Abstract: A piezoelectric ceramic composition excellent in heat resisting properties is provided. In the piezoelectric ceramic composition including a perovskite compound containing Pb, Zr and Ti as main components, the piezoelectric ceramic composition is made to include Cr as an additive from 0.025 to 0.250 wt % in terms of Cr2O3. In the piezoelectric ceramic composition of the present invention, ?k15 (here, ?k15 is the rate of change in electromechanical coupling factor k15, caused by external thermal shock), of the piezoelectric ceramic composition can be controlled to 3.0% or less in absolute value.

Abstract: A graphite powder suitable for a negative electrode material of a lithium ion secondary battery which assures a high discharging capacity not lower than 320 mAh/g is to be manufactured at a lower cost. Specifically, a graphite powder containing 0.01 to 5.0 wt % of boron and having a looped closure structure at an end of a graphite c-planar layer on the surface of a powder, with the density of the interstitial planar sections between neighboring closure structures being not less than 100/?m and not more than 1500/?m, and with d002 being preferably not larger than 3.3650 ?, is manufactured by (1) heat-treating a carbon material pulverized at an elevated speed before or after carbonization for graphization at temperature exceeding 1500° C. or by (2) heat-treating the carbon material pulverized before or after carbonization at a temperature exceeding 1500° C.

Abstract: A multilayer piezoelectric element 2 comprising an element body 10 wherein piezoelectric layers 8 and internal electrode layers 4 and 6 are alternately stacked. The piezoelectric layer 8 is composed of a piezoelectric ceramic. The piezoelectric ceramic includes a compound oxide having a perovskite structure. The compound oxide contains at least lead, zirconium and titanium. The method of producing the piezoelectric element includes the steps of producing a piezoelectric layer ceramic green sheet, forming a pre-fired element body by alternately stacking the produced piezoelectric ceramic green sheets and internal electrode layer precursor layers, and forming said element body 10 by performing main firing on the pre-fired element body at a temperature of 1100° C. or lower.

Abstract: Reinforcing rings are provided around the cylindrical outer surface of a stator can of a canned motor, near the front and rear ends of a stator of the canned motor respectively. An axial position detecting coil A is wound around the cylindrical outer surface of at least one of the reinforcing rings. The axial position of a rotor is detected by an inductance of the axial position detecting coil A. The axial position detecting coil A is installed by winding a coil around at least one of the reinforcing rings. The invention reduces the influence exerted by change in the radial position of the rotor on the output to the axial position detecting coil A to a negligible level and enables detection of the axial position of the rotor and axial zero adjustment without the necessity of considering change in the radial position of the rotor.

Abstract: A negative electrode material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery having a high discharge capacity and a good cycle life is made from alloy particles having an average particle diameter of 0.1-50 ?m and including Si phase grains 40 and a phase of a solid solution or an intermetallic compound of Si and other element selected from Group 2A elements, transition elements, Group 3B elements, and Group 4B elements from the long form periodic table (for example, an NiSi2 phase 42 and an [NiSi2+NiSi] phase 41) at least partially enveloping the Si phase grains. 5-99 wt % of this material is Si phase grains. The alloy particles can be manufactured by rapid solidification (such as atomization or roller quenching) of a melt including Si and the other element, or by adhering the other element to Si powder by electroless plating or mechanical alloying and then performing heat treatment.

Abstract: A negative electrode material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery having a high discharge capacity and a good cycle life is made from alloy particles having an average particle diameter of 0.1-50 &mgr;m and including Si phase grains 40 and a phase of a solid solution or an intermetallic compound of Si and other element selected from Group 2A elements, transition elements, Group 3B elements, and Group 4B elements from the long form periodic table (for example, an NiSi2 phase 42 and an [NiSi2+NiSi] phase 41) at least partially enveloping the Si phase grains. 5-99 wt % of this material is Si phase grains. The alloy particles can be manufactured by rapid solidification (such as atomization or roller quenching) of a melt including Si and the other element, or by adhering the other element to Si powder by electroless plating or mechanical alloying and then performing heat treatment.

Abstract: A graphite powder suitable for a negative electrode material of a lithium ion secondary battery which assures a high discharging capacity not lower than 320 mAh/g is to be manufactured at a lower cost. Specifically, a graphite powder containing 0.01 to 5.0 wt % of boron and having a looped closure structure at an end of a graphite c-planar layer on the surface of a powder, with the density of the interstitial planar sections between neighboring closure structures being not less than 100/&mgr;m and not more than 1500/&mgr;m, and with d002 being preferably not larger than 3.3650 Å, is manufactured by (1) heat-treating a carbon material pulverized at an elevated speed before or after carbonization for graphization at temperature exceeding 1500° C. or by (2) heat-treating the carbon material pulverized before or after carbonization at a temperature exceeding 1500° C.

Abstract: There is produced a method of producing a multilayer piezoelectric element 2 comprising an element body 10 wherein piezoelectric layers 8 and internal electrode layers 4 and 6 are alternately stacked. The piezoelectric layer 8 is composed of a piezoelectric ceramic. The piezoelectric ceramic includes a compound oxide having a perovskite structure. The compound oxide contains at least lead, zirconium and titanium. The method uses a material mixture of a 90%-cummulated particle diameter of 1 &mgr;m or less, containing compounds of at least lead, zirconium and titanium. The method includes the steps of producing a piezoelectric layer ceramic green sheet, forming a pre-fired element body by alternately stacking the produced piezoelectric ceramic green sheets and internal electrode layer precursor layers, and forming said element body 10 by performing main firing on the pre-fired element body at a temperature of 1100° C. or lower.

Abstract: A negative electrode material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery having a high discharge capacity and a good cycle life is made from alloy particles having an average particle diameter of 0.1-50 &mgr;m and including Si phase grains 40 and a phase of a solid solution or an intermetallic compound of Si and other element selected from Group 2A elements, transition elements, Group 3B elements, and Group 4B elements from the long form periodic table (for example, an NiSi2 phase 42 and an [NiSi2+NiSi] phase 41) at least partially enveloping the Si phase grains. 5-99 wt % of this material is Si phase grains. The alloy particles can be manufactured by rapid solidification (such as atomization or roller quenching) of a melt including Si and the other element, or by adhering the other element to Si powder by electroless plating or mechanical alloying and then performing heat treatment.

Abstract: A graphite powder has surface closed-end structures in which the graphite c-plane layers of the graphite layer crystal lattices have closed-ends on the surface of the graphite powder by linking the ends of one or more pairs of the c-plane layers, leaving interstices which are open on the surface of the graphite. The number of open interstices is at least 100 and at most 1500 per micrometer in a c-axis direction of the graphite. Preferably, the graphite powder has a specific surface area of 1.0 m2/g or less. Such a graphite powder can be prepared either by graphitizing a carbon material, which has been pulverized at a high speed under well-controlled conditions before and/or after the carbonization, or by subjecting a carbon material, which has been pulverized under well-controlled conditions before and/or after the carbonization, to graphitization and then to oxidative heat treatment at a temperature of 600-800° C. and finally to heat treatment at a temperature of 800° C. or higher in an inert gas.

Abstract: Axial bearing wear in a motor is determined by differencing signals from special coils in the two ends of the motor stator. The signals on the two coils vary in opposite directions with axial displacement of the motor rotor. A dead zone circuit suppresses output when the axial displacement of the rotor is within the normal range of play for the rotor of the particular motor. When the axial displacement exceeds the normal range, the output actuates an indicator in relation to the magnitude of the displacement in excess of the normal range. Sequential LED indicators indicate both magnitude and direction of excess displacement. An analog meter is also disclosed which indicates only the magnitude of the excess displacement.

Abstract: A graphite powder suitable for a negative electrode material of a lithium ion secondary battery which assures a high discharging capacity not lower than 320 mAh/g is to be manufactured at a lower cost. Specifically, a graphite powder containing 0.01 to 5.0 wt % of boron and having a looped closure structure at an end of a graphite c-planar layer on the surface of a powder, with the density of the interstitial planar sections between neighboring closure structures being not less than 100/&mgr;m and not more than 1500/&mgr;m, and with d002 being preferably not larger than 3.3650 Å, is manufactured by (1) heat-treating a carbon material pulverized at an elevated speed before or after carbonization for graphization at temperature exceeding 1500° C. or by (2) heat-treating the carbon material pulverized before or after carbonization at a temperature exceeding 1500° C.

Abstract: Axial bearing wear in a motor is determined by differencing signals from special coils in the two ends of the motor stator. The signals on the two coils vary in opposite directions with axial displacement of the motor rotor. A dead zone circuit suppresses output when the axial displacement of the rotor is within the normal range of play for the rotor of the particular motor. When the axial displacement exceeds the normal range, the output actuates an indicator in relation to the magnitude of the displacement in excess of the normal range. Sequential LED indicators indicate both magnitude and direction of excess displacement. An analog meter is also disclosed which indicates only the magnitude of the excess displacement.

Abstract: Composition for piezoelectric ceramics includes a main component and a sub component. The main component is expressed with a general expression of aPb(Mg⅓Nb⅔)O3-bPb(Yb⅓Nb⅔)O3-cPbTiO3-dPbZrO3, where a+b+c+d=1, 0.01≦a≦0.07, 0.01≦b≦0.07, 0.35≦c≦0.55, and 0.4≦d≦0.6. The sub component contains 0.1 to 0.7 wt % of Mn in terms of manganese oxide, 0.01 to 0.3 wt % of Cr in terms of chromium oxide and 0.05 to 0.5 wt % of Co in terms of cobalt oxide per the weight of 1 mol of main component.

Abstract: This invention relates to a preparation comprising a transparent syringe body or container, which has been obtained by molding a resin comprising, as a base material, a propylene polymer, and as a nucleating agent, a phosphoric ester represented by the following general formula (1): ##STR1## and a drug solution charged into the syringe body or container. The preparation is excellent in transparency, free from the dissolution of additives for the resin into the drug solution charged therein even when the drug solution remains charged for a long period of time and hence high in safety. The preparation is useful, in particular, as a syringe preparation charged with a drug solution therein.

Abstract: A four wheel steering system for a motor vehicle with steerable front and rear road wheels, a steering angle sensor for detecting a front wheel steering angle through which the front road wheels are steered, a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed of the motor vehicle, a rear wheel steering mechanism for steering the rear wheels, and a controller for controlling the rear wheel steering mechanism to steer the rear road wheels based on the detected front wheel steering angle and the detected vehicle speed when the front road wheels are steering. The controller controls the rear wheel steering mechanism to steer the rear road wheels in a direction which is opposite to the front road wheels if the detected vehicle speed is relatively low, and also controls the rear wheel steering mechanism to steer the rear road wheels in a direction which is the same as the front road wheels if the detected vehicle speed is relatively high.

Abstract: A stator of a steering angle sensor is fixed to a steering column through a combination switch case and a stationary bracket, and a rotor of the sensor is rotatably fitted over a steering shaft. A locking collar is slidably but nonrotatably connected to the rotor. The locking collar and the stator are respectively provided with a locking groove and a locking tooth which engage each other to lock the rotor in a predetermined rotational alignment. When the steering angle sensor is not mounted to a vehicle, the locking groove and the locking tooth are brought into engagement with each other by a locking spring to lock the rotor. When a steering wheel is mounted to the steering shaft in a predetermined rotational neutral position of the steering shaft, a clamping pressure caused by the mounting causes the locking collar to be moved to a lockreleasing position or disengage position and the rotor is connected to the steering shaft.

Abstract: An electric power steering system which additionally includes a radial arm extending from a steering rod, an axial shaft extending in parallel with the axial center line of the steering rod, an axial bore formed in the casing of the system for guiding axial movement of the axial shaft substantially without any play, and a spring member urging the axial shaft against a side wall of the axial bore. Thus, rotation of the steering rod around its axial center line may be prevented with a relatively small force. Therefore, no excessive force needs to be applied to the axial shaft, and the axial shaft would not encounter any substantial resistance to its axial movement.

Abstract: A front and rear wheel steering system for a motor vehicle with steerable front and rear road wheels includes a front wheel steering mechanism for steering the front road wheels in response to a steering action effected by a steering wheel of the motor vehicle, a neutral positioning mechanism for normally urging the rear road wheels under a resilient force to a steering neutral position, a rear wheel steering mechanism having an electric motor for steering the rear road wheels out of the steering neutral position, and a controller for controlling an electric current supplied to the electric motor depending on the steering action of the steering wheel. The controller reduces the electric current supplied to the electric motor and subsequently holds the reduced electric current while the motor vehicle is at rest and no steering action is effected by the steering wheel.

Abstract: A front and rear wheel steering system for a vehicle which transmits a steering input from a front wheel steering gear box to a rear wheel steering gear box via a coupling shaft as a rotation thereof around its longitudinal line and varies a steering gear ratio of rear wheels to front wheels according to the speed of the vehicle. A steering rod for steering the rear wheels with its longitudinal movement is provided with a crank portion which is engaged with a swing shaft pivotally attached to the coupling shaft via a pivot shaft perpendicular thereto so as to perform a gyrating motion around an extension line of the coupling shaft and thereby move the steering rod along its longitudinal direction to achieve a steering action of the rear wheels.