Patents by Inventor Masami Niimi
Masami Niimi 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).
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Patent number: 9171681Abstract: An electromagnetic switch is provided which includes: a coil generating magnetomotive force; a frame accommodating the coil and generating a flux path; a resin cover covering an opening of the frame; and a current-supply terminal member energizing the coil. The current-supply terminal member includes: a blade-shaped terminal whose end is connected to the coil and whose another end is drawn out of the resin cover in the axial direction of the electromagnetic switch; and a plate-shaped external connection terminal whose end is joined to an end of the blade-shaped terminal and whose another end is drawn out in the direction intersecting the axial direction. A portion between the ends of the external connection terminal is insert-molded in a terminal anchor block provided with the resin cover. A female terminal of a power supply connector provided at an electric supply line is fitted and electrically connected to the external connection terminal.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2014Date of Patent: October 27, 2015Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Masami Niimi, Mitsuhiro Murata, Kiyokazu Haruno
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Patent number: 9003901Abstract: A starter includes a motor, a speed reducer, a pinion that transmits the drive torque of the motor to an engine ring gear, a partition wall that separates between the motor and the speed reducer, a pinion driving solenoid that pushes out the pinion to the ring gear side, and a motor energizing switch that opens and closes an electric point of contact. The starter is able to control independently operation of the pinion drive solenoid and operation of the motor energizing switch, the starter further includes a rotation detector disposed in a motor side inner space separated by the partition wall.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2012Date of Patent: April 14, 2015Assignee: Denso CorporationInventor: Masami Niimi
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Patent number: 8847713Abstract: The starter-use electromagnetic switch has an electrical contact interposed in a power supply line for supplying power from a battery to a starter motor, the main contact being turned on and off in interlock with energization of an electromagnet implemented by an excitation coil. The electromagnetic switch includes a connection fitting connected to the excitation coil at one end thereof and drawn outside through a resin cover of the electromagnetic switch at the other end thereof, and a terminal fitting electrically and mechanically connected to the other end of the connection fitting at one end thereof, the other end of the terminal fitting being branched into first and second terminal pieces. The first terminal piece serves as an excitation terminal supplied with power from the battery. The second terminal piece serves as a connection terminal connected to an excitation terminal of an external electromagnetic switch through a cable.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2012Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Masami Niimi, Takahisa Inagaki, Mitsuhiro Murata
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Publication number: 20140285040Abstract: An electromagnetic switch is provided which includes: a coil generating magnetomotive force; a frame accommodating the coil and generating a flux path; a resin cover covering an opening of the frame; and a current-supply terminal member energizing the coil. The current-supply terminal member includes: a blade-shaped terminal whose end is connected to the coil and whose another end is drawn out of the resin cover in the axial direction of the electromagnetic switch; and a plate-shaped external connection terminal whose end is joined to an end of the blade-shaped terminal and whose another end is drawn out in the direction intersecting the axial direction. A portion between the ends of the external connection terminal is insert-molded in a terminal anchor block provided with the resin cover. A female terminal of a power supply connector provided at an electric supply line is fitted and electrically connected to the external connection terminal.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 6, 2014Publication date: September 25, 2014Applicant: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Masami NIIMI, Mitsuhiro MURATA, Kiyokazu HARUNO
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Publication number: 20140239641Abstract: In a starter for starting an on-vehicle engine, a solenoid is provided to push a pinion gear. The solenoid has an electromagnetic coil composed of a single coil and electrically separated from a motor circuit, a fixed core, and a plunger. Supply of excitation current to the electromagnetic coil allows the fixed core to be magnetized to attract the plunger. Hence, a movement of the plunger results in a push of the movable member toward the ring gear. A switch is provided in the circuit and has a contact, a movable core, and a switch coil functioning as an electromagnet attracting the movable core in response to supply of current to the switch coil. A movement of the movable core results in on/off switching operations of the switch. The switch is allowed to operate independently of the solenoid when both the switch and solenoid are controlled.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 2, 2014Publication date: August 28, 2014Applicant: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Kiyokazu HARUNO, Mitsuhiro MURATA, Mikio SAITO, Masami NIIMI
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Patent number: 8779876Abstract: An electromagnetic switch is provided which includes: a coil generating magnetomotive force; a frame accommodating the coil and generating a flux path; a resin cover covering an opening of the frame; and a current-supply terminal member energizing the coil. The current-supply terminal member includes: a blade-shaped terminal whose end is connected to the coil and whose another end is drawn out of the resin cover in the axial direction of the electromagnetic switch; and a plate-shaped external connection terminal whose end is joined to an end of the blade-shaped terminal and whose another end is drawn out in the direction intersecting the axial direction. A portion between the ends of the external connection terminal is insert-molded in a terminal anchor block provided with the resin cover. A female terminal of a power supply connector provided at an electric supply line is fitted and electrically connected to the external connection terminal.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2013Date of Patent: July 15, 2014Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Masami Niimi, Mitsuhiro Murata, Kiyokazu Haruno
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Patent number: 8754556Abstract: In a starter for starting an on-vehicle engine, a solenoid is provided to push a pinion gear. The solenoid has an electromagnetic coil composed of a single coil and electrically separated from a motor circuit, a fixed core, and a plunger. Supply of excitation current to the electromagnetic coil allows the fixed core to be magnetized to attract the plunger. Hence, a movement of the plunger results in a push of the movable member toward the ring gear. A switch is provided in the circuit and has a contact, a movable core, and a switch coil functioning as an electromagnet attracting the movable core in response to supply of current to the switch coil. A movement of the movable core results in on/off switching operations of the switch. The switch is allowed to operate independently of the solenoid when both the switch and solenoid are controlled.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2010Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Kiyokazu Haruno, Mitsuhiro Murata, Mikio Saito, Masami Niimi
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Patent number: 8610296Abstract: A starter to start an engine mounted on a vehicle provides an electromagnetic solenoid to push a pinion gear towards a ring gear side, an electromagnetic switch to open and close a motor contact point. The electromagnetic solenoid and the electromagnetic switch are individually controlled by an Electronic Control Unit i.e., ECU. When an idle-stop is triggered, the ECU controls a starter relay to be closed during the ring gear is rotating whereby the pinion gear together with a clutch are pushed out to counter-motor direction by the electromagnetic solenoid. As a result, the pinion gear meshes with the ring gear that is rotating at lower rotational speed. Therefore, the inertial mass of the starter is added to the ring gear so that swinging of the engine can be suppressed.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2010Date of Patent: December 17, 2013Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Shinji Usami, Mitsuhiro Murata, Masami Niimi
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Patent number: 8601888Abstract: An electromagnetic switch is disclosed as having an electromagnetic switch, operative to open or close a main contact of a motor circuit, and a solenoid having a function to push a pinion gear to a position away from a motor. The electromagnetic switch and the solenoid are placed in series in a unitary structure such that the electromagnetic switch and the solenoid have a switch case and a solenoid case both of which are integrally formed with each other to be contiguous in an axial direction. Further, a stationary core for the electromagnet and a stationary core for the solenoid are integrally formed and an operational direction of a plunger for the electromagnet and an operational direction of a plunger for the solenoid are set to be opposite in direction.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2012Date of Patent: December 10, 2013Assignee: Denso CorporationInventor: Masami Niimi
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Publication number: 20130321106Abstract: An electromagnetic switch is provided which includes: a coil generating magnetomotive force; a frame accommodating the coil and generating a flux path; a resin cover covering an opening of the frame; and a current-supply terminal member energizing the coil. The current-supply terminal member includes: a blade-shaped terminal whose end is connected to the coil and whose another end is drawn out of the resin cover in the axial direction of the electromagnetic switch; and a plate-shaped external connection terminal whose end is joined to an end of the blade-shaped terminal and whose another end is drawn out in the direction intersecting the axial direction. A portion between the ends of the external connection terminal is insert-molded in a terminal anchor block provided with the resin cover. A female terminal of a power supply connector provided at an electric supply line is fitted and electrically connected to the external connection terminal.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2013Publication date: December 5, 2013Applicant: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Masami NIIMI, Mitsuhiro MURATA, Kiyokazu HARUNO
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Patent number: 8570123Abstract: An electromagnetic switch includes an excitation coil that forms an electromagnet by energizing, a movable core driven by a magnetism generated in the excitation coil, a cylindrical frame having a bottom that accommodates the excitation coil and constitutes a part of a magnetic circuit of the excitation coil, an end plate electrically connected with the frame, and diodes electrically connected with the excitation coil in parallel. In addition, at least one of terminals of the diodes is fixed to the end plate.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2011Date of Patent: October 29, 2013Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Masami Niimi, Yoshinori Yamaguchi, Kiyokazu Haruno
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Patent number: 8534145Abstract: In an engine starting apparatus, together with a one-way clutch, a pinion is pushed toward a ring gear of an engine mounted in a vehicle. The one-way clutch has an idling torque smaller than a torque of the ring gear that tries to turn the pinion when the pinion is pushed to the ring gear. By a control device, a pinion pushing device is enabled to operate when i) the revolution speed of the ring gear is larger than a revolution speed of the pinion and ii) a relative revolution speed between the revolution speed of the ring gear and the revolution speed of the pinion is a desired value.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2010Date of Patent: September 17, 2013Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Masami Niimi, Mitsuhiro Murata, Kiyokazu Haruno, Hiroaki Higuchi
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Patent number: 8531258Abstract: An electromagnetic switch is provided which includes: a coil generating magnetomotive force; a frame accommodating the coil and generating a flux path; a resin cover covering an opening of the frame; and a current-supply terminal member energizing the coil. The current-supply terminal member includes: a blade-shaped terminal whose end is connected to the coil and whose another end is drawn out of the resin cover in the axial direction of the electromagnetic switch; and a plate-shaped external connection terminal whose end is joined to an end of the blade-shaped terminal and whose another end is drawn out in the direction intersecting the axial direction. A portion between the ends of the external connection terminal is insert-molded in a terminal anchor block provided with the resin cover. A female terminal of a power supply connector provided at an electric supply line is fitted and electrically connected to the external connection terminal.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2011Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Masami Niimi, Mitsuhiro Murata, Kiyokazu Haruno
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Patent number: 8476777Abstract: A starter includes an electromagnetic solenoid that generates force for pushing a pinion gear 6 to a ring gear side, and an electromagnetic switch that opens and closes a motor contact point. When idle-stop is performed, an ECU energizes a solenoid coil of the electromagnetic solenoid during inertial rotation until the ring gear stops rotating. After rotation of an engine is stopped, the ECU stops energizing the solenoid coil. As a result, in the starter, the pinion gear can mesh with the ring gear that is rotating by inertia without use of the rotational force of a motor. The meshed state can be maintained even after energization of the solenoid coil is stopped.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2010Date of Patent: July 2, 2013Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Shinji Usami, Mitsuhiro Murata, Masami Niimi
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Patent number: 8451079Abstract: An electromagnetic solenoid having an electromagnetic coil, a fixed iron core, a movable iron core, and a spring coil. The spring coil, arranged between the fixed and the movable iron core, supplies a spring force to the movable iron core toward an opposite direction of the fixed iron core along the axial direction. A magnetic attraction surface and a fitting part are formed in at least one of the fixed iron core and the movable iron core. The magnetic attraction surface is contacted with the fixed iron core when the movable iron core reaches the fixed iron core. An outer peripheral surface of the fitting part, apart from the magnetic attraction surface by a predetermined distance along the axial direction, is engaged with the spring coil. The most outer peripheral part of the magnetic attraction surface is positioned inside rather than the most outer peripheral part of the fitting part.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2011Date of Patent: May 28, 2013Assignee: Denso CorporationInventor: Masami Niimi
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Patent number: 8446239Abstract: An electromagnetic switch operative to close and open an electrical contact arrangement to thereby turn on and off an electrical current flowing through an electrical circuit. A movable iron core includes a shaft insertion hole that extends in an axial direction of the movable iron core and has an opening in an end face of the movable iron core axially opposing a movable contact of the electrical contact arrangement. The hole includes a step disposed at a position along the depth, a shaft fixture section on a bottom side of the step, and a shaft guide section on an opening side of the step. An inside diameter of the shaft fixture section is smaller than an inside diameter of the shaft guide section. One axial end side portion of the shaft is press fit in the shaft fixture section.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2012Date of Patent: May 21, 2013Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Masami Niimi, Mitsuhiro Murata, Takahisa Inagaki
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Patent number: 8426989Abstract: A solenoid for pushing out a pinion pushes out a pinion gear to a ring gear side and a switch for motor energization that opens and closes a motor point of contact have a solenoid coil and a switch coil that form an electromagnet by energization, respectively. A fixed iron core used commonly by both coils is arranged between the solenoid coil and the switch coil. A solenoid yoke that covers a perimeter of the solenoid and a switch yoke that covers a perimeter of the switch are formed integrally as a whole yoke in an axial direction.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2010Date of Patent: April 23, 2013Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Shinji Usami, Yasuyuki Yoshida, Mitsuhiro Murata, Masami Niimi
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Patent number: 8421562Abstract: An electromagnetic switch unit comprises a solenoid device that pushes out a pinion gear to a ring gear side of an engine, and an electromagnetic switch that opens and closes a main point of contact of a motor circuit. The solenoid device and the electromagnetic switch are arranged in series in an axial direction, while a magnetic plate that forms a part of magnetic circuit between a first coil used for the solenoid device and a second coil used for the electromagnetic switch is shared by the solenoid device and the electromagnetic switch.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2012Date of Patent: April 16, 2013Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Mitsuhiro Murata, Masami Niimi
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Patent number: 8402849Abstract: A starter for starting an engine in a vehicle is disclosed. The starter includes a motor and an output shaft that rotates by receiving torque from the motor. The starter also includes a pinion movable body that includes a pinion for transmitting the torque of the motor to a ring gear of the engine. The pinion movable body is provided on an outer circumference of the output shaft integrally with the pinion in a manner allowing movement along an axial direction thereof. The pinion is pushed towards the ring gear by a pinion-pushing means. A motor current-supply means turns ON and OFF energizing current flowing to the motor. A shock absorbing device is disposed on a torque transmitting path transmitting the torque of the motor to the pinion.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2010Date of Patent: March 26, 2013Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Masami Niimi, Yasuyuki Yoshida, Mitsuhiro Murata, Kiyokazu Haruno
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Patent number: 8400243Abstract: There is an electromagnetic switch for a starter includes a first and second electromagnet and a frame and a cover. The first and second electromagnets are set alongside in the frame. The first and second electromagnets are configured to change a position with respect to the cover by rotating about the axis with respect to the frame.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2012Date of Patent: March 19, 2013Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Tarou Okada, Mitsuhiro Murata, Takahisa Inagaki, Masami Niimi, Kiyokazu Haruno