Patents by Inventor Kazuhiro Iwano

Kazuhiro Iwano 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: 7229356
    Abstract: A boot for a universal joint is constructed by a boot body and a boot adapter. The one end of the boot is fitted on a propeller inner shaft via its one-end fitting portion and the other end of the boot is fitted on the outer race of the universal joint via its other-end fitting portion, thereby substantially covering the universal joint. The foregoing one-end fitting portion has an annular lip portion at its end portion. Passages for flowing air between the inside of the boot and the outside of the boot are formed on the one-end fitting portion and the annular lip portion. The passages are closed by the annular lip portion being expanded in diameter outward by a centrifugal force caused by the high rotation of the propeller inner shaft, thereby preventing splashed water or muddy water from intruding into the boot when air is sucked into the boot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Showa Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Iwano
  • Patent number: 7185873
    Abstract: In a bracket mounting structure is disclosed for mounting a bracket holding a center bearing of a propeller shaft to a vehicle body member by bolts and nuts. The structure contains a bush collar formed in a cylindrical shape having a flange in an upper end, fitted to the bolts and fixed to the vehicle body member by the bolts and the nuts. It also contains a pair of upper and lower rubber bushes fitted to an outer periphery of the bush collar and gripping the bracket there-between, and a washer provided in a lower end of the lower rubber bush among the rubber bushes. An outer peripheral edge of a lower end of the bush collar extends all through an inner peripheral edge of the washer and is expanded outward in diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Showa Corporation
    Inventors: Teiji Suka, Masaru Naoi, Kazuhiro Iwano
  • Patent number: 7063331
    Abstract: A middle portion 62 of a fitting portion 52A of a boot 52 for a universal joint is fastened to a flange-like portion 72 of a member to which the boot is attached and a front end portion 63 to which communicating paths 61A to 63A of the boot 52 are opened is faced to a small diameter periphery portion 73 following one side of the flange-like portion 72 of the member to which the boot is attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Showa Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Iwano
  • Patent number: 6955607
    Abstract: A structure is disclosed for preventing water or the like from intruding in a boot for a universal joint which includes: a communication passage for communicating inner and outer portions of the boot, the communication passage being provided in an end surface of a fitting portion of the boot sealing a connecting space of the universal joint to a member to be mounted at a time of fitting and attaching one end portion of the boot to the member to be mounted, wherein a protruding shielding portion opposing to the end surface of the fitting portion is provided in a close attached portion of the end surface of the fitting portion of the boot in the member to be mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Showa Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Iwano, Masaru Naoi
  • Patent number: 6820876
    Abstract: A boot for a universal joint is constructed by a boot body and a boot adapter. The one end of the boot is fitted on a propeller inner shaft via its one-end fitting portion and the other end of the boot is fitted on the outer race of the universal joint via its other-end fitting portion, thereby substantially covering the universal joint. The foregoing one-end fitting portion has an annular lip portion at its end portion. Passages for flowing air are formed on the one-end fitting portion and its annular lip portion, respectively. The passages communicate with each other through an annular partial passage between both passages. The existence of the annular partial passage increases the flowing resistance of air between the inside and the outside of the boot to reduce the pressure fluctuation in the boot and to improve the effectiveness in preventing splashed water or muddy water from intruding into the boot along with the suction of air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: Showa Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Iwano
  • Publication number: 20040007832
    Abstract: A boot for a universal joint is constructed by a boot body and a boot adapter. The one end of the boot is fitted on a propeller inner shaft via its one-end fitting portion and the other end of the boot is fitted on the outer race of the universal joint via its other-end fitting portion, thereby substantially covering the universal joint. The foregoing one-end fitting portion has an annular lip portion at its end portion. Passages for flowing air are formed on the one-end fitting portion and its annular lip portion, respectively. The passages communicate with each other through an annular partial passage between both passages. The existence of the annular partial passage increases the flowing resistance of air between the inside and the outside of the boot to reduce the pressure fluctuation in the boot and to improve the effectiveness in preventing splashed water or muddy water from intruding into the boot along with the suction of air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Publication date: January 15, 2004
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Iwano
  • Publication number: 20040009820
    Abstract: A boot for a universal joint is constructed by a boot body and a boot adapter. The one end of the boot is fitted on a propeller inner shaft via its one-end fitting portion and the other end of the boot is fitted on the outer race of the universal joint via its other-end fitting portion, thereby substantially covering the universal joint. The foregoing one-end fitting portion has an annular lip portion at its end portion. Passages for flowing air between the inside of the boot and the outside of the boot are formed on the one-end fitting portion and the annular lip portion. The passages are closed by the annular lip portion being expanded in diameter outward by a centrifugal force caused by the high rotation of the propeller inner shaft, thereby preventing splashed water or muddy water from intruding into the boot when air is sucked into the boot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Publication date: January 15, 2004
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Iwano
  • Publication number: 20030102638
    Abstract: A middle portion 62 of a fitting portion 52A of a boot 52 for a universal joint is fastened to a flange-like portion 72 of a member to which the boot is attached and a front end portion 63 to which communicating paths 61A to 63A of the boot 52 are opened is faced to a small diameter periphery portion 73 following one side of the flange-like portion 72 of the member to which the boot is attached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2002
    Publication date: June 5, 2003
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Iwano
  • Publication number: 20030057334
    Abstract: In a bracket mounting structure is disclosed for mounting a bracket holding a center bearing of a propeller shaft to a vehicle body member by bolts and nuts. The structure contains a bush collar formed in a cylindrical shape having a flange in an upper end, fitted to the bolts and fixed to the vehicle body member by the bolts and the nuts. It also contains a pair of upper and lower rubber bushes fitted to an outer periphery of the bush collar and gripping the bracket there-between, and a washer provided in a lower end of the lower rubber bush among the rubber bushes. An outer peripheral edge of a lower end of the bush collar extends all through an inner peripheral edge of the washer and is expanded outward in diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2002
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Inventors: Teiji Suka, Masaru Naoi, Kazuhiro Iwano
  • Publication number: 20030060293
    Abstract: A structure is disclosed for preventing water or the like from intruding in a boot for a universal joint which includes: a communication passage for communicating inner and outer portions of the boot, the communication passage being provided in an end surface of a fitting portion of the boot sealing a connecting space of the universal joint to a member to be mounted at a time of fitting and attaching one end portion of the boot to the member to be mounted, wherein a protruding shielding portion opposing to the end surface of the fitting portion is provided in a close attached portion of the end surface of the fitting portion of the boot in the member to be mounted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2002
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Iwano, Masaru Naoi
  • Patent number: 6491279
    Abstract: In a bracket mounting structure is disclosed for mounting a bracket holding a center bearing of a propeller shaft to a vehicle body member by bolts and nuts. The structure contains a bush collar formed in a substantially cylindrical shape having a flange in an upper end, fitted to the bolts and fixed to the vehicle body member by the bolts and the nuts. It also contains a pair of upper and lower rubber bushes fitted to an outer periphery of the bush collar and gripping the bracket there-between, and a washer provided in a lower end of the lower rubber bush among the rubber bushes. Outward protruding projections are provided in an outer peripheral edge of a lower end in the bush collar, and notches through which the projections can pass. Engagement portions with which the projections are engaged due to a relative rotation are provided in an inner periphery of the washer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2002
    Assignee: Showa Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Iwano
  • Patent number: 6443845
    Abstract: In a mounting structure of a boot (15), a communication passage (21) communicating a connection space (13) with an external portion can be formed in a base portion (14A) of a boot adapter (14) at least at an intermediate stage of being inserted and attached to an outer peripheral portion of a first member (an outer wheel (11A)) from an axial direction, and the connection space (13) can be sealed by shutting a communication by the communication passage (21) at least at a final stage of the insertion and attachment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Showa Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshio Hiraga, Kazuhiro Iwano, Teiji Suka, Kazunobu Haneishi, Shinya Toita
  • Patent number: 6293873
    Abstract: A universal joint (1) is provided with a boot (10) which has one end fitted to the inner element (2) and the other end fitted to the outer element (3) so as to seal between the inner element (2) and the outer element (3). The boot (10) is constituted by a flexible boot main body (11) and an adapter (12). During fitting between the outer element (3) and the adapter (12), an inside of the boot (10) and the open air are communicated with each other via a communication passage formed by a communication groove (12f) of the adapter (12), and pressure of air within the boot (10) is kept at the same pressure as that of the open air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignee: Showa Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Iwano, Yoshio Hiraga, Kazunobu Haneishi
  • Patent number: 6276837
    Abstract: The invention provides a propeller shaft supporting structure where an annular supporting member obtained by connecting an inner ring and an outer ring to each other via an elastic member axially supports a propeller shaft through a center bearing at an inner side of the inner ring. In the propeller shaft supporting structure, a metal stopper piece formed in a simple cylindrical shape with no flange is press-fitted on the propeller shaft to abut on an inner race of the center bearing so as to position and fix the center bearing to an axially predetermined position. A thin annular metal plate is fixed to an inner peripheral portion of an annular rubber flange, and the annular metal plate is fitted on an outer periphery of an end portion of the stopper piece, thereby covering the opening of the inner ring with the flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Showa Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Iwano
  • Patent number: 5558072
    Abstract: Fuel-vapor evaporating from a fuel tank is led though a vapor pipe and absorbed in a charcoal canister. Though the evaporating rate is influenced by the altitude where the automobile operates, the air-fuel ratio must be controlled within the proper range. This apparatus controls a purge valve in accordance with the purge rate which is determined based on the standard atmospheric pressure and compensated in accordance with the present atmospheric pressure. Therefore, this apparatus can precisely control the amount of purged fuel and the air-fuel ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1996
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Harima, Toshinari Nagai, Hiroshi Kanai, Akinori Osanai, Kazuhiro Iwano, Shuji Yuda