Patents by Inventor Minoru Tokuhara

Minoru Tokuhara 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: 8006555
    Abstract: A cap member for covering a sensor unit such as a rotational speed sensor is composed of a cylindrical wall, a thin bottom wall and an open end to be closed with a closing member. The cap member is formed by molding a resin material. Molten resin is injected into a cavity formed by an inner die and an outer die. After the injected resin is cooled, the inner die is separated from the molded cap member. If the molded cap member adheres to the inner die, it would be difficult to separate the inner die from the cap member by pulling out the inner die in the axial direction. A structure anchoring the cap member to the outer die is formed on an outer surface of the cylindrical wall. The anchoring structure may be formed in a shape of a ring or rings surrounding the center axis of the cap member. Alternatively, the anchoring structure may be formed in a shape of a depressed groove or grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Minoru Tokuhara
  • Patent number: 7768124
    Abstract: A semiconductor sensor is contained in a cylindrical housing, an opening of which is closed with a cover member. The cover member includes a mounting plate integrally molded therewith. Components including a bare sensing chip and other circuit chips are directly mounted on a flat surface of the mounting plate. The components mounted on the flat surface are covered with gel having a high flowability. The gel is prevented from flowing out of the flat surface toward the cover member by banks formed at both sides of the flat surface. On an inner wall of the bank, curved surfaces and depressions are formed to surely suppress creeping up of the gel and to trap the gel therein if it creeps up the inner wall of the bank. Thus, the gel is surely prevented from flowing out even though the banks do not entirely surround the flat mounting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Minoru Tokuhara
  • Publication number: 20090056442
    Abstract: A cap member for covering a sensor unit such as a rotational speed sensor is composed of a cylindrical wall, a thin bottom wall and an open end to be closed with a closing member. The cap member is formed by molding a resin material. Molten resin is injected into a cavity formed by an inner die and an outer die. After the injected resin is cooled, the inner die is separated from the molded cap member. If the molded cap member adheres to the inner die, it would be difficult to separate the inner die from the cap member by pulling out the inner die in the axial direction. A structure anchoring the cap member to the outer die is formed on an outer surface of the cylindrical wall. The anchoring structure may be formed in a shape of a ring or rings surrounding the center axis of the cap member. Alternatively, the anchoring structure may be formed in a shape of a depressed groove or grooves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Minoru Tokuhara
  • Publication number: 20080197481
    Abstract: A semiconductor sensor for detecting a rotational speed of a rotor is contained in a cylindrical housing, an opening of which is closed with a cover member. The cover member includes a mounting plate integrally molded therewith. Components including a bare sensing chip and other circuit chips are directly mounted on a flat surface of the mounting plate. The components mounted on the flat surface are covered with gel having a high flowability. The gel is prevented from flowing out of the flat surface toward the cover member by banks formed at both sides of the flat surface. On an inner wall of the bank, curved surfaces and depressions are formed to surely suppress creeping up of the gel and to trap the gel therein if it creeps up the inner wall of the bank. Thus, the gel is surely prevented from flowing out even though the banks do not entirely surround the flat mounting surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Minoru Tokuhara
  • Patent number: 7408344
    Abstract: A magnetic sensor includes a sensing chip having a magnetoresistive element for sensing a magnetic vector and a magnet for biasing the magnetic vector sensed by the magnetoresistive element. The sensing chip senses change in the magnetic vector for detecting a behavior of a magnetic body based on a variation of a resistance value of the magnetoresistive element when biasing of the magnetic vector is caused by the magnet in cooperation with the magnetic body that is in motion in a proximity of the sensing chip, and the magnet takes a shape of a flat cylinder that houses the sensing chip in a hollow space bored therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Minoru Tokuhara
  • Patent number: 7307417
    Abstract: A rotation detecting device for detecting a rotating object includes a housing having a bearing and an mounting surface, a rotor member having magnetic peripheral portion and a rotary shaft that is supported by the bearing, a biasing permanent magnet for providing magnetic field around the mounting surface and the magnetic peripheral portion, an IC sensor chip including plural magnetic sensor elements disposed on the mounting surface to provide a sensing signal related to change in magnetic field around the sensor elements, and an IC signal processing chip that provides a rotation signal according to the sensing signal. In this device, the bearing and the mounting surface are integrally formed into the housing at a prescribed distance to secure an unchanged air gap distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Tokuhara, Yukihiro Kato
  • Publication number: 20070247144
    Abstract: A rotation detecting device for detecting a rotating object includes a housing having a bearing and an mounting surface, a rotor member having magnetic peripheral portion and a rotary shaft that is supported by the bearing, a biasing permanent magnet for providing magnetic field around the mounting surface and the magnetic peripheral portion, an IC sensor chip including plural magnetic sensor elements disposed on the mounting surface to provide a sensing signal related to change in magnetic field around the sensor elements, and an IC signal processing chip that provides a rotation signal according to the sensing signal. In this device, the bearing and the mounting surface are integrally formed into the housing at a prescribed distance to secure an unchanged air gap distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Minoru Tokuhara, Yukihiro Kato
  • Patent number: 7253613
    Abstract: A rotation detecting device for detecting a rotating object includes a housing having a bearing and an mounting surface, a rotor member having magnetic peripheral portion and a rotary shaft that is supported by the bearing, a biasing permanent magnet for providing magnetic field around the mounting surface and the magnetic peripheral portion, an IC sensor chip including plural magnetic sensor elements disposed on the mounting surface to provide a sensing signal related to change in magnetic field around the sensor elements, and an IC signal processing chip that provides a rotation signal according to the sensing signal. In this device, the bearing and the mounting surface are integrally formed into the housing at a prescribed distance to secure an unchanged air gap distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Minoru Tokuhara
  • Publication number: 20070120555
    Abstract: A magnetic sensor includes a sensing chip having a magnetoresistive element for sensing a magnetic vector and a magnet for biasing the magnetic vector sensed by the magnetoresistive element. The sensing chip senses change in the magnetic vector for detecting a behavior of a magnetic body based on a variation of a resistance value of the magnetoresistive element when biasing of the magnetic vector is caused by the magnet in cooperation with the magnetic body that is in motion in a proximity of the sensing chip, and the magnet takes a shape of a flat cylinder that houses the sensing chip in a hollow space bored therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Minoru Tokuhara
  • Patent number: 7207226
    Abstract: In an ECU in which a sensor IC and various engine control devices are mounted on a board in a case, the sensor IC has a pressure sensor element covered with mold resin having a pressure introduction hole extending outward from the pressure sensor element so as to open to an outer surface thereof. A cylindrical resilient member is disposed and resiliently deformed between an inner wall of the case and the outer surface of the mold resin so as to allow a pressure introduction inlet formed in the case to communicate with the pressure introduction hole and not to communicate with places where the engine control devices are mounted. The case of ECU is fixed to a surge tank so that a pressure introduction outlet formed in the surge tank communicates directly with the pressure introduction inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyoshi Wakasugi, Minoru Tokuhara, Keiji Horiba
  • Patent number: 7055391
    Abstract: A pressure sensor includes a sensor chip for detecting pressure; a casing for accommodating the sensor chip; and an atmosphere introduction port for introducing an atmosphere pressure as a reference pressure into the sensor chip. The atmosphere introduction port is disposed on the casing. The casing includes a groove for discharging a water drop adhering around the atmosphere introduction port to an outside of the casing. The sensor without any filter can prevent the water drop from penetrating into the atmosphere introduction port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Minoru Tokuhara
  • Publication number: 20060097717
    Abstract: A rotation detecting device for detecting a rotating object includes a housing having a bearing and an mounting surface, a rotor member having magnetic peripheral portion and a rotary shaft that is supported by the bearing, a biasing permanent magnet for providing magnetic field around the mounting surface and the magnetic peripheral portion, an IC sensor chip including plural magnetic sensor elements disposed on the mounting surface to provide a sensing signal related to change in magnetic field around the sensor elements, and an IC signal processing chip that provides a rotation signal according to the sensing signal. In this device, the bearing and the mounting surface are integrally formed into the housing at a prescribed distance to secure an unchanged air gap distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2005
    Publication date: May 11, 2006
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Minoru Tokuhara, Yukihiro Kato
  • Publication number: 20040194550
    Abstract: In ECU in which a sensor IC and various engine control devices are mounted on a board in a case, the sensor IC has a pressure sensor element covered with mold resin having a pressure introduction hole extending outward from the pressure sensor element so as to open to an outer surface thereof. A cylindrical resilient member is disposed and resiliently deformed between an inner wall of the case and the outer surface of the mold resin so as to allow a pressure introduction inlet formed in the case to communicate with the pressure introduction hole and not to communicate with places where the engine control devices are mounted. The case of ECU is fixed to a surge tank so that a pressure introduction outlet formed in the surge tank communicates directly with the pressure introduction inlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2004
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuyoshi Wakasugi, Minoru Tokuhara, Keiji Horiba
  • Publication number: 20040177697
    Abstract: A pressure sensor includes a sensor chip for detecting pressure; a casing for accommodating the sensor chip; and an atmosphere introduction port for introducing an atmosphere pressure as a reference pressure into the sensor chip. The atmosphere introduction port is disposed on the casing. The casing includes a groove for discharging a water drop adhering around the atmosphere introduction port to an outside of the casing. The sensor without any filter can prevent the water drop from penetrating into the atmosphere introduction port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Inventor: Minoru Tokuhara
  • Patent number: 6751858
    Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a sensor apparatus having a sensor chip disposed in a recess of a case, after the sensor chip is disposed in the recess of the case, an opening portion of the recess is closed with a sheet member. The sheet member can prevent foreign matters from intruding an inside of the recess during manufacturing steps. After that, a through hole is formed in the sheet member. Accordingly, the inside and outside of the recess communicate with each other, and the sensor chip can detect an external environment of the recess such as atmospheric pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Tokuhara, Yukihiro Kato
  • Patent number: 6696753
    Abstract: A semiconductor device package includes a semiconductor device, a resin casing, a plurality of leads, and a plurality of bonding wires. The semiconductor device includes a plurality of bonding pads. The resin casing has a device-mounting surface. The device-mounting surface has a recess. The semiconductor device has been mounted on the device-mounting surface. Each of the leads has a bonding surface. Each of the leads has been insert molded in the resin casing such that the bonding surface is exposed from the resin casing. Each of the bonding wires electrically connects each of the bonding pads and each of the bonding surfaces. Each of the bonding pads and the recess have a positional relation such that the semiconductor device is supported by the device-mounting surface right below the bonding pads when the bonding pads are wire bonded using the bonding wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Minoru Tokuhara
  • Publication number: 20030214026
    Abstract: A semiconductor device package includes a semiconductor device, a resin casing, a plurality of leads, and a plurality of bonding wires. The semiconductor device includes a plurality of bonding pads. The resin casing has a device-mounting surface. The device-mounting surface has a recess. The semiconductor device has been mounted on the device-mounting surface. Each of the leads has a bonding surface. Each of the leads has been insert molded in the resin casing such that the bonding surface is exposed from the resin casing. Each of the bonding wires electrically connects each of the bonding pads and each of the bonding surfaces. Each of the bonding pads and the recess have a positional relation such that the semiconductor device is supported by the device-mounting surface right below the bonding pads when the bonding pads are wire bonded using the bonding wires.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2003
    Publication date: November 20, 2003
    Inventor: Minoru Tokuhara
  • Publication number: 20020050052
    Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a sensor apparatus having a sensor chip disposed in a recess of a case, after the sensor chip is disposed in the recess of the case, an opening portion of the recess is closed with a sheet member. The sheet member can prevent foreign matters from intruding an inside of the recess during manufacturing steps. After that, a through hole is formed in the sheet member. Accordingly, the inside and outside of the recess communicate with each other, and the sensor chip can detect an external environment of the recess such as atmospheric pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2001
    Publication date: May 2, 2002
    Inventors: Minoru Tokuhara, Yukihiro Kato
  • Patent number: 5386730
    Abstract: A pressure sensor has a housing (1). The housing accommodates a pressure sensing element (2) and a wiring board (3). The wiring board incorporates a lead irame (14). The lead frame connects output terminals (21) of the sensing element with ends of connector pins (12). A pressure guide (4) has a pressure path (41) and a flange (44). The flange is inserted in an opening of the housing with the pressure path being airtightly connected to a pressure intake (22) extending from the sensing element and with an end face (4a) of the flange being spaced apart from the wiring board. Potting material (5) coats the sensing element, the wiring board, and the flange of the pressure guide in the housing. If the potting material peels off the flange, water may penetrate the peeled part and reach the end face of the flange. The water, however, never reaches the wiring board because the end face of the flange is spaced apart from the wiring board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1995
    Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Ikeda, Minoru Tokuhara, Hironobu Baba