Patents by Inventor Hiroaki Ninomiya

Hiroaki Ninomiya 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: 11554610
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a carcass which comprises a carcass ply composed of a main portion extending between bead portions and a pair of turned-up portions turned-up around respective bead cores. The bead portion is provided with: a primary bead apex rubber disposed between the carcass-ply main portion and the carcass-ply turned-up portion; an insulation rubber layer extending radially outwardly through between the carcass-ply main portion and the carcass-ply turned-up portion; and a subsidiary bead apex rubber layer disposed on the axially outside of the carcass-ply turned-up portion. The radially outer edge of the insulation rubber layer is located radially outside the radially outer edge of the subsidiary bead apex rubber layer. The complex elastic modulus of the insulation rubber layer is equal to or greater than the complex elastic modulus of the topping rubber of the carcass ply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ninomiya
  • Patent number: 11453249
    Abstract: A tire comprises a carcass ply extending between bead portions through a tread portion and sidewall portions, and turned up around a bead core in each of the bead portions from the inside to the outside in the tire axial direction so as to form a pair of turnup portions and a main portion therebetween. Each of the bead portions is provided with: a rubber bead apex disposed between the turnup portion and the main portion, and extending radially outwardly from the bead core in a tapered manner; a bead reinforcing rubber layer disposed axially outside the main portion; and an insulation rubber layer disposed between the main portion and the bead reinforcing rubber layer and having a hardness smaller than a hardness of the bead reinforcing rubber layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ninomiya
  • Patent number: 11433860
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes: a VSA-ECU and an ESB-ECU that perform braking control to apply a braking torque in response to a brake operation by a driver of a host vehicle, and also perform brake holding control to hold the braking torque even when the brake operation is cancelled; and an engine control unit that performs idling stop control to stop driving of an engine that is a drive source of the host vehicle when a stop condition is satisfied, including that a vehicle speed of the host vehicle enters a predetermined low vehicle speed region, and also performs restart control to restart the engine when a predetermined restart condition is satisfied. The engine control unit prohibits execution of the idling stop control during execution of the brake holding control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Kobori, Nobuyuki Imaizumi, Keizo Fuke, Yoshinari Sugita, Shoji Ichikawa, Kohei Hanada, Hiroaki Ninomiya
  • Patent number: 11248549
    Abstract: A vehicle which can improve fuel consumption without a driver feeling uncomfortable is provided. The vehicle includes: a hydraulic pressure sensor for acquiring a brake torque value which increases in accordance with a stepping-in amount of a brake pedal by the driver, and an ECU which automatically stops an engine after a basic time has elapsed since a basic condition is satisfied and then automatically restarts the engine. The ECU automatically stops the engine before the basic time elapses, when an increment of the brake torque value from a reference value after the basic condition is satisfied is equal to or greater than an additional stepping judgment value, and a shortened time shorter than the basic time has elapsed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kosuke Moro, Kohei Hanada, Hiroaki Ninomiya
  • Patent number: 11203990
    Abstract: A vehicle equipped with an automatic stop/restart system for an internal combustion engine includes a hydraulic continuously variable transmission and a parking mechanism. The continuously variable transmission changes power of the internal combustion engine using hydraulic pressure boosted by rotational driving force of the internal combustion engine. The parking mechanism holds the vehicle stationary by locking, with a locking member, the rotation of a power transmitting member between the internal combustion engine and driving wheels when a shift position is in a parking range. In an automatic stop state of the internal combustion engine, when the shift position is in the parking range and brakes are turned off, an electronic control unit executes restart if an inclination angle of the vehicle is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and maintains the automatic stop state if the inclination angle is smaller than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kosuke Moro, Ryuji Sato, Hiroaki Ninomiya
  • Patent number: 11179973
    Abstract: A tire comprises a tread portion 2. The tread portion 2 has a repeated pattern portion 7 in which a plurality of minimum pattern constituent units 8 is arranged in a tire circumferential direction. Each of the minimum pattern constituent units 8 includes a center block 10, a plurality of surrounding blocks 11 surrounding the center block 10, and dividing grooves 15 each arranged between adjacent ones of the plurality of the surrounding blocks 11. The dividing grooves 15 include first dividing grooves 16 and second dividing grooves 17 inclined in opposite directions to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ninomiya
  • Publication number: 20210293188
    Abstract: A vehicle equipped with an automatic stop/restart system for an internal combustion engine includes a hydraulic continuously variable transmission and a parking mechanism. The continuously variable transmission changes power of the internal combustion engine using hydraulic pressure boosted by rotational driving force of the internal combustion engine. The parking mechanism holds the vehicle stationary by locking, with a locking member, the rotation of a power transmitting member between the internal combustion engine and driving wheels when a shift position is in a parking range. In an automatic stop state of the internal combustion engine, when the shift position is in the parking range and brakes are turned off, an electronic control unit executes restart if an inclination angle of the vehicle is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and maintains the automatic stop state if the inclination angle is smaller than the predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kosuke Moro, Ryuji Sato, Hiroaki Ninomiya
  • Publication number: 20210283954
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a carcass which comprises a carcass ply composed of a main portion extending between bead portions and a pair of turned-up portions turned-up around respective bead cores. The bead portion is provided with: a primary bead apex rubber disposed between the carcass-ply main portion and the carcass-ply turned-up portion; an insulation rubber layer extending radially outwardly through between the carcass-ply main portion and the carcass-ply turned-up portion; and a subsidiary bead apex rubber layer disposed on the axially outside of the carcass-ply turned-up portion. The radially outer edge of the insulation rubber layer is located radially outside the radially outer edge of the subsidiary bead apex rubber layer. The complex elastic modulus of the insulation rubber layer is equal to or greater than the complex elastic modulus of the topping rubber of the carcass ply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroaki NINOMIYA
  • Patent number: 10967684
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread portion including a first land portion defined between circumferentially extending first and second edges. The first land portion is provided with first and second lateral grooves respectively extending from the first and second edges and terminating within the first land portion and a circumferentially extending first longitudinal narrow groove in communication with the first and second lateral grooves. Each of the first and second lateral grooves includes a wide-width portion and a narrow-width portion. The wide-width portion of each of the first lateral grooves extends from the first edge and the wide-width portion of each of the second lateral grooves extends from the second edge. The first longitudinal narrow groove passes through the narrow-width portion of each of the first and second lateral grooves without passing through the wide-width portion of each of the first and second lateral grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ninomiya
  • Publication number: 20200332732
    Abstract: A vehicle which can improve fuel consumption without a driver feeling uncomfortable is provided. The vehicle includes: a hydraulic pressure sensor for acquiring a brake torque value which increases in accordance with a stepping-in amount of a brake pedal by the driver, and an ECU which automatically stops an engine after a basic time has elapsed since a basic condition is satisfied and then automatically restarts the engine. The ECU automatically stops the engine before the basic time elapses, when an increment of the brake torque value from a reference value after the basic condition is satisfied is equal to or greater than an additional stepping judgment value, and a shortened time shorter than the basic time has elapsed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co.,Ltd.
    Inventors: Kosuke MORO, Kohei HANADA, Hiroaki NINOMIYA
  • Patent number: 10759233
    Abstract: In the tire 2, fillers 10 are layered over clinches 8 in portions outward of a carcass 14 in the axial direction. A carcass ply 50 is turned up around cores 44. Turned-up portions 50a are disposed between the fillers 10 and apexes 46. Each clinch 8 has a maximum thickness Tcx that is measured along a line normal to an inner surface, in the axial direction, of the clinch 8. A ratio of a thickness Tf1 of the filler 10 to a sum of the thickness Tf1 and the thickness Tcx is greater than or equal to 0.1 and not greater than 0.6. A percentage of a complex elastic modulus E*f of the filler 10 relative to a complex elastic modulus E*a of the apex 46 is greater than or equal to 70% and not greater than 125%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Tadao Matsumoto, Yasutaka Iwata, Kentaro Yagyu, Fumikazu Yamashita, Shingo Umekita, Yasuaki Kuniyasu, Hiroaki Ninomiya
  • Patent number: 10703145
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion 2 provided with at least one circumferentially continuously extending main groove 3. The main groove 3 has a zigzag periodical pattern formed by circumferentially repeatedly arranging a first oblique segment 11 and a second oblique segment 12 as a repeating unit which define one zigzag pitch. The first oblique segment 11 extends without being bent, and the second oblique segment 12 extends in a bent manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Ninomiya, Takashi Nishiwaki
  • Publication number: 20200122522
    Abstract: A tire comprises a carcass ply extending between bead portions through a tread portion and sidewall portions, and turned up around a bead core in each of the bead portions from the inside to the outside in the tire axial direction so as to form a pair of turnup portions and a main portion therebetween. Each of the bead portions is provided with: a rubber bead apex disposed between the turnup portion and the main portion, and extending radially outwardly from the bead core in a tapered manner; a bead reinforcing rubber layer disposed axially outside the main portion; and an insulation rubber layer disposed between the main portion and the bead reinforcing rubber layer and having a hardness smaller than a hardness of the bead reinforcing rubber layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki NINOMIYA
  • Publication number: 20200062225
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes: a VSA-ECU and an ESB-ECU that perform braking control to apply a braking torque in response to a brake operation by a driver of a host vehicle, and also perform brake holding control to hold the braking torque even when the brake operation is cancelled; and an engine control unit that performs idling stop control to stop driving of an engine that is a drive source of the host vehicle when a stop condition is satisfied, including that a vehicle speed of the host vehicle enters a predetermined low vehicle speed region, and also performs restart control to restart the engine when a predetermined restart condition is satisfied. The engine control unit prohibits execution of the idling stop control during execution of the brake holding control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Hidetoshi KOBORI, Nobuyuki IMAIZUMI, Keizo FUKE, Yoshinari SUGITA, Shoji ICHIKAWA, Kohei HANADA, Hiroaki NINOMIYA
  • Publication number: 20190054771
    Abstract: A tire comprises a tread portion 2. The tread portion 2 has a repeated pattern portion 7 in which a plurality of minimum pattern constituent units 8 is arranged in a tire circumferential direction. Each of the minimum pattern constituent units 8 includes a center block 10, a plurality of surrounding blocks 11 surrounding the center block 10, and dividing grooves 15 each arranged between adjacent ones of the plurality of the surrounding blocks 11. The dividing grooves 15 include first dividing grooves 16 and second dividing grooves 17 inclined in opposite directions to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki NINOMIYA
  • Publication number: 20180297416
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread portion including a first land portion defined between circumferentially extending first and second edges. The first land portion is provided with first and second lateral grooves respectively extending from the first and second edges and terminating within the first land portion and a circumferentially extending first longitudinal narrow groove in communication with the first and second lateral grooves. Each of the first and second lateral grooves includes a wide-width portion and a narrow-width portion. The wide-width portion of each of the first lateral grooves extends from the first edge and the wide-width portion of each of the second lateral grooves extends from the second edge. The first longitudinal narrow groove passes through the narrow-width portion of each of the first and second lateral grooves without passing through the wide-width portion of each of the first and second lateral grooves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki NINOMIYA
  • Patent number: 10019798
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a control unit that reconstructs images by using raw data, a storage unit that stores the raw data, the images, and reconstruction conditions used when the images are reconstructed, in correlation with each other, a display unit; and an input unit that inputs selection of an image on which post-reconstruction will be performed among the images stored in the storage unit and post-reconstruction conditions, by referring to the image displayed on the display unit, in which the control unit receives selection of the image which is input via the input unit, reads selected image reconstruction conditions based on the received selection of the image from the storage unit, calculates comparison information of image quality on the basis of the read reconstruction conditions and post-reconstruction conditions input via the input unit, and displays the calculated comparison information on the display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ninomiya
  • Publication number: 20170274710
    Abstract: In the tire 2, fillers 10 are layered over clinches 8 in portions outward of a carcass 14 in the axial direction. A carcass ply 50 is turned up around cores 44. Turned-up portions 50a are disposed between the fillers 10 and apexes 46. Each clinch 8 has a maximum thickness Tcx that is measured along a line normal to an inner surface, in the axial direction, of the clinch 8. A ratio of a thickness Tf1 of the filler 10 to a sum of the thickness Tf1 and the thickness Tcx is greater than or equal to 0.1 and not greater than 0.6. A percentage of a complex elastic modulus E*f of the filler 10 relative to a complex elastic modulus E*a of the apex 46 is greater than or equal to 70% and not greater than 125%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2015
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Tadao MATSUMOTO, Yasutaka IWATA, Kentaro YAGYU, Fumikazu YAMASHITA, Shingo UMEKITA, Yasuaki KUNIYASU, Hiroaki NINOMIYA
  • Publication number: 20170210176
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion 2 provided with at least one circumferentially continuously extending main groove 3. The main groove 3 has a zigzag periodical pattern formed by circumferentially repeatedly arranging a first oblique segment 11 and a second oblique segment 12 as a repeating unit which define one zigzag pitch. The first oblique segment 11 extends without being bent, and the second oblique segment 12 extends in a bent manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki NINOMIYA, Takashi NISHIWAKI
  • Patent number: D821966
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ninomiya