Patents by Inventor Mikio Arai

Mikio Arai 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: 20230223044
    Abstract: A base plate includes a plate body and a connection portion provided at the plate body. The connection portion includes a through hole gassing through the plate body in a thickness direction of the plate body, a plurality of protrusions provided along an edge of the through hole in a circumferential direction about a central axis of the through hole and inserted into an attachment hole provided in the arm, and an inner circumferential surface formed by the plurality of protrusions and the through hole. The inner circumferential surface includes a plurality of recesses formed between the plurality of protrusions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2023
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mikio ARAI, Hiroshi DAIFUKU
  • Patent number: 10101253
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of surely detecting a crack in piezoelectric elements regardless of size of the crack. The method includes applying voltage to a first piezoelectric element of a pair of piezoelectric elements to cause deformation in the first piezoelectric element, forcibly deforming a second piezoelectric element of the pair of the piezoelectric elements to generate voltage from the second piezoelectric element according to the deformation of the first piezoelectric element, finding a transfer function of the pair of the piezoelectric elements based on values of the applied voltage and the generated voltage, and detecting presence or absence of a crack in the pair of the piezoelectric elements based on an objective value obtained from the found transfer function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mikio Arai
  • Patent number: 9905252
    Abstract: A head suspension includes a base to be attached to a carriage, a load beam having a rigid part and a resilient part that connects the rigid part to the base, the load beam applying load onto a read/write head, a flexure attached to the load beam and supporting the head, an actuator attaching part located between the base and the head, and a piezoelectric element being deformable in response to a voltage applied thereto to move the head in a sway direction relative to the base. For the head suspension, it bonds the piezoelectric element with a bonding tape to the actuator attaching part and applies an adhesive to fix the piezoelectric element to the actuator attaching part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mikio Arai
  • Publication number: 20170268973
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of surely detecting a crack in piezoelectric elements regardless of size of the crack. The method includes applying voltage to a first piezoelectric element of a pair of piezoelectric elements to cause deformation in the first piezoelectric element, forcibly deforming a second piezoelectric element of the pair of the piezoelectric elements to generate voltage from the second piezoelectric element according to the deformation of the first piezoelectric element, finding a transfer function of the pair of the piezoelectric elements based on values of the applied voltage and the generated voltage, and detecting presence or absence of a crack in the pair of the piezoelectric elements based on an objective value obtained from the found transfer function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventor: Mikio ARAI
  • Patent number: 9638650
    Abstract: A piezoelectric element feeder for feeding a piezoelectric element, includes a drawing unit that draws a first electrode surface of the piezoelectric element with use of negative pressure and transfers the piezoelectric element onto the actuator attaching part and a probe movably supported with the drawing unit and used to measure electric characteristics of the piezoelectric element. A front end of the probe is brought into contact with the first electrode surface when or just before the drawing unit draws the first electrode surface, to enable a measurement of the electric characteristics of the piezoelectric element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mikio Arai
  • Patent number: 8878554
    Abstract: A method of testing a fitted state of a pair of piezoelectric elements fitted to form an actuator between a base member and a movable member, the piezoelectric elements in the actuator being arranged side by side in opposite polarity and being electrically connected in parallel with each other, and when a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric elements, minutely moving the movable member relative to the base member in a direction in which the piezoelectric members are arranged side by side. The method detects changes in capacitance of the piezoelectric elements with respect to changes in bias voltage applied to the piezoelectric elements, the bias voltage being changed within a predetermined range, and determines a fitted state of the piezoelectric elements according to a characteristic of the detected capacitance changes. The method correctly and easily determines whether or not the piezoelectric elements are correctly fitted to the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mikio Arai
  • Publication number: 20140290842
    Abstract: A head suspension includes a base to be attached to a carriage, a load beam having a rigid part and a resilient part that connects the rigid part to the base, the load beam applying load onto a read/write head, a flexure attached to the load beam and supporting the head, an actuator attaching part located between the base and the head, and a piezoelectric element being deformable in response to a voltage applied thereto to move the head in a sway direction relative to the base. For the head suspension, it bonds the piezoelectric element with a bonding tape to the actuator attaching part and applies an adhesive to fix the piezoelectric element to the actuator attaching part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Inventor: Mikio ARAI
  • Patent number: 8837091
    Abstract: A head suspension includes a base to be attached to a carriage, a load beam having a rigid part and a resilient part that connects the rigid part to the base, the load beam applying load onto a read/write head, a flexure attached to the load beam and supporting the head, an actuator attaching part located between the base and the head, and a piezoelectric element being deformable in response to a voltage applied thereto to move the head in a sway direction relative to the base. For the head suspension, it bonds the piezoelectric element with a bonding tape to the actuator attaching part and applies an adhesive to fix the piezoelectric element to the actuator attaching part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mikio Arai
  • Patent number: 8760813
    Abstract: A terminal area includes a metal plate, an electrically insulating layer, and a conductor layer. An opening section is formed in the metal plate and the insulating layer. A gold plating layer is formed on a surface of the conductor layer inside the opening section. A porous metal layer of a first transition element is formed on a surface of the gold plating layer. Through-holes of the porous metal layer reach the surface of the gold plating layer. An electrically conductive adhesive is provided between an electrode of an actuator element and the porous metal layer. An anchor portion of the electrically conductive adhesive gets into the through-holes and is cured. Conductive particles of the electrically conductive adhesive contact the gold plating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mikio Arai
  • Publication number: 20140104728
    Abstract: A head suspension includes a base to be attached to a carriage, a load beam having a rigid part and a resilient part that connects the rigid part to the base, the load beam applying load onto a read/write head, a flexure attached to the load beam and supporting the head, an actuator attaching part located between the base and the head, and a piezoelectric element being deformable in response to a voltage applied thereto to move the head in a sway direction relative to the base. For the head suspension, it bonds the piezoelectric element with a bonding tape to the actuator attaching part and applies an adhesive to fix the piezoelectric element to the actuator attaching part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mikio ARAI
  • Publication number: 20140077793
    Abstract: A piezoelectric element feeder for feeding a piezoelectric element, includes a drawing unit that draws a first electrode surface of the piezoelectric element with use of negative pressure and transfers the piezoelectric element onto the actuator attaching part and a probe movably supported with the drawing unit and used to measure electric characteristics of the piezoelectric element. A front end of the probe is brought into contact with the first electrode surface when or just before the drawing unit draws the first electrode surface, to enable a measurement of the electric characteristics of the piezoelectric element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Mikio ARAI
  • Publication number: 20130314821
    Abstract: A terminal area includes a metal plate, an electrically insulating layer, and a conductor layer. An opening section is formed in the metal plate and the insulating layers A gold plating layer is formed on a surface of the conductor layer inside the opening section. A porous metal layer of a first transition element is formed on a surface of the gold plating layer. Through-holes of the porous metal layer reach the surface of the gold plating layer. An electrically conductive adhesive is provided between an electrode of an actuator element and the porous metal layer. An anchor portion of the electrically conductive adhesive gets into the through holes and is cured. Conductive particles of the electrically conductive adhesive contact the gold plating layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Mikio Arai
  • Publication number: 20120127614
    Abstract: A method of testing a fitted state of a pair of piezoelectric elements fitted to form an actuator between a base member and a movable member, the piezoelectric elements in the actuator being arranged side by side in opposite polarity and being electrically connected in parallel with each other, and when a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric elements, minutely moving the movable member relative to the base member in a direction in which the piezoelectric members are arranged side by side. The method detects changes in capacitance of the piezoelectric elements with respect to changes in bias voltage applied to the piezoelectric elements, the bias voltage being changed within a predetermined range, and determines a fitted state of the piezoelectric elements according to a characteristic of the detected capacitance changes. The method correctly and easily determines whether or not the piezoelectric elements are correctly fitted to the actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Mikio ARAI
  • Patent number: 8166826
    Abstract: A vibration characteristic measuring device is provided with a shaker, including a shaking section which reciprocates along an axis, and a mounting block fastened to a mounting surface of the shaking section. A disk drive suspension is mounted on the mounting block. The mounting block has a facing surface which faces the mounting surface of the shaking section. An adhesive member formed of a resin tape is disposed between the mounting surface and the facing surface of the mounting block. The adhesive member is deformable depending on a gap between the mounting surface and the facing surface. The adhesive member closely contacts both the mounting surface and the facing surface without a gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Tada, Mikio Arai
  • Publication number: 20090223297
    Abstract: A vibration characteristic measuring device is provided with a shaker, including a shaking section which reciprocates along an axis, and a mounting block fastened to a mounting surface of the shaking section. A disk drive suspension is mounted on the mounting block. The mounting block has a facing surface which faces the mounting surface of the shaking section. An adhesive member formed of a resin tape is disposed between the mounting surface and the facing surface of the mounting block. The adhesive member is deformable depending on a gap between the mounting surface and the facing surface. The adhesive member closely contacts both the mounting surface and the facing surface without a gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Applicant: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Tada, Mikio Arai
  • Patent number: 5801162
    Abstract: Dermatan sulfate compositions having certain characteristics have been found to have thrombolytic activity. Dermatan sulfate combined with tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) enhances the thrombolytic activity of t-PA. Antithrombotic compositions containing dermatan sulfates can be used for treating various thrombotic diseases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: Seikagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Seikagaku Corporation)
    Inventors: Akikazu Takada, Junichi Onaya, Mikio Arai, Satoshi Miyauchi, Mamoru Kyogashima, Keiichi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 3961041
    Abstract: Therapeutic levels of L-DOPA are achieved by orally administering a pharmaceutical effervescent-enteric coated tablet comprising:A. a member selected from the group consisting of L-DOPA or a derivative thereof capable of enzymatically cleaving and reverting to L-DOPA in vivo,B. a non-toxic pharmaceutically acceptable inert diluent,C. a non-toxic pharmaceutically acceptable carbon dioxide releasing agent,D. a non-toxic pharmaceutically acceptable effervescing agent, andE. a non-toxic pharmaceutically acceptable enteric coating.This composition is extremely useful in the treatment of Parkinsonism. When administered to warm-blooded animals (e.g., humans), superior therapeutic blood levels of L-DOPA are observed over that normally observed with conventional enteric coated formulations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1976
    Assignee: Interx Research Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Nishimura, Mikio Arai, Kunihiro Sasahara, Takashi Nitanai