Abstract: There is provided a sliding member including a base body and a hard carbon coating formed on the base body to define a sliding surface for sliding contact with an opposing member under lubrication according to one embodiment of the present invention. The hard carbon coating has an outermost surface portion lower in hydrogen content than a remaining portion thereof, or an outermost coating layer lower in hydrogen content than at least one other coating layer.

Abstract: A sliding structure for an automotive engine includes a sliding member with a sliding portion and a lubricant applied to the sliding portion so that the sliding portion can make sliding contact with a counterpart member via the lubricant. The sliding member is either of a piston ring, a piston pin, a cam lobe, a cam journal, a plain bearing, a rotary vane and a timing chain. The sliding portion has a base made of a steel or aluminum material and a hard carbon film formed on the base to coat the sliding portion. The hard carbon film has a thickness of 0.3 to 2.0 ?m, a Knoop hardness of 1500 to 4500 kg/mm2, a surface roughness Ry (?m) satisfying the following equation: Ry<{(0.75?Hk/8000)×h+0.07/0.8}, where h is the thickness (?m) of the film; and Hk is the Knoop hardness (kg/mm2) of the film.

Abstract: There is provided a fuel lubricated sliding mechanism including a pair of sliding parts having respective sliding portions slidable relative to each other in the presence of fuel. At least one of the sliding portions of the sliding parts has a hard carbon coating formed with a hydrogen content of 30 atomic % or less. The fuel is selected from the group consisting of gasoline, light oil, alcohol fuel, biodiesel fuel and GTL fuel.

Abstract: There is provided a refrigerant compressor including compressor parts having sliding portions slidable relative to each other and a refrigeration oil applied to the sliding portions of the compressor parts. At least one of the sliding portions of the compressor parts has a hard carbon coating formed thereon with a hydrogen content of 20 atomic % or less.

Abstract: There is provided a structure for connecting a piston to a crankshaft in an internal combustion engine, including a piston pin fitted into the piston, a crankpin integral with the crankshaft and a connecting rod having a piston pin bearing portion slidably engaged with an outer cylindrical portion of the piston pin and a crankpin bearing portion slidably engaged with an outer cylindrical portion of the crankpin. At least one of the piston pin bearing portion of the connecting rod and the outer cylindrical portion of the piston pin and at least one of the crankpin bearing portion of the connecting rod and the outer cylindrical portion of the crankpin have hard carbon coatings formed thereon with a hydrogen content of 20 atomic % or less.

Abstract: A valve train for an internal combustion engine is comprised of a lubricating oil, and a camshaft which is made of an iron-based material and comprises a cam lobe and a camshaft journal. The camshaft slidingly moves on a counterpart thereof through the lubricating oil. A hard carbon film is formed on at least one of a sliding portion of the camshaft and the counterpart made of an iron-based material. A hydrogen amount of the hard carbon film is 10 atomic percent or less.

Abstract: A chain drive system includes a drive sprocket, a driven sprocket and a chain looped over the drive sprocket and the driven sprocket. The chain and the sprocket having respective sliding surfaces slidable relative to each other in the presence of lubricating oil, and any adjacent chain components of the chain having respective sliding surfaces slidable relative to each other in the presence of lubricating oil. At least one of the sliding surfaces between the chain and the sprocket and at least one of the sliding surfaces between any adjacent chain components have hard carbon coatings formed on base portions thereof. Each of the hard carbon coatings has a hydrogen content of 10 atomic % or less.

Abstract: A fuel injection valve for an automotive internal combustion engine comprises a needle valve and an opposite member which are in slidable contact with each other in presence of fuel. A hard carbon thin film is coated on at least one of the sliding sections of the base materials of the needle valve and the opposite member. The hard carbon thin film has a surface hardness ranging from 1500 to 4500 kg/mm2 in Knoop hardness, a film thickness ranging from 0.3 to 2.0 ?m, and a surface roughness (Ry) (?m) which satisfies a relationship represented by the following formula (A): Ry<(0.75?Hk/8000)×h+0.0875??(A) where h is the thickness (?m) of the hard carbon thin film; Hk is the surface hardness in Knoop hardness (kg/mm2) of the hard carbon thin film.

Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine of an automotive vehicle. The piston has a piston ring and a piston skirt section each of which has a sliding section in slidable contact with a cylinder bore section of a cylinder block in presence of a lubricating oil. The cylinder bore section is formed of eutectic or hyper-eutectic aluminum alloy. Additionally, a hard carbon thin film is coated on the sliding section of the piston and contains hydrogen atom in an amount of not more than 1 atomic %. Here, the lubricating oil contains at least one selected from the group consisting of ashless fatty acid ester friction modifier, ashless aliphatic amine friction modifier, polybutenyl succinimide, derivative of polybutenyl succinimide, zinc dithiophosphate, and derivative of zinc dithiophosphate.

Abstract: An engine piston-pin sliding structure includes a piston pin slidably engaged into a pin boss of an engine piston and having a base and a hard carbon coating formed on the base so as to define a sliding surface slidable over a bearing surface of the pin boss and a lubricant interposed between the sliding surface of the piston pin and the bearing surface of the pin boss. The hard carbon coating contains 25 atomic % or less of hydrogen, and the lubricant contains at least one of an ashless fatty-ester friction modifier and an ashless aliphatic-amine friction modifier.

Abstract: A low friction sliding combination of a cam and a cam follower which are in slidable contact with each other in presence of a lubricating oil. The cam follower includes a cylindrical and hollow outer roller having an outer peripheral surface in slidable contact with the cam. A fixed pin is coaxially disposed inside the outer roller and rotatably movable relative to the outer roller. A diamond-like carbon material is coated on a sliding surface of at least one of the outer roller and the fixed pin. The lubricating oil contains at least one of ashless fatty acid ester friction modifier and ashless aliphatic amine friction modifier.

Abstract: A low-friction sliding mechanism includes first and second sliding members having respective sliding surfaces slidable relative to each other and a lubricant applied to the sliding surfaces of the first and second sliding members. At least the sliding surface of the first sliding member is made of a diamond-like carbon material, and at least the sliding surface of the second sliding member is made of either an aluminum-based alloy material, a magnesium-based alloy material or a diamond-like carbon material. The lubricant contains a base oil and at least one of an ashless fatty-ester friction modifier and an ashless aliphatic-amine friction modifier.

Abstract: A sliding structure for an automotive engine includes a sliding member with a sliding portion and a lubricant applied to the sliding portion so that the sliding portion can make sliding contact with a counterpart member via the lubricant. The sliding member is either of a piston ring, a piston pin, a cam lobe, a cam journal, a plain bearing, a rotary vane and a timing chain. The sliding portion has a base made of a steel or aluminum material and a hard carbon film formed on the base to coat the sliding portion. The hard carbon film has a thickness of 0.3 to 2.0 &mgr;m, a Knoop hardness of 1500 to 4500 kg/mm2, a surface roughness Ry (&mgr;m) satisfying the following equation: Ry<{(0.75−Hk/8000)×h+0.07/0.8}, where h is the thickness (&mgr;m) of the film; and Hk is the Knoop hardness (kg/mm2) of the film.

Abstract: The present invention provides a drawing method for optical fiber, which is capable of reducing attenuation at 1.55 um due to Rayleigh scattering, even if the drawing speed is high. The reduction of the attenuation of the optical fiber 3 is realized by conducting a preliminary cooling in a first cooling zone 4, which has a low convection heat transfer coefficient, for reducing the temperature of the as-drawn optical fiber just before entering into a second cooling zone 5. The optical fiber is obtained after being cooled in the second cooling zone 5, which has a higher convection heat transfer coefficient.

Abstract: In a positive-working chemically amplified radiation sensitive resin composition with high sensitivity and high resolution comprising an alkali-insoluble or slightly alkali-soluble resin protected with an acid-labile protecting group and an acid generating compound upon irradiation with radiation, a difference of resolution line widths of isolated and dense patterns in a circuit pattern, in which an isolated pattern and a dense pattern are mixed, can be reduced by using a resin having activation energy (&Dgr;E) to make the protecting group cleaved of 25 Kcal/mole or higher as the alkali-insoluble or slightly alkali-soluble resin protected with an acid-labile protecting group, and a mixture of a compound generating a carboxylic acid upon irradiation with radiation and a compound generating a sulfonic acid upon irradiation with radiation as the acid generator.

Abstract: An optical fiber coating die is made such that an interfacial shear rate of the optical fiber to the resin coat is calculated in accordance with a pressure value of resin inside a coating cup, and the interfacial shear rate is in a range of −1.5×105 to 0 sec−1. Also, an optical fiber drawing die is made such that the interfacial shear rate of the optical fiber to the resin coat is calculated in accordance with a diameter of a coating resin, and the interfacial shear rate is in a range of range of −3×105 to 2×105 sec−1. By doing this, an optical fiber drawing die which can be used in an optical fiber drawing method so as to realize stable resin coating operation even in high-speed drawing operation and high productivity can be realized.

Abstract: A solid electrolyte capacitor includes an anode made of a valve metal on whose surface a dielectric oxide film layer is formed, a solid electrolyte layer formed on the dielectric oxide film, a cathode layer formed on the solid electrolyte layer, a cathode contact terminal electrically connected to the cathode layer, and an anode contact terminal electrically connected to the anode layer. The cathode layer includes a carbon layer containing carbon particles, and a conductive paste layer containing conductive metal particles and having numerous pores, formed in that order from the solid electrolyte layer side. The solid electrolyte capacitor further includes a conductive polymer layer formed through the numerous pores of the conductive paste layer and connecting the carbon particles of the carbon layer and the conductive metal particles of the conductive paste layer.

Abstract: A solid electrolyte capacitor includes an anode made of a valve metal on whose surface a dielectric oxide film layer is formed, a solid electrolyte layer formed on the dielectric oxide film, a cathode layer formed on the solid electrolyte layer, a cathode contact terminal electrically connected to the cathode layer, and an anode contact terminal electrically connected to the anode layer. The cathode layer includes a carbon layer containing carbon particles, and a conductive paste layer containing conductive metal particles and having numerous pores, formed in that order from the solid electrolyte layer side. The solid electrolyte capacitor further includes a conductive polymer layer formed through the numerous pores of the conductive paste layer and connecting the carbon particles of the carbon layer and the conductive metal particles of the conductive paste layer.

Abstract: An input video signal is distributed to two links. The distributed video signals are coded by encoders in a spacewise or timewise shifted manner, and then, are transmitted over the transmission links. On a receiving side, the video signals are decoded by decoders, respectively. An averaging processor determines an average of the video signals per pixel, and then, outputs it. A data selector selects an output from the averaging processor when the plural links are operated normally; to the contrary, it selects a decoded output on the normal link in the case where an accident occurs in any one of the plural links. Specific methods for shifting the video signals spacewise or timewise include: a method for shifting a timing of intra-frame coding; a method for shifting the video signals on the links by several pixels or lines at least one of upward, downward, rightward and leftward; a method for disposing a sampling conversion filter in at least one of the links; and the like.

Abstract: This invention aims to provide a method and apparatus for detecting a synchronization shift in which the synchronization shift between an original image and a reproduced image can be accurately detected even if noises are generated by a video codec or the like. An original image sent out from an image source 1 has a sine wave for synchronization overwritten thereon in a frame memory. The image on which the sine wave has been overwritten is decoded in a codec and stored in another frame memory. The two images srored. in two frame memories are simultaneously started to be read out. From the image from the other frame memory, only the sine wave is extracted in a notch filter, subjected to an offset correction in an adder, and inputted to asynchronization shift detecting unit. The synchronization shift detecting unit uses the sine wave to detect line, frame and horizontal pixel shifts.