Patents by Inventor Tomokuni Wauke

Tomokuni Wauke 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: 11383270
    Abstract: A vibration generator includes a housing, a vibrating body accommodated in the housing, an elastic support supporting the vibrating body such that the vibrating body can vibrate along a first direction and a second direction intersecting each other, and a magnetic drive configured to drive the vibrating body along the first direction and the second direction using a magnetic force, and wherein the magnetic drive includes a plurality of first magnetic field generators disposed side by side at a predetermined interval in the vibrating body in the first direction or the second direction, and a plurality of second magnetic field generators disposed on positions facing both ends of each of the plurality of first magnetic field generators in the housing, and wherein a longitudinal direction of the housing is in a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomokuni Wauke, Takashi Ogihara
  • Patent number: 10847296
    Abstract: A vibration generating device includes an electromagnet including a coil and a magnetic core around which the coil is wound; a permanent magnet; a casing to which the electromagnet or the permanent magnet is fixed; and an elastic body in which the electromagnet or the permanent magnet is held. The vibration generating device generates a vibration by relatively moving the electromagnet and the permanent magnet by energizing the coil. The casing has a polyhedral structure made of a plate material, and includes a first surface in which a gap portion is provided and another surface in which an extension portion is provided. The vibration generating device further includes a reinforcement portion that is formed by the extension portion extending from the another surface toward the first surface, thereby being fitted into the gap portion and flush with the first surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tomokuni Wauke
  • Patent number: 10840789
    Abstract: A vibration generation apparatus includes a casing, a magnet attached in the casing, a vibrator having a coil that vibrates in the casing, an elastic support member connected to the casing and holding the vibrator in the casing, and a flexible interconnect member. One end of the flexible interconnect member is connected to the electric wire of the coil, and the other end of the flexible interconnect member protrudes to the outside of the casing. The casing is provided with an opening through which the interconnect member passes, and the interconnect member is supported by a support in the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomokuni Wauke, Takashi Ogihara
  • Publication number: 20200274432
    Abstract: A vibration generating device includes a housing, first and second vibrating bodies arranged in a first direction, an elastic support portion supporting the first and second vibrating bodies so as to be vibratable along the first and second directions, and a magnetic drive portion including a first magnetic generating unit provided in the first vibrating body and a second magnetic generating unit provided in the housing, the magnetic drive portion driving the first vibrating body along the first and second directions, wherein the elastic support portion includes a first elastic body coupling the first vibrating body to the housing so that the first vibrating body is movable in the first and second directions, a second elastic body coupling the first vibrating body to the second vibrating body, and a third elastic body coupling the second vibrating body to the housing so that the second vibrating body is movable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventor: Tomokuni WAUKE
  • Publication number: 20200156112
    Abstract: A vibration generator includes a housing, a vibrating body accommodated in the housing, an elastic support supporting the vibrating body such that the vibrating body can vibrate along a first direction and a second direction intersecting each other, and a magnetic drive configured to drive the vibrating body along the first direction and the second direction using a magnetic force, and wherein the magnetic drive includes a plurality of first magnetic field generators disposed side by side at a predetermined interval in the vibrating body in the first direction or the second direction, and a plurality of second magnetic field generators disposed on positions facing both ends of each of the plurality of first magnetic field generators in the housing, and wherein a longitudinal direction of the housing is in a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Tomokuni WAUKE, Takashi OGIHARA
  • Publication number: 20200028426
    Abstract: An electronic device includes an input element configured to input information, the input element being responsive to a touch on a surface of the input element, a casing having an opening in which the input element is disposed, at least one elastic connecting section connected to the input element and the casing and configured to support the input element, and at least one vibration generating device attached to the input element or the elastic connecting section, the vibration generating device being configured to vibrate in two directions perpendicular to each other. The elastic connecting section is configured to be deformed in the two directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventor: Tomokuni WAUKE
  • Publication number: 20190363623
    Abstract: A vibration generation apparatus includes a casing, a magnet attached in the casing, a vibrator having a coil that vibrates in the casing, an elastic support member connected to the casing and holding the vibrator in the casing, and a flexible interconnect member. One end of the flexible interconnect member is connected to the electric wire of the coil, and the other end of the flexible interconnect member protrudes to the outside of the casing. The casing is provided with an opening through which the interconnect member passes, and the interconnect member is supported by a support in the casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Inventors: Tomokuni WAUKE, Takashi OGIHARA
  • Publication number: 20190206601
    Abstract: A vibration generating device includes an electromagnet including a coil and a magnetic core around which the coil is wound; a permanent magnet; a casing to which the electromagnet or the permanent magnet is fixed; and an elastic body in which the electromagnet or the permanent magnet is held. The vibration generating device generates a vibration by relatively moving the electromagnet and the permanent magnet by energizing the coil. The casing has a polyhedral structure made of a plate material, and includes a first surface in which a gap portion is provided and another surface in which an extension portion is provided. The vibration generating device further includes a reinforcement portion that is formed by the extension portion extending from the another surface toward the first surface, thereby being fitted into the gap portion and flush with the first surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Inventor: Tomokuni WAUKE
  • Patent number: 8653352
    Abstract: From analog music information in which the sounds of a plurality of musical instruments are mixed, sound data corresponding to the register of the reproduced sound of a bass guitar and sound data corresponding to the register of the reproduced sound of a drum are extracted using a band-pass filter. A drive pulse with a low frequency is generated within the periods of data sections in which the former sound data reaches a predetermined level or higher, and a drive pulse with a high frequency is generated within the periods of data sections in which the latter sound data reaches a predetermined level or higher. A vibrating body in a vibration mechanism unit is resonated by two drive pulses with frequencies, thereby causing vibration according to the reproduced sound of music.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomokuni Wauke
  • Publication number: 20130069619
    Abstract: When a first driving signal is applied from a waveform output unit, detection current with a high frequency than a natural frequency of a vibrator is applied to a coil of a vibration generation unit. When the current fluctuates, induction power due to a counter-electromotive force is inducted to a external casing of the vibration generation unit. The induction power is changed in an input unit, and when a level of an output due to the change thereof greatly fluctuates, a second driving signal is output from the waveform output unit, and logical sum of the first driving signal and the second driving signal is applied to a driving circuit. At this time, a vibration current flows to the coil, and the vibrator vibrates by the natural frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Inventors: Tomokuni Wauke, Koichi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20130061736
    Abstract: From analog music information in which the sounds of a plurality of musical instruments are mixed, sound data corresponding to the register of the reproduced sound of a bass guitar and sound data corresponding to the register of the reproduced sound of a drum are extracted using a band-pass filter. A drive pulse with a low frequency is generated within the periods of data sections in which the former sound data reaches a predetermined level or higher, and a drive pulse with a high frequency is generated within the periods of data sections in which the latter sound data reaches a predetermined level or higher. A vibrating body in a vibration mechanism unit is resonated by two drive pulses with frequencies, thereby causing vibration according to the reproduced sound of music.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Inventor: Tomokuni Wauke
  • Publication number: 20120153748
    Abstract: An elastic support member that supports a vibrator includes a first elastic deformation portion and a second elastic deformation portion that are integrally formed from a leaf spring material. When the first elastic deformation portion bending-deforms in an X direction, the vibrator vibrates in the X direction. When the second elastic deformation portion bending-deforms in a Z direction, the vibrator vibrates in the Z direction. The elastic modulus of the second elastic deformation portion is higher than the elastic modulus of the first elastic deformation portion. A magnetic core and a coil are provided in the vibrator, and a magnet is provided on the case side. Driving signals of different frequencies are applied to the coil, and the vibrator resonates at a low vibration frequency in the X direction that is a first direction and resonates at a high vibration frequency in the Z direction that is a second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Inventor: Tomokuni Wauke
  • Publication number: 20110266892
    Abstract: A vibration generating device includes a coil wound around an outer peripheral surface of a core, a vibrator vibrating due to a magnetic field generated by the coil, a magnetic field forming unit having a pair of magnets oppositely disposed at both surfaces of the vibrator so that the same polarities face each other or one magnet disposed at one side surface of the vibrator, and an elastic support member for supporting the vibrator so that the vibrator is capable of freely vibrating, wherein a vibrating direction of the vibrator is set to be parallel to a fixed surface of the device, by means of a magnetic flux generated by the magnetic field forming unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: ALPS ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tomokuni WAUKE
  • Patent number: 7187092
    Abstract: An inner rotor motor includes a rotor having a plurality of magnetic poles circumferentially arranged, and a stator with a stator core having a plurality of magnetic pole teeth that are positioned on the outer side of the circumference of the rotor and oppose the rotor. A coil is provided on each of the magnetic pole teeth. The stator extends not more than 180 degrees with respect to the center of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomokuni Wauke
  • Patent number: 6812600
    Abstract: A motor having a rotor with a plurality of magnetic poles arranged in an arch or circular shape and a stator in which coils are disposed on the magnetic teeth of a stator core having a plurality of the magnetic teeth disposed opposite to the rotor, wherein a magnetic pole part for cancelling a cogging torque is disposed around the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomokuni Wauke
  • Patent number: 6774520
    Abstract: An inner rotor motor includes a rotor which has a plurality of circumferentially arranged magnetic poles and a stator which is positioned outside a circumference of the rotor and has a stator core which includes a plurality of magnetic pole teeth which face the rotor in an opposed manner and arranges coils for respective magnetic pole teeth. In such a constitution, the stator is arranged within a center angle of 180° with respect to a center of rotation of the rotor. Further, pitches of the magnetic pole teeth in the rotor circumferential direction along which respective rotor facing surfaces of the magnetic pole teeth are arranged are set smaller than pitches of the rotor in the rotor circumferential direction along which the magnetic poles of the rotor are arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomokuni Wauke
  • Patent number: 6775096
    Abstract: A chucking device for a magnetic disk that includes a substantially disk-shaped bearing and a drive arm extending in a rear side of a rotor yoke along a circumferential direction and loosely suspended from and held by a rotor yoke on both ends. An inner peripheral surface for restraining movement toward a bearing is formed at the drive arm, and a drive pin loosely passing through a drive pin through hole of the rotor yoke to extend upward and loosely inserted into a drive hole of a magnetic disk is formed at a front part of the drive arm in a rotor yoke rotation direction. When the rotor yoke having the magnetic disk placed thereon is rotated, the inner peripheral surface of the drive arm comes away from the bearing, and the drive pin comes in contact with a front edge and an outside edge of the drive hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomokuni Wauke
  • Patent number: 6770998
    Abstract: The inner-rotor motor of the invention includes a rotor having plural magnetic poles disposed circumferentially, and a stator having a stator core with plural magnetic pole teeth facing to the rotor, located outside a circumference of the rotor, which have coils each wound around thereof. In this construction, the stator is placed within a central angel 180° with regard to a rotational center of the rotor, and the coils are set such that the numbers of turns of adjacent coils are unequal, and respective sums of the numbers of turns of the coils in respective phases are equal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomokuni Wauke
  • Patent number: 6741419
    Abstract: A base of an arm having a driving projection at its tip is rotatably supported on a turn table. The turn table is provided with a first guide part and a second guide part, an outer edge part of the base of the arm and a first guide part are in contact with each other at a contact point, and a projection and a second guide part are in contact with each other at a contact point. While the arm rotates in a counterclockwise direction, the contact points are moved, and it is possible to prevent the center of the driving projection from largely deviating from a reference normal. Thus, even if a hub in which the position of the driving hole is shifted is mounted, the hub is not largely shifted in a rotation direction relative to a turn table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomokuni Wauke
  • Patent number: 6713926
    Abstract: There are provided a rotor having plural magnetic poles disposed in a circumferential shape, and a stator including a stator core having plural magnetic pole teeth that are outside a circumference of the rotor and face the rotor, a coil being wound around each of the magnetic pole teeth, wherein the stator is provided in a range within 180 degrees with respect to a center of the rotor, the magnetic pole teeth are set so that the value of at least one of angles each formed by extensions of adjacent magnetic pole teeth is smaller than an angle formed by lines each connecting a tip center of one of adjacent magnetic pole teeth and a rotation center of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomokuni Wauke