Patents by Inventor Toshihide Sonoda

Toshihide Sonoda 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: 9087544
    Abstract: A space for accommodating therein a portion of an optical pickup mechanism is arranged below a disk loading portion of a turn table member of a chucking mechanism of the present invention. The space is arranged axially below a disk mounting surface. Since such space is provided, a recording/reproducing portion will be allowed to move closer to a brushless motor, and therefore a second lens arranged further away from the brushless motor will be allowed to move radially inward of a recording/reproducing area of an optical disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Haruhiko Ito, Toshihide Sonoda, Takuya Yamane
  • Patent number: 8719852
    Abstract: A turntable for storage disk drive apparatuses includes a plate member made of a ferromagnetic material and a central resin member arranged at the center of the plate member and formed by injection-molding a resin. The central resin member includes a disk guide portion provided on an upper surface thereof to guide a central hole of a disk and a plurality of gate recess portions indented upwards from a lower surface of the central resin member. The gate recess portions include ceiling surfaces positioned higher than the plate member. The ceiling surfaces include a plurality of gate cut portions formed in an injection molding process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Kosuke Nakanishi, Shinya Tabata, Toshihide Sonoda, Yoshihisa Kitamura, Takuya Yamane, Kenta Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 8438588
    Abstract: A turntable for a storage disk drive apparatus includes a plate member made of a ferromagnetic material and a central resin member arranged at the center of the plate member and formed into a single member by injection-molding a resin. The plate member includes a peripheral plate portion and a central plate portion positioned higher than the peripheral plate portion. The central plate portion includes a plate center hole defined at the center of the plate member. The central resin member includes a resinous cylinder portion extending through the plate center hole and defining a resin central through-hole, a disk guide portion arranged to guide a disk center hole, and a resinous connector portion arranged above the central plate portion to interconnect the resinous cylinder portion and the disk guide portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Kosuke Nakanishi, Shinya Tabata, Toshihide Sonoda, Yoshihisa Kitamura
  • Patent number: 8352975
    Abstract: A chucking device includes a turntable fixed to a shaft having a central axis and a cone arranged axially above the turntable. An annular yoke is arranged above a sliding portion of the cone and fixed to the shaft, and a clamp magnet is fixed to the yoke through an adhesive agent. The yoke includes an upper surface having an annular recess defined in a concentric relationship with the central axis, the adhesive agent being applied on a region of the upper surface existing radially inwards of the recess. The recess includes a radial outer wall parallel to the central axis and a radial inner wall inclined radially inwards and axially upwards. The angle between the radial outer wall and a lower surface of the clamp magnet is greater than the angle between the radial inner wall and the lower surface of the clamp magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Haruhiko Ito, Toshihide Sonoda, Daisuke Tsunashima, Takuya Yamane, Shigeo Kawamura, Yoshihisa Kitamura, Hisakazu Motomochi
  • Patent number: 8341658
    Abstract: A turntable for a storage disk drive apparatus includes a plate member made of a ferromagnetic material and a central resin member arranged at the center of the plate member and provided with an outer peripheral portion positioned above the plate member. The central resin member includes claws extending downwards from the outer peripheral portion and claw position holes overlapping with the claws in the direction parallel to the center axis of the central resin member. The claw position holes include inner surfaces spaced apart from an edge of the plate member. The inner surfaces are defined by the resin. The central resin member includes a resin layer extending in the direction perpendicular to the center axis. The resin layer exists between the portion of the edge of the plate member around the claw position holes and the claw position holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Kosuke Nakanishi, Shinya Tabata, Toshihide Sonoda, Yoshihisa Kitamura
  • Patent number: 8154162
    Abstract: A motor for holding a disk with a mounting opening in place includes a rotor unit including a rotor magnet rotatable about a central axis and a stator unit including a stator arranged opposite to the rotor magnet and a circuit board electrically connected to the stator. Wiring lines of the circuit board include output-side land portions electrically connected to first ends of coils of the stator, a connection-side land portion electrically connected to second ends of the coils forming a neutral point, a connection portion electrically connected to an external power source, output-side wiring portions arranged to electrically interconnect the output-side land portions and the connection portion, and a connection-side wiring portion arranged to electrically interconnect the connection-side land portion and the connection portion. Each of the output-side wiring portions has a width greater than a width of the connection-side wiring portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Suginohara, Haruhiko Ito, Toshihide Sonoda, Takuya Yamane
  • Publication number: 20120017229
    Abstract: A cone part in a chucking device capable of freely attaching and detaching a disc having a disc shape includes an abutting portion for abutting an inner peripheral surface of a central through hole of the disc with substantially equal forces along an entire circumference thereof and aligning the disc. The cone part is made of a resin material having a high slidability than that of a material used for the disc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Applicant: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Haruhiko Ito, Hitoshi Takaki, Toshihide Sonoda, Takuya Yamane
  • Patent number: 8095946
    Abstract: A cone part in a chucking device capable of freely attaching and detaching a disc having a disc shape includes an abutting portion for abutting an inner peripheral surface of a central through hole of the disc with substantially equal forces along an entire circumference thereof and aligning the disc. The cone part is made of a resin material having a high slidability than that of a material used for the disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Haruhiko Ito, Hitoshi Takaki, Toshihide Sonoda, Takuya Yamane
  • Patent number: 7979873
    Abstract: A chucking device for removably holding a disk with a central opening, includes a shaft coaxially arranged with a specified center axis; a turntable fixed to the shaft, the turntable having a disk support surface for supporting the disk; and a resin-made cone arranged axially above the turntable, the cone including a shaft-fixed portion fixed to the shaft, a disk holding portion having an annular disk holding surface inclined radially outwardly and axially downwardly, and an arm portion for radially interconnecting the shaft-fixed portion and the disk holding portion. Herein, the arm portion includes a support portion extending radially outwardly from the shaft-fixed portion and an elastically deformable portion joined to the support portion for being elastically deformed to axially downwardly move the disk holding portion as the disk comes into contact with the disk holding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Haruhiko Ito, Toshihide Sonoda, Takuya Yamane, Shigeo Kawamura, Yoshihisa Kitamura, Hisakazu Motomochi
  • Publication number: 20110119692
    Abstract: A space for accommodating therein a portion of an optical pickup mechanism is arranged below a disk loading portion of a turn table member of a chucking mechanism of the present invention. The space is arranged axially below a disk mounting surface. Since such space is provided, a recording/reproducing portion will be allowed to move closer to a brushless motor, and therefore a second lens arranged further away from the brushless motor will be allowed to move radially inward of a recording/reproducing area of an optical disk.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Haruhiko Ito, Toshihide Sonoda, Takuya Yamane
  • Patent number: 7917918
    Abstract: A space for accommodating therein a portion of an optical pickup mechanism is arranged below a disk loading portion of a turn table member of a chucking mechanism of the present invention. The space is arranged axially below a disk mounting surface. Since such space is provided, a recording/reproducing portion will be allowed to move closer to a brushless motor, and therefore a second lens arranged further away from the brushless motor will be allowed to move radially inward of a recording/reproducing area of an optical disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Haruhiko Ito, Toshihide Sonoda, Takuya Yamane
  • Publication number: 20110035764
    Abstract: A chucking device includes a turntable fixed to a shaft having a central axis and a cone arranged axially above the turntable. An annular yoke is arranged above a sliding portion of the cone and fixed to the shaft, and a clamp magnet is fixed to the yoke through an adhesive agent. The yoke includes an upper surface having an annular recess defined in a concentric relationship with the central axis, the adhesive agent being applied on a region of the upper surface existing radially inwards of the recess. The recess includes a radial outer wall parallel to the central axis and a radial inner wall inclined radially inwards and axially upwards. The angle between the radial outer wall and a lower surface of the clamp magnet is greater than the angle between the radial inner wall and the lower surface of the clamp magnet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Haruhiko Ito, Toshihide Sonoda, Daisuke Tsunashima, Takuya Yamane, Shigeo Kawamura, Yoshihisa Kitamura, Hisakazu Motomochi
  • Publication number: 20110035763
    Abstract: A turntable for storage disk drive apparatuses includes a plate member made of a ferromagnetic material and a central resin member arranged at the center of the plate member and formed by injection-molding a resin. The central resin member includes a disk guide portion provided on an upper surface thereof to guide a central hole of a disk and a plurality of gate recess portions indented upwards from a lower surface of the central resin member. The gate recess portions include ceiling surfaces positioned higher than the plate member. The ceiling surfaces include a plurality of gate cut portions formed in an injection molding process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kosuke Nakanishi, Shinya Tabata, Toshihide Sonoda, Yoshihisa Kitamura, Takuya Yamane, Kenta Miyoshi
  • Publication number: 20100309588
    Abstract: A turntable for a storage disk drive apparatus includes a plate member made of a ferromagnetic material and a central resin member arranged at the center of the plate member and provided with an outer peripheral portion positioned above the plate member. The central resin member includes claws extending downwards from the outer peripheral portion and claw position holes overlapping with the claws in the direction parallel to the center axis of the central resin member. The claw position holes include inner surfaces spaced apart from an edge of the plate member. The inner surfaces are defined by the resin. The central resin member includes a resin layer extending in the direction perpendicular to the center axis. The resin layer exists between the portion of the edge of the plate member around the claw position holes and the claw position holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Applicant: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Kosuke Nakanishi, Shinya Tabata, Toshihide Sonoda, Yoshihisa Kitamura
  • Publication number: 20100313212
    Abstract: A turntable for a storage disk drive apparatus includes a plate member made of a ferromagnetic material and a central resin member arranged at the center of the plate member and formed into a single member by injection-molding a resin. The plate member includes a peripheral plate portion and a central plate portion positioned higher than the peripheral plate portion. The central plate portion includes a plate center hole defined at the center of the plate member. The central resin member includes a resinous cylinder portion extending through the plate center hole and defining a resin central through-hole, a disk guide portion arranged to guide a disk center hole, and a resinous connector portion arranged above the central plate portion to interconnect the resinous cylinder portion and the disk guide portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Applicant: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kosuke Nakanishi, Shinya Tabata, Toshihide Sonoda, Yoshihisa Kitamura
  • Publication number: 20090212651
    Abstract: A motor for holding a disk with a mounting opening in place includes a rotor unit including a rotor magnet rotatable about a central axis and a stator unit including a stator arranged opposite to the rotor magnet and a circuit board electrically connected to the stator. Wiring lines of the circuit board include output-side land portions electrically connected to first ends of coils of the stator, a connection-side land portion electrically connected to second ends of the coils forming a neutral point, a connection portion electrically connected to an external power source, output-side wiring portions arranged to electrically interconnect the output-side land portions and the connection portion, and a connection-side wiring portion arranged to electrically interconnect the connection-side land portion and the connection portion. Each of the output-side wiring portions has a width greater than a width of the connection-side wiring portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Applicant: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahiro SUGINOHARA, Haruhiko ITO, Toshihide SONODA, Takuya YAMANE
  • Publication number: 20090064212
    Abstract: A chucking device for removably holding a disk with a central opening, includes a shaft coaxially arranged with a specified center axis; a turntable fixed to the shaft, the turntable having a disk support surface for supporting the disk; and a resin-made cone arranged axially above the turntable, the cone including a shaft-fixed portion fixed to the shaft, a disk holding portion having an annular disk holding surface inclined radially outwardly and axially downwardly, and an arm portion for radially interconnecting the shaft-fixed portion and the disk holding portion. Herein, the arm portion includes a support portion extending radially outwardly from the shaft-fixed portion and an elastically deformable portion joined to the support portion for being elastically deformed to axially downwardly move the disk holding portion as the disk comes into contact with the disk holding portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Haruhiko ITO, Toshihide SONODA, Takuya YAMANE, Shigeo KAWAMURA, Yoshihisa KITAMURA, Hisakazu MOTOMOCHI
  • Publication number: 20070294712
    Abstract: A space for accommodating therein a portion of an optical pickup mechanism is arranged below a disk loading portion of a turn table member of a chucking mechanism of the present invention. The space is arranged axially below a disk mounting surface. Since such space is provided, a recording/reproducing portion will be allowed to move closer to a brushless motor, and therefore a second lens arranged further away from the brushless motor will be allowed to move radially inward of a recording/reproducing area of an optical disk.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Applicant: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Haruhiko Ito, Toshihide Sonoda, Takuya Yamane
  • Publication number: 20070028255
    Abstract: A cone part in a chucking device capable of freely attaching and detaching a disc having a disc shape includes an abutting portion for abutting an inner peripheral surface of a central through hole of the disc with substantially equal forces along an entire circumference thereof and aligning the disc. The cone part is made of a resin material having a high slidability than that of a material used for the disc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2006
    Publication date: February 1, 2007
    Applicant: INDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Haruhiko Ito, Hitoshi Takaki, Toshihide Sonoda, Takuya Yamane