Patents by Inventor Tomoaki Matsunobu

Tomoaki Matsunobu 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: 8172303
    Abstract: A link mechanism capable of setting any desirable speed of opening/closing a lid during a series of the opening/closing operation and capable of exerting a strong driving force is provided. A lid (6) is attached to a lid bracket (31). The lid bracket (31) is pivotally connected to a driving lever (14) and a coupled-driving lever (15) with which the lid (6) is opened or closed. The driving lever (14) is provided with a cam having an elongated hole (34), into which a driving pin (36) provided to a sector gear (13) is fitted. The sector gear (12) is driven by a motor through a pinion (22). According to rotation of the sector gear (13), the driving pin (36) moves in the elongated hole (34) and drives the driving lever (14). Since the distance between the center of the sector gear (13) and the driving pin (36) is larger than the radius of the pinion (22), such mechanism exerts a strong driving force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Webasto AG
    Inventors: Kozo Odoi, Minoru Okamura, Tomoaki Matsunobu
  • Patent number: 8070218
    Abstract: To get out a roof (2) retracted in a storage space (7) therefrom, a link mechanism carries out pushing-out operation of push-pull cable (90) so that a grip member with the roof (2) gripped thereby is moved by an elastic force of a main spring (79) along a rail (74) from a retracted position to a gripping position, where the roof (2) is then released from gripped condition by the grip member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Webasto AG
    Inventors: Frank Hinrichs, Tomoaki Matsunobu
  • Patent number: 8042858
    Abstract: A retractable roof includes a roof member 2 including a front roof panel 21, a back roof panel 22, and a linkage mechanism 4 for alternately chaining the position of the roof member 2 between an in-use position and a storage position. The back roof panel 22 is pivotally connected to the front roof panel 21 and a car body side member 42 to function as a first link of a four-bar link constituted by the first link and a second link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Webasto AG
    Inventors: Kozo Odoi, Shigeki Hiyama, Tomoaki Matsunobu
  • Publication number: 20100283286
    Abstract: A retractable roof includes a roof member 2 including a front roof panel 21, a back roof panel 22, and a linkage mechanism 4 for alternately chaining the position of the roof member 2 between an in-use position and a storage position. The back roof panel 22 is pivotally connected to the front roof panel 21 and a car body side member 42 to function as a first link of a four-bar link constituted by the first link and a second link.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Applicant: WEBASTO AG
    Inventors: Kozo Odoi, Shigeki Hiyama, Tomoaki Matsunobu
  • Publication number: 20100237662
    Abstract: To get out a roof (2) retracted in a storage space (7) therefrom, a link mechanism carries out pushing-out operation of push-pull cable (90) so that a grip member with the roof (2) gripped thereby is moved by an elastic force of a main spring (79) along a rail (74) from a retracted position to a gripping position, where the roof (2) is then released from gripped condition by the grip member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: WEBASTO AG
    Inventors: Frank Hinrichs, Tomoaki Matsunobu
  • Publication number: 20100223851
    Abstract: A link mechanism capable of setting any desirable speed of opening/closing a lid during a series of the opening/closing operation and capable of exerting a strong driving force is provided. A lid 6 is attached to a lid bracket 31. The lid bracket 31 is pivotally connected to a driving lever 14 and a coupled-driving lever 15 with which the lid 6 is opened or closed. The driving lever 14 is provided with a cam having an elongated hole 34, into which a driving pin 36 provided to a sector gear 13 is fitted. The sector gear 12 is driven by a motor through a pinion 22. According to rotation of the sector gear 13, the driving pin 36 moves in the elongated hole 34 and drives the driving lever 14. Since the distance between the center of the sector gear 13 and the driving pin 36 is larger than the radius of the pinion 22, such mechanism exerts a strong driving force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2007
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: WEBASTO AB
    Inventors: Kozo Odoi, Minoru Okamura, Tomoaki Matsunobu
  • Patent number: 7401839
    Abstract: A retractable roof includes a front roof panel, a back roof panel formed by joining outer and inner panel layers to each other, a lower link pivotally connected to a vehicle body member, an upper link pivotally connected to the front roof panel, and an intermediate link rigidly connected to each of the lower link and the upper link. The intermediate link is placed in between the outer and inner panel layers of the back roof panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignees: Webasto AG, Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Hiyama, Kozo Odoi, Tomoaki Matsunobu
  • Publication number: 20070228767
    Abstract: A retractable roof includes a front roof panel, a back roof panel formed by joining outer and inner panel layers to each other, a lower link pivotally connected to a vehicle body member, an upper link pivotally connected to the front roof panel, and an intermediate link rigidly connected to each of the lower link and the upper link. The intermediate link is placed in between the outer and inner panel layers of the back roof panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Inventors: Shigeki Hiyama, Kozo Odoi, Tomoaki Matsunobu