Patents by Inventor Naoki Sawada

Naoki Sawada 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: 7410190
    Abstract: In a motor-driven steering wheel position adjustment apparatus, a nut 17 being a driven member is mounted such that it can be detached from an inner column of a steering column, based on a shock load applied at the time of a secondary collision, and therefore a threaded rod of a feed screw mechanism does not have resistance with respect to displacement of the inner column in the forward direction at that time. Improvement in the protection of a driver at the time of a collision can thus be achieved, and, since an integrated member can be used for the threaded rod, silence during the position adjustment of a steering wheel by the feed screw mechanism can be ensured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Sawada, Masato Iwakawa, Akihiro Shoda, Takeshi Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 7401813
    Abstract: In a steering apparatus for a vehicle in which an inner column is supported to be movable in the axial direction by an outer jacket supported by a body-side bracket and a steering shaft is fixed to an adjustment position by clamping the inner column by the use of telescopic clamping means through the outer jacket, the outer jacket is provided with a slit entirely along the axial direction thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignees: NSK Ltd., NSK Steering Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Sawada, Yuichi Tomaru
  • Patent number: 7384070
    Abstract: An impact absorption type steering column apparatus for an automotive vehicle is constructed so that a car body sided bracket secured to a car body is press-fitted to a column sided bracket provided separately from or integrally with a steering column, the steering column is supported by inserting a bolt through through-holes formed in the two brackets, and, when a secondary collision happens, an impact energy thereof is absorbed in a way that causes a flexural deformation of the car body sided bracket while moving the steering column towards the front of the automotive vehicle. In this apparatus, the through-hole of the column sided bracket is formed as an elongate hole extending to the rear side of the automotive vehicle from a position of the bolt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: NSK, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Sato, Naoki Sawada
  • Patent number: 7364197
    Abstract: A steering column apparatus, includes: a fixed column member having a vehicle body attachment portion to be attached to a vehicle body; a column head supported by the fixed column member movably in a direction of a center shaft of the fixed column member; a wheel shaft, rotatably supported by the column head, for fixing a steering wheel to an end thereof; a column clamp, provided in the column head, for putting the column head into a state in which the column head is clamped to or unclamped from the fixed column member; an operation lever having a rocking shaft in the column head; and a mechanical transmission apparatus for transmitting a rocking motion of the operation lever to the column clamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignees: NSK Ltd., NSK Steering Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Nishioka, Naoki Sawada
  • Patent number: 7328917
    Abstract: To provide a steering apparatus having an excellent operationality and capable of suppressing backlash and preventing an axis deviation of the steering shaft. A line R connecting the centers of two fixing members 16, 17 is shifted with respect to an axis line of an inner column 11, and thus a component Fv of a force transmitted from the fixing members 16, 17 to the inner column 11 via an outer column 21 is applied to press the inner column 11 in a direction orthogonal to the line R connecting the centers of the two fixing members 16, 17. It is, therefore, possible to reduce backlash between the inner column 11 and the outer column 21.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Sawada, Shuhei Ikeda, Jun Yamada
  • Patent number: 7325833
    Abstract: A steering apparatus for a vehicle has a steering column rotatably supporting a steering shaft, a first support member held between opposed flat plate portions of an upper bracket and supporting the steering column, a second support member held between opposed flat plate portions of a lower bracket and supporting the steering column, a first support mechanism for supporting the steering column on the upper bracket, and a second support mechanism for supporting the steering column on the lower bracket, wherein the steering column, the first support member and the second support member are integrally formed, the first support member is integrally formed with a first swelling portion having a pair of side portions that respectively press-abut on a pair of opposed flat plate portions of the upper bracket, and the second support member is integrally formed with a second swelling portion having a pair of side portions that respectively press-abut on a pair of opposed flat plate portions of the lower bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Sawada, Koji Inoue
  • Patent number: 7311333
    Abstract: An impact absorbing type steering column apparatus for an automotive vehicle is capable of adjusting a steering position and, when a secondary collision happens, absorbs impact energy thereof by moving a steering column supported through a bracket on a car body towards the front of the vehicle. The bracket includes a restricting portion for restricting a steering position adjusting range of the steering column. The restricting portion allows, upon the secondary collision, the steering column to move beyond the steering position adjusting range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: NSK, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Sato, Naoki Sawada
  • Publication number: 20070180945
    Abstract: When a column 4 reaches a tilting ascent end, the lower end 732 of a nut 73 abuts on the buffering segment 83 of a buffer 82. Thus, while the buffering segment 83 of the buffer 82 is elastically deformed, the nut 73 stops with no impact. Accordingly, the inertia when the nut 73 stops is restrained and the tightening torque of the nut 73 when the nut 73 stops is also restrained. For this reason, when an electric motor 61 is rotationally driven in a reverse direction, a feeding screw shaft 71 rotates in the reverse direction with the normal rotation torque of the electric motor 61. Thus, the nut 73 is caused to ascend in the axial direction along the screw segment of the feeding screw shaft 71 so that the column 4 can be tiltingly moved downward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2007
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Applicant: NSK LTD.
    Inventors: Masaki Tomaru, Yuuichi Tomaru, Kouhei Yonezawa, Naoki Sawada
  • Patent number: 7213484
    Abstract: Disclosed here is a steering column apparatus that enables a single operation lever provided apart from the steering wheel and to be used for clamping/unclamping each of the telescopic mechanism and the tilting mechanism independently, as well as for keeping at least one of the telescopic mechanism and the tilting mechanism unclamped after it is unclamped even after the driver takes his/her hand off the operation lever. This makes it possible for the driver to use both hands to adjust at least either the position in the front-rear direction or tilting angle of the steering wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignees: NSK Ltd., NSK Steering Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Sawada
  • Patent number: 7198336
    Abstract: A vehicular brake control apparatus includes a braked member that rotates together with a wheel, a braking member, an electric driving device that presses the braking member against the braked member to apply a braking torque to the wheel, when being supplied with electric current, an operational state detector that detects an operational state of the vehicle and provides a quantity of state representative of the operational state of the vehicle, a braking torque change request determiner that selectively determines that the braking torque is to be increased and that the braking torque is to be reduced, based on the quantity of state, and a current controller that controls supply of electrical current to the electric driving device so that the electric driving device is caused to drive in a predetermined direction if it is determined that the braking torque is to be increased, and so that the electric driving device does not drive in the predetermined direction if it is determined that the braking torque is t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Yamamoto, Naoki Sawada
  • Patent number: 7125046
    Abstract: An impact absorption type steering column apparatus for a vehicle includes a car body securing bracket taking substantially an L-shape as viewed from its side. The car body securing bracket is constructed so that a bent portion and a couple of plate-shaped support wall portions are disposed at the rear side of the vehicle on the car body securing portion, and a couple of column fastening fixation portions are disposed at the front side of the vehicle on these plate-shaped support wall portions. With this layout, when a secondary collision happens, the support wall portions of the car body securing bracket and the column fastening fixation portions start moving in the direction of their rotating about the bent portion as a fulcrum, however, this direction is substantially the horizontal direction and is substantially coincident with an input direction (substantially the horizontal direction) of a load of impact from a driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Sawada, Kenji Sato
  • Publication number: 20060214410
    Abstract: In a steering apparatus for a vehicle in which an inner column is supported to be movable in the axial direction by an outer jacket supported by a body-side bracket and a steering shaft is fixed to an adjustment position by clamping the inner column by the use of telescopic clamping means through the outer jacket, the outer jacket is provided with a slit entirely along the axial direction thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2004
    Publication date: September 28, 2006
    Inventors: Naoki Sawada, Yuichi Tomaru
  • Publication number: 20060191368
    Abstract: The present invention realizes a structure that can ensure silence during position adjustment of a steering wheel 8 by a feed screw mechanism 16, and that can achieve an improvement in the protection of a driver at the time of a collision accident. A nut 17 being a driven member is mounted such that it can be detached from an inner column 3a constituting a steering column 1a, based on a shock load applied at the time of a secondary collision. Therefore, at the time of a secondary collision, a threaded rod 18 constituting the feed screw mechanism 16, does not have resistance with respect to displacement of the inner column 3a in the forward direction, and hence an improvement in the protection of the driver can be achieved. Moreover, since an integrated member can be used for the threaded rod 18, silence during the position adjustment can be ensured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Publication date: August 31, 2006
    Inventors: Naoki Sawada, Masato Iwakawa, Akihiro Shoda, Takeshi Fujiwara
  • Publication number: 20060156854
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises a vehicle body side bracket 4 having a vehicle body mount portion 4c to be mounted on a vehicle body and paired left and right opposed flat plate portions 4a, 4b, a steering column 2 having an expanded portion 13, formed by expanding a portion of a tubular material, that is to be in pressure contact with the pair of opposed flat plate portions 4a, 4b of the vehicle body side bracket; a shaft 5 inserted through the pair of opposed flat plate portions 4a, 4b and the expanded portion 13 and adapted to adjust the distance between the pair of opposed flat plate portions 4a, 4b as an operation lever 8 is rotated. The steering column 2 has a portion that is present in an area extending from the shaft 5 up to at least the vehicle body mount portion 4c and has a width substantially equal to the width of a penetrated portion of the expanded portion 13 at which the shaft 5 is inserted through.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2003
    Publication date: July 20, 2006
    Inventors: Naoki Sawada, Masaki Tomaru, Koji Inoue, Toshimichi Takano
  • Publication number: 20060096410
    Abstract: A positioning type steering column device, comprising a steering column (1) having a bulged part (19) formed by a hydraulic pressure bulge forming method, the bulged part (19) further comprising a pair of flat surface parts (20) opposed, back to back, to vertical plate parts for tightening of a body mounting bracket, the pair of flat surface parts (20) further comprising projected parts (21) outward-projectedly formed toward the vertical plate parts opposed thereto, whereby even if a warpage occurs on the flat surface parts (20) by punching out when the bulged part (19) is formed by the hydraulic pressure bulge forming method, a steering column tightening holding force can be prevented from lowering.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2003
    Publication date: May 11, 2006
    Applicant: NSK Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Sawada
  • Publication number: 20060053935
    Abstract: A steering column device (1), comprising a column body (2) having a swelled shell part (23) in deformed section swelled in the side direction of a steering shaft (3) beyond the portion of thereof where an upper bearing (31) is installed and having opposed walls parallel with each other, wherein a lower body mounting part (22) and an upper body mounting part (21) are formed in the swelled shell part (23), whereby a distance bracket and a lower bracket must not be prepared and fixedly positioned on the column body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2003
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Inventors: Naoki Sawada, Masaki Nishioka, Kenji Sato
  • Publication number: 20060043720
    Abstract: A steering apparatus for a vehicle has a steering column rotatably supporting a steering shaft, a first support member held between opposed flat plate portions of an upper bracket and supporting the steering column, a second support member held between opposed flat plate portions of a lower bracket and supporting the steering column, a first support mechanism for supporting the steering column on the upper bracket, and a second support mechanism for supporting the steering column on the lower bracket, wherein the steering column, the first support member and the second support member are integrally formed, the first support member is integrally formed with a first swelling portion having a pair of side portions that respectively press-abut on a pair of opposed flat plate portions of the upper bracket, and the second support member is integrally formed with a second swelling portion having a pair of side portions that respectively press-abut on a pair of opposed flat plate portions of the lower bracket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2003
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Applicant: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Sawada, Koji Inoue
  • Publication number: 20050268739
    Abstract: A steering column apparatus comprising a steering column provided with a steering lock mount portion on its outer circumference and supporting a steering shaft rotatably, a steering lock having a lock key for latching the steering shaft and a contact portion that is in contact with a part of the steering lock mount portion of the steering column, and a lock bracket having a contact portion that is in contact with another part of the steering lock mount portion. The contact portion of the steering lock and the contact portion of the lock bracket embrace the steering lock mount portion of the steering column. The steering lock mount portion of the steering column abuts at least one of the steering lock and the lock bracket with an abutting surface having a non-circular cross section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2003
    Publication date: December 8, 2005
    Inventors: Kenji Sato, Naoki Sawada
  • Publication number: 20050242561
    Abstract: There is disclosed a steering column apparatus comprising: a steering shaft to which a steering wheel is mounted at the rear end portion thereof; a cylindrical steering column for rotatably supporting the steering column therein; body-side bracket used to sandwich and fix the steering column; a distance unit formed to be expanded from the steering column by plastic working and to sandwiched by the body-side brackets; and position adjusting means for making the position of the steering column with respect to the body-side brackets adjustable within a predetermined adjustment range, wherein the position adjusting means comprises as its constituent element an adjusting bolt for passing through the body-side bracket and the distance unit so as to clamp the distance unit through the body-side bracket, and the adjusting bolt is positioned above the steering shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2003
    Publication date: November 3, 2005
    Inventors: Masaki Nishioka, Naoki Sawada
  • Publication number: 20050236825
    Abstract: To provide a steering apparatus having an excellent operationality and capable of suppressing backlash and preventing an axis deviation of the steering shaft. A line R connecting the centers of two fixing members 16, 17 is shifted with respect to an axis line of an inner column 11, and thus a component Fv of a force transmitted from the fixing members 16, 17 to the inner column 11 via an outer column 21 is applied to press the inner column 11 in a direction orthogonal to the line R connecting the centers of the two fixing members 16, 17. It is, therefore, possible to reduce backlash between the inner column 11 and the outer column 21.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2003
    Publication date: October 27, 2005
    Inventors: Naoki Sawada, Shuhei Ikeda, Jun Yamada