Patents by Inventor Takayoshi Ozaki

Takayoshi Ozaki 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: 20140285128
    Abstract: A magnetic force estimating unit (38) for estimating the magnetic force of a permanent magnet of a rotor of a motor (6), a determining unit (39), and a demagnetization responsive timing changing unit (40) are provided in an inverter device (22) or an electric control unit (21). The magnetic force estimating unit (38) performs a determination of the magnetic force with a predetermined rule from detection signals of at least two of the motor rotation number, motor voltage and motor current. The determining unit (39) determines whether or not a demagnetization occurs. In response to the result of determination by the determining unit (39), the demagnetization responsive timing changing unit (40) changes the timing, at which the maximum electric current relative to the phase of the rotor is fed, so that with respect the motor drive by the inverter device the reluctance torque of the motor may be increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takayoshi Ozaki
  • Patent number: 8843291
    Abstract: An electric vehicle includes an in-wheel motor drive system. The in-wheel motor drive system includes a wheel bearing unit rotatably supporting a drive wheel, a motor unit, and a reducer unit. The electric vehicle also includes a disturbance observer that determines an estimate of external force influence on the drive wheel. The electric vehicle further includes a slip level-responsive corrector. The slip level-responsive corrector may use the estimate of external force influence, calculate a correction value that may correspond to slip level of the drive wheel, and correct an accelerator signal to the motor unit with the correction value to produce a motor torque command value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventor: Takayoshi Ozaki
  • Patent number: 8821365
    Abstract: A centrifugal blood pump apparatus includes an impeller provided in a blood chamber, a plurality of permanent magnets provided in the impeller, and a plurality of sets of magnetic materials and coils provided in a motor chamber for driving the impeller to rotate with a diaphragm interposed therebetween. The plurality of permanent magnets are aligned with a gap therebetween in a rotation direction of the impeller. Accordingly, if the weight of the permanent magnets is maintained at a constant value, a magnetic field can be strengthened even with a wide motor gap due to the diaphragm, as compared to an example where there is no gap between the permanent magnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Thoratec Corporation
    Inventors: Takayoshi Ozaki, Hiroyuki Yamada, Kenichi Suzuki, Ken Sugiura
  • Patent number: 8794100
    Abstract: A remote controlled actuator includes a spindle for holding a tool, a spindle guide section of an elongated configuration, a distal end member rotatably supporting the spindle, and a drive unit housing connected to a base end of the spindle guide section. The distal end member is fitted to the spindle guide section for alteration in attitude. The spindle guide section includes an outer shell pipe, a rotary shaft, and guide pipe. Within the guide pipe, an attitude altering member is inserted to alter the attitude of the distal end member. A connection device detachably connects the spindle guide section with the drive unit housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Isobe, Takayoshi Ozaki
  • Patent number: 8770945
    Abstract: In this centrifugal blood pump apparatus, one permanent magnet is provided in one surface of an impeller, a second permanent magnet is provided in an inner wall of a blood chamber, a third permanent magnet is provided in the other surface of the impeller, and a fourth permanent magnet and a rotor for driving the impeller to rotate are provided, with an diaphragm being interposed. An amount of change in attractive force between the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet and an amount of change in attractive force between the third and fourth permanent magnets when the impeller is eccentric are made substantially equal to each other. Therefore, a levitation position of the impeller can always be maintained at a substantially central position in a housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Thoratec Corporation
    Inventors: Takayoshi Ozaki, Hiroyuki Yamada, Kenichi Suzuki, Ken Sugiura
  • Patent number: 8725233
    Abstract: According to this load detection method, load (Fi) in insertion of a linear body having flexibility in an inlet of a hollow tube inserted in a bending vessel in a body is detected, an image of the hollow tube or the linear body is taken, a degree of bending of the hollow tube or the linear body is detected based on the image, and load (Fo) at a tip end of the linear body is calculated based on the detected insertion load (Fi) and the degree of bending. Therefore, the load (Fo) at the tip end of the thin linear body can readily be detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Nagano, Yukihiro Nishio, Takayoshi Ozaki
  • Patent number: 8701803
    Abstract: A diagnostic apparatus for diagnosing a drive motor of a vehicle includes a start-up abnormality detection section to detect coil temperature, coil resistance or insulation resistance of a motor coil during a non-traveling time in which electric power supply is applied and to determine occurrence of abnormality in the motor coil when the coil temperature is greater than a threshold value or the coil resistance or insulation resistance is greater than a threshold value, and a travel abnormality detection section to detect coil temperature, rotation number of the motor, a motor applied voltage and a motor current during traveling of the vehicle and to determine occurrence of abnormality in the motor coil when the coil temperature is greater than a threshold value or the relation between the motor applied voltage and the motor current relative to the rotation number fails to fall within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventor: Takayoshi Ozaki
  • Publication number: 20140074153
    Abstract: This insertion device is an insertion device for inserting a medical linear body (104) in a vessel in a body, and it includes a drive device (1) for moving the medical linear body (104) in a direction of a longitudinal axis, a measurement device (60) for measuring compressive force and pulling force in the direction of the longitudinal axis applied to the medical linear body (104), and a notification device (92 to 94) for notifying an operator of compressive force and pulling force measured with the measurement device (60).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicants: NTN CORPORATION, National University Corporation Nagoya Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Hideo FUJIMOTO, Shigeru MIYACHI, Yoshitaka NAGANO, Takayoshi OZAKI
  • Patent number: 8648504
    Abstract: A vehicle drive motor, capable of efficiently cooling the motor stator without being accompanied by an increase in size, includes a stator having an annular stator core, provided in an inner periphery of a tubular motor casing, and a stator coil provided in the stator core, and a rotor on an inner side of the stator core and rotatable relative to the stator. The motor casing includes an oil supply passage and an oil discharge passage in the motor casing and opening at an inner diametric surface of the motor casing, which are opposite axially to each other. Stator core grooves communicated with the oil supply passage and the oil discharge passage extend axially in an outer diametric surface of the stator core. Accordingly, lubricant oil may flow from the oil supply passage towards the oil discharge passage through the stator core groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Okada, Takayoshi Ozaki, Yusuke Makino
  • Publication number: 20140026704
    Abstract: A remote controlled actuator includes a spindle for holding a tool, a spindle guide section of an elongated configuration, a distal end member rotatably supporting the spindle, and a drive unit housing connected to a base end of the spindle guide section. The distal end member is fitted to the spindle guide section for alteration in attitude. The spindle guide section includes an outer shell pipe, a rotary shaft, and guide pipe. Within the guide pipe, an attitude altering member is inserted to alter the attitude of the distal end member. A connection device detachably connects the spindle guide section with the drive unit housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi ISOBE, Takayoshi OZAKI
  • Publication number: 20140030122
    Abstract: This centrifugal blood pump apparatus includes an impeller (10) provided in a blood chamber (7), and a plurality of coils (20) provided in a motor chamber (8) for driving the impeller (10) to rotate with a dividing wall (6) interposed therebetween. A flexible substrate (23) in the shape of a strip is arranged to surround outer circumferences of the plurality of coils (20), and is connected to the plurality of coils (20) and a connector (24). A driving voltage (VU, VV, VW) is externally supplied to the plurality of coils (20) via the connector (24) and the flexible substrate (23). Thus, assembling workability, productivity and reliability are improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: THORATEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayoshi Ozaki, Hiroyuki Yamada, Ken Sugiura, Takehisa Mori, Takeshi Tsubouchi
  • Publication number: 20130345916
    Abstract: An electric vehicle includes an in-wheel motor drive system. The in-wheel motor drive system includes a wheel bearing unit rotatably supporting a drive wheel, a motor unit, and a reducer unit. The electric vehicle also includes a disturbance observer that determines an estimate of external force influence on the drive wheel. The electric vehicle further includes a slip level-responsive corrector. The slip level-responsive corrector may use the estimate of external force influence, calculate a correction value that may correspond to slip level of the drive wheel, and correct an accelerator signal to the motor unit with the correction value to produce a motor torque command value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Inventor: Takayoshi Ozaki
  • Publication number: 20130341109
    Abstract: A diagnostic apparatus for diagnosing a drive motor of a vehicle includes a start-up abnormality detection section to detect coil temperature, coil resistance or insulation resistance of a motor coil during a non-traveling time in which electric power supply is applied and to determine occurrence of abnormality in the motor coil when the coil temperature is greater than a threshold value or the coil resistance or insulation resistance is greater than a threshold value, and a travel abnormality detection section to detect coil temperature, rotation number of the motor, a motor applied voltage and a motor current during traveling of the vehicle and to determine occurrence of abnormality in the motor coil when the coil temperature is greater than a threshold value or the relation between the motor applied voltage and the motor current relative to the rotation number fails to fall within a predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takayoshi Ozaki
  • Publication number: 20130342150
    Abstract: In a diagnostic device and a diagnostic method for a motor unit of an electric vehicle, an oil degradation/others detection unit is provided which is configured to detect at least any one detection item of a contamination degree, a degradation degree, and an oil amount of an oil used for cooling a motor unit or a reduction gear unit during a non-traveling period when the vehicle is powered on. An abnormalities-time control unit is provided which is configured to send notice of abnormalities of an oil supply system or not permit start of rotation of the motor unit when a detection value detected by the oil degradation/others detection unit is out of a setting range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Inventor: Takayoshi Ozaki
  • Publication number: 20130345917
    Abstract: An electric vehicle includes a slip ratio estimator that estimates a slip ratio based on rotational frequencies of respective driven and drive wheels. The vehicle also includes a disturbance observer that determines an estimate of a torque attributable to external force. The vehicle also includes an estimator that may estimate an entire torque to the drive wheel, based on a motor torque command value and the estimate of torque. The vehicle also includes an estimator that estimates a coefficient of friction between a road surface and a tire, based on the entire torque and the slip ratio. The vehicle also includes a determiner that determines a maximum acceptable torque Tmax, based on the coefficient of friction and a vertical load component. Torque limitation is performed such that the motor torque command value does not exceed the maximum acceptable torque Tmax.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Inventor: Takayoshi Ozaki
  • Publication number: 20130345918
    Abstract: An electric vehicle including a plurality of motors for individually driving left and right drive wheels is provided with a motor abnormality detector for detecting the occurrence of an abnormality in each of the motors and one side abnormality response controller. The one side abnormality response controller controls, when an abnormality other than a motor stoppage is detected the motor in the wheel of either one of the left and right, which are arranged at the same forward or rearward position of the vehicle, by the motor abnormality detector, the motor for the other wheel to approach the same condition as that of the motor in which the abnormality has been detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takayoshi Ozaki
  • Publication number: 20130338866
    Abstract: An electric vehicle includes a motor unit configured to drive a wheel, an ECU and an inverter unit. A motor control circuitry of the inverter unit includes a rotational frequency controller operable to perform rotational frequency control. The electric vehicle also includes a torque control abnormalities detector configured to detect an abnormality of torque control performed by the motor control circuitry. The electric vehicle also includes a control mode switcher configured to, in response to determination by the torque control abnormalities detector that there is an abnormality of torque control, cause the motor control circuitry to switch from torque control to rotational frequency control performed by the rotational frequency controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Inventor: Takayoshi Ozaki
  • Publication number: 20130328512
    Abstract: An electric vehicle is proposed which can achieve early detection of abnormal short-circuit of motor coils, thus avoiding various driving problems. The electric vehicle includes a motor unit configured to drive a wheel. The motor unit includes a synchronous motor with three-phase motor coils. The three-phase motor coils include a first motor coil, a second motor coil and a third motor coil of different phases. One end of the first motor coil, one end of the second motor coil and one end of the third motor coil are connected with each other at a neutral point in a star connection. The electric vehicle also includes an abnormal short-circuit monitor configured to detect an abnormal short-circuit of the motor coils, and also includes an abnormalities-responsive disconnection unit configured to electrically disconnect the motor coils from the neutral point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: NTN Corporation
    Inventor: Takayoshi Ozaki
  • Publication number: 20130328511
    Abstract: An electric vehicle includes an inverter unit and an ECU. The inverter unit or the ECU includes a magnetic force estimator that estimates a magnetic force of a permanent magnet structure associated with a motor rotor of a motor unit. The inverter unit or the ECU may also include a determiner for the estimated magnetic force and an abnormalities-responsive motor drive limiter. The estimator is configured to estimate, according to a predefined rule, the magnetic force, based on at least two detection signals selected from a group consisting of a detection signal indicating a rotational frequency of the motor unit, a detection signal indicating a motor voltage of the motor unit and a detection signal indicating a motor current of the motor unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Inventor: Takayoshi Ozaki
  • Publication number: 20130325239
    Abstract: An electric vehicle includes a malfunction detector configured to continuously monitor a torque command from an ECU as well as one of the followings: signals indicating a rotational frequency of a motor unit; signals indicating a rotational frequency of a wheel driven by the motor unit; signals indicating a rotational direction of the motor unit; signals indicating a rotational direction of the wheel driven by the motor unit; and a motor current, and detect, according to a predefined rule, a malfunction of the motor unit, based on the monitoring information. The electric vehicle also includes a malfunction-responsive controller configured to cause at least one of shut-off of a drive current to the motor unit and braking with a mechanical brake, if the malfunction detector detects a malfunction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: NTN Corporation
    Inventor: Takayoshi Ozaki