Patents by Inventor Hiroyuki Kouzuma

Hiroyuki Kouzuma 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: 20160076277
    Abstract: A vehicle door latch control device is provided in which power from an electric actuator controlled by a control unit is transmitted via transmission means to a ratchet that can engage with a latch that engages with a striker on a vehicle body side and pivots, wherein a first switch detects whether the ratchet is in a ratchet engagement position, a second switch detects that the transmission means has operated until the ratchet attains the ratchet engagement position based on an operating position of an operating member forming part of the transmission means, and the control unit that controls actuation of the electric actuator determines that there is an abnormal state when the switching mode of the first switch is unchanged at the time the second switch changes switching mode. This enables an abnormal state in which engagement of a ratchet with a latch becomes insufficient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Inventors: Hiroyuki KOUZUMA, Kazuyuki KURIYAMA
  • Publication number: 20150197964
    Abstract: A latch release device for a vehicle door is provided which enables the release of the latched state of a latch mechanism that accompanies actuation of an electric actuator in response to the normal operation of an operating member for latch release, and the release of the latched state by a mechanical latch release operating force in response to emergency operation of the operating member for latch release, and includes a child lock mechanism attached to the latch mechanism, wherein the child lock mechanism is arranged so as to switch between linking and unlinking the actuating member for latch release and a mechanical operating force input member to which a mechanical latch release operating force is transmitted from the operating member for latch release, and latch release intention detection means is disposed on the latch mechanism so as to detect actuation of the actuating member for latch release.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Publication date: July 16, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kouzuma, Masayuki Taniyama, Kohei Hirotani
  • Publication number: 20150191944
    Abstract: A latch release device for a vehicle door is provided which includes an electric actuator that can exert power for latch release for releasing a latched state of a door, a latch mechanism that releases the latched state of the door in response to actuation of the electric actuator or input of a mechanical latch release operating force, and an operating member for latch release that enables normal operation by a vehicle user so as to actuate the electric actuator and emergency operation by a vehicle user so as to input a mechanical latch release operating force into the latch mechanism, wherein the emergency operation of an operating member for latch release is restricted and emergency operation restriction means restricts emergency operation of the operating member for latch release when an operating member for restriction release that a vehicle user can operate is in a non-operated state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kouzuma, Hiroto Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 9043082
    Abstract: In a vehicle in which a power distributor is provided between a plurality of electric actuators for door-related accessories and an auxiliary power source connected to a main power source, the electric actuators including an electric actuator for a door lock device provided on a door lock device, control unit for controlling the power distributor operates so that, when a voltage applied from the main power source to the auxiliary power source is reduced to a predetermined voltage or below, and an impact detection sensor detects an impact that is a predetermined value or greater, a door lock device is put into an unlocked state while maintaining the supply of power from the auxiliary power source to the electric actuator for a door lock device, but the supply of power from the auxiliary power source to the remaining electric actuators for door-related accessories is forcibly stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Honda Lock
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kouzuma
  • Publication number: 20150013403
    Abstract: A vehicle door open/close operation apparatus is provided in which a design cover can be opened by a manual operation and can close at least part of an opening provided in a door, and a latch release is operated by a latch device due to the operation of an operating member in a state in which the design cover is open, wherein displacement of the design cover from a closed position toward an open position is detected by a detection switch, and a control unit carries out the user authentication in response to detection of displacement of the design cover by the detection switch. This enables the necessity for carrying out an operation of the operating member again to be avoided even if the operating member is operated quickly, thus enabling the door to be opened smoothly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroto Fujiwara, Hiroyuki Kouzuma, Kazuyuki Kuriyama
  • Publication number: 20150001861
    Abstract: A vehicle door latch release device is provided in which a latch device enabling latch release in response to operation of an electric actuator and mechanical input of a latch release operating force is provided on a door, and input of a mechanical latch release operating force into the latch device is enabled in an emergency in which latch release by the electric actuator is disabled, wherein a human power acting on the emergency operating member, which can be operated by a vehicle user, can be transmitted as a mechanical latch release operating force to the latch device via operating force transmission means, and restriction/permission switching means can switch between an operation restricted state in which operation of the emergency operating member is restricted and an operation permitted state in which operation of the emergency operating member is enabled in response to a predetermined operation by a vehicle user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroto Fujiwara, Hiroyuki Kouzuma
  • Publication number: 20130041555
    Abstract: In a vehicle in which a power distributor is provided between a plurality of electric actuators for door-related accessories and an auxiliary power source connected to a main power source, the electric actuators including an electric actuator for a door lock device provided on a door lock device, control (29) unit for controlling the power distributor operates so that, when a voltage applied from the main power source to the auxiliary power source is reduced to a predetermined voltage or below, and an impact detection sensor detects an impact that is a predetermined value or greater, a door lock device is put into an unlocked state while maintaining the supply of power from the auxiliary power source to the electric actuator for a door lock device, but the supply of power from the auxiliary power source to the remaining electric actuators for door-related accessories is forcibly stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA HONDA LOCK
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kouzuma
  • Publication number: 20120139269
    Abstract: A door lock device for a vehicle is provided in which a lock release member that is operable between an operating position at which the ratchet is operated toward the side on which the ratchet engages with the latch and a standby position at which free pivoting of the ratchet is allowed and that is urged toward the standby position is driven to the operating position by a drive member which engages with the lock release member when an actuator is operated, the door lock device being capable of releasing a locked state of a door by operation of the actuator and also being capable of releasing the locked state of the door by a manual operation, wherein an engagement release mechanism (96) releases engagement of a drive member (67) and a lock release member (66) in response to a manual operation for releasing the locked state of the door being carried out while the drive member (67) is engaged with the lock release member (66).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA HONDA LOCK
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kouzuma
  • Patent number: 7770946
    Abstract: A door lock device for a vehicle includes a latch mechanism having a latch rotatable to pass a half-latch state to a full-latch state, a closer mechanism capable of forcedly turning the latch from the half-latch state to the full-latch state, and an actuator for driving the closer mechanism. A casing forming a part of the latch mechanism is secured to the door so as to turnably support the latch. An extending support part extending in a direction orthogonal to a turning axis of the latch is connectedly provided in the casing. The closer mechanism is adapted to be operated on a plane orthogonal to the turning axis of the latch, and is disposed between the actuator and the extending support part so as to be aligned with the latch mechanism. Thus, it is possible to construct the door lock device to be thin so as to be easily disposed in a door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Honda Lock
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kouzuma
  • Publication number: 20080022736
    Abstract: A door lock device for a vehicle includes a latch mechanism having a latch rotatable to pass a half-latch state to a full-latch state, a closer mechanism capable of forcedly turning the latch from the half-latch state to the full-latch state, and an actuator for driving the closer mechanism. A casing forming a part of the latch mechanism is secured to the door so as to turnably support the latch. An extending support part extending in a direction orthogonal to a turning axis of the latch is connectedly provided in the casing. The closer mechanism is adapted to be operated on a plane orthogonal to the turning axis of the latch, and is disposed between the actuator and the extending support part so as to be aligned with the latch mechanism. Thus, it is possible to construct the door lock device to be thin so as to be easily disposed in a door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Publication date: January 31, 2008
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kouzuma