Patents by Inventor Muneto Inayoshi

Muneto Inayoshi 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).

  • Publication number: 20090126500
    Abstract: A load detection device includes a strain generating body having first and second holes at first and second ends of the strain generating body, a strain gauge attached on the strain generating body, first and second fixing members having first and second middle shaft portion press-fitted into the first and second holes, respectively, and having first and second end shaft portions protruding from the first and second middle shaft portions, respectively, a bracket member having first fixing portion including a first fixing hole into which the first end shaft portion is press-fitted, and a second fixing portion, integrally connected to the first fixing portion and including a second fixing hole into which the second end shaft portion is inserted with a clearance therebetween, a press-fit fixing member press-fitted onto the second end shaft portion, and a connecting shaft integrally connected to the strain generating body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji ITO, Hideki Kawabata, Muneto Inayoshi, Kan Ichihara, Hiroyuki Fujii, Yoshimasa Asano, Naoka Kawajiri
  • Patent number: 7514638
    Abstract: A sensor body is interposed between a leg bracket and a lower rail and detects a seat load. A plate member of the sensor body is a unit including a circular strain element having an axial line in the vertical direction and a substrate extending radially from the strain element. An outer circumferential support member is attached to the leg bracket to hold the outer circumferential edge of the strain element. An inner circumferential support member is attached to the lower rail to hold the inner circumferential edge of the strain element. The strain element includes a strain gauge configured to output a signal in accordance with the load in the axial direction of the strain element on the basis of the distortion between the outer and inner circumferences. The substrate includes an electric circuit electrically connected the strain gauge and configured to process the output signal from strain gauge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Muneto Inayoshi, Koji Itoh, Hiroyuki Fujii
  • Publication number: 20090064792
    Abstract: A load detecting apparatus includes a strain member, a supporting member, a load input member and a strain detecting element. The supporting member is employed for supporting the strain member at a supporting portion thereof The load input member is supported by the strain member and strains the strain member when an external load is applied thereon. The strain detecting element is provided at at least a surface of the strain member for detecting the strain generated by the load input member. Further, an outer end of the supporting portion located outwardly relative to the load input member is fixed to the strain member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideki Kawabata, Muneto Inayoshi, Kan Ichihara, Yoshimasa Asano, Hiroyuki Fujii, Naoka Kawajiri
  • Patent number: 7490523
    Abstract: An occupant load detecting device of a seat for a vehicle includes a strain member arranged between a floor-side fixing member and a seat-side fixing member and having a strain gauge, a connecting member fixed to the strain member and securely connected to one of the floor-side fixing member and the seat-side fixing member, a first supporting member relatively immovably fitted into a fixing hole and fixed to an attachment surface formed at the other one of the floor-side fixing member and the seat-side fixing member to support the strain member, a second supporting member fitted into an attachment hole and fixed to the attachment surface, and a bracket including first and second fixing portions and an amplifier case fixing portion continuous with the first and second fixing portions and extending at a side of the strain member in a lateral direction of the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazunori Sakamoto, Hideki Kawabata, Muneto Inayoshi, Satohiko Nakano, Mutsuro Aoyama
  • Patent number: 7487687
    Abstract: An occupant load sensor of a seat for a vehicle includes a metal-made bracket fixed to a strain member and having an attachment portion extending in a lateral direction from the strain member, an amplifier substrate for amplifying a signal transmitted by the strain gauge. One surface of the amplifier substrate is covered by the attachment portion of the metal-made bracket and the other surface thereof is covered by a metal-foil ground pattern. The occupant load sensor further includes a resin-made amplifier case fixed to the attachment portion of the metal-made bracket and arranged in parallel to the strain member. The resin-made amplifier case houses therein the amplifier substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Chiaki Sumi, Satohiko Nakano, Mutsuro Aoyama, Kazunori Sakamoto, Hideki Kawabata, Muneto Inayoshi, Hajime Shiohara
  • Publication number: 20080156103
    Abstract: A seat apparatus for a vehicle has a load detecting device arranged between a floor-side fixing member adapted to be fixed to a floor of the vehicle and a seat-side fixing member adapted to be fixed to a seat for the vehicle and for measuring a load of an occupant seated on the seat. The load detecting device includes: a strain member; a connecting member vertically fixed to an intermediate portion of the strain member; strain gauges attached to a surface of the strain member; an upper bracket having a first and second fixed portions both fixed to the other surface of the strain member. The upper bracket further has an attachment portion connecting the first and second fixed portions and extending in a lateral direction of the seat; and an amplifier unit attached to a surface of the attachment portion of the upper bracket corresponding to the strain member so as to be coplanar with the strain member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicants: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satohiko Nakano, Muneto Inayoshi, Mutsuro Aoyama, Hideki Kawabata, Kenichiro Akizuki, Minoru Izawa
  • Publication number: 20080127752
    Abstract: An occupant load sensor of a seat for a vehicle includes a strain member, a connecting member, first and second strain gauge plates, an upper bracket, an amplifier substrate, and an FPC substrate. The strain gauge plates are attached to a surface of the strain member and respectively arranged between a central portion and both end portions of the strain member. Each strain gauge plate includes two strain detecting elements forming a half bridge circuit of a Wheatstone bridge circuit. The FPC substrate is connected to the amplifier substrate and to the strain gauge plates between the both end portions and the central portion of the strain member. Further, the FPC substrate includes a plurality of wiring patterns. The Wheatstone bridge circuit is formed with the plurality of wiring patterns and the half bridge circuit formed at each strain gauge plates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicants: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satohiko Nakano, Muneto Inayoshi, Mutsuro Aoyama, Satoshi Sato, Hirofumi Otsuka
  • Publication number: 20080098823
    Abstract: An occupant load sensor of a seat for a vehicle includes a metal-made bracket fixed to a strain member and having an attachment portion extending in a lateral direction from the strain member, an amplifier substrate for amplifying a signal transmitted by the strain gauge. One surface of the amplifier substrate is covered by the attachment portion of the metal-made bracket and the other surface thereof is covered by a metal-foil ground pattern. The occupant load sensor further includes a resin-made amplifier case fixed to the attachment portion of the metal-made bracket and arranged in parallel to the strain member. The resin-made amplifier case houses therein the amplifier substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Publication date: May 1, 2008
    Applicant: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Chiaki Sumi, Satohiko Nakano, Mutsuro Aoyama, Kazunori Sakamoto, Hideki Kawabata, Muneto Inayoshi, Hajime Shiohara
  • Publication number: 20080098822
    Abstract: An occupant load detecting device of a seat for a vehicle includes a strain member arranged between a floor-side fixing member and a seat-side fixing member and having a strain gauge, a connecting member fixed to the strain member and securely connected to one of the floor-side fixing member and the seat-side fixing member, a first supporting member relatively immovably fitted into a fixing hole and fixed to an attachment surface formed at the other one of the floor-side fixing member and the seat-side fixing member to support the strain member, a second supporting member fitted into an attachment hole and fixed to the attachment surface, and a bracket including first and second fixing portions and an amplifier case fixing portion continuous with the first and second fixing portions and extending at a side of the strain member in a lateral direction of the seat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Publication date: May 1, 2008
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazunori Sakamoto, Hideki Kawabata, Muneto Inayoshi, Satohiko Nakano, Mutsuro Aoyama
  • Publication number: 20080054690
    Abstract: An occupant classifying device for a vehicle seat includes an occupant classifying apparatus for classifying an occupant type on the basis of a seating load applied to the vehicle seat, a first load sensor provided at a rear portion of the vehicle seat in order to measure a rear load that is a part of the seating load, a second load sensor provided at a front portion of the vehicle seat in order to measure a front load that is a part of the seating load, a rear load ratio calculating apparatus for calculating a rear load ratio indicating a ratio of the rear load in the seating load on the basis of the measured rear and front loads and a securing determining apparatus determining whether or not a child restraint system is secured to the vehicle seat on the basis of the calculated rear load ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Muneto INAYOSHI, Hiroyuki Fujii
  • Patent number: 7328627
    Abstract: In a seat load detecting device, sensor bodies are interposed between an upper rail and respective lower brackets. Each sensor body includes an annular strain portion which axial line extends vertically, an outer peripheral holder which is mounted to the upper rail and which holds an outer peripheral edge of the strain portion, and an inner peripheral holder which is mounted to the lower bracket and which holds an inner peripheral edge of the strain portion. Strain gauges for detecting a load applied to a seat on the basis of a strain amount between an outer periphery and an inner periphery of each strain portion are disposed on each strain portion. A second clamping member of each inner peripheral holder has a mounting hole which is formed through the second clamping member in a widthwise direction thereof and which rockably connects the lower bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Kawabata, Kan Ichihara, Muneto Inayoshi
  • Publication number: 20080007100
    Abstract: A load detecting device for a vehicle seat includes a supporting base adapted to be mounted on a floor of the vehicle, a plurality of load sensors arranged along a forward and backward direction of a seat for the vehicle on the supporting base, the load sensors including a load input portion, a deflection portion deflecting by a load and a deflection gauge measuring an amount of deflection, the load sensors detecting the load based on the amount of deflection measured by the deflection gauge, a connecting member connecting the load input portions, a seat supporting member connected to the connecting member and adapted to support the seat for the vehicle, the seat supporting member transmitting load to the connecting member, and a stopper preventing deformation of the connecting member in a vertical direction of the seat when load which exceeding a predetermined value is applied to the connecting member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicants: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideki KAWABATA, Muneto Inayoshi, Kan Ichihara, Hiroyuki Fujii, Kenichiro Akizuki, Minoru Izawa
  • Publication number: 20060170259
    Abstract: A sensor body is interposed between a leg bracket and a lower rail and detects a seat load. A plate member of the sensor body is a unit including a circular strain element having an axial line in the vertical direction and a substrate extending radially from the strain element. An outer circumferential support member is attached to the leg bracket to hold the outer circumferential edge of the strain element. An inner circumferential support member is attached to the lower rail to hold the inner circumferential edge of the strain element. The strain element includes a strain gauge configured to output a signal in accordance with the load in the axial direction of the strain element on the basis of the distortion between the outer and inner circumferences. The substrate includes an electric circuit electrically connected the strain gauge and configured to process the output signal from strain gauge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2005
    Publication date: August 3, 2006
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Muneto Inayoshi, Kohji Itoh, Hiroyuki Fujii
  • Publication number: 20060107767
    Abstract: In a seat load detecting device, sensor bodies are interposed between an upper rail and respective lower brackets. Each sensor body includes an annular strain portion which axial line extends vertically, an outer peripheral holder which is mounted to the upper rail and which holds an outer peripheral edge of the strain portion, and an inner peripheral holder which is mounted to the lower bracket and which holds an inner peripheral edge of the strain portion. Strain gauges for detecting a load applied to a seat on the basis of a strain amount between an outer periphery and an inner periphery of each strain portion are disposed on each strain portion. A second clamping member of each inner peripheral holder has a mounting hole which is formed through the second clamping member in a widthwise direction thereof and which rockably connects the lower bracket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2005
    Publication date: May 25, 2006
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideki Kawabata, Kan Ichihara, Muneto Inayoshi