Patents by Inventor Hideo Tobata

Hideo Tobata 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: 10562421
    Abstract: With respect to a vehicular seat, a hook member of a seat skin and a seat frame structure that facilitate assembling of the skin of a seat cushion or a seat back to a seat frame are provided. The vehicular seat includes: a seat cushion to be a seating face portion of the seat; and a seat back provided on the rear side of the seat cushion and to be a backrest portion of the seat. At least either of the seat cushion and the seat back includes an engaging member provided at an end of the skin material thereof with one or more protruded portions. The skin material is engaged with the seat frame by fitting the protruded portions on the engaging member into grooves or openings provided in the seat frame of the vehicular seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: TACHI-S CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideo Tobata, Naoyuki Makita
  • Patent number: 10543765
    Abstract: The present invention realizes a vehicle seat that allows for smooth movements of the shoulders of a sitter while maintaining a good fit for the sitter. The vehicle seat comprises a back seat having a lower part that supports a lower back area of a sitter, a central part that supports a ribs area, and an upper part that supports a shoulder blades area. The central part has a front surface formed so as to be wider than the lower part and the upper part as viewed from the front side, the front surface being curved with right and left ends thereof being projected forward. The seat back has a notched shape extending from the central part to the upper part such that shoulders of the sitter are exposed as viewed from the rear side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Tachi-S Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Tobata, Atsushi Koike, Shumpei Toyomi, Atsushi Ishii, Kotaro Kumagai
  • Patent number: 10517405
    Abstract: A seat with a ventilation system that maintains seated person's coolness by blowing air to minimum segments of a seatback and a seat cushion so that seated person's comfort is maintained is provided. Air-blowing means is controlled in air-blowing quantity and air-blowing time periodically by air-blowing control means, and air blowing in each period is set to include a first term T1 in which a predetermined quantity of air is blown and a second term T2 in which the predetermined quantity of air to be blown is gradually reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignees: TACHI-S CO., LTD., NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION CHIBA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Tetsuo Katsuura, Yoshihiro Shimomura, Tomoyuki Takeuchi, Hideo Tobata, Tsutomu Fujikake, Kazuyoshi Arata
  • Patent number: 10470577
    Abstract: It is provided a seat pad having excellent comfort in seating with improved air permeability and cushion durability in a seat pad of the vehicle seat. The seat pad includes an air permeable member having a ventilation n function with an outside. The seat pad is integrally foam molded using a foamed resin material in a state where the air permeable member is introduced. The seat pad has a surface of the air permeable member projecting with respect to a surface of the seat pad located at a closest position to the air permeable member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignees: TACHI-S CO., LTD., BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideo Tobata, Junpei Yoshikawa, Jun Takano, Kazuo Noguchi, Kenji Kumagai
  • Patent number: 10421377
    Abstract: A vehicle seat includes a pair of side frames, a seat back which includes a pair of connecting parts which respectively support the pair of side frames to be tiltable to a front side of a seat, and a seat belt which includes an upper body restricting part, which restricts an upper body of an occupant in the seat back, and in which the upper body restricting part is moored in the side frame. The connecting part which supports the side frame includes a base part which is fixed in a frame of the seat cushion, and a force limiter part which is interposed between the base part and the side frame and allows tilting of the side frame through a plastic deformation when a tensile force exceeding a predetermined value is loaded on the upper body restricting part of the seat belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: TACHI-S CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideo Tobata, Takao Tsutsui, Atsushi Koike
  • Publication number: 20180304785
    Abstract: The present invention realizes a vehicle seat that allows for smooth movements of the shoulders of a sitter while maintaining a good fit for the sitter. The vehicle seat comprises a back seat having a lower part that supports a lower back area of a sitter, a central part that supports a ribs area, and an upper part that supports a shoulder blades area. The central part has a front surface formed so as to be wider than the lower part and the upper part as viewed from the front side, the front surface being curved with right and left ends thereof being projected forward. The seat back has a notched shape extending from the central part to the upper part such that shoulders of the sitter are exposed as viewed from the rear side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Applicant: TACHI-S CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideo Tobata, Atsushi Koike, Shumpei Toyomi, Atsushi Ishii, Kotaro Kumagai
  • Publication number: 20180141476
    Abstract: A vehicle seat includes a pair of side frames, a seat back which includes a pair of connecting parts which respectively support the pair of side frames to be tiltable to a front side of a seat, and a seat belt which includes an upper body restricting part, which restricts an upper body of an occupant in the seat back, and in which the upper body restricting part is moored in the side frame. The connecting part which supports the side frame includes a base part which is fixed in a frame of the seat cushion, and a force limiter part which is interposed between the base part and the side frame and allows tilting of the side frame through a plastic deformation when a tensile force exceeding a predetermined value is loaded on the upper body restricting part of the seat belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Inventors: Hideo TOBATA, Takao TSUTSUI, Atsushi KOIKE
  • Publication number: 20180105084
    Abstract: A hooking structure (10) of a seat for supporting a trim cover (7) by hooking the trim cover (7) onto a seat member (3) constituting the seat, the hooking structure (10) comprising: a linear hook member (14) used for hooking, the linear hook member (14) being arranged on a front surface side of the trim cover (7); and an anchoring member (18) which anchors the linear hook member (14) onto the seat member (3), with the linear hook member (14) being inserted in a hooking groove (11) formed in the seat member (3). An insert member (16) to be engaged with the anchoring member (18) is preferably provided inside the seat member (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Applicant: Tachi-S Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Tobata, Takahiko Nagasawa, Tsutomu Fujikake
  • Publication number: 20170354261
    Abstract: It is provided a seat pad having excellent comfort in seating with improved air permeability and cushion durability in a seat pad of the vehicle seat. The seat pad includes an air permeable member having a ventilation n function with an outside. The seat pad is integrally foam molded using a foamed resin material in a state where the air permeable member is introduced. The seat pad has a surface of the air permeable member projecting with respect to a surface of the seat pad located at a closest position to the air permeable member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2015
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Inventors: Hideo TOBATA, Junpei YOSHIKAWA, Jun TAKANO, Kazuo NOGUCHI, Kenji KUMAGAI
  • Publication number: 20170340123
    Abstract: A seat with a ventilation system that maintains seated person's coolness by blowing air to minimum segments of a seatback and a seat cushion so that seated person's comfort is maintained is provided. Air-blowing means is controlled in air-blowing quantity and air-blowing time periodically by air-blowing control means, and air blowing in each period is set to include a first term T1 in which a predetermined quantity of air is blown and a second term T2 in which the predetermined quantity of air to be blown is gradually reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Applicants: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION CHIBA UNIVERSITY, TACHI-S CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuo KATSUURA, Yoshihiro SHIMOMURA, Tomoyuki TAKEUCHI, Hideo TOBATA, Tsutomu FUJIKAKE, Kazuyoshi ARATA
  • Publication number: 20170225591
    Abstract: The vehicle seat includes: an adjustment position selecting means for selecting an adjustment position of each part of the seat corresponding to the build of the occupant; a seat position adjusting means for the occupant to manually adjust a position of each part of the seat; and a seat position detecting means for detecting a position of each part of the seat. Build information selected with the adjustment position selecting means and positional information detected with the seat position detecting means are transmitted to an electronic control unit provided in the vehicle by wireless communication or wired communication. In the electronic control unit, proper positional information of each part of the seat estimated based on the build information and the positional information are checked against each other. When both pieces of information agree with each other, the occupant is notified of the agreement through a notifying means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Applicant: TACHI-S CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideo TOBATA, Masayuki TAGUCHI, Atsushi KOIKE, Tomohiro AMANO
  • Publication number: 20170217345
    Abstract: With respect to a vehicular seat, a hook member of a seat skin and a seat frame structure that facilitate assembling of the skin of a seat cushion or a seat back to a seat frame are provided. The vehicular seat includes: a seat cushion to be a seating face portion of the seat; and a seat back provided on the rear side of the seat cushion and to be a backrest portion of the seat. At least either of the seat cushion and the seat back includes an engaging member provided at an end of the skin material thereof with one or more protruded portions. The skin material is engaged with the seat frame by fitting the protruded portions on the engaging member into grooves or openings provided in the seat frame of the vehicular seat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicant: TACHI-S CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideo TOBATA, Naoyuki MAKITA
  • Patent number: 9446691
    Abstract: A structure of a headrest mounted on a seat, wherein the headrest has, provided at the bottom surface thereof, an under garnish made of a hard synthetic resin material and wherein a stay of the headrest is partly supported in a holder having a head portion projecting from a top portion of a seat back of the seat, the top portion of the seat back being formed by a foam padding and a trim cover assembly overlaying the foam padding. The under garnish is provided with at least one protruding portion which protrudes downwardly therefrom. This at least one protruding portion is disposed at a location oriented towards a padding provided in the seat back. A degree to which the protruding portion protrudes from the under garnish is greater than a height of the head portion of the holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignees: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., TACHI-S CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Sano, Daiga Ito, Hideo Tobata, Takayuki Yoshika, Yutaka Sodeno
  • Patent number: 9381840
    Abstract: The seatback has a seat surface curving and gradually bulging in the up-down direction, along the occupant's shoulder blades, and curving in the left-right direction and receding to support the occupant's ribs. Preferably, the seat surface of the seatback extends upward to support the lower part of the occupant's neck, thus supporting the same in the up-down direction, and recedes to support the occupant's shoulder blades in the left-right direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: TACHI-S CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideo Tobata, Atsushi Koike, Tomohiro Amano, Shogo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9340130
    Abstract: Links are provided, each between one of the side frames of the seat cushion and the support member, and can be swung. A band extends at a substantially center part of the seat cushion and between the side frames, and is provided beneath the seat pad. One end of the band is secured to the top of one side frame, and the other end (free end) hangs over the top of the other side frame. The free end of the band further extends via the direction changing member provided on the side frame, first passing by a first relay point, i.e., the axle of the link provided on the side frame, and then passing by a second relay point, i.e., the axle of the link provided on the support member. At an emergency, the traction device pulls and stretches the band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: TACHI-S CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Tanaka, Hiroshi Nozu, Hiromasa Tanji, Atsushi Ichida, Hideo Tobata, Atsushi Koike
  • Patent number: 9327627
    Abstract: An unlocking mechanism of inclinable headrest includes a push button having a connecting element and an internal frame having a cylindrical element defining a through-bore in which the push button is slidably accommodated. Provided within the internal frame is a slidable lever element having one end operatively connected with a lock gear for locking the headrest and another end having a connecting hole in which the connecting element of the push button is resiliently inserted and engaged. The slidable lever element is slidably supported by a guide element so that the connecting hole thereof is retained at a location corresponding to the through-bore of the cylindrical element. Hence, in assembly, simple insertion by a worker of the push button in the cylindrical element results in quick and precise connection of the push button's connecting element with the slidable lever element's connecting hole invisibly disposed in the headrest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: TACHI-S CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideo Tobata, Takayuki Yoshiga, Yutaka Sodeno
  • Publication number: 20160052477
    Abstract: A vehicle seat device includes: a seat body including a seat cushion and a seatback; at least a pair of airbag modules provided as a left-right pair at left and right side portions of the seat body; and a moveable section that supports the airbag module and is movable with respect to the seat body, wherein the airbag modules are moved, by movement of the moveable section, between first positions along side portions of the seat body, and second positions in front of a front face of the seatback, and airbags deployed from the airbag modules in the second position sandwich an occupant seated in the seat body between the airbags and the seatback.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventors: Hideo TOBATA, Atsushi KOIKE, Tomohiro AMANO
  • Publication number: 20150165949
    Abstract: The seatback has a seat surface curving and gradually bulging in the up-down direction, along the occupant's shoulder blades, and curving in the left-right direction and receding to support the occupant's ribs. Preferably, the seat surface of the seatback extends upward to support the lower part of the occupant's neck, thus supporting the same in the up-down direction, and recedes to support the occupant's shoulder blades in the left-right direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: Hideo TOBATA, Atsushi KOIKE, Tomohiro AMANO, Shogo SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 9050917
    Abstract: An inclinable headrest includes a base bracket including first and second side walls, a ratchet gear, and a lock gear movable for engagement with the ratchet gear. Both ratchet and lock gears are disposed inwardly of the first and second side walls. The lock gear has a connecting hole. The first side wall of the base bracket has an opening defined at a location where the connecting hole of the lock gear exists, and a connecting region defined near to that opening. Provision of those opening and connecting regions allows direct and quick connection by a worker's hand of a tension spring between the lock gear and base bracket from the outside, such that the worker can directly engage one end of the tension spring with the lock gear's connecting hole through the opening, while directly engaging the other end thereof with the base bracket's connecting region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: TACHI-S CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideo Tobata, Takayuki Yoshiga, Yutaka Sodeno
  • Publication number: 20150048664
    Abstract: A structure of a headrest mounted on a seat, wherein the headrest has, provided at the bottom surface thereof, an under garnish made of a hard synthetic resin material and wherein a stay of the headrest is partly supported in a holder having a head portion projecting from a top portion of a seat back of the seat, the top portion of the seat back being formed by a foam padding and a trim cover assembly overlaying the foam padding. The under garnish is provided with at least one protruding portion which protrudes downwardly therefrom. This at least one protruding portion is disposed at a location oriented towards a padding provided in the seat back. A degree to which the protruding portion protrudes from the under garnish is greater than a height of the head portion of the holder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Inventors: Koji Sano, Daiga Ito, Hideo Tobata, Takayuki Yoshika, Yutaka Sodeno