Patents Assigned to NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20180215456
    Abstract: An engine control apparatus includes an apparatus body, and a control lever. The apparatus body includes a housing, an axis unit including a drive gear, a driven gear, and an angle sensor. A plurality of fixing portions are provided on the housing. A through-hole is formed in the fixing portion. The through-hole is communicated with a first side wall and a second side wall of the housing. The housing is fixed to a port-side mounting surface or a starboard-side mounting surface by a screw member inserted into the through-hole. When the control lever is operated, the drive gear and the driven gear are rotated in accordance with an angle of operation. A rotational angle of the driven gear is detected by an angle sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2018
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Taishi OZAKI
  • Publication number: 20180215226
    Abstract: A coil spring according to one embodiment includes a lower end turn portion which is in contact with a lower spring seat, an upper end turn portion which is in contact with an upper spring seat, and an effective portion between the lower end turn portion and the upper end turn portion. The coil spring is cylindrical about an axis of the effective portion in its free shape which is not compressed. Further, with respect to a coordinate system in which a force line is assumed as a Z-axis, the coil spring is cylindrical with a constant pitch in a direction along the Z-axis in its compressed shape which is compressed to a specified height.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shinichi NISHIZAWA
  • Publication number: 20180215225
    Abstract: A coil spring for a vehicle suspension according to one embodiment includes a lower end turn portion, an upper end turn. portion, and a cylindrical effective portion between the lower end turn portion and the upper end turn portion. In at least one of the upper end turn portion and the lower end turn portion, a taper portion having a taper length and a taper thickness for controlling a force line of the coil spring is formed. The taper portion is formed such that the thickness is reduced in a tapered way from a thickness varying portion provided in the middle of the end turn portion toward a distal end of the wire along its length. The thickness varying portion is arranged at a position close to the force line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shinichi NISHIZAWA
  • Publication number: 20180209537
    Abstract: A shift device for a boat includes a lever which can be operated about a predetermined axis, and a lever operation suppression mechanism which suppresses an operation of the lever. The lever operation suppression mechanism includes a load applying portions (a first load applying portion and a second load applying portion) which apply different loads to the lever in a first operation period of operating the lever between a neutral position of the lever and a first position corresponding to a forward movement of the boat, and in a second operation period of operating the lever between the neutral position and a second position corresponding to a backward movement of the boat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kentaro KITADA
  • Patent number: 10021781
    Abstract: A thin circuit board such as a flexure has a metal support layer forming a substrate, a base insulating layer provided on the metal support layer, a wiring layer being wiring traces provided on the base insulating layer, a cover insulating layer covering the wiring layer, internal terminals provided to the respective wiring traces and sequentially arranged side by side, each one internal terminal of said internal terminals used to be solder-bonded to a corresponding external terminal through solder material, and a wall provided for the solder material on at least any one of adjacent internal terminals of said internal terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukie Yamada, Junya Jonishi, Subaru Tomizawa
  • Publication number: 20180185896
    Abstract: A clad pipe includes: a first tubular member formed of first metal or alloy; a second tubular member provided on an inner circumferential surface of the first tubular member, and formed of a second metal or alloy of a different type from the first metal or alloy, a thickness of the second tubular member in a radial direction being at least 50 ?m; and an anchor layer formed on a boundary surface where the first tubular member and the second tubular member are in contact with each other, wherein a material of one of the first and the second tubular members digs into a material of another tubular member in the anchor layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Satoshi Hirano
  • Patent number: 9994083
    Abstract: A pipe-shaped member of the present invention is a pipe-shaped member (1) which includes a flat plate portion (1h1, 1h2) placed in at least one end portion (1a1) of two end portions of the pipe, formed in a flat plate shape, and including groove-shaped recessed portions (ta1, tb1, tb2) formed in one and another extended surfaces in the flat plate shape. The recessed portions (ta1, tb1, tb2) are formed such that the flat plate portion (1h1, 1h2) has at least a substantially W-shape, in a direction crossing a longitudinal direction of the flat plate portion (1h1, 1h2), and with a depth not reaching a boundary (1ha) between one plate (1h1) and the other plate (1h2) of the flat plate portion (1h1, 1h2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji Katsuno
  • Patent number: 9969238
    Abstract: A hollow stabilizer (1) according to the invention is formed in a hollow shape and includes a bent portion (1c1, 1c2, m1-m5). With a thickness of an inner side of the bent portion (1c1, 1c2, m1-m5) being larger than a thickness of an outer side of the bent portion (1c1, 1c2, m1-m5), a hardness of the outer side of the bent portion (1c1, 1c2, m1-m5) is higher than a hardness of the inner side of the bent portion (1c1, 1c2, m1-m5) through quenching by cooling down after heating by electrical heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD
    Inventor: Shigeru Kuroda
  • Patent number: 9969237
    Abstract: A method for producing a stabilizer and a heating device allows the entirety of a hollow member to be uniformly heated to a temperature necessary for heat treatment, even in a case in which a cross section varying hollow member is used as the starting material. In a preliminary heating process, energizing heating is performed between electrodes, which are arranged at cross section varying parts at both ends of large cross sectional area part, which can be heated. In an entire heating process, by performing energizing heating between electrodes, which are arranged at both ends of the cross section varying hollow member, the latter can be heated. In the preliminary heating process, it is desirable to perform energization heating at a part having a cross sectional area ratio of 90% or more with respect to the part having a large cross sectional area in the cross section varying part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru Kuroda, Shuji Ohmura
  • Patent number: 9955611
    Abstract: A pressure structure which is arranged between a first pressed body and a second pressed body facing the first pressed body and applies a pressure to the first pressed body and the second pressed body includes: a first spring member including a center portion which is in contact with the first pressed body, two end portions, each of which is in contact with the second pressed body, and two arm portions which extend from the center portion toward the different end portions; and a second spring member including a center portion which is in contact with the second pressed body, two end portions, each of which is in contact with the first pressed body, and two arm portions which extend from the center portion toward the different end portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norihiro Tajima, Yusuke Terada, Yosuke Kawai
  • Patent number: 9950459
    Abstract: To provide a vehicle resin part and a vehicle resin part manufacturing method with which raised portions can be formed using slanted slide molds even on opposing molded portions that have a narrow distance between them. In a rail cover, shelf-shaped portions that can be molded using a cavity and a core are formed on opposing side wall portions, and claw portions that can be molded using slanted slide molds are formed projecting from the shelf-shaped portions in the directions of the opposing side wall portions. Additionally, the claw portions are molded by moving, during demolding, the pair of slanted slide molds in the directions of the opposing side wall portions from a molding position and thereafter removing the pair of slanted slide molds in a forward direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Shirai, Taisuke Matsuzaki, Yuta Takagi
  • Patent number: 9937833
    Abstract: There is provided a seatback frame including: left and right side frames that are provided at left and right side portions of a seatback of a vehicle seat, with the respective lower end portions of the side frames coupled to a rear end portion of a seat cushion frame provided to a seat cushion of the vehicle seat; and a back face panel that is formed of sheet metal, that spans across between rear end portions of lower portions of the left and right side frames with its thickness direction along a seatback front-rear direction, that is fixed to the left and right side frames, and that includes an undulating shaped portion bent such that peaks and troughs alternate in a row along a seat width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Sasaki, Akitoshi Yamashita, Tomo Ishibashi, Hiroaki Inaba
  • Publication number: 20180080113
    Abstract: A carburization device includes a heating furnace which heats a material, a transfer mechanism, an alcohol vapor generator, an alcohol vapor spraying portion, a quenching tank, and an exhaust heat intake tube. The transfer mechanism moves a plurality of materials. The alcohol vapor generator uses part of heat generated by the heating furnace as a heat source. As the alcohol vapor spraying portion repeats a vapor spraying step and a diffusion step a plurality of times in the heating furnace. In the vapor spraying step, by spraying alcohol vapor on the material which moves inside the heating furnace, carbon in the alcohol is adsorbed to the material. In the diffusion step, an interval for diffusing the carbon adsorbed to the material is taken.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Applicants: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION YOKOHAMA NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wataru NAKAO, Akira TANGE, Koichi TANGO, Morimichi KAI
  • Patent number: 9920399
    Abstract: A titanium alloy member with high strength and high proof stress not only in the surface but also inside, using a general and inexpensive ?-? type titanium alloy, and a production method therefor, are provided. The production method includes preparing a raw material made of titanium alloy, nitriding the raw material to form a nitrogen-containing raw material by generating a nitrogen compound layer and/or a nitrogen solid solution layer in a surface layer of the raw material, mixing the raw material and the nitrogen-containing raw material to yield a nitrogen-containing mixed material, sintering the nitrogen-containing mixed material to obtain a sintered titanium alloy member by bonding the material together and uniformly diffusing nitrogen in solid solution from the nitrogen-containing raw material to the entire interior portion of the sintered titanium alloy member, and hot plastic forming the sintered titanium alloy member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tohru Shiraishi, Yoshiki Ono, Yuji Araoka
  • Patent number: 9920403
    Abstract: A high-strength magnesium alloy member is suitable for products in which at least one of bending stress and twisting stress primarily acts. The member has required elongation and 0.2% proof stress, whereby strength and formability are superior, and has higher strength and large compressive residual stress in the vicinity of the surface of a wire rod. In the magnesium alloy member formed as a wire rod in which at least one of bending stress and twisting stress primarily acts, the wire rod includes a surface portion having the highest hardness of 170 HV or more in the vicinity of the surface and an inner portion having a 0.2% proof stress of 550 MPa or more and an elongation of 5% or more, and the wire rod has the highest compressive residue stress in the vicinity of the surface of 50 MPa or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Araoka, Tohru Shiraishi, Yoshiki Ono
  • Publication number: 20180071812
    Abstract: The coil spring manufacturing device includes a first continuous material mounting portion, a second continuous material mounting portion, a straightener, a cutter, a short material mounting portion, and a coiling machine. The material reeled out from a first continuous material or a second continuous material is cut by the cutter. The coil spring manufacturing device can switch a process among a first continuous material coiling process of manufacturing a coil spring by using the first continuous material, a second continuous material coiling process of manufacturing a coil spring by using the second continuous material, and a short material coiling process of manufacturing a coil spring by using the short material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi FURUSE, Yusuke KUMAGAWA
  • Patent number: 9905496
    Abstract: A flexure has a metal support layer, an electric insulating layer laid on a surface of the metal support layer, a wiring layer having a general part laid on a surface of the electric insulating layer and a terminal to provide a conductive connection to an external slider, and a raising structure in a thickness direction of the wiring layer provided to the terminal independently of the metal support layer so that the terminal protrudes from a surface of the general part or has a surface being flush with the surface of the general part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yukie Yamada
  • Patent number: 9905252
    Abstract: A head suspension includes a base to be attached to a carriage, a load beam having a rigid part and a resilient part that connects the rigid part to the base, the load beam applying load onto a read/write head, a flexure attached to the load beam and supporting the head, an actuator attaching part located between the base and the head, and a piezoelectric element being deformable in response to a voltage applied thereto to move the head in a sway direction relative to the base. For the head suspension, it bonds the piezoelectric element with a bonding tape to the actuator attaching part and applies an adhesive to fix the piezoelectric element to the actuator attaching part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mikio Arai
  • Patent number: 9869378
    Abstract: A load-applying device is provided that includes a spiral spring that is formed from a thin strip that is wound multiple times in a spiral shape; a movable body; and a fixing member. The spiral spring is disposed between the movable body and the fixing member, in a manner capable of performing a diameter reduction operation and a diameter expansion operation, and an outer-circumference part of the spiral spring contacting the movable body and the fixing member directly, or indirectly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takao Kobayashi, Takahiro Ito, Yoshiyuki Takahashi, Kazuhito Hiraoka
  • Patent number: 9865285
    Abstract: Provided is a wiring thin plate capable of securely hold-down the wiring thin plate around a scheduled portion to be a welded spot even if the wiring thin plate is downsized and involves widened wiring traces. The wiring thin plate includes a metal supporting layer, an insulating layer on the supporting layer, a wiring part having a plurality of wiring traces on the insulating layer, a scheduled portion defined on the supporting layer to be welded, and a protrusion formed on the supporting layer for the scheduled portion and having a height that is the same as a height of the wiring part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Tanaka