Abstract: An appearance inspection apparatus radiates light from a light source to a flat inspection surface of an object to be inspected as diffused light with an illumination device, and photographs the inspection surface with a camera. The camera and the light source are arranged in a positional relationship that satisfies ??? at any positions on the inspection surface, where ? represents an angle formed between a straight line connecting an arbitrary position on the inspection surface to the camera and a line perpendicular to the inspection surface at that position, and ? represents an incident angle of the diffused light.

Abstract: A steering system that is telescopically extendable and retractable using a motor driving force includes a motor, a telescopic steering shaft, a tube that supports the steering shaft such that the steering shaft is rotatable and that is movable with telescopic movement of the steering shaft, an energy absorbing member connected to the tube, and a movable member connected to the energy absorbing member and configured to move the tube by being moved by a driving force of the motor. The energy absorbing member has a stiffness that moves the tube by transmitting the driving force of the motor from the movable member to the tube. The energy absorbing member is deformable to absorb impact energy that is applied to the energy absorbing member through the steering shaft and the tube during a secondary collision.

Abstract: An injection molding device includes: a lower die that supports a rotor core; an intermediate die including a magnetizing mechanism; and an upper die including an injection die having a gate formed therein through which a molten bonded-magnet material supplied from a supply source is injected into a magnet insertion hole in the rotor core. The injection die has a cylindrical protruding portion at an end surface of which the gate is open. In the protruding portion, a magnetic-flux applying member containing ferromagnetic material is embedded with its side surface exposed at an outer peripheral surface of the protruding portion. The magnetizing mechanism is formed in an annular shape that can accommodate, inside its inner periphery, the rotor core and a distal end portion of the protruding portion by disposing yokes and permanent magnets alternately in the circumferential direction. Magnetic-path surfaces of the yokes radially face the side surface.

Abstract: A pump includes a piezoelectric element that deforms when a drive voltage is applied to it, and a reservoir that has a capacity to store lubricating oil and that is at least partially deformed elastically to change in the capacity when the piezoelectric element deforms. The pump discharges the lubricating oil when the reservoir decreases in the capacity. A drive circuit unit is switchable between an application state where the drive circuit unit applies the drive voltage to the piezoelectric element, and a release state where the drive circuit unit releases the drive voltage applied to the piezoelectric element. A controller controllably switches the drive circuit unit between the application state and the release state. An electric power storage unit stores electric power that is output from the piezoelectric element when the drive voltage applied to the piezoelectric element is released.

Abstract: An external gear pump includes a pump housing in which a pump chamber is formed, a primary gear having a plurality of external teeth housed in the pump chamber, a secondary gear having a plurality of external teeth that mesh with the plurality of external teeth of the primary gear in the pump chamber, a first electric motor configured to generate a torque for rotationally driving the primary gear, a second electric motor configured to generate a torque for rotationally driving the secondary gear, and a control unit configured to control the first and second electric motors. The control unit controls the first and second electric motors so that the torque generated by the first electric motor is greater than the torque generated by the second electric motor.

Abstract: Provided is a steering control apparatus configured to suppress the occurrence of abnormalities in components in respective systems at the same timing. A first assist torque calculation circuit calculates a first command value and a second command value based on a steering torque. A first current feedback control circuit calculates a control signal by using the first command value. A second current feedback control circuit calculates a control signal by using the second command value. When the steering torque is equal to or smaller than a steering torque threshold, the first assist torque calculation circuit executes calculation so that the first command value is larger than the second command value. After the steering torque exceeds the steering torque threshold, the first assist torque calculation circuit executes calculation so that the first command value is equal to the second command value.

Abstract: To provide a ball screw device and a steering device capable of securing smooth circulation of balls while suppressing occurrence of clogging of the balls caused by displacement in a radial direction between a deflector and a nut main body. A ball screw device includes a ball screw nut and a circulation path. The ball screw nut includes a nut main body and a deflector. The deflector includes an inclined portion provided at a peripheral part of a connection portion between a passage and the circulation path of the nut main body for securing passing of the balls at the connection portion when an insertion position of the deflector with respect to the deflector mounting hole is displaced from a desired position within a range of a given distance.

Abstract: A rack bar includes: a rack tooth row including a plurality of rack teeth meshing with pinion teeth; a hardened layer provided continuously over an entire circumference of the rack tooth row; and a center portion provided inside the hardened layer and having lower hardness than the hardened layer. When the rack bar is viewed in an axial direction of the rack bar, a depth of the hardened layer from the following positions i), ii), and iii) increases in this order: i) a bottom land of the rack teeth; ii) a side of the rack bar relative to the bottom land; and iii) a back of the rack bar relative to the bottom land.

Abstract: A power-steering system for a motor vehicle includes a steering wheel and an assistance motor controlled by a closed-loop regulation system, the regulation system determining a motor torque of the assistance motor as a function of a measured steering-wheel torque, using at least one “setpoint monitoring” arm calculating a component of the motor torque, referred to as “variant motor torque”, by subtracting a set steering-wheel torque from the RFe corresponding to the sum of the measured steering-wheel torque and the motor torque, wherein the variant motor torque is multiplied by a gain determined by a three-dimensional map as a function of a vehicle speed and the measured steering-wheel torque.

Abstract: A steering system includes an electric motor, a detector, and a controller of a vehicle. The controller is configured to control the electric motor by switching an autonomous steering mode, a manual steering mode, and a cooperative steering mode. The controller is configured to control the electric motor in the cooperative steering mode unconditionally or when a predetermined condition is satisfied in a case where a situation to switch a steering mode to the manual steering mode during control in the autonomous steering mode is predicted and a manual steering request is transmitted at a time point that is prior, by a first predetermined time, to occurrence of the situation, or is transmitted when the vehicle arrives at a point that is located a first predetermined distance before a point where the situation is to occur.

Abstract: A sensor device where the number of components and mounting steps can be reduced and mountability on a mounting target is improved. A sensor device configured to detect a torque applied to a pinion shaft and pinion shaft's rotation angle. The pinion shaft is formed by coupling an input shaft and output shaft together by a torsion bar. The sensor device includes a torque detecting portion wherein magnetic fields detected by torque detection magnetic sensors change based on the torsion bar's twisting amount, a rotation angle detecting portion wherein magnetic fields detected by rotation angle detection magnetic sensors change based on the pinion shaft's rotation angle, a housing that houses the torque detecting portion and the rotation angle detecting portion, and a circuit board held by the housing. Both the torque detection magnetic sensors and the rotation angle detection magnetic sensors are mounted on the circuit board.

Abstract: A differential device includes: first and second side gears disposed side by side in the rotational axis direction; a pinion gear set in which two second pinion gears are meshed with a first pinion gear; and a housing that holds the pinion gear set. The first pinion gear has an axially one end-side gear portion meshed with the first side gear, and an axially other end-side gear portion meshed with the two second pinion gears. The axially one end-side gear portion and the axially other end-side gear portion are integral with each other. The two second pinion gears are meshed with the second side gear at positions away from each other in the circumferential direction of the second side gear. The axially other end-side gear portion of the first pinion gear is meshed with the two second pinion gears at positions on the radially outer side of the second side gear.

Abstract: A sensor device includes a main driving gear, a driven gear, a biasing member, a support member, a rotational angle sensor, and a magnetic shield. The driven gear includes a gear portion and a shaft portion. The shaft portion is provided with a permanent magnet. The biasing member is configured to bias the driven gear toward the main driving gear. The support member supports the driven gear and the biasing member. The magnetic shield rotatably surrounds the shaft portion. The biasing member biases the driven gear toward the main driving gear by biasing the magnetic shield toward the main driving gear. The sliding resistance between the magnetic shield and the driven gear is lower than the sliding resistance between the magnetic shield and the biasing member.

Abstract: A power supply circuit includes a first P-channel MOSFET and a first voltage application circuit. The first P-channel MOSFET is provided between an on-board power supply and a vehicular apparatus that is a power supply target, and is configured to switch a power-ON state in which electric power is supplied to the vehicular apparatus and a power-OFF state in which the supply of the electric power is interrupted. The first voltage application circuit is configured to apply a voltage having a potential lower than a potential of the on-board power supply to a gate terminal such that a state of the first P-channel MOSFET is switched to the power-ON state, and apply a voltage having a potential equal to the potential of the on-board power supply to the gate terminal such that the state of the first P-channel MOSFET is switched to the power-OFF state.

Abstract: A sensor device includes: a main driving gear; a driven gear meshed with the main driving gear; a support member that rotatably supports the driven gear; and a substrate on which a rotational angle sensor is mounted. A lubricant is applied to teeth of the driven gear. The driven gear, the support member, and the substrate are stacked in this order from an upper side toward a lower side in a direction of gravitational force with the sensor device attached to an attachment target. A part or all of a surface of the support member on a side of the driven gear is inclined with respect to a direction that is orthogonal to the rotary shaft so as to lead the lubricant to an end portion of the support member on an outer side with respect to the substrate.

Abstract: A differential unit includes: a pinion gear shaft including a shaft portion and a gear portion; a ring gear meshing with the gear portion; a differential case that rotates with the ring gear; a differential gear mechanism accommodated in the differential case; a differential carrier having an accommodating space accommodating the differential case and the ring gear; and a pair of bearings supporting the pinion gear shaft such that the pinion gear shaft is rotatable with respect to the differential carrier. The differential carrier has an inner cylindrical portion, an outer cylindrical portion, and a connecting portion that are provided as a single member. The inner cylindrical portion has the pair of bearings fitted in the inner cylindrical portion. The outer cylindrical portion is provided radially outward of the inner cylindrical portion. The connecting portion connects the inner cylindrical portion and the outer cylindrical portion.

Abstract: Provided is a steering system including a controller that controls an electric motor. The controller has a combined friction torque estimation unit that estimates a combined friction torque combining friction torques occurring in respective transmission devices including a first transmission device. The combined friction torque estimation unit has a slipping speed calculation part that calculates a slipping speed of the first transmission device based on an angular speed of the electric motor, a friction coefficient calculation part that calculates a friction coefficient of the first transmission device based on the slipping speed, a tooth flank normal force calculation part that calculates a normal force acting on a tooth flank of the first transmission device, and a friction torque calculation part that calculates the combined friction torque using the friction coefficient, the tooth flank normal force, and one or more preset correction factors.

Abstract: A steering apparatus includes: a mechanism that turns a turning wheel; a first motor that generates a driving force that is given to the mechanism; and a control device. The control device includes: a first computation circuit that computes a first limiting value to which an electric current to be supplied to the first motor is limited in a particular situation; a determination circuit that determines whether the turning wheel is in touch with an obstacle; a second computation circuit that computes a second limiting value to which the electric current to be supplied to the first motor is limited when the determination circuit determines that the turning wheel is in touch with the obstacle; and a third computation circuit that computes the threshold to be used by the determination circuit, based on a smaller limiting value of the first limiting value and the second limiting value.

Abstract: A driving force transmission device includes a clutch housing configured to be connected to a propeller shaft; a shaft including a weakened portion that is a portion in an axial direction of the shaft; a multi-plate clutch disposed between the clutch housing and the shaft; a case member including a housing portion having a cylindrical shape, the housing portion being configured to house at least a part of the clutch housing; and a falling-off preventing member configured to, when the shaft is broken at the weakened portion, allow rotation of the clutch housing while restraining the clutch housing from falling off the housing portion.

Abstract: A steering control device includes a processor. The processor is configured to calculate an axial force component and a restriction reaction force. The processor is also configured to calculate target reaction torque based on a reaction force component obtained by adding the axial force component and the restriction reaction force. The processor is also configured to limit an absolute value of the reaction force component to a limit value or less, the limit value being such a value that the reaction force component does not become too large.