NTN Reaches Settlement with Iljin in U.S. Patent Dispute

NTN Reaches Settlement with Iljin in U.S. Patent Dispute NTN USA (a division of NTN Corp., Japan) has reached a settlement with Iljin USA (a division of Iljin Bearing, Korea) in its infringement complaint against Iljin under section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930. In October 2005, NTN filed for and was granted a section 337 investigation by the U.S. International Trade Commission. The complaint involved Iljin's import and sale of certain double-row angular contact ball bearings for aftermarket automotive wheel bearing applications. NTN claimed the bearings imported and sold by Iljin in the U.S. violated claim 1 of its U.S. patent 5,620,263 - Axle Bearing Assembly and Method of Measuring Bearing Clearances, and sought a cease and desist order. NTN sought a cease and desist order. The patent was filed in 1995 and granted in July 1997. Claim 1 that NTN asserts Iljin infringes is as follows: 1. An axle bearing assembly comprising an outer ring having a flange formed on the outer periphery thereof and two rows of raceway surfaces formed on the inner periphery thereof, an inner ring having a raceway surface formed on the outer periphery thereof in opposed relation to one of the raceway surfaces of the outer ring, an axle formed on the outer periphery thereof with a raceway surface opposed to the other raceway surface of the outer ring and also with a press-fit portion continuous therewith through a shoulder portion and adapted to have the inner ring press-fitted thereon, and two rows of balls angularly contacting with one row of the raceway surfaces of the outer ring and the raceway surface of the inner ring and with the other row of the raceway surfaces of the outer ring and the raceway surface of the axle, wherein the inner ring is press-fitted until it abuts against the shoulder portion of the axle and in that bearing clearance is negative. The U.S. ITC agreed to the complaint and instituted its investigation on November 28, 2005; the first deadlines would have been coming up at the end of 2006. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.