Patents Assigned to Fujikura Rubber Ltd.
  • Patent number: 8852021
    Abstract: A golf club shaft in which the isotropy of the prepregs configuring a torsion rigidity holding layer is high and in which sufficient torsional rigidity can be secured with fewer plies of fewer prepregs. The golf club shaft includes a torsional rigidity holding layer made of a thermosetting resin which contains reinforced fibers extending obliquely to a longitudinal direction of the shaft. The torsional rigidity holding layer includes a multilayer set prepreg, in which at least two layers of prepregs made of reinforced fibers are impregnated with a thermosetting resin. A plurality of prepregs in the multilayer set prepreg include reinforced fibers extending in mutually different directions. The multilayer set prepreg is continuously wound by at least two turns with the plurality of prepregs layered on each other. A golf club uses the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Fujikura Rubber Ltd.
    Inventors: Norio Matsumoto, Takato Nakamura, Masaki Wakabayashi, Tomonobu Kanno
  • Patent number: 8852477
    Abstract: A method for producing a cable-sealing member is disclosed. The method comprises forming a formed rubber including a first plane and a second plane that oppose in a thickness direction and a side plane that bridges a peripheral edge of the first plane and a peripheral edge of the second plane. The method further includes rotating the formed rubber with one axis in the thickness direction as a rotary axis while a holder is applied over the side plane of the formed rubber and, meanwhile, inserting a cutting blade from the first plane into the formed rubber to form a ring-form slit portion and stopping the cutting blade just in front of the second plane, leaving a slit-form ring unbored on one side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Fujikura Rubber Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobushige Satou, Kazuhiko Tsuji
  • Patent number: 8800958
    Abstract: Disclosed is a slow-acting ON/OFF valve which includes a valve-opening pressure chamber that makes an actuating member (which actuates a valve body that comes into contact with and moves away from a valve seat to close and open a flow passage) move in a valve-opening direction against a spring biasing force in a valve-closing direction, and supplies air to the valve-opening pressure chamber, in minute increments, via a flow rate regulation valve. In this slow-acting ON/OFF valve, the dead time from the receipt of a valve-opening signal to the commencement of a valve-opening operation is short. A manifold is provided independently of the valve-opening pressure chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Fujikura Rubber Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Ejiri
  • Patent number: 8770942
    Abstract: A scratch-resistant blade such as an FRP wind turbine blade and a blade protective sheet which can be easily repaired when scratched. A blade is provided with a laminated protective sheet bonded to at least part of a leading edge of an FRP blade body of said blade, wherein the laminated protective sheet comprises an adhesive layer, a intermediate fabric layer and a durable surface layer, in that order from the blade body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Fujikura Rubber Ltd
    Inventors: Hitoshi Saitou, Takato Nakamura, Nobuaki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20140077409
    Abstract: A method for producing a cable-sealing member is disclosed. The method comprises forming a formed rubber including a first plane and a second plane that oppose in a thickness direction and a side plane that bridges a peripheral edge of the first plane and a peripheral edge of the second plane. The method further includes rotating the formed rubber with one axis in the thickness direction as a rotary axis while a holder is applied over the side plane of the formed rubber and, meanwhile, inserting a cutting blade from the first plane into the formed rubber to form a ring-form slit portion and stopping the cutting blade just in front of the second plane, leaving a slit-form ring unbored on one side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: FUJIKURA RUBBER LTD.
    Inventors: Nobushige Satou, Kazuhiko Tsuji
  • Patent number: 8662469
    Abstract: A power-assisted mechanism having a simple structure which can perform a power-assisted operation can be achieved in a power-assisted on/off valve including a valve stem which opens and closes a flow passage, an operational member which is positioned on an axis of the valve stem and is relatively movable with respect to the valve stem, and a power-assisted mechanism which reduces the speed and power-assists the movement of the operational member, and transfers the movement of the operational member to the stem valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Fujikura Rubber Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Ejiri
  • Publication number: 20140013954
    Abstract: An oxygen-enricher oxygen tank unit includes a single oxygen tank body, to which a pair of nitrogen absorption containers, which alternately receive a supply of compressed air, are connected; a check valve provided between each of the pair of nitrogen absorption containers and the oxygen tank body, wherein each check valve allows gas to flow from an associated nitrogen absorption container to the oxygen tank body, and does not allow gas to flow in a reverse direction thereto; and a pressure-reducing valve, having an oxygen outlet, which is connected to the oxygen tank body. At least one of the pressure-reducing valve and a pair of nitrogen absorption container connector-cylinders, which is provided with the check valve, is directly attached to a body-wall surface of the oxygen tank body. Hence, the structure around the oxygen tank body is simplified and unitized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: Fujikura Rubber Ltd.
    Inventor: Michiya Sato
  • Patent number: 8517857
    Abstract: An object is to achieve a golf club shaft and a method of producing the same, wherein the weight balance in the shaft longitudinal direction can be reproducibly and easily set and wherein the golf club shaft is produced at a low cost and has high durability. The golf club shaft includes a hollow-cylindrical shaft body made of fiber-reinforced resin and a weight-adding cylinder installed in a cylindrical space of the shaft body. At least a part of an outer diameter side of the weight-adding cylinder is embedded in an cylindrical embedded recess that is formed in an inner wall of the shaft body, wherein a grip-side cylindrical end surface of the weight-adding cylinder and a grip-side cylindrical end surface of the cylindrical embedded recess are in contact with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Fujikura Rubber Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Wakabayashi, Yoshihito Kogawa, Masaki Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20130133992
    Abstract: The vehicle brake-specific diaphragm of the invention includes a vessel-form member and a flange portion formed at a peripheral edge of an opening in the vessel-form member, wherein the vessel-form member and the flange portion are each formed of a rubber body including silicone rubber and a substrate fabric embedded in the rubber body, the substrate fabric including aramid short fibers or polyester fibers, and having a thickness of 0.25 mm or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: FUJIKURA RUBBER LTD.
    Inventor: Nobuyasu Harashima
  • Publication number: 20130101426
    Abstract: A scratch-resistant blade such as an FRP wind turbine blade and a blade protective sheet which can be easily repaired when scratched. A blade is provided with a laminated protective sheet bonded to at least part of a leading edge of an FRP blade body of said blade, wherein the laminated protective sheet comprises an adhesive layer, a intermediate fabric layer and a durable surface layer, in that order from the blade body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: FUJIKURA RUBBER LTD
    Inventors: Hitoshi Saitou, Takato Nakamura, Nobuaki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8376875
    Abstract: A golf club shaft formed by winding prepregs made of uncured thermosetting resin into a tapered shape and curing the prepregs thermally, the prepregs include a first woven fabric prepreg which is made of one of a triaxial woven fabric or a tetra-axial woven fabric that are impregnated with uncured thermosetting resin, and a second woven fabric prepreg which is made of one of a triaxial woven fabric or a tetra-axial woven fabric that are impregnated with uncured thermosetting resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Fujikura Rubber Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Nakamura, Masaki Wakabayashi
  • Publication number: 20130035177
    Abstract: An object is to achieve a golf club shaft and a method of producing the same, wherein the weight balance in the shaft longitudinal direction can be reproducibly and easily set and wherein the golf club shaft is produced at a low cost and has high durability. The golf club shaft includes a hollow-cylindrical shaft body made of fiber-reinforced resin and a weight-adding cylinder installed in a cylindrical space of the shaft body. At least a part of an outer diameter side of the weight-adding cylinder is embedded in an cylindrical embedded recess that is formed in an inner wall of the shaft body, wherein a grip-side cylindrical end surface of the weight-adding cylinder and a grip-side cylindrical end surface of the cylindrical embedded recess are in contact with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: FUJIKURA RUBBER LTD.
    Inventors: Masaki Wakabayashi, Yoshihito Kogawa, Masaki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8342201
    Abstract: A pressure reducing valve includes a opening/closing valve between primary and secondary pressure chambers, a diaphragm body, a valve hole through which the secondary pressure chamber is communicatively connected with the atmosphere, a relief valve which opens/closes the valve hole, and a linkage member which links the opening/closing valve with the relief valve so as to open/close in association with each other. The linkage member includes a valve guide having a valve passage through which the primary and secondary pressure chambers are communicatively connected, and a pintle inserted into a pintle hole and guided thereby. The opening/closing valve and the relief valve are provided on lower and upper ends of the pintle, respectively. The valve hole has a common axis with those of the valve passage and the pintle hole. One and the other of the valve guide and the pintle are made of resin and metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Fujikura Rubber Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshinori Nitta
  • Publication number: 20120295735
    Abstract: A golf club shaft and a golf club using such a golf club shaft are achieved in which the isotropy of the prepregs configuring a torsion rigidity holding layer is high and in which sufficient torsional rigidity can be secured with a lesser number of plies of prepregs. The golf club shaft is characterized by a torsional rigidity holding layer made of a thermosetting resin which contains reinforced fibers extending obliquely to a longitudinal direction of the shaft. The torsional rigidity holding layer includes a multilayer set prepreg, in which at least two layers of prepregs made of reinforced fibers are impregnated with a thermosetting resin. A plurality of prepregs in the multilayer set prepreg include reinforced fibers extending in mutually different directions; and the multilayer set prepreg is continuously wound by at least two turns with the plurality of prepregs layered on each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: Fujikura Rubber Ltd.
    Inventors: Norio Matsumoto, Takato Nakamura, Masaki Wakabayashi, Tomonobu Kanno
  • Patent number: 8292755
    Abstract: A golf club shaft is provided in which the flexural rigidity of the distal end portion can be improved with no change in flexural rigidity on the proximal end while the dispersion in the values of the flexural rigidity in the circumferential direction can be reduced without the use of a distal-end reinforcing layer that causes discontinuous points in the lengthwise direction in flexural rigidity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Fujikura Rubber Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Wakabayashi, Yoshihito Kogawa
  • Publication number: 20120247652
    Abstract: A prepreg winding method includes the steps of preparing a plate, a mandrel movable toward and away from the plate, and a press roll movable toward and away from the mandrel and having an axis parallel to the mandrel; mounting a prepreg on the plate, the prepreg being formed by impregnating reinforced fibers with a thermosetting resin sheet; winding a leading end of the prepreg mounted on the plate around the mandrel, and making a pressing force act on the plate and the mandrel therebetween with the prepreg sandwiched between the plate and the mandrel and making a pressing force act on the mandrel and the press roll therebetween with the prepreg sandwiched between the mandrel and the press roll; and winding the prepreg around the mandrel by rotating the mandrel and the press roll.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: FUJIKURA RUBBER LTD.
    Inventors: Takato Nakamura, Norio Matsumoto, Naoki Kimoto
  • Patent number: 8262500
    Abstract: A golf club shaft formed by winding prepregs made of uncured thermosetting resin into a tapered shape and curing the prepregs thermally, the prepregs include a first woven fabric prepreg which is made of one of a triaxial woven fabric or a tetra-axial woven fabric that are impregnated with uncured thermosetting resin, and a second woven fabric prepreg which is made of one of a triaxial woven fabric or a tetra-axial woven fabric that are impregnated with uncured thermosetting resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Fujikura Rubber Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Nakamura, Masaki Wakabayashi
  • Publication number: 20120225732
    Abstract: A golf club shaft formed by winding prepregs made of uncured thermosetting resin into a tapered shape and curing the prepregs thermally, the prepregs include a first woven fabric prepreg which is made of one of a triaxial woven fabric or a tetra-axial woven fabric that are impregnated with uncured thermosetting resin, and a second woven fabric prepreg which is made of one of a triaxial woven fabric or a tetra-axial woven fabric that are impregnated with uncured thermosetting resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: Fujikura Rubber Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Nakamura, Masaki Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 8215945
    Abstract: An apparatus for forming a hollow FRP article by internal pressure molding includes a vacuum chamber, a forming die positioned in the vacuum chamber, a vacuum-chamber opening/closing mechanism, a composite-body support device for supporting a composite body without making the composite body come into contact with the forming die in a state where the forming die is opened by the vacuum-chamber opening/closing mechanism, the composite body including an airtight internal-pressure holding tube and a prepreg fitted on said airtight internal-pressure holding tube, an evacuation system for evacuating the vacuum chamber, an internal-pressure supplying device for applying pressure to an inside of the internal-pressure holding tube, and a controller for actuating the vacuum-chamber opening/closing mechanism to clamp the forming die to thereby bring the forming die and the composite body into intimate contact with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Fujikura Rubber Ltd.
    Inventors: Norio Matsumoto, Akiyasu Higuchi, Masaki Wakabayashi
  • Publication number: 20120168653
    Abstract: Disclosed is a slow-acting ON/OFF valve which includes a valve-opening pressure chamber that makes an actuating member (which actuates a valve body that comes into contact with and moves away from a valve seat to close and open a flow passage) move in a valve-opening direction against a spring biasing force in a valve-closing direction, and supplies air to the valve-opening pressure chamber, in minute increments, via a flow rate regulation valve. In this slow-acting ON/OFF valve, the dead time from the receipt of a valve-opening signal to the commencement of a valve-opening operation is short. A manifold is provided independently of the valve-opening pressure chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: FUJIKURA RUBBER LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi Ejiri