Patents by Inventor Masaaki Tabata

Masaaki Tabata 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: 20220209434
    Abstract: A terminal is provided with a terminal body including a mating connecting portion, a wire connecting portion and a coupling portion, and a shell. The wire connecting portion includes sandwiching portions extending in an extending direction of a wire and configured to sandwich the wire. The shell includes pressurizing portions for pressurizing the sandwiching portions toward the wire. The mating connecting portion includes a mating bottom wall and mating side walls formed to rise upward in a predetermined rising direction from the mating bottom wall. The wire connecting portion includes a wire-side bottom wall and wire-side side walls rising upward in the rising direction from the wire-side bottom wall. The coupling portion is inclined in a direction opposite to the rising direction from the wire-side bottom wall toward the mating bottom wall to couple the wire-side bottom wall and the mating bottom wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Shunya TAKEUCHI, Masaaki TABATA, Nungna WI
  • Patent number: 11364763
    Abstract: The ECU of the stabilizer control apparatus determines, based on a high frequency component of a wheel acceleration and a low frequency component of a wheel speed difference, whether a road surface state is a rough road state or a smooth road state. When the road surface state is determined to be the rough road state, the ECU sets a turning determination threshold to a rough road threshold. When the road surface state is determined to be the smooth road state, the ECU sets the threshold to a smooth road threshold. When a turning determination parameter is greater than the threshold, the ECU sets each of first, second, and third cylinders to a lock state to increase rigidity of stabilizers. When the turning determination parameter is smaller than the turning determination threshold, the ECU sets each of the cylinders to a free state to decrease the rigidity of the stabilizers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Murata, Masaaki Tabata, Masashi Yamamoto, Ikuhide Iyoda
  • Publication number: 20220190533
    Abstract: A joint connector for connecting a plurality of wires includes a plurality of terminals to be respectively connected to front end parts in an extending direction of the plurality of wires, a busbar to be connected to the plurality of terminals, and a housing for accommodating the plurality of terminals and the busbar inside. The busbar includes a plurality of tabs and a coupling portion coupling the plurality of tabs. Each of the plurality of terminals includes a tube portion, each of the plurality of tabs being insertable into the tube portion, a sandwiching portion extending along the extending direction and configured to sandwich the wire, and a sliding portion disposed outside the sandwiching portion and movable along the extending direction. The sliding portion includes a pressurizing portion configured to pressurize the sandwiching portion toward the wire with the wire sandwiched by the sandwiching portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Hiroki KOBAYASHI, Hajime KAWASE, Masaaki TABATA, Teruo HARA, Hajime MATSUI
  • Publication number: 20220190534
    Abstract: A joint connector 10 for connecting a plurality of electric wires 11 is provided with: a lower housing 30; an upper cover 60 assembled onto the lower housing 30; a plurality of terminals 12 respectively connected to front ends of the plurality of electric wires 11 in an extending direction thereof; and a busbar 50 connected to the plurality of terminals 12. The busbar 50 disposed on the lower housing 30 has a plurality of tabs 52. Each of the plurality of terminals 12 disposed on the lower housing 30 includes: a tube portion 17 into which a corresponding one of the plurality of tabs 52 is inserted; pinching portions 18A, 18B extending in the extending direction and pinching one of the plurality of electric wires 11; and a slide portion 16 disposed on the outside of the pinching portions 18A, 18B and moveable along the extending direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Hiroki KOBAYASHI, Hajime KAWASE, Masaaki TABATA, Teruo HARA, Hajime MATSUI
  • Publication number: 20220181799
    Abstract: A terminal 12 to be connected to a front end part of a wire 11 in an extending direction is provided with a terminal body 15 including a wire connecting portion 20 to be connected to the wire 11, and a shell to be externally fit to the wire connecting portion 20. The wire connecting portion 20 includes a sandwiching portion 18A, 18B extending in the extending direction of the wire 11 and configured to sandwich the wire 11. The shell includes a resilient pressurizing portion for resiliently pressurizing the sandwiching portion 18A, 18B toward the wire 11.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Inventors: Shunya TAKEUCHI, Masaaki TABATA, Hiroki KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20220181822
    Abstract: A joint connector includes the plurality of wires extending in an extending direction, a plurality of terminals to be respectively connected to front end parts of the plurality of wires in the extending direction, a lower housing for accommodating the plurality of terminals, a busbar to be disposed in the lower housing, and an upper cover to be assembled with the lower housing. The busbar includes a plurality of tabs. Each of the plurality of terminals includes a tube portion, into which each of the plurality of tabs is inserted, and a wire connecting portion to be connected to each of the plurality of wires. The plurality of wires drawn out rearward in the extending direction from the lower housing include bent portions folded forward in the extending direction. The upper cover includes wire pressing portions for holding the plurality of wires folded forward in the extending direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Inventors: Hiroki KOBAYASHI, Hajime KAWASE, Masaaki TABATA, Teruo HARA, Hajime MATSUI
  • Publication number: 20220181796
    Abstract: A terminal of the present disclosure is the terminal to be connected to a wire including a core and includes a terminal body and a sliding portion. The terminal body includes a sandwiching portion. The sliding portion is slidable in a front-rear direction between a partial locking position and a full locking position. The sliding portion includes a pressurizing portion configured to press the sandwiching portion at the full locking position to sandwich the core in a first direction by the sandwiching portion, at least a pair of first contact portions configured to contact the core in the first direction when the core is inserted into the sliding portion, and at least a pair of second contact portions configured to contact the core in a second direction intersecting the first direction when the core is inserted into the sliding portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Inventors: Shunya TAKEUCHI, Masaaki TABATA
  • Publication number: 20220166159
    Abstract: A joint connector 10 to be connected to wires 11 includes a lower housing 30 and an upper cover 60. The lower housing 30 accommodates terminals 12 to be respectively connected to front end parts in an extending direction of the wires 11. The upper cover 60 is assembled to close an upper surface of the lower housing 30. The lower housing 30 or the upper cover 60 includes a lower guide portion 36 or an upper guide portion 69 for bending the wires 11 by contacting the wires 11 with the lower housing 30 and the upper cover 60 assembled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Inventors: Hiroki KOBAYASHI, Hajime KAWASE, Masaaki TABATA, Teruo HARA, Hajime MATSUI
  • Patent number: 11329415
    Abstract: A shielded board connector (20) includes a terminal holding member for shielding (21) and left and right terminal fittings (31). An unshielded board connector (35) includes a terminal holding member for unshielding (36) and left and right terminal fittings (31). In the pair of terminal fittings (31) in the shielded board connector (20), an interval (Pw) of tab-like connecting portions (32) is wider than an interval (Po) of board connecting portions (34). In the pair of terminal fittings (31) of the unshielded board connector (35), an interval (Pn) of tab-like connecting portions (32) is narrower than an interval (Po) of board connecting portions (34). The interval (Po) of the board connecting portions for shielding (34) and the interval (Po) of the board connecting portions for unshielding (34) are substantially equal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignees: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd., Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd., Sumitomo Electrics Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Miyamura, Masaaki Tabata
  • Patent number: 11279196
    Abstract: A damping force control device 10 comprises vary damping shock absorbers, a detector, and a controller. Each of the shock absorbers sets damping coefficient from a minimum value to a maximum value in order to adjust damping force. The detector detects vertical vibration state quantity relating to vibration of the sprung mass. The controller performs an ordinary control for setting the damping coefficient based on the vertical vibration state quantity and according to a predetermined control law suitable for an assumption that all of the wheels touch ground. The controller performs, when at least one of the wheels is an ungrounded wheel which does not touch the ground and each of the other wheels is a grounded wheel which touches the ground, a specific control for setting the damping coefficient of the shock absorber corresponding to the grounded wheel to a first specific value greater than the minimum value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kohtaroh Okimura, Masaaki Tabata, Yoshinori Takamura, Ryo Masutani
  • Publication number: 20220032708
    Abstract: A vehicle stabilizer system, including: a stabilizer device and a switching mechanism to switch a roll suppressing function by a stabilizer bar between an effective state in which the roll suppressing function is rendered effective and an ineffective state in which the roll suppressing function is rendered ineffective; and a controller configured to determine whether a lateral acceleration of a vehicle body is greater than a threshold lateral acceleration and control the switching mechanism to render the roll suppressing function effective when the lateral acceleration is greater than the threshold lateral acceleration and ineffective when the lateral acceleration is not greater than the threshold lateral acceleration, wherein the controller employs, as a determination lateral acceleration for determining whether the lateral acceleration is greater than the threshold lateral acceleration, a smaller one of an actual lateral acceleration and an estimated lateral acceleration estimated based on a turning degree
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaaki Tabata, Kazuyuki Murata, Masashi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20220029349
    Abstract: It is aimed to prevent the damage of sealing holes. A connector includes terminal fittings (30) to be connected to front end parts of wires (39), a housing (10), and a one-piece rubber plug (40) mounted in a rear end part of the housing (10). Accommodation chambers (15) for allowing insertion of the terminal fittings (30) from front of the housing (10) are formed in the housing (10). The one-piece rubber plug (40) includes sealing holes (41). The wires (39) not connected to the terminal fittings (30) are passable through the accommodation chambers (15) and the sealing holes (41).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Hiroki KOBAYASHI, Hajime KAWASE, Masaaki TABATA, Yasuo OMORI, Teruo HARA, Hajime MATSUI
  • Patent number: 11228152
    Abstract: A joint connector 10 is provided with a joint terminal 12, and a housing 13 configured to accommodate the joint terminal 12. The joint terminal 12 includes a plurality of branch portions 16, a plurality of wire connecting portions 19 respectively continuous with the plurality of branch portions 16 and to be connected to wires 11, and a coupling portion 15 electrically connecting the plurality of branch portions 16 by coupling the plurality of branch portions 16. The wire connecting portion 19 includes a connecting piece having a contact surface configured to contact the wire 11 and a pressing portion 17 configured to press the connecting piece against the wire 11 by coming into contact with the connecting piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignees: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Miyamura, Masaaki Tabata, Yasuo Omori
  • Patent number: 11228141
    Abstract: A connector includes a terminal that is to be contacted with a conductive member of a wire, a housing in which the terminal is arranged, and a holding member that is fit in the housing and in contact with the terminal to hold a position of the terminal. At least one of the terminal and the housing includes a pressing portion that presses the conductive member in a direction such that the conductive member comes in contact with the terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignees: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuya Miyamura, Masaaki Tabata, Yasuo Omori, Teruo Hara, Shunya Takeuchi, Hiroki Kobayashi, Hisashi Kojima, Takeshi Misaiji, Hiroshi Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20220001715
    Abstract: The ECU of the stabilizer control apparatus determines, based on a high frequency component of a wheel acceleration and a low frequency component of a wheel speed difference, whether a road surface state is a rough road state or a smooth road state. When the road surface state is determined to be the rough road state, the ECU sets a turning determination threshold to a rough road threshold. When the road surface state is determined to be the smooth road state, the ECU sets the threshold to a smooth road threshold. When a turning determination parameter is greater than the threshold, the ECU sets each of first, second, and third cylinders to a lock state to increase rigidity of stabilizers. When the turning determination parameter is smaller than the turning determination threshold, the ECU sets each of the cylinders to a free state to decrease the rigidity of the stabilizers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuyuki MURATA, Masaaki TABATA, Masashi YAMAMOTO, Ikuhide IYODA
  • Publication number: 20210379957
    Abstract: In each of a first stabilizer device and a second stabilizer device, a stabilizer bar is supported by one or more cylinders, a communication passage via which two fluid chambers of each cylinder are connected is provided, and an opening-closing valve is disposed in the communication passage such that an inter-fluid-chamber communication state where the two fluid chambers communicate with each other and an inter-fluid-chamber shutoff state where the two fluid chambers are shut off from each other are selectively established. Hereby, a vehicle body roll restraining effect is achieved in the inter-fluid-chamber shutoff state while the vehicle body roll restraining effect is cancelled in the inter-fluid-chamber communication state. A linkage mechanism by which those two states of each of the stabilizer devices are changed in conjunction with each other is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaaki Tabata, Kazuyuki Murata, Masashi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11192424
    Abstract: In a stabilizer device, a stabilizer bar having both ends connected to right and left wheel holding portions is supported at a pair of right and left supported portions of the stabilizer bar by a vehicle body via a pair of cylinders that can be extended and retracted based on vertical movement of wheels. The stabilizer device includes two communication passages, each of which allows one of two liquid chambers of one of the pair of cylinders and the other of two liquid chambers of the other cylinder to communicate with each other. The stabilizer device further includes an inter-passage communication passage that allows the two communication passages to communicate with each other, and an on-off valve that is opened and closed to open and close the inter-passage communication passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaaki Tabata, Ryo Masutani, Kazuyuki Murata, Masashi Yamamoto, Hideki Nakayama
  • Publication number: 20210367368
    Abstract: A shielded board connector (20) includes a terminal holding member for shielding (21) and left and right terminal fittings (31). An unshielded board connector (35) includes a terminal holding member for unshielding (36) and left and right terminal fittings (31). In the pair of terminal fittings (31) in the shielded board connector (20), an interval (Pw) of tab-like connecting portions (32) is wider than an interval (Po) of board connecting portions (34). In the pair of terminal fittings (31) of the unshielded board connector (35), an interval (Pn) of tab-like connecting portions (32) is narrower than an interval (Po) of board connecting portions (34). The interval (Po) of the board connecting portions for shielding (34) and the interval (Po) of the board connecting portions for unshielding (34) are substantially equal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: Tetsuya Miyamura, Masaaki Tabata
  • Publication number: 20210351533
    Abstract: A female terminal (10) has: a terminal connection section (13) extending in a length direction and having, at the front end thereof in the length direction, an insertion opening (16) into which a male terminal (11) is inserted; an elastic contact piece (22) disposed within the terminal connection section (13) and making elastic contact with the male terminal (11) in a height direction intersecting the length direction, thereby gripping the male terminal (11) between the elastic contact piece (22) and the terminal connection section (13); a plurality of spring members (26, 27) arranged within the terminal connection section (13) at a distance from each other in the length direction, and making elastic contact with the male terminal (11) from one side in a width direction intersecting both the length direction and the height direction; and a protrusion section (33) protruding inside the terminal connection section (13) from the other side toward the one side in the width direction and gripping the male terminal
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Inventors: Akihiro NISHITANI, Masaaki TABATA, Teruo HARA
  • Patent number: 11165172
    Abstract: A female terminal (12) to be connected to an end of a wire (11) is provided with a wire connecting portion (19) including a base (22) and first and second pinching portions (14, 15) extending along an extending direction from the base (22) and configured to pinch the wire (11), and a sliding portion (18) movable along the extending direction and including first pressing portions (16A, 16B) and second pressing portions (17A, 17B) for pressing the first and second pinching portions (14, 15) toward the wire (11) by coming into contact with the first and second pinching portions (14, 15). The first pressing portions (16A, 16B) and the second pressing portions (17A, 17B) project toward the first and second pinching portions (14, 15) and are side by side at an interval in a direction intersecting the extending direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Inventors: Tetsuya Miyamura, Hajime Kawase, Masaaki Tabata, Yasuo Omori, Teruo Hara, Shunya Takeuchi, Hajime Matsui