Patents by Inventor Koichi Hirota

Koichi Hirota 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: 20170140856
    Abstract: An R—(Fe,Co)—B base sintered magnet consisting essentially of 12-17 at % of R containing Nd and Pr, 0.1-3 at % of M1 (typically Si), 0.05-0.5 at % of M2 (typically Ti), B, and the balance of Fe, and containing R2(Fe,Co)14B as a main phase has a coercivity of at least 10 kOe. The magnet contains a M2 boride phase at a grain boundary triple junction, and has a core/shell structure that the main phase is covered with a grain boundary phase. The grain boundary phase is composed of an amorphous and/or nanocrystalline R?—(Fe,Co)-M1? phase consisting essentially of 25-35 at % of R? containing Pr, 2-8 at % of M1? (typically Si), up to 8 at % of Co, and the balance of Fe. A coverage of the main phase with the R?—(Fe,Co)-M1? phase is at least 50%, and the bi-granular grain boundary phase has a width of at least 50 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Applicant: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Hirota, Masayuki Kamata, Takahiro Hashimoto, Hajime Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20170098503
    Abstract: A rare earth sintered magnet is an anisotropic sintered body comprising Nd2Fe14 B crystal phase as primary phase and having the composition R1aTbMcSidBe wherein R1 is a rare earth element inclusive of Sc and Y, T is Fe and/or Co, M is Al, Cu, Zn, In, P, S, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Ni, Ga, Ge, Zr, Nb, Mo, Pd, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Hf, Ta, or W, “a” to “e” are 12?a?17, 0?c?10, 0.3?d?7, 5?e?10, and the balance of b, wherein Dy and/or Tb is diffused into the sintered body from its surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Publication date: April 6, 2017
    Applicant: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Nagata, Yuuji Gouki, Kazuaki Sakaki, Tadao Nomura, Koichi Hirota, Hajime Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20160293304
    Abstract: The invention provides an R—Fe—B sintered magnet consisting essentially of 12-17 at % of Nd, Pr and R, 0.1-3 at % of M1, 0.05-0.5 at % of M2, 4.8+2*m to 5.9+2*m at % of B, and the balance of Fe, containing R2(Fe,(Co))14B intermetallic compound as a main phase, and having a core/shell structure that the main phase is covered with grain boundary phases. The sintered magnet exhibits a coercivity of at least 10 kOe despite a low or nil content of Dy, Tb and Ho.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Applicant: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Hirota, Hiroaki Nagata, Tetsuya Kume, Masayuki Kamata, Hajime Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20160293303
    Abstract: The invention provides an R—Fe—B sintered magnet consisting essentially of 12-17 at % of Nd, Pr and R, 0.1-3 at % of M1, 0.05-0.5 at % of M2, 4.8+2*m to 5.9+2*m at % of B, and the balance of Fe, containing R2(Fe,(Co))14B intermetallic compound as a main phase, and having a core/shell structure that the main phase is covered with a grain boundary phases. The sintered magnet has an average grain size of less than 6 ?m, a crystal orientation of more than 98%, and a degree of magnetization of more than 96%, and exhibits a coercivity of at least 10 kOe despite a low or nil content of Dy, Tb, and Ho.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Applicant: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Hirota, Hiroaki Nagata, Tetsuya Kume, Hajime Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20160293307
    Abstract: The invention provides an R—Fe—B sintered magnet consisting essentially of 12-17 at % of R, 0.1-3 at % of M1, 0.05-0.5 at % of M2, 4.8+2*m to 5.9+2*m at % of B, and the balance of Fe, containing R2(Fe,(Co))14B intermetallic compound as a main phase, and having a core/shell structure that the main phase is covered with a HR-rich layer and a (R,HR)—Fe(Co)-M1 phase wherein HR is Tb, Dy or Ho. The sintered magnet exhibits a coercivity ?10 kOe despite a low content of Dy, Tb, and Ho.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Applicant: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Hirota, Hiroaki Nagata, Tetsuya Kume, Hajime Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20160139579
    Abstract: An operation detecting device of an opening and closing body for a vehicle, includes: a detecting section that detects an operation by a user with respect to an opening and closing body of a vehicle; an input section that receives an opening and closing body motion signal which indicates whether or not the opening and closing body is in motion or idle; a determination section that determines whether or not the operation is performed using different detection conditions for a case in which the opening and closing body is in motion and a case in which the opening and closing body is idle; and an output section that outputs a control signal which causes the opening and closing body to move or stop based on the determination result of the determination section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi HIROTA, Takaya AIYAMA, Hitoshi TAKAYANAGI
  • Publication number: 20160138941
    Abstract: An operation detection device for a vehicle includes: a capacity measurement section that measures a change amount of capacitance of an operation section; a determination section that determines that there is an approaching operation of a user to the operation section if a state where an absolute value of a time change rate of the change amount of the capacitance is equal to or less than a second threshold value is continued for a first time after the change amount of the capacitance is equal to or greater than a first threshold value; and an output section that outputs a control signal to an object to be controlled based on a determination result of the determination section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi HIROTA, Takaya AIYAMA, Hitoshi TAKAYANAGI
  • Publication number: 20150315839
    Abstract: An opening-closing control device of a slide door that is configured to slide along a body side surface of a vehicle in a vehicle front-back direction using a motor as a drive source in order to open and close an entrance of the vehicle may include a touch panel for performing an opening-closing operation of the slide door, which touch panel is attached to an outer surface of a member constituting an outer shell of the vehicle, wherein the touch panel has a plurality of manipulating portions, and light sources corresponding to the manipulating portions, and wherein the light sources corresponding to the manipulating portions that are operable in accordance with opening-closing conditions of the slide door are configured to be turned on, so that images of the operable manipulating portions are illuminated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2014
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeshi SHIGEMOTO, Katsumi ITO, Takuma KITO, Koichi HIROTA, Norio FUKUI
  • Patent number: 9156439
    Abstract: An automatic opening and closing apparatus of an opening and closing member for a vehicle includes an opening and closing member driving portion, a receiving portion configured to receive a radio signal transmitted from a radio transmitter and indicating identification information for identifying the vehicle, a non-contact detection sensor including a detection range that is specified to an inner side than an outermost position of the vehicle in a direction towards an outer side of a vehicle interior from the opening and closing member in a state where the opening and closing member is closed, and a control portion configured to control the opening and closing member driving portion in a case where the non-contact detection sensor detects an object in a state where the identification information is correlated to the vehicle on a basis of the radio signal received from the radio transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Hirota, Shintaro Suzuki, Hitoshi Takayanagi
  • Patent number: 8983736
    Abstract: A grille shutter control device is provided with a control section configured so as to open and close a shutter adapted to be provided in an air introduction path for introducing air ahead of the vehicle into an engine compartment. The grille shutter control device drives and controls first and second drive units. The grille shutter control device is provided with: an abnormality detecting section configured to detect an abnormality in the operation of the shutter on the basis of the condition of the shutter after the start of operation thereof; and an informing section for informing, on the basis of an abnormality in the operation detected by the abnormality detection section, the user of the abnormality in the operation of the shutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Hirota, Yoshimasa Asano, Hitoshi Takayanagi, Masayuki Nomura, Tatsuya Shimizu, Hironori Kanasaki
  • Patent number: 8975850
    Abstract: There is provided a driving control device of an opening and closing body, which drives the opening and closing body in a closed state by a motor through an idling section thereof. The device includes a calculation section for calculating a rotation speed difference between a rotation speed of the motor in the idling section and a current rotation speed of the motor; and an insertion detection section for detecting insertion of a foreign member based on the calculated rotation speed difference and a predetermined threshold value. The threshold value monotonously decreases according to an increase in the rotation amount of the motor to coincide with a fully-closed state threshold value at a predetermined rotation amount of the motor within an error range of the rotation amount corresponding to the fully-closed state, and to maintain the fully-closed state threshold value to a maximum rotation amount in the error range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Toytota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Hirota, Nobuyasu Bessho, Masato Yamada, Shinichiro Noda, Tomomasa Inoue, Yoshiki Ishikawa, Tomoharu Tamaya
  • Publication number: 20140365080
    Abstract: An opening/closing body control device for a vehicle includes: a drive section for driving the opening/closing body; a manipulation input section operated to open or close the opening/closing body; a manipulation input detector for detecting a manipulation input performed on the manipulation input section; a controller for controlling the drive section; and a measuring section for measuring a duration of the manipulation input. The controller is capable of controlling the drive section in the driving mode selected from a plurality of driving modes to which are set different speeds of actuation of the opening/closing body, and to switch, if the duration exceeds a predetermined time, the driving mode to a high speed actuation mode in which the actuation speed is greater than that in the driving mode before the predetermined time is exceeded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2013
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Inventors: Koichi Hirota, Masato Yamada, Takeshi Nishikibe, Hitoshi Takayanagi
  • Publication number: 20140312920
    Abstract: A non-contact operation detection device for a vehicle includes: a spacer; a sensor electrode supported on a first surface of the spacer; a first electrode supported on a second surface on a side opposite to the first surface of the spacer; and a determination unit determining a change in capacitance detected by the sensor electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: KOICHI HIROTA, HIROSHI URASE, HITOSHI TAKAYANAGI
  • Patent number: 8826592
    Abstract: A window regulator device including an object pinching detection unit which includes an input-side rotational member; an output-side rotational member coupled to an output shaft; an elastic member interposed between the input-side rotational member and the output-side rotational member; a cam formed respectively on opposed surfaces of the input-side rotational member and the output-side rotational member; and an object pinching detection switch for performing a switching operation based on the axial movement of the output-side rotational member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidefumi Katayama, Ryoichi Fukumoto, Ryujiro Akizuki, Koichi Hirota
  • Publication number: 20140245597
    Abstract: An interior permanent magnet (IPM) rotary machine comprises a rotor comprising a rotor yoke having bores and a plurality of permanent magnet segments disposed in the bores of the rotor yoke, each permanent magnet segment consisting of a plurality of magnet pieces. The rotor is assembled by inserting the plurality of unbound magnet pieces in each bore for stacking the magnet pieces, and fixedly securing the stacked magnet pieces in the bore.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuhito Doi, Takehisa Minowa, Hajime Nakamura, Koichi Hirota
  • Patent number: 8823235
    Abstract: An axial gap-type permanent magnetic rotating machine comprises a rotor comprising a rotating shaft having an axis of rotation, a rotor yoke of disc shape radially extending from the shaft, and a plurality of permanent magnet segments circumferentially arranged on a surface of the rotor yoke such that each permanent magnet segment may have a magnetization direction parallel to the axis of rotation, and a stator having a plurality of circumferentially arranged coils and disposed to define an axial gap with the rotor. In the rotor, each permanent magnet segment is an assembly of two or more divided permanent magnet pieces, and the coercive force near the surface of the magnet piece is higher than that in the interior of the magnet piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Watanabe, Yuhito Doi, Takehisa Minowa, Hajime Nakamura, Koichi Hirota
  • Patent number: 8756793
    Abstract: An interior permanent magnet (IPM) rotary machine comprises a rotor comprising a rotor yoke having bores and a plurality of permanent magnet segments disposed in the bores of the rotor yoke, each permanent magnet segment consisting of a plurality of magnet pieces. The rotor is assembled by inserting the plurality of unbound magnet pieces in each bore for stacking the magnet pieces, and fixedly securing the stacked magnet pieces in the bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuhito Doi, Takehisa Minowa, Hajime Nakamura, Koichi Hirota
  • Publication number: 20140167895
    Abstract: A sintered Nd base magnet segment has a coercive force high at the periphery and lower toward the inside. A method for preparing the magnet includes the steps of: (a) providing a sintered Nd base magnet block having surfaces and a magnetization direction, (b) coating the surfaces of the magnet block excluding the surface perpendicular to the magnetization direction with a Dy or Tb oxide powder, a Dy or Tb fluoride powder, or a Dy or Tb-containing alloy powder, (c) treating the coated block at a high temperature for causing Dy or Tb to diffuse into the block, and (d) cutting the block in a plane perpendicular to the magnetization direction into a magnet segment having a coercive force distribution on the cut section that the coercive force is high at the periphery and lower toward the inside and a constant coercive force distribution in the magnetization direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Miyata, Takehisa Minowa, Hajime Nakamura, Koichi Hirota, Masakatsu Honshima
  • Publication number: 20140142815
    Abstract: An automatic opening and closing apparatus of an opening and closing member for a vehicle includes an opening and closing member driving portion, a receiving portion configured to receive a radio signal transmitted from a radio transmitter and indicating identification information for identifying the vehicle, a non-contact detection sensor including a detection range that is specified to an inner side than an outermost position of the vehicle in a direction towards an outer side of a vehicle interior from the opening and closing member in a state where the opening and closing member is closed, and a control portion configured to control the opening and closing member driving portion in a case where the non-contact detection sensor detects an object in a state where the identification information is correlated to the vehicle on a basis of the radio signal received from the radio transmitter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi HIROTA, Shintaro SUZUKI, Hitoshi TAKAYANAGI
  • Patent number: 8695210
    Abstract: A method for preparing the magnet includes the steps of: (a) providing a sintered Nd base magnet block having surfaces and a magnetization direction, (b) coating the surfaces of the magnet block excluding the surface perpendicular to the magnetization direction with a Dy or Tb oxide powder, a Dy or Tb fluoride powder, or a Dy or Tb-containing alloy powder, (c) treating the coated block at a high temperature for causing Dy or Tb to diffuse into the block, and (d) cutting the block in a plane perpendicular to the magnetization direction into a magnet segment having a coercive force distribution on the cut section that the coercive force is high at the periphery and lower toward the inside and a constant coercive force distribution in the magnetization direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Miyata, Takehisa Minowa, Hajime Nakamura, Koichi Hirota, Masakatsu Honshima