Patents by Inventor Masahide Nitano

Masahide Nitano 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: 11787465
    Abstract: A steering control apparatus is configured to control a steering system having a structure in which a power transmission path between a steering mechanism and a steering operation mechanism including a motor configured to generate a motor torque is separated. The steering control apparatus includes a controller configured to control driving of the motor. The controller detects an abnormality of the steering operation mechanism when a value indicating a variation in the motor torque is a value indicating a state in which a steering operation shaft is presumed to be immovable though the motor torque is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Anraku, Isao Namikawa, Takuji Yoshida, Masahide Nitano
  • Patent number: 11608110
    Abstract: A steering system to steer wheels by a movement of a steering shaft, including: the steering shaft; an electric motor; a converter configured to convert a rotational motion of the motor into the movement of the steering shaft; a motor rotation angle obtainer configured to obtain a motor rotation angle from a zero point position; a movement-amount-related-amount obtainer configured to obtain a movement-amount-related amount that is a movement amount of the steering shaft from a neutral position or a physical amount in a one-to-one correspondence with the movement amount; and a controller including a malfunction detector configured to detect a presence or absence of a malfunction of the converter in a mode that differs depending on a temperature state of the steering system, based on the motor rotation angle from the zero point position obtained by the motor rotation angle obtainer and the movement-amount-related amount obtained by the movement-amount-related-amount obtainer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Takuji Yoshida, Masahide Nitano, Isao Namikawa, Koji Anraku
  • Publication number: 20220081027
    Abstract: A steering system to steer wheels by a movement of a steering shaft, including: the steering shaft; an electric motor; a converter configured to convert a rotational motion of the motor into the movement of the steering shaft; a motor rotation angle obtainer configured to obtain a motor rotation angle from a zero point position; a movement-amount-related-amount obtainer configured to obtain a movement-amount-related amount that is a movement amount of the steering shaft from a neutral position or a physical amount in a one-to-one correspondence with the movement amount; and a controller including a malfunction detector configured to detect a presence or absence of a malfunction of the converter in a mode that differs depending on a temperature state of the steering system, based on the motor rotation angle from the zero point position obtained by the motor rotation angle obtainer and the movement-amount-related amount obtained by the movement-amount-related-amount obtainer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Jtekt Corporation
    Inventors: Takuji Yoshida, Masahide Nitano, Isao Namikawa, Koji Anraku
  • Publication number: 20210269086
    Abstract: A steering control apparatus is configured to control a steering system having a structure in which a power transmission path between a steering mechanism and a steering operation mechanism including a motor configured to generate a motor torque is separated. The steering control apparatus includes a controller configured to control driving of the motor. The controller detects an abnormality of the steering operation mechanism when a value indicating a variation in the motor torque is a value indicating a state in which a steering operation shaft is presumed to be immovable though the motor torque is applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji ANRAKU, Isao NAMIKAWA, Takuji YOSHIDA, Masahide NITANO
  • Patent number: 9975574
    Abstract: In the damper device, when the large diameter portion does not apply an impact force on the flange portion, the elastic body is disposed in one of the housing and the cylindrical portion with a gap and when the large diameter portion applies the impact force on the flange portion, the elastic body is compressed by the restricting surface and the flange portion in an axial direction to be deformed into a state that the elastic body is brought into contact with all of the housing, the restricting surface, the cylindrical portion and the flange portion to be filled in the gap. The impact receiving member is restricted from a movement relative to the housing by the deformed elastic body when the end portion of the cylindrical portion is advanced into the relief portion and the impact receiving member keeps a non-contact state with the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignees: JTEKT CORPORATION, NOK CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsuya Ohashi, Yuki Hanada, Masahide Nitano
  • Patent number: 9744988
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus is configured to provide steering assistance as rotary torque of a driving toothed-pulley fixedly fitted to a rotary shaft of an electric motor is transmitted through a toothed belt to a driven toothed-pulley that rotates together with a ball screw nut in an integrated manner. The electric power steering apparatus is configured such that the amount of axial travel of a rack shaft is limited when a rack end and a housing come into contact with each other in the axial direction. The electric power steering apparatus includes a tilt allowing portion configured to cause the ball screw nut to tilt relative to a ball screw shaft such that the distance between the center of rotation of the driven toothed-pulley and that of the driving toothed-pulley increases when the rack end and the housing come into contact with each other in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahide Nitano, Masafumi Takahashi, Kiyoshi Uchiyama, Masashi Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20170113719
    Abstract: In the damper device, when the large diameter portion does not apply an impact force on the flange portion, the elastic body is disposed in one of the housing and the cylindrical portion with a gap and when the large diameter portion applies the impact force on the flange portion, the elastic body is compressed by the restricting surface and the flange portion in an axial direction to be deformed into a state that the elastic body is brought into contact with all of the housing, the restricting surface, the cylindrical portion and the flange portion to be filled in the gap. The impact receiving member is restricted from a movement relative to the housing by the deformed elastic body when the end portion of the cylindrical portion is advanced into the relief portion and the impact receiving member keeps a non-contact state with the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Applicants: JTEKT CORPORATION, NOK CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsuya OHASHI, Yuki HANADA, Masahide NITANO
  • Publication number: 20160257337
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus is configured to provide steering assistance as rotary torque of a driving toothed-pulley fixedly fitted to a rotary shaft of an electric motor is transmitted through a toothed belt to a driven toothed-pulley that rotates together with a ball screw nut in an integrated manner. The electric power steering apparatus is configured such that the amount of axial travel of a rack shaft is limited when a rack end and a housing come into contact with each other in the axial direction. The electric power steering apparatus includes a tilt allowing portion configured to cause the ball screw nut to tilt relative to a ball screw shaft such that the distance between the center of rotation of the driven toothed-pulley and that of the driving toothed-pulley increases when the rack end and the housing come into contact with each other in the axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahide NITANO, Masafumi TAKAHASHI, Kiyoshi UCHIYAMA, Masashi YAMAGUCHI
  • Patent number: 8216104
    Abstract: A first gear set includes an input member that serves as a first gear and an inner ring that serves as a second gear. A first end of the inner ring is inclined with respect to the input member and is in mesh with the input member. The input member has a plurality of retention grooves that are formed in an input member body and a plurality of pins that are retained in the respective retention grooves and that respectively constitute teeth of the input member. The first end has a plurality of tooth grooves that are engageable with the pins. A resultant force of forces applied to each pin from the retention groove and the tooth groove urges the pin toward the retention groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignees: JTEKT Corporation, Ogino Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Kuroumaru, Masahide Nitano, Satoshi Motoyama, Makoto Yamasawa
  • Publication number: 20100179012
    Abstract: A first gear set includes an input member that serves as a first gear and an inner ring that serves as a second gear. A first end of the inner ring is inclined with respect to the input member and is in mesh with the input member. The input member has a plurality of retention grooves that are formed in an input member body and a plurality of pins that are retained in the respective retention grooves and that respectively constitute teeth of the input member. The first end has a plurality of tooth grooves that are engageable with the pins. A resultant force of forces applied to each pin from the retention groove and the tooth groove urges the pin toward the retention groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2010
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshikazu KUROUMARU, Masahide NITANO, Satoshi MOTOYAMA