Patents Assigned to TF-METAL Co., Ltd.
  • Patent number: 11872912
    Abstract: A seat sliding device includes a lower rail, an upper rail, a lever member, a lock member, a biasing member and an operation member. The upper rail includes a shaft member, and the lever member includes bearings engaging with the shaft member. Each of the left and right bearings has a surface in contact with the shaft member at one point in an up-down direction by being biased by the biasing member. In the pair of left and right bearings, a surface in contact with the shaft member in one bearing is formed as an arc-shaped surface with a radius slightly larger than an outer diameter of the shaft member, and a surface in contact with the shaft member in the other bearing is formed as a flat surface extending relative to the upper rail in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: TF-METAL Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunsuke Kuroda
  • Patent number: 11840163
    Abstract: A front upper support surface and a rear upper support surface facing an upper surface of a rear end of an operation handle are provided in a lock release lever with a gap between the front upper support surface and the rear upper support surface in the vehicle front-rear direction, and front lower support surfaces are provided below the front upper support surface. An upper rail is provided with a rear lower support surface, which is positioned below a rear upper support surface. A clearance is provided between the front lower support surface and a lower surface of a rear end of the operation handle, and a clearance is provided between the rear lower support surface and the lower surface of the rear end of the operation handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: TF-METAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shunsuke Kuroda
  • Patent number: 11718206
    Abstract: A drive bush configured to circumferentially rotate and drive a pair of wedge members in an eccentric space includes a cylindrical portion rotatably supported inside a boss portion of an internal tooth constituting member, a flange portion integrally formed at a first end portion in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion so as to face one side surface side of the wedge members, and a pushing portion integrally provided on the outer peripheral side of the flange portion, and configured to release a wedge effect by circumferentially pushing the wedge members. The inner surface of the cylindrical portion is integrally formed with a wall portion, and the wall portion is formed with, in the middle thereof, a female spline teeth meshing with the output shaft of a motor. The cylindrical portion, the wall portion including the female spline teeth and the flange portion have substantially the same thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: TF-METAL Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kunihisa Oishi
  • Patent number: 11603016
    Abstract: A gearbox includes a first divided body and a second divided body, and a shaft projection is formed on and a through-hole is formed in divided surfaces of the first divided body and the second divided body. A second recess on the second divided body side includes a second arc portion formed concentrically with an axis center of a worm wheel, and an upper linear portion and a lower linear portion which extend linearly toward the first divided body side from both ends of the second arc portion. A first recess on the first divided body side includes a first linear portion which extends linearly in a direction orthogonal to an intersecting direction, and an upper arc portion and a lower arc portion which are formed continuous to both ends of the first linear portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: TF-METAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi Imamura
  • Patent number: 11554692
    Abstract: A seat slide device includes a reinforcing member attached to a rear end part of an upper rail. The reinforcing member is higher in rigidity than the upper rail. The reinforcing member includes a reinforcing member body having a U-shaped cross section having a lower opening, and including a reinforcing member top wall; a pair of reinforcing member lateral walls; and a pair of reinforcing member bent wall parts each being bent outwardly from a lower end of a corresponding one of the reinforcing member lateral walls in a lateral direction of the reinforcing member, and extending upwardly between a corresponding lower rail outside lateral wall and a corresponding lower rail inside lateral wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: TF-METAL Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuji Soga, Tomoyasu Ito
  • Publication number: 20220266726
    Abstract: A sliding device that slidably supports a seat body of a vehicle seat is provided. The sliding device includes: a fixed rail; a movable rail; a locking member displaceable between a locking position and an unlocking position, a sliding movement of the movable rail being restricted in the locking position, and restriction of the sliding movement being released in the unlocking position; a retention spring configured to apply to the locking member a retaining force to retain the locking member in the locking position; a release lever configured to displace the locking member to the unlocking position; a return spring configured to apply to the release lever an elastic force to return the release lever to its initial position; and a restrictor configured to restrict a displacement of the release lever.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Applicants: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TACHI-S CO., LTD., TF-METAL Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kosuke TANIGUCHI, Shunsuke KURODA
  • Publication number: 20220266727
    Abstract: A seat sliding device includes: a lower rail; an upper rail; a lock member; a spring member; and an operation lever, the first fixing portion of the spring member which has a ring shape having an outside diameter greater than a width between the pair of the side walls of the upper rail, which has a spring force in a diameter increasing direction between the pair of the side walls of the upper rail, and which includes a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion that are configured to be mounted and fixed, respectively, in the first hole portion and the second hole portion by the spring force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Applicants: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TACHI-S CO., LTD., TF-METAL Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kosuke TANIGUCHI, Shunsuke KURODA
  • Patent number: 11325506
    Abstract: A brake device for a motor vehicle seat is composed of a brake assembly, a tooth assembly, and a lever assembly. The brake assembly includes a housing, a pinion shaft, a braking component, and a drive wheel that are structured to be self-held in an assembled state by mechanical interaction thereamong. The tooth assembly includes a holder plate and a tooth plate that are structured to be self-held in an assembled state by mechanical interaction therebetween. The lever assembly includes an input lever, a cover, a coil spring, and a lever bracket that are structured to be self-held in an assembled state by mechanical interaction thereamong. The brake assembly, the tooth assembly, and the lever assembly are arranged and assembled together in an axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: TF-METAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takaya Kanazawa
  • Publication number: 20220133042
    Abstract: A drive bush configured to circumferentially rotate and drive a pair of wedge members in an eccentric space includes a cylindrical portion rotatably supported inside a boss portion of an internal tooth constituting member, a flange portion integrally formed at a first end portion in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion so as to face one side surface side of the wedge members, and a pushing portion integrally provided on the outer peripheral side of the flange portion, and configured to release a wedge effect by circumferentially pushing the wedge members. The inner surface of the cylindrical portion is integrally formed with a wall portion, and the wall portion is formed with, in the middle thereof, a female spline teeth meshing with the output shaft of a motor. The cylindrical portion, the wall portion including the female spline teeth and the flange portion have substantially the same thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Applicant: TF-METAL Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kunihisa OISHI
  • Patent number: 11299070
    Abstract: A screw shaft attached to the upper rail is screwed into a nut member attached to the lower rail. When the screw shaft is rotated with respect to the nut member by a drive unit, the screw shaft is moved rearward and forward with respect to the nut member, and the upper rail is also moved rearward and forward with respect to the lower rail. A fixing nut is fixed to an inner surface of the lower rail behind the nut member, and a stopper bolt is fastened to the fixing nut from below the lower rail. When the upper rail moves forward, a stopper portion provided at a tip of the stopper bolt contacts the stopper plate to restrict an excessive forward movement of the upper rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: TF-METAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Kimata, Hiroaki Nakajima, John Newberry, Madhusudana Darinayakanapalya Sudheendra
  • Patent number: 11254241
    Abstract: A seat sliding device for vehicles includes lower and upper rails and a locking member for locking or unlocking the upper rail relative to the lower rail. The upper rail is equipped at a lower end of its downward side wall portion with a lower inward corner portion formed of a raised wall portion and a bottom wall portion. The locking member has an axial portion that is placed on and biased against the lower inward corner portion of the upper rail such that the locking member is swingable about an axis of the axial portion to lock or unlock the upper rail relative to the lower rail. This seat sliding device makes it possible to reduce the number of parts and improve operation stability of the locking member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignees: TF-METAL CO., LTD., TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TACHI-S CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shunsuke Kuroda, Kazuki Tamaki
  • Patent number: 11203275
    Abstract: A seat sliding device for vehicles includes lower and upper rails and a locking member for locking or unlocking the upper rail relative to the lower rail. The upper rail is equipped at a lower end of its downward side wall portion with a lower inward corner portion formed of a raised wall portion and a bottom wall portion. The locking member has an axial portion that is placed on and biased against the lower inward corner portion of the upper rail such that the locking member is swingable about an axis of the axial portion to lock or unlock the upper rail relative to the lower rail. This seat sliding device makes it possible to reduce the number of parts and improve operation stability of the locking member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignees: TF-METAL CO., LTD., TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TACHI-S CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shunsuke Kuroda, Kazuki Tamaki
  • Patent number: 11192472
    Abstract: A sliding device includes a fixed rail, a movable rail, a lock plate, a spring member, and a first stopper and a second stopper provided on the lock plate. The lock plate is held by the movable rail, and is displaceable between a locking position where the lock plate engages with the fixed rail and a non-locking position where the engagement is released. The spring member can exert an elastic force to maintain the lock plate in the locking position. The first stopper locks and fixes a first end of the lock plate to the spring member. The second stopper locks and fixes a second end of the lock plate to the spring member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignees: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TACHI-S CO., LTD., TF-METAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kosuke Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 11180054
    Abstract: A sliding device includes a fixed rail, a movable rail, a lock plate, and a spring member. A seat body is fixed to the movable rail, and the movable rail is slidable relative to the fixed rail. The lock plate is held by the movable rail, and is displaceable between a locking position where the lock plate engages with the fixed rail and restricts slide of the movable rail and a non-locking position where the restriction is released. The spring member exerts an elastic force to maintain the lock plate in the locking position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignees: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TACHI-S CO., LTD., TF-METAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kosuke Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 11173809
    Abstract: In an electric seat slide device of the present invention, a rear-side bracket 27 includes a first support member 41 fixed to a lower rail 2, a second support member 42 fixed to the lower rail 2 together with the first support member 41, a female screw member 43 as a first nut member through which a screw shaft 4 passes, and a second nut member 44 through which the screw shaft 4 passes. A pair of side wall portions 47 extending along a lower rail longitudinal direction and a vertical wall portion 62 of the second support member 42 which is formed orthogonal to the straight line along the lower rail longitudinal direction are sandwiched between the female screw member 43 and the second nut member 44.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: TF-METAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi Imamura
  • Patent number: 11110825
    Abstract: A sliding device includes a fixed rail, a movable rail, a lock plate, a spring member, and a fixing structure. The lock plate is displaced between a locking position where the lock plate engages with the fixed rail and restricts slide of the movable rail and a non-locking position where the restriction of slide is released. The spring member exerts an elastic force to maintain the lock plate in the locking position. The fixing structure includes a tapered portion of the spring member and a press spring portion that presses the tapered portion toward a hole of the movable rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignees: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TACHI-S CO., LTD., TF-METAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kosuke Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20210229575
    Abstract: A seat slide device includes a reinforcing member attached to a rear end part of an upper rail. The reinforcing member is higher in rigidity than the upper rail. The reinforcing member 7 includes: a reinforcing member body having a U-shaped cross section having a lower opening, and including: a reinforcing member top wall; and a pair of reinforcing member lateral walls; and a pair of reinforcing member bent wall parts each being bent outwardly from a lower end of a corresponding one of the reinforcing member lateral walls in a lateral direction of the reinforcing member, and extending upwardly between a corresponding lower rail outside lateral wall and a corresponding lower rail inside lateral wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Applicant: TF-METAL Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuji SOGA, Tomoyasu ITO
  • Patent number: 11065987
    Abstract: In the present invention, in a bottom portion 4a of a lower rail 4, a foreign matter interference portion 27 protruding upward and having a substantially arc-circular shape in a side view is formed by being cut and raised in a middle part in a rail width direction more on a front side than a bolt hole 26 for a mounting bolt for fixing the rear end portion of the lower rail 4 to a vehicle body. Rear-side stoppers 29 and long hole portions 31 shared with the rear-side stoppers 29 are formed on both sides of the foreign matter interference portion 27. The foreign matter interference portion 27 is separated into a front-side tongue piece 27a and a rear-side tongue piece 27b by a slit 32.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignees: TF-METAL CO., LTD., TACHI-S CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Norifumi Koizumi, Hidekazu Kubota
  • Patent number: 10940775
    Abstract: A release lever includes: a release pressing portion pressing a portion around a lock portion of a plate spring to release an engagement of the lock portion with a locked portion; an operation portion located in a front side of the release lever and operated by a lock release operation of an operation handle; and a swing fulcrum portion provided between the release pressing portion and the operation portion. The plate spring integrally includes: a base including the swing fulcrum portion and fixed to an upper rail; a rear biasing portion located behind the base in a vehicle front-rear direction and biasing the lock portion in a lock direction; and a front biasing portion located in front of the base in the vehicle front-rear direction and biasing the operation handle upward. The front biasing portion has a biasing force smaller than that of the rear biasing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: TF-METAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Tamaki, Hirotsugu Kuroda, Fumisato Mase, Shunsuke Kuroda
  • Patent number: 10793023
    Abstract: A motor mounting structure for an electric seat sliding device includes: a motor; first and second elastic support members arranged to be mounted on the first and second protruding portions of the motor; a bracket arranged to support the both ends of the motor through the first and second elastic support members; and the second elastic support member being arranged to be moved between a position at which the second elastic support member is engaged with the second guide portion, and a position where the second elastic support member is disengaged from the second guide portion, and where the second elastic support portion is mounted on the second protruding portion of the motor positioned at the initial assembly position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: TF-METAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi Imamura