Patents by Inventor Sakae Higano

Sakae Higano 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: 20110286162
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to ensure an intermediate position and an opening-closing operation with a good modulation in a sliding hinge by adding a third fixing position substantially in the middle of the slidability region of the sliding hinge, wherein the withdrawal from the third fixing position is performed by a combined force of the repulsive force of the north magnetic pole and south magnetic pole and the assist force of the elastic body. A sliding hinge mechanism, wherein the sliding hinge has at least an elastic body and magnets, the first housing and the second housing can move relative to each other, and a slidability region, which extends from a first fixing position in which the first housing and the second housing are completely closed to a second fixing position in which the second housing is completely open, additionally includes a third fixing position being an intermediate position of the slidability region in which the second housing is temporarily fixed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2009
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Inventors: Kiichiro Kitamura, Masanori Sano, Sakae Higano
  • Patent number: 7614118
    Abstract: Two-shaft hinge mechanism components enabling harness wiring are provided to realize durability, reduction in size and weight and a mechanism to restrict rotation, in cellular phones, notebook computers and remote controllers required to have a smaller size, less weight and new functions. Rotation shaft and opening/closing shaft are inserted into coil spring, concave and convex cams, and a caulking component, to assemble a rotation shaft torque unit and an opening/closing torque unit. The units are attached to a hinge housing to constitute the two-shaft hinge. The opening/closing torque unit is disposed either on the left or right side of the hinge housing. A pipe-like shaft with a hollow is employed as rotation shaft, whereby harness wiring is provided easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Steel Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sato, Sakae Higano
  • Patent number: 7506608
    Abstract: A hinge mechanism that generates a stress at the start and end points of arbitrary opening and closing range can be constructed by causing one cam set of two cam sets in which a rotating cam and a fixed cam engage only once in 360° rotation to generate a stress at the start point of the rotating range or opening and closing range of the hinge mechanism, and causing the other cam set to generate a stress at the end point of the rotating or opening and closing range. The hinge mechanism of the present invention achieves durability, good feeling, and size and weight reduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Steel Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sato, Yasuhiro Mitsui, Minoru Ohiraki, Sakae Higano
  • Patent number: 7346960
    Abstract: A two-shaft hinge component equipped with a rotation limiting mechanism in which a construction is adopted that makes possible a rotation limiting mechanism with increased durability, reduced size and lighter weight. A torque unit is constituted by a fixed cam and a rotary cam being in coaxial abutment with a rotary shaft and an opening/closing shaft, in a hinge of two-shaft construction in which a rotary shaft passes through an opening/closing shaft, sliding frictional torque and a click action being generated during rotation and opening/closing operation by an abutting cam surface. The torque unit is constructed independently on the rotary shaft and the opening/closing shaft and, in addition, there is provided a rotation limiting mechanism whereby the rotary action of the rotary shaft is subjected to limitation in accordance with the opening/closing angle of the opening/closing shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Steel Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sakae Higano, Hitoshi Sato, Minoru Ohiraki
  • Patent number: 7346375
    Abstract: A biaxial hinge having a rotating mechanism that realizes durability, a good tactile feedback, smaller size and more lightweight is provided for use in a notebook computer or a portable telephone that needs to be smaller and more lightweight. The biaxial hinge is constituted such that a rotating shaft support member is fixed to a rotational shaft support member, a rotation-side member is inserted and attached to the outer periphery of the rotating shaft member, and an opening/closing torque unit mechanism for opening and closing operations is disposed at the rotation-side member, wherein sliding friction torque and click torque are generated by the load produced by a coil spring between pressing members and the rotating shaft support member or a sliding member attached to the rotating shaft member. The rotating mechanism of the biaxial hinge of the present invention affords good durability, a good tactile feedback, and a reduction in size and weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Steel Mfg. Co., Ltd., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sato, Yasuhiro Mitsui, Sakae Higano, Satoshi Kosugi, Katsumasa Yamaguchi, Kenichi Sakamoto
  • Publication number: 20070151076
    Abstract: To provide two-shaft hinge mechanism components enabling harness wiring, which are configured to realize durability, reduction in size and weight and a mechanism to restrict rotation, in cellular phones, notebook computers and remote controllers required to have more reduced size and weight and new functions. [Solution] Rotation shaft 11 and opening/closing shaft 12 are inserted into coil spring 5, 17, concave and convex cams, a caulking component and the like, to assemble a rotation shaft torque unit and an opening/closing torque unit, and the unit is attached to hinge housing 9 to constitute the two-shaft hinge. The opening/closing torque unit is disposed either lift or right side of the hinge housing, and a pipe-like shaft with a hollow is employed as rotation shaft 11, whereby harness (thin cable) wiring is provided easily.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Publication date: July 5, 2007
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sato, Sakae Higano
  • Patent number: 7158816
    Abstract: A foldable and portable mobile communication terminal is formed as a two-folded type in which a lower-side body unit and upper-side unit are coupled openably and closably by a two-shaft hinge mechanism. The two-shaft hinge mechanism includes a first hinge unit that allows the upper-side body unit to rotate with respect to the lower-side body unit up to the open state defining a predetermined talking position, and a second hinge unit that allows the first hinge unit to rotate in a direction different from the aforementioned rotational direction of the first hinge unit. The first and second hinge units are coupled so that the rotational center axes thereof orthogonally intersect each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignees: NEC Corporation, Mitsubishi Steel Mfg., Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masatomo Mizuta, Shinji Ikeuchi, Mitsuru Sendouda, Sakae Higano, Hitoshi Sato, Minoru Ohiraki
  • Publication number: 20060168756
    Abstract: A biaxial hinge having a rotating mechanism that realizes durability, a good tactile feedback, smaller size and more lightweight is provided for use in a notebook computer or a portable telephone that needs to be smaller and more lightweight. The biaxial hinge is constituted such that a rotating shaft member 9 is fixed to a rotation support member 10, a rotation-side member 7 is inserted and attached to the outer periphery of the rotating shaft member 9, and an opening/closing torque unit mechanism 12 for opening and closing operations is disposed at the rotation-side member 7, wherein sliding friction torque and click torque are generated by the load produced by a coil spring 6 between pressing members 4 and the rotating shaft support member 10 or a sliding member 3 attached to the rotating shaft member 9. The rotating mechanism of the biaxial hinge of the present invention affords good durability, a good tactile feedback, and a reduction in size and weight.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2004
    Publication date: August 3, 2006
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sato, Yasuhiro Mitsui, Sakae Higano, Satoshi Kosugi, Katsumasa Yamaguchi, Kenichi Sakamoto
  • Publication number: 20060064850
    Abstract: To provide a hinge which achieve durability, good feeling, size and weight reduction, for portable phones or laptop computers which require to be smaller and lighter. A hinge mechanism that generates a stress at the start and end points of arbitrary opening and closing range can be constructed by causing one cam set of two cam sets in which a rotating cam 4 and a fixed cam 5 engage only one time in 360° to generate a stress at the start point of the rotating range or opening and closing range of the hinge mechanism, and causing the other cam set to generate a stress at the end point of the rotating or opening and closing range. The hinge mechanism of the present invention achieves durability, good feeling, and size and weight reduction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Publication date: March 30, 2006
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sato, Yasuhiro Mitsui, Minoru Ohiraki, Sakae Higano
  • Publication number: 20060059661
    Abstract: In a portable telephone, laptop personal computer or remote control in which reduced size, reduced weight and new functionality are required, to provide a two-shaft hinge component equipped with a rotation limiting mechanism in which a construction is adopted that makes possible a rotation limiting mechanism with increased durability, reduced size and lighter weight. A torque unit is constituted by a fixed cam and a rotary cam being in coaxial abutment with a rotary shaft 2 and an opening/closing shaft 3, in a hinge of two-shaft construction in which a rotary shaft 2 passes through an opening/closing shaft 3, sliding frictional torque and a click action being generated during rotation and opening/closing operation by an abutting cam surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Publication date: March 23, 2006
    Inventors: Sakae Higano, Hitoshi Sato, Minoru Ohiraki
  • Patent number: 6948217
    Abstract: A single-shaft hinge component is provided that can be made durable, of small size and light weight. The single-shaft hinge device is made up of a plurality of torque-generating sections wherein, a single-shaft hinge is formed of a single shaft 1, rotary cams 3 fitted onto this shaft 1 that are capable of rotation about the shaft 1 and axially moving on the shaft, fixed cams 4 fitted on the shaft 1 that are capable of axially moving on the shaft but incapable of relative rotation with respect to the shaft, and elastic members 5 arranged coaxially with the shaft 1 and that cause abutment of side faces of the rotary cam 3 and the fixed cam 4 against each other, the rotary cams 3 and fixed cams 4 being arranged coaxially with the single shaft 1 so that abutment of the rotary cam 3 and fixed cam 4 is achieved at their side faces at two or more locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Steel Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sakae Higano, Hitoshi Sato, Hiroaki Kato
  • Publication number: 20040025299
    Abstract: A single-shaft hinge component is provided that can be made durable, of small size and light weight. The single-shaft hinge device comprises a plurality of torque-generating sections wherein, a single-shaft hinge comprises a single shaft 1, rotary cams 3 fitted onto this shaft 1 and that are capable of rotation about the shaft 1 and capable of axially moving on the shaft, fixed cams 4 fitted on the shaft 1 and that are capable of axially moving on the shaft but incapable of relative rotation with respect to the shaft, and elastic members 5 arranged coaxially with the shaft 1 and that cause abutment of side faces of the rotary cam 3 and the fixed cam 4 against each other, the rotary cams 3 and fixed cams 4 being arranged coaxially with the single shaft 1 so that abutment of the rotary cam 3 and fixed cam 4 is achieved at their side faces at two or more locations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2003
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Inventors: Sakae Higano, Hitoshi Sato, Hiroaki Kato