Patents by Inventor Akitake Kawakubo
Akitake Kawakubo 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).
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Patent number: 10279835Abstract: In a steering system, a guide member faces the rack shaft on the opposite side of the rack shaft from the pinion shaft, and an opposed member faces the guide member at a first distance. The rack shaft is supported by the first rack bush so as to be slidable in the axial direction. The rack shaft is supported so as to be slidable in the axial direction X at a position closer to the guide member than the first rack bush is by the second rack bush disposed away from the inner surface. An elastic member that can be elastically deformed is disposed between the inner surface and the second rack bush. The second rack bush has an opposed portion disposed on the opposite side of the rack shaft from the pinion shaft and facing the inner surface at a second distance that is larger than the first distance.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2016Date of Patent: May 7, 2019Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventor: Akitake Kawakubo
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Publication number: 20170050666Abstract: In a steering system, a guide member faces the rack shaft on the opposite side of the rack shaft from the pinion shaft, and an opposed member faces the guide member at a first distance. The rack shaft is supported by the first rack bush so as to be slidable in the axial direction. The rack shaft is supported so as to be slidable in the axial direction X at a position closer to the guide member than the first rack bush is by the second rack bush disposed away from the inner surface. An elastic member that can be elastically deformed is disposed between the inner surface and the second rack bush. The second rack bush has an opposed portion disposed on the opposite side of the rack shaft from the pinion shaft and facing the inner surface at a second distance that is larger than the first distance.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2016Publication date: February 23, 2017Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventor: Akitake KAWAKUBO
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Patent number: 9428216Abstract: A rack bush, which constitutes a rack and pinion type steering system and supports a rack shaft in which rack teeth are formed at one circumferential portion, includes a bush main body and a rigidity reducing portion. The bush main body has an annular shape into which the rack shaft is inserted. The bush main body is divided, in a circumferential direction, into two portions including a rack teeth-side portion located on the same side as the rack teeth in the circumferential direction and a back face-side portion other than the rack teeth-side portion. The rigidity reducing portion is provided in the rack teeth-side portion, and makes a rigidity of the rack teeth-side portion lower than a rigidity of the back face-side portion.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2014Date of Patent: August 30, 2016Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventor: Akitake Kawakubo
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Patent number: 9157513Abstract: A rack guide unit includes a closure member secured to an external opening end of an accommodation portion of a housing, and a rack guide. Coned disc springs that urge the rack guide toward a rack shaft are interposed between the closure member and the rack guide. A protrusion of the closure member is passed through the coned disc springs and inserted in a recessed portion of the rack guide. An O-ring held in an accommodation groove formed in the outer periphery of the protrusion, at a position closer to the distal end of the protrusion than the coned disc springs are, functions as a retaining protrusion that restrains the coned disc springs from coming off the protrusion. For example, the coned disc springs and the closure member constitute a subassembly formed in advance.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2014Date of Patent: October 13, 2015Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventors: Makoto Taenaka, Akitake Kawakubo
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Publication number: 20150020618Abstract: A rack bush, which constitutes a rack and pinion type steering system and supports a rack shaft in which rack teeth are formed at one circumferential portion, includes a bush main body and a rigidity reducing portion. The bush main body has an annular shape into which the rack shaft is inserted. The bush main body is divided, in a circumferential direction, into two portions including a rack teeth-side portion located on the same side as the rack teeth in the circumferential direction and a back face-side portion other than the rack teeth-side portion. The rigidity reducing portion is provided in the rack teeth-side portion, and makes a rigidity of the rack teeth-side portion lower than a rigidity of the back face-side portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2014Publication date: January 22, 2015Inventor: Akitake KAWAKUBO
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Publication number: 20140338486Abstract: A rack guide unit includes a closure member secured to an external opening end of an accommodation portion of a housing, and a rack guide. Coned disc springs that urge the rack guide toward a rack shaft are interposed between the closure member and the rack guide. A protrusion of the closure member is passed through the coned disc springs and inserted in a recessed portion of the rack guide. An O-ring held in an accommodation groove formed in the outer periphery of the protrusion, at a position closer to the distal end of the protrusion than the coned disc springs are, functions as a retaining protrusion that restrains the coned disc springs from coming off the protrusion. For example, the coned disc springs and the closure member constitute a subassembly formed in advance.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2014Publication date: November 20, 2014Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventors: Makoto TAENAKA, Akitake KAWAKUBO
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Patent number: 8511191Abstract: A rack shaft support device includes: a rack shaft support member that is accommodated inside a retention hole formed in a housing so as to slide in an axial direction of the retention hole, and slidably supports a rack shaft; a sealing member fixed to an inlet port of the retention hole; an intermediate member that is interposed between the rack shaft support member and the sealing member; a torsion spring that couples the sealing member and the intermediate member; a cam mechanism that converts a rotational force of the intermediate member induced by untwisting of the torsion spring to a force by which the intermediate member pushes the rack shaft support member; an opposing portion that opposes a rear surface of the rack shaft support member; and an annular elastic member that is interposed between the rear surface of the rack shaft support member and the opposing portion.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2009Date of Patent: August 20, 2013Assignee: JTEKT CorporationInventors: Akitake Kawakubo, Yoshinori Suzuki, Hirofumi Ishimi, Yoshio Kondo
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Patent number: 8443689Abstract: A rack shaft support device includes: a rack shaft support member that slidably supports a rack shaft; a sealing member fixed to an inlet port of a retention hole formed in a housing; an intermediate member that is interposed between the rack shaft support member and the sealing member; a torsion spring that couples the intermediate member so that torque is transmitted to the intermediate member; a torsion amount adjusting member that is attached to the sealing member in such a manner that a position of the torsion amount adjusting member with respect to the sealing member is adjustable and adjusts a torsion amount of the torsion spring; and a cam mechanism that converts a rotation force of the intermediate member induced by untwisting of the torsion spring into a force by which the intermediate member pushes the rack shaft support member.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2009Date of Patent: May 21, 2013Assignee: JTekt CorporationInventors: Akitake Kawakubo, Yoshinori Suzuki, Hirofumi Ishimi
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Publication number: 20100024583Abstract: A rack shaft support device includes: a rack shaft support member that is accommodated inside a retention hole formed in a housing so as to slide in an axial direction of the retention hole, and slidably supports a rack shaft; a sealing member fixed to an inlet port of the retention hole; an intermediate member that is interposed between the rack shaft support member and the sealing member; a torsion spring that couples the sealing member and the intermediate member; a cam mechanism that converts a rotational force of the intermediate member induced by untwisting of the torsion spring to a force by which the intermediate member pushes the rack shaft support member; an opposing portion that opposes a rear surface of the rack shaft support member; and an annular elastic member that is interposed between the rear surface of the rack shaft support member and the opposing portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2009Publication date: February 4, 2010Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventors: Akitake Kawakubo, Yoshinori Suzuki, Hirofumi Ishimi, Yoshio Kondo
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Publication number: 20100018337Abstract: A rack shaft support device includes: a rack shaft support member that slidably supports a rack shaft; a sealing member fixed to an inlet port of a retention hole formed in a housing; an intermediate member that is interposed between the rack shaft support member and the sealing member; a torsion spring that couples the intermediate member so that torque is transmitted to the intermediate member; a torsion amount adjusting member that is attached to the sealing member in such a manner that a position of the torsion amount adjusting member with respect to the sealing member is adjustable and adjusts a torsion amount of the torsion spring; and a cam mechanism that converts a rotation force of the intermediate member induced by untwisting of the torsion spring into a force by which the intermediate member pushes the rack shaft support member.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 22, 2009Publication date: January 28, 2010Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventors: Akitake Kawakubo, Yoshinori Suzuki, Hirofumi Ishimi