Patents by Inventor Kunihiro Mikasa

Kunihiro Mikasa 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: 12202388
    Abstract: A clutch unit includes an operation lever, an operation bracket, an output shaft member, an input-side clutch, an output-side clutch, and a housing. An input-side outer ring member of the input-side clutch is a member including a bottom part and an outer ring part. A part of the outer ring part is a thick part. The thickness of the thick part in the radial direction is larger than the thickness of a non-thick part in the radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunihiro Mikasa, Yu Kitada, Kyohei Sasanuma, Shaoluan Bian
  • Patent number: 12097787
    Abstract: A clutch unit includes an operation lever, an operation member, an input-side clutch, an output-side clutch, and a bottomed cylindrical housing. The input-side clutch includes an input-side inner ring member and an operation bracket. The operation bracket includes an engagement portion that engages with the input-side inner ring member, a facing portion that faces the bottom surface of the housing with a gap therebetween, a fastened portion that penetrates a through hole formed in the bottom surface of the housing and is fastened to the operation member, and a sliding-contact portion that extends from the facing portion toward the bottom surface of the housing and comes into sliding-contact with the bottom surface of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignees: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha, NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunihiro Mikasa, Yasumasa Hibi, Kyohei Sasanuma, Kengo Watanabe
  • Patent number: 12078220
    Abstract: Provided is a clutch unit in which an output-side outer ring member is attached to a base plate without welding. A clutch unit (100) includes an output-side clutch (60) and a housing (11) that accommodates the output-side clutch (60). The output-side clutch (60) includes an output-side outer ring member (62). The output-side outer ring member (62) and the housing (11) have an engagement protrusion (62s) and an engagement groove (11s) that engage with each other to restrict relative rotation therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA, NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunihiro Mikasa, Yasumasa Hibi, Kyohei Sasanuma, Shaoluan Bian
  • Publication number: 20240116405
    Abstract: A clutch unit (100) includes an operation lever (21), an operation member (22), an input-side clutch (50), an output-side clutch (60), and a bottomed cylindrical housing (11). The input-side clutch (50) includes an input-side inner ring member (51) and an operation bracket (54). The operation bracket (54) includes an engagement portion (54b) that engages with the input-side inner ring member (51), a facing portion (54d) that faces the bottom surface (11 a) of the housing (11) with a gap therebetween, a fastened portion (54c) that penetrates a through hole (11h) formed in the bottom surface (11a) of the housing (11) and is fastened to the operation member (22), and a sliding-contact portion (54e) that extends from the facing portion (54d) toward the bottom surface (11a) of the housing (11) and comes into sliding-contact with the bottom surface of the housing (11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicants: SHIROKI CORPORATION, NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunihiro MIKASA, Yasumasa HIBI, Kyohei SASANUMA, Kengo WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20240102519
    Abstract: Provided is a clutch unit (1) including: a static system (housing (40)); an output shaft (30); a first clutch part (10); and a second clutch part (20). The first clutch part (10) includes: an input rotary body including an inner ring (13); an output rotary body including an outer ring (14); and a plurality of cylindrical rollers (15) disposed therebetween. The clutch unit (1) includes: a rotation suppressing member (70) configured to apply rotational resistance to the output rotary body of the first clutch part (10); and rotation stopping mechanisms (80) (recessed portions (71) of the rotation suppressing member (70) and extending portions (41) of the housing (40)) configured to restrict rotation of the rotation suppressing member (70) with respect to the housing (40).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2021
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Kyohei SASANUMA, Kunihiro MIKASA
  • Publication number: 20230313850
    Abstract: Provided is a clutch unit in which an output-side outer ring member is attached to a base plate without welding. A clutch unit (100) includes an output-side clutch (60) and a housing (11) that accommodates the output-side clutch (60). The output-side clutch (60) includes an output-side outer ring member (62). The output-side outer ring member (62) and the housing (11) have an engagement protrusion (62s) and an engagement groove (11s) that engage with each other to restrict relative rotation therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Applicants: SHIROKI CORPORATION, NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunihiro MIKASA, Yasumasa HIBI, Kyohei SASANUMA, Shaoluan BIAN
  • Patent number: 11708012
    Abstract: A clutch unit used for a vehicle seat includes an input side clutch configured such that one member of an input side inner ring member and an input side outer ring member rotates with a rotation of an operation lever, and the other member is rotated via an input side transmission member, so that a rotation of the operation lever is transmitted to an output side clutch. A rotation suppressing member configured to apply a rotational resistance force greater than a force for the co-rotating is provided between the other member and a member that does not rotate during a return operation of the operation lever, so as to suppress co-rotation of the other member by the one member during the return operation to the neutral position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignees: SHIROKI CORPORATION, NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunihiro Mikasa, Kyohei Sasanuma
  • Publication number: 20230166642
    Abstract: A clutch unit includes an operation lever, an operation bracket, an output shaft member, an input-side clutch, an output-side clutch, and a housing. An input-side outer ring member of the input-side clutch is a member including a bottom part and an outer ring part. A part of the outer ring part is a thick part. The thickness of the thick part in the radial direction is larger than the thickness of a non-thick part in the radial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: Kunihiro MIKASA, Yu KITADA, Kyohei SASANUMA, Shaoluan BIAN
  • Patent number: 11149802
    Abstract: A clutch unit used for a vehicle seat includes an input side clutch is configured such that one member of the input side inner ring member and the input side outer ring member rotates with a rotation of the operation lever, and the other member of the input side inner ring member and the input side outer ring member is rotated via the input side transmission member, so that the rotation of the operation lever is transmitted to the output side clutch. A rotation suppressing member configured to urge the other member in the rotation axis direction and apply a rotational resistance force greater than a force for the co-rotating is provided so as to suppress co-rotation of the other member. A pressing force transmission portion configured to transmit a force the rotation suppressing member urges in the rotation axis direction to the output side transmission member is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignees: SHIROKI CORPORATION, NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunihiro Mikasa, Kyohei Sasanuma
  • Publication number: 20210221261
    Abstract: A clutch unit used for a vehicle seat includes an input side clutch configured such that one member of an input side inner ring member and an input side outer ring member rotates with a rotation of an operation lever, and the other member is rotated via an input side transmission member, so that a rotation of the operation lever is transmitted to an output side clutch. A rotation suppressing member configured to apply a rotational resistance force greater than a force for the co-rotating is provided between the other member and a member that does not rotate during a return operation of the operation lever, so as to suppress co-rotation of the other member by the one member during the return operation to the neutral position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventors: Kunihiro MIKASA, Kyohei SASANUMA
  • Publication number: 20210207665
    Abstract: A clutch unit used for a vehicle seat includes an input side clutch is configured such that one member of the input side inner ring member and the input side outer ring member rotates with a rotation of the operation lever, and the other member of the input side inner ring member and the input side outer ring member is rotated via the input side transmission member, so that the rotation of the operation lever is transmitted to the output side clutch. A rotation suppressing member configured to urge the other member in the rotation axis direction and apply a rotational resistance force greater than a force for the co-rotating is provided so as to suppress co-rotation of the other member. A pressing force transmission portion configured to transmit a force the rotation suppressing member urges in the rotation axis direction to the output side transmission member is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventors: Kunihiro MIKASA, Kyohei SASANUMA
  • Patent number: 10927903
    Abstract: A clutch unit that is used for a vehicle seat includes: a housing, which accommodates at least one of a input-side clutch and a output-side clutch, a first engaging portion, which is rotatable integrally with an output shaft member, and a lock member, which is able to be shifted between a locked state, in which the rotation of the output shaft member relative to the housing is suppressed by the lock member being locked to the first engaging portion, and an unlocked state, in which the rotation of the output shaft member relative to the housing is allowed by releasing the engaging with the first engaging portion, wherein when the lock member is shifted from the locked state to the unlocked state, the lock member is elastically deformed to release the engagement of the lock member and the first engaging portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: SHIROKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunihiro Mikasa, Hidehiko Fujioka
  • Patent number: 10737590
    Abstract: A clutch unit, which transmits an operational force input to an operating lever to an output shaft member via an input-side clutch and an output-side clutch and outputs the operational force to a vehicle seat, includes a rotation suppressing member is provided which applies a rotational resistance force larger than a co-rotating force to between an input-side outer-ring member and a housing which is not rotated at a time of the returning operation of the operating lever, so as to suppress that the input-side outer-ring member is co-rotated by an input-side inner-ring member of the input-side clutch at the time of the returning operation of the operating lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: SHIROKI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kunihiro Mikasa
  • Publication number: 20200096057
    Abstract: A clutch unit that is used for a vehicle seat includes: a housing, which accommodates at least one of a input-side clutch and a output-side clutch, a first engaging portion, which is rotatable integrally with an output shaft member, and a lock member, which is able to be shifted between a locked state, in which the rotation of the output shaft member relative to the housing is suppressed by the lock member being locked to the first engaging portion, and an unlocked state, in which the rotation of the output shaft member relative to the housing is allowed by releasing the engaging with the first engaging portion, wherein when the lock member is shifted from the locked state to the unlocked state, the lock member is elastically deformed to release the engagement of the lock member and the first engaging portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Kunihiro MIKASA, Hidehiko FUJIOKA
  • Patent number: 10442321
    Abstract: A clutch unit includes: an input-side transmission member provided to move from an initial position toward a tip of the wedge-shaped space, and an inside tangential line is a tangential line at a contact point of the input-side transmission member and the input-side inner ring member, an outside tangential line is a tangential line at a contact point of the input-side transmission member and the input-side outer ring member, and a segment connects a rotational center of the input-side transmission member with an intersection point between the inside tangential line and the outside tangential line, wherein a wedge angle is an acute angle defined by the segment and the inside tangential line, and a stopper projection is provided at a tip-side position, and a wedge angle formed by the stopper projection is larger than an initial wedge angle at the initial position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: SHIROKI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kunihiro Mikasa
  • Publication number: 20180345826
    Abstract: A clutch unit (100), which transmits an operational force input to an operating lever (21) to an output shaft member (30) via an input-side clutch (50) and an output-side clutch (60) and outputs the operational force to a vehicle seat (40), includes a rotation suppressing member (70) is provided which applies a rotational resistance force larger than a co-rotating force to between an input-side outer-ring member (52) and a housing (11) which is not rotated at a time of the returning operation of the operating lever (21), so as to suppress that the input-side outer-ring member (52) is co-rotated by an input-side inner-ring member (51) of the input-side clutch (50) at the time of the returning operation of the operating lever (21).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2016
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventor: Kunihiro MIKASA
  • Publication number: 20180099585
    Abstract: A clutch unit includes: an input-side transmission member provided to move from an initial position toward a tip of the wedge-shaped space, and an inside tangential line is a tangential line at a contact point of the input-side transmission member and the input-side inner ring member, an outside tangential line is a tangential line at a contact point of the input-side transmission member and the input-side outer ring member, and a segment connects a rotational center of the input-side transmission member with an intersection point between the inside tangential line and the outside tangential line, wherein a wedge angle is an acute angle defined by the segment and the inside tangential line, and a stopper projection is provided at a tip-side position, and a wedge angle formed by the stopper projection is larger than an initial wedge angle at the initial position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Publication date: April 12, 2018
    Inventor: Kunihiro MIKASA
  • Patent number: 9290113
    Abstract: A reclining apparatus achieves enhanced ease of coming off of a pole from a ratchet plate and hence a better operational feeling. Of a plurality of external teeth of a pole, at least one external tooth from an end is formed in such a manner that a tooth thickness is lessened more toward a tooth tip in comparison with a tooth thickness of other external teeth. The external tooth having a lessened tooth thickness is cut in one of two tooth planes located on a side of the end. The cut tooth plane has an inclined surface parallel to a flat surface containing all tangential lines to a pitch circle of one of two tooth planes of an external tooth having a large tooth thickness and situated adjacent to the external tooth having a lessened tooth thickness located on a side of the external tooth having a lessened tooth thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: SHIROKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunihiro Mikasa, Hidehiko Fujioka