NOK Honored with Two Awards at the FY2025 Kanto Regional Invention Awards

NOK Corporation (Headquarters: Shibadaimon, Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, Group Chief Executive Officer: Masao Tsuru; hereinafter referred to as “NOK”) has received the Shizuoka Prefectural Invention Association President’s Award and the Invention Encouragement Award at the FY2025 Kanto Regional Invention Awards, organized by the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation. The Shizuoka Prefectural Invention Association President’s Award was presented to NOK’s impeller, a component installed inside the pump that circulates cooling water to the engine in outboard motors. The Invention Encouragement Award was presented to NOK’s seal ring, which helps maintain hydraulic pressure in automatic transmissions and related systems. These awards recognize engineers and researchers who have developed outstanding inventions that contribute to the advancement of science and technology and the promotion of regional industry.

Impeller

The NOK Group actively promotes research and development to enhance its core technologies, including interface control technology, and holds 4,601 patents in Japan and overseas as of the end of fiscal 2024. This latest recognition follows the Japan Patent Attorneys Association President’s Award and five Invention Encouragement Awards received under the FY2024 Local Commendation for Invention program. 

The NOK Group is committed to “Essential Core Manufacturing — The manufacture of pivotal products that shape society,” and will continue to pursue unique technologies and contribute to the development of essential industries and social infrastructure.

Invention Encouragement Award, FY2025 Kanto Regional Invention Awards

・Impeller (Patent No. 6445225)
Inventor: Koji Tsukamoto, Process Engineering Section, Process Engineering Dept., Gaskets and Boots Division

This invention concerns the design of an impeller installed in pumps that circulate cooling water to the engine in outboard motors. The impeller features blades curved in the direction of rotation, with the curvature at the blade root designed asymmetrically between the rotational side and the opposite side. This asymmetric shape allows the blades to deform smoothly during rotation, helping to suppress stress concentration at the blade root, where damage is most likely to occur. As a result, the impeller offers improved durability and enables stable pump performance. The same design can also be applied to small impellers and utilized in a wide range of pump systems.
Invention Encouragement Award, FY2025 Kanto Regional Invention Awards

・Seal ring (Patent No. 6999068)
Inventors: 
Hideya Watanabe, Mass Production Design Section, Design Dept., Plastics & Polyurethane Division
Yusuke Yoshida, Product Design & Development Section, Design Dept., Plastics & Polyurethane Division

This invention concerns the design of rotary seal rings used to maintain hydraulic pressure in automatic transmissions (AT) and continuously variable transmissions (CVT). To reduce oil leakage, the seal ring features an asymmetric, crescent-shaped profile. The area around the joint is made thinner to reduce rigidity, while the opposite side is thickened to increase expansion force. This structure minimizes gaps that may form along the outer circumference of the seal ring, improving its fit with the housing and achieving up to an 80% reduction in oil leakage. Combining high sealing performance with durability, the design enhances hydraulic stability and helps prevent the intrusion of foreign matter.
About the Regional Invention Awards 

The Regional Invention Awards were established in 1921 by the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation to recognize engineers and researchers who have developed outstanding inventions, utility models, and designs. The program divides Japan into eight regions to promote and foster inventive activity in each area, contributing to the advancement of science and technology and the development of regional industries.
• Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation URL: https://koueki.jiii.or.jp/ (Japanese only)