Patents by Inventor Kentaro Oba
Kentaro Oba 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).
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Patent number: 10322605Abstract: A multi-piece rim structure for a wheel includes a rim base 10, a bead seat ring 20 (ring member) and a lock ring 30. The bead seat ring 20 receives a load in a radial direction and an axial direction from a bead portion of a tire. An annular ridge 35 of the lock ring 30 can be received in an annular lock ring groove 15 of the rim base 10. A receiving groove 15a is formed in an inner surface of the lock ring groove 15 of the rim base 10. A sacrificial anticorrosion material 80 is embedded in the receiving groove 15a. The sacrificial anticorrosion material 80 includes metal such as zinc and aluminum that has a greater ionization tendency than iron that is a base material of the rim base 10 and the lock ring 30. Corrosion of the rim base 10 and the lock ring 30 can be suppressed by ionization of the sacrificial anticorrosion material 80.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2015Date of Patent: June 18, 2019Assignee: Topy Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Keitaro Enami, Kentaro Oba, Zulkaizam Asri Bin Kassim Mohd
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Publication number: 20170326912Abstract: A multi-piece rim structure for a wheel includes a rim base 10, a bead seat ring 20 (ring member) and a lock ring 30. The bead seat ring 20 receives a load in a radial direction and an axial direction from a bead portion of a tire. An annular ridge 35 of the lock ring 30 can be received in an annular lock ring groove 15 of the rim base 10. A receiving groove 15a is formed in an inner surface of the lock ring groove 15 of the rim base 10. A sacrificial anticorrosion material 80 is embedded in the receiving groove 15a. The sacrificial anticorrosion material 80 includes metal such as zinc and aluminum that has a greater ionization tendency than iron that is a base material of the rim base 10 and the lock ring 30. Corrosion of the rim base 10 and the lock ring 30 can be suppressed by ionization of the sacrificial anticorrosion material 80.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2015Publication date: November 16, 2017Inventors: Keitaro Enami, Kentaro Oba, Zulkaizam Asri Bin Kassim Mohd
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Patent number: 9079456Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a jig that does not require an operator to hold a lock ring against the elastic repulsion force of the lock ring that attempts to contract in a radial direction when the lock ring is attached to a rim base, the jig that is safe because there is no need for the operator to support the weight of the lock ring and can maintain a state in which, when the space between the ends of the lock ring is increased, the inside diameter side of the lock ring is a perfect circle or is close to a perfect circle. Thus, a lock ring mounting/demounting jig of the present invention is formed of a pair of jigs, the pair of jigs can be attached at both ends (4a, 4b) of a lock ring (4) and on the radial outside of the lock ring (4), and the angle formed by the direction in which the space between the pair of jigs expands and contracts and the longitudinal direction of each jig is changeable.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2013Date of Patent: July 14, 2015Assignee: TOPY KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kentaro Oba, Yukio Nakamura, Etsuro Sugisaki
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Publication number: 20140150229Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a jig that does not require an operator to hold a lock ring against the elastic repulsion force of the lock ring that attempts to contract in a radial direction when the lock ring is attached to a rim base, the jig that is safe because there is no need for the operator to support the weight of the lock ring and can maintain a state in which, when the space between the ends of the lock ring is increased, the inside diameter side of the lock ring is a perfect circle or is close to a perfect circle. Thus, a lock ring mounting/demounting jig of the present invention is formed of a pair of jigs, the pair of jigs can be attached at both ends (4a, 4b) of a lock ring (4) and on the radial outside of the lock ring (4), and the angle formed by the direction in which the space between the pair of jigs expands and contracts and the longitudinal direction of each jig is changeable.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2013Publication date: June 5, 2014Applicant: TOPY KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kentaro OBA, Yukio NAKAMURA, Etsuro SUGISAKI
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Patent number: 8347929Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-piece rim which does not need much labor for supporting, and does not increase the number of components to be managed and the number of needed tasks. The present invention constructs a lock ring (40) to be fitted in the groove (11a) of a gutter band (11), which ring is divided in a plurality of portions (41, 42) being coupled at each end (41a, 42a) thereof by a flexible coupling member (43). Alternatively, a lock ring (140) is formed into a substantially C-shape being manufactured by cutting a part of a circular ring, and comprises a first portion (141) wherein a length of a chord at the cut portion is substantially equal to the diametral of a hub, and a second portion (142) having a shape corresponding to the cut portion of a circular ring in the first portion.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2008Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: Topy Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kentaro Oba, Yukio Nakamura, Yoshiyuki Higashino
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Publication number: 20110023278Abstract: It is intended to provide jigs enabling a worker to hold a lock ring while resisting the elastic repulsion force urging contraction of the lock ring, inward in the radial direction, without the need for propping up a heavy lock ring. There is provided a lock ring mounting/demounting jig, the jig including two jigs in pairs, the jigs (41, 42) in pairs, constituting the jig, being joined with each other by a screw bolt (8), in which the jigs in pairs are mountable on respective ends (4a, 4b) of a lock ring (4), the jigs (41, 42) each include a main block (41B, 42B) and a clamp (41C, 42C), and the jigs (41, 42, 410, 420, 411, 421) in pairs are structured such that an interval therebetween is stretchable.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2008Publication date: February 3, 2011Inventors: Kentaro Oba, Yukio Nakamura, Etsuro Sugisaki
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Publication number: 20100164275Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-piece rim which does not need much labor for supporting, and does not increase the number of components to be managed and the number of needed tasks. The present invention constructs a lock ring (40) to be fitted in the groove (11a) of a gutter band (11), which ring is divided in a plurality of portions (41, 42) being coupled at each end (41a, 42a) thereof by a flexible coupling member (43) . Alternatively, a lock ring (140) is formed into a substantially C-shape being manufactured by cutting a part of a circular ring, and comprises a first portion (141) wherein a length of a chord at the cut portion is substantially equal to the diametral of a hub, and a second portion (142) having a shape corresponding to the cut portion of a circular ring in the first portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 8, 2008Publication date: July 1, 2010Inventors: Kentaro Oba, Yukio Nakamura, Yoshiyuki Higashino
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Patent number: 6715523Abstract: A multi-piece rim includes a rim base including a first flange and a gutter band, a bead seat band including a second flange, a lock ring, and a first side ring located on a side of the first flange and a second side ring located on a side of the second flange. A circumferentially extending surface of the first flange and a tapered surface of a circumferentially extending inner surface of the first side ring and/or a circumferentially extending surface of the second flange and a tapered surface of a circumferentially extending inner surface of the second side ring are inclined radially outwardly in an axially outboard direction of the multi-piece rim, so that circumferential and radial slippage between rim members is prevented to suppress a fretting fatigue.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2002Date of Patent: April 6, 2004Assignee: Topy Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kentaro Oba, Satoru Miyashita, Ichiro Takeuchi
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Publication number: 20030140998Abstract: A multi-piece rim includes a rim base including a first flange and a gutter band, a bead seat band including a second flange, a lock ring, and a first side ring located on a side of the first flange and a second side ring located on a side of the second flange. A circumferentially extending surface of the first flange and a tapered surface of a circumferentially extending inner surface of the first side ring and/or a circumferentially extending surface of the second flange and a tapered surface of a circumferentially extending inner surface of the second side ring are inclined radially outwardly in an axially outboard direction of the multi-piece rim, so that circumferential and radial slippage between rim members is prevented to suppress a fretting fatigue.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2002Publication date: July 31, 2003Inventors: Kentaro Oba, Satoru Miyashita, Ichiro Takeuchi
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Patent number: 6260929Abstract: A wheel balance weight including a plurality of weight bodies of at least one kind and an adhesive double-coated tape. Each of the plurality of weight bodies is made from a metal other than lead and the side surfaces of adjacent weight body are tapered. The balance weight may include one or more weight bodies each having a predetermined weight of W and W/n. The balance weight may include one or more weight bodies each having a predetermined weight of W and a summation of W/n and W. A method of manufacturing a balance weight includes: producing a bar material having tapered surfaces at opposite sides, cutting the bar material into a plurality of weight bodies, and attaching the plurality of weight bodies to an adhesive double-coated tape.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 1999Date of Patent: July 17, 2001Assignee: Topy Koygo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kentaro Oba, Saburo Maruyama
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Patent number: 6250721Abstract: A wheel balance weight is made from ductile cast iron and is formed by casting. The wheel balance weight includes a weight body accurately extending along a flange of a wheel and a clip coupled to the weight body. The weight body includes a groove at a longitudinally central portion of the weight body. The clip is fit into the groove and is fixed to the weight body by caulking the width sides of the groove. The weight body may have a pillar at a bottom surface of the groove and a clip may have an aperture for accommodating the pillar pass through. By caulking a head of the pillar after letting the pillar pass through the aperture of the clip, coupling of the weight body with the clip is strengthened.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 1999Date of Patent: June 26, 2001Assignee: Topy Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kentaro Oba, Saburo Maruyama