Patents by Inventor Kazuhiro Nobutoki
Kazuhiro Nobutoki 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).
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Patent number: 6829404Abstract: An optical switch switches the light path between collimate lenses optically coupled to the ends of corresponding optical fibers by the advancing and retracting movements of a prism. The prism comprises an electromagnetic driver having an armature arranged to hold the prism, a coil block for driving the movement of the armature by use of magnetic actions and a leaf spring. The leaf spring mainly includes four parallelly extending spring strips fixedly joined at one end to a body and at another end to the armature to thus spatially hold the armature and the prism for linear movement. The electromagnetic driver and the prism are disposed next to each other along the moving direction of the armature. The armature and the prism can be linearly moved at a right angle to the light path between the lenses when the optical switch is in action. This allows the prism to be linearly moved, and the device can be minimized in overall size.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2003Date of Patent: December 7, 2004Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.Inventors: Takanori Sugiyama, Yoshihiro Mihara, Kazuhiro Nobutoki
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Patent number: 6791233Abstract: A flexible area 2 is joined at one end via a thermal insulation area 7 to a semiconductor substrate 3 which becomes a frame and at an opposite end to a moving element 5. The thermal insulation area 7 is made of a thermal insulation material a resin such as polyimide or a fluoridated resin. The flexible area 2 is made up of a thin portion 2S and a thin film 2M different in thermal expansion coefficient. When a diffused resistor 6 formed on the surface of the thin portion 2S is heated, the flexible area 2 is displaced because of the thermal expansion difference between the thin portion 2S and the thin film 2M, and the moving element 5 is displayed with respect to the semiconductor substrate 3.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2002Date of Patent: September 14, 2004Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.Inventors: Shigeaki Tomonari, Hitoshi Yoshida, Masanao Kamakura, Hiroshi Kawada, Masaaki Saito, Kazuhiro Nobutoki, Jun Ogihara, Shuichi Nagao
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Publication number: 20030160538Abstract: A flexible area 2 is joined at one end via a thermal insulation area 7 to a semiconductor substrate 3 which becomes a frame and at an opposite end to a moving element 5. The thermal insulation area 7 is made of a thermal insulation material a resin such as polyimide or a fluoridated resin. The flexible area 2 is made up of a thin portion 2S and a thin film 2M different in thermal expansion coefficient. When a diffused resistor 6 formed on the surface of the thin portion 2S is heated, the flexible area 2 is displaced because of the thermal expansion difference between the thin portion 2S and the thin film 2M, and the moving element 5 is displayed with respect to the semiconductor substrate 3.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 24, 2002Publication date: August 28, 2003Applicant: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.Inventors: Shigeaki Tomonari, Hitoshi Yoshida, Masanao Kamakura, Hiroshi Kawada, Masaaki Saito, Kazuhiro Nobutoki, Jun Ogihara, Shuichi Nagao
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Publication number: 20030156783Abstract: An optical switch for switching the light path between collimate lenses (35) optically coupled to the ends of corresponding optical fibers (4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d) by the advancing and retracting movements of a prism (31) is provided com-prising an electromagnetic driver (2) having an armature (21) arranged to hold the prism (31) and a coil block (2a) for driving the movement of the armature (21) by means of magnetic actions and a leaf spring (27) consisting mainly of four parallelly extending spring strips (27aa, 27ab, 27ac, and 27ad) and fixedly joined at one end to a body (1) and at the other end to the armature (21) thus to spatially hold the armature (21) and the prism (31) for linear movement. The electromagnetic driver (2) and the prism (31) are disposed next to each other along the moving direction of the armature (21). The armature (21) and the prism (31) can linearly be moved at a right angle to the light path between the lenses (35) when the optical switch is in action.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2003Publication date: August 21, 2003Inventors: Takanori Sugiyama, Yoshihiro Mihara, Kazuhiro Nobutoki
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Patent number: 6608539Abstract: A permanent magnet 24 is stood vertically at a position shifted on way off the central position of a central piece 20c for a U-shaped iron core 20. An armature 50 has a projection 54 as a fulcrum at an off-centered position so that the fulcrum is placed on an upper end face of the permanent magnet 24. Also, a coil 41 is wounded around a pole piece 20b of the iron core 20 on a near side to the central position.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2001Date of Patent: August 19, 2003Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.Inventors: Kazuhiro Nobutoki, Kazuaki Nishimura, Shunsuke Egashira
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Patent number: 6426689Abstract: An electromagnetic relay includes a yoke having both ends bent in first direction, a coil portion wound onto a central part between the ends of the yoke, a permanent magnet arranged between the ends of the yoke, an armature formed to have a greater length than that between the ends of the yoke and provided on the first side of the permanent magnet and a hinge spring capable of causing both end sides of the armature to be toggle with respect to the ends of the yoke, and the hinge spring integrally fixing the permanent magnet and the armature.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2000Date of Patent: July 30, 2002Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.Inventors: Masafumi Nakagawa, Fumihiro Kamitani, Osamu Matsui, Kazuhiro Nobutoki, Masanori Motoyama, Toyotaka Nishikawa
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Patent number: 6384509Abstract: A flexible area 2 is joined at one end via a thermal insulation area 7 to a semiconductor substrate 3 which becomes a frame and at an opposite end to a moving element 5. The thermal insulation area 7 is made of a thermal insulation material a resin such as polyimide or a fluoridated resin. The flexible area 2 is made up of a thin portion 2S and a thin film 2M different in thermal expansion coefficient. When a diffused resistor 6 formed on the surface of the thin portion 2S is heated, the flexible area 2 is displaced because of the thermal expansion difference between the thin portion 2S and the thin film 2M, and the moving element 5 is displayed with respect to the semiconductor substrate 3.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2000Date of Patent: May 7, 2002Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.Inventors: Shigeaki Tomonari, Hitoshi Yoshida, Masanao Kamakura, Hiroshi Kawada, Masaaki Saito, Kazuhiro Nobutoki, Jun Ogihara, Shuichi Nagao
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Publication number: 20010028291Abstract: A permanent magnet 24 is stood vertically at a position shifted on way off the central position of a central piece 20c for a U-shaped iron core 20. An armature 50 has a projection 54 as a fulcrum at an off-centered position so that the fulcrum is placed on an upper end face of the permanent magnet 24. Also, a coil 41 is wounded around a pole piece 20b of the iron core 20 on a near side to the central position.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2001Publication date: October 11, 2001Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC WORKS,LTD.Inventors: Kazuhiro Nobutoki, Kazuaki Nishimura, Shunsuke Egashira
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Patent number: 6014068Abstract: A miniature electromagnetic relay is capable of increasing the coil packing density, yet assuring electrical insulation of the coil from a core of the electromagnet. The relay includes a pair of movable and fixed contacts, an armature carrying the movable contact, and an electromagnet block having an excitation coil which moves the armature for closing and opening the contacts upon being energized. The electromagnet block includes a generally U-shaped core with a center core and a pair of yokes extending from opposite ends of the center core, flanges of dielectric material molded respectively around portions of the yokes, and a dielectric tape fitted around the center core over substantially the entire length of the center core to receive therearound the excitation coil in an electrically insulating relation from the core.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 1999Date of Patent: January 11, 2000Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.Inventors: Kazuhiro Nobutoki, Hiroyuki Kita, Kazuaki Nishimura
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Patent number: 5337029Abstract: A polarized relay includes a coil block having an elongated coil bobbin, a core inserted therein, and an excitation coil wound about the coil bobbin. The core has opposed pole ends projecting upwardly from longitudinal ends of the coil bobbin. A permanent magnet is interposed between the pole ends on the coil bobbin. Disposed on the coil block is an armature block which comprises an elongated generally flat armature and a set of movable springs carrying movable contacts. The movable springs are held together with the armature by means of an electrically insulating harness molded on the armature. The armature is pivotally supported on the coil block to be movable between two contact operating positions and constituting a magnetic circuit with the core and the permanent magnet for polarized operation of the armature.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 1992Date of Patent: August 9, 1994Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.Inventors: Kazuhiro Nobutoki, Kyoji Ueda, Hiroyuki Kita
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Patent number: 4975666Abstract: A polarized electromagnetic relay is designed to have a minimum height as less as that of an electromagnet block constituting one major part of the relay. The relay includes a base which is formed to receive the electromagnet block and to have a set of fixed contacts. The electromagnet block includes a generally U-shaped yoke with a pair of opposed legs connected by a center core and at least one excitation coil wound around the center core. An armature block is mounted within the base together with the electromagnet block and comprises an elongated armature extending over the opposed pole legs and pivotally supported for movement between first and second positions about a pivot axis. The armature block carries a movable contact for contact selectively with one of the fixed contacts in response to the armature movement between the first and second positions.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 1990Date of Patent: December 4, 1990Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.Inventor: Kazuhiro Nobutoki
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Patent number: 4703293Abstract: A polarized electromagnetic actuator device advantageous for single-stable armature operation comprises an armature pivotally supported for movement between two different angularly displaced positions about a pivot axis and an electromagnet with a pair of opposed pole members extending toward the ends of the armature on either side of the pivot axis. Disposed between the free ends of the opposite pole members is a bar-shaped three-pole magnetized permanent magnet which is magnetized to have end poles of the same polarity at the longitudinal ends and a center pole of the opposite polarity intermediate the ends, producing first and second flux paths opposing to each other and extending between the respective end portions of the permanent magnet and the adjacent end portions of the armature.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 1986Date of Patent: October 27, 1987Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Ono, Kazuhiro Nobutoki
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Patent number: 4695813Abstract: A polarized electromagnetic relay includes a flat-shaped armature pivotally supported at its center, an electromagnet with a pair of pole members extending toward the armature ends on either side of the center pivot axis, and a three-pole magnetized permanent magnet bridging between the pole members in generally parallel relation with the armature. A pair of movable contact springs extends along the lateral sides of the armature and joined at its center portion to the armature to be movable therewith. Integrally formed with each movable contact spring is a pivot arm which extends transversely from the center thereof and is fixedly secured to a relay casing. The pivot arm defines itself a resilient torsion element of limited deformability by which the armature is supported on the relay casing and is permitted to pivot about the center pivot axis for movement between the two angular positions.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 1986Date of Patent: September 22, 1987Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.Inventors: Kazuhiro Nobutoki, Kenji Ono
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Patent number: 4688010Abstract: An electromagnetic relay has a casing of electrically insulative material which is divided by an insulating partition into a coil space for receiving an electromagnet and a switching space for receiving a contact assembly. An armature is magnetically coupled to the electromagnet and is operatively connected to the contact assembly for switching contact operation thereof in response to energization of the electromagnet. The partition extends along the entire length of the electromagnet without leaving any communication path between the coil space and the switching space, such that the electromagnet in the coil space can be insulatively separated from the contact assembly in the switching space within the length of the electromagnet.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 1985Date of Patent: August 18, 1987Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.Inventors: Kazuhiro Nobutoki, Kenji Ono, Keiji Okahashi, Sueyoshi Matsumura
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Patent number: 4339735Abstract: In an electromagnetic relay, an armature block serving to actuate contact springs includes a pair of armatures and a permanent magnet disposed therebetween to magnetize the armatures to opposite polarities. Pole ends of a yoke carrying the excitation flux created by the relay coil extend between free ends of the armatures. The armature block is suspended by means of a resilient arm integrally formed with the block at one side thereof and having its outer end fixed to a bearing portion, so that a rocking motion of the armature block is achieved by a flexing motion of the resilient arm.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 1980Date of Patent: July 13, 1982Assignees: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd., Hans SauerInventors: Kenji Ono, Kazuhiro Nobutoki, Hans Sauer