Patents by Inventor Ken Asakura

Ken Asakura 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: 20100099279
    Abstract: A waterproof connector is mounted on a circuit board fixed within an enclosure. The waterproof connector is connectable with a mating connector through a connector passageway formed in the enclosure. The waterproof connector includes a contact electrically connectable with the mating connector, an insulating housing holding the contact, a first seal disposed on a circumference of the housing, and a faceplate into which the insulating housing is inserted. The having a cylindrical section and a brim section. The cylindrical section includes a first and second open end with the brim section formed at the first open end and spreading outwards. A second seal is interposed between the first open end and the insulating housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Inventors: Hidetaka Homme, Ken Asakura, Shuichi Iwata
  • Publication number: 20090114371
    Abstract: A cooling structure for an electric device includes an inverter, a plurality of cooling medium paths (724) through which a cooling medium for the inverter flows, and an inlet (722) into which the cooling medium to be supplied to the plurality of cooling medium paths (724) flows. The plurality of cooling medium paths (724) extend in a direction crossing the aligning direction of the inlet (722) and the plurality of cooling medium paths (724). The cooling structure for an electric device further includes a cooling medium distribution mechanism for promoting distribution of the cooling medium to each of cooling medium paths (724) by suppressing the flow of the cooling medium. The cooling medium distribution mechanism has a flow rate suppression function suppressing the flow rate of the cooling medium flowing through at least one cooling medium path (724). This flow rate suppression function is realized by a wall (726A, 726B, 726C) provided at a cooling medium path (724).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ken Asakura
  • Publication number: 20090095450
    Abstract: A cooling structure for an electric device includes a plurality of cooling medium paths (724) through which a cooling medium for an inverter flows, an inlet (722) into which the cooling medium to be supplied to the plurality of cooling medium paths (724) flows, and a wall (726) provided between the inlet (722) and the plurality of cooling medium paths (724) to promote distribution of the cooling medium to each of the cooling medium paths (724).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ken Asakura
  • Patent number: 6742483
    Abstract: An output from each of output rods is converted into an assisting force via a corresponding one of rollers, while an outer peripheral surface of each of the rollers moving together with a control shaft serves as a conversion plane. This output is applied to the control shaft. Hence, as the control shaft is moved in such a direction as to increase valve lift amounts of intake valves, the assisting force can be correspondingly increased. Thus, a suitable assisting force that can act against a thrust force can be applied to the control shaft. As a result, there is no apprehension that a minimum hydraulic fluid pressure will not be ensured on the side of a larger valve lift amount or that responding properties in movements of the control shaft will deteriorate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ken Asakura
  • Publication number: 20030075126
    Abstract: An output from each of output rods is converted into an assisting force via a corresponding one of rollers, while an outer peripheral surface of each of the rollers moving together with a control shaft serves as a conversion plane. This output is applied to the control shaft. Hence, as the control shaft is moved in such a direction as to increase valve lift amounts of intake valves, the assisting force can be correspondingly increased. Thus, a suitable assisting force that can act against a thrust force can be applied to the control shaft. As a result, there is no apprehension that a minimum hydraulic fluid pressure will not be ensured on the side of a larger valve lift amount or that responding properties in movements of the control shaft will deteriorate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2002
    Publication date: April 24, 2003
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ken Asakura
  • Patent number: 6298813
    Abstract: A phase variation actuator has an outer rotor that is connected to a cam sprocket so that the outer rotor is rotatable together with the cam sprocket, and an inner rotor that is connected to a journal so that the inner rotor is rotatable together with the journal. The journal is rotatably supported by an internal combustion engine. A camshaft is inserted into a slide hole of the journal provided near the phase variation actuator so that the camshaft is slidable in the direction of the rotating axis of the camshaft. The camshaft is connected to the journal by meshing of splines so that the camshaft is rotatable together with the journal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2001
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Asakura, Kazuhisa Mikame, Toshiaki Hamaguri
  • Patent number: 6170448
    Abstract: A variable valve timing apparatus for engines. Included are a phase adjustor for adjusting the rotational phase of a camshaft relative to a crankshaft and a lift adjustor for axially moving the camshaft. The phase adjustor has a timing pulley rotated synchronously with the crankshaft and a housing fixed to the timing pulley. A vane rotor rotated synchronously with the camshaft is arranged in the housing to define a first pressure chamber and a second pressure chamber in the housing. Hydraulic fluid is delivered to the first and second pressure chambers through oil conduits to rotate the vane rotor with respect to the housing and change the rotational phase of the camshaft relative to the crankshaft. The oil conduits extend through the timing pulley. This prevents the axial movement of the camshaft from affecting the hydraulic pressure of the pressure chambers. Accordingly, the valve timing is varied accurately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ken Asakura
  • Patent number: 5724929
    Abstract: A variable valve timing mechanism is provided at the distal end of a camshaft for changing a valve timing of an engine valve. A rotor is fixed to the distal end face of the camshaft, and the rotor has four vanes protruding radially outward. A housing is disposed to surround the rotor to be rotatable relative to the rotor and the camshaft, and the housing has recesses on the inner circumference. Each recess is divided by the vane into a first pressure chamber and a second pressure chamber. A first passage is defined in the camshaft, for supplying a hydraulic fluid pressure to the first pressure chamber so as to change the rotational phase of the second rotor with respect to the camshaft, and the first passage has an opening at the distal end face of the camshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Mikame, Ken Asakura, Tatsuo Iida