Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Shunichiro Sueyoshi

Yasuo Shimizu

Yoshito Nakamura

Atsuhiko Yoneda

Koji Kobayashi

Tomohiro Hoshi

Nobuhiko Yoshimoto

Yuichi Fukuda

Mizuho Doi

Hitoshi Harada

Hisao Asaumi

Shuji Nagatani

Keisuke Muraoka

Koji Kuriyagawa

Yoshihiro Oniwa

Yutaka Arimura

Takashi Miyoshi

Nobuyuki Kaneko

The present invention provides a battery module comprising: a cell assembly formed by sandwiching a plurality of battery cells by a pair of holding members; and an accommodation case configured to accommodate the cell assembly, wherein the accommodation case includes a vent hole for gas, and wherein a flow path passing through the vent hole is formed in a labyrinth structure by covering the vent hole by a connecting portion between the pair of holding members.

Battery module, electric power unit, and working machine

A working machine with a working unit is configured to perform a work, comprising a battery and a control unit, wherein the control unit has, as operation modes, a normal mode in which the working unit is operable based on power of the battery, and a power saving mode in which the working unit is made inoperable by limiting some of functions, as compared with the normal mode, and power consumption of the battery is suppressed, as compared with the normal mode, thereby, it is possible to improve the usability of the working machine and to appropriately prevent the battery down of a working machine.

Working machine having multiple modes of operation

A battery pack having an air communication passage communicating the interior of the battery pack accommodating battery cells with the exterior of the battery pack, and configured to prevent moisture from reaching the battery cells. The battery pack includes a housing having outer and inner bottom plates, and defining a primary chamber for accommodating battery cells and a secondary chamber between the outer and inner bottom plates. The housing includes an air communication passage communicating the secondary chamber with an exterior of the housing. A part of a bottom surface of the inner bottom plate adjacent to an upright wall inclines upward with respect to a reference surface of the bottom surface of the inner bottom plate away from the outer bottom plate toward the upright wall. The air communication passage includes a first communication hole having an edge located above the reference surface of the inner bottom plate.

Battery pack

An electric power unit having a heat emitting component includes a battery case provided in an extension direction of an output shaft of the motor, and spaced apart from the motor case, and a cooling fan provided between the battery case and the motor case. The battery case includes a discharge port formed at a position facing the cooling fan, and a suction port provided at a position spaced apart from the discharge port.

Electric power unit

A magnetostrictive torque sensor having a first magnetostrictive film and a second magnetostrictive film, which are both provided on a shaft and have different magnetic anisotropies. A first detection coil and a second detection coil are arranged to face the first magnetostrictive film, and a third detection coil and a fourth detection coil are arranged to face the second magnetostrictive film. The first and second detection coils are wound around the same coil bobbin, while the third and fourth detection coils are wound around another common coil bobbin.

Magnetostrictive torque sensor and electric power steering apparatus

A magnetostriction type torque sensor is provided which includes magnetic property change material which is provided on a shaft and whose magnetic property changes in accordance with torque applied to the shaft, an excitation signal generator which generates an excitation signal whose voltage is converted into a predetermined voltage through a switching element, a plurality of detection coils to which the excitation signal generator applies the excitation signal, and which plurality of detection coils outputs voltage, which changes in accordance with change in the magnetic property of the magnetic property change material, between connection points between the detection coils, and an operational state monitor which monitors an operational state of the switching element.

Magnetostriction type torque sensor

For forming an annular magnetostrictive coat on an outer peripheral surface of a rotational shaft associated with a magnetostrictive torque sensor, a magnetostrictive-coat forming method comprises a step of fitting a cylindrical masking jig over the outer peripheral surface of the rotational shaft and securing the masking jig to the outer peripheral surface, a step of placing the rotational shaft in a plating tank to thereby form the magnetostrictive coat by plating on the outer peripheral surface, and a step of detaching the masking jig from the rotational shaft.

Magnetostrictive coat forming method, magnetostrictive torque sensor manufacturing method, and electric power steering apparatus employing the sensor

A magnetostrictive torque sensor includes first and second magnetostrictive films which are provided at a shaft and have different magnetic anisotropies; a first measurement coil and a second measurement coil which face the first magnetostrictive film; and a third measurement coil and a fourth measurement coil which face the second magnetostrictive film. A torque applied to the shaft is measured based on a variation in magnetic characteristics of the first and the second magnetostrictive films; and a failure of the magnetostrictive torque sensor is detected based on a first difference between output values from the first and the second measurement coils and a second difference between output values from the third and the fourth measurement coils. An electric steering system includes the magnetostrictive torque sensor for measuring a steering torque of the system; and an electric motor driven based on the measured magnetostrictive torque for steering the vehicle.

Magnetostrictive torque sensor system and electric steering system

A magnetostrictive torque sensor system stabilizes and detects steering torque applied to a steering shaft. The sensor system comprises magnetic-characteristic variation parts that are provided to the steering shaft, wherein magnetic characteristics of the magnetic-characteristic variation parts change in accordance with the applied torque; coils that are positioned around the magnetic-characteristic variation parts and that respond to changes in the magnetic characteristics; resistance elements that are serially connected to the coils; voltage-applying means for periodically applying a voltage to serial circuits that are formed from the coils and the resistance elements; terminals for retrieving changes in the terminal voltage of the coils; phase-shifting means for inverting the phase of the change in the terminal voltage of the coils; selecting means for alternatingly selecting and outputting the voltage change in the terminals and the voltage change in the output ends of the phase-shifting means; and smoothing means for smoothing the voltage signals output from the selecting means and for outputting a direct-current voltage.

Magnetostrictive torque sensor system and electric power steering apparatus employing the same

For forming an annular magnetostrictive coat on an outer peripheral surface of a rotational shaft associated with a magnetostrictive torque sensor, a magnetostrictive coat forming method comprises a step of fitting a cylindrical masking jig over the outer peripheral surface of the rotational shaft and securing the masking jig to the outer peripheral surface, a step of placing the rotational shaft in a plating tank to thereby form the magnetostrictive coat by plating on the outer peripheral surface, and a step of detaching the masking jig from the rotational shaft.

Method for manufacturing a magnetostrictive torque sensor

Method for forming an annular magnetostrictive coat on an outer peripheral surface of a rotational shaft of magnetostrictive torque sensor

A magnetostriction-type torque sensorincludes a shaftformed of a magnetic material and provided with at least magnetostrictive filmsandexciting coils' and&#x2032; for exciting the magnetostrictive filmsandprovided on the shaftdetection coilsandfor detecting a change in a magnetic field; and yoke portionsrespectively provided around outer peripheries of the exciting coils&#x2032; and&#x2032; and the detection coilsandwherein a magnetic shield sectionformed of a magnetic material is provided around the outer peripheries of the yoke portions

Torque sensor

In a torque sensor having a magnetic metal film with magnetic anisotropy attached to a torque transmission shaft, and an exciting coil and a pair of detector coils each installed near the magnetic metal film, outputs of the detector coils and a reference signal are respectively added in waveform adders when the exciting coil is energized by an exciting power source. Then, the outputs of the adders and the reference signal are respectively compared in phase in phase comparators, and the outputs of the comparators are respectively converted in voltage values. A differential amplifier amplifies a difference between the voltage values, and a torque detector detects direction and magnitude of the torque applied to the torque transmission shaft from polarity and magnitude of the difference voltage value, thereby enabling to accurately detect applied torque even when installed near noise-producing electrical equipment such as an electric power steering system.

In a torque sensor having a magnetic metal film with magnetic anisotropy attached to a torque transmission shaft and an exciting coil and a detector coil each installed near the magnetic metal film, there is provided a reference voltage generator that supplies an ac excitation signal whose reference voltage indicating a midpoint of the ac excitation signal is set to a voltage corresponding to a 50% duty ratio of the ac excitation signal, to the exciting coil, such that a torque applied to the torque transmission shaft is detected based on an output of the detector coil, thereby achieving improved torque detection accuracy by enabling generation of an excitation signal of large amplitude that is free of upper-lower imbalance relative to the reference voltage as the midpoint and accurate detection of the magnitude and accuracy of detection waveform amplitude. In addition, the excitation signal is generated based on clock frequency of a microcomputer that detects the applied torque, thereby achieving improved torque detection accuracy by enabling generation of an excitation signal of large amplitude that is free of upper-lower imbalance relative to the reference voltage as the midpoint and accurate detection of the magnitude and accuracy of detection waveform amplitude.

A rotational torque detection mechanism is provided, which includes a rotational shaft whose first end portion reaches outside the mechanism, a magnetostrictive membrane which is disposed on a surface of the rotational shaft and varies its magnetic permeability according to an amount and direction of rotational torque acting on the rotational shaft, an excitation circuit which is disposed to confront the rotational shaft so as to excite the magnetostrictive membrane and a detection circuit which is disposed to confront the rotational shaft so as to electrically detect a change of the magnetic permeability of the magnetostrictive membrane. In the rotational detection mechanism, the first end portion is adapted to be a free end and a second end portion of the rotational shaft is rotatably supported.

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Wako, Japan

Shunichiro Sueyoshi