Patents by Inventor Akira Tsubaki

Akira Tsubaki 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: 20090035953
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a smooth and secure sliding operation for a sliding structure for long slide without drooping and bending a wire harness. A power supply apparatus 1 for long slide includes a case 2 for receiving a wire harness 3 folded back in a U shape, a slider 6 slidably engaged with the case 2 for holding one end (movable end) of the wire harness 3, a pulley 4 rotatably engaged with an inner surface of a turn-around portion 3b of the wire harness 3, and a compression coil spring 7 for resiliently urging the pulley 4 in a direction opposite to a return direction of the wire harness. The pulley 4 is rotatably connected with a support portion 27 and the support portion 27 is slidably engaged with the case 2 and a compression coil spring 7 is resiliently abutted on the support portion. A support rod 36 is inserted into one end of the compression coil spring 7 and the other end of thereof is received into a pair of guide walls 37.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2005
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Inventor: Akira Tsubaki
  • Publication number: 20090020331
    Abstract: The present invention provides a power supply apparatus for long slide without drooping or bending a wire harness when a sliding structure is moved. The problems are solved by utilizing a power supply apparatus 1 for long slide including: a case 2 for receiving a wire harness 3 folded in a U shape; a slider 6 slidably engaged with the case, the slider holding a movable wire harness end; a timing belt 4 folded in a U shape along an inner surface of the wire harness and held with the slider at a movable end thereof; and a gear 7 engaged with the timing belt for supporting the wire harness, or a power supply apparatus 31 for long slide including: a gear 33 engaged with the timing belt 4 at a turn-around portion 3b of the wire harness 3; and a rotatable support portion 35 connected to the gear with a connection member 34 and contacting an inner surface of the timing belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2005
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Inventor: Akira Tsubaki
  • Publication number: 20090004911
    Abstract: For improving durability of a wiring harness of a power supply system used in a sliding structure, a power supply system 1 includes a casing 3; a wiring harness 2; a harness supporter 6 arranged so as to move freely back-and-forth in the casing 3; and a constant force spring 22. The wiring harness 2 is bent and wired along an outer surface of the harness supporter, and the harness supporter is biased with a spring force by the constant force spring so as to absorb a service length of the wiring harness. A spring unit 10 winding the constant force spring 22 around is arranged at the harness supporter 6. An end 22a? of the constant force spring 22 pulled from the spring unit 10 is fixed at the casing 3. The constant force spring 22 is formed by winding a strip steel sheet spirally.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Tsubaki, Kentaro Shiraki, Kei Ikeda
  • Patent number: 7341478
    Abstract: The electric power supply device for a slide structure includes: a casing which receives a wiring harness folded in a U-shape; a slider which holds a movable end of the wiring harness and slidably engages with the casing; and a harness supporting member which slidably contactually engages with a folded part of the wiring harness and includes a supporting plate body for supporting an inner side face of the wiring harness. The device prevents the wiring harness from hanging down or bending when the slide structure is moved, so that a smooth and secure slide operation is attained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Tsubaki, Takahiro Iwasaki
  • Publication number: 20070243729
    Abstract: The electric power supply device for a slide structure includes: a casing which receives a wiring harness folded in a U-shape; a slider which holds a movable end of the wiring harness and slidably engages with the casing; and a harness supporting member which slidably contactually engages with a folded part of the wiring harness and includes a supporting plate body for supporting an inner side face of the wiring harness. The device prevents the wiring harness from hanging down or bending when the slide structure is moved, so that a smooth and secure slide operation is attained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Publication date: October 18, 2007
    Applicant: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Tsubaki, Takahiro Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 7265294
    Abstract: In order to attain a compact and simplified feeder assembly 1, the feeder assembly adopts a space receiving a wiring harness 6 to be bend, a sliding member 7 provided in the wiring harness, and a sliding guide to guide the sliding member in the space side. The wiring harness is bent to loop or U-shape. The space is provided in a protector 4. The sliding guide 5 is formed in mountain shape or slanted. The sliding guide 5 is a pair of rails, guiding through-holes or walls opposed to each other, the wiring harness 6 is inserted between the pair of rails, and the sliding member 7 is a spherical member which contacts to slide freely on the pair of rails or walls, or an axis which engages with the guiding through-holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsunori Tsunoda, Akira Tsubaki
  • Patent number: 7252541
    Abstract: The electric power supply device for a slide structure includes: a casing which receives a wiring harness folded in a U-shape; a slider which holds a movable end of the wiring harness and slidably engages with the casing; and a harness supporting member which slidably contactually engages with a folded part of the wiring harness and includes a supporting plate body for supporting an inner side face of the wiring harness. The device prevents the wiring harness from hanging down or bending when the slide structure is moved, so that a smooth and secure slide operation is attained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Tsubaki, Takahiro Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 7238029
    Abstract: There is provided a power-supply device includes: a case receiving a curved wire harness; a guide rail mounted on the case; a slider mounted slidably on the guide rail, through which the wire harness being routed out from the case; an urging member having a resilient part mounted on the slider, and a long rack. The long rack alternately has crests and troughs, and slidably engaged with the resilient part of the urging member. Preferably, the long rack is mounted on the guide rail, and the urging member is mounted on a slidable engaging part of the slider for engaging with the guide rail. Preferably, the urging member is slidably engaged with the slider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Tsubaki
  • Publication number: 20060199416
    Abstract: There is provided a power-supply device includes: a case receiving a curved wire harness; a guide rail mounted on the case; a slider mounted slidably on the guide rail, through which the wire harness being routed out from the case; an urging member having a resilient part mounted on the slider, and a long rack. The long rack alternately has crests and troughs, and slidably engaged with the resilient part of the urging member. Preferably, the long rack is mounted on the guide rail, and the urging member is mounted on a slidable engaging part of the slider for engaging with the guide rail. Preferably, the urging member is slidably engaged with the slider.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2006
    Publication date: September 7, 2006
    Applicant: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira Tsubaki
  • Patent number: 7060903
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a smooth swing of a wiring harness without interference when a moving structure, such as a sliding door, moves. A feeder assembly includes an inner member having a wiring harness fastener and a wiring harness outlet in succession to the harness fastener, and a case having a wide opening for inserting the wiring harness and receiving the inner member being pivoted freely. The case includes a space to receive excesses of the electric cables led out from the harness outlet of the inner member and a exit fastener to fix the electric cables at an exit side. Rotation axles are disposed in either the inner member or the case. Bearings are disposed in the other. An abutting portion for regulating the pivoting angle is disposed in either the inner member or the case and abutted portions are disposed in the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Tsubaki
  • Patent number: 7057110
    Abstract: Providing a compact power feeding device having a smooth slide operation, a power feeding device includes a wiring harness being received in a case to be formed into a U-shape, a slider capable of sliding freely in the case, and a slot being provided between one leg and the other leg of the wiring harness. The one leg of the wiring harness is fixed on the case, and the other leg thereof is led out to an outside of the case through the slider. The slider is disposed from a wall of the case, along the other leg of the wiring harness, to the slot. The case has a rail, and the slider has an engaging member corresponding to the rail. The slider has also a swivel member swiveling freely, and the other leg of the wiring harness is led out through the swivel member to the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Tsubaki, Tatsuro Matsuo, Takahiro Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 7053306
    Abstract: An electricity-feeding device includes: a case for accommodating a wire harness bent into a substantially U-shaped form; a slider slidable in the case, in which slider the wire harness is bent and through which the wire harness is led out swingably; and a horizontally long opening disposed between one and the other walls opposite to each other in the case. The slider slides along the opening. The wire harness is bent in traverse from the one wall to the other wall, then bent toward the one wall to be led into the slider, and then led out through the slider and the opening. A rail on which the slider is slidably guided is formed in the vicinity of the opening of the case. A swinging member is formed on the slider. The wire harness is bent and led out through the slider and the swinging member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Tsubaki, Tatsuro Matsuo, Takahiro Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 7042738
    Abstract: A power-supply wiring device, which protects electric wires between a sliding and fixed structures, and absorbs wire length change by sliding motion of the sliding structure, and a harness layout structure with the power-supply wiring device are provided. The power-supply wiring device includes a first case 5 for receiving a wire harness 4 folded into a U-shape, a moving portion 7, a harness holding member 8 disposed rotatably at the moving portion 7, a second case 44 receiving the harness holding member 8 freely to be swung. In the harness layout structure, the first case 5 and the second case 44 are mounted respectively on the sliding structure and the fixed structure, and the harness holding member 8 connects between the fixed and sliding structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Tsubaki
  • Publication number: 20060056165
    Abstract: In order to attain a compact and simplified feeder assembly 1, the feeder assembly adopts a space receiving a wiring harness 6 to be bend, a sliding member 7 provided in the wiring harness, and a sliding guide to guide the sliding member in the space side. The wiring harness is bent to loop or U-shape. The space is provided in a protector 4. The sliding guide 5 is formed in mountain shape or slanted. The sliding guide 5 is a pair of rails, guiding through-holes or walls opposed to each other, the wiring harness 6 is inserted between the pair of rails, and the sliding member 7 is a spherical member which contacts to slide freely on the pair of rails or walls, or an axis which engages with the guiding through-holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2003
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Inventors: Mitsunori Tsunoda, Akira Tsubaki
  • Patent number: 6997499
    Abstract: A feeder assembly 1 of a sliding seat comprising a case 2 having a harness receiving section 6, a movable portion 3 moving along the case, and a wiring harness 4, bent in the harness receiving section, supported one end by the movable portion and other end by the case, wherein a slit 10 is formed in the case 2 for the insertion of the movable portion 3, a foreign substance invasion space 53 is formed between the case 2 and a case bottom 11, and the space is isolated from the harness receiving section by partition walls 14 and 15. A foreign substance discharge hole 12 is disposed at the case bottom 11. The movable portion comprises a harness pathway 21 to make each electric wire 4a of the wiring harness 4 arrange flatly in parallel, and a harness holder 22 which bundles each electric wire in circular cross-section following the harness pathway. A clearance is disposed between the movable portion and the case so that the movable portion 3 positions with non-contact or almost non-contact of the case 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Tsubaki, Hiroyuki Wakamatsu, Hirofumi Wada, Tadashi Muraoka
  • Publication number: 20060030174
    Abstract: The electric power supply device for a slide structure includes: a casing which receives a wiring harness folded in a U-shape; a slider which holds a movable end of the wiring harness and slidably engages with the casing; and a harness supporting member which slidably contactually engages with a folded part of the wiring harness and includes a supporting plate body for supporting an inner side face of the wiring harness. The device prevents the wiring harness from hanging down or bending when the slide structure is moved, so that a smooth and secure slide operation is attained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2005
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Applicant: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Tsubaki, Takahiro Iwasaki
  • Publication number: 20060027391
    Abstract: An electricity-feeding device includes: a case for accommodating a wire harness bent into a substantially U-shaped form; a slider slidable in the case, in which slider the wire harness is bent and through which the wire harness is led out swingably; and a horizontally long opening disposed between one and the other walls opposite to each other in the case. The slider slides along the opening. The wire harness is bent in traverse from the one wall to the other wall, then bent toward the one wall to be led into the slider, and then led out through the slider and the opening. A rail on which the slider is slidably guided is formed in the vicinity of the opening of the case. A swinging member is formed on the slider. The wire harness is bent and led out through the slider and the swinging member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Applicant: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Tsubaki, Tatsuro Matsuo, Takahiro Iwasaki
  • Publication number: 20060021781
    Abstract: Providing a compact power feeding device having a smooth slide operation, a power feeding device includes a wiring harness being received in a case to be formed into a U-shape, a slider capable of sliding freely in the case, and a slot being provided between one leg and the other leg of the wiring harness. The one leg of the wiring harness is fixed on the case, and the other leg thereof is led out to an outside of the case through the slider. The slider is disposed from a wall of the case, along the other leg of the wiring harness, to the slot. The case has a rail, and the slider has an engaging member corresponding to the rail. The slider has also a swivel member swiveling freely, and the other leg of the wiring harness is led out through the swivel member to the outside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2005
    Publication date: February 2, 2006
    Applicant: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Tsubaki, Tatsuro Matsuo, Takahiro Iwasaki
  • Publication number: 20060021782
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a smooth swing of a wiring harness without interference when a moving structure, such as a sliding door, moves. A feeder assembly includes an inner member having a wiring harness fastener and a wiring harness outlet in succession to the harness fastener, and a case having a wide opening for inserting the wiring harness and receiving the inner member being pivoted freely. The case includes a space to receive excesses of the electric cables led out from the harness outlet of the inner member and a exit fastener to fix the electric cables at an exit side. Rotation axles are disposed in either the inner member or the case. Bearings are disposed in the other. An abutting portion for regulating the pivoting angle is disposed in either the inner member or the case and abutted portions are disposed in the other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2005
    Publication date: February 2, 2006
    Applicant: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira Tsubaki
  • Patent number: 6870104
    Abstract: A structure for attaching a harness protector used in supplying electricity is described in which a harness protector is attached to a vehicle body or a door inner panel of a sliding door for absorbing slack of a wire harness in the harness protector. A reinforcing member is provided on the harness protector for preventing deformation, such as warpage in a thickness direction, of the harness protector. The reinforcing member includes a protector fixing member, a door panel fixing member and a door-trim fixing member. The reinforcing member attaches to the harness protector without any rattle in the thickness direction and is movable along a surface of the harness protector. The reinforcing member incorporates an oblong opening of the harness protector for pulling out the wire harness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsunori Tsunoda, Tohru Aoki, Akira Tsubaki