Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Yoshinori Masubuchi

Hideaki Takada

Hiroshi Mizuguchi

Hiroshi Watabe

Taiichi Otobe

Makoto Yamamura

Shinsaku Nakayama

Toshinori Inagawa

Kazuhisa Sato

Naoki Hiroshima

Hajime Yoshimura

Koji Kasai

Hiroo Kanke

Yoshihiko Yamagishi

Toyoshi Yasuda

Junichi Eguchi

Jun Itoh

Shigeo Terada

Yutaka Hayashi

Provided is a steering apparatusincluding: a wheel; and a steering unitconfigured to steer the wheel, the steering apparatusbeing fixable to a vehicle body, wherein the steering unitincludes: a steering drive source (an electric motor incorporated in an electric motor unit) configured to steer the wheelwith a steering rotation axisas an axis, the steering rotation axisbeing a rotation axis when the wheelis steered; and a manual toe angle adjustment mechanismdifferent from the steering drive source, the manual toe angle adjustment mechanismenabling a toe angle of the wheelto be manually adjusted around the steering rotation axis

Steering apparatus

In a monitoring system for a power wheelchair (low-speed mobility vehicle) and having a remote monitoring device connected to the wheelchair through a communicator, it is determined whether the wheelchair strands based on detected acceleration, and when it does, a vehicle-stranded signal that the vehicle strands is transmitted to the remote monitoring device through the communicator and predesignated information addressees including a dealer, a data terminal owned by the operator's family and emergency assistance providers such as the police or hospital are informed in response to the signal that the vehicle is stranded, thereby enabling to respond rapidly and appropriately when the wheelchair becomes stranded.

Monitoring system for vehicle

In an apparatus for controlling an autonomous operating vehicle having an operating machine and a magnetic sensor adapted to detect a border of a travel-scheduled area, the vehicle is controlled to travel around the area from a start point along the border to sequentially record traveling directions and traveled distances on a bitmap. The generated travel trajectory is transformed to map information. A position of the vehicle is detected using bits of the bitmap of the transformed map information, and the vehicle is controlled to, as traveling straight in the north-south directions, while perform the operation with the operating machine based on the calculated traveling direction, the calculated traveled distance and the determined position, utilizing a primary reference direction obtained from a geomagnetic sensor as a reference.

Control apparatus for autonomous operating vehicle

In an apparatus for controlling an autonomous operating vehicle having a prime mover and operating machine, it is configured to have a geomagnetic sensor responsive to magnets embedded in the area, detect angular velocity generated about z-axis in center of gravity of the vehicle, detect a wheel speed of the driven wheel, store map information including magnet embedded positions, detect a primary reference direction, detect a vehicle position relative to the magnet, and detect a vehicle position in the area, calculate a traveling direction and traveled distance of the vehicle, and control the operation performed through the operating machine in the area in accordance with a preset operation program based on the detected direction, the detected position of the vehicle in the area, the calculated traveling direction and the calculated traveled distance.

In an apparatus for controlling an autonomous operating vehicle, a traveling direction and traveled distance are calculated based on outputs of wheel speed sensor and angular velocity sensor, and the vehicle is controlled to, as traveling straight, perform the operation using an operating machine in accordance with a predetermined travel pattern in a travel-scheduled area based on the calculated traveling direction and traveled distance. It is determined whether a difference between a scheduled-travel distance scheduled in the predetermined travel pattern and an actual traveled distance exceeds a permissible value when the vehicle is traveled straight and a center value of the outputs of the angular velocity sensor is corrected when the difference is determined to exceed the permissible value.

In an apparatus for connecting two generators to run in parallel, having plugs connectable to each generator output socket, an output socket connected to an electrical load, conductive paths that connect the plugs to the output socket while merging to a common path at a junction before the output socket, and a switching circuit that opens/closes the conductive paths, there are equipped with a connecting path that interconnects the conductive paths before the junction, a dummy load installed at the connecting path and current sensors installed at each conductive path. Disconnection of the plug from the socket is detected from the detected currents and the conductive paths are opened not to connect the generators to the electrical load, thereby preventing an output of the other of the generators from appearing at the terminals of the disconnected plug, and further preventing misjudging current change of the instantaneous no load condition as plug disconnection.

Connection apparatus for parallel running generators

In a cycloconverter generator, there are provided, q number of power circuits that supply rectified DC power of a DC power supply unit as operating power to the p(p&#x3e;q) number of thyristors, and r(p&#x3e;r) number of thyristor drive circuits that are connected to the q number of the power circuits and drive the p number of the thyristors, wherein the r number of the thyristors drive circuits are individually used to drive in common ones among the p number of the thyristors whose operation is unaffected even if driven at the same timing such that the number r of the drive circuits is made smaller than the number p of the thyristors, thereby enabling to simplify circuit configuration.

Cycloconverter generator

In an apparatus for series-connecting at least two engine generators driven by an internal engine and each generates and outputs alternating current through single-phase two-wire output terminals, there are equipped with a magnetic coupler such as transformer that can magnetically couple the single-phase two-wire output terminals of the generators with the primary side and the secondary side, and a connector that can connect one of the single-phase two-wire output terminals of one of the generators and one of the single-phase two-wire output terminals of other of the generators. With this, single-phase three-wire output terminals are formed by the single-phase two-wire output terminals of the generators using the connector as a neutral line, without a communication line.

Series connection apparatus for generators

In a cycloconverter generator, AC power required by the load is detected and a desired speed of the engine is determined based on the required AC power, operation of an actuator is controlled such that the engine speed becomes equal to the desired engine speed, and the required AC power is generated by turning on switching elements (thyristors) such that a number of the phase signal within one period of frequency of the AC power, becomes equal to a number determined by the desired engine speed, thereby preventing undesirable increase in fuel consumption and noise by operating the engine at a speed corresponding to required AC power and enabling to generate stable AC power even when the engine speed changes abruptly.

In a system for controlling outboard motors each mounted on a boat and each having an internal combustion engine and a shift mechanism, an actuator driving at least one of the shift mechanism and a throttle valve of the engine, and a controller controlling operation of the actuator, comprising: a navigation unit having a steering wheel installed to be freely operable by an operator and a steering angle detector producing an output indicative of a steering angle of the steering wheel, wherein the outboard motors are immovably fastened to the boat, such that each of the controllers controls the operation of the actuator cooperatively based on the output of the steering angle detector, to regulate traveling direction of the boat. With this, it becomes possible to control a traveling direction of the boat based on a steering command issued by the operator, while achieving a compact outboard motor.

Outboard motor control system

In a system for controlling outboard motors each mounted on a boat and each having an engine, a steering mechanism, a shift mechanism, an actuator driving at least one of the steering mechanism, the shift mechanism and a throttle valve of the engine, and a controller controlling operation of the actuator, comprising: a steering wheel operable by an operator; a shift/throttle lever operable by the operator; and a manipulated variable detector producing an output indicative of manipulated variable of at least one of the steering wheel and the shift/throttle lever; the manipulated variable detector being separately connected to each of the controllers in the outboard motors through an electric signal line to send the output to the controllers. With this, it becomes possible to control the operation of the actuators in the outboard motors separately for the individual outboard motors with simple structure without identifying the respective outboard motors.

In a cycloconverter generator equipped with an AC power generator that generates single-phase AC power to be supplied to a load by turning on positive and negative switching elements at variable timing every half-period of a desired AC power frequency based on a phase signal and a DC power generator that generates DC power by turning on the positive switching elements in accordance with a timing determined by desired DC voltage, there is installed with a selection switch that is installed to be operable by an user and produces an output indicative of a result of the user's selection between the AC power and DC power thereby enabling to the user to easily select either one of alternating current and direct current.

In a boat having a seat, a steering wheel, and an outboard motor, an outboard motor steering system is provided, where the steering wheel is installed near the seat a steering angle sensor installed near the steering wheel for outputting a signal indicative of a steering angle of the steering wheel. The steering system also includes a swivel shaft connected to a propeller to turn the propeller relative to the boat, and an electric motor connected to the swivel shaft for rotating the swivel shaft in response to the detected steering angle. The steering system also includes a manipulation load regulation mechanism, such as a hydraulic damper, to produce an added load for increasing a manipulation load of the steering wheel, thereby enabling reduced operator load by using the electric motor to steer the outboard motor, while improving the operator's feel of steering wheel manipulation.

Outboard motor steering system

An outboard motor steering system for an outboard motor mounted on a stern of a boat and having an internal combustion engine and a propeller with a rudder powered by the engine to propel and steer the boat. The system includes a swivel shaft connected to the propeller, a swivel case rotatably accommodating the swivel shaft, and a hydraulic cylinder connected to the swivel shaft to rotate it. The swivel case is formed with a box-like recess to accommodate the hydraulic cylinder therein such that the hydraulic cylinder does not project outside a profile of the outboard motor, regardless of a steered angle of the outboard motor. A rotation angle sensor is also installed in the recess and outputs a signal indicative of an angle of swivel shaft rotation. Further, moving orifices are provided in a hydraulic pressure circuit of the actuator for relieving excessive hydraulic pressure. Thus, space utilization around the outboard motor and boat is not restricted and steering feel is improved.

In a shift mechanism for an outboard motor mounted on a stem of a boat and having an internal combustion engine at its upper portion and a propeller at its lower portion that is powered by the engine to propel the boat, having an electric motor installed in the outboard motor, a shift rod rotatably connected to the electric motor, a shifter clutch connected to the shift rod, the shifter clutch being movable by the shift rod from a neutral position to engage with at least one of a forward gear and a reverse gear, and a controller controlling the electric motor to rotate the shift rod such that the shifter clutch engages with the forward gear or the reverse gear, corresponding to an inputted shift instruction made by the operator, there is provided a shock mitigator mitigating shock generated during the shift. The shock mitigator comprises projections formed on the clutch and the forward/reverse gear. Alternatively, the electric motor and its reduction-gear mechanism are accommodated in a case to be located above the shift rod. Further, there is provided an emergency gear that allows the shift rod to be rotated manually to effect shift.

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Wako, Japan

Yoshinori Masubuchi