Patents by Inventor Yusuke Iwai

Yusuke Iwai 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: 7962928
    Abstract: In a brushless motor for use in a disk drive, a rotor is mounted onto a tube portion of a housing. A retaining claw is formed at an upper end of the tube portion. A turntable has a central concave portion which accommodates an upper portion of the tube portion of the housing. A retaining member is provided radially outside the central concave portion, and includes a plurality of retaining pieces extending to the inside of the central concave portion. When the rotor is mounted onto the housing, the retaining pieces come into contact with the retaining claw and then move upward. When the rotor moves upward relative to the housing, the retaining pieces come into contact with the retaining claw, thereby restricting upward movement of the rotor. Upward movement of the retaining pieces is restricted by contact between the retaining member and the turntable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Iwai, Tomoya Uchimura, Satoru Kuramoto, Ken Horishi
  • Patent number: 7937722
    Abstract: A chucking mechanism is operable to detachably set thereon a discoid disk. The chucking mechanism includes a center case, a claw member, an elastic member, and a turn table. The claw member includes, a claw portion, and a movement support portion The center case includes a movement pivot receiving portion. A support point extending continuously from the movement pivot portion is arranged radially inwardly of the movement pivot portion at the movement support portion, and axially upward movement of the tip portion is substantially prevented since the support point makes contact with the movement pivot receiving portion, and a top surface of the movement support portion makes contact with a bottom surface of the top plate portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Takaki, Yusuke Iwai, Tomoya Uchimura, Satoru Kuramoto
  • Patent number: 7921438
    Abstract: A claw member includes at a radially inward surface thereof a protrusion inclined surface in order to minimize deformation occurring in an axial direction to an elastic member which is a coil spring. The protrusion inclined surface is preferably inclined, when a tip portion of the claw member is at an axially lowest point, to be substantially perpendicular to the central axis, or such that the further radially inward a portion thereof is the axially lower the portion is. By virtue of such configuration, the protrusion inclined surface minimizes deformation occurring to the elastic member in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Takaki, Yusuke Iwai, Tomoya Uchimura, Satoru Kuramoto
  • Patent number: 7913269
    Abstract: A motor used for a data storage disk drive is provided. The motor includes a rotor holder having a cylindrical portion. The cylindrical portion has a radially inner surface defining a through hole and an inner protruding section arranged at an axial end portion of the radially inner surface. The inner protruding section radially inwardly protrudes from the radially inner surface into the through hole. A shaft of the motor is inserted into the through hole and fixed to the radially inner surface of the cylindrical portion of the rotor holder with an adhesive. In the motor, a radially inner end of the inner protruding section of the rotor holder radially opposes an axially upper portion of the shaft. In addition, the portion of the axially lower surface of the inner protruding section of the rotor holder axially opposes the shaft while the axially upper portion of the shaft and the inner protruding portion are arranged in an axially vicinity manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Takaki, Yusuke Iwai, Tomoya Uchimura
  • Patent number: 7908614
    Abstract: A movement pivot receiving portion which receives a movement pivot portion of a claw member and a movement support receiving portion which receives a movement assist portion of the claw member are arranged radially within a cylindrical portion of a center case. By virtue of such configuration, both receiving portions are designed with a greater degree of freedom within a space between an inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion and an outer circumferential surface of a base portion. Therefore, the claw member may be designed to have a preferable thickness while achieving a preferable movement of in an axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Takaki, Yusuke Iwai, Tomoya Uchimura, Satoru Kuramoto
  • Patent number: 7900223
    Abstract: In a motor including a chucking device for detachably holding a disk, the chucking device has a center case to which a central opening of the disk is inserted; resilient members received within the center case; and claw members for holding the disk in place. Each of the claw members has a tip end portion, a disk holding surface positioned axially below the tip end portion for holding the disk in place, and a recessed sliding portion formed substantially at a circumferential center region of the disk holding surface, the sliding portion serving to guide movement of the claw member. Rest portions are formed in the center case to face the respective sliding portions, the rest portions serving to support the respective sliding portions by contacting therewith. The sliding portions are designed to make contact with the respective rest portions when the disk is mounted to the chucking device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Takaki, Yusuke Iwai, Satoru Kuramoto, Tatsuya Tatara
  • Patent number: 7890969
    Abstract: A claw member includes a claw portion and a movement support portion. The movement support portion includes a movement pivot portion which is a pivotal portion of the movement of the claw member, and a movement support portion formed radially inward of the movement pivot portion. The claw member is allowed to maintain an axial height of a tip portion thereof while smoothly maintaining a movement in a radially inward direction thereof since a movement support receiving portion and the movement support portion make contact with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Takaki, Yusuke Iwai, Tomoya Uchimura, Satoru Kuramoto
  • Patent number: 7890970
    Abstract: In a brushless motor for use in a disk drive, a rotor is mounted onto a tube portion of a housing. A retaining claw is formed at an upper end of the tube portion. A turntable has a central concave portion which accommodates an upper portion of the tube portion of the housing. A retaining member is provided radially outside the central concave portion, and includes a plurality of retaining pieces extending to the inside of the central concave portion. When the rotor is mounted onto the housing, the retaining pieces come into contact with the retaining claw and then move upward. When the rotor moves upward relative to the housing, the retaining pieces come into contact with the retaining claw, thereby restricting upward movement of the rotor. Upward movement of the retaining pieces is restricted by contact between the retaining member and the turntable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Iwai, Tomoya Uchimura, Satoru Kuramoto, Ken Horishi
  • Publication number: 20110023057
    Abstract: In a brushless motor for use in a disk drive, a rotor is mounted onto a tube portion of a housing. A retaining claw is formed at an upper end of the tube portion. A turntable has a central concave portion which accommodates an upper portion of the tube portion of the housing. A retaining member is provided radially outside the central concave portion, and includes a plurality of retaining pieces extending to the inside of the central concave portion. When the rotor is mounted onto the housing, the retaining pieces come into contact with the retaining claw and then move upward. When the rotor moves upward relative to the housing, the retaining pieces come into contact with the retaining claw, thereby restricting upward movement of the rotor. Upward movement of the retaining pieces is restricted by contact between the retaining member and the turntable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke Iwai, Tomoya Uchimura, Satoru Kuramoto, Ken Horishi
  • Patent number: 7877764
    Abstract: A turn table of a motor includes a first cylindrical portion extending in an axial direction, a first discoid portion radially outwardly extending from the first cylindrical portion, and a second discoid portion radially outwardly extending from the second cylindrical portion. A chucking member arranged on the turn table includes a main body having a diameter substantially the same as that of a center opening of a data storage disk to be arranged on the motor. The chucking member also includes a plurality of chucking claws having radially tip ends arranged radially outside of the outer circumferential surface of the main body and a plurality of coil springs applying bias force pressing the chucking claws in the radially outer direction. A radially inner end of each of the coil springs comes in contact with and is supported by at least one of the radially inner wall of the main body and the second cylindrical portion of the turn table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Takaki, Yusuke Iwai
  • Patent number: 7856642
    Abstract: A tip portion of a claw member is, when the same is at a lowest position, axially above a bottom surface of an upper disk base of a multi-layered disk. By virtue of such configuration, the tip portion will not be caught between the upper disk base and a lower disk base of the multi-layered disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Takaki, Yusuke Iwai, Tomoya Uchimura, Satoru Kuramoto
  • Patent number: 7849474
    Abstract: A motor includes a chucking device for detachably holding a disk-shaped storage medium. The chucking device includes a plurality of radially outwardly biased claw members. Further, the claw members make contact with a top surface of a cover portion of a turntable when the claw members are in contact with the top edge of a central opening of the storage medium. At least one of the claw member's contact sections and the turntable's contact section is made of a material different than a material forming the remaining sections of the claw members and the remaining section of the turntable so that the static friction coefficient between the claw member's contact sections and the turntable's contact section becomes greater than the static friction coefficient between the claw members and the rest portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Kuramoto, Hitoshi Takaki, Tomoya Uchimura, Yusuke Iwai, Yoko Fukumoto
  • Publication number: 20090241140
    Abstract: In a motor including a chucking device for detachably holding a disk, the chucking device has a center case to which a central opening of the disk is inserted; resilient members received within the center case; and claw members for holding the disk in place. Each of the claw members has a tip end portion, a disk holding surface positioned axially below the tip end portion for holding the disk in place, and a recessed sliding portion formed substantially at a circumferential center region of the disk holding surface, the sliding portion serving to guide movement of the claw member. Rest portions are formed in the center case to face the respective sliding portions, the rest portions serving to support the respective sliding portions by contacting therewith. The sliding portions are designed to make contact with the respective rest portions when the disk is mounted to the chucking device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi TAKAKI, Yusuke IWAI, Satoru KURAMOTO, Tatsuya TATARA
  • Publication number: 20090096303
    Abstract: A motor includes a rotating body including a magnet, and a fixed body including a stator. The stator includes a stator core having an annular core back portion with an upper and a lower surface, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart tooth portions extending from the core back portion in a direction away from the rotational axis, and a plurality of coils provided by winding a conductive wire around the tooth portions of the stator core with multiple turns. The rotor holder is arranged axially above the stator to cover the stator. Further, an annular or arc-shaped attracting magnet arranged to attract the rotor holder toward the stator is arranged radially inwardly of the core back portion, the attracting magnet having an upper surface axially facing toward the rotor holder, and a lower surface arranged axially below the upper surface of the core back portion of the stator core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Applicant: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi TAKAKI, Shigeo HAYASHI, Yusuke IWAI, Nobuaki YASUMOTO, Yosuke KAWANO
  • Publication number: 20080235720
    Abstract: In a motor including a chucking device for detachably holding a disk, the chucking device has a center case to which a central opening of the disk is inserted; resilient members received within the center case; and claw members for holding the disk in place. Each of the claw members has a claw portion having a disk holding surface for holding the disk in place and a pair of wing portions extending radially inwardly from the claw portion. Further, each of the wing portions has a spherical contact surface contacting with a underlying part arranged axially below the wing portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Applicant: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi TAKAKI, Yusuke IWAI, Satoru KURAMOTO, Tatsuya TATARA
  • Publication number: 20080235717
    Abstract: In a motor including a chucking device for detachably holding a disk, the chucking device has a center case to which a central opening of the disk is inserted. The center case has a cylindrical portion coaxial with the center axis, a cover portion for covering an axial upper side of the cylindrical portion of the center case and a base portion fixed to the shaft-fixed portion of the rotor holder; resilient members received within the center case; and claw members remaining in contact with the respective resilient members, the claw members being movable radially to hold the disk in place. The center case is spaced apart from the rotor holder except for the base portion contacting with the shaft-fixed portion of the rotor holder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Applicant: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi TAKAKI, Yusuke IWAI, Satoru KURAMOTO, Tatsuya TATARA
  • Publication number: 20080235718
    Abstract: In a motor including a chucking device for detachably holding a disk, the chucking device has a center case to which a central opening of the disk is inserted; resilient members received within the center case; and claw members for holding the disk in place. Each of the claw members has a tip end portion, a disk holding surface positioned axially below the tip end portion for holding the disk in place, and a recessed sliding portion formed substantially at a circumferential center region of the disk holding surface, the sliding portion serving to guide movement of the claw member. Rest portions are formed in the center case in a facing relationship with the respective sliding portions, the rest portions serving to support the respective sliding portions by contacting therewith. Each of the rest portions has an upwardly convex curved surface with which the corresponding sliding portion makes contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Applicant: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi TAKAKI, Yusuke IWAI, Satoru KURAMOTO, Tatsuya TATARA
  • Publication number: 20080189730
    Abstract: A tip portion of a claw member is, when the same is at a lowest position, axially above a bottom surface of an upper disk base of a multi-layered disk. By virtue of such configuration, the tip portion will not be caught between the upper disk base and a lower disk base of the multi-layered disk.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2007
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi TAKAKI, Yusuke IWAI, Tomoya UCHIMURA, Satoru KURAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20080178204
    Abstract: A motor includes a chucking device for detachably holding a disk-shaped storage medium. The chucking device includes a plurality of radially outwardly biased claw members. Further, the claw members make contact with a top surface of a cover portion of a turntable when the claw members are in contact with the top edge of a central opening of the storage medium. At least one of the claw member's contact sections and the turntable's contact section is made of a material different than a material forming the remaining sections of the claw members and the remaining section of the turntable so that the static friction coefficient between the claw member's contact sections and the turntable's contact section becomes greater than the static friction coefficient between the claw members and the rest portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Applicant: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoru Kuramoto, Hitoshi Takaki, Tomoya Uchimura, Yusuke Iwai, Yoko Fukumoto
  • Publication number: 20080120633
    Abstract: A chucking mechanism according to the present invention includes a claw member which retains a discoid disk and is arranged between a plurality of claw portions which put a radial force outwardly to a central opening portion of the disk and a plurality of claw portions, a receiving portion and a sliding portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Publication date: May 22, 2008
    Applicant: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi TAKAKI, Yusuke IWAI