Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Kiyotaka Uehira

Kiyotaka Sasanouchi

Koji Oike

Masaharu Ushihara

Kouji Oike

Junichi Yukawa

Shusaku Kawasaki

Kenichi Sakamoto

Kouichi Santo

Masaru Shimizu

Noritaka Ichinomiya

Satoshi Suyama

Toshio Osawa

Koichiro Nakagawa

Kenji Sanpei

Masaharu Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Ushihara

A vehicle switch has a case, a movable body, a spring, a magnet, a detector, and an operating shaft. The movable body is reciprocably accommodated in the case. The spring pushes the movable body in a direction away from an internal bottom of the case. The magnet is attached to the movable body. The detector detects a magnetic flux density generated from the magnet. A lower end of the operating shaft is in contact with the movable body. The movable body has a press contact portion with which the operating shaft is in contact at a point or along a line.

Vehicle switch

A rotation angle sensor is provided with a shaft portion having a torsion bar, a rotation angle sensing portion for detecting rotation angle of the shaft portion, and a torque sensing portion for detecting angle of torsion of the torsion bar. The rotation angle sensing portion and the torque sensing portion improve their own detecting accuracies by using each other's detecting result, whereby the rotation angle sensor can detect rotation angle and angle of torsion of a multi-turn rotatable body with high accuracy and high resolution.

Rotation angle sensor

A device for detecting an absolute rotation angle of multiple rotation with a high accuracy and high resolution by using a target connected to the rotation axis and having an outer circumferential surface to which magnetic poles of alternate polarities are magnetized. The device includes: a first rotor holding a target connected to an input axis and having an outer circumferential surface to which magnetic poles of alternate polarities are magnetized at an identical interval and having a multi-rotatable gear; a second rotor connected to the gear of the first rotor, rotated at a low speed by the first rotor, and having a magnet at the center portion; a first detection unit and a second detection unit for detecting the rotation angles of them. With a simple configuration, it is possible to detect an absolution rotation angle with a high accuracy and a high resolution.

Rotation angle detection device and rotation angle correction method

A detector of an absolute rotation angle and torque includes a first gear coupled to an input shaft of a torsion-bar unit, a gear A engaging with the first gear, and a first detecting section of an absolute rotation angle placed at the center of the gear A. The detector also includes a second gear coupled to an output shaft of the torsion-bar unit, a gear B engaging with the second gear, and a second detecting section of an absolute angle placed at the center of gear B.

Device for detecting absolute rotation angle and torque

A detector of a rotation angle and torque is disclosed. First gear () and second gear () are coupled to input shaft () and output shaft () of a torsion-bar unit respectively. First magnet () magnetized in a radius direction is rigidly mounted to first rotor () engaging with first gear (). Second magnet () magnetized in a radius direction is rigidly mounted to second rotor () engaging with second gear (). Circuit board () is placed between first rotor () and second rotor (). Circuit board () includes first magnetism detecting element () on its first face confronting the first magnet (), and also includes second magnetism detecting element () on its second face confronting the second magnet ().

Device for detecting rotation angle and torque

A switching device in which the intermediate part of shape-memory-alloy wire () is retained by actuator () connected to one end of link mechanism (), and both ends of shape-memory-alloy wire () are fixedly retained by printed-circuit board (). Both end parts of shape-memory-alloy wire () are fixed on printed-circuit board (). This shape-memory-alloy wire () generates heat due to electric power supplied from the circuit, generates the shape-memory effect to deform. This causes actuator () to operate. On this occasion, because the electrically connected part is fixed, even for frequent repetitive operations, damage due to fatigue does not occur, thus improving reliability. In addition, the device can be simplified because it dispenses with a separate part such as a current-carrying wire, and not requiring a process such as an installation work for current-carrying wires offers low-cost switching devices.

Switching device

An input device includes a button, a case operable to guide the button for allowing the button to slide, a switch fixed to the case and activated with the button, a motor fixed to the case, a driving member fixed to one of the button and the motor, a coil spring fixed to other of the button and the motor. The coil spring is operable to be engaged with the driving member. The coil spring is operable to be rotated to move relatively to the driving member. Since the button is linked to the motor with the coil spring, the button moves in up and down directions, and the input device has a simple mechanism operable to activate the switch.

Input device

A torque detector capable of detecting an amount of torque, rotation angle and rotational speed with high resolution. First rotor and second rotor are retained individually in bearings, and they each have a gear on periphery thereof. First magnet and second magnet have pairs of magnetic poles, and disposed to ends of the first rotor and the second rotor respectively. First and second magneto-sensitive elements for detecting magnetic fields produced by the first and the second magnets are placed along an axial direction of the first and the second rotors in a manner to face the first and the second magnets respectively with a predetermined space. An input shaft and an output shaft are in engagement to the first and the second rotors respectively with gears, and the output shaft is connected to the input shaft.

Torque detector

An automotive combination switch having a simple relay connector structure between switch units, comprising a reduced number of components and excelling in assemblability and reliability. The combination switch comprises a light control switch unit (,) containing a plurality of function switches housed in a case having a rib to be fitting to a groove (,) of a main body (,), an elastic mounting knob (,) and a stopper peg (,) provided thereon, also provided in the lower part of the case is a fixed connector (,) for delivering signals from the switches outside; and a wiper control switch unit (,) containing a plurality of function switches housed in a case having likewise a rib, a mounting knob (,), a stopper peg (,) provided thereon and a fixed connector (,). An interconnection lead wire (,) having movable connectors (,) at both ends is attached to the main body (,) with a mobility to be engaged with respective fixed connectors (,) of the switch units when mounted to the main body (,).

Automotive combination switch

A loading apparatus for a recording medium comprises a holder for holding a recording medium, a guide provided on the holder, a slide plate mounting thereon, and a raised member which supports the guide when the recording medium is not inserted into the holder and which releases the support when a recording medium is fully inserted into the holder. The holder is urged downward so that, when the guide is released from the raised member, the recording medium moves downward to a loading position. A discharging plate having a cam mounted thereon is also provided. When the discharging plate is pushed, the cam pushes up the guide, thereby returning the holder to an unloading position. Thus, each of the loading and unloading operations is completed only by one manual operation.

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Osaka, Japan

Kiyotaka Uehira