Abstract: A shifting device in which a selected shift position can be confirmed easily, and which can be fitted easily in vehicles. The shifting device comprises: a restriction member that restricts a movement of a shift lever into a predetermined shift slot in a first shifting mode, and that cancels the restriction of the movement of the shift lever in a second shifting mode; and an indicator that indicates a first pattern when the first shifting mode is selected, and that indicates a second pattern when the second shifting mode is selected.

Abstract: A virtual manual transmission system for an electric vehicle for simulating the behavior of a vehicle having a manual transmission by controlling a motor while protecting an electric storage device. A controller is configured to: change torque of the motor when a virtual manual shifting is executed by operating a clutch device, an accelerator device, and a shifting device; and reduce a regulation on a change rate of the torque of the motor or an input/output power to/from the electric storage device.

Abstract: A torsional vibration damper having improved vibration damping performance. The torsional vibration damper comprising: a pendulum vibration damper that damps pulsation of engine torque by an oscillating motion of an inertia body in response to the pulsation of the torque; and an engagement device that damps the amplitude of the pulsation of the engine torque by a relative rotation of rotary members. The pendulum vibration damper and the engagement device are arranged in order on a transmission route of the torque of the engine from a side at which the engine is disposed.

Abstract: A catalyst for decomposition of hydrocarbons that is hard to cause deterioration of catalytic properties and suitable for producing hydrogen in a highly efficient manner for a long period is provided. The catalyst for the decomposition of hydrocarbons includes a nickel-containing layer exposed on a support layer selected from the group consisting of iron, cast iron, steel, copper, nickel, copper alloy, and iron nickel alloy. The catalyst for decomposition of hydrocarbons is produced by contacting a raw material of the catalyst with methane gas at an elevated temperature of 800° C. for 4 to 72 hours with an average residence time beyond 14 minutes. The catalyst further includes an interlayer comprising copper between the support layer and the nickel-containing layer, or the support layer is copper or copper alloy.

Abstract: The driving support apparatus includes a memory configured to store information representing a degree of familiarity with an environment for a driver of a vehicle; and a processor configured to detect an object existing around the vehicle based on a sensor signal representing a situation around the vehicle obtained by a sensor mounted on the vehicle, determine whether or not the object approaches the vehicle so that the object may collide with the vehicle, and notify the driver of the approach via a notification device mounted on the vehicle at a timing corresponding to the degree of familiarity with the environment for the driver of the vehicle, when it is determined that the object approaches the vehicle so that the object may collide with the vehicle.

Abstract: An image collection apparatus includes a processor configured to detect a moving object from an image obtained by a camera and representing a predetermined point or a predetermined vehicle surroundings, estimate a distance between another object and the moving object detected from the image, determine whether there is a risk of collision between the moving object and the other object based on the distance, and store the image in a memory when it is determined that there is the risk of collision.

Abstract: A torsional vibration damper having improved vibration damping performance. The torsional vibration damper comprising: a pendulum vibration damper that damps pulsation of engine torque by an oscillating motion of an inertia body in response to the pulsation of the torque; and an engagement device that damps the amplitude of the pulsation of the engine torque by a relative rotation of rotary members. The pendulum vibration damper and the engagement device are arranged in order on a transmission route of the torque of the engine from a side at which the engine is disposed.

Abstract: A torsional vibration damper having improved durability, whose vibration damping performance is ensured irrespective of machining error. The torsional vibration damper comprises: a rotary member rotated by torque; a retainer formed on the rotary member to protrude radially outwardly; a rolling member held in the retainer while being allowed to reciprocate in the retainer; and an inertia body arranged around the rotary member while being allowed to rotate relatively to the rotary member. An elastic member is arranged on any one of inner surfaces of the retainer to push a shaft of the rolling member toward the other one of the inner surfaces of the retainer.

Abstract: A torsional vibration damper having improved abrasion resistance at a portion of a rotary member to which a rolling mass is contacted, and a manufacturing method thereof. The torsional vibration damper comprises: a rotary member; an inertia body oscillating around the rotary member; and a retainer formed on the rotary member to hold a rolling mass between a pair of stoppers. A hardness of an inner surface of at least one of the stoppers is increased higher in a radially outer portion than in a radially inner portion, within a reciprocating range of the rolling mass.

Abstract: To provide an apparatus and a system suitable for continuously and stably producing hydrogen by taking advantage of a direction composition reaction of hydrocarbons as well as a method for separating a solid product. Provided are a hydrogen producing apparatus using a nickel-based metal structure for the direct decomposition reaction of hydrocarbons and a discharging and recovering system comprising: a depressurization chamber communicating with a lower opening of the reaction chamber of hydrogen producing apparatus 1 via a ventilation hole; a first valve capable of opening and closing said ventilation hole; a collection box communicating with the depressurization chamber via a channel; a second valve capable of opening and closing said depressurization chamber; and a depressurization pump communicating with the collection box.

Abstract: A valve opening and closing timing control device includes a drive-side rotating body that rotates synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, a driven-side rotating body that rotates with a camshaft of the internal combustion engine, an electric motor that controls a relative rotation phase of the drive-side rotating body and the driven-side rotating body, a motor control unit that controls a current supplied to the electric motor, a current sensor that detects the current flowing into the electric motor, a regulation unit that determines a regulation phase in which the relative rotation phase is mechanically limited in an advanced angle direction and in a delayed angle direction, and a regulation phase detection unit that detects the regulation phase based on when the relative rotation phase in which a change is stopped by the regulation unit is reached and a current value detected by the current sensor increases.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a dust collector including a pulse jet type dust removal mechanism capable of uniformly removing dust over the entire length of a cylindrical filter without increasing the pressure loss of the cylindrical filter; and a dust removal method for such a dust collector.

Abstract: A drive force control system for a vehicle configured to accurately imitate a change in a drive force in a model vehicle. A drive torque simulator computes a virtual drive torque supposed to be delivered to drive wheels of the model vehicle in response to a manual operation to manipulate the vehicle, based on torque changing factors of a powertrain of the model vehicle. An actual torque calculator computes a target torque of a motor that is practically delivered to the drive wheels in the vehicle based on the virtual drive torque computed by the drive torque simulator, taking account of torque changing factors of the powertrain of the vehicle.

Abstract: The electric vehicle according to the present disclosure is configured to be able to select a traveling mode between an MT mode in which an electric motor is controlled with torque characteristics like an MT vehicle having a manual transmission and an internal combustion engine, and an EV mode in which the electric motor is controlled with normal torque characteristics. The controller of the electric vehicle controls the electric motor in the MT mode such that responsiveness of the motor torque with respect to a change in the operation amount of the accelerator pedal is lower than in the EV mode.

Abstract: The electric vehicle according to the present disclosure is configured to be able to select a traveling mode between an MT mode in which an electric motor is controlled with torque characteristics like an MT vehicle having a manual transmission and an internal combustion engine, and an EV mode in which the electric motor is controlled with normal torque characteristics. When the selection of the travelling mode is changed by a driver, the controller of the electric vehicle determines whether a control mode can be switched, based on a condition in which the electric vehicle is placed, and switches the control mode in accordance with the determination result.

Abstract: The controller of the electric vehicle is configured to control the torque of the electric motor using the MT vehicle model based on the operation amount of the accelerator pedal, the operation amount of the pseudo-clutch pedal, and the shift position of the pseudo-shifter. The electric vehicle also includes a pedal reaction force generator that generates a pedal reaction force in response to the operation of the pseudo-clutch pedal using by the operating of the reaction force actuator. The controller is configured to store the pedal reaction force characteristic simulating the characteristic of the pedal reaction force according to the operation of the clutch pedal. Then, the controller is configured to control the pedal reaction force output by the pedal reaction force generator in response to the operation of the pseudo-clutch pedal using the stored pedal reaction force characteristic.

Abstract: The controller of the electric vehicle is configured to control the torque of the electric motor using the MT vehicle model based on the operation amount of the accelerator pedal, the operation amount of the pseudo-clutch pedal, and the shift position of the pseudo-shifter. Further, the controller is configured to execute the stall production process for changing the engine output torque used for calculation of the driving wheel torque to zero when the calculated virtual engine speed using the MT vehicle model becomes lower than the prescribed stall engine speed.

Abstract: The electric vehicle according to the present disclosure calculates motor torque using an MT vehicle model simulating an MT vehicle having a manual transmission and an internal combustion engine. In the first operation mode, an operation amount of a pseudo-clutch pedal and a shift position of a pseudo-gearshift are input to the MT vehicle model to reflect operation of the pseudo-clutch pedal and operation of the pseudo-gearshift in electric motor control. In the second operation mode where the operation of the pseudo-clutch pedal is not needed, an operation amount of a clutch pedal calculated by a driver model is input to the MT vehicle model instead of the operation amount of the pseudo-clutch pedal.

Abstract: The controller of the electric vehicle is configured to control the torque of the electric motor using the MT vehicle model based on the operation amount of the accelerator pedal, the operation amount of the pseudo-clutch pedal, and the shift position of the pseudo-shifter. The electric vehicle also includes a shift reaction force generator that generates a shift reaction force in response to the operation of the pseudo-shifter using by the operating of the reaction force actuator. The controller is configured to store the shift reaction force characteristic simulating the characteristic of the shift reaction force according to the operation of the shifter. Then, the controller is configured to control the shift reaction force output by the shift reaction force generator according to the operation of the pseudo-shifter using the stored shift reaction force characteristic.

Abstract: The electrical vehicle includes a shift lever and a clutch pedal for pseudo-realizing the manual gear change operation of the MT vehicle, and a controller for controlling the operation of the electric vehicle. The shift lever is operated by the driver to select an arbitrary virtual gear stage mode from among a plurality of virtual gear stage modes in which torque characteristics with respect to the rotational speed of the electric motor are stepwise different. The clutch pedal is operated by the driver when the shift lever is operated. The controller calculates the virtual engine speed of the virtual engine based on the virtual gear stage mode selected by the shift lever and the operation amount of the clutch pedal, and displays the virtual engine speed on the display.