Patents by Inventor Toshihiro Mihara

Toshihiro Mihara 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: 8037860
    Abstract: A cylinder liner has an upper portion and a lower portion with respect to an axial direction of the cylinder liner. A high thermal conductive film is provided on an outer circumferential surface of the upper portion. A low thermal conductive film is provided on an outer circumferential surface of the lower portion. The cylinder liner reduces temperature difference of a cylinder along its axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Teikoku Piston Ring Co., Ltd., Teipi Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Takami, Kouhei Hori, Takeshi Tsukahara, Noritaka Miyamoto, Masaki Hirano, Yukinori Ohta, Satoshi Yamada, Kouhei Shibata, Nobuyuki Yamashita, Toshihiro Mihara, Giichiro Saito, Masami Horigome, Takashi Sato
  • Patent number: 7757652
    Abstract: A cylinder liner 2 is enveloped in a cylinder block through insert casting. The cylinder liner 2 includes a cylinder liner body 2a and a metal coating layer 8 formed on the body 2a through a cold spraying method. Since the metal coating layer 8 is formed in a non-molten and oxygen free state, few oxygen films or oxygen layers are formed on the surface of or in the interior of the metal coating layer 8. Thus, the thermal conductivity of the metal coating layer 8 is sufficiently high. As a result, the thermal conductivity from the metal coating layer 8 to the cylinder block is sufficiently high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noritaka Miyamoto, Masaki Hirano, Toshihiro Takami, Kouhei Shibata, Nobuyuki Yamashita, Toshihiro Mihara, Giichiro Saito, Masami Horigome, Takashi Sato
  • Patent number: 7753023
    Abstract: A cylinder liner has an outer circumferential surface on which a film is formed. The film functions to form gaps between the cylinder block and the cylinder liner. Alternatively, the film functions to reduce adhesion of the cylinder liner to the cylinder block. The cylinder liner suppresses excessive decreases in the temperature of a cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiro Takami, Kouhei Hori, Takeshi Tsukahara, Noritaka Miyamoto, Masaki Hirano, Yukinori Ohta, Satoshi Yamada, Kouhei Shibata, Nobuyuki Yamashita, Toshihiro Mihara, Giichiro Saito, Masami Horigome, Takashi Sato
  • Patent number: 7685987
    Abstract: A cylinder liner for insert casting used in a cylinder block is disclosed. The cylinder liner has an outer circumferential surface, and upper, middle, and lower portions with respect to an axial direction of the cylinder liner. A high thermal conductive film is formed in a section of the outer circumferential surface that corresponds to the upper portion, and a low thermal conductive film is formed in a section of the outer circumferential surface that corresponds to the lower portion. The high thermal conductive film and the low thermal conductive film are laminated in a section of the outer circumferential surface that corresponds to the middle portion, thereby forming a laminated film portion. As a result, temperature difference along the axial direction of the cylinder is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noritaka Miyamoto, Toshihiro Takami, Masaki Hirano, Kouhei Shibata, Nobuyuki Yamashita, Toshihiro Mihara, Giichiro Saito, Masami Horigome, Takashi Sato
  • Patent number: 7533647
    Abstract: A cylinder liner for an engine cylinder block. A roughening process is performed only on an upper region of the outer surface of the cylinder liner. This increases adhesiveness with a sprayed layer at the upper region compared to a lower region of the liner outer surface. Therefore, difference in thermal conductance is produced in the axial direction of the cylinder liner. This maintains the wall temperature of the cylinder bore in an appropriate temperature range. Even if adhesiveness at the lower region of the liner outer surface is low, bottleneck-shaped projections are distributed on the liner outer surface. Thus, the bonding strength between the cylinder liner and the sprayed layer and the cylinder liner and the cylinder block via the sprayed layer is sufficient. This maintains the roundness of the cylinder bore and prevents fuel efficiency from being lowered by exhaust gas loss and mechanical loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noritaka Miyamoto, Masaki Hirano, Toshihiro Takami, Kouhei Shibata, Nobuyuki Yamashita, Toshihiro Mihara, Giichiro Saito, Masami Horigome, Takashi Sato
  • Patent number: 7513236
    Abstract: A liner outer surface is coated by a sprayed layer or a heterogeneous metal layer including a base metal phase and dispersed metal phases. During casting, liquid metal enters the sprayed layer from the dispersed metal phases and solidifies in a virtual vegetation root state. The surface of the cylinder block is thus rigidly fixed to the surface of the cylinder liner. In this case, a strong bonding force is produced between the cylinder block and the cylinder liner and high thermal conductivity is obtained compared to the prior art in which the liquid metal merely contacts a surface layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noritaka Miyamoto, Masaki Hirano, Toshihiro Takami, Kouhei Shibata, Nobuyuki Yamashita, Toshihiro Mihara, Giichiro Saito, Masami Horigome, Takashi Sato
  • Publication number: 20070012179
    Abstract: A cylinder liner has an upper portion and a lower portion with respect to an axial direction of the cylinder liner. A high thermal conductive film is provided on an outer circumferential surface of the upper portion. A low thermal conductive film is provided on an outer circumferential surface of the lower portion. The cylinder liner reduces temperature difference of a cylinder along its axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Publication date: January 18, 2007
    Inventors: Toshihiro Takami, Kouhei Hori, Takeshi Tsukahara, Noritaka Miyamoto, Masaki Hirano, Yukinori Ohta, Satoshi Yamada, Kouhei Shibata, Nobuyuki Yamashita, Toshihiro Mihara, Giichiro Saito, Masami Horigome, Takashi Sato
  • Publication number: 20070012180
    Abstract: A cylinder liner 2 is enveloped in a cylinder block through insert casting. The cylinder liner 2 includes a cylinder liner body 2a and a metal coating layer 8 formed on the body 2a through a cold spraying method. Since the metal coating layer 8 is formed in a non-molten and oxygen free state, few oxygen films or oxygen layers are formed on the surface of or in the interior of the metal coating layer 8. Thus, the thermal conductivity of the metal coating layer 8 is sufficiently high. As a result, the thermal conductivity from the metal coating layer 8 to the cylinder block is sufficiently high.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Publication date: January 18, 2007
    Inventors: Noritaka Miyamoto, Masaki Hirano, Toshihiro Takami, Kouhei Shibata, Nobuyuki Yamashita, Toshihiro Mihara, Giichiro Saito, Masami Horigome, Takashi Sato
  • Publication number: 20070012175
    Abstract: A cylinder liner for insert casting used in a cylinder block is disclosed. The cylinder liner has an outer circumferential surface, and upper, middle, and lower portions with respect to an axial direction of the cylinder liner. A high thermal conductive film is formed in a section of the outer circumferential surface that corresponds to the upper portion, and a low thermal conductive film is formed in a section of the outer circumferential surface that corresponds to the lower portion. The high thermal conductive film and the low thermal conductive film are laminated in a section of the outer circumferential surface that corresponds to the middle portion, thereby forming a laminated film portion. As a result, temperature difference along the axial direction of the cylinder is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Publication date: January 18, 2007
    Inventors: Noritaka Miyamoto, Toshihiro Takami, Masaki Hirano, Kouhei Shibata, Nobuyuki Yamashita, Toshihiro Mihara, Giichiro Saito, Masami Horigome, Takashi Sato
  • Publication number: 20070012176
    Abstract: A cylinder liner has an outer circumferential surface on which a film is formed. The film functions to form gaps between the cylinder block and the cylinder liner. Alternatively, the film functions to reduce adhesion of the cylinder liner to the cylinder block. The cylinder liner suppresses excessive decreases in the temperature of a cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Publication date: January 18, 2007
    Inventors: Toshihiro Takami, Kouhei Hori, Takeshi Tsukahara, Noritaka Miyamoto, Masaki Hirano, Yukinori Ohta, Satoshi Yamada, Kouhei Shibata, Nobuyuki Yamashita, Toshihiro Mihara, Giichiro Saito, Masami Horigome, Takashi Sato
  • Publication number: 20070012177
    Abstract: A cylinder liner for an engine cylinder block. A roughening process is performed only on an upper region of the outer surface of the cylinder liner. This increases adhesiveness with a sprayed layer at the upper region compared to a lower region of the liner outer surface. Therefore, difference in thermal conductance is produced in the axial direction of the cylinder liner. This maintains the wall temperature of the cylinder bore in an appropriate temperature range. Even if adhesiveness at the lower region of the liner outer surface is low, bottleneck-shaped projections are distributed on the liner outer surface. Thus, the bonding strength between the cylinder liner and the sprayed layer and the cylinder liner and the cylinder block via the sprayed layer is sufficient. This maintains the roundness of the cylinder bore and prevents fuel efficiency from being lowered by exhaust gas loss and mechanical loss.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Publication date: January 18, 2007
    Inventors: Noritaka Miyamoto, Masaki Hirano, Toshihiro Takami, Kouhei Shibata, Nobuyuki Yamashita, Toshihiro Mihara, Giichiro Saito, Masami Horigome, Takashi Sato
  • Publication number: 20070009669
    Abstract: A liner outer surface is coated by a sprayed layer or a heterogeneous metal layer including a base metal phase and dispersed metal phases. During casting, liquid metal enters the sprayed layer from the dispersed metal phases and solidifies in a virtual vegetation root state. The surface of the cylinder block is thus rigidly fixed to the surface of the cylinder liner. In this case, a strong bonding force is produced between the cylinder block and the cylinder liner and high thermal conductivity is obtained compared to the prior art in which the liquid metal merely contacts a surface layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Inventors: Noritaka Miyamoto, Masaki Hirano, Toshihiro Takami, Kouhei Shibata, Nobuyuki Yamashita, Toshihiro Mihara, Giichiro Saito, Masami Horigome, Takashi Sato
  • Patent number: 4902457
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a porous body comprising zirconium oxide and a metal carbide is described. The method comprises mixing a metallic zirconium powder, a metal oxide, and a carbon powder, shaping the mixture in a desired form, and igniting a part or portion of the shaped mixture in an atmosphere inert to a combustion reaction of the shaped mixture. The combustion reaction is caused to continue by the heat of the reaction, so that the zirconium is converted to zirconium oxide, and the metal oxide is reduced with zirconium and converted to a metal carbide to obtain a porous body. This body may be readily divided into fine pieces. If the above procedure is effected under a molding compression pressure, a composite sintered product comprising zirconium oxide and the metal carbide is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1990
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Wada, Seiji Adachi, Toshihiro Mihara
  • Patent number: 4885661
    Abstract: A mutli-layer ceramic capacitor principally made up of (a) internal electrode layers containing at least copper and (b) ceramic dielectric layers extending between the internal electrode layers. The materials which form the ceramic include copper oxide and an oxide component A and B, which component A is selected from group I of lead, calcium, strontium, and barium, and component B is selected from group II of magnesia, nickel, titanium, zirconium, zinc, niobium, tantalum, and tungsten. The component A includes at least lead and component B includes at least two of the substances in group II, and wherein a ratio between values a and b are chosen so that 0.985<a/b<1.110, where the value a denotes the total mol value of the substances in the component A and the value b denotes the total mol value of the substances in component B. The copper oxide component is present in an amount of about 0.03 to 0.65 wt % in terms of Cu.sub.2 O content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1989
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichiro Yokotani, Hiroshi Kagata, Hiroshi Niwa, Junichi Kato, Toshihiro Mihara
  • Patent number: 4840028
    Abstract: An exhaust gas filtering element is provided for filtering diesel particulates. The system comprises two filter elements disposed parallel to each other, a burner mechanism, and a four-way valve mechanism for switching over an exhaust gas flow and a preheated gas flow obtained by combustion in the burner mechanism. The exhaust gas flow is generally passed uniformly through the two filter elements which filter off particulates. However, when regeneration is required, an ellipitical vane, provided in a cylinder of the four-way valve mechanism, is rotated so as to cut off the exhaust gas flow passing through one of the filter elements and cause the preheated gas to flow through this filter, whereby particulates are oxidized and incinerated. At this time, the exhaust gas flow is passed through the other filter element, without any particulates being emitted into the atmosphere. Then, the exhaust gas flow and the preheated gas flow are switched by rotating the vane so that the other filter element is regenerated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1989
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Kusuda, Masaaki Yonemura, Hisanori Shimoda, Masuo Takigawa, Toshihiro Mihara
  • Patent number: 4752858
    Abstract: Material forming dielectric ceramics includes an oxide containing a component A and a component B. The component A is selected from a group I of lead, calcium, strontium, and barium. The component B is selected from a group II of magnesium, nickel, titanium, zinc, niobium, and tungsten. The component A includes lead and at least one of the other substances in the group I. The component B includes at least two of the substances in the group II. A ratio between values a and b is chosen so that a/b>1.00, where the value a denotes a total mol value of the substances in the component A and the value b denotes a total mol value of the substances in the component B. Electrode layers are made of copper or an alloy principally containing copper. Since the firing temperature of the dielectric ceramics is low, excellent characteristics of a capacitor are enabled in spite of the fact that electrodes contain copper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 21, 1988
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichiro Yokotani, Junichi Kato, Toshihiro Mihara
  • Patent number: 4652286
    Abstract: An exhaust gas filter for diesel particulates, comprising a row of a plurality of channels of honeycomb structure of porous sintered ceramic fiber composite sheet, the ceramic fiber composite sheet being produced by a paper-forming method from a slurry of alumino-silicate fiber and fire clay. The honeycomb structure of the ceramic fiber composite sheet is formed by stacking plane sheets and corrugated sheets one atop the other. The filter exhibits low pressure drop yet highly efficient operation by having a bulk density of the ceramic fiber composite sheet in the range of 0.1 g/cm.sup.3 to 0.8 g/cm.sup.3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1987
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Kusuda, Toshihiro Mihara, Masaaki Yonemura, Satoshi Kuwano
  • Patent number: 4504218
    Abstract: This invention relates to a ceramic burner plate using a fiber composite ceramic (1) of low thermal conductivity having gas passages (3), and provides a burner plate, wherein the burner plate contains a lithium component and such components as nickel, manganese, cobalt, titanium, copper, iron, chromium, and vanadium, to assist in the combustion of gas, and has a surface construction (2) having triangular projections, hexagonal projections or rhombic projections, to ensure increased heat radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1982
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1985
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Mihara, Takao Kusuda, Koichi Noma, Hiromitsu Taki
  • Patent number: 3999947
    Abstract: This invention provides a reducing gas sensor which has a gas sensitive element of .gamma.-ferric oxide (.gamma.-Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3), a pair of electrodes and a heater element. The .gamma.-ferric oxide is in the form of a thin film, a plate or a thin surface layer on a sintered plate of .alpha.-ferric oxide. This invention also provides a method of producing the reducing gas sensor, which includes the steps of firing .gamma.-Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3, .gamma.-FeOOH or Fe.sub.3 O.sub.4 powder on a substrate and applying thereto a pair of electrodes and a heater element; or sintering alpha-ferric oxide (.alpha.-Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3) and reducing it to magnetite and oxidizing it at the surface thereof to .gamma.-ferric oxide as a gas sensitive element. The sensitivity (R.sub.A /R.sub.G) of the gas sensitive element of .gamma.-ferric oxide is 10 to 130.degree. at 270.degree. C in an atmosphere containing 0.1 to 1 percent by volume propane gas, and the reducing gas sensor has high sensitivity and stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1975
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1976
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Mihara, Masatake Ayusawa, Keiji Matsumoto, Kunio Sato, Yoshio Iida
  • Patent number: 3954641
    Abstract: The present invention provides a ferromagnetic chromium oxide powder having an additive of sulfur incorporated therewith, which powder has a lower curie temperature than that of pure chromium dioxide powder and a high saturation magnetization. Said powder has a composition in weight percent, consisting essentially of 61.90 to 57.22 percent of chromium and 0.0038 to 15.10 percent of sulfur. Moreover, the ferromagnetic chromium oxide powder having a combination of sulfur and further additives selected from tellurium, tin and antimony has a lower Curie temperature than that of pure chromium dioxide together with a high intrinsic coercive force and a high saturation magnetization. The particles of these powders are in a uniform acicular shape and are useful in magnetic recording media, especially for slave tapes in thermo-magnetic duplication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1973
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1976
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Kawamata, Toshihiro Mihara, Yukio Terada, Eiichi Hirota