Patents by Inventor Ichiro Hirata

Ichiro Hirata 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: 6398516
    Abstract: A control valve is provided to be mainly used in a clutch-less compressor of the type in which displacement of the compressor is varied depending on the inclination of a drive plate which varies depending on the crank pressure. The control valve includes biasing means that applies force to a valve body, a force transferring member that urges the valve body to forcibly open the valve, and a solenoid assembly to actuate the force transferring member. The valve remains closed when no electric current is supplied to the solenoid assembly, regardless of the crank pressure or the suction pressure. This facilitates minimum displacement operation of the compressor for a desired period of time and therefore makes the valve suitable for a clutch-less type compressor that is directly connected to an engine with a belt and/or a pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho, NOK Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Kawaguchi, Takuya Kudo, Norio Uemura, Kouji Watanabe, Hideki Higashidozono, Ichiro Hirata
  • Patent number: 6146106
    Abstract: A control valve used in a variable displacement compressor. The valve includes a valve chamber having a valve hole. A valve body is accommodated in the valve chamber for selectively closing and opening the valve hole. An opening spring urges the valve body in a direction opening the valve hole. An actuator generates force in a direction closing the valve hole. A solenoid rod transmits the force of the actuator to the valve body. A pressure sensing chamber is defined independently from the valve chamber to receive refrigerant from a suction passage. A pressure sensing member is located in the sensing chamber for sensing the pressure in the sensing chamber. A pressure sensing rod transmits the pressure sensed by the sensing member to the valve body. A compression spring, a cap and stoppers maintain proper alignment of the pressure sensing member. The valve body is moved based on the refrigerant pressure sensed by the sensing member, the force of the spring and on the force of the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2000
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Ken Suitou, Masahiro Kawaguchi, Atsuyuki Morishita, Takuya Okuno, Masakazu Murase, Norio Uemura, Kazuaki Nagayoshi, Ichiro Hirata, Kouji Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6144275
    Abstract: The solenoid actuator (26) is designed to be installed within a mounting bore (22) formed in a support housing (24). The solenoid actuator (26) is provided at its top with an end cap (46) made of molded plastics which is configured to be closely fitted in the mounting bore (22) to close the opening of the bore. When the actuator is installed within the mounting bore (22), the end cap (46) protects underlying yoke member (40/64), armature (80) and magnetic pole piece (74) from attack by corrosive substance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignees: NOK Corporation, Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Ichiro Hirata, Norio Uemura, Hideki Higashidozono, Koji Watanabe, Kazuya Kimura, Kazuhiko Minami, Hiroshi Uneyama, Masahiro Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 6062824
    Abstract: A displacement control valve included in a variable displacement compressor. The compressor includes a fluid passage for connecting a crank chamber to a discharge chamber. The control valve includes a valve chamber connected to the crank chamber through the fluid passage, a valve hole connected to the discharge chamber through the fluid passage, and a valve body located in the valve chamber. A bellows influences the valve body through a pressure sensitive rod in accordance with suction pressure. A solenoid includes a fixed iron core and a plunger arranged in a plunger chamber. The plunger urges the valve body through a solenoid rod by a force determined by the level of electric current supplied to the solenoid. The fixed iron core, which is located between the valve chamber and the plunger chamber, includes a guide hole for receiving the solenoid rod. An annular passage for connecting the valve chamber to the plunger chamber is formed between the guide hole and the solenoid rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho, NOK Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuya Kimura, Kiyohiro Yamada, Yuji Kaneshige, Ichiro Hirata, Shuji Fukunaga, Kouji Watanabe, Norio Uemura
  • Patent number: 6036447
    Abstract: A control valve used in a variable displacement compressor. A valve chamber port communicates with a valve chamber. A port is connected with the valve chamber by a valve hole. A valve body selectively opens and closes the valve hole for controlling flow of fluid between the ports. An actuator actuates the valve body. A coil bobbin is accommodated in the casing. A coil is wound about the bobbin. The bobbin contacts a first connector plate. A ground lead of the coil is connected to the first connector plate. A terminal is connected to a supply lead of the coil. A second connector plate is attached to a lid. The second connector plate faces the first connector plate. Flexible contacts are located between the first connector plate and the second connector plate to electrically connect the connector plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Masahiro Kawaguchi, Tetsuhiko Fukanuma, Masanori Sonobe, Ken Suito, Norio Uemura, Kazuaki Nagayoshi, Ichiro Hirata, Kouji Watanabe
  • Patent number: 5964578
    Abstract: A control valve in a compressor that adjusts the discharge displacement based on controlling of an inclination of a cam plate. The compressor includes a supply passage for connecting a discharge chamber with a crank chamber. The control valve is placed midway on the supply passage. The control valve has a valve body. The valve body moves in a first direction to open the supply passage and moves in the second direction to close the supply passage. A reacting member reacts to suction pressure. A first transmitting member is placed between the reacting member and the valve body. A solenoid is opposed to the reacting member with respect to the valve body. The solenoid urges the valve body in the second direction via a second transmitting member when the solenoid is excited. An urging device urges the valve body in the first direction, The first transmitting member connects the reacting member with the valve body to move the valve body toward or away from the reacting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Ken Suitou, Masahiro Kawaguchi, Masanori Sonobe, Tetsuhiko Fukanuma, Norio Uemura, Kazuaki Nagayoski, Ichiro Hirata, Kouji Watanabe
  • Patent number: 5890876
    Abstract: A control valve in a compressor that adjusts the discharge displacement based on controlling of an inclination of a cam plate. The compressor includes a supply passage for connecting a discharge chamber with a crank chamber. The control valve is placed midway on the supply passage for adjusting the amount of the gas introduced into the crank chamber from the discharge chamber. The control valve has a valve hole and a valve chamber respectively disposed midway on the supply passage. A valve body is located in the valve chamber to adjust the opening size of the valve hole. A reacting member reacts to the pressure in the first area. The reacting member moves the valve body via a first rod in accordance with the pressure in the first area. A solenoid is opposed to the reacting member with respect to the valve body. The solenoid has a fixed core, a plunger and a plunger chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1999
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho, NOK Corporation
    Inventors: Ken Suito, Masahiro Kawaguchi, Hiroshi Kubo, Tomohiko Yokono, Norio Uemura, Kazuaki Nagayoshi, Ichiro Hirata, Kouji Watanabe
  • Patent number: 5818663
    Abstract: A magnetic disk suspension having a gimbal comprising a head mounting section, a returning section, a slit, an arm section and load beam mounting section, wherein the position of a root section of the head mounting section is set so that the distance L between the root section of the head mounting section and the end part of the returning section satisfies the following formula when the distance between the end part of arm section in the side of the load beam mounting section and the front end part is defined as Lb and width of the arm section is defined as Wa,Wa<L.ltoreq.Wa+0.15(Lb-Wa).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Ichiro Hirata
  • Patent number: 4709944
    Abstract: In a steering wheel for vehicles, a self-aligning plate comprises a boss fitting portion, a spoke fitting portion and a plurality of plastically deformable arm portions arranged in radial direction in an annular space formed between both fitting portions so as to connect between an assembled body of rim/spokes and a boss. Each plastically deformable arm portion of the self-aligning plate has a curved portion at intermediate portion, and when impact force is applied to the rim, the rim surface is slanted in approximately perpendicular direction with respect to the line of impact force due to plastic deformation of the plastically deformable arm portion. Intersection angle between the adjacent plastically deformable arm portions near the spokes mounted on the spoke fitting portion is made obtuse angle, thereby stress concentration at edge portion of the boss fitting portion in the intersection position between these plastically deformable arm portions is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1987
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Suzuaki Hongo, Minoru Niwa, Takahiro Hashiba, Mitsuru Harata, Ichiro Hirata, Isamu Ito, Akihiko Sonobe