Patents by Inventor Kenichiro Hirao

Kenichiro Hirao 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: 11215091
    Abstract: A manufacturing method for a hollow engine valve comprises: a step of forming, by forging, a solid round bar as a material of a valve main body into a valve main body intermediate member provided with a semifinished product valve head portion corresponding to a valve head portion and a solid stem portion corresponding to a valve stem portion; a step of performing cutting process with respect to the valve main body intermediate member across the solid stem portion and the semifinished product valve head portion for forming a semifinished product hollow hole with a bottom corresponding to a hollow hole; and a step of performing necking process with respect to the valve main body semifinished product for squeezing the semifinished product valve stem portion step by step, to form the valve main body semifinished product into the valve main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: FUJI HOLLOW VALVE INC.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Morii, Hidenobu Nishio, Kenichiro Hirao
  • Publication number: 20200095907
    Abstract: The present invention provides a hollow engine valve achieving high durability while suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost, and a manufacturing method therefor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Applicant: FUJI HOLLOW VALVE INC.
    Inventors: Hirokazu MORII, Hidenobu NISHIO, Kenichiro HIRAO
  • Patent number: 10526933
    Abstract: The present invention provides a hollow engine valve achieving high durability while suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost, and a manufacturing method therefor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: FUJI HOLLOW VALVE INC.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Morii, Hidenobu Nishio, Kenichiro Hirao
  • Publication number: 20170234175
    Abstract: The present invention provides a hollow engine valve achieving high durability while suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost, and a manufacturing method therefor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Applicant: FUJI HOLLOW VALVE INC.
    Inventors: Hirokazu MORII, Hidenobu NISHIO, Kenichiro HIRAO
  • Patent number: 9427795
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a hollow engine valve, with which the production process can be simplified and the processing precision can be improved. To this end, the present invention provides a method for producing a hollow engine valve (1) which is provided with a valve main body (10) in which a hollow hole (10c) is formed along a valve umbrella part (10a) and a hollow shaft part (10b), wherein a solid round bar (11) forming the material of the valve main body (10) is molded to a semi-finished article (12) by means of a single hot-forging process, the semi-finished article (12) is subjected to rotary swaging whereby the semi-finished article (12) is molded into a semi-finished article (13), the semi-finished article (13) is subjected to necking whereby the semi-finished article (13) is molded into the valve main body (10), and a shaft end sealing member (20) is joined to the end part of the hollow shaft part (10b) of the valve main body (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Fuji Hollow Valve Inc.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Morii, Kenichiro Hirao, Katsumi Nakamura, Hyoji Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 9302317
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a hollow engine valve includes a step for performing rotational plastic working on a follow engine valve body semifinished product which is configured from a shaft part and a valve umbrella part forming portion connected to the shaft part. A columnar hole part is formed from the shaft part to an enlarged diameter section of the valve umbrella part forming portion to thereby reduce the diameter of the shaft part. A necking step follows the rotational plastic working step, necking the hollow engine valve body semifinished product to thereby reduce the outer diameter and the inner diameter of the shaft part. A sealing step seals the leading end of the shaft part to obtain the hollow engine valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignees: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD., YOSHIMURA COMPANY
    Inventors: Hirokazu Morii, Kenichiro Hirao, Hyoji Yoshimura
  • Publication number: 20140366373
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a hollow engine valve, with which the production process can be simplified and the processing precision can be improved. To this end, the present invention provides a method for producing a hollow engine valve (1) which is provided with a valve main body (10) in which a hollow hole (10c) is formed along a valve umbrella part (10a) and a hollow shaft part (10b), wherein a solid round bar (11) forming the material of the valve main body (10) is moulded to a semi-finished article (12) by means of a single hot-forging process, the semi-finished article (12) is subjected to rotary swaging whereby the semi-finished article (12) is moulded into a semi-finished article (13), the semi-finished article (13) is subjected to necking whereby the semi-finished article (13) is moulded into the valve main body (10) , and a shaft end sealing member (20) is joined to the end part of the hollow shaft part (10b) of the valve main body (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2013
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Hirokazu Morii, Kenichiro Hirao, Katsumi Nakamura, Hyoji Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 8827608
    Abstract: Provided is a tool tight-contact-state detector for a machine tool which is capable of accurately and stably detecting whether or not a tool or a tool holder having the tool attached thereto is mounted to a main spindle in tight contact therewith. While rotation of a main spindle (13) is stopped, hydraulic pressure is supplied from a hydraulic pressure supply unit (28) to a cylinder section (20) so as to bring a piston member (21) to into contact with a main spindle head (11) and the main spindle (13) against a biasing force from an O-ring (22). Air is thereby allowed to be supplied to air ejection holes (27a, 27b, 27c), which are formed in a forward end face (13a) of the main spindle (13), from the main spindle head (11) side through the piston member (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Noritaka Fujimura, Kenichiro Hirao
  • Publication number: 20140033533
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a hollow engine valve includes a step for performing rotational plastic working on a follow engine valve body semifinished product which is configured from a shaft part and a valve umbrella part forming portion connected to the shaft part. A columnar hole part is formed from the shaft part to an enlarged diameter section of the valve umbrella part forming portion to thereby reduce the diameter of the shaft part. A necking step follows the rotational plastic working step, necking the hollow engine valve body semifinished product to thereby reduce the outer diameter and the inner diameter of the shaft part. A sealing step seals the leading end of the shaft part to obtain the hollow engine valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicants: YOSHIMURA COMPANY, MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Morii, Kenichiro Hirao, Hyoji Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 8561290
    Abstract: Work line module comprises a plurality of machines (103-106) having a plurality of working functions and non-work facility (107, 108) such as a conveying machine can cooperate so as to produce a necessary amount even if the necessary amount is varied. A plurality of work machines (103-106) for mechanically working a workpiece (124) and non-work facility (107, 108) for processing the workpiece (124). One work machine (106) is a multifunction furnishing machine having a function of measuring the workpiece (124) in addition to a function of mechanically working the workpiece (124). A conveying machine (109) having robots (185-187) for conveying the workpiece (124) between the work machines (103-106), and between the work machines (103-106) and the non-work facility (107, 108).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsugumaru Yamashita, Noritaka Fujimura, Kenichiro Hirao
  • Publication number: 20110121521
    Abstract: Provided is a tool tight-contact-state detector for a machine tool which is capable of accurately and stably detecting whether or not a tool or a tool holder having the tool attached thereto is mounted to a main spindle in tight contact therewith. While rotation of a main spindle (13) is stopped, hydraulic pressure is supplied from a hydraulic pressure supply unit (28) to a cylinder section (20) so as to bring a piston member (21) to into contact with a main spindle head (11) and the main spindle (13) against a biasing force from an O-ring (22). Air is thereby allowed to be supplied to air ejection holes (27a, 27b, 27c), which are formed in a forward end face (13a) of the main spindle (13), from the main spindle head (11) side through the piston member (21).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2009
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Noritaka Fujimura, Kenichiro Hirao
  • Publication number: 20110000082
    Abstract: Work line module comprises a plurality of machines (103-106) having a plurality of working functions and non-work facility (107, 108) such as a conveying machine can cooperate so as to produce a necessary amount even if the necessary amount is varied. A plurality of work machines (103-106) for mechanically working a workpiece (124) and non-work facility (107, 108) for processing the workpiece (124). One work machine (106) is a multifunction furnishing machine having a function of measuring the workpiece (124) in addition to a function of mechanically working the workpiece (124). A conveying machine (109) having robots (185-187) for conveying the workpiece (124) between the work machines(103-106), and between the work machines(103-106) and the non-work facility (107, 108).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Inventors: Tsugumaru Yamashita, Noritaka Fujimura, Kenichiro Hirao