Abstract: Excellent durability can be achieved by reducing thermal influences of the excessive load from the engine side for a clutch roller (13) in a unidirectional rotation clutch system that is helical-splined to a drive shaft that rotates in response to a driving force of a motor and structured such that the motor driving force can be transmitted while an engine driving force cannot be transmitted when an engine stars, wherein a compound film composed of an external mixed phase and an internal diffused phase is formed on the clutch roller (13) subjected to nitriding by tufftriding with nitrogen being penetrating and diffusing.

Abstract: In a starter having a motor comprising a rear bracket 23 mounted to a cylindrical motor housing opening portion, flanges 23a protruding outward from the outer circumferential portion 23c of the rear bracket and set bolts mounted to the flanges 23a and located on the outside of the motor housing, the rear bracket 23 is formed sphere-like with the inner side of the motor being convex and the central portion of the rear bracket is expanded toward the inner side of the motor compared with the outer circumferential portion 23c thereof. Even if the rear bracket 23 is subjected to impact due to “Kicking back”, the influence of the impact force is relaxed by the central portion displaced inward in advance and the rear bracket 23 is effectively prevented from being lifted up due to “Kicking back” in spite of an outer bolt type configuration.

Abstract: In a starter comprising: a motor 11 provided with a motor contact for controlling electric power supply to an armature arranged inside a motor housing 21; a gear cover section 24, which is mounted on the motor 11, having a flange section 24a formed on the outer circumference thereof; a switch terminal 89 located on the outside of the gear cover section 24; and a magnet switch connected to the switch terminal 89, the switch terminal 89 is installed in the vicinity of the flange section 24a and in a region within the range of projection of the flange section 24a. In the flange section 24a, there are provided a rib 24c and a motor terminal mounting section 92, and the switch terminal 89 is arranged in a switch terminal containing section 94 formed between the rib 24c, the sidewall 93 of the motor terminal mounting section 92 and the flange section 24a.

Abstract: An electromagnetic controller includes an exciting coil unit that is provided with a coil main body and an exciting piece that is positioned at a tip end side of the coil main body so as to be magnetized according to an excitation of the coil main body; and a plunger that is disposed in a ring-shaped space formed at an inner diameter side of the exciting coil unit so as to be movable in the ring-shaped space in an axial center direction, the plunger being displaceable from a non-acting position to an acting position at a tip end side under an attracting force based on magnetization of the exciting piece, wherein an urging member is provided at the inner diameter side of the exciting coil unit so as to urge the plunger to a side of the non-acting position according to demagnetization of the exciting piece.

Abstract: A steering apparatus for an automotive vehicle is provided with an electric drive unit that varies a steering ratio between a road wheel angle and a steering wheel angle of the vehicle, a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the electric drive unit, and a control unit including a steering ratio characteristic setting block that sets a characteristic of the steering ratio including a steering gain and a steering response rate in accordance with an operating state of the vehicle and, when the temperature of the electric drive unit exceeds a first temperature threshold, adjusts the steering response rate in such a manner that the steering response rate comes closer to a base steering response rate level as the temperature of the electric drive unit becomes increased and a drive block that drives the electric drive unit to vary the steering ratio according to the steering ratio characteristic.

Abstract: An engine starter includes a motor that comprises a drive shaft; and a unidirectional rotation clutch system that is helical-splined to the drive shaft. The clutch system includes a clutch inner; a clutch outer; a clutch roller that is interposed between the clutch outer and the clutch inner; and a spring that urges the clutch roller, wherein a compound film is formed on a surface of the clutch roller or surfaces of the clutch outer and the clutch inner.

Abstract: A helical spline section 61 is formed on a drive shaft 32 rotated by a motor 11 via a planetary gear mechanism 12, and an axially movable overrunning clutch 13 is mounted to the helical spline section 61. A clutch inner 57 of the overrunning clutch 13 is formed integrally with a pinion 14, and the pinion 14 engages with an idle gear 15. Between the idle gear 15 and the clutch cover 68 of the overrunning clutch 13, there is provided a synthetic resin slip plate 95. The slip plate 95 is provided with slide-contact surfaces 95a and 95b coming into contact with the idle gear 15 and the clutch cover 68. On each of the slide-contact surfaces 95a and 95b, there is provided concavely an annular grease reservoir 96 holding grease on each of the slide-contact surfaces. Thereby, the lubricating ability of a spacer provided between the slide-contact members having mutually different rotation numbers is improved, resulting in reducing the cost of materials and preventing the burn-in between the members.

Abstract: A method is provided to point out which software program is causing a problem. Event records are collected from target objects being monitored. An event group is then produced by grouping the collected event records. The event group is compared with a plurality of pattern definition groups in terms of occurrence patterns of event records, where each pattern definition group defines a pattern of event records that would be produced upon occurrence of a particular problem. Subsequently a troubleshooting record is extracted. This troubleshooting record has previously been associated with a pattern definition group resembling the event group in terms of occurrence patterns of event records.

Abstract: A steering control apparatus for a vehicle including a steering input unit movable to set a steering input, and a steering output unit arranged to output a steering output, the steering input unit being connected via a cable to a body of the vehicle, includes a steering ratio control unit, a steering limiter, and a cable-attachment diagnostic controller. The steering ratio control unit regulates a variable steering ratio as a rate of change in the steering output with respect to a change in the steering input. The steering limiter restricts movement of the steering input unit to limit the steering input. The cable-attachment diagnostic controller is activated in a cable-attachment diagnostic mode, to control the steering ratio in such a manner that the steering input unit is movable over an allowable region defined by the steering limiter when the cable is correctly attached.

Abstract: [PROBLEMS] To provide a starter motor enabling the easy and accurate aligning of holes when an idle shaft is mounted. [MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS] The screw mounting hole (106) and a female screw part (105) are formed in the bearing part (98) of a gear cover (24) and the screw insertion hole (104) is formed in the idle shaft (89). The idle shaft (89) is fixed to the gear cover (24) by inserting a fixing screw (107) through the screw mounting hole (106) and screwing it into the female screw part (105) through the screw insertion hole (104). A positioning groove (108) in a predetermined position relation with the screw insertion hole (104) is formed in the end face of the idle shaft (89).

Abstract: An active suspension system has a plurality of actuators which are respectively installed between a wheel and a vehicle body and individually produce a control force, and a control unit which controls an attitude change of a vehicle by controlling the each control force of the plurality of actuators. The control unit sets first and second virtual control lines which extend along a front-and-rear direction of the vehicle and a width direction of the vehicle respectively and are changed so that the first and second virtual control lines follow expected pitching and rolling that would occur to the vehicle, and then controls the vehicle attitude so that the vehicle attitude is brought closer to the virtual control line.

Abstract: A helical spline section 61 is formed on a drive shaft 32 rotated by a motor 11 via a planetary gear mechanism 12, and an axially movable overrunning clutch 13 is mounted to the helical spline section 61. A pinion 14 engaging with an idle gear 15 is formed integrally with a clutch inner 57 of the overrunning clutch 13. At the distal end of the pinion 14, there is formed a transport flange 72 engaging with the idle gear 15 and disengaging the idle gear 15 from a ring gear 16 together with the axial movement of the pinion 14. The root outer diameter of a gear section 71 of the pinion 14 is smaller than the outer diameter of the clutch inner 57, and the pinion 14 is formed integrally with the transport flange 72 and the clutch inner 57 by cold forging. Thereby, there is provided a simple, cheap and reliable electric starter motor capable of engaging and disengaging the idle gear and ring gear with each other and from each other without increasing the number of parts.

Abstract: A steering ratio control system of a vehicle includes a variable steering ratio mechanism variably adjusting a steering ratio of a steer angle at left and right steered road wheels to a steering-wheel rotation angle, and a braking/driving force control unit individually controlling braking force and/or driving force of the left and right steered wheels. A steering ratio control unit determines a reference steering ratio based on a vehicle's driving state. The steering ratio control unit calculates a steering-ratio correction value needed for canceling torque steer resulting from a difference in braking force and/or driving force between the left and right steered wheels. A final steering ratio is determined based on both of the reference steering ratio and the steering-ratio correction value to drive the variable steering ratio mechanism responsively to the final steering ratio reflecting the steering-ratio correction value.

Abstract: A vehicle steering control system is provided with a steering angle ratio varying mechanism, a variable power assisted steering mechanism and a steering angle ratio controller. The steering angle ratio varying mechanism varies the steering angle ratio, which is the ratio of the turning angle of the front wheels with respect to the steering angle of the steering wheel. The variable power assisted steering mechanism outputs an auxiliary steering force that supplements the steering force of the driver to the steering mechanism for turning the front wheels. The steering angle ratio controller increases the steering angle ratio in a steering angle range in the vicinity of the steering angle center point, and reduces the steering angle ratio in the steering angle range in the vicinity of the rack stopper position, regardless of the steering angular speed of the steering wheel.

Abstract: A vehicle steering apparatus includes a steering input section having at least a steering wheel to which steering input is applied, and a steering output section having at least a steering rack shaft and operatively associated with left and right steered wheels for steering the steered wheels by steering-rack-shaft movement produced by a steering force determined based on the steering input and transmitted directly or indirectly to the steering rack shaft. The steering rack shaft is split into left and right movable rack shaft portions. Also provided is a steer angle converter enabling a differential rack stroke between left and right rack strokes of the left and right movable rack shaft portions. The steer angle converter is constructed by at least one of a variable-pitch dual rack arrangement and a dual taper-pulley arrangement of a cable back-up mechanism.

Abstract: An engine starter includes a unidirectional rotation clutch system with a clutch outer having an outer-diameter side cylinder portion, a clutch inner having an inner-diameter side cylinder portion, long shaft-shaped clutch rollers that are long in a drive shaft direction and are installed in wedge spaces formed between the inner and outer-diameter side cylinder portions, and springs that urge the clutch rollers toward wedge portions, wherein at least one of the inner and outer-diameter side cylinder portions includes a wear preventive portion that prevents wearing of the clutch rollers that have turned so as to be in an inclined posture with respect to the drive shaft.

Abstract: A leather-like sheet material including a fibrous substrate and an elastomeric film layer which are bonded to each other with a silicone-compound-containing water-soluble or water-dispersible adhesive layer of an elastic polymer, and the leather-like sheet material is produced by a process for the production of a leather-like sheet material by attaching the fibrous substrate and the elastomeric film layer, which process includes applying a water solution or water dispersion of an elastic polymer, the water solution or water dispersion containing a silicone compound, to the attachment surface of one of the fibrous substrate and the elastomeric film layer and drying the applied solution or dispersion. According to this invention, there is provided a leather-like sheet material excellent in abrasion resistance and at the same time excellent in tenacity against peeling and flexibility, and a production process thereof.

Abstract: A steering control apparatus for a vehicle including a steering input unit movable to set a steering input, and a steering output unit arranged to output a steering output, the steering input unit being connected via a cable to a body of the vehicle, includes a steering ratio control unit, a steering limiter, and a cable-attachment diagnostic controller. The steering ratio control unit regulates a variable steering ratio as a rate of change in the steering output with respect to a change in the steering input. The steering limiter restricts movement of the steering input unit to limit the steering input. The cable-attachment diagnostic controller is activated in a cable-attachment diagnostic mode, to control the steering ratio in such a manner that the steering input unit is movable over an allowable region defined by the steering limiter when the cable is correctly attached.

Abstract: A fail-safe steering system for a vehicle, which prevents movable elements of a backup mechanism from being dragged by motions of an associated one of a steering input section and a steering output section under normal operating conditions of the system, is provided. The fail-safe steering system includes two selectively engageable clutch mechanisms operatively connectable between the steering input section and the backup mechanism and between the backup mechanism and the steering output section. The fail-safe steering system also includes a mechanism for keeping the backup mechanism in the neutral condition during backup mechanism being mechanically separated under normal operating conditions of the system.

Abstract: A vehicle steering system is provided with a primary steering system, a backup steering system and a control system that switches from the primary steering system to the backup steering system when a defect is determined in the primary steering system such as a defeat in a steering reaction force actuator. The vehicle steering system has a pair of clutches that mechanically disconnect the steering wheel from the steerable vehicle wheels in normal situations, and connect them when the steering reaction force actuator is determined to be defective. The control system has a steering malfunction detection section that detects a malfunction in the steering reaction force actuator, and a steering control limiting section that limits the control commands to the steering gear unit actuator from when the steering reaction force actuator is determined to be malfunctioning to when both the clutches are connected.