Patents by Inventor Masanari Okuno

Masanari Okuno 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: 20060005588
    Abstract: A steering lock that reduces the force required to disengage a lock bar from a steering shaft without affecting the antitheft effect of the steering lock. The steering lock includes a lock bar engaged with the steering shaft at a lock position and disengaged from the steering shaft at an unlock position. A lock stopper is connected to the lock bar so as to enable movement of the lock bar between the lock position and the unlock position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Publication date: January 12, 2006
    Inventor: Masanari Okuno
  • Publication number: 20050223761
    Abstract: A steering lock device including a sleeve assembly, a rear shaft rotated when a steering wheel is operated, and a lock bar for locking the steering shaft when engaged with a seat member fixed to the rear shaft. A sleeve assembly including an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve is shortened when the outer sleeve moves along the inner sleeve. The distal portion of the lock bar includes a slope that is abut against an open end of the inner sleeve. When the open end pushes the slope, the lock bar smoothly moves away from the steering shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2005
    Publication date: October 13, 2005
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Masanari Okuno, Takeshi Murakami, Mitsuo Murakami
  • Publication number: 20050127753
    Abstract: An electric steering lock device which can prevent a motor from being overloaded and can increase the drive force of the motor. The electric steering lock device (10) of the present invention has a lock bar (32) which moves according to the movement of a cam follower (22). The cam follower relatively moves in a spiral cam groove (21) in accordance with the rotation of a rotary plate (20) driven by an electric motor (11), thereby the cam follower moves along the radial direction of the rotary plate. The cam follower can be disengaged from the cam groove via the end portions (21a, 21b) of the cam groove according to the rotation of the rotary plate. When the cam follower is disengaged from the cam groove, the rotation of the rotary plate is permitted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2003
    Publication date: June 16, 2005
    Inventors: Masanari Okuno, Tomoyuki Funayama, Toshio Asahi, Tomoo Kakegawa
  • Patent number: 6810700
    Abstract: An engine starting apparatus including a lock body, a camshaft rotatably arranged in the lock body, and a knob connected to the camshaft. A lock pin restricts the rotation of the camshaft by engaging the camshaft. A solenoid moves the lock pin between a position in which the lock pin is engaged with the camshaft and a position in which the lock pin is disengaged from the camshaft. A tab is attached to the actuator and has a hole. The lock body has a cavity associated with the hole. A fastening pin is inserted in the hole and the cavity to fasten the solenoid to the lock body. This structure prevents the solenoid from being easily removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho
    Inventor: Masanari Okuno
  • Publication number: 20040182121
    Abstract: An antitheft system for a vehicle has an electrically-driven steering lock device. In the lock device, due to a lock arm, which is formed integrally with a helical gear, being driven to rotate by a motor, a lock stopper and a lock bar are moved toward a steering shaft and are set in a locked state. Usually, locking is released by the lock stopper and the lock bar being moved toward a side opposite the steering shaft due to elastic urging force of a spring. In a case in which the lock bar catches on an engagement groove and the lock stopper cannot be moved only by the urging force of the spring, a cam, which is rotated integrally with the helical gear, pushes the lock stopper upward such that locking is released.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2004
    Publication date: September 23, 2004
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Tomohiro Fukatsu, Masanari Okuno, Noriyuki Suzuki, Shozo Kito
  • Publication number: 20040148983
    Abstract: In an electrically-driven steering lock device of the present invention, when a lock body is broken while a vehicle is parked, the lock body is divided into a main body portion and a guide portion, a lock pin is inserted through a through-hole of a movable plate and fits into a fit-in hole formed in a lock stopper such that movement of the lock stopper is impeded. A locked state of a steering shaft is thereby maintained. Further, movement of the movable plate in a direction of being pulled-out also is impeded by the lock pin, and an interior of the guide portion is prevented from being exposed. Moreover, the lock pin is provided within the guide portion, and even if the guide portion is viewed from an exterior, it is difficult to learn of a mechanism and a position of the lock pin. Therefore, it is difficult to cancel a locked state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Noriyuki Suzuki, Masanari Okuno, Tomohiro Fukatsu
  • Patent number: 6718805
    Abstract: A steering wheel locking device is attached to a smart ignition system to lock a steering shaft. The device has a key cylinder having a key insertion portion. The key cylinder is rotated between a locked position and an actuation position. A switch knob rotates the key cylinder. A lock bar locks the steering shaft. When the key cylinder is rotated from the locked position to the actuation position, the lock bar releases the lock of the steering shaft. When the key cylinder is rotated from the locked position to the actuation position, a locking lever maintains the lock bar unlocked. A slide body is moved by a key inserted in the key insertion portion. When the key cylinder is rotated from the actuation position to the locked position, the locking lever maintains the lock bar unlocked by the engagement of the key and the slide body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho
    Inventor: Masanari Okuno
  • Publication number: 20040003632
    Abstract: An activation restricting apparatus for an engine starting system that may be produced with a compact size. The apparatus includes an operating mechanism, an actuator, and a control unit. The operating mechanism starts and stops the engine and has a plurality of positions including a LOCK position. The operating mechanism includes a first stopper prohibiting movement of the operating mechanism from the LOCK position and a second stopper prohibiting movement of the operating mechanism to the LOCK position. The control unit enables the engine to be started when the operating mechanism is in the LOCK position and a first ID code sent from a portable device matches a second ID code. The control unit enables the operating mechanism to be moved to the LOCK position when the operating mechanism is not in the LOCK position and the vehicle is not moving.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Publication date: January 8, 2004
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Kiyokazu Ohtaki, Shoichi Harada, Masanari Okuno, Osamu Shoji
  • Publication number: 20020178769
    Abstract: A steering wheel locking device is attached to a smart ignition system to lock a steering shaft. The device has a key cylinder having a key insertion portion. The key cylinder is rotated between a locked position and an actuation position. A switch knob rotates the key cylinder. A lock bar locks the steering shaft. When the key cylinder is rotated from the locked position to the actuation position, the lock bar releases the lock of the steering shaft. When the key cylinder is rotated from the locked position to the actuation position, a locking lever maintains the lock bar unlocked. A slide body is moved by a key inserted in the key insertion portion. When the key cylinder is rotated from the actuation position to the locked position, the locking lever maintains the lock bar unlocked by the engagement of the key and the slide body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Inventor: Masanari Okuno
  • Publication number: 20020148262
    Abstract: An engine starting apparatus including a lock body, a camshaft rotatably arranged in the lock body, and a knob connected to the camshaft. A lock pin restricts the rotation of the camshaft by engaging the camshaft. A solenoid moves the lock pin between a position in which the lock pin is engaged with the camshaft and a position in which the lock pin is disengaged from the camshaft. A tab is attached to the actuator and has a hole. The lock body has a cavity associated with the hole. A fastening pin is inserted in the hole and the cavity to fasten the solenoid to the lock body. This structure prevents the solenoid from being easily removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2002
    Publication date: October 17, 2002
    Inventor: Masanari Okuno