Patents by Inventor Shirou Nakano

Shirou Nakano 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: 9764695
    Abstract: At the inner side adhesion portion 28, a portion of the inner side vertical wall portion 22 is formed so as to be recessed to an inner side. An inclination angle ?2 of the inner side adhesion portion 28 with respect to a vehicle up-and-down direction is set to be greater than an inclination angle ?1 of the inner side vertical wall portion 22. At the outer side adhesion portion 38, a portion of the outer side vertical wall portion 32 is formed so as to be recessed to the inner side. An inclination angle ?4 of the outer side adhesion portion 38 with respect to the vehicle up-and-down direction is set to be greater than an inclination angle ?3 of the outer side vertical wall portion 32.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shirou Nakano
  • Publication number: 20160243999
    Abstract: At the inner side adhesion portion 28, a portion of the inner side vertical wall portion 22 is formed so as to be recessed to an inner side. An inclination angle ?2 of the inner side adhesion portion 28 with respect to a vehicle up-and-down direction is set to be greater than an inclination angle ?1 of the inner side vertical wall portion 22. At the outer side adhesion portion 38, a portion of the outer side vertical wall portion 32 is formed so as to be recessed to the inner side. An inclination angle ?4 of the outer side adhesion portion 38 with respect to the vehicle up-and-down direction is set to be greater than an inclination angle ?3 of the outer side vertical wall portion 32.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shirou NAKANO
  • Patent number: 8684129
    Abstract: A controller applies slight rotational torque to a drive gear of a reduction mechanism also in a predetermined range in which a motor does not produce any steering operation assist force. That is, the motor is caused to produce slight rotational torque not enough to drive a driven gear, and the rotational torque direction is reversed under a given condition. Accordingly, a backlash between the drive gear and the driven gear is eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Shinsuke Terada, Hideki Higashira, Yasuyuki Yoshii, Naoki Maeda, Shirou Nakano
  • Patent number: 8683887
    Abstract: A rack-and-pinion steering apparatus comprises pinion teeth formed according to proper tooth specifications in other aspects under a larger pressure angle, thereby stably offering smooth and comfortable steering feeling over a long time. The module (m), number of teeth (z), tooth depth (h) and helix angle (?) of the pinion teeth (4) are set within the following ranges, under a pressure angle (?) set within a range of 24° to 30° and a given stroke ratio. module (m): 1.8 to 2.0 number of teeth (z): 7 to 13 tooth depth (h): 2 m to 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Takayasu Yamazaki, Shirou Nakano
  • Publication number: 20120090913
    Abstract: A controller applies slight rotational torque to a drive gear of a reduction mechanism also in a predetermined range in which a motor does not produce any steering operation assist force. That is, the motor is caused to produce slight rotational torque not enough to drive a driven gear, and the rotational torque direction is reversed under a given condition. Accordingly, a backlash between the drive gear and the driven gear is eliminated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinsuke Terada, Hideki Higashira, Yasuyuki Yoshii, Naoki Maeda, Shirou Nakano
  • Patent number: 7631428
    Abstract: A rack and pinion steering apparatus which does not need quenching of the rack shaft after gear cutting of the rack shaft in manufacturing processes is provided. The rack and pinion steering apparatus comprises a pinion shaft and a rack shaft meshing with the pinion shaft. The rack shaft is formed to have a substantially uniform hardness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Takayasu Yamazaki, Shirou Nakano, Hironori Yamato, Youjirou Kakoki
  • Patent number: 7604088
    Abstract: An electric power steering system is provided which is capable of providing a favorable steering feeling without using compensation logics such as of inertia compensation and friction compensation. The electric power steering system includes road-noise suppression control means (213) for controlling a steering assist motor (9) in a manner to damp torque transmission in a higher frequency region representing road noises than a frequency region representing road information. A friction value of a steering mechanism (A) is decreased enough to allow the intrinsic vibrations of the steering mechanism (A) to appear. Rotor inertia of the steering assist motor (9) is set to a value small enough to allow the frequencies of the intrinsic vibrations to be present in the frequency region where the torque transmission is damped by the road-noise suppression control means (213).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Nishizaki, Shirou Nakano, Ken Matsubara, Toshiaki Oya, Yasuhiro Kamatani, Masahiko Sakamaki, Yoshikazu Kuroumaru, Shigeki Nagase, Takayasu Yamazaki, Yasuhiro Saitou, Takeshi Ueda
  • Patent number: 7600602
    Abstract: The invention provides a motor-driven power steering apparatus which can achieve a predetermined speed reduction ratio even in the case that the motor-driven power steering apparatus is constituted by a pair of spur gears or helical gears, and can secure a sufficient gear strength on the basis of a simple structure. In a motor-driven power steering apparatus in which a rotating torque of an electric motor (7) is transmitted to a steering shaft by a drive gear (6) provided in an output shaft of the electric motor (7) and a driven gear (5) provided in the steering shaft, and a speed reduction ratio is equal to or more than 3, the steering shaft and the output shaft of the electric motor (7) are arranged in almost parallel, a center distance between both the shafts is equal to or more than 35 mm and equal to or less than 90 mm, and the drive gear (6) is configured such that a number of teeth is equal to or more than 6 and equal to or less than 15, a module is equal to or more than 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Kuroumaru, Shirou Nakano, Katsutoshi Nishizaki
  • Patent number: 7536930
    Abstract: A reduction gear unit capable of reducing vibrations caused by gear rattle, while permitting some degree of backlash in a pair of gears, is provided. A reduction gear unit is so configured that a pinion shaft and a main gear shaft are disposed in parallel to each other, and a pinion 1 mounted on the pinion shaft and a main gear 2 mounted on the main gear shaft are arranged to mesh with each other, so as to transmit a rotation of the pinion shaft to the main gear shaft, and includes a housing 11 that encloses the pinion 1 and the main gear 2, where the housing 11 has an inner surface whose width, in a cross section perpendicular to an axial direction of the pinion shaft and the main gear shaft, perpendicular to an imaginary line that connects centers of the pinion shaft and the main gear shaft evenly increases from a pinion side toward a main gear side between ends of arcuate regions respectively enclosing the main gear and the pinion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Kuroumaru, Shirou Nakano, Katsutoshi Nishizaki
  • Patent number: 7520366
    Abstract: A second housing is aligned with a first housing at a predetermined position using positioning means that determines the mounting position of the housing with respect to the first housing at the predetermined position; steering shaft supporting sections and output shaft supporting sections are provided in the first housing and the second housing respectively while the housings being mounted using screws or the like; the second housing is removed temporarily from the first housing; a steering shaft and an output shaft are supported using the steering shaft supporting sections and the output shaft supporting sections; and the second housing is aligned again with the first housing at the predetermined position using the positioning means and mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Kuroumaru, Shirou Nakano, Katsutoshi Nishizaki
  • Patent number: 7441626
    Abstract: The present invention provides a rack-and-pinion steering apparatus capable of effectively reducing reverse input, while a high degree of design freedom is secured. The sum of the tilt angle of a rack tooth with respect to a reference line perpendicular to the axial line of a rack shaft and the tilt angle of a pinion tooth with respect to the axial line of a pinion shaft does not coincide with the tilt angle of the axial line of the pinion shaft with respect to the reference line. Crowning is given on the tooth surface of the rack tooth (or the pinion tooth) in order to decrease the tooth width on one end side in the direction of tooth trace and to increase the tooth width on the other end side according to the state of contact with the pinion tooth (or the rack tooth) opposed thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Takayasu Yamazaki, Shirou Nakano
  • Publication number: 20080223163
    Abstract: A rack-and-pinion steering apparatus comprises pinion teeth formed according to proper tooth specifications in other aspects under a larger pressure angle, thereby stably offering smooth and comfortable steering feeling over a long time. The module (m), number of teeth (z), tooth depth(h) and helix angle (?) of the pinion teeth (4) are set within the following ranges, under a pressure angle (?) set within a range of 24° to 30° and a given stroke ratio. module (m): 1.8 to 2.0 number of teeth (z): 7 to 13 tooth depth (h): 2 m to 2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2005
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Inventors: Takayasu Yamazaki, Shirou Nakano
  • Publication number: 20070272471
    Abstract: A second housing is aligned with a first housing at a predetermined position using positioning means that determines the mounting position of the housing with respect to the first housing at the predetermined position; steering shaft supporting sections and output shaft supporting sections are provided in the first housing and the second housing respectively while the housings being mounted using screws or the like; the second housing is removed temporarily from the first housing; a steering shaft and an output shaft are supported using the steering shaft supporting sections and the output shaft supporting sections; and the second housing is aligned again with the first housing at the predetermined position using the positioning means and mounted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2005
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Kuroumaru, Shirou Nakano, Katsutoshi Nishizaki
  • Patent number: 7270016
    Abstract: A sensor includes a stator having four or more magnetic pole teeth and concentric with a stationary-side raceway member, and excitation coils and detection coils wound around the respective magnetic pole teeth. Signals generated in the detection coils according to distances between the magnetic pole teeth and a rotation-side raceway member are taken out for the respective magnetic pole teeth. The load acting on a rolling bearing is obtained in processing means from these signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Sentoku, Shirou Nakano
  • Publication number: 20070205041
    Abstract: An electric power steering system is provided which is capable of providing a favorable steering feeling without using compensation logics such as of inertia compensation and friction compensation. The electric power steering system includes road-noise suppression control means (213) for controlling a steering assist motor (9) in a manner to damp torque transmission in a higher frequency region representing road noises than a frequency region representing road information. A friction value of a steering mechanism (A) is decreased enough to allow the intrinsic vibrations of the steering mechanism (A) to appear. Rotor inertia of the steering assist motor (9) is set to a value small enough to allow the frequencies of the intrinsic vibrations to be present in the frequency region where the torque transmission is damped by the road-noise suppression control means (213).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2005
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Applicant: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Nishizaki, Shirou Nakano, Ken Matsubara, Toshiaki Oya, Yasuhiro Kamatani, Masahiko Sakamaki, Yoshikazu Kuromaru, Shigeki Nagase, Takayasu Yamazaki, Yasuhiro Saitou, Takeshi Ueda
  • Publication number: 20070170787
    Abstract: The invention provides a motor-driven power steering apparatus which can achieve a predetermined speed reduction ratio even in the case that the motor-driven power steering apparatus is constituted by a pair of spur gears or helical gears, and can secure a sufficient gear strength on the basis of a simple structure. In a motor-driven power steering apparatus in which a rotating torque of an electric motor (7) is transmitted to a steering shaft by a drive gear (6) provided in an output shaft of the electric motor (7) and a driven gear (5) provided in the steering shaft, and a speed reduction ratio is equal to or more than 3, the steering shaft and the output shaft of the electric motor (7) are arranged in almost parallel, a center distance between both the shafts is equal to or more than 35 mm and equal to or less than 90 mm, and the drive gear (6) is configured such that a number of teeth is equal to or more than 6 and equal to or less than 15, a module is equal to or more than 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2004
    Publication date: July 26, 2007
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Kuroumaru, Shirou Nakano, Katsutoshi Nishizaki
  • Patent number: 7233850
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle steering apparatus that detects the tire load, and based on the detected tire load, performs steering control which accurately reflects the road conditions. A vehicle steering apparatus of the present invention includes a control unit 14, which controls a steering actuator in accordance with the operation of a steering wheel 1. An operation reaction force generated by a reaction force actuator 9 is applied to the steering wheel. Within the tire W, stress sensors SL and SR and an air pressure sensor SP are provided. The control unit 14 controls the steering actuator 2 and the reaction force actuator 9 with referring to the tire load detected by these sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shirou Nakano, Sachio Yoshida, Ryouhei Hayama
  • Publication number: 20070006674
    Abstract: A reduction gear unit capable of reducing vibrations caused by gear rattle, while permitting some degree of backlash in a pair of gears, is provided. A reduction gear unit is so configured that a pinion shaft and a main gear shaft are disposed in parallel to each other, and a pinion 1 mounted on the pinion shaft and a main gear 2 mounted on the main gear shaft are arranged to mesh with each other, so as to transmit a rotation of the pinion shaft to the main gear shaft, and includes a housing 11 that encloses the pinion 1 and the main gear 2, where the housing 11 has an inner surface whose width, in a cross section perpendicular to an axial direction of the pinion shaft and the main gear shaft, perpendicular to an imaginary line that connects centers of the pinion shaft and the main gear shaft evenly increases from a pinion side toward a main gear side between ends of arcuate regions respectively enclosing the main gear and the pinion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2004
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Applicant: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Kuroumaru, Shirou Nakano, Katsutoshi Nishizaki
  • Publication number: 20060137471
    Abstract: A sensor (47) includes a stator (48) having four or more magnetic pole teeth (48b) and concentric with a stationary-side raceway member (43), and excitation coils (49) and detection coils (50) wound around the respective magnetic pole teeth (48b). Signals generated in the detection coils (50) according to distances between the magnetic pole teeth (48b) and a rotation-side raceway member (44) are taken out for the respective magnetic pole teeth (48b). The load acting on a rolling bearing (41) is obtained in processing means from these signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Publication date: June 29, 2006
    Applicant: KOYO SEIKO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Minoru Sentoku, Shirou Nakano
  • Publication number: 20060060414
    Abstract: An electric power steering system which assists in steering by driving an electric motor in accordance with an operation of a steering member, comprising a drive gear connected to a rotation shaft of the electric motor and a driven gear securely fitted on a steering shaft so as to mesh with the drive gear, wherein the driven gear includes a gear body and a ring element that is mounted on the gear body in such a manner as to slide relative to the gear body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Publication date: March 23, 2006
    Applicant: Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Kuroumaru, Shirou Nakano