Denso Corporation

Nippondenso Co., Ltd.

Kenji Morikawa

Hideyuki Hayakawa

Tetsuo Imamura

Nobuhiko Uryu

Toshio Hosokawa

Masayuki Yano

Hirohiko Yoshida

Kenji Tange

A load detecting device includes a substrate, a load receiver arranged on a first face of the substrate, a load detecting element arranged between the substrate and the load receiver, and a supporting portion to support the substrate. The supporting portion is made of metal. The supporting portion is located to overlap with the load receiver in a direction approximately perpendicular to the substrate. The supporting portion has a plurality of projections contacting with a second face of the substrate opposite from the first face. The projections located adjacent to each other are distanced from each other through a trench.

Load detecting device including a load detecting element between a substrate and a load receiver and method of producing the same

A method for manufacturing a load sensor including a load detection element and a support element is provided. The support element includes a base and a spring. The spring includes a support portion, a connection portion bonding to the base, and a connecting member coupling the support portion and the connection portion. The support element transmits a detection load to the load detection element via the base and the spring. The method includes: sandwiching the load detection element between the base and the support portion; bonding the connection portion on the base so that the connecting member is deformed beyond the elastic deformation region to reach the plastic deformation region; pressing the support portion so that a contact surface of the support portion is plastically deformed; and returning deformation of the connecting member to be in the elastic deformation region.

Load sensor having load detection element and support element and method for manufacturing the same

A wheel-side end of a connection link is freely inclined relative to the wheel. A shaft-side end of the connection link is movable substantially in a width direction of the vehicle for steering the wheel. A steering shaft body is substantially in a rod shape extending substantially in the width direction. A steering shaft end is fixed to one end of the steering shaft body and freely inclined relative to the shaft-side end. The steering shaft body and the steering shaft end are movable substantially in the width direction according to an operation of a steering device. A load sensor is interposed between the steering shaft end and the steering shaft body for detecting load applied in an axial direction of the steering shaft to detect force applied to the wheel.

Load sensor device and steering apparatus for vehicle having the same

A detection element detects at least compression load. A first member has a surface provided with the detection element. A preload adjusting member is substantially in a column shape and has a tip end configured to apply pressure to the detection element. The first member and the second member are connected with each other and configured to transmit load to the detection element. The second member has a fitted portion, which has an inner circumferential periphery being press-fitted with the preload adjusting member. The second member causes elastic deformation in response to adjustment of press-fitting of the preload adjusting member and causes change in preload applied to the detection element.

Load sensor and manufacturing method for the same

A sensing apparatus includes a reference voltage generation circuit for generating a first and a second reference signals having different constant voltage levels, an A/D conversion circuit having a ring-gate-delay circuit, and a correction circuit for correcting an output value of the A/D conversion circuit. The A/D conversion circuit converts a load signal and the first and second reference signals to digital data based on the number of times a pulse signal input to the ring-gate-delay circuit circulates through the ring-gate-delay circuit. The correction circuit corrects the output value based on a ratio of a first difference between the digital data to a second difference between the digital data.

Analog-to-digital conversion apparatus and sensing apparatus having the same

A detection element detects at least compression load. A first member has a surface provided with the detection element. A preload adjusting member has a tip end configured to apply pressure to the detection element. The first member and the second member are connected with each other and configured to transmit load to the detection element. The second member has a fitted portion, which has an inner circumferential periphery defining a thread groove, which is screwed with the preload adjusting member. The second member causes elastic deformation in response to adjustment of screwing of the preload adjusting member and causes change in preload applied to the detection element. A buffer member is interposed between the preload adjusting member and the detection element.

A physical quantity sensing element according to the invention includes an insulating layer and a sensing layer. The sensing layer is configured to generate an electrical signal as a function of a physical quantity applied thereto and has a surface that includes a first and a second area. The first area is completely covered with the insulating layer so that the physical quantity is to be applied to both the insulating layer and the sensing layer through the first area; the second area is exposed to an application direction of the physical quantity without being covered with the insulating layer and being subject to application of the physical quantity. With such a structure, easy and reliable electrical connection of the physical quantity sensing element with external devices and circuits is ensured. In addition, several practical methods of fabricating the physical quantity sensing element according to the invention are also provided.

Physical quantity sensing element having improved structure suitable for electrical connection and method of fabricating same

A physical quantity sensor according to the invention includes a first member, a second member, a sensing member, a temperature detector, a correcting circuit, and a heat conduction path thermally connecting the sensing member and the temperature detector. The sensing member is interposed in contact between the first and the second members and configured to generate an electrical signal as a function of a physical quantity applied thereto through one of the first and the second members. The temperature detector detects a temperature of the sensing member. The correcting circuit corrects the electrical signal generated by the sensing member using the temperature detected by the temperature detector and outputs the corrected electrical signal. The heat conduction path is formed through the second member such that the second member has a thermal resistance along the path less than that of the first member in an application direction of the physical quantity.

Physical quantity sensor having enhanced temperature compensation capability

Two axle-side linking portions and two wheel-side linking portions are included in a rotation body. They are alternately arranged in four positions that are disposed, with equal intervals, along a circumference of a coaxial circle within the rotation body. Four regions located between the axle-side linking portions and the wheel-side linking portions are formed by an elastically deformable member. Further, four ceramic load sensors are arranged respectively in middle positions of the four regions along the coaxial circle. Force acting on a tire is thereby detected only from detection values by a load sensor group of the four load sensors.

Device and method for detecting force acting on tire

A load-detecting device includes a supporting member, a load transfer member, a load sensor, and a load sensor supporting member. The load transfer member is supported by the supporting member and includes an elastic displacement area in which an elastic displacement is generated upon receiving a force from a predetermined direction. The load sensor contacts the elastic displacement area of the load transfer member. The load sensor detects a load based on the elastic displacement. The load sensor supporting member supports the load sensor and is connected to the supporting member. The load transfer member, the load sensor, and the load sensor supporting member are provided in this order along the predetermined direction. The supporting member is provided so as not to be in contact with the load sensor. The load transfer member has a lower stiffness in the predetermined direction than the load sensor.

Load-detecting device

A low-noise electric structure of an electric power steering device for automotive vehicles is provided which includes a controller including a substrate on which drive devices working to drive an electric motor are installed. The drive devices, power supply terminal joints, and motor terminal joints are concentrated on a portion of the substrate, thereby permitting a path of current flowing from the power supply terminal joints to the motor terminal joints to be shortened. This results in a decrease in quantity of heat generated from a circuit line extending between the power supply terminal joints and the motor terminal joints.

Circuit structure of electric power steering device

An easy-to-assemble electric power steering device for automotive vehicles is provided which includes an electric motor, a controller, and a torque transmission mechanism. The controller controls a steering assist torque outputted by the motor. The torque transmission mechanism work to transmit the output of the motor to a steering shaft. The steering device also includes a support member which work to support the steering shaft and the controller within a shell. Specifically, the controller is not mounted directly on an inner wall of the shell, but retained by the support member, thus facilitating ease of electrical connection between electrical parts installed on the support member and a substrate of the controller after the substrate is mounted on the support member.

Easy-to-assemble structure of electric power steering device

An automotive electrically-powered steering device is provided which is easy of assembly and electric connections. The steering device includes an electric motor, a motor torque transmission mechanism, a torque detector, and a motor controller which are arranged integrally as a unit. The controller includes a motor driver and a control substrate to which terminals of the motor driver are connected electrically. A steering shaft passes through a portion of the control substrate. The electrical terminals of the motor, the torque detector, and the motor driver extend in an axial direction of the steering shaft and connect electrically to the control substrate from the same side.

Electrically-powered steering device

In a load detecting device, a hermetically sealed sensor chamber is constituted by a sensor head, a bellows, a housing and a stem. A sensor chip for detecting pressure is housed in the sensor chamber that is filled up with liquid. When load is applied to the sensor head, the bellows contracts axially to vary pressure of the liquid. The sensor chip senses the pressure of the liquid so that the load applied to the sensor chamber is detected with higher detecting accuracy.

Load detecting device

A stepping motor according to the present invention comprises a cylindrical permanent magnet on whose outer periphery N and S poles are alternately polarized, a rotatably-supported rotor, a plurality of stator cores having pole teeth arranged so as to face the permanent magnet, an exciting coil for rotating the rotor when the coil is turned on, and at least two protruded teeth serving as auxiliary poles which face the cylindrical surface of the permanent magnet so as to generate a detent torque when it is magnetized by the permanent magnet. And each of the protruded teeth faces the consecutive N an S poles of the permanent magnet.

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Hekinan, Japan

Kenji Morikawa