Patents by Inventor Hironobu Imaizumi

Hironobu Imaizumi 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: 20240133442
    Abstract: A spring member is provided between two pressed bodies facing each other in a first direction and includes base plates stacked in the first direction. Each base plate is provided with spring protrusions protruding toward either one pressed body of the two pressed bodies and pressing the two pressed bodies in directions such that the pressed bodies move away from each other in the first direction. Between two base plates adjacent to each other in the first direction, a base plate positioned closer to the one pressed body is provided with an insertion hole into which a spring protrusion of the other base plate is inserted in a state of penetrating therethrough in the first direction. Among portions in an along-plane direction along a plane orthogonal to the first direction provided with the spring protrusions, the spring constant of at least one portion is different from that of another portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Yoshio YAMADA, Hironobu IMAIZUMI, Norihiro TAJIMA, Shuji TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20230400078
    Abstract: The spring member (1, 2, 3) includes a conductive plate (11) and a support plate (12), the conductive plate is formed of a material in which at least one of electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity thereof is higher than that of a material forming the support plate, the support plate is formed of the material having a higher Young's modulus than that of the material forming the conductive plate, two end portions of the conductive plate in a second direction (X) are provided with first contact portions (13) that contact a first pressed body (W1), an intermediate portion of the conductive plate in the second direction is provided with a second contact portion (14) that contacts a second pressed body (W2), the two end portions of the conductive plate in the second direction are engaged with two end portions of the support plate in the second direction, an intermediate portion of the support plate in the second direction is provided with a third contact portion (15) that contacts the second contact portio
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Inventors: Yoshio YAMADA, Hironobu IMAIZUMI, Norihiro TAJIMA, Shuji TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20200088257
    Abstract: A pressing structure is arranged between a first pressed body and a second pressed body opposite to the first pressed body and presses the first pressed body and second pressed body. The pressing structure includes a spring member including: a base portion formed of a single strip-like member and having a curved principal surface; two extended portions extending respectively from end portions of the base portion and curved in a form inverse of a curving form of the base portion; and two bent portions extending respectively from end portions of the two extended portions, the end portions being at sides opposite to sides connected to the base portion, the two bent portions being curved in a form inverse of the curving form of the extended portions; and the maximum thickness of the extended portions and bent portions is smaller than the maximum thickness of the base portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2017
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Inventors: Hironobu Imaizumi, Norihiro Tajima, Yoshio Yamada, Shuji Takahashi, Atsushi Yoneoka
  • Patent number: 9400027
    Abstract: An elliptical coned disc spring can be accommodated in a rectangular installation space, can yield non-linear load characteristics, and can reduce stress differences between a bending part at a long radial part side and a bending part at a short radial part side. An elliptical coned disc spring has a body in which an outer circumference is an ellipse in a disc shape. A hole is formed at the center of the body. The hole may have various shapes such as a circle, an ellipse, etc. The body has a long radial part 111 and a short radial part. A plate width of the long radial part is set to be greater than a plate width of the short radial part (that is, a>b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hironobu Imaizumi, Norihiro Tajima
  • Publication number: 20150076756
    Abstract: An elliptical coned disc spring can be accommodated in a rectangular installation space, can yield non-linear load characteristics, and can reduce stress differences between a bending part at a long radial part side and a bending part at a short radial part side. An elliptical coned disc spring has a body in which an outer circumference is an ellipse in a disc shape. A hole is formed at the center of the body. The hole may have various shapes such as a circle, an ellipse, etc. The body has a long radial part 111 and a short radial part. A plate width of the long radial part is set to be greater than a plate width of the short radial part (that is, a>b).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: Hironobu Imaizumi, Norihiro Tajima
  • Patent number: 8297603
    Abstract: A spring retainer is made from an iron-based material to improve the strength and abrasion resistance of the spring retainer and reduce the thickness and weight thereof. The spring retainer includes a retainer body having a tapered support hole to be supported with a valve stem and a flange-like spring seat circumferentially formed on a periphery at a first side of the retainer body to receive and support a valve spring. The retainer body and spring seat are integrally formed from resilient steel with grain flows continuously formed from the retainer body to the spring seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hironobu Imaizumi, Noritoshi Takamura
  • Patent number: 8091873
    Abstract: A coned disc spring is arranged between a second component and a third component provided inside a tubular first component and movable in an axial direction. The coned disc spring comprises a body having a circular dish shape, teeth closely fitting into spline grooves formed on an inner peripheral surface of the first component and projecting to a radial outer side on an outer periphery of the body, and a stress relaxation portion formed by notching a base of the tooth in an approximately circular arc shape in a direction at least one of a circumferential direction and a radial direction of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Aw Co., Ltd., NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukitoshi Ogawa, Takayuki Ishikawa, Akihiko Kita, Shigeo Tsuzuki, Hiroyuki Nozaki, Hironobu Imaizumi
  • Patent number: 7997242
    Abstract: A spring retainer can reduce the set height and mass of a coil spring. The spring retainer has a retainer body attached to a stem end of a valve and a circumferential plate-like spring part having an inner circumferential part supported by the retainer body and resiliently supporting an end of the valve spring. A spring constant of the plate-like spring part is made higher than a spring constant of the valve spring, so that the plate-like spring part deflects after the valve spring is compressed, to provide a two-step load characteristic and reduce the set height, compressed height, and mass of the valve spring. It can also reduce the height and mass of the spring retainer. A spring system formed by combining the spring retainer and valve spring with each other will be compact and lightweight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Noritoshi Takamura, Hironobu Imaizumi
  • Patent number: 7971690
    Abstract: A coned disc spring is arranged between a second component and a third component provided inside a tubular first component and movable in an axial direction. The coned disc spring comprises a body having a circular dish shape, teeth closely fitting into spline grooves formed on an inner peripheral surface of the first component and projecting to a radial outer side on an outer periphery of the body, and a stress relaxation portion formed in a flat shape or a curved shape at an edge portion of a circular arc portion at the base of the tooth in a direction at least one of a circumferential direction and a radial direction of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hironobu Imaizumi
  • Publication number: 20110140327
    Abstract: A spring retainer is made from an iron-based material to improve the strength and abrasion resistance of the spring retainer and reduce the thickness and weight thereof. The spring retainer includes a retainer body having a tapered support hole to be supported with a valve stem and a flange-like spring seat circumferentially formed on a periphery at a first side of the retainer body to receive and support a valve spring. The retainer body and spring seat are integrally formed from resilient steel with grain flows continuously formed from the retainer body to the spring seat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Inventors: Hironobu Imaizumi, Noritoshi Takamura
  • Publication number: 20090235882
    Abstract: A spring retainer can reduce the set height and mass of a coil spring. The spring retainer has a retainer body attached to a stem end of a valve and a circumferential plate-like spring part having an inner circumferential part supported by the retainer body and resiliently supporting an end of the valve spring. A spring constant of the plate-like spring part is made higher than a spring constant of the valve spring, so that the plate-like spring part deflects after the valve spring is compressed, to provide a two-step load characteristic and reduce the set height, compressed height, and mass of the valve spring. It can also reduce the height and mass of the spring retainer. A spring system formed by combining the spring retainer and valve spring with each other will be compact and lightweight.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Noritoshi Takamura, Hironobu Imaizumi
  • Patent number: 7438168
    Abstract: A cushion plate is provided, for example, between a piston of a hydraulic servo and an adjacent friction plate in a frictional engagement element of an automatic transmission. The cushion plate is deflected by a pressing force of the piston to absorb an engagement shock. The cushion plate includes a main body portion formed into a belleville-spring shape, and a plurality of pawls that extend from the outer periphery of the main body for spline engagement with a member that is splined to, for example, the friction plate. A side wall of each pawl is formed with a curved recess extending circumferentially of the cushion plate and located adjacent the juncture (base) of the pawl at the outer periphery of the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignees: Aisin AW Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiko Kita, Shigeo Tsuzuki, Hiroyuki Nozaki, Yukitoshi Ogawa, Takayuki Ishikawa, Hironobu Imaizumi
  • Publication number: 20080150205
    Abstract: A coned disc spring is arranged between a second component and a third component provided inside a tubular first component and movable in an axial direction. The coned disc spring comprises a body having a circular dish shape, teeth closely fitting into spline grooves formed on an inner peripheral surface of the first component and projecting to a radial outer side on an outer periphery of the body, and a stress relaxation portion formed in a flat shape or a curved shape at an edge portion of a circular arc portion at the base of the tooth in a direction at least one of a circumferential direction and a radial direction of the body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Applicant: NHK- Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hironobu Imaizumi
  • Publication number: 20080136075
    Abstract: A coned disc spring is arranged between a second component and a third component provided inside a tubular first component and movable in an axial direction. The coned disc spring comprises a body having a circular dish shape, teeth closely fitting into spline grooves formed on an inner peripheral surface of the first component and projecting to a radial outer side on an outer periphery of the body, and a stress relaxation portion formed by notching a base of the tooth in an approximately circular arc shape in a direction at least one of a circumferential direction and a radial direction of the body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hironobu Imaizumi