Abstract: A taper roller bearing includes: an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of taper rollers, and an annular cage which holds the plurality of taper rollers at an interval in the circumferential direction. The cage includes a small-diameter annular portion on one axial side, a large-diameter annular portion on the other axial side, and a plurality of column portions. An inner circumferential surface of the small-diameter annular portion includes a first inner circumferential surface portion and a second inner circumferential surface portion having a small diameter. An outer circumferential surface of the small flange included in the inner ring includes a first outer circumferential surface portion which opposes the first inner circumferential surface portion having a fine clearance, and a second outer circumferential surface portion which has a small diameter and opposes the second inner circumferential surface portion having a fine clearance.

Abstract: A controller unit includes: a base unit having a slot; a module that includes a printed circuit board and that is mounted on the base unit; a pair of male and female connectors, one being included in the base unit and the other being included in the module; and a turning support that allows the module to be turned with respect to the base unit. A pair of a recess and a projection are provided to prevent wrong attachment. The base unit has one of the recess and the projection and the module has the other. The positions of the recess and the projection vary depending on the type of module.

Abstract: A rolling bearing includes an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of rolling elements arranged between a raceway surface of the inner ring and a raceway surface of the outer ring, and a cage that holds the rolling elements at intervals in a circumferential direction. The raceway surfaces have a contact angle with each of the rolling elements. An area of clearances formed among the inner ring, the outer ring, the rolling elements, and the cage as axially viewed from an axially first side of the raceway surfaces that is a small diameter side of the raceway surfaces is larger than an area of clearances formed among the inner ring, the outer ring, the rolling elements, and the cage as axially viewed from an axially second side of the raceway surfaces that is a large diameter side of the raceway surfaces.

Abstract: A bonding method includes: an oxide-film forming step, on an irradiated surface, an oxide film having a film thickness corresponding to a first output and an irradiation time of an oxide-film-forming laser beam; a first reflected-laser-beam detection step of detecting a second output; a first absorptance computing step of computing a first absorptance for the oxide-film-forming laser beam; laser-beam switching step of switching the oxide-film-forming laser beam radiated onto the irradiated surface to a heat-bonding laser beam; and a heat bonding step of heating a first bonding surface until the temperature thereof reaches a predetermined bonding temperature, and bonding the first bonding surface to a second bonding surface.

Abstract: A differential apparatus includes a differential mechanism, a differential case that accommodates differential mechanism, and a clutch mechanism that transmits a driving force between the differential case and the differential mechanism. The clutch mechanism includes a slide member movable inside the differential case in an axial direction and an actuator for moving the slide member in the axial direction. The actuator is located outside the differential case. The slide member includes a first meshable portion and an engaging portion engaging with a pinion shaft of the differential mechanism. The differential case has a second meshable portion to mesh with the first meshable portion and a wall portion having multiple insertion holes for transmitting a moving force of the actuator to the slide member. The slide member is located between the second meshable portion and the wall portion.

Abstract: A rolling bearing includes a cage formed by coupling a first and a second division pieces into which the cage is divided in an axial direction. At least the first division piece is provided with a protruding portion extending in an axial direction toward the second division piece and having a locking portion formed at a tip of the protruding portion with the locking portion protruding toward a radially outer side. The second division piece is provided with a locked recessed portion in which the locking portion is locked. On an inner peripheral surface of the first division piece, an avoiding recessed portion is formed which allows avoidance of interference of the inner peripheral surface of the first division piece with an inner ring when the first division piece is tilted toward a radially inner side in order to lock the locking portion in the locked recessed portion.

Abstract: A gear measurement method and a gear measurement apparatus capable of evaluating meshing and fitting of a gear are provided. A measurement method for a gear includes a measurement step of measuring an actual movement locus of a ball that is moved along a tooth groove of the gear as a shape evaluation index for the gear. In the case of a VGR rack, tooth surfaces of rack teeth are constituted of curved surfaces. Thus, a reference pin for use in OPD cannot be disposed so as to be in line contact with the tooth surfaces, and the rack teeth cannot be measured. However, the ball can be disposed so as to be in point contact with the tooth surfaces, which enables a measurement of the rack teeth.

Abstract: A differential apparatus includes a differential mechanism, a differential case that accommodates the differential mechanism, and a clutch mechanism that transmits a driving force between the differential case and the differential mechanism. The clutch mechanism includes a slide member movable inside the differential case in an axial direction and an actuator. The slide member has a first meshable portion at one end in the axial direction, is allowed move relative to the differential mechanism in the axial direction, and is prevented from rotating relative to the differential mechanism. The differential case includes a first case member and a second case member that are united to form the differential case. The first case member integrally includes a second meshable portion and a flange portion that the ring gear is fastened to.

Abstract: A support shaft includes a first supported portion and a second supported portion supported by respective support holes of a pair of fastened portions. The support shaft includes a large-diameter portion including the first supported portion, a small-diameter portion including the second supported portion and having a diameter smaller than the large-diameter portion, and a stepped portion formed between the large-diameter portion and the small-diameter portion. The small-diameter portion includes a tapered portion provided in the small-diameter portion so as to be adjacent to the stepped portion and having a diameter gradually decreasing toward the stepped portion, a first to-be-broken portion placed in a smallest-diameter portion of the tapered portion so as to be broken at a time of a secondary collision, and a second to-be-broken portion placed adjacent to the second supported portion so as to be broken at the time of the secondary collision.

Abstract: A differential apparatus includes a differential mechanism, a differential case that accommodates the differential mechanism, and a clutch mechanism that transmits a driving force between the differential case and the differential mechanism. The clutch mechanism includes a side member movable inside the differential case in an axial direction and an actuator for moving the slide member to the axial direction. The slide member has a first meshable portion at one end in the axial direction, is allowed to move relative the differential mechanism, and is prevented from rotating relative to the differential mechanism. The differential case has a second meshable portion facing the first meshable portion in the axial direction.

Abstract: In a steering system, a pair of first tooth rows that is movable integrally with an upper jacket includes first teeth each of which has a tooth trace extending in an up-down direction Z and which is arranged at a pitch in an axial direction. A tooth member shaped by compression molding includes a pair of second teeth provided on respective side surfaces of a pair of side surfaces of a body portion supported by a lower jacket, the side surfaces extending parallel to each other. The second teeth mesh with the respective first tooth rows in accordance with operation of an operation member that regulates extension and contraction of a column jacket. The second teeth have tooth tips displaced from each other by a distance shorter than a predetermined pitch.

Abstract: An electric power steering device includes a restricting portion that is provided on at least one of surfaces of a housing and a worm wheel, the surfaces facing each other. The restricting portion is configured to restrict movement of the worm wheel to maintain a meshing relationship between a worm and the worm wheel that allows torque transmission between the worm and the worm wheel, when fixing of the worm wheel to an output shaft of a power assist actuator in an axial direction of the output shaft is released and the worm wheel is moved in the axial direction.

Abstract: A rolling bearing apparatus includes: a bearing portion having an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of balls, and a cage; and a lubrication unit that is provided adjacently to an annular space formed between the inner ring and the outer ring and that has a pump that feeds a lubricant into the annular space. The pump has a main body portion having an internal space in which the lubricant is retained and being open at one end of the main body portion, a metal diaphragm fixed to a fixation portion that is a part of the main body portion so as to close the opening of the main body portion, and a piezoelectric element fixed to the diaphragm. At least the fixation portion of the main body portion is formed of metal, and the fixation portion and the diaphragm are fixed together by metal joining.

Abstract: A gear machining device is provided which can machine an accurate gear by a cutting process by synchronously rotating a machining tool and a workpiece at a high speed. A machining tool includes roughing cutting teeth for roughing bottom lands and right and left side faces of teeth of a gear, right side face finishing cutting teeth for finishing the right side faces of the teeth, and left side face finishing cutting teeth for finishing the left side faces of the teeth. The cutting teeth thus cut different parts of the teeth of the gear. This can reduce cutting resistance and suppress self-vibration during the cutting process, thereby improving tooth trace accuracy of the gear.

Abstract: A steering system includes a lock mechanism and a releasing member. The lock mechanism includes a clamping shaft inserted through insertion holes in side plates, an operation lever that rotationally operates the clamping shaft, a rotational cam coupled to the clamping shaft so as to be rotatable integrally therewith and movable integrally therewith in an axial direction, a first clamping member that moves the rotational cam in the axial direction with respect to the side plates, and a stopper that restricts a rotation range of the clamping shaft. The releasing member includes a fitting portion located between the side plates and fitted on an outer peripheral surface of the clamping shaft so as to provide a clamping margin, and frictionally slides the fitting portion in the axial direction with respect to the clamping shaft when the rotational cam moves in the axial direction with respect to the side plates.

Abstract: A method of controlling a power steering system including at least one course control function, whereby a position setpoint is determined automatically according to a reference course that a vehicle is to be made to follow, then a motor setpoint applied to an assistance motor is adjusted accordingly, the method including a safety function which is distinct from the course control function and meets a higher ASIL safety level according to ISO-26262 standard, said safety function including a diagnostics subfunction according to which a control parameter such as the angular position of the steering wheel, the driver torque applied to the steering wheel, or the rate at which the steering wheel is turned is monitored in order to detect the onset of an alert situation considered to be hazardous, then an intervention subfunction according to which, if an alert situation is detected, the course control function is neutralized.

Abstract: A sensor apparatus includes an interface circuit to which one of a digital sensor and an analog sensor is connected as a sensor that generates an electric signal corresponding to a physical quantity of a detection target and a CPU that calculates the physical quantity of the detection target based on the electric signal generated by the sensor. The interface circuit has a first power supply circuit, a second power supply circuit, a receiver including a receiver circuit, and an operation determination circuit. The first power supply circuit generates an operating voltage of the sensor. The second power supply circuit generates a synchronizing signal for the digital signal. The receiver circuit receives an electric signal generated by the digital sensor. The operation determination circuit stops an operation at least of the second power supply circuit when the analog sensor is used.

Abstract: A plurality of flux barriers in each of flux barrier groups include arcuate portions formed in a polygonal region. The arcuate center of the arcuate portions in each of the flux barrier groups is set to the circumferential center point of the flux barrier group on the outer peripheral edge of a rotor. When regions of the rotor interposed between two flux barriers that are adjacent to each other in the flux barrier groups are defined as ribs, and portions of the rotor that are close to the outer periphery of the rotor in the regions of the rotor interposed between flux barrier groups that are adjacent to each other are defined as connecting portions, the ratio of the width of the connecting portions to the width of the ribs is 0.53 or more and 0.8 or less.

Abstract: A control apparatus controls driving of an oil feeding unit. The oil feeding unit includes a piezoelectric body that deforms in response to a voltage applied thereto, and a reservoir to store lubricating oil. The capacity of the reservoir changes in accordance with deformation of the piezoelectric body so as to discharge lubricating oil from the oil feeding unit. The control apparatus includes N driving circuits 71a to 71n configured to apply voltages to the piezoelectric body (where N is an integer equal to or greater than two). The N driving circuits 71a to 71n are connected in parallel to the piezoelectric body. During oil feeding, the control apparatus uses a predetermined number of the driving circuits selected from the N driving circuits.

Abstract: In a rolling bearing in which one of inner and outer rings is a rotary ring and the other is a stationary ring, a fitting surface of the stationary ring fitted to a mating member is formed in first and second partial peripheral surfaces of a radially outer surface of the stationary ring which faces the mating member. The first partial peripheral surface is formed on one side in the axial direction, and the second partial peripheral surface is formed on the other side in the axial direction with respect to the first partial peripheral surface. An annular groove that restrains creep is formed between the first partial peripheral surface and the second partial peripheral surface. The annular groove has a depth that is large enough not to allow the bottom of the annular groove to contact the mating member when a radial static rated load is applied.