Patents by Inventor Takuya Shimamura
Takuya Shimamura 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).
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Publication number: 20190334323Abstract: A method for manufacturing a spark plug. A first surface having an area larger than or equal to an area making contact with the tip is produced on the electrode base material by performing at least one of polishing and grinding thereon, and a second surface having an area larger than or equal to an area making contact with a first electrode is produced on the electrode base material by performing polishing or the like thereon. Resistance welding is performed by applying current between the first electrode and a second electrode, after the first surface of the electrode base material and the tip have been brought into contact with each other, the first electrode has been brought into contact with the second surface of the electrode base material, and the second electrode has been brought into contact with the tip.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2017Publication date: October 31, 2019Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventor: Takuya SHIMAMURA
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Patent number: 10355458Abstract: Disclosed is a production method of a spark plug in which a ground electrode has an electrode base and a tip welded to a surface of the electrode base via a weld metal. The production method includes an image capture step, an image analysis step and an inspection step. The image capture step is to capture image data about the surface of the electrode base to which the tip has been welded. The image analysis step is to perform analysis of the image data, thereby detecting an edge of the electrode base and an edge of the weld metal, determining a center point of a contour of the weld metal and then detecting an edge of the tip in a specific area of the image data. The inspection step is to inspect a welding position of the tip based on the detected edges of the electrode base and the tip.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2018Date of Patent: July 16, 2019Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventor: Takuya Shimamura
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Patent number: 10297983Abstract: A spark plug has an electrode including a base portion and a tip joined to a specific surface that is a specific outer surface of the base portion, the tip forming a spark discharge surface. Respective relative positions of a plurality of points on an outer surface of a target portion of the electrode including the base portion and the tip joined to the base portion, which is a portion including at least a portion of the specific surface of the base portion and the tip, are identified to generate three-dimensional coordinate data representing the three-dimensional shape of the target portion. The coordinate data is analyzed to determine whether the target portion of the electrode includes a predetermined unintentional portion that is an unintended portion. An electrode including the unintentional portion is excluded from objects to be manufactured, and an electrode not including the unintentional portion is used to assemble the spark plug.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2018Date of Patent: May 21, 2019Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventor: Takuya Shimamura
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Publication number: 20190123517Abstract: Disclosed is a production method of a spark plug in which a ground electrode has an electrode base and a tip welded to a surface of the electrode base via a weld metal. The production method includes an image capture step, an image analysis step and an inspection step. The image capture step is to capture image data about the surface of the electrode base to which the tip has been welded. The image analysis step is to perform analysis of the image data, thereby detecting an edge of the electrode base and an edge of the weld metal, determining a center point of a contour of the weld metal and then detecting an edge of the tip in a specific area of the image data. The inspection step is to inspect a welding position of the tip based on the detected edges of the electrode base and the tip.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2018Publication date: April 25, 2019Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventor: Takuya SHIMAMURA
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Publication number: 20180301878Abstract: A spark plug has an electrode including a base portion and a tip joined to a specific surface that is a specific outer surface of the base portion, the tip forming a spark discharge surface. Respective relative positions of a plurality of points on an outer surface of a target portion of the electrode including the base portion and the tip joined to the base portion, which is a portion including at least a portion of the specific surface of the base portion and the tip, are identified to generate three-dimensional coordinate data representing the three-dimensional shape of the target portion. The coordinate data is analyzed to determine whether the target portion of the electrode includes a predetermined unintentional portion that is an unintended portion. An electrode including the unintentional portion is excluded from objects to be manufactured, and an electrode not including the unintentional portion is used to assemble the spark plug.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 20, 2018Publication date: October 18, 2018Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventor: Takuya SHIMAMURA
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Patent number: 9455553Abstract: A spark plug includes a metal shell formed with a mounting male thread portion and a radially outwardly protruding seat portion and a solid annular gasket disposed between the male thread portion and the seat portion. The gasket has a recessed portion formed with a depth in the direction of an axis such that the recessed portion has an opening at a front end surface of the gasket (18) located opposite to the seat portion. The front end surface of the gasket includes an inner peripheral front end surface region decreasing in thickness toward an inner periphery of the gasket and an outer peripheral front end surface region formed radially outside the inner peripheral front end surface region. The opening of the recessed portion is located radially inside an innermost periphery of the outer peripheral front end surface region.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2014Date of Patent: September 27, 2016Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventors: Takuya Shimamura, Jiro Kyuno
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Publication number: 20150372457Abstract: A spark plug includes a metal shell formed with a mounting male thread portion and a radially outwardly protruding seat portion and a solid annular gasket disposed between the male thread portion and the seat portion. The gasket has a recessed portion formed with a depth in the direction of an axis such that the recessed portion has an opening at a front end surface of the gasket located opposite to the seat portion. The front end surface of the gasket includes an inner peripheral front end surface region decreasing in thickness toward an inner periphery of the gasket and an outer peripheral front end surface region formed radially outside the inner peripheral front end surface region. The opening of the recessed portion is located radially inside an innermost periphery of the outer peripheral front end surface region.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2014Publication date: December 24, 2015Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventors: Takuya SHIMAMURA, Jiro KYUNO
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Patent number: 9166379Abstract: A spark plug includes an insulating insulator and a metal shell. The metal shell includes a caulking portion, a seat portion with a tapering surface, a thread portion with a thread size equal to or less than M12, and a protrusion. The insulating insulator includes a lock portion locked to the protrusion, and is secured to the metal shell in a state held between the caulking portion and the protrusion.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2013Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventor: Takuya Shimamura
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Publication number: 20150194792Abstract: A spark plug includes an insulating insulator and a metal shell. The metal shell includes a caulking portion, a seat portion with a tapering surface, a thread portion with a thread size equal to or less than M12, and a protrusion. The insulating insulator includes a lock portion locked to the protrusion, and is secured to the metal shell in a state held between the caulking portion and the protrusion.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2013Publication date: July 9, 2015Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventor: Takuya Shimamura
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Patent number: 8729785Abstract: A spark plug comprises an insulator and a metal shell. The insulator includes a nose length portion at the forward end, and a tapered portion, extending from the rear end of the nose length portion toward the rear end of the insulator, increased in diameter toward the rear end. The metal shell includes a shoulder portion, protruding inward and having a retaining surface by which the tapered portion is retained, and a male thread portion on the outer peripheral side of the shoulder portion, and the thread diameter of the male thread portion is set to M12 or less. When the insulator's cross-sectional area, perpendicular to an axis, passing through the boundary between the nose length section and tapered portion is B (mm2), and the metal shell's cross-sectional area, perpendicular to the axis, passing through the tip of the retaining surface is C (mm2), 2.80?C/B?3.50 is satisfied.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2012Date of Patent: May 20, 2014Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takuya Shimamura, Jiro Kyuno
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Patent number: 8624475Abstract: Disclosed is a spark plug having an insulator with good breakage resistance. A spark plug 1 contains a ceramic insulator 2, a plate packing 22 and a metal shell 3. The ceramic insulator 2 has, on an outer circumferential surface thereof, a step portion 14, a leg portion 13 and a curved surface portion 31 between the step portion 14 and the leg portion 13. The metal shell 3 has, on an inner circumferential surface thereof, a taper portion 21. The ceramic insulator 2 is fixed in the metal shell 3 with the step portion 14 retained on the taper portion 21 via the plate packing 22. Herein, 50% or more of an inner circumferential edge portion IP of the plate packing 22 is in contact with a part of the ceramic insulator 2 located front of a middle region CP of the curved surface portion 31.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2011Date of Patent: January 7, 2014Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takuya Shimamura, Tomoaki Kato, Jiro Kyuno, Naomichi Miyashita
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Publication number: 20120267995Abstract: Disclosed is a spark plug having an insulator with good breakage resistance. A spark plug 1 contains a ceramic insulator 2, a plate packing 22 and a metal shell 3. The ceramic insulator 2 has, on an outer circumferential surface thereof, a step portion 14, a leg portion 13 and a curved surface portion 31 between the step portion 14 and the leg portion 13. The metal shell 3 has, on an inner circumferential surface thereof, a taper portion 21. The ceramic insulator 2 is fixed in the metal shell 3 with the step portion 14 retained on the taper portion 21 via the plate packing 22. Herein, 50% or more of an inner circumferential edge portion IP of the plate packing 22 is in contact with a part of the ceramic insulator 2 located front of a middle region CP of the curved surface portion 31.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2011Publication date: October 25, 2012Inventors: Takuya Shimamura, Tomoaki Kato, Jiro Kyuno, Naomichi Miyashita