Patents by Inventor Toshihiko Nagata

Toshihiko Nagata 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: 20040217660
    Abstract: A stepping motor comprises a rotor assembly and a stator assembly. The stator assembly includes first and second stator units arranged horizontally on a same plane. Each stator unit is composed of: upper and lower stator yokes, which are shaped substantially semi-annular, arranged squarely opposite to each other in parallel, each have a plurality of pole teeth formed along its inner circumference so as to surround the rotor assembly, and which are coupled to each other with their respective pole teeth opposing each other so as to intermesh; a coil for exciting, wound rectangularly, and having its axis located outside the rotor assembly so as to be sandwiched between the upper and lower stator yokes; and a spacer shaped substantially in rectangular parallelepiped, oriented parallel to the axial direction of the rotor assembly, and inserted through the coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2004
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Inventors: Kunitake Matsushite, Hiroshi Sano, Toshihiko Nagata
  • Patent number: 6812599
    Abstract: A low-profile stepping motor comprises: a first stator unit including first upper and lower stator yokes each having a plurality of pole teeth which are formed along its semicircular inner circumference, and a first coil unit fixedly sandwiched between the first upper and lower stator yokes; a second stator unit including second upper and lower stator yokes formed as one piece integrally with the first upper and lower stator yokes, respectively, and each having a plurality of pole teeth which are formed along its semicircular inner circumference, and a second coil unit fixedly sandwiched between the second upper and lower stator yokes; a rotor assembly rotatably disposed in a circular open space defined by the pole teeth of the first and second stator units; and a spacer block disposed between the upper and lower stator yokes and adapted to surround the first and second coil units and the pole teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunitake Matsushita, Hiroshi Sano, Toshihiko Nagata
  • Publication number: 20040135448
    Abstract: In a motor, a shaft passes through a magnet of a rotor and is fixed to the magnet by way of a rotor sleeve formed by resin-molding between the magnet and the shaft. A resin-molded boss is fixed to a front end of a stator, has a center hole, and defines an inner surface continuous from the center hole and beveled so as to obliquely face a front end of the rotor sleeve. A plurality of bearing balls are rotatably disposed between the front end of the rotor sleeve and the beveled inner surface of the boss, thereby constituting a ball bearing which rotatably supports the shaft. Thus, the shaft is prevented from bowing, whereby the motor achieves a high rotational accuracy of the shaft without an additional bearing attached separately.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Inventors: Kunitake Matsushita, Hiroshi Sano, Toshihiko Nagata
  • Publication number: 20040104626
    Abstract: A low-profile stepping motor comprises: an upper twin-stator yoke plate composed of first and second upper stator yokes; a lower twin-stator yoke plate composed of first and second lower stator yokes; first and second coil units fixedly sandwiched between the upper and lower stator yoke plates so as to be arranged horizontally flush with each other; and a rotor assembly including a cylindrical magnet and disposed between the first and second coil units. In the stepping motor, one of the upper and lower twin-stator yoke plates is structured such that one half of its pole teeth partitioned in half by a predetermined datum line and open spaces each residing between two adjacent pole teeth of the other half are positioned symmetrically about the predetermined datum line, whereby the one twin-stator yoke plate can be used in common to the other twin-stator yoke plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2003
    Publication date: June 3, 2004
    Applicant: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunitake Matsushita, Hiroshi Sano, Toshihiko Nagata
  • Publication number: 20040100161
    Abstract: A low-profile stepping motor comprises: a first stator unit including first upper and lower stator yokes each having a plurality of pole teeth which are formed along its semicircular inner circumference, and a first coil unit fixedly sandwiched between the first upper and lower stator yokes; a second stator unit including second upper and lower stator yokes formed as one piece integrally with the first upper and lower stator yokes, respectively, and each having a plurality of pole teeth which are formed along its semicircular inner circumference, and a second coil unit fixedly sandwiched between the second upper and lower stator yokes; a rotor assembly rotatably disposed in a circular open space defined by the pole teeth of the first and second stator units; and a spacer block disposed between the upper and lower stator yokes and adapted to surround the first and second coil units and the pole teeth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2003
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Applicant: Minebea Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Kunitake Matsushita, Hiroshi Sano, Toshihiko Nagata
  • Publication number: 20040080233
    Abstract: A low-profile stepping motor has a stator assembly structured such that first and second coil units are disposed flush with each other horizontally and are sandwiched between upper and lower stator yoke pieces each comprising first and second stator yokes which are punched out integrally with each other, are shaped symmetrically, and which each have a plurality of pole teeth along its semi-circular inner circumference. The upper and lower stator yoke pieces are fixedly put together via the coils such that hollow-cylindrical protrusions formed in the upper and lower stator yoke pieces are inserted into through-holes of first and second coil bobbins from the upper and lower sides, respectively, and have their abutting end surfaces welded, bonded or otherwise fixed to each other, whereby the coil units are surely held between the upper and lower stator yoke pieces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2003
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Applicant: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunitake Matsushita, Hiroshi Sano, Toshihiko Nagata
  • Patent number: 6727608
    Abstract: A claw-pole type stepping motor which includes a stator in which coils are arranged in association with a pair of inner and outer yokes and a pair of pole tooth sections thereby forming a magnetic circuit; and a rotor magnet which is rotatably disposed opposite to the pair of pole tooth sections, each of the pair of pole tooth sections being prepared discretely from each of the inner and outer yokes by punching out a soft magnetic steel plate so as to form a piece having a belt portion and a plurality of pole teeth integrally connected to the belt portion and thereafter rolling into a cylindrical shape. Thus, it becomes possible to set arbitrarily individual dimensions of each of the pole teeth as required by the characteristics of a motor, thereby providing an excellent high output and miniature motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Minebea Co, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yamawaki, Hiroshi Sano, Toshihiko Nagata
  • Publication number: 20040061388
    Abstract: A low-profile stepping motor has a stator assembly structured such that first and second coil units are disposed flush with each other horizontally and are sandwiched between upper and lower stator yoke pieces each comprising first and second stator yokes which are punched out integrally with each other, are shaped symmetrically, and which each have a plurality of pole teeth along its semi-circular inner circumference. The upper and lower stator yoke pieces are fixedly put together by means of two studs lodged fittingly inside respective bobbins of the first and second coil units such that the studs have their both ends tightly engaging with holes formed in the upper and lower stator yoke pieces, whereby the coil units are surely held between the upper and lower stator yoke pieces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2003
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Applicant: Minebea Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Kunitake Matasushita, Hiroshi Sano, Toshihiko Nagata
  • Patent number: 6710503
    Abstract: A stator structure of a claw-pole type stepping motor which has an outer stator yoke having a plurality of pole teeth; an inner stator yoke having a plurality of pole teeth which are intermeshed with the plurality of pole teeth of the outer stator yoke with a gap therebetween; a coil disposed around the circumferential periphery defined by the pole teeth; and a covering which covers the coil. The stator external walls are only partially formed so as to allow the covering to be exposed in regions where the stator external walls are not formed. The stator structure of the present invention enables a dimensional reduction in size of a motor by a dimension corresponding to double the thickness of the stator yoke material, without impairing the performance of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yamawaki, Hiroshi Sano, Toshihiko Nagata
  • Publication number: 20020190584
    Abstract: A stator structure of a claw-pole type stepping motor of the present invention comprises: an outer stator yoke having a plurality of pole teeth; an inner stator yoke having a plurality of pole teeth which are intermeshed with the plurality of pole teeth of the outer stator yoke with a gap therebetween; a coil disposed around the circumferential periphery defined by the pole teeth; and a covering which covers the coil, with stator external walls being partially formed so as to allow the covering to be exposed in regions where the stator external walls are not formed. The stator structure of the present invention enables a dimensional reduction in size of a motor by a dimension corresponding to double the thickness of the stator yoke material, without impairing the performance of the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2002
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Applicant: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yamawaki, Hiroshi Sano, Toshihiko Nagata
  • Publication number: 20020180302
    Abstract: A claw-pole type stepping motor which includes a stator in which coils are arranged in association with a pair of inner and outer yokes and a pair of pole tooth sections thereby forming a magnetic circuit; and a rotor magnet which is rotatably disposed opposite to the pair of pole tooth sections, each of the pair of pole tooth sections being prepared discretely from each of the inner and outer yokes by punching out a soft magnetic steel plate so as to form a piece having a belt portion and a plurality of pole teeth integrally connected to the belt portion and thereafter rolling into a cylindrical shape. Thus, it becomes possible to set arbitrarily individual dimensions of each of the pole teeth as required by the characteristics of a motor, thereby providing an excellent high output and miniature motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2002
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Applicant: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yamawaki Takayuki, Hiroshi Sano, Toshihiko Nagata
  • Patent number: 5777413
    Abstract: A bearing installation for a Floppy Disk Driver motor which is simple in structure and high in accuracy of a rotating action of a rotary shaft, thus hardly impairing the read and write characteristics of a Floppy Disk Driver device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Nagata, Hiroshi Sano, Takayuki Yamawaki, Kunitake Matsushita
  • Patent number: 5486054
    Abstract: A bearing system in a motor for a floppy disk drive (FDD) apparatus includes a protective cap mounted to one side of the motor, a first pivot bearing arranged movable to and from the protective cap in an axial direction of a rotary shaft, a thrust spring provided for urging the first pivot bearing in the axial direction of the rotary shaft, the rotary shaft having a rotor fixedly mounted thereto and rotatably supported at one end by the first pivot bearing and at the other end by a second pivot bearing mounted to a base for installation of the motor, and an alignment bushing arranged through which the rotary shaft of the motor extends without direct contact and closely fitted into a positioning hole provided in a plate to which the motor is secured. The rotary shaft remains not in direct contact with (spaced apart from) the alignment bushing and, acting as a leadscrew, can thus rotate at a higher accuracy, eliminating intrinsic drawbacks of the FDD motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1996
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Nagata, Hiroshi Sano, Takayuki Yamawaki, Kunitake Matsushita