Patents by Inventor Kazutaka Imai

Kazutaka Imai 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: 10060514
    Abstract: A continuously variable chain-belt transmission (chain-belt CVT) housed in a transmission casing formed by a transmission case and a side cover, has a pair of conical disk pairs, each pair of which is rotatably supported by disk supporting portions provided in the transmission case and the side cover; a chain wound around the pair of conical disk pairs; a chain guide attached to the chain to restrain movement of the chain and having an annular guide portion that encloses an entire circumference, in cross section, of the chain; and a chain guide supporting portion supporting the chain guide between the transmission case and the side cover. The chain guide supporting portion has a fixing side chain guide supporting portion fixed to the transmission case and a connecting side chain guide supporting portion connecting to the fixing side chain guide supporting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignees: JATCO Ltd, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takayuki Nakamura, Hidekazu Yagi, Kazutaka Imai
  • Patent number: 8333503
    Abstract: A portable timepiece has a timepiece exterior assembly with a mounting hole having seal surfaces and escape portions. A valve member has a shaft portion movably inserted into the mounting hole and a head portion connected to the shaft portion. An urging member is provided between the head portion and the assembly for urging the valve member toward the interior of the assembly. Seal members are mounted to the shaft portion in correspondence with the seal surfaces. The seal members are configured to be moved between a sealing position in which the seal members are held in contact with the seal surfaces, and an exhaust position in which the seal members are opposed to the respective escape portions. In the sealing position, the seal members define a closed space together with an outer periphery of the shaft portion and the escape portions opposed to the outer periphery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Haruki Hiranuma, Kazutaka Imai
  • Patent number: 8333504
    Abstract: A timepiece has a valve that discharges gas from an exterior assembly and includes a casing, a valve member that moves from a closed position to an open position in accordance with an inner pressure of the assembly, an exhaust button movable into the casing, a first spring urging the button and valve member away from each other, and a second spring urging the button toward the exterior of the assembly. When an inner pressure of the assembly is greater than a force of the first spring, the valve member is moved to the open position and a portion of the gas accumulates between the valve member and the button. When the button is moved into the casing, the accumulated gas is discharged to the exterior of the assembly by which the valve member is maintained at the closed position by the spring force of the first spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshio Hozumi, Kazutaka Imai
  • Patent number: 8333502
    Abstract: A portable timepiece has a timepiece exterior assembly with a button mounting hole having seal surfaces and escape portions. An exhaust button has a shaft portion and a button portion connected to the shaft portion and configured to be pushed inward from an exterior of the assembly. An urging member is provided between the button portion and the assembly for urging the exhaust button toward the exterior of the assembly. Seal members are mounted to the shaft portion in correspondence with the seal surfaces. The seal members undergo movement between a sealing position in which they are held in contact with the respective seal surfaces with interference through axial reciprocation of the exhaust button, and an exhaust position in which the seal members are opposed to the respective escape portions. In the sealing position, the seal members define a closed space formed by the shaft portion and the escape portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Haruki Hiranuma, Kazutaka Imai
  • Patent number: 8325565
    Abstract: A timepiece is equipped with a movement (module), a solar cell panel, a ring member, and a dial (timepiece display plate). The panel is fixed to the module. The ring member is fixed to the peripheral portion of the movement. The ring member has, at a plurality of positions thereof, recesses, and a pair of engagement protrusions protruding upwardly from the bottom of each recess. The recesses are respectively open in an upper surface and the outer peripheral surface of the ring member. The pair of engagement protrusions form a gap G between them, and are capable of elastic deformation. A proximal portion of each engagement protrusion is situated below the upper surface of the ring member. The dial has cutouts at a plurality of positions of its peripheral portion. Each of these cutouts is engaged with each pair of engagement protrusions to cover the panel, and the dial is mounted to the ring member such that the peripheral portions of the cutouts cover the recesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Haruki Hiranuma, Kazutaka Imai
  • Patent number: 8272778
    Abstract: A bezel member rotatably mounted to a case band member is provided with an accommodating groove, a pair of passing portions continuous with the accommodating groove at positions spaced apart by approximately 180°, and a pair of escape grooves continuous with both passing portions from the center side of the bezel member and open to the exterior of the case band member. The case band member is provided with engagement grooves arranged in a ring-like fashion so as to be opposed to the accommodating groove, and a ring-like reception groove surrounded by the engagement grooves and continuous with the engagement grooves. A lock member retains the bezel member at an arbitrary rotating position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Haruki Hiranuma, Kazutaka Imai
  • Patent number: 8235587
    Abstract: A portable device, such as a wristwatch, has a push-button that includes an engaging portion, and the push-button is mounted on a watch sheath. A locking member and a leaf spring are arranged on the watch sheath. The locking member is movable between a locked position in which the push-button is held at a predetermined position by engagement with the engaging portion and an unlocked position where operation of the push-button is allowed. The locking member is urged by the leaf spring toward the unlocked position. A circular operating ring surrounds an hour plate mounted on the watch sheath and the operating ring is rotatably mounted to the watch sheath from the front side. The movement of the locking member between the locked position and the unlocked position is interlocked with a rotating operation of the operating ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Haruki Hiranuma, Kazutaka Imai
  • Publication number: 20110244999
    Abstract: A continuously variable chain-belt transmission (chain-belt CVT) housed in a transmission casing formed by a transmission case and a side cover, has a pair of conical disk pairs, each pair of which is rotatably supported by disk supporting portions provided in the transmission case and the side cover; a chain wound around the pair of conical disk pairs; a chain guide attached to the chain to restrain movement of the chain and having an annular guide portion that encloses an entire circumference, in cross section, of the chain; and a chain guide supporting portion supporting the chain guide between the transmission case and the side cover. The chain guide supporting portion has a fixing side chain guide supporting portion fixed to the transmission case and a connecting side chain guide supporting portion connecting to the fixing side chain guide supporting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Inventors: Takayuki NAKAMURA, Hidekazu YAGI, Kazutaka IMAI
  • Publication number: 20110228645
    Abstract: A timepiece is equipped with a movement (module), a solar cell panel, a ring member, and a dial (timepiece display plate). The panel is fixed to the module. The ring member is fixed to the peripheral portion of the movement. The ring member has, at a plurality of positions thereof, recesses, and a pair of engagement protrusions protruding upwardly from the bottom of each recess. The recesses are respectively open in an upper surface and the outer peripheral surface of the ring member. The pair of engagement protrusions form a gap G between them, and are capable of elastic deformation. A proximal portion of each engagement protrusion is situated below the upper surface of the ring member. The dial has cutouts at a plurality of positions of its peripheral portion. Each of these cutouts is engaged with each pair of engagement protrusions to cover the panel, and the dial is mounted to the ring member such that the peripheral portions of the cutouts cover the recesses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Inventors: Haruki Hiranuma, Kazutaka Imai
  • Patent number: 7976214
    Abstract: A portable watch has a watch case body having front and back sides. A time display portion is disposed at the front side of the case body for displaying time. The back side of the case body has a lid-receiving surface and a concavity that opens at the lid-receiving surface. A back lid is disposed on the lid-receiving surface to close the interior of the watch case body from the back side thereof, and the back lid has marking indicia and a projection that engages with the concavity in the back side of the watch case body to position the back lid in a predetermined position in which the marking indicia align with the 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock direction of the time display portion. A holding ring is threaded onto the watch case body with the back lid clamped therebetween to removably attach the back lid to the watch case body while maintaining the back lid in the predetermined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Haruki Hiranuma, Kazutaka Imai
  • Publication number: 20110051571
    Abstract: A wristwatch is equipped with a timepiece exterior assembly, a valve member, a coil spring, and seal members. A pipe provided in the exterior assembly so as to establish communication between the interior and exterior thereof has seal surfaces and escape portions. The valve member is equipped with a valve member shaft portion inserted into the pipe and exhibiting a detachment preventing portion to be caught by a pipe edge portion from the outside of the exterior assembly, and a valve member head portion arranged inside the exterior assembly. The spring, which urges the valve member toward the inner side of the exterior assembly, is provided between the valve member head portion and the timepiece exterior assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Inventors: Haruki Hiranuma, Kazutaka Imai
  • Publication number: 20110051564
    Abstract: A portable timepiece has a timepiece exterior assembly having a case band containing a movement having a one-way clutch transmitting rotation to wind up a mainspring to the mainspring and preventing transmission of rotation to rewind the mainspring to the mainspring, and a winding stem, a winding stem pipe with a male screw portion arranged outside the case band being fixed to the case band, a crown connected to the winding stem being detachably brought into the male screw portion, an engagement end surface of the crown being brought into contact with a lock surface of the case band to maintain the crown in a lock state. The portable timepiece is characterized in that when placing the crown in the lock state, the crown is rotated in a direction opposite to the winding-up direction of the mainspring, and when releasing the lock state to wind up the mainspring, the crown is rotated in the same direction as the mainspring winding-up direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Inventors: Haruki Hiranuma, Kazutaka Imai
  • Publication number: 20110051572
    Abstract: There is provided a wristwatch 1 in which a degassing valve with an exhaust button is attached to a timepiece exterior assembly, and in which the gas in the exterior assembly is allowed to escape to the exterior through pushing-in of the button. The valve is equipped with a valve casing providing communication between the interior and exterior of the exterior assembly, a valve member accommodated in the valve casing and moved from a closed position to an open position when the interior of the exterior assembly is not less than a predetermined pressure, the button accommodated in the valve casing so as to allow pushing-in, a first coil spring urging the button and the valve member away from each other, and a second coil spring urging the button toward the exterior of the exterior assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Inventors: Yoshio Hozumi, Kazutaka Imai
  • Publication number: 20110051570
    Abstract: A wristwatch is equipped with a timepiece exterior assembly, an exhaust button, a coil spring, and seal members. A pipe provided in the exterior assembly so as to establish communication between the interior and exterior thereof has seal surfaces and escape portions. The button is equipped with a shaft portion inserted into the pipe and exhibiting a detachment preventing portion to be caught by a pipe edge portion from within the exterior assembly, and a button portion depressed from the outside of the exterior assembly. The spring, which urges the button in an anti-pushing-in direction, is provided between the button portion and the timepiece exterior assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Inventors: Haruki Hiranuma, Kazutaka Imai
  • Patent number: 7815365
    Abstract: A diver's watch includes a timepiece exterior assembly including a movement, a hand setting stem pipe, a crown for operating the movement, and a cover pipe. A locking face is formed at an outer peripheral portion of a case body provided to the timepiece exterior assembly. The hand setting stem pipe is fixed to the case body and includes a pipe side screw portion. The crown includes a crown cylinder inserted to inside of the hand setting stem pipe, and a crown head integral with the crown cylinder. The crown head is formed with a crown side screw portion attachably and detachably screwed to the pipe side screw portion, and an engaging end face brought into contact with and separated from the locking face. The cover pipe is arranged to be more proximate to the crown cylinder than the engaging end face. Thereby, the hand setting stem pipe is covered by the cover pipe and the covered state is maintained regardless of a movement in an axial direction of the crown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Haruki Hiranuma, Kazutaka Imai
  • Publication number: 20100220560
    Abstract: A bezel member rotatably mounted to a case band member is provided with an accommodating groove, a pair of passing portions continuous with the accommodating groove at positions spaced apart by approximately 180°, and a pair of escape grooves continuous with both passing portions from the center side of the bezel member and open to the exterior of the case band member. The case band member is provided with engagement grooves arranged in a ring-like fashion so as to be opposed to the accommodating groove, and a ring-like reception groove surrounded by the engagement grooves and continuous with the engagement grooves. A lock member retains the bezel member at an arbitrary rotating position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Inventors: Haruki Hiranuma, Kazutaka Imai
  • Patent number: 7744272
    Abstract: A portable apparatus has a push button mounted on a casing for operating a contact inside the casing. The push button is axially slidable in a pipe fixed in a through-hole extending through the casing. A coil spring encircles the pipe and is interposed between a flange of the pipe and a head of the push button to urge the push button outwardly. A packing ring for sealing the space between the pipe and push button is attached to either the pipe or the push button in the region where the coil spring encircles the pipe. Since the coil spring overlaps the packing ring, the axial length of the pipe and push button can be shortened to reduce the size of the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshio Hozumi, Kazutaka Imai
  • Publication number: 20100142333
    Abstract: In a wristwatch (portable device), a push button (push-pull operating member) includes an engaging portion, and the push button is mounted on a watch sheath (watch outer sheath). A locking member and a leaf spring (urging member) are arranged on the watch sheath. The locking member is movable between a locked position in which the push button is held at a predetermined position by the engagement with the engaging portion and an unlocked position where an operation of the push button is allowed. The locking member is urged by the leaf spring toward the unlocked position. A circular operating ring surrounding an hour plate (display portion) mounted on the watch sheath is rotatably mounted to the watch sheath from the front side. The invention is characterized in that the movement of the locking member between the locked position and the unlocked position is interlocked with a rotating operation of the operating ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Inventors: Haruki Hiranuma, Kazutaka Imai
  • Publication number: 20100142332
    Abstract: A wristwatch having a lid marking on a back lid which is screwed into a body is predicted. The body includes a lid mounting portion, and a lid receiving portion includes a thread and lid receiving surface on the side of an interior of the body with respect to the thread. The back lid includes a lid plate superimposed on the lid receiving surface and a holding ring. The lid plate includes an annular projection on a peripheral surface thereof and the lid marking on the front surface thereof. The holding ring includes a thread screwed in the thread. The holding ring is mounted on the lid mounting portion by screwing the both threads, and an annular projection is clamped between the ring and the lid receiving surface to fix the lid plate. A detent portion is provided on the lid mounting portion. An engaging portion to be engaged with the detent portion is provided on the lid plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Inventors: Haruki Hiranuma, Kazutaka Imai
  • Patent number: 7614785
    Abstract: A timepiece has a case body and a bezel rotatably and detachably connected to the case body. A ring-shaped guide groove formed in the bezel opposes a ring groove formed in the case body, and a plurality of holding members are slidable in the guide groove into and out of the ring groove to respectively prevent and permit detachment of the bezel from the case body. A plurality of operating screws are screwed into the bezel from an outer side thereof and are rotatably connected at their front end portions to respective holding members. Rotation of the operating screws in tightening and loosening directions moves the holding members into and out of the ring groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Haruki Hiranuma, Kazutaka Imai, Koremoto Takeda