Patents by Inventor Michihiro Kawada

Michihiro Kawada 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: 6969053
    Abstract: The present invention provides a strut mount comprising an inner member (12) to which an upper extremity of a rod of a buffer is fixed, an outer member (14) attached to a vehicle while surrounding an outer circumference of the inner member, and an elastomer (16) interposed between both members to dampen vibration, wherein an attachment piece (28) of an outer fitting (14) and an attachment plate (2) of the vehicle body are curved in the form of a sphere to raise rigidity and improve vehicle running stability. Besides, a non-fastening surface portion (36) is provided by being lowered via a different level portion (34) around a bolt fastening surface portion (30) of the attachment piece (28), preventing rubber burr from being produced on the fastening surface. Furthermore, by the use of a caulking nut (52) stuck to the underside of the attachment piece (28), the weight of the products can be reduced, and cost reduction is accomplished by laborsaving during operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michihiro Kawada, Hideo Tadano
  • Patent number: 6712370
    Abstract: The present invention provides a strut mount bolted to a curved outer cylinder attachment plate (6) without enlarging abolt hole, by inserting a cylindrical portion (13) of a caulking nut (5) into a nut attachment hole (11) of an attachment piece (10) of an outer cylinder (2) and pressurizing and diminishing in diameter the circumference of the nut attachment hole (11) to caulk and stick the nut attachment hole (11) and the caulking nut (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michihiro Kawada, Hideo Tadano
  • Publication number: 20030189278
    Abstract: The present invention provides a strut mount comprising an inner member 12 to which an upper extremity of a rod of a buffer is fixed, an outer member 14 attached to a vehicle while surrounding an outer circumference of the inner member, and an elastomer 16 interposed between both members to dampen vibration, wherein an attachment piece 28 of an outer fitting 14 and an attachment plate 2 of the vehicle body are curved in the form of a sphere to raise rigidity and improve vehicle running stability. Besides, a non-fastening surface portion 36 is provided by being lowered via a different level portion 34 around a bolt fastening surface portion 30 of the attachment piece 28, preventing rubber burr from being produced on the fastening surface. Furthermore, by the use of a caulking nut 52 stuck to the underside of the attachment piece 28, the weight of the products can be reduced, and cost reduction is accomplished by laborsaving during operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2002
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Inventors: Michihiro Kawada, Hideo Tadano
  • Patent number: 6626020
    Abstract: A method of producing a vibration-isolating bushing with which it is possible to secure a larger area of the edge surface of an inner cylinder than in the prior art method. In upsetting one extremity of the inner cylinder by cold plastic working, after a rubber elastomer is secured to the outer circumference of the inner cylinder by vulcanization molding, as a jig for pressing onto the edge surface of the inner cylinder, an upsetting jig whose top surface is flat is used and the top surface of the jig is pressed onto the edge surface of the inner cylinder while causing the jig to gyrate on a conical orbit centering the axis of the inner cylinder, whereby the outside diameter only of the extremity is enlarged while suppressing the enlarging of the inside diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michihiro Kawada, Hiroaki Takahashi, Hideo Tadano
  • Publication number: 20020163155
    Abstract: The present invention provides a strut mount bolted to a curved outer cylinder attachment plate (6) without enlarging a bolt hole, by inserting a cylindrical portion (13) of a caulking nut (5) into a nut attachment hole (11) of an attachment piece (10) of an outer cylinder (2) and pressurizing and diminishing in diameter the circumference of the nut attachment hole (11) to caulk and stick the nut attachment hole (11) and the caulking nut (5).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2002
    Publication date: November 7, 2002
    Inventors: Michihiro Kawada, Hideo Tadano
  • Publication number: 20020079614
    Abstract: A method of producing a vibration-isolating bushing with which it is possible to secure a larger area of the edge surface of an inner cylinder than in the prior art method. In upsetting one extremity of the inner cylinder by cold plastic working, after a rubber elastomer is secured to the outer circumference of the inner cylinder by vulcanization molding, as a jig for pressing onto the edge surface of the inner cylinder, an upsetting jig whose top surface is flat is used and the top surface of the jig is pressed onto the edge surface of the inner cylinder while causing the jig to gyrate on a conical orbit centering the axis of the inner cylinder, whereby the outside diameter only of the extremity is enlarged while suppressing the enlarging of the inside diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2001
    Publication date: June 27, 2002
    Inventors: Michihiro Kawada, Hiroaki Takahashi, Hideo Tadano
  • Patent number: 6398200
    Abstract: In a vibration isolating mount having a toe correcting mechanism (5) and installed with bored portions (21) and an axial stopper (6) in a rubber-like elastic body (4) between an inner and an outer cylinder (2) and (3), as the stopper (6), a portion of the outer cylinder on a side opposed to the toe correcting mechanism (5) interposing the inner cylinder (2) is extended in the axial direction and stopper rubber (4c) is arranged at a front end of the extended portion (13) by which a rubber vulcanizing mold can be divided in an upper and a lower portion thereof even with the bored portion (21), simplification of mold structure is achieved and light-weighted formation and durability of the mount are promoted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignees: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd., Toyoda Iron Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Kakimoto, Yasukuni Wakita, Seiya Takeshita, Michihiro Kawada, Tetsuji Sano, Yoshihisa Kato, Masao Tajima, Kazuhiro Horikoshi, Hideyuki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 4790794
    Abstract: Flexible shaft coupling for transmission of high torque loads comprising drive side and driven side connecting elements arranged in pairs alternately and equidistantly in a circumferential orientation, endless belts of fiber cord bundles wrapping around and interlinking pairs of adjacent drive side and driven side connecting elements, and an elastomeric material embedding therein the foregoing members. Between the connecting elements and the belts there are mounted bobbin-like collars each having both terminal flanges defining a hollow of U-shaped cross-section between them, and the belts are received and held in the hollows. By the construction, disorder or relaxing in cords is not caused and loads are dispersed uniformly on the cords with the result that high torque transmission efficiency is attained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1988
    Assignees: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaru Takeda, Yoshihiro Nunotaki, Hiroshi Harada, Michihiro Kawada, Masahiro Ishigaki
  • Patent number: 4738650
    Abstract: A flexible shaft coupling comprising drive side connecting elements and driven side connecting elements arranged alternately and equidistantly in an annular orientation, and coupling pieces of annular form linking mutually adjacent pairs of drive side connecting elements and driven side connecting elements, each of both connecting elements being formed of an inner sleeve, an outer sleeve and an elastic intermediate member bonding them, the coupling pieces being formed of a belt strip wrapping around the outer sleeve and an elastomeric body surrounding and covering the wrapped belt strip. The elastic intermediate member is formed as a rubber bushing press-fitted between the inner and outer sleeves and extends only in an axially middle portion of both sleeves, and adjacent to the rubber bushing, intermediate sleeves are fitted to the inner sleeve or outer sleeve. The elastic intermediate member has a compressive strain of 25-40%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1988
    Assignees: Ltd. Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Toyota Jidosya Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuo Hojo, Yoshihiro Nunotaki, Hiroshi Harada, Kenji Murase, Michihiro Kawada, Masahiro Ishigaki
  • Patent number: 4673188
    Abstract: A bellows-form boot for universal joint which is formed integrally of a le-diameter cylindrical portion and a small-diameter cylindrical portion at both ends, the former being adapted to be fitted to a joint case housing therein the universal joint and the latter to a driving shaft, a central annular bellows portion having ridge portions whose diameters are tapered down toward the small-diameter portion, and a bracing boss portion extending between the large-diameter portion and the bellows portion. The boss portion has a wall thickness of 2 to 3 times the average wall thickness of the bellows portion and is profiled so that the inner face thereof may abuttingly contact with the edge face of the joint case and the outer face thereof is flush with the outer face of the bellows portion in the mutual joining area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1987
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Matsuno, Yasunori Hatanaka, Hirokazu Shimizu, Masahiro Ishigaki, Hiroshi Harada, Michihiro Kawada, Yasukuni Wakita