Shimano Inc.

Panasonic Corporation

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Masao Kojima

Yasushi Kamada

Hiroyuki Miyoshi

Koji Kuyama

Tomohiko Naya

Yoshihide Iteya

Alexander Hilsky

Shinpei Okajima

Kenji Ose

Akihiko Shoge

Masahito Hidaka

Sho Koyama

Yuichiro Sadanaga

A blower includes a fan and a motor, wherein the motor includes a shaft, a bearing that supports the shaft, and a motor case that covers at least a part of the bearing, the fan includes a main plate having a first surface facing the motor case and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and connected to the shaft, and a plurality of blades erected on the second surface of the main plate, and arranged radially with respect to an axis of the shaft, at least one of the fan and the motor case includes blocking members, and each of the blocking members is located apart from the shaft between the first surface of the main plate and the motor case, and surrounds the shaft.

Blower

A fan motor includes a motor having a shaft, a fan, and a fan fixing section for rigidly connecting the fan to the shaft. The fan has a first mounting face for the fan to be integrated with the motor. The fan fixing section has a fan mounting plate mounted to an end of the shaft and including a second mounting face in a radial direction, and an elastic plate having elastic force. The first mounting face is connected to the second mounting face via the elastic plate.

Fan motor, on-vehicle air conditioner using the fan motor, and method for assembling fan motor

A motor includes a shaft, a rotor mounted to the shaft along an axial direction of the shat, a stator confronting an outer wall of the rotor via a space, a thrust plate, and a buffering plate having elastic force. The rotor and the stator are disposed such that a magnetic center of the rotor is away from a magnetic center of the stator by a given distance along the axial direction. The thrust plate is disposed in the axial direction and in a direction along which restoring force acts. The buffering plate is disposed oppositely to the shaft relative to the thrust plate and supports the thrust plate.

Motor and vehicle-mounted air conditioner using same

A motor includes a shaft, a bearing for supporting the shaft rotatably, a rotor including a rotor frame to be mounted to the shaft along an axial direction of the shaft, a stator confronting an outer wall of the rotor via a space, and a washer disposed between the bearing and the rotor frame. On top of that, a step section forming a recess is provided to the rotor frame at a place where the washer confronts the rotor frame.

Motor and fan motor using the same motor

Impeller of an electric fan

A bicycle shift control device comprises a fixed member and a rotatable member. The fixed member is adapted to be fixedly coupled to a bicycle handlebar adjacent a hand gripping area of the handlebar. The rotatable member is rotatably coupled to the fixed member for rotation around the handlebar between at least two shift positions. One of the fixed and rotatable members has a visible fixed contoured line and the other of the fixed and rotatable members has a visible movable contoured line adjacent the visible fixed contoured line. The visible fixed and movable contoured lines cooperate with each other to define a geometrically shaped visible area located between them. The geometrically shaped visible area is configured to change upon rotation of the rotatable member between the shift positions to indicate at least one of the shift positions.

Bicycle shift control device

A bicycle shift control device includes a fixed member and a rotatable member rotatably coupled to the fixed member for rotation around a handlebar between at least two shift positions. The fixed member is adapted to be coupled to the handlebar adjacent a hand gripping area of the handlebar. The rotatable member has inner and outer axial ends with a tubular outer actuating surface extending between the inner and outer ends and around a center longitudinal axis of the hand gripping area. The actuating surface is configured to define a tubular hand grip with a finger operating projection extending outwardly relative to the tubular hand grip. The actuating surface includes a first portion constructed of a first material and a second portion constructed of a second material more rigid than the first material. The second portion has the finger operating projection.

A bicycle fork crown cover including an upper cover and a lower cover connected to the upper cover. The upper cover defines at lease one setting aperture and the lower cover includes at least one flexible setting post dimensioned to engage with the setting aperture, and wherein the lower cover is connected to the upper cover by engaging the flexible setting post with the setting aperture.

Front suspension crown cover with connector and setting boss

A bicycle fork crown () or a fork crown cover () is disclosed having a connector holder () with an inlet () for receiving electrical cables (), and an outlet () for receiving an electrical connector (). The connector holder () retains the electrical connector () and the electrical cables () in a fixed position to facilitate installation and maintenance of the cables and the connection. The fork crown () or the fork crown cover () also includes a setting boss () dimensioned to receive a connector cable terminal (). The connector cable terminal () can be securely fastened to the setting boss () by a fastening device (), such as a setting screw. In one embodiment of the invention, the fork crown () includes a rubber cover () that covers the terminal () and the electrical connector (). In another embodiment of the invention, the fork crown cover () includes a pre-load adjuster cap (). The fork crown cover () preferably has an upper crown cover () and a lower crown cover (). The upper and lower crown covers () can be attached together with any known fastening device.

Bicycle crown or crown cover with electrical connector support

The bicycle pedal includes a pedal shaft, a pedal body and an abrasive sheet coupled to a shoe engagement surface to enhance engagement of the pedal with a shoe. The pedal body is rotatably coupled to the second end of the pedal shaft. The shoe engagement surface preferably includes a recess with first and second curvatures. The first curvature has a first radius and the second curvature has a second radius larger than the first radius. The abrasive sheet is preferably coupled within the recess. Frictional characteristics are improved by a method including the steps of forming a pedal body with a recess and coupling an abrasive sheet in the recess of the pedal body. The abrasive sheet is positioned to resist peeling of the abrasive sheet from the pedal body. The pedal body can be formed of one or more pieces.

Bicycle pedal

A multi-purpose mounting member for a bicycle fork, especially a front suspension fork, is provided. The multi-purpose mounting member has a rigid front support portion, a rear support portion and a recessed portion that connects the front and rear portions together. The recessed portion forms a mounting space that is sized to receive the inner side surfaces of the forks and the ridge of the fork. Preferably, the multi-purpose mounting member is designed to provide a smooth contoured connection with the front fork. In other words, the mounting space of the multipurpose mounting member is shaped and arranged to provide a very attractive integrated appearance. The front and rear portions are preferably provided with fenders that are adjustable in the longitudinal direction. Moreover, the front support portion is also designed to receive other accessory components, such as an electrical control box, a lamp or a carrier. In other embodiments, the multi-purpose mounting member can be constructed of several pieces. For example, the multi-purpose mounting member can have a plastic lightweight cover and a rigid metal support or holder.

Multi-purpose mounting member for bicycle

A bicycle fork crown ( ) or a fork crown cover ( ) is disclosed having a connector holder ( ) with an inlet ( ) for receiving electrical cables ( ), and an outlet ( ) for receiving an electrical connector ( ). The connector holder ( ) retains the electrical connector ( ) and the electrical cables ( ) in a fixed position to facilitate installation and maintenance of the cables and the connection. The fork crown ( ) or the fork crown cover ( ) also includes a setting boss ( ) dimensioned to receive a connector cable terminal ( ). The connector cable terminal ( ) can be securely fastened to the setting boss ( ) by a fastening device ( ), such as a setting screw. In one embodiment of the invention, the fork crown ( ) includes a rubber cover ( ) that covers the terminal ( ) and the electrical connector ( ). In another embodiment of the invention, the fork crown cover ( ) includes a pre-load adjuster cap ( ). The fork crown cover ( ) preferably has an upper crown cover ( ) and a lower crown cover ( ). The upper and lower crown covers ( ) can be attached together with any known fastening device.

A bicycle handle mounting member is provided for mounting a handlebar and a display unit thereto. The mounting member includes a stem portion configured to be coupled to a bicycle frame and a handlebar and display unit support portion movably coupled to the stem portion. The handlebar and display unit support portion includes a handlebar clamp and first and second mounting flanges. The handlebar clamp has the handlebar fixedly coupled thereto. The first and second mounting flanges are spaced apart to form a display receiving space with the display unit fixedly coupled therebetween. In the preferring embodiments, the handlebar and the display unit are mount to the bicycle handle mounting member such that the wiring between the display unit and control members mounted to the handlebar are completely concealed.

Bicycle handle mounting member

A method of supporting first and second indicators for a bicycle is provided, which involves mounting an indicator holder to a mounting portion of the bicycle; slidably supporting a first housing of the first indicator on the indicator holder for sliding adjustment along a first longitudinal axis of the indicator holder; and slidably supporting a second housing of the second indicator on the indicator holder for sliding adjustment along a second longitudinal axis that is parallel to the first longitudinal axis on a second surface of the indicator holder. In one embodiment, the step of mounting the indicator holder includes mounting the indicator holder on a handlebar that forms the mounting portion of the bicycle.

Method of supporting gear indicators for a bicycle

An indicator assembly for a bicycle is provided with at least two indicators movably coupled to an indicator holder. A first of the indicators has a first housing, a first cable with a first cable end coupled to the first housing and a first indicator member coupled to the first cable for movement relative to the first housing. A second of the indicators has a second housing, a second cable with an end coupled to the second housing and a second indicator member coupled to the second cable for movement relative to the second housing. The indicator holder has an attachment portion adapted to be coupled to a portion of a bicycle and a support portion that movably supports the indicators. In one embodiment, the support portion has at least two coupling members that form a pair of retaining slots to slidably support the indicators. In another embodiment, the indicators are slidably coupled together and slidably coupled in a single retaining slot.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Masao Kojima