Abstract: A steering system includes a column jacket including a lower jacket and an upper jacket; an engagement member; a retaining member; and a buffer member that is retained by the retaining member and contacts the engagement member in a contact direction at a time when the upper jacket is displaced to one sliding end. The retaining member includes a support surface that supports the buffer member; paired holding portions that are respectively disposed on both sides of the buffer member in a circumferential direction of the upper jacket and hold the buffer member toward the support surface; and a restriction portion configured to be engaged with an end of the butler member on a side toward which an opposite direction is directed, so as to restrict movement of the buffer member in the opposite direction, the opposite direction being opposite to the contact direction.

Abstract: A rotary electric machine includes: a stator; a rotor; a control device that causes the stator to generate a rotating magnetic field; and a magnetic flux supply element supported by a rotary shaft so as to be rotatable relative to the rotary shaft, disposed radially inward of the rotor across a gap, and having auxiliary magnets. Each auxiliary magnet is formed such that opposite end portions thereof in the circumferential direction are radially opposed to holding magnets when the relative rotation angle of the magnetic flux supply element is a strengthening angle. The control device executes field weakening control or field strengthening control, thereby changing the relative rotation angle of the magnetic flux supply element.

Abstract: In a drive assist control apparatus, based on a pinion angle command value and an LKA angle command value, a distribution ratio calculation unit calculates a distribution ratio that is a proportion of the LKA angle command value in a sum of the LKA angle command value and the pinion angle command value. An LA determination unit compares an LA threshold with a lateral acceleration that is related to the LKA angle command value and that is a product of a lateral acceleration and the distribution ratio, and determines whether or not to attenuate the lateral acceleration. When the lateral acceleration is determined to be attenuated, an LKA angle command value correction unit uses a low pass filter to progressively reduce the LKA angle command value to generate a filtered LKA angle command value.

Abstract: A steering system includes a steering mechanism, a motor that is a source of an assist force, and a battery that supplies a voltage to the motor. The system includes a voltage sensor that detects a power supply voltage, a steering sensor that detects a steering angle, and a motor control signal generation circuit that calculates a q-axis voltage command value to allow the motor to generate the assist force and that generates a motor control signal based on the q-axis voltage command value. The system includes a steering-angular-velocity limiting circuit that calculates a compensation amount for compensation for the q-axis voltage command value and that derives the compensation amount by calculating a power supply compensation component based on the power supply voltage when the absolute value of the steering angle is equal to or larger than a predetermined steering angle close to a maximum steering angle.

Abstract: A manufacturing apparatus additively shapes an article by sintering or melting and then solidifying a metal powder through irradiation of a shaping optical beam. The manufacturing apparatus includes: a chamber; a metal powder feeding device that feeds the metal powder to an irradiation area; a shaping optical beam irradiation device that applies the shaping optical beam to the metal powder in the irradiation area; an absorptance enhancement assisting unit that performs a predetermined absorptance enhancement assisting treatment on the metal powder; and a shaping unit that, following implementation of the absorptance enhancement assisting treatment, performs a shaping treatment of additively shaping the article by applying the shaping optical beam and thus heating the metal powder to sinter or melt and then solidify.

Abstract: In an oil pump, an inner rotor and an outer rotor rotate to discharge the oil through a discharge port. The discharge port has an outer extension portion located on a radially inner side with respect to a root circle of the outer rotor and on a radially outer side of a tip circle of the outer rotor and an inner extension portion located on the radially inner side with respect to the tip circle of the outer rotor and on the radially outer side with respect to a root circle of the inner rotor. An inter-tooth chamber facing a partitioning portion that partitions the suction port from the discharge port comes into communication with the outer extension portion and the inner extension portion. Then, a tip seal portion defining the inter-tooth chamber intersects an outer edge of an opening of the discharge port.

Abstract: A ball screw in a steering system has a groove between the inner peripheral surface of a cylindrical ball nut through which a steered shaft extends and the outer peripheral surface of the steered shaft, and balls are accommodated in the groove. The balls rolling and flowing in the groove are returned from downstream to upstream via deflectors and a return passage member disposed in the ball nut. The return passage member has a first connection portion curved to connect one end of a linear portion of the return passage member to the first deflector, and a second connection portion curved to connect the other end of the linear portion to the second deflector. Each connection portion has an opening that opens in the return passage member longitudinal end face and an opening that opens in the return passage member outer periphery of toward the centerline of the ball nut.

Abstract: A cage made of a resin includes: a small-diameter annular portion on one side in an axial direction; a large-diameter annular portion on the other side in the axial direction; and a plurality of column portions which link the small-diameter annular portion and the large-diameter annular portion to each other. Spaces which are formed between the large-diameter annular portion and the small-diameter annular portion and between the column portions adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction are pockets which hold the taper rollers. A surface of the entire cage including the small-diameter annular portion, the large-diameter annular portion, and all of the column portions is configured by aggregating a surface viewed from the one axial side and a surface viewed from the other axial side.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a wheel has a step (a) during which, by injecting a first polymer material into a first mould, a bearing core is created that extends from a radially internal wall that forms the ball of a steering axis, as far as a radially external peripheral edge, followed by a step (b) of coating during which step a coating layer is overmoulded in a second polymer material over the bearing core to form a rim around the peripheral edge, the method being such that during step (a) of creating the bearing core, a preformed reinforcing hoop made of a third material referred to as “reinforcing material” is placed in the first mould then the reinforcing hoop is at least partially embedded in the peripheral edge during injection of the first material.

Abstract: A steering system includes a motor, a rack shaft, and a nut that is screw-thread on the rack shaft via a plurality of balls. The steering system further includes a reduction mechanism having a driving pulley, a driven pulley, a belt, and an idler pulley that applies tension to the belt. The steering system further includes a housing that houses the motor, the rack shaft, the nut, and the reduction mechanism. Compressive rigidity in an axial direction is set to vary between a near-end area and a far-end area of the housing. The idler pulley is provided so as to contact a portion of the belt which is loosened when end contact occurs at an axial end of the housing where the compressive rigidity is set to a larger value.

Abstract: A motor control apparatus includes an inverter, a driver, a negative voltage circuit, a voltage dividing circuit, and a detection unit. The inverter includes an upper-arm switching element and a lower-arm switching element to supply a voltage of a node between the upper-arm switching element and the lower-arm switching element to a motor as a phase voltage. The driver applies a first voltage or a second voltage to the upper-arm switching element to control and turn the upper-arm switching element on and off. The negative voltage circuit supplies a voltage lower than the voltage of the node to the driver as the second voltage. The voltage dividing circuit performs voltage division between the negative voltage circuit and a negative power supply. The detection unit outputs a signal based on a voltage resulting from the voltage division by the voltage dividing circuit.

Abstract: A cross shaft joint includes a cross shaft including four shaft parts, needle rollers rolling on outer peripheral faces of the shaft parts, bearing cups each having a cylindrical part, and a bottom part, and externally fitted to the shaft parts via the needle rollers, and yokes provided with bearing holes into which the bearing cups are inserted. The needle rollers are maintained in a tight fit state between the shaft parts and the bearing cups. Each cylindrical part is provided with a projected part projected radially inward of the cylindrical part in a curved shape, at an inner peripheral side thereof, and an apex of the projected part is in contact with the needle roller within a range in an axial direction of the needle roller, the range containing an axial center of the needle roller in the axial direction.

Abstract: A power circuit abnormality detection method for a power circuit detects whether an abnormality in a power source relay exists. The power circuit includes a pre-charge circuit opening and closing a connection between a direct current power source and a smoothing condenser by bypassing the power source relay to pre-charge the smoothing condenser, and a discharge circuit connected in parallel to the smoothing condenser to discharge electric charges stored in the smoothing condenser via a discharge resistance when a discharge switch is closed. The power circuit abnormality detection method includes a step of detecting whether the open contact abnormality in the power source relay exists based on whether a charge voltage of the smoothing condenser is reduced when a predetermined period of time has elapsed since both the discharge circuit and the power source relay are closed after the pre-charge circuit is opened.

Abstract: A hub unit includes: a bearing section including an outer ring, an inner ring disposed coaxially with and inside the outer ring, rolling elements disposed in a bearing inner space, and a sealing member sealing the bearing inner space at an end on a vehicle inner side; a hub ring including a body portion, and a wheel mounting flange portion on which a wheel is to be mounted; and a covering member protecting the bearing section from a foreign substance. The covering member is fixed to rotate integrally with the hub ring and the inner ring, and covers an end on the vehicle inner side of the bearing section. A part of the covering member opposing to an end surface on the vehicle inner side of the outer ring is not parallel to the end surface.

Abstract: A front bearing (tapered roller bearing) includes an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of tapered rollers, a cage, and a lubricating oil holding member. The lubricating oil holding member includes: a cylindrical portion having an axial length from a large diameter-side outer ring end surface to an end portion of the cage and capable of resisting a pressing force for press-fitting the outer ring; a fitting hook that is connected to one end of the cylindrical portion, that projects in the axial direction from an abutment surface which is in surface contact with the large diameter-side outer ring end surface, and that is fitted in an engagement groove portion provided in an outer peripheral surface of the outer ring; and a projection that projects radially inward from an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion.

Abstract: A bearing apparatus includes a lubrication unit and a sensor to sense the temperature of the lubricant in the lubrication unit. The lubrication unit has a pump having a storage portion in which the lubricant is stored and a piezoelectric body that is deformed by an applied voltage, the pump enabling the lubricant in the storage portion to be discharged into the annular space by reducing the volume of the storage portion in conjunction with the deformation of the piezoelectric body, the pump also enabling the lubricant to be sucked into the storage portion to refill the storage portion with the lubricant by increasing the volume of the storage portion, and a control unit that performs control by outputting a control signal allowing the speed of change in the volume of the storage portion to depend on the temperature of the lubricant.

Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a wheel bearing apparatus including an outer ring, a rolling element, a hub spindle, and an inner ring member. The hub spindle is disposed inward of the outer ring in a radial direction via the rolling element. The inner ring member fitted on the hub spindle and is secured by a clinched portion. The clinched portion is formed by clinching a spindle end portion of the hub spindle outward in the radial direction. The method includes: plating a predetermined area including the spindle end portion of the hub spindle; removing a plating of the spindle end portion of the predetermined area; and clinching the spindle end portion to form the clinched portion after removing the plating.

Abstract: A steering system includes a two-way clutch, a worm wheel that is rotatable together with an input shaft, and a coil that generates a drive force for the two-way clutch to couple/decouple the input shaft and an output shaft to/from each other. The worm wheel has a center circular plate portion fixed to the input shaft, a radial ring portion that projects forward from a peripheral edge of the center circular plate portion, and a toothed portion that projects outward in the radial direction from the radial ring portion. The two-way clutch is disposed in a space surrounded by the center circular plate portion and the radial ring portion and formed on the front side with respect to the center circular plate portion. The coil surrounds an outer peripheral surface of the radial ring portion.

Abstract: In a steering system, a first universal joint includes a first yoke coupled to an intermediate shaft. A second universal joint includes a fourth yoke paired with a third yoke coupled to the intermediate shaf and a shaft attachment portion joined to the fourth yoke and in which a bolt insertion hole allowing a pinion shaft to be clamped is formed. When an angle between the intermediate shaf and a steering shaft is set to ?1, an around-axis angle of the first yoke in a rotating direction is set to ?1, and an angle between the intermediate shaft and the pinion shaft is set to ?2, a junction angle between the fourth yoke and the shaft attachment portion in the rotating direction is adjusted to set an around-axis angle of the bolt insertion hole in the rotating direction to a preset angle ?2.

Abstract: A steering system includes: a first tooth member provided with a first tooth row that includes a plurality of first teeth each of which has a tooth trace extending in a lateral direction and which are aligned along a tilt direction, the first tooth row being elastically deformable in the lateral direction, and a second tooth member including a second tooth row that includes a plurality of second teeth each of which has a tooth trace extending in the lateral direction and which are aligned along the tilt direction, the second tooth member facing the first tooth member in the lateral direction. The first tooth member is supported by an upper bracket such that the first tooth row is disposed away from the upper bracket in the lateral direction. The second tooth member is movable in the tilt direction along with a column jacket.