Patents by Inventor Akifumi OTANI

Akifumi OTANI has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11059344
    Abstract: A stabilizer includes bend sections. With respect to positions in a circumferential direction of a radial cross section of each of the bend sections, a center of an inside of a bend is defined as 0°, and a center of an outside of the bend is defined as 180°. The bend sections each include a bend interior section located at 0°, a bend exterior section located at 180°, a first side section located at 90°, and a second side section located at 270°. The bend interior section has compressive residual stress from a surface to a first depth. The bend exterior section has compressive residual stress to a second depth. The first side section has compressive residual stress to a third depth. The second side section has compressive residual stress to a fourth depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuharu Sakurai, Yoshihiro Koshita, Akihiko Nishikawa, Akifumi Otani
  • Patent number: 10792683
    Abstract: A paint spraying apparatus includes a supporting structure, a lower nozzle unit, and an upper nozzle unit. The lower nozzle unit includes lower flexible tubes and nozzles, and ejects powder paint toward an eye portion on a lower side of a stabilizer. The upper nozzle unit includes a first frame and a second frame. First flexible tubes are arranged on the first frame. Second flexible tubes are arranged on the second frame. The upper nozzles eject the powder paint toward an eye portion on an upper side of the stabilizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuharu Sakurai, Yoshihiro Koshita, Akifumi Otani
  • Patent number: 10696122
    Abstract: An annular reference surface is formed around a through-hole of an eye portion. A distal-end-side curved portion is formed at a first corner portion, on an outer side of the annular reference surface. The thickness of the distal-end-side curved portion is reduced in a range of a length from the first flat surface toward the distal end surface. A hole-side curved portion whose thickness is reduced toward an inner surface of the through-hole is formed at a second corner portion, on an inner side of the annular reference surface. The length of the hole-side curved portion is less than the length of the distal-end-side curved portion. The hole-side curved portion is curved with a greater curvature than that of the distal-end-side curved portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuharu Sakurai, Yoshihiro Koshita, Akihiko Nishikawa, Akifumi Otani
  • Publication number: 20200139783
    Abstract: A stabilizer includes bend sections. With respect to positions in a circumferential direction of a radial cross section of each of the bend sections, a center of an inside of a bend is defined as 0°, and a center of an outside of the bend is defined as 180°. The bend sections each include a bend interior section located at 0°, a bend exterior section located at 180°, a first side section located at 90°, and a second side section located at 270°. The bend interior section has compressive residual stress from a surface to a first depth. The bend exterior section has compressive residual stress to a second depth. The first side section has compressive residual stress to a third depth. The second side section has compressive residual stress to a fourth depth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuharu SAKURAI, Yoshihiro KOSHITA, Akihiko NISHIKAWA, Akifumi OTANI
  • Patent number: 10589590
    Abstract: A stabilizer includes a stabilizer main body, and eyes formed on both ends of the stabilizer main body. Through-holes are formed in fastening surfaces of the eyes, respectively. The stabilizer main body is covered with a main body coating film. The eye is covered with an eye coating film whose thickness is less than a thickness of the main body coating film. An inner surface of the through-hole is covered with an inner surface coating film. An incomplete coating portion is formed at a part of the inner surface of the through-hole in a circumferential direction. The incomplete coating portion is located on an extension of a straight line connecting a center of the through-hole and the center of gravity of the stabilizer main body in a side view of the stabilizer main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuharu Sakurai, Yoshihiro Koshita, Akihiko Nishikawa, Akifumi Otani
  • Publication number: 20180229576
    Abstract: An annular reference surface is formed around a through-hole of an eye portion. A distal-end-side curved portion is formed at a first corner portion, on an outer side of the annular reference surface. The thickness of the distal-end-side curved portion is reduced in a range of a length from the first flat surface toward the distal end surface. A hole-side curved portion whose thickness is reduced toward an inner surface of the through-hole is formed at a second corner portion, on an inner side of the annular reference surface. The length of the hole-side curved portion is less than the length of the distal-end-side curved portion. The hole-side curved portion is curved with a greater curvature than that of the distal-end-side curved portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuharu SAKURAI, Yoshihiro KOSHITA, Akihiko NISHIKAWA, Akifumi OTANI
  • Publication number: 20180229250
    Abstract: A paint spraying apparatus includes a supporting structure, a lower nozzle unit, and an upper nozzle unit. The lower nozzle unit includes lower flexible tubes and nozzles, and ejects powder paint toward an eye portion on a lower side of a stabilizer. The upper nozzle unit includes a first frame and a second frame. First flexible tubes are arranged on the first frame. Second flexible tubes are arranged on the second frame. The upper nozzles eject the powder paint toward an eye portion on an upper side of the stabilizer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuharu SAKURAI, Yoshihiro KOSHITA, Akifumi OTANI
  • Publication number: 20180222267
    Abstract: A stabilizer includes a stabilizer main body, and eyes formed on both ends of the stabilizer main body. Through-holes are formed in fastening surfaces of the eyes, respectively. The stabilizer main body is covered with a main body coating film. The eye is covered with an eye coating film whose thickness is less than a thickness of the main body coating film. An inner surface of the through-hole is covered with an inner surface coating film. An incomplete coating portion is formed at a part of the inner surface of the through-hole in a circumferential direction. The incomplete coating portion is located on an extension of a straight line connecting a center of the through-hole and the center of gravity of the stabilizer main body in a side view of the stabilizer main body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuharu SAKURAI, Yoshihiro KOSHITA, Akihiko NISHIKAWA, Akifumi OTANI