Abstract: An aluminum base wire includes a core wire made of pure aluminum or an aluminum alloy and a coating layer provided on an outer periphery of the core wire. The coating layer includes a first layer provided on the outer periphery of the core wire, a second layer provided on an outer periphery of the first layer, and a third layer provided on an outer periphery of the second layer. The first layer is composed of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, a nickel alloy, copper, and a copper alloy, the second layer is composed of metals that include zinc and tin, the third layer is composed of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of tin and tin alloys that contain substantially no zinc, and a zinc content in the second layer is 15 atomic % or more and 60 atomic % or less.

Abstract: An aluminum base wire includes a core wire made of pure aluminum or an aluminum alloy and a coating layer provided on an outer periphery of the core wire. The coating layer includes a first layer provided on the outer periphery of the core wire, a second layer provided on an outer periphery of the first layer, and a third layer provided on an outer periphery of the second layer. The first layer is composed of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, a nickel alloy, copper, and a copper alloy, the second layer is composed of metals that include zinc and tin, the third layer is composed of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of tin and tin alloys that contain substantially no zinc, and a zinc content in the second layer is 15 atomic % or more and 60 atomic % or less.

Abstract: The electrical contact material includes a base material, a coating layer provided on a surface of the base material, and an oxide layer provided on a surface of the coating layer. The base material contains Cu. The coating layer includes an undercoat layer, a first layer, and a second layer that are provided in that order from the base material side. The undercoat layer contains Ni. The first layer contains Ni, Zn, Cu, and Sn. The second layer contains Sn. The oxide layer is constituted by an oxide containing Zn, Cu, and Sn. The undercoat layer has a thickness larger than 0.5 ?m.

Abstract: Provided is an electrical contact material that can suppress an increase in contact resistance even if contact pressure with a counterpart material is small. An electrical contact material that includes a base material made of metal, a metal layer provided on a surface of the base material, and an oxide layer provided on a surface of the metal layer. The metal layer is made of metal that contains zinc, copper, and tin, the oxide layer is made of an oxide that contains zinc, copper, and tin, and beneath the oxide layer, a ratio of the atomic concentration of copper to the atomic concentration of tin is less than 1.4.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a connector terminal in which an outermost layer is not susceptible to wear due to repeated sliding, an electrical wire with terminal and a terminal pair. The connector terminal includes a base material and an outermost layer provided on at least part of the base material. A constituent material of the outermost layer contains 98 mass % or more of Ag, and a Vickers hardness of the outermost layer with a measuring load of 0.1 N is from 115 HV to 160 HV inclusive.

Abstract: The electrical contact material includes a base material, a coating layer provided on a surface of the base material, and an oxide layer provided on a surface of the coating layer. The base material contains Cu. The coating layer contains Zn, Cu, and Sn. The oxide layer is constituted by an oxide containing Zn, Cu, and Sn. When a spherical indenter with a radius of 1 mm is linearly slid against the oxide layer with an applied load of 1 N, a sliding speed of 100 ?m/sec, a stroke of 50 ?m, and 10 reciprocation cycles, the largest contact resistance measured after the first to 10th reciprocation cycles is not larger than 5 m?.

Abstract: The electrical contact material includes a base material, a coating layer provided on a surface of the base material, and an oxide layer provided on a surface of the coating layer. The base material contains Cu. The coating layer includes an undercoat layer, a first layer, and a second layer that are provided in that order from the base material side. The undercoat layer contains Ni. The first layer contains Ni, Zn, Cu, and Sn. The second layer contains Sn. The oxide layer is constituted by an oxide containing Zn, Cu, and Sn. The undercoat layer has a thickness larger than 0.5 ?m.

Abstract: Provided is an electrical contact material that can suppress an increase in contact resistance even if contact pressure with a counterpart material is small. An electrical contact material that includes a base material made of metal, a metal layer provided on a surface of the base material, and an oxide layer provided on a surface of the metal layer. The metal layer is made of metal that contains zinc, copper, and tin, the oxide layer is made of an oxide that contains zinc, copper, and tin, and beneath the oxide layer, a ratio of the atomic concentration of copper to the atomic concentration of tin is less than 1.4.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a connector terminal in which an outermost layer is not susceptible to wear due to repeated sliding, an electrical wire with terminal and a terminal pair. The connector terminal includes a base material and an outermost layer provided on at least part of the base material. A constituent material of the outermost layer contains 98 mass % or more of Ag, and a Vickers hardness of the outermost layer with a measuring load of 0.1 N is from 115 HV to 160 HV inclusive.

Abstract: It is aimed to provide a press-fit terminal connection structure in which a board connecting portion of a press-fit terminal is press-fit into a through hole provided in a printed circuit board and which can combine the suppression of scraping of a surface layer and a reduction of a necessary load when the press-fit terminal is inserted into and withdrawn from the through hole and an improvement of a holding force for keeping the press-fit terminal inserted in the through hole. In the press-fit terminal connection structure, the press-fit terminal includes, at least on a surface of the contact point portion, an alloy containing layer mainly containing tin and palladium, and the through hole includes a tin layer on an outermost surface of an inner peripheral surface including at least the contact point portion.

Abstract: It is aimed to provide a press-fit terminal connection structure in which a board connecting portion of a press-fit terminal is press-fit into a through hole provided in a printed circuit board and which can combine the suppression of scraping of a surface layer and a reduction of a necessary load when the press-fit terminal is inserted into and withdrawn from the through hole and an improvement of a holding force for keeping the press-fit terminal inserted in the through hole. In the press-fit terminal connection structure, the press-fit terminal includes, at least on a surface of the contact point portion, an alloy containing layer mainly containing tin and palladium, and the through hole includes a tin layer on an outermost surface of an inner peripheral surface including at least the contact point portion.

Abstract: Disclosed are a lubricant composition including a lubricating base oil, fine particles and a calcium sulfonate-based thickener, a speed reduction gear filled with the lubricant composition, and an electric power steering apparatus including the speed reduction gear. The invention reduces operating noise of the speed reduction gear, regardless of the amount of backlash that occurs on combining a small gear and a large gear and without a more complicated structure for the speed reduction gear, by action of the fine particles. Further, separation of oil is prevented, by action of the calcium sulfonate-based thickener of the lubricant composition, so that electric power steering apparatus noise within the inside of a car is reduced at a low cost.

Abstract: A novel lubricant composition is provided, which is free from an increase in consistency, separation of its lubricant base oil, and leakage of the separated lubricant base oil from a speed reduction gear or the like even if a stress is repeatedly applied to the composition over a long period of time. A speed reduction gear employing the lubricant composition, and an electric power steering apparatus are also provided. The lubricant composition employs at least two types of thickeners including lithium stearate in combination, and has a worked penetration of not less than 355 (at 25° C.). The speed reduction gear 50 is filled with the lubricant composition containing minute particles, and the electric power steering apparatus includes the speed reduction gear.

Abstract: Provided are a spline joint (1) where a section at which a male spline shaft (2) and a female spline shaft (3) mesh is filled with a lubricating agent composition containing a lubricating oil and buffer particles (B), and the lubricating agent composition. Impact caused by meshing of both spline shafts (2, 3) is buffered by the buffer particles (B) placed in the section at which both spline shafts (2, 3) mesh. As a result, chattering sound and sliding resistance can be stably reduced for a longer time without having wearing and peeling which occur in coating.

Abstract: A lubricant composition comprising a lubricating base oil, fine particles and a calcium sulfonate-based thickener, a speed reduction gear filled with the lubricant composition, and an electric power steering apparatus comprising the speed reduction gear are disclosed. It is possible to reduce the operating noise of a speed reduction gear regardless of the amount of backlash that occurs on combining a small gear and a large gear without a more complicate structure of the speed reduction gear by an action of the fine particles while preventing separation of oil by an action of the calcium sulfonate-based thickener added to the lubricant composition, and thus the noise in the inside of car generated by the electric power steering apparatus can be reduced with a low cost.

Abstract: The invention provides a thin-film heater having a high heat-resisting property and a high resistivity and suitable for low power consumption and for a compact and fine structure, and a method of manufacturing this thin-film heater. A thin-film heater contains a tungsten film formed on a substrate, and this tungsten film generates heat when a current is supplied to this tungsten film. The tungsten film is formed by an RF sputtering method, and is constructed of tungsten having peaks at approximately 36 degrees, 40 degrees and 44 degrees in Bragg angle 2&thgr; of X-ray diffraction.

Abstract: An ink jet print head suitable for high-density printing. The ink jet print head comprises a plurality of nozzles for ejecting an ink, ink chambers, for passage and pressurization of the ink, communicating with the nozzles, and pressurizing means for creating a change in volume of the ink in the ink chamber to eject the ink through the nozzles. The ink chamber comprises a base plate member comprised of a transparent substrate having a predetermined form and dimension, a base wall member made of a material impermeable to light, the base wall member being provided above the base plate member in a pattern form according to the form of the ink chamber, and a partitioning member provided, above the base plate member, in areas not occupied by the base wall member. The partitioning member is formed from a partitioning member-forming, photosensitive material by photolithography using the base wall member pattern as a mask. A process of producing the above ink jet head is also disclosed.

Abstract: An ink jet print head suitable for high-density printing. The ink jet print head comprises a plurality of nozzles for ejecting an ink, ink chambers, for passage and pressurization of the ink, communicating with the nozzles, and pressurizing means for creating a change in volume of the ink in the ink chamber to eject the ink through the nozzles. The ink chamber comprises a base plate member comprised of a transparent substrate having a predetermined form and dimension, a base wall member made of a material impermeable to light, the base wall member being provided above the base plate member in a pattern form according to the form of the ink chamber, and a partitioning member provided, above the base plate member, in areas not occupied by the base wall member. The partitioning member is formed from a partitioning member-forming, photosensitive material by photolithography using the base wall member pattern as a mask. A process of producing the above ink jet head is also disclosed.