Disclosed herein is a joint unit including two facing gears that include respective two bevel gear members that face each other, and an intermediate gear that has a bevel gear member meshing with both the two bevel gear members. One of the two facing gears and the intermediate gear includes a first member including an inner circumferential portion of the bevel gear member of the one of the two facing gears and the intermediate gear; a second member including an outer circumferential portion of the bevel gear member of the one of the two facing gears and the intermediate gear; and a resilient member attached to one of the first member and the second member for normally urging the other of the first member and the second member to move in a direction along the directions of rotation of the one of the two facing gears and the intermediate gear.

An optical device including a lens and a control member configured such that motion of the control member produces a change in the optical power provided along an optical axis of the lens. The optical device further includes a framework, a motor and a driving member. The motor includes an output shaft rotatively coupled to said driving member. The motor and the control member are mounted in the framework such that the driving member and the control member mechanically cooperate. The driving member is rotatably mounted in the framework. The optical device comprises biasing means for maintaining the driving member in a predetermined axial position along the output shaft axis and relative to the framework. This optical device can be used in an optometric equipment.

A steering system comprises a first engagement member; a second engagement member to be engaged with the first engagement member; a supporting portion to support the second engagement member; and an elastic member at least partially enclosed in the supporting portion to apply a preload to the second engagement member and absorb an impact load. The elastic member has a first deformation under a first load and at least a second deformation under a second load greater than the first load, and a ratio of the first load to the first deformation is less than a ratio of the second load to the second deformation.

Backlash is controlled in an opposed-piston engine that includes two crankshafts disposed in a parallel, spaced-apart relationship and a gear train coupling the first and second crankshafts, the gear train including a driving gear coupled to the first crankshaft and a split gear assembly engaged with the driving gear to transfer rotation from the driving gear to the split gear assembly. The split gear assembly includes first and second gears, a spring mechanism that acts to angularly offset the first gear relative to the second gear in a first direction, and a one-way clutch mechanism that prevents relative angular movement of the first gear relative to the second gear in a second direction opposite the first direction.

A power take off unit includes an input gear, an output gear, and an intermediary gear that cooperate to transfer power from a rotational power source to an operating target. The power take off unit has a control module that biases the intermediary gear relative to the input gear and the output gear to reduce gear rattle vibrations associated with intermeshed tooth looseness.

A power steering device includes a bearing configured to rotatably support the tip side of a worm shaft, the gear case housing the worm shaft and a holder housed in a housing hole provided in the gear case and configured to house the second bearing. The holder includes the first holder having a holding part configured to hold the outer periphery of the bearing and the opening part configured to expose a part of the outer periphery of the bearing, the second holder having a guide part configured to guide a movement of the bearing toward a worm wheel as the outer periphery of the bearing comes into contact with the guide part through the opening part and a spring configured to bias the bearing toward the worm wheel via the first holder.

A sensor device includes a main driving gear, driven gears, an biasing member configured to bias the driven gears toward the main driving gear, a support member configured to support the biasing member, and a sensor configured to generate an electrical signal based on rotation of the driven gears. In a force applied when the biasing member biases the driven gears, assuming that a direction orthogonal to a tangent line at a point of action of the force is set as a first direction, the first direction is different from a second direction.

An in-vehicle device includes: a movable member; a motor that moves the movable member; at least one detection switch that detects movement of the movable member; and a controller that controls the motor based on a detected output of the detection switch. The in-vehicle device further includes: a locking mechanism unit that, upon determination by the controller based on the detected output from the detection switch that the movable member reaches an end point region in a movement direction, locks the movable member, and upon determination by the controller that a main switch is set to OFF, releases the lock; and a motor driver that, after the release of the lock by the locking mechanism unit, upon determination by the controller based on the detected output from the detection switch that the movable member is moved again, drives the motor to move the movable member.

An engine variable camshaft timing (VCT) phaser assembly is equipped in an internal combustion engine (ICE) to adjust the rotation of the engine's camshaft relative to the engine's crankshaft. The adjustments advance and retard the opening and closing movements of the engine's intake and exhaust valves. An electric motor and a planetary gear set work together amid use of the VCT phaser assembly. The planetary gear set can include two or more ring gears, planet gears, and a sun gear. A backlash condition sometimes experienced in previous VCTs is minimized in the VCT phaser assembly by one or more springs that urge the planet gears into engagement with the ring gears.

A steering gear includes a gear wheel, a screw pinion meshing therewith, and a screw pinion shaft that includes the screw pinion. The screw pinion shaft is mounted on one side of the screw pinion in a fixed bearing. The steering gear includes a rotary bearing which comprises an inner bearing shell and an outer bearing shell. The outer bearing shell is connected to an inner ring of a swivel ring. The inner ring is connected to an outer ring of the swivel ring by a torsion web so as to pivot about a pivot axis. The torsion web runs at a distance from a supporting surface. The distance is dimensioned such that the torsion web does not contact the supporting surface when the screw pinion shaft is not loaded with a torque, and partially contacts the same when the screw pinion shaft is loaded with an operating torque.