Patents by Inventor Hidekazu Otowa

Hidekazu Otowa 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: 5980379
    Abstract: A defroster nozzle is provided inside an instrument panel below a front glass plate, and its length in the direction of vehicle width is gradually increased from a suck-in opening to a blow-out opening. The suck-in opening is connected to an air conditioning unit, and has a bent portion at the middle thereof. The inside of the defroster nozzle is divided by partition walls into a central chamber and side chambers. The length of the central chamber as viewed in the direction of vehicle width is gradually increased from the suck-in opening to the blow-out opening, and the opening areas of the suck-in opening and the blow-out opening of the central chamber are equal to each other. The central portion of the side wall of each of the side chambers has a bent portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignees: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Minoru Shibata, Fumitake Kobayashi, Takahiro Komori, Masahiko Yanagihara, Hidekazu Otowa, Makoto Mimoto
  • Patent number: 5154482
    Abstract: A sunroof assembly includes a housing secured to the inner side of a roof panel to surround an opening, a guide rail attached to each of opposing sides of the housing, a shoe disposed in the guide rail so as to be freely slidable longitudinally of the vehicle, a sliding panel connected to the shoe via a cam member for opening and closing the opening of the roof panel, and a driving source for sliding the shoe along the guide rail longitudinally of the vehicle, wherein a pin provided on the shoe is capable of moving in a cam groove of the cam member. One end of a link is pivotally attached to the pin of the shoe, and the other end is pivotally attached to one end of a lever member. The latter is slidably connected to a bracket, which is secured to the cam member and the sliding panel, so as to be relatively movable longitudinally of the vehicle in operative association with the shoe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1992
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichiro Hayashi, Kazuhisa Nagata, Akira Nishimura, Hidekazu Otowa
  • Patent number: 5080421
    Abstract: An apparatus for preventing discharge of fuel vapor to the atmosphere by allowing fuel vapor in a fuel tank to be adsorbed by an adsorbing device when a fuel lid is opened. A switch is turned on by the movement of a locking member for locking and unlocking the fuel lid so as to detect the opening of the fuel lid. The arrangement facilitates adjustment of the relative positions of the switch and the locking member. In addition, the switch is turned on when the fuel lid is opened by remote control, while the switch is turned off when the fuel lid is manually closed. The discharge of fuel vapor to the atmosphere during refueling and the influx of fuel vapor into the adsorbing device after the charging of fuel are prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1992
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidekazu Otowa, Kazuhiro Okada, Hidefumi Sonoda, Tadao Kaneko, Kazuhisa Sawada
  • Patent number: 5067468
    Abstract: An apparatus for preventing discharge of fuel vapor to the atmosphere by allowing fuel vapor in a fuel tank to be adsorbed by an adsorbing device when a fuel lid is opened. A switch is secured to a mounting bracket for rotatably supporting a fuel lid opener lever mounted in a vehicle compartment. The switch is turned on by the operation of the remote lever that opens the fuel lid, and fuel vapor is adsorbed by charcoal in a canister. The switch is adjustably secured to the mounting bracket, to facilitate positioning the pushbutton of the switch relative to the lid opening lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1991
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidekazu Otowa, Kazuhiro Okada, Hidefumi Sonoda, Tadao Kaneko