Abstract: Provided is an angular contact ball bearing that can have a load capacity increased by increasing the diameter of each ball and that is suitably used mainly to bear a thrust load. In the angular contact ball bearing, a plurality of balls are rollably interposed between an inner ring raceway groove formed on an outer peripheral surface of an inner ring and an outer ring raceway groove formed on an inner peripheral surface of an outer ring. The plurality of balls are retained by a plurality of separator retainers that are interposed between the adjacent balls and that are spaced apart from each other. A contact angle ? of each ball is within a range of 45° to 65°.

Abstract: A thrust bearing for a hydro-static transmission according to the present invention is incorporated in a hydro-static transmission and includes: an inner ring which makes contact with pistons of piston chambers of a variable capacity pump; an outer ring fixed to a swash plate; a plurality of balls held between the inner ring and the outer ring via a retainer, where the retainer is made of a synthetic resin provided by polyamide 66, and contains glass fiver at a rate not greater than 10 mass percent. With this arrangement, the present invention prevents breakage of the retainer caused by delayed or speeded balls resulting from an imbalanced load when the pump swash plate varies its slant angle, thereby provides a long-life thrust bearing for a hydro-static transmission.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a retainer 3 which can be made of a quick-wearing material such as ductile iron (spherical graphite cast iron) like a retainer 3 used in an angular ball bearing for a screw compressor yet can prevent premature wearing of a guide surface. A retainer 3 of an inner ring guide type for a rolling bearing, which makes contact with an inner ring 1 and is guided thereby during operation, has a guide clearance “b” with respect to the inner ring 1, and a pocket clearance “a”. The pocket clearance has a ratio to the guide clearance in a range from 75% through to 100%, which makes it possible to use easy-wearing materials such as ductile iron.

Abstract: Semiconductor layer forming gas is introduced into a reaction chamber, and the gas generates a plasma discharge, so that a semiconductor layer is formed. In addition to the gas, impurity gas is introduced into the chamber, and first conductivity type layer forming gas including the semiconductor layer forming gas and the impurity gas generates a plasma discharge, so that a first conductivity type layer of a first conductivity type is formed so as to cover the semiconductor layer. In the step of forming the first conductivity type layer, a composition set value of gas supplied to the chamber is shifted from a composition of the semiconductor layer forming gas to a composition of the first conductivity type layer forming gas in a state where a pressure in the chamber is not reduced to ultimate vacuum even after a plasma discharge processing for forming the semiconductor layer is terminated.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device includes a substrate and a transparent, electrically conductive film covering at least a portion of a major surface of the substrate and having an irregular geometry on a surface thereof closer to a semiconductor layer. Furthermore, the photoelectric conversion device includes a first conduction type semiconductor layer covering at least a portion of the irregular geometry of the transparent, electrically conductive film, and a light absorption layer covering the first conduction type semiconductor layer. The irregular geometry has a bump having a maximum height equal to or larger than 50 nm and equal to or smaller than 1200 nm. The bump has a surface having a submicron recess having local peaks having a spacing equal to or larger than 2 nm and equal to or smaller than 25 nm.