Abstract: A joining device includes: a pair of pressing members disposed to face each other to sandwich joining target members from both sides in a stacking direction of the joining target members and configured to press the joining target members; and power supply members disposed on one or both sides in the stacking direction of the joining target members to sandwich a pressing target portion of the joining target members by the pressing members and configured to come into contact with and supply power to the joining target members. The power supply members are provided at positions not overlapping the pressing members in the stacking direction of the joining target members, and the pressing members press the joining target members while the power supply members supply power to the joining target members, thereby generating resistance heat in the pressing target portion and joining the joining target members.

Abstract: A resistance welding method includes: welding a plurality of welding target members by supplying an electric current through electrodes; and generating a fragile portion in a position of the welding target members different from a position subject to the welding by using the electrodes for the welding or electrodes separate from the electrodes for the welding, before, during, or after the welding is performed.

Abstract: A resistance welding apparatus includes: a cleaning system that, before a welding electrode contacts a welding target, supplies a fluid to clean, of a contact portion of the welding electrode and a contact portion of the welding target, at least the contact portion of the welding target, the contact portion of the welding target being to contact the welding electrode, the contact portion of the welding electrode being to contact the welding target; and a cooling system that, during and/or after welding the welding target by the welding electrode, supplies the fluid to cool the welding electrode and a portion near the contact portion of the welding target.

Abstract: The molding method according to the present invention includes a first step of disposing a composite material and a molded member in an overlapped manner between a die having a first mold part and a punch having a second mold part opposing the first mold part, and a second step of pressing the punch in a direction to approach the die so as to mold the composite material and the molded member into shapes corresponding to the first and second mold parts and join the composite material and the molded member to each other. The composite material has a thickness of 0.01 mm or more and 1 mm or less.

Abstract: A molding method according to the present invention is a method of molding a composite material including a first member, a second member, and a reinforcement member interposed between the first member and the second member, the method including a first step of disposing the reinforcement member between the first member and the second member, and a second step of causing the first member to collide with the second member by a predetermined urging force after the reinforcement member is disposed, thus joining the first member and the second member with the reinforcement member interposed between the first member and the second member. The composite material has a thickness of 0.01 mm or more and 1 mm or less.

Abstract: A resistance welding machine includes a first electrode and a second electrode which are configured so that the first and second electrodes can hold a workpiece therebetween and apply a current to the workpiece. The first electrode includes a first inner electrode and a first outer electrode disposed outside the first inner electrode at a predetermined interval. The second electrode includes a second inner electrode and a second outer electrode disposed outside the second inner electrode at a predetermined interval. The resistance welding machine further includes a control unit that can control a pressing state of the workpiece with the first and second electrodes according to predetermined welding conditions and selects a pair of electrodes that apply a current to the workpiece from the first inner electrode, the first outer electrode, the second inner electrode, and the second outer electrode.

Abstract: A joining apparatus is an apparatus for performing joining of a joining target object including multiple members stacked on each other and a thermosetting adhesive arranged on joining target portions of the multiple members. The joining apparatus includes a first electrode; a second electrode; a pressurization mechanism configured to cause the first and second electrodes to pressure-contact the surface of the joining target object in the vicinity of the joining target portions; a power source configured to distribute power to between the first electrode and the second electrode; and a control unit configured to distribute the power to between both electrodes by the power source in a state in which the first electrode and the second electrode pressure-contact the surface by the pressurization mechanism, thereby performing joining of the joining target object by curing of the thermosetting adhesive by resistance heating generated at the joining target object.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire in which a foamed rubber layer having closed cells is provided at a surface of a tire tread which substantially contacts at least a road surface, wherein the foamed rubber layer has closed cells whose average diameter is about 1 .mu.m to about 120 .mu.m and has an expansion ratio of about 1% to about 100%, a solid-phase rubber portion of the foamed rubber layer has a rubber composition in which at least both of a diene-type rubber and silica are mixed, and an amount of the silica is about 10 to about 80 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the diene-type rubber. The pneumatic tire exhibits excellent traction and braking abilities and controllability on snowy, icy and wet road surfaces.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire in which a foamed rubber layer having closed cells is provided at a surface of a tire tread which substantially contacts at least a road surface, wherein the foamed rubber layer has closed cells whose average diameter is about 1 m to about 120 m and has an expansion ratio of about 1% to about 100%, a solid-phase rubber portion of the foamed rubber layer has a rubber composition in which at least both of a diene-type rubber and silica are mixed, and an amount of the silica is about 10 to about 80 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the diene-type rubber. The pneumatic tire exhibits excellent traction and braking abilities and controllability on snowy, icy and wet road surfaces.

Abstract: A nuclear magnetic resonance imaging for measuring a speed of a flowing target object, capable of determining the speed of the flowing target object accurately, even for the high speed flowing target object. Timings for an application of a pre-saturation pulse to a saturation plane producing a saturated portion within the flowing target object and an execution of an imaging pulse sequence to collect NMR signals from a desired imaging region containing a saturation plane and the saturated portion are controlled to realize a single slice multi-phase pulse sequence, at each phase of which an application of the pre-saturation pulse is followed by an execution of the desired imaging pulse sequence.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire having excellent tire performances in winter and summer seasons comprises a tread, a part of which is comprised of an expanded rubber in a volume corresponding to at least 10% of the total volume of the tread at its surface. This expanded rubber contains particular rubber component and particular high reinforcing carbon black and oil, and has particular number of closed cells having a specified cell diameter to the total number of closed cells. Furthermore, a rubber reinforcing layer is arranged near to the tread shoulder.

Abstract: To prevent crack occurrence at groove bottoms on both side areas of foam rubber tread of all-season studless tires, the pneumatic tire having a tread surface portion composed of at least two outer and inner rubber layers is characterized in that the hardness of the inner rubber layer lies from 54 to 80 degrees in Shore hardness and is higher than that of the outer rubber layer, and further the outer rubber layer is made of foam rubber with a foam rate from 5 to 50% with at least 10% volume ratio with respect to tread volume. The outer foam rubber layer serves to improve tire performance on icy and snowy roads in winter, and the inner ordinary rubber layer serves to reduce change in groove width after vulcanization, that is, reduce dynamic strain concentration at lateral grooves and therefore to reduce crack generation at the lateral groove bottoms.

Abstract: A method of left ventricular volume evaluation capable of obtaining an accurate evaluation of the left ventricular volume for a heart in an unaffected state. In the method, right anterior oblique image and 4-chamber image of the heart are obtained; using a nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, contours of the left ventricle in the right anterior oblique image and the 4-chamber image are determined; prescribed sets of sizes for the left ventricle are measured from the determined contours; and the volume of the left ventricle is evaluated by using an orthogonal biplane Simpson's method and the measured sizes.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire having excellent traction and braking performances is disclosed, which comprises a tread divided into island portions inclusive of at least one block row group by plural circumferential grooves and plural transverse grooves, and having plural sipes. In this type of the tire, the sipe is provided at its cut end with an escape hole having a size larger than that of the sipe.