Patents by Inventor Toyohisa Ishihara

Toyohisa Ishihara 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: 10018226
    Abstract: A linear motion guide unit includes a guide rail and a slider. A carriage of the slider has a central portion located above the guide rail, and wing portions which extend downward from widthwise opposite ends of the central portion. Shoulder portions of the carriage located in inner boundary regions between the central portion and the wing portions of the carriage have first inclined surface so that the shoulder portions have padding portions. Corner portions of the guide rail located between an upper surface and longitudinal sides of the guide rail have second inclined surfaces which face the first inclined surfaces of the carriage and extend in the longitudinal direction parallel to the first inclined surfaces. The first inclined surfaces have an inclination angle substantially the same as an inclination angle of the nose surfaces of threaded holes formed in the carriage for attachment of a counterpart member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: NIPPON THOMPSON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toyohisa Ishihara, Shunsuke Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20170254362
    Abstract: A linear motion guide unit includes a guide rail and a slider. A carriage of the slider has a central portion located above the guide rail, and wing portions which extend downward from widthwise opposite ends of the central portion. Shoulder portions of the carriage located in inner boundary regions between the central portion and the wing portions of the carriage have first inclined surface so that the shoulder portions have padding portions. Corner portions of the guide rail located between an upper surface and longitudinal sides of the guide rail have second inclined surfaces which face the first inclined surfaces of the carriage and extend in the longitudinal direction parallel to the first inclined surfaces. The first inclined surfaces have an inclination angle substantially the same as an inclination angle of the nose surfaces of threaded holes formed in the carriage for attachment of a counterpart member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Inventors: Toyohisa ISHIHARA, Shunsuke KIKUCHI
  • Patent number: 8408795
    Abstract: A ball-spline with rotary mechanism is provided which is as small as possible in size, able to perform high-precision works on a small scale and also weighs less than ever, helping the downsizing of the component-placement systems. The ball-spline has a spline shaft, a slider movable along the spline shaft through balls, and bearings installed on the opposite ends of the slider for rotation relative to a machine bed. The holder has a pair of projections which extend through slots in the spacer parts and slots in the end-cap major body to fit into slots in a carriage. Fastening screws fit into threaded holes in the projections to fasten the holder to the opposite ends of the slider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toyohisa Ishihara, Shinji Kanoh
  • Publication number: 20120076447
    Abstract: A ball-spline with rotary mechanism is provided which is as small as possible in size, able to perform high-precision works on a small scale and also weighs less than ever, helping the downsizing of the component-placement systems. The ball-spline has a spline shaft, a slider movable along the spline shaft through balls, and bearings installed on the opposite ends of the slider for rotation relative to a machine bed. The holder has a pair of projections which extend through slots in the spacer parts and slots in the end-cap major body to fit into slots in a carriage. Fastening screws fit into threaded holes in the projections to fasten the holder to the opposite ends of the slider.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: NIPPON THOMPSON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toyohisa ISHIHARA, Shinji KANOH
  • Patent number: 7832929
    Abstract: An end cap in the present linear motion guide unit is made up of an end cap major part and a spacer part, which, once assembled, define a turnaround passage between them to make sure of smooth running of the rolling elements. Especially, the turnaround passage in the end cap when viewed in the sliding direction of the slider is constituted with a curved route whose radius of curvature is constant, which extends from a center (Ok) of a load race to a center (Or) of a return passage, with making a detour to clear an upper edge of a track rail. A carriage of the slider has widthwise opposing return passages lying biased more sidewise inwards or center-ward than load races so as to make an interval or span (Pr) between the return passages less than a sidewise interval or span (Pk) between the load races. The curved route whose radius of curvature is constant, when viewed in the sliding direction of the slider, is arced over a semicircular range of 180 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toyohisa Ishihara, Hideki Kuwabara
  • Patent number: 7758245
    Abstract: A rolling guide unit has a separator to adjust an interval between any two adjacent rolling elements. The separator is made to have flexibility or elasticity enough to afford any desired elastic deformation, even with keeping sufficient mechanical stiffness or rigidity to positively admit the interaction among the rolling elements inclusive of a circular shell. The separator is comprised of axially opposite end sides depressed inward to fit over the adjacent rolling elements, a circular shell to define an outside contour of the separator, and fingers lying in the depressions in a way extending from the shell towards centers of the depressions so as to make elastic contact with the rolling elements. Each finger has a surface facing the associated rolling element, the surface being made into any one of a depressed spherical surface, a depressed conical surface and a depressed pyramid surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toyohisa Ishihara, Takashi Tanimoto
  • Patent number: 7465095
    Abstract: A linear motion guide unit with a lubricating system made compact or slim in construction with inexpensive production cost and permitted to lubricatesliding contacts with accompanying reduced maintenance. The slider has a tubular member for a return passage to allow rolling elements rolling through there, a lubricant reservoir to accumulate lubricant, and a leading member to transfer the lubricant from the reservoir to the tubular member. The lubricant is supplied from the reservoir into the return passage via the leading member. The lubricant reservoir including an occluding member packed in a cartridge to keep the lubricant inside the cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norimasa Agari, Toyohisa Ishihara, Kazue Furuta
  • Patent number: 7234867
    Abstract: A linear motion guide unit is disclosed, in which components required for a slider are all joined together with no fasteners including bolts, screws, and so on used conventional assembly operations, but mutual fit-engagement of any components with their mating counterparts. This allows reducing the number of components to cope with a modern tendency of miniaturization of the linear motion guide system. The slider includes a carriage casing composed of end panels facing forward and aft ends of a carriage, one to each end, and side panels facing widthwise opposing sides of the carriage, one to each, the end and side panels being connected integrally to surround the carriage. To complete the slider, the carriage first fits between the end panels of the carriage casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toyohisa Ishihara
  • Publication number: 20060269176
    Abstract: An end cap in the present linear motion guide unit is made up of an end cap major part and a spacer part, which, once assembled, define a turnaround passage between them to make sure of smooth running of the rolling elements. Especially, the turnaround passage in the end cap when viewed in the sliding direction of the slider is constituted with a curved route whose radius of curvature is constant, which extends from a center (Ok) of a load race to a center (Or) of a return passage, with making a detour to clear an upper edge of a track rail. A carriage of the slider has widthwise opposing return passages lying biased more sidewise inwards or center-ward than load races so as to make an interval or span (Pr) between the return passages less than a sidewise interval or span (Pk) between the load races. The curved route whose radius of curvature is constant, when viewed in the sliding direction of the slider, is arced over a semicircdular range of 180 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2006
    Publication date: November 30, 2006
    Applicant: NIPPON THOMPSON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toyohisa Ishihara, Hideki Kuwabara
  • Publication number: 20060222274
    Abstract: A rolling guide unit has a separator to adjust an interval between any two adjacent rolling elements. The separator is made to have flexibility or elasticity enough to afford any desired elastic deformation, even with keeping sufficient mechanical stiffness or rigidity to positively admit the interaction among the rolling elements inclusive of a circular shell. The separator is comprised of axially opposite end sides depressed inward to fit over the adjacent rolling elements, a circular shell to define an outside contour of the separator, and fingers lying in the depressions in a way extending from the shell towards centers of the depressions so as to make elastic contact with the rolling elements. Each finger has a surface facing the associated rolling element, the surface being made into any one of a depressed spherical surface, a depressed conical surface and a depressed pyramid surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2006
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Applicant: Nippon Thompson Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Toyohisa Ishihara, Takashi Tanimoto
  • Publication number: 20060215943
    Abstract: A linear motion guide unit with a lubricating system made compact or slim in construction with inexpensive production cost and permitted to lubricatesliding contacts with accompanying reduced maintenance. The slider has a tubular member for a return passage to allow rolling elements rolling through there, a lubricant reservoir to accumulate lubricant, and a leading member to transfer the lubricant from the reservoir to the tubular member. The lubricant is supplied from the reservoir into the return passage via the leading member. The lubricant reservoir including an occluding member packed in a cartridge to keep the lubricant inside the cartridge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2006
    Publication date: September 28, 2006
    Applicant: NIPPON THOMPSON CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Norimasa Agari, Toyohisa Ishihara, Kazue Furuta
  • Patent number: 7066650
    Abstract: A linear motion guide unit is disclosed in which there is provided a retainer band making it possible to easily fit a roller chain with rollers traveling through a recirculation circuit into a load way of the recirculation circuit, thereby making sure of smooth recirculation of the roller chain. Cooperation of the retainer band with a retainer plate helps guide links of the roller chain in a load way of the recirculation circuit, keeping the roller chain against running out of the load way thereby ensuring smooth movement of the roller chain throughout the recirculation circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toyohisa Ishihara
  • Publication number: 20060078237
    Abstract: A linear motion guide unit is disclosed in which a tubular composition to provide a return passage is high in mechanical stiffness and also makes certain of steady application of lubricant to rolling elements rolling through the return passage, thereby ensuring proper lubrication under maintenance-free operation. The return passage is defined inside a hole of a tubular composition installed in an axial bore made in the carriage of a slider. The tubular composition is composed of a tubular skeleton made therein with a window, and a cellular molded member that fits into the window. The rolling elements of cylindrical roller, when coming into rolling-contact with the cellular member while rolling through the return passage, are applied with lubricant film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Applicant: Nippon Thompson Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Toyohisa Ishihara
  • Publication number: 20060029306
    Abstract: A linear motion guide unit is disclosed, in which components required for a slider are all joined together with no fasteners including bolts, screws, and so on used conventional assembly operations, but mutual fit-engagement of any components with their mating counterparts. This allows reducing the number of components to cope with a modern tendency of miniaturization of the linear motion guide system. The slider includes a carriage casing composed of end panels facing forward and aft ends of a carriage, one to each end, and side panels facing widthwise opposing sides of the carriage, one to each, the end and side panels being connected integrally to surround the carriage. To complete the slider, the carriage first fits between the end panels of the carriage casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2005
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Applicant: Nippon Thompson Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Toyohisa Ishihara
  • Patent number: 6880975
    Abstract: A linear motion guide unit has a track rail of a pair of side walls on which raceway grooves are formed. In the depths or bottom of the raceway grooves there are cut deeply relief flutes, one to each raceway groove, where retainer bands to keep rolling elements against coming apart are allowed to step aside therein. The raceway groove is made in so specific form as to make it possible to produce the raceway groove and do the relief flute at the same time. The retainer band is installed in the slider, with stepping aside in the relief flute for linear movement relative to the track rail as the slider travels along the track rail. The relief flute is cut in a fashion at least one lengthwise flank thereof on the side nearer the upward opening between the side walls of the track rail is made slantwise to provide a tapered flank because of which the relief flute can be produced together with the associated raceway groove at a single process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toyohisa Ishihara, Yoshiharu Miyata
  • Publication number: 20050018933
    Abstract: A linear motion guide unit is disclosed in which there is provided a retainer band making it possible to easily fit a roller chain with rollers traveling through a recirculation circuit into a load way of the recirculation circuit, thereby making sure of smooth recirculation of the roller chain. Cooperation of the retainer band with a retainer plate helps guide links of the roller chain in a load way of the recirculation circuit, keeping the roller chain against running out of the load way thereby ensuring smooth movement of the roller chain throughout the recirculation circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2004
    Publication date: January 27, 2005
    Applicant: Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toyohisa Ishihara
  • Patent number: 6729761
    Abstract: A linear motion guide unit is disclosed in which a joint tube connects between a turnaround and a return passage of a sleeve made of sintered resinous material to ensure smooth turnabout of rolling elements and further in which lubricant can be supplied to the rolling elements for a prolonged period, thereby refining the durability. A slider is comprised of a sleeve for a return passage held with clearance fit in a through-hole of a carriage in a way lining major area of the through-hole with only forward and aft ends of the through-hole being left naked, a spacer with a lug having a radially inside curved half for a turnaround and an inside part for a joint tube to make up for any one end of the return passage joining with the radially inside curved half, and an end cap having a radially outside half for the turnaround and an outside part for the joint tube to make up for any one end of the return passage joining with the radially outside curved half.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignee: Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Matsui, Shigemasa Itabashi, Toyohisa Ishihara
  • Patent number: 6709158
    Abstract: A linear motion guide unit is disclosed in which a separator interposed between any two adjoining rollers fits over or embraces the rollers flanking the separator, thereby realizing low noise and low wear. The separator lying between any two adjoining rollers is made concaved at forward and aft sides thereof to fit snugly over the rollers in rolling-contact relation. The separator is made with a sunken relief on at least an inward side thereof, which is near a radially inside curved surface in the turnaround, the sunken relief extending lengthwise of the separator and being provided by making the separator reduced in width lest the separator comes in engagement with the radially inside curved surface in the turnaround.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toyohisa Ishihara
  • Patent number: 6682218
    Abstract: A linear motion guide unit is disclosed in which a separator is made to fit over or embrace any adjacent rolling element, thereby realizing quiet operation and wear-resistance, with even under high-speed, high-cycle sliding motion. The separator has a round outside peripheral surface, and forward and aft end faces that are made concave to fit over the associated rolling elements. An end cap is made up of a spacer part having a lug to provide a radially inside curved surface of a turnaround, and a major part to provide a radially outside curved surface of the turnaround when mounted on a carriage through the spacer part. Cut in the radially inside curved surface on the lug is a gutter for relief, which extends circumferentially ilk along the center of the radially inside curved surface on the lug, thereby allowing the separator to travel through the turnaround without any interference with the radially inside curved surface of the turnaround.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toyohisa Ishihara
  • Patent number: 6634246
    Abstract: A recirculating-ball nut and screw set mounted with a lubrication device effective in improving the sliding characteristic and also realizing maintenance-free lubrication. The lubrication device is mainly comprised of a lubricating plate accommodated in a holder attached to a ball nut. The lubricating plate is made with a tongue that will come into sliding engagement with a helical groove formed around a screw shaft. The lubricating plate is made of a sintered resinous component of porous structure in which cells are impregnated with lubricant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasumasa Ohya, Toyohisa Ishihara