Abstract: A steel wire which has an excellent fatigue limit when made into a spring is provided. A chemical composition of the steel wire according to the present embodiment consists of, in mass %, C: 0.53 to 0.59%, Si: 2.51 to 2.90%, Mn: 0.70 to 0.85%, P: 0.020% or less, S: 0.020% or less, Cr 1.40 to 1.70%, Mo: 0.17 to 0.53%, V: 0.23 to 0.33%, Cu: 0.050% or less, Ni: 0.050% or less, Al: 0.0050% or less, Ti: 0.050% or less, N: 0.0070% or less, Ca: 0 to 0.0050%, and Nb: 0 to 0.020%, with the balance being Fe and impurities. In the steel wire, a number density of V-based precipitates having a maximum diameter ranging from 2 to 10 nm is 500 to 8000 pieces/?m2.

Abstract: A post-processing apparatus includes a blade, a transfer mechanism, a sheet folding roller pair, a motor, a drive control device, and a control device. The blade presses into the sheet to form a fold line in the sheet. The transfer mechanism moves the blade toward and away from the sheet. The sheet folding roller pair conveys the sheet with the fold line formed by the blade by pinching the sheet at a nip between the sheet folding roller pair. The motor rotatively drives the sheet folding roller pair. The drive control device controls drive of the motor. The control includes a control circuit. When, through the processor executing a control program, the control device controls the transfer mechanism to withdraw from the nip the blade having been pressed into the sheet and the nip by the transfer mechanism, the control device controls the drive control device to stop the motor.

Abstract: A valve spring includes a nitrided layer, and a core portion that is further inward than the nitrided layer. A chemical composition of the core portion consists of, in mass %, C: 0.53 to 0.59%, Si: 2.51 to 2.90%, Mn: 0.70 to 0.85%, P: 0.020% or less, S: 0.020% or less, Cr: 1.40 to 1.70%, Mo: 0.17 to 0.53%, V: 0.23 to 0.33%, Ca: 0.0001 to 0.0050%, Cu: 0.050% or less, Ni: 0.050% or less, Al: 0.0050% or less, Ti: 0.050% or less, and N: 0.0070% or less, with the balance being Fe and impurities. In the core portion, a number density of V-based precipitates having a maximum diameter ranging from 2 to 10 nm is 500 to 8000 per ?m2, and in the core portion, a numerical proportion of Ca sulfides with respect to a total number of oxide-based inclusions and sulfide-based inclusions is 0.20% or less.

Abstract: A sheet feed apparatus includes a sheet feed cassette, an air blowing device, and an air blowing control portion. The air blowing device blows warm air to a sheet stack in the sheet feed cassette. The air blowing control portion controls the air blowing device to adjust an air volume and a temperature of the warm air. The air blowing control portion adjusts the air volume and the temperature of the warm air in accordance with the amount of sheets in the sheet feed cassette.

Abstract: A steering device incudes an electric motor configured to steer a steered wheel coupled to a steering wheel and a control unit configured to control the electric motor and change a steering angle of the steered wheel. The control unit includes an angle feedback control unit configured to execute automatic traveling control and automatic parking control, and a gain setting unit configured to set a feedback gain in the automatic parking control to a value smaller than a feedback gain in the automatic traveling control.

Abstract: The relay conveyance apparatus includes a casing, an opening, a cover, a conveyance guide, a protruding part and a cooling mechanism. The casing has an inner space in which a relay conveyance path is formed. The opening is formed in the casing. The protruding part is provided in the cover. When the conveyance guide is switched to a path formation position, the protruding part is inserted into the inner space of the casing to allow closing of the cover, and when the conveyance guide is switched to a path opening position, the protruding part interferes with the conveyance guide to restrict the closing of the cover. The cooling mechanism includes a main duct, a fan and an air blowing port. The air blowing port is provided in the protruding part, and through which the cooling air is blown from the main duct to the relay conveyance path.

Abstract: The relay conveyance apparatus includes a casing, an opening, a cover, a conveyance guide, a protruding part and a cooling mechanism. The casing has an inner space in which a relay conveyance path is formed. The opening is formed in the casing. The protruding part is provided in the cover. When the conveyance guide is switched to a path formation position, the protruding part is inserted into the inner space of the casing to allow closing of the cover, and when the conveyance guide is switched to a path opening position, the protruding part interferes with the conveyance guide to restrict the closing of the cover. The cooling mechanism includes a main duct, a fan and an air blowing port. The air blowing port is provided in the protruding part, and through which the cooling air is blown from the main duct to the relay conveyance path.

Abstract: A sheet processing device includes a stapling unit that cuts off excess parts of a staple at a normal processing position, a container that stores the excess parts, the container having an upper end portion with an opening and being disposed below the stapling unit, a pair of electrodes disposed at a portion of a side wall of the upper end portion, the portion corresponding to the normal processing position, the pair of electrodes being exposed to inside the container, and a control unit for detecting that the excess parts in the container have reached the upper end portion when the pair of electrodes is short-circuited.

Abstract: A sheet processing device includes a stapling unit that cuts off excess parts of a staple at a normal processing position, a container that stores the excess parts, the container having an upper end portion with an opening and being disposed below the stapling unit, a pair of electrodes disposed at a portion of a side wall of the upper end portion, the portion corresponding to the normal processing position, the pair of electrodes being exposed to inside the container, and a control unit for detecting that the excess parts in the container have reached the upper end portion when the pair of electrodes is short-circuited.

Abstract: The actuator control device includes an assist control circuit for calculating a first assist component and an automatic steering control circuit for calculating a second assist component. The automatic steering control circuit is allowed to calculate the second assist component while a steering torque is less than a first threshold value. The automatic steering control circuit calculates the second assist component by performing PID control that uses an integral term obtained on the basis of an angle deviation. When the steering torque is less than the first threshold value but not less than a second threshold value, the automatic steering control circuit limits the integral term in such a manner that it is harder for the integral term to increase while the steering torque is not less than the second threshold value than while the steering torque is less than the second threshold value.

Abstract: The hole punching device includes rotary-to-reciprocating motion converters that convert rotational motion of a punch shaft connected to a punch motor into up-and-down motion of punch blades, and a short circuiting switch that short-circuits between terminals of the punch motor. The hole punching device further includes a braking current detector that detects braking current flowing through inter-terminal resistance of the punch motor, a braking current comparison unit that turns on the short circuiting switch once and compares a detected braking-current value detected by the braking current detector with a preset reference braking-current value, and a brake time determination unit that determines the time to turn on the short circuiting switch to apply a short circuit brake based on the comparison result obtained by the braking current comparison unit.

Abstract: The actuator control device includes an assist control circuit for calculating a first assist component and an automatic steering control circuit for calculating a second assist component. The automatic steering control circuit is allowed to calculate the second assist component while a steering torque is less than a first threshold value. The automatic steering control circuit calculates the second assist component by performing PID control that uses an integral term obtained on the basis of an angle deviation. When the steering torque is less than the first threshold value but not less than a second threshold value, the automatic steering control circuit limits the integral term in such a manner that it is harder for the integral term to increase while the steering torque is not less than the second threshold value than while the steering torque is less than the second threshold value.

Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus includes a motor for applying assist torque to a vehicle steering mechanism and a controller, which controls driving of the motor to cause the assist torque to follow an assist command value. The controller calculates a basic assist command value based on steering torque applied to the steering mechanism and corrects the basic assist command value using a correction value, thereby setting the assist command value. If the steering torque has an absolute value greater than a threshold value when the vehicle is in a straight-line traveling state, the controller sets the correction value such that the absolute value of the steering torque is reduced. If the steering torque has an absolute value less than the threshold value when the vehicle is in a straight-line traveling state, the controller sets the correction value such that the absolute value of the assist command value is reduced.

Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus is provided which can suppress the difference in steering feel between before and after it is allowed to compute an absolute steering angle and which can improve the steering feel. A basic assist control unit sets a basic assist current value. An assist gain setting unit sets assist gain. The assist gain is fixed to a lower limit value less than one before it is allowed to compute the absolute steering angle, and is gradually increased from the lower limit value to one and is then fixed to one after it is allowed to compute the absolute steering angle. An assist gain multiplication unit corrects the basic assist current value by multiplying the basic assist current value by the assist gain.

Abstract: A sheet sensor is provided on a downstream side of a punching portion in a sheet conveyance direction and detects punch holes. A supplied pulse number counting portion counts a number of supplied pulses which is a number of pulses that are supplied to a sheet conveying portion while a preceding punch hole made in a sheet by the punching portion at a punching position on a conveyance path moves from the punching position to a detection position of the sheet sensor. A required pulse number calculating portion calculates a required number of pulses which is a number of pulses required for a punch target position on the sheet corresponding to a succeeding punch hole to move to the punching position, based on the number of supplied pulses and an interval between the punching position and the detection position.

Abstract: A sheet conveying portion conveys a sheet along a conveyance path by a conveyance amount corresponding to a number of pulses in a pulse signal supplied to the sheet conveying portion. A punching portion makes a punch hole in the sheet. The supplied pulse number counting portion counts the number of pulses supplied to the sheet conveying portion while a predetermined part of the sheet moves from a first position to a second position on the conveyance path. A required pulse number calculating portion calculates the number of pulses required for a punch target position on the sheet to move to a punching position on the conveyance path, based on the counted number of supplied pulses and an interval between the first position and the second position. A conveyance control portion supplies a pulse signal to the sheet conveying portion, based on the calculated required number of pulses.

Abstract: Provided is a touch panel apparatus capable of easily setting a touch sense produced by oscillatory waves of plural piezoelectric elements according to a user's taste. To this end, a touch sense pattern table (51) stores a plurality of touch sense pattern values made up of plural parameter values of a voltage table (52), plural parameter values of a frequency table (53), and plural parameter values of a phase difference table (54). A vibration diving control part (18) applies a driving signal to the piezoelectric elements of first to third groups to vibrate the touch panel (12) based on the parameter values acquired from the voltage table (52), the parameter values acquired from the frequency table (53), and the parameter values acquired from the phase difference table (54), correspondingly to the plurality of the touch sense patterns stored in the touch sense pattern table 51.

Abstract: Provided is a touch panel apparatus capable of easily setting a touch sense produced by oscillatory waves of plural piezoelectric elements according to a user's taste. To this end, a touch sense pattern table (51) stores a plurality of touch sense pattern values made up of plural parameter values of a voltage table (52), plural parameter values of a frequency table (53), and plural parameter values of a phase difference table (54). A vibration diving control part (18) applies a driving signal to the piezoelectric elements of first to third groups to vibrate the touch panel (12) based on the parameter values acquired from the voltage table (52), the parameter values acquired from the frequency table (53), and the parameter values acquired from the phase difference table (54), correspondingly to the plurality of the touch sense patterns stored in the touch sense pattern table 51.

Abstract: An EPS includes a first rack and pinion mechanism that converts rotation of a pinion shaft due to a steering operation, to reciprocating motion of a rack shaft; and a steering force assist device that applies a motor torque of a motor as an assist force by using a second rack and pinion mechanism; and an ECU that controls an operation of the steering force assist device. Rack teeth of the rack shaft constituting the first rack and pinion mechanism are formed so that a steering gear ratio is changed depending on a steering angle. The ECU computes a motor neutral point by subtracting a conversion value from a motor angle detection value. The conversion value is computed based on a steering angle detection value by referring to a conversion map that is set taking into account the steering gear ratio corresponding to the steering angle.

Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus is provided which can suppress the difference in steering feel between before and after it is allowed to compute an absolute steering angle and which can improve the steering feel. A basic assist control unit sets a basic assist current value. An assist gain setting unit sets assist gain. The assist gain is fixed to a lower limit value less than one before it is allowed to compute the absolute steering angle, and is gradually increased from the lower limit value to one and is then fixed to one after it is allowed to compute the absolute steering angle. An assist gain multiplication unit corrects the basic assist current value by multiplying the basic assist current value by the assist gain.