Patents by Inventor Kenji Murabayashi

Kenji Murabayashi 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: 7316441
    Abstract: It is one object of this invention to provide a technique that is effective in diminishing the range of fluctuation of a load applied to a drive source when a seat main body in a vehicle seat moving apparatus is moved between a raised position and a lowered position. For this purpose, this invention provides a vehicle seat moving apparatus constructed as follows. Provided on a rotation base 31, for rotating a seat main body 10 between a position where it faces the front side of the vehicle and a position where it faces a door opening, is a widthwise slide base 41 that moves horizontally in the vehicle width direction while the seat main body 10 faces the door opening. The seat main body 10 is supported by the slide base 41 via four-bar linkage mechanisms 44. Guide rollers 46 are attached to upper link arms 44a of the four-bar linkage mechanisms 44. The guide rollers 46 are placed on cam surfaces of cam plates 47 provided to the rotation base 31.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masamitsu Iwatani, Takafuki Hijikata, Chikanori Fujita, Yasuo Suga, Yoshiyuki Miura, Kenji Horiguchi, Kenji Murabayashi, Susumu Yamada
  • Publication number: 20060131943
    Abstract: It is one object of this invention to provide a technique that is effective in diminishing the range of fluctuation of a load applied to a drive source when a seat main body in a vehicle seat moving apparatus is moved between a raised position and a lowered position. For this purpose, this invention provides a vehicle seat moving apparatus constructed as follows. Provided on a rotation base 31, for rotating a seat main body 10 between a position where it faces the front side of the vehicle and a position where it faces a door opening, is a widthwise slide base 41 that moves horizontally in the vehicle width direction while the seat main body 10 faces the door opening. The seat main body 10 is supported by the slide base 41 via four-bar linkage mechanisms 44. Guide rollers 46 are attached to upper link arms 44a of the four-bar linkage mechanisms 44. The guide rollers 46 are placed on cam surfaces of cam plates 47 provided to the rotation base 31.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Publication date: June 22, 2006
    Inventors: Masamitsu Iwatani, Takafuki Hijikata, Chikanori Fujita, Yasuo Suga, Yoshiyuki Miura, Kenji Horiguchi, Kenji Murabayashi, Susumu Yamada
  • Patent number: 6582181
    Abstract: A lift-up mechanism (50, 150) installed inside a vehicle serves to move a seat unit (10, 110) into or out of the vehicle. The seat unit (10, 110) is used as a passenger seat inside the vehicle and as a wheelchair outside the vehicle. Connecting plates (56, 156) are disposed on the lift-up mechanism (50, 150) permit the lift-up mechanism (50, 150) to be connected to the seat unit (10, 110) by inserting the connecting plates into connecting recesses (40, 140) formed in the seat unit (10, 110). Front wheels (60, 160) and rear wheels (70, 170) of the seat unit (10, 110) can be retracted and extended. A drive unit having an electric motor or similar drive may be provided to retract and extend the front wheels (60, 160) and the rear wheels (70, 170). An attitude changing arrangement may be provided to automatically change the attitude of the front wheels (60, 160) when the front wheels (60, 160) and the rear wheels (70, 170) are retracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignees: Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Matsunaga Seisakusho
    Inventors: Yoshiro Suehiro, Masamitsu Iwatani, Takafumi Hijikata, Kenji Murabayashi, Mineki Ninomiya, Yoshiyuki Miura, Tomoyuki Kuroda, Takeshi Toda, Shigeyuki Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 6572172
    Abstract: A longitudinal support base 30 is provided with a rotating support base 10 that can be slide in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. A seat body is placed on the rotating support base 10 via a rotary disc 13 so as to rotate. The longitudinal support base 30 is provided with an intermediate gear 22 that is engaged with a rack 21 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle seat. The seat body 2 side is provided with a pinion gear 24 that is engaged with the intermediate gear 11. The rotary disc 13 is rotated by means of a driving force of an electric motor 41. Thus, when the electric motor 41 is rotated, the seat body 2 rotates and slides in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mineki Ninomiya, Masamitsu Iwatani, Yoshiyuki Miura, Kenji Murabayashi, Tomoyuki Kuroda, Masanori Iwao, Takafumi Hijikata, Yasuo Suga, Takayuki Tajima, Tadashi Takenoshita, Yoshiro Suehiro
  • Patent number: 6543848
    Abstract: A rotating vehicle seat allows space close to an occupant's feet to be used efficiently. The rotating seat has a seat body 2 supported by a rotary disc 13. The rotary disc 13 is mounted at a position that is displaced to a door opening side with respect to a center HP of a seat cushion. A pinion gear 6, an intermediate gear 36 and a rack 38 engage each other so that the rotational movement and the longitudinal movement of the seat body 2 are coupled to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuo Suga, Masamitsu Iwatani, Hiroyuki Kagei, Takafumi Hijikata, Tadashi Takenoshita, Yoshiro Suehiro, Chikanori Fujita, Shoichi Uda, Yoshiyuki Miura, Kenji Murabayashi, Masanori Iwao
  • Publication number: 20020094262
    Abstract: A lift-up mechanism (50, 150) installed inside a vehicle serves to move a seat unit (10, 110) into or out of the vehicle. The seat unit (10, 110) is used as a passenger seat inside the vehicle and as a wheelchair outside the vehicle. Connecting plates (56, 156) are disposed on the lift-up mechanism (50, 150) permit the lift-up mechanism (50, 150) to be connected to the seat unit (10, 110) by inserting the connecting plates into connecting recesses (40, 140) formed in the seat unit (10, 110). Front wheels (60, 160) and rear wheels (70, 170) of the seat unit (10, 110) can be retracted and extended. A drive unit having an electric motor or similar drive may be provided to retract and extend the front wheels (60, 160) and the rear wheels (70, 170). An attitude changing arrangement may be provided to automatically chance the attitude of the front wheels (60, 160) when the front wheels (60, 160) and the rear wheels (70, 170) are retracted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2002
    Publication date: July 18, 2002
    Applicant: Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiro Suehiro, Masamitsu Iwatani, Takafumi Hijikata, Kenji Murabayashi, Mineki Ninomiya, Yoshiyuki Miura, Tomoyuki Kuroda, Takeshi Toda, Shigeyuki Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 6416272
    Abstract: A lift-up mechanism (50, 150) installed inside a vehicle serves to move a seat unit (10, 110) into or out of the vehicle. The seat unit (10, 110) is used as a passenger seat inside the vehicle and as a wheelchair outside the vehicle. Connecting plates (56, 156) are disposed on the lift-up mechanism (50, 150) permit the lift-up mechanism (50, 150) to be connected to the seat unit (10, 110) by inserting the connecting plates into connecting recesses (40, 140) formed in the seat unit (10, 110). Front wheels (60, 160) and rear wheels (70, 170) of the seat unit (10, 110) can be retracted and extended. A drive unit having an electric motor or similar drive may be provided to retract and extend the front wheels (60, 160) and the rear wheels (70, 170). An attitude changing arrangement may be provided to automatically change the attitude of the front wheels (60, 160) when the front wheels (60, 160) and the rear wheels (70, 170) are retracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignees: Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Matsunaga Seisakusho
    Inventors: Yoshiro Suehiro, Masamitsu Iwatani, Takafumi Hijikata, Kenji Murabayashi, Mineki Ninomiya, Yoshiyuki Miura, Tomoyuki Kuroda, Takeshi Toda, Shigeyuki Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 5047351
    Abstract: A method for shortening the analysis time, without adversely affecting the accuracy in the colorimetric analysis of an analyte. The method including the steps of:(a) Measuring the optical density for two or more times at suitable time intervals after the beginning of reaction to follow the variation of optical density,(b) Judging based upon the optical density obtained at the earlier measurement whether the reaction is to be further continued or not,(c) When it is judged that the continuation of the reaction is not necessary in terms of analytical accuracy, selecting the calibration curve corresponding to the reaction time,(d) While, when it is judged that the continuation of the reaction is necessary, further continuing the reaction, and(e) Repeating steps (b) and (d) until the judgement that the continuation of the reaction is not necessary is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1991
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Makiuchi, Yuzo Iwata, Kikuo Hirai, Kenji Murabayashi