Patents by Inventor Tomohiko Ikemori

Tomohiko Ikemori 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: 9920734
    Abstract: A starter (1) includes a motor unit (3), an output shaft (4) configured to receive a rotational force of the motor unit (3) and rotate, a pinion gear (74) (a pinion mechanism) helically engageable with a ring gear (23) of an engine, a clutch mechanism (5) configured to transmit the rotational force of the output shaft (4) to the pinion gear (74), and an electromagnetic device (9) configured to bias a pressing force toward the ring gear (23) to the clutch mechanism (5) and the pinion gear (74), wherein a plunger spring (91) (a backlash absorption mechanism) configured to bring one end (81a) (a point of action) of a plunger inner part (81) in constant elastic contact with the clutch mechanism (5) is installed at the electromagnetic device (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiko Ikemori, Hiroshi Ooka, Masaaki Oya, Shigehiro Kanbe, Masataka Odagiri, Mitsuhiro Kogure, Hiroki Yamada
  • Patent number: 9605642
    Abstract: A starter includes a motor unit, a drive shaft configured to receive a rotational force of the motor unit and rotate, a transmission pinion gear installed on the drive shaft, an idle shaft extending in a direction parallel to the drive shaft, an idle gear installed on the idle shaft and configured to mesh with the transmission pinion gear, a driving pinion gear installed on the idle shaft and configured to mesh with a ring gear of an engine, a gear cover configured to rotatably support portions of the drive shaft and the idle shaft and accommodate the transmission pinion gear and the idle gear, and a bracket section installed between the motor unit and the gear cover and configured to rotatably support a first end in an axial direction of the idle shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiko Ikemori, Masaaki Oya, Chihiro Horikoshi, Koki Honda, Ken Noguchi, Masaki Ishizeki
  • Patent number: 9482200
    Abstract: Formed in a pinion (74) are pinion-side helical external teeth (74A) that mesh with a ring gear 823), and pinion-side helical internal teeth (74a) that mesh with a pinion inner (71). Formed in the pinion inner (71) are pinion inner-side helical external teeth (73) that mesh with the pinion-side helical internal teeth (74a). The configuration is formed so that when the rotational speed of the pinion (74) is slower than that of the ring gear (23), a thrust load is generated in a direction toward the ring gear (23), and when the rotational speed of the pinion (74) is faster than that of the ring gear (23), a thrust load is generated in a direction away from the ring gear (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignees: Mitsuba Corporation, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiko Ikemori, Hiroshi Ooka, Masaaki Oya, Masataka Odagiri, Shigehiro Kanbe, Hiroki Yamada, Seiji Shimada, Yusuke Fukada, Takayuki Yamagata, Masahiro Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9188099
    Abstract: A starter includes an output shaft which rotates by a rotary force applied from the motor unit, a housing in which an end of the output shaft is rotatably supported, and an electromagnetic device configured to apply/shut off current to the motor unit, and biases a suppressing force toward the ring gear to the pinion gear through a clutch mechanism, wherein a load receiving member which abuts one end of the output shaft to receive an axial load generated from the output shaft is installed in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignees: MITSUBA CORPORATION, HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiko Ikemori, Hiroshi Ooka, Masaaki Oya, Shigehiro Kanbe, Masataka Odagiri, Mitsuhiro Kogure, Hiroki Yamada, Masahiro Nakamura, Seiji Shimada, Yusuke Fukada, Satoshi Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 8967003
    Abstract: An engine starter includes a motor that comprises a drive shaft; and a unidirectional rotation clutch system that is helical-splined to the drive shaft. The clutch system includes a clutch inner; a clutch outer; a clutch roller that is interposed between the clutch outer and the clutch inner; and a spring that urges the clutch roller, wherein a compound film is formed on a surface of the clutch roller or surfaces of the clutch outer and the clutch inner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Ono, Tomohiko Ikemori, Shigeyuki Enkaku, Chihiro Horikoshi, Shinya Saito, Shigehiro Kanbe
  • Publication number: 20150047594
    Abstract: Formed in a pinion (74) are pinion-side helical external teeth (74A) that mesh with a ring gear 823), and pinion-side helical internal teeth (74a) that mesh with a pinion inner (71). Formed in the pinion inner (71) are pinion inner-side helical external teeth (73) that mesh with the pinion-side helical internal teeth (74a). The configuration is formed so that when the rotational speed of the pinion (74) is slower than that of the ring gear (23), a thrust load is generated in a direction toward the ring gear (23), and when the rotational speed of the pinion (74) is faster than that of the ring gear (23), a thrust load is generated in a direction away from the ring gear (23).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Inventors: Tomohiko Ikemori, Hiroshi Ooka, Masaaki Oya, Masataka Odagiri, Shigehiro Kanbe, Hiroki Yamada, Seiji Shimada, Yusuke Fukada, Takayuki Yamagata, Masahiro Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8925403
    Abstract: A starter includes a motor section; an output shaft which rotates with receiving a rotational force of the motor section; a gear mechanism which transmits the rotational force of the output shaft to a ring gear of an engine; and a switch unit which performs electrical connection and disconnection to the motor section. Thus, the output shaft, the gear mechanism and the switch unit are accommodated in a housing, and a groove section for weakening the stiffness of the housing is formed in housing at a position which avoids a position where the switch unit is arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiko Ikemori, Mitsuhiro Kogure, Isao Hagiwara, Chihiro Horikoshi, Ken Noguchi
  • Publication number: 20140366686
    Abstract: A starter includes a motor unit, a drive shaft configured to receive a rotational force of the motor unit and rotate, a transmission pinion gear installed on the drive shaft, an idle shaft extending in a direction parallel to the drive shaft, an idle gear installed on the idle shaft and configured to mesh with the transmission pinion gear, a driving pinion gear installed on the idle shaft and configured to mesh with a ring gear of an engine, a gear cover configured to rotatably support portions of the drive shaft and the idle shaft and accommodate the transmission pinion gear and the idle gear, and a bracket section installed between the motor unit and the gear cover and configured to rotatably support a first end in an axial direction of the idle shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Tomohiko Ikemori, Masaaki Oya, Chihiro Horikoshi, Koki Honda, Ken Noguchi, Masaki Ishizeki
  • Publication number: 20140326106
    Abstract: A starter (1) includes a motor unit (3), an output shaft (4) configured to receive a rotational force of the motor unit (3) and rotate, a pinion gear (74) (a pinion mechanism) helically engageable with a ring gear (23) of an engine, a clutch mechanism (5) configured to transmit the rotational force of the output shaft (4) to the pinion gear (74), and an electromagnetic device (9) configured to bias a pressing force toward the ring gear (23) to the clutch mechanism (5) and the pinion gear (74), wherein a plunger spring (91) (a backlash absorption mechanism) configured to bring one end (81a) (a point of action) of a plunger inner part (81) in constant elastic contact with the clutch mechanism (5) is installed at the electromagnetic device (9).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Applicant: MITSUBA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko Ikemori, Hiroshi Ooka, Masaaki Oya, Shigehiro Kanbe, Masataka Odagiri, Mitsuhiro Kogure, Hiroki Yamada
  • Patent number: 8511186
    Abstract: Excellent durability can be achieved by reducing thermal influences of the excessive load from the engine side for a clutch roller (13) in a unidirectional rotation clutch system that is helical-splined to a drive shaft that rotates in response to a driving force of a motor and structured such that the motor driving force can be transmitted while an engine driving force cannot be transmitted when an engine stars, wherein a compound film composed of an external mixed phase and an internal diffused phase is formed on the clutch roller (13) subjected to nitriding by tufftriding with nitrogen being penetrating and diffusing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Ono, Tomohiko Ikemori, Shigeyuki Enkaku, Chihiro Horikoshi, Shinya Saito, Shigehiro Kanbe
  • Publication number: 20120247270
    Abstract: A starter includes a motor section; an output shaft which rotates with receiving a rotational force of the motor section; a gear mechanism which transmits the rotational force of the output shaft to a ring gear of an engine; and a switch unit which performs electrical connection and disconnection to the motor section. Thus, the output shaft, the gear mechanism and the switch unit are accommodated in a housing, and a groove section for weakening the stiffness of the housing is formed in housing at a position which avoids a position where the switch unit is arranged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: MITSUBA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko IKEMORI, Mitsuhiro KOGURE, Isao HAGIWARA, Chihiro HORIKOSHI, Ken NOGUCHI
  • Patent number: 8215195
    Abstract: An electromagnetic controller includes an exciting coil unit that is provided with a coil main body and an exciting piece that is positioned at a tip end side of the coil main body so as to be magnetized according to an excitation of the coil main body; and a plunger that is disposed in a ring-shaped space formed at an inner diameter side of the exciting coil unit so as to be movable in the ring-shaped space in an axial center direction, the plunger being displaceable from a non-acting position to an acting position at a tip end side under an attracting force based on magnetization of the exciting piece, wherein an urging member is provided at the inner diameter side of the exciting coil unit so as to urge the plunger to a side of the non-acting position according to demagnetization of the exciting piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
    Inventors: Masataka Odagiri, Tomohiko Ikemori, Hitoshi Ono, Yoshikazu Sato, Hiroshi Ooka, Shigeyuki Enkaku
  • Patent number: 7989999
    Abstract: In a starter includes a motor provided with a motor contact for controlling electric power supply to an armature arranged inside a motor housing; a gear cover section, which is mounted on the motor, having a flange section formed on the outer circumference thereof; a switch terminal located on the outside of the gear cover section; and a magnet switch connected to the switch terminal. The switch terminal is installed in the vicinity of the flange section and in a region within the range of projection of the flange section . In the flange section, there are provided a rib and a motor terminal mounting section, and the switch terminal is arranged in a switch terminal containing section formed between the rib, the sidewall of the motor terminal mounting section and the flange section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Ono, Tomohiko Ikemori, Masahiro Kameda, Masataka Odagiri
  • Publication number: 20100294078
    Abstract: Excellent durability can be achieved by reducing thermal influences of the excessive load from the engine side for a clutch roller (13) in a unidirectional rotation clutch system that is helical-splined to a drive shaft that rotates in response to a driving force of a motor and structured such that the motor driving force can be transmitted while an engine driving force cannot be transmitted when an engine stars, wherein a compound film composed of an external mixed phase and an internal diffused phase is formed on the clutch roller (13) subjected to nitriding by tufftriding with nitrogen being penetrating and diffusing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Applicant: MITSUBA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi Ono, Tomohiko Ikemori, Shigeyuki Enkaku, Chihiro Horikoshi, Shinya Saito, Shigehiro Kanbe
  • Publication number: 20100013334
    Abstract: In a starter having a motor comprising a rear bracket 23 mounted to a cylindrical motor housing opening portion, flanges 23a protruding outward from the outer circumferential portion 23c of the rear bracket and set bolts mounted to the flanges 23a and located on the outside of the motor housing, the rear bracket 23 is formed sphere-like with the inner side of the motor being convex and the central portion of the rear bracket is expanded toward the inner side of the motor compared with the outer circumferential portion 23c thereof. Even if the rear bracket 23 is subjected to impact due to “Kicking back”, the influence of the impact force is relaxed by the central portion displaced inward in advance and the rear bracket 23 is effectively prevented from being lifted up due to “Kicking back” in spite of an outer bolt type configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2006
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Inventors: Hitoshi Ono, Tomohiko Ikemori, Hiroshi Ooka, Masaaki Oya
  • Publication number: 20090295240
    Abstract: In a starter comprising: a motor 11 provided with a motor contact for controlling electric power supply to an armature arranged inside a motor housing 21; a gear cover section 24, which is mounted on the motor 11, having a flange section 24a formed on the outer circumference thereof; a switch terminal 89 located on the outside of the gear cover section 24; and a magnet switch connected to the switch terminal 89, the switch terminal 89 is installed in the vicinity of the flange section 24a and in a region within the range of projection of the flange section 24a. In the flange section 24a, there are provided a rib 24c and a motor terminal mounting section 92, and the switch terminal 89 is arranged in a switch terminal containing section 94 formed between the rib 24c, the sidewall 93 of the motor terminal mounting section 92 and the flange section 24a.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2006
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Inventors: Hitoshi Ono, Tomohiko Ikemori, Masahiro Kameda, Masataka Odagiri
  • Publication number: 20090250942
    Abstract: An electromagnetic controller includes an exciting coil unit that is provided with a coil main body and an exciting piece that is positioned at a tip end side of the coil main body so as to be magnetized according to an excitation of the coil main body; and a plunger that is disposed in a ring-shaped space formed at an inner diameter side of the exciting coil unit so as to be movable in the ring-shaped space in an axial center direction, the plunger being displaceable from a non-acting position to an acting position at a tip end side under an attracting force based on magnetization of the exciting piece, wherein an urging member is provided at the inner diameter side of the exciting coil unit so as to urge the plunger to a side of the non-acting position according to demagnetization of the exciting piece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2009
    Publication date: October 8, 2009
    Applicant: MITSUBA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masataka Odagiri, Tomohiko Ikemori, Hitoshi Ono, Yoshikazu Sato, Hiroshi Ooka, Shigeyuki Enkaku
  • Publication number: 20090145263
    Abstract: An engine starter includes a motor that comprises a drive shaft; and a unidirectional rotation clutch system that is helical-splined to the drive shaft. The clutch system includes a clutch inner; a clutch outer; a clutch roller that is interposed between the clutch outer and the clutch inner; and a spring that urges the clutch roller, wherein a compound film is formed on a surface of the clutch roller or surfaces of the clutch outer and the clutch inner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2006
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: Mitsuba Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Ono, Tomohiko Ikemori, Shigeyuki Enkaku, Chihiro Horikoshi, Shinya Saito, Shigehiro Kanbe
  • Publication number: 20070234830
    Abstract: An engine starter includes a unidirectional rotation clutch system with a clutch outer having an outer-diameter side cylinder portion, a clutch inner having an inner-diameter side cylinder portion, long shaft-shaped clutch rollers that are long in a drive shaft direction and are installed in wedge spaces formed between the inner and outer-diameter side cylinder portions, and springs that urge the clutch rollers toward wedge portions, wherein at least one of the inner and outer-diameter side cylinder portions includes a wear preventive portion that prevents wearing of the clutch rollers that have turned so as to be in an inclined posture with respect to the drive shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Publication date: October 11, 2007
    Applicant: MITSUBA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi Ono, Tomohiko Ikemori, Shigeyuki Enkaku, Chihiro Horikoshi, Shinya Saito, Shigehiro Kanbe