Patents by Inventor Akio Matsumoto

Akio Matsumoto 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).

  • Publication number: 20170009817
    Abstract: Provided is a driving force transmission device that can achieve further reduction in drag torque when it is not in operation and thus is not transmitting a driving force. A driving force transmission device includes: a clutch hub and a clutch drum; inner clutch plates spline-fitted on the clutch hub; outer clutch plates spline-fitted in the clutch drum; and a housing having a second accommodating chamber accommodating the clutch hub and the clutch drum. The inner clutch plates and the outer clutch plates are lubricated by lubricant. The driving force transmission device further includes a fin plate. The fin plate rotates with the clutch hub. By this rotation, the fin plate scoops up the lubricant in the second accommodating chamber to feed the lubricant to a reservoir chamber formed in the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Applicant: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Shun OHNO, Akio Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8746431
    Abstract: A flanged coupling member is provided with a shaft portion to which a drive force is input, and a flange portion formed in one end of the shaft portion. The flanged coupling member is coupled to a front housing member with a bolt in which a shaft portion thereof is coaxially arranged in a front housing member and a flange portion contacts an outer surface in an axial direction of a bottom portion of the front housing member. The flange portion is provided with a tubular engagement portion that extends in an axial direction from an outer peripheral edge thereof. The engagement portion is arranged on an outer circumference of the front housing member on the basis of the fastening, and the engagement portion and the front housing member are engaged via a spline. The flanged coupling member is fastened to the front housing member at the shaft portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Jtekt Corporation
    Inventor: Akio Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8151958
    Abstract: A cam mechanism is provided with a forward rotation plate and a reverse rotation plate. The respective plates are urged by the respective coil springs in the directions opposite to each other. When the number of rotations of the front wheels becomes great relative to the number of rotations of the rear wheels, the forward rotation plate rotates. Thus, a main cam which is urged by the respective coil springs toward the neutral position rotates together with the forward rotation plate when the forward rotation plate rotates. When the number of rotations of the rear wheels becomes great relative to the number of rotations of the front wheels, the reverse rotation plate rotates. Thus, the main cam which is urged by the respective coil springs toward the neutral position rotates together with the reverse rotation plate when the reverse rotation plate rotates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Masakatsu Kani, Akio Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8123018
    Abstract: A power transmitting device includes a front housing member, an inner shaft, and a main clutch that selectively permits and shuts off transmission of torque between the front housing member and the inner shaft. The power transmitting device is rotatably supported by a bearing arranged outside the front housing member. An intermediate member having a thermal expansion coefficient lower than the thermal expansion coefficient of the front housing member is arranged between the front housing member and the bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventor: Akio Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7833921
    Abstract: A composite material according to the invention includes X parts by volume of boron carbide, Y parts by volume of silicon carbide, and Z parts by volume of silicon as main components, wherein 10<X<60, 20<Y<70, and 5<Z<30 are satisfied, and grains of 10 ?m or more of the boron carbide and the silicon carbide are 10-50 parts by volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Akio Matsumoto, Shogo Shimada
  • Patent number: 7694791
    Abstract: A driving force transmitting apparatus includes: a first torque-transmitting member having a cylindrical portion and provided with a spline tooth; a second torque-transmitting member positioned inside the cylindrical portion and arranged coaxially rotatably relative to the first torque-transmitting member; a main clutch with a spline tooth; an actuator unit for actuating the main clutch to be engaged; and a controlling device for controlling the actuator unit so as to pressurize the main clutch plate in such a manner that torque is not substantially transmitted between the first torque-transmitting member and the second torque-transmitting member when the engagement of the main clutch is judged to be unnecessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Masakatsu Kani, Akio Matsumoto, Toshimi Hara, Kunihiko Suzuki, Tsuyoshi Murakami
  • Publication number: 20090295048
    Abstract: A composite material according to the invention includes X parts by volume of boron carbide, Y parts by volume of silicon carbide, and Z parts by volume of silicon as main components, wherein 10<X<60, 20<Y<70, and 5<Z<30 are satisfied, and grains of 10 ?m or more of the boron carbide and the silicon carbide are 10-50 parts by volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Applicant: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Akio Matsumoto, Shogo Shimada
  • Publication number: 20090256112
    Abstract: A composite material according the invention includes boron carbide, silicon carbide, and silicon as main components, wherein an average grain diameter of boron carbide grains of the composite material is 10 ?m or more and 30 ?m or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Shogo Shimada, Akio Matsumoto, Masami Ando
  • Patent number: 7524600
    Abstract: Provided is a toner not undergoing the effect of change of temperature and humidity, with high charging stability and having good fixing property and releasability. This is an electrophotographic toner containing at least a binder resin, a colorant, a charge controller and a wax in which the binder resin comprises a polyester resin having an aromatic alcohol ingredient, the charge controller comprises an organic bentonite and the wax comprises a non-polar paraffin wax.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoko Toizumi, Yoshiaki Akazawa, Satoshi Ogawa, Masao Suzuki, Akio Matsumoto, Hiroshi Onda, Kiyoshi Toizumi, Toshihisa Ishida, Tadayuki Sawai, Kouji Kida, Tohru Nishikawa, Masahiko Kubo
  • Publication number: 20090014271
    Abstract: A power transmitting device includes a front housing member, an inner shaft, and a main clutch that selectively permits and shuts off transmission of torque between the front housing member and the inner shaft. The power transmitting device is rotatably supported by a bearing arranged outside the front housing member. An intermediate member having a thermal expansion coefficient lower than the thermal expansion coefficient of the front housing member is arranged between the front housing member and the bearing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akio MATSUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20080254964
    Abstract: Object: To provide a machineable glass ceramic which has excellent machineable properties and various other physical property values. Solution: A machineable glass ceramic comprises a glass matrix having substantially only fluorine phlogopite crystals dispersed therein, wherein an average dimension in the directions of major axes of said fluorine phlogopite crystals is less than 5 ?m. The machineable glass ceramic constituted as above is produced by forming and degreasing glassy powder containing at least Si, Al, Mg, K, F and O, and thereafter by sintering the same at temperatures of 1000-1100 degrees centigrade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Applicant: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Shogo Shimada, Takayuki Ide, Masakatsu Kiyohara, Akio Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20080078622
    Abstract: A cam mechanism is provided with a forward rotation plate and a reverse rotation plate. The respective plates are urged by the respective coil springs in the directions opposite to each other. When the number of rotations of the front wheels becomes great relative to the number of rotations of the rear wheels, the forward rotation plate rotates. Thus, a main cam which is urged by the respective coil springs toward the neutral position rotates together with the forward rotation plate when the forward rotation plate rotates. When the number of rotations of the rear wheels becomes great relative to the number of rotations of the front wheels, the reverse rotation plate rotates. Thus, the main cam which is urged by the respective coil springs toward the neutral position rotates together with the reverse rotation plate when the reverse rotation plate rotates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2007
    Publication date: April 3, 2008
    Applicant: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Masakatsu KANI, Akio MATSUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20080073170
    Abstract: A flanged coupling member is provided with a shaft portion to which a drive force is input, and a flange portion formed in one end of the shaft portion. The flanged coupling member is coupled to a front housing member with a bolt in which a shaft portion thereof is coaxially arranged in a front housing member and a flange portion contacts an outer surface in an axial direction of a bottom portion of the front housing member. The flange portion is provided with a tubular engagement portion that extends in an axial direction from an outer peripheral edge thereof. The engagement portion is arranged on an outer circumference of the front housing member on the basis of the fastening, and the engagement portion and the front housing member are engaged via a spline. The flanged coupling member is fastened to the front housing member at the shaft portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2007
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Applicant: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventor: Akio MATSUMOTO
  • Patent number: 7288222
    Abstract: A wet-type compacting method of a ceramic powder using a solvent, wherein the ceramic powder is coated with a high polymer organic substance which is substantially insoluble in the solvent so that homogeneity of a compact is kept, while generating no problem during each process and excellent plasticity and/or strength are exhibited by the compact, and if a sintering process follows a compacting process, sintering characteristics are improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Akio Matsumoto, Akira Kawakami, Tatsuya Goto
  • Publication number: 20070231835
    Abstract: This invention provides a modified yeast two-hybrid system in order to identify NO-dependent protein-protein interactions. Bait proteins implicated in apoptotic signaling pathways were used to identify NO-dependent interactions. The physiological relevance of these interactions is demonstrated by their occurrence and dependence on endogenous NO in mammalian cells, and by the functional interrelatedness of bait and prey.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Inventors: Jonathan Stamler, Akio Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7229762
    Abstract: This invention provides a modified yeast two-hybrid system in order to identify NO-dependent protein-protein interactions. Bait proteins implicated in apoptotic signaling pathways were used to identify NO-dependent interactions. The physiological relevance of these interactions is demonstrated by their occurrence and dependence on endogenous NO in mammalian cells, and by the functional interrelatedness of bait and prey.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Duke University Medical Center
    Inventors: Jonathan S. Stamler, Akio Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20070045075
    Abstract: A driving force transmitting apparatus includes: a first torque-transmitting member having a cylindrical portion and provided with a spline tooth; a second torque-transmitting member positioned inside the cylindrical portion and arranged coaxially rotatably relative to the first torque-transmitting member; a main clutch with a spline tooth; an actuator unit for actuating the main clutch to be engaged; and a controlling device for controlling the actuator unit so as to pressurize the main clutch plate in such a manner that torque is not substantially transmitted between the first torque-transmitting member and the second torque-transmitting member when the engagement of the main clutch is judged to be unnecessary.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2006
    Publication date: March 1, 2007
    Applicant: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Masakatsu Kani, Akio Matsumoto, Toshimi Hara, Kunihiko Suzuki, Tsuyoshi Murakami
  • Patent number: 7156509
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an ink tank; and an ink supplying path for supplying the ink from the ink tank to a print head, wherein the ink supplying path therein includes a filter, which generates negative pressure when the ink is supplied, the negative pressure being smaller than ink absorbing pressure of a nozzle of the print head. Further, the ink tank therein includes, for example, a porous ink absorbing body for retaining ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Matsushita, Hirokazu Nakamura, Naozumi Ueno, Hisashi Yoshimura, Takashi Gotoh, Akio Matsumoto, Hiroshi Ishii
  • Publication number: 20060177755
    Abstract: Provided is a toner not undergoing the effect of change of temperature and humidity, with high charging stability and having good fixing property and releasability. This is an electrophotographic toner containing at least a binder resin, a colorant, a charge controller and a wax in which the binder resin comprises a polyester resin having an aromatic alcohol ingredient, the charge controller comprises an organic bentonite and the wax comprises a non-polar paraffin wax.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Publication date: August 10, 2006
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoko Toizumi, Yoshiaki Akazawa, Satoshi Ogawa, Masao Suzuki, Akio Matsumoto, Hiroshi Onda, Kiyoshi Toizumi, Toshihisa Ishida, Tadayuki Sawai, Kouji Kida, Tohru Nishikawa, Masahiko Kubo
  • Publication number: 20060024601
    Abstract: An electrophotographic toner is prepared by using a binder resin having an acid value of 5 to 15 mgKOH/g, a salicylic metal complex, a colorant, and a releasing agent. In the preparation determination for the third root distribution of a light emission voltage by helium atmospheric pressure microwave induction plasmas for carbon atoms derived from the binder resin and metal atoms derived from the salicylic metal complex is made based on a value measured by a micro-particle measuring apparatus including a normal pressure or atmospheric pressure space, a capillary tube inserted at one end in the space, a microwave source, a cavity, a quartz tubular reactor, a discharge means, an analyses means, and a signal detection portion. The absolute deviation showing the scattering of approximate straight lines approximated by a least squares method is controlled to be 0.08 or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2005
    Publication date: February 2, 2006
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Ogawa, Yoshiaki Akazawa, Masahiko Kubo, Hiromi Nakatsu, Kiyoshi Toizumi, Masao Suzuki, Akio Matsumoto