Abstract: A driving force transmission control apparatus includes: a driving force transmission device that includes an electromagnetic clutch mechanism configured to generate a frictional force between clutch plates by energization of an electromagnetic coil and transmits a driving force by actuating the electromagnetic clutch mechanism; and a control device that controls the driving force transmission device.

Abstract: A control device controls a driving force transmission device that presses a main clutch using an actuator that generates a pressing force according to a supply current. The control device includes a current command value setting unit that sets a current command value based on I-T characteristic information indicating the relationship between a current supplied to the actuator and a driving force transmitted, a correction duration setting unit that sets a correction duration based on a responsiveness related value related to the responsiveness of the main clutch when an increase in the driving force to be transmitted by the main clutch becomes greater than or equal to a threshold, a correction unit that increases and corrects the current command value for the set correction duration, and the current control unit that performs current feedback control such that a current corresponding to the current command value is supplied to the actuator.

Abstract: In a four-wheel-drive vehicle, a hydraulic unit has an electric motor, to which a motor current is supplied from a control device, and a pump that is actuated by rotation of a motor shaft, and a drive force transfer device has a piston that is moved by the pressure of working oil discharged from the pump, and a friction clutch that is switchable between a transfer state and a blocked state, in which transfer of a drive force to rear wheels is allowed and blocked, respectively, in accordance with movement of the piston. The control device detects the presence or absence of an abnormality of a flow passage forming member, which forms a flow passage for working oil, in accordance with at least any of a motor current and the number of revolutions of a motor shaft at the time when the motor shaft is rotated by applying a voltage to the electric motor.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device of the present disclosure includes the steps of sequentially forming an adhesion-improving film, a Pt film, a Sn film, and an Au film on a semiconductor wafer through vapor deposition; dicing the semiconductor wafer to obtain a semiconductor element; sequentially forming a Ni film and an Au film on a substrate through vapor deposition; and laminating the semiconductor element and the substrate so that the Au film formed on the semiconductor element and the Au film formed on the substrate face each other, followed by joining the semiconductor element and the substrate through heating.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device of the present disclosure includes the steps of sequentially forming an adhesion-improving film, a Pt film, a Sn film, and an Au film on a semiconductor wafer through vapor deposition; dicing the semiconductor wafer to obtain a semiconductor element; sequentially forming a Ni film and an Au film on a substrate through vapor deposition; and laminating the semiconductor element and the substrate so that the Au film formed on the semiconductor element and the Au film formed on the substrate face each other, followed by joining the semiconductor element and the substrate through heating.

Abstract: An ignition plug includes a tubular insulator, a metallic shell disposed around the outer circumference of the insulator, a center electrode disposed in an axial hole of the insulator, and a ground electrode connected to the forward end of the metallic shell and facing the center electrode. The metallic shell has a threaded portion to be engaged with an internal combustion engine. The relational expression Ss/(Sa+Sb)?2.6 is satisfied, where Ss is the surface area of an outer circumferential surface of the metallic shell extending from the rear end of the threaded portion to the forward end of the threaded portion, Sa is the surface area of that portion of the metallic shell which is to be exposed to combustion gas of the internal combustion engine, and Sb is the surface area of that portion of the insulator which is to be exposed to the combustion gas.

Abstract: A controller for a driving force transmitting apparatus mounted in a four-wheel-drive vehicle, includes: a driving force controller configured to calculate a command torque indicating a driving force to be transmitted to the sub-drive wheels via the driving force transmitting apparatus based on a traveling state of the four-wheel-drive vehicle and a road surface condition, and to control the driving force transmitting apparatus based on the command torque; and a road surface condition determiner configured to determine that the road surface condition is a high-? condition when a duration of a non-slipping state where a vehicle speed is equal to or higher than a prescribed value and a slip ratio of each of both the main drive wheels is lower than a prescribed value has become equal to or longer than a prescribed time.

Abstract: A control device mounted on a four-wheel drive vehicle includes: a slip ratio calculating unit that obtains a slip ratio of main driving wheels based at least on wheel speeds; a smoothing unit that smooths the slip ratio by filtering; and a driving force control unit that controls a driving force transmission device so that a driving force that is transmitted to auxiliary driving wheels increases as the slip ratio smoothed by the smoothing unit increases.

Abstract: A driving force transmission control apparatus includes: a driving force transmission device that includes an electromagnetic clutch mechanism configured to generate a frictional force between clutch plates by energization of an electromagnetic coil and transmits a driving force by actuating the electromagnetic clutch mechanism; and a control device that controls the driving force transmission device.

Abstract: A control device controls a driving force transmission device that presses a main clutch using an actuator that generates a pressing force according to a supply current. The control device includes a current command value setting unit that sets a current command value based on I-T characteristic information indicating the relationship between a current supplied to the actuator and a driving force transmitted, a correction duration setting unit that sets a correction duration based on a responsiveness related value related to the responsiveness of the main clutch when an increase in the driving force to be transmitted by the main clutch becomes greater than or equal to a threshold, a correction unit that increases and corrects the current command value for the set correction duration, and the current control unit that performs current feedback control such that a current corresponding to the current command value is supplied to the actuator.

Abstract: In a four-wheel-drive vehicle, a hydraulic unit has an electric motor, to which a motor current is supplied from a control device, and a pump that is actuated by rotation of a motor shaft, and a drive force transfer device has a piston that is moved by the pressure of working oil discharged from the pump, and a friction clutch that is switchable between a transfer state and a blocked state, in which transfer of a drive force to rear wheels is allowed and blocked, respectively, in accordance with movement of the piston. The control device detects the presence or absence of an abnormality of a flow passage forming member, which forms a flow passage for working oil, in accordance with at least any of a motor current and the number of revolutions of a motor shaft at the time when the motor shaft is rotated by applying a voltage to the electric motor.

Abstract: A spark plug wherein when a discharge tip is viewed from a direction of an axial line, a melted portion is formed in at least a region on a second-end side of an electrode base material from a center of a discharge layer, and wherein in a section that includes a center line along a longitudinal direction of a ground electrode and that is parallel to an axial line, a proportion of a length of the melted portion along the longitudinal direction to a length of the discharge tip along the longitudinal direction of the electrode base material is greater than or equal to 76.2%, with the length of the melted portion along the longitudinal direction being within a range in which the discharge tip exists along the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A drive force transmission apparatus is mountable on a four-wheel drive vehicle switchable between a four-wheel drive mode that transmits a drive force of an engine to front wheels and rear wheels, and a two-wheel drive mode that transmits the drive force to only the front wheels. The drive force transmission apparatus allows adjustment of the drive force to the rear wheels, and includes a multi-plate clutch, a piston for axially pressing the multi-plate clutch, an actuator for axially moving the piston, and a control unit for controlling the actuator. Upon satisfaction of a predetermined condition that indicates a high probability of the vehicle needing to be switched from the two-wheel drive mode to the four-wheel drive mode, the control unit causes the actuator to displace the piston by a predetermined amount with respect to an initial position of the piston toward the multi-plate clutch.

Abstract: Provided are a practical rib type optical waveguide in which polarization dependence and wavelength dependence and the like are small and an optical multiplexer/demultiplexer using the same. An optical waveguide type optical multiplexer/demultiplexer of the present invention includes a substrate, M input optical waveguides and N output optical waveguides including a single mode rib type optical waveguide, multi-mode optical interference regions including a rib type optical waveguide, and reversible tapered regions that smoothly connect the input/output optical waveguides to the multi-mode optical interference regions and include M×N rib type optical waveguides, and both side surfaces of the multi-mode optical interference region are respectively formed in a stepped shape.

Abstract: A spark plug has an insulator, a center electrode disposed in an axial hole, a resistor disposed in the axial hole and a seal member disposed between the resistor and the center electrode in the axial hole. The insulator includes an inner-diameter decreasing portion and a small inner-diameter portion. The center electrode includes a head portion supported on the inner-diameter decreasing portion of the insulator. The spark plug satisfies the following conditions: 1.8 mm?L; and Cp?11 mm where, assuming a region of the insulator from a boundary of the inner-diameter decreasing portion and the small inner-diameter portion to a rear end of the seal member as a specific region, L is a length of the specific region; D1 is an average inner diameter of the axial hole within the specific region; D2 is an average outer diameter of the specific region; and Cp is L/log(D2/D1).

Abstract: A spark plug wherein when a discharge tip is viewed from a direction of an axial line, a melted portion is formed in at least a region on a second-end side of an electrode base material from a center of a discharge layer, and wherein in a section that includes a center line along a longitudinal direction of a ground electrode and that is parallel to an axial line, a proportion of a length of the melted portion along the longitudinal direction to a length of the discharge tip along the longitudinal direction of the electrode base material is greater than or equal to 76.

Abstract: A controller for a driving force transmitting apparatus mounted in a four-wheel-drive vehicle, includes: a driving force controller configured to calculate a command torque indicating a driving force to be transmitted to the sub-drive wheels via the driving force transmitting apparatus based on a traveling state of the four-wheel-drive vehicle and a road surface condition, and to control the driving force transmitting apparatus based on the command torque; and a road surface condition determiner configured to determine that the road surface condition is a high-? condition when a duration of a non-slipping state where a vehicle speed is equal to or higher than a prescribed value and a slip ratio of each of both the main drive wheels is lower than a prescribed value has become equal to or longer than a prescribed time.

Abstract: A control device mounted on a four-wheel drive vehicle includes: a slip ratio calculating unit that obtains a slip ratio of main driving wheels based at least on wheel speeds; a smoothing unit that smooths the slip ratio by filtering; and a driving force control unit that controls a driving force transmission device so that a driving force that is transmitted to auxiliary driving wheels increases as the slip ratio smoothed by the smoothing unit increases.

Abstract: A control device is mounted on a four-wheel-drive vehicle, and includes a detector and a vibration suppression controller. The detector detects the occurrence of a vibrating state, in which drive wheels and auxiliary drive wheels slip alternately in a four-wheel-drive state in which a drive force is transferred to the auxiliary drive wheels, or the occurrence of a preliminary state for the vibrating state. The vibration suppression controller reduces the drive force which is transferred to the auxiliary drive wheels via a drive force transfer device when the vibrating state or the preliminary state is detected by the detector. The vibration suppression controller reduces the drive force which is transferred to the auxiliary drive wheels on condition that a thermal load of the drive force transfer device is less than a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: Provided is a method for manufacturing a spark plug, wherein at least one of a center electrode and the ground electrode includes an electrode base material and a columnar noble metal tip welded to the electrode base material. The method includes a laser welding step of applying a pulse oscillation laser to form a plurality of unit fusion portions on a peripheral area of a boundary between the electrode base material and the noble metal tip and welding the electrode base material and the noble metal tip. One unit fusion portion is formed by one-time laser irradiation. In the laser welding step, an irradiation axis of the laser is displaced from a central axis of the noble metal tip in a radial direction of the noble metal tip. When a diameter of the noble metal tip is denoted as a diameter A and an amount of displacement of the irradiation axis of the laser is denoted as X, A/20?|X|?A/4 is satisfied.