Patents by Inventor Chikara Sekiguchi

Chikara Sekiguchi 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: 11394285
    Abstract: A fixing body includes a coil holding part that is disposed to surround a magnet externally in a radial direction and holds the coil disposed outside the bobbin-shaped coil holding part in the radial direction. The coil holding part includes a coil protection wall portion that is disposed inside the coil in the radial direction of the coil with a gap being interposed between the coil protection wall portion and the magnet, and inhibits contact between the coil and the movable body. Elastic supporting parts are a plurality of leaf springs installed between the fixing body and the movable body to sandwich the movable body in the vibration direction, and support the movable body such that, in a non-vibration state and in a vibration state of the movable body, the movable body is freely movable in the vibration direction without making contact with the coil holding part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Minebea Mitsumi Inc.
    Inventors: Yuki Takahashi, Chikara Sekiguchi, Shigeyuki Shimomura, Yoshihiro Kumanomido, Daisuke Kodama, Yuta Yoshii, Shigenori Inamoto
  • Publication number: 20220213887
    Abstract: A pump system contains a vibration actuator which can be electromagnetically driven by applying an alternating-current voltage E thereto, a sealed chamber connected to a suction port and a discharge port, and a movable wall for changing a volume of the sealed chamber. The movable wall is displaced due to drive of the vibration actuator to supply fluid in the sealed chamber into a target object. The pump system controls an effective value of the alternating-current voltage E so that an amplitude Y of the vibration actuator is constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Inventors: Yuta YOSHII, Chikara SEKIGUCHI, Shigenori INAMOTO, Yuki TAKAHASHI, Daisuke KODAMA, Daisuke KURITA
  • Publication number: 20220205444
    Abstract: A pump system contains a vibration actuator which can be electromagnetically driven, a sealed chamber connected to a suction port and a discharge port, and a movable wall for changing a volume of the sealed chamber. The movable wall is displaced due to drive of the vibration actuator to supply fluid in the sealed chamber into a cuff. The pump system detects pressure in the cuff based on a consumption current of the vibration actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Yuta YOSHII, Chikara SEKIGUCHI, Shigenori INAMOTO, Yuki TAKAHASHI, Daisuke KODAMA, Daisuke KURITA
  • Publication number: 20220123641
    Abstract: A vibration actuator has a movable body including: a disk-shaped magnet; disk-shaped cores fixed on front and rear surfaces of the magnet and each having an opening at a center thereof; leaf springs having a substantially circular shape; and spring stopper weight parts each having one end positioned by joining the opening to be joined with one of the cores and having another end connected to a central part of one of the leaf springs; and a fixing body including an annular coil having a larger inner diameter than the magnet, the cores and the spring stopper weight parts. The fixing body supports an outer periphery part of the leaf springs and accommodates therein the movable body such that the magnet, the cores and the spring stopper weight parts are capable of moving upwardly and downwardly inside the coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Applicant: Minebea Mitsumi Inc.
    Inventors: Yuki TAKAHASHI, Chikara SEKIGUCHI, Shigeyuki SHIMOMURA, Daisuke KODAMA, Yuta YOSHII, Yasutaka KITAMURA, Shigenori INAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20220123640
    Abstract: A vibration actuator has a movable body and a fixing body. The movable body includes: a disk-shaped magnet; annular cores each having an opening at a center thereof; and spring stopper weight parts, and stacked such that the magnet is disposed at a center of the movable body, the annular cores is fixed on front and rear surfaces of the magnet in its axial direction, and the spring stopper weight parts are joined with the annular cores at the opening. Each spring stopper weight part includes: a spring fixing part connecting to one of the elastic support parts; a joining protrusion part inserted into the opening of one of the annular cores; and a weight body part provided between the spring fixing part and the joining protrusion part, having a larger diameter, and disposed to face and join with an annular surface of one of the annular cores.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Applicant: Minebea Mitsumi Inc.
    Inventors: Yuki TAKAHASHI, Chikara SEKIGUCHI, Shigeyuki SHIMOMURA, Daisuke KODAMA, Yuta YOSHII, Yasutaka KITAMURA, Shigenori INAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20220123642
    Abstract: A vibration actuator includes: a movable body including: a disk-shaped magnet; a pair of disk-shaped cores fixed on front and rear surfaces of the disk-shaped magnet and each having an opening at a center thereof; a pair of leaf springs having a substantially circular shape; and a pair of spring stopper weight parts each having one end positioned by joining the opening to be joined with one of the disk-shaped cores and having another end connected to a central part of one of the leaf springs; and a fixing body including an annular coil and configured to support and accommodate therein the movable body such that the disk-shaped magnet, the disk-shaped cores and the spring stopper weight parts are capable of vibrating in an axial direction inside the annular coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Applicant: Minebea Mitsumi Inc.
    Inventors: Yuki TAKAHASHI, Chikara SEKIGUCHI, Shigeyuki SHIMOMURA, Daisuke KODAMA, Yuta YOSHII, Yasutaka KITAMURA, Shigenori INAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20220123639
    Abstract: A vibration actuator has: a fixing body; a movable body; and first and second elastic support parts disposed to sandwich the movable body in the vibration direction and configured to movably support the movable body with respect to the fixing body by elastic deformation, wherein the movable body includes: a core provided to both sides of a magnet of the movable body and having an opening; and spring stoppers disposed between the magnet and the first elastic support part and between the magnet and the second elastic support part; and wherein the spring stoppers are each fixed such that one end is fixed to one of the first or second elastic support part and such that another end is fixed by insertion into the opening and abutment on a surface of the movable body core facing the one of the first or second elastic support part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Applicant: Minebea Mitsumi Inc.
    Inventors: Yuki Takahashi, Chikara Sekiguchi, Shigeyuki Shimomura, Daisuke Kodama, Yuta Yoshii, Yasutaka Kitamura, Shigenori Inamoto
  • Publication number: 20220045591
    Abstract: A vibration actuator includes a movable body provided with one of a coil and a magnet that is disposed radially inward of the coil with a gap formed therebetween, a fixing body provided with the other of the coil and the magnet and a shaft portion, and an elastic support portion, the movable body vibrating in a vibration direction by means of cooperation between the coil supplied with power and the magnet. The movable body is provided with a through-hole into which the shaft portion is inserted with a gap formed between the through-hole and an outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion and the elastic support portion supports the movable body such that the movable body does not come into contact with the shaft portion at a time when the movable body does not vibrate and at a time when the movable body vibrates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Applicant: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki TAKAHASHI, Chikara SEKIGUCHI, Yuta YOSHII, Daisuke KODAMA, Shigenori INAMOTO
  • Patent number: 11183914
    Abstract: A vibration actuator includes a movable body provided with one of a coil and a magnet that is disposed radially inward of the coil with a gap formed therebetween, a fixing body provided with the other of the coil and the magnet and a shaft portion, and an elastic support portion, the movable body vibrating in a vibration direction by means of cooperation between the coil supplied with power and the magnet. The movable body is provided with a through-hole into which the shaft portion is inserted with a gap formed between the through-hole and an outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion and the elastic support portion supports the movable body such that the movable body does not come into contact with the shaft portion at a time when the movable body does not vibrate and at a time when the movable body vibrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Takahashi, Chikara Sekiguchi, Yuta Yoshii, Daisuke Kodama, Shigenori Inamoto
  • Publication number: 20210328491
    Abstract: This vibration actuator has: a stationary body having a coil; a movable body having a magnet disposed radially inside the coil; and an elastic support part for supporting the movable body so that the movable body can move relative to the stationary body. The stationary body has a coil holding part. The coil holding part has, on the inner diameter side of the coil, a coil protection wall part. The elastic support part has at least two or more plate springs bridged between the coil holding part and the movable body so as to sandwich the movable body in a vibration direction. In order that the movable body does not come into contact with the coil holding part when not vibrating and when vibrating, the plate springs support the movable body so that the movable body is movable in the vibration direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Applicant: Minebea Mitsumi Inc.
    Inventors: Yuki TAKAHASHI, Chikara SEKIGUCHI, Shigeyuki SHIMOMURA, Daisuke KODAMA, Yuta YOSHII, Yasutaka KITAMURA, Shigenori INAMOTO
  • Patent number: 11133736
    Abstract: In the movable body one of a magnet and a core that has a magnetic pole surface disposed so as to face a magnetic pole surface of the magnet via an air gap and around which a coil is wound is provided on each of both sides across the shaft of the support shaft part in the movable body, and in the fixing body the other is provided facing the magnet or core disposed on both sides of the shaft of the support shaft part in the movable body. The movable body is elastically supported by magnetic attractive force generated between the magnetic pole surfaces at each of both sides across the shaft and vibrates back and forth in the direction of the shaft of the support shaft part with respect to the fixing body by the coil interacting with the magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Takahashi, Chikara Sekiguchi, Tomoya Ishitani, Shigenori Inamoto
  • Patent number: 10994304
    Abstract: A vibration apparatus, which is provided with vibration actuators with which a moving body elastically supported on a fixed body can be vibrated linearly with respect to the fixed body at a resonance frequency, has a mounting case in which multiple vibration actuators are mounted. The multiple vibration actuators oscillate at roughly the same resonance frequency, and in a manner such that the respective oscillation axis lines along the oscillation directions of the moving bodies are parallel to each other and that the center of gravity of the mounting case is interposed between the oscillation axis lines, the vibration actuators are disposed in orientations according to which the actuators excite oscillations in mutually opposite directions on the respective oscillation axis lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Takahashi, Chikara Sekiguchi, Tomoya Ishitani, Shigenori Inamoto
  • Publication number: 20200389078
    Abstract: A vibration actuator includes: a fixing body including a hollow case and a coil, a movable body that includes a magnet, and an elastic supporting part that supports the movable body such that the movable body is freely movable with respect to the fixing body in the hollow case. The hollow case restricts a movement range of the movable body in the case by opposite end surface portions that are disposed to face each other at a distance from each other in the vibration direction of the movable body, the hollow case includes one or more vent holes, and the vent holes are disposed in a portion of at least one end surface portion of the opposite end surface portions, the portion being free from interference by the movable body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: Minebea Mitsumi Inc.
    Inventors: Yuki TAKAHASHI, Chikara Sekiguchi, Shigeyuki Shimomura, Yoshihiro Kumanomido, Daisuke Kodama, Yuta Yoshii, Shigenori Inamoto
  • Publication number: 20200381987
    Abstract: A fixing body includes a coil holding part that is disposed to surround a magnet externally in a radial direction and holds the coil disposed outside the bobbin-shaped coil holding part in the radial direction. The coil holding part includes a coil protection wall portion that is disposed inside the coil in the radial direction of the coil with a gap being interposed between the coil protection wall portion and the magnet, and inhibits contact between the coil and the movable body. Elastic supporting parts are a plurality of leaf springs installed between the fixing body and the movable body to sandwich the movable body in the vibration direction, and support the movable body such that, in a non-vibration state and in a vibration state of the movable body, the movable body is freely movable in the vibration direction without making contact with the coil holding part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Applicant: Minebea Mitsumi Inc.
    Inventors: Yuki TAKAHASHI, Chikara SEKIGUCHI, Shigeyuki SHIMOMURA, Yoshihiro KUMANOMIDO, Daisuke KODAMA, Yuta YOSHII, Shigenori INAMOTO
  • Patent number: 10855154
    Abstract: An actuator has: an affixed section having a coil; a first mobile section that is elastically held and disposed so as to allow movement in the axial direction inside one end of the coil, and has a first magnet magnetized in the axial direction of the coil and disposed on one end in the axial direction; and a second mobile section that is elastically held and disposed so as to allow movement in the axial direction inside another end of the coil, and has a second magnet magnetized in the axial direction and disposed on the other end in the axial direction. The first and second magnets are disposed such that identical magnetic poles are in the same direction in the axial direction, and the first and second mobile sections move in opposite directions along the same axis when a current is applied to the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Takahashi, Yasutaka Kitamura, Masaharu Kagami, Chikara Sekiguchi, Kazutaka Sakaguchi, Shigenori Inamoto
  • Patent number: 10715023
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a vibratory actuator the size of which can be reduced and which effectively produces vibrations felt by a user. The vibratory actuator has: a stationary body which has a curved surface section curved in a concave shape to be placed along the skin; and a movable body which is disposed on the curved surface section so as to be able to move with respect to the stationary body in a reciprocating manner along the curved surface section, thereby imparting a vibratory stimulus caused by the reciprocating motion to mechanoreceptors in the skin tissue via the curved surface section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Takahashi, Chikara Sekiguchi, Kazutaka Sakaguchi, Yasutaka Kitamura, Masaharu Kagami, Shigenori Inamoto
  • Publication number: 20200076287
    Abstract: A vibration actuator that cooperates with a coil and a magnet to vibrate a movable body with respect to a stationary body, including: the stationary body including the coil and a core around which the coil is wound; a shaft part; and the movable body including the magnet, the movable body being movably supported by the stationary body via the shaft part, wherein the core is disposed along an axial direction of the shaft part, and includes a core-side magnetic pole to be excited by energization to the coil, the magnet includes a magnet-side magnetic pole disposed so as to face the core-side magnetic pole with a gap therebetween, and the vibration actuator further includes a spring part elastically supporting the movable body with respect to the stationary body, linearly movably in the axial direction in a reciprocating manner, and rotationally movably about an axis in a reciprocating manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Applicant: MINEBEA MITSUMI INC.
    Inventors: Yuki TAKAHASHI, Chikara SEKIGUCHI, Yuki OTSUKA, Tomoya ISHITANI, Kazutaka SAKAGUCHI, Shigenori INAMOTO
  • Patent number: 10547234
    Abstract: An oscillatory actuator has: a fixed body that has a planar part and a flat coil disposed on the planar part; and a movable body that has a magnet facing the coil and oscillates in a reciprocating manner in one direction relative to the fixed body above the planar part via cooperation between the coil and the magnet. The fixed body has a pair of linear bearings that are respectively disposed along both side surfaces extending in said one direction of the movable body and are equipped with balls capable of rolling and coming into contact with the respective side surfaces. The movable body is supported via the balls of the linear bearings so as to be able to oscillate in said one direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Takahashi, Chikara Sekiguchi, Kazutaka Sakaguchi, Yasutaka Kitamura, Masaharu Kagami, Shigenori Inamoto
  • Publication number: 20200001326
    Abstract: A vibration apparatus, which is provided with vibration actuators with which a moving body elastically supported on a fixed body can be vibrated linearly with respect to the fixed body at a resonance frequency, has a mounting case in which multiple vibration actuators are mounted. The multiple vibration actuators oscillate at roughly the same resonance frequency, and in a manner such that the respective oscillation axis lines along the oscillation directions of the moving bodies are parallel to each other and that the center of gravity of the mounting case is interposed between the oscillation axis lines, the vibration actuators are disposed in orientations according to which the actuators excite oscillations in mutually opposite directions on the respective oscillation axis lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Applicant: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki TAKAHASHI, Chikara SEKIGUCHI, Tomoya ISHITANI, Shigenori INAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20190386552
    Abstract: In the movable body one of a magnet and a core that has a magnetic pole surface disposed so as to face a magnetic pole surface of the magnet via an air gap and around which a coil is wound is provided on each of both sides across the shaft of the support shaft part in the movable body, and in the fixing body the other is provided facing the magnet or core disposed on both sides of the shaft of the support shaft part in the movable body. The movable body is elastically supported by magnetic attractive force generated between the magnetic pole surfaces at each of both sides across the shaft and vibrates back and forth in the direction of the shaft of the support shaft part with respect to the fixing body by the coil interacting with the magnet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Applicant: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Takahashi, Chikara Sekiguchi, Tomoya Ishitani, Shigenori Inamoto