Abstract: The automatic transmission which includes a third brake element formed by a support member including a first cylindrical portion having a first sliding surface at an outer peripheral surface thereof, a second cylindrical portion having a second sliding surface at an inner peripheral surface thereof and a third cylindrical portion having a third sliding surface at an inner peripheral surface thereof, an inner side piston, inner edge portion of which is in contact with the first sliding surface and an outer edge portion of which is in contact with the second sliding surface and an outer side piston which includes a first piston cylindrical portion, outer edge of which is in contact with the second sliding surface over an entire periphery thereof and a second piston cylindrical portion, outer edge portion of which is in contact with the third sliding surface over an entire periphery thereof.

Abstract: The automatic transmission which includes a third brake element formed by a support member including a first cylindrical portion having a first sliding surface at an outer peripheral surface thereof, a second cylindrical portion having a second sliding surface at an inner peripheral surface thereof and a third cylindrical portion having a third sliding surface at an inner peripheral surface thereof, an inner side piston, inner edge portion of which is in contact with the first sliding surface and an outer edge portion of which is in contact with the second sliding surface and an outer side piston which includes a first piston cylindrical portion, outer edge of which is in contact with the second sliding surface over an entire periphery thereof and a second piston cylindrical portion, outer edge portion of which is in contact with the third sliding surface over an entire periphery thereof.

Abstract: A joining structure of a power source and a transmission includes a joining portion joining a power source and a transmission to each other, the joining portion includes a first fitting portion centering a first housing and a second housing with each other, a second fitting portion where a rotary portion of the transmission is fitted to an output shaft portion of the power source, a housing spacer fixed to the first housing, and a third fitting portion including a protruding portion and a recessed portion, the recessed portion fitted to the protruding portion and centering the second housing and the housing spacer with each other, wherein in a case where the transmission is at a position where the protruding portion and the recessed portion start fitting to each other, the rotary portion is away from a position at which the rotary portion starts fitting to the output shaft portion.

Abstract: A multilayer thermistor with a positive temperature coefficient is manufactured by step 41 of forming a green laminate having thermistor green layers and internal electrode layers, step 42 of heat-treating this laminate at a temperature in the range of from 80 to less than 300° C., step 43 of performing dry-barrel polishing for the heat-treated green laminate, step 44 of forming external electrode films on respective end surfaces of this laminate, and step 45 of firing this laminate together with the individual electrode films. According to this method, a highly reliable multilayer thermistor with a positive temperature coefficient can be stably manufactured.

Abstract: A barium titanate-based semiconductor ceramic composition and a PTC element that have a high Curie temperature and a low electrical resistivity at room temperature and that exhibit a desired rate of change in resistance are provided. The barium titanate-based semiconductor ceramic composition is a ceramic composition having a perovskite structure containing at least barium and titanium, wherein some of the barium is replaced with an alkali metal element, bismuth, and a rare earth element, and when the content of the titanium is assumed to be 100 parts by mole, a ratio of the content of the alkali metal element to the content of the bismuth plus the content of the rare earth element represented by parts by mole, is 1.00 or more and 1.06 or less. A PTC thermistor includes a ceramic body composed of the barium titanate-based semiconductor ceramic composition having the above feature and electrodes disposed on both side faces of the ceramic body.

Abstract: A multilayer positive temperature coefficient thermistor that has semiconductor ceramic layers containing a BaTiO3-based ceramic material as a primary component, and at least one element selected from the group consisting of Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Y, Ho, Er, and Tm as a semiconductor dopant in the range of 0.1 to 0.5 molar parts with respect to 100 molar parts of Ti. The ratio of the Ba site to the Ti site is in the range of 0.998 to 1.006. Accordingly, even when the semiconductor ceramic layers have a low actual-measured sintered density in the range of 65% to 90% of a theoretical sintered density, a multilayer positive temperature coefficient thermistor having a sufficiently high rate of resistance change and a high rising coefficient of resistance at the Curie temperature or more can be realized.

Abstract: A multilayer positive temperature coefficient thermistor that has a BaTiO3-based ceramic material contained as a primary component in semiconductor ceramic layers, the ratio of the Ba site to the Ti site is in the range of 0.998 to 1.006, and at least one element selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, and Pm is contained as a semiconductor dopant. In this multilayer positive temperature coefficient thermistor, a thickness d of internal electrodes layer and a thickness D of the semiconductor ceramic layers satisfy d?0.6 ?m and d/D<0.2. Accordingly, even when the semiconductor ceramic layers have a low sintered density such that an actual-measured sintered density is 65% to 90% of a theoretical sintered density, a multilayer positive temperature coefficient thermistor having a low rate of temporal change in room-temperature resistance can be obtained without performing any complicated processes, such as a heat treatment. When the content of the semiconductor dopant is 0.1 to 0.

Abstract: A dielectric ceramic including a perovskite compound represented by the general formula {(Ba1-x-yCaxSny)m(Ti1-zZrz)O3} as a primary component in which the x, y, z, and m satisfy 0.02?x?0.20, 0.02?y?0.20, 0?z?0.05, and 0.99?m?1.1 and is processed by a thermal treatment at a low oxygen partial pressure of 1.0×10?10 to 1.0×10?12 MPa. Accordingly, there are provided a dielectric ceramic which can be stably used in a high-temperature atmosphere without degrading dielectric properties, properties of which can be easily adjusted, and which generates no electrode breakage even when ceramic layers and conductive films are co-fired, and a ceramic electronic element, such as a multilayer ceramic capacitor, which uses the above dielectric ceramic.

Abstract: A barium titanate-based semiconductor ceramic composition and a PTC element that have a high Curie temperature and a low electrical resistivity at room temperature and that exhibit a desired rate of change in resistance are provided. The barium titanate-based semiconductor ceramic composition is a ceramic composition having a perovskite structure containing at least barium and titanium, wherein some of the barium is replaced with an alkali metal element, bismuth, and a rare earth element, and when the content of the titanium is assumed to be 100 parts by mole, a ratio of the content of the alkali metal element to the content of the bismuth plus the content of the rare earth element represented by parts by mole, is 1.00 or more and 1.06 or less. A PTC thermistor includes a ceramic body composed of the barium titanate-based semiconductor ceramic composition having the above feature and electrodes disposed on both side faces of the ceramic body.

Abstract: A dielectric ceramic including a perovskite compound represented by the general formula {(Ba1-x-yCaxSny)m(Ti1-zZrz)O3} as a primary component in which the x, y, z, and m satisfy 0.02?x?0.20, 0.02?y?0.20, 0?z?0.05, and 0.99?m?1.1 and is processed by a thermal treatment at a low oxygen partial pressure of 1.0×10?10 to 1.0×10?12 MPa. Accordingly, there are provided a dielectric ceramic which can be stably used in a high-temperature atmosphere without degrading dielectric properties, properties of which can be easily adjusted, and which generates no electrode breakage even when ceramic layers and conductive films are co-fired, and a ceramic electronic element, such as a multilayer ceramic capacitor, which uses the above dielectric ceramic.

Abstract: A multilayer positive temperature coefficient thermistor that has a BaTiO3-based ceramic material contained as a primary component in semiconductor ceramic layers, the ratio of the Ba site to the Ti site is in the range of 0.998 to 1.006, and at least one element selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, and Pm is contained as a semiconductor dopant. In this multilayer positive temperature coefficient thermistor, a thickness d of internal electrodes layer and a thickness D of the semiconductor ceramic layers satisfy d?0.6 ?m and d/D<0.2. Accordingly, even when the semiconductor ceramic layers have a low sintered density such that an actual-measured sintered density is 65% to 90% of a theoretical sintered density, a multilayer positive temperature coefficient thermistor having a low rate of temporal change in room-temperature resistance can be obtained without performing any complicated processes, such as a heat treatment. When the content of the semiconductor dopant is 0.1 to 0.

Abstract: A multilayer positive temperature coefficient thermistor that has semiconductor ceramic layers containing a BaTiO3-based ceramic material as a primary component, and at least one element selected from the group consisting of Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Y, Ho, Er, and Tm as a semiconductor dopant in the range of 0.1 to 0.5 molar parts with respect to 100 molar parts of Ti. The ratio of the Ba site to the Ti site is in the range of 0.998 to 1.006. Accordingly, even when the semiconductor ceramic layers have a low actual-measured sintered density in the range of 65% to 90 % of a theoretical sintered density, a multilayer positive temperature coefficient thermistor having a sufficiently high rate of resistance change and a high rising coefficient of resistance at the Curie temperature or more can be realized.

Abstract: A multilayer PTC thermistor reliably decreases the resistance by decreasing the thickness of ceramic layers composed of a BaTiO3 semiconductor ceramic and achieves a resistance close to the resistance calculated from the multilayer structure. The thermistor is adjusted to satisfy the conditions 5?X?18 and 4?X·Y?10, wherein X is a thickness (?m) of each ceramic layer disposed between adjacent internal electrodes and Y is a donor content (%) in the barium titanate semiconductor ceramic constituting the ceramic layers, Y being expressed in terms of (number of donor atoms/number of Ti atoms)×100.

Abstract: A multilayer ceramic electronic component includes a skittered laminated body including internal electrodes that have a strength that is greater than that of ceramic layers provided therein. End portions of the internal electrodes protrude from end surfaces of the laminated body and are deformed so as to extend along the end surfaces by a barrel polishing process using balls. When external electrodes are formed on the end surfaces of the laminated body, a large contact area with the internal electrodes can be obtained. Therefore, a reliability of the electrical connection between the electrodes is definitely secured.

Abstract: A multilayer PTC thermistor reliably decreases the resistance by decreasing the thickness of ceramic layers composed of a BaTiO3 semiconductor ceramic and achieves a resistance close to the resistance calculated from the multilayer structure. The thermistor is adjusted to satisfy the conditions 5?X?18 and 4?X·Y?10, wherein X is a thickness (?m) of each ceramic layer disposed between adjacent internal electrodes and Y is a donor content (%) in the barium titanate semiconductor ceramic constituting the ceramic layers, Y being expressed in terms of (number of donor atoms/number of Ti atoms)×100.

Abstract: A positive temperature coefficient thermistor has a non-heating portion which is not heated when a voltage is applied between first and second internal electrodes. The non-heating portion is provided in the approximate center of the positive temperature coefficient thermistor and is arranged to extend along a direction that is substantially perpendicular to a lamination direction of the positive temperature coefficient thermistor. The non-heating portion is arranged at least in the approximate center in the lamination direction of the portion of the laminate where the first and the second internal electrodes are arranged. Thus, a hot spot is reliably prevented from occurring inside the laminate when voltage is applied. As a result, the withstand voltage property is greatly improved. The non-heating portion may include a cavity provided in at least one thermistor layer or an opening or cut portion provided in the internal electrode.

Abstract: A BaTiO3-type semiconducting ceramic material which has undergone firing in a reducing atmosphere and re-oxidation, wherein the relative density of the ceramic material after sintering is about 85–90%. A process for producing the semiconducting ceramic material of the present invention and a thermistor containing the semiconducting ceramic material are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of producing a laminated PTC thermistor involves alternately laminating electroconductive pastes to form internal electrodes and ceramic green sheets to form semiconductor ceramic layers with a positive resistance-temperature characteristic to form a laminate, firing the laminate to form a ceramic piece, and forming external electrodes on both of the end-faces of the ceramic piece, and heat-treating the ceramic piece having the external electrodes formed thereon at a temperature between about 60° C. and 200° C.

Abstract: A laminated type semiconductor ceramic element is provided with good PTC characteristics, low room temperature resistance value and improved withstand voltage of 15V or higher. Semiconductor ceramic layers made from a semiconductor ceramic containing barium titanate as the main component and the element nickel at about 0.2 mol % or less (excluding 0 mol %), and internal electrode layers are superimposed alternately, and an external electrode is formed so as to be connected electrically with the internal electrode layers. The production method comprises the steps of obtaining a laminated product of semiconductor material layers containing a barium titanate as the main component and about 0.2 mol % or less (excluding 0 mol %) of the element nickel, and internal electrode layers, obtaining a laminated sintered compact by reduction baking of the laminated product, forming an external electrode electrically connected with the internal electrodes of the laminated sintered compact, and re-oxidization processing.

Abstract: A ceramic electronic component includes a component body having semiconductive ceramic layers and internal electrodes. The semiconductive ceramic layers and the internal electrodes are alternately laminated. The semiconductive ceramic layers have a relative density of about 90% or less and contain no sintering additives. The component body is provided with an external electrode on each side thereof. The ceramic electronic component has a low resistance and a high withstand voltage.