configuration compensates for the pressure in a housing, in which at least one housing wall has a pressure compensation opening which is sealed with a semi-permeable membrane. The membrane is fixed, at least in a material fit to the housing wall and is covered by a protective element. Accordingly, the housing wall has, in the region of the pressure compensation opening, an indentation and/or recess for receiving the membrane. The respective periphery thereof corresponds to a periphery of the membrane and the height thereof corresponds at least to the thickness of the membrane.

Abstract: A method and a system for dispensing bolts are provided. The system includes a dispensing cartridge including a dispensing tube and a dispensing section. The dispensing tube includes a first end, a second end, and a passage provided between the first end and the second end. The passage is configured to store a plurality of bolts to be supplied to the dispensing tube through the first end such that the bolts are moved through the passage. The dispensing section is located near the second end of the dispensing tube and is configured to dispense the bolts one at a time from the second end.

Abstract: Provided is a V engine which uses common cylinder heads, and permits favorable arrangement of oil passages so as to accommodate various oil regulating features that are required to operate valve property varying mechanisms. Each end of each cylinder head is formed with a plurality of distribution oil passages opening out at an upper surface of the cylinder head for supplying oil pressure from a main gallery to a valve actuating mechanism. A pair of oil passage connecting members internally defining mutually different connecting oil passages are attached to the upper surfaces of the corresponding end parts of the respective cylinder heads.

Abstract: An air intake structure for an automobile includes an intake duct provided in an engine compartment that is located below an engine hood of the automobile. The intake duct includes an inlet opening, an outlet opening, and a duct body. Air is configured to be sucked in from the engine compartment through which the inlet opening. The air is configured to be supplied to a casing of an air cleaner provided in the engine compartment. The duct body connects the inlet opening and the outlet opening. The duct body has a contact portion that is configured to be in contact with the casing of the air cleaner.

Abstract: A controller for a vehicle includes failure diagnosis circuitry and drive control circuitry. The failure diagnosis circuitry is configured to perform a failure diagnosis of an internal combustion engine system while an internal combustion engine is in operation. The drive control circuitry is configured to operate the internal combustion engine in a charge depleting mode operation in which an electric motor mainly moves the vehicle while the internal combustion engine is not run only for charging a battery. The drive control circuitry is configured to run the internal combustion engine if a predetermined condition is satisfied in the charge depleting mode operation. The drive control circuitry is configured to continue running the internal combustion engine in order to perform the failure diagnosis even if the predetermined condition is unsatisfied while the internal combustion engine is run in the charge depleting mode operation.

Abstract: A bracket provided on an engine body to support an intake pipe includes: a mounting part mounted on the engine body; and leg parts protruding from the mounting part to be fastened to the intake pipe, and the leg parts include brittle parts that are broken when a load is input from a brake member to the intake pipe. Accordingly, when the engine body is moved back and the intake pipe is brought into contact with the brake member due to a front-side collision of a vehicle and the intake pipe is pushed forward by a reaction load from the brake member, the leg parts are broken at the brittle parts and the intake pipe is thus separated from the mounting part of the bracket.

Abstract: A protection member fixed to an engine main body to protect a fuel feeding pipe from coming into contact with an intake part includes a first protrusion protruding in an extending direction of the fuel feeding pipe from the vicinity of a first fastening portion, a second protrusion protruding in the same direction as the protruding direction of the first protrusion from the vicinity of a second fastening portion, and a third protrusion protruding in the longitudinal direction from the second protrusion and brought into contact with the engine main body. Hence, load from the intake part is supported by the first and second protrusions in the vicinity of the high-strength first and second fastening portions, and also the load is surely transmitted not only from the first and second fastening portions, but also from the third protrusion to the engine main body.

Abstract: Provided is an internal combustion engine of a vehicle. An upper surface of a head cover supporting plug top coils is covered with an engine cover. A plug top coil cover is fixed to the upper surface of the head cover. Thereby, an upper passage is formed between the engine cover and the plug top coil cover, and a lower passage is formed between the head cover and the plug top coil cover. The lower passage includes a labyrinth defined by first wall parts provided for the head cover and second wall parts provided for the plug top coil cover. Since it becomes difficult for high-temperature air to flow along the lower passage facing the plug top coils, and easy for it to flow along the upper passage away from the plug top coils, the overheating of the plug top coils caused by contact with the high-temperature air is suppressed.

Abstract: A vehicle includes: a vehicle interior; a front room provided on a front side of the vehicle interior; a luggage room provided in a rear side of the vehicle interior; a weight part which includes at least one of a drive unit to drive a vehicle wheel and a power source to supply fuel or power to the drive unit; and a battery. The weight part includes a first weight part and a second weight part, at least one of the first weight part and the second weight part includes the drive unit, the battery is provided below the vehicle interior, the first weight part is provided in the front room, the second weight part is provided below the luggage room, and a height of the second weight part is lower than a height of the first weight part.

Abstract: Provided is a hydraulic power transmission device enabling to minimize a pressure loss in an oil passage downstream from a piston chamber of a hydraulic clutch, and to properly prevent reduction in transmission torque capacity in the hydraulic clutch. Left and right pressure regulating valves (8L, 8R) regulating pressure of oil flowing out from piston chambers (59L, 59R) of left and right clutch devices (5L, 5R) are arranged adjacent to a downstream of the piston chamber (59). This can shorten an oil passage from the piston chamber (59) to the pressure regulating valve (8) and minimize pressure loss in the oil passage. Due to better flexibility of arrangement of the pressing load receiving member (82) receiving a pressing force (thrust) of the piston member (57), thrust efficiency of the hydraulic piston (57) improves to properly prevent reduction in transmission torque capacity in the hydraulic clutch (5).

Abstract: A power unit for a vehicle includes an engine that is a power source, a gear shift apparatus, a twin clutch type transmission that intermittently switches power transmission between the engine and the gear shift apparatus, and a clutch actuator that controls intermittent switching of the twin clutch type transmission, the engine includes a crankcase and a pair of cylinders installed on the crankcase so that a V-bank is formed therebetween, and the clutch actuator is installed on the cylinders so that the clutch actuator overlaps a region of the V-bank.

Abstract: A fluid storage apparatus includes a guiding mechanism that linearly guides a flexible container in accordance with expansion and contraction of the flexible container. The guiding mechanism includes a guiding column that is disposed adjacent to the flexible container and that extends linearly and a slider that has a guiding hole, in which the guiding column is inserted, and that is formed on an upper edge portion of the flexible container.

Abstract: A device is provided which performs highly-accurate control in low-torque regions while taking advantage of hydraulic pressure sealed-type hydraulic control devices. The device includes: a first characteristic (sealed pressurization) obtained by closing the on/off valve and driving an oil pump: a second characteristic (sealed depressurization) obtained by disabling drive of the oil pump and opening the on/off valve; and a third characteristic (flow-rate control) obtained by opening the on/off valve and driving the oil pump. In the process of supplying hydraulic pressure to a piston chamber in a low torque region, the device performs control according to the third characteristic. In the process of pressurizing the piston chamber in a torque region higher than the low torque region, the device performs control according to the first characteristic. In the subsequent process of depressurizing the piston chamber, the device performs control according to the second characteristic.

Abstract: A speech-processing apparatus includes: a representative transfer function estimation unit that uses a sound signal which is collected by using a microphone array of which the arrangement is unknown, which has a plurality of channels, and of which the number of sound sources is unknown and that estimates a transfer function with respect to a sound source.