Patents by Inventor Tatsuya Kawakami

Tatsuya Kawakami 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: 20170274964
    Abstract: A bicycle operating device basically includes an operating member and a click mechanism. The click mechanism includes an input part, an output part and an intermediate part. The intermediate part is movable between the input and output parts to transmit movement from the input part to the output part in accordance with movement of the operating member. The intermediate part contacts the input part at a first contact point, and contacts the output part at a second contact point. The intermediate part and the output part define a first angle that decreases as the operating member moves from the first position toward the second position. The first angle has an apex at the second contact point, a first leg extending from the second contact point to a center of the pivot of the output part and a second leg extending from the second contact point to the first contact point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventor: Tatsuya KAWAKAMI
  • Patent number: 9701365
    Abstract: A bicycle shift operating device basically has a base member, a shift wire take-up element rotatably mounted with respect to the base member and a shifting unit operatively coupled to the shift wire take-up element to selectively rotate the shift wire take-up element in first and second rotational directions about a pivot axis. The shifting unit includes a shift operating member pivotally mounted with respect to the base member along a pivotal path to operate the shift wire take-up element in the first rotational direction in response to pivotal movement of the shift operating member about an operating axis. The shift operating member is movably mounted with respect to the base member along a non-pivotal path to operate the shift wire take-up element in the second rotational direction in response to non-pivotal movement of the shift operating member with respect to the operating axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Kawakami
  • Publication number: 20170191534
    Abstract: A bicycle disc brake caliper comprises a first brake pad, a second brake pad, an actuation structure, and a link structure. The second brake pad is arranged to face the first brake pad. The actuation structure moves the first brake pad toward the second brake pad. The link structure is coupled to the first brake pad to transmit a movement of the first brake pad to the second brake pad to move the second brake pad toward the first brake pad.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2016
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Applicant: SHIMANO INC.
    Inventor: Tatsuya KAWAKAMI
  • Patent number: 9592880
    Abstract: A bicycle operating apparatus is provided with a base member, a ratchet, a pawl member and an operating member. The ratchet is rotatably disposed around a ratchet axis, and biased in a first direction about the ratchet axis. The operating member moves the pawl member from a first position to a second position. The pawl member has a pawl portion and first and second support portions. The pawl portion engages with the ratchet teeth while the pawl member is in the second position to regulate rotation of the ratchet in the first direction. The first support portion pivotally supports the pawl member around a first axis as the pawl member moves from the first position to the second position. The second support portion pivotally supports the pawl member around a second axis while the pawl member is in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Kawakami
  • Patent number: 9463841
    Abstract: A bicycle brake and shift operating device is provided with a bicycle mounting bracket, a brake lever, a gear shifting mechanism, a first gear shift member and a connecting structure. The brake lever is pivotally connected to the mounting bracket about a first axis between a rest position and a brake operating position. The gear shifting mechanism is configured to operate a bicycle gear changing device to any one of a plurality of gear positions. The first gear shift member is pivotally mounted relative to the bicycle mounting bracket about a second axis. The first gear shift member is connected to the gear shifting mechanism to actuate the gear shifting mechanism. The connecting structure interconnects the brake lever and the first gear shift member together such that the first gear shift member pivots about the second axis in response to the brake lever being pivoted about the first axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Kawakami
  • Patent number: 9434443
    Abstract: A cable operating mechanism basically comprises a fixed member, a wire takeup member, a single position maintaining abutment and a positioning member. The wire takeup member is movably mounted with respect to the fixed member. The single position maintaining abutment movably mounted with the wire takeup member. The positioning member is pivotally mounted with respect to the fixed member. The positioning member has a plurality of positioning abutments configured to engage the single position maintaining abutment such that the wire takeup member is positioned in one of a plurality of predetermined wire positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Kawakami
  • Patent number: 9365258
    Abstract: A bicycle brake and shift operating device is provided with a bracket, a brake operating member, a shift operating unit and a pawl releasing member. The brake lever is pivotally attached to the bracket at a pivot axis. The shift operating unit includes a takeup member pivotally mounted relative to the bracket and a locking pawl pivotally mounted relative to the bracket. The locking pawl moves between a locking position and a release position. The pawl releasing member pivots relative to the bracket to pivot. The pawl releasing member selectively locates the locking pawl from the locking position to the release position by pivoting around the third pivot axis. The pivot axis of the pawl releasing member is offset from both of the pivot axes of the takeup member and the locking pawl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Kawakami
  • Patent number: 9233730
    Abstract: A bicycle control device basically includes a housing member, a hydraulic fluid pressure generator, a control lever member and a shift-operating mechanism. The housing member has an attachment part for attachment to a handlebar, and a grip part configured to be gripped by a rider in a riding position. The hydraulic fluid pressure generator has a cylinder provided inside the grip part of the housing member, and a piston movably disposed within the cylinder to generate fluid pressure for controlling a braking device. The control lever member has a first operation lever pivotably coupled relative to the housing member for pivoting about a first axis to operate the piston. The shift-operating mechanism is configured to be coupled to a shifting device by a control cable control. The shift-operating mechanism is mounted on the control lever member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Osamu Kariyama, Tatsuya Kawakami, Daisuke Nago, Tatsuya Matsushita, Masahiro Nakakura
  • Publication number: 20150344099
    Abstract: A bicycle operating apparatus is provided with a base member, a ratchet, a pawl member and an operating member. The ratchet is rotatably disposed around a ratchet axis, and biased in a first direction about the ratchet axis. The operating member moves the pawl member from a first position to a second position. The pawl member has a pawl portion and first and second support portions. The pawl portion engages with the ratchet teeth while the pawl member is in the second position to regulate rotation of the ratchet in the first direction. The first support portion pivotally supports the pawl member around a first axis as the pawl member moves from the first position to the second position. The second support portion pivotally supports the pawl member around a second axis while the pawl member is in the second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Inventor: Tatsuya KAWAKAMI
  • Patent number: 9156518
    Abstract: A cable operating mechanism is basically provided with a fixed member, a wire takeup member, a wire pulling member and a movement transmission member. The wire takeup member is movably mounted with respect to the fixed member about a first pivot axis to move between a plurality of predetermined wire positions. The wire takeup member includes a wire attachment part. The wire pulling member is movably mounted with respect to the fixed member. The movement transmission member is pivotally mounted with respect to the fixed member about a second pivot axis that is offset from the first pivot axis. The movement transmission member is operatively coupled to the wire pulling member and the wire takeup member such that a movement of the wire pulling member is transmitted to the wire takeup member via the movement transmission member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Kawakami
  • Publication number: 20150259024
    Abstract: A bicycle operating device comprises a base member, an operating construction, a wire takeup member, a ratchet member, a first pawl, and an actuating member. The wire takeup member is configured to be rotatable relative to the base member about a rotational axis in a first direction and a second direction. The ratchet member has ratchet teeth. The actuating member includes a second pawl. The actuating member is configured to move the first pawl away from the ratchet member and to engage the second pawl with one of the ratchet teeth, in response to a second operation of the operating construction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Applicant: SHIMANO INC.
    Inventor: Tatsuya KAWAKAMI
  • Patent number: 9132887
    Abstract: A bicycle operating device includes a control member, two user operating members, a pivoting member and a transmission. The control member is rotated by actuation of the user operating members to control a control cable. The pivoting member pivots when one of the user operating members is actuated. The transmission includes a ratchet, a positioning tooth and a maintaining tooth. The ratchet includes first teeth engaged by the positioning tooth while the pivoting member is disposed at a first position, second teeth engaged by the maintaining tooth while the pivoting member is disposed at a second position, and third teeth engaged by a pawl when the other user operating member is operated. At least one of the teeth is arranged on a periphery of the ratchet and at least one of the teeth is arranged radially inside of the periphery of the ratchet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Kawakami, Yoshimitsu Miki, Kazutaka Fukao, Takafumi Nishino
  • Patent number: 9085336
    Abstract: A bicycle operating device basically has a fixed member, a movable member, a positioning mechanism, a first pivoting member and a second pivoting member. The positioning mechanism is operatively arranged to selectively maintain the movable member in any one of a plurality of holding positions. The first pivoting member is pivotally mounted with respect to the fixed member to pivot about a first axis to operatively engage the positioning mechanism. The second pivoting member is pivotally mounted with respect to the fixed member to pivot about a second axis that is offset from the first axis. The second pivoting member includes first and second contacting parts for selectively contacting the first pivoting member at different radial positions causing the first pivoting member to pivot in response to pivotally movement of the second pivoting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Kawakami
  • Patent number: 9056648
    Abstract: A bicycle component positioning device is provided with a support member, a positioning element, a position maintaining member, a winding element, a release member and a spring member. The winding element is movably between a winding position and a disengaging position. The release member is movably between a neutral position and a position releasing position. The spring member is arranged with respect to the support member to move the winding element from the winding position to the disengaging position in response to movement of the release member from the neutral position to the position releasing position and to return the release member to the neutral position after movement of the release member from the neutral position to the position releasing position. The spring member applies a biasing force to the release member without the biasing force being transmitted through the position maintaining member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8978511
    Abstract: A position control mechanism is provided for a bicycle control device that basically has a fixed member, a first positioning member and a second positioning member and an operating member. The fixed member includes a first tooth and a second tooth. The first positioning member includes a first positioning tooth selectively contacting the first tooth to prevent the first positioning member from moving in a first direction. The second positioning member includes a second positioning tooth selectively contacting the second tooth to prevent the second positioning member from moving in the first direction. The operating member is arranged relative to the first and second positioning members such that the first and second positioning members move relative to the fixed member and the first and second positioning teeth contact the first and second teeth alternately as the operating member is moved in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8869648
    Abstract: A bicycle brake and shift operating device is provided with a bracket, a brake operating member, a shift operating unit and a release operating member. The bracket includes a grip portion having first and second exterior lateral sides. The brake operating member is pivotally coupled to the bracket at a brake operating member pivot axis along a braking plane disposed between the first and second exterior lateral sides. The release operating member is pivotally coupled to the bracket at a release operating member pivot axis such that a user operating portion moves along an operating path between a rest position and a releasing position. As the user operating portion moves along the operating path from the rest position to the releasing position, the user operating portion moves closer to the brake operating member to perform a releasing operation in response to movement of the user operating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8777788
    Abstract: A bicycle component positioning device includes a fixed member, an operating member and a positioning mechanism. The operating member has an input portion and an output portion. The positioning mechanism is operatively disposed between the operating member and the fixed member. The positioning mechanism includes a positioning member that is movable between a first position in which the positioning member is engaged with the fixed member and a second position in which the positioning member is disengaged from the fixed member. The positioning member is held in engagement with the fixed member in the first position by the input portion when the input portion is in an operating position. The positioning member is movable from the first position to the second position upon movement of the input portion from at least one of the operating positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Kawakami, Atsushi Iizuka
  • Patent number: 8770059
    Abstract: A bicycle shift control device comprises a control body supported by a mounting member, wherein the mounting member defines a handlebar mounting axis (HB); a movable operating body; a transmission that converts movement of the operating body into rotation of the control body; and an interface member movably mounted relative to the operating body. The interface member pivots around a pivot axis (P) for moving the operating body, wherein the pivot axis (P) is inclined relative to the handlebar mounting axis (HB). The interface member comprises a lever including an operating force receiving member and an operating force applying member extending from the operating force receiving member. The operating force receiving member extends from the pivot axis (P), and free ends of the operating force receiving member and the operating force applying member are spaced apart from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Shimano, Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8746105
    Abstract: A bicycle operating device includes a housing, a control member, a linearly moving member, a transmission, a user operating member and an intermediate element. The control member rotates on the housing for controlling a control cable. The linearly moving member moves on the housing for linear displacement between first and second positions. The transmission operatively couples the linearly moving member to the control member. The transmission converts the linear displacement of the linearly moving member from the first position to the second position into a rotation of the control member toward a first rotational direction. The user operating member is movably mounted to the housing. The intermediate element moves relative to the linearly moving member and the user operating member to transmit a movement of the user operating member to the linearly moving member for moving the linearly moving member from the first position to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Kawakami, Yoshimitsu Miki, Kazutaka Fukao, Takafumi Nishino
  • Publication number: 20140144275
    Abstract: A bicycle control device basically includes a housing member, a hydraulic fluid pressure generator, a control lever member and a shift-operating mechanism. The housing member has an attachment part for attachment to a handlebar, and a grip part configured to be gripped by a rider in a riding position. The hydraulic fluid pressure generator has a cylinder provided inside the grip part of the housing member, and a piston movably disposed within the cylinder to generate fluid pressure for controlling a braking device. The control lever member has a first operation lever pivotably coupled relative to the housing member for pivoting about a first axis to operate the piston. The shift-operating mechanism is configured to be coupled to a shifting device by a control cable control. The shift-operating mechanism is mounted on the control lever member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Osamu KARIYAMA, Tatsuya KAWAKAMI, Daisuke NAGO, Tatsuya MATSUSHITA, Masahiro NAKAKURA