Abstract: A robot hand has a hand base portion mounted on the distal end of the arm, a workpiece holding unit provided to the hand base portion, and a workpiece positioning unit for positioning the workpiece held by the workpiece holding unit in a predetermined position with respect to the workpiece holding unit. The workpiece holding unit has an sucking portion for sucking the surface of the workpiece so as to releasably hold the workpiece, and the sucking portion is elastically deformable in a direction parallel to the surface of the workpiece in the state that the workpiece is sucked. A robot hand having a function of positioning a workpiece in a predetermined position with respect to a workpiece holding unit can be provided.

Abstract: An operation program creating method comprises performing, with a computer, a speed setting step that creates an operation program of a robot in such a manner that speeds at a plurality of teaching points are set, and in the speed setting step, the speed at a specified teaching point on the designed movement path is set based on a position change or a posture change in a plurality of teaching points including the specified teaching point, a teaching point which is upstream of the specified teaching point on the designed movement path, and/or a teaching point which is downstream of the specified teaching point on the designed movement path.

Abstract: A robot cell has a cell skeleton, a ceiling-suspended type robot installed inside of the cell skeleton and having a robot hand for holding a workpiece, and a processing device installed inside of the cell skeleton so as to process the workpiece in a state of being held by the robot hand. In a robot cell for processing a workpiece in a state of being held by a robot hand by a processing device, its space efficiency can be improved.

Abstract: A workpiece reverse support device has a pair of workpiece pinching members for abutting on their respective opposing side portions of the workpiece held by the robot hand so as to pinch the workpiece and a pinching state switching unit for switching the pair of workpiece pinching members between a pinching state of pinching the workpiece and a releasing state of releasing the workpiece. In a workpiece reverse support device for supporting a face/back reverse of a workpiece in a robot hand, flexibility of its installation state, namely installation location, installation posture, or the like can be enhanced.

Abstract: An acceleration pedal reaction force control device imparts to a driver a sensation (feeling) of an appropriate reaction force in accordance for example with an intention of/operation performed by the driver. The acceleration pedal reaction force control device is configured such that when a stepping amount on the acceleration pedal has become equal to or exceeded a threshold stepping amount, whether a reaction force increase rate at which a base reaction force increases to a target reaction force with the threshold stepping amount should be made variable or a reaction force increase amount (enhancing reaction force) for causing the base reaction force to increase to the target reaction force with the threshold stepping amount should be made variable can be set. Thereby, a sensation (feeling) of an appropriate reaction force can be imparted to a driver in accordance for example with an intention of/an operation performed by the driver.

Abstract: An accelerator-pedal-counterforce control device for a vehicle, wherein a counterforce control means sets a value obtained by multiplying a prescribed quantity by a constant-speed position as a counterforce-increase position. The counterforce-increase position is a position of the accelerator pedal at which the counterforce on the accelerator pedal is increased from the base counterforce. The constant-speed position is a position of the accelerator pedal at which constant travel at the current vehicle speed is possible. The prescribed quantity is set as a value for achieving forward-rear acceleration according to each vehicle speed.

Abstract: An accelerator pedal reaction force control device for controlling a depression reaction force of an accelerator pedal provided to a motor vehicle, the control device including: a reaction force actuator that provides the accelerator pedal with a depression reaction force; a target reaction force setting unit that sets a target depression reaction force; and a vehicle speed maintenance depression amount setting unit that sets an amount of depression of the accelerator pedal for maintaining a current vehicle speed as a vehicle speed maintenance depression amount, wherein, when a pedal depression amount exceeds the vehicle speed maintenance depression amount, the target reaction force setting unit performs a cruize assist whereby the target depression reaction force is set to a value of a cruize assist depression reaction force.

Abstract: An accelerator-pedal-counterforce control device for a vehicle, wherein a counterforce control means sets a value obtained by multiplying a prescribed quantity by a constant-speed position as a counterforce-increase position. The counterforce-increase position is a position of the accelerator pedal at which the counterforce on the accelerator pedal is increased from the base counterforce. The constant-speed position is a position of the accelerator pedal at which constant travel at the current vehicle speed is possible. The prescribed quantity is set as a value for achieving forward-rear acceleration according to each vehicle speed.

Abstract: A reaction force control unit calculates a driver's requested output and then estimates a maximum output that can be generated by an engine in a current cylinder deactivation operation. Next, the reaction force control unit calculates a difference between the maximum output and the requested output as an output difference and then determines whether the output difference has reached a predetermined reaction force start threshold value, and if the determination result is Yes, the reaction force control unit estimates a number of to-be-reactivated cylinders on the basis of the output difference and the current cylinder deactivation operation state. Subsequently, the reaction force control unit sets a target reaction force on the basis of the output difference and the number of to-be-reactivated cylinders, and outputs drive current to a reaction force actuator.

Abstract: A reaction force control unit calculates a driver's requested output and then estimates a maximum output that can be generated by an engine in a current cylinder deactivation operation. Next, the reaction force control unit calculates a difference between the maximum output and the requested output as an output difference and then determines whether the output difference has reached a predetermined reaction force start threshold value, and if the determination result is Yes, the reaction force control unit estimates a number of to-be-reactivated cylinders on the basis of the output difference and the current cylinder deactivation operation state. Subsequently, the reaction force control unit sets a target reaction force on the basis of the output difference and the number of to-be-reactivated cylinders, and outputs drive current to a reaction force actuator.

Abstract: An accelerator pedal reaction force control device for controlling a depression reaction force of an accelerator pedal provided to a motor vehicle, the control device including: a reaction force actuator that provides the accelerator pedal with a depression reaction force; a target reaction force setting unit that sets a target depression reaction force; and a vehicle speed maintenance depression amount setting unit that sets an amount of depression of the accelerator pedal for maintaining a current vehicle speed as a vehicle speed maintenance depression amount, wherein, when a pedal depression amount exceeds the vehicle speed maintenance depression amount, the target reaction force setting unit performs a cruise assist whereby the target depression reaction force is set to a value of a cruise assist depression reaction force.

Abstract: Inverted DI cans are fed by a conveyer having partitions in a plurality of rows such that they are spaced apart in each row, and treatment liquid is sprayed against the travelling cans from above and below the center of each row. The liquid is sprayed from above in a uniform and a full-cone pattern greater in area than the top surface of the can and from below also in a full-cone pattern or in a fan-shaped pattern narrow in the widthwise direction of the conveyer and greater in length than the can open end diameter. The liquid is further sprayed against the travelling cans from side nozzles on the opposite sides of and symmetric with respect to the center of each row. The side walls of the cans are thus washed without contact of adjacent cans in the direction of travel of the cans. The washing force is increased in the space between adjacent cans in the direction of travel to prevent washing irregularities and thus permit uniform surface treatment of the inner and outer surfaces of the cans.

Abstract: Inverted DI cans are fed by a conveyer having partitions in a plurality of rows such that they are spaced apart in each row, and treatment liquid is sprayed against the travelling cans from above and below the center of each row. The liquid is sprayed from above in a uniform and a full-cone pattern greater in area than the top surface of the can and from below also in a full-cone pattern or in a fan-shaped pattern narrow in the widthwise direction of the conveyer and greater in length than the can open end diameter. The liquid is further sprayed against the travelling cans from side nozzles on the opposite sides of and symmetric with respect to the center of each row. The side walls of the cans are thus washed without contact of adjacent cans in the direction of travel of the cans. The washing force is increased in the space between adjacent cans in the direction of travel to prevent washing irregularities and thus permit uniform surface treatment of the inner and outer surfaces of the cans.

Abstract: A drying arrangement includes transport device which uses suction or magnetism to produce an attractive force via which containers can be picked up by their bottom wall after they have come out of a washing station, and carried with an open end thereof oriented downwardly, over a nozzle arrangement which suctions off water in liquid form from the containers and over an arrangement which uses hot air to dry off the remaining water.

Abstract: A belt includes a plurality of rows of endless chains and can body conveying sections each defined between adjacent ones of the chains. Each of the endless chains are formed includes a plurality of U-shaped unit members each having a bottom fitted in an open end portion of a preceding one in the row, the engaged portions of the preceding and succeeding unit members being connected together by a plurality of rotatable connecting rods common to the chains. Intermediate rods having a length a little greater than the can body diameter are each provided between adjacent ones of the rods of the chains and also being opposed unit members of adjacent chains. The intermediate rods are disposed at a common elevation as the connecting rods beneath the top of the chains. Thus, the conveyer belt can convey can bodies in a plurality of rows in which the can bodies will not touch each other at the open ends of these can bodies.

Abstract: An idle-up system of a vehicle having a power steering means operates so as to detect some varied information which is presented in the steering system due to a steering operation during an idling operation of an engine of the vehicle, and then to increase idling revolutions according to the detected information.

Abstract: A fuel pump for an internal combustion engine including a casing wherein partition walls divide the upper space of said casing into a fuel drawing chamber receiving fuel from a fuel tank, a fuel chamber discharging the fuel to a carburetor and a vapor separating chamber communicating with the fuel tank. A space between the fuel chamber and the vapor separating chamber enables the communication of the fuel chamber with the vapor separating chamber, so that a large portion of the vapor produced in the fuel chamber removes to the vapor separating chamber and can be returned to the fuel tank, with the result that fuel substantially free from vapor can be supplied to the carburetor.