Patents by Inventor Masashi ARAO

Masashi ARAO 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).

  • Publication number: 20240069587
    Abstract: A pedal device includes: a pedal that is depressed by a driver; and a reaction force generation mechanism. The reaction force generation mechanism generates a reaction force against a depression force applied from the driver to the pedal. The reaction force generation mechanism includes at least one resilient member, a first holder and a second holder. The first holder contacts the at least one resilient member from one side where the pedal is placed in one direction. The second holder contacts the at least one resilient member from another side that is opposite to the one side. One holder among the first holder and the second holder includes an outer guide portion, and another holder among the first holder and the second holder includes an inner guide portion that is fitted into the outer guide portion and is movable relative to the outer guide portion in the one direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Yasuhisa FUKUDA, Etsugo YANAGIDA, Daisuke HOKUTO, Masashi ARAO
  • Publication number: 20240069588
    Abstract: A pedal device includes a pedal, a connecting rod, a reaction force generating mechanism, a housing having a housing hole for allowing the connecting rod to pass therethrough when the pedal is stepped on by an operator, and a cover member. The cover member includes a first connecting portion and a covering portion. The first connecting portion is connected to a housing end portion of the housing forming a housing hole. The covering portion is arranged at a position between the first connecting portion and a back surface of the pedal and is connected to the first connecting portion to cover the housing hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Masashi ARAO, Etsugo YANAGIDA
  • Publication number: 20240059262
    Abstract: A pedal pad in an organ-type pedal device swings about a predetermined axis when stepped on by a driver's foot. A sensor unit outputs a signal corresponding to a swing angle of the pedal pad. A reaction force generation mechanism generates a reaction force against a driver's stepping force applied to the pedal pad. A first housing holds or covers at least one of a rotation shaft provided at the axis of the swinging of the pedal pad, the sensor unit, and the reaction force generation mechanism. A second housing is made of a rigid portion having a Young's modulus greater than that of the first housing or has the rigid portion at least in part. The second housing is configured to support a portion of the reaction force generation mechanism on one side opposite to the pedal pad by the rigid portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: Daisuke HOKUTO, Etsugo YANAGIDA, Masashi ARAO, Kengo ITO, Yasuhisa FUKUDA
  • Publication number: 20240061462
    Abstract: A pedal device includes a shaft, a pedal, a housing, a reaction force generating mechanism, and a connecting rod. The connecting rod includes an arm portion and a push portion. The arm portion is connected to a back surface of the pedal. The push portion is connected to the arm portion. The push portion is configured to transmit force from the pedal to the reaction force generating mechanism by contacting the reaction force generating mechanism when the pedal is stepped on by an operator. Further, the connecting rod is connected to the back surface of the pedal, to rotate with the pedal about the axis of the shaft when the operator steps on the pedal, while an angle defined between the back surface of the pedal and an axis of the connecting rod is maintained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: Yasuhisa FUKUDA, Etsugo YANAGIDA, Daisuke HOKUTO, Masashi ARAO
  • Publication number: 20240059260
    Abstract: A brake pedal device includes a pedal pad rotatable about an axis when stepped on by a driver, and a reaction force generation mechanism generating a reaction force to the pedal pad according to a stepping amount of the pedal pad. The pedal pad includes a pedal base portion extending away from an axis side end to another end, and a pedal operation portion attached to the pedal base portion and stepped on by the driver. The pedal operation portion protrudes toward a pedal return side in a rotation direction about the axis with respect to the pedal base portion, and a surface of the pedal operation portion has a plane portion that is configured as a flat surface and is stepped on by the driver, so that the reaction force generated by the reaction force generation mechanism acts on the pedal pad in a direction piercing the plane portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: Kengo ITO, Etsugo YANAGIDA, Masashi ARAO, Daisuke HOKUTO, Yasuhisa FUKUDA
  • Publication number: 20240059261
    Abstract: A pedal pad in an organ-type pedal device swings about a predetermined axis when stepped on by a driver's foot. A sensor unit outputs a signal corresponding to a swing angle of the pedal pad. A reaction force generation mechanism has an elastic member that generates a reaction force against a driver's pedaling force applied to the pedal pad. A first housing covers the reaction force generation mechanism, and an opening at least on one side. A second housing is provided on one side of the first housing in a swing direction of the pedal pad. Further, the first housing has a largest opening on a second housing side, which is closed by the second housing and into which the elastic member of the reaction force generation mechanism in a non-bending state is insertable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: Daisuke HOKUTO, Etsugo YANAGIDA, Masashi ARAO, Kengo ITO, Yasuhisa FUKUDA
  • Publication number: 20240059143
    Abstract: A vehicle pedal module includes a brake pedal device and an accelerator pedal device. The brake pedal device has a brake pedal first housing configured to rotatably support a brake pedal rotating shaft and to cover a brake-pedal reaction force generation mechanism, and a brake pedal second housing configured to support an end portion of the brake-pedal reaction force generation mechanism opposite to the brake pedal. The brake pedal second housing extends from the brake pedal device to the accelerator pedal device, to have at least a part of the accelerator pedal device fixed thereto, and to be installed on a vehicle body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: Kengo ITO, Daisuke HOKUTO, Etsugo YANAGIDA, Masashi ARAO, Yasuhisa FUKUDA
  • Patent number: 10896777
    Abstract: A shaft outputs a thrust force in an axial direction by using a magnetic flux caused by an electric current flowing through a coil. A housing is made of resin and retains the shaft. The housing has a base portion having an outer circumferential surface, which is configured to be entirely in contact tightly with a sealing member. The housing further has a distal portion having an outer circumferential surface defining a depression. The outer circumferential surfaces of the base portion and the distal portion are substantially equal in diameter and are formed continuously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masashi Arao, Atsushi Ota
  • Publication number: 20190096556
    Abstract: A shaft outputs a thrust force in an axial direction by using a magnetic flux caused by an electric current flowing through a coil. A housing is made of resin and retains the shaft. The housing has a base portion having an outer circumferential surface, which is configured to be entirely in contact tightly with a sealing member. The housing further has a distal portion having an outer circumferential surface defining a depression. The outer circumferential surfaces of the base portion and the distal portion are substantially equal in diameter and are formed continuously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: Masashi ARAO, Atsushi OTA
  • Patent number: 10205361
    Abstract: A flange part is formed in a shape whose diameter increases toward an outer diameter side of a center core. The flange part closes a space between an end of a magnetic delivery core on a second side in the axial direction and an end of the center core on the second side in the axial direction. An output member includes a contact part, which is brought into contact with an end of the center core on a first side in the axial direction when a plunger moves toward the second side in the axial direction. When the contact part is brought into contact with the end of the center core on the first side in the axial direction, the plunger defines an axial clearance between the plunger and the flange part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masashi Arao
  • Patent number: 9651164
    Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator, which is arranged at a position opposing to a hydraulic control valve, has a movable-core chamber for movably accommodating a movable core and an air breathing passage for communicating the movable-core chamber to the atmosphere. An inside opening of the air breathing passage is formed in an inner wall of the movable-core chamber, while an outside opening of the air breathing passage is formed in an outer wall of the actuator, which is in contact with the atmosphere. The outside opening is formed at such a position out of an oil-splashing area, to which oil discharged from an oil-discharge port of the hydraulic control valve is directly splashed. According to the above structure, it is possible to prevent the oil discharged from the oil-discharge port from rushing into the movable-core chamber through the air breathing passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masashi Arao
  • Publication number: 20170033628
    Abstract: A flange part is formed in a shape whose diameter increases toward an outer diameter side of a center core. The flange part closes a space between an end of a magnetic delivery core on a second side in the axial direction and an end of the center core on the second side in the axial direction. An output member includes a contact part, which is brought into contact with an end of the center core on a first side in the axial direction when a plunger moves toward the second side in the axial direction. When the contact part is brought into contact with the end of the center core on the first side in the axial direction, the plunger defines an axial clearance between the plunger and the flange part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Inventor: Masashi ARAO
  • Publication number: 20140299804
    Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator, which is arranged at a position opposing to a hydraulic control valve, has a movable-core chamber for movably accommodating a movable core and an air breathing passage for communicating the movable-core chamber to the atmosphere. An inside opening of the air breathing passage is formed in an inner wall of the movable-core chamber, while an outside opening of the air breathing passage is formed in an outer wall of the actuator, which is in contact with the atmosphere. The outside opening is formed at such a position out of an oil-splashing area, to which oil discharged from an oil-discharge port of the hydraulic control valve is directly splashed. According to the above structure, it is possible to prevent the oil discharged from the oil-discharge port from rushing into the movable-core chamber through the air breathing passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masashi ARAO