Patents by Inventor Shigeru Kuroda

Shigeru Kuroda 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: 20170043642
    Abstract: A hollow stabilizer (1) according to the invention is formed in a hollow shape and includes a bent portion (1c1, 1c2, m1-m5). With a thickness of an inner side of the bent portion (1c1, 1c2, m1-m5) being larger than a thickness of an outer side of the bent portion (1c1, 1c2, m1-m5), a hardness of the outer side of the bent portion (1c1, 1c2, m1-m5) is higher than a hardness of the inner side of the bent portion (1c1, 1c2, m1-m5) through quenching by cooling down after heating by electrical heating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2015
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shigeru KURODA
  • Publication number: 20160229247
    Abstract: A suspension arm member includes a connecting portion configured to connect plural members of a suspension, and a support bar extending and provided with the connecting portion at each end. The support bar is made of a resin material and includes plural lightening hole portions each formed in a shape of a recessed portion. The lightening hole portions include plural front upper lightening hole portions (11) formed in a front upper portion of the support bar, plural front lower lightening hole portions formed in a front lower portion of the support bar, plural rear upper lightening hole portions formed in a rear upper portion of the support bar, and plural rear lower lightening hole portions formed in a rear lower portion of the support bar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventor: Shigeru KURODA
  • Patent number: 9393850
    Abstract: A stabilizer link and a manufacturing method therefor which can ensure strength required in wing plates and a center supporting plate and in a support bar, and which can ensure strength required in ribs. The support bar has a top wing plate, a bottom wing plate, a center supporting plate, and a plurality of ribs. In the wing plates and the center supporting plate, reinforcing fiber is orientated to a longitudinal direction of the support bar. In the rib, the reinforcing fiber is orientated to a perpendicular direction of the support bar. A longitudinal orientation ratio D1 at a longitudinal center portion of the top wing plate and the bottom wing plate, a perpendicular orientation ratio D2 at a perpendicular center portion of the ribs, and a perpendicular orientation ratio D3 at a perpendicular end portion of the ribs satisfy Equation 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shigeru Kuroda
  • Publication number: 20160176260
    Abstract: A bush for a stabilizer is configured so that surface pressure at an adhered surface of a hole of the bush is uniform in adhering the bush to a bar of the stabilizer, whereby necessary adhesive strength is obtained. A bush has a body part that includes a rectangular part with a rectangular shape and a curving part having a curved shape at an outer circumferential part thereof. The body part has a side surface part on which a protruding part is formed so as to protrude outwardly. When contained in a U-shaped part of a bracket shown in FIG. 3B, the rectangular part is arranged at a straight line part of the U-shaped part, the curving part is arranged at a circular arc part of the U-shaped part, and the protruding part is pressed toward the body part by an inner surface of the U-shaped part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventor: Shigeru KURODA
  • Patent number: 9278602
    Abstract: The inner peripheral side radial direction surface of the fixing portion of the dust cover is abutted to the outer peripheral side radial direction surface of the flange portion of the ball seat, and the end portion of the fixing portion is abutted to the side surface of the outer peripheral side of the ball seat. The outer peripheral side radial direction surface of the fixing portion is pressed toward the flange portion by the radial direction surface pressing portion of the die member, and the fixing portion of the dust cover is held by the radial direction surface pressing portion of the die member and the flange portion. The pressing by the radial direction surface pressing portion is appropriately performed to withstand an injection molding pressure of the resin injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shigeru Kuroda
  • Patent number: 9133931
    Abstract: A ball stud has a flange that outwardly projects in a radial direction of a stud portion. The flange has a concave portion that has a curved shape from a root to an outer circumferential portion in cross section. The concave portion is concave with respect to a straight line connecting an end on the root side and an end on the outer circumferential portion side of the curved shape. A dust cover has a lip to be abutted on a sealing portion and the flange of the ball stud. The lip is formed with a side lip portion. The side lip portion has a shape corresponding to the curved shape of the concave portion of the flange so as to be abutted on the concave portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru Kuroda, Shuji Ohmura
  • Publication number: 20150239319
    Abstract: Bonding the bush to the stabilizer bar, by surface pressure in the bonding surface (inner circumferential surface) of the hole-part of the bush being made uniform, bonding strength is obtained. The first arc part is formed at the opposite side of the opening of the U-shaped part of the bracket in the bonding and second arc part is formed in the opening side, in the hole-part of the bush. The first and second arc parts are circular arc parts being formed in circular arc shape or approximately circular arc shape or are ellipse arc part being formed in the ellipse arc shape or approximately ellipse arc shape. In the hole-part, the center of the first and second arc parts are separated. The curvature radius of the second arc part gets smaller than the curvature radius of the first arc part. The hole-part is formed in an oval shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Inventors: Shigeru Kuroda, Shuji Ohmura
  • Publication number: 20150174983
    Abstract: A method for producing a stabilizer and a heating device allows the entirety of a hollow member to be uniformly heated to a temperature necessary for heat treatment, even in a case in which a cross section varying hollow member is used as the starting material. In a preliminary heating process, energizing heating is performed between electrodes, which are arranged at cross section varying parts at both ends of large cross sectional area part, which can be heated. In an entire heating process, by performing energizing heating between electrodes, which are arranged at both ends of the cross section varying hollow member, the latter can be heated. In the preliminary heating process, it is desirable to perform energization heating at a part having a cross sectional area ratio of 90% or more with respect to the part having a large cross sectional area in the cross section varying part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Shigeru Kuroda, Shuji Ohmura
  • Patent number: 9056538
    Abstract: A stabilizer link and a manufacturing method therefor in which there is less concentration of stress, the stud releasing load is improved, and the accuracy of centering of the ring member is improved. A second subassembly is formed by inserting a ball seat of a first subassembly into a ball seat receiving portion of a housing and by arranging a ring member at an opening side of the ball seat. A stopper base portion is abutted to an opening end surface of the ball seat. An outer peripheral end portion taper surface has a taper shape in which a diameter is increased toward an opening side in an axial direction, in a stopper base portion and it is abutted to a slope portion for a stopper base of the housing. An opening side of the ball seat is pressed through the ring member by caulking inwardly a caulking portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shigeru Kuroda
  • Publication number: 20150151605
    Abstract: A stabilizer link and a manufacturing method therefor which can ensure strength required in wing plates and a center supporting plate and in a support bar, and which can ensure strength required in ribs. The support bar has a top wing plate, a bottom wing plate, a center supporting plate, and a plurality of ribs. In the wing plates and the center supporting plate, reinforcing fiber is orientated to a longitudinal direction of the support bar. In the rib, the reinforcing fiber is orientated to a perpendicular direction of the support bar. A longitudinal orientation ratio D1 at a longitudinal center portion of the top wing plate and the bottom wing plate, a perpendicular orientation ratio D2 at a perpendicular center portion of the ribs, and a perpendicular orientation ratio D3 at a perpendicular end portion of the ribs satisfy Equation 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Publication date: June 4, 2015
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shigeru Kuroda
  • Publication number: 20150001824
    Abstract: A stabilizer link and a manufacturing method therefor in which there is less concentration of stress, the stud releasing load is improved, and the accuracy of centering of the ring member is improved. A second subassembly is formed by inserting a ball seat of a first subassembly into a ball seat receiving portion of a housing and by arranging a ring member at an opening side of the ball seat. A stopper base portion is abutted to an opening end surface of the ball seat. An outer peripheral end portion taper surface has a taper shape in which a diameter is increased toward an opening side in an axial direction, in a stopper base portion and it is abutted to a slope portion for a stopper base of the housing. An opening side of the ball seat is pressed through the ring member by caulking inwardly a caulking portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shigeru Kuroda
  • Patent number: 8905417
    Abstract: A stabilizer link and a production method therefor are provided in which a jig for attaching a forming die to a subassembly has a simple structure and which can effectively prevent leakage of a resin to the outside. In insert molding, a ring member is used. An outer peripheral side surface of a ball seat of a subassembly is abutted to an inner peripheral surface of a hole of the ring member. An outer peripheral side radial direction surface of a fixing portion of a dust cover is pressed toward the flange portion of the ball seat by a surface of the ring member, and the fixing portion is held by the surface and the flange portion. An end portion of a die body is abutted to another surface of the ring member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeru Kuroda
  • Patent number: 8870201
    Abstract: A stabilizer link in which weight reduction can be achieved and the circumferential position and the distance between both housings can be adjusted, and a method for manufacturing same, are provided. A solid bar made of a light weight metal or a fiber reinforced plastic is used for a support bar. An end portion of the support bar is inserted into a mold as a core, and a housing is formed at the end portion of the support bar by injection molding. In this case, the resin is mold-shrunk, whereby a boss portion of the housing covers and adheres to the whole circumference of the end portion of the support bar thereof. Therefore, the boss portion is rigidly fixed to the end portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeru Kuroda
  • Patent number: 8864155
    Abstract: Injection molding is performed such that the reinforced resin is injected into the cavity and the space. The fixing portion shown is formed at the bottom portion side of the side surface portion of the main body portion by the injection molding. In this case, the fixing protrusion stripe portion, which is fitted to the fixing groove portion of the main body portion, is formed at the fixing portion. The projection portion projecting from the hole portion of the housing to an external portion is formed at the bottom portion of the fixing portion, and the projection portion is formed to have the shape engaging with the outer surface of the bottom portion of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeru Kuroda
  • Patent number: 8827288
    Abstract: A torsion portion extending in a vehicle width direction and having a first cross-sectional area, shoulder portions located at both ends of the torsion portion and having a second cross-sectional area larger than the first cross-sectional area and arm portions extending from the shoulder portions in a front and back direction of a vehicle, respectively and having the first cross-sectional area, so that even when a hollow member is used for weight saving, can be realized by design and manufacturing method facilitating making uniform principal stress as in a solid member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Kuroda, Shuji Ohmura
  • Publication number: 20140131970
    Abstract: A stabilizer link and a production method therefor are provided in which a jig for attaching a forming die to a subassembly has a simple structure and which can effectively prevent leakage of a resin to the outside. In insert molding, a ring member is used. An outer peripheral side surface of a ball seat of a subassembly is abutted to an inner peripheral surface of a hole of the ring member. An outer peripheral side radial direction surface of a fixing portion of a dust cover is pressed toward the flange portion of the ball seat by a surface of the ring member, and the fixing portion is held by the surface and the flange portion. An end portion of a die body is abutted to another surface of the ring member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shigeru Kuroda
  • Patent number: 8657520
    Abstract: A ball seat made of a resin material having a recessed spherical surface and an external peripheral surface, a stud ball having a spherical head portion that engages with the recessed spherical surface in a rotatable manner, and a housing that accommodates the ball seat which is inserted from an opening portion toward a bottom surface, and comprises a ball seat insertion unit where an inner peripheral surface is engaged with an external peripheral surface of the ball seat are provided, wherein an external diameter of the external peripheral surface increases from the bottom surface toward the opening portion, and an internal diameter of the inner peripheral surface increases from the bottom surface toward the opening portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Kuroda, Shuji Ohmura
  • Publication number: 20140027995
    Abstract: A stabilizer link in which weight reduction can be achieved and the circumferential position and the distance between both housings can be adjusted, and a method for manufacturing same, are provided. A solid bar made of a light weight metal or a fiber reinforced plastic is used for a support bar. An end portion of the support bar is inserted into a mold as a core, and a housing is formed at the end portion of the support bar by injection molding. In this case, the resin is mold-shrunk, whereby a boss portion of the housing covers and adheres to the whole circumference of the end portion of the support bar thereof. Therefore, the boss portion is rigidly fixed to the end portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shigeru Kuroda
  • Patent number: 8589989
    Abstract: An in-train information distribution and display system and enables dynamic selection and display of contents having higher advertising effectiveness according to train information. A first program listing having time slots set therein and a plurality of advertising content data associated with each of the time slots of the first program listing, as candidates for program material, are prepared in a ground content-distribution server. An on-board central-distribution server determines the program material by selecting one of the plural advertising content data associated with each of the time slots of the first program listing, based on train information and passenger information obtained from a train-information central unit. A program listing having determined program materials constitutes a second program listing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeru Kuroda, Kenichi Ishiguri, Masao Oki
  • Patent number: 8550741
    Abstract: A ball joint includes a ball seat, and the ball seat includes a thermal caulking portion for fixing a ball seat to a housing. The ball seat includes a concave portion having an overhang portion for withstanding a pullout load so as to prevent a ball portion from coming off from the concave portion. The concave portion of the ball seat is formed of polyoxymethylene, and the overhang portion and the thermal caulking portion are formed of a resin, in which glass fiber is added to the polyoxymethylene, so as to be strengthened. Consequently, the pullout load can be increased, and the weight of the ball joint is maintained and the production cost is not greatly increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeru Kuroda