Patents by Inventor Hitoshi Ao

Hitoshi Ao 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: 11632028
    Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator including an attractor to exert a magnetic attractive force in one side in a first direction, a frame, and a lever. The frame includes a frame body fixed to the attractor, and a support on an oblique-direction side relative to the attractor. The lever includes a fulcrum portion pivotally supported by the support, a first displaceable portion arranged on the other side in the second direction relative to the fulcrum portion and on the other side in the first direction relative to the attractor and magnetically attractable by the attractor to be displaced to the one side in the first direction, and a second displaceable portion arranged on the one side in the first direction relative to the fulcrum portion and on the one side in the second direction relative to the attractor and/or the frame and displaceable away from the attractor and/or the frame by the pivot of the lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: HOSIDEN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hitoshi Ao
  • Patent number: 11476744
    Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator including a coil; a non-movable part constituted by a magnetic substance and disposed on one side relative to the coil; and a movable part including a permanent magnet on the other side relative to the coil. Applying a current to the coil alternately generates first and third driving forces to move the magnet and the movable part to one and the other sides in a first direction relative to the coil and the non-movable part. As the movable part moves from a neutral position to the one side in the first direction, a portion of the magnet positioned on the one side in the first direction relative to the first end of the first non-movable part gradually enlarges and is magnetically attracted toward the non-movable part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Hosiden Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Toyota, Hitoshi Ao
  • Patent number: 11442548
    Abstract: A touch sensing device including a housing, a movable part, a covering, and a lifting actuator. The movable part is relatively movable within an opening of the housing relative to an edge portion of the opening, between first and second heights. The covering includes a flexible layer covering at least the edge portion and the movable part. The flexible layer includes first and second portions directly or indirectly fixed to the edge portion and to the movable part, respectively. The flexible layer can partly flex and stretch or partly shrink in accordance with a relative movement of the second portion relative to the first portion, from a third height to a fourth height, or vice versa. The lifting actuator can move the movable part or the edge portion to relatively move the movable part, from the first height to the second height, or vice versa, relative to the edge portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Hosiden Corporation
    Inventors: Masato Shimizu, Naoki Toyota, Hitoshi Ao
  • Publication number: 20220137708
    Abstract: A touch sensing device including a housing, a movable part, a covering, and a lifting actuator. The movable part is relatively movable within an opening of the housing relative to an edge portion of the opening, between first and second heights. The covering includes a flexible layer covering at least the edge portion and the movable part. The flexible layer includes first and second portions directly or indirectly fixed to the edge portion and to the movable part, respectively. The flexible layer can partly flex and stretch or partly shrink in accordance with a relative movement of the second portion relative to the first portion, from a third height to a fourth height, or vice versa. The lifting actuator can move the movable part or the edge portion to relatively move the movable part, from the first height to the second height, or vice versa, relative to the edge portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Applicant: HOSIDEN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masato SHIMIZU, Naoki TOYOTA, Hitoshi AO
  • Publication number: 20210359583
    Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator including a coil; a non-movable part constituted by a magnetic substance and disposed on one side relative to the coil; and a movable part including a permanent magnet on the other side relative to the coil. Applying a current to the coil alternately generates first and third driving forces to move the magnet and the movable part to one and the other sides in a first direction relative to the coil and the non-movable part. As the movable part moves from a neutral position to the one side in the first direction, a portion of the magnet positioned on the one side in the first direction relative to the first end of the first non-movable part gradually enlarges and is magnetically attracted toward the non-movable part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Applicant: HOSIDEN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Toyota, Hitoshi Ao
  • Publication number: 20210184552
    Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator including an attractor to exert a magnetic attractive force in one side in a first direction, a frame, and a lever. The frame includes a frame body fixed to the attractor, and a support on an oblique-direction side relative to the attractor. The lever includes a fulcrum portion pivotally supported by the support, a first displaceable portion arranged on the other side in the second direction relative to the fulcrum portion and on the other side in the first direction relative to the attractor and magnetically attractable by the attractor to be displaced to the one side in the first direction, and a second displaceable portion arranged on the one side in the first direction relative to the fulcrum portion and on the one side in the second direction relative to the attractor and/or the frame and displaceable away from the attractor and/or the frame by the pivot of the lever.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicant: HOSIDEN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hitoshi AO
  • Patent number: 10579178
    Abstract: An input device includes a plate-like operation panel in which a touch sensor is placed. The plate-like operation panel has a touch surface to be touch-operated by an operator, a support that supports the operation panel to a printed circuit board in a manner that the operation panel is displaceable in one axial direction, which extends along the touch surface, and an actuator that vibrates the operation panel in the one axial direction. The support is configured by metal plate springs disposed respectively in four places between the printed circuit board and one of the operation panel and a metal fitting fixed to the operation panel. The plate springs each have a spring property only in the one axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: HOSIDEN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hitoshi Ao
  • Patent number: 10474239
    Abstract: A touch sensing device including a vibratable plate, a touch sensor, a vibration generator including a plunger, an operation face, an opposed part opposed to the vibratable plate in a first direction, and a cushioning member. The plunger is configured to reciprocate in the first direction so as to vibrate the vibratable plate in the first direction. The operation face is to be touched by a detection object for inputting to operate the touch sensing device, and is vibratable as a result of vibration of the vibratable plate. The cushioning member is interposed between the opposed part and the vibratable plate in the first direction. The cushioning member is configured to reduce an amount of displacement in the first direction of the vibratable plate arising from the vibration in the first direction such that the amount is smaller than an amount of movement in the first direction of the plunger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: HOSIDEN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hitoshi Ao
  • Patent number: 10444923
    Abstract: A touch sensing device including an panel including an operation face, a touch sensor fixed to the panel, a circuit board being spaced from the opposite face opposite to the operation face of the panel, an electronic component on a first face of the board, an opposing part in opposing spaced relation to a second face of the board, a coupling member coupling the panel to the board on an outer side relative to the touch sensor and the electronic component, and a switch between the second face of the board and the opposing part. An optical path extends from the electronic component through the touch sensor and the panel. The board relatively approaches the opposing part in accordance with the forward movement of the panel and relatively moves away from the opposing part in accordance with the backward movement of the panel. The switch produces or changes an output signal in accordance with the approach of the board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: HOSIDEN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hitoshi Ao
  • Publication number: 20190087005
    Abstract: A touch sensing device including a vibratable plate, a touch sensor, a vibration generator including a plunger, an operation face, an opposed part opposed to the vibratable plate in a first direction, and a cushioning member. The plunger is configured to reciprocate in the first direction so as to vibrate the vibratable plate in the first direction. The operation face is to be touched by a detection object for inputting to operate the touch sensing device, and is vibratable as a result of vibration of the vibratable plate. The cushioning member is interposed between the opposed part and the vibratable plate in the first direction. The cushioning member is configured to reduce an amount of displacement in the first direction of the vibratable plate arising from the vibration in the first direction such that the amount is smaller than an amount of movement in the first direction of the plunger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventor: Hitoshi Ao
  • Publication number: 20190042022
    Abstract: A touch sensing device including an panel including an operation face, a touch sensor fixed to the panel, a circuit board being spaced from the opposite face opposite to the operation face of the panel, an electronic component on a first face of the board, an opposing part in opposing spaced relation to a second face of the board, a coupling member coupling the panel to the board on an outer side relative to the touch sensor and the electronic component, and a switch between the second face of the board and the opposing part. An optical path extends from the electronic component through the touch sensor and the panel. The board relatively approaches the opposing part in accordance with the forward movement of the panel and relatively moves away from the opposing part in accordance with the backward movement of the panel. The switch produces or changes an output signal in accordance with the approach of the board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventor: Hitoshi Ao
  • Publication number: 20180356928
    Abstract: An input device includes a plate-like operation panel in which a touch sensor is placed. The plate-like operation panel has a touch surface to be touch-operated by an operator, a support that supports the operation panel to a printed circuit board in a manner that the operation panel is displaceable in one axial direction, which extends along the touch surface, and an actuator that vibrates the operation panel in the one axial direction. The support is configured by metal plate springs disposed respectively in four places between the printed circuit board and one of the operation panel and a metal fitting fixed to the operation panel. The plate springs each have a spring property only in the one axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2018
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventor: Hitoshi Ao
  • Publication number: 20160306451
    Abstract: A touch panel includes a panel member and a multilayer film joined to a front face of the panel member, the multilayer film including a conductive film having a conductive layer and a protective film. In the multilayer film, the respective films are laminated to each other via an adhesive layer formed of a thermosetting type adhesive agent and formed in a three-dimensional shape along the front face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Publication date: October 20, 2016
    Inventors: Takeshi Isoda, Hitoshi Ao
  • Publication number: 20160092002
    Abstract: A touch sensing device for detecting approach of a detection target to a detection area of a sensing face, including a base, detection electrodes, and a controller. The base includes a counterpart area corresponding to the detection area and being located on a deeper side in the touch sensing device relative to the detection area. The detection electrodes are arranged at intervals in the counterpart area, and an electrostatic capacitance between at least one of the detection electrodes and the detection target changes in response to an approach of the detection target to the detection electrode so as to change an output signal from the detection electrode. The controller detects that the detection target approaches the detection area corresponding to the counterpart area when an output signal or signals from a predetermined number, being at least one, of the detection electrode or electrodes in the counterpart area has changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Applicant: HOSIDEN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi AO, Naoki TOYOTA
  • Patent number: 9147976
    Abstract: The present invention provides a connector including a body having insulation properties and a terminal group. The terminal group includes a pair of first signal terminals, a second signal terminal, and a third terminal that are arrayed in a row along a first direction in the body. The first signal terminals are adjacent to each other in the first direction. The third terminal is disposed between one of the first signal terminals and the second signal terminal. The third terminal includes a shielding portion extending in a direction crossing the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: HOSIDEN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi Ao, Hayato Kondo
  • Patent number: 8821195
    Abstract: The invention provides a connector including first and second contacts having substantially the same overall length. The first and second contacts each include a contact portion, a first straight portion extending in a first direction, a first bent portion bent in a direction including a second direction, an intermediate portion, a second bent portion bent in a direction including a third direction, a second straight portion extending in the direction including the third direction, and a tail. In the second contact, the contact portion is spaced apart in the third direction from the contact portion of the first contact, the first straight portion has a larger length than the first straight portion of the first contact, the second straight portion has a smaller length than the second straight portion of the first contact, and the tail is spaced apart in the first direction from the tail of the first contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Hosiden Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Ao, Hayato Kondo
  • Publication number: 20140131188
    Abstract: The invention provides a touch sensor including first and second layers and a first welding layer. The first and second layers are laminated together. The first welding layer is provided between the first and second layers and welding the first and second layers together at least partially. The invention also provides a method of manufacturing a touch sensor. The method includes laminating a first and second layers together, at least one layer of the first and second layers being a plastic layer, and welding the one layer at least partially to the other layer of the first and second layers by melting and then solidifying a portion of the one layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: HOSIDEN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi ISODA, Hitoshi AO
  • Publication number: 20120329322
    Abstract: The present invention provides a connector including a body having insulation properties and a terminal group. The terminal group includes a pair of first signal terminals, a second signal terminal, and a third terminal that are arrayed in a row along a first direction in the body. The first signal terminals are adjacent to each other in the first direction. The third terminal is disposed between one of the first signal terminals and the second signal terminal. The third terminal includes a shielding portion extending in a direction crossing the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: HOSIDEN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi Ao, Hayato Kondo