Patents by Inventor Hajime Kawase

Hajime Kawase 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: 11955750
    Abstract: A joint connector includes the plurality of wires extending in an extending direction, a plurality of terminals to be respectively connected to front end parts of the plurality of wires in the extending direction, a lower housing for accommodating the plurality of terminals, a busbar to be disposed in the lower housing, and an upper cover to be assembled with the lower housing. The busbar includes a plurality of tabs. Each of the plurality of terminals includes a tube portion, into which each of the plurality of tabs is inserted, and a wire connecting portion to be connected to each of the plurality of wires. The plurality of wires drawn out rearward in the extending direction from the lower housing include bent portions folded forward in the extending direction. The upper cover includes wire pressing portions for holding the plurality of wires folded forward in the extending direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignees: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki Kobayashi, Hajime Kawase, Masaaki Tabata, Teruo Hara, Hajime Matsui
  • Patent number: 11942737
    Abstract: A joint connector for connecting a plurality of wires includes a lower housing, an upper cover assembled with the lower housing, a plurality of terminals respectively connected to front end parts in an extending direction of the plurality of wires, and a busbar connected to the plurality of terminals. The busbar disposed in the lower housing includes a plurality of tabs. Each of the plurality of terminals disposed in the lower housing includes a tube portion, each of the plurality of tabs being inserted into the tube portion, sandwiching portions extending along the extending direction and configured to sandwich one of the plurality of wires, and a sliding portion disposed outside the sandwiching portions, movable along the extending direction and including pressurizing portions configured to pressurize the sandwiching portions toward the wire with the one of the plurality of wires sandwiched by the sandwiching portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignees: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki Kobayashi, Hajime Kawase, Masaaki Tabata, Teruo Hara, Hajime Matsui
  • Patent number: 11749933
    Abstract: A joint connector 10 to be connected to wires 11 includes a lower housing 30 and an upper cover 60. The lower housing 30 accommodates terminals 12 to be respectively connected to front end parts in an extending direction of the wires 11. The upper cover 60 is assembled to close an upper surface of the lower housing 30. The lower housing 30 or the upper cover 60 includes a lower guide portion 36 or an upper guide portion 69 for bending the wires 11 by contacting the wires 11 with the lower housing 30 and the upper cover 60 assembled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignees: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki Kobayashi, Hajime Kawase, Masaaki Tabata, Teruo Hara, Hajime Matsui
  • Publication number: 20230198172
    Abstract: A terminal 12 connected to a front end portion of an electric cable 11 in the extension direction thereof is provided with a terminal main body 15 sandwiching the electric cable 11, and a slide member 16 which is capable of sliding relative to the terminal main body 15 in the extension direction of the electric cable 11.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: Shunya TAKEUCHI, Hajime KAWASE
  • Patent number: 11637386
    Abstract: A terminal coupled to an electric wire includes a terminal body and a shell. The shell includes a tubular portion and pressing portions 25A and 25B that protrudes from an inner wall of the tubular portion. The tubular portion includes a bottom wall, a first sidewall that projects upward from a first side edge of the bottom wall, a second sidewall that projects upward from a second side edge of the bottom wall, a ceiling that extends from the first sidewall to the second sidewall and is opposite the bottom wall, and a restricting portion that extends from the second sidewall to the first sidewall and overlaps an outer surface of the ceiling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignees: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Teruo Hara, Hajime Kawase, Masaaki Tabata, Hajime Matsui, Hiroshi Kobayashi, Takeshi Amakawa
  • Publication number: 20220368056
    Abstract: A joint connector 10 for electrically connecting a plurality of wires 11 includes a housing 29 and a joint terminal 12 to be disposed in the housing 29. The joint terminal 12 includes a plurality of branch portions 20 arranged along an arrangement direction, a plurality of wire connecting portions 17 respectively continuous with the plurality of branch portions 20 and to be connected to the plurality of wires 11, and a coupling portion 19 for electrically connecting the plurality of branch portions 20 by coupling the plurality of branch portions 20. The coupling portion 19 is in the form of a plate extending in the arrangement direction and is bent. The coupling portion 19 is engaged with the housing 29.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2020
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Hiroki KOBAYASHI, Hajime KAWASE, Masaaki TABATA, Teruo HARA, Hajime MATSUI
  • Patent number: 11437752
    Abstract: Looseness of two housings are suppressed. A connector includes a lower housing and an upper housing. The lower housing is provided with a locking portion. The upper housing is provided with an elastic locking piece that is hooked on the locking portion. The elastic locking piece has a cantilever shape, and restricts relative movement of the lower housing and the upper housing in a separation direction, which is a direction opposite to a coupling direction. The lower housing is provided with a protruding piece portion that protrude outward in a left-right direction. The upper housing is provided with a protruding piece restriction portion that restricts movement of the protruding piece portion. The protruding piece restriction portion is provided with an inclined surface that is inclined in an assembly direction to reduce a movable range of the protruding piece portion in a separation direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignees: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Pipatthana Phatiwuttipat, Hajime Kawase, Masaaki Tabata, Yasuo Omori
  • Publication number: 20220247109
    Abstract: A female terminal includes a terminal body and a slider displaced relative to the terminal body. The terminal body includes a connecting tab deformable in a pressing direction crossing an inserting direction in which an electric wire is inserted and contactable with the electric wire. The slider is slidable between separated and overlapping positions. The slider includes a narrow portion that protrudes inward and has a less inner dimension in the pressing direction, and a wide portion in front of the narrow portion with respect to the inserting direction and has a greater inner dimension in the pressing direction than the narrow portion. The connecting tab contacts the electric wire when the narrow portion overlaps the connecting tab at the overlapping position. The slider includes a sloped guide surface that is angled at in front of the wide portion to spread further than the wide portion toward the front.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2020
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Applicants: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Teruo HARA, Hajime KAWASE, Masaaki TABATA, Hajime MATSUI, Hiroshi KOBAYASHI, Takeshi AMAKAWA
  • Publication number: 20220239019
    Abstract: A terminal coupled to an electric wire includes a terminal body and a shell. The shell includes a tubular portion and pressing portions 25A and 25B that protrudes from an inner wall of the tubular portion. The tubular portion includes a bottom wall, a first sidewall that projects upward from a first side edge of the bottom wall, a second sidewall that projects upward from a second side edge of the bottom wall, a ceiling that extends from the first sidewall to the second sidewall and is opposite the bottom wall, and a restricting portion that extends from the second sidewall to the first sidewall and overlaps an outer surface of the ceiling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Applicants: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Teruo HARA, Hajime KAWASE, Masaaki TABATA, Hajime MATSUI, Hiroshi KOBAYASHI, Takeshi AMAKAWA
  • Publication number: 20220224044
    Abstract: A connector includes a terminal connected to a front end portion of an electric wire and a housing in which the terminal is arranged. The housing includes a base portion and cover members. The electric wire extending rearward from a portion of the housing that has the terminal therein is disposed on the base portion. The cover members that are movable between a position in which the cover members cover the base portion and a position in which the cover members are away from the base portion. The cover members include a wire pressing portion that presses the electric wire disposed on the base portion toward the base portion when the cover members are in the position in which the cover members cover the base portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Applicants: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Teruo HARA, Masaaki TABATA, Hajime KAWASE, Hajime MATSUI, Hiroki KOBAYASHI, Kenji MAKINO, Hiroshi KOBAYASHI, Takeshi AMAKAWA
  • Publication number: 20220190533
    Abstract: A joint connector for connecting a plurality of wires includes a plurality of terminals to be respectively connected to front end parts in an extending direction of the plurality of wires, a busbar to be connected to the plurality of terminals, and a housing for accommodating the plurality of terminals and the busbar inside. The busbar includes a plurality of tabs and a coupling portion coupling the plurality of tabs. Each of the plurality of terminals includes a tube portion, each of the plurality of tabs being insertable into the tube portion, a sandwiching portion extending along the extending direction and configured to sandwich the wire, and a sliding portion disposed outside the sandwiching portion and movable along the extending direction. The sliding portion includes a pressurizing portion configured to pressurize the sandwiching portion toward the wire with the wire sandwiched by the sandwiching portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Hiroki KOBAYASHI, Hajime KAWASE, Masaaki TABATA, Teruo HARA, Hajime MATSUI
  • Publication number: 20220190534
    Abstract: A joint connector 10 for connecting a plurality of electric wires 11 is provided with: a lower housing 30; an upper cover 60 assembled onto the lower housing 30; a plurality of terminals 12 respectively connected to front ends of the plurality of electric wires 11 in an extending direction thereof; and a busbar 50 connected to the plurality of terminals 12. The busbar 50 disposed on the lower housing 30 has a plurality of tabs 52. Each of the plurality of terminals 12 disposed on the lower housing 30 includes: a tube portion 17 into which a corresponding one of the plurality of tabs 52 is inserted; pinching portions 18A, 18B extending in the extending direction and pinching one of the plurality of electric wires 11; and a slide portion 16 disposed on the outside of the pinching portions 18A, 18B and moveable along the extending direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Hiroki KOBAYASHI, Hajime KAWASE, Masaaki TABATA, Teruo HARA, Hajime MATSUI
  • Publication number: 20220181822
    Abstract: A joint connector includes the plurality of wires extending in an extending direction, a plurality of terminals to be respectively connected to front end parts of the plurality of wires in the extending direction, a lower housing for accommodating the plurality of terminals, a busbar to be disposed in the lower housing, and an upper cover to be assembled with the lower housing. The busbar includes a plurality of tabs. Each of the plurality of terminals includes a tube portion, into which each of the plurality of tabs is inserted, and a wire connecting portion to be connected to each of the plurality of wires. The plurality of wires drawn out rearward in the extending direction from the lower housing include bent portions folded forward in the extending direction. The upper cover includes wire pressing portions for holding the plurality of wires folded forward in the extending direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Inventors: Hiroki KOBAYASHI, Hajime KAWASE, Masaaki TABATA, Teruo HARA, Hajime MATSUI
  • Publication number: 20220166159
    Abstract: A joint connector 10 to be connected to wires 11 includes a lower housing 30 and an upper cover 60. The lower housing 30 accommodates terminals 12 to be respectively connected to front end parts in an extending direction of the wires 11. The upper cover 60 is assembled to close an upper surface of the lower housing 30. The lower housing 30 or the upper cover 60 includes a lower guide portion 36 or an upper guide portion 69 for bending the wires 11 by contacting the wires 11 with the lower housing 30 and the upper cover 60 assembled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Inventors: Hiroki KOBAYASHI, Hajime KAWASE, Masaaki TABATA, Teruo HARA, Hajime MATSUI
  • Publication number: 20220029349
    Abstract: It is aimed to prevent the damage of sealing holes. A connector includes terminal fittings (30) to be connected to front end parts of wires (39), a housing (10), and a one-piece rubber plug (40) mounted in a rear end part of the housing (10). Accommodation chambers (15) for allowing insertion of the terminal fittings (30) from front of the housing (10) are formed in the housing (10). The one-piece rubber plug (40) includes sealing holes (41). The wires (39) not connected to the terminal fittings (30) are passable through the accommodation chambers (15) and the sealing holes (41).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Hiroki KOBAYASHI, Hajime KAWASE, Masaaki TABATA, Yasuo OMORI, Teruo HARA, Hajime MATSUI
  • Patent number: 11196201
    Abstract: A male terminal includes a terminal body having a tab extending forward, and a cover slidable between a protection position where the tab is accommodated inside a sheath portion and a retracted position where a front end part of the tab is exposed from the front end of the sheath portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignees: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Miyamura, Hajime Kawase, Hajime Matsui
  • Patent number: 11165172
    Abstract: A female terminal (12) to be connected to an end of a wire (11) is provided with a wire connecting portion (19) including a base (22) and first and second pinching portions (14, 15) extending along an extending direction from the base (22) and configured to pinch the wire (11), and a sliding portion (18) movable along the extending direction and including first pressing portions (16A, 16B) and second pressing portions (17A, 17B) for pressing the first and second pinching portions (14, 15) toward the wire (11) by coming into contact with the first and second pinching portions (14, 15). The first pressing portions (16A, 16B) and the second pressing portions (17A, 17B) project toward the first and second pinching portions (14, 15) and are side by side at an interval in a direction intersecting the extending direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Inventors: Tetsuya Miyamura, Hajime Kawase, Masaaki Tabata, Yasuo Omori, Teruo Hara, Shunya Takeuchi, Hajime Matsui
  • Patent number: 11114795
    Abstract: A male terminal 10 is provided with a terminal body 15 including a tab 40 extending forward, and a cover 16 slidable between a protection position for accommodating the tab 14 inside a sheath portion 24 and a retracted position for exposing a front end part of the tab 14 from a front end of the sheath portion 24, and the cover 16 is made of a magnetic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Inventors: Tetsuya Miyamura, Hajime Kawase, Hajime Matsui
  • Patent number: 11101590
    Abstract: A female connector includes an upper retainer and a lower retainer to be mounted into a connector housing and movable along a retainer moving direction intersecting a terminal inserting direction between a partial locking position for allowing insertion of terminals into cavities and a full locking position for locking and retaining the terminals. The upper and lower retainers include upper cam pins and lower cam pins projecting in a pin projecting direction intersecting the retainer moving direction and different from the terminal inserting direction. The upper and lower cam pins are fit into upper cam grooves and lower cam grooves provided in a jig and move in the upper and lower cam grooves, whereby the upper and lower retainers move between the full locking position and the partial locking position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignees: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Miyamura, Hajime Kawase, Masaaki Tabata
  • Publication number: 20210098931
    Abstract: Looseness of two housings are suppressed. A connector includes a lower housing and an upper housing. The lower housing is provided with a locking portion. The upper housing is provided with an elastic locking piece that is hooked on the locking portion. The elastic locking piece has a cantilever shape, and restricts relative movement of the lower housing and the upper housing in a separation direction, which is a direction opposite to a coupling direction. The lower housing is provided with a protruding piece portion that protrude outward in a left-right direction. The upper housing is provided with a protruding piece restriction portion that restricts movement of the protruding piece portion. The protruding piece restriction portion is provided with an inclined surface that is inclined in an assembly direction to reduce a movable range of the protruding piece portion in a separation direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Pipatthana PHATIWUTTIPAT, Hajime KAWASE, Masaaki TABATA, Yasuo OMORI