Patents by Inventor Masanori Watanabe

Masanori Watanabe 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: 11125304
    Abstract: An orifice member is disposed in a plunger including a plunger hole that forms a hydraulic chamber in conjunction with a plunger housing hole in a housing. The orifice member includes a deformed fitting section deformed to fit on the inner circumferential surface of the plunger hole, a communication section that causes a surface in contact with the top surface on the front side of the plunger hole and a surface on the hydraulic chamber side to communicate, and an orifice groove that communicates with the communication section and an external relief hole provided in the plunger on the surface in contact with the top surface on the front side of the plunger hole to constitute an orifice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: TSUBAKIMOTO CHAIN CO.
    Inventors: Masanori Watanabe, Yudai Takagi, Yuji Kurematsu
  • Publication number: 20210172978
    Abstract: Customizable probe cards, probe systems including the same, and related methods. A customizable probe card for testing one or more devices under test (DUTs) comprises a support structure, one or more probe assemblies supporting respective probes, and a probe repositioning assembly. The probe repositioning assembly is configured to facilitate selective adjustment of an orientation of at least one probe relative to the support structure. In examples, a probe system comprises a chuck for supporting a substrate that includes one or more DUTs, a customizable probe card, and a probe card holder. In examples, methods of reconfiguring a customizable probe card comprise utilizing a probe repositioning assembly to reposition the respective probe of at least one probe assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventors: Yoichi Funatoko, Nobuhiro Kawamata, Masahiro Sameshima, Masanori Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11028908
    Abstract: To provide a tensioner and a relief valve unit that enable a reduction in the number of parts to be processed and the number of assembling steps, reduce the amount of oil flowing out to the outside, prevent damage to the check valve, and improve the oil recovery rate. The relief valve unit that releases oil when pressure inside an oil pressure chamber reaches or exceeds a predetermined high pressure includes a check valve unit that stops reverse flow of oil flowing into the oil pressure chamber as a valve element, the check valve unit being slidably inserted in the relief valve unit. The relief valve unit includes a unit pressing spring that presses the check valve unit toward a relief valve seat. The check valve unit includes an oil passage for allowing oil to flow between an inner side and an outer side of the check valve unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: TSUBAKIMOTO CHAIN CO.
    Inventors: Masanori Watanabe, Yuji Kurematsu
  • Publication number: 20210156456
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a tensioner lever that can reduce vibration and noise when the chain runs, and realize smooth attachment into an engine with minimal deformation of the lever body with a simple configuration. A tensioner lever according to the present invention includes a lever body and a torsion coil spring pressed the lever body toward the chain. The lever body includes a stopper member mounting part where a stopper member by which the support arm of the torsion coil spring is locked and which retains the torsion coil spring in a compressed state is removably mounted. The stopper member mounting part is located closer to a distal end of the lever body than a center position in the longitudinal direction of the lever body, or a center of gravity position of the lever body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: TSUBAKIMOTO CHAIN CO.
    Inventors: Masanori Watanabe, Shuji Hamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20210127061
    Abstract: The present invention is concerning to an image management system that communicates with a first communication terminal via a communication network, the image management system comprising: an image storage unit configured to store image data; a receiving unit configured to receive, from the first communication terminal, link information that includes image identification information for identifying the image data and includes predetermined-area information that indicates a predetermined area in the image data; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit, to the first communication terminal, the image data that is indicated by the image identification information included in the link information received by the receiving unit and the predetermined-area information included in the link information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi TANEICHI, Takeshi ITO, Masanori WATANABE
  • Patent number: 10982638
    Abstract: To reduce collision noise caused when an electromagnetic valve of a high-pressure fuel supply pump is opened. Therefore, in a control device for controlling a high-pressure fuel supply pump including: an anchor; a fixed core configured to attract the anchor with an electromagnetic force; a suction valve configured to be opened or closed when the anchor is sucked by the fixed core; and an electromagnetic force generation unit configured to generate the electromagnetic force when applied with a driving voltage, it can be achieved by providing a control unit configured to perform control to lower a driving current from a peak current before a timing at which the anchor is sucked by the fixed core and collides in an operation state where an engine is under no load and an engine rotation speed is equal to or less than a set rotation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Masanori Watanabe, Shunsuke Aritomi, Masayuki Suganami, Ryo Kusakabe
  • Patent number: 10961961
    Abstract: A control method of a fuel supply pump includes moving an anchor in the closing valve direction by passing a maximum drive current through the solenoid, and thereafter holding the anchor at a closing valve position by passing a holding current for keeping a closing valve state through the solenoid. The holding current is smaller than the maximum drive current. A current value of a first drive current is smaller than a current value of the holding current. A current value of a second drive current overlaps a range of the current value of the holding current. A current value of a third driving current is equal to or more than the current value of the holding current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori Watanabe, Shunsuke Aritomi, Kenichiro Tokuo, Masayuki Suganami
  • Patent number: 10911670
    Abstract: The present invention is concerning to an image management system that communicates with a first communication terminal via a communication network, the image management system comprising: an image storage unit configured to store image data; a receiving unit configured to receive, from the first communication terminal, link information that includes image identification information for identifying the image data and includes predetermined-area information that indicates a predetermined area in the image data; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit, to the first communication terminal, the image data that is indicated by the image identification information included in the link information received by the receiving unit and the predetermined-area information included in the link information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Taneichi, Takeshi Ito, Masanori Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10900545
    Abstract: To provide a chain tensioner that enables a reduction in the number of parts to be machined, the number of assembling steps, and a reduction in the amount of oil flowing outside, without having to increase the size of the chain tensioner. An inner sleeve, which includes a check valve unit on the side of an oil pressure chamber and a pressure adjusting unit on the outer circumference thereof, is disposed inside a plunger. The inner sleeve includes a base part, a sliding cylindrical part, and a movement restricting part. The pressure adjusting unit includes an annular relief valve that is slidably fitted on the sliding cylindrical part and that makes sliding contact with an inner surface of the plunger, and a relief spring that biases the relief valve toward the movement restricting part. The sliding cylindrical part has a relief hole that communicates with the space inside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: TSUBAKIMOTO CHAIN CO.
    Inventors: Masanori Watanabe, Yuji Kurematsu
  • Patent number: 10871208
    Abstract: Provided is a tensioner with which efficiency of recirculation of oil can be improved and dependency on oil supplied from an oil pump or the like can be reduced. The tensioner includes a pressure adjustment mechanism, wherein the pressure adjustment mechanism includes a cylinder portion and a piston that is disposed in the cylinder portion so as to be capable of moving in a front-rear direction and that divides an interior space into an oil storage chamber and an adjustment space, and a liquid-tight state is maintained between the cylinder portion and the piston in all positions between a position of the piston where the piston has moved closest to the oil storage chamber side and a position of the piston where the piston has moved closest to the adjustment space side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: TSUBAKIMOTO CHAIN CO.
    Inventors: Osamu Yoshida, Masanori Watanabe, Yudai Takagi, Yuji Kurematsu
  • Publication number: 20200393023
    Abstract: To provide a tensioner that can keep the oil pressure in an oil pressure chamber stable and consistently generate suitable reaction force and damping force to impact loads to reduce looseness in the chain and noise. A piston is set such as to partition an inner space of a plunger into an adjustment space on the front side and the oil pressure chamber on the rear side, a piston restricting member restricting the movement of the piston toward the adjustment space. An oil relief mechanism is configured to cause the piston to move forward when oil pressure in the oil pressure chamber rises so as to discharge oil inside the oil pressure chamber to the outside. The piston restricting member has an orifice function that can control the amount of discharged oil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Applicant: TSUBAKIMOTO CHAIN CO.
    Inventors: Yuichiro Ishikawa, Osamu Yoshida, Yuji Kurematsu, Masanori Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10851876
    Abstract: A tensioner capable of keeping oil pressure in an oil pressure chamber stable is provided. In the tensioner, a flow amount control mechanism includes a flow amount control member set inside a control space so as to be able to approach and separate from the oil pressure chamber, a control biasing unit, a first restricting part and a second restricting part. The flow amount control member and the inner wall of the control space are provided such that the flow resistance of a first control flow passage, which is exhibited when the flow amount control member contacts the first restricting part, is larger than the flow resistance of a second control flow passage, which is exhibited when the flow amount control member contacts the second restricting part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: TSUBAKIMOTO CHAIN CO.
    Inventors: Masanori Watanabe, Yudai Takagi
  • Patent number: 10837527
    Abstract: To provide a tensioner capable of keeping, with a simple structure, oil pressure in an oil pressure chamber stable. The tensioner includes a pressure adjusting mechanism that adjusts oil pressure in the oil pressure chamber. The pressure adjusting mechanism includes a cylinder part, a piston unit set inside the cylinder part so as to be able to approach and separate from the oil pressure chamber, and piston biasing units that bias the piston unit toward the oil pressure chamber. A liquid tight seal condition is kept between the cylinder part and the piston unit at any position between a position where the piston unit has moved closest to the oil pressure chamber and a position where the piston unit has moved closest to the adjustment space. The piston biasing units include at least two piston springs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: TSUBAKIMOTO CHAIN CO.
    Inventors: Masanori Watanabe, Yudai Takagi, Osamu Yoshida, Yuji Kurematsu
  • Patent number: 10801589
    Abstract: The present invention provides a chain tensioner that, while being free from an increase in its size, reduces the number of processing parts and the number of assembling steps and reduces the outflow of oil to an outside. Inside a plunger, an inner sleeve including a check valve unit provided on a side of the inner sleeve facing a pressure oil chamber and a pressure regulating unit provided on an outer periphery of the inner sleeve is arranged. The inner sleeve has a cylinder part and a movement restricting part provided on the side of the inner sleeve facing the pressure oil chamber, and the pressure regulating unit has an annular relief valve slidably fitted onto an outer surface of the cylinder part and slidably contacting on an inner surface of the plunger and a relief spring urging the relief valve to a side of the movement restricting part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: TSUBAKIMOTO CHAIN CO.
    Inventors: Masanori Watanabe, Osamu Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20200318592
    Abstract: To reduce collision noise caused when an electromagnetic valve of a high-pressure fuel supply pump is opened. Therefore, in a control device for controlling a high-pressure fuel supply pump including: an anchor; a fixed core configured to attract the anchor with an electromagnetic force; a suction valve configured to be opened or closed when the anchor is sucked by the fixed core; and an electromagnetic force generation unit configured to generate the electromagnetic force when applied with a driving voltage, it can be achieved by providing a control unit configured to perform control to lower a driving current from a peak current before a timing at which the anchor is sucked by the fixed core and collides in an operation state where an engine is under no load and an engine rotation speed is equal to or less than a set rotation speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Masanori WATANABE, Shunsuke ARITOMI, Masayuki SUGANAMI, Ryo KUSAKABE
  • Patent number: 10790409
    Abstract: A nitride semiconductor light-emitting element includes at least an n-type nitride semiconductor layer, a light-emitting layer, and a p-type nitride semiconductor layer. A multilayer body is provided between the n-type nitride semiconductor layer and the light-emitting layer, having at least one stack of first and second semiconductor layers. The second semiconductor layer has a greater band-gap energy than the first semiconductor layer. The first and second semiconductor layers each have a thickness of more than 10 nm and 30 nm or less. In applications in which luminous efficiency at room temperature is a high priority, the first semiconductor layer has a thickness of more than 10 nm and 30 nm or less, the second semiconductor layer has a thickness of more than 10 nm and 40 nm or less, and the light-emitting layer has V-shaped recesses in cross-sectional view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Tani, Tetsuya Hanamoto, Masanori Watanabe, Akihiro Kurisu, Katsuji Iguchi, Hiroyuki Kashihara, Tomoya Inoue, Toshiaki Asai, Hirotaka Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10767740
    Abstract: To provide a tensioner capable of keeping oil pressure in an oil pressure chamber stable with a simple structure. The tensioner includes a pressure adjusting mechanism that adjusts oil pressure in the oil pressure chamber. The pressure adjusting mechanism includes a cylinder part, a piston unit set inside the cylinder part so as to be able to approach and separate from the oil pressure chamber, and a piston biasing unit. Between the cylinder part and the piston unit, a liquid tight condition is kept at any place between a position where the piston unit has moved closest to the oil pressure chamber and a position where the piston unit has moved closest to the adjustment space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: TSUBAKIMOTO CHAIN CO.
    Inventors: Masanori Watanabe, Yuji Kurematsu
  • Publication number: 20200280086
    Abstract: In order to provide a separator for fuel cells, or a current collecting member for fuel cells, which has low contact resistance, excellent corrosion resistance and which can be economically manufactured, and a manufacturing method thereof, this separator for fuel cells comprises a substrate having iron or aluminum as the main component, a gas barrier film formed directly on said substrate and having excellent corrosion resistance, and a conductive resin film formed on the gas barrier film and containing a conductive ceramics or graphite particles having a particle diameter of 1-20 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2020
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Applicant: Plasma Ion Assist Co.,Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo SUZUKI, Masanori WATANABE, Toshiaki FUJII
  • Patent number: 10753433
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a tensioner capable of keeping the oil pressure in an oil pressure chamber stable in a favorable manner. Provided is a tensioner wherein a relief mechanism includes a partition part, a valve member at least partly positioned inside an internal relief hole such as to be able to approach and separate from an oil pressure chamber, a valve biasing unit, and an external relief hole. A movement restricting part that restricts movement of the valve member toward the oil pressure chamber is formed in the partition part. An oil passing groove is formed in at least one of an outer circumferential surface of the valve member and an inner circumferential surface of the internal relief hole, the outer circumferential surface and the inner circumferential surface facing each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: TSUBAKIMOTO CHAIN CO.
    Inventor: Masanori Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20200256433
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a tensioner that has a reduced number of components and lighter weight and is easy to assemble. The tensioner according to the present invention is configured such that a base member is detachably and mechanically joined to a rear end opening of a cylindrical plunger with a closed front end against the resilience of biasing means that is accommodated inside the plunger such as to be freely extend and contract. The joint between the plunger and the base member is a mechanical connection that is one of a thread engagement, a press-fit, and a pin connection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Applicant: TSUBAKIMOTO CHAIN CO.
    Inventors: Taichi Okada, Masanori Watanabe