Patents by Inventor Hiroaki Hirano

Hiroaki Hirano 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: 11710598
    Abstract: A field magnet manufacturing method where a bonded magnet's inner surface press-fitted in a yoke has a certain accuracy irrespective of the accuracy of the yoke's outer circumferential surface. A cylindrical bonded magnet from binding magnet particles with a thermosetting resin is fixed in a tubular yoke of magnetic material. The method includes reheating and softening the bonded magnet after thermal curing; and press-fitting in the bonded magnet after the softening step from a tapered portion on one end side of the yoke to press the bonded magnet's outer circumferential surface against the yoke's inner surface. The press-fitting includes feeding the bonded magnet relatively into the yoke while allowing a relative posture variation between the bonded magnet and the yoke so the bonded magnet's inner surface to be remolded into a shape along the inner surface of the yoke exhibits almost the same accuracy as the yoke's inner surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoru Kan, Hiroaki Hirano, Hironari Mitarai, Takumi Asano, Motonobu Furuyama
  • Patent number: 11670997
    Abstract: A vibration motor includes a stationary part, and a movable element which has a magnet and can vibrate in one direction. The stationary part includes a coil which applies a driving force to the magnet due to energization, a housing which houses the movable element and the coil therein, a first lid part which closes an end portion of the housing on one side in the one direction, and a first bearing part. The first bearing part is disposed inside the housing on the other side in the one direction from the first lid part. The first bearing part includes a bearing inner circumferential surface disposed with a gap therebetween with respect to an outer circumferential surface of a portion of the movable element on one side in the one direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsunori Hirata, Tomohiro Hasegawa, Daisuke Adachi, Hiroaki Hirano, Hideki Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20220345019
    Abstract: A vibration motor includes a stationary portion and a movable portion vibrable in an axis direction with respect to the stationary portion. The stationary portion includes a coil and a housing. The housing includes a first region expanding in a first direction orthogonal to the axis direction, and a second region disposed on one side in a second direction orthogonal to the axis direction and the first direction relative to the first region and expanding in the first direction. In a cross-section across the axis direction, a distance in the second direction between the second region and the first region is longest at a center in the first direction of the first region. In the cross-section, a shape formed by the first and second regions is asymmetric with respect to an axis extending parallel to the first direction through a center of the housing in the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Inventors: Atsunori HIRATA, Daisuke ADACHI, Hiroaki HIRANO, Tomohiro KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20220278589
    Abstract: A motor includes a shaft centered on a central axis that extends vertically, a bearing that supports the shaft, and a stator including a coil radially opposing an outer peripheral surface of the shaft. The shaft includes a magnetization pattern in which at least two or more poles of N and S poles are alternately arranged in a circumferential direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Inventors: Yu TACHIBANA, Tomohiro HASEGAWA, Yoichi SEKII, Masahiro OTANI, Hiroaki HIRANO
  • Publication number: 20220278570
    Abstract: A motor includes a rotor including a shaft centered on a central axis extending vertically, a bearing that supports the shaft, an air-core coil that is radially outward of the rotor and extends in an axial direction, and a back yoke that includes an axially extending shape with a linear portion having a coil shape, and includes an inner peripheral surface to which the air-core coil is fixed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Inventors: Yu TACHIBANA, Yoichi SEKII, Hiroaki HIRANO
  • Publication number: 20220223341
    Abstract: A field magnet manufacturing method where a bonded magnet's inner surface press-fitted in a yoke has a certain accuracy irrespective of the accuracy of the yoke's outer circumferential surface. A cylindrical bonded magnet from binding magnet particles with a thermosetting resin is fixed in a tubular yoke of magnetic material. The method includes reheating and softening the bonded magnet after thermal curing; and press-fitting in the bonded magnet after the softening step from a tapered portion on one end side of the yoke to press the bonded magnet's outer circumferential surface against the yoke's inner surface. The press-fitting includes feeding the bonded magnet relatively into the yoke while allowing a relative posture variation between the bonded magnet and the yoke so the bonded magnet's inner surface to be remolded into a shape along the inner surface of the yoke exhibits almost the same accuracy as the yoke's inner surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Applicant: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoru KAN, Hiroaki HIRANO, Hironari MITARAI, Takumi ASANO, Motonobu FURUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20220209637
    Abstract: A vibrating motor includes a stationary portion, and a movable portion capable of vibrating with respect to the stationary portion along a center axis extending in a vertical direction. The stationary portion includes a bearing portion which extends along the center axis and supports the movable portion to be able to vibrate along the center axis, and a coil including a conductive wire wound around the center axis. The bearing portion includes a first region including a coil inner region on a radially inner side of the coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2021
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Atsunori HIRATA, Hiroaki HIRANO, Ryoichi MITSUHATA
  • Publication number: 20220206580
    Abstract: An input device includes a contact body to contact an object, a pressure sensor to detect pressure of contact of the contact body with the object, a vibrator to generate a vibration to provide a tactile sensation, and a vibration controller. The vibration of the vibrator when the pressure detected based on the output of the pressure sensor is large is larger than that when the pressure detected based on the output of the pressure sensor is small.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2021
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Atsunori HIRATA, Tomohiro HASEGAWA, Daisuke ADACHI, Hiroaki HIRANO, Tomohiro KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20220209638
    Abstract: A vibrating motor includes a stationary portion, and a movable portion able to vibrate with respect to the stationary portion along a center axis extending in a vertical direction. The stationary portion includes a bearing portion which supports the movable portion to be able to vibrate along the center axis and has a tubular shape extending along the center axis, and a coil which directly or indirectly opposes at least a portion of the movable portion in a radial direction. A lower end portion of the bearing portion has a tubular shape extending along the center axis. A communication hole which penetrates in the vertical direction and allows an outside of the bearing portion and an inside of a portion above the lower end portion of the bearing portion to communicate with each other is provided on a radially inner side of the lower end portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2021
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Atsunori HIRATA, Hiroaki HIRANO, Ryoichi MITSUHATA
  • Publication number: 20220014082
    Abstract: A vibration motor includes a stationary part, and a movable element which has a magnet and can vibrate in one direction. The stationary part includes a coil which applies a driving force to the magnet due to energization, a housing which houses the movable element and the coil therein, a first lid part which closes an end portion of the housing on one side in the one direction, and a first bearing part. The first bearing part is disposed inside the housing on the other side in the one direction from the first lid part. The first bearing part includes a bearing inner circumferential surface disposed with a gap therebetween with respect to an outer circumferential surface of a portion of the movable element on one side in the one direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Applicant: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsunori HIRATA, Tomohiro HASEGAWA, Daisuke ADACHI, Hiroaki HIRANO, Hideki NISHIMURA
  • Publication number: 20210376693
    Abstract: A motor includes a stator, a rotor, and a bearing. The stator includes a shaft that extends in a vertical direction. The rotor is rotatable around the shaft. The bearing supports the rotor in a rotatable manner. The rotor includes a magnet, a case, and a tooth groove. The magnet is radially outward of the stator and opposes the stator in a radial direction. The case covers a radially outer end of the magnet. The tooth groove is provided in a radially outer surface of the case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: Hideki NISHIMURA, Tomohiro HASEGAWA, Hiroaki HIRANO, Yoichi SEKII
  • Publication number: 20210280061
    Abstract: A communication terminal transmits a route search request for a destination to a server device and obtains a route searched from the server device. The terminal requests the server device for guidance information after starting up the communication terminal, the guidance information being used to provide movement guidance for a mobile unit and being targeted for at least an update target area around a current location among update target areas, the update target areas being areas whose terminal-side map information included in the communication terminal is an older version of map information than device-side map information included in the server device. The terminal receives the guidance information transmitted from the server device in response to the request for the guidance information, and provides movement guidance for the mobile unit using a guidance route set on the communication terminal and the received guidance information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki HIRANO, Shingo AOYAMA, Daisuke TANIZAKI
  • Patent number: 11009357
    Abstract: A communication terminal is connected to a server and provides movement guidance for a mobile unit based on guidance information delivered from the server. The terminal requests the server for update information for updating area identification information that identifies a section corresponding to an update target area and a section not corresponding to the update target area on a section-by-section basis. The update target area is an area whose terminal-side map information included in the communication terminal is an older version. The terminal updates the area identification information based on the update information transmitted from the server, requests the server for guidance information for providing movement guidance for the mobile unit based on the updated area identification information, and provides the movement guidance for the mobile unit based on the guidance information delivered from the server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignees: AISIN AW CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shingo Aoyama, Daisuke Tanizaki, Hiroaki Hirano, Kazuteru Maekawa, Motohiro Nakamura, Kazunori Watanabe, Katsuya Masuda, Takeshi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 10801859
    Abstract: Movement guidance devices and programs provide movement guidance for a mobile unit using guidance information for providing movement guidance for the mobile unit. The guidance information is delivered from a server device. The devices and programs store the guidance information delivered from the server device in a memory. The stored guidance information is area-section-by-area-section guidance information. The devices and programs set a remaining priority for the stored guidance information on a per area section basis of map information and delete, from the memory, guidance information for an area section with a low remaining priority on a priority basis rather than guidance information for an area section with a high remaining priority among the stored guidance information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignees: AISIN AW CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shingo Aoyama, Daisuke Tanizaki, Hiroaki Hirano, Motohiro Nakamura, Kazunori Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10739145
    Abstract: A communication terminal is connected to a server and provides movement guidance for a mobile unit based on guidance information delivered from the server. The terminal requests the server for update information for updating area identification information that identifies a section corresponding to an update target area and a section not corresponding to the update target area on a section-by-section basis. The update target area is an area whose terminal-side map information included in the communication terminal is an older version. The terminal updates the area identification information based on the update information transmitted from the server, requests the server for guidance information for providing movement guidance for the mobile unit based on the updated area identification information, and provides the movement guidance for the mobile unit based on the guidance information delivered from the server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignees: AISIN AW CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shingo Aoyama, Daisuke Tanizaki, Hiroaki Hirano, Kazuteru Maekawa, Motohiro Nakamura, Kazunori Watanabe, Katsuya Masuda, Takeshi Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20190072409
    Abstract: Movement guidance devices and programs provide movement guidance for a mobile unit using guidance information for providing movement guidance for the mobile unit. The guidance information is delivered from a server device. The devices and programs store the guidance information delivered from the server device in a memory. The stored guidance information is area-section-by-area-section guidance information. The devices and programs set a remaining priority for the stored guidance information on a per area section basis of map information and delete, from the memory, guidance information for an area section with a low remaining priority on a priority basis rather than guidance information for an area section with a high remaining priority among the stored guidance information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Applicants: AISIN AW CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shingo AOYAMA, Daisuke TANIZAKI, Hiroaki HIRANO, Motohiro NAKAMURA, Kazunori WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20190063931
    Abstract: A communication terminal is connected to a server and provides movement guidance for a mobile unit based on guidance information delivered from the server. The terminal requests the server for update information for updating area identification information that identifies a section corresponding to an update target area and a section not corresponding to the update target area on a section-by-section basis. The update target area is an area whose terminal-side map information included in the communication terminal is an older version. The terminal updates the area identification information based on the update information transmitted from the server, requests the server for guidance information for providing movement guidance for the mobile unit based on the updated area identification information, and provides the movement guidance for the mobile unit based on the guidance information delivered from the server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Applicants: AISIN AW CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shingo AOYAMA, Daisuke TANIZAKI, Hiroaki HIRANO, Kazuteru MAEKAWA, Motohiro NAKAMURA, Kazunori WATANABE, Katsuya MASUDA, Takeshi HASHIMOTO
  • Patent number: 9909591
    Abstract: A stationary portion of a blower fan according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a stator and a stator holding portion to which the stator is fixed. A rotating portion of the blower fan includes an annular rotor hub portion arranged around a central axis; a rotor magnet arranged along a circumferential surface of the rotor hub portion, and arranged radially inside a stator; and an impeller including a plurality of blades arranged along a circumferential direction of the rotor hub portion. An upper end of the stator is arranged at a level lower than that of an upper end of the rotor magnet. The impeller is arranged axially above the rotor magnet and is arranged to extend radially outward. The blades are arranged axially above the stator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehito Tamaoka, Hiroaki Hirano
  • Fan
    Patent number: 9348379
    Abstract: A blower fan according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is a centrifugal fan. At least a portion of each of a plurality of blades of an impeller portion is arranged above a stator. A lower plate portion is arranged to define an air channel portion and an air outlet arranged on a lateral side of the impeller portion when a side wall portion arranged to surround an outer circumference of the impeller portion and an upper plate portion arranged above the impeller portion are present. The air channel portion is arranged to extend in a circumferential direction between an outer circumference of the stator and the side wall portion. At least a portion of a circuit board is arranged in the air channel portion and on the lower plate portion. A plurality of lead wires extending from the stator are connected to the circuit board in the air channel portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehito Tamaoka, Hiroaki Hirano
  • Patent number: 9316229
    Abstract: A base plate of a motor includes an inner bottom plate portion and an elevated portion. A land portion is arranged on an upper surface of a portion of a circuit board which overlaps with the inner bottom plate portion in a plan view, or on a portion of the circuit board which overlaps with the elevated portion in the plan view. A conducting wire extending from a coil is electrically connected to the land portion. This structure enables the conducting wire to be connected to the land portion on the circuit board without the conducting wire being drawn outward beyond an outer circumferential end portion of the base plate. The axial position of the conducting wire connected to the land portion and the axial position of the base plate at least partially overlap with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehito Tamaoka, Kazuhiko Fukushima, Hiroaki Hirano, Kouta Kabune