Abstract: A geared motor 10G, which is provided with an electric motor 10 and a reduction gear mechanism 11 for reducing the rotation speed thereof and transmitting the reduced speed to a wheel 2, is elastically connected to a knuckle 5 by a dynamic vibration absorber 20 which comprises a motor mounting member 21 attached to a lateral side of a motor case 10a, a knuckle mounting member 22?? attached to the knuckle 5, a spring member 23 interconnecting the motor mounting member 21 and the knuckle mounting member 22??, two guide members 24,24 for guiding the operation of the spring member 23 in the up-and-down direction, and a damper 25?? disposed in parallel with the guide members 24,24. Also, the electric motor 10 and the dynamic vibration absorber 20 are disposed posterior to the reduction gear mechanism 11. As a result, the geared motor 10G is provided with an ample stroke width, and also the dynamic vibration absorber 20 can perform its expected function fully.

Abstract: A direct drive motor module has hollow disk-like plates (21, 22) for interconnecting the rotation side of an in-wheel motor (3) and a wheel (2) and a drive force transmission mechanism (20) comprising cross guides (23) for guiding the plates (21, 22) in the vertical direction. To mount the direct drive motor module to the wheel (2), attachment holes (2s) are formed in the spoke portions of the wheel (2), the fixing portions of connection pins (30) having a spherical pin head which is a mating portion are fitted in the attachment holes (2s), guide holes (40) having a predetermined clearance relative to the outer diameter of the pin head (33) are formed in the wheel side plate (22) supporting the wheel (2) sides of the cross guides (23), the pin heads of the connection pins (30) are mated with the guide holes (40), and the direct drive motor module is mounted to the wheel (2). The direct drive motor module can be reliably mounted to the wheel (2) even if assembly accuracy is not so high.

Abstract: An in-wheel motor system, wherein the non-rotating side case of a motor and the knuckle of a motor are connected to each other by a buffer mechanism 10 having plates 11 and 12 interconnected by a linear guide 15 with springs composed of a linear guide 13 consisting of a linear bearing 13A and a rod 13B and spring members 14 and 14 moving in the vertical direction of a vehicle and integrated with the linear guide 13 and a damper 16 moving in the vertical direction of the vehicle and interconnecting the plates 11 and 12. Thus, the motor can be securely float mounted to a part around the wheel of the vehicle and the buffer mechanism 10 can be easily assembled.

Abstract: On a pneumatic tire provided with a lug-grooved rib 14 having a circumferentially continuous rib portion 14a and wing portions 14b defined by lug grooves 15, chamfers 14c of depth D2 and width L2 are formed on the wing portions 14b on the side facing a circumferential groove 11d. At the same time, the depth D2 and the width L2 of the chamfers 14c are so set that the ratio of the chamfer depth D2 to the groove depth D1 of the circumferential groove 11d satisfies 0.015?(D2/D1)?0.200 and the ratio of the chamfer width L2 to the axial length L1 of the lug grooves 15 satisfies 0.1?(L2/L1)?0.85, so that the load to be borne by the wing portions 14b is effectively shifted to the rib portion 14a. In this manner, the pitch noise caused by the lug grooves can be reduced without changing the basic features of the tread pattern, and thus the quietness of vehicular operation is improved.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a tread with a side surface on each axially outermost side thereof. The side surface is formed by a shoulder land portion at tread edge rising from a sidewall. The angle between a tangent to the side surface from the bottom thereof and a tangent to the surface of the sidewall 12 connecting to the side surface from the bottom is 130 degrees or more and less than 180 degrees. Also, the angle between the tangent to the side surface and the radial direction of the tire is 20 degrees or more and degrees or less. This design not only ensures retention of the stiffness of the tread but also prevents ground contact of any part of tire surface other than the tread during heavy-load running or high-speed cornering of the vehicle.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire is molded by using a vulcanizing mold in which blades 20, each composed of a metal thin plate having an inclined portion 20a in the depth direction and a plurality of through holes 20G with the same sectional form as that of projections to be formed in the sipe in the inclined portion 20a are buried in a groove portion corresponding to the tire block of the vulcanizing mold, thereby forming 3D sipes having unevenness in the radial direction of the block and a plurality of pairs of projections in the inclined portion in the block of the tire. Thereby, when longitudinal force is applied to the tire, adjacent small blocks of the block come into close contact with each other only at the positions of the projections of the 3D sipes, thereby making it possible to ensure the block stiffness of the pneumatic tire 10 without reducing the drainage function.

Abstract: Providing a method for correcting a data of irregularity of a surface of a body of rotation with an eccentricity included to a data being not affected by eccentricity.

Abstract: A flexible coupling 10 is constituted such that a drive-side plate 11 and an intermediate plate 13 are interconnected by first connection members 14A to 14D having a rubber member in such a manner that they can move in a direction perpendicular to a direction for interconnecting pin members 15a and 15b for mounting the above first connection members 14A to 14B, and the intermediate plate 13 and a driven-side plate 12 are interconnected by second connection members 16A to 16D having the same constitution as the above first connection members 14A to 14D and arranged perpendicular to the above first connection members 14A to 14D in such a manner that they can move in a direction perpendicular to the above direction. Torque on the drive side can be transmitted to the driven side efficiently with simple constitution and the flexible coupling can be easily mounted.

Abstract: In order to accurately and stably estimate the conditions of a running tire, a vehicle is equipped with a sensor-incorporating tire having, at an equal distance from the center in the axial direction of the tire, pressure sensors (11A, 11B) buried in a tread rubber positioned on the outer side in the radial direction of the tire belt layer of a tire tread portion and on the inner sides in the radial direction of tread blocks, the contact length LA of the car body side and the contact length LB of the opposite side of the center in the axial direction of the tire are detected by using the duration times of pressure values from the pressure sensors (11A, 11B) and a wheel speed from a wheel speed sensor (14), and the ratio R=LA/LB of the contact length LA to the contact length LB is computed to estimate lateral force generated by the tire, or the average contact length LAB which is the average value of the contact lengths LA and LB is computed to determine a load applied to the tire.

Abstract: An in-wheel motor system, wherein the non-rotating side case of a motor and a knuckle are connected to each other by a motor attachment plate (11), a knuckle attachment place (12), and a damper (16) for interconnecting these plates (11) and (12), moving in the vertical direction of a vehicle. A first direct-acting guide (13) consisting of a linear bearing (13A) and a rod (13B) and a second direct-acting guide (14) consisting of a linear bearing (14A) and a rod (14B) are integrally attached to an attachment member (12m) installed on the side face of the knuckle attachment plate (12). Also, spring members (15) and (15) are installed between receiving members (11m) and (11m) for supporting both ends of the rod (14B) of the second direct-acting guide (14) installed on the motor attachment plate (11) and the fixing portion (12k) for fixing the second direct-acting guide 14 of the attachment member (12m).

Abstract: A rotating side case supporting the rotor of an in-wheel motor and a wheel or a hub are interconnected by a flexible coupling which comprises a motor-side plate and a wheel-side plate having a plurality of grooves and a plurality of grooves formed on their opposed surfaces in the circumferential direction at an angle of 45° from the radial direction of the plates and extending in directions orthogonal to each other, respectively, small balls sandwiched between the grooves and in such a manner that they can slide, and an intermediate plate interposed between the above plates and having guide holes for guiding the small balls in a direction orthogonal to the radial direction of the plates and which has a small number of parts and is easily assembled.

Abstract: Problems to be solved by the invention: It is an object of the present invention to provide a brass-plated steel wire for reinforcing rubber articles capable of surely improving adhesiveness between brass-plated steel wire and rubber and a method for manufacturing the same. Means for solving the problem: A brass-plated steel wire 10 for reinforcing rubber articles according to the invention comprises a steel wire having a brass-plating layer 11 thereon, wherein the brass-plating layer 11 has an amorphous portion 11a formed of crystal grains having a grain size of 20 nm or less. It may also be such that the brass-plating layer 11 is of a laminated structure 13 of an amorphous portion 11a on the surface side and a crystalline portion 11b on the inner side, wherein the amorphous portion 11a is formed of crystal grains having a grain size of 20 nm or less and the crystalline portion 11b is formed of crystal grains having a grain size of more than 20 nm.

Abstract: The dynamic state amount of a tire when a load is applied to the tire while running can be estimated accurately and stably by installing tire deformation amount measuring means 11A and 11B at axisymmetrical positions which are equally distant in the axial direction from the center in the axial direction of the tire on the cross-section in the radial direction of the tire on the inner side of the belt portion of a tire tread in the radial direction, such as at the inner surface of the tread, between an inner liner and a ply, between plies or between a ply and a belt to measure the waveforms of deformation of the tire, detecting the contact time which is the time difference between contact edges from the waveforms of deformation, calculating contact length indices kA and kB from the contact time and the wheel speed detected by a wheel speed sensor 15, calculating the average value k of the above indices kA and kB, and obtaining a load applied to the tire by using the calculated average value k of the indices of

Abstract: An electric motor 10 and a reduction gear mechanism 11 are connected to each other by a flexible coupling 12, such as an Oldham's coupling, which is a power transmission mechanism. Also, a casing 11c of the reduction gear mechanism 11 is integrally structured together with a knuckle 5, which is an unsprung part of a vehicle, or mounted to the knuckle 5. Further, a motor case 10a of the electric motor 10 is mounted to a motor mounting member 4m provided on the lower part of a strut 4 for suspending the knuckle 5 through the medium of a shock absorbing mechanism 20 equipped with a spring member 21, a damper, and two guide members 23 for guiding the operating direction of the spring member 21 and the damper. An in-wheel motor system thus structured allows the mass of the motor 10 to act as the mass of a dynamic damper and thus features not only improved ground contact performance and riding comfort of a vehicle running on a rough road but also superior space efficiency.

Abstract: The vibration of a tire 10 of a running vehicle in the circumferential direction or the width direction is detected by a road surface condition estimating tire 10, provided with an acceleration sensor 11 and a signal processing unit 12. Data of a detected vibration waveform are divided into data of three domains, namely, a pre-leading domain, a contact patch domain, and a post-trailing domain, and then the vibration levels in the pre-leading domain and the contact patch domain, respectively, are extracted. At the same time, a vibration component in a low-frequency band and a vibration component in a high-frequency band are extracted respectively from the vibration levels in the respective domains, and respective vibration level ratios R, which are each a ratio thereof, are calculated.

Abstract: A method for estimating accurately and stably the change of forces exerted on the tire or change of contact condition with the ground of the tire and an apparatus for putting it in operation.

Abstract: Deformation of a tire is measured by a paired sensor 11 consisting of a 1st and 2nd strain gauges positioned on an inner liner of a tire with sensors mounted therein located equally spaced from and symmetrically with the center in an axial direction. Peak values of deformation speeds at the time of entering into the leading edge occurring at the time when the tire tread enters into the contact portion with a road surface are detected from the deformation wave from by differentiating with respect to time the wave form detected by the paired sensor and thus obtained peak values are designated as indication of deformation speed. Then, based on the ratio of thus obtained deformation wave indication and the Map 15M containing relation between thus obtained deformation speed ratio and time slip angle obtained beforehand, the slip angle of a vehicle under running condition is estimated, thereby enabling estimation of tire slip angle under vehicle running accurately.

Abstract: Providing a method for correcting a data of irregularity of a surface of a body of rotation with an eccentricity included to a data being not affected by eccentricity.

Abstract: An in-wheel motor system having a flexible coupling for transmitting the drive torque of a motor to a wheel. The flexible coupling 10 simple in structure and easily assembled comprises a motor-side plate (11A) mounted to the rotating side case of the motor, a wheel-side plate (11C) mounted to the wheel or a hub, an intermediate plate (11B) disposed between these two plates (11A) and (11C), a first rubber member (12a) of generally rectangular shape in plan view which connects the motor-side plate (11A) to the intermediate plate (11B) in such a manner that they can move relative to each other in a direction (direction B) orthogonal to their connection direction (direction A), and a second rubber member (12b) formed in the same manner as the first rubber member (12a) which connects the intermediate plate (11B) to the wheel side plate (11C) in such a manner that they can move relative to each other in the direction A orthogonal to the direction B.

Abstract: A car control apparatus including a wheel sensor, wheel torque calculating means for calculating wheel torque from the wheel speed, drive force detecting means for detecting drive force generated by an electric motor, car body drive force calculating means for calculating car body drive force from the above drive force and wheel torque, car body drive force fluctuating component extracting means for extracting multiple frequency band fluctuating components of the car body drive force, and drive or braking force control unit for controlling the running state of a car.