Abstract: An opening/closing mechanism for a tail gate includes a hinge device configured to rotate the tail gate relative to side walls, and a latch device configured for engagement with a striker provided on the side wall to hold the tail gate in a closed state. The hinge device includes an electric driving device provided on the tail gate and configured to rotate the tail gate by means of a motor, and a coupling configured to couple a body-side engagement portion provided on the side wall and an output shaft of the electric driving device together. The output shaft of the electric driving device fits in a fitting hole portion in a first cylindrical portion formed at one end side of the coupling, and the body-side engagement portion fits in a fitting recessed portion in a second cylindrical portion formed at the other end side of the coupling.

Abstract: In a latch device for holding a tail gate in a closed state by being brought into engagement with a striker provided on a side wall of a loading space, a main shaft, which supports a claw and a ratchet, is supported in a base plate at a right end portion and is supported in a right side portion of a housing at an intermediate portion, which is positioned between the claw and the ratchet, and a pawl shaft, which supports a pawl, is supported in the right side portion of the housing at a right end portion. A first seal member is provided between the main shaft and the right side portion of the housing, and a second seal member is provided between the pawl shaft and the right side portion of the housing.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a replaceable-blade-type saw in which a handle fitting part can be insertably engaged in a guide member even if the width dimension of the handle fitting part is greater than the width dimension of the guide member. In a handle fitting part 3 of a saw blade 1 is formed a slit part 8, which is configured from a first slit part 6 formed inward from the side edge part of the handle fitting part 3, and a second slit part 7 formed as a continuation of the first slit part 6 as well as being formed toward the distal end side of the handle fitting part 3 from an inner end part 6A of the first slit part 6, and a slit outer-side part 9 positioned on the outer side of the slit part 8 of the handle fitting part 3 is elastically moved or elastically deformed inward by the slit part 8 when bearing external force exerted inward from the side-edge-part side.

Abstract: A door lock device including: a latch; a ratchet; an output shaft configured to rotate by a motor; an output lever configured to move the latch from a half latch position to a full latch position when the output shaft is rotated in a normal direction, and to release an engagement of the ratchet to the latch when the output shaft is rotated in a reverse direction; a first metal bracket including a first shaft support hole configured to rotatably support the output shaft; and a second metal bracket including a second shaft support hole configured to rotatably support the output shaft at a location different from that of the first shaft support hole, wherein the first metal bracket and the second metal bracket are fixed to each other by two or more screw holes of the first metal bracket and two or more holes of the second metal bracket.

Abstract: A drive apparatus includes a sun gear, a ring gear, a carrier which supports planetary gears, a drive source which drives the ring gear as an input element, and fixing mechanism which fixes selectively one output element of the sun gear as a first output element and the carrier as a second output element so as not to rotate, and driving force is outputted from the other output element which is other than the one output element of the sun gear and the carrier fixed by the fixing mechanism.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a replaceable-blade-type saw in which a handle fitting part can be insertably engaged in a guide member even if the width dimension of the handle fitting part is greater than the width dimension of the guide member. In a handle fitting part 3 of a saw blade 1 is formed a slit part 8, which is configured from a first slit part 6 formed inward from the side edge part of the handle fitting part 3, and a second slit part 7 formed as a continuation of the first slit part 6 as well as being formed toward the distal end side of the handle fitting part 3 from an inner end part 6A of the first slit part 6, and a slit outer-side part 9 positioned on the outer side of the slit part 8 of the handle fitting part 3 is elastically moved or elastically deformed inward by the slit part 8 when bearing external force exerted inward from the side-edge-part side.

Abstract: A door lock device including: a latch; a ratchet; an output shaft configured to rotate by a motor; an output lever configured to move the latch from a half latch position to a full latch position when the output shaft is rotated in a normal direction, and to release an engagement of the ratchet to the latch when the output shaft is rotated in a reverse direction; a first metal bracket including a first shaft support hole configured to rotatably support the output shaft; and a second metal bracket including a second shaft support hole configured to rotatably support the output shaft at a location different from that of the first shaft support hole, wherein the first metal bracket and the second metal bracket are fixed to each other by two or more screw holes of the first metal bracket and two or more holes of the second metal bracket.

Abstract: A door lock apparatus has a lock mechanism for holding a vehicle door in a closed state, an assisting mechanism for assisting in closing and/or opening the vehicle door, and a driving portion for operating the assisting mechanism, and the driving portion has a plurality of motors in which output shafts are disposed parallel to each other and pinion gears are provided individually on the output shafts, a rotational shaft which is disposed parallel to the respective output shafts of the plurality of motors, an internal ring gear which is fixed to a first end portion of the rotational shaft and which meshes with the respective pinion gears of the plurality of motors, and a worm which is fixed to a second end portion of the rotational shaft and which is configured to transmit power to the assisting mechanism.

Abstract: A door lock apparatus has a lock mechanism for holding a vehicle door in a closed state, an assisting mechanism for assisting in closing and/or opening the vehicle door, and a driving portion for operating the assisting mechanism, and the driving portion has a plurality of motors in which output shafts are disposed parallel to each other and pinion gears are provided individually on the output shafts, a rotational shaft which is disposed parallel to the respective output shafts of the plurality of motors, an internal ring gear which is fixed to a first end portion of the rotational shaft and which meshes with the respective pinion gears of the plurality of motors, and a worm which is fixed to a second end portion of the rotational shaft and which is configured to transmit power to the assisting mechanism.

Abstract: A drive apparatus includes a sun gear, a ring gear, a carrier which supports planetary gears, a drive source which drives the ring gear as an input element, and fixing mechanism which fixes selectively one output element of the sun gear as a first output element and the carrier as a second output element so as not to rotate, and driving force is outputted from the other output element which is other than the one output element of the sun gear and the carrier fixed by the fixing mechanism.

Abstract: A linkage mechanism includes a first link rotatably supported on a fixed shaft, a second link rotatably supported on a latch shaft, and an intermediate link that is rotatably connected to the first link by a first link shaft and rotatably connected to the second link by a second link shaft. While the linkage mechanism moves a latch from a half-latch position into a full-latch position, the first link shaft moves in an area on one side of a plane serving as a boundary including a shaft center of the fixed shaft and a shaft center of the latch shaft, and the second link shaft moves in an area on the other side of the plane serving as the boundary.

Abstract: A vehicle door latch device comprises a base member having a striker-engagement groove which a striker of a vehicle body enters; a latch pivotally mounted to the base member and engagable with the striker; a ratchet pivotally mounted to the base member to engage with the latch to prevent the latch from turning; a latch-detecting switch detecting a turning position of the latch; and a synthetic resin terminal block in which a latch conductive plate is insert-molded. The terminal block has a holding portion that can hold the latch-detecting switch with an elastic claw. The latch conductive plate has a connecting terminal exposed in the holding portion and electrically connected to the latch detecting switch.

Abstract: A linkage mechanism includes a first link rotatably supported on a fixed shaft, a second link rotatably supported on a latch shaft, and an intermediate link that is rotatably connected to the first link by a first link shaft and rotatably connected to the second link by a second link shaft. While the linkage mechanism moves a latch from a half-latch position into a full-latch position, the first link shaft moves in an area on one side of a plane serving as a boundary including a shaft center of the fixed shaft and a shaft center of the latch shaft, and the second link shaft moves in an area on the other side of the plane serving as the boundary.

Abstract: A vehicle door latch device comprises a base member having a striker-engagement groove which a striker of a vehicle body enters; a latch pivotally mounted to the base member and engagable with the striker; a ratchet pivotally mounted to the base member to engage with the latch to prevent the latch from turning; a latch-detecting switch detecting a turning position of the latch; and a terminal block in which a latch conductive plate is formed by insert molding. The terminal block has a holding portion for the latch-detecting switch without coupling means. The latch conductive plate has a connecting terminal exposed in the holding portion and electrically connected to the latch detecting switch.

Abstract: A connecting rod is provided with a bent portion in a substantially middle part thereof so that a lower section of the connecting rod below the substantially middle part in a vertical direction may be inclined, with respect to the longitudinal direction of a guide rail, toward a center of an opening, and at the same time, an upper section of the connecting rod above the substantially middle part may be substantially in parallel to the longitudinal direction of the guide rail and offset from a side face of the guide rail directed to the center of the opening toward the center of the opening, when the connecting rod is in a position corresponding to a closed position of an open/close member.

Abstract: A rear gate is constructed to be opened and closed by a driving unit installed on a vehicle body side, and the driving unit is constructed to have a motor which can rotate both in normal and reverse directions, a gearbox to which a pinion is pivotally attached for reducing the rotating speed of the motor for output, and a rack adapted to reciprocate in directions normal to an axial direction of a hinge shaft by virtue of the rotation of the pinion and connected to the rear gate at one end thereof. An electromagnetic clutch for connecting and disconnecting a power transmission path between an output shaft of the motor and the pinion is provided in the interior of the gearbox, so that the rack is disposed above or below the gearbox at a position directly above or below the clutch.

Abstract: Ultradispersed ones of primary particles of nanometer-sized carbon are obtained by applying a wet-type milling method and/or a wet dispersion method to an aggregate structure of the primary particles to overcome van der Waals forces, by which forces the primary particles are held together to form the aggregate structure, whereby the ultradispersed primary particles are obtained in a colloidal dispersion on a large-scale basis at low cost without using any additive. In a method of manufacturing the ultradispersed primary particles, the wet-type milling method is carried out in a ball mill, preferably in combination with a high-energy ultrasonic-wave process carried out in a dispersing medium such as pure water, whereby a colloidal solution or slurry with a low-concentration of the primary particles ultradispersed in the dispersing medium is obtained.

Abstract: A connecting rod is provided with a bent portion in a substantially middle part thereof so that a lower section of the connecting rod below the substantially middle part in a vertical direction may be inclined, with respect to the longitudinal direction of a guide rail, toward a center of an opening, and at the same time, an upper section of the connecting rod above the substantially middle part may be substantially in parallel to the longitudinal direction of the guide rail and offset from a side face of the guide rail directed to the center of the opening toward the center of the opening, when the connecting rod is in a position corresponding to a closed position of an open/close member.

Abstract: For pivotally connecting an upper end of a rack bar and a lower end of a connecting rod, there is employed a joint/slider unit which is slid in and along a guide slot of a rail member. The unit comprises a bolt member passing through the guide slot and including first and second sections which are respectively projected into one and the other sides with respect to the rail member. The first section is held by the upper end of the rack bar and the second section is pivotally held by the lower end of the connecting rod. A first slider is disposed on the first section of the bolt member and slidably contacts one surface of the rail member. A second slider is disposed on the second section of the bolt member and slidably contacts the other surface of the rail member. A universal joint structure is disposed between the second slider and lower end of the connecting rod to permit a pivoting of the connecting rod relative to the bolt member in universal directions.

Abstract: A rear gate is constructed to be opened and closed by a driving unit installed on a vehicle body side, and the driving unit is constructed to have a motor which can rotate both in normal and reverse directions, a gearbox to which a pinion is pivotally attached for reducing the rotating speed of the motor for output, and a rack adapted to reciprocate in directions normal to an axial direction of a hinge shaft by virtue of the rotation of the pinion and connected to the rear gate at one end thereof. An electromagnetic clutch for connecting and disconnecting a power transmission path between an output shaft of the motor and the pinion is provided in the interior of the gearbox, so that the rack is disposed above or below the gearbox at a position directly above or below the clutch.