Patents Assigned to NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
  • Patent number: 11786960
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a stabilizer, the stabilizer including a main body bar that is elastically deformable, and a pair of connecting plates that are separately connected to a pair of left and right suspension devices, the method including a forging step of forming the connecting plate by forging both end portions of a material tube, in which in the forging step, both end portions of the material tube are crushed in a radial direction to be formed into the connecting plate in a state where a sealing metal plate heated to a temperature equal to or higher than a melting point is disposed inside both end portions of the material tube heated to a temperature lower than the melting point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Mizukami, Masato Inaba, Masato Sugawara, Michiya Masuda
  • Patent number: 11782074
    Abstract: A probe unit includes: first contact probes each coming into contact with a target electrode on one end side in a longitudinal direction; a second contact probe connected to an external ground; a signal pipe disposed around each first contact probes; a ground member provided around each signal pipe and configured to form an air layer with the signal pipe; a probe holder including a plate-shaped first and second members; a first wiring part provided at least on a front surface of the first member and electrically connected to the second contact probe; a second wiring part provided at least on a front surface of the second member and electrically connected to the second contact probe; a first conductive unit configured to electrically connect the first wiring part and the ground member; and a second conductive unit configured to electrically connect the second wiring part and the ground member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Inuma, Kazuya Soma
  • Publication number: 20230304558
    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: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi NISHIZAWA, Daisuke IBANO, Tsuyoshi MATSUDA, Norifumi ARISAKA, Shun MURAMATSU, Chihiro ITO, Takuto SUZUKI, Masatake KINOSHITA, Asuka KAWASAKI
  • Publication number: 20230304556
    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: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2022
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi NISHIZAWA, Daisuke IBANO, Tsuyoshi MATSUDA, Norifumi ARISAKA, Shun MURAMATSU, Chihiro ITO, Takuto SUZUKI, Masatake KINOSHITA, Asuka KAWASAKI
  • Publication number: 20230304557
    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: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Applicant: 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: 11759889
    Abstract: A method of welding a first metal plate and a second metal plate that is thicker than the first plate, by a laser beam. The first plate and the second plate are disposed to overlap one another in a thickness direction. In a first laser irradiation step, the laser beam is emitted at the first plate, to form an initial nugget including a front-side nugget portion in the first plate, a back-side nugget portion in the second plate and having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the front-side nugget portion, and an annular flat surface portion existing between the front-side nugget portion and the back-side nugget portion. In a subsequent laser irradiation step, the laser beam is emitted again at the initial nugget after the initial nugget is solidified, thereby increasing the diameter of the back-side nugget portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Naoki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11761474
    Abstract: A control cable connection structure includes a long, narrow casing, a casing end, a cable end and a slider. An end portion of a first conduit is anchored at one end portion, in a length direction, of the casing. An end portion of a second conduit is anchored at the casing end. The casing end is superposed and assembled with the casing in a radial direction of the second conduit. The cable end is attached to an end portion of a second inner cord. An end portion of a first inner cord is anchored at the slider. The slider is supported at the casing to be slidable in the length direction thereof. In the assembled state, the cable end is engaged with the slider at an opposite side from a side at which the second conduit is disposed, and the second inner cord is connected with the slider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Tani, Akihiko Kitazawa, Katsuhiko Kitahara
  • Publication number: 20230290373
    Abstract: A sag bend portion is formed in a longitudinal part of the load beam and bent in a thickness direction. The load beam includes a first portion and a second portion bordering the sag bend portion. Roots of outrigger portions are secured to the load beam by weld portions. A slit portion is formed around each of the weld portions. The slit portion includes an arc-shaped slit and a pair of extension slits. An outrigger support portion is formed inside the slit portion. The outrigger support portion extends in a direction different from that of the second portion of the load beam with respect to a cross section along the longitudinal direction of the load beam in the thickness direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenichi TAKIKAWA, Toshiki ANDO
  • Patent number: 11754114
    Abstract: An axial ball joint includes a ball stud including a stud portion and a ball portion; a metal housing configured to rotatably support the ball portion of the ball stud; a resin ball sheet provided in an interposed manner between the ball portion and the housing. The housing is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape by press work. The housing has a bottom wall and a peripheral side wall which are set respectively to thicknesses substantially equal to each other. The bottom wall and the peripheral side wall of the housing have therebetween a boundary portion formed with multiple rib portions which project in a brace shape from outside to inside of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shigeru Kuroda
  • Publication number: 20230282230
    Abstract: A suspension for a disk drive includes a plate member having a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, a first penetration portion penetrating the first surface and the second surface, and a second penetration portion spaced from the first penetration portion and penetrating the first surface and the second surface, an actuator provided on the second surface and having an electrode located in the first penetration portion, and a flexure having an electrode connection portion connected to the electrode. The electrode connection portion includes a first region and a second region having a thickness smaller than a thickness of the first region, and the second region overlaps the second penetration portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2023
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinji SUGIYAMA, Naoki TANAKA, Kazuhiro SUGIYAMA, Shuntaro NUMATA
  • Patent number: 11738246
    Abstract: Provided is a golf shaft, capable of ensuring peeling resistance of a colored layer to endure a bending process and the like. The golf shaft has a metal element tube, and a colored plating layer being a colored layer formed on a surface of the element tube, wherein the colored plating layer has a first strike plating layer on the element tube side, a satin-like plating layer layered on a surface of the first strike plating layer, a second strike plating layer layered on a surface of the satin-like plating layer, and a decorative plating layer layered on a surface of the second strike plating layer and colored according to a color of the colored plating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akihisa Inoue
  • Publication number: 20230267956
    Abstract: A flexure of a suspension for a disk drive includes a metal base and a wiring portion provided along the metal base and including a base insulation layer, a conductor layer overlaid on the base insulation layer, and a cover insulation layer overlaid on the conductor layer. The flexure includes a first area on which an electronic component is mounted and a second area aligned alongside the first area, and the first area includes a thin-walled portion which overlaps the electronic component and having a thickness less than a thickness of the second area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2023
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yukie YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20230256625
    Abstract: A joint function unit, in which a movable part is supported by a base partso as to be displaceable in an axial direction thereof, includes: a plurality of drive wireseach having a fixed partfixed to the movable parton one side in the axial direction and the a supported partsupported by the base parton the other side in the axial direction; and an elastic bodysupporting the supported partof each of the plurality of drive wireson the base part, energizing the supported partwith respect to the fixed partin the axial direction, and applying tension to the drive wires.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takafumi HIRATA, Yuki HOTODA, Masahiro INABA
  • Publication number: 20230251286
    Abstract: A contact probe includes: a first plunger; a second plunger; and a coil spring provided between the first and second plungers and configured to connect the first and second plungers to each other so as to freely advance and retreat. The first plunger is provided with a groove portion formed on a side surface of the first plunger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hajime Arai, Kazuya Soma
  • Patent number: 11719299
    Abstract: A plate spring member having a compressive residual stress distribution in which a compressive residual stress of at least part of a portion having a depth from a surface within 50 ?m is 500 MPa or more, and the compressive residual stress of a portion having a depth from the surface exceeding 50 ?m is less than 500 MPa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yusuke Terada
  • Publication number: 20230245570
    Abstract: The system accepts an operation to be carried out to virtually install installation objects on a water surface, acquires positional information about each point, and creates course data of a course passing through areas to be determined on the basis of installation positions of the installation objects in the order of installation. The system installs installation objects as buoys, creates a guide image to be used to indicate a buoy to be passed next and a direction from the buoy to be passed next to a buoy to be passed further next by using the course data while intending the guide image for a user of a boat configured to travel along the course on the water surface, and displays the created guide image on a display unit arranged on a hull of the boat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shigeru KUROI
  • Patent number: 11701943
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a hollow spring member having a hollow steel spring rod having terminal sealed portions at both ends thereof. Each terminal sealed portion has a rotationally symmetric shape in which an axis passing through a center of the spring rod is an axis of symmetry. Each terminal sealed portion has an end wall portion including an end face; an arc-shaped smoothly curved surface between an outer peripheral surface of the spring rod and the end face, and a hermetically closed distal-end-center closure portion on the axis passing through the center of the spring rod. The method includes forming each of the end portions of the spring rod by forming a chamfered portion on an inner or outer peripheral side of the end portion of a hollow wire, the end portion having an opening portion at a distal end, heating the end portion of the hollow wire having the chamfered portion, and spinning the heated end portion to be gathered toward the axis from the outer peripheral side by a jig.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD
    Inventors: Masahiro Umezawa, Daisuke Takeda
  • Publication number: 20230223049
    Abstract: A first terminal provided on a tail pad portion includes a base portion, a bent portion and an overlapping portion. The base portion includes a first surface fixed to a base insulating layer and a second surface on an opposite side to the first sur face. The bent portion is reversed in a thickness direction of the base portion from an end of the base portion towards the second surface. The overlapping portion extends from the bent portion in a direction along the second surface. An ansotropic conductive film (ACE) is disposed between the overlapping portion and the second terminal. The overlapping portion and the second terminal are connected to each other via the ACE.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2023
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yukie YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20230223044
    Abstract: A base plate includes a plate body and a connection portion provided at the plate body. The connection portion includes a through hole gassing through the plate body in a thickness direction of the plate body, a plurality of protrusions provided along an edge of the through hole in a circumferential direction about a central axis of the through hole and inserted into an attachment hole provided in the arm, and an inner circumferential surface formed by the plurality of protrusions and the through hole. The inner circumferential surface includes a plurality of recesses formed between the plurality of protrusions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2023
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mikio ARAI, Hiroshi DAIFUKU
  • Patent number: 11685211
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a hollow coil spring which is made of a hollow wire in which a terminal sealed portion is formed on an end portion of the wire. The terminal sealed portion has a rotationally symmetric shape in which an axis passing through the center of the wire is the symmetric axis. The hollow coil spring includes an end wall portion, and an end face arc-shaped curved surface. The end wall portion includes an end face perpendicular to the axis. A distal-end-center closure portion is formed on the axis at the center of the end wall portion. A spring seat includes a base member and a sheet member. An end turn portion of the hollow coil spring is in contact with the sheet member. The end face of the end turn portion is opposed to a stopper wall of the spring seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD
    Inventors: Masahiro Umezawa, Daisuke Takeda