Abstract: In a universal joint, a cross shaft member includes four shaft parts forming a cross-shape. Each of four bearing cups corresponding respectively to the shaft parts has a hollow-cylindrical shape having a bottom and is rotatably mounted to the corresponding shaft part through a roller disposed between an inner peripheral surface of the each bearing cup and an outer peripheral surface of the corresponding shaft part. Each bearing cup includes an inner bottom surface in sliding contact with a distal end surface of the corresponding shaft part, wherein the sliding contact is in an annular region encompassing a central axis of the corresponding shaft part. The distal end surface of each shaft part is formed with an annular groove encompassing the central axis of the first shaft part for storing oil.

Abstract: A support device of a propeller shaft comprises an annular bracket fixed to a floor member of a vehicle body; an annular elastic member disposed in the annular bracket; an annular supporting structure disposed in the annular elastic member and rotatably supporting a cylindrical given portion of the propeller shaft through a ball bearing unit; and an annular seal member intimately disposed in an annular space defined between the annular supporting structure and the cylindrical given portion of the propeller shaft. One of outer and inner cylindrical surfaces of the annular seal member is in slidable contact with either one of an inner cylindrical surface of the annular supporting structure and an outer cylindrical surface of the cylindrical given portion of the propeller shaft.

Abstract: A disk laminate includes thin disks laminated to each other, which are to be suctioned and conveyed; and spacers provided between the thin disks to prevent the thin disks from directly contacting each other, the spacers having air permeability.

Abstract: A disclosed disk clamping mechanism includes a turntable fixed on a rotational shaft of a spindle motor to rotate a flexible thin optical disk, a stabilizer member configured to suppress a run-out of the flexible thin optical disk by an applying aerodynamic force to the rotating flexible thin optical disk so as to stabilize the run-out of the rotating flexible thin optical disk, and a clamper movably supported in a center of the stabilizer member in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the flexible thin optical disk. In the disclosed disk clamping mechanism, the flexible thin optical disk is sandwiched between the turntable and the clamper such that the turntable and the clamper rotate the flexible thin optical member sandwiched in-between.

Abstract: A disk rotating device includes a flexible disk in which information is recordable, a turntable on which the disk is held, a spindle that rotates the disk held on the turntable, and a stabilizer that stabilizes the rotating disk. In the disk rotating device, a rotation transmitting device transmits the rotation of the spindle to the disk via the turntable, and a disk holding device holds the disk so that the disk is elastically deformable from a center of the rotation of the disk in a radial direction of the disk.

Abstract: In a universal joint, a cross shaft member includes four shaft parts forming a cross-shape. Each of four bearing cups corresponding respectively to the shaft parts has a hollow-cylindrical shape having a bottom and is rotatably mounted to the corresponding shaft part through a roller disposed between an inner peripheral surface of the each bearing cup and an outer peripheral surface of the corresponding shaft part. Each bearing cup includes an inner bottom surface in sliding contact with a distal end surface of the corresponding shaft part, wherein the sliding contact is in an annular region encompassing a central axis of the corresponding shaft part. The distal end surface of each shaft part is formed with an annular groove encompassing the central axis of the first shaft part for storing oil.

Abstract: A data recording/reproduction method for performing a data recording/reproduction process on a flexible optical disk by rotating the flexible optical disk while controlling an axial runout of the flexible optical disk with a stabilizing member that applies an aerodynamic force to the flexible optical disk, and irradiating an optical beam and focusing the optical beam to the flexible optical disk is disclosed that includes the steps of a) generating a first axial runout, b) generating a focus error signal forming an S-curve when the first axial runout is generated, c) determining a position of the optical beam according to the focus error signal, d) generating a second axial runout that is smaller than the first axial runout after step c), and e) conducting at least one of the data recording process and the data reproduction process after step d).

Abstract: A recording/reproducing apparatus is disclosed that includes a spindle motor unit including a spindle on which a flexible recording disk is placed, a stabilizer plate disposed so as to face the recording disk, a torque detection unit configured to detect a drive torque applied to the spindle motor unit, an adjustment unit configured to adjust a gap between the recording disk and the stabilizer plate, and a determination unit configured to determine an optimal gap to be set to the gap based on the drive torque detected by the torque detection unit, in which the adjustment unit sets the optimum gap determined by the determination unit to the gap.

Abstract: A power transmitting shaft includes a coupling member, a cylindrical intermediate member, a tube member and an increased diameter portion. The coupling member connects to a counterpart. The cylindrical intermediate member is on a side of one end of the coupling member and has a mechanical strength larger than that of the coupling member. The tube member has one end portion connected to either one of an inner circumferential portion of the intermediate member and an outer circumferential portion of the intermediate member. The increased diameter portion is on one end portion of the intermediate member which is opposed to the one end of the coupling member in an axial direction of the power transmitting shaft. The increased diameter portion is connected with the one end of the coupling member in the axial direction.

Abstract: A recording/reproducing apparatus is disclosed that includes a spindle motor unit including a spindle on which a flexible recording disk is placed, a stabilizer plate disposed so as to face the recording disk, a torque detection unit configured to detect a drive torque applied to the spindle motor unit, an adjustment unit configured to adjust a gap between the recording disk and the stabilizer plate, and a determination unit configured to determine an optimal gap to be set to the gap based on the drive torque detected by the torque detection unit, in which the adjustment unit sets the optimum gap determined by the determination unit to the gap.

Abstract: A recording/reproducing apparatus is disclosed that includes a spindle motor unit including a spindle on which a flexible recording disk is placed, a stabilizer plate disposed so as to face the recording disk, a torque detection unit configured to detect a drive torque applied to the spindle motor unit, an adjustment unit configured to adjust a gap between the recording disk and the stabilizer plate, and a determination unit configured to determine an optimal gap to be set to the gap based on the drive torque detected by the torque detection unit, in which the adjustment unit sets the optimum gap determined by the determination unit to the gap.

Abstract: A disk laminate includes thin disks laminated to each other, which are to be suctioned and conveyed; and spacers provided between the thin disks to prevent the thin disks from directly contacting each other, the spacers having air permeability.

Abstract: A disclosed disk clamping mechanism includes a turntable fixed on a rotational shaft of a spindle motor to rotate a flexible thin optical disk, a stabilizer member configured to suppress a run-out of the flexible thin optical disk by an applying aerodynamic force to the rotating flexible thin optical disk so as to stabilize the run-out of the rotating flexible thin optical disk, and a clamper movably supported in a center of the stabilizer member in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the flexible thin optical disk. In the disclosed disk clamping mechanism, the flexible thin optical disk is sandwiched between the turntable and the clamper such that the turntable and the clamper rotate the flexible thin optical member sandwiched in-between.

Abstract: A disk rotating device includes a flexible disk in which information is recordable, a turntable on which the disk is held, a spindle that rotates the disk held on the turntable, and a stabilizer that stabilizes the rotating disk. In the disk rotating device, a rotation transmitting device transmits the rotation of the spindle to the disk via the turntable, and a disk holding device holds the disk so that the disk is elastically deformable from a center of the rotation of the disk in a radial direction of the disk.

Abstract: A power transmitting shaft including a coupling member that is connected to a counterpart, a cylindrical intermediate member that is disposed on a side of one end of the coupling member and has a mechanical strength larger than that of the coupling member, a tube member having one end portion that is connected to either one of an inner circumferential portion of the intermediate member and an outer circumferential portion of the intermediate member, and an increased diameter portion that is disposed on one end portion of the intermediate member which is opposed to the one end of the coupling member in an axial direction of the power transmitting shaft, the increased diameter portion being connected with the one end of the coupling member in the axial direction.

Abstract: A recording/reproducing apparatus is disclosed that includes a spindle motor unit including a spindle on which a flexible recording disk is placed, a stabilizer plate disposed so as to face the recording disk, a torque detection unit configured to detect a drive torque applied to the spindle motor unit, an adjustment unit configured to adjust a gap between the recording disk and the stabilizer plate, and a determination unit configured to determine an optimal gap to be set to the gap based on the drive torque detected by the torque detection unit, in which the adjustment unit sets the optimum gap determined by the determination unit to the gap.

Abstract: A data recording/reproduction method for performing a data recording/reproduction process on a flexible optical disk by rotating the flexible optical disk while controlling an axial runout of the flexible optical disk with a stabilizing member that applies an aerodynamic force to the flexible optical disk, and irradiating an optical beam and focusing the optical beam to the flexible optical disk is disclosed that includes the steps of a) generating a first axial runout, b) generating a focus error signal forming an S-curve when the first axial runout is generated, c) determining a position of the optical beam according to the focus error signal, d) generating a second axial runout that is smaller than the first axial runout after step c), and e) conducting at least one of the data recording process and the data reproduction process after step d).

Abstract: A support device of a propeller shaft comprises an annular bracket fixed to a floor member of a vehicle body; an annular elastic member disposed in the annular bracket; an annular supporting structure disposed in the annular elastic member and rotatably supporting a cylindrical given portion of the propeller shaft through a ball bearing unit; and an annular seal member intimately disposed in an annular space defined between the annular supporting structure and the cylindrical given portion of the propeller shaft. One of outer and inner cylindrical surfaces of the annular seal member is in slidable contact with either one of an inner cylindrical surface of the annular supporting structure and an outer cylindrical surface of the cylindrical given portion of the propeller shaft.

Abstract: A method for driving a gas discharge display panel consists of the steps of applying a writing pulse on a specific display electrode line selected from display electrode lines arranged side by side in the panel, applying a scanning pulse on a specific scanning electrode line selected from scanning electrode lines which are arranged side by side and cross the display electrode lines to produce writing gas discharge in cooperation with the writing pulse in a specific discharge cell arranged at an intersection space between the specific display electrode and the specific scanning electrode line, and applying a series of maintaining pulses subsequent to the scanning pulse on the specific scanning electrode during only a maintaining period to produce maintaining gas discharge subsequent to the writing gas discharge in the specific discharge cell, the maintaining gas discharge being intermittently produced in synchronism with the maintaining pulses.

Abstract: A display anode connected to a display anode bus bar and a display cathode connected to a cathode bus bar cooperatively constitute a display cell. An auxiliary anode connected to an auxiliary anode bus bar and an auxiliary cathode connected to an auxiliary cathode bus bar cooperatively constitute an auxiliary cell. Each of the display anode is connected in series with a display anode resistance. Each of the auxiliary anode is connected in series with an auxiliary anode resistance.