Patents by Inventor Kenichi Kako
Kenichi Kako 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).
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Patent number: 9074675Abstract: In a strength gate of a shift lever device, a shift hole is provided with an automatic transmission hole, a manual transmission hole, and a communication hole. The strength gate is provided with a peninsular portion that is adjacent to the automatic transmission hole, the manual transmission hole and the communication hole, and an opposing portion that is on the opposite side of the manual transmission hole to the peninsular portion. The peninsular portion is disposed to a front side with respect to the opposing portion. A reduction in the size of the peninsular portion along the vehicle left-right direction can accordingly be suppressed even if the strength gate is reduced in size along the vehicle left-right direction, thereby enabling a reduction in the strength of the peninsular portion to be suppressed.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2013Date of Patent: July 7, 2015Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHOInventors: Masashi Kato, Kenichi Kako, Hayato Mori, Kenji Nakanishi, Reiji Higuchi, Yoshifumi Iwasaki, Kenta Goto
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Patent number: 9032828Abstract: In a shift lever device, a first engagement portion or a second engagement portion of a shift lever is inserted into a first stopping hole or a second stopping hole of a strength gate when the shift lever is turned along a manual transmission hole, thereby stopping the shift lever from turning towards an automatic transmission hole side. In the shift lever, the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are disposed at the vehicle front side and the vehicle rear side of a support body. An increase in size of the shift lever in the vehicle left-right direction due to the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion can accordingly be suppressed, and the turning rage of the shift lever in the vehicle left-right direction can be made smaller, thereby enabling a reduction in size of the shift lever device in the vehicle left-right direction.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2013Date of Patent: May 19, 2015Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHOInventors: Masahi Kato, Kenichi Kako, Hayato Mori, Kenji Nakanishi, Reiji Higuchi, Yoshifumi Iwasaki, Kenta Goto
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Publication number: 20140144273Abstract: In a shift lever device, a first engagement portion or a second engagement portion of a shift lever is inserted into a first stopping hole or a second stopping hole of a strength gate when the shift lever is turned along a manual transmission hole, thereby stopping the shift lever from turning towards an automatic transmission hole side. In the shift lever, the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are disposed at the vehicle front side and the vehicle rear side of a support body. An increase in size of the shift lever in the vehicle left-right direction due to the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion can accordingly be suppressed, and the turning rage of the shift lever in the vehicle left-right direction can be made smaller, thereby enabling a reduction in size of the shift lever device in the vehicle left-right direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2013Publication date: May 29, 2014Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-SeisakushoInventors: Masashi KATO, Kenichi KAKO, Hayato MORI, Kenji NAKANISHI, Reiji HIGUCHI, Yoshifumi IWASAKI, Kenta GOTO
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Publication number: 20140144274Abstract: In a strength gate of a shift lever device, a shift hole is provided with an automatic transmission hole, a manual transmission hole, and a communication hole. The strength gate is provided with a peninsular portion that is adjacent to the automatic transmission hole, the manual transmission hole and the communication hole, and an opposing portion that is on the opposite side of the manual transmission hole to the peninsular portion. The peninsular portion is disposed to a front side with respect to the opposing portion. A reduction in the size of the peninsular portion along the vehicle left-right direction can accordingly be suppressed even if the strength gate is reduced in size along the vehicle left-right direction, thereby enabling a reduction in the strength of the peninsular portion to be suppressed.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2013Publication date: May 29, 2014Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHOInventors: Masashi KATO, Kenichi KAKO, Hayato MORI, Kenji NAKANISHI, Reiji HIGUCHI, Yoshifumi IWASAKI, Kenta GOTO
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Patent number: 7621198Abstract: A shift lever device for operation of a transmission of a vehicle having a plurality of shift ranges is provided which includes a lever main body, a housing that movably supports the lever main body, a light source provided at one of the housing and the lever main body; a knob mounted to a distal end portion of the lever main body, and having a transmitting portion, a light guiding portion provided at the knob and guiding light from the light source to the interior of the knob, and a light guiding control portion. The light guiding control portion includes a shutter member operatively connected to and movable with the lever main body which, when the lever main body is positioned at least at one specific shift position, does not block light from the light source to the knob transmitting portion, and which, when the lever main body is positioned at a position other than the specific shift position, is moved to a position blocking the light to the knob transmitting portion.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2004Date of Patent: November 24, 2009Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-SeisakushoInventors: Kenichi Kako, Noriyasu Shamoto, Isamu Matsushima, Keizo Fukuda, Teruaki Kitano
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Patent number: 7617746Abstract: A shift lever apparatus including a shift lever assembly, which is supported by a shaft that is disposed along the transverse direction of a vehicle, the lever assembly being operable in the longitudinal and the transverse directions of the vehicle, the apparatus including: a connection pin which is temporarily assembled when inserted along an axis thereof from one end of the shift lever assembly and the shaft into the lever assembly and the shaft, the connection pin becoming regularly assembled when rotated about the axis thereof from the temporarily assembled state, and which supports the lever assembly to be pivotable on the shaft in the transverse direction of the vehicle; and a fallout-preventing mechanism which is provided on the lever assembly to be engageable with the connection pin, and which prevents the connection pin from falling out from the lever assembly and the shaft by engaging the connection pin.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2005Date of Patent: November 17, 2009Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-SeisakushoInventors: Isamu Matsushima, Kenichi Kako
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Publication number: 20080022802Abstract: In a shift lever, when a button of a knob is pressed, a link member is pivoted, and a detent rod is moved down. Further, impact sound or the like is restrained or prevented from being emitted by bringing the link member into contact with a contact member and elastically deforming the contact member. Here, a cover portion of the knob and the contact member are constituted by separate members. Therefore, the cover portion of the knob and the contact member can easily be constituted by materials suitable for respective functions.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 20, 2007Publication date: January 31, 2008Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHOInventors: Tomohisa SUMI, Kenichi KAKO
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Patent number: 7201077Abstract: An automatic transmission shift range display structure is configured to make it possible to visually confirm that an automatic shift lever with a manual mode is in the manual mode. The automatic transmission shift range display structure has a shift lever with a range display. The shift lever is moveable in the lengthwise direction of the vehicle to select a D range of the automatic mode, and moveable in the widthwise direction of the vehicle from the automatic mode to select a manual mode. A slide member operates in coordination with the movement of the shift lever, and includes a slide indicator for identifying whether the shift lever is in the automatic mode or the manual mode. The range display has an indicator upper member with one or more transparent windows through which indicator is visible such that the selection of the automatic mode and the manual mode can be visually confirmed.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2004Date of Patent: April 10, 2007Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroaki Yamamoto, Kenichi Kako
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Patent number: 7007567Abstract: A shift lever apparatus is provided in which, after a slider has been assembled at a case, a link is assembled to the case while an intrusion shaft is inserted into a hole. For assembly of the link to the case, an assembly pawl provided at the link is resiliently deformed and inserted at an assembly portion which is provided at into the case. The assembly pawl includes an engaging protrusion that is engaged with a surrounding area of the assembly portion by resilient force of the assembly pawl. A blocking member is pre-positioned to interfere with the assembly pawl when the engaging protrusion is engaged with the surrounding area to block release of the assembly pawl.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2003Date of Patent: March 7, 2006Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-SeisakushoInventors: Kenichi Kako, Noriyasu Shamoto, Haruyuki Kanda
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Publication number: 20050160860Abstract: A shift lever apparatus including a shift lever assembly, which is supported by a shaft that is disposed along the transverse direction of a vehicle, the lever assembly being operable in the longitudinal and the transverse directions of the vehicle, the apparatus including: a connection pin which is temporarily assembled when inserted along an axis thereof from one end of the shift lever assembly and the shaft into the lever assembly and the shaft, the connection pin becoming regularly assembled when rotated about the axis thereof from the temporarily assembled state, and which supports the lever assembly to be pivotable on the shaft in the transverse direction of the vehicle; and a fallout-preventing mechanism which is provided on the lever assembly to be engageable with the connection pin, and which prevents the connection pin from falling out from the lever assembly and the shaft by engaging the connection pin.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2005Publication date: July 28, 2005Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHOInventors: Isamu Matsushima, Kenichi Kako
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Publication number: 20050039562Abstract: A shift lever device in which a shift pattern, shift positions, and the like provided at a knob can be clearly seen without the knob being made to be large. Light is guided to an indicator lens by a light guide, without providing a lamp, which is a light source, at an interior of the knob. Thus, a structure of the knob can be simplified and the knob can be made to be compact. Further, because the light guide is a portion of the structure of the knob, the structure of the knob can be simplified from this standpoint as well.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2004Publication date: February 24, 2005Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHOInventors: Kenichi Kako, Noriyasu Shamoto, Isamu Matsushima, Keizo Fukuda, Teruaki Kitano
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Patent number: 6852065Abstract: Because a shift lever device 10 uses attracting force of a fixed iron core 150A, 216A of a magnet 150 or an electromagnet 216 in switching between a lock state and an unlock state at a shift lock mechanism 118 and a key interlock mechanism 200, the mechanisms can be made compact. When a shift lever 12 is changed from a “D” shift position to a “4” shift position and when the shift lever 12 is changed from a “2” shift position to an “L” shift position, a link 30 is rotated in a same direction. Thus, a sliding direction of a slider 38 which detects a rotational position of the link 30 is only one, and a placement size of a detecting member 48 can be made small and the device can be made compact. Because the shift lock unit 88 is equipped integrally with shift lock mechanism 118, and the link 30, the slider 38 and the detecting member 48 of a sensing mechanism, the shift lock unit 88 can be made compact.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2001Date of Patent: February 8, 2005Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-SeisakushoInventors: Eiji Yamada, Yoshinobu Yokoyama, Kenichi Kako, Haruyuki Kitajima
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Publication number: 20050000310Abstract: An automatic transmission shift range display structure is configured to make it possible to visually confirm that an automatic shift lever with a manual mode is in the manual mode. The automatic transmission shift range display structure has a shift lever with a range display. The shift lever is moveable in the lengthwise direction of the vehicle to select a D range of the automatic mode, and moveable in the widthwise direction of the vehicle from the automatic mode to select a manual mode. A slide member operates in coordination with the movement of the shift lever, and includes a slide indicator for identifying whether the shift lever is in the automatic mode or the manual mode. The range display has an indicator upper member with one or more transparent windows through which indicator is visible such that the selection of the automatic mode and the manual mode can be visually confirmed.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2004Publication date: January 6, 2005Applicants: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-SeisakushoInventors: Hiroaki Yamamoto, Kenichi Kako
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Publication number: 20030097897Abstract: Because a shift lever device 10 uses attracting force of a fixed iron core 150A, 216A of a magnet 150 or an electromagnet 216 in switching between a lock state and an unlock state at a shift lock mechanism 118 and a key interlock mechanism 200, the mechanisms can be made compact. When a shift lever 12 is changed from a “D” shift position to a “4” shift position and when the shift lever 12 is changed from a “2” shift position to an “L” shift position, a link 30 is rotated in a same direction. Thus, a sliding direction of a slider 38 which detects a rotational position of the link 30 is only one, and a placement size of a detecting member 48 can be made small and the device can be made compact. Because the shift lock unit 88 is equipped integrally with shift lock mechanism 118, and the link 30, the slider 38 and the detecting member 48 of a sensing mechanism, the shift lock unit 88 can be made compact.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2002Publication date: May 29, 2003Inventors: Eiji Yamada, Yoshinobu Yokoyama, Kenichi Kako, Haruyuki Kitajima