Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a sidelight type backlighting apparatus having high brightness, which is yet reduced in uneven brightness, and to provide a reflector substrate having a surface profile necessary for obtaining such apparatus and a reflector having high brightness and long durability in which the reflector substrate is implemented. A buffer against strain is formed by providing space by protrusions or the like between a light guiding plate of a planar light source apparatus and a reflecting surface of a reflection sheet provided on one main surface of the light guiding plate. Further, a base layer, a metallic layer mainly containing silver, and a light transmitting oxide layer are laminated on the substrate in this order to form a reflection layer.

Abstract: A thermal flowmeter is provided with a flow rate detecting unit (4) containing a heating element, a flow rate detecting temperature sensing element and a flow rate detecting electroconductive fin plate (44) extending into a fluid flow passage (3), which are disposed so as to enable heat transfer therebetween, the flow rate detecting temperature sensing element varying in electrical characteristic value in accordance with the flow of the fluid in the fluid flow passage (3); and, a fluid temperature detecting unit (6) containing a fluid temperature detecting temperature sensing element and a fluid temperature detecting electroconductive fin plate (44′) extending into the fluid flow passage (3), which are disposed so as to enable heat transfer therebetween, the fluid temperature detecting temperature sensing element varying in electrical characteristic value in accordance with the temperature of the fluid.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is surface-modified nickel fine powder in which a precursor of barium titanate having a perovskite structure and consisting of a reaction product of a soluble titanium-containing compound and a soluble barium-containing compound is adhered to the surface of individual nickel fine particles, wherein the fine powder shows X-ray diffraction peaks of nickel and is free of any peak of barium titanate having a perovskite structure in the X-ray diffraction pattern determined by the X-ray diffraction method, but the fine powder shows X-ray diffraction peaks of both nickel and barium titanate having a perovskite structure in the X-ray diffraction pattern after the fine powder is subjected to a heat-treatment at a temperature of not less than 400° C. The nickel fine powder has a small heat shrinkage factor upon firing and improved resistance to oxidation.

Abstract: A control method of a powered sliding device for a vehicle sliding door, wherein when an operating switch for starting a powered sliding device is pressed to open the door, and if the vehicle speed is about 3 km/h or less and the foot brake or the parking brake is operated, the decelerating state of the vehicle just before is confirmed, and when the decelerating state does not correspond to the quick braking, the powered sliding device is started.

Abstract: A vehicle door latch device comprises a pawl lever keeping engagement between a latch and a striker, an output member rotatable in an unlocking direction and in a locking direction by power of a motor and being restored to a neutral position by elasticity of a returning spring when the motor is turned off, a lock lever displaceable between an unlocked position and a locked position by directly receiving rotational movement of the output member, an open link switched between an operative position and a non-operative position by displacement of the lock lever. The open link is directly connected to the lock lever by way of no movable member.

Abstract: The present invention provides a battery cathode active material formed of electrolytic manganese dioxide which has a large specific area and a high electric potential and can enhance battery characteristics such as high-rate characteristics and high-rate pulse characteristics when used as a battery cathode active material. The invention also provides a method for producing electrolytic manganese dioxide and a battery employing the cathode active material. The battery cathode active material is formed of electrolytic manganese dioxide containing a sulfate group in an amount of 1.3 to 1.6 wt. %.

Abstract: A high temperature air heater including a heat transfer conduit located in higher temperature gas. The heat transfer conduit is made up of a heat transfer pipe through which the air to be heated flows and a refractory protective pipe covering the heat transfer pipe. A clearance is provided between the heat transfer pipe and the refractory protective pipe. The clearance makes it possible to accommodate the differences in thermal expansion between the heat transfer pipe and the refractory protective pipe to prevent damaging the refractory protective pipe, thus extending the service life of the high temperature air heater.

Abstract: The present invention provides a COF flexible printed wiring board whose insulating layer is not melt-adhered to a heating tool, to thereby enhance reliability and productivity of a semiconductor chip mounting line, and also provides a method of producing the COF flexible printed wiring board. The COF flexible printed wiring board contains an insulating layer, a wiring pattern, on which a semiconductor chip being mounted, formed of a conductor layer provided on at least one side of the insulating layer and a releasing layer, wherein the releasing layer is formed from a releasing agent containing at least one species selected from a silane compound and silica sol and is provided on a surface of the insulating layer, which is opposite to the mounting side of the semiconductor chip.

Abstract: The soft resin composition for injection molding comprises (A) an ethylene/&agr;-olefin copolymer comprising ethylene and an &agr;-olefin of 3 to 10 carbon atoms and (B) a polyethylene in a specific ratio. The component (A) has a Shore A hardness of 40 to 95, a melt flow rate (MFR2.16) of 1.0 to 20 g/10 min, and a density of 855 to 900 kg/m3; and the component (B) has a melt flow rate (MFR2.16) 0.1 to 100 g/10 min, a density of 910 to 925 kg/m3, and a melt tension measured at 190° C. and the MFR2.16 satisfying the relation: melt tension>2.2×(MFR2.16)−0.84. The injection-molded product of the present invention comprises the above soft resin composition, and may have been subjected to coating on its surface. The toy and the article for daily use of the invention comprise the injection-molded product.

Abstract: A fine flaky copper powder having an average major axis diameter of 4 to 10 &mgr;m and a flakiness of 2 to 20, has a bulk density of 2 to 4 g/cm3 and a BET specific surface area of 0.4 to 1.5 m2/g; A process for producing the copper powder includes introducing a copper slurry into a medium type agitation mill and flattening the powder.

Abstract: A recordable optical recording medium comprising a recording layer containing an organic dye which can absorb a laser beam and a metal reflective layer directly or via another layer on a transparent supporting substrate having a pre-groove and a pre-pit, wherein the organic dye has a refractive index nk of 2.2 or more at a reproduction wavelength &lgr;2; in relation to the reproduction wavelength &lgr;2, the depths of the pre-groove and the pre-pit on the substrates are more than &lgr;2/4; and the following equations are satisfied: 0.25r≦wg≦0.38r; 0.25≦wp/wg≦0.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a molded article of polytetrafluoroethylene or modified polytetrafluoroethylene having a fluoropolymer resin coating, coating comprising a heat-flowable tetrafluoroethylene copolymer wherein the surface of the coated article has a reduced roughness compared to the molded article prior to coating. The coating for the molded article is preferably a fused powder, most preferably formed by electrostatically applying a fluoropolymer powder resin to the molded PTFE article. In a preferred embodiment, the fluoropolymer powder resin comprises a mixture of heat-flowable tetrafluoroethylene copolymer powder and a polytetrafluoroethylene that has a temperature of crystallization of at least 305° C. and a heat of crystallization of at least 50 J/g.

Abstract: Nickel powder includes, on the basis of the total number of particles, not less than 10% of particles whose particle size is not less than 1.2 times the average particle size, as determined by the SEM observation; and not less than 10% of particles whose particle size is not more than 0.8 times the average particle size, as determined by the SEM observation. The nickel powder can be prepared by, for instance, precipitating nickel particles from an aqueous solution containing a nickel salt and a hydrazine reducing agent, without forming any hydroxide of nickel as an intermediate. A conductive paste containing the nickel powder can be applied onto an internal or external electrode for electronic parts.

Abstract: A method for the production of a glass substrate for magnetic recording mediums is herein provided and this method is characterized in that the final cleaning step is performed in two stages, in which scrubbing and dip-cleaning steps are carried out after the completion of the first cleaning stage and after the growth of needle-like projections comprising an alkali metal carbonate on the surface of the glass substrate. The method for the production of a glass substrate for magnetic recording mediums does not require the use of an expensive device having high resistance to acids. Moreover, in the glass substrate for magnetic recording mediums produced by the foregoing method, any growth of needle-like projections containing an alkali metal carbonate on the surface of the glass substrate is inhibited even during temporal storage of the substrate.

Abstract: A vehicle door latch device comprises a latch engageable with a striker and rotatable from an unlatched position to a full-latched position via a half-latched position, a power closing mechanism rotating the latch from the half-latched position to the full-latched position by motor power, a ratchet holding an engagement state between the latch and the striker by engaging with the latch, and a power opening mechanism releasing the ratchet from the latch by motor power. The power opening mechanism and the power closing mechanism are actuated by a single common motor, respectively.

Abstract: This invention provides amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides, each of which has an N-acyl substituent on its nitrogen atom, is represented by the following formula (1): readily reacts with nucleophilic reagents such as free amino acids, alcohols, anions or the like, and are intermediates useful for the high-yield production of amino acid derivatives, optically active compounds, peptides, polypeptides and the like useful in many fields lead by the fields of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, and also provides a process for the production of the amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides. Further, the present invention also provides a process for the production of diamides, which uses the compounds of the formula (1) and amine derivatives represented by the following formula (7): These diamides can also be suitably used for the production of amino acid derivatives, optically active compounds, peptides, polypeptides and the like.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for manufacturing an molded article that involves the occurrence of reduced number of gels and less corrosion of the molding equipment in high-temperature molding, particularly extrusion molding onto such substrate as paper; an extruded article; and an olefin polymer composition suitable therefor. The olefin polymer composition comprises an olefin polymer containing 5 to 200 ppm of aluminum, as aluminum atom, 0 to not more than 1,000 ppm of a phenolic stabilizer and 50 to 2,000 ppm of a phosphoric stabilizer.

Abstract: An olefin-type flame-retardant resin composition having excellent mechanical strength, abrasion resistance and workability, and exhibiting excellent flame-retardant properties and shell-forming properties when it has burned, despite the resin composition is blended with an inorganic compound. The composition contains 25 to 250 parts by weight of (D) a flame-retardant inorganic compound per 100 parts by weight of a base resin composition containing 95 to 5% by weight of (A) a copolymer of an ethylene and a vinyl acetate or other polar group-containing monomer, (B) 5 to 95% by weight of a copolymer of an olefin and an unsaturated carboxylic acid ester or other polar group-containing monomer, and 0 to 49% by weight of (C) a thermoplastic resin other than the above copolymers.

Abstract: To provide a method for producing polyester polyol that can provide a simple process to produce extensively improved production efficiencies and also produce the polyester polyol of stable in quality, an apparatus for producing the polyester polyol produced by the method, a polyester polyol produced by the method, and a polyurethane foam obtained by use of the polyester polyol produced by the method, polyethylene terephthalate and raw polyol are allowed to react in a reaction vessel to produce polyester polyol and also ethylene glycol which is a by-product of the reaction is distilled off and the distillate is modified in a modifying vessel so that it can have a predetermined hydroxyl value and then is fed to the reaction vessel again as the raw glycol, to thereby produce the polyester polyol.

Abstract: A phenolic resin composition which is stable against an environmental moisture change and, further, excellent in fast curing property, flexibility and heat resistance. The phenolic resin composition contains 70-97% by weight of a phenolic resin and 3-30% by weight of a silicone-based rubber component and has a ratio of an ortho-bonding to a para-bonding at a methylene bonding in the phenolic resin of 2-9.