Abstract: In a vehicular navigation system, it is determined that a branching point is present along a guidance route within a given distance from a guidance intersection. It is then determined that approaching the branching point by using a natural exit lane results in entering a road that is not included in the guidance route, wherein the natural exit lane is included in an exit road exiting from the guidance intersection and exits naturally from the guidance intersection along the guidance route. Before entering the guidance intersection, it is suggested that a lane change be required after passing through the guidance intersection. Thus, in a case that a lane change is needed just after passing through the guidance intersection, a driver can respond with a sufficient time period.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a rotor of a rotary electric machine, a rotor core is formed by preparing a material sheet in a form of a belt. The material sheet has teeth extending from a first side of a middle portion of the material sheet and projections projecting from a second side of the middle portion in a direction opposite to the teeth. The projections define recesses therebetween. Each projection and each recess has substantially the same dimension with respect to a centerline between a first line passing through tops of the projections and a second line passing through bottoms of the recesses. The material sheet is helically wound so that the projections are located on an inner diameter side of a rotor core.

Abstract: A car navigation device sequentially selects one of the non-guidance intersections along the navigational route to the destination, and decides whether there is LXD data which show permitted directions to leave the intersection on entering it from each entrance lane in the entrance road. If the LXD data exist, then if there is a plurality of A-entrance lanes which is permitted to leave the intersection along roughly the same direction as the exit road goes, and if there is a plurality of roads along which at least one of the those A-entrance lanes is permitted to leave the intersection, then the car navigation device 1 determines the selected intersection to be a lane guidance intersection and executes the process for the lane guidance at the intersection.

Abstract: In a planetary reduction gear device of a starter, a planet carrier forms gear shafts and planetary gears are rotatably supported by the gear shafts through bearings. The planet carrier further forms waste shafts projecting in a direction same as that of the gear shafts. The waste shafts are arranged on a circle having a center coincident with a rotation axis of the clutch outer portion at regular intervals in a circumferential direction. The circle on which the waste shafts are arranged has a diameter different from that of a circle on which the gear shafts are arranged. A speed reduction ratio can be changed by mounting planetary. gears having a gear specification different from that of the planetary gears supported on the gear shafts on the waste shafts. The planet carrier can be integrally formed with a clutch outer portion of a one-way clutch.

Abstract: In a rotor of a rotary electric machine, a rotor core is formed by helically winding a material sheet. The material sheet forms teeth on a first side of a middle connecting portion and projections projecting from a second side of the connecting portion in a direction opposite to the teeth. The material sheet is one of a pair of material sheets formed in a single base sheet in a form of belt. In the base sheet, the material sheets are arranged such that the projections are intermeshed with each other. The material sheet is helically wound such that the projections are located at an inner diameter side of the rotor core.

Abstract: In a rotor of a rotary electric machine, a rotor core is formed by helically winding a material sheet. The material sheet forms teeth on a first side of a middle connecting portion and projections projecting from a second side of the connecting portion in a direction opposite to the teeth. The material sheet is one of a pair of material sheets formed in a single base sheet in a form of belt. In the base sheet, the material sheets are arranged such that the projections are intermeshed with each other. The material sheet is helically wound such that the projections are located at an inner diameter side of the rotor core.

Abstract: An armature composed of a shaft and an armature core is rotatably supported in a housing of a rotary electric machine. The shaft is forcibly inserted into a center hole of the armature core formed by laminating core sheets. Each core sheet has a center hole and outer holes connected to the center hole. A contour of the center hole is not continuous because the outer holes are connected thereto. The shaft can be firmly connected to the laminated core sheets with a relatively low inserting force. The shaft has a smooth outer surface having no knurls or the like. In addition, the outer holes of the laminated core sheets form cooling air passages in the armature core in its axial direction.

Abstract: In a vehicular navigation system, it is determined that a branching point is present along a guidance route within a given distance from a guidance intersection. It is then determined that approaching the branching point by using a natural exit lane results in entering a road that is not included in the guidance route, wherein the natural exit lane is included in an exit road exiting from the guidance intersection and exits naturally from the guidance intersection along the guidance route. Before entering the guidance intersection, it is suggested that a lane change be required after passing through the guidance intersection. Thus, in a case that a lane change is needed just after passing through the guidance intersection, a driver can respond with a sufficient time period.

Abstract: In a starter, a front side bearing is provided between a one-way clutch and a pinion combined at a front end portion of a pinion tube. A housing supporting the pinion tube through the bearing has a housing small diameter portion where the inner diameter of the housing is set smaller than the outer diameter of the one-way clutch, between the bearing and a maximum advanced position of the one-way clutch. A housing front portion of the housing is formed into a cylindrical shape ahead of a attachment face which opposes to an engine side. The outer diameter of the front portion is gradually increased from the front end toward the attachment face. In this structure, the starter is installed from a transmission side without interfering the front portion of the housing with a transmission case.

Abstract: A pinion gear of a starter is engaged with a ring gear of an internal combustion engine by restricting rotation of the pinion gear while driving a motor at a low speed. After the engagement is established, the motor is driven at a full speed by supplying a full current, thereby cranking up the engine. A crank bar for transferring movement of a plunger in a magnetic switch to a pinion-rotation-restricting member is divided into two or three portions. After the divided portions are assembled to the starter, they are connected together to form a solid piece. In this manner, a process of assembling the crank bar into the starter is simplified.

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 for an internal combustion engine has a resistance ratio rM/rB equal to or less than 0.4, when rM represents a motor internal resistance and rB represents a battery internal resistance. Furthermore, the starter has a size ratio L/D equal to or less than 1.0, when L represents an axial length of the armature and D represents an outer diameter of the armature. Furthermore, a means for suppressing temperature rise is provided for the starter.

Abstract: An electromagnetic switch includes a contact holding member connected to a plunger in order to hold a first movable contact. The contact holding member is disposed outside a switch case covering a periphery of an excitation coil. A return spring pushes the plunger back in the opposite direction to a fixed iron core through the contact holding member when electric power supply to the excitation coil is stopped. The return spring is disposed outside the switch case. In this structure, a spring holding portion does not need to be disposed in the fixed iron core and the plunger. Therefore, an area where the fixed iron core attracts the plunger can be increased, so that an attraction force can be increased.

Abstract: An armature composed of a shaft and an armature core is rotatably supported in a housing of a rotary electric machine. The shaft is forcibly inserted into a center hole of the armature core formed by laminating core sheets. Each core sheet has a center hole and outer holes connected to the center hole. A contour of the center hole is not continuous because the outer holes are connected thereto. The shaft can be firmly connected to the laminated core sheets with a relatively low inserting force. The shaft has a smooth outer surface having no knurls or the like. In addition, the outer holes of the laminated core sheets form cooling air passages in the armature core in its axial direction.

Abstract: A starter for an internal combustion engine has a resistance ratio rM/rB equal to or less than 0.4, when rM represents a motor internal resistance and rB represents a battery internal resistance. Furthermore, the starter has a size ratio L/D equal to or less than 1.0, when L represents an axial length of the armature and D represents an outer diameter of the armature. Furthermore, a means for suppressing temperature rise is provided for the starter.

Abstract: In a rotor of a rotary electric machine, a rotor core is formed by helically winding a material sheet. The material sheet forms teeth on a first side of a middle connecting portion and projections projecting from a second side of the connecting portion in a direction opposite to the teeth. The material sheet is one of a pair of material sheets formed in a single base sheet in a form of belt. In the base sheet, the material sheets are arranged such that the projections are intermeshed with each other. The material sheet is helically wound such that the projections are located at an inner diameter side of the rotor core.

Abstract: In a planetary reduction gear device of a starter, a planet carrier forms gear shafts and planetary gears are rotatably supported by the gear shafts through bearings. The planet carrier further forms waste shafts projecting in a direction same as that of the gear shafts. The waste shafts are arranged on a circle having a center coincident with a rotation axis of the clutch outer portion at regular intervals in a circumferential direction. The circle on which the waste shafts are arranged has a diameter different from that of a circle on which the gear shafts are arranged. A speed reduction ratio can be changed by mounting planetary. gears having a gear specification different from that of the planetary gears supported on the gear shafts on the waste shafts. The planet carrier can be integrally formed with a clutch outer portion of a one-way clutch.

Abstract: An electromagnetic switch includes a contact holding member connected to a plunger in order to hold a first movable contact. The contact holding member is disposed outside a switch case covering a periphery of an excitation coil. A return spring pushes the plunger back in the opposite direction to a fixed iron core through the contact holding member when electric power supply to the excitation coil is stopped. The return spring is disposed outside the switch case. In this structure, a spring holding portion does not need to be disposed in the fixed iron core and the plunger. Therefore, an area where the fixed iron core attracts the plunger can be increased, so that an attraction force can be increased.

Abstract: Simplifying a control system by integrating current control for an exciting coil and a main current control for a starter motor is accomplished by a current control unit for a starter motor and is constructed with a control device provided among a battery, a motor contact point and an exciting coil, and a starter ECU for driving the control device. The control device has a device capacity for allowing main current of the starter motor. The starter ECU changes a control specification for the control device before and after closing the motor contact point. That is, control-start timing of a coil current is determined by a battery voltage before closing the motor contact point. Thereafter, the coil current is restricted to a predetermined value to reduce a moving speed of a plunger. After closing the motor contact point, the main current is slowly raised.

Abstract: A magnet switch for a starter includes a exciting coil member, a switch case, a stator core, a plunger disposed in a hollow portion of the exciting coil to confront the stator core through an air gap, a link member connected to the plunger and disposed outside the switch case, a movable contact supported and insulated by the link member to move together with the plunger; and a stationary contact disposed opposite the movable contact. The link member has a pair of arms which axially extend along outer surfaces of the switch case. The switch case, the exciting coil and the plunger respectively have elliptic cross sections. The pair of arms is disposed to extend along the minor axis of the elliptic cross section to be movable in the axial direction of the switch case along the outer surface thereof.