Patents by Inventor Hirofumi Ara

Hirofumi Ara 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: 6223625
    Abstract: A torque transmitting and torsion damping apparatus includes a torsion damper and a friction clutch between a first inertia body and a second inertia body that is supported by said first inertia body for relative rotation. The friction clutch includes a friction plate and a pressure plate that is pressed against the friction disc due to the action of a Belleville spring. The pressure plate has bent-free (straight) projections radially outwardly extending into cutout grooves of the first inertia body. This arrangement allows relative axial movement of the pressure plate to the first inertia body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Unisia Jecs Corporation
    Inventors: Hirofumi Ara, Toshio Harima, Daisuke Shibata, Masato Ichinose, Shoichi Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 6220966
    Abstract: A torque transmitting and torsion damping apparatus includes a torsion damper and a friction clutch between a first inertia body and a second inertia body that is supported by said first inertia body for relative rotation. The torsion damper include a drive plate assembly for rotation with the first inertia body, a damper hub for rotation with the second inertia body and spring assembly disposed between the drive plate assembly and the damper hub. At radially inward rivet pins and radially outer projections, the drive plate assembly is fixedly attached to the first inertia body, thereby providing split torque transmission from the first inertia body to the drive plate assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Unisia Jecs Corporation
    Inventors: Hirofumi Ara, Toshio Harima, Daisuke Shibata, Masato Ichinose, Shoichi Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 5415062
    Abstract: A vibration damper assembly comprises a torsional vibration damper with torsional springs, a mass body, and a resilient drive plate which serves as a bending stress damper. With a bearing on a reinforcement block connected to the crankshaft, the torsional vibration damper has an output member rotatably supported by the crankshaft. The resilient driver plate is operatively disposed in torque transmission relationship between the crankshaft and the mass body in such a manner as to coextend radially outwardly from the crankshaft with the torsional vibration damper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1995
    Assignee: Atsugi Unisia Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Kohno, Hirofumi Ara, Tatsuya Morishita, Shizuaki Hidaka, Koji Yamaguchi, Tsutomi Ischidaka
  • Patent number: 5245889
    Abstract: There is proposed an assembly for damping vibrations in a torque transmitting arrangement between an engine and an input part of a transmission. The assembly comprises a first flywheel connected to the engine, and a second flywheel connectable to the input part of the transmission. The first and second flywheels are rotatable relative to each other. At least one damper includes spring means operative to resiliently oppose rotation of the flywheels relative to each other. The assembly also comprises at least one lock-up mechanism including centrifugal force responsive means operative to prevent rotation of the flywheels relative to each other after the damper has become idle when rotation of the engine is lower than a predetermined speed value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1993
    Assignees: Atsugi Unisia Corp., Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Kohno, Hirofumi Ara, Isao Ito, Tatsuya Morishita
  • Patent number: 5203835
    Abstract: A lock-up torque converter for an automatic transmission includes a pump fixedly connected to a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine and a converter cover connected to a converter output shaft during a lock-up condition. A shock absorbing member connects the pump and the converter cover to be elastic in the rotating direction of the converter output shaft. Accordingly, both fluctuations of the engine speed and of the output shaft speed are absorbed by the pump and the converter cover, respectively and therefore the torsional vibrations and the noises generated in the passenger compartment are largely suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1993
    Assignee: Atsugi Unisia Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Kohno, Hirofumi Ara
  • Patent number: 4966261
    Abstract: A lock-up torque converter for automatic transmissions which transmits the torque of an internal combustion engine from the engine crankshaft to the transmission input shaft is disclosed. The torque converter includes a converter cover, a turbine hub receiving the input shaft to provide a driving connection, a clutch piston slidably mounted on the turbine hub, and a turbine runner having the outer shell drivingly connected to the hub. The torque converter comprises a first torsional damper operably connected between the clutch piston and the turbine hub to provide a driving connection only when the clutch piston engages the converter cover, and a second torsional damper operably connected between the crankshaft and the converter cover to provide a driving connection during operation of the engine. During operation of the lock-up mechanism, the two dampers cooperatively operate in series with each other to provide an optimum damping effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 30, 1990
    Assignee: Atsugi Motor Parts Company, Limited
    Inventors: Satoshi Kohno, Hirofumi Ara