Patents by Inventor Kenichiro Iai

Kenichiro Iai 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: 7757387
    Abstract: A fastener stringer continuous manufacturing apparatus which eliminates a necessity of increasing a size of a manufacturing apparatus and is capable of chamfering attaching legs of an engaging element which is produced continuously from a metallic wire rod having a Y-shaped section, securely and accurately, without changing a load and stroke of a pressurizing hammer, the manufacturing apparatus comprises a pair of chamfering punches each of which is disposed above the pressurizing hammer at a height corresponding to a preceding engaging element implanted to a fastener tape in advance, the chamfering punch reciprocating with respect to a side face of the preceding engaging element and having a chamfering face which chamfers outer ridge portions of right and left legs of the preceding engaging element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichiro Iai, Koitsu Morioka
  • Patent number: 7246422
    Abstract: The invention provides a feeding unit for a metallic linear material having an irregular shaped section applicable to a continuous manufacturing apparatus for a fastener stringer, the feeding unit comprising the seventh and eighth rollers rotatably supported at their fixed positions, the ninth and tenth rollers opposing the seventh and eighth rollers and rotatably supported at both ends of a movable roller support member, wherein the roller support member is rotatably supported around its center and urged elastically in a direction perpendicular to a straight line connecting the centers of roller shafts of the seventh and eighth rollers, thereby the feeding roller protecting the metallic linear material from easily slipping out of feeding rollers, returning the linear material to its original track immediately even if the linear material slips out for a while, and feeding the metallic linear material stably and securely without damaging the linear material or ratchet wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichiro Iai, Koitsu Morioka
  • Publication number: 20060201217
    Abstract: A fastener stringer continuous manufacturing apparatus which eliminates a necessity of increasing a size of a manufacturing apparatus and is capable of chamfering attaching legs of an engaging element which is produced continuously from a metallic wire rod having a Y-shaped section, securely and accurately, without changing a load and stroke of a pressurizing hammer, the manufacturing apparatus comprises a pair of chamfering punches each of which is disposed above the pressurizing hammer at a height corresponding to a preceding engaging element implanted to a fastener tape in advance, the chamfering punch reciprocating with respect to a side face of the preceding engaging element and having a chamfering face which chamfers outer ridge portions of right and left legs of the preceding engaging element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2006
    Publication date: September 14, 2006
    Inventors: Kenichiro Iai, Koitsu Morioka
  • Publication number: 20060196609
    Abstract: The invention provides a feeding unit for a metallic linear material having an irregular shaped section applicable to a continuous manufacturing apparatus for a fastener stringer, the feeding unit comprising the seventh and eighth rollers rotatably supported at their fixed positions, the ninth and tenth rollers opposing the seventh and eighth rollers and rotatably supported at both ends of a movable roller support member, wherein the roller support member is rotatably supported around its center and urged elastically in a direction perpendicular to a straight line connecting the centers of roller shafts of the seventh and eighth rollers, thereby the feeding roller protecting the metallic linear material from easily slipping out of feeding rollers, returning the linear material to its original track immediately even if the linear material slips out for a while, and feeding the metallic linear material stably and securely without damaging the linear material or ratchet wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Publication date: September 7, 2006
    Inventors: Kenichiro Iai, Koitsu Morioka
  • Publication number: 20060191641
    Abstract: A continuous manufacturing apparatus for a fastener stringer, the apparatus comprising a tape guide capable of meeting sufficiently not only a conventional manufacturing speed but also acceleration of the manufacturing speed in recent years and generating no missing of an engaging element, wherein the tape guide includes a pair of nipping guide pieces which nip and guide a fastener tape, and urging means for elastically urging a core thread portion of an engaging element attaching edge portion of a fastener tape nipped by the nipping guide pieces toward a space between legs of an engaging element positioned and supported by a forming die, and wherein the core thread portion is pressed against a crotch of the engaging element securely with a predetermined pressing force by urging of the urging means and the engaging element is implanted firmly on the fastener tape under the state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Publication date: August 31, 2006
    Inventors: Kenichiro Iai, Koitsu Morioka
  • Patent number: 5926934
    Abstract: In manufacturing slide fasteners, especially fastener elements, an elongated wire of a generally Y-shape cross section with attaching legs shaped into a generally C form by rolling, is supplied intermittently at a predetermined pitch and is then cut into slices of element blanks having a predetermined thickness, and a protuberance is formed on the coupling head of each of the successive element blanks. Then, the generally C-shape attaching legs are calked from opposite sides to mount the fastener elements on a fastener tape and, at the same time, the generally right-angled cut edges of the attaching legs are shaped into a smooth arcuate profile as pressed by a calking surface of a calking punch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshimichi Maeda, Toshio Aoki, Masafumi Mikkaichi, Kenichiro Iai
  • Patent number: 5778519
    Abstract: In manufacturing slide fasteners, especially fastener elements, an elongated wire of a generally Y-shape cross section with attaching legs shaped into a generally C form by rolling, is supplied intermittently at a predetermined pitch and is then cut into slices of element blanks having a predetermined thickness, and a protuberance is formed on the coupling head of each of the successive element blanks. Then, the generally C-shape attaching legs are calked from opposite sides to mount the fastener elements on a fastener tape and, at the same time, the generally right-angled cut edges of the attaching legs are shaped into a smooth arcuate profile as pressed by a calking surface of a calking punch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshimichi Maeda, Toshio Aoki, Masafumi Mikkaichi, Kenichiro Iai
  • Patent number: 5671510
    Abstract: In manufacturing slide fasteners, especially fastener elements, an elongated wire of a generally Y-shape cross section with attaching legs shaped into a generally C form by rolling, is supplied intermittently at a predetermined pitch and is then cut into slices of element blanks having a predetermined thickness, and a protuberance is formed on the coupling head of each of the successive element blanks. Then, the generally C-shape attaching legs are calked from opposite sides to mount the fastener elements on a fastener tape and, at the same time, the generally right-angled cut edges of the attaching legs are shaped into a smooth arcuate profile as pressed by a calking surface of a calking punch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1997
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshimichi Maeda, Toshio Aoki, Masafumi Mikkaichi, Kenichiro Iai
  • Patent number: 5150525
    Abstract: A drawing device for use in a drafting machine includes one length of long casing; a lead guide fixedly secured to the leading end of the casing; one length of pipe member inserted from the other end side of the casing into the same in such a manner as to be axially slidably moved freely; a piece of chuck ring fixedly secured to the interior of the leading end portion of the pipe member; a piece of sleeve fitted closely over and fixedly secured to the outer peripheral surface of the other end side portion of the pipe member; one length of lead stock inserted from the other end side of the pipe member into the same in such a manner as to be slidably moved freely; and a lead chuck fixedly secured to the leading end portion of the lead stock in such a manner that its leading end side portion may be radially deformed or expanded and contracted in cooperation with the chuck ring, and is characterized by further comprising a regulating piece fitted over the rear end of the lead stock in such a manner as to be slida
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1992
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K.K.
    Inventor: Kenichiro Iai
  • Patent number: 4704797
    Abstract: A drawing device for use in a drafting machine has a base movable to any desired position; at least one drawing pencil fixedly secured to the base through a holder unit fixed to the latter; a driving arrangement capable of moving part of the drawing pencil longitudinally thereof relative to the base, and a stopper adapted to limit the upward movement of movable component parts of the drawing pencil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1987
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K.K.
    Inventor: Kenichiro Iai
  • Patent number: 4550477
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus for forming and planting fastener elements comprising a ram mounted on a frame for reciprocal movement and having a cutting die provided with a passage for a wire to be used for elements and a forming die for forming an engageable head in an element, a cutting punch for cutting out an element from the wire, a forming punch for forming the engageable head in cooperation with the forming die and at least one side punch for planting the element on a fastener tape. The apparatus is characterized in that cam means for driving the ram, forming punch and side punch are formed on a common output drive shaft and arranged so that the ram dwells for a predetermined time at the end of each forward and backward movement and the side punch secures the element to the tape during the dwell of the ram at the end of its forward movement and the forming punch is actuated during the dwell of the ram at the end of its backward movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1985
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K.K.
    Inventor: Kenichiro Iai
  • Patent number: 4392291
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is method for assembling a pair of slide fastener stringers each having spaced sections in continuous rows of scoops and an apparatus for the same. The leading edge of the scoop row in the leading stringer is detected by a probe inserted into the guide groove of the binder member for the scoop row. The engagement of the leading edge and the claw of the probe retards the progress of the leading stringer thereby retarding the rotation of the feed roller for the leading stringer while increasing the speed of the rotation of the other feed roller for the trailing stringer, which is connected to the first feed roller through a differential transmission mechanism. After both of the stringers are brought into right alignment for exact engagement in the binder member, the claws disengage from the leading edges of the scoop row in the stringers and come out of the spaced sections. In this condition, the spaced sections in the stringers are detected individually by detecting lever means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1983
    Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo K. K.
    Inventor: Kenichiro Iai