75results about How to "Reduced in size and cost" patented technology

An electric power steering apparatus requires no external connecting member connecting between a power main body and a control main body, and hence can be reduced in size and cost, and the reliability of electrical connection between the power main body and the control main body can be improved. High current parts constituting the power main body and low current parts constituting the control main body are mounted on opposite sides of a circuit board, and are electrically connected with one another via conductor layers of the circuit board and through holes formed therein.

An electronic control apparatus can be reduced in size and cost by removing a metal substrate part. The apparatus includes a housing having a pair of opening portions at its opposite sides, a heat sink attached to one of the opening portions of the housing, a pair of semiconductor switching elements mounted on the heat sink, a circuit board arranged in opposition to the heat sink, a plurality of conductive plates electrically connecting the circuit board and the semiconductor switching elements to each other, and a plate spring urging the semiconductor switching elements against the heat sink. The plate spring has engagement portions press-fitted to and engaged with inner sides of holding portions which are formed on the housing, and the housing has engagement portions engaged with protruded portions of the heat sink.

Lighting object for providing a light show to an observer. The lighting object includes at least two LEDs, each of which emits light of a different wavelength, and a microcontroller for independently controlling the intensity levels of the at least two LEDs to vary colors perceived by the observer during the light show. The light show includes at least one segment for which a memory stores, for each of the at least two LEDs, a target intensity level and timing information. The microcontroller calculates a plurality of intermediate intensity levels for the at least two LEDs for the duration of the segment based on a starting intensity level, the target intensity level, and the timing information for each of the at least two LEDs. The microcontroller also controls the at least two LEDs to operate at each of the calculated intermediate intensity levels during the segment.

A semiconductor device includes a terminal case containing a semiconductor element, a plurality of pin terminals of equal length mounted in the terminal case and electrically connected to the semiconductor element, the plurality of pin terminals projecting outward from a predetermined surface of the terminal case in the same direction, and at least one protruding pin terminal mounted in the terminal case and projecting outward from the predetermined surface of the terminal case in the same direction farther than the plurality of pin terminals.

A display system (1) having improved viewability and reduced in size and manufacturing cost has a display device (10) which includes an image forming layer (111) capable of emitting display light toward both front and back sides, and which can produce a display on a first surface (11) by a display light portion emitted toward the back side and produce a display on a second surface (12) at the back of the first surface by a display light portion emitted toward the back side. The display also has an optical transmission control device (20, 21) which is placed along at least one of the first surface and the second surface, and which can control transmission of at least one of background light from a position at the back of the second surface as viewed from the first surface side and background light from a position at the back of the first surface as viewed from the second surface side.

A display device is composed of a light source device and a transmissive liquid crystal display panel, and the light source device is provided with a transparent / scattering switching element capable of switching between states in which incident light is transmitted or scattered. Pixels for displaying are disposed in the form of a matrix in the transmissive liquid crystal display panel, and the need for another power supply and signals for the transparent / scattering switching element is eliminated by driving the transparent / scattering switching element using the signals and power supply for driving the pixels. The drive power source of the transparent / scattering switching element for controlling scattering can be made smaller and less costly in a display device that is capable of switching the range of viewing angles.

An instrument (10) for measuring three-dimensional motion in a living body comprises a plurality of magnetism generators (12i) fixed to one of at least two objects (44, 46) moving relatively in the living body, a plurality of magnetic field sensors (14j) fixed to the other object in order to perform noncontact detection of the magnetic field of each magnetism generator (12i), and a signal processing means (26) for calculating relative position and direction between each magnetism generator (12i) and each magnetic field sensor (14j) according to a magnetic field detected by each magnetic field sensor (14j). The number of magnetism generators (12i) and magnetic field sensors (14j) is at least five, respectively.

An electronic control apparatus can be reduced in size and cost by removing a metal substrate part. The apparatus includes a housing having a pair of opening portions at its opposite sides, a heat sink attached to one of the opening portions of the housing, a pair of semiconductor switching elements mounted on the heat sink, a circuit board arranged in opposition to the heat sink, a plurality of conductive plates electrically connecting the circuit board and the semiconductor switching elements to each other, and a plate spring urging the semiconductor switching elements against the heat sink. The plate spring has engagement portions press-fitted to and engaged with inner sides of holding portions which are formed on the housing, and the housing has engagement portions engaged with protruded portions of the heat sink.

An electric power steering apparatus requires no external connecting member connecting between a power main body and a control main body, and hence can be reduced in size and cost, and the reliability of electrical connection between the power main body and the control main body can be improved. High current parts constituting the power main body and low current parts constituting the control main body are mounted on opposite sides of a circuit board, and are electrically connected with one another via conductor layers of the circuit board and through holes formed therein.

A power semiconductor module has a silicon nitride insulated substrate, a metal circuit plate made of Cu or a Cu alloy, which is disposed on one surface of the silicon nitride insulated substrate, a semiconductor chip mounted on the metal circuit plate, and a heat dissipating plate made of Cu or a Cu alloy, which is disposed on the other surface of the silicon nitride insulated substrate; a carbon fiber-metal composite made of carbon fiber and Cu or a Cu alloy is provided between the silicon nitride insulated substrate and the metal circuit plate; the thermal conductivity of the carbon fiber-metal composite in a direction in which carbon fiber of the carbon fiber-metal composite is oriented is 400 W / m·k or more. Accordingly, a power semiconductor module that has a low thermal resistance between the semiconductor chip and a heat dissipating mechanism and also has improved cooling capacity is provided.

To provide a magnetic sensor that can be reduced in size and cost. Provided is a magnetic sensor which comprises: a magnetic field detection chip having a magnetic field detection element for detecting a magnetic field and an output terminal for outputting an output signal from the magnetic field detection element; and a substrate that has the magnetic field detection chip mounted thereon, and has a connection terminal for being connected to the output terminal of the magnetic field detection chip that is formed on a mount face of the substrate. An output-terminal formed face of the magnetic field detection chip is arranged not to be in parallel to the mount face of the substrate. More specifically, the output-terminal formed face of the magnetic field detection chip is arranged almost vertical to the mount face of the substrate.

A control unit including a plurality of boards is formed of a single multilayer metal substrate, whereby an electric power steering apparatus can be obtained in which connection members for connecting between the boards are made unnecessary, so the size and cost of the apparatus can be reduced, and the reliability of bonding can be improved. In the electric power steering apparatus, a power main body (20a) and a control main body (20b) are mounted on a metal substrate (22), and the power main body (20a) and the control main body (20b) are electrically connected to each other by wiring patterns (26a through 26e) and metal columns 28a through 28d in the metal substrate 22.

A high frequency module device having a high frequency circuit block unit including a passive device. A plural number of unit wiring layers, each formed by an insulating layer, having a passive device unit in its portion, and by a pattern wiring, are layered on a dummy substrate, and are released from the dummy substrate to form the high frequency circuit block unit (2), which is mounted on a motherboard (3). The major surfaces of the respective unit wiring layers are planarized. The passive device unit and the pattern wiring, formed on the major surface of each unit wiring layer in the high frequency circuit block unit (2), can be formed with high accuracy to improve high frequency characteristics. The high frequency circuit block unit (2) is not in need of a base substrate, thus achieves reduction in size and cost.

An instrument (10) for measuring three-dimensional motion in a living body comprises a plurality of magnetism generators (12i) fixed to one of at least two objects (44, 46) moving relatively in the living body, a plurality of magnetic field sensors (14j) fixed to the other object in order to perform noncontact detection of the magnetic field of each magnetism generator (12i), and a signal processing means (26) for calculating relative position and direction between each magnetism generator (12i) and each magnetic field sensor (14j) according to a magnetic field detected by each magnetic field sensor (14j). The number of magnetism generators (12i) and magnetic field sensors (14j) is at least five, respectively.

An optical distance measuring sensor has a plurality of light-emitting elements (51-55), a light-emitting lens (1), a photodetector (4) having a light-receiving surface, a light emission driving part (31) to sequentially drive the light-emitting elements, and a distance signal outputting part (31). Light emitted from each light-emitting element passes through the light-emitting lens, then is reflected by an object (32) to be detected, and then gets incident on the light-receiving surface of the photodetector, which outputs a signal corresponding to a position of the incident light in the light-receiving surface. Upon receipt of the signal, the distance signal outputting part outputs a distance signal representing a distance to the object.

A phase modulation section (101) generates a first modulated signal including phase information. An amplitude signal control section (103) generates a second modulated signal including amplitude information. A waveform shaping section (104), when an amplitude of the second modulated signal is larger than a regulated value generates a waveform-shaped modulated signal. An amplitude modulated voltage supply section (105) amplifies the waveform-shaped modulated signal based on the supply voltage from a voltage control section (106) and supplies the amplified signal to a power amplification section (102). The power amplification section (102) amplifies the first modulated signal based on the amplitude modulated voltage, and outputs the resultant signal. The waveform shaping section (104) adjusts the regulated value in accordance with a factor for changing a distorted power generated by the power amplification section (102), such that an ACP generated by the power amplification section (102) becomes a first predetermined value or smaller.

A control unit including a plurality of boards is formed of a single multilayer metal substrate, whereby an electric power steering apparatus can be obtained in which connection members for connecting between the boards are made unnecessary, so the size and cost of the apparatus can be reduced, and the reliability of bonding can be improved. In the electric power steering apparatus, a power main body (20a) and a control main body (20b) are mounted on a metal substrate (22), and the power main body (20a) and the control main body (20b) are electrically connected to each other by wiring patterns (26a through 26e) and metal columns 28a through 28d in the metal substrate 22.

Provided is a holographic optical pickup apparatus which can be reduced in thickness and production cost while having a beam shaping unit. To be specific, in a holographic optical pickup apparatus based on a holographic memory technique, a beam shaping prism for extending a short axis of light with elliptical cross section emitted from a light source is disposed between a spatial light modulator (SLM) and an objective lens. Thereby, a light beam incident on the spatial light modulator (SLM) has an elliptical cross section and is small in diameter, so that the spatial light modulator can be reduced in size and cost.

In a configuration of a technique in the related art, since two Doppler sensors are used to measure velocity in two directions, and a set of transmission circuit and reception circuit are provided for each of directions to be measured, a device becomes large and expensive. Moreover, in the related art, since signal processing is performed by using output of each of the two Doppler sensors, axis adjustment in each of emission directions of the two Doppler sensors needs to be performed separately, therefore there is a difficulty that appropriate axis adjustment is complicated and difficult. An absolute velocity measuring device is mounted in a vehicle, and includes a transceiver for transmitting and receiving a wave, a transmission-wave branch section that branches a unidirectional wave transmitted from the transceiver in a plurality of directions, and converges reflected waves of waves branched in the plurality of directions from the ground into the unidirectional wave to be received by the transceiver, and a signal processing section that obtains a signal based on a reflected wave that has been received from the transceiver, and processes the obtained signal and thus calculates a plurality of kinds of behavioral information of the vehicle, and then outputs the relevant behavioral information.

A phase modulation section (101) generates a first modulated signal including phase information. An amplitude signal control section (103) generates a second modulated signal including amplitude information. A waveform shaping section (104), when an amplitude of the second modulated signal is larger than a regulated value generates a waveform-shaped modulated signal. An amplitude modulated voltage supply section (105) amplifies the waveform-shaped modulated signal based on the supply voltage from a voltage control section (106) and supplies the amplified signal to a power amplification section (102). The power amplification section (102) amplifies the first modulated signal based on the amplitude modulated voltage, and outputs the resultant signal. The waveform shaping section (104) adjusts the regulated value in accordance with a factor for changing a distorted power generated by the power amplification section (102), such that an ACP generated by the power amplification section (102) becomes a first predetermined value or smaller.

An automated tape head assembly for a multiple axis tape laying machine includes a tape supply reel and a tape compaction roller, and a chute. Tape passes from the supply reel, through the chute, to the tape compaction roller. The tape path and at least a portion of the chute are maintained substantially at a zero Gaussian curvature. The tape path and chute are curved to define a compliance loop that results from a substantially or partially unrestrained curved path between the supply reel and the compaction roller. This structure allows the compaction roller to shift laterally and vertically with respect to the supply reel while the supply reel is in a fixed position with respect to the tape head assembly generally. This structure also allows the compaction roller to roll, steer, and follow the fiber tape's natural path, all with significant independence from the supply reel.

One pair of resonant electrodes is formed in a loop shape or a spiral shape in a substrate stacking direction symmetrically to each other. This allows a longitudinal space in substrate to be reduced. A first capacitor having an electrode connected to the grounding conductor layer, an electrode connected to an open-end side of the resonant electrode, and a dielectric layer is provided. A second capacitor having an electrode connected to the grounding conductor layer, an electrode connected to an open-end side of the resonant electrode, and a dielectric layer is also provided. This results in having a desired characteristic even if a length of the resonant electrode is short.

A power tool (1) includes an electric motor (2) as a drive source and a start switch (20; 61) that starts the electric motor (2) and is lockable in an ON position in a lock-ON state. An electromagnetic actuator (30; 40; 50; 60) pushes out or pulls in an actuation pin (30a; 40a; 50a; 60a) with respect to a body of the electromagnetic actuator (30; 40; 50; 60) in response to cutting off of a supply of electrical current to the power tool (1). The pushed-out or pulled-in actuation pin, directly or indirectly, disengages the start switch (20; 61) from the lock-ON state and / or prevents the start switch (20; 61) from being shifted into the lock-ON state.

A motor drive device includes a plurality of control systems that individually supply drive currents to a plurality of coil groups included in a motor. The motor drive device independently sets the current command values for the respective control systems. Based on the set current command values, drive instructions are supplied to drive circuits of inverters with respect to the respective control systems, thereby supplying drive currents from the inverters to the coil groups. The motor drive device detects a failure in any of the inverters and the coil groups with respect to each control system, and stops only the failed control system or causes only the failed control system to fall back. The motor drive device further includes a main computing device, and an auxiliary computing device. Consequently, if the auxiliary computing device is normal even in case the main computing device fails, driving of the motor can be continued using one or some of the control systems.

An image pickup apparatus includes a zoom lens including at least two movable lens groups; an image pickup element that converts an optical image formed with the zoom lens into an electric signal; and an image processor that electrically corrects a lateral chromatic aberration to be generated at the zoom lens. The zoom lens satisfies Conditional Expressions (1) and (2) as follows,−5.0<W—ate(X) / T—ate(X)<−0.2   (1)0.003<|Max—ate(10) / Himg|<0.03   (2)where W_ate(X) is an aberration amount of the lateral chromatic aberration from the C-line to the g-line, at a wide-angle end, corresponding to a (X×10) % image height, T_ate(X) is an aberration amount of the lateral chromatic aberration from the C-line to the g-line, at a telephoto end, corresponding to a (X×10) % image height, Max_ate(X) is one of W_ate(10) and T_ate(10), the one having a larger absolute value, and Himg is a diagonal length of the image pickup element.

One pair of resonant electrodes is formed in a loop shape or a spiral shape in a substrate stacking direction symmetrically to each other. This allows a longitudinal space in substrate to be reduced. A first capacitor having an electrode connected to the grounding conductor layer, an electrode connected to an open-end side of the resonant electrode, and a dielectric layer is provided. A second capacitor having an electrode connected to the grounding conductor layer, an electrode connected to an open-end side of the resonant electrode, and a dielectric layer is also provided. This results in having a desired characteristic even if a length of the resonant electrode is short.

A device such as an MEMS device is fabricated by cutting a laminate of a semiconductor substrate and a glass substrate. Grooves are formed in the glass substrate, and the semiconductor substrate and the glass substrate are laminated together such that the groove faces the semiconductor substrate. The laminated substrates are irradiated with a laser along the groove from the side of the glass substrate to cut the laminate into elements.

A device such as an MEMS device is fabricated by cutting a laminate of a semiconductor substrate and a glass substrate. Grooves are formed in the glass substrate, and the semiconductor substrate and the glass substrate are laminated together such that the groove faces the semiconductor substrate. The laminated substrates are irradiated with a laser along the groove from the side of the glass substrate. In this way, the laminate is cut into elements.

An electrical contact used herein comprises chromium; one of copper and silver; and a carbide, in which the electrical contact comprises a matrix and chromium, the matrix phase mainly comprising one of copper and silver, and the chromium being surrounded by the carbide and dispersed in the matrix. The electrical contact contains 1 to 30 percent by weight of a carbide, with the balance being copper. Another electrical contact contains chromium, copper, and a carbide and has a weight ratio of chromium to the carbide within the range of 1:1.5 to 1:50.