Patents by Inventor Masashi Ando

Masashi Ando 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: 11936500
    Abstract: An in-vehicle network system deployed in a vehicle includes a plurality of first nodes configured to perform an operation relevant to a first function in the vehicle, a second node configured to perform an operation relevant to a second function different from the first function in the vehicle; and a relay device configured to relay communication between the first nodes and the second node. The relay device is configured to start relay of communication between the first nodes earlier than the relay of communication between the first node and the second node at a time of startup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shu Ishizuka, Hiroya Ando, Taichi Matsumura, Masashi Amesara, Yutaka Ueda, Toshio Kawamura, Tomomi Kawamura, Yoshifumi Ohmori, Toshio Shimada, Yoshiro Hirata
  • Patent number: 9266379
    Abstract: A thermochromic writing instrument contains a thermochromic ink, wherein a writing body is accommodated in a barrel movably in a longitudinal direction, an operation portion is provided on the outer surface of the barrel, a pen tip of the writing body is constituted so as to be projectable/retractable from/into a front-end hole of the barrel by operating the operation portion, the thermochromic ink is contained in the inside of the writing body, the pen tip capable of ejecting the thermochromic ink is provided at the front end of the writing tool, and a friction portion capable of thermally changing the color of the handwriting of the thermochromic ink by the frictional heat generated when the handwriting is rubbed with the friction portion is provided on the outer surface of the barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignees: THE PILOT INK CO., LTD., KABUSHIKI KAISHA PILOT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshinori Imamura, Nobuo Sekine, Masashi Ando
  • Patent number: 9233574
    Abstract: A thermochromic writing instrument contains a thermochromic ink, wherein a writing body is accommodated in a barrel movably in a longitudinal direction, an operation portion is provided on the outer surface of the barrel, a pen tip of the writing body is constituted so as to be projectable/retractable from/into a front-end hole of the barrel by operating the operation portion, the thermochromic ink is contained in the inside of the writing body, the pen tip capable of ejecting the thermochromic ink is provided at the front end of the writing tool, and a friction portion capable of thermally changing the color of the handwriting of the thermochromic ink by the frictional heat generated when the handwriting is rubbed with the friction portion is provided on the outer surface of the barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignees: THE PILOT INK CO., LTD., KABUSHIKI KAISHA PILOT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshinori Imamura, Nobuo Sekine, Masashi Ando
  • Patent number: 8899602
    Abstract: A vehicle suspension support structure including a lower arm (17) formed by, for example, a lower arm 17 rotatably supporting a knuckle for a front wheel, and a shock absorber attenuating vibration of the lower arm (17), wherein a lower end of the shock absorber is rotatably supported by a support bracket 32 that is welded to an upper face of the lower arm (17) formed by, for example, the lower arm 17, and wherein in the upper face of the lower arm (17), a bulged portion 40 is formed where a weld target portion to which an end of the support bracket 32 is welded is formed to bulge upwards as compared to the periphery thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignees: Mazda Motor Corporation, Hiruta Kogyo Co., Ltd., Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yoko Takanashi, Masashi Ando, Toshiyuki Yokota
  • Patent number: 8613844
    Abstract: A gas sensor (1a) having a laminate including an alumina substrate (11) having a heating resister (115) embedded in the alumina substrate (11); a first oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte layer (131) containing zirconia and alumina and partly constituting an oxygen-detecting cell (13) and the first solid electrolyte layer (131) being laminated with said alumina substrate (11); a second oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte layer (121) containing zirconia and alumina and partly constituting an oxygen-pumping cell (12); an ion-leakage preventing ceramic spacer (143) for preventing oxygen-ions from leaking from the second oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte layer (121) to the first oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte layer (131), the spacer (143) being laminated between the first and second oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte layers (131, 121); and a gas-diffusion space (141) formed between an electrode (133) of the oxygen-detecting cell (13) and an electrodes (126) of the oxygen-pumping cell (
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Ando, Takao Kojima, Shigeki Mori
  • Publication number: 20130168938
    Abstract: A vehicle suspension support structure including a lower arm (17) formed by, for example, a lower arm 17 rotatably supporting a knuckle for a front wheel, and a shock absorber attenuating vibration of the lower arm (17), wherein a lower end of the shock absorber is rotatably supported by a support bracket 32 that is welded to an upper face of the lower arm (17) formed by, for example, the lower arm 17, and wherein in the upper face of the lower arm (17), a bulged portion 40 is formed where a weld target portion to which an end of the support bracket 32 is welded is formed to bulge upwards as compared to the periphery thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicants: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION, FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, HIRUTA KOGYO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoko Takanashi, Masashi Ando, Toshiyuki Yokota
  • Publication number: 20130121744
    Abstract: A thermochromic writing instrument contains a thermochromic ink, wherein a writing body is accommodated in a barrel movably in a longitudinal direction, an operation portion is provided on the outer surface of the barrel, a pen tip of the writing body is constituted so as to be projectable/retractable from/into a front-end hole of the barrel by operating the operation portion, the thermochromic ink is contained in the inside of the writing body, the pen tip capable of ejecting the thermochromic ink is provided at the front end of the writing tool, and a friction portion capable of thermally changing the color of the handwriting of the thermochromic ink by the frictional heat generated when the handwriting is rubbed with the friction portion is provided on the outer surface of the barrel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Inventors: Yoshinori IMAMURA, Nobuo SEKINE, Masashi ANDO
  • Patent number: 8322937
    Abstract: A thermochromic writing instrument contains a thermochromic ink, wherein a writing body 8 is accommodated in a barrel 2 movably in a longitudinal direction, an operation portion 5 is provided on the outer surface of the barrel 2, and a pen tip 81 of the writing body 8 is constituted so as to be projectable/retractable from/into a front-end hole 31 of the barrel 2 by operating the operation portion 5. The thermochromic ink 83 is contained in the inside of the writing body 8, the pen tip 81 capable of ejecting the thermochromic ink 83 is provided at the front end of the writing tool, and a friction portion 4 capable of thermally changing the color of the handwriting of the thermochromic ink 83 by the frictional heat generated when the handwriting is rubbed with the friction portion 4 is provided on the outer surface of the barrel 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: The Pilot Ink Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Imamura, Nobuo Sekine, Masashi Ando
  • Patent number: 7946777
    Abstract: A multi-refill writing instrument includes a barrel, writing bodies accommodated in the barrel so as to be movable back and forth, elastic bodies urging the writing bodes backward, operating bodies connected to rear ends of the corresponding writing bodies and window holes formed in a side wall of the barrel so as to extend in the axial direction. The operating bodies protrude from the barrel to an outside through the window holes in the radial direction, one of the operating bodies slides forward along the window hole so that a nib of the writing body connected to the one operating body protrudes from the barrel through a front hole, and a nib of another writing body in a protruding state is retracted into the barrel, and the writing bodies and the operating bodes are pulled out from the barrel and inserted into the barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: The Pilot Ink Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osami Yamauchi, Masashi Ando
  • Patent number: 7887684
    Abstract: A gas sensor element having an element body, the element body including: a ceramic heater having ceramic layers and a heater element embedded in the ceramic layers; and a solid electrolyte layer including a detection section covered by a pair of electrodes, the solid electrolyte layer being laminated together with the ceramic heater. Furthermore, the element body has a width at a front portion including the detection section smaller than at a rear portion, and at least both side edge faces of the front portion of the element body are covered with a porous layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Awano, Keisuke Makino, Yoshiaki Kuroki, Takao Kojima, Masashi Ando
  • Patent number: 7827849
    Abstract: A gas sensor (1) including a protector (100) for protecting a detection portion (11) of a sensor element (10). The protector (100) has an inner protector (120) and an outer protector (110). A diameter r of an exhaust hole (160) formed in the inner protector (120) and an axial distance h between a front end 10a of the sensor element 10 and the exhaust hole (160) satisfy a relation r?2h/15+?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Nakashima, Yuichi Yamada, Masashi Ando
  • Publication number: 20100098476
    Abstract: There is provided a thermochromic writing instrument containing a thermochromic ink, which is capable of easily changing color of the handwriting of thermochromic ink by rubbing and also being quickly brought into a writing-capable state (pen-tip-projected state) or a stored state (pen-tip-retracted state) even when the user can use only one hand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Applicant: THE PILOT INK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Imamura, Nobuo Sekine, Masashi Ando
  • Patent number: 7559224
    Abstract: A sensor comprising a sensor element, a metallic housing holding therewithin the sensor element, an inner tubular member fixed to an axially rearward end of the metallic housing, and an outer tubular member radially surrounding the inner tubular member and having a radially inward crimping section for contact with an outer surface of the inner tubular member, wherein an axially forward end of the crimping section is disposed axially apart from an axially forward end of the outer tubular member by a distance of 1.5 mm or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaya Yoshikawa, Junji Kawai, Kenji Hayashi, Shinji Tanabe, Noboru Ishida, Masataka Taguchi, Masashi Ando
  • Publication number: 20080105037
    Abstract: A gas sensor (1) including a protector (100) for protecting a detection portion (11) of a sensor element (10). The protector (100) has an inner protector (120) and an outer protector (110). A diameter r of an exhaust hole (160) formed in the inner protector (120) and an axial distance h between a front end 10a of the sensor element 10 and the exhaust hole (160) satisfy a relation r?2h/15+?.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi NAKASHIMA, Yuichi YAMADA, Masashi ANDO
  • Publication number: 20070141911
    Abstract: A sensor comprising a sensor element, a metallic housing holding therewithin the sensor element, an inner tubular member fixed to an axially rearward end of the metallic housing, and an outer tubular member radially surrounding the inner tubular member and having a radially inward crimping section for contact with an outer surface of the inner tubular member, wherein an axially forward end of the crimping section is disposed axially apart from an axially forward end of the outer tubular member by a distance of 1.5 mm or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Inventors: Takaya Yoshikawa, Junji Kawai, Kenji Hayashi, Shinji Tanabe, Noboru Ishida, Masataka Taguchi, Masashi Ando
  • Patent number: 7163609
    Abstract: A gas sensor (1a) having a laminate including an alumina substrate (11) having a heating resister (115) embedded in the alumina substrate (11); a first oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte layer (131) containing zirconia and alumina and partly constituting an oxygen-detecting cell (13) and the first solid electrolyte layer (131) being laminated with said alumina substrate (11); a second oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte layer (121) containing zirconia and alumina and partly constituting an oxygen-pumping cell (12); an ion-leakage preventing ceramic spacer (143) for preventing oxygen-ions from leaking from the second oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte layer (121) to the first oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte layer (131), the spacer (143) being laminated between the first and second oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte layers (131, 121); and a gas-diffusion space (141) formed between an electrode (133) of the oxygen-detecting cell (13) and an electrodes (126) of the oxygen-pumping cell (
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Ando, Takao Kojima, Shigeki Mori
  • Publication number: 20070007136
    Abstract: A gas sensor element having an element body, the element body including: a ceramic heater having ceramic layers and a heater element embedded in the ceramic layers; and a solid electrolyte layer including a detection section covered by a pair of electrodes, the solid electrolyte layer being laminated together with the ceramic heater. Furthermore, the element body has a width at a front portion including the detection section smaller than at a rear portion, and at least both side edge faces of the front portion of the element body are covered with a porous layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2005
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Inventors: Shinya Awano, Keisuke Makino, Yoshiaki Kuroki, Takao Kojima, Masashi Ando
  • Publication number: 20060283708
    Abstract: A gas sensor (1a) having a laminate including an alumina substrate (11) having a heating resister (115) embedded in the alumina substrate (11); a first oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte layer (131) containing zirconia and alumina and partly constituting an oxygen-detecting cell (13) and the first solid electrolyte layer (131) being laminated with said alumina substrate (11); a second oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte layer (121) containing zirconia and alumina and partly constituting an oxygen-pumping cell (12); an ion-leakage preventing ceramic spacer (143) for preventing oxygen-ions from leaking from the second oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte layer (121) to the first oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte layer (131), the spacer (143) being laminated between the first and second oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte layers (131, 121); and a gas-diffusion space (141) formed between an electrode (133) of the oxygen-detecting cell (13) and an electrodes (126) of the oxygen-pumping cell (
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2006
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Inventors: Masashi Ando, Takao Kojima, Shigeki Mori
  • Publication number: 20060222437
    Abstract: A multi-refill writing instrument includes a barrel, writing bodies accommodated in the barrel so as to be movable back and forth, elastic bodies urging the writing bodes backward, operating bodies connected to rear ends of the corresponding writing bodies and window holes formed in a side wall of the barrel so as to extend in the axial direction. The operating bodies protrude from the barrel to an outside through the window holes in the radial direction, one of the operating bodies slides forward along the window hole so that a nib of the writing body connected to the one operating body protrudes from the barrel through a front hole, and a nib of another writing body in a protruding state is retracted into the barrel, and the writing bodies and the operating bodes are pulled out from the barrel and inserted into the barrel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Inventors: Osami Yamauchi, Masashi Ando
  • Patent number: 7083352
    Abstract: An ballpoint pen has: a tip body made of metal having an front edge part and a plurality of inward protrusions; a ball rotatably embraced between the front edge part and the inward protrusions; and a rod part urging the ball forwardly and bringing the ball into close contact with the inner surface of the front edge part, wherein ink outflow gaps are formed each between the adjacent inward protrusions, the rod part is inserted into the central part of the ink outflow gaps, the diameter of a virtual inscribed circle of the central part of the ink outflow gaps is larger than the outside diameter of the rod part, and a minimum dimension of each the ink outflow gap is smaller than the outside diameter of the rod part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: The Pilot Ink Co, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Ando, Hideyuki Tanaka