Abstract: Provided is a vehicle operation pedal device comprising: an operation pedal which includes a depressing part provided thereto; a pair of upper support members which are fixed to a dash panel; a pair of lower support members which are fixed to the dash panel and also fixed to the pair of upper support members; an upper center support member which is laid between the pair of upper support members; and a connection hole which supports an operating rod protruding from the dash panel towards a vehicle rear side, such that the operating rod is rotatable with respect to the operation pedal. The upper center support member comprises a sliding receiving part. The pair of upper support members comprise an escape hole.

Abstract: Provided is a resin pedal arm of which strength is further improved. A resin pedal arm 10 includes a hollow arm body 20. The arm body 20 includes a front wall portion 30, a rear wall portion 32 facing the front wall portion 30, a left wall portion 34 formed between left edges 30A, 32A of the front wall portion 30 and the rear wall portion 32 and having multiple first flat plate portions 38 arranged to bridge between the left edges 30A, 32A, and a right wall portion 36 formed between right edges 30B, 32B of the front wall portion 30 and the rear wall portion 32, having multiple second flat plate portions 40 arranged to bridge between the right edges 30B, 32B, and facing the left wall portion 34. The multiple second flat plate portions 40 are each present in multiple left opening areas S1 each provided between adjacent ones of the multiple first flat plate portions 38, as viewed in a direction in which the left wall portion 34 and the right wall portion 36 face each other.

Abstract: An apparatus for loading/unloading workpieces, including a furnace heating a workpiece, and a robot loading and/or unloading a workpiece into/from the furnace. The robot may include a manipulator linkage and a fork at an end of the manipulator linkage. The fork may have an upper side on which a workpiece is placed while being loaded into and/or unloaded from the furnace. The fork may include a parallel arrangement of fork elements, each fork element in the fork having a length and rectangular cross section perpendicular to the length. Each fork element may have a workpiece carrying surface on which a workpiece is placed and an opposite surface to the workpiece carrying surface. The fork element may include a heat insulator disposed on the workpiece carrying surface at least over an area where a workpiece is placed to equalize longitudinal thermal expansions in the workpiece carrying surface and the opposite surface.

Abstract: A hood locking device includes a locking mechanism including two latches configured to fix an engine hood at a closed position by latching a striker included with the engine hood of a vehicle and unfix the engine hood by releasing the striker. One of the two latches includes one of a projection and a recess and the other one of the two latches includes the other one of the projection and the recess. The projection and the recess form a fitting portion and the projection is fitted to the recess. The two latches are pivotally supported by a base plate fixed to the vehicle and configured such that latching directions of the two latches for the striker are opposite to each other. One of the two latches includes a right-hand-drive operation cable attachment portion and the other one of the two latches includes a left-hand-drive operation cable attachment portion.

Abstract: Provided is a hood lock device attachment structure. A hood lock device is configured so as to be fixed to an attachment portion disposed on a vehicle body and configured so as to lock a hood in a closed state through engagement with a hood striker that protrudes from the inner surface of the hood of the vehicle. This hood lock device attachment structure has at least one temporary attachment portion that is configured so as to temporarily attach the hood lock device to the attachment portion using a fitting force in such a manner that the attachment portion and the hood lock device are relatively movable in the vehicle width direction.

Abstract: A fuse includes a fuse element extending along an axis, the fuse element including two terminals and a melt portion arranged between the two terminals, a casing that accommodates the melt portion and an arc-extinguishing material, the casing including an outer circumferential surface and two end surfaces, the casing being an assembly of at least two segments, and a molded body made of plastic, the molded body including two covers that respectively cover the two end surfaces and including one or more coupling portions that couple the two covers to each other, the two covers and the one or more coupling portions being integrally molded. The casing includes one or more exposed portions on the outer circumferential surface, the one or more exposed portions being exposed without being covered by the coupling portions.

Abstract: An internal thread member of a resin component is used to fasten and fix a member-to-be-fastened-and-fixed made of a metallic material. The internal thread member is attached to a component body made of a synthetic resin. The internal thread member includes a thread main body made of a synthetic resin and a nut portion made of a metallic material. The nut portion is integrated with the thread main body in a state in which an end face of the nut portion on one side in the fastening direction of the internal thread is exposed. The end face of the nut portion is exposed to the outside in a state in which the protruding amount of the end face of the nut portion from the outer surface of the component body is greater than or equal to zero.

Abstract: Embodiments include a vehicle pillar member, which has a length and includes a plurality of steel sheets welded along at least one joint line transverse to the longitudinal direction, and for each joint line, the strengths of the steel sheets just above and below the joint line are different. The joint lines may include one or more first joint lines inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle pillar member.

Abstract: A connecting tube portion protrudes outward from an outer wall of the main pipe and is continuous with the interior of the main pipe. The connecting tube portion has an annular groove, into which the distal end of the branch pipe is fitted, at the distal end. The branch pipe includes an outer circumference seal portion that provides a seal between the outer circumferential surface of the distal end of the branch pipe and the inner surface of the annular groove of the connecting tube portion through contact between the outer circumferential surface and the inner surface. The branch pipe also includes an inner circumference seal portion that provides a seal between the inner circumferential surface of the distal end of the branch pipe and the inner surface of the annular groove of the connecting tube portion through contact between the inner circumferential surface and the inner surface.

Abstract: A manual unlocking device for a parking lock mechanism includes an operation lever that rotates when the parking lock mechanism is switched from a locked state to an unlocked state. The operation lever is arranged outside an occupant space of a vehicle cabin and is configured that a tool can be coupled to a rotation center thereof from the occupant space. The manual unlocking device for the parking lock mechanism is configured to switch the parking lock mechanism from the locked state to the unlocked state by integral rotation of the operation lever with the tool when the tool, which is coupled to the operation lever, rotates in a state where the tool is arranged on the rotation center of the operation lever.

Abstract: Provided is a vehicle operation pedal device comprising: an operation pedal which includes a depressing part provided thereto; a pair of upper support members which are fixed to a dash panel; a pair of lower support members which are fixed to the dash panel and also fixed to the pair of upper support members; an upper center support member which is laid between the pair of upper support members; and a connection hole which supports an operating rod protruding from the dash panel towards a vehicle rear side, such that the operating rod is rotatable with respect to the operation pedal. The upper center support member comprises a sliding receiving part. The pair of upper support members comprise an escape hole.

Abstract: Provided is a vehicle operation pedal device comprising: an operation pedal provided with a depressing part; a pair of upper support members anchored to a dash panel; a pair of lower support members anchored to the dash panel and also anchored to the pair of upper support members; an upper center support member bridging the pair of upper support members; and a connection hole for rotatably supporting, relative to the operation pedal, an operating rod protruding from the dash panel toward a vehicle rear side. The upper center support member comprises a sliding receiving part. The pair of upper support members comprise escape holes.

Abstract: An elongate vehicle reinforcement member having a U-shaped cross section, wherein the member is disposed inside and welded to a vehicle structural member, wherein the vehicle structural member includes opposite base lateral walls, the vehicle reinforcement member including: opposite reinforcement lateral walls extending in vehicle height and width directions, each having an outward edge on an outer side in vehicle width direction and an inward edge on an inner side; and a reinforcement connecting wall connecting the outward edges of the lateral walls, each lateral wall together with the connecting wall forming a ridge, each lateral wall including a row of welding projections, each protruding outward over the entire width of the lateral wall, each welding projection having a raised welding surface wherein the reinforcement lateral wall is welded to the base lateral wall, the welding projections in each row being arranged at intervals along vehicle height direction.

Abstract: A hot-stamped and trimmed part is produced by hot pressing a blank and then cutting off an excess outer peripheral portion by laser machining, an outer peripheral shape of the hot-stamped and trimmed part includes a laser trim line formed by cutting in the laser machining, and a press trim line formed by shearing in the hot pressing or pressing performed before the hot pressing, and the laser trim line and the press trim line are connected via a projecting corner portion.

Abstract: A laminated composite interior part includes a first member made of synthetic resin and having a mating surface; and a second member made of elastically deformable synthetic resin and having a plate portion substantially parallel to the mating surface. The plate portion has integrally-formed and interspersed protrusions protruding toward the mating surface. The second member is placed on the first member with distal end portions of the protrusions being in contact with the mating surface. Cushioning properties are provided by elastic deformation of the protrusions, caused as the protrusions' distal end portions are relatively pressed against the mating surface. Flexural rigidity of each of the protrusions against a compressive load is anisotropic about its axis, so that the protrusion is flexurally deformed in one direction about its axis with the distal end portion thereof sliding on the mating surface. Surface roughness of the mating surface is less than 0.20.

Abstract: An interior component includes a base member and an outer member, which is stacked on the base member. The outer member is provided with projections and protruding portions. The projections project from an opposing surface, which is opposed to the base member. The projections are deformed while bending in a falling manner in specific directions by contacting the base member. The protruding portions protrude from the opposing surface and are provided on the paths along which the projections are deformed.

Abstract: Provided is a vehicle operation pedal device comprising: an operation pedal provided with a depressing part; a pair of upper support members anchored to a dash panel; a pair of lower support members anchored to the dash panel and also anchored to the pair of upper support members; an upper center support member bridging the pair of upper support members; and a connection hole for rotatably supporting, relative to the operation pedal, an operating rod protruding from the dash panel toward a vehicle rear side. The upper center support member comprises a sliding receiving part. The pair of upper support members comprise escape holes.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a hollow part with a branch, including a resin filling step of filling a mold, the mold having a main cavity in which a hollowing piece is placed, and a branch cavity to communicate with the main cavity, in which a slide shaft is inserted to advance and withdraw, and that forms a branch pipe portion in an annular space between the branch cavity and the slide shaft, a step of forming a hollow main pipe portion by moving the hollowing piece to force excess resin out of the main cavity, and a shaft removing step of withdrawing the slide shaft to form a branch hollow portion, the hollow part with a branch being made of a resin and having the branch pipe portion integrally connected to the main pipe portion such that the main hollow portion and the branch hollow portion communicate with each other.

Abstract: Embodiments include a heating device for heating a workpiece, comprising a furnace defining a closed space insulated from exterior and surrounded by a heat insulator, a heater disposed in the furnace to heat a workpiece, at least one support element for supporting a workpiece in the furnace, and a base holding the at least one support element. The base may comprise a mounting portion, a support element retaining portion for each support element, the retaining portion horizontally offset from the mounting portion, and a reinforcement portion configured to increase the strength of the base against deformation due to a load of the workpiece and/or support element applied through the support element retaining portion.

Abstract: Provided is a press-formed article manufacturing method including a first step of pressing a blank with the first pressing apparatus to form a first intermediate formed article having a pair of bent portions that is bent to one side in the plate thickness direction and having a spacing between the bent portions that is narrower than the width of the top plate and equal to or more than the width of the top portion of the convex portion, and a second step of moving the second die relative to the second punch side punch with respect to the die pad and the second punch and forming a second intermediate formed article, having the standing wall formed therein, with the second die and the second punch, in a state where a portion between the bent portions is sandwiched between the die pad protruding from the second die to the second punch side punch, and the convex portion, with one side of the first intermediate formed article in the plate thickness direction as the convex portion side of the second pressing apparat