Patents by Inventor Kunihiro Oka

Kunihiro Oka 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: 11377134
    Abstract: A steering device includes: a first moving unit that moves in an axial direction along with a shaft member to which an operating member is connected; a second moving unit; a holding unit; a first screw mechanism; a second screw mechanism; a driving unit; and a transmission mechanism that transmits driving force of the driving unit to the first screw mechanism and the second screw mechanism. One of the first screw mechanism and the second screw mechanism is provided so as to operate in a forward direction when the operating member moves between a retraction region and an operation region, and reverse efficiency of that one screw mechanism is set such that when the operating member is subjected to an external force directed toward the retraction region, that one screw mechanism does not operate in a reverse direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Watanabe, Kunihiro Oka, Yasuyuki Nozawa, Kei Kitahara
  • Publication number: 20210323598
    Abstract: A steering device includes: a first moving unit that moves in an axial direction along with a shaft member to which an operating member is connected; a second moving unit; a holding unit; a first screw mechanism; a second screw mechanism; a driving unit; and a transmission mechanism that transmits driving force of the driving unit to the first screw mechanism and the second screw mechanism. One of the first screw mechanism and the second screw mechanism is provided so as to operate in a forward direction when the operating member moves between a retraction region and an operation region, and reverse efficiency of that one screw mechanism is set such that when the operating member is subjected to an external force directed toward the retraction region, that one screw mechanism does not operate in a reverse direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi WATANABE, Kunihiro OKA, Yasuyuki NOZAWA, Kei KITAHARA
  • Patent number: 8689926
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus (1) comprises a control device (12), which controls driving of an electric motor (18) based on the detection signals from a rotational position-detecting sensor (72; 72A), which detects the rotational position of the rotor (64) of the electric motor (18), and a steering status detecting sensor (11; 11A). The control device (12) is housed in a housing (100) that is partitioned by a first housing (23), which is at least a portion of the motor housing (25) for the electric motor (18), and a second housing (24; 24A; 24B) that touches the first housing (23). At least one of the rotational position-detecting sensor (72; 72A) and steering state detecting sensor (11; 11A) is connected to the control device (12) by means of only a signal wire (81; 134) inside the first housing (23) or the second housing (24; 24A; 24B).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Nagase, Shiro Nakano, Ken Matsubara, Motoo Nakai, Kunihiro Oka, Naotake Kanda, Nobuhiro Uchida, Kouya Yoshida, Minoru Sentoku
  • Patent number: 8408353
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle steering apparatus (1; 301) equipped with a control device (12; 322) which controls the actuation of an electric motor (18; 317). First and second housings (23, 24 325, 312), which are in contact with each other, partition off an accommodation chamber (100; 324) which contains the control device (12; 322). The first housing (23; 325) is at least one part of the motor housing (25; 323). The first housing (23; 325) includes a first interior wall surface (101; 401) which partially partitions the accommodation chamber (100; 324). The second housing (24; 312) includes a second interior wall surface (102; 402) which partially partitions the accommodation chamber (100; 324). The first and the second interior wall surfaces (101, 102; 401, 402) are opposite each other with respect to the axial direction (X1) of a rotatable shaft (37; 352) of an electric motor (18; 317).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Nagase, Ken Matsubara, Minoru Sentoku, Kunihiro Oka, Motoo Nakai, Kouya Yoshida, Nobuhiro Uchida, Naotake Kanda
  • Patent number: 8245813
    Abstract: There is provided a steering apparatus including a pinion communicating with an operation of a steering member, a rack shaft having a rack meshed with the pinion, and a support yoke resiliently coming into contact with the rack shaft, and being configured to convert rotation of the pinion into movement of the rack shaft in an axial direction in a meshing portion in which the pinion and rack mesh to each other. The steering apparatus comprises a detection unit for detecting a force applied to the support yoke to which a force acting on the meshing portion being transmitted from the rack shaft and a calculation unit for calculating a steering torque applied to the steering member based on the force detected by the detection unit, wherein the pinion and the rack are formed in helical gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Mizuno, Shiro Nakano, Kunihiro Oka
  • Publication number: 20110040448
    Abstract: There is provided a steering apparatus including a pinion communicating with an operation of a steering member, a rack shaft having a rack meshed with the pinion, and a support yoke resiliently coming into contact with the rack shaft, and being configured to convert rotation of the pinion into movement of the rack shaft in an axial direction in a meshing portion in which the pinion and rack mesh to each other. The steering apparatus comprises a detection unit for detecting a force applied to the support yoke to which a force acting on the meshing portion being transmitted from the rack shaft and a calculation unit for calculating a steering torque applied to the steering member based on the force detected by the detection unit, wherein the pinion and the rack are formed in helical gears.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahiro Mizuno, Shiro Nakano, Kunihiro Oka
  • Publication number: 20110000737
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle steering apparatus (1; 301) equipped with a control device (12; 322) which controls the actuation of an electric motor (18; 317). First and second housings (23, 24 325, 312), which are in contact with each other, partition off an accommodation chamber (100; 324) which contains the control device (12; 322). The first housing (23; 325) is at least one part of the motor housing (25; 323). The first housing (23; 325) includes a first interior wall surface (101; 401) which partially partitions the accommodation chamber (100; 324). The second housing (24; 312) includes a second interior wall surface (102; 402) which partially partitions the accommodation chamber (100; 324). The first and the second interior wall surfaces (101, 102; 401, 402) are opposite each other with respect to the axial direction (X1) of a rotatable shaft (37; 352) of an electric motor (18; 317).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Nagase, Ken Matsubara, Minoru Sentoku, Kunihiro Oka, Motoo Nakai, Kouya Yoshida, Nobuhiro Uchida, Naotake Kanda
  • Publication number: 20100314192
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus (1) comprises a control device (12), which controls driving of an electric motor (18) based on the detection signals from a rotational position-detecting sensor (72; 72A), which detects the rotational position of the rotor (64) of the electric motor (18), and a steering status detecting sensor (11; 11A). The control device (12) is housed in a housing (100) that is partitioned by a first housing (23), which is at least a portion of the motor housing (25) for the electric motor (18), and a second housing (24; 24A; 24B) that touches the first housing (23). At least one of the rotational position-detecting sensor (72; 72A) and steering state detecting sensor (11; 11A) is connected to the control device (12) by means of only a signal wire (81; 134) inside the first housing (23) or the second housing (24; 24A; 24B).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Applicant: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Nagase, Shiro Nakano, Ken Matsubara, Motoo Nakai, Kunihiro Oka, Naotake Kanda, Nobuhiro Uchida, Kouya Yoshida, Minoru Sentoku
  • Patent number: 7841443
    Abstract: There is provided a steering apparatus including a pinion communicating with an operation of a steering member, a rack shaft having a rack meshed with the pinion, and a support yoke resiliently coming into contact with the rack shaft, and being configured to convert rotation of the pinion into movement of the rack shaft in an axial direction in a meshing portion in which the pinion and rack mesh to each other. The steering apparatus comprises a detection unit for detecting a force applied to the support yoke to which a force acting on the meshing portion being transmitted from the rack shaft and a calculation unit for calculating a steering torque applied to the steering member based on the force detected by the detection unit, wherein the pinion and the rack are formed in helical gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Jtekt Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Mizuno, Shiro Nakano, Kunihiro Oka
  • Patent number: 7413052
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus includes a speed reducing mechanism for decelerating the rotation of a rotatable shaft in an electric motor and a converting mechanism for converting the output rotation of the speed reducing mechanism into the axial movement of a steering shaft extending toward the right and left sides of a vehicle. The speed reducing mechanism includes an input pulley driven by the electric motor, an output pulley arranged with the steering shaft enclosed thereby, a belt for connecting the input pulley and the output pulley to each other, and a belt tension adjuster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignees: Jtekt Corporation, Gates Unitta Asia Company
    Inventors: Hiroto Sasaki, Takehiro Saruwatari, Kensaku Nakamura, Atsuya Miyata, Kazuaki Nagamatsu, Kunihiro Oka, Hiroshi Murataka, Akihiro Hironaka
  • Publication number: 20080042389
    Abstract: There is provided a steering apparatus including a pinion communicating with an operation of a steering member, a rack shaft having a rack meshed with the pinion, and a support yoke resiliently coming into contact with the rack shaft, and being configured to convert rotation of the pinion into movement of the rack shaft in an axial direction in a meshing portion in which the pinion and rack mesh to each other. The steering apparatus comprises a detection unit for detecting a force applied to the support yoke to which a force acting on the meshing portion being transmitted from the rack shaft and a calculation unit for calculating a steering torque applied to the steering member based on the force detected by the detection unit, wherein the pinion and the rack are formed in helical gears.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2007
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahiro Mizuno, Shiro Nakano, Kunihiro Oka
  • Publication number: 20070187169
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus includes a speed reducing mechanism for decelerating the rotation of a rotatable shaft in an electric motor and a converting mechanism for converting the output rotation of the speed reducing mechanism into the axial movement of a steering shaft extending toward the right and left sides of a vehicle. The speed reducing mechanism includes an input pulley driven by the electric motor, an output pulley arranged with the steering shaft enclosed thereby, a belt for connecting the input pulley and the output pulley to each other, and a belt tension adjuster.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Inventors: Hiroto Sasaki, Takehiro Saruwatari, Kensaku Nakamura, Atsuya Miyata, Kazuaki Nagamatsu, Kunihiro Oka, Hiroshi Murataka, Akihiro Hironaka
  • Patent number: 7191866
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus includes a speed reducing mechanism for decelerating the rotation of a rotatable shaft in an electric motor and a converting mechanism for converting the output rotation of the speed reducing mechanism into the axial movement of a steering shaft extending toward the right and left sides of a vehicle. The speed reducing mechanism includes an input pulley driven by the electric motor, an output pulley arranged with the steering shaft enclosed thereby, a belt for connecting the input pulley and the output pulley to each other and a belt tension adjuster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignees: Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd., Gates Unitta Asia Company
    Inventors: Hiroto Sasaki, Takehiro Saruwatari, Kensaku Nakamura, Atsuya Miyata, Kazuaki Nagamatsu, Kunihiro Oka, Hiroshi Murataka, Akihiro Hironaka
  • Publication number: 20050197224
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus comprises a speed reducing mechanism for decelerating the rotation of a rotatable shaft in an electric motor and a converting mechanism for converting the output rotation of the speed reducing mechanism into the axial movement of a steering shaft extending toward the right and left sides of a vehicle. The speed reducing mechanism comprises an input pulley driven by the electric motor, an output pulley arranged with the steering shaft enclosed thereby, a belt for connecting the input pulley and the output pulley to each other, and means for adjusting the tension of the belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Publication date: September 8, 2005
    Inventors: Hiroto Sasaki, Takehiro Saruwatari, Kensaku Nakamura, Atsuya Miyata, Kazuaki Nagamatsu, Kunihiro Oka
  • Patent number: 6938722
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus includes a speed reducing mechanism for decelerating the rotation of a rotatable shaft in an electric motor and a converting mechanism for converting the output rotation of the speed reducing mechanism into the axial movement of a steering shaft extending toward the right and left sides of a vehicle. The speed reducing mechanism includes an input pulley driven by the electric motor, an output pulley arranged with the steering shaft enclosed thereby, a belt for connecting the input pulley and the output pulley to each other, and a belt tension adjuster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignees: Gates Unitta Asia Company, Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroto Sasaki, Takehiro Saruwatari, Kensaku Nakamura, Atsuya Miyata, Kazuaki Nagamatsu, Kunihiro Oka, Hiroshi Murataka, Akihiro Hironaka
  • Publication number: 20050189162
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus comprises a speed reducing mechanism for decelerating the rotation of a rotatable shaft in an electric motor and a converting mechanism for converting the output rotation of the speed reducing mechanism into the axial movement of a steering shaft extending toward the right and left sides of a vehicle. The speed reducing mechanism comprises an input pulley driven by the electric motor, an output pulley arranged with the steering shaft enclosed thereby, a belt for connecting the input pulley and the output pulley to each other, and means for adjusting the tension of the belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Publication date: September 1, 2005
    Inventors: Hiroto Sasaki, Takehiro Saruwatari, Kensaku Nakamura, Atsuya Miyata, Kazuaki Nagamatsu, Kunihiro Oka
  • Patent number: 6918457
    Abstract: In an electric power steering system, a second bevel gear is allowed to move toward a first bevel gear and is biased by a biasing member toward the first bevel gear thereby to be moved toward the first bevel gear as following the wearing away of these bevel gears. In an electric power steering system, a support shaft formed with the first bevel gear at its distal end is rotatably supported by a retaining member, which is mounted to a support-shaft housing as allowed to move axially of the support shaft. The retaining member is adjusted for its position relative to the support-shaft housing with respect to the axial direction of the support shaft by means of a retaining member adjuster. The first bevel gear is moved toward the second bevel gear as following the wearing away of these bevel gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiro Saruwatari, Kunihiro Oka, Masanori Arima
  • Patent number: D589858
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Nagase, Ken Matsubara, Nobuhiro Uchida, Naotake Kanda, Kunihiro Oka
  • Patent number: D599263
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Jtekt Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Nagase, Ken Matsubara, Nobuhiro Uchida, Naotake Kanda, Kunihiro Oka
  • Patent number: D602411
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Nagase, Ken Matsubara, Nobuhiro Uchida, Naotake Kanda, Kunihiro Oka