Abstract: A planetary gear mechanism of the invention includes a housing, an input shaft that has an eccentric portion whose center lies on an eccentric axis that is displaced from an axis of input and output shafts, and is supported by the housing to be rotatable about the axis of the input and output shafts relative to the housing, an oscillating face plate that eccentrically oscillates via the eccentric portion, such that its rotation relative to the housing is restricted, and an output shaft to which an internally toothed gear that internally contacts and meshes with an externally toothed gear formed on the oscillating face plate is mounted, and which is rotatable about the axis of the input and output shafts relative to the housing. As the input shaft rotates, a circumferential position at which the externally toothed gear and the internally toothed gear mesh with each other changes, and rotation of the input shaft is delivered at a reduced speed to the output shaft.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor is attached to a rack housing. A FFT processing unit converts a signal output from the acceleration sensor, which is a time-domain signal, into a frequency-domain signal. An inverse input vibration component extraction unit extracts a signal, of which the frequency (f) falls within a predetermined range (fL?f?fH (fH>fL)) and of which the power density (?) falls within a predetermined range (?L????H (?H>?L)), from the frequency-domain signal obtained by the FFT processing unit. An IFFT processing unit converts the frequency-domain signal extracted by the inverse input vibration component extraction unit into a time-domain signal (estimated inverse input vibration).

Abstract: In an electric power steering system, a back electromotive force constant is calculated on the basis of a steering angular velocity and an estimated induced voltage. Then, a rotation angular velocity of a motor is calculated as an estimated rotation angular velocity on the basis of a motor current, a motor voltage, the back electromotive force constant and a motor resistance.

Abstract: The present invention provides a DLC film that has good adhesiveness even in a low-temperature environment, and a DLC film-forming method capable of forming this DLC film. The present invention also provides a DLC film that has excellent initial compatibility, and a DLC film-forming method capable of forming this DLC film. In the present invention, a first opposing surface (31) that faces an inner clutch plate, of a substrate (30) of an outer clutch plate (15) is covered by a DLC film (26). Also, a treatment layer (33) is formed on a surface layer portion of the substrate (30). The treatment layer (33) is formed by applying direct-current pulse voltage to the substrate (30), and generating plasma in an atmosphere that contains argon gas and hydrogen gas.

Abstract: A rolling bearing includes an inner ring, an outer ring, and a plurality of rolling elements. A large number of inside dimples in which a liquid lubricant is retained and a large number of outside dimples in which a solid lubricant is retained are formed in at least one of an inner ring raceway surface and an outer ring raceway surface. The inside dimples are formed in a contact region at which the raceway surface contact the rolling elements or in a section of each non-contact region, the section being close to the contact region. The outside dimples are formed outside a portion in which the inside dimples are formed.

Abstract: An insulated gate field effect transistor configured to reduce the occurrence of a short-circuit fault, and a method of manufacturing the insulated gate field effect transistor are provided. A FET includes a semiconductor substrate, a gate insulator, a gate electrode, and a conductive member. The semiconductor substrate has an insulation groove that splits a channel region into a first channel region on a drain region side and a second channel region on a source region side. The conductive member is supported by a drain-side end face and a source-side end face of the insulation groove. When the temperature of the conductive member is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the conductive member is cut.

Abstract: A vehicle includes: a pair of front wheels; a pair of rear wheels; a front-wheel motor configured to drive the front wheels; a rear-wheel motor configured to drive the rear wheels; and a reducer configured to reduce a rotation speed of one of the front-wheel motor and the rear-wheel motor, and transmit drive power to the wheels driven by one of the motors. The one of the front-wheel motor and the rear-wheel motor is a motor with a rotation speed higher and torque lower than those of the other one of the motors.

Abstract: An end determination unit determines that a steering apparatus is in an end touching state when an angle deviation, which is a difference between an actual turning angle and a target turning angle, exceeds a threshold. This angle deviation exceeds the threshold before a large axial force is generated in a steering shaft. Accordingly, is it possible to determine that the steering apparatus is in the end touching state more quickly.

Abstract: There are provided a grinding machine and a grinding method that make it possible to achieve a high degree of accuracy of the roundness of a workpiece. As at least one of a coolant dynamic pressure and a grinding efficiency varies depending on a phase of the workpiece, a pressing force in the cut-in direction, which an eccentric cylindrical portion of the workpiece receives from a grinding wheel, varies and a degree of deflection of the eccentric cylindrical portion also varies. In the grinding machine, the degree of deflection during grinding is acquired based on the coolant dynamic pressure and the grinding efficiency, a first correction value for a command position of the grinding wheel relative to the eccentric cylindrical portion is computed, and the command position is corrected based on the first correction value.

Abstract: A zero point change model executes banked road correspondence control when a vehicle travels on a banked road. By this control, a target turning angle when the total torque is zero can be changed from a neutral turning angle to a lower side of an inclined road surface. Thus, a steering angle of a steering wheel according to a banked road can be realized even if the driver does not apply steering torque during traveling on a banked road. Accordingly, the driver can obtain a suitable steering feeling when traveling on a banked road while achieving the target turning angle according to the total torque.

Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus includes a controller that controls, based on an assist command value, driving of a motor used to apply assist torque to a steering mechanism. The controller calculates a first assist component based on a steering torque transmitted to the steering mechanism and calculates a steered angle command value based on the steering torque. The controller executes feedback control to cause a steered angle of steerable wheels to agree with the steered angle command value, thereby calculating a second assist component. The controller calculates the assist command value based on a value obtained by adding the assist components. The controller estimates a grip factor of the wheels on a road surface on which the wheels are traveling based on the steering torque, a first assist torque determined based on the first assist component, and a second assist torque determined based on the second assist component.

Abstract: A vehicle steering system in which a steering member and a steered wheel are not mechanical coupled to each other includes a rotation angle restriction mechanism that restricts a rotation angle of the steering member within a restricted angular range. In a normal mode, drive control on a steered system actuator is executed on the basis of a steering angle detected by a steering angle sensor. In a failure mode for a situation in which there is a malfunction in the steering angle sensor, drive control on the steered system actuator is executed on the basis of a steering direction detected by a steering direction detection sensor. The steering direction detection sensors detect the steering direction on the basis of at which one of a pair of terminal ends of the restricted angular range, the rotation angle restriction mechanism is restricting the rotation angle of the steering member.

Abstract: When an ECU is powered on, an overall control unit determines whether a temperature detected by a temperature sensor is lower than or equal to a predetermined temperature. When it is determined that the detected temperature is lower than or equal to the predetermined temperature, the overall control unit provides a second operation start command for operating a valve driving motor control unit in a rotation direction alternately switching mode, to the valve driving motor control unit. When the valve driving motor control unit receives the second operation start command from the overall control unit, the valve driving motor control unit starts operating in the rotation direction alternately switching mode.

Abstract: A rolling bearing cage includes: multiple rod members each of which is provided between adjacent two of multiple rolling elements that are arranged in a circumferential direction of a rolling bearing; and multiple coupling members each of which couples corresponding two of the rod members, which are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction. Each of the coupling members is configured to be pivotable about an axis of a corresponding one of the rod members, which is connected to the coupling member, the axis extending in a longitudinal direction of the rod member, such that a relative angle between corresponding two of the coupling members, which are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, is adjustable.

Abstract: Assist force that assists an operation of a steering system of a vehicle is applied to a rack shaft by transmitting driving force of a motor to the rack shaft via a motor shaft and a ball screw nut. A step is formed on the outer periphery of the ball screw nut. An end portion of a third housing is arranged to face a bearing such that the distance that the ball screw nut is able to move relative to the motor shaft in axial direction and the relative movable length is longer than a predetermined length.

Abstract: An electric power steering system calculates a motor resistance Rm using a resistance map, and calculates an estimated inducted voltage based on a motor current and a motor voltage. If the estimated induced voltage is determined as being equal to or smaller than a determination value that is set in accordance with the current level, the electric power steering system calculates a motor resistance (estimated motor resistance Rma) and updates the resistance map based on the estimated motor resistance Rma.

Abstract: A bearing unit includes an outer ring member having an outer periphery on which a flange portion is formed, the flange portion being fitted to a vehicle body side; an inner ring member that is rotatably inserted in the outer ring member; and rolling elements in double rows, which are rollably arranged between the outer ring member and the inner ring member, wherein bolts are press-fitted in bolt holes formed in a peripheral edge portion of a wheel fitting flange that is formed on an outer periphery of the inner ring member, and a recessed portion is formed in an outer peripheral surface of the wheel fitting flange.

Abstract: There is provided an urging mechanism that elastically urges a second end portion of a worm shaft that is supported so as to be pivotable about a first end portion. The urging mechanism is configured to adjust a backlash between the worm shaft and a worm wheel by elastically urging the second end portion in a perpendicular direction that is perpendicular to a direction in which an inter-axis distance between the worm shaft and the worm wheel increases and decreases, in a state where increases and decreases in the inter-axis distance is prevented.

Abstract: A propeller shaft includes a first shaft having a yoke at one end, a second shaft slidably connected to the other end of the first shaft, and a surface treated member which is arranged at a connecting portion, at which the first shaft and the second shaft are connected to each other, and to which surface treatment for improving slidability of the second shaft with respect to the first shaft is applied. The surface treated member is formed by a substrate which is separate from the first shaft and the second shaft and to which the surface treatment has been applied. The surface treated member is arranged at the connecting portion, at which the first shaft and the second shaft are connected to each other, after the surface treatment is applied.

Abstract: A vehicle steering control unit which can implement various type of self-tuning in accordance with various properties of an objective vehicle is realized. ECU includes a control information acquiring part 501 which acquires control information which is information relating to the controlling of steering of the vehicle, a parameter value calculation part 502 which calculates after-change values for parameters whose values need to be changed in various steering control parameters based on the control information acquired by the control information acquiring part 501, and a parameter value rewrite part 503 which rewrites the values of steering control parameters. The control information includes information representing system properties of an objective vehicle, information retained by the chassis control system, and information on elements which make up a steering system which is installed on the objective vehicle.