Patents by Inventor Chikashi Imoto

Chikashi Imoto 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: 10370047
    Abstract: A seal structure is provided to block a clearance between a rotational casing and a fixed housing for driving a crawler of a crawler vehicle. A seal ring is held in a first annular holding groove provided in the fixed housing together with a first O-ring that biases the seal ring toward the outside of the first holding groove. A second holding groove having an opening facing the first holding groove is provided in the rotational casing to hold a slide ring having a higher rigidity than that of the seal ring together with a second O-ring that biases the slide ring toward the seal ring. A foreign object such as mud is thereby prevented from invading a gear chamber without increasing a frictional loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: KYB Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Hirota, Chikashi Imoto, Kazumi Ito, Junichiro Sugimoto, Eishin Noguchi, Kaori Kawabata
  • Publication number: 20170166269
    Abstract: A seal structure is provided to block a clearance between a rotational casing and a fixed housing for driving a crawler of a crawler vehicle. A seal ring is held in a first annular holding groove provided in the fixed housing together with a first O-ring that biases the seal ring toward the outside of the first holding groove. A second holding groove having an opening facing the first holding groove is provided in the rotational casing to hold a slide ring having a higher rigidity than that of the seal ring together with a second O-ring that biases the slide ring toward the seal ring. A foreign object such as mud is thereby prevented from invading a gear chamber without increasing a frictional loss.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Inventors: Yoshikazu HIROTA, Chikashi IMOTO, Kazumi ITO, Junichiro SUGIMOTO, Eishin NOGUCHI, Kaori KAWABATA
  • Patent number: 9598125
    Abstract: A seal structure is provided to block a clearance between a rotational casing and a fixed housing for driving a crawler of a crawler vehicle. A seal ring is held in a first annular holding groove provided in the fixed housing together with a first O-ring that biases the seal ring toward the outside of the first holding groove. A second holding groove having an opening facing the first holding groove is provided in the rotational casing to hold a slide ring having a higher rigidity than that of the seal ring together with a second O-ring that biases the slide ring toward the seal ring. A foreign object such as mud is thereby prevented from invading a gear chamber without increasing a frictional loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: KYB Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Hirota, Chikashi Imoto, Kazumi Ito, Junichiro Sugimoto, Eishin Noguchi, Kaori Kawabata
  • Patent number: 9581246
    Abstract: A seal member includes an annular fitting part and an annular dust lip. The fitting part fits on an inner circumference of a tubular member. The dust lip extends from the fitting part toward a side opposite from the tubular member such that a diameter of an inner circumference of the dust lip gradually decreases, and a distal end portion of the dust lip slides on an outer circumferential surface of a shaft member. A metal insert includes a reinforcing ring and a reinforcing extension piece. The reinforcing ring stands along the inner circumference of the tubular member. The reinforcing extension piece extends from the reinforcing ring toward a side opposite from the tubular member, and inclines such that a distal end of the reinforcing extension piece approaches the shaft member. The reinforcing ring is arranged in the fitting part, whereas the reinforcing extension piece is arranged in the dust lip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: KYB Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Kubota, Kiyoshi Kani, Chikashi Imoto
  • Publication number: 20150362075
    Abstract: A seal member includes an annular fitting part and an annular dust lip. The fitting part fits on an inner circumference of a tubular member. The dust lip extends from the fitting part toward a side opposite from the tubular member such that a diameter of an inner circumference of the dust lip gradually decreases, and a distal end portion of the dust lip slides on an outer circumferential surface of a shaft member. A metal insert includes a reinforcing ring and a reinforcing extension piece. The reinforcing ring stands along the inner circumference of the tubular member. The reinforcing extension piece extends from the reinforcing ring toward a side opposite from the tubular member, and inclines such that a distal end of the reinforcing extension piece approaches the shaft member. The reinforcing ring is arranged in the fitting part, whereas the reinforcing extension piece is arranged in the dust lip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Applicant: KAYABA INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki KUBOTA, Kiyoshi KANI, Chikashi IMOTO
  • Publication number: 20150298750
    Abstract: A seal structure is provided to block a clearance between a rotational casing and a fixed housing for driving a crawler of a crawler vehicle. A seal ring is held in a first annular holding groove provided in the fixed housing together with a first O-ring that biases the seal ring toward the outside of the first holding groove. A second holding groove having an opening facing the first holding groove is provided in the rotational casing to hold a slide ring having a higher rigidity than that of the seal ring together with a second O-ring that biases the slide ring toward the seal ring. A foreign object such as mud is thereby prevented from invading a gear chamber without increasing a frictional loss.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Inventors: Yoshikazu HIROTA, Chikashi IMOTO, Kazumi ITO, Junichiro SUGIMOTO, Eishin NOGUCHI, Kaori KAWABATA
  • Publication number: 20140202809
    Abstract: A sealing device adapted to seal an outer periphery of a shaft member inserted into a tubular member includes a dust seal lip arranged on an outer side of the tubular member and an oil seal lip arranged on an inner side of the tubular member to form a space for accumulating working fluid between the oil seal lip and the dust seal lip. The dust seal lip includes a main lip portion and an auxiliary lip portion formed to be closer to the oil seal lip than the main lip portion. A maximum value of a surface pressure gradient absolute value of the inner side in the auxiliary lip portion is set to be larger than that of a surface pressure gradient absolute value of the outer side in the auxiliary lip portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: KAYABA INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinji Ozaki, Shusaku Saita, Kiyoaki Ito, Chikashi Imoto
  • Patent number: 7837017
    Abstract: A high-friction fluid seal used for high-friction sealing, comprising a fluid seal lip provided on the working fluid filling side to intercept a working fluid; and a dust lip provided on the working fluid non-filling side (the outer side) of the fluid seal lip to intercept dust coming from the outside, wherein the thickness of a working fluid film formed on the extension stroke by the dust lip is smaller than the thickness of a working fluid film formed on the extension stroke by the fluid seal lip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Kayaba Industry Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Chikashi Imoto, Masatami Tsukamoto, Etsuro Nakada
  • Patent number: 7793584
    Abstract: There is provided a hydraulic damper including a receiving space formed between a rod guide of a cylinder and an insert metal, for temporarily retaining a working fluid leaked out from an oil chamber through a sliding gap of a rod. The hydraulic damper further includes a communicating path for communicating between a reservoir and the receiving space, and a check valve for allowing a flow of the working fluid only from the receiving space to the reservoir. Either one of a lip part of the check valve or a seat surface provided on the rod guide is formed with a sealing projected part protruding from a mutual contact surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Kayaba Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoharu Murakami, Chikatoshi Abe, Chikashi Imoto, Hiroyuki Emoto, Etsuro Nakada
  • Publication number: 20090152779
    Abstract: A high-friction fluid seal used for high-friction sealing, comprising a fluid seal lip provided on the working fluid filling side to intercept a working fluid; and a dust lip provided on the working fluid non-filling side (the outer side) of the fluid seal lip to intercept dust coming from the outside, wherein the thickness of a working fluid film formed on the extension stroke by the dust lip is smaller than the thickness of a working fluid film formed on the extension stroke by the fluid seal lip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2008
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Inventors: Chikashi Imoto, Masatami Tsukamoto, Etsuro Nakada
  • Publication number: 20080035902
    Abstract: There is provided a hydraulic dumper including an receiving space 15 formed between the rod guide 4 of the cylinder 1 and the insert metal 5 and for temporarily retaining the working fluid leaked out from the oil chamber R1 through the sliding gap of the rod 3, a communicating path 4d for communicating the reservoir R and the receiving space 15, and a check valve 9 for allowing the flow of the working fluid only from the receiving space 15 to the reservoir R, wherein, either one of the lip part 9a of the check valve or the seat surface 4c provided on the rod guide 4 is formed with a sealing projected part 10, 11 protruding from the mutual contact surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2007
    Publication date: February 14, 2008
    Applicant: KAYABA INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoharu Murakami, Chikatoshi Abe, Chikashi Imoto, Hiroyuki Emoto, Etsuro Nakada