Abstract: A neutral return mechanism includes an interlocking shaft to be pushed and pulled in an axial direction in conjunction with a swinging operation of an operation member; a housing member to support the interlocking shaft such that the interlocking shaft is movable in the axial direction and accommodate the interlocking shaft such that one of opposite end portions thereof protrudes; a neutral return spring to return the interlocking shaft from a post-movement position to an initial position, the neutral return spring being accommodated in the housing member such that the neutral return spring extends in the axial direction of the interlocking shaft, wherein the housing member includes a supported portion between a spring accommodation portion in which the neutral return spring is accommodated and a protrusion opening through which the interlocking shaft protrudes, the supported portion being supported at a bracket member.

Abstract: A load holding mechanism includes a switching valve configured to switch an operation of an operation check valve, and a relief valve configured to open when pressure in a load-side pressure chamber reaches predetermined pressure, and the switching valve includes a drain chamber provided on an opposite side of a spring chamber with a spool interposed therebetween, a drain passage connected to the relief valve and connected to at least one of the drain chamber and the spring chamber, a pressure leading passage configured to connect the drain passage and a downstream side of the spool, and a check valve provided in the pressure leading passage and configured to allow only a flow of the working fluid from the drain passage to the downstream side of the spool.

Abstract: Provided are a lubricant composition for shock absorbers, a lubricant additive, and a method of adjusting friction characteristics of a lubricant composition for shock absorbers, each capable of satisfying both the operational stability and ride comfort. The lubricant composition for shock absorbers contains a base oil and a friction adjusting agent, the friction adjusting agent contains pentaerythritol esters, and the pentaerythritol esters contain a pentaerythritol tetraester and a pentaerythritol ester other than the pentaerythritol tetraester.

Abstract: A shock absorber is provided with a cylinder, a piston inserted into the cylinder and demarcating an interior of the cylinder into an extension side chamber and a compression side chamber, a piston rod joined to the piston, a damping passage, provided in the piston rod, that communicates with the extension side chamber and the compression side chamber, and a damping force adjustment valve provided in the damping passage. The damping force adjustment valve includes a damping force adjustment unit and a solenoid that drives the damping force adjustment unit to adjust a flow channel resistance. The piston rod includes a yoke into which the damping force adjustment valve is inserted, and a piston holding member mounted on the yoke. The yoke includes a through-hole opening from a side of the yoke and leading to the interior, and a groove provided on a perimeter of the yoke, extending from an anti-piston end, and leading to the through-hole.

Abstract: A worm shaft includes: an insertion portion; a wall surface; a tapered portion; and a main body portion, the gear portion is formed on the main body portion and the tapered portion such that a bottom land of the gear portion is positioned at radially outer side of a line extending in parallel with a rotation center axis of the worm shaft and passing through a boundary between the wall surface and the tapered portion.

Abstract: A working-fluid supply system includes: a first pump and a second pump driven by an engine; a first switching valve capable of switching a supply target of the second pump to either one of the discharge side and the suction side of the first pump; a first switching control unit configured to perform a switching control of the first switching valve; and a first pressure control unit configured to perform a control such that pressure on the suction side of the first pump becomes a predetermined first pressure when the first switching valve is switched such that the supply target of the second pump becomes the suction side of the first pump.

Abstract: A shock absorber with a vehicle height adjustment function according to the present invention includes a shock absorber main body that includes a cylinder filled with liquid, a piston that partitions inside of the cylinder into an extension side chamber and a compression side chamber, a piston rod coupled to the piston, a suspension spring that biases the shock absorber main body in an extending direction, a reservoir that accumulates liquid, a damper circuit that is connected to the extension side chamber, the compression side chamber, and the reservoir and generates a damping force in the shock absorber main body at the time when the shock absorber main body expands/contracts, a pump that is able to suck liquid from the reservoir and discharge the liquid, and a switching valve that is installed between the shock absorber main body and the damper circuit and the pump and switches a damper mode in which the shock absorber main body is connected to the damper circuit so as to generate a damping force in the sh

Abstract: A hydraulic cylinder includes: a cylinder tube; a piston rod; a piston member; a rod inner passage provided within the piston rod, a rod inner passage being configured such that a first opening portion opens at an outer circumferential surface of the piston rod in the cylinder tube, and such that a second opening portion opens outside the cylinder tube; and a sensor part provided outside the cylinder tube, the sensor part being configured to detect that the working fluid is guided to the rod inner passage, the piston member is connected to the piston rod in a state in which one-side end surface is in contact with an annular step portion so as to block the first opening portion of the rod inner passage, the annular step portion being provided on the outer circumferential surface of the piston rod, and the sensor part is configured to detect that the working fluid is guided to the rod inner passage from a rod side chamber and a counter rod side chamber through a gap between the step portion and the piston membe

Abstract: An extension and contraction device includes a tape driving device configured to perform winding up of the tape and delivery of the tape. The tape driving device has a reel around which the tape is wound, a motive-power source configured to perform the winding up of the tape onto the reel and the delivery of the tape from the reel, a band member in which a first end side is constrained and a second end side is a movable free end, the band member being provided along an outer circumferential surface of the tape wound around the reel in the roll shape, and the band member being configured to press the tape against the reel, and tension adjusting mechanism configured to adjust tension of the band member by regulating a position of the free end of the band member.

Abstract: There is provided a valve and a shock absorber that are inexpensive and excellent in assemblability. A valve of the present embodiment includes: an annular valve body; a spacer that is stacked on the annular valve body and serves as a fulcrum of the bending of a free end of the annular valve body; and a valve stopper that faces the annular valve body in an axial direction on the spacer side of the annular valve body and regulates the bending of the annular valve body when the annular valve body bends and comes into contact therewith, wherein the valve stopper includes: a ring that has a thickness in the axial direction smaller than the thickness of the spacer, and is arranged on an inner circumference or an outer circumference of the spacer; and a stacked annular plate that is stacked on the spacer.

Abstract: Increase the heat dissipation effect of the heat sink on the heat generating element. In the rotary electric machine, the portions of the circuit board that are installed in the first and the second installation portion of the heat-sink are configured as non-coated portions, and the non-coated portion is not coated with resist. Therefore, the circuit board can be installed in the first and the second installation portion of the heat-sink without being affected by the variation in the film thickness of the resist. Thus, the gap between the FET mounted on the circuit board and the first to third heat dissipating portion of the heat-sink can be set as small as possible. Therefore, the heat generated by the FET can be efficiently transferred to the heat-sink. As described above, the heat dissipation effect of the heat-sink on the FET can be enhanced.

Abstract: Improving the assemblability while improving the heat dissipation effect of the heat-sink. In the rotary electric machine, the ECU unit has the heat-sink that closes the opening of the housing of the motor portion, the circuit board fixed to the lower side of the heat-sink, and the connector assembly fixed to the upper side of the heat-sink with a part of the heat-sink exposed. Thus, the heat of the electronic components of the circuit board can be dissipated to the outside of the rotary electric machine by the heat-sink. Moreover, a connection terminal is provided on the lower surface of the circuit board, and the bus bar terminal portion of the motor portion is press-fitted into the connection terminal. Therefore, the bus bar terminal portion can be connected to the circuit board without being soldered to the circuit board. Therefore, the assemblability of the rotary electric machine can be improved.

Abstract: To provide a lubricating oil composition for a shock absorber, an additive for friction adjustment, a lubricating oil additive, a shock absorber, and a method for adjusting friction of a shock absorber lubricating oil, capable of achieving both operation stability and riding comfort. A lubricating oil composition for a shock absorber contains a base oil and a friction adjusting agent, in which the friction adjusting agent contains zinc dithiophosphate and pentaerythritol.

Abstract: A damping unit of a shock absorber has: a damping valve provided in a second fluid passage, the damping valve being configured to impart variable resistance to a flow of working oil passing therethrough depending on positions; a bypass passage connected to the second fluid passage so as to bypass the damping valve; a solenoid valve configured to control the flow of the working oil in the bypass passage guided to the damping valve as a pilot pressure for switching the positions of the damping valve; a bottom-side restrictor portion configured to impart resistance to the flow of the working oil guided from the second fluid passage to the solenoid valve; and a rod-side relief valve configured to release the pressure in the bypass passage to a rod side chamber through the second fluid passage.

Abstract: A shock absorber includes a hard-side damping element that gives resistance to a flow of liquid from an extension side chamber toward a compression side chamber, an electromagnetic valve capable of changing an opening area of an extension side bypass passage that bypasses the hard-side damping element and communicates the extension side chamber and the compression side chamber, and a soft-side damping element provided in the extension side bypass passage in series with the electromagnetic valve, in which the hard-side damping element includes an orifice and a leaf valve provided in parallel with the orifice, and in which the soft-side damping element includes an orifice having an opening area larger than an opening area of the orifice.

Abstract: A shock absorber includes: a cylinder tube; a piston rod inserted into the cylinder tube so as to be freely movable back and forth; a piston connected to the piston rod, the piston being configured to partition an interior of the cylinder tube into a rod-side chamber and a bottom-side chamber; and a damping unit configured to generate a damping force by imparting resistance to flow of working fluid between the rod-side chamber and the bottom-side chamber, wherein the piston rod has a rod portion connected to the piston and supported so as to be feely slidable with respect to the cylinder tube and a head portion exposed to the outside of the cylinder tube, and wherein the damping unit is provided in the head portion of the piston rod.

Abstract: A vane pump includes: a suction port configured to guide working oil to a pump chambers; a discharge port configured to guide the working oil discharged from the pump chambers; and a notch formed from an opening edge portion of the suction port towards a reversing direction of a rotation direction of a rotor, wherein the pump chambers each communicates with the suction port through the notch during a course of the transition from the state, in which the pump chamber is in communication with the discharge port, to the state, in which the communication with the discharge port is shut off, as the rotor is rotated.

Abstract: A rotating electric machine according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a rotor; a stator; an insulator; and a coil. The rotor rotates about a first axis. The stator includes teeth projecting toward the rotor. The insulator is attached to each of the teeth. The coil is wound around the insulator. The insulator includes a pair of side surface portions that are mounted on the teeth to generate a biasing force against the teeth in a twisting direction with respect to a direction of the first axis.

Abstract: A gear manufacturing method, the gear including an annular gear portion including teeth on an outer periphery, an annular support portion provided on an inner peripheral surface of the gear portion and supporting the gear portion, and a core portion provided inside the support portion, the method includes: a support portion molding step of molding the support portion by disposing the gear portion and the core portion in an annular mold and filling a resin between the gear portion and the core portion; and a support portion cooling step of cooling the support portion molded in the support portion molding step, a radial gap between the teeth of the gear portion and the mold before the support portion molding step is set to be smaller than a radial shrinkage amount of the support portion in the support portion cooling step.

Abstract: A vane pump includes: pump chambers formed by a rotor, a cam ring, and vanes; a first suction port that guides working fluid guided by a suction passage to the pump chambers; a second suction port that guides the working fluid guided from the suction passage through a communication passage to the pump chambers; and a return passage to which excessive fluid of the working fluid discharged from the pump chambers is guided. The return passage has: a body-internal passage through which the excessive fluid flows along an axis direction at an outer side of the cam ring in a radial direction; and a turning passage that reverses the excessive fluid guided through the body-internal passage towards the second suction port.