Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Shigemi Shioya

Kunio Hayashi

Takahiro Iwase

Kazuhiko Tsuda

Yoshisada Wada

Yasushi Hayashida

Seiji Sano

Sadato Kita

Masaki Nakaoka

Hideo Mori

Hiroyuki Takeuchi

Atsushi Muramatsu

Takashi Shimada

Michiya Inui

Kouki Endoh

Wataru Fuwa

In a manufacturing method of a metal member according to an embodiment, the metal member having an overhang portion is molded together with hollow support members that support the overhang portion, by repeatedly forming a molding layer that is selectively melted and solidified by applying a light beam to a predetermined region of a metal powder layer spread over a pedestal. The manufacturing method includes: providing removal members on the pedestal; integrally forming the support members on the removal members; integrally forming the metal member on the support members; and removing the removal members and the support members, by twisting the removal members, from the removal members, the support members, and the metal member that are formed integrally with each other.

Manufacturing method of metal member

Energy absorbing steering devices may include an outer cylindrical member (OU) that is press-fited around an inner shaft member (IN). The outer shape of the inner shaft member and the inner shape of the outer cylindrical member have a circular cross-section and the diameter of the inner shape of the outer cylinder member is larger than the diameter of the outer shape of the inner shaft member. A plurality of fine members (W) is disposed along the axial direction between the circular cross-sectional outer shape and the circular cross-sectional inner shape in order to provide a clearance (G) between the inner shaft member and the outer cylindrical member. The arrangement of the fine members may be modified in order to adjust the rigidity of relative movement along the axial direction of the outer cylindrical member and the inner shaft member.

Energy absorbing type steering device, and method and device for assembling the steering device

Method and apparatus for effecting an interference fit of a first part and a second part, wherein a thrust force is applied to the second part in a direction toward the first part to thereby accelerate the second part for applying a kinetic energy to the second part to cause abutting contact of the second part with the first part for achieving the interference fit of the first and second parts, and wherein the initiation of acceleration of the second part by the thrust force is inhibited until the thrust force has been increased to a predetermined threshold, and is permitted when the thrust force has been increased to the predetermined threshold.

Method and apparatus for effecting interference fit of two parts by accelerating one of the parts

In an inertia-press-fit method in which a kinetic energy is applied to at least one of two members in a direction which causes the two members to approach each other, and the two members are press-fitted with each other, an end surface of the first member and a bottom surface of the second member are caused, for stabilizing a relative position of the two members at a time when the press-fitting ends, to butt each other to define the relative position of the two members at the time when the press-fitting ends and, immediately after the butting, at least one of the two members is caused to plastically deform and thereby absorb a remaining kinetic energy of the one of the two members. Thus, the relative position of the two members when the press-fitting ends is stabilized. In the case where respective plastic-deformation capabilities of the two members are great, a maximal value occurs to a graph whose axis of abscissa represents kinetic energy and whose axis of ordinate represents amount of deviation of relative position of the two members. If the respective plastic-deformation capabilities of the two members are so chosen as to decrease the maximal value, then the amount of deviation of the relative position is decreased even though the accuracy of control of the applied amount of kinetic energy may be low.

Inertia press fitting method

Method and apparatus for effecting an interference fit of two parts, wherein the two parts are held by a holding device such that the two parts are movable toward each other, and at least one of the two parts is accelerated by an accelerating device toward the other or each other in a direction that permits the interference fit, to give the at least one part a kinetic energy, for thereby achieving the interference fit of the two parts.

Method and apparatus for effecting interference fit of two parts by

A steering gear apparatus of the rack-and-pinion type including a pinion formed with helical teeth and a rack member formed with helical teeth which are brought into meshing engagement with the helical teeth of the pinion in such a manner that a steering effort is applied to the meshed portion of the helical teeth of the pinion and rack member at a predetermined angle relative to an axis line of the rack member, the rack member being resiliently biased toward the pinion, wherein the helical teeth of the pinion or the rack member each are formed with a tip portion to be brought into engagement with each root of the helical teeth of the rack member or the pinion.

Growing community of inventors

Okazaki, Japan

Shigemi Shioya