Patents by Inventor Masayuki Shiwa

Masayuki Shiwa 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: 11335363
    Abstract: A lifter mechanism includes: a first lifter; a second lifter; a first biasing member that biases the second lifter from a second lower limit position toward a second upper limit position; a locking lever that is displaced between a locked position in which the locking lever locks the second lifter in the second lower limit position and a released position in which the locking lever releases the lock of the second lifter from the second lower limit position; a second biasing member that biases the locking lever from the locked position toward the released position; a holding member that holds the locking lever in the locked position; and a queueing lever that pushes down the second lifter from the second upper limit position to the second lower limit position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masayuki Shiwa, Tomoyuki Yamashiro
  • Publication number: 20220036917
    Abstract: A lifter mechanism includes: a first lifter; a second lifter; a first biasing member that biases the second lifter from a second lower limit position toward a second upper limit position; a locking lever that is displaced between a locked position in which the locking lever locks the second lifter in the second lower limit position and a released position in which the locking lever releases the lock of the second lifter from the second lower limit position; a second biasing member that biases the locking lever from the locked position toward the released position; a holding member that holds the locking lever in the locked position; and a queueing lever that pushes down the second lifter from the second upper limit position to the second lower limit position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Masayuki SHIWA, Tomoyuki YAMASHIRO
  • Patent number: 8130600
    Abstract: A spherical aberration correction mechanism 30 includes a lens holder 35 that holds a collimator lens 16, a main shaft 36a that supports the lens holder 35 in a linearly movable manner, a lead screw 34 supported in a rotatable manner and provided with a screw thread formed of a first slope and a second slope each in a spiral shape on an outer circumference thereof, and a stepping motor 13 that rotates the lead screw 34. The lens holder 35 includes a rack portion 41 disposed between the main shaft 36a and the lead screw 34 and having a slope that abuts on the first slope and first and second stoppers 46a and 46b that regulate a relative position of the rack portion 41 with respect to the lead screw 34 so that the rack portion 41 does not abut on the second slope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Nakata, Masayuki Shiwa
  • Patent number: 8108884
    Abstract: An optical disk recording/reproducing device includes a turntable 7 configured to rotate an optical disk 9 and an optical head 3 configured to record/reproduce information in/from the optical disk 9. A stepping motor 13 to drive a collimator lens 16 is mounted on a head base 17 of the optical head 3 and a part of stator 42 of the stepping motor 13 is exposed through an opening 14a of a head cover 14, an opening 15a of a flexible substrate 15, an opening 13a of a cover 41, and an opening 13b of the cover 41.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Nakata, Hideki Aikoh, Masayuki Shiwa
  • Patent number: 7812491
    Abstract: A housing 25 of a stepping motor 1 consists of a pair of case sections 27 arranged in front and rear in the direction of an axial line L of a rotating shaft 3. The case sections 27 are formed of: an end plate 27a to which a bearing 31 for supporting the rotating shaft 3 is fixed, and a base plate 27b and a top plate 27c extending from the end plate 27a in the direction of axial line L of the rotating shaft 3. The case sections 27 are formed by bending a single plate material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignees: Nidec Copal Corporation, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Katada, Mitsuru Yanagisawa, Ryuta Yamawaki, Hideki Nakata, Masayuki Shiwa, Hideki Aikoh, Hironori Tomita
  • Publication number: 20100232265
    Abstract: A spherical aberration correction mechanism 30 includes a lens holder 35 that holds a collimator lens 16, a main shaft 36a that supports the lens holder 35 in a linearly movable manner, a lead screw 34 supported in a rotatable manner and provided with a screw thread formed of a first slope and a second slope each in a spiral shape on an outer circumference thereof, and a stepping motor 13 that rotates the lead screw 34. The lens holder 35 includes a rack portion 41 disposed between the main shaft 36a and the lead screw 34 and having a slope that abuts on the first slope and first and second stoppers 46a and 46b that regulate a relative position of the rack portion 41 with respect to the lead screw 34 so that the rack portion 41 does not abut on the second slope.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Inventors: Hideki Nakata, Masayuki Shiwa
  • Patent number: 7784067
    Abstract: An optical disk apparatus includes a frame 2 which receives internal devices and can receive an optical disk 27, a tray 5 on which the optical disk 27 is rotatably mounted, a rail 4 which supports the tray so as to be moved between a mounting position where the optical disk 27 is detachably mounted and a receiving position where the optical disk 27 is received in the frame 2, a tray moving means which moves the tray 5 between the mounting position and the receiving position, a tray receiving releasing member which receives and release the tray 5 at the receiving position, and an optical disk rotation suppressing member which exerts a pressing force on the optical disk in cooperation with a tray releasing operation of the tray receiving releasing member and releases the pressing force in cooperation with a tray receiving operation of the tray receiving releasing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Shiwa, Katsumi Ichinose
  • Publication number: 20100182890
    Abstract: An optical disk recording/reproducing device includes a turntable 7 configured to rotate an optical disk 9 and an optical head 3 configured to record/reproduce information in/from the optical disk 9. A stepping motor 13 to drive a collimator lens 16 is mounted on a head base 17 of the optical head 3 and a part of stator 42 of the stepping motor 13 is exposed through an opening 14a of a head cover 14, an opening 15a of a flexible substrate 15, an opening 13a of a cover 41, and an opening 13b of the cover 41.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2007
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Inventors: Hideki Nakata, Hideki Aikoh, Masayuki Shiwa
  • Patent number: 7636924
    Abstract: A support frame for an optical disk unit where reduction in thickness and/or weight saving can be realized and the optical disk unit are intended to be obtained. In an optical disk drive unit, a support frame 2 has neither upper cover nor bottom cover, and is formed from a frame that continuously encloses both sides and a back of a disk tray 1 without any cutout portions in order to secure strength, and furthermore, the support frame 2 is manufactured by a die casting method using a metal material such as aluminum material, zinc material, and magnesium material, or by a press method using a metal sheet such as iron sheet, aluminum sheet, and magnesium sheet, or by composite molding using a polymer such as PPS (polyphenylenesulfide), POM (polyacetal), and LCP (liquid crystal polymer) with the metal sheet, or by a forging method using a metal material such as aluminum, thereby strength that prevents the optical disk drive unit as a whole from distorting or deforming during operation or actuation is secured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Katsumi Ichinose, Masayuki Shiwa, Masatoshi Takeda
  • Publication number: 20080054764
    Abstract: A housing 25 of a stepping motor 1 consists of a pair of case sections 27 arranged in front and rear in the direction of an axial line L of a rotating shaft 3. The case sections 27 are formed of: an end plate 27a to which a bearing 31 for supporting the rotating shaft 3 is fixed, and a base plate 27b and a top plate 27c extending from the end plate 27a in the direction of axial line L of the rotating shaft 3. The case sections 27 are formed by bending a single plate material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Inventors: Yoshinori Katada, Mitsuru Yanagisawa, Ryuta Yamawaki, Hideki Nakata, Masayuki Shiwa, Hideki Aikoh, Hironori Tomita
  • Publication number: 20070016916
    Abstract: An optical disk apparatus includes a frame 2 which receives internal devices and can receive an optical disk 27, a tray 5 on which the optical disk 27 is rotatably mounted, a rail 4 which supports the tray so as to be moved between a mounting position where the optical disk 27 is detachably mounted and a receiving position where the optical disk 27 is received in the frame 2, a tray moving means which moves the tray 5 between the mounting position and the receiving position, a tray receiving releasing member which receives and release the tray 5 at the receiving position, and an optical disk rotation suppressing member which exerts a pressing force on the optical disk in cooperation with a tray releasing operation of the tray receiving releasing member and releases the pressing force in cooperation with a tray receiving operation of the tray receiving releasing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Publication date: January 18, 2007
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masayuki Shiwa, Katsumi Ichinose
  • Publication number: 20060005212
    Abstract: A support frame for an optical disk unit where reduction in thickness and/or weight saving can be realized and the optical disk unit are intended to be obtained. In an optical disk drive unit, a support frame 2 has neither upper cover nor bottom cover, and is formed from a frame that continuously encloses both sides and a back of a disk tray 1 without any cutout portions in order to secure strength, and furthermore, the support frame 2 is manufactured by a die casting method using a metal material such as aluminum material, zinc material, and magnesium material, or by a press method using a metal sheet such as iron sheet, aluminum sheet, and magnesium sheet, or by composite molding using a polymer such as PPS (polyphenylenesulfide), POM (polyacetal), and LCP (liquid crystal polymer) with the metal sheet, or by a forging method using a metal material such as aluminum, thereby strength that prevents the optical disk drive unit as a whole from distorting or deforming during operation or actuation is secured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Publication date: January 5, 2006
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Katsumi Ichinose, Masayuki Shiwa, Masatoshi Takeda
  • Patent number: 6680896
    Abstract: A medium attaching device for attaching and holding a disk to and releasing the disk from a turntable of a disk device. A plurality of holding/releasing devices are arranged radially around a center hub of the turntable. Each holding/releasing device includes a clamp member of generally crescent form having a holding section and a releasing section located on opposite sides with respect to a swivel center. When the disk is transferred to a predetermined position of the disk device, the clamp members are swiveled around the swivel center to either attach and hold the disk to the turntable, or raise the disk to a position above the turntable and hence to release the disk therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masayuki Shiwa
  • Publication number: 20020031077
    Abstract: A medium attaching device for attaching and holding a disk to and releasing the disk from a turntable of a disk device. A plurality of holding/releasing devices are arranged radially around a center hub of the turntable. Each holding/releasing device includes a clamp member of generally crescent form having a holding section and a releasing section located on opposite sides with respect to a swivel center. When the disk is transferred to a predetermined position of the disk device, the clamp members are swiveled around the swivel center to either attach and hold the disk to the turntable, or raise the disk to a position above the turntable and hence to release the disk therefrom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2001
    Publication date: March 14, 2002
    Inventor: Masayuki Shiwa
  • Publication number: 20010024419
    Abstract: There is disclosed a medium attaching device and a disk drive apparatus which are suited for a compact and lightweight design and a thin design, and are capable of automatic attachment of a disk. The device includes a rotary support device for holding a disk medium thereon, and a rotation drive device for rotating the rotary support means so as to rotate the disk medium. The rotation drive device includes a reciprocally-moving device for reciprocal movement in a direction of an axis of a rotation shaft. The rotary support device has a plurality of pivotal attaching devices pivotally mounted thereon, and each of the pivotal attaching devices is pivotally movable between a fixed position where the pivotal attaching device fixedly holds the disk medium and a received position where the pivotal attaching device is received in the rotary support device. The plurality of pivotal attaching devices are provided on the rotary support device in concentric relation to the axis of the rotation shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2001
    Publication date: September 27, 2001
    Inventors: Hirohiko Oowaki, Masayuki Shiwa
  • Patent number: 6249506
    Abstract: There is disclosed a medium attaching device and a disk drive apparatus which are suited for a compact and lightweight design and a thin design, and are capable of automatic attachment of a disk. The device includes a rotary support device for holding a disk medium thereon, and a rotation drive device for rotating the rotary support means so as to rotate the disk medium. The rotation drive device includes a reciprocally-moving device for reciprocal movement in a direction of an axis of a rotation shaft. The rotary support device has a plurality of pivotal attaching devices pivotally mounted thereon, and each of the pivotal attaching devices is pivotally movable between a fixed position where the pivotal attaching device fixedly holds the disk medium and a received position where the pivotal attaching device is received in the rotary support device. The plurality of pivotal attaching devices are provided on the rotary support device in concentric relation to the axis of the rotation shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirohiko Oowaki, Masayuki Shiwa
  • Patent number: 6181663
    Abstract: A disk apparatus comprises a tray for mounting a disk thereon, a lock arm for locking the tray to a main body chassis and releasing this locking, a coil for operating the lock arm by an electromagnetic force, a coil holder for holding the coil and transmitting the electromagnetic force to the lock arm, a magnet for applying a magnetic flux necessary for the operation, a rail for holding the tray to the main body chassis and guiding an accommodation/ejection operation, a push block for pushing out the tray, a push spring for operating the push block, an eject button pushed down when the user wants to eject the tray, a detention switch for detecting the push-down of the eject button, and a controller for applying a voltage to the coil upon receiving the detection information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Kakuta, Hideru Goto, Masayuki Shiwa
  • Patent number: D538805
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masatoshi Takeda, Katsumi Ichinose, Masayuki Shiwa