Patents by Inventor Akio Kato

Akio Kato 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).

  • Publication number: 20240077819
    Abstract: Provided is a heater including: a substrate that has electrical conductivity; a first insulation portion that is provided on a first surface of the substrate, has an insulation property; at least one heat generation body that is provided on the first insulation portion; a second insulation portion that is provided on a second surface of the substrate which is opposite to the first surface, has an insulation property; at least one detection unit that is provided on at least one of the first insulation portion and the second insulation portion; and a first wiring which is provided on at least one of the first insulation portion and the second insulation portion, and in which one end is electrically connected to one terminal of the detection unit and the other end is electrically connected to the substrate having the electrical conductivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Kousuke Ueno, Masahiko Tamai, Shinjiro Aono, Akio Tsubouchi, Tsuyoshi Ohashi, Satoko Kato, Masahiro Doi, Makoto Sakai
  • Publication number: 20240071128
    Abstract: A detection device includes a plurality of optical sensors arranged in a detection area, a light source configured to emit light that is emitted to an object to be detected and is detected by the optical sensors, and a processor configured to perform processing based on outputs from the optical sensors. The processor is configured to determine, based on the outputs of the respective optical sensors obtained at a cycle of a predetermined period, an optical sensor an output of which is to be employed from among the optical sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Hirofumi KATO, Makoto UCHIDA, Takanori TSUNASHIMA, Takashi NAKAMURA, Akio TAKIMOTO, Takao SOMEYA, Tomoyuki YOKOTA
  • Patent number: 11476732
    Abstract: An electric actuator includes: an electric motor 2, a relay circuit 3 that switches ON/OFF of power supply to the electric motor 2, a motion conversion mechanism 4 that converts a rotary motion of the electric motor 2 into a motion in a direction different therefrom and outputs the motion, and a housing 1. The housing 1 is configured by joining two housing split bodies 1a and 1b to each other, and in an internal space formed by joining the two housing split bodies 1a and 1b, the electric motor 2, the relay circuit 3, and the motion conversion mechanism 4 are housed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takushi Matsuto, Akio Kato, Atsushi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11434953
    Abstract: An electric actuator 1 includes: an electric motor 10; a first motion conversion mechanism 20 that has a screw shaft 21 rotatably driven by the electric motor 10 and a nut 22 screwed with the screw shaft 21, and converts a rotary motion of the screw shaft 21 into a linear motion of the nut 22; and a housing 40 accommodating the electric motor 10 and the motion conversion mechanism 20. The housing 40 includes a pair of housing split bodies 41 and 42 split by a plane parallel to an axial direction of the screw shaft 21.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akio Kato, Yuuki Naitou, Youhei Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20220136591
    Abstract: A linear actuator 1 includes a motor 2, a rotary unit (a screw shaft 5) to be rotationally driven by the motor 2, and a linear motion unit 6 to be screwed with the screw shaft 5 and to linearly move in an axial direction in accordance with rotation of the screw shaft 5. The linear motion unit 6 includes a linear motion unit main body 7 (a nut 10 and a spring case 11), an output member 8 provided to be relatively movable in the axial direction with respect to the linear motion unit main body 7, and configured to abut an operation target P, and a spring 9 disposed between the linear motion unit main body 7 and the output member 8 in the axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Ryousuke OBARA, Akio KATO
  • Publication number: 20210277983
    Abstract: An electric actuator includes: a motor section (5) including a stator (51) and a rotor (52); a driving-source output shaft (6), which is arranged on a radially inner side of the rotor, and is configured to output rotation of the rotor; and a speed reducer (2) connected to the driving-source output shaft. The driving-source output shaft (6) is hollow, and the speed reducer (2) includes a planetary-traction-drive speed reducer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Inventors: Takushi MATSUTO, Kimihito USHIDA, Masahiro KAWAI, Akio KATO
  • Patent number: 10933482
    Abstract: Provided is a soldering method for soldering a tip end of an electric wire to a soldering portion of a metallic terminal which allows the soldering to be performed with excellent workability. The method includes a damming structure forming step forming a damming structure at a periphery of the soldering portion to dam a solder which is supplied in a molten state with a flux to the soldering portion to keep the solder at the soldering portion, an electric wire setting step setting the tip end of the electric wire at the soldering portion ready for soldering, and a solder supplying step supplying the solder in the molten state with the flux to the soldering portion to perform the soldering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akio Kato, Shinpei Kato, Hisashi Karube
  • Publication number: 20200400188
    Abstract: An electric actuator 1 includes: an electric motor 10; a first motion conversion mechanism 20 that has a screw shaft 21 rotatably driven by the electric motor 10 and a nut 22 screwed with the screw shaft 21, and converts a rotary motion of the screw shaft 21 into a linear motion of the nut 22; and a housing 40 accommodating the electric motor 10 and the motion conversion mechanism 20. The housing 40 includes a pair of housing split bodies 41 and 42 split by a plane parallel to an axial direction of the screw shaft 21.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2018
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Akio KATO, Yuuki NAITOU, Youhei YAMASHITA
  • Publication number: 20200336038
    Abstract: An electric actuator includes: an electric motor 2, a relay circuit 3 that switches ON/OFF of power supply to the electric motor 2, a motion conversion mechanism 4 that converts a rotary motion of the electric motor 2 into a motion in a direction different therefrom and outputs the motion, and a housing 1. The housing 1 is configured by joining two housing split bodies 1a and 1b to each other, and in an internal space formed by joining the two housing split bodies 1a and 1b, the electric motor 2, the relay circuit 3, and the motion conversion mechanism 4 are housed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventors: Takushi MATSUTO, Akio KATO, Atsushi IKEDA
  • Publication number: 20190277373
    Abstract: Provided is a linear electric actuator (1), including: an electric motor part (A); a screw mechanism part (B); and an operation part (C), the electric motor part (A) and the screw mechanism part (B) being coaxially arranged, a rotary motion of a hollow rotor inner (52c) of the electric motor part (A) being transmitted to a nut (92) of the screw mechanism part (B), wherein the operation part (C) is provided to a screw shaft (93) of the screw mechanism part (B), wherein the hollow rotor inner (52c) and the nut (92) are positioned so as to be prevented from overlapping each other in an axial direction, and wherein a rotation stopper mechanism (M) for the screw shaft (93) is provided on a radially inner side of the hollow rotor inner (52c).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Inventors: Takushi MATSUTO, Kimihito USHIDA, Masahiro KAWAI, Akio KATO
  • Publication number: 20180361491
    Abstract: Provided is a soldering method for soldering a tip end of an electric wire to a soldering portion of a metallic terminal which allows the soldering to be performed with excellent workability. The method includes a damming structure forming step forming a damming structure at a periphery of the soldering portion to dam a solder which is supplied in a molten state with a flux to the soldering portion to keep the solder at the soldering portion, an electric wire setting step setting the tip end of the electric wire at the soldering portion ready for soldering, and a solder supplying step supplying the solder in the molten state with the flux to the soldering portion to perform the soldering.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Applicant: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Akio KATO, Shinpei KATO, Hisashi KARUBE
  • Patent number: 9915325
    Abstract: A chain transmission device includes chain guides capable of guiding a chain. The chain guides include a plurality of spaced apart rollers for guiding the chain, and a distance L (m) between contact points of a trained portion of the chain is set to satisfy the following inequality: L < 1 2 ? ? MAX ? T ? , where ?MAX is a maximum excitation frequency (Hz) from a crankshaft, ? is a mass of the chain per unit length (kg/m), and T is a time-average tension of the chain (N).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akio Kato, Takahiro Yamashita, Hisataka Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 9909652
    Abstract: A chain transmission device for driving camshafts includes a chain including a loose side chain portion, and the chain is trained around the crank sprocket and the cam sprockets. A chain guide is mounted on the outer side of the loose side chain portion so as to be pivotable about one of the two end portions of the chain guide, and the chain guide has a plurality of rotatable rollers. An adjustment force is applied to the other of the two end portions of the chain guide by a chain tensioner such that the chain guide is biased toward the chain, so that the rollers of the chain guide can guide the chain by rolling. The winding angle of the portion of the chain located on the outer periphery of the roller located closest to the crank sprocket is set to be 170 degrees or greater so as to reduce noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akio Kato, Takahiro Yamashita, Hisataka Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 9885401
    Abstract: A chain guide includes a guide base pivotable about a fulcrum shaft. The fulcrum shaft is between a roller bearing located at an end portion of the guide base, which is closer to the fulcrum shaft, and the center of the guide base in the longitudinal direction of the guide base such that the roller bearing is outside of the fulcrum shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akio Kato, Takahiro Yamashita, Hisataka Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 9879763
    Abstract: A chain guide includes a curved guide base extending along the direction in which a torque transmitting chain moves. The guide base includes, on its surface opposed to the chain, a rolling guide portion including a plurality of roller element bearings which are rotatable and configured to guide the chain while kept in rolling contact with the chain, and a sliding guide portion in the form of a curved surface. The rolling guide portion reduces a loss in torque transmission, while the sliding guide portion reduces flapping of the chain, thus reducing noise and vibrations of the chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignees: NTN CORPORATION, BORGWARNER MORSE SYSTEMS JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Akio Kato, Takahiro Yamashita, Hisataka Hasegawa, Shinji Tsuruta, Hiroyuki Fukuyama, Nobuhiro Mizuno
  • Publication number: 20170152922
    Abstract: A chain guide includes a curved guide base extending along the direction in which a torque transmitting chain moves. The guide base includes, on its surface opposed to the chain, a rolling guide portion including a plurality of roller element bearings which are rotatable and configured to guide the chain while kept in rolling contact with the chain, and a sliding guide portion in the form of a curved surface. The rolling guide portion reduces a loss in torque transmission, while the sliding guide portion reduces flapping of the chain, thus reducing noise and vibrations of the chain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Inventors: Akio KATO, Takahiro YAMASHITA, Hisataka HASEGAWA, Shinji TSURUTA, Hiroyuki FUKUYAMA, Nobuhiro MIZUNO
  • Patent number: 9593750
    Abstract: A chain guide includes a plurality of roller shafts provided on one side of a timing chain for torque transmission and spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of a guide base facing the timing chain. The respective roller shafts rotatably support chain guiding rollers in the form of needle roller bearings. The rollers are cylindrical members having the same diameter over the entire axial direction such that the rollers are movable in the axial direction relative to the timing chain. The rollers are supported so as to be movable in the axial direction. When the rollers and the timing chain move relative to each other in the axial direction and the rollers move relative to the roller shafts in the axial direction, contact portions between the rollers and the roller shafts are displaced in the axial direction, so that radial loads are not locally applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akio Kato, Shinji Oishi
  • Patent number: 9587720
    Abstract: A chain guide is provided which reduces moving resistance of a camshaft-driving, torque-transmitting timing chain. The chain guide includes a guide base provided on one side of the timing chain to face the timing chain and having an opposed pair of side plates. The side plates support respective ends of roller shafts each rotatably supporting a chain-guiding needle roller bearing. Each needle roller bearing includes a retainer guided by needle roller elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akio Kato, Shinji Oishi
  • Publication number: 20170037942
    Abstract: A chain guide includes a guide base pivotable about a fulcrum shaft. The fulcrum shaft is arranged between a roller bearing located at the end portion of the guide base, which is closer to the fulcrum shaft, and the center of the guide base in the longitudinal direction of the guide base such that the roller is arranged outside of the fulcrum shaft. In this arrangement, since the rotation moment applied to the above roller bearing due to the pressing force from a chain acts to alleviate the rotation moment applied to the remaining roller bearings, the guise base is less likely to bend.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2014
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Applicant: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Akio KATO, Takahiro YAMASHITA, Hisataka HASEGAWA
  • Patent number: 9562593
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a chain guide superior in silence, which includes: a guide base extending in a traveling direction of a chain; a plurality of roller shafts attached to the guide base at an interval along the traveling direction of the chain; and rollers each rotatably supported by one of the roller shafts. The roller has a cylindrical outer circumferential surface for guiding the chain. The outer circumferential surface of the roller has a cylindricity not greater than 20 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinji Oishi, Akio Kato, Takahiro Yamashita, Katsufumi Abe