Abstract: A starter motor for cranking an internal combustion engine includes an electric motor, a planetary gear device for reducing a rotational speed of the electric motor, and a shock-absorbing device that absorbs excessive impact transmitted from the engine to the starter motor. The planetary gear device has an annular member contacting a separating plate that separates the planetary gear device from the electric motor. A depressed portion such as a circular groove is formed on an axial end surface of the annular member. Lubricant retained in the depressed portion lubricates the end surface that rotates relative to the separating plate to absorb the excessive impact transmitted from the engine, and thereby abrasion wear of the end surface is suppressed.

Abstract: A setter used in sintering and having an oxide coating layer is configured such that oxide powder of at least one of, or a mixture of oxide powders of two or more of alumina, silica, zirconia, yttria, titania, magnesia, and calcia is deposited to at least one surface of a metal composed of molybdenum, tungsten, or an alloy of a molybdenum group and a tungsten group, and a deposition surface thereof allows no exposure of the base material.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are an ultraviolet irradiation apparatus for photochemical reactions which can irradiate the photo-reactive solution with ultraviolet rays having a specific wavelength suitable for the intended photochemical reaction at a high efficiency, and a process by which a provitamin D derivative can be converted into a provitamin D derivative at a high efficiency by means of a photochemical reaction by one-step process of light irradiation, thereby preparing a vitamin D derivative at a high efficiency.

Abstract: A direct current motor includes a stator generating a magnetic field therein and a rotor having an armature and rotating inside the stator. A commutator for supplying electric current to the armature is connected to the rotor. The commutator is composed of plural commutator segments bonded together with an insulating resin material. Each commutator segment includes an anchor portion formed at a radial inside and a projecting portion extending in an axial direction, and both portions are embedded in the insulating resin. The commutator segments are firmly bonded with the insulating resin, and the bonding strength is increased without enlarging the commutator size.

Abstract: A starter for engines uses a leaf spring as a shaft lever for advancing a pinion gear for engagement with a ring gear. The shift lever may be constructed with a plurality of layered leaf springs having respective front ends spaced apart one another to contact a one-way clutch at different positions. The shift lever may include a lever holder which has a low heat conductive member to minimize fatigue of the leaf spring. The leaf spring is initially loaded with a spring force.

Abstract: A high-pressure discharge lamp comprises a lamp tube made of quartz glass and having a central portion formed in a spherical shape, and a pair of opposing tungsten electrodes inserted into the lamp tube. At least one of the tungsten electrodes is made of a tungsten material which contains more than 10 ppm of one of Co and Ni, or 10 ppm of Co and Ni in total, or a tungsten material which contains 20 ppm or more of at least two of Fe, Co and Ni in total, or a tungsten material which contains 20 ppm or more of Fe. Fe, Co and Ni belong to iron-group metals. The inter-electrode distance, i.e., distance between the leading ends of both tungsten electrodes is set to approximately 1-2 mm or less.

Abstract: A starter for engines uses a leaf spring as a shift lever for advancing a pinion gear for engagement with a ring gear. The shift lever may be constructed with a plurality of layered leaf springs having respective front ends spaced apart one another to contact a one-way clutch at different positions. The shift lever may include a lever holder which has a low heat conductive member to minimize fatigue of the leaf spring. The leaf spring is initially loaded with a spring force.

Abstract: A direct current motor includes a stator generating a magnetic field therein and a rotor having an armature and rotating inside the stator. A commutator for supplying electric current to the armature is connected to the rotor. The commutator is composed of plural commutator segments bonded together with an insulating resin material. Each commutator segment includes an anchor portion formed at a radial inside and a projecting portion extending in an axial direction, and both portions are embedded in the insulating resin. The commutator segments are firmly bonded with the insulating resin, and the bonding strength is increased without enlarging the commutator size.

Abstract: The present invention provides an engine starting method from an idling stop condition wherein a preliminary step pushes a pinion to abut with a ring gear when a vehicle operating condition is in an idling stop condition, a starting step rotates the pinion into mesh with the ring gear by a motor upon receiving an engine start signal and thereafter an engine is started, and a restoring step is carried out after engine startup where the pinion is restored to an original position thereof. Also provided, when the engine is stopped, a pinion is meshed with a ring gear. Upon engine start-up, a pinion actuator disengages the pinion from the ring gear and a cutout portion engages an engaging piece to maintain the pinion disengaged. When the engine stops, a releasing actuator disengages the cutout portion and the engaging piece and the pinion is reset.

Abstract: In a two-layer brush for a commutator, the plane form projected on a commutator surface is nearly similar to the plane form of the segment. A molding die used in brush fabrication has a lower punch which slides obliquely up and down along a sliding groove provided in the lower die, and an upper punch which can slide obliquely up and down in relation to the lower punch. The pressure applying face of the upper punch is formed nearly level, while the pressure receiving face of the lower punch is inclined by a predetermined angle relative to the pressure applying face of the upper punch. It is, therefore, possible to form a first brush material to a predetermined shape, and to apply a uniformly pressure to the second brush powder, to thereby form a second brush material having nearly fixed thickness.

Abstract: In a current supply circuit for starters, an inductance coil is connected in series or a capacitor is connected in parallel with a starter motor to slow down the rise of a current supplied to the starter motor. The current, which flows in a magnet switch upon occurrence of bouncing of the magnet switch, is lowered. Thus even if the time of occurrence of bouncing delays due to increased inductance of a pull-in coil, the magnet switch turns on and off a small current by bouncing and hence generation of noise arising from bouncing can be suppressed. Generation of arc in the magnet switch due to bouncing can be suppressed, and the reliability of the magnet switch can be increased.

Abstract: A shock absorber for a starter is presented. The shock absorber includes a rotary disk, a stationary disk and a disk spring. The rotary disk is pressed by the disk spring against a stationary disk to generate frictional force when the rotary disk is rotated by an excessive shock thereby absorbing the shock. The rotary disk has a plurality of press-formed rectangular dimples at a surface opposite the stationary disk, and each side of each the rectangular dimple inclines to a direction of rolling of the raw material of the rotary disk.

Abstract: A shock absorber for a starter is presented. The shock absorber includes a rotary disk, a stationary disk and a disk spring. The rotary disk is pressed by the disk spring against a stationary disk to generate frictional force when the rotary disk is rotated by an excessive shock thereby absorbing the shock. The rotary disk has a plurality of press-formed rectangular dimples at a surface opposite the stationary disk, and each side of each the rectangular dimple inclines to a direction of rolling of the raw material of the rotary disk.

Abstract: A brush of a rotary electric machine includes a brush element and a pigtail. The brush element includes a high-conduction member extending in the longitudinal direction and a low-conduction member bonded to a side of the high-conduction member. The low-conduction member is a thin layer extending in the longitudinal direction from the contact surface to the middle of the length of the brush element. The wire end is embedded in the high conduction member on the side of the low-conduction member remote from the contact surface.

Abstract: A starter motor for cranking an internal combustion engine includes an electric motor, a planetary gear device for reducing a rotational speed of the electric motor, and a shock-absorbing device that absorbs excessive impact transmitted from the engine to the starter motor. The planetary gear device has an annular member contacting a separating plate that separates the planetary gear device from the electric motor. A depressed portion such as a circular groove is formed on an axial end surface of the annular member. Lubricant retained in the depressed portion lubricates the end surface that rotates relative to the separating plate to absorb the excessive impact transmitted from the engine, and thereby abrasion wear of the end surface is suppressed.

Abstract: A rotary electric machine includes a stacked brush, where low-resistance and high-resistance brush layers are disposed at the front and rear end sides in the rotational direction of a commutator, respectively. When the insulation gap between the neighboring segments of a commutator is “a” and the width of the high-resistance brush layer is “b”, “a” and “b” are determined to satisfy a<b and b/a<4 to reduce sparks and improve commutation property. In order to reduce spark generation at the brush front end, especially, when the circumferential width of the segment is “c” and the width of the low-resistance brush layer is “d”, “a” to “d” are determined to satisfy b+d>2×a+c, d>b, a<b and d<a+c.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of laminating ceramic greenware sheets with electrodes embedded therein (25) which is formed on a support by pressure-adhering a ceramic greenware sheet with an electrode embedded therein onto a second ceramic greenware sheet or other electrodes (23), then peeling off the support alone and transferring the ceramic greenware sheet with the embedded electrodes onto the second ceramic greenware sheet or the other electrodes. This manufacturing method enables it to laminate ceramic greenware sheets each the thickness of which is as thin as 20 micrometers or less, while maintaining their mechanical strength and embedded electrodes in the ceramic greenware sheets, thereby enabling it to prevent a occurrence of surface irregularities due to the thickness of the electrodes even when laminating to a high degree.

Abstract: A rotary electric machine includes a plurality of permanent magnet main poles disposed on an inner periphery of a yoke and a plurality of auxiliary poles respectively disposed between neighboring two of the main poles via magnet fixing members and a plurality of magnet fixing members. The magnet-fixing member is comprised of a U-bent elastic metal plate having a pair of circumferentially opposite walls that provides a pole space. The opposite walls are respectively bent inward at edges thereof in circumferentially opposite directions to be opposed to each other. The bent edges have and elastic projections and are separated at the axial ends to form an elastic retaining member. The auxiliary pole is inserted into the auxiliary pole space by opening the elastic retaining member.

Abstract: In an electromagnetic switch of a starter, a bobbin has two terminal holders on a flange. Each of the terminal holders defines a slot on its end surface and a terminal is press-fitted in the slot in an axial direction of the bobbin. An end of an excitation coil wound around the bobbin is pulled out the bobbin and connected to the terminal. A molded cover provides a through hole and is mounted on the terminal so that the terminal passes through the through hole. A sealing member is press-fitted on the terminal to air-tightly seal the through hole. A rod cover fitted on a rod supporting a movable contact has slits on its cylindrical part in the axial direction. The slits are closed before a distal end of the cylindrical part.

Abstract: A rotary electric machine includes a stacked brush, where low-resistance and high-resistance brush layers are disposed at the front and rear end sides in the rotational direction of a commutator, respectively. When the insulation gap between the neighboring segments of a commutator is “a” and the width of the high-resistance brush layer is “b”, “a” and “b” are determined to satisfy a<b and b/a<4 to reduce sparks and improve commutation property. In order to reduce spark generation at the brush front end, especially, when the circumferential width of the segment is “c” and the width of the low-resistance brush layer is “d”, “a” to “d” are determined to satisfy b+d>2×a+c, d>b, a<b and d<a+c.