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).

  • Patent number: 10279835
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akitake Kawakubo
  • Publication number: 20170050666
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2016
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akitake KAWAKUBO
  • Patent number: 9428216
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akitake Kawakubo
  • Patent number: 9157513
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto Taenaka, Akitake Kawakubo
  • Publication number: 20150020618
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventor: Akitake KAWAKUBO
  • Publication number: 20140338486
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto TAENAKA, Akitake KAWAKUBO
  • Patent number: 8511191
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Akitake Kawakubo, Yoshinori Suzuki, Hirofumi Ishimi, Yoshio Kondo
  • Patent number: 8443689
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: JTekt Corporation
    Inventors: Akitake Kawakubo, Yoshinori Suzuki, Hirofumi Ishimi
  • Publication number: 20100024583
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akitake Kawakubo, Yoshinori Suzuki, Hirofumi Ishimi, Yoshio Kondo
  • Publication number: 20100018337
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2009
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akitake Kawakubo, Yoshinori Suzuki, Hirofumi Ishimi