Patents by Inventor Makoto Sekizuka

Makoto Sekizuka 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).

  • Publication number: 20040227030
    Abstract: A pinion of a pretensioner is provided at a side of a torsion shaft, which side is opposite a side connected integrally to a spool via a sleeve. A base lock of a lock mechanism is connected to the pinion. Due to the lock mechanism operating, a leg plate side end portion of the torsion shaft is locked. In this way, due to operation of the pretensioner, the pinion, which is connected to a rotating portion of a sleeve, also is locked by the locking mechanism. Therefore, a piston of the pretensioner is not lowered, and internal pressure of a cylinder does not affect deformation of the torsion shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Publication date: November 18, 2004
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Tomonori Nagata, Toshimasa Yamamoto, Hitoshi Takamatsu, Yasuho Kitazawa, Takeaki Kato, Makoto Sekizuka, Shigekazu Imanaka, Kiyoka Matsubayashi, Takuya Nezaki
  • Patent number: 6694225
    Abstract: A rollover determining apparatus and methods for determining whether a vehicle is about to roll over distinguishes a type of rollover that is likely to occur to the vehicle based on the lateral acceleration of the vehicle and the roll angle of the vehicle. Moreover, a determination is made whether the state of the vehicle indicated by a first quantity corresponding to the distinguished type of rollover is in a rollover region determined by a predetermined threshold line. The apparatus and methods can also change the threshold line in accordance with the magnitude of second quantity that is different from the first quantity and that corresponds to the distinguished type of rollover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masami Aga, Makoto Sekizuka, Shuichi Ishimoto, Motomi Iyoda, Tomoki Nagao
  • Patent number: 6650981
    Abstract: Control systems and methods for controlling a vehicle-occupant protecting apparatus that includes two vehicle-occupant protecting devices which are disposed on respective right and left sides of an automotive vehicle, are operable to determine whether the vehicle has a rollover motion, on the basis of a physical quantity or quantities indicative of a running condition of the vehicle, and, upon determination that the vehicle has said rollover motion, to operate only the vehicle-occupant protecting device(s) located on a rolling side of the vehicle. When the detected rollover motion is expected to develop into a serious rollover motion, non-rolling-side vehicle-occupant protecting device(s) is located on a non-rolling side of the vehicle is operated. Thus, the control system and method permit adequate operations of the vehicle-occupant protecting devices depending upon the rollover state of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Sekizuka, Shuichi Ishimoto, Koichi Fujita, Yoichi Kozuru, Masami Aga
  • Publication number: 20020087235
    Abstract: A rollover determining apparatus and methods for determining whether a vehicle is about to roll over distinguishes a type of rollover that is likely to occur to the vehicle based on the lateral acceleration of the vehicle and the roll angle of the vehicle. Moreover, a determination is made whether the state of the vehicle indicated by a first quantity corresponding to the distinguished type of rollover is in a rollover region determined by a predetermined threshold line. The apparatus and methods can also change the threshold line in accordance with the magnitude of second quantity that is different from the first quantity and that corresponds to the distinguished type of rollover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2001
    Publication date: July 4, 2002
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masami Aga, Makoto Sekizuka, Shuichi Ishimoto, Motomi Iyoda, Tomoki Nagao
  • Publication number: 20020087243
    Abstract: Control systems and methods for controlling a vehicle-occupant protecting apparatus that includes two vehicle-occupant protecting devices which are disposed on respective right and left sides of an automotive vehicle, are operable to determine whether the vehicle has a rollover motion, on the basis of a physical quantity or quantities indicative of a running condition of the vehicle, and, upon determination that the vehicle has said rollover motion, to operate only the vehicle-occupant protecting device(s) located on a rolling side of the vehicle. When the detected rollover motion is expected to develop into a serious rollover motion, non-rolling-side vehicle-occupant protecting device(s) is located on a non-rolling side of the vehicle is operated. Thus, the control system and method permit adequate operations of the vehicle-occupant protecting devices depending upon the rollover state of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Publication date: July 4, 2002
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Makoto Sekizuka, Shuichi Ishimoto, Koichi Fujita, Yoichi Kozuru, Masami Aga
  • Patent number: 6356200
    Abstract: A sensor attaching portion of an upper rail and a sensor attaching portion of a cushion frame are provided with a sensor attaching plate having a sensor disposed thereon. The upper rail and the seat cushion frame are connected with a bracket at a position facing the sensor attaching plate. When the passenger sits on the seat, the seat cushion frame moves down and a bent portion of the bracket is pressed and deformed downwards. At this time, the center in the vertical direction of the sensor attaching plate is bent outward in the lateral direction of the seat. The sensor serves to detect the generated deformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Hamada, Makoto Sekizuka, Osamu Fukawatase, Osamu Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 6176543
    Abstract: A flange is formed at an upper edge of a lower arm, and the strength of an upper portion of the lower arm is set to be greater than the strength of a lower portion thereof. A fragile portion is formed in a longitudinally intermediate portion of the lower arm, and when an impact of a predetermined value or greater is applied in the rearward direction of the vehicle during a rear collision of the vehicle, the lower arm is adapted to absorb the impact by undergoing deformation beginning at the fragile portion. In addition, with respect to the load applied to the seat back from the rear by luggage or the like during a front collision of the vehicle, the deformation of the lower arm can be effectively suppressed by the flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsumi Nawata, Makoto Sekizuka, Atsushi Hiroshige, Hiroshi Tamura, Hiroki Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 6089594
    Abstract: In a seat structure having a side impact air bag apparatus, a seat back frame has side frames each provided at a corresponding widthwise direction side of a seat. An air bag accommodating concave portion is formed in one of the side frames which opposes a vehicle door such that the concave portion extends inward from an end portion of the seat back frame in the widthwise direction of the seat. The air bag accommodating concave portion accommodates an inflator and a folded air bag. A seat pad is provided for covering the seat back frame, and a seat surface layer is provided for covering the seat pad. The seat surface layer covers the air bag accommodating concave portion and the seat pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasunori Hasegawa, Hisaaki Kato, Mitsuyoshi Ohno, Makoto Sekizuka, Toshihiko Kajiyama
  • Patent number: 5288941
    Abstract: A parameter setting apparatus, which can independently set parameter values for controlling tones in units of parameters. Operation member sets, each including UP and DOWN operation members and a PRESET operation member, are arranged on an operation panel (2) in correspondence with parameters. When a user depresses a given PRESET operation member, a preset value supplier (21) reads out a preset value of the corresponding parameter from preset data stored in a preset memory (6), and supplies the readout value to a working memory (5), thereby rewriting the value of the corresponding one of parameters stored in the working memory (5) with the readout preset value. Upon operation of an UP or DOWN operation member, the value of the corresponding parameter in the working memory (5) is incremented or decremented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 22, 1994
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
    Inventor: Makoto Sekizuka
  • Patent number: 5155286
    Abstract: A motif performing apparatus for use in an electronic musical instrument, which effects an automatic performance of a motif only while sounds are being radiated. The motif performing apparatus is able to store information representing motifs to be played, and to read and output information representing each of the motifs, separately, while instruction units for instructing a radiation of musical sounds are operated. Accordingly, even if the operation of an instruction unit is unchanged, the performance is varied according to a pattern of the information. Further, as long as the instruction unit is operated, a plurality of musical sounds are generated automatically and sequentially according to the pattern of the information, and thus a performance can be easily effected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1992
    Assignee: Kawai Musical Inst. Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihide Saito, Tsutomu Saito, Toshio Mishima, Makoto Sekizuka
  • Patent number: 5085118
    Abstract: An auto-accompaniment apparatus for an electronic musical instrument which includes an accompaniment pattern storage means and chord progression pattern storage means. These accompaniment pattern and chord progression pattern are programmed in the storage means for each type of rhythms. Accompaniment pattern data and the chord progression pattern data are read out from the storage means in response to selection of rhythm. A modifier modifies accompaniment notes in the accompaniment pattern data in accordance with programmed chord name in the chord progression pattern data. A tone generator generates accompaniment tones on the basis of the modified accompaniment notes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1992
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
    Inventor: Makoto Sekizuka