Patents by Inventor Emiko Okuma

Emiko Okuma 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: 11686130
    Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for operating a power tailgate system include overload checking a tailgate latched by a latch that is in a full-latching position, connected with a latch actuator, and activated by the latch actuator for non-revertible movement in a latching direction. Overload checking the tailgate includes operating the latch actuator to over-stroke the latch, identifying an over-stroking load on the latch actuator, and based on the over-stroking load on the latch actuator, determining whether the tailgate is overloaded or not overloaded. Over-stroking the latch includes moving the latch in the latching direction from the full-latching position to an over-stroking position, and the over-stroking load on the latch actuator is associated with its operation to over-stroke the latch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Aisin Technical Center of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Koji Nagase, Daisuke Yamada, Emiko Okuma, Yasuo Imatomi
  • Publication number: 20210180367
    Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for operating a power tailgate system include overload checking a tailgate latched by a latch that is in a full-latching position, connected with a latch actuator, and activated by the latch actuator for non-revertible movement in a latching direction. Overload checking the tailgate includes operating the latch actuator to over-stroke the latch, identifying an over-stroking load on the latch actuator, and based on the over-stroking load on the latch actuator, determining whether the tailgate is overloaded or not overloaded. Over-stroking the latch includes moving the latch in the latching direction from the full-latching position to an over-stroking position, and the over-stroking load on the latch actuator is associated with its operation to over-stroke the latch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventors: Kogi Nagase, Daisuke Yamada, Emiko Okuma, Yasuo Imatomi
  • Patent number: 10815716
    Abstract: Touch sensor apparatus for use with vehicles are disclosed. A disclosed touch sensor assembly for a vehicle gate includes a sensor configured to operatively couple to the vehicle gate. The touch sensor assembly also includes a cover having a tubular body that extends over the sensor and ribs interposed between the tubular body and the sensor. At least one of the ribs is configured to transfer a load from the tubular body to the sensor to change a state of the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: AISIN TECHNICAL CENTER OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Emiko Okuma, Yasuo Imatomi
  • Publication number: 20200109590
    Abstract: Touch sensor apparatus for use with vehicles are disclosed. A disclosed touch sensor assembly for a vehicle gate includes a sensor configured to operatively couple to the vehicle gate. The touch sensor assembly also includes a cover having a tubular body that extends over the sensor and ribs interposed between the tubular body and the sensor. At least one of the ribs is configured to transfer a load from the tubular body to the sensor to change a state of the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Applicant: AISIN TECHNICAL CENTER OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Emiko OKUMA, Yasuo Imatomi
  • Publication number: 20180195317
    Abstract: A door closing apparatus including a camera with at least four pins, a first arm including a first open slot and a first arc slot, the first open slot rotatably supporting a first pin of the at least four pins of the camera and the first arc slot rotatably supporting a second pin of the at least four pins of the camera, and a second arm including a second open slot and a second arc slot, the second open slot rotatably supporting a third pin of the at least four pins of the camera and the second arc slot rotatably supporting a fourth pin of the at least four pins of the camera. The first arm and the second arm are configured to rotate about a first axis allowing the camera to rotate about the first axis as well as about a second axis of the at least four pins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2017
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Applicant: AISIN TECHNICAL CENTER OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Emiko OKUMA
  • Publication number: 20180058112
    Abstract: A closing-releasing apparatus for a door of a vehicle including a lock assembly to unlatch, partially latch, and fully latch the door; a close release assembly to articulate the lock assembly, the close release assembly having an active lever that rotates around an active lever axis, a cancel gear slidably affixed to the active lever, a passive lever disengageably affixed to the cancel gear and that articulates the link lever, an open lever disengageably affixed to the passive lever that rotates around the active lever axis to articulate the lift lever, and a cancel lever configured to disengage the passive lever from the cancel gear and to disengage the open lever from the passive lever when activated; a drive assembly to drive the active lever in normal mode of operations; and a manual actuator to activate the cancel lever and by-pass the active lever in emergency manual mode of operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Applicant: AISIN TECHNICAL CENTER OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Emiko OKUMA
  • Patent number: 9688124
    Abstract: A safety apparatus for a sliding door of a vehicle, including a lower rail including a mid stopper bracket; and an arm affixed at an external extremity to the sliding door and connected at an internal extremity to the lower rail, the arm including a mid stopper lever that is rotatable. In an open position, the mid stopper lever contacts the mid stopper bracket and contacts a tongue of the internal extremity of the arm to prevent the sliding door from exceeding a mid open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: AISIN TECHNICAL CENTER OR AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Emiko Okuma
  • Publication number: 20170174054
    Abstract: A safety apparatus for a sliding door of a vehicle, including a lower rail including a mid stopper bracket; and an arm affixed at an external extremity to the sliding door and connected at an internal extremity to the lower rail, the arm including a mid stopper lever that is rotatable. In an open position, the mid stopper lever contacts the mid stopper bracket and contacts a tongue of the internal extremity of the arm to prevent the sliding door from exceeding a mid open position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Applicant: AISIN TECHNICAL CENTER OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Emiko OKUMA
  • Patent number: 9650816
    Abstract: A locking system including a latch assembly that actuates a cancel cable and thereby a cancel lever of a lock device includes a latch lever that has a first engaging surface and receives a striker positioned at the end of a rail of a vehicle, a cancel latch lever including an engagement tab that is engaged by the first engaging surface of the latch lever in an overstroke position of the latch lever, and a cancel cable that interrupts a transmission of power from an actuator to a lock device in accordance with a rotation of the latch cancel lever occurring from an engagement of the engagement tab with the engagement surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: AISIN TECHNICAL CENTER OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Emiko Okuma
  • Publication number: 20160017644
    Abstract: A locking system including a latch assembly that actuates a cancel cable and thereby a cancel lever of a lock device includes a latch lever that has a first engaging surface and receives a striker positioned at the end of a rail of a vehicle, a cancel latch lever including an engagement tab that is engaged by the first engaging surface of the latch lever in an overstroke position of the latch lever, and a cancel cable that interrupts a transmission of power from an actuator to a lock device in accordance with a rotation of the latch cancel lever occurring from an engagement of the engagement tab with the engagement surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Applicant: AISIN TECHNICAL CENTER OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Emiko OKUMA
  • Patent number: 9238399
    Abstract: A slide structure that slides a door of a vehicle, including a roller hinge attached to the door; a guide roller that rolls within a rail of the door; a cable end that transmits a sliding force to the roller hinge to slide the door; and a guide roller pin that attaches the guide roller and the cable end to the roller hinge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignees: AISIN TECHNICAL CENTER OR AMERICA, INC., AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Emiko Okuma, Tomohide Kato
  • Publication number: 20150291013
    Abstract: A slide structure that slides a door of a vehicle, including a roller hinge attached to the door; a guide roller that rolls within a rail of the door; a cable end that transmits a sliding force to the roller hinge to slide the door; and a guide roller pin that attaches the guide roller and the cable end to the roller hinge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Applicants: AISIN TECHNICAL CENTER OF AMERICA INC., AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Emiko OKUMA, Tomohide Kato
  • Patent number: 8894103
    Abstract: A vehicle door opening/closing device includes: an inside handle mounted to a vehicle door and operated from a vehicle interior to perform a door opening/closing operation; an outside handle mounted to the door and operated from a vehicle exterior to perform the door opening/closing operation; a locking mechanism actuated to lock the door at a predetermined position; an open mechanism; a release mechanism; and a cancel mechanism. The open mechanism is actuated according to operation of the inside and outside handles to release the lock by the locking mechanism. The release mechanism includes an electric motor and a power-transmission member transmitting electric motor power to the open mechanism, and actuates the open mechanism to release the lock of the door. Further, the cancel mechanism is actuated by operating the inside and outside handles to interrupt transmission of the electric motor driving force to the open mechanism by the power-transmission member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Technical Center of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Satoshi Shibayama, Toshio Machida, Satoshi Takeno, Emiko Okuma
  • Publication number: 20140001771
    Abstract: A vehicle door opening/closing device includes: an inside handle mounted to a vehicle door and operated from a vehicle Interior to perform a door opening/closing operation; an outside handle mounted to the door and operated from a vehicle exterior to perform the door opening/closing operation; a locking mechanism actuated to lock the door at a predetermined position; an open mechanism; a release mechanism; and a cancel mechanism. The open mechanism is actuated according to operation of the inside and outside handles to release the lock by the locking mechanism. The release mechanism includes an and a power-transmission member transmitting electric motor power to the open mechanism, and actuates the open mechanism to release the lock. Further, the cancel mechanism Is actuated in accordance with operation of the inside and outside handles to interrupt transmission of the electric motor driving force to the open mechanism by the power-transmission member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicants: AISIN TECHNICAL CENTER OF AMERICA, INC., AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi SHIBAYAMA, Toshio MACHIDA, Satoshi TAKENO, Emiko OKUMA
  • Patent number: 8328250
    Abstract: A door handle for a door of an automotive vehicle having a first gasket attached at a distal end of the door handle and a second gasket attached at a proximate end of the door handle. The first gasket and second gasket have an inner surface facing the outer surface of the door and an outer surface facing the respective ends of the door handle. The first gasket and the second gasket also include a lip formed of a resilient material, which protrudes outwardly relative to the outer surface of gaskets and extends longitudinally along the edge of the gaskets to sealingly engage the ends of the door handle. The lip is embossed so that it is recessed relative to the inner surface of the gasket to accommodate compression of the lip as the handle is displaced towards the door. A flattened portion extends from an end of the lip on the first gasket to dampen noise due to impact between the distal end of the door handle and an outer surface of the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd., Aisin World Corp. of America
    Inventors: Eric M. Botten, Emiko Okuma, Sadayuki Makino, Norio Konomoto, Todd M. Remtema, Brett A. Campbell
  • Publication number: 20100037529
    Abstract: A door handle for a door of an automotive vehicle having a first gasket attached at a distal end of the door handle and a second gasket attached at a proximate end of the door handle. The first gasket and second gasket have an inner surface facing the outer surface of the door and an outer surface facing the respective ends of the door handle. The first gasket and the second gasket also include a lip formed of a resilient material, which protrudes outwardly relative to the outer surface of gaskets and extends longitudinally along the edge of the gaskets to sealingly engage the ends of the door handle. The lip is embossed so that it is recessed relative to the inner surface of the gasket to accommodate compression of the lip as the handle is displaced towards the door. A flattened portion extends from an end of the lip on the first gasket to dampen noise due to impact between the distal end of the door handle and an outer surface of the door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Inventors: Eric M. Botten, Emiko Okuma, Sadayuki Makino, Norio Konomoto, Todd M. Remtema, Brett A. Campbell