Patents by Inventor Makoto Matsuzaki

Makoto Matsuzaki 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: 11198414
    Abstract: An occupant restraint system for a vehicle includes: a seat belt device configured w restrain an occupant seated on a vehicular seat with a webbing, in which one end of the webbing is wound around a winding device and the other end is fixed to one of the vehicular seat and a vehicle body, and the seat belt device is configured so that a motor provided in the winding device is driven to wind the webbing; and an electronic control unit configured to drive the motor so that a prescribed amount of the webbing is wound, when a first condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuya Nezaki, Motoki Sugiyama, Fumihito Komeno, Makoto Matsuzaki, Kenji Fukuta
  • Patent number: 11135997
    Abstract: A buckle device includes: a buckle body to which a tongue portion mounted on a three-point seat belt is to be connected; a connecting member that is flexible and that has a first longitudinal end portion connected to the buckle body; and a force limiter mechanism including a take-up shaft around which a second longitudinal end portion of the connecting member is wound, the take-up shaft being supported below the buckle body in a vertical direction of a vehicle so as to be rotatable relative to a vehicle seat or a vehicle body, and an energy absorbing member that is deformed by rotation of the take-up shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Katsuya Shimazu, Yoshio Mizuno, Makoto Matsuzaki
  • Patent number: 10808811
    Abstract: At a lift-up buckle device, due to a motor being driven and an output shaft of the motor being rotated, a drive screw is rotated. Further, a supporting tube rotatably supports a rear end portion of the drive screw. Here, the output shaft rotatably supports a front end portion of the drive screw. Therefore, offset between a rotation central axis of the output shaft and a rotation central axis of the drive screw can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventor: Makoto Matsuzaki
  • Publication number: 20200247352
    Abstract: A buckle device includes: a buckle body to which a tongue portion mounted on a three-point seat belt is to be connected; a connecting member that is flexible and that has a first longitudinal end portion connected to the buckle body; and a force limiter mechanism including a take-up shaft around which a second longitudinal end portion of the connecting member is wound, the take-up shaft being supported below the buckle body in a vertical direction of a vehicle so as to be rotatable relative to a vehicle seat or a vehicle body, and an energy absorbing member that is deformed by rotation of the take-up shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Katsuya Shimazu, Yoshio Mizuno, Makoto Matsuzaki
  • Patent number: 10723309
    Abstract: A vehicle seat belt device includes: an anchor part configured to be provided at a vehicle seat or a vehicle body on a first side in a width direction of the vehicle seat, and to displace a lower end portion of a buckle device to a vehicle front side by being deformed by a load applied from a lap belt to the buckle device at a time of vehicle collision; and a buckle rotation mechanism configured to include a guide part that is provided at the vehicle seat or body on a vehicle downward side of the buckle device and inclined downward toward the vehicle front side, and a pull-in part that connects the guide part and an upper portion of the buckle device and is slidable along the guide part, and to rotate the buckle device to the vehicle front side and downward side due to the displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuyoshi Ohno, Makoto Matsuzaki
  • Patent number: 10688957
    Abstract: In a lift-up buckle device, a slider and a shoe move forward and a buckle is moved to a stowed position. The shoe impacts against a protruding portion at a lower portion of a damper and interferes with a housing via the lower portion of the damper. Thus, the forward movement of the slider and shoe is stopped, while the damper absorbs an impact against the slider and shoe. Therefore, an amount of the impact against the slider and shoe that is absorbed by the damper may be increased by the protruding portion, and the damper may absorb the impact against the slider and shoe effectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Naoya Watanabe, Takuhiro Saito, Yasunori Hata, Makoto Matsuzaki, Yusuke Watada, Tatsuhiro Murasaki
  • Publication number: 20200189517
    Abstract: In a lift-up buckle device, a movement resistance adjustment portion is provided on an outer circumferential surface of a drive screw. The movement resistance adjustment portion is formed by a first screw segment, a second screw segment, and a third screw segment on which are formed male screw threads that each have mutually different thread precisions. Because of this, when, as a result of the drive screw being rotated, a slider is moved in the longitudinal direction of the drive screw, the ease with which the drive screw can be rotated changes in accordance with the respective thread precisions of the first screw segment, the second screw segment, and the third screw segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventor: Makoto MATSUZAKI
  • Patent number: 10640081
    Abstract: A vehicle seat includes a seat back, a motor, a gear, a take-up device and a pre-tensioner component. The seat back extends in a seat vertical direction and supports the back area of a seat occupant. A seat back frame structures a framework of the seat back. The motor is mounted to an upper portion of the seat back frame. The gear is arranged along the seat back frame adjacent to the motor and transmits driving force from the motor. The take-up device is arranged along the seat back frame adjacent to the gear, and is provided with a spool onto which a webbing is wound. Driving force from the motor is transmitted to the take-up device via the gear. The pre-tensioner component is arranged along the seat back frame adjacent to the take-up device. When activated, the pre-tensioner component forcibly takes up the spool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Osamu Fukawatase, Makoto Matsuzaki
  • Publication number: 20200114866
    Abstract: An occupant restraint system for a vehicle includes: a seat belt device configured w restrain an occupant seated on a vehicular seat with a webbing, in which one end of the webbing is wound around a winding device and the other end is fixed to one of the vehicular seat and a vehicle body, and the seat belt device is configured so that a motor provided in the winding device is driven to wind the webbing; and an electronic control unit configured to drive the motor so that a prescribed amount of the webbing is wound, when a first condition is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Publication date: April 16, 2020
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takuya Nezaki, Motoki Sugiyama, Fumihito Komeno, Makoto Matsuzaki, Kenji Fukuta
  • Publication number: 20190225185
    Abstract: A vehicle seat belt device includes: an anchor part configured to be provided at a vehicle seat or a vehicle body on a first side in a width direction of the vehicle seat, and to displace a lower end portion of a buckle device to a vehicle front side by being deformed by a load applied from a lap belt to the buckle device at a time of vehicle collision; and a buckle rotation mechanism configured to include a guide part that is provided at the vehicle seat or body on a vehicle downward side of the buckle device and inclined downward toward the vehicle front side, and a pull-in part that connects the guide part and an upper portion of the buckle device and is slidable along the guide part, and to rotate the buckle device to the vehicle front side and downward side due to the displacement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuyoshi OHNO, Makoto MATSUZAKI
  • Publication number: 20190193674
    Abstract: A vehicle seat includes a seat back, a motor, a gear, a take-up device and a pre-tensioner component. The seat back extends in a seat vertical direction and supports the back area of a seat occupant. A seat back frame structures a framework of the seat back. The motor is mounted to an upper portion of the seat back frame. The gear is arranged along the seat back frame adjacent to the motor and transmits driving force from the motor. The take-up device is arranged along the seat back frame adjacent to the gear, and is provided with a spool onto which a webbing is wound. Driving force from the motor is transmitted to the take-up device via the gear. The pre-tensioner component is arranged along the seat back frame adjacent to the take-up device. When activated, the pre-tensioner component forcibly takes up the spool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Osamu FUKAWATASE, Makoto MATSUZAKI
  • Patent number: 10220811
    Abstract: A reduction in the durability of a coupling member coupled to a buckle is suppressed. A lift-up buckle device includes a buckle that engages with a tongue inserted through webbing worn by an occupant, and wires that each have a portion fixed to the buckle and that are displaced to move the buckle. The lift-up buckle device also includes a wire guide that includes a guide groove that guides the wires, and a soft lower cover that engages with the wire guide and covers the wires. A dimension of an end portion on the buckle side of the guide groove is set so as to increase on progression toward the buckle side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Tatsuhiro Murasaki, Takuhiro Saito, Yasunori Hata, Yusuke Watada, Koji Hayashi, Makoto Matsuzaki
  • Publication number: 20180202523
    Abstract: At a lift-up buckle device, due to a motor being driven and an output shaft of the motor being rotated, a drive screw is rotated. Further, a supporting tube rotatably supports a rear end portion of the drive screw. Here, the output shaft rotatably supports a front end portion of the drive screw. Therefore, offset between a rotation central axis of the output shaft and a rotation central axis of the drive screw can be suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventor: Makoto MATSUZAKI
  • Patent number: 10000182
    Abstract: In a buckle device, displacement of a buckle cover in a width direction with respect to a buckle guide is restricted by restricting grooves of the buckle cover and restricting ribs of the buckle guide that enter the restricting grooves. This enables a space to be secured between a wall portion on one side in a width direction of the buckle cover and a wall portion on one side in a width direction of the buckle guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Koji Hayashi, Makoto Matsuzaki
  • Patent number: 9974364
    Abstract: In a seat belt device, when a buckle cover is moved obliquely upward in a vehicle forward direction relative to a buckle guide and the buckle cover reaches a moving endpoint at a vehicle upper side relative to the buckle guide, cover-side engagement portions of the buckle cover become sandwiched between vehicle lower side surfaces of guide-side engagement portions of the buckle guide, and the outside surfaces of guide long-side wall portions of the buckle guide. Due to this, not only movement of the cover-side engagement portions of the buckle cover in the vehicle upward direction but also movement of the cover-side engagement portions outwards in the thickness directions of the cross-sectional shapes of the buckle cover and the buckle guide are restrained by the guide-side engagement portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Tatsuhiro Murasaki, Takuhiro Saito, Makoto Matsuzaki, Koji Hayashi, Hiroto Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20180056933
    Abstract: In a lift-up buckle device, a slider and a shoe move forward and a buckle is moved to a stowed position. The shoe impacts against a protruding portion at a lower portion of a damper and interferes with a housing via the lower portion of the damper. Thus, the forward movement of the slider and shoe is stopped, while the damper absorbs an impact against the slider and shoe. Therefore, an amount of the impact against the slider and shoe that is absorbed by the damper may be increased by the protruding portion, and the damper may absorb the impact against the slider and shoe effectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Naoya WATANABE, Takuhiro SAITO, Yasunori HATA, Makoto MATSUZAKI, Yusuke WATADA, Tatsuhiro MURASAKI
  • Patent number: 9849859
    Abstract: In a buckle device, cord portions that are pulled out from a distal end portion in a longitudinal direction of a helical portion of a curl cord are electrically and mechanically connected to a terminal of a buckle switch of a buckle. The distal end portion in the longitudinal direction of the helical portion of the curl cord is held by a holding bracket that is provided at a first cover component of a buckle cover. Consequently, even when the buckle cover is moved, excellent connections can still be maintained between the cord portions of the curl cord and the terminal of the buckle switch of the buckle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Koji Hayashi, Takuhiro Saito, Makoto Matsuzaki
  • Publication number: 20170232928
    Abstract: A buckle guide formed in the shape of a cross-sectionally rectangular tube is inserted from a vehicle rear and lower end portion of a buckle cover of a buckle, and guide ribs that project from an inner surface of the buckle cover are in abutting contact with a rectangular guide surface that is an outer surface of the buckle guide. Because of this, swiveling of the buckle cover relative to the buckle guide is limited.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: Atsushi TATSUMA, Makoto MATSUZAKI, Nao ONODERA, Hiroto TANAKA, Koji HAYASHI, Takuhiro SAITO
  • Publication number: 20170232927
    Abstract: A reduction in the durability of a coupling member coupled to a buckle is suppressed. A lift-up buckle device includes a buckle that engages with a tongue inserted through webbing worn by an occupant, and wires that each have a portion fixed to the buckle and that are displaced to move the buckle. The lift-up buckle device also includes a wire guide that includes a guide groove that guides the wires, and a soft lower cover that engages with the wire guide and covers the wires. A dimension of an end portion on the buckle side of the guide groove is set so as to increase on progression toward the buckle side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: Tatsuhiro MURASAKI, Takuhiro SAITO, Yasunori HATA, Yusuke WATADA, Koji HAYASHI, Makoto MATSUZAKI
  • Publication number: 20170225645
    Abstract: In a buckle device, displacement of a buckle cover in a width direction with respect to a buckle guide is restricted by restricting grooves of the buckle cover and restricting ribs of the buckle guide that enter the restricting grooves. This enables a space to be secured between a wall portion on one side in a width direction of the buckle cover and a wall portion on one side in a width direction of the buckle guide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventors: Koji HAYASHI, Makoto MATSUZAKI