Patents by Inventor Akimitsu Sassa

Akimitsu Sassa 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: 10253982
    Abstract: A glow plug includes a housing having an axial hole extending in an axial line direction; a ceramic heater that is relatively displaceable with respect to the housing along the axial line direction and has at least outer surface made of ceramic; and a pressure sensor fixed to the housing and configured to output a signal based on the relative displacement of the ceramic heater. A fixed member fixed to the ceramic heater while the ceramic heater is arranged to an inner circumference of the fixed member. A welded member is welded to an outer circumference of the fixed member. An inner circumferential surface of a portion of the fixed member to which at least the welded member is welded is spaced apart from the outer surface of the ceramic heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Suzuki, Hiroki Tsuchiya, Akimitsu Sassa
  • Patent number: 10244583
    Abstract: A glow plug including a heater (200) having a rear heat-generating element (260) formed of a resistance heat-generating element, and provided in an axial region thereof between a forward end (136) of a housing and a rear end (315) of a displacement member (300) located rearward of the forward end (136). The heat-generating element (260) is arranged separately from a forward heat-generating element (205) provided at a forward end portion of the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akimitsu Sassa, Yoshihiro Yamamoto, Hiroshi Harada
  • Patent number: 10048153
    Abstract: A variable member is connected to a rod-shaped member and connected to a tube portion to ensure airtightness within a housing, and deforms when the rod-shaped member is displaced relative to the housing along an axial direction. A position of the connection between the tube portion and the variable member in the axial direction is a position shifted from a rear end of a gap toward a front side by a predetermined length or a position at the front side with respect to the position shifted by the predetermined length. The predetermined length is a length which is 50% of a length of the gap in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenjiro Nishiyuki, Toshiki Hirokawa, Akimitsu Sassa
  • Patent number: 9739487
    Abstract: A glow plug includes a cylindrical housing, a rod-shaped heater, a membrane portion, and a pressure sensor. The cylindrical housing extends along an axial direction. The rod-shaped heater extending along the axial direction is displaced along the axial direction and has one end portion disposed within the housing, and an other end portion which is exposed from the housing. The membrane portion connects together the heater and the housing and has a multi-layer construction which has a first layer and a second layer of which at least part is positioned nearer to the other end portion in the axial direction of the heater than the first layer. The pressure sensor measures a pressure within a combustion chamber in which the other end portion is disposed by making use of a displacement of the heater. A thickness of the second layer is larger than a thickness of the first layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Tadashi Watanabe, Yoshihiro Yamamoto, Toshiki Hirokawa, Akimitsu Sassa
  • Patent number: 9422913
    Abstract: A ceramic glow plug equipped with a pressure sensor including a ceramic heater, a holding device, a housing sleeve, a housing, a movable member and a pressure sensor. A heat-generating main portion P whose resistance is 75% of the total resistance of the ceramic heater is located forward of the forward end of the holding sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Manabu Okinaka, Yoshihiro Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Akimitsu Sassa
  • Publication number: 20160177909
    Abstract: A glow plug includes a housing having an axial hole extending in an axial line direction; a ceramic heater that is relatively displaceable with respect to the housing along the axial line direction and has at least outer surface made of ceramic; and a pressure sensor fixed to the housing and configured to output a signal based on the relative displacement of the ceramic heater. A fixed member fixed to the ceramic heater while the ceramic heater is arranged to an inner circumference of the fixed member. A welded member is welded to an outer circumference of the fixed member. An inner circumferential surface of a portion of the fixed member to which at least the welded member is welded is spaced apart from the outer surface of the ceramic heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Hiroyuki SUZUKI, Hiroki TSUCHIYA, Akimitsu SASSA
  • Publication number: 20160061683
    Abstract: A variable member is connected to a rod-shaped member and connected to a tube portion to ensure airtightness within a housing, and deforms when the rod-shaped member is displaced relative to the housing along an axial direction. A position of the connection between the tube portion and the variable member in the axial direction is a position shifted from a rear end of a gap toward a front side by a predetermined length or a position at the front side with respect to the position shifted by the predetermined length. The predetermined length is a length which is 50% of a length of the gap in the axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenjiro NISHIYUKI, Toshiki HIROKAWA, Akimitsu SASSA
  • Publication number: 20150334777
    Abstract: A glow plug including a heater (200) having a rear heat-generating element (260) formed of a resistance heat-generating element, and provided in an axial region thereof between a forward end (136) of a housing and a rear end (315) of a displacement member (300) located rearward of the forward end (136). The heat-generating element (260) is arranged separately from a forward heat-generating element (205) provided at a forward end portion of the heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akimitsu SASSA, Yoshihiro YAMAMOTO, Hiroshi HARADA
  • Patent number: 9068549
    Abstract: A coupling member (180) of a glow plug (100) includes a first bend (183) and a second bend (184) folded in an axis direction OD and a joint section (185) in a tapered shape configured to connect the first bend with the second bend and reduce the diameter toward a rear end side of a body portion. Accordingly, in a limited space formed between a housing (130) and a heater unit (150), this configuration increases the length of the coupling member (180), compared with a configuration without any bend folded in the axis direction OD. This results in decreasing the spring constant k of the coupling member 180 and suppressing extension of the coupling member 180 in the axis direction due to thermal expansion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Suzuki, Akimitsu Sassa
  • Publication number: 20150047592
    Abstract: A glow plug includes a cylindrical housing, a rod-shaped heater, a membrane portion, and a pressure sensor. The cylindrical housing extends along an axial direction. The rod-shaped heater extending along the axial direction is displaced along the axial direction and has one end portion disposed within the housing, and an other end portion which is exposed from the housing. The membrane portion connects together the heater and the housing and has a multi-layer construction which has a first layer and a second layer of which at least part is positioned nearer to the other end portion in the axial direction of the heater than the first layer. The pressure sensor measures a pressure within a combustion chamber in which the other end portion is disposed by making use of a displacement of the heater. A thickness of the second layer is larger than a thickness of the first layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Inventors: Tadashi WATANABE, Yoshihiro YAMAMOTO, Toshiki HIROKAWA, Akimitsu SASSA
  • Publication number: 20140373799
    Abstract: A coupling member (180) of a glow plug (100) includes a first bend (183) and a second bend (184) folded in an axis direction OD and a joint section (185) in a tapered shape configured to connect the first bend with the second bend and reduce the diameter toward a rear end side of a body portion. Accordingly, in a limited space formed between a housing (130) and a heater unit (150), this configuration increases the length of the coupling member (180), compared with a configuration without any bend folded in the axis direction OD. This results in decreasing the spring constant k of the coupling member 180 and suppressing extension of the coupling member 180 in the axis direction due to thermal expansion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Suzuki, Akimitsu Sassa
  • Publication number: 20140352640
    Abstract: A ceramic glow plug equipped with a pressure sensor including a ceramic heater, a holding device, a housing sleeve, a housing, a movable member and a pressure sensor. A heat-generating main portion P whose resistance is 75% of the total resistance of the ceramic heater is located forward of the forward end of the holding sleeve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 25, 2012
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Manabu Okinaka, Yoshihiro Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Akimitsu Sassa