Abstract: An automatic transmission apparatus is provided with a compact shifting mechanism. The apparatus includes an automatic transmission, the shifting mechanism arranged inside the vehicle cabin to have a shift lever to be manipulated by a driver and also adapted to allow a desired driving range of the vehicle to be selected by the driver's manipulating of the shift lever, a link mechanism to transmit a movement of the shift lever to the shifting mechanism and a manipulating-force assisting device acting on a connecting part between the shifting mechanism and the link mechanism to assist a driver's force to manipulate the shift lever, the manipulating-force assisting device having a motor as a driving source.

Abstract: Provided is a developing toner for electrostatic latent images capable of coping with the size reduction of an image forming apparatus and decrease of the consumption amount, not shortening the working life of a photoreceptor, less causing paper jam, background fogging, etc., excellent in various characteristics required for the toner, and capable of forming images of good picture quality. The developing toner being used when images are formed to a recording material in an image forming apparatus comprising an image forming station, a recording material feeding station, an image fixing station and a controlling station, the developing toner for electrostatic latent images containing hydrophobic fluidizing particles deposited to the surface of coloring resin particles comprising a binder resin containing a polyester resin, a polyalkylene, a polyolefin dispersant and a non-oxidized polyethylene resin, and an inorganic pigment, and having time constant ? of from 100 to 350 msec.

Abstract: A photocurable dental restorative comprising (i) 100 parts by weight of a polymerizable monomer, (ii) 0.01 to 5 parts by weight of a photopolymerization initiator of acylphosphine oxide, and (iii) 200 to 1900 parts by weight of an inorganic filler, wherein the inorganic filler (iii) is a mixed filler of: (A) irregular-shaped inorganic particles having an average particle size of not smaller than 0.1 ?m but smaller than 1 ?m; (B) spherical inorganic particles having an average primary particle size of not smaller than 0.1 ?m but not larger than 5 ?m; and (C) fine inorganic particles having an average primary particle size of not larger than 0.1 ?m; which are so blended as to satisfy the following mass ratios {circle around (1)} to {circle around (3)}: {circle around (1)} mA/(mB+mC)=0.2 to 3 {circle around (2)} mB/(mB+mC)=0.5 to 0.99 {circle around (3)} mC/(mB+mC)=0.01 to 0.5 where mA, mB and mC are masses of the inorganic particles (A) to (C).

Abstract: According to the present invention, there are disclosed a radical polymerization catalyst comprising an aryl borate compound, an acidic compound and a +tetravalent and/or +pentavalent vanadium compound; and a curable composition, a dental composition, a dental adhesive, a dental pretreatment agent, a dental adhesive kit, etc. all containing the radical polymerization catalyst.

Abstract: An automatic transmission apparatus for a vehicle is provided with a control inputting apparatus (2) having a select lever (7), a power assisting apparatus (3) adding an assisting force to a control force input to the control inputting apparatus (2) so as to output to the automatic transmission (1), a first cable (4) for transmitting the control force to the power assisting apparatus (3), and a second cable (5) for transmitting an output force of the power assisting apparatus (3) to the automatic transmission (1). Further, the power assisting apparatus (3) is provided with a torque sensor (29) for detecting the control force, a position detecting means for detecting a rotation position of an output shaft (20) outputting an assisting force in addition to the control force to the automatic transmission (1), and a controller (37) for stopping the output shaft at a stop position of the output shaft in correspondence to each of preset range positions of the automatic transmission (1).

Abstract: A vehicular automatic power transmission operating device includes an operating lever, a lever case, a torque sensor, a mounting member and a power assist unit. The operating lever creates operational force to shift into a position of an automatic power transmission. The lever case accommodates a lower end portion of the operating lever therein. The torque sensor detects operational force of the operating lever. An input shaft and an output shaft of the torque sensor serve as a rotary shaft of the operating lever. The mounting member is divided into first and second members by the input shaft and the output shaft of the torque sensor. Provided in the first and second members, respectively, are first and second fixing members by which the input shaft is fixed to the mounting member, and first and second bearing portions by which the output shaft is rotatably supported to the mounting member.

Abstract: An operation lever assembly of a vehicle transmission operator includes a lever base mounted on a vehicle body and having a top face formed with a hole. The assembly includes an engagement member mounted to the lever base from below and protruding through the hole. The assembly includes a tubular lever body joined to a protruding portion of the engagement member and mounted to an upper portion of the lever base. The assembly includes a rod accommodated in the lever body and extending vertically. The assembly includes a resilient member located between a lower end of the rod and a top face of the engagement member for biasing the rod upwardly. The lever body has a slit cut from a lower end of the lever body to a height position in an axial direction of the lever body. The rod is mounted with a lock-pin extending in a transverse direction of the lever body. The lock-pin protrudes outwardly through the slit.

Abstract: A producing method of a porous Si3N4 having high porosity and formed of Si3N4 particles having a high aspect ratio includes the following steps. A compound of a rare earth element as a first sintering agent is mixed in an amount of 7.5-45 parts by mass, in terms of an oxide of the element, with respect to 100 parts by mass of Si powder to obtain mixed powder. A binder is added to the mixed powder, which is then molded into a molded body. The molded body is heated in a nitrogen atmosphere to 300-500° C. to remove the binder. The binder-removed body is heated in a nitrogen atmosphere to 1350-1500° C. for nitriding. The nitrided body is then sintered at 1750-1900° C. at a nitrogen pressure of 0.1-1 atmosphere.

Abstract: In an automatic transmission apparatus (10) for a vehicle provided with a shift lever (20) manually changing a position of an automatic transmission (50), a torque detector (30) for detecting a changing operation force of the shift lever, and an assist force applying means (40) for applying a backup force to the manual operating force of the shift lever so as to transmit to the automatic transmission via a transmitting means (52-54), thereby changing to a desired position, a lever base (26) of the shift lever (20) is mounted to an input shaft (31a) of the rotation axis (31) of the torque detector (30), and an output gear (43) of the assist force applying means (40) is mounted to an output shaft (31b) of the rotation axis (31) of the torque detector (30), and the rotation axis of the shift lever (20), the rotation axis (31) of the torque detector (30) and the rotation axis of the assist force applying means (40) are arranged in a line.

Abstract: There is provided a pseudo-halftone image expression method capable of processing vector data with an excellent image quality and small computational complexity. Gray levels of n×n/m are expressed by varying the number of formed dots within a matrix of n×n dots on an m-dot basis (where n denotes an integer of 8 or more and m denotes an integer of 4 or more). A dot formation rule corresponding to each gray level within a matrix is divided into at least two stages, form a low gray level to a high gray level. In a first stage, dots are arranged at random and in dispersion so as to separate a dot from each other. In a second stage, dots are extended in random directions in turn so as to prevent an island of successive dots from coupling with each other using the dots arranged at the first stage as a nucleus.

Abstract: An automatic transmission apparatus is provided with a compact shifting mechanism. The apparatus includes an automatic transmission, the shifting mechanism arranged inside the vehicle cabin to have a shift lever to be manipulated by a driver and also adapted to allow a desired driving range of the vehicle to be selected by the driver's manipulating of the shift lever, a link mechanism to transmit a movement of the shift lever to the shifting mechanism and a manipulating-force assisting device acting on a connecting part between the shifting mechanism and the link mechanism to assist a driver's force to manipulate the shift lever, the manipulating-force assisting device having a motor as a driving source.

Abstract: A photocurable dental restorative comprising (i) 100 parts by weight of a polymerizable monomer, (ii) 0.

Abstract: A crystalline semiconductor having an even surface and a large crystal grain size is formed on an economical glass substrate using a laser crystallizing technology. A series of processes, including forming an insulation film on a glass substrate; forming a semiconductor film in the first layer; crystallizing the semiconductor film in the first layer by irradiating laser light stepwise from weak energy laser light to strong energy laser light; forming a semiconductor film in a second layer having a film thickness thinner than that of the semiconductor film in the first layer; performing laser crystallization of the semiconductor thin film in the second layer by irradiating laser light stepwise from weak energy laser light to strong energy laser light, are continuously performed without exposing the workpiece to the atmosphere.

Abstract: A crystalline semiconductor having an even surface and a large crystal grain size is formed on an economical glass substrate using a laser crystallizing technology. A series of processes, including forming an insulation film on a glass substrate; forming a semiconductor film in the first layer; crystallizing the semiconductor film in the first layer by irradiating laser light stepwise from weak energy laser light to strong energy laser light; forming a semiconductor film in a second layer having a film thickness thinner than that of the semiconductor film in the first layer; performing laser crystallization of the semiconductor thin film in the second layer by irradiating laser light stepwise from weak energy laser light to strong energy laser light, are continuously performed without exposing the workpiece to the atmosphere.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical disk which improves the visibility of visible information of a printed layer independently of the colors of a recording layer of a translucent reflective film. An optical disk is constructed by layering on the pits of a transparent disk substrate (1a), a recording layer (2a) of a translucent reflective film and a printed layer (4a) on which is printed visible information, with the visible information of the printed layer (4a) being visible from the disk substrate (1a) side of the disk. The color arrangement of the printed layer (4a) is selected such that the brightness difference between the lightest section and the darkest section on the viewed surface of the printed layer becomes 2.0 or above.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical disk which achieves stable electrical characteristics and disk shape, and in which visible information is provided on the signal readout surface side of the disk. An optical disk is constructed by sequentially layering on the pits of a transparent disk substrate (1a), a recording layer (2a) of a translucent reflective film, an optical buffer layer (3a) formed from a light transmissive material, and a printed layer (4a) on which is printed visible information, with the visible information of the printed layer (4a) being visible from the disk substrate (1a) side of the disk. The optical buffer layer (3a) is formed at a thickness, measured in terms of optical distance (the product of multiplying the physical distance by the refractive index of the material from which the optical buffer layer is formed), of between 3 &mgr;m˜45 &mgr;m.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical disk for which good reproduction can be obtained for light of any wavelength within the visible light region, and for which the visibility of visible information can also be ensured. By providing on pits of a transparent disk substrate 1(a), a recording layer 2(a) of a translucent reflective film for which, for light of a wavelength within the visible light region of 380˜800 nm, the difference between the maximum reflectance and the minimum reflectance is 25% or below, and the minimum reflectance is within the range 20˜65%, and moreover the difference between the maximum optical absorptance and the minimum optical absorptance is 25% or above, good reproduction can be achieved for light of any wavelength within the visible light region. Moreover the visible information printed on a printed layer (4a) is readily visible through the recording layer (2a).

Abstract: To provide a cockpit module structure for a vehicle where large foot space and a secure and stable supported state can be secured, the body of an air conditioning unit inside which heat exchangers and opening and closing doors are installed is penetrated by a steering member.

Abstract: A glide head for inspecting an asperity, protrusion, or foreign material on a magnetic disk is disclosed. The glide head has a slider to be floated up to a predetermined height on the magnetic disk in accordance with the rotation of the disk. The slider has two substantially parallel rails protruding from the air-bearing surface of the slider and a sensitive rail protruding downward separately from the two substantially parallel rails. The two substantially parallel rails float the glide head and extend from the leading end of the slider toward the trailing end of it. The sensitive rail is located at the trailing end of the slider rather than trailing ends of the two substantially parallel rails. It is preferable that the area of the sensitive rail is the half of or less than the total area of the two substantially parallel rails.

Abstract: To provide a cockpit module structure for a vehicle where large foot space and a secure and stable supported state can be secured, the body of an air conditioning unit inside which heat exchangers and opening and closing doors are installed is penetrated by a steering member.