Patents Assigned to NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
  • Patent number: 11982309
    Abstract: A ball joint includes: a ball stud including a stud portion having one end portion connected to a structural member and another end portion, to which a ball portion is integrally joined; a housing made of metal and configured to support the ball portion to allow swinging and rotating movement of the ball portion; and a ball seat made of plastic and interposed between the housing and the ball portion. The ball seat includes a plurality of protrusions jutting out from the ball seat and inserted into a plurality of through holes formed in a bottom portion of the housing. The protrusions having pierced through the through holes are staked at their distal portions. The protrusion of the ball seat has a large diameter portion, whose diameter is larger than an inner diameter of the through hole, at its proximal portion proximal from the distal portion thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru Kuroda, Yuya Nagata
  • Publication number: 20240153534
    Abstract: A data storage device includes a tape as a recording medium; a head member including a length larger than a width of the tape; and an electrical element expanding and contracting based on a polarity and an applied voltage. The head member is moved in a state where the voltage is applied and the electrical element expands or contracts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2024
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masao HANYA, Ryo KUWATA
  • Publication number: 20240140581
    Abstract: A ship launching support system configured to support launching work of a ship of disengaging the ship from a trailer on which the ship is loaded, the ship including an actuator having a function of generating propulsion power of the ship and a function of generating a moment on the ship, and a ship control device configured to actuate the actuator, during the launching work of the ship, the ship control device causing the actuator to generate backward propulsion power of the ship, and executing feedback control of a bow azimuth of the ship on the basis of a deviation between an actual bow azimuth that is a bow azimuth of the ship in actuality and a target bow azimuth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2024
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Applicant: NHK SPRING Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato SHIRAO, Marino SATO, Jun TOKUSHIGE, Takafumi KAMIYA
  • Publication number: 20240133440
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a coil spring is formed of a wire which is helically wound, and includes an end turn portion and an effective portion, and a surface of the wire in the end turn portion includes an area which is softer than a surface of the wire in the effective portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideki OKADA, Yuichiro YAMAUCHI, Ryo TANAKA, Takeshi SUZUKI, Kosuke SHIBAIRI
  • Publication number: 20240138034
    Abstract: An induction heating device according to one embodiment includes a first coil portion and a second coil portion. A bar-shaped workpiece is placed between the first coil portion and the second coil portion. The first coil portion includes a pair of first narrow pitch portions formed in respective end portions thereof, a first wide pitch portion formed between the first narrow pitch portions, and a first medium pitch portion formed in the center. The second coil portion includes a pair of second narrow pitch portions formed in respective end portions, a second wide pitch portion formed between the second narrow pitch portions, and a second medium pitch portion formed in the center.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2024
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsuki YOSHIDA, Yuichiro YAMAUCHI, Hidetoshi MIZUTA
  • Patent number: 11964321
    Abstract: A coiling machine includes feed rollers for moving a wire, a wire guide, a first forming roller, a second forming roller, a pitch tool, a cutting mechanism, and a support mechanism for supporting the wire. The cutting mechanism includes a cutting rotor. The wire coming out of the wire guide is formed into a helical shape by the first forming roller, the second forming roller and the pitch tool. After one coil spring of a predetermined length is formed, the wire is cut by moving the cutting rotor in the radial direction of the wire. The cutting rotor cuts the wire supported by the support mechanism in the radial direction of the wire between the second forming roller and the pitch tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Furuse, Daiki Hagiwara, Takuya Sato, Yuichiro Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 11958583
    Abstract: This automatic setting device for automatically setting control devices for a plurality of ship propulsion apparatuses for generating ship propulsion forces is provided with: an input operation setting unit that sets an input operation for a ship; a target behavior acquisition unit that acquires a target behavior of the ship corresponding to the input operation set by the input operation setting unit; a ship information acquisition unit that acquires ship information about the position and/or the bearing of the ship; an actual behavior calculation unit that calculates the actual behavior of the ship on the basis of the ship information acquired by the ship information acquisition unit; and a propulsion force setting unit that sets the magnitudes and the directions of the propulsion forces generated by the respective ship propulsion apparatuses on the basis of the actual behavior of the ship acquired by the actual behavior calculation unit and the target behavior of the ship acquired by the target behavior acq
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masato Shirao, Marino Akita, Takafumi Oshima
  • Publication number: 20240116195
    Abstract: Provided is a bending structure that can be reduced in diameter. The present invention is provided with a bending part 9 which has an elastically bendable and expandable inner coil part 13 and outer coil part 15, and in which a corresponding winding section 13a of the inner coil part 13 is fit in the space between adjacent winding sections 15a of the outer coil part 15. At least one of the inner and outer coil parts 13 and 15 is conductive and forms a conductive path P1. The bending part 9, which is capable of suppressing compression in the axial direction, enables the formation of the conductive path P1 without the need of another conductive line or the like, thereby simplifying the structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takafumi HIRATA, Yuki HOTODA
  • Patent number: 11940031
    Abstract: A coil spring includes a wire rod and an elastic coat provided on the wire rod. The coil spring includes a coil section including a plurality of coil portions. The wire rod includes a round cross-sectional portion, a cross-section varying portion, and a rectangular cross-sectional portion along the longitudinal direction of the wire rod. The cross section of the rectangular cross-sectional portion is substantially square and has a first plane and a second plane. The first plane and the second plane oppose each other in the coil section. The elastic coat is provided on at least one of the first plane and the second plane. The elastic coat is continuous from the round cross-sectional portion to the cross-sectional variation portion and the rectangular cross-sectional portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Nishizawa, Daisuke Ibano, Tsuyoshi Matsuda, Norifumi Arisaka, Shun Muramatsu, Chihiro Ito, Takuto Suzuki, Masatake Kinoshita, Asuka Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 11940465
    Abstract: A contact probe includes a first plunger, a second plunger, a coil spring, and a pipe; the first plunger includes a first slide portion that slides along the inner periphery of the pipe; the second plunger includes a second slide portion that slides along the inner periphery of the pipe; and the coil spring includes: a first attachment portion that is attached to the first plunger and tightly wound; a second attachment portion that is attached to the second plunger and tightly wound; a coarsely wound portion; a first contact portion including one end connected to the first attachment portion and another end connected to the coarsely wound portion and contacting the pipe; and a second contact portion including one end connected to the coarsely wound portion and another end connected to the second attachment portion and contacting to the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Soma, Masahiro Takahashi, Shuji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11927233
    Abstract: A leaf spring device includes a plurality of leaf springs, in which a restricting protrusion is provided on one leaf spring, a recessed part is formed on the other leaf spring, a first side surface of the restricting protrusion and a third side surface of the recessed part face each other in a plate width direction, a second side surface of the restricting protrusion and a fourth side surface of the recessed part face each other in the plate width direction, a first inclined surface is formed on one of the first and third side surfaces to be further away from the other thereof from a central portion toward a first direction, and a second inclined surface is formed on one of the second and fourth side surfaces to be further away from the other thereof from the central portion toward a second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Eguchi, Yusuke Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20240075592
    Abstract: A workpiece holding device includes a workpiece support surface and a blow suction unit. The workpiece support surface includes suction holes formed therein. A workpiece placed on the workpiece support surface is adsorbed by the suction holes. The blow suction unit includes an ionizer that ionizes gas (for example, air), a jet outlet that jets the gas toward the workpiece and a suction inlet. The gas blown onto and reflected off the workpiece is suctioned through the suction inlet. While blowing the ionized gas onto the workpiece, the blow suction unit is moved relative to the length direction of the workpiece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koichi FUKUSHIMA, Akira HONMA
  • Publication number: 20240066936
    Abstract: A coil spring includes a wire rod including a round section portion and a flat section portion. The round section portion includes a first cross section whose cross section is round. The flat section portion includes a second cross section that is flat. The second cross section has a width greater than or equal to the diameter of the first cross section and a thickness less than the width. A polar moment of inertia of area of the second cross section is smaller than that of the first cross section. A variable section portion is formed between the round section portion and the flat section portion. The variable section portion changes its cross section from circular to flat from the round section portion towards the flat section portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi NISHIZAWA, Takeshi FURUSE, Senri MORIYAMA, Yusuke TANAKA
  • Patent number: 11912181
    Abstract: A suspension seat, including: a lower side member that forms a vehicle lower side of a suspension; an upper side member that forms a vehicle upper side of the suspension, and that is configured to support a vehicle seat body from the vehicle lower side; a suspension link mechanism that includes a vehicle lower side portion coupled to the lower side member and a vehicle upper side portion coupled to the upper side member, and that undergoes displacement so as to displace the upper side member along a vehicle vertical direction; a linear displacement section that is provided at the suspension link mechanism and is configured to undergo linear displacement in conjunction with displacement of the suspension link mechanism; and a locking mechanism that immobilizes the linear displacement section so as to immobilize displacement of the suspension link mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: NHK SPRING Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Uehara, Satoshi Yaegashi, Ryusei Nakamura, Yuki Uchisawa
  • Publication number: 20240053380
    Abstract: A probe unit includes: a contact probe that comes into contact with, at both ends of a longitudinal length of the contact probe, each of electrodes that are contact targets; and a probe holder including a main body portion configured to hold the contact probe, the main body portion being insulating. The main body portion includes, formed therein: a holder hole configured to hold the contact probe inserted in the holder hole; and a counterbore portion drilled in at least part of an area around the holder hole, the area being on one of surfaces of the main body portion, the surfaces being near one end and another end of the contact probe, the counterbore portion having an inner wall surface that forms a hollow space and that is insulating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Applicant: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Futa Sasaki, Hajime Arai, Kazuya Soma
  • Patent number: 11900973
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a disk drive suspension includes a load beam, a flexure including a tongue on which a slider is mounted and an outrigger connected to the tongue, and overlapping the load beam, and a damper material attached to the load beam and the outrigger. Further, the damper material has a single-layer structure of a viscoelastic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakayama, Masao Hanya, Tatsuhiko Nishida
  • Patent number: 11900975
    Abstract: A head driving device includes a head supporting portion supporting a head member, a first beam, a second beam, a first piezoelectric unit including a pair of piezoelectric elements, and a second piezoelectric unit including a pair of piezoelectric elements. When voltage is applied to the piezoelectric elements of the first piezoelectric unit, the piezoelectric elements deform, and a distal end of the first beam moves. The piezoelectric elements of the second piezoelectric unit also deform by application of voltage, and moves a distal end of the second beam in a same direction as the distal end of the first beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masao Hanya, Ryo Kuwata
  • Publication number: 20240034219
    Abstract: A locking mechanism includes a base with a notch, a latching member with a hook and a first receiving surface, and a locking member with a lever and a regulation portion. The latching member is rotatable between an engagement position and an engagement release position. The locking member is rotatable between a lock position and an unlock position. The regulation portion does not interfere with the latching member when the locking member is rotated from the lock position toward the unlock position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shigeru KUROI
  • Patent number: 11883954
    Abstract: A flexible member is provided which can have excellent load resistance and flexibility while being more compact. This flexible member has a main body part in which multiple wave washers having closed ring shapes is stacked in an axial direction and joined to each other by multiple joint parts, and the main body part is able to be bent with respect to the axial direction due to elastic deformation of the wave washers. Each of the joint parts includes: a pair of welded parts in linear shape, being gradually separated from each other in a circumferential direction from an inner circumferential side toward an outer circumferential side of the wave washer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shimpei Kurokawa, Yosuke Kawai
  • Publication number: 20240019460
    Abstract: A probe holder includes: a first layered member including members layered over one another; and a second layered member bonded to the first layered member and including members layered over one another. Each of the first and second layered members includes: a first member made of a material having a low dielectric constant; a second member provided on one of surfaces of the first member and having higher hardness than the first member; and a third member provided on the other surface of the first member and having higher hardness than the first member. The probe holder further includes a holder hole formed by bonding the third members of the first and second layered members, the holder hole penetrating the probe holder in a direction in which the first and second layered members are layered, and having a stepped hole shape having a smaller diameter in the second members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicant: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Ito, Kazuya Soma, Hajime Arai