Patents by Inventor Akihiro Shoda

Akihiro Shoda has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7481130
    Abstract: A vehicle steering telescopic shaft having a male shaft and a female shaft so fitted to each other as not to be rotatable but to be slidable. First torque transmitting members are disposed between the male shaft and the female shaft, and roll when the male shaft and the female shaft make relative movements in axial directions. Elastic members are disposed adjacent in a radial direction to the first torque transmitting members and restrict them when rotated and apply a pre-load to the male shaft and the female shaft through the first torque transmitting members when not rotated. Second torque transmitting members are provided between the male shaft and the female shaft, and slide when the male shaft and the female shaft make the relative movements in the axial directions, and transmit a torque when rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Yamada, Akihiro Shoda, Atsushi Ozawa, Masato Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 7429060
    Abstract: A telescopic shaft for steering of a vehicle is assembled in a steering shaft and includes a male shaft and a female shaft that are so fitted as not to be rotatable but to be slidable. Rolling members are fitted through an elastic body for pre-load between at least a pair of axially-extending grooves formed in an outer peripheral surface of the male shaft and in an inner peripheral surface of the female shaft. A slide member is fitted in between at least another pair of axially-extending grooves formed in the outer peripheral surface of the male shaft and in the inner peripheral surface of the female shaft. When a steering toque is equal to or smaller than a predetermined level, the elastic body for the pre-load exhibits a low rigidity characteristic as the elastic body performs pre-load action. When the steering torque is equal to or larger than the predetermined level, the slide member exhibits a high rigidity characteristic as the slide member engages with the pair of axially extending grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Yamada, Akihiro Shoda, Atsushi Ozawa, Takatsugu Yamada
  • Patent number: 7416216
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a rolling element 7 for rotating upon relative movement of both shafts 1 and 2 in the axial direction is disposed between three pairs of axial grooves 3 and 5 which are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the male shaft 1 and on the inner peripheral surface of the female shaft 2, respectively, a raceway surface element 9 which is in contact with the rolling element 7 and an elastic member 10 for pressurizing the rolling element 7 against the male shaft 1 and the female shaft 2 through the raceway surface element 9 are interposed between the axial groove 3 on the male shaft side 1 and the rolling element 7, and a sliding member 8 for slidably moving upon relative movement of the both shafts 1 and 2 in the axial direction is disposed between another three pairs of axial grooves 4 and 6 which are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the male shaft 1 and on the inner peripheral surface of the female shaft 2, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Shoda, Yasuhisa Yamada
  • Patent number: 7410190
    Abstract: In a motor-driven steering wheel position adjustment apparatus, a nut 17 being a driven member is mounted such that it can be detached from an inner column of a steering column, based on a shock load applied at the time of a secondary collision, and therefore a threaded rod of a feed screw mechanism does not have resistance with respect to displacement of the inner column in the forward direction at that time. Improvement in the protection of a driver at the time of a collision can thus be achieved, and, since an integrated member can be used for the threaded rod, silence during the position adjustment of a steering wheel by the feed screw mechanism can be ensured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Sawada, Masato Iwakawa, Akihiro Shoda, Takeshi Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 7322607
    Abstract: A telescopic shaft for steering of a vehicle is assembled in a steering shaft and includes a male shaft and a female shaft that are so fitted as not to be rotatable but to be slidable. Rolling members are fitted through an elastic body for pre-load between at least a pair of axially-extending grooves formed in an outer peripheral surface of the male shaft and in an inner peripheral surface of the female shaft. A slide member is fitted in between at least another pair of axially-extending grooves formed in the outer peripheral surface of the male shaft and in the inner peripheral surface of the female shaft. When a steering toque is equal to or smaller than a predetermined level, the elastic body for the pre-load exhibits a low rigidity characteristic as the elastic body performs pre-load action. When the steering torque is equal to or larger than the predetermined level, the slide member exhibits a high rigidity characteristic as the slide member engages with the pair of axially extending grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Yamada, Akihiro Shoda, Atsushi Ozawa, Kinji Yukawa, Takatsugu Yamada
  • Publication number: 20070273137
    Abstract: A telescopic shaft for steering of a vehicle is assembled in a steering shaft and includes a male shaft and a female shaft that are so fitted as not to be rotatable but to be slidable. Rolling members are fitted through an elastic body for pre-load between at least a pair of axially-extending grooves formed in an outer peripheral surface of the male shaft and in an inner peripheral surface of the female shaft. A slide member is fitted in between at least another pair of axially-extending grooves formed in the outer peripheral surface of the male shaft and in the inner peripheral surface of the female shaft. When a steering toque is equal to or smaller than a predetermined level, the elastic body for the pre-load exhibits a low rigidity characteristic as the elastic body performs pre-load action. When the steering torque is equal to or larger than the predetermined level, the slide member exhibits a high rigidity characteristic as the slide member engages with the pair of axially extending grooves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2007
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Inventors: Yasuhisa YAMADA, Akihiro SHODA, Atsushi OZAWA, Kinji Yukawa, Takatsugu YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20060191368
    Abstract: The present invention realizes a structure that can ensure silence during position adjustment of a steering wheel 8 by a feed screw mechanism 16, and that can achieve an improvement in the protection of a driver at the time of a collision accident. A nut 17 being a driven member is mounted such that it can be detached from an inner column 3a constituting a steering column 1a, based on a shock load applied at the time of a secondary collision. Therefore, at the time of a secondary collision, a threaded rod 18 constituting the feed screw mechanism 16, does not have resistance with respect to displacement of the inner column 3a in the forward direction, and hence an improvement in the protection of the driver can be achieved. Moreover, since an integrated member can be used for the threaded rod 18, silence during the position adjustment can be ensured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Publication date: August 31, 2006
    Inventors: Naoki Sawada, Masato Iwakawa, Akihiro Shoda, Takeshi Fujiwara
  • Publication number: 20060039747
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a rolling element 7 for rotating upon relative movement of both shafts 1 and 2 in the axial direction is disposed between three pairs of axial grooves 3 and 5 which are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the male shaft 1 and on the inner peripheral surface of the female shaft 2, respectively, a raceway surface element 9 which is in contact with the rolling element 7 and an elastic member 10 for pressurizing the rolling element 7 against the male shaft 1 and the female shaft 2 through the raceway surface element 9 are interposed between the axial groove 3 on the male shaft side 1 and the rolling element 7, and a sliding member 8 for slidably moving upon relative movement of the both shafts 1 and 2 in the axial direction is disposed between another three pairs of axial grooves 4 and 6 which are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the male shaft 1 and on the inner peripheral surface of the female shaft 2, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2003
    Publication date: February 23, 2006
    Applicant: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Shoda, Yasuhisa Yamada
  • Publication number: 20050104354
    Abstract: A telescopic shaft for steering of a vehicle is assembled in a steering shaft and includes a male shaft and a female shaft that are so fitted as not to be rotatable but to be slidable. Rolling members are fitted through an elastic body for pre-load between at least a pair of axially-extending grooves formed in an outer peripheral surface of the male shaft and in an inner peripheral surface of the female shaft. A slide member is fitted in between at least another pair of axially-extending grooves formed in the outer peripheral surface of the male shaft and in the inner peripheral surface of the female shaft. When a steering toque is equal to or smaller than a predetermined level, the elastic body for the pre-load exhibits a low rigidity characteristic as the elastic body performs pre-load action. When the steering torque is equal to or larger than the predetermined level, the slide member exhibits a high rigidity characteristic as the slide member engages with the pair of axially extending grooves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2003
    Publication date: May 19, 2005
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Yamada, Akihiro Shoda, Atsushi Ozawa, Kinji Yukawa, Takatsugu Yamada
  • Publication number: 20040245759
    Abstract: A vehicle steering telescopic shaft having a male shaft and a female shaft so fitted to each other as not to be rotatable but to be slidable. First torque transmitting members are disposed between the male shaft and the female shaft, and roll when the male shaft and the female shaft make relative movements in axial directions. Elastic members are disposed adjacent in a radial direction to the first torque transmitting members and restrict them when rotated and apply a pre-load to the male shaft and the female shaft through the first torque transmitting members when not rotated. Second torque transmitting members are provided between the male shaft and the female shaft, and slide when the male shaft and the female shaft make the relative movements in the axial directions, and transmit a torque when rotated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Yamada, Akihiro Shoda, Atsushi Ozawa, Masato Taniguchi