Abstract: An internal combustion engine piston includes a crown surface including a low thermal conductivity part lower in thermal conductivity than a base material. The low thermal conductivity part includes a porous member made of a glass material lower in thermal conductivity than the base material, and impregnated with the base material. A first material is interposed at least partly between the porous member and the base material in the low thermal conductivity part, wherein the first material is water-soluble, and has a higher melting point than the porous member.

Abstract: Provided is a piston of an internal combustion engine that can reduce a fluid lubrication frictional coefficient on an outer peripheral surface of a skirt portion. The piston of the internal combustion engine includes at least one electrodeposited film on the outer peripheral surface of the skirt portion that is slidably moved relative to an inner wall of a cylinder.

Abstract: This piston includes a low thermal conductivity part comprising: a porous member made of a borosilicate glass that has a lower thermal conductivity than the piston base material made of an aluminum alloy material that is the base material impregnated into the porous member. A molded object obtained from a first powder (glass powder) and a second powder (sodium chloride powder) is put in hot water to dissolve away the second powder and form pores in the porous member. The aluminum alloy material is impregnated into these pores to unite the porous member to the piston base material. Furthermore, varnish containing polyimide, etc. is applied to the upper surface of the porous member and impregnated into the pores with a varnish impregnation device assisted by vacuum drawing and atmospheric pressure, thereby preventing the pores from remaining vacant. Due to this, deterioration in exhaust emission performance can be prevented.

Abstract: In a method for producing a piston, a flat end surface 44a of a rotary tool 44 of a frictional pore sealing device is brought into abutment with the top surface 5a of a low thermal conductivity member 5 cast on the crown surface 2a of an aluminum alloy piston 1, and this rotary tool is pressed against the low thermal conductivity member's side with a load while rotating the rotary tool through an electric motor and a speed reduction mechanism. With this, a frictional heat between the top surface of the low thermal conductivity member and the end surface of the rotary tool causes to form a plastic flow layer 5d on the top surface, thereby sealing an opening portion of a pore 9a on the top surface of the porous member 6.

Abstract: A windshield glass support structure is provided that is capable of absorbing an impact load caused by external force even if the external force is applied at any angle to an outer surface of the windshield glass. The windshield glass support structure includes a windshield support panel that extends toward a lower end of the windshield glass from a cross member, and a glass support member that inclines rearward in the vehicle front-rear direction and upward in the vehicle up-down direction from a front edge of the windshield support panel along a lower side surface of the windshield glass. The glass support member is arranged to be deformable when external force is applied in any direction from a front in the vehicle front-rear direction.

Abstract: Zero-voltage switching of a switching element (Q2) is achieved by turning off a switching element (Q1) and then turning on switching element (Q2) while the parasitic diode (DQ2) of switching element (Q2) is turned on. Subsequently, switching element (Q2) is turned off when the current flowing through switching element (Q2) changes from negative to positive (in a direction from the drain towards the source) and the current reaches a prescribed threshold value. Then, zero-voltage switching of switching element (Q1) is achieved by turning on switching element (Q1) while the parasitic diode (DQ1) of switching element (Q1) is turned on.

Abstract: Concave part is formed in a crown surface of the top of piston made of an aluminum alloy. This concave part is filled with mixed powder constituted of zirconia powder as a filler material and pure aluminum powder as a bonding material. Solid cylindrical rotary implement is brought into contact with concave part filled with mixed powder, and then pressed against piston under load while being rotated. Mixed powder is softened by frictional heat with rotary implement, whereby mixed powder is bound in a solid phase to concave part to form low thermal conductive part. With this, the bonding strength of low thermal conductive part to the crown surface of the top of the piston is improved.

Abstract: Aluminum alloy-made piston 1 is provided having, on external circumferential surfaces of both skirt portions 8, 9 of base member 1a, a multilayer solid lubricant coating film including inner coating film 21 and outer coating film 22. Both of the inner and outer coating films contain at least one of polyimide-imide resins, polyimide resins and epoxy resins as a binder resin. The inner coating film is formed of a material containing graphite etc. as a solid lubricant, and applied to the external surfaces of the skirt portions and then irradiated with laser beams by a laser heating apparatus at a temperature rise rate of 11.3-23.9° C./sec. for 10 seconds to be dried. Then, the outer coating film is applied to the top surface thereof, followed by baking treatment. With this, the multilayer solid lubricant coating film is formed in a possibly short total treatment time in a coating film-forming step.

Abstract: A method of producing a piston includes a step of producing a naked piston having the skirt portion; a step of forming the skirt portion with streaks; a step of applying a skirt portion of the naked piston with a first film forming paint which is provided for producing the inner solid lubricant film; a step of heating the first film forming paint on the skirt portion at a temperature of 60° C. to 160° C. for a time less than 800 seconds to dry the same; a step of applying an outer surface of the dried first film forming paint with a second film forming paint which is provided for producing the outer solid lubricant film; and a step of heating the first and second film forming paints on the skirt portion at a temperature of 160° C. to 240° C. for a time of 15 minutes to 180 minutes.

Abstract: Zero-voltage switching of a switching element (Q2) is achieved by turning off a switching element (Q1) and then turning on switching element (Q2) while the parasitic diode (DQ2) of switching element (Q2) is turned on. Subsequently, switching element (Q2) is turned off when the current flowing through switching element (Q2) changes from negative to positive (in a direction from the drain towards the source) and the current reaches a prescribed threshold value. Then, zero-voltage switching of switching element (Q1) is achieved by turning on switching element (Q1) while the parasitic diode (DQ1) of switching element (Q1) is turned on.

Abstract: Aluminum alloy-made piston 1 is provided having, on external circumferential surfaces of both skirt portions 8, 9 of base member 1a, a multilayer solid lubricant coating film including inner coating film 21 and outer coating film 22. Both of the inner and outer coating films contain at least one of polyimide-imide resins, polyimide resins and epoxy resins as a binder resin. The inner coating film is formed of a material containing graphite etc. as a solid lubricant, and applied to the external surfaces of the skirt portions and then irradiated with laser beams by a laser heating apparatus at a temperature rise rate of 11.3-23.9° C./sec. for 10 seconds to be dried. Then, the outer coating film is applied to the top surface thereof, followed by baking treatment. With this, the multilayer solid lubricant coating film is formed in a possibly short total treatment time in a coating film-forming step.

Abstract: A windshield glass support structure is provided that is capable of absorbing an impact load caused by external force even if the external force is applied at any angle to an outer surface of the windshield glass. The windshield glass support structure includes a windshield support panel that extends toward a lower end of the windshield glass from a cross member, and a glass support member that inclines rearward in the vehicle front-rear direction and upward in the vehicle up-down direction from a front edge of the windshield support panel along a lower side surface of the windshield glass. The glass support member is arranged o be deformable when external force is applied in any direction from a front in the vehicle front-rear direction.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine piston includes a crown surface including a low thermal conductivity part lower in thermal conductivity than a base material. The low thermal conductivity part includes a porous member made of a glass material lower in thermal conductivity than the base material, and impregnated with the base material. A first material is interposed at least partly between the porous member and the base material in the low thermal conductivity part, wherein the first material is water-soluble, and has a higher melting point than the porous member.

Abstract: There is provided a galvanized steel sheet that has various properties such as corrosion resistance and adhesion and allows for high conductivity at a low contact pressure. A first layer film is formed by applying a surface treatment solution having a pH of 8 to 10 onto the surface of the galvanized steel sheet and drying the surface treatment solution by heating, the surface treatment solution containing a water-soluble zirconium compound, a tetraalkoxysilane, an epoxy group-containing compound, a chelating agent, a silane coupling agent, vanadic acid, and a metal compound in a specific ratio. Subsequently, a second layer film is formed by applying a surface treatment solution containing an organic resin onto the surface of the first layer film and drying the surface treatment solution by heating.

Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine includes a piston body made of an aluminum alloy material containing silicon and having a piston ring groove formed therein and an anodic oxide film formed on the piston ring groove, wherein a metal containing nickel and zinc is deposited around silicon particles in the anodic oxide film.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for forming a double-layer, solid lubricant coating film on an external surface of a skirt portion of a piston in an internal combustion engine. This method includes the steps of (a) applying on the external surface of the skirt portion a solid lubricant composition containing a dark-color component, thereby forming thereon a precursor film; and (b) solidifying the precursor film by an irradiation with a laser beam from a laser oscillator, while moving at least one of the piston and the laser oscillator. It is possible by this method to form the double-layer, solid lubricant coating film with an extremely short period of time.

Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine includes a piston base material and a film of lubrication coating composition. The coating composition has an inner coating layer formed on a surface of the piston base material and an outer coating layer formed on a surface of the inner coating layer. Each of the inner coating layer and the outer coating layer contains at least one of a polyamide-imide resin, a polyimide resin and an epoxy resin as a binder. The inner coating layer contains 0 to 50 wt % of at least one of graphite and molybdenum disulfide as a solid lubricant, whereas the outer coating layer contains 50 to 95 wt % of at least one of graphite and molybdenum disulfide as a solid lubricant.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing a piston for an internal combustion engine by casting, the piston having a cooling channel therein, the apparatus including a fixed die with an upwardly opened cavity in which a core serving to form the cooling channel is to be disposed, a moveable die moveably disposed relative to the fixed die in a vertical direction and including a predetermined engaging portion, a guide die including an engaging portion engageable with the fixed die and having a same shape as that of the engaging portion of the moveable die, and a core retaining mechanism disposed in the guide die to retain the core in a predetermined position.

Abstract: A switching power supply device includes: a fundamental wave component extraction circuit for extracting a fundamental wave component of a voltage induced across a first winding; an oscillator for generating a clock signal having an oscillation frequency that changes according to a change in the fundamental wave component; and a control circuit for (i) generating a control signal for controlling a switching element to be in an ON state or OFF state, the switching signal having a duty that changes according to a change in the oscillation frequency of the clock signal or a change in a voltage of a smoothing capacitor and (ii) supplying the control signal to a gate of the switching element.

Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine includes a piston body made of an aluminum alloy material containing silicon and having a piston ring groove formed therein and an anodic oxide film formed on the piston ring groove, wherein a metal containing nickel and zinc is deposited around silicon particles in the anodic oxide film.