Abstract: A power supply system for a vehicle includes a power storage device, a plurality of charging paths for charging the power storage device with electric power from the outside, a plurality of relays provided on the plurality of charging paths respectively, each for switching between supply and cut-off of electric power, and a charge control unit for making selection as to through which charging path among the plurality of charging paths charging of the power storage device is permitted, based on a state of welding of the plurality of relays.

Abstract: A support arm supports a charge connector which can be connected to a vehicle. The support arm includes a parallelogram linkage provided in a freely swingable manner, a gravity compensation apparatus for generating force canceling gravity acting on the parallelogram linkage, and a charge connector having a support shaft insertion portion supported by the parallelogram linkage and provided to be rotatable around the support shaft insertion portion. The support shaft insertion portion is arranged at a position of the center of gravity of the charge connector. According to such a construction, a support arm appropriately exhibiting a gravity compensation function can be provided.

Abstract: An energy management system has an integration control portion that performs control to charge a storage battery with a power of such an amount that a power consumption including a power supplied by a supply portion is equal to or smaller than a target value indicated by power consumption target information recorded in a recording portion when a power consumption detected by a detection portion is smaller than the target value, and to supply a building with a power with which the storage battery is charged such that the power consumption including the power supplied by the supply portion coincides in amount with a power equal to or smaller than the target value indicated by the power consumption target information recorded in the recording portion when the power consumption detected by the detection portion is larger than the target value.

Abstract: Use start date-and-time is input by use of U1. Times T1 and T2 to achieve SOC 1 and SOC 2 are set. Charging is started at T2 and is continued until it is determined that SOC 2 is achieved. Thereafter, charging is started at T1 and continued until it is determined that SOC 1 is achieved by the input use start date-and-time.

Abstract: In a locking mechanism provided with: a sleeve which is fixed in the circumferential direction and which can be stroked in the shaft line direction; a hub which can rotate in the circumferential direction orthogonal to the shaft line direction; and an actuator which can apply a driving force for displacing the sleeve in the shaft line direction, dog teeth are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the sleeve, and dog teeth are formed in the hub. Here, the engagement surfaces of the dog teeth are inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the shaft line such that the hub performs relative rotation with respect to the sleeve in a process in which the sleeve is stroked in the shaft line direction. The ECU estimates the stroke volume of the sleeve on the basis of the rotation amount of the hub and the predetermined angle.

Abstract: A support arm includes a bracket supported by a support, a bracket arranged away from the bracket, a parallel link arranged between the bracket and the bracket and coupled pivotally to the bracket and the bracket, and a self-weight compensation device producing a force that cancels a force of gravity acting on the parallel link. The parallel link has an upper shaft and a lower shaft arranged in parallel to each other with spacing, the spacing being changed with a pivoting movement of the parallel link. The upper shaft and the lower shaft are arranged offset with respect to each other in a direction of an axis on which the parallel link is pivoted. With such a structure, a support arm for which a large movable range is achieved is provided.

Abstract: An electricity charging system includes: a charger portion that charges a storage battery; a detection portion that detects an amount of charge stored in the storage battery; and a control portion that controls electric power that is supplied to charge the storage battery by the charger portion so that the electric power changes by a predetermined rule, according to the amount of stored electricity detected by the detection portion.

Abstract: A charging start time and preliminary air conditioning time are calculated based on the departure time that is set with a control/operation device, and the charging time and preliminary air conditioning time are set. Then, a control is executed to start charging when at the charging start time and preliminary air conditioning may be started when the amount of charge is sufficient for preliminary air conditioning and a preliminary air conditioning starting trigger is detected, that is locking or preparation for leaving house is detected, for example.

Abstract: A support arm includes a base, an intermediate member, a tip end member, a first parallel linkparallelogram mechanism provided between the base and the intermediate member and including a first arm and a second arm, and a second parallel linkparallelogram linkage mechanism provided between the intermediate member and the tip end member and including a third arm and a fourth arm. The first arm the second arm, the third arm, and the fourth arm are each formed in an L shape.

Abstract: An exhaust valve early-closure control brings about blowback of exhaust gas into an intake system. However, if the exhaust valve early-closure control is executed, for example, during a first idle operation immediately following the startup of the engine, or the like, the amount of blowback exhaust gas becomes excessively large. Therefore, when the post-startup increase amount has decreased to or below a lower-limit criterion value, the ECU prohibits the exhaust valve early-closure control, and changes the control to a usual valve timing control. As a result, during a period during which the combustion state has a stability margin and the amount of emission of HCs and the like is large, the exhaust emission quality can be bettered by the exhaust valve early-closure control. Besides, when the post-startup increase amount has decreased, the combustion state can be stabilized by prohibiting the exhaust valve early-closure control.

Abstract: In a cord reel capable of housing a power cord for transmitting electric power from an external power source to a vehicle that can be externally charged, pulling-out of the power cord wound around the cord reel from the cord reel is suppressed based on a temperature of the power cord. This can prevent a hot charging cord from exerting influence on the surroundings, such as breakage of equipment or the like which touches the hot charging cord.

Abstract: A power storage system includes a power control unit including an inverter, and a battery for storing electrical energy supplied with commercial AC power by way of the inverter to supply the electrical energy to an electrical load. An apparatus for selecting specifications of a power storage system includes a data input interface unit for input of data obtained by measuring power usage during prescribed hours at a location of power consumption where the power storage system is to be installed, and an operation processing unit for finding annual average power usage during prescribed hours based on the measured data, and determining an output of the inverter based on the average power usage.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes a camera body having an image-capturing lens for receiving light to form an image of a subject and a display unit having a display screen for displaying the image. The display unit is slidably supported by the camera body. A surface of the display unit opposite a surface having the display screen disposed thereon faces a surface of the camera body opposite a surface having the image-capturing lens disposed thereon. An image capture button is disposed on the surface of the camera body opposite the surface having the image-capturing lens disposed thereon. The image capture button is exposed when the display unit is slid over the camera body in a first direction and the image capture button is covered by the display unit when the display unit is slid over the camera body in a second direction opposite the first direction.

Abstract: In a locking mechanism provided with: a sleeve which is fixed in the circumferential direction and which can be stroked in the shaft line direction; a hub which can rotate in the circumferential direction orthogonal to the shaft line direction; and an actuator which can apply a driving force for displacing the sleeve in the shaft line direction, dog teeth are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the sleeve, and dog teeth are formed in the hub. Here, the engagement surfaces of the dog teeth are inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the shaft line such that the hub performs relative rotation with respect to the sleeve in a process in which the sleeve is stroked in the shaft line direction. The ECU estimates the stroke volume of the sleeve on the basis of the rotation amount of the hub and the predetermined angle.