Patents by Inventor Tadashi Sano

Tadashi Sano 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: 8866643
    Abstract: In a rotation input device, a planetary carrier, connected to an operation knob, rotatably supports a planetary gear which meshes with an outer teeth row provided for a sun gear, to which an output shaft is secured, and also meshes with an inner teeth row provided for an outer gear. A plunger provided for the sun gear is in elastic contact with a recess cam provided for the outer gear. A solenoid unit prevents rotation of the outer gear in accordance with an output of a magnetic sensor which faces a magnet provided for the output shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadashi Sano
  • Patent number: 8839606
    Abstract: In an engine system with a reformer being installed in an exhaust pipe to reform a fuel, a control valve for controlling a flow rate of exhaust gas is provided downstream from an installed position of the reformer in the exhaust pipe. In the engine system with the reformer, since a part of the exhaust gas can be trapped in a space between the reformer and an engine chamber by closing the control valve during an exhaust stroke, the reforming efficiency of the reformer can be heightened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Shimada, Takao Ishikawa, Tadashi Sano
  • Publication number: 20140251738
    Abstract: A magnetic brake unit includes an operation unit, a rotating plate placed below the operation unit and coaxially rotating with the operation unit in conjunction with an operation of the operation unit, and an electromagnetic brake that is placed to be in contact with the rotating plate and can magnetically adsorb the rotating plate, in which the rotating plate includes an adsorbed surface in contact with the electromagnetic brake, the electromagnetic brake includes an adsorbing surface in contact with the rotating plate, the electromagnetic brake applies a braking force against a pivoting to the rotating plate when the electromagnetic brake magnetically adsorbs the rotating plate, the rotating plate is pivotable in a state of being in contact with the electromagnetic brake when the electromagnetic brake does not magnetically adsorb the rotating plate, and a polymer material section is formed at least one of the adsorbed surface and the adsorbing surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadashi Sano
  • Patent number: 8714296
    Abstract: In a vehicle input device having a position detection portion configured to output a detection signal and a controller (control section) configured to receive the detection signal, the position detection portion operated by a driver is provided near an end side of the vehicle input device, and a contact operation surface on which the driver performs a contact operation is an end surface of an operation member of the position detection portion. Thus, the driver is capable of operating the vehicle input device with a finger while holding a steering wheel. In addition, by the controller determining the position of an operation of the driver on the basis of the detection signal from the position detection portion, it is made possible to detect various operations and various devices can be operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: ALPS Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadashi Sano
  • Publication number: 20140048022
    Abstract: An engine system includes a reformer for driving an engine by supplying the engine with a reformed fuel which the reformer reforms from a pre-reformed fuel. The reformer includes a reforming catalyst for reforming the pre-reformed fuel by a water vapor reforming reaction. The engine system also includes a pre-reformed fuel supply adjustment unit for supplying the pre-reformed fuel to the reformer. The reformer includes an extremity portion provided in an engine cylinder. The pre-reformed fuel supply adjustment unit supplies the pre-reformed fuel to the reformer during a suction stroke of the engine, and the reformed fuel is directly supplied from the reformer into the engine cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi SHIMADA, Takao ISHIKAWA, Tadashi SANO
  • Patent number: 8597520
    Abstract: A wastewater treatment method in which magnetic flocs are formed by adding to wastewater an inorganic flocculant, magnetic particles, and a high molecular polymer as a polymeric flocculant, and the magnetic flocs are collected with magnetic force to thereby obtain treated water having the magnetic flocs removed from the wastewater, wherein the improvement comprises that the magnetic particles are added to the wastewater after adding the inorganic flocculant to the wastewater to flocculate suspended solids in the wastewater, after that or substantially at the same time as the magnetic particles are added, the high molecular polymer is added to the wastewater, and flocculates of the suspended solids and the magnetic particles are combined with each other with the high molecular polymer to thereby obtain the magnetic flocs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Plant Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisashi Isogami, Akira Mochizuki, Hiroshi Sasaki, Tadashi Sano, Satoshi Miyabayashi
  • Patent number: 8596231
    Abstract: Disclosed is an engine system with a reformer, the engine system comprising a reformer and driving an engine using, as a fuel, a reformed fuel produced by reforming pre-reformed fuel with the reformer, in which the reformer is connected with both a pre-reformed fuel supply adjustment unit which adjusts the amount of the pre-reformed fuel supplied to the reformer and a reformed fuel supply adjustment unit which adjusts the amount of reformed fuel supplied to the engine, and the reformer is installed adjacent to the engine combustion chamber via the reformed fuel supply adjustment unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Shimada, Takao Ishikawa, Tadashi Sano
  • Patent number: 8573086
    Abstract: A rotating knob is rotatably attached to an outer peripheral portion of an operation lever. The rotating knob has a lead thread portion on the inner surface thereof, and the lead thread portion meshes with external teeth of a ring gear. Internal teeth of the ring gear mesh with speed-increasing gears, and permanent magnets are fixed to the speed-increasing gears. A circuit board is arranged in the operation lever so as to extend along the axial direction thereof, and magnetic sensors mounted on the circuit board are opposed to the permanent magnets at positions close thereto. Accordingly, the operation position of the rotating knob can be detected by the magnetic sensors. The gears, the circuit board, etc., are supported by a support case and a cover case to form a switch unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadashi Sano
  • Publication number: 20130237369
    Abstract: At least one of plural gears includes a tooth-side base portion and an opposite base portion that are disposed coaxially and connected to each other by connecting portions, the tooth-side base portion is formed in the shape of a ring and includes a tooth row on one peripheral surface thereof, and the opposite base portion faces a peripheral surface of the tooth-side base portion opposite to the peripheral surface of the tooth-side base portion on which the tooth row is formed. Protruding portions are formed on the peripheral surface of the tooth-side base portion facing the opposite base portion. The connecting portions extend from the protruding portions toward the peripheral surface of the opposite base portion facing the tooth-side base portion. A portion, which is connected to the tooth-side base portion, of each connecting portion and a peripheral surface-tangential direction of the tooth-side base portion form an acute angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Sano, Kazuhiko Ito
  • Publication number: 20130228427
    Abstract: A rear operation body is attached on a rear portion of a front case via a pair of front supporting plate springs. A front operation body is provided in the front case so as to abut on the front case, and the front operation body and the rear operation body are connected via a penetration portion. A rear case is provided in a rearward of the front case, and a rear supporting plate spring is provided in the rear case. A flexible print substrate is superimposed in a frontward of the rear supporting plate spring and a plurality of detection members are mounted on the flexible print substrate. When an operation surface of the front operation body has been pressed, the front supporting plate springs are deformed. Thereby, the rear operation body is moved such that any of the plurality of the detection member is operated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadashi Sano
  • Publication number: 20130228440
    Abstract: A rear operation body is attached on a rear portion of a front case via a pair of front supporting plate springs. A front operation body is provided in a frontward of the front case and the front operation body and the rear operation body are connected via a penetration portion. A rear case is provided in a rearward of the front case, and a rear supporting plate spring is provided in the rear case. A flexible print substrate is provided in a frontward thereof and a plurality of detection members are mounted on the flexible print substrate. When an operation surface of the front operation body is pressed, the front supporting plate springs are deformed. Thereby, the rear operation body is moved such that any of the plurality of detection members is operated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: ALPS ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tadashi Sano
  • Patent number: 8334470
    Abstract: A lever operation device includes a movable support member that supports a base portion of an operation lever such that the base portion is pivotable along a first operation plane, a housing that supports the movable support member such that the movable support member is pivotable along a second operation plane that is orthogonal to the first operation plane, an actuator holder attached to the base portion such that the actuator holder is rotatable along the second operation plane, a first actuator retained by the actuator holder, and a second actuator retained by the movable support member. The housing is provided with a first cam surface and a second cam surface on an inner wall surface thereof, the first actuator and the second actuator being in elastic contact with the first cam surface and the second cam surface, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadashi Sano
  • Patent number: 8283917
    Abstract: A rotating axis of a first driven gear provided with a magnet and a rotating axis of a second driven gear provided with a magnet are orthogonalized with respect to a plane which includes a rotating axis of a rotor having a first gear and a second gear each with a different number of teeth concentrically provided for a flanged gear forming section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadashi Sano
  • Publication number: 20120110984
    Abstract: In an engine system with a reformer being installed in an exhaust pipe to reform a fuel, a control valve for controlling a flow rate of exhaust gas is provided downstream from an installed position of the reformer in the exhaust pipe. In the engine system with the reformer, since a part of the exhaust gas can be trapped in a space between the reformer and an engine chamber by closing the control valve during an exhaust stroke, the reforming efficiency of the reformer can be heightened.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 25, 2009
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Shimada, Takao Ishikawa, Tadashi Sano
  • Patent number: 8171894
    Abstract: An engine system in which hydrogen is employed as a fuel, including a reactor configured to cause a reaction using a catalyst, in which the reactor is constituted by alternately disposing plural exhaust passages and plural fuel passageways of the engine system with a wall interposed therebetween; at least one carrier configured to carry the catalyst and to be formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape is fitted in at least one of fuel passageways; and the carrier is provided with a plate portion which has a surface disposed in a fuel flowing direction and is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape and at least one slit portion which divides the surface of the plate portion in the fuel flowing direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Sano, Shigenori Togashi, Takao Ishikawa, Atsushi Shimada, Kenichi Souma
  • Publication number: 20120056761
    Abstract: In a rotation input device, a planetary carrier, connected to an operation knob, rotatably supports a planetary gear which meshes with an outer teeth row provided for a sun gear, to which an output shaft is secured, and also meshes with an inner teeth row provided for an outer gear. A plunger provided for the sun gear is in elastic contact with a recess cam provided for the outer gear. A solenoid unit prevents rotation of the outer gear in accordance with an output of a magnetic sensor which faces a magnet provided for the output shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Applicant: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadashi SANO
  • Patent number: 8096269
    Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide an engine system using a small-sized heat exchanger having a high efficiency and a stable performance for heating and vaporizing a hydrogen medium supplied to a reactor vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Sano, Takao Ishikawa, Atsushi Shimada
  • Publication number: 20110265736
    Abstract: Disclosed is an engine system with a reformer, the engine system comprising a reformer and driving an engine using, as a fuel, a reformed fuel produced by reforming pre-reformed fuel with the reformer, in which the reformer is connected with both a pre-reformed fuel supply adjustment unit which adjusts the amount of the pre-reformed fuel supplied to the reformer and a reformed fuel supply adjustment unit which adjusts the amount of reformed fuel supplied to the engine, and the reformer is installed adjacent to the engine combustion chamber via the reformed fuel supply adjustment unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Inventors: Atsushi Shimada, Takao Ishikawa, Tadashi Sano
  • Patent number: 8033255
    Abstract: An engine system comprising an engine, hydrogen medium capable of repeating chemically storing and discharging hydrogen, an exhaust gas pipe from said engine; and a reactor unit bearing a catalyst; wherein the hydrogen generated using the heat of the exhaust gas in said reactor unit or the mixture of the hydrogen and said hydrogen medium being supplied to said engine; wherein said reactor unit includes at least first reactor and second reactor in said exhaust gas pipe and each of said reactors comprises a partition wall disposed between an exhaust gas passage and a hydrogen medium passage; and wherein the thermal resistance of said partition wall of said first reactor positioned on the upstream side is larger than that of said second reactor positioned on the downstream side, and said hydrogen medium is supplied from said first reactor to said second reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Sano, Shigenori Togashi, Takao Ishikawa, Atsushi Shimada
  • Publication number: 20110219895
    Abstract: A rotating knob is rotatably attached to an outer peripheral portion of an operation lever. The rotating knob has a lead thread portion on the inner surface thereof, and the lead thread portion meshes with external teeth of a ring gear. Internal teeth of the ring gear mesh with speed-increasing gears, and permanent magnets are fixed to the speed-increasing gears. A circuit board is arranged in the operation lever so as to extend along the axial direction thereof, and magnetic sensors mounted on the circuit board are opposed to the permanent magnets at positions close thereto. Accordingly, the operation position of the rotating knob can be detected by the magnetic sensors. The gears, the circuit board, etc., are supported by a support case and a cover case to form a switch unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: ALPS ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tadashi SANO