Patents by Inventor Hiroaki Akima

Hiroaki Akima 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: 5466045
    Abstract: A lumbar support device for seat which is of such a structure wherein a lumbar plate is supported on the free end portion of an arm, and wherein the arm is operatively connected, at its base end portion, with a threaded drive mechanism via a guide element, while the intermediate portion of the arm is in a slidable contact with a fulcrum or support rod. The guide element comprises a generally arcuate guide hole formed in conformity with a locus along which the base end portion of the arm has to be displaced in order for the free end portion thereof to be moved on a straight line. Such slidable contact between the arm's intermediate portion and support rod, and provision of generally arcuate guide hole, materializes a linear movement of the lumbar plate on the same straight line in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat. Thus, the lumbar plate is prevented against dislocation in the width-wise direction of the seat, offering a stable support touch to the lumbar part of an occupant on the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1995
    Assignee: Tachi-S Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Akima
  • Patent number: 5433508
    Abstract: A powered headrest for an automotive seat, which includes, within a seat back of the seat, a slider member engageable with a stay of the headrest, the slider member being moved vertically by operation of a motor, a rotatable guide rod, and a lock member to be engaged biasingly with a recessed portion of the stay. An operation knob and associated connecting elements are provided in the headrest, with such an arrangement that to simply operate or press the knob will cause rotational motion of the guide rod, and the lock member will only be interlocked with that rotational motion of guide rod, so as to place the headrest stay in an unlocked state with respect to the slider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1995
    Assignee: Tachi-S Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Hiroaki Akima, Masakazu Muraishi
  • Patent number: 5312155
    Abstract: A structure of a footrest body in a vehicle seat, in which an air blower is provided under the seat to supply a hot or cold air toward a back side of the seat, and the footrest is equipped on the back wall of seat, with the free end of footrest body being contacted with a floor. In such type of footrest body structure, an opening is defined in the footrest body, though which opening the hot or cold air is permitted to be flowed from the blower toward the back side of seat, without hindrance of the footrest body body per se. It is further arranged that the footrest body can be lowered when it is set in the upright non-use position, to thereby improve the aesthetic appearance of the back wall of seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1994
    Assignee: Tachi-S Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Akima, Tetsuo Ikeda