Abstract: A low-friction sliding mechanism includes first and second sliding members having respective sliding surfaces slidable relative to each other and a lubricant applied to the sliding surfaces of the first and second sliding members. At least the sliding surface of the first sliding member is made of a diamond-like carbon material, and at least the sliding surface of the second sliding member is made of either an aluminum-based alloy material, a magnesium-based alloy material or a diamond-like carbon material. The lubricant contains a base oil and at least one of an ashless fatty-ester friction modifier and an ashless aliphatic-amine friction modifier.

Abstract: A low-friction sliding mechanism includes first and second sliding members having respective sliding surfaces slidable relative to each other and a lubricant applied to the sliding surfaces of the first and second sliding members. At least the sliding surface of the first sliding member is made of a diamond-like carbon material, and at least the sliding surface of the second sliding member is made of either an aluminum-based alloy material, a magnesium-based alloy material or a diamond-like carbon material. The lubricant contains a base oil and at least one of an ashless fatty-ester friction modifier and an ashless aliphatic-amine friction modifier.

Abstract: A sliding mechanism includes a contact area between at least two sliding members. A low friction coating is applied on at least a portion of one of the at least two sliding members at the contact area. The low friction coating is a hard carbon including a diamond like carbon material selected from the group consisting of diamond, amorphous a-C diamond like carbon (DLC), and amorphous a-C:H DLC. A grease is applied on the low friction coating, wherein the grease comprises a base oil selected from the group consisting of ester oils, ether oils and combinations thereof.

Abstract: A sintered sprocket for a silent chain is obtained from a material with few addition elements by a simple densifying method. The sintered sprocket is made of an ferrous material having an ovarall composition containing Cu at 1 to 2%, C at 0.5 to 0.8%, Mn as an inevitable impurity at 0.10% or less, and balance of Fe and other inevitable impurities by mass and has a density of 7.1 Mg/m3 or higher, 65 HRA or higher as a hardness in the gear teeth, and a martensite, sorbite, bainite, or their mixed structure as a cross-sectional microscopic structure in at least the gear teeth and the peripheral area of the gear teeth.

Abstract: There is provided a structure for connecting a piston to a crankshaft in an internal combustion engine, including a piston pin fitted into the piston, a crankpin integral with the crankshaft and a connecting rod having a piston pin bearing portion slidably engaged with an outer cylindrical portion of the piston pin and a crankpin bearing portion slidably engaged with an outer cylindrical portion of the crankpin. At least one of the piston pin bearing portion of the connecting rod and the outer cylindrical portion of the piston pin and at least one of the crankpin bearing portion of the connecting rod and the outer cylindrical portion of the crankpin have hard carbon coatings formed thereon with a hydrogen content of 20 atomic % or less.

Abstract: A slidably movable member such as an adjusting shim used in a valve operating mechanism of an internal combustion engine of an automotive vehicle. The slidably movable member is used in contact with lubricating oil and comprises a substrate. A hard carbon-based film is coated on a surface of the substrate. The hard carbon-based film has a surface section which contains at least one of nitrogen and oxygen in an amount ranging from 0.5 to 30 at % and/or hydrogen in an amount of not more than 10 at %.

Abstract: A sliding structure for an automotive engine includes a sliding member with a sliding portion and a lubricant applied to the sliding portion so that the sliding portion can make sliding contact with a counterpart member via the lubricant. The sliding member is either of a piston ring, a piston pin, a cam lobe, a cam journal, a plain bearing, a rotary vane and a timing chain. The sliding portion has a base made of a steel or aluminum material and a hard carbon film formed on the base to coat the sliding portion. The hard carbon film has a thickness of 0.3 to 2.0 ?m, a Knoop hardness of 1500 to 4500 kg/mm2, a surface roughness Ry (?m) satisfying the following equation: Ry<{(0.75?Hk/8000)×h+0.07/0.8}, where h is the thickness (?m) of the film; and Hk is the Knoop hardness (kg/mm2) of the film.

Abstract: An engine piston-pin sliding structure includes a piston pin slidably engaged into a pin boss of an engine piston and having a base and a hard carbon coating formed on the base so as to define a sliding surface slidable over a bearing surface of the pin boss and a lubricant interposed between the sliding surface of the piston pin and the bearing surface of the pin boss. The hard carbon coating contains 25 atomic % or less of hydrogen, and the lubricant contains at least one of an ashless fatty-ester friction modifier and an ashless aliphatic-amine friction modifier.

Abstract: A valve lifter, in which an amorphous hard carbon film is coated at least on the surface that slides against a cam, is characterized in that the surface of a base material (substrate) has an arithmetic mean roughness of Ra 0.01 to 0.03 micrometers, and the maximum length of the scratch on the base surface is made to be equal to or shorter than 250 micrometers.

Abstract: A valve train for an internal combustion engine is comprised of a lubricating oil, and a camshaft which is made of an iron-based material and comprises a cam lobe and a camshaft journal. The camshaft slidingly moves on a counterpart thereof through the lubricating oil. A hard carbon film is formed on at least one of a sliding portion of the camshaft and the counterpart made of an iron-based material. A hydrogen amount of the hard carbon film is 10 atomic percent or less.

Abstract: The invention provides a low-friction sliding mechanism, a low-friction agent composition, a friction reduction method, a manual transmission and a final reduction gear unit that can exert very excellent low friction characteristics to sliding surfaces present under various applications, and, in particular, that have more excellent low friction characteristics than that of a combination of an existing steel material and an organic Mo compound. The low-friction sliding mechanism has an oxygen-containing organic compound or an aliphatic amine compound interposed between sliding surfaces that a DLC coated sliding member and a sliding member form. The low-friction agent composition contains an oxygen-containing organic compound or an aliphatic amine compound. The friction reduction method includes supplying the low-friction agent composition between sliding surfaces that a DLC coated sliding member and a sliding member form.

Abstract: A valve lifter, in which an amorphous hard carbon film is coated at least on the surface that slides against a cam, is characterized in that the surface of a base material (substrate) has an arithmetic mean roughness of Ra 0.01 to 0.03 micrometers, and the maximum length of the scratch on the base surface is made to be equal to or shorter than 250 micrometers.

Abstract: Disclosed is a shim or a valve lifter for an automotive engine valve driving system that slides against a cam lobe of a camshaft to drive an intake/exhaust valve of an internal combustion engine. The shim or lifter has the top of a sliding surface thereof opposing the cam lobe and being coated with a hard carbon film. The hard carbon film has a surface hardness of 1500 to 4500 kg/mm2 in terms of Knoop hardness, a thickness of 0.3 to 2.0 ?m and a surface roughness Ry (?m) satisfying the following equation (A): Ry<{(0.75?Hk/8000)×h+0.07/0.8}??(A) where h is the thickness (?m) of the hard carbon film; and Hk is the knoop hardness (kg/mm2) of the hard carbon film. By imparting durability, reliability and a low friction coefficient to the hard carbon film that is said to be low in ductility to prevent the hard carbon film from becoming cracked and separated when applied to the sliding portion.

Abstract: A sintered sprocket for a silent chain is obtained from a material with few addition elements by a simple densifying method. The sintered sprocket is made of an ferrous material having an ovarall composition containing Cu at 1 to 2%, C at 0.5 to 0.8%, Mn as an inevitable impurity at 0.10% or less, and balance of Fe and other inevitable impurities by mass and has a density of 7.1 Mg/m3 or higher, 65 HRA or higher as a hardness in the gear teeth, and a martensite, sorbite, bainite, or their mixed structure as a cross-sectional microscopic structure in at least the gear teeth and the peripheral area of the gear teeth.

Abstract: A sintered sprocket has a high overall density and excellent contact pressure resistance. The sprocket is produced from a sintered alloy selected from the following alloys ((1) to (3)), is densified to have a relative density of 95% or higher in the surface layer of the gear teeth by forming by rolling, having a surface hardness of 700 HV or higher, and is useful for a crankshaft, a cam shaft, a balancer shaft, or a water pump shaft of an internal combustion engine: (1) an Fe—Mo—C based sintered alloy containing Mo at 1.0 to 2.0% by mass; (2) an Fe—Mo—Ni—C based sintered alloy containing Mo at more than 1.0 and not more than 2.0% by mass, and Ni at more than 1.0 and not more than 2.5% by mass, or (3) an Fe—Mo—Ni—Cu—C based sintered alloy containing Mo at 0.3 to 1.0% by mass, Ni at not less than 1.5 to less than 3.0% by mass, and Cu at 1.0 to 2.5% by mass.

Abstract: A member for an internal combustion engine, such as a piston, a valve and a fuel injection valve. The member includes a substrate. A carbon-based coating film is formed on the substrate to cover at least a part of a region of the substrate to which region fuel for the internal combustion engine is contactable. The carbon-based coating film contains fluorine and has a thickness of 10 ?m or less.

Abstract: A low-friction sliding mechanism includes first and second sliding members having respective sliding surfaces slidable relative to each other and a lubricant applied to the sliding surfaces of the first and second sliding members. At least the sliding surface of the first sliding member is made of a diamond-like carbon material, and at least the sliding surface of the second sliding member is made of either an aluminum-based alloy material, a magnesium-based alloy material or a diamond-like carbon material. The lubricant contains a base oil and at least one of an ashless fatty-ester friction modifier and an ashless aliphatic-amine friction modifier.

Abstract: A low-friction sliding mechanism includes first and second sliding members having respective sliding surfaces slidable relative to each other and a lubricant applied to the sliding surfaces of the first and second sliding members. At least the sliding surface of the first sliding member is made of a diamond-like carbon material, and at least the sliding surface of the second sliding member is made of either an aluminum-based alloy material, a magnesium-based alloy material or a diamond-like carbon material. The lubricant contains a base oil and at least one of an ashless fatty-ester friction modifier and an ashless aliphatic-amine friction modifier.

Abstract: A sliding structure for an automotive engine includes a sliding member with a sliding portion and a lubricant applied to the sliding portion so that the sliding portion can make sliding contact with a counterpart member via the lubricant. The sliding member is either of a piston ring, a piston pin, a cam lobe, a cam journal, a plain bearing, a rotary vane and a timing chain. The sliding portion has a base made of a steel or aluminum material and a hard carbon film formed on the base to coat the sliding portion. The hard carbon film has a thickness of 0.3 to 2.0 ?m, a Knoop hardness of 1500 to 4500 kg/mm2, a surface roughness Ry (?m) satisfying the following equation: Ry<{(0.75?Hk/8000)×h+0.07/0.8}, where h is the thickness (?m) of the film; and Hk is the Knoop hardness (kg/mm2) of the film.

Abstract: A slidably movable member such as an adjusting shim used in a valve operating mechanism of an internal combustion engine of an automotive vehicle. The slidably movable member is used in contact with lubricating oil and comprises a substrate. A hard carbon-based film is coated on a surface of the substrate. The hard carbon-based film has a surface section which contains at least one of nitrogen and oxygen in an amount ranging from 0.5 to 30 at % and/or hydrogen in an amount of not more than 10 at %.