Patents Assigned to Mabuchi Motor Co. Ltd.
  • Patent number: 6707193
    Abstract: In a miniature electric motor for generating vibration, an output portion of a rotary shaft is formed into an irregular shape in cross-section other than a circular shape in cross-section. An engaging hole having a predetermined shape in cross-section, which corresponds to the irregular shape in cross-section of the output portion and which makes a vibrator to be kept under a relatively non-rotatable condition to the rotary shaft, is formed in the vibrator. The output portion is engaged with the engaging hole and the vibrator is positioned and held in a thrust direction relative to the output portion to thereby fix the vibrator to the rotary shaft. This motor is used as a vibration generator for a mobile phone and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takaichi Mabuchi
  • Patent number: 6664668
    Abstract: The leading end of a wire to be wound fed from a coil winder is wound around one of commutator leg parts a prescribed number of turns and then wound around a corresponding salient pole. After that, it is similarly wound successively around other commutator leg parts and around other salient poles and, after it is wound around the same commutator leg part as the one around which the leading end of the wire was first wound, the wound wire is cut. Only the portions that will be wound around the commutator leg parts in synchronization with the feed of the wire to be wound from the coil winder are stripped of their insulating coat prior to being wound, and the wound portions of the commutator leg parts are welded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Furuya, Satoshi Ashikawa
  • Patent number: 6638334
    Abstract: The present invention is aimed at providing a sliding contact material that has an alloy composition containing no harmful substance like Cd, especially excellent contact resistance properties, electrical functions that are good and is not subject to secular change, and abrasion resistance practically bearing comparison with conventional sliding contact materials, and is aimed at lengthening the life of a motor by the use of a sliding contact material having excellent durability as a commutator for a small direct-current motor. The present invention is a sliding contact material of an Ag—Ni-based alloy that is used in sliding part electrically switching on and off by mechanical sliding action, and the material is a sliding contact material of Ni metal particle-dispersed-type Ag—Ni-based alloy that is produced in such a method that 0.7 to 3.0 wt. % Ni powder, an additive of Li2CO3 powder corresponding to 0.01 to 0.50 wt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignees: Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd., Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K.
    Inventors: Keiji Nakamura, Takemasa Honma, Yasuhiro Hashimoto, Osamu Sakaguchi, Kengo Taneichi, Toshiya Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20030173848
    Abstract: In the case of a small-sized motor of the present invention, a printed board to which an electric circuit including an electric element is attached is mounted on a case cover. The printed board has a soldering part to be connected to a member attached to an interior of the case cover for being connected to an electric power source supplied from an outside and a soldering part to be connected to a projection in a notch provided on an opening part side of the metal case to body-earth the electric circuit. In the soldering part for the body-earthing, at the time of assembling the motor, after fitting the case cover to the metal case opening part, a pair of electrodes are brought into contact from an outside of the metal case near the soldering part, to weld the soldering part by a principle of the electric resistance welding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2003
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Applicant: Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ikuo Matsushita, Hideo Tamura, Kenji Tsuyama
  • Publication number: 20030127940
    Abstract: Each of the rotor magnetic poles is composed of a winding around a laminated core and each of both ends of each wound wire is connected to a commutator leg part coupled with a tip of a corresponding commutator segment of the commutator unit. Each of the commutator leg parts comprises a base portion extending outward in a direction substantially normal to the radial direction from the tip of the corresponding commutator segment tip and coupled to the commutator segment tip and a tip portion narrowed stepwise to let the ends of a wound wire be connected. A disk-shaped varistor having a hole at the center is mounted over the base portion of the commutator leg part, and each electrode of the varistor is soldered onto the corresponding base portion. Further, the commutator leg parts are punched and cut out of a reel-wound flat parent metal sheet and fixed to the commutator segment tips.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2003
    Publication date: July 10, 2003
    Applicant: Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Furuya, Makoto Kimura
  • Publication number: 20030122444
    Abstract: The leading end of a wire to be wound fed from a coil winder is wound around one of commutator leg parts a prescribed number of turns and then wound around a corresponding salient pole. After that, it is similarly wound successively around other commutator leg parts and around other salient poles and, after it is wound around the same commutator leg part as the one around which the leading end of the wire was first wound, the wound wire is cut. Only the portions that will be wound around the commutator leg parts in synchronization with the feed of the wire to be wound from the coil winder are stripped of their insulating coat prior to being wound, and the wound portions of the commutator leg parts are welded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2003
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Applicant: Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Furuya, Satoshi Ashikawa
  • Patent number: 6568066
    Abstract: A miniature motor includes: a plurality of magnets serving as stator poles and attached to an inner surface of a motor casing having a closed-bottomed cylindrical shape; a salient-pole rotor having a core mounted on a rotor shaft and windings placed on the core; and a commutator mounted on the rotor shaft. The core includes a center portion having a hole formed therein at the center for engagement with the rotor shaft, a plurality of leg portions extending integrally and radially from the center portion in equal number with the salient poles, and a plurality of wing portions, each extending integrally and symmetrically from an end of each of the leg portions. The core includes core laminations blanked from sheet steel and assembled together and is formed through deformation of the entire wing portions such that the radius of a circumcircle of the core coincides with a designed final radius of curvature of outer circumferential surfaces of the salient poles of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Furuya, Toshiya Yui, Kazuaki Takayama, Hiroshi Otsubo
  • Patent number: 6493923
    Abstract: A method of the present invention for manufacturing a small-sized motor relates to cutting or grinding of a shaft end portion of a rotor into a noncircular shape over a predetermined length for establishing a mechanical coupling with a device to be driven. The cutting or grinding work is performed after a laminated core 7, a winding 6, a commutator 5, and a thrust bush 8 are assembled on a shaft 11 to thereby assemble the rotor. Alternatively, a process of cutting or grinding the shaft end portion into a noncircular shape is performed after a casing 1, an end bell 4 to be fitted to an opening portion of the casing 1, and a rotor are assembled into a small-sized motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takaichi Mabuchi
  • Patent number: 6465927
    Abstract: A miniature electric motor comprises a housing, a cover plate fitted in an opening portion of the housing, a stator fixed to an inner circumferential surface of the housing, a rotor supported rotatably to one and the other bearing portions mounted on the housing and the cover plate, respectively, the rotor being disposed in the housing, and a brush holder holding brushes slidingly engaging with a commutator of the rotor, the brush holder being mounted on the cover plate. A first projection is formed in the vicinity of a center of the brush holder, and the first projection is forcibly pressed at a predetermined pressure against the cover plate. According to the present invention, without using any vibration proof elastic member, it is possible to reduce a noise of the miniature motor and keep the motor quiet. This motor is used for driving an air conditioner of an automobile, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Shiraki, Hideki Itaya
  • Publication number: 20020050759
    Abstract: A miniature electric motor comprises a housing, a cover plate fitted in an opening portion of the housing, a stator fixed to an inner circumferential surface of the housing, a rotor supported rotatably to one and the other bearing portions mounted on the housing and the cover plate, respectively, the rotor being disposed in the housing, and a brush holder holding brushes slidingly engaging with a commutator of the rotor, the brush holder being mounted on the cover plate. A first projection is formed in the vicinity of a center of the brush holder, and the first projection is forcibly pressed at a predetermined pressure against the cover plate. According to the present invention, without using any vibration proof elastic member, it is possible to reduce a noise of the miniature motor and keep the motor quiet. This motor is used for driving an air conditioner of an automobile, or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2001
    Publication date: May 2, 2002
    Applicant: Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Shiraki, Hideki Itaya
  • Patent number: 6376963
    Abstract: A miniature motor includes: a plurality of magnets serving as stator poles and attached to an inner surface of a motor casing having a closed-bottomed cylindrical shape; a salient-pole rotor having a core mounted on a rotor shaft and windings placed on the core; and a commutator mounted on the rotor shaft. The core includes a center portion having a hole formed therein at the center for engagement with the rotor shaft, a plurality of leg portions extending integrally and radially from the center portion in equal number with the salient poles, and a plurality of wing portions, each extending integrally and symmetrically from an end of each of the leg portions. The core comprises core laminations blanked from sheet steel and assembled together and is formed through deformation of the entire wing portions such that the radius of a circumcircle of the core coincides with a designed final radius of curvature of outer circumferential surfaces of the salient poles of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: Mabuchi Motor Co., LTD
    Inventors: Kenji Furuya, Toshiya Yui, Kazuaki Takayama, Hiroshi Otsubo
  • Patent number: 6342740
    Abstract: An armature (11) for a miniature DC motor constitutes a rotor provided in an interior of a casing and armature windings (10) are wound around an iron core (9) in the form of a coil. In this armature (11), insulators (25, 26) made of paper including at least ordinary paper and having an electric insulation property adhere to at least portions, of both end faces of the iron core (9), on which the armature windings are wound. Thus, the iron core and the armature windings do not come into direct contact with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2002
    Assignee: Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takaichi Mabuchi
  • Patent number: 6342739
    Abstract: A bearing 4 is accommodated within a cylindrical bearing support portion 2 projecting from an end surface of a motor casing 1 made of a metal. The bearing 4 has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the bearing support portion 2 such that a clearance is formed between the bearing 4 and the bearing support portion 2. At an approximate center of the bearing 4 with respect to the thrust direction, a projection 19 is continuously or non-continuously formed on the inner circumferential surface of the bearing support portion 2 along a circular line centered on the motor shaft. Further, a depression 20 corresponding to the projection 19 is continuously or non-continuously formed on the outer circumferential surface of the bearing 4 along the circular line. Thus, the bearing 4 is supported within the bearing support portion 2 in such a manner that thrust movement is prevented, but slight tilting about the projection 19 is permitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2002
    Assignee: Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Furuya, Toshiya Yui
  • Patent number: 6316850
    Abstract: A small-sized motor includes a rotor, which, in turn, includes a shaft, a laminated core forming salient magnetic poles an odd number and mounted on the shaft, windings, each being wound around a plurality of salient magnetic poles, and a commutator mounted on the shaft. Each salient magnetic pole includes an arm portion and wing portions, which are integrated with ends of the arm portion and circumferentially extends symmetrically with respect to the arm portion. When core laminations of the laminated core each has a thickness u, the laminated core has a diameter D, and the wing portion has a thickness t as measured at its root in a radial direction, the thickness t falls within the range from 5.5% the core diameter D as an upper limit to the core-lamination thickness u as a lower limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuo Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20010038253
    Abstract: A miniature motor includes: a plurality of magnets serving as stator poles and attached to an inner surface of a motor casing having a closed-bottomed cylindrical shape; a salient-pole rotor having a core mounted on a rotor shaft and windings placed on the core; and a commutator mounted on the rotor shaft. The core includes a center portion having a hole formed therein at the center for engagement with the rotor shaft, a plurality of leg portions extending integrally and radially from the center portion in equal number with the salient poles, and a plurality of wing portions, each extending integrally and symmetrically from an end of each of the leg portions. The core comprises core laminations blanked from sheet steel and assembled together and is formed through deformation of the entire wing portions such that the radius of a circumcircle of the core coincides with a designed final radius of curvature of outer circumferential surfaces of the salient poles of the rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2001
    Publication date: November 8, 2001
    Applicant: MABUCHI MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Furuya, Toshiya Yui, Kazuaki Takayama, Hiroshi Otsubo
  • Patent number: 6294850
    Abstract: A small-sized motor includes an insulation holder (16) which is integrally molded from a synthetic resin. The insulation holder (16) includes a cover portion (13) for-covering the casing cover (5) from the outside thereof, and a pair of brush holders (12) which project from the cover portion (13) into the interior of the motor, while passing through cut portions formed in the casing cover (5). Each of the brush holder (12) supports a brush arm (17) and an input terminal (11) connected thereto. The brush arm (17) supports a brush (18). Bearings (3) and (6) for the shaft are respectively supported at the center of the bottom portion of the casing (2) and at the center of the casing cover (5). Thus, it becomes possible to realize stable bearing alignment and to provide insulation outside the motor to thereby enable attachment of an electrical element to the motor without use of any additional insulation means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignee: Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiya Yui, Kenji Furuya
  • Patent number: 6245166
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a material for a sliding contact whose alloy composition does not contain an environmentally detrimental substance such as Cd, which exhibits excellent contact resistance, whose electrical functions are good and free of time-course variation, and which further exhibits excellent wear resistance. The material for a sliding contact assumes the form of an Ag—Zn—Pd, Ag—Zn—Pd—Cu, Ag—Zn—Pd—Ni, or Ag—Zn—Pd—Cu—Ni alloy. In the compositions of these alloys, the Zn content is 0.1-3.0% by weight, the Pd content is 0.1-1.5% by weight, and the balance is Ag. When Cu is contained, the Cu content is 0.1-3.0% by weight. When Ni is contained, the Ni content is 0.01-0.5% by weight. Zn, Pd, and Cu are present in the Ag &agr; phase in the form of solid solution. Ni particles are finely dispersed in the alloys. A composite clad material is formed through use of the material for a sliding contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignees: Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd, Tanaka Kikinozoku Kogyo K.K.
    Inventors: Isao Shibuya, Keiji Nakamura, Kenji Shiraki, Toshiya Yamamoto, Takao Asada
  • Patent number: 6225265
    Abstract: In a miniature electric motor with reduction worm gear unit, a reduction worm gear unit is mounted on a motor portion and an output of the motor portion is subjected to a speed reduction through the unit. In lubricant for lubricating worm gears of the unit, fine silica grain is added and mixed to base oil, and a content of the fine silica grain is in a range of about 3 to about 10 wt. %. It is possible to always maintain reverse rotation proof while always keeping a desired gear transmission efficiency in a wide environmental temperature range. As a result, it is possible to miniaturize a motor and also to increase a life cycle number to prolong service life of the motor. The motor may be applied to an electric window device of an automotive vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Isao Shibuya, Junya Kurata
  • Patent number: 6215209
    Abstract: A small-sized motor equipped with a worm reducer according to the present invention includes a cavity portion 10 formed in a gear case 17, which accommodates a worm 6 mounted on a motor shaft 4 and a worm wheel 7. The cavity portion 10 receives a front end of the motor shaft 4 and does not communicate with the exterior thereof. A bearing holder 22 holding a bearing device is disposed in the cavity portion 10 such that a metallic-fiber-containing resin spacer or metallic spacer 30 is disposed between the bearing holder 22 and the gear case 17. Thrust adjustment for the motor shaft 4 is performed through application of thrust to the motor shaft 4 after the resin spacer is softened through induction heating effected electromagnetically from outside the gear case, or after a gear case protrusion, which is in contact with the metallic spacer, is softened through application of heat transmitted from the metallic spacer heated through induction heating effected electromagnetically from outside the gear case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuyuki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5982055
    Abstract: A miniature motor with a two-pole stator, and a rotor having three or more salient poles each having a core with flanges extending toward both sides thereof and a winding. The rotor is adapted to simulate a two-pole construction by cutting off at least the tip of a flange on either side on a part or all the salient rotor pole cores, thereby limiting the spontaneous-stop angular positions of the rotor to two. One insulating spacer is provided between a plurality of commutator segments of the commutator in such a positional relationship as to come in contact with one of the two brushes when the rotor is at a spontaneous-stop angular position. The motor is prevented from burning and restarting suddenly after a stop since the motor has a self-inactivating function by interrupting current supply at spontaneous-stop angular positions while maintaining motor torque by minimizing the angle of non-conduction to the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ikuo Matsushita, Fumiyoshi Itou, Megumu Onishi