Patents by Inventor Katsufumi Abe

Katsufumi Abe 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: 10132346
    Abstract: A positioning protrusion 14 is provided in a center of an outer diameter surface of a halved outer ring 11a in both circumferential and axial directions. The positioning protrusion 14 is configured to engage with a housing, which is placed on an outer diameter side of the halved outer ring, to position the halved outer ring 11a with respect to the housing. A protruding portion 17a and a recessed portion 17b are provided in each abutting portions 16a, 16b where a pair of the halved outer rings 11a abut on each other when fitted on a rotary shaft that is supported by a roller bearing. The protruding portion 17a and the recessed portion 17b are configured to mesh with each other to restrict axial movement of both halved outer rings 11a. The protruding portion 17a and the recessed portion 17b are point-symmetric with respect to a center 20 of the positioning protrusion 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinji Oishi, Yugo Yoshimura, Katsufumi Abe
  • Patent number: 9562593
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a chain guide superior in silence, which includes: a guide base extending in a traveling direction of a chain; a plurality of roller shafts attached to the guide base at an interval along the traveling direction of the chain; and rollers each rotatably supported by one of the roller shafts. The roller has a cylindrical outer circumferential surface for guiding the chain. The outer circumferential surface of the roller has a cylindricity not greater than 20 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinji Oishi, Akio Kato, Takahiro Yamashita, Katsufumi Abe
  • Patent number: 9512881
    Abstract: A roller bearing (21) includes a plurality of needle rollers (23), a cage (24) that retains the rollers (23), and an outer ring (22) that has a rolling surface on which the rollers roll and is split in the circumferential direction. The cage (24) includes split sections (32a), (32b) at which the cage can be split in the circumferential direction. The cage (24) is of a roller riding type or an inner land riding type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiko Katayama, Katsufumi Abe
  • Patent number: 9500269
    Abstract: A cam follower for a rocker arm includes a cylindrical outer ring (11) having an outer circumference surface abutting on a cam, a support shaft (6) to support the outer ring (11), a plurality of rollers (12) arranged in an annular region between the support shaft (6) and the outer ring (11), and a side plate (16) composed of a ring-shaped disk penetrated by the support shaft (6), opposed to an end face (15) of the roller (12), and having an outer diameter Ds smaller than an inner diameter Dr of the outer ring (11). The side plate (16) is arranged at each end of the roller (12), and a relationship Lr<Lk+2t is satisfied in which Lk represents a shaft length of the roller (12), Lr represents a shaft length of the outer ring (11), and t represents a thickness of the side plate (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiko Katayama, Katsufumi Abe, Hisataka Hasegawa, Masaru Kuroda
  • Patent number: 9429216
    Abstract: A chain guide and a chain tensioner device using the chain guide. A roller, brought into contact with a chain, comprises a support shaft supported by an opposing guide base provided along the running direction of the chain, and roller bearings each having a steel outer ring on the outer peripheral surface of the support shaft so as to be brought into contact with the chain. The roller is also configured to be assembled by inserting opposite ends of the support shaft into support recesses on facing wall surfaces of the guide base. The roller has a vibration damping material between the support shaft and the support recess of each of the plate members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akio Kato, Takahiro Yamashita, Katsufumi Abe
  • Patent number: 9163659
    Abstract: A caged roller bearing includes a plurality of rollers and a roller retaining cage having pockets defined therein at circumferential locations thereof for accommodating the respective rollers therein. A nickel plating layer, which is a plated backing layer, is applied to the entire surface of the roller retaining cage, and an Ni•PTFE plated layer, containing nickel and polytetrafluoroethylene, is applied to the surface of the nickel plating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masanori Sato, Katsufumi Abe, Hitoshi Murakami, Hiromitsu Kawai
  • Patent number: 9032926
    Abstract: The present invention provides a timing chain drive device which has high mechanical strength of the timing chain contact surface and small sliding resistance, and which, even when being brought into contact with a timing chain running at high speed, is difficult to wear. A first chain guide and a second chain guide, which give tension to a timing chain so as to prevent the timing chain from being slackened, are arranged, and a plurality of rollers, each of which is supported by a rolling element, are arrayed in each of the first chain guide and the second chain guide so as to be brought into contact with the timing chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Akio Kato, Takahiro Yamashita, Katsufumi Abe
  • Publication number: 20150131935
    Abstract: A roller bearing (21) includes a plurality of needle rollers (23), a cage (24) that retains the rollers (23), and an outer ring (22) that has a rolling surface on which the rollers roll and is split in the circumferential direction. The cage (24) includes split sections (32a), (32b) at which the cage can be split in the circumferential direction. The cage (24) is of a roller riding type or an inner land riding type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Akihiko Katayama, Katsufumi Abe
  • Publication number: 20150101449
    Abstract: A cam follower for a rocker arm includes a cylindrical outer ring (11) having an outer circumference surface abutting on a cam, a support shaft (6) to support the outer ring (11), a plurality of rollers (12) arranged in an annular region between the support shaft (6) and the outer ring (11), and a side plate (16) composed of a ring-shaped disk penetrated by the support shaft (6), opposed to an end face (15) of the roller (12), and having an outer diameter Ds smaller than an inner diameter Dr of the outer ring (11). The side plate (16) is arranged at each end of the roller (12), and a relationship Lr<Lk+2t is satisfied in which Lk represents a shaft length of the roller (12), Lr represents a shaft length of the outer ring (11), and t represents a thickness of the side plate (16).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: Akihiko KATAYAMA, Katsufumi ABE, Hisataka HASEGAWA, Masaru KURODA
  • Patent number: 8968139
    Abstract: An object is to reduce various losses occurring in a speed-reduction/differential gear apparatus for electric vehicles including a planetary-gear speed reducer and a differential device, thereby improving transmission efficiency of the driving force and increasing travel distance of the electric vehicle per battery charge. A speed-reduction/differential gear apparatus for electric vehicles includes a planetary-gear speed reducer and a differential device. A planetary gear mechanism in the speed reducer includes a speed-reducer-side carrier which has its inner diameter surface supported by a speed-reducer-side carrier support bearing. The invention provides proper mesh between in the pair of engaging teeth, leading to decrease in loss torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Rino Fukami, Katsufumi Abe
  • Publication number: 20140274512
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a chain guide superior in silence, which includes: a guide base extending in a traveling direction of a chain; a plurality of roller shafts attached to the guide base at an interval along the traveling direction of the chain; and rollers each rotatably supported by one of the roller shafts. The roller has a cylindrical outer circumferential surface for guiding the chain. The outer circumferential surface of the roller has a cylindricity not greater than 20 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Shinji Oishi, Akio Kato, Takahiro Yamashita, Katsufumi Abe
  • Patent number: 8834035
    Abstract: A roller bearing retainer (13) includes a pair of annular ring parts (14) and a plurality of column parts (15) each including a column center part (16) provided in an axial center region so as to be positioned relatively on the radial inner side, a pair of column end parts (17) provided in axial end regions so as to be positioned relatively on the radial outer side, and a pair of column sloped parts (18) positioned between the column center part (16) and the pair of column end parts (17), and connecting the pair of ring parts to each other. A thickness of each part of the column center part, the pair of column end parts, and the pair of column sloped parts is smaller than a thickness of a boundary part between the adjacent parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Oishi, Yugo Yoshimura, Katsufumi Abe
  • Publication number: 20140141918
    Abstract: An object is to reduce various losses occurring in a speed-reduction/differential gear apparatus for electric vehicles including a planetary-gear speed reducer and a differential device, thereby improving transmission efficiency of the driving force and increasing travel distance of the electric vehicle per battery charge. A speed-reduction/differential gear apparatus for electric vehicles includes a planetary-gear speed reducer and a differential device. A planetary gear mechanism in the speed reducer includes a speed-reducer-side carrier which has its inner diameter surface supported by a speed-reducer-side carrier support bearing. The invention provides proper mesh between in the pair of engaging teeth, leading to decrease in loss torque.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Inventors: Rino Fukami, Katsufumi Abe
  • Publication number: 20130331211
    Abstract: A chain guide and a chain tensioner device using the chain guide. A roller, brought into contact with a chain, comprises a support shaft supported by an opposing guide base provided along the running direction of the chain, and roller bearings each having a steel outer ring on the outer peripheral surface of the support shaft so as to be brought into contact with the chain. The roller is also configured to be assembled by inserting opposite ends of the support shaft into support recesses on facing wall surfaces of the guide base. The roller, has a vibration damping material between the support shaft and the support recess of each of the plate members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Inventors: Akio Kato, Takahiro Yamashita, Katsufumi Abe
  • Publication number: 20130324339
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a chain guide which has low noise and low vibration even when being brought into contact with a chain running at high speed, and to provide a chain tensioner device using the chain guide. A chain guide base provided along the running direction of a chain is integrally attached to a tensioner plunger that presses the chain guide base against the chain side so as to increase the weight of the chain guide itself to reduce vibration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Akio Kato, Takahiro Yamashita, Katsufumi Abe
  • Publication number: 20130312685
    Abstract: The present invention provides a timing chain drive device which has high mechanical strength of the timing chain contact surface and small sliding resistance, and which, even when being brought into contact with a timing chain running at high speed, is difficult to wear. A first chain guide and a second chain guide, which give tension to a timing chain so as to prevent the timing chain from being slackened, are arranged, and a plurality of rollers, each of which is supported by a rolling element, are arrayed in each of the first chain guide and the second chain guide so as to be brought into contact with the timing chain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Inventors: Akio Kato, Takahiro Yamashita, Katsufumi Abe
  • Patent number: 8448430
    Abstract: A thrust roller bearing includes a plurality of rollers, a retainer, an annular first track ring having a track surface, an outer periphery flange part, and a first claw part, and an annular second track ring having a track surface, an inner periphery flange part, and a second claw part. Bearing internal gaps to allow the eccentric rotation of the first track ring and the second track ring are provided between the outer periphery flange part and an outer edge part of the retainer, and between the inner periphery flange part and an inner edge part of the retainer. In addition, at least one of the first and second claw parts is a projection part formed by a bending process. Furthermore, an edge part of the retainer opposed to the projection part has a first slope part formed at a corner part on the side opposed to the track surface, and a second slope part having a radial length relatively shorter than that of the first slope part, and formed at a corner part on the opposite side in a thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Rino Fukami, Kazuyuki Yamamoto, Katsufumi Abe
  • Patent number: 8418670
    Abstract: A needle roller bearing (21) as a roller bearing comprises an outer ring (22) having a plurality of outer ring members (22a) and (22b) split by a split line extending in the axial direction of the bearing, and a plurality of needle rollers (23) arranged along the track surface of the outer ring (22). The outer ring member (22a) is in the form of a semicircular shape having a center angle of 180° and has an engagement click (22c) bent from one circumferential side end to the radial outer side. The two outer ring members (22a) and (22b) are connected in the circumferential direction to form the annular outer ring (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignees: NTN Corporation, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsufumi Abe, Akihiko Katayama, Yugo Yoshimura, Shinji Oishi, Hiroki Tsuchiyama, Noriaki Fujii, Tomoya Fujimoto, Keiko Yoshida, Kiminori Komura, Kazuto Abe
  • Patent number: 8393800
    Abstract: Needle roller bearing includes an outer ring having first outer ring member having center angle larger than 180° and second outer ring member having center angle smaller than 180°, needle rollers, a retainer having ring section pairs and column sections arranged between the pair of ring sections, d<X<D and the formula below are satisfied wherein D represents the outer ring inner diameter, r represents a needle roller radius, d represents the retainer outer diameter, and X represents a line segment length l1 connecting circumferential ends of an inner diameter surface of the first outer ring member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Katsufumi Abe, Akihiko Katayama
  • Patent number: 8220423
    Abstract: A roller bearing includes an outer ring formed by connecting a plurality of arc-shaped outer ring members in a circumferential direction and a plurality of rollers arranged along an inner diameter surface of the outer ring. A slope surface (22i) is provided at one or each circumferential end on an inner diameter surface of the outer ring member (22a), and a contour line of the slope surface (22i) is along a direction perpendicular to a revolution direction of the roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignees: NTN Corporation, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsufumi Abe, Hiroki Tsuchiyama, Shinji Oishi, Noriaki Fujii, Tomoya Fujimoto, Keiko Yoshida, Kazuto Abe, Kiminori Komura