Abstract: A vehicle entry-and-exit assistance device easily moves a board between a housed position and a using position. Embodiments include a board at an outer side of a seat adjacent to a door opening, the board rotatable between a horizontal posture and an orthogonal posture; a board support portion rotatable between a seat side-position and a flipped-up position; and a linking mechanism. The board pivots around an axis orthogonal to the vehicle width direction, and the support portion pivots around an axis extending in the vehicle width direction. The linking mechanism rotates the board to a vehicle-width-direction inner side with respect to the support portion to take the orthogonal posture when the support portion is rotated to the flipped-up position, and rotates the board to a vehicle-width-direction outer side with respect to the support portion to take the horizontal posture when the support portion is rotated to the seat side-position.

Abstract: Provided is a material having an excellent sound-absorbing performance which can be easily applied to the desired area at the operation site and which can effectively prevent sound leakage. The material includes an open-cell soft polyurethane foam prepared from a 2-part reactive urethane resin composition prepared from a polyisocyanate component and a polyol-containing component, wherein the polyol-containing component comprises a polyol component, catalysts, a foam stabilizer, an amine compound having primary or secondary amino groups, and carbon dioxide; wherein an average sound absorption coefficient of said polyurethane foam is 30% or more, measured in accordance with JIS A 1405-2:2007 for 63 hertz to 5000 hertz; and the length of liquid-dripping is within 300 mm.

Abstract: A method of controlling an engine is provided, which includes setting, by a controller, a target torque of the engine in a specific cycle in the future by a given delay time from the present time based on a present accelerator opening. The method includes selecting beforehand, by the controller, combustion in the specific cycle according to the target torque, from flame propagation combustion and compressed self-ignition combustion. The method includes outputting, by the controller, a control signal to a property adjusting device before the specific cycle so that a property inside the cylinder in the specific cycle becomes a property corresponding to the selected combustion. The method includes estimating, by the controller, the property at a timing when an intake valve is closed in the specific cycle. The method includes outputting, by the controller, a control signal corresponding to the estimated property to a spark plug or an injector.

Abstract: A double-wishbone type of suspension device for a vehicle comprises a forked-shaped upper arm, a forked-shaped lower arm, and a connecting rod which connects a front-side arm portion of the upper arm and a rear-side arm portion of the lower arm, wherein the connecting rod comprises an upper rod which is rotatably connected to the upper arm, a lower rod which is rotatably connected to said lower arm, and a resilient bush which connects the upper rod and the lower rod in an expandable manner in an axial direction.

Abstract: An engine is provided, which includes an engine body including a plurality of cylinders, each of the cylinders being provided with an intake port, an exhaust port, an intake valve, and an exhaust valve, an intake passage and an exhaust passage connected to the engine body, and a turbocharger including a turbine provided to the exhaust passage and a compressor provided to the intake passage. A geometric compression ratio of the cylinder is 11:1 or higher. An open period of the intake valve is a range of 270° or larger by a crank angle. The exhaust passage includes a plurality of independent exhaust passages, each communicating with the exhaust port of one cylinder or with the exhaust ports of two or more cylinders of which timings of exhaust strokes are discontinuous from each other, and connecting the engine body to the turbine.

Abstract: An opposing electrode determination method includes a step of inserting a pair of opposing electrodes into corresponding receiving portions, respectively, by holding, between the pair of opposing electrodes, a held member formed with the receiving portions on both sides; a step of measuring the inter-electrode distance between the pair of opposing electrodes; and a step of determining, based on the inter-electrode distance, whether a combination of the pair of opposing electrodes is correct or incorrect. The receiving portions are configured to have different insertion allowances for the opposing electrodes, respectively, according to the tip shape of each of the pair of opposing electrodes.

Abstract: A hood structure for a vehicle ensures rigidity of a front portion of an outer panel and a high level of pedestrian protection. The hood structure includes an outer panel defining external appearance; an inner panel on a prime mover chamber side of the outer panel; and a stiffener in a front portion of the inner panel. The inner panel has an upper surface section on a center side of the outer panel; a coupling surface section extending downward from a ridgeline located at a peripheral edge of the upper surface section; and a lower surface section extending from a peripheral edge end of the coupling surface section to an edge side of the outer panel. The stiffener has a reinforcing surface section joined to the outer panel; and a rear-side fixed section extending rearward from the reinforcing surface section and fixed to the vicinity of the ridgeline.

Abstract: An intake system of an engine mounted on a vehicle where a cabin is air-conditioned by an air conditioner, is provided. A heat exchanger of an evaporator of the air conditioner is divided into a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger that are mutually independent, and an air passage includes a first division passage and a second division passage. The intake system cools intake air utilizing a part of the air conditioner, and includes a connecting passage that guides first air cooled by passing through the first heat exchanger, a passage switch, and a controller. When the controller determines that a cooling demand for the intake air exists, it controls the first air to flow into an intake passage through the connecting passage, and when the controller determines that there is no cooling demand, it controls the first air to flow into the first division passage.

Abstract: An engine cooling system is provided, which includes a water jacket through which coolant flows, a heat exchanger that cools the coolant, a first bypass passage that bypasses the heat exchanger and recirculates the coolant to the water jacket, a radiator passage that recirculates the coolant to the water jacket via the heat exchanger, and a flow control device that is installed at a location where a coolant passage branches into the first bypass passage and the radiator passage and performs a water flow control to adjust a coolant amount flowing into the water jacket by adjusting a coolant amount flowing through the first bypass passage. A thermally-actuated valve connected with the radiator passage via a second bypass passage is provided to the first bypass passage, and when this valve opens, the coolant flowing through the first bypass passage flows into the radiator passage through the second bypass passage.

Abstract: An engine system provided to a vehicle having an accelerator pedal is provided. When an engine operation range is determined to shift to a first range (where an electromagnetic clutch is disengaged) from a second range (where the clutch is engaged) after an opening of the accelerator pedal increases at a rate below a given reference rate, the clutch is switched from ON to OFF after a given basic stand-by period passes from the shift. When the engine operation range is determined to shift from the second range to the first range after the accelerator pedal opening increases at the given reference rate or above, the clutch is switched from ON to OFF after a given acceleration stand-by period (longer than the basic stand-by period by a given added period) passes from the shift.

Abstract: A vehicle-body structure of a vehicle of the present invention comprises a bumper support portion provided at a vehicle body of the vehicle to support to bumper, a connection portion connecting the bumper and the bumper support portion and supporting the bumper, and a slide allowance portion configured to allow the bumper to slide in a vehicle longitudinal direction relative to the bumper support portion when a longitudinal load having a specified magnitude or larger is applied to the bumper from a vehicle outside, wherein the connection portion is provided on an upper face of the bumper support portion, and the slide allowance portion is configured to allow the longitudinal sliding of the bumper independently from the supporting of the bumper by the connection portion.

Abstract: A door mirror structure reduces vehicle width when the mirror is retracted, prevents vibration of the mirror when the vehicle is traveling, and improves visibility from the vehicle interior. Embodiments include a door mirror body unit; and a mirror base having a tip portion fixed to the door mirror body unit and a base end portion away from the tip portion. The base end portion is attached to the side door so that the door mirror body unit and the mirror base are movable between a mirror use position at which the mirror is visible from a vehicle interior and a retraction position located on an inner side in a vehicle width direction of the mirror use position. A driving unit moves the door mirror body unit and the mirror base between the mirror use position and the retraction position. The driving unit is located in the side door.

Abstract: A door mirror structure comprises a door-mirror body portion, a mirror base having a tip-end portion fixed to the door-mirror body portion and a base-end portion provided away from the tip-end portion, a rotational support axis connected to the base-end portion and rotatably supporting the door-mirror body portion and the mirror base between a mirror-use position and a mirror-storage position, and an electromotive rotational unit provided to rotate the door-mirror body portion and the mirror base between the mirror-use position and the mirror-storage position around an axis line of the rotational support axis. The electromotive rotational unit is provided at a side door. The rotational support axis is provided to be inclined such that an upper side thereof is located on a vehicle forward side.

Abstract: A vehicle-body structure includes a floor panel constituting a floor of an occupant space, a center frame disposed to be higher than and away from the floor panel at a vehicle-width-direction central portion of the occupant space and extending in a front-rear direction, a cross member extending and intersecting the center frame in a plan view in the occupant space, and a connecting member extending upward from the cross member, having an upper portion fixed to the center frame, and connecting the center frame to the cross member.

Abstract: A door mirror structure comprises a mirror unit and a support member fixing the mirror unit to a frame member inside a side door. The mirror unit comprises a door-mirror body portion, a mirror base having a tip-end portion fixed to the door-mirror body portion and a base-end portion provided away from the tip-end portion, a rotational support axis connected to the base-end portion and rotatably supporting the door-mirror body portion and the mirror base between a mirror-use position and a mirror-storage position, and an electromotive rotational unit rotating the door-mirror body portion and the mirror base between the mirror-use position and the mirror-storage position around an axis line of the rotational support axis. The electromotive rotational unit is provided inside the side door.

Abstract: A vehicle-body structure includes a floor panel constituting a floor of an occupant space, a center frame disposed to be higher than and away from the floor panel at a vehicle-width-direction central portion of the occupant space and extending in a front-rear direction, and connecting members each extending upward from the floor panel, having an upper portion fixed to the center frame, and connecting the center frame to the floor panel.

Abstract: A door mirror structure comprises a door-mirror body portion, a mirror base having a tip-end portion fixed to the door-mirror body portion and a base-end portion provided away from the tip-end portion, a rotational support axis connected to the base-end portion and rotatably supporting the door-mirror body portion and the mirror base between a mirror-use position and a mirror-storage position, and an electromotive rotational unit provided to rotate the door-mirror body portion and the mirror base between the mirror-use position and the mirror-storage position around an axis line of the rotational support axis. The electromotive rotational unit is provided at a side door. The rotational support axis is provided to be inclined such that an upper side thereof is located on an inward side in a vehicle width direction.

Abstract: A door mirror device comprises a door-mirror body portion, a mirror base having a tip-end portion fixed to the door-mirror body portion, an electromotive rotational unit provided to rotate the door-mirror body portion and the mirror base between a mirror-use position and a mirror-storage position, and a control portion to control the electromotive rotational unit. The electromotive rotational unit is provided inside a side door. The control portion controls the electromotive rotational unit such that the door-mirror body portion and the mirror base are rotated in a prescribed minute range centered at the mirror-use position so as to change an angle of a mirror when a mirror-face adjusting signal is inputted.

Abstract: A vehicle capable of improving the opening and closing operability of a side door includes a lever that projects to an outer side in a vehicle width direction from a storage position at which the handle lever is flush with the surface of a door outer panel, a position switch that detects the movement position of the lever, a latch mechanism that has a latch engageable with a striker in conjunction with the lever, a latch switch that detects whether the latch is in a full-latch state, a driving device capable of changing the position of the lever in a range from the storage position to a gripping position, and a CPU capable of controlling the driving device, in which the CPU forcibly changes the position of the lever to the gripping position when the latch is in a half-latch state and the lever is at the storage position.

Abstract: A door mirror structure comprises a door-mirror body portion, a mirror base having a tip-end portion fixed to the door-mirror body portion, and a drive unit to rotate the door-mirror body portion and the mirror base between a mirror-use position and a mirror-storage position. The drive unit is provided at the side door. The housing of the door-mirror body portion has a shape such that the door-mirror body portion taking the mirror-use position is not positioned in an area between a first imaginary line which connects a middle point between both eyes of a driver and an inner-end portion, in a vehicle width direction, of a rear face of the door-mirror body portion and a second imaginary line which connects the above-described middle point and a front end portion of a door glass.