Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet conveying roller, which effectively reduces the amount of paper dust accumulated on its outer peripheral surface to thereby suppress sheet transportation failure. The sheet conveying roller includes a nonporous tubular elastic member (1). The elastic member (1) has a plurality of recesses (6) or a plurality of through-holes (8) equidistantly arranged in a center axis (L1) direction thereof and equidistantly arranged in a circumferential direction thereof, and each having an opening having a round plan shape in an outer peripheral surface (2) thereof, wherein the recesses (6) each have a constant depth as measured thicknesswise of the elastic member (1), wherein the through-holes (8) each extend thicknesswise through the elastic member (1). A production method includes forming the elastic member by vulcanizing a rubber composition in a vulcanization mold having projections corresponding to the recesses or the through-holes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet conveying roller, which effectively reduces the amount of paper dust accumulated on its outer peripheral surface to thereby suppress sheet transportation failure. The sheet conveying roller includes a nonporous tubular elastic member (1). The elastic member (1) has a plurality of recesses (6) or a plurality of through-holes (8) equidistantly arranged in a center axis (L1) direction thereof and equidistantly arranged in a circumferential direction thereof, and each having an opening having a round plan shape in an outer peripheral surface (2) thereof, wherein the recesses (6) each have a constant depth as measured thicknesswise of the elastic member (1), wherein the through-holes (8) each extend thicknesswise through the elastic member (1). A production method includes forming the elastic member by vulcanizing a rubber composition in a vulcanization mold having projections corresponding to the recesses or the through-holes.

Abstract: A noncircular sheet feed roller includes a core and a rubber belt mounted on the core. The core includes a peripheral member having a peripheral surface which is arcuate about a center axis thereof, and a pair of support ribs which are provided opposite from the arcuate peripheral surface of the peripheral member to be spaced from the peripheral member by a space and extend parallel to the center axis symmetrically with respect to the center axis. The rubber belt is a looped belt which has a predetermined width as measured along the center axis and has an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface. The peripheral member is inserted in the rubber belt, and a portion of the rubber belt is fitted in the space between the peripheral member and the support ribs.

Abstract: A sheet separation pad can maintain an optimum sheet separating capability and an optimum sheet feeding capability according to the type of sheets for a long period of time without any of various problems encountered by a prior-art sheet separation pad having a planar contact surface and a prior-art sheet separation pad formed with grooves or notches. An image forming apparatus incorporates the sheet separation pad. The inventive sheet separation pad (1) includes a nonporous planar body which has a surface serving as a contact surface (2) to be brought into contact with a sheet, and a plurality of recesses (4) or a plurality of through-holes (5) formed in the contact surface (2), each having an opening area of 0.7 to 20 mm2. The image forming apparatus includes the inventive sheet separation pad (1).

Abstract: A noncircular sheet feed roller includes a core and a rubber belt mounted on the core. The core includes a peripheral member having a peripheral surface which is arcuate about a center axis thereof, and a pair of support ribs which are provided opposite from the arcuate peripheral surface of the peripheral member to be spaced from the peripheral member by a space and extend parallel to the center axis symmetrically with respect to the center axis. The rubber belt is a looped belt which has a predetermined width as measured along the center axis and has an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface. The peripheral member is inserted in the rubber belt, and a portion of the rubber belt is fitted in the space between the peripheral member and the support ribs.

Abstract: A paper sheet multi-feed preventing member 3 being planar includes an outer layer 8 which comes into contact with a paper sheet 5 and an inner layer 9 laminated on the outer layer 8, the inner layer 9 has a type A durometer hardness not less than A5/S and not more than A60/S, or an Asker-C hardness not less than C5 and not more than C50, and the outer layer 8 has a rubber hardness higher than that of the inner layer 9.

Abstract: A vehiclelongitudinally extending front side member (1) has a rearwardly descending inclined portion (6) configured in an enclosure form in section with an upper wall (3) and a lower wall (4), the upper wall (3) being more rigid than the lower wall (4).

Abstract: A vehicle-longitudinally extending front side member (1) has a rearwardly descending inclined portion (6) configured in an enclosure form in section with an upper wall (3) and a lower wall (4), the upper wall (3) being more rigid than the lower wall (4).

Abstract: A pillar structure which includes a pillar member connected to an upper potion and a lower portion of a transversely outer vehicle body. The pillar member is formed into a channel open toward a compartment, with a transversely outer base wall, and a pair of side walls which are thinner than the base wall and extend from both front and rear sides of the base wall. Each side wall is formed to have a first tapered portion gradually reducing in thickness from a base end portion of the side wall to a substantially center portion of the width thereof. Stiffening projections are formed on an inner surface of each side wall at predetermined intervals in a pillar longitudinal direction, and extend from a distal end portion of the side wall to the base end portion thereof.

Abstract: A body upper structure includes a roof side-rail (1) and a center pillar (9) having a pillar outer member (10). The roof side-rail (1) has a vertical rib (7) bridging between an upper wall and a lower wall. The pillar outer member (10) has a plurality of vertical ribs (13). In operation, at a vehicle collision, the vertical rib (7) of the roof side-rail (1) acts to receive a downward bending load, in the form of a buckling load in the up-and-down direction while exhibiting a high resistance against the bending load. Subsequently, the downward load is accepted by a shoulder part (12) and the vertical ribs (13) of the pillar outer member (10), in the axial direction of the center pillar (9) and transmitted in dispersion to the whole center pillar (9) effectively.

Abstract: A body upper structure includes a roof side-rail 1 and a center pillar 9 having a pillar outer member 10. The roof side-rail 1 has a vertical rib 7 bridging between an upper wall and a lower wall. The pillar outer member 10 has a plurality of vertical ribs 13. In operation, at a vehicle collision, the vertical rib 7 of the roof side-rail 1 acts to receive a downward bending load, in the form of a buckling load in the up-and-down direction while exhibiting a high resistance against the bending load. Subsequently, the downward load is accepted by a shoulder part 12 and the vertical ribs 13 of the pillar outer member 10, in the axial direction of the center pillar 9 and transmitted in dispersion to the whole center pillar 9 effectively.

Abstract: A roof structure 2 is divided into three roof constituent parts, i.e., a front portion 2F, a center portion 2C and a rear portion 2R, and they are formed by casting and connected to each other and sub-assembled into the roof structure 2. Each of left and right body side structures 3 are divided into three roof constituent parts, i.e., a front portion 3F, a center portion 3C and a rear portion 3R, and they are formed by casting and connected to each other and sub-assembled into the body side structure 3. The roof structure 2 and the left and right body side structures 3 are assembled and connected to each other on a main line, thereby constituting an upper body 1.

Abstract: A rear body of an automotive vehicle which includes three parts: a front body structural element, an intermediate body structural element, and a rear body structural element which are made of casts and joined together. The rigidity of the rear body is increased from the rear body structural element to the front body structural element, thereby facilitating the ease of a collapse of the rear body structural element in response to input of a rear-end collision impact for ensuring a protective structural area at a front side of the rear body.

Abstract: A roof construction for a vehicle is provided with a thermoplastic resin roof panel and a roof section of a body frame structure. The roof section has a wall inwardly of its periphery and a support flange extending from a lower end of the wall toward the periphery. The roof panel has an attachment flange on the support flange and held thereto by fasteners (or connectors). The roof construction can suppress inward displacement of the attachment flange caused due to deformation of the roof panel due to a considerable change in temperature.

Abstract: The vehicle body structure includes a suspension attachment member (1), a suspension housing member (5) and a hood-ridge upper member (3) all formed into one casting body of light metal, constituting a suspension attachment structure (S). In the structure (S), the suspension attachment member (1) is attached to a suspension suspended from a vehicle body to carry a vehicle wheel. The housing member (5) has an upper part joined to the suspension attachment member (1) and the lower part connected to a side member (7) constituting a lower framework of the vehicle body. The hoodridge upper member (3) is combined with the upper part of the housing member (5), on its outer side in the vehicle's width direction, constituting an upper framework of the vehicle body. Further, the hood-ridge upper member (3) has an upper wall (3c), a lower wall (3d) and a longitudinal wall (3e) positioned inside in the vehicle's width direction, having a cross section opening outward in the vehicle's width direction.

Abstract: A roof structure 2 is divided into three roof constituent parts, i.e., a front portion 2F, a center portion 2C and a rear portion 2R, and they are formed by casting and connected to each other and sub-assembled into the roof structure 2. Each of left and right body side structures 3 are divided into three roof constituent parts, i.e., a front portion 3F, a center portion 3C and a rear portion 3R, and they are formed by casting and connected to each other and sub-assembled into the body side structure 3. The roof structure 2 and the left and right body side structures 3 are assembled and connected to each other on a main line, thereby constituting an upper body 1.

Abstract: A rear body of an automotive vehicle is provided which includes three parts: a front body structural element, an intermediate body structural element, and a rear body structural element which are made of casts and joined together. The rigidity of the rear body is increased from the rear body structural element to the front body structural element, thereby facilitating the ease of a collapse of the rear body structural element in response to input of a rear-end collision impact for ensuring a protective structural area at a front side of the rear body.

Abstract: A vehicle body structure is provided to transmit a suspension input to framework members of a vehicle effectively. The vehicle body structure includes an air box 1, front-pillar inner members 7 on both sides of the air box 1, front-pillar outer members 9 and hood ridges 11. Each hood ridge 11 has a upper hood ridge member 41 formed to extend along a fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. The front-pillar inner member 7 has a pillar-inner vertical wall 17 along the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, an air-box socket 19 and an air-box joint flange 21 for connection with the air box 1. The upper hood ridge member 41 has a vertical wall 41c formed with an opening 41e and a width-directional vertical wall 41f formed at a rear part of the member 41. The front-pillar outer member 9 has a notch 35 formed for engagement with the upper hood ridge member 41. The air box 1 is provided with a flange 1c for connection with the air-box socket 19 and a joint surface to be piled on an air-box joint flange 2.

Abstract: A floor structure of an electric vehicle powered by batteries mounted thereon comprises an upper unit and a lower unit which are detachably coupled. The upper unit includes a first panel and a first base structure. The first panel is securely mounted on the first base structure in a manner to define a first given space which faces downward. The lower unit includes a second panel and a second base structure. The second base structure is securely mounted on the second panel in a manner to define a second given space which faces upward. Bolts and nuts are used for detachably coupling the upper and lower units in such a manner that the first and second given spaces are merged to constitute a united space. A grid structure is further employed which divides the united space into a plurality of container spaces. Each container space is sized to contain therein at least one of the batteries.