Patents by Inventor Hiroyuki Amano

Hiroyuki Amano 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: 9982765
    Abstract: An object is to provide a fluid coupling capable of effectively utilizing an internal space of a cover member and of sufficiently exerting a performance of a device damping torsional vibration. In a fluid coupling including a cover member accommodating a fluid, a pump impeller, a turbine runner, a lockup clutch operated by a fluid pressure and selectively connecting the cover member and an output shaft, a damper mechanism having an elastic member, and a pendulum damper having a rotary member rotating integrally with the output shaft and an inertial mass capable of relative rotation with respect to the output shaft, the turbine runner, the damper mechanism, the lockup clutch, and the pendulum damper are arranged in this order in an axial direction of the output shaft inside the cover member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Amano, Yu Miyahara, Shingo Aijima, Hirotsugu Yoshino
  • Publication number: 20180119773
    Abstract: A torsional vibration damper in which a mass may be fitted easily into a chamber is provided. In the rotary disc, an insertion hole is formed integrally with the chamber. An opening diameter of the insertion hole is larger than an outer diameter of a flange plate of the mass, and an opening width at a boundary between the insertion hole and the chamber is larger than an outer diameter of a trunk of the mass. The retainer comprises a restricting portion that restricts an oscillating range of the mass in the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideyuki NISHIDA, Hiroyuki AMANO, Yuya TAKAHASHI, Shuhei HORITA, Taiki NAKAMURA
  • Patent number: 9958027
    Abstract: A vibration damping device in which vibration damping performance of a damper having a chamber holding a rolling member is improved. The vibration damping device is adapted to damp vibrations resulting from a pulsation of torque applied to a rotary member by an oscillating motion of a rolling member connected with the rotary member while being allowed to rotate relatively therewith. The vibration damping device is provided with a casing member enclosing the rolling member, and a sealing member that connects the casing member with the rotary member in a manner such that the rotary member is allowed to rotate relatively with the casing member, while preventing oil from entering into an inner space of the casing member where the rolling member is held to oscillate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tadashi Sekiguchi, Hiroyuki Amano
  • Patent number: 9903235
    Abstract: A valve timing control apparatus includes: a drive-side rotational member synchronously rotating with a drive shaft of an internal combustion engine; a driven-side rotational member disposed inside the drive-side rotational member and integrally rotating with a valve opening/closing camshaft; a hydrostatic pressure chamber formed by partitioning a space between the drive-side rotational and driven-side rotational members; an advance angle chamber and a retardation angle chamber formed by dividing the hydrostatic pressure chamber; an intermediate lock mechanism able to selectively switch between locked and unlocked states; an advance angle flow path allowing the hydraulic fluid to be circulated; a retardation angle flow path allowing the hydraulic fluid to be circulated; a control valve having a spool; and a phase control unit controlling the control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroki Mukaide, Naoto Toma, Yoshiaki Yamakawa, Masaki Kobayashi, Takeshi Hayashi, Hiroyuki Amano
  • Publication number: 20180051599
    Abstract: A valve opening and closing timing control apparatus includes a drive-side rotational body, a driven-side rotational body, an intermediate lock mechanism which selectively switches between a lock state where displacement of a relative rotational phase of the driven-side rotational body relative to the drive-side rotational body is restrained in an intermediate lock phase and an unlock state where the lock state is released, and an electromagnetic valve. At a time of predetermined operation of an internal combustion engine, a value of the drive current is set as a boundary current, and the value of the drive current to be set as the boundary current differs, by a predetermined value, from a value of the drive current at a time when the unlock state was switched to the lock state due to the change of the drive current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki AMANO, Masaki KOBAYASHI, Yoshiaki YAMAKAWA
  • Patent number: 9829065
    Abstract: A torsional vibration reducing device includes a rotating body, and a connection member. The rotating body has a plurality of guide holes. The rotating body includes a plurality of rolling bodies that are accommodated in the plurality of guide holes, respectively. The connection member connects the plurality of rolling bodies such that the plurality of rolling bodies moves integrally in the rotating direction of the rotating body. The connection member is supported so as to be reciprocally swingable in the rotating direction. A first moment that results from a weight of any one of the plurality of rolling bodies and rotates the connection member in a first rotating direction, a second moment that results from a weight of the other of the plurality of rolling bodies and rotates the connection member in a second rotating direction being applied to the connection member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuji Suzuki, Hiroyuki Amano, Yu Miyahara
  • Patent number: 9803718
    Abstract: A torsional vibration reducing device is provided. The torsional vibration reducing device includes a rotating body, a plurality of rolling bodies, and a connection member. The connection member connects the plurality of rolling bodies, and at least two contact portions are positioned on an inner surface of each of the plurality of accommodating portions, a portion of an outer peripheral surface of each of the plurality of rolling bodies being positioned in each of the plurality of accommodating portions, and the outer peripheral surface of each of the plurality of rolling bodies being configured to come into point contact with the contact portions in the circumferential direction of the rotating body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yu Miyahara, Hiroyuki Amano, Yuji Suzuki, Husahiro Tsukano, Morihiro Matsumoto, Atsushi Honda
  • Publication number: 20170299016
    Abstract: A torsional vibration damper in which noise and vibrations in a planetary gear unit are suppressed is provided. In a planetary gear unit, as an inertial element is oscillated to establish an inertial torque by a relative rotation between a sun gear and a ring gear. Pinion gears are interposed between the sun gear and the ring gear at predetermined intervals, and gear dimensions of one of the pinion gears and gear dimensions of another one of the pinion gears are different from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Taiki NAKAMURA, Shuhei HORITA, Fusahiro TSUKANO, Morihiro MATSUMOTO, Hiroyuki AMANO, Yuya TAKAHASHI, Tadashi SEKIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20170298788
    Abstract: A valve opening/closing timing control apparatus includes: a driving side rotating body rotating synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine; a driven side rotating body included in the driving side rotating body and rotating integrally with a camshaft on a same axis as a rotation axis of the driving side rotating body; a hydraulic fluid control mechanism displacing a relative rotation phase between the driving side rotating body and the driven side rotating body by supplying a hydraulic fluid to one of an advance angle chamber and a retardation angle chamber; a lock mechanism; and first and second unlocking flow paths configured to communicate with the first pressure receiving surface. The lock mechanism includes a lock member including an engaging portion, a main body portion, and a first pressure receiving surface a biasing member, and a lock recess.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki AMANO, Takashi IWAYA, Shigehiro TANABE, Hiromitsu SHIGYO, Masaki KOBAYASHI, Kazuo UEDA
  • Publication number: 20170276222
    Abstract: A torque converter that is downsized in an axial direction utilizing existing space is provided. A pump impeller, a turbine runner, a lockup clutch, an elastic damper, and a planetary unit are held in a housing. A torsional vibration damping device is arranged concentrically with the lockup clutch. An input element is arranged concentrically with the lockup clutch while being connected to the lockup clutch and a drive member. An output element is connected to a driven member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuya TAKAHASHI, Morihiro MATSUMOTO, Husahiro TSUKANO, Taiki NAKAMURA, Hiroyuki AMANO
  • Patent number: 9739341
    Abstract: A torsional vibration reducing device includes a rotating body, rolling bodies, and a connection member. The rotating body includes guide holes, and the connection member includes accommodating portions that has at least two contact portions. The accommodating portions are positioned in the guide holes, and the guide holes accommodate the rolling bodies. The accommodating portions are configured to hold the outer peripheral surface of each of the rolling bodies with the contact portions, in a direction in which the rolling body reciprocates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Fusahiro Tsukano, Yu Miyahara, Hiroyuki Amano, Yuji Suzuki, Morihiro Matsumoto, Atsushi Honda
  • Publication number: 20170234401
    Abstract: A torsional vibration reducing device includes: a rotating body; an inertial body; a coupling member configured to transmit the torque to the rotating body and to the inertial body; and a first coupling portion and a second coupling portion, which are separately provided to either the rotating body or the inertial body The first coupling portion engages with the coupling member so as to: restrict movement of the coupling member in a rotational direction of the rotating body; and allow movement of the coupling member in a radial direction of the rotating body. The second coupling portion engages with the coupling member such that when the rotating body and the inertial body rotate relative to each other, a contact portion of the coupling member with respect to the first coupling portion moves in the radial direction of the rotating body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shuhei HORITA, Hiroyuki Amano
  • Patent number: 9726053
    Abstract: A valve opening/closing timing control device includes: an intermediate lock mechanism switchable between a locked state constraining a relative rotation phase to an intermediate locked phase, and an unlocked state releasing the constraint; a phase control unit controlling fluid supply to a retard chamber and fluid discharge from an advance chamber, or controlling fluid discharge from the retard chamber and fluid supply to the advance chamber, such that the lock member attains the intermediate locked phase; and a determination unit determining whether the lock member will attain the determination phase, when control has been performed to move the lock member toward a determination phase that has been set at a different position than the intermediate locked phase, after execution of control to either supply fluid to the retard chamber and discharge fluid from the advance chamber, or discharge fluid from the retard chamber and supply fluid to the advance chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Nunami, Takashi Iwaya, Hiroyuki Amano, Masaki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9689283
    Abstract: A valve opening/closing timing control device is configured to be capable of appropriately setting a valve opening/closing timing within a short period of time from start-up of an internal combustion engine. An advancing chamber and a retarding chamber for relative phase control are formed between a driving rotating body that rotates synchronously with a drive shaft of an internal combustion engine and a driven rotating body that rotates integrally with a valve opening/closing camshaft, and a lock mechanism that locks the relative rotation phase at a locked phase is provided. During start-up of the internal combustion engine, a controller starts fluid-filling control for filling the advancing chamber and the retarding chamber with a fluid, and performs unlock control for releasing a locked state of the lock mechanism before filling of the fluid by the fluid-filling control is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaki Kobayashi, Yoshiaki Yamakawa, Hiroyuki Amano
  • Publication number: 20170125135
    Abstract: A noble metal-coated copper wire for ball bonding, with a wire diameter between 10 ?m or more, and 25 ?m or less, includes a core material having a copper alloy having a copper purity of 98 mass % or higher, and a noble metal-coating layer formed on the core material. The noble metal-coating layer includes a palladium cavitating layer containing palladium; at least one element selected from the group consisting of Group 13 to 16 elements or an oxygen element, finely dispersed in the palladium; and a diffusion layer formed of copper diffused into the palladium. The noble metal-coating layer may include a palladium cavitating layer containing palladium, at least one element selected from the group consisting of Group 13 to 16 elements or an oxygen element, finely dispersed therein, and a nickel intermediate layer disposed between the core material and the noble metal-coating layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Hiroyuki AMANO, Somei YARITA, Yusuke SAKITA, Yuki ANTOKU, Wei CHEN
  • Publication number: 20170114858
    Abstract: There is provided a vibration damper which is capable of damping torsional vibrations by pendulum movement of a plurality of inertial masses, and damping vibrations of plurality of order without letting the inertial masses to interfere. A distance between a center of curvature of an inner surface of a first through-hole and a center of curvature of an inner surface of a second through-hole formed in a rotary member is shorter than a distance between a center of curvature of an inner surface of a fifth through-hole and a center of curvature of an inner surface of a sixth through-hole formed in a first inertial mass. Moreover, a distance between a center of curvature of an inner surface of a third through-hole and a center of curvature of an inner surface of a fourth through-hole in a rotary member is longer than a distance between a center of curvature of an inner surface of a seventh through-hole and a center of curvature of an inner surface of an eighth through-hole formed in a second inertial mass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2016
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shuhei HORITA, Fusahiro TSUKANO, Morihiro MATSUMOTO, Hiroyuki AMANO, Tadashi SEKIGUCHI, Yuya TAKAHASHI, Taiki NAKAMURA
  • Patent number: 9586587
    Abstract: A controller is configured to obtain a speed ratio equivalent value that is determined by a speed ratio set in a transmission unit, and is configured to control an engine by setting an operating point of the engine such that the operating point in the case where a lockup clutch is engaged and the speed ratio equivalent value is large is lower in an output rotation speed for a predetermined output torque than the operating point in the case where the lockup clutch is engaged and the speed ratio equivalent value is smaller than the large speed ratio equivalent value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Amano, Yu Miyahara, Yuji Suzuki, Hiroki Kondo, Tadashi Sekiguchi, Fusahiro Tsukano, Atsushi Honda
  • Publication number: 20170057020
    Abstract: A palladium coated copper wire for ball bonding includes a core formed of pure copper or copper alloy having a purity of 98% by mass or more, and a palladium draw coated layer coated on the core. The copper wire has a diameter of 10 to 25 ?m, and the palladium drawn layer contains sulfur, phosphorus, boron or carbon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Hiroyuki AMANO, Somei YARITA, Yusuke SAKITA, Yuki ANTOKU, Wei CHEN
  • Publication number: 20170016359
    Abstract: A system for controlling valve opening/closing timing that allows an unlocking operation to be reliably performed is configured. When extracting a lock member from a recess, a second control valve is set to an unlock position, a first control valve is set to a predetermined position, and a relative rotation phase is displaced. As a result, the relative rotation phase is displaced in a direction opposite to the direction of displacement by cam average torque from a camshaft. Afterward, by setting the first control valve to a neutral position, the relative rotation phase is displaced by the cam average torque, and when this displacement occurs, a state in which the lock member is separated from an inner wall of the recess is created, thus facilitating extraction of the lock member from the recess.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2015
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki AMANO, Koji NUNAMI, Takashi IWAYA
  • Patent number: 9522655
    Abstract: A clevis pin (connecting pin) (26) is inserted into a clearance hole (72), and is displaceable relative to an operating pedal (16). A pivotal moving link (68) is disposed between the clevis pin (26) and a sensor pin (64) of a load sensor (30). A reaction force applied from the clevis pin (26) to the load sensor (30) always acts in a substantially constant direction (substantially leftward in FIG. 1A) even if the operating pedal (16) and an operating rod (22) are pivoted relatively around the axis of the clevis pin (26) in accordance with the depressing operation of the operating pedal (16). Thus, the detecting accuracy of the load sensor (30) is heightened, and variation in detecting accuracy is prevented, rendering the high reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Toyoda Iron Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Noboru Fujiwara, Hiroyuki Amano