Patents by Inventor Kenshi Ushijima

Kenshi Ushijima 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).

  • Publication number: 20090107468
    Abstract: A multi-link engine has a piston that moves inside a cylinder. A piston pin connects the piston to an upper link, which is connected to a lower link. A crank pin of a crankshaft supports the lower link thereon. The lower link is pivotally connected to one end of a control link, which is connected at another end to the engine block body by a control shaft. The control shaft is lower than a crank journal of the crankshaft, and disposed on a first side of a plane that is parallel to a cylinder center axis and that contains a center rotational axis of the crank journal. The cylinder center axis is located on a second (i.e., opposite the first side) plane. The control link has a center axis that is parallel to the cylinder center axis when the piston is near top and bottom dead centers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki TAKAHASHI, Masayuki TOMITA, Kenshi USHIJIMA, Koji HIRAYA, Hirofumi TSUCHIDA, Shunichi AOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20090044782
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, comprising: an upper link (11) connected via a piston pin (21) to a piston (32) that reciprocates within a cylinder; a lower link (12) attached to a crank pin (33b) of a crankshaft (33) to be free to rotate and connected to the upper link (11) via an upper pin (22); and a control link (13) which is connected to the lower link (12) via a control pin (23) and oscillates about an oscillation central shaft (24), the following equation is established when the piston (32) is at bottom dead center cos(?l+?)<cos(?l+?) where: ?l is a lower link attitude angle; and ? is a lower link aperture angle. As a result, a load acting on a crank journal when the piston is at bottom dead center can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Inventors: Makoto Kobayashi, Kenshi Ushijima, Naoki Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20090031994
    Abstract: A multi link type piston-crank mechanism comprises an upper link that has one end pivotally connected to a piston of the engine through a piston pin, a lower link that is pivotally connected to the other end of the upper link through an upper pin and rotatably disposed on a crank pin of a crankshaft of the engine; and a control link that has a base end part swingably held by a body of the engine and a leading end pivotally connected to the lower link through a control pin. An axis of the piston pin is offset relative to an axis of the piston in thrust and counter thrust directions. When the piston comes to BDC, a part of the piston takes a position below a lower edge of a corresponding cylinder of the engine and the upper pin is offset relative to the axis of the piston pin in the same direction as a pin offset direction in which the axis of the piston pin is offset in the thrust and counter thrust directions relative to the axis of the piston.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Inventors: Makoto Kobayashi, Kenshi Ushijima, Hideaki Mizuno, Naoki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7412958
    Abstract: A piston-crank mechanism links crankpins of a crankshaft with piston pins of pistons by using a plurality of links. The piston-crank mechanism allows an upward inertia force produced near a top dead center of each piston to be smaller than a downward inertia force produced near a bottom dead center of the piston in order to reduce secondary vibration occurring during operation. In a four-cycle inline four-cylinder internal combustion engine, a total force of inertia forces exerted from adjacent cylinders to each of second and fourth crankshaft bearings becomes a downward force, which reinforces a downward force produced in response to combustion pressure. These second and fourth crankshaft bearings have a rigidity higher than the remaining crankshaft bearings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Takahashi, Yoshiaki Tanaka, Hideaki Mizuno, Kenshi Ushijima, Yoshimi Nunome
  • Patent number: 7363902
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a piston (2) and a crankshaft (33). The crankshaft (33) includes: a journal (33A) as a rotation center; a crank pin (33B) that is located eccentrically with respect to the journal (33A) and rotates integrally with the journal (33A), the crank pin (33b) connecting the piston (2) to the crankshaft (33); and a counter weight (33C) that is located eccentrically with respect to the journal (33A) in a direction opposite to the crank pin (33) and rotates uniformly with the journal (33A). A cutout (11) through which the counter weight (33C) passes is formed in a wall (1) of a cylinder bore that accommodates the piston (2) so as to be free to move reciprocally along the wall (1). As a result, the bottom dead center position of the piston can be lowered, and the overall height of the engine can be decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenshi Ushijima, Shunichi Aoyama, Katsuya Moteki, Naoki Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20080087255
    Abstract: In a reciprocating piston engine employing a variable compression ratio mechanism configured to be linked to a reciprocating piston for variably adjusting a geometrical compression ratio by varying at least a top dead center position of the piston responsively to a controlled variable, a controller is configured to control the variable compression ratio mechanism depending on an engine operating condition. A part of a wall surface of a combustion chamber is formed of a non-metallic material having a higher heat-insulating and heat-reserving property as compared to a base structural material of each of the combustion chamber and the piston.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Publication date: April 17, 2008
    Inventors: Shunichi Aoyama, Katsuya Moteki, Kenshi Ushijima, Shinichi Takemura, Hideaki Mizuno
  • Patent number: 7357104
    Abstract: A piston crank mechanism has an upper link coupled to a piston by a piston pin, a lower link having a crankpin journal, wherein the crankpin journal is coupled to a crankpin of a crankshaft and is coupled to the upper link by an upper pin, and a control link is coupled to an eccentric cam of a control shaft that is supported by an engine block and coupled to a control pin boss by a control pin. The crankpin journal of the lower link is arranged and dimensioned relative to the upper pin such that a projection area defined by projecting the width of the upper pin along a direction line passing through a center of the piston pin and a center of the upper pin does not obscure an area defined by the crankpin during operation of the crankshaft as viewed in an axial direction of the crankpin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Kobayashi, Kenshi Ushijima, Katsuya Moteki, Hideaki Mizuno
  • Patent number: 7290508
    Abstract: A lower link for a piston crank mechanism of an internal combustion engine includes an upper section, a lower section, and a crank pin bearing section disposed between the upper section and the lower section, and mounted on a crank pin of a crank shaft. One of the upper section and the lower section is formed with a bolt inserting hole. The other of the upper section and the lower section is formed with an internal thread portion including an open end. One of the bolts passes through the bolt inserting hole, is screwed into the internal thread portion, and includes an end bared from the open end which is formed in a surface perpendicular to a bolt center axis. The other of the upper section and the lower section includes a recessed portion formed in the surface to divert a stress transmitting path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Mizuno, Shunichi Aoyama, Kenshi Ushijima, Katsuya Moteki
  • Patent number: 7290507
    Abstract: A lower link for an engine piston crank mechanism includes first and second half members joined by bolts to form a crankpin bearing portion. The first half member includes a first pin boss portion to connect the lower link with a first link which is one of an upper link connected with a piston and a control link having one end mounted swingably on the engine. The second half member includes a second pin boss portion to connect the lower link with a second link which is the other of the upper link and the control link, and an internally threaded portion into which one bolt is screwed. The second half member further includes a load transfer portion which is made greater in rigidity than the internally threaded portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Mizuno, Kenshi Ushijima, Katsuya Moteki, Takashi Mori
  • Publication number: 20070215132
    Abstract: A piston crank mechanism has an upper link coupled to a piston by a piston pin, a lower link having a crankpin journal, wherein the crankpin journal is coupled to a crankpin of a crankshaft and is coupled to the upper link by an upper pin, and a control link is coupled to an eccentric cam of a control shaft that is supported by an engine block and coupled to a control pin boss by a control pin. The crankpin journal of the lower link is arranged and dimensioned relative to the upper pin such that a projection area defined by projecting the width of the upper pin along a direction line passing through a center of the piston pin and a center of the upper pin does not obscure an area defined by the crankpin during operation of the crankshaft as viewed in an axial direction of the crankpin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2007
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Kobayashi, Kenshi Ushijima, Katsuya Moteki, Hideaki Mizuno
  • Publication number: 20070204747
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a piston adapted to reciprocate in a cylinder. The piston includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion. The first portion of the piston forms a crown surface of the piston, the second portion of the piston forms a piston ring groove of the piston with the piston ring groove arranged and configured to receive a piston ring, and the third portion of the piston forms a crankcase side surface of the piston with the crankcase side surface facing a crankcase of the engine. The second portion of the piston is formed of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than a material forming the first portion of the piston and a material forming a third portion of the piston.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Inventors: Shunichi Aoyama, Kenshi Ushijima, Katsuya Moteki
  • Publication number: 20070137606
    Abstract: A piston-crank mechanism links crankpins of a crankshaft with piston pins of pistons by using a plurality of links. The piston-crank mechanism allows an upward inertia force produced near a top dead center of each piston to be smaller than a downward inertia force produced near a bottom dead center of the piston in order to reduce secondary vibration occurring during operation. In a four-cycle inline four-cylinder internal combustion engine, a total force of inertia forces exerted from adjacent cylinders to each of second and fourth crankshaft bearings becomes a downward force, which reinforces a downward force produced in response to combustion pressure. These second and fourth crankshaft bearings have a rigidity higher than the remaining crankshaft bearings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Takahashi, Yoshiaki Tanaka, Hideaki Mizuno, Kenshi Ushijima, Yoshimi Nunome
  • Publication number: 20070137608
    Abstract: A lower link for a piston crank mechanism of an internal combustion engine includes an upper section, a lower section, and a crank pin bearing section disposed between the upper section and the lower section, and mounted on a crank pin of a crank shaft. One of the upper section and the lower section is formed with a bolt inserting hole. The other of the upper section and the lower section is formed with an internal thread portion including an open end. One of the bolts passes through the bolt inserting hole, is screwed into the internal thread portion, and includes an end bared from the open end which is formed in a surface perpendicular to a bolt center axis. The other of the upper section and the lower section includes a recessed portion formed in the surface to divert a stress transmitting path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Inventors: Hideaki Mizuno, Shunichi Aoyama, Kenshi Ushijima, Katsuya Moteki
  • Patent number: 7191741
    Abstract: A link mechanism usable for a variable compression ratio mechanism of an internal combustion engine includes first and second links pivotally connected by a pin inserted through cylindrical first and second pin boss portions of the first and second links. Each of the first and second pin boss portions includes a circumferentially extending first narrow section, and a circumferentially extending first wide section having an axial wall thickness greater than the axial wall thickness of the first narrow section. The wide sections of the first and second pin boss portions are overlapped in an region extending in the axial direction of the pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryosuke Hiyoshi, Kenshi Ushijima, Yoshiaki Tanaka, Shunichi Aoyama, Katsuya Moteki, Naoki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7121251
    Abstract: A multi-link piston crank mechanism for an internal combustion engine, including a crankshaft having a crank pin, and crank webs connected with each other through the crank pin. A pair of thrust surfaces are formed on the crank webs so as to be opposed in a direction of a center axis of the crank pin. A first link pivotally supported on the crank pin is coupled to a second link through a connection pin located in a space between the thrust surfaces. The connection pin is moveable about the crank pin to form a circular trace along which the thrust surfaces extend. The end surfaces of the connection pin and the thrust surfaces come into mutual contact to prevent the connection pin from falling out of the space between the thrust surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuya Moteki, Masashi Imadu, Naoki Takahashi, Kenshi Ushijima
  • Patent number: 7117838
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, a piston reciprocating in a cylinder and a crankshaft are linked with each other by a piston-crank linking mechanism. The crankshaft includes a counterweight. When the piston is located in the proximity of a bottom dead center, an outermost portion of the counterweight crosses an imaginary extension line extended from a piston pin in an axial direction of the piston pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunichi Aoyama, Katsuya Moteki, Kenshi Ushijima, Naoki Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20060157016
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a piston (2) and a crankshaft (33). The crankshaft (33) includes: a journal (33A) as a rotation center; a crank pin (33B) that is located eccentrically with respect to the journal (33A) and rotates integrally with the journal (33A), the crank pin (33b) connecting the piston (2) to the crankshaft (33); and a counter weight (33C) that is located eccentrically with respect to the journal (33A) in a direction opposite to the crank pin (33) and rotates uniformly with the journal (33A). A cutout (11) through which the counter weight (33C) passes is formed in a wall (1) of a cylinder bore that accommodates the piston (2) so as to be free to move reciprocally along the wall (1). As a result, the bottom dead center position of the piston can be lowered, and the overall height of the engine can be decreased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Publication date: July 20, 2006
    Inventors: Kenshi Ushijima, Shunichi Aoyama, Katsuya Moteki, Naoki Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20060137629
    Abstract: A lower link for an engine piston crank mechanism includes first and second half members joined by bolts to form a crankpin bearing portion. The first half member includes a first pin boss portion to connect the lower link with a first link which is one of an upper link connected with a piston and a control link having one end mounted swingably on the engine. The second half member includes a second pin boss portion to connect the lower link with a second link which is the other of the upper link and the control link, and an internally threaded portion into which one bolt is screwed. The second half member further includes a load transfer portion which is made greater in rigidity than the internally threaded portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2005
    Publication date: June 29, 2006
    Inventors: Hideaki Mizuno, Kenshi Ushijima, Katsuya Moteki, Takashi Mori
  • Patent number: 7036475
    Abstract: In a lash adjuster of a valve gear which employs a serration-shaped thread mechanism, the formation of a tribochemical reactive film is suppressed by using as the materials for its adjuster screw and nut member (or the materials for their thread surfaces) materials that, even if FM oil is used, the friction coefficient will not extremely decrease. The nut member is provided on the underside of an end plate of a lifter body. The adjuster screw is threadedly engaged in a threaded hole of the nut member. The adjuster screw is biased by a return spring. The female threads of the threaded hole and the male threads of the adjuster screw are serration shaped. One or both of the nut member and the adjuster screw, or the pressured thread surfaces of one or both of them, are formed of a material that will not react with oil additives of FM oil to suppress the formation of tribochemical reactive film, thereby stabilizing the operation of the lash adjuster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiteru Yasuda, Kenshi Ushijima, Eiji Maeno, Ken Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7021269
    Abstract: A lower link of a double link type piston crank mechanism comprises a crank pin bearing housing portion that is adapted to receive a crank pin of a crankshaft and defines a first contour, an upper pin receiving bore portion that is adapted to receive an upper pin of an upper link and defines a second contour, a control pin receiving bore portion that is adapted to receive a control pin of a control link and defines a third contour, and a given portion that has therein an internally threaded bore formed in one of upper and lower half-parts of the lower link and a bored portion formed in the other of the upper and lower half-parts of the lower link, the given portion defining a fourth contour. The upper and lower half-parts are coupled by a bolt that passes through the bored portion and is engaged with the internally threaded bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Takahashi, Kenshi Ushijima, Katsuya Moteki