Patents by Inventor Kazuaki KITAGUCHI

Kazuaki KITAGUCHI 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: 10124774
    Abstract: A vehicle pedal device including a transmission member that transmits an operation force applied to a pedal, a reaction force lever that is disposed on the transmission member so that the reaction force lever pivots about a predetermined axis, and that outputs the operation force transmitted to the transmission member to a brake device against a biasing force of a load spring, and a depressing force detector that is fixedly attached to a pedal arm of the pedal or to a sub lever coupled to the pedal arm and that receives a reaction force of the reaction force lever to detect the operation force applied to the pedal, the depressing force detector being configured to have a positioning pin projecting from the depressing force detector, the pedal arm of the pedal or the sub lever coupled to the pedal arm being configured to have a positioning pin insertion hole in which the positioning pin of the depressing force detector is inserted, the depressing force detector being configured to be fixed to the pedal arm or
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignees: Toyoda Iron Works Co., Ltd., Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Kazuaki Kitaguchi, Masahide Masutani, Takumi Fukaya
  • Publication number: 20180043939
    Abstract: A vehicle front pillar includes: a front pillar outer member, and a roof inner reinforcement and a front pillar inner member, the front pillar having a length oriented in the vehicle longitudinal direction and closed cross sections over the entire length. The outer member and the roof inner reinforcement each include an inward flange directed laterally inward. The inner member includes an outward flange directed laterally outward. The outer member inward flange is overlapped and joined to the inner member outward flange, forming a closed cross section of the front pillar. The roof inner reinforcement inward flange is overlapped and joined to the outer member inward flange. The inner member includes a first ridge projecting toward the vehicle inside, defining a first groove open toward the vehicle outside, or the outer member includes a second ridge projecting toward the vehicle outside, defining a second groove open toward the vehicle inside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Applicant: TOYODA IRON WORKS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuaki KITAGUCHI, Akiyoshi KATO
  • Publication number: 20170297542
    Abstract: A vehicle pedal device including a transmission member that transmits an operation force applied to a pedal, a reaction force lever that is disposed on the transmission member so that the reaction force lever pivot about a predetermined axis, and that outputs the operation force transmitted to the transmission member to a brake device against a biasing force of a load spring, and a depressing force detector that is fixedly attached to a pedal arm of the pedal or to a sub lever coupled to the pedal arm and that receives a reaction force of the reaction force lever to detect the operation force applied to the pedal, the depressing force detector being configured to have a positioning pin projecting from the depressing force detector. the pedal arm of the pedal or the sub lever coupled to the pedal arm being configured to have a positioning pin insertion hole in which the positioning pin of the depressing force detector is inserted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2015
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicants: TOYODA IRON WORKS CO., LTD, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI RIKA DENKI SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Kazuaki KITAGUCHI, Masahide MASUTANI, Takumi FUKAYA
  • Patent number: 9632524
    Abstract: A vehicle pedal bracket, including a pair of bracket halves disposed on right and left sides of an operation pedal and joined by placing joint portions thereof parallel and on top of each other so that the joint portions surface contact each other, and the vehicle pedal bracket being fixed to a vehicle body via attachment portions of the pair of bracket halves, the joint portions protruding from the bracket halves formed by a sheet material and at least one of the joint portions bent into a crank shape and placed on top of each other so as to surface contact each other, the joint portions being provided at least at two positions located on both sides of the attachment portions in a vertical direction of a vehicle, and the joint portion which is located below the attachment portions being provided to protrude toward the front of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: TOYODA IRON WORKS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuaki Kitaguchi, Masataka Nakane
  • Patent number: 9563225
    Abstract: A vehicle pedal bracket includes a plate-like base plate portion fixed to a vehicle cabin side of a dash panel that separates an engine room and a vehicle cabin from each other, a support portion that is fixedly fitted to the base plate portion and by which a pedal arm is pivotably supported, and a plurality of tubular spacers fixedly fitted to the base plate portion, the vehicle pedal bracket is fixed to the dash panel with a plurality of screw members respectively inserted through the plurality of spacers, a plurality of tubular holding portions is disposed so as to project from a back side of the base plate portion, the back side is on the dash panel side, and so as to be in close contact with outer peripheral faces of the plurality of spacers, and a sound absorbing structural portion having a large number of bottomed holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: TOYODA IRON WORKS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuaki Kitaguchi
  • Publication number: 20170029033
    Abstract: A tubular reinforcement for a vehicle including a tubular portion having a sheet metal rolled to have closed edges, and an integral attachment portion formed from the same sheet metal, the attachment portion extending longitudinally from a tubular portion end and having a planar attachment base. The attachment base is raised to bring forward the contact surface, forming a peripheral wall. The tubular reinforcement is disposed in the vehicle so that an attachment base contact surface closely contacts a mounting location in the vehicle. The attachment portion lateral edges have lateral flanges on the peripheral wall opposite sides extending along with the peripheral wall toward the contact surface plane. The peripheral wall and the lateral flanges form turnback portions on both sides of the attachment base, each turnback portions defining a concavity recessed from the contact surface and having a U- or J-shaped section perpendicular to a tubular portion centerline.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Applicant: TOYODA IRON WORKS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuaki KITAGUCHI, Akira OBAYASHI, Makoto NAKANISHI, Takeshi NAKAYAMA
  • Patent number: 9550477
    Abstract: A vehicle pedal device includes a main bracket with a pair of side plates supporting a pedal and attached to a dash panel, and a sub-bracket coupling a main bracket rear end and reinforcement. Where both ends of a clinching pin inserted through coupling holes formed in side plate rear ends are inserted through insertion holes of sub-bracket side plate portions, the both ends are axially clinchingly compressed, whereby the rear ends are clinchingly attached to the portions to be overlapped, inner peripheral edges of the coupling and insertion holes having a non-circular shape, distances from their centers circumferentially varying, the portions being extended outward to be separated further away from the side plates toward the panel, and the insertion holes formed in the portions having an elongated hole shape whose length allows the both ends protruding from the side plates to pass therethrough where the portions are extended outward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: TOYODA IRON WORKS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuaki Kitaguchi
  • Patent number: 9266484
    Abstract: A crush box includes a tubular body having a polygonal section and disposed between an end portion of a bumper beam and a vehicle body in such a posture that an axial direction of the tubular body generally coincides with a longitudinal direction of a vehicle, in which the tubular body has an outer side wall and an inner side wall that is located inward of the outer side wall in a vehicle-width direction, and both the outer side wall and the inner side wall are inclined outward in the vehicle-width direction, in a direction from the vehicle body toward the bumper beam, and in which the tubular body is crushed into a bellows shape to absorb impact energy as a compressive load is applied to the tubular body from the bumper beam in the axial direction of the tubular body, wherein an angle of inclination of the outer side wall is greater than an angle of inclination of the inner side wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Toyoda Iron Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Nakanishi, Kazuaki Kitaguchi
  • Publication number: 20160018842
    Abstract: A vehicle pedal bracket, including a pair of bracket halves disposed on right and left sides of an operation pedal and joined by placing joint portions thereof parallel and on top of each other so that the joint portions surface contact each other, and the vehicle pedal bracket being fixed to a vehicle body via attachment portions of the pair of bracket halves, the joint portions protruding from the bracket halves formed by a sheet material and at least one of the joint portions bent into a crank shape and placed on top of each other so as to surface contact each other, the joint portions being provided at least at two positions located on both sides of the attachment portions in a vertical direction of a vehicle, and the joint portion which is located below the attachment portions being provided to protrude toward the front of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Applicant: TOYODA IRON WORKS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuaki KITAGUCHI, Masataka NAKANE
  • Publication number: 20150329089
    Abstract: A vehicle pedal device includes a main bracket with a pair of side plates supporting a pedal and attached to a dash panel, and a sub-bracket coupling a main bracket rear end and reinforcement. Where both ends of a clinching pin inserted through coupling holes formed in side plate rear ends are inserted through insertion holes of sub-bracket side plate portions, the both ends are axially clinchingly compressed, whereby the rear ends are clinchingly attached to the portions to be overlapped, inner peripheral edges of the coupling and insertion holes having a non-circular shape, distances from their centers circumferentially varying, the portions being extended outward to be separated further away from the side plates toward the panel, and the insertion holes formed in the portions having an elongated hole shape whose length allows the both ends protruding from the side plates to pass therethrough where the portions are extended outward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: TOYODA IRON WORKS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuaki KITAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20150198965
    Abstract: A vehicle pedal bracket includes a plate-like base plate portion fixed to a vehicle cabin side of a dash panel that separates an engine room and a vehicle cabin from each other, a support portion that is fixedly fitted to the base plate portion and by which a pedal arm is pivotably supported, and a plurality of tubular spacers fixedly fitted to the base plate portion, the vehicle pedal bracket is fixed to the dash panel with a plurality of screw members respectively inserted through the plurality of spacers, a plurality of tubular holding portions is disposed so as to project from a back side of the base plate portion, the back side is on the dash panel side, and so as to be in close contact with outer peripheral faces of the plurality of spacers, and a sound absorbing structural portion having a large number of bottomed holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Publication date: July 16, 2015
    Applicant: TOYODA IRON WORKS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuaki Kitaguchi
  • Publication number: 20150108775
    Abstract: A crush box includes a tubular body having a polygonal section and disposed between an end portion of a bumper beam and a vehicle body in such a posture that an axial direction of the tubular body generally coincides with a longitudinal direction of a vehicle, in which the tubular body has an outer side wall and an inner side wall that is located inward of the outer side wall in a vehicle-width direction, and both the outer side wall and the inner side wall are inclined outward in the vehicle-width direction, in a direction from the vehicle body toward the bumper beam, and in which the tubular body is crushed into a bellows shape to absorb impact energy as a compressive load is applied to the tubular body from the bumper beam in the axial direction of the tubular body, wherein an angle of inclination of the outer side wall is greater than an angle of inclination of the inner side wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: TOYODA IRON WORKS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto NAKANISHI, Kazuaki KITAGUCHI