Patents by Inventor Michinobu Kibayashi

Michinobu Kibayashi 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: 6550947
    Abstract: A device capable of tilting a reflector installed in a lamp body for adjusting the body's optical axis is provided. Workability of the process for securing the ball bearing to the reflector can be simplified and dislocation of the ball bearing can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Michinobu Kibayashi
  • Patent number: 6382823
    Abstract: A vehicular headlamp of a type having a lighting circuit unit mounted on an outer surface of a bottom wall of the lamp body in which failure of the seal between the lamp body and a front lens mounted thereon is prevented. A bottom wall extension portion is formed at a rear end portion of a bottom wall of the lamp body, extending rearward beyond a bulb replacement opening formed in a rear wall of the lamp body. This structure provides sufficient rigidity for the rear end portion of the bottom wall, which otherwise would have insufficient rigidity because of its location adjacent the bulb replace opening. Therefore, the bottom wall is protected from deflection deformation due to the weight of the lighting circuit unit. As a result, the front end opening of the lamp body is protected from deformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Michinobu Kibayashi
  • Patent number: 6345905
    Abstract: A vehicular lamp in which a spherical leading end portion of a tilting actuator is prevented from dropping out of a reflector-side groove-type ball bearing body in a reflector tilting device for tilting a reflector mounted within a lamp body. A reflector tilting device capable of tiltably adjusting a reflector contained in a lamp body includes a tilting actuator disposed in the lamp body having an actuator rod displaceable in the direction of the optical axis of the reflector. A groove-type ball bearing body is mounted to the reflector and fitted into a spherical leading end portion disposed at a leading end of the actuator rod. The groove-type ball bearing body has, at each end of a groove portion which has opposed open ends and into which the spherical leading end portion is fitted, a dropout-preventing strip portion protruding towards the interior of the groove portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2002
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michinobu Kibayashi, Hiroshi Shida, Katutami Oishi
  • Patent number: 6042255
    Abstract: In a vehicular lamp wherein an air hole for effecting a breathing operation is formed in a lamp body, and a tubular member of an oval transverse cross-section, having a reduced right-left width, is formed on and extends from the lamp body in generally surrounding relation to the air hole. A partition wall is formed within the tubular member, and a slit is formed in a lower portion of a peripheral wall of the tubular member, and a cap of an oval transverse cross-section, having a reduced right-left width, is fitted on a distal end portion of the tubular member in such a manner that part of the slit is not covered with the cap. A labyrinth-like air passage is formed within the tubular member, and the air passage communicates with the interior of the lamp body through the air hole, and also communicates with the exterior of the tubular member through the slit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Michinobu Kibayashi
  • Patent number: 6019490
    Abstract: An inverted L-shaped fixed-side bracket 13 for fastening a lamp body 2 to a vehicle body 10. A vehicle-body fitting hole 13c is vertically bored through a tongue edge portion 13b projecting rearwardly from the upper end portion of the fixed-side bracket, and a cylindrical body 19 having a tapping hole 18 is projected rearwardly from a main portion 13a. The tapping hole 18 has a polygonal shape and receives an aiming-adjusting screw 15.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Michinobu Kibayashi
  • Patent number: 5765935
    Abstract: A vehicular head lamp has a head lamp unit tiltabaly attached to a vehicle body by means of two distance adjusters including adjusting shafts and one rotational support section. The two adjusting shafts are coupled to the vehicle body via a bracket of a synthetic resin which has two nuts that are to be respectively fitted over the two adjusting shafts, and projections protruding toward the vehicle body are formed on nut-forming portions and are engaged with attachment holes formed in the vehicle body to secure the bracket to the vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Katsumata, Michinobu Kibayashi