Abstract: A ceramic heater element 10 includes an insulating substrate 101, and a heating resistor 102 embedded in the insulating substrate 101. The insulating substrate 101 contains a main phase formed of ?-SiAlON or a multiphase SiAlON of ?-SiAlON and ?-SiAlON; a grain boundary phase containing a rare earth element; and a silicide of at least one species selected from among Cr, W, Mo, V, and Fe. The heating resistor 102 contains a main phase formed of an electrically conductive compound containing at least one species selected from among silicide, nitride, and carbide of Mo, and silicide, nitride, and carbide of W; ?-SiAlON or a multiphase SiAlON of ?-SiAlON and ?-SiAlON; and a grain boundary phase containing a rare earth element.

Abstract: A relay includes a pair of fixed terminals arranged to respectively have fixed contacts, a movable contact member arranged to have a pair of movable contacts, a driving structure operated to move the movable contact member and a magnet arranged to extinguish an arc. The movable contact member has a center section located between the pair of movable contacts. The magnet is placed on at least one of a first side and a second side that face each other across a predetermined face including the movable contact member and the pair of fixed terminals electrically connected by the movable contact member. The magnet is arranged to have a magnitude relation that a center area where the center section is located has a lower magnetic flux density than movable contact portions where the pair of movable contacts are located.

Abstract: A relay includes: a plurality of fixed terminals arranged to have fixed contacts; and a movable contact member arranged to have a plurality of movable contacts that are correspondingly opposed to the respective fixed contacts. The relay further includes: a driving structure operated to move the movable contact member such that the respective movable contacts come into contact with the corresponding fixed contacts; a plurality of first vessels provided corresponding to the respective fixed terminals and arranged to have insulating property; a second vessel joined with the plurality of first vessels; and an air-tight space formed by the plurality of fixed terminals, the plurality of first vessels and the second vessel to allow the movable contact member and the respective fixed contacts to be placed therein.

Abstract: There are provided a piezoelectric ceramic composition that includes a bismuth layer-structured compound, which contains Na, Bi, Co and Ln (lanthanoide), as a main component and a piezoelectric ceramic composition that includes a compound, which contains Na, Bi, Ti, Co and Ln (lanthanoide) and has a Na0.5Bi4.5Ti4O15 type crystal structure, as a main component, wherein the piezoelectric ceramic composition has an atomic ratio of 0<Ln/(Na+Bi+Ln)?0.04.

Abstract: This invention has an object to provide a spark plug exhibiting high withstand voltage characteristics and high strength at high temperature, formed by an alumina-based sintered body prepared with excellent processability and high productivity, and a method for manufacturing the spark plug. This invention relates to a spark plug 1 including an insulator 3, wherein the insulator 3 includes a dense alumina-based sintered body having an average crystal particle diameter of 1.50 ?m or more, and the alumina-based sintered body contains Si, a Group 2 element component containing Ba and a Group 2 element other than those, and a rare earth element component, such that a ratio of a content S of the Si component to a total content of the content S and a content A of the Group 2 element component is 0.60 or more, and a method for manufacturing the spark plug 1 prepared through a grinding-shaping process in which the insulator 3 is ground before burning to shape the same.

Abstract: A ceramic heater (12) includes a substrate (60) and a resistor element (30) buried in the substrate (60). The resistor element (30) includes a heat-generating portion (33), lead portions (31), and intermediate portions (40) located between the heat-generating portions (33) and the lead portions (31). The intermediate portions (40) are formed such that, when cross sections at arbitrary two points P1 and P2 along the axis XA direction are compared, both the diameter CL of an imaginary circumscribed circle CG containing cross sections of the resistor element 30 and the total cross sectional area HS of the cross sections become small in the front end side cross section as compared with those in the rear end side cross section.

Abstract: A spark plug that is equipped with an insulator that has a stem portion on a front end side, a center electrode, and a main metal member that retains the insulator at an engaging projection portion, wherein an inner diameter DIN of the engaging projection portion, the maximum outer diameter dOUT of the stem portion, which faces an inner circumferential surface of the engaging projection portion, its inner diameter dIN, and dielectric constant ? of the insulator satisfy the condition of “(DIN?dOUT)/2?0.40 (mm)”, “(dOUT?dIN)/2?1.65 (mm)”, and “??9.4”.

Abstract: A spark plug exhibits a satisfactory withstand voltage characteristic and sufficient mechanical strength in a high temperature environment exceeding 700° C. The spark plug has a center electrode, an insulator, and a ground electrode, characterized in that the insulator is formed of an alumina-based sintered material containing an Si component, a Group 2 element (2A) component, and a rare earth element (RE) component; that the alumina-based sintered material has an RE-?-alumina crystal phase; and that the mean crystal grain size DA(RE) of the RE-?-alumina crystal phase and that of alumina DA(Al) satisfy the following relationship (1): 0.2?DA(RE)/DA(Al)?3.0.

Abstract: There is provided a gas sensor element for detecting the concentration of a specific gas component in gas under measurement, which includes a plate-shaped element body and a porous protection layer. The element body has, at one end portion thereof, a gas sensing portion formed with a solid electrolyte substrate and a pair of electrodes. The porous protection layer has a porous structure formed of ceramic particles and surrounds at least the circumference of the one end portion of the element body. In the present invention, the porous protection layer has an inner region, an intermediate region and an outer region laminated together in order of mention from the element body toward the outside. The intermediate region has a porosity lower than those of the inner and outer regions. There is also provided a gas sensor with such a gas sensor element.

Abstract: Disclosed is a ceramic heater capable of preventing failures due to the thermal stress, such as cracks, and corrosion by a calcium component. The ceramic heater has a heating element including at least one substance selected from silicides, nitrides and carbides of molybdenum and silicides, nitrides and carbides of tungsten as a main component, and a base mainly containing silicon nitride in which the heating element is embedded, wherein the base includes: a rare earth element component in an amount from 4 to 25% by mass in terms of an oxide thereof; a silicide of chromium in an amount from 1 to 8% by mass in terms of chromium silicide; and an aluminum component in an amount from 0.02 to 1.0% by mass in terms of aluminum nitride.

Abstract: The present invention provides a piezoelectric ceramic composition having a high thermal resistance and a high piezoelectric distortion constant and a piezoelectric element using the piezoelectric ceramic composition. The piezoelectric ceramic composition of the present invention contains Na, Bi, Ti, Cr and O, wherein the content ratio of Na, Bi, Ti and Cr in terms of oxides thereof falls within the following composition range: aNa2O-bBi2O3-cTiO2-dCrO3/2 where a, b, c and d are mole fractions; 0.030?a?0.042; 0.330?b?0.370; 0.580?c?0.620; 0<d?0.017; and a+b+c+d=1. The piezoelectric ceramic composition preferably has a main crystal phase of bismuth layer-structured ferroelectric, more preferably Na0.5Bi4.5Ti4O15 crystal. The piezoelectric element of the present invention includes a piezoelectric body formed of the piezoelectric ceramic composition and at least a pair of electrodes held in contact with the piezoelectric body.

Abstract: A conductive sintered oxide which includes: a conductive crystal phase having a perovskite structure represented by (RE1-cSrc)MdO3, in which RE is a group of elements consisting of Yb and/or Lu and at least one element selected from Group IIIA elements excluding Yb, Lu and La, and M is a group of elements consisting of Al and at least one element selected from Groups IVA, VA, VIA, VIIA and VIII, a first insulating crystal phase represented by RE2O3, and a second insulating crystal phase represented by SrAl2O4. The conductive crystal phase has a coefficient c satisfying 0.18<c<0.50 and has a coefficient d satisfying 0.67?d?0.93. A content of a third insulating crystal phase represented by RE4Al2O9, the content of which may be zero, is smaller than the content of each of the first and second insulating crystal phases.

Abstract: A conductive sintered oxide including: a first crystal phase represented by RE14Al2O9 and a second crystal phase having a perovskite structure represented by (RE21-cSLc)(AlxM1y)O3. RE1 is a first element group consisting of Yb and/or Lu and at least one element selected from Group IIIA elements excluding Yb, Lu and La. RE2 is a second element group consisting of at least one element selected from Group IIIA elements excluding La and including at least one of the elements constituting the first element group RE1. SL is an element group consisting of at least one of Sr, Ca and Mg and which includes Sr as a main element, and M1 is an element group consisting of at least one element selected from Groups IVA, VA, VIA, VIIA and VIII excluding Cr. The coefficient c is in the range of 0.18<c<0.50, and the coefficients x and y are in the range of 0.95?x+y?1.1.

Abstract: A spark plug exhibits a satisfactory withstand voltage characteristic and sufficient mechanical strength in a high temperature environment exceeding 700° C. The spark plug has a center electrode, an insulator, and a ground electrode, characterized in that the insulator is formed of an alumina-based sintered material containing an Si component, a Group 2 element (2A) component, and a rare earth element (RE) component; that the alumina-based sintered material has an RE-?-alumina crystal phase; and that the mean crystal grain size DA(RE) of the RE-?-alumina crystal phase and that of alumina DA(Al) satisfy the following relationship (1): 0.2?DA(RE)/DA(Al)?3.0.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a spark plug including an insulator which is difficult to cause breakdown and exhibits higher withstand voltage characteristics. This invention relates to a spark plug 1 including a center electrode 2, an insulator 3 and a grounding electrode 6, wherein the insulator is formed by an alumina-based sintered body which has a theoretical density ratio of 95.

Abstract: A piezoceramic material according to an embodiment of the present invention has a composition represented by Pbm{Zr1-x-y-zTixSny(Sb1-nNbn)z}O3 where 1.000?m?1.075, 0.470?x<0.490, 0.020?y?0.040, 0<n<1.000 and 0<z?0.025 and a crystallite size of 30 to 39 nm.

Abstract: A sintered electroconductive oxide (1) forming a thermistor element (2) has a first crystal phase having a composition represented by RE14Al2O9 and a second crystal phase having a perovskite structure represented by (RE21-aSLa)MO3, and that the factor a of the second crystal phase satisfies the following condition: 0.18<a<0.50, wherein RE1 represents a first element group consisting of at least one of Yb and Lu and at least one species selected from among group 3A elements excluding Yb, Lu, and La; RE2 represents a second element group which contains at least one species selected from among group 3A elements excluding La and which contains at least one species selected from the first element group RE1; M represents an element group consisting of Al and at least one species selected from group 4A to 7A, and 8 elements; and SL represents an element group consisting of Sr, Ca, and Mg, with at least Sr being included at a predominant proportion by mole.

Abstract: A ceramic heater (12) includes a substrate (60) and a resistor element (30) buried in the substrate (60). The resistor element (30) includes a heat-generating portion (33), lead portions (31), and intermediate portions (40) located between the heat-generating portions (33) and the lead portions (31). The intermediate portions (40) are formed such that, when cross sections at arbitrary two points P1 and P2 along the axis XA direction are compared, both the diameter CL of an imaginary circumscribed circle CG containing cross sections of the resistor element 30 and the total cross sectional area HS of the cross sections become small in the front end side cross section as compared with those in the rear end side cross section.

Abstract: The present invention provides a piezoelectric ceramic composition having a high thermal resistance and a high piezoelectric distortion constant and a piezoelectric element using the piezoelectric ceramic composition. The piezoelectric ceramic composition of the present invention contains Na, Bi, Ti, Cr and O, wherein the content ratio of Na, Bi, Ti and Cr in terms of oxides thereof falls within the following composition range: aNa2O-bBi2O3-cTiO2-dCrO where a, b, c and d are mole fractions; 0.030?a?0.042; 0.330?b?0.370; 0.580?c?0.620; 0?d?0.017; and a+b+c+d=1. The piezoelectric ceramic composition preferably has a main crystal phase of bismuth layer-structured ferroelectric, more preferably Na0.5Bi4.5Ti4O15 crystal. The piezoelectric element of the present invention includes a piezoelectric body formed of the piezoelectric ceramic composition and at least a pair of electrodes held in contact with the piezoelectric body.

Abstract: There is provided a piezoelectric ceramic composition that contains Na, Bi, Ti and Co wherein the composition ratio of Na, Bi, Ti and Co in terms of oxides thereof is in the following composition range (1): aNa2O-bBi2O3-cTiO2-dCoO??(1) where a, b, c and d are mole fractions; 0.03?a?0.042; 0.330?b?0.370; 0.580?c?0.620; 0<d?0.017; and a+b+c+d=1.