Patents by Inventor Kazuyoshi Torii

Kazuyoshi Torii 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).

  • Publication number: 20220166196
    Abstract: A spark plug that can reduce variation in a discharge point. The spark plug includes: a center electrode; a metal shell insulating and holding the center electrode; and a ground electrode including a base material having one end portion connected to the metal shell, and a tip connected to another end portion of the base material. The tip has a discharge surface opposed to the center electrode with a spark gap therebetween. The discharge surface has a quadrangular shape and is chamfered at four sides thereof. Only a first side which is one of the four sides is provided with a C chamfer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2019
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi SEKIZAWA, Tomokatsu KASHIMA, Yuya ONO, Yuki TOUMATSU, Yudai KAWAGUCHI, Kazuyoshi TORII
  • Patent number: 9935430
    Abstract: A spark plug having a of center electrode, a ground electrode, and a noble metal tip that is laser-welded to at least one of the center electrode and the ground electrode The noble metal tip is joined to the electrode through a fused portion formed by laser welding, and the fused portion includes a first fused portion and a second fused portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Go Matsumura, Kazuyoshi Torii, Yasuhide Shimanokami
  • Publication number: 20150372458
    Abstract: A spark plug having a of center electrode, a ground electrode, and a noble metal tip that is laser-welded to at least one of the center electrode and the ground electrode The noble metal tip is joined to the electrode through a fused portion formed by laser welding, and the fused portion includes a first fused portion and a second fused portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Go MATSUMURA, Kazuyoshi TORII, Yasuhide SHIMANOKAMI
  • Patent number: 8638029
    Abstract: A spark plug includes a center electrode, a ground electrode, and a noble metal tip. The noble metal tip is joined to an object member of at least one of two electrodes via a fusion zone. A projected overlap region of the noble metal tip and the fusion zone accounts for 70% or more of a projected region of the noble metal tip. The object member contains at least Si out of Al and Si such that the amount of Si is 0.4% by mass or higher and such that the total amount of Al and Si is 0.5% by mass. Multi-fusion spots exist on the surface of the fusion zone. Segments of a baseline which pass through the respective multi-fusion spots have a total length of a predetermined percentage of the length of the baseline. Joining strength to the noble metal tip can thereby be greatly improved when the member to be joined contains Si.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Torii, Akira Suzuki, Mamoru Musasa
  • Patent number: 8476817
    Abstract: The present invention provides a spark plug which is capable of suppressing a occurrence of crack and separation by determining a structural configuration of a melting portion formed in a junction portion between a discharge portion and a pedestal portion which form an ignition portion that protrudes from a ground electrode. In a profile line shape of a cross section including a center axis P of an ignition portion 80, an exposure surface 88 of a melting portion 83 connects a side surface 82 of a discharge portion 81 and a side surface 85 of a pedestal portion 84. Further, an exterior angle ? formed between an imaginary line Q, which passes through a boundary position X1 between the melting portion 83 and the pedestal portion 84 and a boundary position X2 between the melting portion 83 and the discharge portion 81, and the center axis P at a node C, satisfies 135°???175°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naomichi Miyashita, Mamoru Musasa, Akira Suzuki, Kazuyoshi Torii, Tomoaki Kato
  • Patent number: 8410673
    Abstract: A spark plug having a center electrode and a ground electrode including a ground electrode main body part having an end thereof facing the center electrode and a noble metal tip joined to the ground electrode main body part at a position facing a leading end of the center electrode, a spark discharge gap being formed between the leading end of the center electrode and the noble metal tip, wherein at least a portion of the ground electrode main body part, to which the noble metal tip is joined, is made of an Ni alloy containing 12 to 45 mass % of Cr, 7 mass % or less of Fe, 0.5 to 5 mass % of Al, 0.3 to 5 mass % of Si and 50 mass % or more of the balance, and wherein the joined portion and the noble metal tip are joined by laser welding or electron beam welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Torii, Tomoo Tanaka, Akira Suzuki, Mamoru Musasa, Naomichi Miyashita, Osamu Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 8378560
    Abstract: An ignition part (80) of a ground electrode (30) includes a fused part (85) in which construction materials of a base portion (82) and a noble metal member (81) are fused and mixed by performing laser welding on the two. In the fused part (85), an average ratio P of components originated from the noble metal member (81) at points K1, L1, and M1 is equal to or greater than 80%, and an average ratio Q of components originated from the base portion at points K3, L3, and M3 is equal to or higher than 20%, and P+Q is equal to or higher than 160%. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain joining strength in the parts in the ignition part (80), thereby sufficiently preventing the generation of cracks, separation, and the like due to thermal stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Suzuki, Naomichi Miyashita, Kazuyoshi Torii
  • Publication number: 20130038198
    Abstract: A spark plug includes a center electrode, a ground electrode, and a noble metal tip. The noble metal tip is joined to an object member of at least one of two electrodes via a fusion zone. A projected overlap region of the noble metal tip and the fusion zone accounts for 70% or more of a projected region of the noble metal tip. The object member contains at least Si out of Al and Si such that the amount of Si is 0.4% by mass or higher and such that the total amount of Al and Si is 0.5% by mass. Multi-fusion spots exist on the surface of the fusion zone. Segments of a baseline which pass through the respective multi-fusion spots have a total length of a predetermined percentage of the length of the baseline. Joining strength to the noble metal tip can thereby be greatly improved when the member to be joined contains Si.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Torii, Akira Suzuki, Mamoru Musasa
  • Patent number: 8344604
    Abstract: A precious metal tip on the side of a ground electrode is indirectly joined to the front end portion of the ground electrode via a mounting part interposed therebetween. The mounting part includes a base part and a protruding part. First, in the state where the precious metal tip is in contact with the protruding part, laser welding or the like is performed thereon to form a fused part and obtain a complex, and the base part is joined to a flat surface of the ground electrode by resistance welding. The grain size of grains of the mounting part in the vicinity of the of the fused part is greater than the grain size of the grain size of the grains thereof in the vicinity of the ground electrode, and the grain size of the grains of the flange part of the mounting part is smaller than the grain size of the grains of the protruding part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Torii, Naomichi Miyashita, Mamoru Musasa, Akira Suzuki, Tomoo Tanaka, Osamu Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 8294344
    Abstract: A spark member (70) is formed by joining a noble metal member (71) and an intermediate member (75) and is provided in a spark discharge gap between a center electrode and a ground electrode (30). A bottom surface (80) of the intermediate member (75) is resistance-welded to an inner surface (33) of the ground electrode (30), and a weld metal zone (73) is formed in the region of joint therebetween. As viewed on the section of the spark member (70) which contains a centerline (Q), the weld metal zone (73) is reliably formed within the range of the length (D) of a columnar portion (76) as measured along a direction orthogonal to the projecting direction of the spark member (70) and has a length (d) of at least 0.1 times (10% of) the length (D).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Torii, Akira Suzuki, Naomichi Miyashita, Mamoru Musasa, Kenji Moritani
  • Patent number: 8098004
    Abstract: A spark plug (100) including a center electrode (130) and a ground electrode (140), which is formed by joining a ground electrode chip (143) to a ground electrode base material (141) via an intermediate member (142). A method for producing the spark plug (100) includes providing a projecting portion (142p) on the intermediate member (142), and projection-welding the intermediate member (142) to the ground electrode base material (141) by means of the projecting portion (142p), to thereby join the intermediate member 142 to the ground electrode base material (141). Further, the intermediate member (142) of the spark plug (100) includes a cylindrical columnar portion (142e) which is joined to the ground electrode chip (143), and a flange portion (142d) which is joined to the ground electrode base material (141) and which flange portion (142d) has a diameter greater than that of the cylindrical columnar portion (142e).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoaki Kato, Kazuyoshi Torii, Mamoru Musasa
  • Patent number: 8072125
    Abstract: A spark plug 100 comprised of a metal shell 1, an insulator 2, a center electrode 3 and a ground electrode 4. A rear-end face of the ground electrode 4 is welded to a front-end face of the metal shell 1, and a bent portion 5 located at the intermediated position in the longitudinal direction is bent toward the center of the spark plug 100. The ground electrode 4 assumes a circular-shape with a diameter of 2 mm or less whereby an inflow of an air-fuel mixture is not disturbed even when the air-fuel mixture directly flows into a back face of the ground electrode 4. The ground electrode 4 is comprised of an outer layer 4A made of a nickel alloy and an inner layer 4B made of pure copper with an excellent thermal conductivity, in which a ratio of a cross-sectional area of the inner layer 4B to the entire cross-sectional area of the ground electrode 4 is 10% or more to 35% or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Torii, Kazumasa Yoshida, Wataru Matsutani
  • Publication number: 20110294369
    Abstract: The present invention provides a spark plug which is capable of suppressing a occurrence of crack and separation by determining a structural configuration of a melting portion formed in a junction portion between a discharge portion and a pedestal portion which form an ignition portion that protrudes from a ground electrode. In a profile line shape of a cross section including a center axis P of an ignition portion 80, an exposure surface 88 of a melting portion 83 connects a side surface 82 of a discharge portion 81 and a side surface 85 of a pedestal portion 84. Further, an exterior angle ? formed between an imaginary line Q, which passes through a boundary position X1 between the melting portion 83 and the pedestal portion 84 and a boundary position X2 between the melting portion 83 and the discharge portion 81, and the center axis P at a node C, satisfies 135°???175°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naomichi Miyashita, Mamoru Musasa, Akira Suzuki, Kazuyoshi Torii, Tomoaki Kato
  • Patent number: 8052495
    Abstract: A spark plug (100) including a center electrode (130) and a ground electrode (140), which is formed by joining a ground electrode chip (143) to a ground electrode base material (141) via an intermediate member (142). A method for producing the spark plug (100) includes providing a projecting portion (142p) on the intermediate member (142), and projection-welding the intermediate member (142) to the ground electrode base material (141) by means of the projecting portion (142p), to thereby join the intermediate member 142 to the ground electrode base material (141). Further, the intermediate member (142) of the spark plug (100) includes a cylindrical columnar portion (142e) which is joined to the ground electrode chip (143), and a flange portion (142d) which is joined to the ground electrode base material (141) and which flange portion (142d) has a diameter greater than that of the cylindrical columnar portion (142e).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoaki Kato, Kazuyoshi Torii, Mamoru Musasa
  • Patent number: 8044562
    Abstract: There is provided a spark section (80) of needle-like shape protruding from an inner surface (33) of a ground electrode (30) to define a spark gap between the spark section and an electrode tip on a center electrode. The spark section (80) has a noble metal member (81) and an intermediate member (86) joined to each other. The materials of the noble metal member (81) and the intermediate member (86) are selected in such a manner that the thermal conductivity of the intermediate member (86) is lower than that of the noble metal member (81). This limits heat radiation through the heat radiation passage from the noble metal member (81) through the intermediate member (86) to the ground electrode (30) so as to maintain the noble metal member (81) at a higher temperature than conventional types and reduce a quenching effect of the noble metal member (81) on a flame core generated in the spark gap for improvement in ignition performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mamoru Musasa, Naomichi Miyashita, Kazuyoshi Torii
  • Patent number: 7989143
    Abstract: An electrode substrate in which a lower electrode and an upper electrode are well positioned by way of an insulating film could not be formed by a printing method since positional displacement is caused. The cost was increased outstandingly when using photomasks for positioning. In the present invention, positional displacement does not occur even when using the printing method since the upper electrode and the lower electrode are positioned in self-alignment. Accordingly, a semiconductor device such as a flexible substrate using an organic semiconductor can be formed with low cost by using the printing method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Arai, Takeo Shiba, Masahiko Ando, Kazuyoshi Torii
  • Publication number: 20110163653
    Abstract: A spark plug includes a cylindrical metal shell; a cylindrical insulator that is held in the metal shell; a center electrode; and a ground electrode that comprises a ground electrode main body part and a noble metal tip, a spark discharge gap being formed between the leading end of the center electrode and the noble metal tip wherein at least a portion of the ground electrode main body part, to which the noble metal tip is joined, is made of Ni alloy containing 12 to 35 mass % of Cr, 7 mass % or less of Fe, 0.5 to 5 mass % of Al, 0.3 to 5 mass % of Si and 50 mass % or more of the balance, and wherein the joined portion and the noble metal tip are joined by laser welding or electron beam welding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Torii, Tomoo Tanaka, Akira Suzuki, Mamoru Musasa, Naomichi Miyashita, Osamu Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 7969520
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device with high image visibility at low power consumption and produced at low cost by using an interlayer dielectric film, which has low dielectric constant, high heat-resistant property, high optical transmissivity, high film thickness and high flattening property produced at low cost. An organic siloxane dielectric film is used as an interlayer dielectric film of the liquid crystal display device. A ratio of nitrogen content to silicon content (Ni content/Si content) in the interlayer dielectric film is controlled to 0.04 or more in the element ratio. The limiting film thickness to suppress and limit the cracking caused by the thickening of the interlayer dielectric film is set to 1.5 ?m or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Displays, Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Ryuzaki, Kazuyoshi Torii, Mutsuko Hatano, Daisuke Sonoda, Toshiki Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20110025185
    Abstract: A spark member (70) is formed by joining a noble metal member (71) and an intermediate member (75) and is provided in a spark discharge gap between a center electrode and a ground electrode (30). A bottom surface (80) of the intermediate member (75) is resistance-welded to an inner surface (33) of the ground electrode (30), and a weld metal zone (73) is formed in the region of joint therebetween. As viewed on the section of the spark member (70) which contains a centerline (Q), the weld metal zone (73) is reliably formed within the range of the length (D) of a columnar portion (76) as measured along a direction orthogonal to the projecting direction of the spark member (70) and has a length (d) of at least 0.1 times (10% of) the length (D).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 25, 2008
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Torii, Akira Suzuki, Naomichi Miyashita, Mamoru Musasa, Kenji Moritani
  • Patent number: 7839064
    Abstract: A spark plug including: a center electrode as defined herein; a substantially cylindrical insulator as defined herein; a cylindrical metal shell as defined herein; and a ground electrode as defined herein, wherein a spark discharge gap is provided between the leading end portion of the center electrode and the leading end portion of the ground electrode, and the ground electrode has a bulging curved face on a side opposite to a side in which the center electrode is provided, and a maximum of width of the ground electrode within a range of ±1 mm from a center point of the spark discharge gap in the axial direction, as viewed in a direction where the center electrode and the ground electrode overlap, is 105% or less of a width of an ordinary portion having a substantially constant width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazumasa Yoshida, Kazuyoshi Torii, Wataru Matsutani