Patents by Inventor Kozo Amano

Kozo Amano 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: 8288928
    Abstract: A spark plug comprising: a cylindrical metal shell; a cylindrical insulator provided in an inner hole of said metal shell; a center electrode provided in a leading end side inner hole of said insulator; and a ground electrode having one end bonded to a leading end side of said metal shell and having another end face forming a spark discharge gap with said center electrode, wherein said ground electrode comprises an electrode material containing from 0.5 to 1.5 wt. % of Si, from 0.5 to 1.5 wt. % of Al, from 0.02 to 1.0 wt. % of at least one of Ti, V, Zr, Nb and Hf, from 0.03 to 0.09 wt. % of C and 95.5 wt. % or more of Ni, and having a specific resistance at 20° C. of 25 tincm or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignees: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Kumagai, Teruyuki Kondo, Kozo Amano, Kazuo Yamazaki, Yoshihiro Nakai, Masatada Numano
  • Publication number: 20110012500
    Abstract: A spark plug comprising: a cylindrical metal shell; a cylindrical insulator provided in an inner hole of said metal shell; a center electrode provided in a leading end side inner hole of said insulator; and a ground electrode having one end bonded to a leading end side of said metal shell and having another end face forming a spark discharge gap with said center electrode, wherein said ground electrode comprises an electrode material containing from 0.5 to 1.5 wt. % of Si, from 0.5 to 1.5 wt. % of Al, from 0.02 to 1.0 wt. % of at least one of Ti, V, Zr, Nb and Hf, from 0.03 to 0.09 wt. % of C and 95.5 wt. % or more of Ni, and having a specific resistance at 20° C. of 25 tincm or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicants: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kenichi KUMAGAI, Teruyuki KONDO, Kozo AMANO, Kazuo YAMAZAKI, Yoshihiro NAKAI, Masatada NUMANO
  • Patent number: 7825571
    Abstract: A spark plug comprising: a cylindrical metal shell; a cylindrical insulator provided in an inner hole of said metal shell; a center electrode provided in a leading end side inner hole of said insulator; and a ground electrode having one end bonded to a leading end side of said metal shell and having another end face forming a spark discharge gap with said center electrode, wherein said ground electrode comprises an electrode material containing from 0.5 to 1.5 wt. % of Si, from 0.5 to 1.5 wt. % of Al, from 0.02 to 1.0 wt. % of at least one of Ti, V, Zr, Nb and Hf, from 0.03 to 0.09 wt. % of C and 95.5 wt. % or more of Ni, and having a specific resistance at 20° C. of 25 ??cm or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignees: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Kumagai, Teruyuki Kondo, Kozo Amano, Kazuo Yamazaki, Yoshihiro Nakai, Masatada Numano
  • Publication number: 20060170320
    Abstract: A spark plug comprising: a cylindrical metal shell; a cylindrical insulator provided in an inner hole of said metal shell; a center electrode provided in a leading end side inner hole of said insulator; and a ground electrode having one end bonded to a leading end side of said metal shell and having another end face forming a spark discharge gap with said center electrode, wherein said ground electrode comprises an electrode material containing from 0.5 to 1.5 wt. % of Si, from 0.5 to 1.5 wt. % of Al, from 0.02 to 1.0 wt. % of at least one of Ti, V, Zr, Nb and Hf, from 0.03 to 0.09 wt. % of C and 95.5 wt. % or more of Ni, and having a specific resistance at 20° C. of 25 ??cm or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2006
    Publication date: August 3, 2006
    Inventors: Kenichi Kumagai, Teruyuki Kondo, Kozo Amano, Kazuo Yamazaki, Yoshihiro Nakai, Masatada Numano
  • Patent number: 5793151
    Abstract: A spark plug in use for an internal combustion engine, includes an insulator placed in a metal shell in a manner to extend its front end beyond the metal shell, a center electrode is placed within an axial bore provided by the insulator, an outer electrode which is welded to a front end of the metal shell is so bent that a firing end of the outer electrode faces a front end of the insulator with a space therebetween to cause surface-spark discharges along a front end surface of the insulator and to cause a semi-surface spark discharge between the center electrode and the outer electrode, the front end of the center electrode is protroacted from a front end of the insulator by at most than 0.5 mm or retracted from the front end of the insulator by at most than 1.0 mm, and the firing end of the outer electrode is in line with the front end surface of the insulator, thereby optimizing a carbon-deposit cleaning performance of the spark plug with the semi-surface spark discharge, according to the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Kagawa, Kozo Amano, Yoshihiro Matsubara
  • Patent number: 5736809
    Abstract: In a spark plug having a noble metal layer disposed on a firing end of an electrode, the noble metal layer being laser welded to the firing end of the electrode, and subsequently heat treated to increase a crystallized granulation particle size of the noble metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wataru Matsutani, Kozo Amano
  • Patent number: 5680002
    Abstract: In a multi-polarity type spark plug for an internal combustion engine, a tubular insulator is supported within a cylindrical metallic shell through which a spark plug is to be attached to an internal combustion engine. A center electrode is placed within the insulator, a front end of the center electrode being directed toward a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine from a front end of the metallic shell so as to extend beyond a front end of the insulator. First and second ground electrodes are each connected to the front end of the metallic shell, the first ground electrode forming a first vertical spark gap with a front end surface of the center electrode which directly opposes an elevational side of the center electrode, and the second ground electrode forming a second horizontal spark gap with an elevational side of the center electrode. An angle .theta.a is limited as 60.degree..ltoreq..theta.a .ltoreq.150.degree. in which the angle .theta.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Iwao Kunitomo, Yoshihiro Matsubara, Kozo Amano
  • Patent number: 4984905
    Abstract: A temperature and pressure detecting type spark plug has a metallic shell having a mounting seat around an outer surface of the shell. The plug further has a center electrode which is placed into a tubular insulator.The center electrode has a hollow portion to enclose a thermocouple to detect a temperature of the front end of the center electrode.An annular pressure sensor is placed at the mounting seat of the metallic shell to detect a pressure within a combustion chamber in a cylinder head. The pressure sensor is arranged to be sandwiched between the mounting seat and the cylinder head when the spark plug is secured to the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1991
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kozo Amano, Yoshihiro Matsubara
  • Patent number: 4881403
    Abstract: A spark plug with pressure sensor comprising; a center electrode having a high voltage terminal; an insulator provided around said center electrode to securely support it; a tubular metallic shell provided to support said insulator at its inner side; a pressure sensor having a piezoelectrical element at least enclosed by a casing of a metallic hollow ring; the metallic shell having a diameter-increased portion and a diameter-reduced portion; the casing of the sensor being inserted into the diameter-reduced portion with an inner side of the casing tightly engaging the outer side of the diameter-reduced portion; a mount means having a ring portion and a flange portion; the ring portion tightly inserted into the diameter-reduced portion while the flange portion tightly sandwiching the casing with a step between the diameter-reduced portion and the diameter-increased portion; and the ring portion being welded to said diameter-reduced portion to maintain air-tight relationship between an innerside of the ring port
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1989
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Kagawa, Yoshiaki Saiki, Kozo Amano
  • Patent number: 3939577
    Abstract: A practice board for contract bridge games is disclosed wherein one embodiment includes a rectangular sheet and another embodiment includes a circular sheet, each of which have indicia marked thereon and arranged in accordance with a predetermined contract bridge game, the indicia including four sets of first indicia showing the cards of each player's hand and being arranged such that one of the cards of each of the player's hands is eliminated each trick, second indicia showing cards to be played by each player on respective tricks, the first and second indicia being arranged in rows, trick by trick, representing 13 tricks, four sets of third indicia each of which shows bids by the corresponding player at respective rounds of bidding in a row, and two sets of fourth indicia each of which shows the number of tricks won by the corresponding partnership on the preceding tricks; cover member overlying the sheet and being provided with apertures formed therein corresponding to the indicia on the sheet and through
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1974
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1976
    Inventor: Kozo Amano