Patents by Inventor Yuichiro Hodatsu

Yuichiro Hodatsu 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: 10246047
    Abstract: To provide a seat belt retractor and a seat belt apparatus in which contact between a locking base and a base frame can be suppressed. A seat belt retractor includes a spool 2 that retracts a webbing restraining an occupant, a base frame 3 that accommodates the spool 2 while allowing the spool 2 to rotate, and a lock mechanism 4 regulating rotation of the spool 2. The lock mechanism 4 includes a locking base 41 disposed at an end portion of the spool 2, an opening 31 that is formed in the base frame 3 and allows the locking base 41 to be inserted therethrough, engagement teeth 32 formed at an inner edge of the opening 31, and a pawl 42 that is disposed radially outwardly movable relative to the locking base 41 and engageable with the engagement teeth 32. The lock mechanism 4 further includes a protect cover 43 that is attached to the locking base 41 and includes a side wall portion 43b disposed along a side surface portion of the locking base 41.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: JOYSON SAFETY SYSTEMS JAPAN K.K.
    Inventor: Yuichiro Hodatsu
  • Patent number: 9950690
    Abstract: To provide a seat belt retractor and a seat belt device capable of shortening time taken to restrict rotation of a spool. A seat belt retractor according to the present invention includes a spool 2, a base frame 3, a spring unit 4, a vehicle sensor 5, a locking mechanism 6, and a pretensioner 7. The locking mechanism 6 includes a lock gear 61 and a retainer 62. The lock gear 61 includes an outer circumferential wall 61a that is disposed at an end portion of the spool 2 and engageable with the vehicle sensor 5. The retainer 62 includes an inner circumferential wall 62a disposed on the inner side of the outer circumferential wall 61a and a side wall 62e that defines a space accommodating the lock gear 61. The lock gear 61 becomes engaged with the inner circumferential wall 62a or the side wall 62e of the retainer 62 when the lock gear 61 becomes eccentric relative to the retainer 62.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: TAKATA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuichiro Hodatsu, Miguel Pruneda
  • Patent number: 9884607
    Abstract: To provide a seatbelt retractor and a seatbelt device that can suppress the occurrence of abnormal noise. A seatbelt retractor 1 includes a spool 2 that retracts webbing configured to restrain an occupant, a base frame 3 that houses the spool 2 rotatably, and a lock mechanism 4 that restricts rotation of the spool 2. The lock mechanism 4 includes a locking base 41, a pawl 42, a pawl spring 43, and a lock gear 44. The pawl 42 includes a first restraint portion 42a that restrains movement of the pawl 42 in one rotating direction of the spool 2 while being located inside an outer periphery of the locking base 41, and a second restraint portion 42b that restrains the movement of the pawl 42 in an opposite rotating direction of the spool 2 while the movement is retrained by the first restraint portion 42a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: TAKATA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuichiro Hodatsu
  • Publication number: 20160347275
    Abstract: To provide a seatbelt retractor and a seatbelt device that can suppress the occurrence of abnormal noise. A seatbelt retractor 1 includes a spool 2 that retracts webbing configured to restrain an occupant, a base frame 3 that houses the spool 2 rotatably, and a lock mechanism 4 that restricts rotation of the spool 2. The lock mechanism 4 includes a locking base 41, a pawl 42, a pawl spring 43, and a lock gear 44. The pawl 42 includes a first restraint portion 42a that restrains movement of the pawl 42 in one rotating direction of the spool 2 while being located inside an outer periphery of the locking base 41, and a second restraint portion 42b that restrains the movement of the pawl 42 in an opposite rotating direction of the spool 2 while the movement is retrained by the first restraint portion 42a.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Applicant: TAKATA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuichiro HODATSU
  • Publication number: 20160318474
    Abstract: To provide a seat belt retractor and a seat belt apparatus in which contact between a locking base and a base frame can be suppressed. A seat belt retractor includes a spool 2 that retracts a webbing restraining an occupant, a base frame 3 that accommodates the spool 2 while allowing the spool 2 to rotate, and a lock mechanism 4 regulating rotation of the spool 2. The lock mechanism 4 includes a locking base 41 disposed at an end portion of the spool 2, an opening 31 that is formed in the base frame 3 and allows the locking base 41 to be inserted therethrough, engagement teeth 32 formed at an inner edge of the opening 31, and a pawl 42 that is disposed radially outwardly movable relative to the locking base 41 and engageable with the engagement teeth 32. The lock mechanism 4 further includes a protect cover 43 that is attached to the locking base 41 and includes a side wall portion 43b disposed along a side surface portion of the locking base 41.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Applicant: TAKATA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuichiro HODATSU
  • Publication number: 20160288768
    Abstract: To provide a seat belt retractor and a seat belt device capable of shortening time taken to restrict rotation of a spool. A seat belt retractor according to the present invention includes a spool 2, a base frame 3, a spring unit 4, a vehicle sensor 5, a locking mechanism 6, and a pretensioner 7. The locking mechanism 6 includes a lock gear 61 and a retainer 62. The lock gear 61 includes an outer circumferential wall 61a that is disposed at an end portion of the spool 2 and engageable with the vehicle sensor 5. The retainer 62 includes an inner circumferential wall 62a disposed on the inner side of the outer circumferential wall 61a and a side wall 62e that defines a space accommodating the lock gear 61. The lock gear 61 becomes engaged with the inner circumferential wall 62a or the side wall 62e of the retainer 62 when the lock gear 61 becomes eccentric relative to the retainer 62.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Applicant: TAKATA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuichiro HODATSU, Miguel PRUNEDA
  • Patent number: 9278667
    Abstract: A plurality of driving force transmitting members, a piston, a spring and a gas generator are inserted into the pipe from the end of the pipe where the gas generator is mounted. The gas generator is press-fitted in the pipe while the flat faces thereof are deformed by a pair of protrusions of the pipe. Accordingly, the gas generator is temporarily held by the protrusions of the pipe. Then, one end of the pipe is firmly pressed and the gas generator is mounted in the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: TAKATA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tomita, Yuichiro Hodatsu
  • Patent number: 8720950
    Abstract: A ring gear 15 of a pretensioner 8 includes a plurality of levers 17 and one arc-shaped stopper 16 to allow force transmission members to smoothly move in a pipe, to facilitate setting of a stopper for stopping rotation of a ring gear, and to reduce the cost with a simple structure. During operation of the pretensioner 8, the levers 17 are sequentially pressed by balls 12a to rotate a pinion 19 and a spool in a seatbelt retracting direction. When the ring gear 15 rotates by a predetermined rotation amount, an outer peripheral edge 16c of the stopper 16 contacts and presses the opposing ball 12a. Since the ball 12a is thereby clamped between the stopper 16 and an inner peripheral surface 10d1 of a pipe I0, the ring gear 15 is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Takata Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tomita, Yuichiro Hodatsu
  • Patent number: 8641097
    Abstract: There is provided a pretensioner. The pretensioner includes: a pipe; a gas generator that generates a gas in the pipe in an emergency case; a gas generator mount on which the gas generator is mounted; a spool driving mechanism that rotates a spool in a direction to retract a seatbelt by the gas generated by the gas generator in the emergency case; a discharge hole formed in the pipe so as to allow communication between inside and outside of the pipe; and a blocking member configured to block the discharge hole from inside of the pipe, the blocking member being configured to open the discharge hole when the blocking member is pressed from outside of the pipe with a pressing force equal to or greater than a given pressing force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Takata Corporation
    Inventors: Yuichiro Hodatsu, Hiroshi Tomita
  • Patent number: 8371613
    Abstract: A pipe includes a cutout portion through which levers of a ring gear enter the pipe. An inner peripheral surface of the pipe opposing the cutout portion includes a curved inner peripheral surface in a curved portion of the pipe, a linear inner peripheral surface in a linear portion of the pipe, and a transition portion from the curved inner peripheral surface to the linear inner peripheral surface. The transition portion is located closer to a position where balls start to press the levers of the ring gear, than an intersection where an imaginary straight line ? extending from a cutout end portion of the cutout portion intersects an imaginary extension line of the inner peripheral surface of the linear portion of the pipe at a right angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Takata Corporation
    Inventors: Yuichiro Hodatsu, Hiroshi Tomita
  • Publication number: 20120256407
    Abstract: [Object] To allow force transmission members to smoothly move in a pipe, to facilitate setting of a stopper for stopping rotation of a ring gear, and to reduce the cost with a simple structure. [Solution] A ring gear 15 of a pretensioner 8 includes a plurality of levers 17 and one arc-shaped stopper 16. During operation of the pretensioner 8, the levers 17 are sequentially pressed by balls 12a to rotate a pinion 19 and a spool in a seatbelt retracting direction. When the ring gear 15 rotates by a predetermined rotation amount, an outer peripheral edge 16c of the stopper 16 contacts and presses the opposing ball 12a. Since the ball 12a is thereby clamped between the stopper 16 and an inner peripheral surface 10d1 of a pipe 10, the ring gear 15 is stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2010
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tomita, Yuichiro Hodatsu
  • Publication number: 20120212030
    Abstract: There is provided a pretensioner. The pretensioner includes: a pipe; a gas generator that generates a gas in the pipe in an emergency case; a gas generator mount on which the gas generator is mounted; a spool driving mechanism that rotates a spool in a direction to retract a seatbelt by the gas generated by the gas generator in the emergency case; a discharge hole formed in the pipe so as to allow communication between inside and outside of the pipe; and a blocking member configured to block the discharge hole from inside of the pipe, the blocking member being configured to open the discharge hole when the blocking member is pressed from outside of the pipe with a pressing force equal to or greater than a given pressing force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Inventors: Yuichiro HODATSU, Hiroshi TOMITA
  • Publication number: 20120146319
    Abstract: A pipe includes a cutout portion through which levers of a ring gear enter the pipe. An inner peripheral surface of the pipe opposing the cutout portion includes a curved inner peripheral surface in a curved portion of the pipe, a linear inner peripheral surface in a linear portion of the pipe, and a transition portion from the curved inner peripheral surface to the linear inner peripheral surface. The transition portion is located closer to a position where balls start to press the levers of the ring gear, than an intersection where an imaginary straight line a extending from a cutout end portion of the cutout portion intersects an imaginary extension line of the inner peripheral surface of the linear portion of the pipe at a right angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Inventors: Yuichiro HODATSU, Hiroshi Tomita
  • Publication number: 20120032016
    Abstract: A plurality of driving force transmitting members, a piston, a spring and a gas generator are inserted into the pipe from the end of the pipe where the gas generator is mounted. The gas generator is press-fitted in the pipe while the flat faces thereof are deformed by a pair of protrusions of the pipe. Accordingly, the gas generator is temporarily held by the protrusions of the pipe. Then, one end of the pipe is firmly pressed and the gas generator is mounted in the pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Applicant: TAKATA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tomita, Yuichiro Hodatsu