Abstract: A joint structure includes a clutch unit interposed between a shaft joint and a shaft body which is one of an output shaft of a speed increaser and an input shaft of a power generator. The clutch unit includes: a shaft coupling portion rotating integrally with the shaft body; a joint coupling portion rotating integrally with the shaft joint; and a one-way clutch provided between the shaft coupling portion and the joint coupling portion. The one-way clutch makes a connection integrally rotatably between the shaft coupling portion and the joint coupling portion in a state in which a rotation speed of the output shaft is higher than that of the input shaft, and releases the connection between the shaft coupling portion and the joint coupling portion in a state in which the rotation speed of the output shaft is lower than that of the input shaft.

Abstract: A method including substituting an atmosphere in a space, in which a sliding surface formed of a metal or a ceramic material, and a slid surface are disposed, with a gas atmosphere containing a hydroxyl group-containing compound and at least one of hydrogen and nitrogen, and relatively sliding the sliding surface against the slid surface by a Hertzian contact stress of 1.0 GPa or more in the space under the gas atmosphere containing the hydroxyl group-containing compound at least one of hydrogen and nitrogen. As a result, it is possible to form, on the sliding surface, a low-friction coating that stably exhibits a significantly low friction coefficient, for example, of 10?4 order (less than 0.001).

Abstract: A vane pump sucks the hydraulic fluid from a first inlet port and discharges it into a first outlet port and, at the same time, sucks the hydraulic fluid from a second inlet port and discharges it into a second outlet port, as a rotor having a plurality of slits housing vanes and extending in a radial manner rotates. The vane pump has a first back-pressure groove that is communicated with some of the slits to supply a back pressure from the first outlet port to the corresponding vanes and a second back-pressure groove that is communicated with other of the slits to supply a back pressure from the second outlet port to the corresponding vanes. The vanes to which the back pressure is supplied from the first back-pressure groove include the vanes in pump chambers into which the hydraulic fluid is sucked from the second inlet port.

Abstract: An electric power steering system includes a vehicle speed sensor configured to detect a vehicle speed, a motor driving circuit configured to supply power to an electric motor, a main power supply and a capacitor that can supply power to a driving circuit, a charging circuit configured to charge the capacitor based on the main power supply, and an ECU for power source control that controls the charging circuit. The ECU for power source control drives the charging circuit to charge the capacitor only when the vehicle speed is lower than a first predetermined value and an inter-terminal voltage of the capacitor is lower than a second predetermined value.

Abstract: An electric power steering system includes a second shaft coupled to a first shaft via a torsion bar, a basic driver torque estimation unit (extended state observer) configured to estimate a basic driver torque by using a disturbance observer based on a torsion bar torque and a rotation angle of the second shaft, a gravity torque calculation unit configured to calculate, by using a rotation angle of a steering wheel, a gravity torque applied to the first shaft by gravity acting on the center of gravity of the steering wheel, and a driver torque estimation unit configured to estimate a driver torque by using the basic driver torque estimated by the basic driver torque estimation unit and the gravity torque calculated by the gravity torque calculation unit.

Abstract: A motion assist system includes a plurality of assist devices and a management device configured to manage the assist devices. The assist device includes: a power portion configured to generate power that assists the motion of the assist target person; a communication portion communicable with the management device; and a control device configured to transmit motion information of the power portion to the management device. The management device generates overall information that unifies working states of the assist target persons based on pieces of motion information and presents at least part of the overall information to the assist target persons or an administrator.

Abstract: The four-wheel steering system includes a front-wheel steering system that steers front wheels of a vehicle and a rear-wheel steering system that steers rear wheels of the vehicle in accordance with a steering angle that is a rotation angle of a steering wheel. The rear-wheel steering system includes a second ECU that, when the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a vehicle speed threshold, performs antiphase control in which the rear wheels are steered in the opposite direction to that in which the front wheels are steered. When the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than the vehicle speed threshold, the second ECU performs in-phase control in which the rear wheels are steered in the same direction as that in which the front wheels are steered, in response to a specific trigger operation that is performed via the steering wheel.

Abstract: The vehicle steering system includes a rack shaft and a conversion mechanism that converts rotation of a rotating shaft of the motor into reciprocating motion of the rack shaft. The conversion mechanism includes a drive pulley that rotates with the rotating shaft, a driven pulley rotatable about an axis of the rack shaft and a toothed belt extending around the drive pulley and the driven pulley, and converts rotation of the rotating shaft into reciprocating motion of the rack shaft when rotation of the drive pulley is transmitted to the driven pulley via the toothed belt. The vehicle steering system further includes a determination circuit that determines tooth skipping that is a change in meshing position between the drive pulley and the toothed belt, and a calculation circuit that calculates an integrated value obtained by integrating a prescribed value indicating that tooth skipping is determined by the determination circuit.

Abstract: A method for managing an assisted steering device for a vehicle including a steering wheel on which the driver exerts a maneuvering effort (“steering wheel torque”), as well as an assistance motor intended to provide an assistance effort, said method including a steering wheel torque reconstruction step (a) in the course of which the steering wheel torque is evaluated, without calling upon a steering wheel torque sensor specifically dedicated to the measurement of said steering wheel torque, but by reconstructing an information item representative of said steering wheel torque (the “estimated steering wheel torque”), on the basis of data (“external data”) that is gathered outside a specific steering wheel torque sensor and which include the angular position of the steering wheel, the angular position of the shaft of the assistance motor, and the time derivatives of these angular positions.

Abstract: The four-wheel steering system includes a rear-wheel steering system that steers rear wheels of the vehicle in accordance with a steering angle of a steering wheel. When the vehicle speed is lower than a vehicle speed threshold, the rear-wheel steering system steers the rear wheels in an opposite direction to that in which the front wheels are steered. When the vehicle speed is lower than the vehicle speed threshold, the rear-wheel steering system sharply increases the rate of increase in target steered angle of the rear wheels with respect to an increase in steering angle when an absolute value of the steering angle is equal to or larger than an absolute value of an angle threshold. The front-wheel steering system has a motor that is a source of a steering assist force and a first ECU that controls the motor in accordance with the steering state.

Abstract: A pressure reducing valve includes: a housing having an input port, an input channel connected to the input port, a pressure reducing chamber connected to the input channel, a delivery channel connected to the pressure reducing chamber, an output channel and an auxiliary channel branched off from the delivery channel, an output port connected to the output channel, and an auxiliary port connected to the auxiliary channel; and a valve mechanism which is provided inside the pressure reducing chamber connected to the delivery channel and of which the amount of opening is changed to regulate the pressure inside the pressure reducing chamber. Centerlines of the delivery channel, the output channel, and the auxiliary channel are arranged in the same plane.

Abstract: A joint structure includes: an output side transmission shaft which rotates integrally with an output shaft of a speed increaser; an input side transmission shaft which rotates integrally with an input shaft of the speed increaser; a fixed housing; a bearing; and a one-way clutch which is fitted in the fixed housing. The one-way clutch integrally rotatably connects the output side transmission shaft and the input side transmission shaft under a condition where a rotation speed of the output shaft is higher than a rotation speed of the input shaft, and releases the connection between the output side transmission shaft and the input side transmission shaft under a condition where the rotation speed of the output shaft is lower than the rotation speed of the input shaft.

Abstract: In a heat treatment method for obtaining a bearing ring for an annular roller bearing whose thickness changes in an axial direction, the heat treatment method includes (A) applying a quenching process to a work which is annular, made of high carbon chromium bearing steel, and having a thickness changing in an axial direction, (B) applying a tempering process to the work which is quenched to entirely soak the work in cooling liquid and inductively heat the work in a state that the work is soaked in the cooling liquid, and (C) applying a finishing process to the work which is tempered.

Abstract: A steering system includes: a variable mechanism that reversibly changes a configuration of an operating member between a configuration for automated driving and a configuration for manual driving, the configuration including at least one of a position, an orientation, and a shape; a variable drive source; a receiver that receives an operation of a driver; and a controller that controls the variable drive source to cause the variable mechanism to return the configuration of the operating member to the configuration for manual driving, when the receiver receives the operation of the driver in a period when the configuration of the operating member is being changed.

Abstract: A driving force distribution apparatus includes a hollow shaft configured to rotate together with a ring gear, a first output shaft having a shaft portion inserted through the hollow shaft, a second output shaft arranged coaxially with the first output shaft, and a driving force transmission mechanism configured such that a driving force transmitted to the hollow shaft is transmitted to the first and second output shafts. A case member has a lubricating oil introduction chamber into which lubricating oil stirred up by the ring gear is introduced. The lubricating oil is supplied from the lubricating oil introduction chamber to the driving force transmission mechanism via a space between the hollow shaft and the shaft portion of the first output shaft. The lubricating oil introduction chamber is formed between the hollow shaft and a bearing mechanism that supports one end of the first output shaft.

Abstract: A joint-center-fixed constant velocity joint configured to be provided in a vehicle includes an outer joint member, an inner joint member, a first ball, a second ball, and a cage. While a center of the first ball is moving to a position of the maximum use angle on an opening side from a joint center, a first open angle faces the opening side. While a center of the second ball is moving to a position of the maximum use angle on a bottom side from the joint center, a second open angle is not reversed from a state where the second open angle faces the bottom side to a state where the second open angle faces the opening side.

Abstract: In a method for assembling a steering system including a first universal joint having a first yoke coupled to an intermediate shaft, a second universal joint having a fourth yoke paired with a third yoke coupled to the intermediate shaft 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, an angle between the intermediate shaft 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: In a constant velocity joint, a center locus of a first ball rolling on a first outer central portion is inclined such that a distance from a central axis of an outer joint member decreases toward a bottom side of the outer joint member. A center locus of a second ball rolling on a second outer central portion is formed in a linear shape and inclined such that a distance from the central axis of the outer joint member increases toward the bottom side of the outer joint member. A center locus of the second ball rolling on the second outer bottom side portion is formed in an arc shape and disposed in the outer joint member at a position radially inwardly from a tangent at a connecting position between the second outer central portion and the second outer bottom side portion.

Abstract: A machine tool includes a bed, a column, a rotary main spindle, a tool magazine, a tool changer, and a controller. The tool changer includes a body provided on the bed so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to a movement direction of the column, a changing arm rotatably provided on the body, and a door provided on the body to open or close an opening formed in the body, and configured to partition an area on the column side from an area on the tool magazine side by closing the opening. The controller is configured to move the body in parallel with at least one of an operation of opening the door and an operation of closing the door.

Abstract: A conveying device includes a workpiece pressing member and a switching member. The workpiece pressing member is able to move along a conveyance path when a mobile body moves, and also moves a workpiece downstream of the conveyance path by moving downstream of the conveyance path while pressing the workpiece. The switching member is able to move along the conveyance path as the mobile body moves, and switches between an engaged state and a non-engaged state with the workpiece pressing member depending on whether the movement is in downstream and upstream directions. When the switching member moves downstream, the workpiece pressing member is able to press the workpiece, and, when the switching member moves upstream, the workpiece pressing member is able to avoid coming into contact with the workpiece.