Patents by Inventor Masaru Kouyama

Masaru Kouyama 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: 9309945
    Abstract: A shock absorber has an inclined surface that is inclined to a moving direction of the free piston in at least one of a free piston contact surface of a free piston with which an elastic body is in contact and a housing contact surface of a housing with which the elastic body is in contact. A shortest distance between the free piston contact surface and the housing contact surface is changed by movement of the free piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Maeda, Masaru Kouyama, Mikio Yamashita, Fumiyuki Yamaoka
  • Patent number: 9139065
    Abstract: A shock absorber includes a first passage (111) or (112) and a second passage (32), (99) or (235) in communication with each other and configured to allow a working fluid to flow between two chambers (16) and (17) based on movement of a piston (15), and a passage area adjustment mechanism (101) or (236) configured to adjust a passage area of the second passage (99) or (235) depending on a position of a piston rod (18) is installed to have at least one of a maximum length-side property in which an extension-side damping force becomes soft and a compression-side damping force becomes hard in a range in which the piston rod (18) extends to an outside of a cylinder (11) farther than a maximum length-side predetermined position, and a minimum length-side property in which the extension-side damping force becomes hard and the compression-side damping force becomes soft in a range in which the piston rod (18) enters an inside of the cylinder (11) further than a minimum length side predetermined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Mikio Yamashita, Fumiyuki Yamaoka, Masaru Kouyama, Kunio Takiguchi, Atsufumi Ishimoto
  • Publication number: 20140252735
    Abstract: A shock absorber includes a first passage (111) or (112) and a second passage (32), (99) or (235) in communication with each other and configured to allow a working fluid to flow between two chambers (16) and (17) based on movement of a piston (15), and a passage area adjustment mechanism (101) or (236) configured to adjust a passage area of the second passage (99) or (235) depending on a position of a piston rod (18) is installed to have at least one of a maximum length-side property in which an extension-side damping force becomes soft and a compression-side damping force becomes hard in a range in which the piston rod (18) extends to an outside of a cylinder (11) farther than a maximum length-side predetermined position, and a minimum length-side property in which the extension-side damping force becomes hard and the compression-side damping force becomes soft in a range in which the piston rod (18) enters an inside of the cylinder (11) further than a minimum length side predetermined position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Inventors: Mikio Yamashita, Fumiyuki Yamaoka, Masaru Kouyama, Kunio Takiguchi, Atsufumi Ishimoto
  • Publication number: 20140231201
    Abstract: A shock absorber has an inclined surface that is inclined to a moving direction of the free piston in at least one of a free piston contact surface of a free piston with which an elastic body is in contact and a housing contact surface of a housing with which the elastic body is in contact. A shortest distance between the free piston contact surface and the housing contact surface is changed by movement of the free piston.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: ATSUSHI MAEDA, MASARU KOUYAMA, MIKIO YAMASHITA, FUMIYUKI YAMAOKA
  • Patent number: 8746423
    Abstract: A shock absorber has an inclined surface that is inclined to a moving direction of the free piston in at least one of a free piston contact surface of a free surface with which an elastic body is in contact and a housing contact surface of a housing with which the elastic body is in contact. A shortest distance between the free piston contact surface and the housing contact surface is changed by movement of the free piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Maeda, Masaru Kouyama, Mikio Yamashita, Fumiyuki Yamaoka
  • Patent number: 8695766
    Abstract: A shock absorber includes first passages configured to communicate two chambers to flow a working fluid therebetween by movement of a piston, and a second passage configured to communicate with one chamber of the two chambers. The first passages have damping valves configured to suppress a flow of the working fluid generated by movement of the piston to generate a damping force. The second passage has a variable orifice having an area adjusted by an elastic member when a piston rod moves in an extension direction, a pressure chamber installed in series with the variable orifice, and a free piston configured to vary a volume of the pressure chamber by movement of the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mikio Yamashita, Fumiyuki Yamaoka, Masaru Kouyama, Atsushi Maeda
  • Patent number: 8590680
    Abstract: A shock absorber includes a first passage and a second passage to which a working fluid flows out from one chamber in a cylinder by movement of a piston, a damping valve installed on the first passage and configured to regulate a flow of the working fluid caused by sliding of the piston to generate a damping force, a back pressure chamber applying an internal pressure to the damping valve in a closing direction of the damping valve, a back pressure chamber inflow oil passage introducing the working fluid from one chamber into the back pressure chamber, a pressure chamber provided in-between on the second passage, and a free piston installed in the pressure chamber so as to freely slide in the pressure chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Maeda, Masaru Kouyama, Mikio Yamashita, Fumiyuki Yamaoka
  • Publication number: 20120248670
    Abstract: A shock absorber includes first passages configured to communicate two chambers to flow a working fluid therebetween by movement of a piston, and a second passage configured to communicate with one chamber of the two chambers. The first passages have damping valves configured to suppress a flow of the working fluid generated by movement of the piston to generate a damping force. The second passage has a variable orifice having an area adjusted by an elastic member when a piston rod moves in an extension direction, a pressure chamber installed in series with the variable orifice, and a free piston configured to vary a volume of the pressure chamber by movement of the piston.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Inventors: Mikio Yamashita, Fumiyuki Yamaoka, Masaru Kouyama, Atsushi Maeda
  • Publication number: 20110214953
    Abstract: A shock absorber has an inclined surface that is inclined to a moving direction of the free piston in at least one of a free piston contact surface of a free piston with which an elastic body is in contact and a housing contact surface of a housing with which the elastic body is in contact. A shortest distance between the free piston contact surface and the housing contact surface is changed by movement of the free piston.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Inventors: Atsushi Maeda, Masaru Kouyama, Mikio Yamashita, Fumiyuki Yamaoka
  • Publication number: 20110214955
    Abstract: A shock absorber includes a first passage and a second passage to which a working fluid flows out from one chamber in a cylinder by movement of a piston, a damping valve installed on the first passage and configured to regulate a flow of the working fluid caused by sliding of the piston to generate a damping force, a back pressure chamber applying an internal pressure to the damping valve in a closing direction of the damping valve, a back pressure chamber inflow oil passage introducing the working fluid from one chamber into the back pressure chamber, a pressure chamber provided in-between on the second passage, and a free piston installed in the pressure chamber so as to freely slide in the pressure chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Inventors: Atsushi Maeda, Masaru Kouyama, Mikio Yamashita, Fumiyuki Yamaoka
  • Patent number: 7530252
    Abstract: After insertion of a mandrel (23) into a blank tube (20) in the form of an electric welded tube, a parallel swaging operation is carried out by moving a cylindrical die (24) to cause the end of the blank tube (20) to contact tightly with a parallel forming portion (27) of the mandrel (23). After completion of parallel swaging operation, the die (24) is withdrawn out of the blank tube (20) and a push-die (33) is caused to move to the blank tube (20) from a radially outward position while leaving the mandrel (23) inside the blank tube (20) so that a weld bead on the blank tube (20) can be flattened by cooperation with the mandrel (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Hitachi Seisakusho
    Inventors: Makoto Nishimura, Masaru Kouyama
  • Publication number: 20090000891
    Abstract: A piston connected with a piston rod is slidably fitted in a cylinder having a hydraulic fluid sealed therein. An extension-side main disk valve generates a damping force in a high piston speed region against the flow of hydraulic fluid in an extension-side passage. A sub-passage bypasses the extension-side main disk valve, and an extension-side sub disk valve generates a damping force in an intermediate piston speed region. A compression-side main disk valve generates a damping force in the high piston speed region against the flow of hydraulic fluid in a compression-side passage. A sub-passage bypasses the compression-side main disk valve, and a compression-side sub disk valve generates a damping force in the intermediate piston speed region. Damping force characteristics in the intermediate and high piston speed regions can be set according to the valve-opening characteristics of these disk valves. Therefore, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom for setting damping force characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Inventors: Masaru Kouyama, Hiroshi Murakami, Takashi Nezu
  • Publication number: 20050011245
    Abstract: After insertion of a mandrel 23 into a blank tube 20 in the form of an electric welded tube, a parallel swaging operation is carried out by moving a cylindrical die 24 to cause the end of the blank tube 20 contact tightly with a parallel forming portion 27 of the mandrel 23, and after completion of parallel swaging operation, the die 24 is withdrawn out of the blank tube 20 and a push-die 33 is caused to move to the blank tube 20 from a radially outward position while leaving the mandrel 23 inside the blank tube 20 so that a weld bead on the blank tube 20 can be flattened by cooperation with the mandrel 23.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2003
    Publication date: January 20, 2005
    Inventors: Makoto Nishimura, Masaru Kouyama
  • Publication number: 20040035002
    Abstract: A groove processing method capable of smoothly processing a groove on a rod that has been subjected to a hardening treatment without a substantial degradation in strength is provided. A pair of straightening rollers is mounted at each side of rolling rollers mounted on respective rotating shafts of a rolling machine with spacers disposed between the straightening and rolling rollers. A rod is previously subjected to a hardening treatment, for example, high-frequency induction hardening and tempering, or carbulizing & quenching and tempering, so that the surface hardness is not less than 400 Hv. A groove is formed on the rod by rolling using the rolling rollers, thereby allowing a surface hardening layer to be left on the bottom of the groove. At the same time, the rod is held by the straightening rollers to prevent bending of the rod.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Publication date: February 26, 2004
    Inventors: Makoto Nishimura, Masaru Kouyama, Hiroshi Murakami