Patents by Inventor Hiroki Shibata

Hiroki Shibata 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: 20120257400
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicular headlamp that includes a light source unit, a reflector, a heat sink, a fixation frame fixed inside an external case of a lamp, a movable frame supported on the fixation frame to be movable in a vertical direction, a lens unit including a projection lens and a lens holder and supported on the movable frame to be movable in a horizontal direction, a first aiming operating shaft that performs optical axis adjustment, and a second aiming operating shaft that performs the optical axis adjustment. In particular, the lens unit moves in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction with respect to the fixation frame while a distance from a focus of light reflected by the reflector to the projection lens is constant, and the light source unit is fixed to the lamp housing while the heat sink is positioned outside the external case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroki SHIBATA
  • Publication number: 20120201039
    Abstract: A vehicle headlamp includes: a lamp outer casing; a lamp unit; a stationary frame; a movable frame that is supported by the stationary frame to be rotatable about a first rotating shaft extending in a lateral direction or a second rotating shaft extending in a vertical direction; a lens unit disposed in the lamp outer casing and supported by the movable frame; a first aiming operation shaft that adjusts an optical axis, and a second aiming operation shaft that adjusts the optical axis. A focal point of the light reflected by a reflector is coincident with a center of the first or second rotating shaft. The lens unit is rotated about the first or second rotating shaft such that a distance between the focal point and the projection lens is constant. The heat sink is positioned on the outside of the lamp outer casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki SHIBATA, Masashi TATSUKAWA, Hiroshi OTAKA
  • Publication number: 20120201042
    Abstract: A vehicle headlamp includes: a lamp outer casing; a lamp unit including: a light source unit having a light source that emits light, a reflector and a heat sink; a stationary frame; a movable frame that is supported by the stationary frame to be rotatable about a rotating shaft; a lens unit supported by the movable frame and having a projection lens; a first aiming operation shaft that adjusts an optical axis in the lateral direction; and a second aiming operation shaft that adjusts the optical axis in the vertical direction. A focal point of the light reflected by the reflector is coincident with a center of the rotating shaft. The lens unit is moved relative to the stationary frame such that a distance between the focal point and the projection lens is constant. The heat sink is positioned on the outside of the lamp outer casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki SHIBATA, Masashi TATSUKAWA, Hitoshi TAKEDA, Kazutami OISHI
  • Patent number: 8227994
    Abstract: The disclosure facilitates determining the presence of an abnormality of a light source in a vehicular lamp using, as a determination condition, a number of disconnected semiconductor light-emitting elements among multiple semiconductor light-emitting elements. The vehicular lamp includes a first light source block that has light-emitting diodes LED1 to LED6 connected in parallel; a second light source block that has light-emitting diodes LED7 to LED12 connected in parallel; and an abnormality determination circuit that controls a supply of current from an on-board battery to the light source blocks and determines whether an abnormality is presence in the light source blocks. The abnormality determination circuit determines the presence of an abnormality if the disconnected light-emitting diodes in one of the light source blocks exceed a predetermined number and current cannot flow to the light source block. In such case, the supply of current to the light source blocks is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki Shibata, Mikio Urushibata, Hideki Uchida
  • Publication number: 20120113662
    Abstract: There is provided a vehicle headlight. The vehicle headlight includes: a light source configured to emit light; a reflector reflecting the light; a projection lens projecting the light; a stationary shade blocking a part of the light emitted from the light source; a movable shade supported by the stationary shade as to move between a shielding position and a non-shielding position and configured to block a part of the light emitted from the light source; a drive mechanism including: a yoke; a coil disposed in the yoke; and an output shaft configured to move in an axial direction thereof in response to current supplied to the coil, and a transmission mechanism transmitting a driving force of the drive mechanism to the movable shade. At least a part of the yoke of the drive mechanism is formed in a single piece with the stationary shade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki SHIBATA, Kazutami OISHI
  • Publication number: 20110248481
    Abstract: A driver-airbag-apparatus-attaching structure is provided having a simple configuration and with which space can be saved. A snap-lock mechanism includes brackets projecting from the front surface of a steering hub portion, attachment pieces projecting from the bottom surface of a retainer of a driver airbag apparatus in such a manner as to overlap the brackets, openings provided in the brackets, and projecting portions projecting from surfaces of the respective attachment pieces that are to face the respective brackets. The projecting portions are continuous with the attachment pieces with respective elastically deformable portions interposed therebetween. When the driver airbag apparatus is bought near to the steering hub portion, the attachment pieces move along the brackets, and the projecting portions receive reactive forces from the brackets, whereby the elastically deformable portions elastically deform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Inventors: Ichiro Amamori, Hiroki Shibata
  • Publication number: 20110146284
    Abstract: A plate-like-object manufacturing method, plate-like objects, a gas-turbine combustor, and a gas turbine, in which degradation in the cooling performance can be suppressed, the time required for manufacturing a gas-turbine combustor can be shortened, and deterioration of the working environment can be prevented are provided. A plate-like-object manufacturing method includes a step of forming a plate-like object by stacking a plurality of plates and arranging a plurality of channels, through which a cooling medium flows, side-by-side between the plurality of plates; and a step of arranging a plurality of the plate-like objects side-by-side in a direction in which the channels are arranged, butting the plurality of plate-like objects against each other, and performing welding at an abutment section. The channels adjacent to the abutment section extend along the abutment section and have a greater dimension in the direction in which the channels are arranged, as compared with that of other channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Morimoto, Hidenori Kanki, Tatsuo Ishiguro, Hiroki Shibata, Tetsu Konishi, Kenji Sato
  • Publication number: 20110063866
    Abstract: A vehicle headlamp is provided with: a frame; a lamp unit, which includes a first and a second connection sections and, which is rotatable with respect to the frame; a slider connected to first connection section and which is supported on the frame so as to be movable in a front-rear direction; a rotor connected to the second connection section and which is supported on the frame so as to be turnable in a horizontal direction; a drive operation section for moving the slider in the front-rear direction; and a rotation operation section for turning the rotor in the horizontal direction. The first connection section and the second connection section are positioned so as to be separated from each other substantially in the up-down direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki SHIBATA, Kazutami OISHI, Masahiro KUSAGAYA, Tatsuhiro TERADA, Kouji MAGOORI
  • Publication number: 20100079071
    Abstract: The disclosure facilitates determining the presence of an abnormality of a light source in a vehicular lamp using, as a determination condition, a number of disconnected semiconductor light-emitting elements among multiple semiconductor light-emitting elements. The vehicular lamp includes a first light source block that has light-emitting diodes LED1 to LED6 connected in parallel; a second light source block that has light-emitting diodes LED7 to LED12 connected in parallel; and an abnormality determination circuit that controls a supply of current from an on-board battery to the light source blocks and determines whether an abnormality is presence in the light source blocks. The abnormality determination circuit determines the presence of an abnormality if the disconnected light-emitting diodes in one of the light source blocks exceed a predetermined number and current cannot flow to the light source block. In such case, the supply of current to the light source blocks is stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki Shibata, Mikio Urushibata, Hideki Uchida
  • Publication number: 20090019885
    Abstract: An evaporator includes a refrigerant flow section which is provided on the refrigerant outlet header section. Refrigerant fed from a condenser and not yet having passed through a pressure-reducing device flows through the refrigerant flow section. The refrigerant flow section is composed of a refrigerant flow pipe brazed to the outer surface of the refrigerant outlet header section. Heat exchange is effected between the refrigerant within the refrigerant outlet header section and the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow section. This evaporator eliminates the necessity of adding extra components to a refrigeration cycle, reduces the installation space and cost of the refrigeration cycle, and improves the cooling performance thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2008
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Applicant: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Ryoichi Hoshino, Yasuhiro Takahashi, Hiroki Shibata
  • Patent number: 6860379
    Abstract: A component discharge portion is provided on the upper end of a non-end delivery belt having an upward inclined delivery surface and driven and rotated, and a component delivery path is connected to a component discharge portion and delivers a component in a predetermined attitude to the lower end side of the delivery belt. A component transfer portion for receiving the component delivered along the delivery path and for transferring the component to a next step with a constant directivity is provided on the downstream end side of the component delivery path. Furthermore, there is formed a component return path for coupling the downstream end of the component delivery path and the lower end delivery surface of the delivery belt. The component delivered in an abnormal attitude other than the component transferred to the next step is automatically returned to the delivery belt through the component return path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Matsuda, Hiroki Shibata, Koji Takashima
  • Patent number: 6617430
    Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, there are provided novel isolated nucleic acids encoding ataxin-2-binding proteins (A2BPs), functional fragments thereof, vectors containing invention nucleic acids and recombinant cells transformed therewith, antisense-nucleic acids thereto. Also provided are novel isolated ataxin-2-binding proteins (A2BPs) having ability to bind to ataxin-2, methods for expression of A2BP, transgenic non-human mammals that express invention A2BP, anti-A2BP antibodies, and methods related thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
    Inventors: Stefan M. Pulst, Hiroki Shibata
  • Publication number: 20030146070
    Abstract: A component discharge portion is provided on the upper end of a non-end delivery belt having an upward inclined delivery surface and driven and rotated, and a component delivery path is connected to a component discharge portion and delivers a component in a predetermined attitude to the lower end side of the delivery belt. A component transfer portion for receiving the component delivered along the delivery path and for transferring the component to a next step with a constant directivity is provided on the downstream end side of the component delivery path. Furthermore, there is formed a component return path for coupling the downstream end of the component delivery path and the lower end delivery surface of the delivery belt. The component delivered in an abnormal attitude other than the component transferred to the next step is automatically returned to the delivery belt through the component return path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2003
    Publication date: August 7, 2003
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Matsuda, Hiroki Shibata, Koji Takashima
  • Publication number: 20010018198
    Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, there are provided novel isolated nucleic acids encoding ataxin-2-binding proteins (A2BPs), functional fragments thereof, vectors containing invention nucleic acids and recombinant cells transformed therewith, antisense-nucleic acids thereto. Also provided are novel isolated ataxin-2-binding proteins (A2BPs) having ability to bind to ataxin-2, methods for expression of A2BP, transgenic non-human mammals that express invention A2BP, anti-A2BP antibodies, and methods related thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2001
    Publication date: August 30, 2001
    Applicant: CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER
    Inventors: Stefan M. Pulst, Hiroki Shibata
  • Patent number: 6241011
    Abstract: A layered heat exchanger for use as a motor vehicle air conditioner evaporator comprises pairs of generally rectangular adjacent plates, which are joined together in layers with the corresponding recesses of the plates in each pair opposed to each other to thereby form juxtaposed flat tubes each having a U-shaped fluid channel, and front and rear headers in communication respectively with opposite ends of each flat tube. The turn portion of U-shaped fluid channel of the flat tube has a fluid mixing portion comprising many small projections, and a rectifying portion comprising parallel long projections along a flow of fluid. The channel turn portion rectifies the flow of fluid and mixes the fluid at the same time, permitting the fluid to flow through the turn portion smoothly to result in a diminished fluid pressure loss, an improved heat transfer coefficient and improved performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Showa Aluminium Corporation
    Inventors: Jumpei Nakamura, Hiroki Shibata, Keiji Yamazaki, Tatsuya Hanafusa, Nobuaki Go
  • Patent number: 6194171
    Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, there are provided novel isolated nucleic acids encoding ataxin-2-binding proteins (A2BPs), functional fragments thereof, vectors containing invention nucleic acids and recombinant cells transformed therewith, antisense-nucleic acids thereto. Also provided are novel isolated ataxin-2-binding proteins (A2BPs) having ability to bind to ataxin-2, methods for expression of A2BP, transgenic non-human mammals that express invention A2BP, anti-A2BP antibodies, and methods related thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Cedard-Sinai Medical Center
    Inventors: Stefan M. Pulst, Hiroki Shibata
  • Patent number: 6164908
    Abstract: A gas turbine first-stage stator blade sealing structure for preventing the sealing air from leaking from the inside even if the blade falls or inclines due to thermal stress. A rear flange (12) of a first-stage stator blade (31) is formed in an arcuate shape having a straight rib (10). A stator blade support ring (13) contacts the straight rib (10) to form a sealing face. When the rear flange (12) and the stator blade support ring (13) fall or incline relative to each other due to thermal stress during operation, the upper end or lower end of the rib (10) contacts linearly with the face of the stator blade support ring (13) so that no clearance is established to inhibit leakage of the sealing air. In the prior art, where the horizontal rib (10) is absent, an arcuate clearance is established between the stator blade support ring (13) and the rear flange (12) as the support ring (13) inclines, and thus sealing air is allowed to leak from the inside to the gas passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Miki Nishida, Taku Ichiryu, Koichi Akagi, Hiroki Shibata, Tadakazu Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 5984000
    Abstract: A layered heat exchanger for use as a motor vehicle air conditioner evaporator comprises pairs of generally rectangular adjacent plates, which are joined together in layers with the corresponding recesses of the plates in each pair opposed to each other to thereby form juxtaposed flat tubes each having a U-shaped fluid channel, and front and rear headers in communication respectively with opposite ends of each flat tube. The turn portion of U-shaped fluid channel of the flat tube has a fluid mixing portion comprising many small projections, and a rectifying portion comprising parallel long projections along a flow of fluid. The channel turn portion rectifies the flow of fluid and mixes the fluid at the same time, permitting the fluid to flow through the turn portion smoothly to result in a diminished fluid pressure loss, an improved heat transfer coefficient and improved performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Showa Aluminum Corporation
    Inventors: Jumpei Nakamura, Hiroki Shibata, Keiji Yamazaki, Tatsuya Hanafusa, Nobuaki Go
  • Patent number: 5810077
    Abstract: A layered heat exchanger for use as a motor vehicle air conditioner evaporator comprises pairs of generally rectangular adjacent plates, which are joined together in layers with the corresponding recesses of the plates in each pair opposed to each other to thereby form juxtaposed flat tubes each having a U-shaped fluid channel, and front and rear headers in communication respectively with opposite ends of each flat tube. The turn portion of U-shaped fluid channel of the flat tube has a fluid mixing portion comprising many small projections, and a rectifying portion comprising parallel long projections along a flow of fluid. The channel turn portion rectifies the flow of fluid and mixes the fluid at the same time, permitting the fluid to flow through the turn portion smoothly to result in a diminished fluid pressure loss, an improved heat transfer coefficient and improved performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Showa Aluminum Corporation
    Inventors: Jumpei Nakamura, Hiroki Shibata, Keiji Yamazaki, Tatsuya Hanafusa, Nobuaki Go
  • Patent number: 5531268
    Abstract: A heat exchanger has flat tubes (1) parallelly arranged and spaced apart from each other a predetermined distance in the direction of thickness. The heat exchanger further has a pair of headers (5, 6) to which the ends of the tubes are connected in fluid communication. Each tube (1) has an intermediate bent portion (4) and straight sections (2, 3) separated one from another by the bent portion, and the bent portion (4) is a portion twisted at a predetermined helical angle relative to each straight section. Fins (11) are interposed between the adjacent straight sections (2), and further fins (12) between the other straight sections (3). The heat exchanger is easy to manufacture and of an improved efficiency of heat exchange, in spite of the tubes being bent in the direction of their width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: Showa Aluminum Corporation
    Inventors: Ryoichi Hoshino, Hiroki Shibata