Abstract: A contour of a cross-section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of a wire 2 is a circle having a diameter of D. An imaginary circle 4 which is concentric with the circle of the contour of the wire 2 and has a diameter that is ¾ of the diameter D, is assumed. On the imaginary circle 4, a first measurement point M1, a second measurement point M2, a third measurement point M3, a fourth measurement point M4, a fifth measurement point M5, a sixth measurement point M6, a seventh measurement point M7, and an eighth measurement point M8 are assumed. A Vickers hardness (Hv) is measured at each of the eight measurement points. A standard deviation ? of the eight measurement values is not greater than 10. The average of the eight measurement values is preferably not less than 670 and preferably not greater than 770.

Abstract: A manufacturing apparatus of a rubber sheet containing a steel cord, including a feeding device which feeds the steel cord while keeping a specified tension; a forming device which winds the steel cord being fed by the feeding device around engagement parts spaced from each other with a predetermined width; and a placement device which places on a rubber sheet member, the steel cord wound around the engagement parts with the predetermined width. The forming device includes forming parts which press bent portions of the steel cord wound around the engagement parts to form a bending shape of the bent portions, and the placement device includes a plurality of retaining parts disposed in two rows spaced apart from each other with the predetermined width to retain the bent portions in a state in which the steel cord having the bending shape is placed on the rubber sheet member.

Abstract: [Object] A hollow stranded wire line, for manipulation, having an excellent torque transmittability is provided. [Solution] A hollow stranded wire line 2 for manipulation is a hollow stranded wire line 2 that is advantageously used as a stranded wire line for manipulation in a medical instrument, and a side wire 4 or a side strand which is an outermost layer has a forming rate that is greater than 100% and not greater than 110%. The side wire 4 or the side strand having been formed has a spiral shape in which a flatness that is an aspect ratio obtained by a major axis being divided by a minor axis is preferably not less than 1.01 and preferably not greater than 1.10.

Abstract: [Problem] To provide a high-stretchability/contractibility stretchable contractible wiring sheet that can be produced easily at low costs, has high flexibility, high durability, and high conformity to external force, and undergoes small resistance value change along with stretching and contracting and a producing method and apparatus for the same, and a stretchable contractible touch sensor sheet. [Solution] A stretchable contractible wiring sheet of the present invention includes: a stretchable contractible first elastomer sheet 1a; a stretchable contractible second elastomer sheet 1b facing and bonded on the first elastomer sheet 1a; and a lead 2 interposed between the first elastomer sheet 1a and the second elastomer sheet 1b in a state of having a wavy shape periodically curving in-plane in facing surfaces of the first elastomer sheet 1a and the second elastomer sheet 1b and being biased in a direction to restore to a rod-like shape from the wavy shape during unloading.

Abstract: A retractor has a rigid piercing tube and an expansion body. The expansion body has an introduction tube which is received within the piercing tube, a movable wire which is received within the introduction tube, and stationary wires which are arranged around the movable wire. The proximal end of each of the stationary wires is affixed to the distal end of the introduction tube. The distal end of each of the stationary wires is joined to the distal end of the movable wire. The respective proximal ends of the piercing tube, the introduction tube, and the movable wire are respectively joined to first, second, and third grip sections.

Abstract: The present invention is a retractor for displacing an organ within the body cavity or the inner wall of a hollow organ, the retractor being provided with: a housing tube; an expansion body which can be housed into and extend from the housing tube; and a grip connected to the proximal ends of the housing tube and the expansion body. The expansion body is provided with: a displacing part configured from a movable wire and multiple fixed wires disposed in the periphery of the moveable wire; and an introduction tube which is disposed along the displacing part and through which the movable wire penetrates. Moreover, when the expansion body is expanded, the displacement part is designed so that, from among the expansion angles formed by two adjacent fixed wires, one expansion angle (?2) becomes larger than the other expansion angle (?1).

Abstract: A silver powder includes a large number of particles. The particles include polyhedral particles 2. The ratio P1 of the number of the polyhedral particles 2 to the total number of the particles is equal to or greater than 80%. Each polyhedral particle 2 has a body containing silver as a main component, and a coating layer covering a surface of the body and containing organic matter as a main component. Each polyhedral particle 2 has an aspect ratio of equal to or less than 3.0. The content P2 of the organic matter in the silver powder is preferably equal to or less than 0.5% by weight. The silver powder preferably has a median diameter D50 of equal to or less than 0.5 ?m. The silver powder preferably has a tap density TD of equal to or greater than 5.0 g/cm3.

Abstract: [Object] To provide fine particles 2 having good printing characteristics, good thermal conductivity, and good electrical conductivity. [Solution] The fine particles 2 are flake-like. A main component of the fine particles 2 is an electrically conductive metal. A typical metal is silver. A particle diameter D50 of particles including a large number of the fine particles 2 is equal to or greater than 0.10 ?m but equal to or less than 0.50 ?m, a particle diameter D95 of the particles is equal to or less than 1.00 ?m, and a maximum particle diameter Dmax of the particles is equal to or less than 3.00 ?m. A particle diameter D10 of the particles is equal to or greater than 0.05 ?m. A BET specific surface area of the particles is equal to or greater than 2.0 m2/g. A tap density TD of the particles is equal to or greater than 2.0 g/cm3. An average Tave of thicknesses of the fine particles 2 is equal to or less than 0.05 ?m.

Abstract: The invention makes it possible to perform regular winding of a wire easily, inexpensively, and reliably. During traversing a winding position in the reel axis direction, while a guide roller 2 is held at a position where the distance (D) from the wound surface on the outer circumference of a reel body 1a is in a range of more than 0 mm to 30 mm or less, it is kept at an orientation where a roller radial center line P is perpendicular to a reel axis R at a position apart from a border with a reel flange 1b, and gradually inclined, with movement of a reel 1 in the reel axis direction, in a direction in which the roller outer edge goes away from the reel flange 1b ahead in the traverse direction on the side apart from the reel body 1a relative to a rotation center C, as a fulcrum, located near the outer edge on the side near the outer circumference of the body of the reel 1 at a position of the border of the reel flange 1b.

Abstract: To provide a price-competitive compression ring having excellent thermal conductivity and thermal sag resistance, which can be used in a high-thermal-load environment of high-compression-ratio engines, steel identified by the material number of SUP10 in JIS G 4801, which contains small amounts of alloying elements, is used, and a piston ring wire is annealed before an oil-tempering treatment such that spheroidal cementite having an average particle size of 0.1-1.5 ?m is dispersed in a tempered martensite matrix, thereby suppressing the movement of dislocation and creep even at 300° C., and improving thermal sag resistance.

Abstract: A traverse device and a traverse method for winding wire materials are provided. A guide roller is placed near the outer circumference of a reel body and inclined, around the rotation center (center of curvature of an R guide) located near the outer edge of the guide roller on the side near the reel body as the fulcrum, in a direction in which the roller outer edge recedes from one of reel flanges ahead in the traverse direction on the side apart from the reel body. The inclining direction is switched at the midpoint position between the reel flanges, and with the guide roller being inclined at all times, a reel is rotated while being moved in the axis direction to wind a wire material on the reel.

Abstract: A fine silver particle-containing composition includes a large number of fine silver particles 2 and a coating layer 4 that covers a surface of each silver particle 2. The silver particle 2 is a so-called nano particle. The silver particle 2 has a scale-like shape. The coating layer 4 consists of an organic compound. The organic compound binds to the silver particle 2. The organic compound suppresses aggregation of the silver particle 2. The composition is in a cake form. A weight ratio of the organic compound with regard to the total amount of the composition is not lower than 2% but not higher than 15%.

Abstract: [Object] To provide fine particles 2 having excellent printing characteristics, thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity. [Solution] The fine particles 2 are flake-like. A main component of the fine particles 2 is an electrically conductive metal. A representative metal is silver. The structure of this metal is monocrystalline. An arithmetical mean roughness Ra of the surface of the fine particles 2 is not larger than 10 nm. The fine particles 2, a solvent, a binder, and a dispersant, etc., are mixed to obtain an electrically conductive paste. By using the electrically conductive paste, a pattern connecting elements is printed on a printed circuit board of an electronic device.

Abstract: A steel cord is configured so that, when the steel cord is used as a tensile cord for an elastic crawler, a center-core dislocation and the early breakage of the wires of a core are prevented. A steel cord comprises: a core which comprises a single core strand, and a sheath which is formed by twisting together six sheath strands arranged around the core. The core strand has a layer-twisted structure comprising: a center-core portion which is formed by twisting three core wires together; and an external layer portion which is formed by twisting together eight to nine core wires arranged around the center-core portion. The sheath strands each have either a bundle twisted structure which is formed by twisting twelve to nineteen sheath wires or a multi-layer twisted structure which is formed by twisting twelve to nineteen sheath wires in layers. The diameter (dc) of the core wires is greater than the diameter (ds) of the sheath wi res.

Abstract: The invention makes it possible to perform regular winding of a wire material by a simple means easily and inexpensively. A guide roller 2 is placed near the outer circumference of a reel body 1a and inclined, around the rotation center C (center of curvature of an R guide 8) located near the outer edge of the guide roller 2 on the side near the reel body 1a as the fulcrum, in a direction in which the roller outer edge recedes from one of reel flanges 1b ahead in the traverse direction on the side apart from the reel body 1a. The inclining direction is switched at the midpoint position between the reel flanges 1b, and with the guide roller 2 being inclined at all times, a reel 1 is rotated while being moved in the axis direction to wind a wire material T on the reel 1.

Abstract: A retractor including an excluding portion having an obtuse distal end, an introduction portion extending from the excluding portion, and a handle portion provided at a proximal end of the introduction portion. The excluding portion and the introduction portion each have an outer diameter that allows insertion into a treatment instrument channel of an endoscope. The excluding portion is configured by a movable wire and a plurality of fixed wires, the movable wire extends through the introduction portion, proximal ends of the fixed wires are fixed to a distal end of the introduction portion, and a distal end of the movable wire and distal ends of the fixed wires are joined to each other. A proximal end of the movable wire is pulled with the handle portion toward the handle portion so the excluding portion develops a cocoon shape. The retractor is useful in minimally-invasive surgery.

Abstract: A fine silver particle-containing composition includes a large number of fine silver particles 2 and a coating layer 4 that covers a surface of each silver particle 2. The silver particle 2 is a so-called nano particle. The silver particle 2 has a scale-like shape. The coating layer 4 consists of an organic compound. The organic compound binds to the silver particle 2. The organic compound suppresses aggregation of the silver particle 2. The composition is in a cake form. A weight ratio of the organic compound with regard to the total amount of the composition is not lower than 2% but not higher than 15%.

Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a rotor hub for use in a spindle motor, free-cutting stainless steel is used as a material of the rotor hub. A slug of free-cutting stainless steel is subjected to a plastic working to form a disk mounting portion and a cylindrical surface positioned radially inwardly of the disk mounting portion. Then, a cylindrical disk fitting surface is formed by machining substantially the entirety of the cylindrical surface. The rotor hub contains A-type inclusions appearing in a cross section taken along a center axis of the disk mounting portion. The A-type inclusions are oriented in directions different than the center axis.

Abstract: A single-layered rubber-product-reinforcing steel cord with good rubber penetration properties, excellent fatigue resistance, and small low-load stretch is obtained. All of wires 11 are provided with curls having a substantially elliptical cross-section and a pitch smaller than that of curls for intertwining, formed by providing the wires with spiral curls and then pressing the wires. These wires are intertwined into each other to form a single-layered twist structure, and, thus, a cord is obtained in which a hollow portion at the center of the cord is in communication with an outside via a gap 12 between the wires 11, and at least any one pair of adjacent wires 11 are substantially in contact with each other at any point in the longitudinal direction of the cord.

Abstract: To secure the end part of a metallic filament taken up onto a reel, the take-up reel for metallic filament has a recessed portion (3) provided in the inside surface of a flange (2), the recessed portion (3) extending in the radial direction to the flange outer edge (2a); and a connecting portion (4) that straddles the recessed portion (3). A tabular end retaining member (5) having elasticity is fitted into the recessed portion 3. The base end portion (5b) of the end retaining member (5) is passed under the connecting portion (4) and butted up against the end surface (3a) of the recessed portion (3) on the winding drum side, and a space (A) is provided between the tip end portion (5a) of the end retaining member (5) and the flange outer edge (2a) to allow the end part of the metallic filament (W) to be caught therein. The end retaining member (5) is anchored to the connecting portion (4) through spot welding, using a welding portion (6) set in the vicinity of the base end portion.