Patents by Inventor Shinji Usami

Shinji Usami 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: 10156218
    Abstract: An engine start system which may be employed in automotive idle stop systems. To start an engine, the system brings a pinion gear into engagement with a ring gear coupled to the engine and turns on an electric motor to rotate the ring gear through the pinion gear to crank the engine. When it is requested to start the engine during deceleration of the engine before stop thereof, the system thrusts the pinion into engagement with the ring gear and then turns on the motor to rotate the pinion gear, in other words, delays the activation of the motor until after the pinion gear has engaged the ring gear. This minimizes mechanical impact or noise arising from the engagement of the pinion gear with the ring gear and improves the reliability in engagement with the ring gear during the deceleration of the engine and durability of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Murata, Hideya Notani, Shinji Usami, Mikio Saito, Yasuyuki Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20150300311
    Abstract: An engine start system which may be employed in automotive idle stop systems. To start an engine, the system brings a pinion gear into engagement with a ring gear coupled to the engine and turns on an electric motor to rotate the ring gear through the pinion gear to crank the engine. When it is requested to start the engine during deceleration of the engine before stop thereof, the system thrusts the pinion into engagement with the ring gear and then turns on the motor to rotate the pinion gear, in other words, delays the activation of the motor until after the pinion gear has engaged the ring gear. This minimizes mechanical impact or noise arising from the engagement of the pinion gear with the ring gear and improves the reliability in engagement with the ring gear during the deceleration of the engine and durability of the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro MURATA, Hideya NOTANI, Shinji USAMI, Mikio SAITO, Yasuyuki YOSHIDA
  • Patent number: 9097230
    Abstract: An engine start system which may be employed in automotive idle stop systems. To start an engine, the system brings a pinion gear into engagement with a ring gear coupled to the engine and turns on an electric motor to rotate the ring gear through the pinion gear to crank the engine. When it is requested to start the engine during deceleration of the engine before stop thereof, the system thrusts the pinion into engagement with the ring gear and then turns on the motor to rotate the pinion gear, in other words, delays the activation of the motor until after the pinion gear has engaged the ring gear. This minimizes mechanical impact or noise arising from the engagement of the pinion gear with the ring gear and improves the reliability in engagement with the ring gear during the deceleration of the engine and durability of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Murata, Hideya Notani, Shinji Usami, Mikio Saito, Yasuyuki Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8985080
    Abstract: An engine start system which may be employed in automotive idle stop systems. To start an engine, the system brings a pinion gear into engagement with a ring gear coupled to the engine and turns on an electric motor to rotate the ring gear through the pinion gear to crank the engine. When it is requested to start the engine during deceleration of the engine before stop thereof, the system thrusts the pinion into engagement with the ring gear and then turns on the motor to rotate the pinion gear, in other words, delays the activation of the motor until after the pinion gear has engaged the ring gear. This minimizes mechanical impact or noise arising from the engagement of the pinion gear with the ring gear and improves the reliability in engagement with the ring gear during the deceleration of the engine and durability of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Murata, Hideya Notani, Shinji Usami, Mikio Saito, Yasuyuki Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20140041613
    Abstract: An engine start system which may be employed in automotive idle stop systems. To start an engine, the system brings a pinion gear into engagement with a ring gear coupled to the engine and turns on an electric motor to rotate the ring gear through the pinion gear to crank the engine. When it is requested to start the engine during deceleration of the engine before stop thereof, the system thrusts the pinion into engagement with the ring gear and then turns on the motor to rotate the pinion gear, in other words, delays the activation of the motor until after the pinion gear has engaged the ring gear. This minimizes mechanical impact or noise arising from the engagement of the pinion gear with the ring gear and improves the reliability in engagement with the ring gear during the deceleration of the engine and durability of the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro MURATA, Hideya NOTANI, Shinji USAMI, Mikio SAITO, Yasuyuki YOSHIDA
  • Patent number: 8610296
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Usami, Mitsuhiro Murata, Masami Niimi
  • Patent number: 8567364
    Abstract: A starter for an engine is equipped with a planetary gear speed reducer, a restraining mechanism, and a shock absorber which is made up of a rotary disc, a stationary disc, a case, and a load applying mechanism. The load applying mechanism applies a load to the stationary and rotary discs to develop a given degree of friction therebetween. When an excessive torque acts on the rotary disc through the internal gear, the shock absorber induces the rotary disc to rotate against the given degree of friction to absorb the torque to eliminate a physical impact to be exerted on the planetary gear speed reducer. The restraining mechanism restrains the load applying mechanism from moving in a radius direction of the internal thread to avoid undesirable engagement of the load applying mechanism with the internal thread, thereby ensuring the stability in applying the load to the stationary and rotary discs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Usami, Sadayoshi Kajino, Youichi Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 8476777
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Usami, Mitsuhiro Murata, Masami Niimi
  • Patent number: 8426989
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Usami, Yasuyuki Yoshida, Mitsuhiro Murata, Masami Niimi
  • Publication number: 20120326507
    Abstract: An apparatus for converting power of a power source used for a main unit mounted on a vehicle includes: a first circuit that converts the power into a first power and supplies the first power to a first auxiliary unit mounted on the vehicle; a second circuit that converts the power into a second power and supplies the second power to a second auxiliary unit mounted on the vehicle; a first board on which the first circuit is mounted; a second board on which the second circuit is mounted; and a connecting member that electrically connects between the first board and the second board to allow the power of the power source to be conducted therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinji Usami, Masakazu Tago, Atsuyuki Hiruma
  • Patent number: 8299639
    Abstract: In a starter for starting an internal combustion engine with a first output shaft to which a ring gear is coupled, a motor has a second output shaft to which a movable pinion member is coupled and is operative to, when energized, rotate the second output shaft. A solenoid device includes a solenoid actuator linked to the movable pinion member. The solenoid actuator is configured to, when activated, shift the movable pinion member toward the ring gear to be engaged with the ring gear. The solenoid device includes a solenoid switch configure to, when activated, energize the motor. The solenoid actuator and the solenoid switch are integrated with each other to provide the solenoid device. A controller module is configured to individually control an activation of the solenoid actuator and an activation of the solenoid switch. The controller module is mounted on the solenoid device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Usami, Yasuyuki Yoshida, Mitsuhiro Murata, Masami Niimi, Hideya Notani, Kazushige Okumoto, Akira Kato, Mikio Saito
  • Patent number: 8143979
    Abstract: Terminal-bolts and a fixed contact are formed with different kinds of metals, and fixed to a fixing hole formed in the fixed contact by press fitting one end of the terminal-bolts. A plurality of concavo-convex parts is provided on a surface of the fixed contact that faces the movable contact. A plurality of concavo-convex portions is provided on another surface of the fixed contact that faces an anti movable-contact side. The concavo-convex portions are arranged so that positions of concave parts of the concavo-convex portions match positions of convex parts of the concavo-convex portions provided in the opposite surface of the fixed contact. The concavo-convex parts are at least partly curved, and have the same height and project in a height direction from the fixed contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Usami, Masami Niimi, Mitsuhiro Murata, Mikio Saitoh
  • Patent number: 8004703
    Abstract: An image data obtaining system storing image data optically read from a digital compound machine into a database managed by a server connected to the digital compound machine via a network. The digital compound machine includes: a unit configured to generate an input screen based on input screen configuration information received from the server beforehand; a unit configured to send, to the server, the image data, image data information and a DB key value, wherein the image data information is for associating the image data with the input screen configuration information and is input from the input screen, and wherein the DB key value is for associating the database with the input screen configuration information. The server includes a unit configured to store the image data and/or the image data information into the database associating the image data and/or the image data information with the DB key value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd., Otsuka Corporation, Osk Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Noriko Asami, Kohji Kanbara, Junichi Ota, Toshimichi Ooura, Yasushi Okada, Yoshiroh Someya, Shinji Usami, Mamoru Murata, Kenichi Maekawa, Mitsuru Fukushima
  • Patent number: 7978035
    Abstract: A magnet switch which may be employed in automotive engine starters is provided. The magnet switch includes a stationary magnetic core made up of a disc assembly and a core body. The disc assembly is made of a stack of annular plate members superposed on each other. Each of the plate members has an opening through which a terminal lead of a magnetic coil extends. The core body has a boss with an edge which is plastically deformed outwardly in the radius direction thereof or staked to create an elastic nip which retains the stack of the plate members firmly on the core body. This structure ensures the joint between the disc assembly and the core body to withstand mechanical impact exerted on the magnetic core and stability in operation of the magnet switch without increasing a total production cost of the magnetic switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Usami, Tomohiro Teramachi
  • Publication number: 20110001589
    Abstract: Terminal-bolts and a fixed contact are formed with different kinds of metals, and fixed to a fixing hole formed in the fixed contact by press fitting one end of the terminal-bolts. A plurality of concavo-convex parts is provided on a surface of the fixed contact that faces the movable contact. A plurality of concavo-convex portions is provided on another surface of the fixed contact that faces an anti movable-contact side. The concavo-convex portions are arranged so that positions of concave parts of the concavo-convex portions match positions of convex parts of the concavo-convex portions provided in the opposite surface of the fixed contact. The concavo-convex parts are at least partly curved, and have the same height and project in a height direction from the fixed contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinji USAMI, Masami NIIMI, Mitsuhiro MURATA, Mikio SAITOH
  • Publication number: 20100264670
    Abstract: In a starter for starting an internal combustion engine with a first output shaft to which a ring gear is coupled, a motor has a second output shaft to which a movable pinion member is coupled and is operative to, when energized, rotate the second output shaft. A solenoid device includes a solenoid actuator linked to the movable pinion member. The solenoid actuator is configured to, when activated, shift the movable pinion member toward the ring gear to be engaged with the ring gear. The solenoid device includes a solenoid switch configure to, when activated, energize the motor. The solenoid actuator and the solenoid switch are integrated with each other to provide the solenoid device. A controller module is configured to individually control an activation of the solenoid actuator and an activation of the solenoid switch. The controller module is mounted on the solenoid device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinji Usami, Yasuyuki Yoshida, Mitsuhiro Murata, Masami Niimi, Hideya Notani, Kazushige Okumoto, Akira Kato, Mikio Saito
  • Publication number: 20100264764
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2010
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinji USAMI, Yasuyuki Yoshida, Mitsuhiro Murata, Masami Niimi
  • Publication number: 20100251852
    Abstract: An engine start system which may be employed in automotive idle stop systems. To start an engine, the system brings a pinion gear into engagement with a ring gear coupled to the engine and turns on an electric motor to rotate the ring gear through the pinion gear to crank the engine. When it is requested to start the engine during deceleration of the engine before stop thereof, the system thrusts the pinion into engagement with the ring gear and then turns on the motor to rotate the pinion gear, in other words, delays the activation of the motor until after the pinion gear has engaged the ring gear. This minimizes mechanical impact or noise arising from the engagement of the pinion gear with the ring gear and improves the reliability in engagement with the ring gear during the deceleration of the engine and durability of the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2010
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro MURATA, Hideya NOTANI, Shinji USAMI, Mikio SAITO, Yasuyuki YOSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20100251853
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinji USAMI, Mitsuhiro MURATA, Masami NIIMI
  • Patent number: D633528
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Shinji Usami