Patents by Inventor Kenji Hiroki

Kenji Hiroki 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: 10981525
    Abstract: A rotary connector device capable of reducing the number of components and enhancing assembly workability provided with: a stationary member; a rotary member to be attached to the stationary member to be capable of relative rotation with respect to the stationary member, the rotary member including a steering wheel insertion hole into which an insertion convex portion of a steering wheel is to be inserted; and an intermediate stationary member provided to be movable between a locked position and a lock released position with respect to the rotary member, wherein the intermediate stationary member is provided with a regulating portion, the regulating portion being configured to, at the locked position, regulate relative rotation of the rotary member when the regulating portion is engaged with the stationary member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignees: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD., FURUKAWA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventor: Kenji Hiroki
  • Patent number: 10826249
    Abstract: A rotary connector apparatus includes: a ring-shaped fixed member; a ring-shaped rotating member rotatably fitted to the fixed member; a flexible flat cable housed in a housing space formed by the fixed member and the rotating member, the flexible flat cable having a plurality of wires, one end of the flexible flat cable being fixed to the fixed member and another end thereof being fixed to the rotating member, wherein a first connector housing attached to the fixed member accommodates a plurality of electrically conductive paths that respectively connect a plurality of first terminals to the plurality of wires at said one end of the flexible flat cable, and at least one of the plurality of electrically conductive paths is configured to removably receive a protection device so as to protect the path from overcurrent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignees: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD., FURUKAWA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Utsunomiya, Kenji Hiroki, Masashi Kanazawa
  • Patent number: 10804011
    Abstract: A flat cable 10 according to the invention has a plurality of arrayed conductors 11; and an insulating layer 12 covering the periphery of the conductors 11 with a coating film, in which the insulating layer 12 includes a plurality of layers, the outermost layer 13 of the insulating layer 12 and the innermost layer 14 contacting the conductors are both formed from polyphenylene sulfide-based resins, and the melting point of the polyphenylene sulfide-based resin constituting the innermost layer 14 is lower by 5° C. or more than the melting point of the polyphenylene sulfide-based resin constituting the outermost layer 13.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignees: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD., FURUKAWA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Yutaka Suzuki, Michimasa Watanabe, Haruki Watabe, Kenji Hiroki
  • Patent number: 10756463
    Abstract: Provided is a flexible flat cable connector that can easily connect a flexible flat cable, and provide a reliable connection. An FFC connector (40) has a substantially L-shape in cross section and includes a plurality of busbars (41) made of metal, and a busbar case (42) made of resin and holding the busbars so that part of the plurality of busbars (41) is exposed. The busbar case (42) includes: a recessed portion (44) configured to accommodate an end portion (14b) of an FFC (14); a bottom wall (45) provided on the recessed portion (44); paired side walls (46, 46) each disposed at both ends of the recessed portion (44) and facing each other in the width direction of the FFC (14); a plurality of protruding portions (47A, 47A, . . . ) provided on the bottom wall (45); and paired projections (48, 48) projecting from the paired side walls (46, 46), facing each other, and spaced apart from the bottom wall (45).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignees: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD., FURUKAWA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Kenji Hiroki, Kendy Rodrigo Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20200001805
    Abstract: A rotary connector device capable of reducing the number of components and enhancing assembly workability provided with: a stationary member; a rotary member to be attached to the stationary member to be capable of relative rotation with respect to the stationary member, the rotary member including a steering wheel insertion hole into which an insertion convex portion of a steering wheel is to be inserted; and an intermediate stationary member provided to be movable between a locked position and a lock released position with respect to the rotary member, wherein the intermediate stationary member is provided with a regulating portion, the regulating portion being configured to, at the locked position, regulate relative rotation of the rotary member when the regulating portion is engaged with the stationary member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Applicants: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD., FURUKAWA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventor: Kenji HIROKI
  • Publication number: 20190189308
    Abstract: A flat cable 10 according to the invention has a plurality of arrayed conductors 11; and an insulating layer 12 covering the periphery of the conductors 11 with a coating film, in which the insulating layer 12 includes a plurality of layers, the outermost layer 13 of the insulating layer 12 and the innermost layer 14 contacting the conductors are both formed from polyphenylene sulfide-based resins, and the melting point of the polyphenylene sulfide-based resin constituting the innermost layer 14 is lower by 5° C. or more than the melting point of the polyphenylene sulfide-based resin constituting the outermost layer 13.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Applicants: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD., FURUKAWA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Yutaka SUZUKI, Michimasa WATANABE, Haruki WATABE, Kenji HIROKI
  • Publication number: 20190165502
    Abstract: Provided is a flexible flat cable connector that can easily connect a flexible flat cable, and provide a reliable connection. An FFC connector (40) has a substantially L-shape in cross section and includes a plurality of busbars (41) made of metal, and a busbar case (42) made of resin and holding the busbars so that part of the plurality of busbars (41) is exposed. The busbar case (42) includes: a recessed portion (44) configured to accommodate an end portion (14b) of an FFC (14); a bottom wall (45) provided on the recessed portion (44); paired side walls (46, 46) each disposed at both ends of the recessed portion (44) and facing each other in the width direction of the FFC (14); a plurality of protruding portions (47A, 47A, . . . ) provided on the bottom wall (45); and paired projections (48, 48) projecting from the paired side walls (46, 46), facing each other, and spaced apart from the bottom wall (45).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Applicants: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD., FURUKAWA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Kenji HIROKI, Kendy Rodrigo YAMASHITA
  • Publication number: 20190131749
    Abstract: A rotary connector apparatus includes: a ring-shaped fixed member; a ring-shaped rotating member rotatably fitted to the fixed member; a flexible flat cable housed in a housing space formed by the fixed member and the rotating member, the flexible flat cable having a plurality of wires, one end of the flexible flat cable being fixed to the fixed member and another end thereof being fixed to the rotating member, wherein a first connector housing attached to the fixed member accommodates a plurality of electrically conductive paths that respectively connect a plurality of first terminals to the plurality of wires at said one end of the flexible flat cable, and at least one of the plurality of electrically conductive paths is configured to removably receive a protection device so as to protect the path from overcurrent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicants: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD., FURUKAWA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Hirofumi UTSUNOMIYA, Kenji HIROKI, Masashi KANAZAWA
  • Patent number: 9434299
    Abstract: A cam section includes a projection section projecting toward an enclosed space enclosed by an outer circumferential cam wall, an inner wall located radially inner to the outer circumferential cam wall, and a coupling cam wall for coupling ends of the outer circumferential cam wall and the inner wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignees: Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., Furukawa Automotive Systems Inc.
    Inventor: Kenji Hiroki
  • Patent number: 8851901
    Abstract: A rotary connector device includes a stator and a rotator, which relatively rotate with respect to each other. An accommodating space for accommodating cables for electrically connecting the rotator and the stator in a state wound in a circle is formed inside the stator and the rotator is formed. A guide protruding piece which protrudes toward the accommodating space above the cables wound in a circle and which guides the cables from above is formed on an upper portion of an outer peripheral tube portion provided in the stator. A lower surface of the guide protruding piece is formed into a shape which is deformed upward gradually toward a tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignees: Furukawa Automotive Systems Inc., Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenji Hiroki
  • Publication number: 20130292234
    Abstract: A cam section includes a projection section projecting toward an enclosed space enclosed by an outer circumferential cam wall, an inner wall located radially inner to the outer circumferential cam wall, and a coupling cam wall for coupling ends of the outer circumferential cam wall and the inner wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicants: FURUKAWA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS INC., FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji Hiroki
  • Publication number: 20130094172
    Abstract: A rotary connector device includes a stator and a rotator, which relatively rotate with respect to each other. An accommodating space for accommodating cables for electrically connecting the rotator and the stator in a state wound in a circle is formed inside the stator and the rotator is formed. A guide protruding piece which protrudes toward the accommodating space above the cables wound in a circle and which guides the cables from above is formed on an upper portion of an outer peripheral tube portion provided in the stator. A lower surface of the guide protruding piece is formed into a shape which is deformed upward gradually toward a tip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2012
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Inventor: Kenji Hiroki