Patents by Inventor Kohtaro Shiino

Kohtaro Shiino 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: 8505675
    Abstract: A power steering apparatus including a joint including a first boss disposed on an axial end portion of a motor output shaft, first projections disposed on the first boss in the circumferential direction, a second boss disposed on an axial end portion of a worm shaft and opposed to the first boss, second projections disposed on the second boss in the circumferential direction and arranged between the adjacent first projections, a first elastic member made of metal and a second elastic member made of at least one of resin and rubber, the first and second elastic members being disposed between an axial end surface of the first boss and an opposed axial end surface of the second boss and cooperating with each other to generate an elastic force in such a direction as to move the worm shaft away from the motor output shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuro Suzuki, Satoshi Taniuchi, Kohtaro Shiino
  • Publication number: 20130180794
    Abstract: A power steering system has: a steering shaft; a pinion shaft; a torque sensor; a rack housing communicating with inside of the sensor housing; a rack shaft provided in the rack housing; a motor housing communicating with inside of the rack housing; an electric motor provided in the motor housing; an ECU housing communicating with inside of the motor housing; a motor control unit housed in the ECU housing; and a respiration valve provided at any of the sensor housing, the rack housing and the motor housing and located at an upper side with respect to an upper end of the ECU housing in vehicle-mounted state. The respiration valve has function by which air passes through each house and between inside and outside of the ECU housing so as to absorb change of expansion/contraction of the air in the ECU housing while suppressing entry of water from the outside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems Steering, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kohtaro Shiino, Makoto Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 8479390
    Abstract: A method for producing a connector has first to fifth processes. In the first process, a contact unit having a plurality of contacts and a tying part, is formed with the contacts tied at each axial direction middle part of the contacts by the tying part and with the contacts arranged parallel to each other. In the second process, a plating layer is formed on a part of the contact unit by soaking the contact unit in a plating bath from an axial direction one end side of the contact unit to an axial direction middle part of the tying part. In the third process, the contacts are isolated by cutting the tying part. In the fourth process, a part where the plating layer is formed, of the contact is inserted into a hole of a circuit board. In the fifth process, the contacts are soldered to the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Teruyuki Ohnishi, Shinichi Isobe, Kohtaro Shiino
  • Patent number: 8443929
    Abstract: A power steering apparatus includes a worm wheel mounted on the steering shaft, a worm shaft engaged with the worm wheel, a gear housing having a wheel accommodating portion to accommodate the worm wheel and a shaft accommodating portion to accommodate the worm shaft, a bearing mounted on the worm shaft to rotatably support the worm shaft, a holder disposed in the shaft accommodating portion and having a bearing retaining portion to retain the bearing and a resilient element disposed in the shaft accommodating portion and having a resilient body portion formed with a curvature. The resilient body portion is so structured as to become deformed in such a manner as to increase or decrease in diameter when the bearing shifts in a direction that moves the worm shaft away from the worm wheel and bias the bearing in a direction that urges the worm wheel toward the worm wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuro Suzuki, Kohtaro Shiino, Yusuke Fukuda, Atsushi Yoshitake
  • Patent number: 8360196
    Abstract: A worm wheel including an annular worm wheel main body formed from a resin material; teeth on an outer periphery of the worm wheel main body in a circumferential direction of the worm wheel main body a; a first region on respective tooth flanks of the teeth and offset from a mid-position of a whole depth of the respective teeth in a radially outward direction of the worm wheel main body; a first region; and a second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuro Suzuki, Satoshi Taniuchi, Kohtaro Shiino
  • Publication number: 20120261209
    Abstract: First and second shafts are connected with each other through a torsion bar and arranged to rotate relative to each other within a relative rotational angle range A. A s torque sensor includes first and second resolvers for sensing the angular potions of the first and second shafts, respectively. The first resolver produces a periodical first resolver output signal so that the number X1 of cycles per revolution of the first shaft is smaller than 360/A (X1<360/A). The second resolver produces a periodical second resolver output signal so that the number X2 of cycles per revolution of the second shaft is smaller than 360/A (X2<360/A).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Inventor: Kohtaro SHIINO
  • Publication number: 20120149243
    Abstract: A connecting structure to connect electronic components electrically through a plurality of conducting lines each including a covered segment including a wire conductor covered with an insulating covering and an uncovered segment includes a molding unit and a sealing unit. The molding unit encloses a boundary portion between the covered segment and the uncovered segment of each of the conducting lines so that the uncovered segments project in a first direction from a first end of the molding unit and the covered segments project in a second direction from a second end of the molding unit, and thereby holding the conducting lines to fix positions of the conducting lines relative to one another. The sealing member of an adhesive adheres to the second end of the molding unit and adheres to each of the covered segments of the conducting lines projecting from the second end of the molding unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Inventors: Teruyuki OHNISHI, Shinichi ISOBE, Kohtaro SHIINO, Toru TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 8159098
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus including: a motor including a rotating member and a stator; a housing member including a motor housing portion and a power system substrate housing portion, the motor housing portion enclosing the motor and extending in an axial direction of the rotating member, the power system substrate housing portion being integrally formed with the motor housing portion and being located is radially outside of the motor; a control system board supporting a component of a control circuit to control the motor, and including a first board portion facing the motor in the axial direction, and a second board portion extending radially from the first board portion; and a power system substrate supporting a component of a power supply circuit to supply power to the motor, the power system substrate being provided in the power system substrate housing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kohtaro Shiino, Makoto Kimura, Toshiro Yoda, Haruhiko Fujita, Yoshimori Kondo, Yoshiki Sakamoto
  • Publication number: 20120073897
    Abstract: A power steering apparatus including a steering shaft, a sensor coil disposed on an outer circumferential side of the steering shaft and detecting a change in impedance value to determine an amount of relative rotation of an input shaft and an output shaft of the steering shaft, a steering housing including a first housing and a second housing, a sensor substrate disposed on the first housing, a neutral point regulating circuit on the sensor substrate which includes a resistor connected to the sensor coil and variably regulates a resistance value of the resistor so as to regulate the impedance value at a neutral point at which the amount of relative rotation of the input shaft and the output shaft is zero, and an electric motor which is driven and controlled in accordance with an output signal of the sensor coil regulated by the neutral point regulating circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Inventors: Teruyuki OHNISHI, Hajime Komuro, Kohtaro Shiino
  • Patent number: 8066093
    Abstract: A power steering system includes a wormshaft housed in a shaft housing portion and rotatably supported at one end by a bearing, a worm wheel adapted to mesh with the wormshaft, a bottomed, cylindrical bearing holder configured to enclose and fit onto the bearing for holding the bearing, and a preloading means located in the bearing holder for preloading the bearing in a direction of meshed-engagement of the worm gear. An adjustment-mechanism housing portion is formed at one end of the shaft housing portion for housing and retaining the bearing holder. A restriction wall is formed in the adjustment-mechanism housing portion for restricting a movement of the bearing holder. The preloading means includes a preload portion formed integral with the bearing holder, for forcing the bearing in the direction of meshed-engagement by a force of resiliency of the preload portion, thus ensuring sufficient accuracy of meshed-engagement without complicated machining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshimori Kondo, Kohtaro Shiino
  • Publication number: 20110266928
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus including: a motor including a rotating member and a stator; a housing member including a motor housing portion and a power system substrate housing portion, the motor housing portion enclosing the motor and extending in an axial direction of the rotating member, the power system substrate housing portion being integrally formed with the motor housing portion and being located is radially outside of the motor; a control system board supporting a component of a control circuit to control the motor, and including a first board portion facing the motor in the axial direction, and a second board portion extending radially from the first board portion; and a power system substrate supporting a component of a power supply circuit to supply power to the motor, the power system substrate being provided in the power system substrate housing portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Inventors: Kohtaro SHIINO, Makoto Kimura, Toshiro Yoda, Haruhiko Fujita, Yoshimori Kondo, Yoshiki Sakamoto
  • Publication number: 20110240399
    Abstract: A power steering apparatus including a joint including a first boss disposed on an axial end portion of a motor output shaft, first projections disposed on the first boss in the circumferential direction, a second boss disposed on an axial end portion of a worm shaft and opposed to the first boss, second projections disposed on the second boss in the circumferential direction and arranged between the adjacent first projections, a first elastic member made of metal and a second elastic member made of at least one of resin and rubber, the first and second elastic members being disposed between an axial end surface of the first boss and an opposed axial end surface of the second boss and cooperating with each other to generate an elastic force in such a direction as to move the worm shaft away from the motor output shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Inventors: Tatsuro SUZUKI, Satoshi Taniuchi, Kohtaro Shiino
  • Patent number: 7979988
    Abstract: By finding a range of an allowable error of maximum meshing position of a worm shaft in an axial direction relative to a worm wheel, that is higher than that of a worm shaft of a conventional worm gear unit, a worm gear unit of the present invention is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kohtaro Shiino, Yusuke Fukuda
  • Patent number: 7982347
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus including: a power system board which is received in a housing, which supports a component of a power supply circuit to supply power to a motor; a control system board which is received in the housing, which supports a component of a control circuit to control the motor, and which extends radially with respect to an axis of the motor output shaft; a rotation sensor which is provided in the housing, which is located, in an axial direction of a motor output shaft, between the motor and the control system board, and which is arranged to sense a rotational position of the motor output shaft; and an output terminal which is provided with the rotation sensor, which is connected electrically with the control system board to supply a rotational position signal of the rotation sensor to the control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kohtaro Shiino, Makoto Kimura, Toshiro Yoda, Haruhiko Fujita, Yoshimori Kondo, Yoshiki Sakamoto
  • Publication number: 20110151692
    Abstract: A method for producing a connector has first to fifth processes. In the first process, a contact unit having a plurality of contacts and a tying part, is formed with the contacts tied at each axial direction middle part of the contacts by the tying part and with the contacts arranged parallel to each other. In the second process, a plating layer is formed on a part of the contact unit by soaking the contact unit in a plating bath from an axial direction one end side of the contact unit to an axial direction middle part of the tying part. In the third process, the contacts are isolated by cutting the tying part. In the fourth process, a part where the plating layer is formed, of the contact is inserted into a hole of a circuit board. In the fifth process, the contacts are soldered to the circuit board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Inventors: Teruyuki OHNISHI, Shinichi Isobe, Kohtaro Shiino
  • Publication number: 20110147112
    Abstract: A worm wheel including an annular worm wheel main body formed from a resin material by injection molding, a plurality of teeth disposed on an outer periphery of the worm wheel main body in a circumferential direction of the worm wheel main body, wherein a non-cutting region is provided on respective tooth flanks of the teeth and located offset from a mid-position of a whole depth of the respective teeth in a radially outward direction of the worm wheel main body, the non-cutting region being not formed by cutting by a hob after completion of the injection molding, and a cutting region is provided on the respective tooth flanks, the cutting region being formed by cutting by the hob after completion of the injection molding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Inventors: Tatsuro SUZUKI, Satoshi TANIUCHI, Kohtaro SHIINO
  • Publication number: 20110066327
    Abstract: A power steering apparatus includes a motor unit, and a driven device such as a pump or worm gearing. The motor unit includes an electric motor and an electrical control unit which are mounted in a common housing. The electric motor is provided with a rotation sensor. The electric motor and the rotation sensor are electrically connected to the electrical control unit within the housing. The rotation sensor is calibrated before the driven device is coupled to the motor unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Inventors: Makoto HORIUCHI, Kohtaro Shiino
  • Patent number: 7866434
    Abstract: A steering apparatus includes an axle housing rotatably supporting a wheel hub on which a steered road wheel is installed, and a lower suspension-system control arm adapted to be oscillatingly supported at one end on a vehicle body and having a turning portion provided at the other end for pivotably supporting the axle housing by the turning portion. An electric motor is installed on the lower arm for turning the axle housing by a driving force produced by the motor. A rotation axis of the motor and a pivot of the axle housing are arranged to be offset from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kohtaro Shiino, Akira Takahashi, Toshiro Yoda
  • Patent number: 7834498
    Abstract: A motor drive apparatus includes a motor unit including an output shaft and a first terminal connecting portion; a control board including a second terminal connecting portion, and configured to control a current supply to the motor unit; a housing; a shaft supporting portion supporting the output shaft; and a plurality of relay terminals electrically connecting the first terminal connecting portion with the second terminal connecting portion. The housing includes a motor-unit receiving portion receiving the motor unit, and a board receiving portion formed integrally with the motor-unit receiving portion. The motor-unit receiving portion is formed with an opening on one side of the motor-unit receiving portion in an axial direction of the motor unit and includes a wall portion on another side of the motor-unit receiving portion in the axial direction. The wall portion is formed with a through-hole. The board receiving portion is formed with an opening in the axial direction to receive the control board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kohtaro Shiino, Hidekazu Shirai
  • Publication number: 20100243367
    Abstract: A power steering apparatus includes a worm wheel mounted on the steering shaft, a worm shaft engaged with the worm wheel, a gear housing having a wheel accommodating portion to accommodate the worm wheel and a shaft accommodating portion to accommodate the worm shaft, a bearing mounted on the worm shaft to rotatably support the worm shaft, a holder disposed in the shaft accommodating portion and having a bearing retaining portion to retain the bearing and a resilient element disposed in the shaft accommodating portion and having a resilient body portion formed with a curvature. The resilient body portion is so structured as to become deformed in such a manner as to increase or decrease in diameter when the bearing shifts in a direction that moves the worm shaft away from the worm wheel and bias the bearing in a direction that urges the worm wheel toward the worm wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Inventors: Tatsuro SUZUKI, Kohtaro Shiino, Yusuke Fukuda, Atsushi Yoshitake