An osmotic delivery system is disclosed for delivering an active agent formulation to a fluid environment. The osmotic delivery system typically comprises a reservoir having a lumen that contains the active agent formulation and an osmotic agent formulation and a piston assembly positioned in the lumen to isolate the active agent formulation from the osmotic agent formulation. The piston assembly typically comprises a body constructed and arranged for positioning in the lumen. The body is typically made of a polymeric material that is, for example, resistant to leaching in an organic solvent. In one embodiment, the body is a columnar body having a rim at a distal end thereof for engaging and sealing against a wall of the reservoir and the piston assembly further comprises a spring retained at the distal end of the columnar body for biasing the rim of the columnar body against the wall of the reservoir.

A stepped piston ring (2) includes a ring outer side (5), an upper ring flank (6), and a lower ring flank (8). The ring outer side (5) on the upper edge has a notch (10, so that only a lower portion of the ring outer side (5) forms a contact surface (4).

To provide a piston ring having superior wear resistance and causing less wear damage of a cylinder. A piston ring 1 is used in a reciprocating compressor that compresses gas. The piston ring 1 is formed of a resin composition containing polyetheretherketone resin as a main component. The melt viscosity of the polyetheretherketone resin at the shear rate of 1,000/s and the temperature of 400? C. is 200-550 Pa.Math.s based on a measuring method defined in ISO 11443. The resin composition contains 5-25 vol % of carbon fiber and 5-25 vol % of a solid lubricant, relative to the whole of the resin composition. The solid lubricant includes at least one of PTFE resin and graphite.

To provide a piston ring having superior wear resistance and causing less wear damage of a cylinder. A piston ring 1 is used in a reciprocating compressor that compresses gas. The piston ring 1 is formed of a resin composition containing polyetheretherketone resin as a main component. The melt viscosity of the polyetheretherketone resin at the shear rate of 1,000/s and the temperature of 400? C. is 200-550 Pa.Math.s based on a measuring method defined in ISO 11443. The resin composition contains 5-25 vol % of carbon fiber and 5-25 vol % of a solid lubricant, relative to the whole of the resin composition. The solid lubricant includes at least one of PTFE resin and graphite.

A sliding member includes: a base; a chromium-based hard chromium plated layer formed on the surface of the base; a hard carbon layer that is mainly composed of carbon element and is formed on the hard chromium plated layer. The hydrogen concentration of the hard chromium plated layer is equal to or less than 150 mass ppm. A method for producing the sliding member involves heating the surface of the base on which the chromium-based hard chromium plated layer has been formed at a temperature of 250 C. or more so that the hydrogen concentration of the hard chromium plated layer is equal to or less than 150 mass ppm, and thereafter forming the hard carbon layer mainly composed of carbon element on the hard chromium plated layer.

A sliding member includes: a base; a chromium-based hard chromium plated layer formed on the surface of the base; a hard carbon layer that is mainly composed of carbon element and is formed on the hard chromium plated layer. The hydrogen concentration of the hard chromium plated layer is equal to or less than 150 mass ppm. A method for producing the sliding member involves heating the surface of the base on which the chromium-based hard chromium plated layer has been formed at a temperature of 250 C. or more so that the hydrogen concentration of the hard chromium plated layer is equal to or less than 150 mass ppm, and thereafter forming the hard carbon layer mainly composed of carbon element on the hard chromium plated layer.

A sealing ring includes a first sealing element having a first mating surface and a second sealing element having a second mating surface. A high-pressure boundary extends across at least a portion of the first sealing element and across at least a portion of the second sealing element, and a low-pressure boundary extends across at least a portion of the first sealing element and across at least a portion of the second sealing element. The first mating surface, the second mating surface, or both, includes a recess open to the low-pressure boundary and not open to the high-pressure boundary. The recess may include a groove, for example. The first mating surface is sealed against the second mating surface by a first force acting on the first sealing element and a second force acting on the second sealing element. These forces act to pressure-lock the assembly.

A sealing ring includes a first sealing element having a first mating surface and a second sealing element having a second mating surface. A high-pressure boundary extends across at least a portion of the first sealing element and across at least a portion of the second sealing element, and a low-pressure boundary extends across at least a portion of the first sealing element and across at least a portion of the second sealing element. The first mating surface, the second mating surface, or both, includes a recess open to the low-pressure boundary and not open to the high-pressure boundary. The recess may include a groove, for example. The first mating surface is sealed against the second mating surface by a first force acting on the first sealing element and a second force acting on the second sealing element. These forces act to pressure-lock the assembly.

A piston ring (2) has at least one ring flank seal (14) arranged on a lower ring flank (8) of the piston ring.

A piston ring is produced in which a piston ring base body made of cast iron or cast steel is coated with at least one PVD layer having a variable layer thickness, such that an increased layer thickness is present in the region of the ring ends compared to the remaining circumferential region of the piston ring base body, wherein the piston ring base body is configured so that, in the cold operating state with the engine not running, the radial pressure distribution of the piston ring base body is such that the ring ends exhibit substantially no radial pressure across a defined circumferential angle, and the variable layer thickness of the PVD layer is set so that a substantially uniform radial pressure distribution is present along the entire ring circumference of the piston ring at a piston ring temperature above 150 C.