Patents Assigned to Minebea Co., Ltd.
  • Patent number: 9948151
    Abstract: An outer rotor type brushless motor of the present invention comprises: a rotor portion having a rotor frame, a shaft, and a rotor magnet; a bearing housing; a stator portion facing the rotor magnet and having a stator core, a plurality of first salient pole portions extending toward the rotor magnet from the stator core, an insulation surrounding the first salient pole portion, and a winding around the first salient pole portion through the insulation; and a torque holding portion provided on an inner side of the outer circumference portion of the rotor frame and an outer circumference of the bearing housing, and having a plurality of second salient pole portions disposed coaxially with the stator core and extending toward the rotor magnet, where the first salient pole portions and the second salient pole portions are provided in different numbers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akio Ando, Hirotaka Sato, Toshiyuki Nishikata
  • Patent number: 9941826
    Abstract: A motor drive control device drives a motor including a plurality of phase coils and a rotor rotatably supported with respect to the plurality of phase coils, and the motor drive control device includes a controller, which generates a drive control signal; a motor driver, which outputs a drive signal to each of the phase coils of the motor, based on the drive control signal; and a back-electromotive-voltage detector, which is connected to each of the phase coils and includes resistive voltage dividing circuits having respectively different voltage-dividing ratios, wherein the back-electromotive-voltage detector detects a rotational position of a rotor for sensorless driving by using the resistive voltage dividing circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kaidu, Yuji Omura
  • Patent number: 9938986
    Abstract: A centrifugal fan includes: an impeller; an upper casing that is disposed above the impeller; a lower casing that is disposed below the impeller; an outlet port that is provided between the upper casing and the lower casing and from which an air suctioned by rotation of the impeller is discharged, wherein the upper casing is provided with a flange that protrudes in an outer radial direction of the impeller from an outer circumferential edge of the upper casing, and wherein the flange partially covers the outlet port when viewed from a direction perpendicular to a rotation axis of the impeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignees: Minebea Co., Ltd., Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiya Fujimoto, Hitoshi Ikuta, Atsushi Tsuzaki, Yuya Inoue, Yumi Asano
  • Patent number: 9927380
    Abstract: There is provided a detection device including: a detection electrode that is arranged at a position on an arrangement plane near a tubular body; a drive electrode that is arranged on the arrangement plane; and a controller configured to generate lines of electric force between the detection electrode and the drive electrode and to detect a state of the tubular body by detecting lines of electric force entering the detection electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Muto, Yasutoshi Obata, Hiroyuki Ohmae, Kiyoshi Omori, Yohei Ishii
  • Patent number: 9923435
    Abstract: A production method for a rotor core for a VR type resolver has a structure in which one protrusion is formed on an inner edge thereof in which the rotor cores can be rotated and laminated without increasing cost. In a production method of a rotor core for a VR type resolver, a plurality of tabular rotor core pieces are laminated. In this case, in the rotor core pieces, four protrusions are simultaneously formed, one of them is left, the remainder thereof is removed, and rotating lamination is carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takaaki Ochiai
  • Patent number: 9915772
    Abstract: The illumination apparatus includes a light guide plate, a light source disposed opposing an incident light surface of the light guide plate, at least one optical sheet stacked on a light emitting surface of the light guide plate, and a frame for accommodating the light guide plate. On principal surfaces of the light guide plate, a protruding part and a recessed part are provided so as to form a pair at least along an end surface of the light guide plate extending in a direction that intersects an end surface serving as the incident light surface of the light guide plate, or along an end surface that opposes the incident light surface of the light guide plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Toru Kunimochi
  • Patent number: 9915554
    Abstract: The width of a terminal block is decreased by decreasing a space between an external connecting terminal at each end of the external connecting terminals and an end portion of the terminal block, whereas a space between a winding terminal at each end of the winding terminals of terminals and an end portion of the terminal block is sufficiently obtained. A terminal 7 is provided with an external connecting terminal 71 and a winding terminal 72, and the terminal 7 has a shape such that a center line Lp in the width direction of the winding terminal 72 is shifted from a center line Le in the width direction of the external connecting terminal 71. A plurality of the terminals 7 are arranged on a terminal block 11 so that pitches between the winding terminals 72 are unequal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Haruki Otobe
  • Patent number: 9910280
    Abstract: A display device includes: a display portion; and a storage member configured to house the display portion and including an opening through which the display portion passes, wherein the display device further includes: a plurality of cover members configured to cover the opening and to travel from the opening to a region of the storage member adjacent to the opening so as to be overlapped with each other at the region; travel control means configured to cause the plurality of cover members to transfer to a covering position in which the opening is closed by the plurality of cover members, and also to a overlapping position in which the plurality of cover members are overlapped with each other, and configured to cause the display portion to transfer to rise-up and storage positions; and only one drive source configured to drive the travel control means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasukazu Yomogita
  • Patent number: 9910214
    Abstract: A planar illumination device according to an embodiment, including: a light guiding plate having one of a pair of opposite principal surfaces serving as a light emission surface; a light source arranged at a side surface connecting end edges of the pair of principal surfaces of the light guiding plate; and a frame, in which the light guiding plate is arranged. The frame is formed of plural frame members arranged along side surfaces of the light guiding plate. The plural frame members are configured to include a resin frame member and a metal frame member, and to have a joint portion between the resin frame member and the metal frame member, the joint portion arranged at end portions of the resin frame member and the metal frame member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoyuki Terada, Ippei Kusunoki
  • Patent number: 9912262
    Abstract: A positioning arrangement is provided for moving an object that is to be positioned (9) with at least one positioning axis (11), wherein at least two electric motors (6) for moving the object that is to be positioned (9) are assigned to at least one positioning axis (11). Each electric motor (6) has its own separate control circuit (2), wherein the control circuits (2) are designed in each case to receive adjustment requests for a positioning direction. The control circuits (2) are furthermore designed in each case to evaluate the adjustment request and the electric motors (6) are interconnected via a communication interface (13). The adjustment requests and the movement commands to control the electric motors (6) can be exchanged via this communication interface (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mario Ruoff
  • Patent number: 9893658
    Abstract: A method for starting a multiphase, sensorless commutated, brushless electric motor. The method has three operating phases. A start-up phase in which the motor is operated from a standstill with specified commutation times. An acceleration phase in which the motor is accelerated up to a nominal speed, wherein the commutation times are determined on the basis of the zero crossings of the BEMF voltage of the non-energized stator phase windings. And a stationary operating phase in which the nominal speed is kept constant. The transition from the start-up phase into the acceleration phase takes place when, during the start-up phase, a predetermined number of successive zero crossings of the BEMF voltage in the expected order in the expected motor phases have been identified. The transition from the acceleration phase into the stationary phase takes place once the nominal speed has been reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Martin Winker, Klaus Moosmann
  • Patent number: 9890798
    Abstract: There is provided with an axial fan comprising an impeller having a plurality of vanes; a motor rotating the impeller; a casing housing the impeller and the motor; a motor base mounting the motor; and a plurality of spokes connecting the motor base and the casing, wherein the motor base has a plurality of reinforcement ribs thereon, the plurality of reinforcement ribs being equal to or more than the plurality of spokes in number, and wherein the casing has a natural frequency equal to or higher than a frequency being transmitted to the casing from the motor when the motor is rotated at a rotation speed of 20000 rpm or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Oda, Tomoko Nonaka, Masaaki Nishizawa, Shinichi Uchikawa
  • Patent number: 9888583
    Abstract: There is provided a flexible printed circuit board. The flexible printed circuit board includes: a flexible insulation layer having a first surface and a second surface; a first land which is conductive and which is provided on the first surface of the flexible insulation layer; and a conductive member which is provided on the second surface of the flexible insulation layer. A recess is formed on the first land.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dohaku Inamori, Takashi Kashino
  • Patent number: 9885367
    Abstract: A centrifugal fan includes an impeller and a motor which rotates the impeller. The impeller includes an upper shroud, a lower shroud, and blades arranged therebetween. A rotor of the motor is attached to an attachment part of the lower shroud. In a section passing a rotary shaft of the impeller, the rotor and the attachment part are provided at a more outer side than a circle having a center on a line passing an upper end portion of an inlet opening at an inner side and parallel to the rotary shaft of the impeller, having a radius of 80% of a distance from the upper end portion of the inlet opening to a surface of the lower shroud below the upper end portion, and being tangent to the surface of the lower shroud or passing an end edge portion of the lower shroud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuzuru Suzuki, Seiya Fujimoto, Takako Otsuka, Masaki Ogushi
  • Patent number: 9886975
    Abstract: A hard disk drive according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a pivot assembly bearing device with a shaft, rolling bearings and a sleeve, a cylindrical convex portion formed in a cover member at the upper side, protruding inward, and fixed to an upper end surface of the shaft, a convex portion formed on a base member at the lower side, protruding inward, and fixed to a lower end surface of the shaft, and a labyrinth gap formed by opposing an outer peripheral surface of the convex portion to an inner peripheral surface of a sleeve in a radial direction and/or by opposing an outer peripheral surface of the convex portion to the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve in a radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Weihong Yang, Daiki Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20180031446
    Abstract: A bearing arrangement comprising a housing, a liner positioned within the housing and providing a bearing surface; at least one sensor within the liner, positioned at a predetermined depth beneath the bearing surface, configured to detect wear of the liner to said predetermined depth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Applicant: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Martin Winker, Martin Bauer, Andrea Carbonetti, Tobias Hülsen, Gaetano Calabrò, Mohammed Bhatti, Brandyn D. Lewis, Dick Ray, Satoshi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 9839744
    Abstract: An occlusion detection device detects an occlusion of a flexible fluid path on either of upstream and downstream sides of a pump mechanism, the pump mechanism transporting a liquid through the fluid path by elastically deforming the fluid path. The occlusion detection device is provided with: an occlusion sensor that is disposed on the downstream side of the pump mechanism and detects an internal pressure of the fluid path during a liquid transporting operation of the pump mechanism; and a data processing circuit that analyzes on which side of the upstream and downstream sides of the pump mechanism the occlusion of the fluid path occurs, based on a change of the internal pressure of the fluid path detected by the occlusion sensor and outputs an analysis result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Muto, Hiroyuki Ohmae, Kiyoshi Omori
  • Publication number: 20170354035
    Abstract: There is provided a flexible printed circuit board. The flexible printed circuit board includes: a flexible insulation layer having a first surface and a second surface; a first land which is conductive and which is provided on the first surface of the flexible insulation layer; and a conductive member which is provided on the second surface of the flexible insulation layer. A recess is formed on the first land.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dohaku INAMORI, Takashi KASHINO
  • Patent number: D804497
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Akatsu, Norihito IIda
  • Patent number: D804498
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Akatsu, Norihito Iida