Patents by Inventor Kenichi Katsube

Kenichi Katsube 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: 10486555
    Abstract: A seat 1 has a seat cushion 2 and a seat back 3 and is mounted on a vehicle such as a car. A reclining mechanism 4 capable of adjusting the tilt angle of the seat back 3 is provided between the seat cushion 2 and the seat back 3. The reclining mechanism 4 has a seat driving device 21 provided with an electric motor 22 and a speed reduction mechanism 23. The speed reduction mechanism 23 has a worm shaft 45 connected to a motor shaft 34 of the motor 22 and a worm wheel 47 meshed with a worm 46 of the worm shaft 45. The worm 46 is a multi-thread worm having two or more threads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignees: MITSUBA CORPORATION, NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naohiro Iwatate, Junichi Busujima, Kenichi Katsube, Takeshi Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20190308527
    Abstract: In a vehicle seat, a second parallel link mechanism is actuated in order to adjust an vertical position of a seat body with respect to a vehicle body, such that a first parallel link mechanism is moved up or down together with the seat body with respect to the vehicle body. In order to recline a seatback as an integral unit with a seat cushion, the first parallel link mechanism and the second parallel link mechanism are actuated such that an upper link is maintained in a predetermined orientation. The upper link is restricted from rotating relative to the armrest, and so the armrest is also maintained in a predetermined orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakamura, Kenichi Katsube, Shu Kondou, Daisuke Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20190299818
    Abstract: A vehicle seat that includes: a cushion frame rear portion that is rotatable around a rear portion shaft, whose axial direction is a seat transverse direction, with respect to a vehicle body floor portion; a cushion frame front portion that is connected to the cushion frame rear portion so as to be rotatable around a center fold shaft whose axial direction is the seat transverse direction and that is positioned further toward a seat front side than the rear portion shaft; a seatback frame that stands erect from a rear end side of the cushion frame rear portion; and a driving mechanism that moves the cushion frame front portion and the cushion frame rear portion relatively in a seat vertical direction between a non-reclining state and a reclining state, in which the cushion frame rear portion tilts downward and rearward with respect to the cushion frame front portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Sasaki, Akira Honma, Kenichi KATSUBE, Daisuke TANAKA, Shunichiro OSA, Takuma OKi
  • Patent number: 10266072
    Abstract: In a power seat operation device, a slider that is supported so as to be slidable in a radial direction with respect to a dial slides toward the radial direction center of the dial during rotation of the dial. A knob engagement portion that is provided to the slider is thereby disposed between a pair of slider engagement portions that are provided to a knob. This enables rotational operation of the knob to be restricted. However, during rotational operation of the knob, one out of the pair of slider engagement portions opposes the knob engagement portion from toward the radial direction center of the dial. This enables rotational operation of the dial in conjunction with sliding of the slider to be restricted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakamura, Kenichi Katsube, Souichi Nakayama, Takenori Takashima, Satoshi Myojin, Tomonori Tanabe
  • Publication number: 20190061585
    Abstract: A headrest device includes: a front-rear movement mechanism that moves a moving member in a seat front-rear direction with respect to a base member supported at an upper end portion of a seatback; a head support section that is coupled to the moving member so as to be capable of rotating about an axis running in a seat left-right direction, and that includes a front face configuring a support face to support a head of a seated occupant; and an angle changing mechanism that includes a link member spanning between the head support section and the base member, the link member being rotated with respect to the base member about an axis running in the seat left-right direction by the movement of the moving member so as to rotate the head support section with respect to the moving member about an axis running in the seat left-right direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakamura, Kenichi Katsube, Junichi Takada, Masamichi Kobori
  • Publication number: 20190061586
    Abstract: A headrest includes: a main frame, left and right side frames, and left and right rotation-coupling portions. The main frame is supported at an upper end portion of a seatback. The left and right side frames that are disposed on left and right sides of the main frame. The left and right rotation-coupling portions couple the left and right side frames to the main frame such that the left and right side frames are capable of rotating with respect to the main frame about left and right up-down-extending axes. Each rotation-coupling portion includes a boss hole, a boss, a hinge hole, and a hinge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakamura, Kenichi KATSUBE, Junichi TAKADA, Masamichi KOBORI
  • Patent number: 10192699
    Abstract: In a power seat operation device, a micro switch is attached inside a dial that is rotatably provided to a side face of a power seat. An opening is formed inside the dial, with an operation portion of a knob to operate the micro switch inserted through the opening. There is accordingly a possibility that liquid might infiltrate into the dial, however a channel is formed inside the dial by the dial and the knob. The channel lets liquid flow downward to the lower side of the micro switch so as to discharge the liquid to outside the dial in cases in which liquid has infiltrated into the dial through the opening in a state in which the opening is positioned at the upper side of the micro switch. The channel is partitioned from the micro switch, enabling flow of liquid to the micro switch to be prevented or suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakamura, Kenichi Katsube, Souichi Nakayama, Takenori Takashima, Satoshi Myojin, Tomonori Tanabe
  • Publication number: 20180370388
    Abstract: A power supply unit including a slide rail that has an opening at an upper side a slider that slides along the slide rail, a first connector that is fixed to one end portion of the slide rail, a second connector that is fixed to the slider, and a flexible cable that is housed inside the slide rail, that has one end connected to the first connector, and that has another end folded back and connected to the second connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakamura, Kenichi Katsube, Shota Arimoto, Tomoki Koga
  • Publication number: 20180208081
    Abstract: A seat 1 has a seat cushion 2 and a seat back 3 and is mounted on a vehicle such as a car. A reclining mechanism 4 capable of adjusting the tilt angle of the seat back 3 is provided between the seat cushion 2 and the seat back 3. The reclining mechanism 4 has a seat driving device 21 provided with an electric motor 22 and a speed reduction mechanism 23. The speed reduction mechanism 23 has a worm shaft 45 connected to a motor shaft 34 of the motor 22 and a worm wheel 47 meshed with a worm 46 of the worm shaft 45. The worm 46 is a multi-thread worm having two or more threads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Inventors: Naohiro IWATATE, Junichi BUSUJIMA, Kenichi KATSUBE, Takeshi NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20180190450
    Abstract: In a power seat operation device, a micro switch is attached inside a dial that is rotatably provided to a side face of a power seat. An opening is formed inside the dial, with an operation portion of a knob to operate the micro switch inserted through the opening. There is accordingly a possibility that liquid might infiltrate into the dial, however a channel is formed inside the dial by the dial and the knob. The channel lets liquid flow downward to the lower side of the micro switch so as to discharge the liquid to outside the dial in cases in which liquid has infiltrated into the dial through the opening in a state in which the opening is positioned at the upper side of the micro switch. The channel is partitioned from the micro switch, enabling flow of liquid to the micro switch to be prevented or suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakamura, Kenichi Katsube, Souichi Nakayama, Takenori Takashima, Satoshi Myojin, Tomonori Tanabe
  • Publication number: 20180111507
    Abstract: In a power seat operation device, a cam portion formed at a dial base has valleys and peaks that are alternately arranged in a row along a rotation direction of a dial so as to form an undulation in a radial direction. A slider is supported by the dial so as to be slidable in the radial direction. The slider is abutted against the cam portion by biasing force from a roller spring and fits into one out of the valleys so as to retain the dial at one of the rotary positions. During rotational operation of the dial, the slider crosses over at least one out of the peaks while elastically deforming the roller spring and sliding with respect to the dial.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakamura, Kenichi Katsube, Souichi Nakayama, Takenori Takashima, Satoshi Myojin, Tomonori Tanabe
  • Publication number: 20180111508
    Abstract: In a power seat operation device, a slider that is supported so as to be slidable in a radial direction with respect to a dial slides toward the radial direction center of the dial during rotation of the dial. A knob engagement portion that is provided to the slider is thereby disposed between a pair of slider engagement portions that are provided to a knob. This enables rotational operation of the knob to be restricted. However, during rotational operation of the knob, one out of the pair of slider engagement portions opposes the knob engagement portion from toward the radial direction center of the dial. This enables rotational operation of the dial in conjunction with sliding of the slider to be restricted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakamura, Kenichi Katsube, Souichi Nakayama, Takenori Takashima, Satoshi Myojin, Tomonori Tanabe
  • Patent number: 9446690
    Abstract: A power seat operation device is configured in such a manner that, when a dial member is rotated and operated, a movable mechanism which is to be operated is selected from among movable mechanisms. When a switch member is rotated and operated, the selected movable mechanism is actuated. The switch member is rotated and operated about a rotation axis extending in the widthwise direction of the seat. Thus the direction of operation of the switch member can be aligned with or nearly aligned with both the direction of the actual movement of a seat back when a recliner mechanism is actuated and the direction of the actual movement of an ottoman when an ottoman mechanism is actuated. Also, in a state in which a seat slide mechanism is selected, the direction of the operation of the switch member is aligned with the front-rear direction of the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryohei Shigematsu, Shinji Iino, Souichi Nakayama, Masato Shirao, Takeshi Nakamura, Masahiro Oda, Kenichi Katsube
  • Patent number: 9267589
    Abstract: The present invention obtains a multi-shaft drive device that can protect a rack and pinion from operative load input to a selector. The multi-shaft drive device is provided with: an input-side bevel gear (52) to which motor power is transmitted; and an output-side bevel gear (34) that transmits the power transmitted from the input-side bevel gear (52) to a movable mechanism. The multi-shaft drive device is further provided with: a selector (10) that connects/disconnects the meshing of the output-side bevel gear (34) and the input-side bevel gear (52); and a rotating shaft (16) that causes the selector (10) to slide via a rack (18) and pinion (17). Furthermore, the angle of rotation of the rotating shaft (16) is regulated by the end of the pinion (17) contacting a vertical wall (1A) of a case (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryohei Shigematsu, Takafumi Hirata, Shinji Iino, Soichi Nakayama, Takeshi Nakamura, Masahiro Oda, Kenichi Katsube
  • Publication number: 20150321587
    Abstract: A power seat operation device is configured in such a manner that, when a dial member is rotated and operated, a movable mechanism which is to be operated is selected from among movable mechanisms. When a switch member is rotated and operated, the selected movable mechanism is actuated. The switch member is rotated and operated about a rotation axis extending in the widthwise direction of the seat. Thus the direction of operation of the switch member can be aligned with or nearly aligned with both the direction of the actual movement of a seat back when a recliner mechanism is actuated and the direction of the actual movement of an ottoman when an ottoman mechanism is actuated. Also, in a state in which a seat slide mechanism is selected, the direction of the operation of the switch member is aligned with the front-rear direction of the seat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: Ryohei Shigematsu, Shinji Iino, Souichi Nakayama, Masato Shirao, Takeshi Nakamura, Masahiro Oda, Kenichi Katsube
  • Patent number: 9121482
    Abstract: A power transmission member that transmits rotation of an output shaft to a movable mechanism achieves a simpler structure and increased productivity compared to when a conventional flexible cable is employed. Out of plural output portions 30 of a clutch unit 2, power transmission members that transmit rotation of an output shaft 31 to a movable mechanism are configured by a conventional torque cable in a second output portion 30B and a third output portion 30C. However in a first output portion 30A, the power transmission member is configured by a gearbox 3 including a worm 71 that is coaxially and integrally formed with an output shaft 31A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakamura, Masahiro Oda, Kenichi Katsube, Ryohei Shigematsu, Shinji Iino
  • Publication number: 20130327181
    Abstract: The present invention obtains a multi-shaft drive device that can protect a rack and pinion from operative load input to a selector. The multi-shaft drive device is provided with: an input-side bevel gear (52) to which motor power is transmitted; and an output-side bevel gear (34) that transmits the power transmitted from the input-side bevel gear (52) to a movable mechanism. The multi-shaft drive device is further provided with: a selector (10) that connects/disconnects the meshing of the output-side bevel gear (34) and the input-side bevel gear (52); and a rotating shaft (16) that causes the selector (10) to slide via a rack (18) and pinion (17). Furthermore, the angle of rotation of the rotating shaft (16) is regulated by the end of the pinion (17) contacting a vertical wall (1A) of a case (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: NHK Spring Co., LTD
    Inventors: Ryohei Shigematsu, Takafumi Hirata, Shinji Iino, Soichi Nakayama, Takeshi Nakamura, Masahiro Oda, Kenichi Katsube
  • Publication number: 20130327166
    Abstract: A power transmission member that transmits rotation of an output shaft to a movable mechanism achieves a simpler structure and increased productivity compared to when a conventional flexible cable is employed. Out of plural output portions 30 of a clutch unit 2, power transmission members that transmit rotation of an output shaft 31 to a movable mechanism are configured by a conventional torque cable in a second output portion 30B and a third output portion 30C. However in a first output portion 30A, the power transmission member is configured by a gearbox 3 including a worm 71 that is coaxially and integrally formed with an output shaft 31A.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakamura, Masahiro Oda, Kenichi Katsube, Ryohei Shigematsu, Shinji Iino