Abstract: A shaft coupling mechanism 1 for an electric power steering apparatus includes a coupling base body 3 coupled to a rotating shaft 2; a coupling base body 5 coupled to a steering shaft 4 serving as a rotating shaft; and a pair of rotation transmitting members 6 and 7 which are disposed between the rotating shaft 2 and the steering shaft 4 by means of both coupling base bodies 3 and 5 and transmit the rotation of the rotating shaft 2 to the steering shaft 4.

Abstract: In an electric power steering apparatus which comprises a motor for generating steering assist force, it is judged whether or not the vehicle is in a state of straight forward motion. A mean reference steering angle is determined by dividing total of relative steering angles which are determined when the vehicle is judged to be in a state of straight forward motion by the number of judgments that the vehicle is in a state of straight forward motion. A steering angle is determined by subtracting a steering angle midpoint from a relative steering angle with taking the mean reference steering angle as the steering angle midpoint. The output of the motor for generating steering assist force is corrected in accordance with an output correction value determined on the basis of the determined steering angle. This output correction value is altered so as to have a positive correlation with the number of judgments that the vehicle is in a state of straight forward motion.

Abstract: An amorphous carbon film forming apparatus according to the present invention is characterized by being provided with a film forming furnace 11; plural workpiece fixtures 23 for supporting plural plate-like workpieces 22 in a state that the same are piled up vertically in parallel with the interval between facing surfaces of two vertically adjoining of the plate-like workpieces 22 being in a range of 2 to 30 millimeters, the plural workpiece fixtures 23 being arranged within the film forming furnace 11 at a regular angular interval on a circle and being connected to a negative electrode; nozzles 31, 32 provided for supplying a processing gas and including at least one nozzle arranged at a center of the circle on which the plural workpiece fixtures 23 are arranged and plural nozzles arranged at a regular angular interval on another circle which surrounds the workpieces fixtures 23 radially outside thereof; and a plasma power supply connected to at least the workpiece fixtures 23.

Abstract: A constant velocity universal unit includes an outer joint member whose inner peripheral face is formed with three guide grooves, an inner joint member including three tripod shafts each formed with a tripod spherical face, three roller units each including an outer peripheral face and an inner peripheral face coaxially formed with each other. The guide groove includes a pair of strip-shaped inner side faces formed with a pair of guide projections having a substantially half arc shape in cross section whose diameter is smaller than a height of the inner side face of the guide groove. The constant velocity universal joint further includes an annular recess formed on a substantially center portion in a height direction of the outer peripheral face of the roller unit and engaging with the pair of guide projections in a rolling manner and rotatable relative to a central axis of the guide projection.

Abstract: A steel material for a high strength constant velocity joint intermediate shaft is provided. The steal material may preferably contain C: 0.46 to 0.52%, Si: 0.6 to 0.8%, Mn: 0.7 to 0.9%, S: 0.01 to 0.05%, Mo: 0.3 to 0.5%, B: 0.0005 to 0.005%, Al: 0.002 to 0.05%, and Ti: 0.02 to 0.09%, restricting N to 0.007% or less, Cr to 0.15% or less, and P to 0.02% or less. A structural percentage of bainite+martensite may be provided which is 40% or more. The steal material may have a hardness of 250 HV to 340 HV. A high strength constant velocity joint intermediate shaft made of that steel material may be provided which has a spline-vanishing part with a surface hardness of about 610 HV to 750 HV, and a ratio t/r of an effective hardened layer depth t and radius r of 0.35 to 0.55, having a flat part with a surface hardness of about 630 HV to 770 HV and a ratio t/r of 0.55 to 1.0, and having a core hardness of about 250 HV to 340 HV.

Abstract: A vehicle steering apparatus includes a drive unit for changing a steering angle of a steered wheel. A calculation unit calculates a control target amount of the steering angle based on a vehicle model. A control unit controls the drive unit to change the steering angle based on the control target amount. A determination unit determines whether the absolute value of at least one of yaw rate of the vehicle and lateral acceleration of the vehicle is greater than or equal to a predetermined value when velocity of the vehicle is less than or equal to a predetermined velocity. The control unit refrains from executing the control based on the control target amount when the absolute value is not greater than or equal to the predetermined value.

Abstract: An excess flow valve includes: a valve that opens and closes a flow path; a solenoid that keeps the valve in an opened state; a pressure detector detecting the primary-side pressure of the valve; and a controller controlling current flow to the solenoid based on pressure detected by the pressure detector so that the valve is closed when the flow rate supplied to the valve is at or more than a predetermined amount. The excess flow valve can be used in a wide variety of applications and prevents a flow of fluid at or greater than a desired flow rate even if the primary-side supply pressure varies.

Abstract: A high pressure valve for hydrogen gas includes a valve seat and a valve member, which is movable to selectively open and close the valve seat. One of the valve member and the valve seat is formed of austenitic stainless steel, and the other one of the valve member and the valve seat is formed of flexible synthetic resin or soft metal.

Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus comprises a steering assisting electric motor having an output shaft and a speed reduction mechanism. The speed reduction mechanism includes conical first and second gears to be engaged with each other. The first and second gears include a plurality of teeth each having a tooth surface. The mutually corresponding tooth surfaces of the first and second gears each include engaging regions to be engaged with each other. A center position in a tooth width direction of the engaging region of each tooth surface of the first gear in an unloaded state is offset by a first offset amount from center position in the tooth width direction of the tooth surface of the first gear to a relatively small end portion of the tooth of the first gear.

Abstract: A power steering apparatus according to the present invention is constructed to calculate a rate of change of steering speed detected by steering speed detecting means and judge whether the calculated rate of change is smaller than or equal to 0 or not, and reduce a gain of feedback control in comparison with a gain at the time of judgment when it is judged that the rate of change remains smaller than or equal to 0 for a predetermined time period and keep the reduced gain of feedback control until the deviation between target rotational speed and actual rotational speed of an electric motor becomes larger than 0.

Abstract: An oil pump includes: a rotor 3 for actuating a pump action to suck oil in a suction passage 24 from a suction port 27 to supply oil to a delivery passage by way of a delivery port 19; and a flow control valve for returning an excessive oil from the delivery passage to the suction passage 24 as a returning flow of oil by way of a bypass passage 29 when a flow amount of oil is excessive in the delivery passage. A corrosion-proof member 9 having corrosion resistance is disposed at the position which faces to the returning flow of oil in the inner wall surface of at least one of the suction passage 24 and the bypass passage 29. The corrosion-proof member 9 has a discontinuous shape (for example a V-shape or a U-shape) in a circumferrencial direction of center line P1 in a cross section which intersects the center line P1 at right angles.

Abstract: A steering control apparatus is provided for controlling a steered wheel angle of a wheel to be steered. On the basis of a road coefficient of friction estimated between right and left wheels, a braking force difference between the right and left wheels is calculated. A slip angle—total lateral force characteristic indicative of a relationship between a slip angle and a total lateral force of a wheel to be steered is provided on the basis of the estimated coefficient of friction. Then, a steered wheel angle of the wheel to be steered is set on the basis of the braking force difference and the slip angle—total lateral force characteristic.

Abstract: In a pressure sensor which has a metal housing 12 containing a sensor chip 11 and a joint housing 14 and in which an insulating member 15 is arranged to electrically insulate both of the metal housing 12 and the joint housing 14 from each other, the metal housing 12 is connected to a stable potential such as, for example, a sensor power supply or a sensor ground. Thus, there can be solved a problem that the detection signal is liable to be influenced by electric noise from outside where a signal line of the pressure sensor and the sensor housing are electrically suspended or unfixed.

Abstract: In a torque sensor having lead pins connected to a wire harness, the wire harness includes: a plurality of lead wires; a plurality of connection terminals each having a sleeve mounted around each of the lead pins and a connection portion extended from an outer periphery of the sleeve to be connected with one end of the lead wire; and an electrically insulating terminal holder for holding the plural connection terminals. The terminal holder includes: a sleeve holder portion for holding the sleeves in mutually spaced relation in order to prevent the sleeves from contacting each other; and a connection-portion holder portion for holding the connection portions in mutually spaced relation in order to prevent the connection portions from bending to contact each other.

Abstract: A hydraulic system for a motor vehicle is provided with a pump suction enhancer includes a body section defining a small chamber, a venturi tube passage exposed to the small chamber at an inner end thereof and connected to the suction port of the oil pump, and a nozzle protruding into the small chamber to face the inner end of the venturi tube passage with a space relative to the venturi tube passage in axial alignment with the same. The flow divider divides the operating oil discharged from the oil pump into a return flow to the pump suction enhancer and a supply flow which passes through a power steering device to return to an oil reservoir. The pump suction enhancer may be integrally formed with the oil reservoir or provided as a discrete component separated from the oil reservoir, oil pump and the flow divider.

Abstract: A constant velocity joint comprises an outer race, inner race and torque transmitting elements. The outer race has a cylindrical hollow part with an opening at one end and plural walls on an inner surface of the cylindrical hollow part. At the opening of the cylindrical hollow part, the walls have projections formed by a pin-drive. The inner race is assembled with the torque transmitting elements and press-fitted into the cylindrical hollow part of the outer race.

Abstract: A ball screw mechanism comprises a nut, a screw shaft, plural balls and a deflector. The balls are arranged between a first thread groove which is formed on an inner surface of the nut and a second thread groove which is formed on an outer surface of the screw shaft. The deflector comprises a deflector piece which defines a top plate of a ball-return path and a guide member which defines sidewalls of the ball-return path. The ball-return path returns the balls so as to circulate endlessly. As a manufacturing method of the ball screw device, the deflector piece is attached to the nut first. Next, the first thread groove is ground together with an inner surface of the deflector piece. After that, the guide member is attached to the nut. At last, the balls and the screw shaft are assembled to the nut.

Abstract: In a steer-by-wire system 10, a first steering reaction force made-up value (Hc1) is determined in dependence on a road reaction force (W), and a second steering reaction force made-up value (Hc2) is determined in dependence on a steering position (X) of a steering handle 11 or steerable wheels 50. A steering reaction force command value (H) is generated from both of the first steering reaction force made-up value (Hc1) and the second steering reaction force made-up value (Hc2) the weightings on which are adjusted by respective weighting gains (G1, G2), and the ratio of the weighting gains is properly altered in dependence on the state of a road surface. Thus, it can be realized to provide the steer-by-wire system 10 capable of adjusting the steering reaction force to be sensitive or insensitive to the state of the road surface.

Abstract: A linear motor actuated machine tool includes a bed, a column, upper and lower X-axis guides, a saddle, upper and lower X-axis linear motor magnets, and upper and lower X-axis linear motor coils. Upper and lower X-axis guides are attached to the upper and lower portion of front surface of the column, which is mounted on the bed in the vertical direction, in the horizontal direction. Upper and lower X-axis linear motor magnets is fixed on the front surface of the column at upper side and lower side of the upper and lower X-axis guides in the direction of X-axis with making pole surfaces thereof face to frontward. Upper and lower X-axis linear motor coils are fixed to upper end and lower end of the rear surface of the saddle, which is mounted on the front surface of the column with being guided by upper and lower X-axis guides and having a through space at the center portion thereof, with opposing to upper and lower X-axis linear motor.

Abstract: A vehicle motion control apparatus is provided with an anti-skid control device and a steering angle adjusting device, which adjusts the steering angle of at least one of the front and rear wheels to cancel a yaw deviation between a desired yaw factor and an actual yaw factor, to be substantially zero. An incompatibility between the devices is determined on the basis of a state of the wheel adjusted by the steering angle adjusting device to cancel the yaw deviation. And, a predetermined parameter provided between a vehicle stability directive parameter and a brake directive parameter is set on the basis of the incompatibility. Then, the anti-skid control device controls the braking force applied to each wheel of the vehicle on the basis of the predetermined parameter. Consequently, the anti-skid control giving importance to the braking force can be performed, as long as the steering angle adjusting device is operative.