Patents by Inventor Akihiro Hironaka

Akihiro Hironaka 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: 7887446
    Abstract: Noise and vibration of a helically-toothed-belt transmission device driven under heavy load or at a high-speed rotation, are reduced. A backlash “D” is selectively enlarged in a helically-toothed-belt transmission device that transmits drive force by meshing between a helically toothed belt and a helically toothed pulley. That is, a tooth helix angle “?” is set in a range of ?0.2?1?W·?/Pt?0.75, with “Pt” being a tooth pitch, “?” a tooth helix angle, and W the width of the belt. The backlash “D” between the helically toothed belt and the helically toothed pulley is set to be 1.6%-3% of the tooth pitch “Pt”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: The Gates Corporation
    Inventor: Akihiro Hironaka
  • Patent number: 7537080
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus includes a reduction gear mechanism (17) for reducing the rotation speed of an output shaft (16) of an electric motor (15). The reduction gear mechanism (17) comprises an inscribed gear (39) rotatable interlockingly with the output shaft (16), and a circumscribed gear (40) in which the inscribed gear (39) is inscribed. An endless belt connects a driving pulley (41) integrally rotatable with the circumscribed gear (40) and a driven pulley (42) disposed so as to surround a steerable shaft. By heightening the reduction gear ratio by the speed reduction using the inscribed gear (39) and the circumscribed gear (40), the reduction gear mechanism (17) as a whole can achieve a high reduction gear ratio without making the diameter of the driving pulley (41) very small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignees: JTEKT Corporation, Gates Unitta Asia Company
    Inventors: Tetsuya Murakami, Atsuya Miyata, Hiroshi Murataka, Akihiro Hironaka
  • Patent number: 7490696
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus includes a speed reducing mechanism for decelerating the rotation of a rotatable shaft in an electric motor and a converting mechanism for converting the output rotation of the speed reducing mechanism into the axial movement of a steering shaft extending toward the right and left sides of a vehicle. The speed reducing mechanism includes an input pulley driven by the electric motor, an output pulley arranged with the steering shaft enclosed thereby, a belt for connecting the input pulley and the output pulley to each other, and a belt tension adjuster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignees: Jtekt Corporation, Gates Unitta Asia Company
    Inventors: Takehiro Saruwatari, Hiroshi Murataka, Akihiro Hironaka
  • Patent number: 7413052
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus includes a speed reducing mechanism for decelerating the rotation of a rotatable shaft in an electric motor and a converting mechanism for converting the output rotation of the speed reducing mechanism into the axial movement of a steering shaft extending toward the right and left sides of a vehicle. The speed reducing mechanism includes an input pulley driven by the electric motor, an output pulley arranged with the steering shaft enclosed thereby, a belt for connecting the input pulley and the output pulley to each other, and a belt tension adjuster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignees: Jtekt Corporation, Gates Unitta Asia Company
    Inventors: Hiroto Sasaki, Takehiro Saruwatari, Kensaku Nakamura, Atsuya Miyata, Kazuaki Nagamatsu, Kunihiro Oka, Hiroshi Murataka, Akihiro Hironaka
  • Patent number: 7278334
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus comprises an electric motor for producing a steering assist force, and a speed reduction mechanism for decelerating the rotation of an output shaft in the electric motor. The speed reduction mechanism comprises an input pulley driven by the electric motor, an output pulley connected to a steering shaft, and a belt for connecting the input pulley and the output pulley to each other. The belt comprises a helical toothed belt. The input pulley and the output pulley respectively include helical toothed pulleys meshed with the helical toothed belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignees: Jtekt Corporation, Gates Unitta Asia Company
    Inventors: Takehiro Saruwatari, Tetsuya Murakami, Hiroshi Murataka, Akihiro Hironaka
  • Publication number: 20070187169
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus includes a speed reducing mechanism for decelerating the rotation of a rotatable shaft in an electric motor and a converting mechanism for converting the output rotation of the speed reducing mechanism into the axial movement of a steering shaft extending toward the right and left sides of a vehicle. The speed reducing mechanism includes an input pulley driven by the electric motor, an output pulley arranged with the steering shaft enclosed thereby, a belt for connecting the input pulley and the output pulley to each other, and a belt tension adjuster.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Inventors: Hiroto Sasaki, Takehiro Saruwatari, Kensaku Nakamura, Atsuya Miyata, Kazuaki Nagamatsu, Kunihiro Oka, Hiroshi Murataka, Akihiro Hironaka
  • Publication number: 20070158130
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus includes a speed reducing mechanism for decelerating the rotation of a rotatable shaft in an electric motor and a converting mechanism for converting the output rotation of the speed reducing mechanism into the axial movement of a steering shaft extending toward the right and left sides of a vehicle. The speed reducing mechanism includes an input pulley driven by the electric motor, an output pulley arranged with the steering shaft enclosed thereby, a belt for connecting the input pulley and the output pulley to each other, and a belt tension adjuster.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Publication date: July 12, 2007
    Inventors: Takehiro Saruwatari, Hiroshi Murataka, Akihiro Hironaka
  • Patent number: 7237647
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus includes a speed reducing mechanism for decelerating the rotation of a rotatable shaft in an electric motor and a converting mechanism for converting the output rotation of the speed reducing mechanism into the axial movement of a steering shaft extending toward the right and left sides of a vehicle. The speed reducing mechanism includes an input pulley driven by the electric motor, an output pulley arranged with the steering shaft enclosed thereby, a belt for connecting the input pulley and the output pulley to each other, and a belt tension adjuster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignees: Jtekt Corporation, Gates Unitta Asia Company
    Inventors: Kensaku Nakamura, Kazuaki Nagamatsu, Hiroshi Murataka, Akihiro Hironaka
  • Publication number: 20070066431
    Abstract: Noise and vibration of a helically-toothed-belt transmission device driven under heavy load or at a high-speed rotation, are reduced. A backlash “D” is selectively enlarged in a helically-toothed-belt transmission device that transmits drive force by meshing between a helically toothed belt and a helically toothed pulley. That is, a tooth helix angle “?” is set in a range of ?0.2?1?W·?/Pt?0.75, with “Pt” being a tooth pitch, “?” a tooth helix angle, and W the width of the belt. The backlash “D” between the helically toothed belt and the helically toothed pulley is set to be 1.6%-3% of the tooth pitch “Pt”.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2004
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Inventor: Akihiro Hironaka
  • Patent number: 7191866
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus includes a speed reducing mechanism for decelerating the rotation of a rotatable shaft in an electric motor and a converting mechanism for converting the output rotation of the speed reducing mechanism into the axial movement of a steering shaft extending toward the right and left sides of a vehicle. The speed reducing mechanism includes an input pulley driven by the electric motor, an output pulley arranged with the steering shaft enclosed thereby, a belt for connecting the input pulley and the output pulley to each other and a belt tension adjuster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignees: Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd., Gates Unitta Asia Company
    Inventors: Hiroto Sasaki, Takehiro Saruwatari, Kensaku Nakamura, Atsuya Miyata, Kazuaki Nagamatsu, Kunihiro Oka, Hiroshi Murataka, Akihiro Hironaka
  • Publication number: 20060076181
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus includes a reduction gear mechanism (17) for reducing the rotation speed of an output shaft (16) of an electric motor (15). The reduction gear mechanism (17) comprises an inscribed gear (39) rotatable interlockingly with the output shaft (16), and a circumscribed gear (40) in which the inscribed gear (39) is inscribed. An endless belt connects a driving pulley (41) integrally rotatable with the circumscribed gear (40) and a driven pulley (42) disposed so as to surround a steerable shaft. By heightening the reduction gear ratio by the speed reduction using the inscribed gear (39) and the circumscribed gear (40), the reduction gear mechanism (17) as a whole can achieve a high reduction gear ratio without making the diameter of the driving pulley (41) very small.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2004
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Inventors: Tetsuya Murakami, Atsuya Miyata, Hiroshi Murataka, Akihiro Hironaka
  • Patent number: 6938722
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus includes a speed reducing mechanism for decelerating the rotation of a rotatable shaft in an electric motor and a converting mechanism for converting the output rotation of the speed reducing mechanism into the axial movement of a steering shaft extending toward the right and left sides of a vehicle. The speed reducing mechanism includes an input pulley driven by the electric motor, an output pulley arranged with the steering shaft enclosed thereby, a belt for connecting the input pulley and the output pulley to each other, and a belt tension adjuster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignees: Gates Unitta Asia Company, Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroto Sasaki, Takehiro Saruwatari, Kensaku Nakamura, Atsuya Miyata, Kazuaki Nagamatsu, Kunihiro Oka, Hiroshi Murataka, Akihiro Hironaka
  • Publication number: 20040221668
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus comprises an electric motor for producing a steering assist force, and a speed reduction mechanism for decelerating the rotation of an output shaft in the electric motor. The speed reduction mechanism comprises an input pulley driven by the electric motor, an output pulley connected to a steering shaft, and a belt for connecting the input pulley and the output pulley to each other. The belt comprises a helical toothed belt. The input pulley and the output pulley respectively include helical toothed pulleys meshed with the helical toothed belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2004
    Publication date: November 11, 2004
    Inventors: Takehiro Saruwatari, Tetsuya Murakami, Hiroshi Murataka, Akihiro Hironaka
  • Publication number: 20030221896
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus comprises a speed reducing mechanism for decelerating the rotation of a rotatable shaft in an electric motor and a converting mechanism for converting the output rotation of the speed reducing mechanism into the axial movement of a steering shaft extending toward the right and left sides of a vehicle. The speed reducing mechanism comprises an input pulley driven by the electric motor, an output pulley arranged with the steering shaft enclosed thereby, a belt for connecting the input pulley and the output pulley to each other, and means for adjusting the tension of the belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2003
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Inventors: Hiroto Sasaki, Takehiro Saruwatari, Kensaku Nakamura, Atsuya Miyata, Kazuaki Nagamatsu, Kunihiro Oka, Hiroshi Murataka, Akihiro Hironaka