Abstract: A driving unit includes a stator, a rotor, a shaft, a housing, a protrusion, a small pulley, and a sealing member. The rotor is rotatably disposed relative to the stator. The shaft rotates together with the rotor. The housing houses the stator and the rotor. The protrusion protrudes from an outer surface of the housing toward an outside of the housing. The outer surface is positioned at one side of the housing in an axial direction of the rotor. The small pulley is disposed at an end of the shaft protruding toward the outside of the housing through a hole formed in the protrusion. The small pulley is cylindrical shaped. The sealing member seals a space between an inner surface of the hole of the protrusion and an outer surface of the shaft.

Abstract: A motor casing of a driving device has a cylindrical wall portion, a bottom wall portion and a bearing holding portion formed in the bottom wall portion. An electric motor has a stator, a shaft and a rotor. A motor control unit controls operation of the electric motor. A first frame, to which the motor control unit is fixed, is provided between the motor control unit and the bottom wall portion of the motor casing. A first contacting portion is formed in the bottom wall portion and projected toward the first frame. The first contacting portion is in contact with the first frame at a front-side surface of the first contacting portion. A contacting surface area between the motor casing and the first frame is limitedly reduced, to thereby reduce noise caused by vibration. In addition, since a sufficient surface pressure can be obtained, strength of the driving device in its axial direction is increased.

Abstract: A first bearing rotatably supports an opposite end part of a shaft, which is opposite from a worm. An O-ring is installed between the first bearing and an inner wall of a bearing box. A radial direction of the rotatable shaft, along which the worm and a worm wheel are placed one after another, is defined as an X-direction, and another radial direction of the rotatable shaft, which is perpendicular to the X-direction, is defined as a Y-direction. A distance, which is measured along the Y-direction between two opposed parts of an inner wall of the bearing box that are opposed to each other along the Y-direction, is larger than a distance, which is measured along the X-direction between two opposed parts of the inner wall of the bearing box, which are opposed to each other along the X-direction.

Abstract: A motor drive apparatus includes a rear end frame between a motor case and a control unit case. A shaft of a motor unit is supported rotatably by a bearing fixed to the rear end frame. A first socket-spigot fitting surface formed on the rear end frame is fitted with a second socket-spigot fitting surface formed on a heat sink. A rotation angle sensor mounted on a control unit substrate attached to the heat sink is provided on the rotation axis of the shaft. The rotation angle sensor can thus accurately detect the magnetic field of a magnet provided at the end of the shaft.

Abstract: A motor is provided having a consequent-pole type rotor that has soft magnetic material poles and magnetic poles positioned around the rotor in an alternating manner. A convex surface on each of the poles is formed as a surface in which a midpoint of the convex surface has a radial distance from the rotation axis that is greater than a radial distance of the circumferential edges of the convex surface from the rotation axis. A radial width of a first magnetism transfer part of a cylindrical yoke and a radial width of a second magnetism transfer part of the magnetic pole fulfill a relationship such that an appropriate balance of the magnetic resistance between the first magnetism transfer part and the second magnetism transfer part is achieved. As a result, cogging torque is reduced without reducing output torque.

Abstract: A rotor has a rotor shaft, a rotor boss, a first magnetic pole, a second magnetic pole, an end cover, and a radially-outer cover. The first and the second magnetic poles are placed to a radially outer periphery of the rotor boss to be alternately arranged in a circumferential direction. A space is defined between the end cover and the first magnetic pole or the second magnetic pole, which is made of a magnet. The radially-outer cover has a first end portion and a second end portion, at least one of the first end portion and the second end portion being defined as a particular end portion. The particular end portion of the radially-outer cover is inwardly crimped onto the end cover in a radial direction.

Abstract: A first bearing rotatably supports an opposite end part of a shaft, which is opposite from a worm. An O-ring is installed between the first bearing and an inner wall of a bearing box. A radial direction of the rotatable shaft, along which the worm and a worm wheel are placed one after another, is defined as an X-direction, and another radial direction of the rotatable shaft, which is perpendicular to the X-direction, is defined as a Y-direction. A distance, which is measured along the Y-direction between two opposed parts of an inner wall of the bearing box that are opposed to each other along the Y-direction, is larger than a distance, which is measured along the X-direction between two opposed parts of the inner wall of the bearing box, which are opposed to each other along the X-direction.

Abstract: A seal member of a driver apparatus contacts a case and a first frame end. The seal member has an opening in which a lead wire is inserted and an inside wall surface of the opening contacts the lead wire. Further, the seal member is made of a stretchable material, and is held in position only by a binding force between the case and the first frame end. The seal member is fixedly held by the first frame end and the case after an insertion of the lead wire in the opening and disposition on the fixing member opposing face. Therefore, an installation of the seal member is performed by an inserting the lead wire into the opening and a positioning the seal member on the case.

Abstract: A motor casing of a driving device has a cylindrical wall portion, a bottom wall portion and a bearing holding portion formed in the bottom wall portion. An electric motor has a stator, a shaft and a rotor. A motor control unit controls operation of the electric motor. A first frame, to which the motor control unit is fixed, is provided between the motor control unit and the bottom wall portion of the motor casing. A first contacting portion is formed in the bottom wall portion and projected toward the first frame. The first contacting portion is in contact with the first frame at a front-side surface of the first contacting portion. A contacting surface area between the motor casing and the first frame is limitedly reduced, to thereby reduce noise caused by vibration. In addition, since a sufficient surface pressure can be obtained, strength of the driving device in its axial direction is increased.

Abstract: A drive unit includes a motor disposed in a motor case, a controller, disposed in a controller case, and a lever. The lever includes a supported portion that is fitted on a support of the controller case in a rotatable manner, a first action point at a first distance from the supported portion, and a second action point at a second distance from the supported portion. When the lever rotates from a close state toward an open state according to an application of a first force to the first action point, the second action point abuts on a specific part on the motor case, thereby generating a second force from the second action point to the specific part in a parallel direction of the axis of the motor case, with its reaction force reversely applied from the supported portion to the support as a third force.

Abstract: A motor is provided having a consequent-pole type rotor that has soft magnetic material poles and magnetic poles positioned around the rotor in an alternating manner. A convex surface on each of the poles is formed as a surface in which a midpoint of the convex surface has a radial distance from the rotation axis that is greater than a radial distance of the circumferential edges of the convex surface from the rotation axis. A radial width of a first magnetism transfer part of a cylindrical yoke and a radial width of a second magnetism transfer part of the magnetic pole fulfill a relationship such that an appropriate balance of the magnetic resistance between the first magnetism transfer part and the second magnetism transfer part is achieved. As a result, cogging torque is reduced without reducing output torque.

Abstract: A rotating electric machine is equipped with a consequent-pole type rotor that includes a magnetic pole having a permanent magnet buried therein and a soft magnetic material pole that interposes two magnetic poles. The thickness of the permanent magnet and a circumferential width of the soft magnetic material pole have a relationship that prevents a spread of magnetic flux distribution in the circumferential direction within a gap between the soft magnetic material pole and a stator. As a result, a magnetic flux density difference in the circumferential direction is prevented, which enables a reduction of cogging torque based on an effective reduction of low-frequency space order components that originate from components other than a main component.

Abstract: A housing and a rotary shaft of a motor are formed of non-magnetic material. A soft magnetic member is provided between a first axial end surface of a fixed core and a bearing. The soft magnetic member is provided on the fixed core side relative to the first bearing thereby to suppress magnetic flux leaking to a vicinity of one end part of the rotary shaft by leading the magnetic flux, which is generated from a rotor, to the rotor core through the fixed core and a casing. A magnetic angular position sensor fixed to one end part of the rotary shaft can detect a magnetic angular position of the rotor accurately without being affected by external magnetic field. As a result, noise generated by vibration of the motor can be suppressed.

Abstract: A rotor has a rotor shaft, a rotor boss, a first magnetic pole, a second magnetic pole, an end cover, and a radially-outer cover. The first and the second magnetic poles are placed to a radially outer periphery of the rotor boss to be alternately arranged in a circumferential direction. A space is defined between the end cover and the first magnetic pole or the second magnetic pole, which is made of a magnet. The radially-outer cover has a first end portion and a second end portion, at least one of the first end portion and the second end portion being defined as a particular end portion. The particular end portion of the radially-outer cover is inwardly crimped onto the end cover in a radial direction.

Abstract: A rotating electric machine drive system has a rotating electric machine and a controller positioned on an axial end of a rotating shaft of the rotating electric machine. The controller has a main current circuit board for flowing a main electric current. The system includes a conductor extending in a direction parallel to the rotating shaft of the rotating electric machine, serving as a stator winding wire, and connecting to the main current circuit board of the controller. In such a structure, a cross-sectional area of a terminal connection portion on an extension part of the conductor extending in a direction parallel to the rotating shaft is less than a cross-sectional area of a portion of the conductor within a plurality of conductor housings arranged on circumference of a stator of the rotating electric machine.

Abstract: A motor drive apparatus includes a rear end frame between a motor case and a control unit case. A shaft of a motor unit is supported rotatably by a bearing fixed to the rear end frame. A first socket-spigot fitting surface formed on the rear end frame is fitted with a second socket-spigot fitting surface formed on a heat sink. A rotation angle sensor mounted on a control unit substrate attached to the heat sink is provided on the rotation axis of the shaft. The rotation angle sensor can thus accurately detect the magnetic field of a magnet provided at the end of the shaft.

Abstract: A drive unit includes a motor disposed in a motor case, a controller, disposed in a controller case, and a lever. The lever includes a supported portion that is fitted on a support of the controller case in a rotatable manner, a first action point at a first distance from the supported portion, and a second action point at a second distance from the supported portion. When the lever rotates from a close state toward an open state according to an application of a first force to the first action point, the second action point abuts on a specific part on the motor case, thereby generating a second force from the second action point to the specific part in a parallel direction of the axis of the motor case, with its reaction force reversely applied from the supported portion to the support as a third force.