Patents by Inventor Mamoru Musasa

Mamoru Musasa 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: 9027524
    Abstract: A spark plug capable of preventing a separation of a noble metal tip and capable of extending a service-life of the spark plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mamoru Musasa, Akira Suzuki, Osamu Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 9010765
    Abstract: A gasket for use around a thread neck of an automotive component, the gasket dimensioned to prevent the gasket from falling off of the thread neck and to prevent a male screw portion from biting into the gasket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naomichi Miyashita, Mamoru Musasa
  • Patent number: 8766521
    Abstract: In process of threadably fitting a metal shell having a surface formed with an Ni plated layer into a mounting hole, in a state where a gasket made of stainless steel is uncompressed while being interposed between a protrusion part and an opening periphery, a surface of the gasket is out of contact with another surface thereof. When the gasket is viewed on a cross section in a direction of an axial line O, the gasket contacts with the protrusion part at one point of a point X, the gasket contacts with the opening periphery flat one point of a point Y, and the point Y is located outside of the point X in a radial direction. Further, the point Y is located inside of a maximum outer diameter Dz of a seating surface of the protrusion part in the radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotoshi Yoshizaki, Naomichi Miyashita, Mamoru Musasa
  • Patent number: 8736154
    Abstract: Problem is to enhance the welding strength when a projecting shape section is resistance-welded to a around electrode. A ground electrode 30 includes a ground electrode base material 35 and a projecting shape section 36. The projecting shape section 36 is connected by resistance welding to an opposite surface 32 of the ground electrode 30 so as to be opposite and project towards the leading end of a center electrode 20. The ground electrode base material 35 and the projecting shape section 36 are formed from a material that is composed of the same metal (for example, nickel) as a main component and have a relation of formulas (1) and (2) described below. In formula (1), the specific resistance of the ground electrode base material 35 is R (??cm) and the specific resistance of the projecting shape section 36 is S (??cm). The specific resistance R>the specific resistance S . . . (formula 1), the specific resistance R?specific resistance S?20 . . . (formula 2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Suzuki, Mamoru Musasa
  • Patent number: 8664844
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to restrain separation of an electrode tip from a ground electrode or from a center electrode. A spark plug satisfies a condition 0.8?A1/A2?1.9, where, as viewed on a section which contains a center axis (O) of an electrode tip, A1 [Hv] is hardness of the electrode tip as measured outside a circle having a radius of 0.2 mm, with a boundary point (PA) on a surface of the spark plug between a fusion zone and the electrode tip serving as the center of the circle, and A2 [Hv] is hardness of the electrode tip as measured within the circle having a radius of 0.2 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naomichi Miyashita, Mamoru Musasa
  • Patent number: 8638029
    Abstract: A spark plug includes a center electrode, a ground electrode, and a noble metal tip. The noble metal tip is joined to an object member of at least one of two electrodes via a fusion zone. A projected overlap region of the noble metal tip and the fusion zone accounts for 70% or more of a projected region of the noble metal tip. The object member contains at least Si out of Al and Si such that the amount of Si is 0.4% by mass or higher and such that the total amount of Al and Si is 0.5% by mass. Multi-fusion spots exist on the surface of the fusion zone. Segments of a baseline which pass through the respective multi-fusion spots have a total length of a predetermined percentage of the length of the baseline. Joining strength to the noble metal tip can thereby be greatly improved when the member to be joined contains Si.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Torii, Akira Suzuki, Mamoru Musasa
  • Patent number: 8633640
    Abstract: [Objective] To provide a spark plug which is configured such that an insulation member, from which a center electrode projects, is pressed frontward and held in a metallic shell, and is fixed by means of crimping the rear end of the metallic shell, and which can prevent a drop in gas tightness between the metallic shell and the insulation member due to a difference in thermal expansion therebetween. [Means for Solution] In a spark plug in which a mating shaft portion (10) of an insulation member (1) is loose-fitted into a mating hole portion (30) of a metallic shell (21), a filler (41) for maintaining gas tightness is charged between the outer circumferential surface of the mating shaft portion (10) and the inner circumferential surface of the mating hole portion (30). Despite the thermal expansion difference, the gas tightness is maintained, because the filler (41) for maintaining gas tightness is charged between the inner and outer circumferential surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiro Kyuno, Akira Suzuki, Mamoru Musasa
  • Patent number: 8531094
    Abstract: The present invention provides a spark plug that includes a center electrode extending in an axial direction, a ceramic insulator having an axial hole formed in the axial direction to retain the center electrode in a front side of the axial hole and thereby form an assembly unit of the center electrode and the ceramic insulator, a metal shell surrounding an outer circumference of the ceramic insulator to retain therein the assembly unit, and a ground electrode having one end portion joined to a front end face of the metal shell and the other end portion facing the center electrode to define a spark gap therebetween, wherein the spark plug satisfies the following conditions: H?1 mm, Vc?17 mm3 and Ra?1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Suzuki, Tomoaki Kato, Mamoru Musasa, Jiro Kyuno
  • Patent number: 8517786
    Abstract: To provide a method of producing a spark plug in which a spark discharge gap with a suitable distance can easily be obtained without bending to deform a ground electrode in a direction in which the ground electrode moves towards or away from a metal tip of a center electrode, in the method of producing a spark plug, when a metal tip (a noble metal tip) 21 is welded to a front end portion 13a of a center electrode 13, the metal tip 21 is welded to the front end portion 13a of the center electrode 13 after a state is established in which the metal tip 21 alone is positioned in a radial direction where a predetermined spark discharge gap g is formed relative to a distal end portion 14b of a ground electrode 14 which is joined to a metal shell 11 at a proximal end portion 14a thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mamoru Musasa, Akira Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8519606
    Abstract: A spark plug (1) includes an insulator (2) and a metal shell (3), including a middle section (41) positioned between a collar section (16) and a tool engaging section (19). The middle section (41) has a bulged section (42), a first slender section (43) and a second slender section (44) that is the most slender at a portion positioned further to the leading end side than the bulged section (42). In a cross-section including the axis CL1, when the distance between both slender sections (43) and (44) along the axis CL1 is F (mm) and the bulged amount to the inside in diametrical direction of a most bulged section (42M) with respect to an imaginary line that connects a portion that is positioned furthest to the inside in diametrical direction of both slender sections 43 and 44 is G (mm), the relationship 0.00<G/F?0.18 is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Suzuki, Mai Nakamura, Mamoru Musasa
  • Publication number: 20130169141
    Abstract: In process of threadably fitting a metal shell having a surface formed with an Ni plated layer into a mounting hole, in a state where a gasket made of stainless steel is uncompressed while being interposed between a protrusion part and an opening periphery, a surface of the gasket is out of contact with another surface thereof. When the gasket is viewed on a cross section in a direction of an axial line O, the gasket contacts with the protrusion part at one point of a point X, the gasket contacts with the opening periphery at one point of a point Y, and the point Y is located outside of the point X in a radial direction. Further, the point Y is located inside of a maximum outer diameter Dz of a seating surface of the protrusion part in the radial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Inventors: Hirotoshi Yoshizaki, Naomichi Miyashita, Mamoru Musasa
  • Patent number: 8476817
    Abstract: The present invention provides a spark plug which is capable of suppressing a occurrence of crack and separation by determining a structural configuration of a melting portion formed in a junction portion between a discharge portion and a pedestal portion which form an ignition portion that protrudes from a ground electrode. In a profile line shape of a cross section including a center axis P of an ignition portion 80, an exposure surface 88 of a melting portion 83 connects a side surface 82 of a discharge portion 81 and a side surface 85 of a pedestal portion 84. Further, an exterior angle ? formed between an imaginary line Q, which passes through a boundary position X1 between the melting portion 83 and the pedestal portion 84 and a boundary position X2 between the melting portion 83 and the discharge portion 81, and the center axis P at a node C, satisfies 135°???175°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naomichi Miyashita, Mamoru Musasa, Akira Suzuki, Kazuyoshi Torii, Tomoaki Kato
  • Patent number: 8410673
    Abstract: A spark plug having a center electrode and a ground electrode including a ground electrode main body part having an end thereof facing the center electrode and a noble metal tip joined to the ground electrode main body part at a position facing a leading end of the center electrode, a spark discharge gap being formed between the leading end of the center electrode and the noble metal tip, wherein at least a portion of the ground electrode main body part, to which the noble metal tip is joined, is made of an Ni alloy containing 12 to 45 mass % of Cr, 7 mass % or less of Fe, 0.5 to 5 mass % of Al, 0.3 to 5 mass % of Si and 50 mass % or more of the balance, and wherein the joined portion and the noble metal tip are joined by laser welding or electron beam welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Torii, Tomoo Tanaka, Akira Suzuki, Mamoru Musasa, Naomichi Miyashita, Osamu Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 8395307
    Abstract: A spark plug which provides reliable prevention of adhesion and accumulation of carbon on an insulator, includes a center electrode extending in the direction of an axis CL1, a ceramic insulator having an axial hole which extends in the direction of the axis CL1 and in which the center electrode is provided, a cylindrical metallic shell provided externally of the outer circumference of the insulator and having a support portion formed on the inner circumferential surface thereof, and a ground electrode extending from a front end portion of the metallic shell. The insulator has a stepped portion supported by the support portion of the metallic shell, and a leg portion formed forward of the stepped portion. A space SP formed between the leg portion of the insulator and the inner circumferential surface of the metallic shell has a volume of 100 mm3 to 300 mm3 inclusive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Suzuki, Tomoaki Kato, Mamoru Musasa, Toshitaka Honda
  • Publication number: 20130038198
    Abstract: A spark plug includes a center electrode, a ground electrode, and a noble metal tip. The noble metal tip is joined to an object member of at least one of two electrodes via a fusion zone. A projected overlap region of the noble metal tip and the fusion zone accounts for 70% or more of a projected region of the noble metal tip. The object member contains at least Si out of Al and Si such that the amount of Si is 0.4% by mass or higher and such that the total amount of Al and Si is 0.5% by mass. Multi-fusion spots exist on the surface of the fusion zone. Segments of a baseline which pass through the respective multi-fusion spots have a total length of a predetermined percentage of the length of the baseline. Joining strength to the noble metal tip can thereby be greatly improved when the member to be joined contains Si.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Torii, Akira Suzuki, Mamoru Musasa
  • Patent number: 8365694
    Abstract: A spark plug comprised of a spark plug main body and a cylindrical pressing member used for mounting the spark plug main body on an internal-combustion engine. The spark plug main body includes a cylindrical metal shell. A removing-tool engagement portion is formed on an outer circumferential face of the metal shell at a front end side of a caulking portion. The removing-tool engagement portion is used for engaging with a tool, when removing the spark plug main body from a plug hole of an internal-combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Suzuki, Yuichi Nakano, Mamoru Musasa
  • Patent number: 8344604
    Abstract: A precious metal tip on the side of a ground electrode is indirectly joined to the front end portion of the ground electrode via a mounting part interposed therebetween. The mounting part includes a base part and a protruding part. First, in the state where the precious metal tip is in contact with the protruding part, laser welding or the like is performed thereon to form a fused part and obtain a complex, and the base part is joined to a flat surface of the ground electrode by resistance welding. The grain size of grains of the mounting part in the vicinity of the of the fused part is greater than the grain size of the grain size of the grains thereof in the vicinity of the ground electrode, and the grain size of the grains of the flange part of the mounting part is smaller than the grain size of the grains of the protruding part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Torii, Naomichi Miyashita, Mamoru Musasa, Akira Suzuki, Tomoo Tanaka, Osamu Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 8324791
    Abstract: A spark plug including: a rod-shaped center electrode; an insulator; a metal shell; a ground electrode joined to the metal shell and bent toward the center electrode; a noble metal tip joined to an end portion of the ground electrode and opposing a leading end portion of the center electrode via a gap; and a bulge portion. A part of the noble metal tip is embedded in the ground electrode, and another part of the noble metal tip protrudes from a distal end surface of the ground electrode. A relationship A?0.25 mm is satisfied where A (mm) is a protruding length of the noble metal tip from the distal end surface. The bulge portion covers a center part of a boundary between the noble metal tip and the end surface in a width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kameda, Mamoru Musasa
  • Patent number: 8299694
    Abstract: A spark plug with excellent vibration resistance performance and resistor load life-span characteristics, and a reduced diameter which is achieved by strengthening adhesion between a resistor and a conductive glass sealing layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Suzuki, Tomoaki Kato, Tsutomu Shibata, Mamoru Musasa
  • Patent number: 8294344
    Abstract: A spark member (70) is formed by joining a noble metal member (71) and an intermediate member (75) and is provided in a spark discharge gap between a center electrode and a ground electrode (30). A bottom surface (80) of the intermediate member (75) is resistance-welded to an inner surface (33) of the ground electrode (30), and a weld metal zone (73) is formed in the region of joint therebetween. As viewed on the section of the spark member (70) which contains a centerline (Q), the weld metal zone (73) is reliably formed within the range of the length (D) of a columnar portion (76) as measured along a direction orthogonal to the projecting direction of the spark member (70) and has a length (d) of at least 0.1 times (10% of) the length (D).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Torii, Akira Suzuki, Naomichi Miyashita, Mamoru Musasa, Kenji Moritani