Patents by Inventor Shohei Fukama

Shohei Fukama 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: 11215240
    Abstract: A self-aligning clutch release bearing in which consideration is taken for a fiber flow in a steel sheet of which a side plate is made. Specifically, the side plate is formed with cutout portions at locations where an imaginary line passing through the cutout portions and the center of an inner-diameter portion is across the fiber flow in the steel sheet of which the side plate is made. With this arrangement, the present invention makes it possible that cracks do not develop easily from the cutout portions when a flange portion is formed by means of burring process after the side plate is punched by means of blanking process. This leads to improved yield and increased strength of the side plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shohei Fukama
  • Patent number: 10941812
    Abstract: A bearing seal (26) includes an elastically deformable waist portion (29), a first lip (31) protruding axially inside direction, and a second lip (32) protruding axially outside. In a free situation without the fastening allowance C, a center of gravity F of a portion that includes the waist portion, the first lip, and the second lip is present in an axial inside with respect to a rotation center X of the portion, and an axial distance A from the rotation center X to the center of gravity F is included in a range of more than 0 and less than the fastening allowance C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaharu Inoue, Shohei Fukama, Hayato Kawaguchi
  • Publication number: 20200200221
    Abstract: A bearing seal (26) includes an elastically deformable waist portion (29), a first lip (31) protruding axially inside direction, and a second lip (32) protruding axially outside. In a free situation without the fastening allowance C, a center of gravity F of a portion that includes the waist portion, the first lip, and the second lip is present in an axial inside with respect to a rotation center X of the portion, and an axial distance A from the rotation center X to the center of gravity F is included in a range of more than 0 and less than the fastening allowance C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: Masaharu INOUE, Shohei FUKAMA, Hayato KAWAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20200116209
    Abstract: The present invention provides a self-aligning clutch release bearing in which consideration is taken for a fiber flow in a steel sheet of which a side plate is made. Specifically, the side plate is formed with cutout portions at locations where an imaginary line passing through the cutout portions and the center of an inner-diameter portion is across the fiber flow in the steel sheet of which the side plate is made. With this arrangement, the present invention makes it possible that cracks do not develop easily from the cutout portions when a flange portion is formed by means of burring process after the side plate is punched by means of blanking process. This leads to improved yield and increased strength of the side plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Publication date: April 16, 2020
    Inventor: Shohei FUKAMA
  • Patent number: 9366292
    Abstract: A retainer for a ball bearing includes two annular members that face each other in an axial direction thereof. The two annular members include opposed surfaces each having hemispherical pockets that are formed at positions in a circumferential direction of each of the two annular members and configured to receive balls. The opposed surfaces are snap-fitted to each other to couple together the two annular members. The hemispherical pockets each have an inner peripheral surface provided with ball contact and ball non-contact surfaces. The ball contact surface is formed at a central portion in a pocket circumferential direction and at least at a central portion in a pocket axial direction of the inner peripheral surface. The ball non-contact surface includes a recess recessed to an opposite side to a corresponding ball across the ball contact surface and is opened in at least one of pocket axial ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shohei Fukama, Yasuyuki Katayama, Takahiro Okada, Katsuaki Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20150233425
    Abstract: A retainer for a ball bearing includes two annular members that face each other in an axial direction thereof. The two annular members include opposed surfaces each having hemispherical pockets that are formed at positions in a circumferential direction of each of the two annular members and configured to receive balls. The opposed surfaces are snap-fitted to each other to couple together the two annular members. The hemispherical pockets each have an inner peripheral surface provided with ball contact and ball non-contact surfaces. The ball contact surface is formed at a central portion in a pocket circumferential direction and at least at a central portion in a pocket axial direction of the inner peripheral surface. The ball non-contact surface includes a recess recessed to an opposite side to a corresponding ball across the ball contact surface and is opened in at least one of pocket axial ends.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2015
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Applicant: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shohei FUKAMA, Yasuyuki KATAYAMA, Takahiro OKADA, Katsuaki SASAKI
  • Patent number: 9103374
    Abstract: A retainer for a ball bearing includes two annular members that face each other in an axial direction thereof. The two annular members include opposed surfaces each having hemispherical pockets that are formed at positions in a circumferential direction of each of the two annular members and configured to receive balls. The opposed surfaces are snap-fitted to each other to couple together the two annular members. The hemispherical pockets each have an inner peripheral surface provided with ball contact and ball non-contact surfaces. The ball contact surface is formed at a central portion in a pocket circumferential direction and at least at a central portion in a pocket axial direction of the inner peripheral surface. The ball non-contact surface includes a recess recessed to an opposite side to a corresponding ball across the ball contact surface and is opened in at least one of pocket axial ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shohei Fukama, Yasuyuki Katayama, Takahiro Okada, Katsuaki Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9012551
    Abstract: To provide a rubber composition capable of sufficiently abrading a sealing lip while sliding it in an initial stage of rotation and sufficiently reducing a running torque, and further capable of securing a sufficient sealing property. The composition includes a first compounding ingredient which is one or more kinds selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate, magnesium oxide, aluminum oxide and barium sulfate in an amount of 50 to 200 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of a rubber component, and a second compounding ingredient which is one or two kinds selected from the group consisting of carbon black and a silica in an amount of more than 0 parts by mass and 50 parts by mass or lower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignees: NTN Corporation, Nakanishi Metal Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuaki Sasaki, Shohei Fukama, Takashi Kaneike, Yasuhiko Kojima
  • Patent number: 8727631
    Abstract: A retainer provides torque reduction. The retainer is formed by two annular retaining plates each including semispherical swelling portions arranged at predetermined intervals along a circumferential direction. The semispherical swelling portions face each other and form pockets for retaining balls. Each of the pockets has ball-facing surfaces each including a ball non-contact portion, and a contact area in each of the pockets with respect to each of the balls is reduced by from 15% to 30% by the ball non-contact portion. Each of the seal members serves as a contact seal having a seal lip portion coming into contact with another of raceway, and a material of at least a distal end of the seal lip portion includes a high-abrasion material which is prone to abrasion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Wakuda, Katsuaki Sasaki, Shohei Fukama
  • Publication number: 20140064649
    Abstract: A retainer for a ball bearing includes two annular members that face each other in an axial direction thereof. The two annular members include opposed surfaces each having hemispherical pockets that are formed at positions in a circumferential direction of each of the two annular members and configured to receive balls. The opposed surfaces are snap-fitted to each other to couple together the two annular members. The hemispherical pockets each have an inner peripheral surface provided with ball contact and ball non-contact surfaces. The ball contact surface is formed at a central portion in a pocket circumferential direction and at least at a central portion in a pocket axial direction of the inner peripheral surface. The ball non-contact surface includes a recess recessed to an opposite side to a corresponding ball across the ball contact surface and is opened in at least one of pocket axial ends.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Inventors: Shohei Fukama, Yasuyuki Katayama, Takahiro Okada, Katsuaki Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20130158181
    Abstract: To provide a rubber composition capable of sufficiently abrading a sealing lip while sliding it in an initial stage of rotation and sufficiently reducing a running torque, and further capable of securing a sufficient sealing property. The composition includes a first compounding ingredient which is one or more kinds selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate, magnesium oxide, aluminum oxide and barium sulfate in an amount of 50 to 200 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of a rubber component, and a second compounding ingredient which is one or two kinds selected from the group consisting of carbon black and a silica in an amount of more than 0 parts by mass and 50 parts by mass or lower.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Inventors: Katsuaki Sasaki, Shohei Fukama, Takashi Kaneike, Yasuhiko Kojima
  • Publication number: 20110194795
    Abstract: An object is to prevent premature peeling on the raceways due to hydrogen embrittlement using an inexpensive means. The inner and outer races 2 and 3 are made of high-carbon chrome bearing steel SUJ2, and is subjected to high-temperature tempering of 260° C. or higher, and the grease A contains a molybdate and an organic acid salt. With this arrangement, it is possible to prevent premature peeling on raceways 2a and 3a due to hydrogen embrittlement with such simple means as to slightly increase the tempering temperature and specify the composition of the grease A.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2009
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Inventors: Makoto Muramatsu, Shohei Fukama
  • Publication number: 20110069918
    Abstract: Provided are a retainer capable of achieving torque reduction, a deep-groove ball bearing with the retainer, and a sealed bearing capable of preventing intrusion of foreign matter into the bearing and capable of sufficient seal torque reduction. The retainer is formed by combination of two annular retaining plates (27A, 27B) each including semispherical swelling portions (26) arranged at predetermined intervals along a circumferential direction. The semispherical swelling portions (26, 26) face each other and form pockets (30) for retaining balls (16). Each of the pockets (30) has ball-facing surfaces each including a ball non-contact portion (31), and a contact area in each of the pockets (30) with respect to each of the balls (16) is reduced by from 15% to 30% in comparison with a contact area with respect to each of the balls (16) without provision of the ball non-contact portion (31).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Inventors: Takahiro Wakuda, Katsuaki Sasaki, Shohei Fukama