Abstract: A steering assist apparatus that assists a driver when backing a vehicle in an S-shaped path or parallel parking. The apparatus displays guidance marking on a monitor screen and the driver refers to the guidance marking, which permits the driver to easily back the vehicle to a desired position. The apparatus includes a camera, a monitor, an angle sensor, obstacle sensors, an image processing unit, a controller and a monitor controller. The image processing unit computes the predicted path of the vehicle at the current wheel angle. The monitor shows an image captured by the camera. The image processing unit generates data representing a guidance marking based on the predicted path and superimposes the marking on the monitor screen. The location of the marking on the screen is determined based on the current wheel angle. The marking represents part of the predicted path. Specifically, the marking matches the width of the vehicle.

Abstract: When a vehicle is located in a predetermined position M, a steering amount guide mark is moved on a steering start guide line as a steering angle is increased by turning a steering wheel. The steering amount guide mark has a size according to the steering angle of the steering wheel at that time. When the steering angle becomes suitable, the steering amount guide mark has the same size as a target parking space T. Thus, a driver can more instinctively recognize the suitable steering angle of the steering wheel. Further, the driver can easily judge by observing the locus line of a left-hand forward corner portion of the vehicle whether or not the left-hand forward corner portion of the self-vehicle that particularly needed to be known in column parking on the left-hand side of a road interferes with a certain obstacle during a path until the target parking space T.

Abstract: When a vehicle is located in a predetermined position M, a steering amount guide mark is moved on a steering start guide line as a steering angle is increased by turning a steering wheel. The steering amount guide mark has a size according to the steering angle of the steering wheel at that time. When the steering angle becomes suitable, the steering amount guide mark has the same size as a target parking space T. Thus, a driver can more instinctively recognize the suitable steering angle of the steering wheel. Further, the driver can easily judge by observing the locus line of a left-hand forward corner portion of the vehicle whether or not the left-hand forward corner portion of the self-vehicle that particularly needed to be known in column parking on the left-hand side of a road interferes with a certain obstacle during a path until the target parking space T.

Abstract: An inductive coupler forming a closed magnetic circuit by mating a primary core assembly having a primary winding and a secondary core assembly having a secondary winding for transferring electrical power from the primary winding to the secondary winding by electromagnetic induction. A thin magnetic protective sheet having high permeability is attached to the mating surfaces of at least one of the primary and secondary core assemblies or placed to be held by the core assemblies. The magnetic sheet can protect the mating surfaces of ferrite cores, if such cores are used, from breakage by absorbing and dispersing the shock of impact caused when the mating surfaces are abutted against each other to close the cores. Provision of a slit or slits in the magnetic protective sheet can reduce eddy currents flowing in the magnetic sheet.

Abstract: An inductive coupler forming a closed magnetic circuit by mating a primary core assembly having a primary winding and a secondary core assembly having a secondary winding for transferring electrical power from the primary winding to the secondary winding by electromagnetic induction. A thin magnetic protective sheet having high permeability is attached to the mating surfaces of at least one of said primary and secondary core assemblies or placed to be held by the core assemblies. The magnetic sheet can protect the mating surfaces of ferrite cores, if such cores are used, from breakage by absorbing and dispersing the shock of impact caused when the mating surfaces are abutted against each other to close the cores. Provision of a slit or slits in the magnetic protective sheet can reduce eddy currents flowing in the magnetic sheet.

Abstract: An inductive coupler for transferring electrical power from the primary to the secondary is disclosed. A secondary coil assembly having a pair of cores each having a secondary winding is disposed in a case having an opening at one end thereof. The core has a central post projecting from the axial center of a disc-shaped base and an annular skirt projecting from the rim of the base in the same direction, thus forming therebetween an annular groove in which the secondary winding is disposed. As a coil case having a primary winding is inserted between the paired cores and moved further inward of the case, the secondary coil assembly is moved inward of the case. During this movement of the secondary coil assembly, its paired cores are caused to displace toward each other while being guided by pins sliding along guide slits until the cores are mated together thereby to form a magnetic circuit of the inductive coupler.

Abstract: A novel three dimensional fabric is disclosed that has a base formed from a multiplicity of woven strings. The strings are arranged and woven to form a fabric having a multiplicity of warps arranged in a plurality of rows and columns, a plurality of first wefts crossing the warp columns in the interstitial spaces between adjacent warp rows, and a plurality of second wefts crossing said warps and said first wefts in the interstitial spaces between adjacent warp columns. The three dimensional fabric also has a solid linkage mechanism incorporated into the fabric's body by a plurality of the strings that are wound about its periphery.