Patents by Inventor Kazunori Etou

Kazunori Etou 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).

  • Air-bag device and a method for folding an air-bag
    Patent number: 6471238
    Abstract: An air-bag 12 is designed to vertically expand after transversely expanding while being inflated. The air-bag 12 having a substantially circular shape is folded from its opposite ends toward its middle along a direction “a” corresponding to vertical direction and rolled in an opposite direction, is then folded in a zigzag manner one fold over another from its opposite ends toward its middle along a direction “b” (transverse direction), and is accommodated in a container casing 14. Accordingly, the inventive air-bag device and air-bag folding method can suppress an inflation (expansion) of the air-bag toward a passenger at an early stage of the inflation of the air-bag, promote a transverse expansion more than a vertical expansion of the air-bag at the early stage of the inflation, and prevent a blow out of a gas toward the passenger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignees: Mazda Motor Corporation, Ashimori Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiro Ishikawa, Takeshi Takagi, Kazunori Etou, Akinori Koyama, Kouichi Ishida
  • Air-bag device and a method for folding an air-bag
    Publication number: 20020093183
    Abstract: An air-bag 12 is designed to vertically expand after transversely expanding while being inflated. The air-bag 12 having a substantially circular shape is folded from its opposite ends toward its middle along a direction “a” corresponding to vertical direction and rolled in an opposite direction, is then folded in a zigzag manner one fold over another from its opposite ends toward its middle along a direction “b” (transverse direction), and is accommodated in a container casing 14. Accordingly, the inventive air-bag device and air-bag folding method can suppress an inflation (expansion) of the air-bag toward a passenger at an early stage of the inflation of the air-bag, promote a transverse expansion more than a vertical expansion of the air-bag at the early stage of the inflation, and prevent a blow out of a gas toward the passenger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2000
    Publication date: July 18, 2002
    Inventors: Toshihiro Ishikawa, Takeshi Takagi, Kazunori Etou, Akinori Koyama, Kouichi Ishida