Patents by Inventor Aki Yokoyama

Aki Yokoyama 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: 20070170706
    Abstract: An air bag 1 is provided. At a vehicle side impact, the air bag 1 unfolds from an upper part of a vehicle body downwardly. The air bag 1 includes an airbag body 10 having an inside foundation cloth 8a and an outside foundation cloth 8b, and a pair of inner-cloths 19a, 19b arranged in the airbag body 10. The inside inner-cloth 19a is joined to the outside inner-cloth 19b through two inner junctions 21, 21 separated from each other in a fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. The inner-cloths 19a, 19b have front ends, rear ends and intermediate portions between the inner junctions 21, 21, all of which are joined to the foundation cloths 8a, 8b through overlapping junctions 22a, 22b. In arrangement, the overlapping junctions 22a of the inside inner-cloth 19a are shifted from the overlapping junctions 22b of the outside inner-cloth 19b forwardly. Consequently, triple-layer tubular expansion chambers 25a, 26, 25b are defined in the airbag body 10, allowing a passenger's head to be received certainly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Publication date: July 26, 2007
    Applicant: NIHON PLAST CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Aki Yokoyama, Junichi Umehara, Katsuaki Iwaki, Yasunori Nagasawa
  • Publication number: 20070096448
    Abstract: An air bag 12 is spread flatly. Along four lines “R” that extend radially outward, the air bag 12 is sandwiched and held by line part forming units. By using a first press pieces 44, a portion between the neighboring lines “R” is pressed toward the gas inlet opening to form a first gathering portion, and form a ear portion 52 along each line “R”. Then, each ear portion 52 is pressed by a second press piece 45 to form a second gathering portion 54 that is like a bellows. When a gas is introduced into the gas inlet opening 26, the second gathering portion 54 is quickly expanded and increase of internal pressure of the air bag can be controlled. In the folding process, there is no need of turning the air bag 12 and thus a production device can be made simple in construction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2006
    Publication date: May 3, 2007
    Inventors: Aki Yokoyama, Tomoko Ninomiya, Yukihiro Naitou
  • Publication number: 20070075532
    Abstract: An airbag is provided which is folded with a duct part and an expansion part, the duct part having an inlet for allowing fluid communication throughout the duct part, the expansion part communicating with the duct part, wherein the airbag comprises an aggregative part obtained by aggregating a downward portion of the airbag, and a plurality of arms obtained by folding an upward portion of the airbag and being in fluid communication along the length direction of the airbag. The arms cover the aggregative part on the back thereof with respect to the expansion direction of the airbag. Thus, even having greater length from one end to another end, the airbag can deploy smoothly with less time difference between the front and the back in the length direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Publication date: April 5, 2007
    Inventors: Aki Yokoyama, Kazuyuki Inomata, Norihito Mochizuki
  • Publication number: 20070075530
    Abstract: An air bag, includes 1) a roll part configured to be wound in a form of a roll when the air bag is in a folded state to be installed in a vehicle. The roll part includes a pushed part formed by pushing a part of an outer face of the air bag inward to the roll part in a certain pushing direction, such that the roll part has a decreased cross section by the pushing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2006
    Publication date: April 5, 2007
    Applicant: NIHON PLAST CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Aki Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 7163232
    Abstract: An airbag is provided which is folded with a duct part and an expansion part, the duct part having an inlet for allowing fluid communication throughout the duct part, the expansion part communicating with the duct part, wherein the airbag comprises an aggregative part obtained by aggregating a downward portion of the airbag, and a plurality of arms obtained by folding an upward portion of the airbag and being in fluid communication along the length direction of the airbag. The arms cover the aggregative part on the back thereof with respect to the expansion direction of the airbag. Thus, even having greater length from one end to another end, the airbag can deploy smoothly with less time difference between the front and the back in the length direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Nihon Plast Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Aki Yokoyama, Kazuyuki Inomata, Norihito Mochizuki
  • Publication number: 20060220355
    Abstract: An air bag apparatus includes a folded air bag, an inflator arranged to discharge a high pressure gas into the air bag at a collision of the vehicle, and a container member receiving the air bag, covering a non-deployment side of the air bag, and retaining the inflator. The container member includes a rigid base plate supporting the inflator and the air bag, covering one part of the non-deployment side of the air bag, and supporting a reaction force of the air bag at a deployment of the air bag, and a flexible panel including a connecting portion connected with the base plate, covering the other part of the non-deployment side of the air bag, and being arranged to restrict inflation of the air bag on the non-deployment side at the deployment of the air bag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Inventors: Aki Yokoyama, Norimasa Goto
  • Publication number: 20060076758
    Abstract: An air bag module includes an inflator for supplying gas, and an air bag supplied with the gas from the inflator, and arranged to expand between an attachment surface and legs of an occupant sitting on a seat. Thickness of the air bag in a direction from the attachment surface to the legs of the occupant is established such that a rear surface of the air bag is substantially parallel to a virtual line extending substantially along a bilateral direction of a vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2005
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Inventor: Aki Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20050161927
    Abstract: An airbag system includes an airbag having therein a plurality of chambers defined by a partition and a gas introduction portion arranged to face an end of the partition, an inflator having a gas supply portion and arranged opposite to the end of the partition for supplying gas to the gas introduction portion, and a passage arranged between the partition and the inflator and allowing fluid communication between the chambers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Publication date: July 28, 2005
    Inventors: Aki Yokoyama, Jyunichi Umehara, Takashi Ueda, Katsuhiro Tokita
  • Patent number: 6820892
    Abstract: An air bag apparatus for a vehicle according to the invention is provided with an inflator discharging gas, a folded air bag deployed by said discharged gas, a case storing the folded air bag therein, and a retainer fixing the air bag to the peripheral edge of the opening in a state of holding the end portion of the air bag therebetween. The peripheral edge of the opening forms an upward standing flange, and the flange seals off the end portion of the air bag from said discharged gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: Nihon Plast Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Aki Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20030116947
    Abstract: An airbag is provided which is folded with a duct part and an expansion part, the duct part having an inlet for allowing fluid communication throughout the duct part, the expansion part communicating with the duct part, wherein the airbag comprises an aggregative part obtained by aggregating a downward portion of the airbag, and a plurality of arms obtained by folding an upward portion of the airbag and being in fluid communication along the length direction of the airbag. The arms cover the aggregative part on the back thereof with respect to the expansion direction of the airbag. Thus, even having greater length from one end to another end, the airbag can deploy smoothly with less time difference between the front and the back in the length direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2002
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Applicant: NIHON PLAST CO., LTD
    Inventors: Aki Yokoyama, Kazuyuki Inomata, Norihito Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 6478329
    Abstract: A bag includes a first base cloth having a first edge portion, a second base cloth having a second edge portion, and an inner space defined by the first and second base cloths. A sewing thread is for joining the first edge portion and the second edge portion. A third base cloth is joined with the first edge portion and the second edge portion by the sewing thread. The third base cloth has an inner edge portion extending to the inner space for covering the sewing thread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Nihon Plast Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Aki Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20020043787
    Abstract: An air bag apparatus for a vehicle according to the invention is provided with an inflator discharging gas, a folded air bag deployed by said discharged gas, a case storing the folded airbag therein, and a retainer fixing the airbag to the peripheral edge of the opening in a state of holding the end portion of the air bag therebetween. The peripheral edge of the opening forms an upward standing flange, and the flange seals off the end portion of the air bag from said discharged gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Publication date: April 18, 2002
    Inventor: Aki Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 6231069
    Abstract: A wall 17 capable of receiving discharged gas G through a first port 11 is formed on a portion of a holder 12 opposed to the first port 11 of an inflator 10. The gas G reaching the bag body 14 through the first port 11 of the inflator 10 and the second port 13 of the holder 12 is discharged toward the vicinity of a bottom 16a of a chest supporting portion 16 of the bag body 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Nihon Plast Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Aki Yokoyama