Abstract: A sheet feeding device is adapted to feed a sheet to a sheet processing apparatus. The sheet feeding device has a stacking plate, a first guiding member, and an angle adjustment mechanism. The stacking plate is adapted for sheets to be stacked thereon. The first guiding member is adapted to move on the stacking plate along a width dimension thereof perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction. The first guiding member is also adapted to rotate around a vertical axis. The first guiding member has a vertical guiding surface for positioning the sheets disposed on the stacking plate. The angle adjustment mechanism is adapted to rotate the guiding member around the vertical axis, for slanting the guiding member with the vertical guiding surface at an angle with the sheet feeding direction.

Abstract: Provided is a method of producing porous silica-based particles with the relatively larger average diameter of 1 micron or more and also having a low particle density. The method comprises the steps of (a) preparing two-layer separated liquid consisting of an organic silicon compound layer and a water layer, then adding an organic solvent, an alkali, and a surfactant into the water layer while agitating at least the water layer so that the organic silicon compound layer and the water layer are not completely mixed with each other, further hydrolyzing and/or partial hydrolyzing the organic silicon compound in the mixed aqueous solution to prepare silica-based particle precursors, (b) adding sodium aluminate into the mixed aqueous solution containing the silica-based particle precursors and then preparing silica-based particles having pores, cavities or voids inside the particles, and (c) washing and drying the silica-based particles.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sol of spinous inorganic oxide particles not containing coarse particles, in which particles having extremely homogeneous particles are dispersed in a solvent. An acidic silicic acid is added to a dispersion liquid of core particles to grow core particles, and then again the acidic silicic acid is added at the addition rate 1.2 to 1.8 higher than that in the previous step to prepare a sol of spinous inorganic oxide particles. Then the sol is subjected to centrifugation to remove coarse particles having the diameter of 800 nm or more, thus spinous inorganic oxide particles having peculiar form such as a spinous one being obtained.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a silicon wafer is characterized by performing one or both of grinding and polishing to a thin discoid silicon wafer to give bowl-shaped warpage that is concave at a central part to a wafer surface. One main surface of the thin discoid silicon wafer is adsorbed and held, and one or both of grinding and polishing are performed to the other main surface to fabricate a convex wafer whose thickness is increased from a wafer outer periphery toward a wafer center or fabricate a concave wafer whose thickness is reduced from the wafer outer periphery toward the wafer center. Then, the other main surface is adsorbed and held to protrude the center or the periphery of the one main surface side based on elastic deformation. One or both of grinding and polishing are carried out with respect to the one main surface to flatten the main surface, and adsorption and holding are released to give bowl-shaped warpage that is concave at the central part to the other main surface or the one main surface.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sol of spinous silica-based particles in which silica-based particles having peculiar forms, spinous forms are dispersed in a solvent. The spinous silica-based particles have verrucous projections formed on surfaces of spherical silica-based particles. In the spinous particles, a value of the surface roughness (SA1/SA2, SA1 indicating a specific surface area measured by the BET method or the Sears method and SA2 indicating a specific surface area converted from an average particle diameter (D2) measured by the image analysis method) is in the range from 1.7 to 10. Furthermore the average diameter (D2) measured by the image analysis method is in the range from 7 to 150 nm.

Abstract: Disclosed is a coating liquid for forming an amorphous silica-based coating film having a low dielectric constant of 3.0 or below and low leakage current, and a method for preparing the coating liquid. The coating liquid is a liquid composition comprising (a) silicon compound obtained by hydrolyzing tetraalkyl orthosilicate (TAOS) and alkoxysilane (AS) in the presence of tetraalkyl ammonium hydroxide (TAAOH) and water, or a silicon compound obtained by hydrolyzing or partially hydrolyzing tetraalkyl orthosilicate (TAOS) in the presence of tetraalkyl ammonium hydroxide (TAAOH) and water, mixing the hydrolyzed or partially hydrolyzed product with alkoxysilane (AS) or a hydrolyzed or partially hydrolyzed product thereof, and hydrolyzing all or a portion of the mixture, (b) an organic solvent, and (c) water. The coating liquid is characterized in that a quantity of water contained in the liquid composition is in the range from 30 to 60% by weight.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a stacking plate, a pick-up device, means for blowing air, and a holding member. On the plate, sheets to be fed into a processing apparatus are placed. The device sends out a top one of the sheets placed on the plate, and has a pick-up roller to be brought into contact with an upper side of the top sheet at a position within a predetermined level range when the sheet is to be fed into the apparatus. The means blows air to the sheet with a predetermined force in a direction to separate the sheet from the other sheets placed on the plate or from the plate. The member is to be brought into contact with the upper side at a position upstream of the roller with respect to a feeding direction in which the sheet is to be fed into the apparatus.

Abstract: This invention relates to an end supporting plate which can be attached to both ends of cylindrical ingot. By wire saw cutting, semiconductor wafers are sliced from the ingot attached with the end supporting plates. The end supporting plate has an elongated support surface. Maximum width of the support surface along a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the plate is smaller than the length along the axial direction. The length of the support surface is approximately similar to a diameter of the ingot to which the end support plate is to be attached, whereas maximum width of the support is smaller than the diameter of the ingot.

Abstract: A rear structure of a gaseous fuel vehicle in this invention includes right and left rear frame members, and a support frame mounted to the right and left rear frame members, on which support frame a gaseous fuel tank is mounted. Each of the right and left rear frame members is constituted by a curved member which includes a curved portion curving upward, and a front linear portion and a rear linear portion which are lower than the highest portion of the curved portion. The support frame is attached to the front linear portions and the rear linear portions. The front linear portions are attached to the rear end of a vehicle frame to provide a low floor in a passenger compartment. A load applied to the rear ends of the right and left rear frame members is dispersed into the right and left rear frame members and the support frame, and transmitted to the vehicle frame.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a stacking plate, a moving mechanism, a pick-up device, a detection plate, a detecting device, and a control section. The stacking plate is movably supported inside the sheet feeding device. The mechanism moves the stacking plate up and down. The pick-up device sends a top one of sheets stacked on the stacking plate, out in a direction from a sheet feeding position within a predetermined level range. The detection plate is mounted above the position and below a top inner surface of the sheet feeding device, with a lower surface thereof facing an object to be placed on the stacking plate. The detection plate is movably supported at a support portion provided at a predetermined location in an upper surface thereof. The detecting device detects upward and downward displacement of the detection plate. According to the detection result, the section controls operation of the mechanism.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an amorphous silica-based coating film with a low specific dielectric constant of 2.5 or below and the Young's modulus of 6.0 GPa or more and having excellent hydrophobic property, and to a method of forming the same. A liquid composition containing a silicon compound obtained by hydrolyzing tetraalkyl ortho silicate (TAOS) and specific alkoxysilane (AS) in the presence of tetraalkyl ammonium hydroxide (TAAOH) is prepared. The liquid composition is then applied on a substrate, heated and cured to obtain a coating film. The coating film obtained as described has a smooth surface and also has specific micropores therein.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a casing having an engagement portion, and a sheet stacker detachably housed in the casing. The stacker has a liftable stacking plate, a handle, a lock claw, and a transmission mechanism. The plate is provided for loading a plurality of sheets. The handle is pivotable between operational and nonoperational positions. The claw is pivotable between engaged and disengaged positions. In the engaged and disengaged positions, the claw is engaged with, and disengaged from, the engagement portion, respectively. The mechanism has a solenoid and an interlock member. The solenoid has a plunger movable between locking and unlocking positions according to an input driving signal. The member allows, only with the plunger in the unlocking position, the claw to be moved from the engaged position to the disengaged position in association with pivot movement of the handle from the nonoperational position to the operational position.

Abstract: A fuel cell vehicle includes: a vehicle body; a floor panel provided on the bottom of the vehicle body; a floor tunnel that is formed bulging upward in the center of the floor panel in the vehicle body width; a pair of front seats that are disposed on the floor panel, outside of the floor tunnel in the vehicle body width direction; center frames that support the floor tunnel, disposed at the center in the vehicle body width and extending along the vehicle body longitudinal direction; a sub-frame provided on the bottom of the floor panel and joined to the center frames; and a fuel cell stack mounted on the sub-frame and provided under the floor tunnel.

Abstract: A fuel cell vehicle includes: a vehicle body; a floor panel provided in the vehicle body that has a floor tunnel that bulges in substantially a center in the width direction of the vehicle body; a pair of front seats each having a seating surface and a seat back and disposed on the floor panel outside of the floor tunnel in the width direction of the vehicle body; seat rails provided between the front seats and the floor panel and adapted to be able to move the front seats in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body; and a fuel cell stack having a plurality of unit fuel cells stacked in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, being disposed under the floor tunnel so as to be substantially parallel with the seat rails.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, which has sophisticated functions of feeding recording paper of various sizes selectively and of sorting printed paper, is reduced in size. The feed bin sorters, the output bin sorters, and the output tray are arranged in tiers. Pre-printed paper is supplied from any of the feed bin sorters, and printed paper is delivered to any of the output bin sorters or the output tray.

Abstract: A vehicle rear body structure includes a support frame of generally rectangular shape attached to side frames of a vehicle body from below for supporting thereon a vehicle part including a fuel tank. The support frame is connected at a front end thereof to floor frames disposed inwardly of the side frames and extending along front parts of the side frames and, at a rear end thereof, to rear frames forming rear parts of the side frames.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a stacking plate, a sheet stacker, and a damping member. The stacking plate is liftably supported in the sheet stacker and is adapted for sheets to be fed into a sheet processing apparatus to be stacked thereon. The sheet stacker is adapted to be movable between a housed position where the stacker is housed in a housing and an exposed position where the stacking plate is exposed outside of the housing. The damping member is adapted to exert on the sheet stacker a damping force according to moving speed of the sheet stacker, thereby limiting the moving speed.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a sheet stacker and a locking mechanism. The sheet stacker has a stacking plate adapted for sheets to be stacked thereon. The sheet stacker is movable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the sheet stacker is entirely housed in a casing, and, in the second position, is entirely exposed outside of the casing. The locking mechanism is adapted to lock the sheet stacker to the casing at each of the first and second positions. This arrangement prevents the sheet stacker as pulled out of the casing for sheet replenishment from being moved.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device is adapted to feed a sheet to a sheet processing apparatus. The sheet feeding device has a stacking plate, a first guiding member, and an angle adjustment mechanism. The stacking plate is adapted for sheets to be stacked thereon. The first guiding member is adapted to move on the stacking plate along a width dimension thereof perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction. The first guiding member is also adapted to rotate around a vertical axis. The first guiding member has a vertical guiding surface for positioning the sheets disposed on the stacking plate. The angle adjustment mechanism is adapted to rotate the guiding member around the vertical axis, for slanting the guiding member with the vertical guiding surface at an angle with the sheet feeding direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an amorphous silica-based coating film with a low specific dielectric constant of 2.5 or below and the Young's modulus of 6.0 GPa or more and having excellent hydrophobic property, and to a method of forming the same. A liquid composition containing a silicon compound obtained by hydrolyzing tetraalkyl ortho silicate (TAOS) and specific alkoxysilane (AS) in the presence of tetraalkyl ammonium hydroxide (TAAOH) is prepared. The liquid composition is then applied on a substrate, heated and cured to obtain a coating film. The coating film obtained as described has a smooth surface and also has specific micropores therein.