Denso Corporation

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Tokai National Higher Education and Research System

Haruhiko Watanabe

Eitaro Tanaka

Goro Ueda

Takuma Yamauchi

Takashi Sato

Tatsumi Kumada

Masaki Harada

Hiroshi Takeda

Akira Oga

Kazuya Taniguchi

Seiichiro Washino

Kazuaki Takemoto

Naoki Ueda

Yasutoshi Yamanaka

Sumio Susa

Takashi Hasegawa

Daisuke Kimura

Shota Chatani

Fuminobu Watanabe

Yuuji Sako

Masatoshi Shioya

Kyoujirou Nakata

Daichi Sakurai

Toshihira Irisawa

Kentaro Takagi

An actuator capable of attaining high output. The actuator includes a frame structure part that forms a frame structure surrounding a housing part, and a volume change part housed in the housing part. The volume change part increases a volume thereof by input of external energy. The frame structure part has a higher Young's modulus than a Young's modulus of the volume change part. The housing part has an anisotropic shape, with a maximum width in first direction of the housing part longer than a maximum width in second direction different from the first direction of the housing part.

Actuator

An actuator device includes an actuator member, a drive subject, a first drive device and a second drive device. The actuator member is configured to be deformed in response to application of energy to the actuator member from an outside. The drive subject is coupled to the actuator member. The first drive device is configured to apply the energy to the actuator member and thereby displace the drive subject in a deforming direction of the actuator member. The second drive device is configured to displace the drive subject in a different direction that is different from the deforming direction of the actuator member.

Actuator device and controller for the actuator device

An actuator device includes an actuator member, a drive subject, a drive device, and a tension applicator. The actuator member is configured to be deformed in response to application of energy to the actuator member from an outside of the actuator member. The drive subject is coupled to the actuator member. The drive device is configured to apply the energy to the actuator member and thereby displace the drive subject in a deforming direction of the actuator member. The tension applicator is configured to apply the actuator member a tension, which enables correction of a tension change generated by at least one of elongation and contraction of the actuator member that is induced by natural deformation of the actuator member.

Actuator device

An actuator that comprises a deformable material, an energy input part, and a characteristics change detection unit. The deformable material is configured with a polymer fiber and, by deforming in response to energy input from the outside, outputs motive power. The energy input part inputs energy to the deformable material. The characteristics change detection unit detects when the deformation characteristic of the deformable material has changed. The actuator also comprises a drive control unit that, by controlling the above-described energy, controls the output of the deformable material. When the characteristic change detection unit detects a change in the deformation characteristic, the drive control unit controls the energy in accordance with the change in the deformation characteristic.

Deformable polymer fiber actuator, sensor device and control device

An occupant detection system may detect a state of an occupant in a vehicle compartment. The occupant detection system may photograph the vehicle compartment and generate an image. The occupant detection system may change an attitude in order to change a position of an imaging region within the vehicle compartment. The occupant detection system may estimate the attitude based on information included in the image and control an operation based on the estimated attitude. The sensor may be provided by an infrared temperature sensor. The image may be provided by a thermal image showing a temperature distribution of the vehicle compartment. The occupant detection system may store a correspondence relationship between a position of a specific temperature boundary included in the thermal image and the attitude. The occupant detection system may estimate the attitude based on the correspondence relationship.

Occupant detection system

An occupant detection system includes a state detection unit that detects a state of an object, a detection position changing unit that changes a position of a detection region, the detection region being a region in which state is detected by the state detection unit, and a controller that controls an operation of the detection position changing unit. In this occupant detection system, a position of the detection region is set to a predetermined initial position during a period of time from when a start switch provided in the vehicle is turned off until when the start switch is turned on.

Occupant detection system, and vehicular air conditioner having the same

A tube is composed of a first plate and a second plate which are opposed and engaged with each other. In a first region on both end sides of the tube, the first plate is formed into a shape in which an edge portion of the first plate is laid along a bent portion of the second plate so that an outer wall face of the tube forms a continuous face. In a second region of the tube, the first plate is formed into a shape in which the edge portion of the first plate is laid between the edge portion of the second plate and the bent portion of the second plate.

Heat exchanger

The inventive entrance/exit piping structurefor an intercooleris formed of a plurality of pipesto, the pipe end portionsare bundled together to have a circular contour and, in a middle portion, the respective pipes are arranged adjacent to each other and are bent together.

Entrance/exit piping structure for intercooler and intercooler

In an exhaust gas heat exchanger for a system where a compressing means is located upstream of an internal combustion engine, and a part of exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine flows into the intake gas at a merge part located upstream of the compressing means, the exhaust gas heat exchanger includes a heat exchanging member. The heat exchanging member is provided adjacently to the merge part, and exchanges heat between the intake gas and the part of the exhaust gas such that the part of the exhaust gas is cooled by the intake gas.

Exhaust gas heat exchanger, exhaust gas recirculation system, and exhaust gas heat exchanging method

A heat exchanger according to the present invention has a plurality of tubes, header tanks and a support. Fluid flows through the plurality of tubes. The header tanks have a core plate and a tank body, and are disposed at longitudinal end portions of the plurality of tubes in such a manner to be communicated with internal spaces of the plurality of tubes. The core plate has approximately arc-shaped cross-section of which both side fringes are fixed onto the tank body and of which a middle portion fixes the longitudinal end portions of the plurality of tubes therein and bulges with respect to the both side fringes toward the plurality of tubes. The tank body and the core plate form an internal space of each of the header tanks. The support retains an interval between the both side fringes.

Growing community of inventors

Kariya, Japan

Haruhiko Watanabe