Patents by Inventor Hironori Uegaki

Hironori Uegaki 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: 10084288
    Abstract: A spark plug including a metallic shell having a ground electrode, an insulator held inside the metallic shell and having an axial hole having a small diameter portion, an intermediate diameter portion connected to a rear end of the small diameter portion via a step portion, and a large diameter portion disposed on the rear side of the intermediate diameter portion, a resistor disposed inside the large diameter portion, a center electrode having a flange portion which bulges in a radial direction inside the intermediate diameter portion and comes into contact with the step portion and a leg portion which extends forward from the flange portion and is disposed inside the small diameter portion, and a seal disposed on the rear side of the step portion and electrically connecting the center electrode and the resistor. The rear end of the seal is located inside the intermediate diameter portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hironori Uegaki, Seiji Nakano, Hirokazu Kurono
  • Publication number: 20180191138
    Abstract: A spark plug having a center electrode that is formed by joining a conductive portion made of a conductive material and an insulating portion made of an insulating material. A sealing member electrically connects the conductive portion to a resistor. The insulating portion includes a protruding portion at a location on the back side of a back end of the sealing member. The protruding portion is embedded in the resistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hironori UEGAKI, Haruki YOSHIDA, Hirokazu KURONO
  • Publication number: 20180183216
    Abstract: A spark plug including a metallic shell having a ground electrode, an insulator held inside the metallic shell and having an axial hole having a small diameter portion, an intermediate diameter portion connected to a rear end of the small diameter portion via a step portion, and a large diameter portion disposed on the rear side of the intermediate diameter portion, a resistor disposed inside the large diameter portion, a center electrode having a flange portion which bulges in a radial direction inside the intermediate diameter portion and comes into contact with the step portion and a leg portion which extends forward from the flange portion and is disposed inside the small diameter portion, and a seal disposed on the rear side of the step portion and electrically connecting the center electrode and the resistor. The rear end of the seal is located inside the intermediate diameter portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Inventors: Hironori UEGAKI, Seiji NAKANO, Hirokazu KURONO
  • Publication number: 20180175592
    Abstract: A spark plug including a metal shell having a ground electrode, a cylindrical ceramic insulator held in the metal shell and having therein an axial hole having a small-diameter portion, and a large-diameter portion larger in diameter than the small-diameter portion and connected to a rear end of the small-diameter portion via a stepped portion, a resistor arranged in the large-diameter portion, a center electrode having: a flange portion projecting in a radial direction in the large-diameter portion to contact with the stepped portion; and a leg portion arranged in the small-diameter portion so as to extend from the flange portion toward the front end side, and a seal body arranged in the large-diameter portion and electrically connecting between the center electrode and the resistor. The seal body includes an insulating seal body that comes into contact with the ceramic insulator, and a conductive seal body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Hironori UEGAKI, Hirokazu KURONO, Jumpei KITA
  • Publication number: 20180166861
    Abstract: A connection structure between a center electrode and a metal terminal of a spark plug having a composite part that contains a plurality of secondary particles each formed of a plurality of primary particles of iron-containing oxide as a magnetic substance, and a conductive material coating the plurality of secondary particles. The iron-containing oxide includes at least one of an oxide represented by M1+AOFe2?AO3 (where ?0.5?A?0.5; and M is at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mg, Zn and Ca) and an oxide represented by Q3Fe5O12 (where Q is at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of Y, Lu, Yb, Tm, Er, Ho, Dy, Tb, Gd and Sm). In cross section, an average particle size of the primary particles is 0.5 ?m to 100 ?m, an average particle size of the secondary particles is 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm, and a porosity of the inside of the secondary particles is 5% or lower.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro KUROSAWA, Katsuya TAKAOKA, Kuniharu TANAKA, Toshitaka HONDA, Hirokazu KURONO, Hironori UEGAKI
  • Patent number: 9997894
    Abstract: A spark plug includes a cylindrical metallic shell having a ground electrode at a forward end of the cylindrical metallic shell, a cylindrical insulator held in the metallic shell, a center electrode disposed in the insulator, a resistor element disposed in the insulator and having a forward end located rearward of a rear end of the center electrode, a forward-end-side electrically conductive seal layer disposed in the insulator to be located between the center electrode and the resistor element, and a rear-end-side electrically conductive seal layer disposed in the insulator to be located rearward of the resistor element. The forward end of the resistor element is located forward of the rear end of the metallic shell, and the rear end of the resistor element is located rearward of the rear end of the metallic shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hironori Uegaki, Kazuhiro Kurosawa, Katsuya Takaoka, Kuniharu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9871352
    Abstract: The spark plug includes: an insulator having a through hole that penetrates therethrough along an axial direction; a center electrode disposed on one end side of the through hole; a metal terminal disposed on the other end side of the through hole; and a conductive seal layer connected to at least one of the center electrode and the metal terminal. The conductive seal layer contains glass and a Cu—Zn alloy. A volumetric percentage of the Cu—Zn alloy in the conductive seal layer is greater than or equal to 44% and not greater than 55%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seiji Nakano, Kouta Yamauchi, Hironori Uegaki
  • Patent number: 9843167
    Abstract: An electrically-conductive seal portion of a spark plug includes a large-diameter seal portion, a small-diameter seal portion having an outer diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the large-diameter seal portion, and a tapered seal portion disposed between the large-diameter seal portion and the small-diameter seal portion. An insulator includes a flange portion, a first middle-body portion having an outer diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the flange portion, a second middle-body portion having an outer diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the first middle-body portion, and a leg portion having an outer diameter that tapers toward a tip end of the spark plug. The tapered seal portion is disposed inside the first middle-body portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hironori Uegaki, Yoshitomo Iwasaki
  • Publication number: 20170326765
    Abstract: An employed rear mold is comprised of a plurality of mold pieces. The plurality of mold pieces include a first mold piece which forms a first partial internal surface of the internal surface of the rear mold along the entire circumference of the internal surface, and a second mold piece which is located axially forward of the first mold piece and forms a second partial internal surface of the internal surface of the rear mold along the entire circumference of the internal surface. Releasing the molded body includes starting to move the first mold piece rearward in relation to a rear molded portion, and, subsequently to starting to move the first mold piece, starting to move the second mold piece rearward in relation to the rear molded portion, thereby disassembling the rear mold into the plurality of mold pieces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Applicant: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kurono, Hironori Uegaki, Toshitaka Honda, Hiroyuki Hazama, Kuniharu Tanaka, Hiroyuki Kawaji
  • Publication number: 20170288374
    Abstract: A spark plug includes a cylindrical metallic shell having a ground electrode at a forward end of the cylindrical metallic shell, a cylindrical insulator held in the metallic shell, a center electrode disposed in the insulator, a resistor element disposed in the insulator and having a forward end located rearward of a rear end of the center electrode, a forward-end-side electrically conductive seal layer disposed in the insulator to be located between the center electrode and the resistor element, and a rear-end-side electrically conductive seal layer disposed in the insulator to be located rearward of the resistor element. The forward end of the resistor element is located forward of the rear end of the metallic shell, and the rear end of the resistor element is located rearward of the rear end of the metallic shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hironori UEGAKI, Kazuhiro KUROSAWA, Katsuya TAKAOKA, Kuniharu TANAKA
  • Publication number: 20170250523
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an insulator for a spark plug includes a molding process of forming a cylindrical molded product having an axial hole that extends in a direction of an axial line, by means of injection molding using a mold that has a columnar cavity therein and a bar-shaped member disposed in the cavity and extending in the direction of the axial line. In this method, the molding process includes an injection step of injecting a material containing a ceramic. In the injection step, the material is injected into the cavity from a plurality of injection openings that are opened at an inner circumferential surface, of the mold, that forms the cavity. The plurality of injection openings include two or more injection openings located at different positions in the direction of the axial line, or two or more injection openings located at different positions in a circumferential direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hironori UEGAKI, Hirokazu KURONO, Toshitaka HONDA, Hiroyuki HAZAMA
  • Publication number: 20170222405
    Abstract: The spark plug includes: an insulator having a through hole that penetrates therethrough along an axial direction; a center electrode disposed on one end side of the through hole; a metal terminal disposed on the other end side of the through hole; and a conductive seal layer connected to at least one of the center electrode and the metal terminal. The conductive seal layer contains glass and a Cu—Zn alloy. A volumetric percentage of the Cu—Zn alloy in the conductive seal layer is greater than or equal to 44% and not greater than 55%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicant: NGK Spark Plug Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Seiji NAKANO, Kouta YAMAUCHI, Hironori UEGAKI
  • Publication number: 20170214219
    Abstract: Disclosed is a spark plug capable of suppressing high-frequency noise by improving the material of an electrical connection part between a center electrode and a metal terminal within an axial hole of an insulator. A spark plug has an electrical connection part arranged in an axial hole of an insulator to establish electrical connection between a center electrode and a metal terminal. The electrical connection part includes a conductor having a first crystal phase formed of a Fe-containing oxide and a second crystal phase formed of a conductive metal oxide of perovskite crystal structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2015
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Katsuya TAKAOKA, Kazuhiro KUROSAWA, Kuniharu TANAKA, Hisashi KOZUKA, Toshitaka HONDA, Hirokazu KURONO, Haruki YOSHIDA, Hironori UEGAKI
  • Patent number: 9653888
    Abstract: A spark plug including an insulator containing not less than 92 mass % and not greater than 96 mass % of Al component in terms of oxide, wherein the insulator is formed from an alumina sintered body comprising alumina crystal and a grain boundary phase present between crystal grains of the alumina crystal. Assuming that mass contents of an Si component, an Mg component, a Ba component, and a Ca component in terms of oxide are represented by MSiO2, MMgO, MBaO, and MCaO, respectively, and a sum of MSiO2, MMgO, MBaO, and MCaO is represented by Mt, the grain boundary phase contains these components so as to satisfy conditions (1) to (4) as follows: (1) 0.17?MSiO2/Mt?0.47; (2) 0.005?MMgO/Mt?0.07; (3) 0.29?MBaO/Mt?0.77; (4) 0.03?MCaO/Mt?0.19.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Yokoyama, Kuniharu Tanaka, Katsuya Takaoka, Shun Kondo, Nobuyoshi Araki, Toshiki Kon, Haruki Yoshida, Jumpei Isasa, Hirokazu Kurono, Hironori Uegaki, Toshimasa Saji, Yusuke Nomura
  • Publication number: 20170110854
    Abstract: An electrically-conductive seal portion of a spark plug includes a large-diameter seal portion, a small-diameter seal portion having an outer diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the large-diameter seal portion, and a tapered seal portion disposed between the large-diameter seal portion and the small-diameter seal portion. An insulator includes a flange portion, a first middle-body portion having an outer diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the flange portion, a second middle-body portion having an outer diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the first middle-body portion, and a leg portion having an outer diameter that tapers toward a tip end of the spark plug. The tapered seal portion is disposed inside the first middle-body portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2016
    Publication date: April 20, 2017
    Applicant: NGK Spark Plug Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Hironori Uegaki, Yoshitomo Iwasaki
  • Publication number: 20170093134
    Abstract: A spark plug including an insulator containing not less than 92 mass % and not greater than 96 mass % of Al component in terms of oxide, wherein the insulator is formed from an alumina sintered body comprising alumina crystal and a grain boundary phase present between crystal grains of the alumina crystal. Assuming that mass contents of an Si component, an Mg component, a Ba component, and a Ca component in terms of oxide are represented by MSiO2, MMgO, MBaO, and MCaO, respectively, and a sum of MSiO2, MMgO, MBaO, and MCaO is represented by Mt, the grain boundary phase contains these components so as to satisfy conditions (1) to (4) as follows: (1) 0.17?MSiO2/Mt?0.47; (2) 0.005?MMgO/Mt?0.07; (3) 0.29?MBaO/Mt?0.77; (4) 0.03?MCaO/Mt?0.19.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka YOKOYAMA, Kuniharu TANAKA, Katsuya TAKAOKA, Shun KONDO, Nobuyoshi ARAKI, Toshiki KON, Haruki YOSHIDA, Jumpei ISASA, Hirokazu KURONO, Hironori UEGAKI, Toshimasa SAJI, Yusuke NOMURA
  • Patent number: 9595814
    Abstract: A connection portion connecting a center electrode and a terminal metal fixture together in a through hole of the insulator includes a resistor and a magnetic substance structure including a magnetic substance and a conductor and being disposed on a leading end side or a rear end side of the resistor while being positioned away from the resistor. The connection portion further includes a first conductive sealing portion, a second conductive sealing portion and a third conductive sealing portion. The first conductive sealing portion is disposed on a leading end side of a first member and is in contact therewith. The second conductive sealing portion is disposed between the first member and a second member and is in contact with the first and second members. The third conductive sealing portion is disposed on a rear end side of the second member and is in contact therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Kasashima, Katsuya Takaoka, Kazuhiro Kurosawa, Kuniharu Tanaka, Toshitaka Honda, Hirokazu Kurono, Haruki Yoshida, Hironori Uegaki
  • Patent number: 9590395
    Abstract: A connection portion connecting a center electrode and a terminal metal fixture together in a through hole of the insulator includes a resistor and a magnetic substance structure including a magnetic substance and a conductor. The connection portion further includes a first conductive sealing portion, a second conductive sealing portion and a third conductive sealing portion. The first conductive sealing portion is disposed on a leading end side of a first member and is in contact therewith. The second conductive sealing portion is disposed between the first member and a second member and is in contact with the first member and the second member. The third conductive sealing portion is disposed on a rear end side of the second member and is in contact therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Katsuya Takaoka, Kazuhiro Kurosawa, Kuniharu Tanaka, Toshitaka Honda, Hirokazu Kurono, Haruki Yoshida, Hironori Uegaki
  • Publication number: 20160329687
    Abstract: A connection portion connecting a center electrode and a terminal metal fixture together in a through hole of the insulator includes a resistor and a magnetic substance structure including a magnetic substance and a conductor and being disposed on a leading end side or a rear end side of the resistor while being positioned away from the resistor. The connection portion further includes a first conductive sealing portion, a second conductive sealing portion and a third conductive sealing portion. The first conductive sealing portion is disposed on a leading end side of a first member and is in contact therewith. The second conductive sealing portion is disposed between the first member and a second member and is in contact with the first and second members. The third conductive sealing portion is disposed on a rear end side of the second member and is in contact therewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 25, 2014
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi KASASHIMA, Katsuya TAKAOKA, Kazuhiro KUROSAWA, Kuniharu TANAKA, Toshitaka HONDA, Hirokazu KURONO, Haruki YOSHIDA, Hironori UEGAKI
  • Publication number: 20160322789
    Abstract: A connection portion connecting a center electrode and a terminal metal fixture together in a through hole of the insulator includes a resistor and a magnetic substance structure including a magnetic substance and a conductor The connection portion further includes a first conductive sealing portion, a second conductive sealing portion and a third conductive sealing portion. The first conductive sealing portion is disposed on a leading end side of a first member and is in contact therewith. The second conductive sealing portion is disposed between the first member and a second member and is in contact with the first member and the second member. The third conductive sealing portion is disposed on a rear end side of the second member and is in contact therewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 25, 2014
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Katsuya TAKAOKA, Kazuhiro KUROSAWA, Kuniharu TANAKA, Toshitaka HONDA, Hirokazu KURONO, Haruki YOSHIDA, Hironori UEGAKI