Patents by Inventor Masaru Ukita

Masaru Ukita 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: 9333943
    Abstract: A restriction rotating body is provided at a carrier plate, on the opposite side of a sun gear to a planet gear. When an internal-toothed gear is displaced together with a sensor gear in the rotation radial direction thereof, the internal-toothed gear presses a shaft portion of the restriction rotating body, and further, a gear portion of the restriction rotating body presses the sun gear. Due thereto, the amount of relative displacement of the internal-toothed gear with respect to the sun gear can accordingly be reduced. Moreover, since the restriction rotating body does not mesh with the internal-toothed gear, the restriction rotating body can be easily assembled after assembly of the planet gear. The planet gear can accordingly be easily assembled prior to assembly of the restriction rotating body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Wataru Yanagawa, Masaru Ukita, Hitoshi Takamatsu
  • Patent number: 9302649
    Abstract: In a webbing take-up device, configuration is made such that in a state in which a restriction wall of a cam gear is positioned at a lateral the side of a pin of a link configuring a switching section, the restriction wall abuts the pin when the link attempts to move. The restriction wall does not actively move the link regardless of the number of revolutions made by the cam gear. Operation noise of the link, a stopper pawl and a slide stopper accordingly does not occur during pull-out and take-up of webbing during normal usage, and a desirable user sensation is achieved in pull-out and take-up of the webbing during normal usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Wataru Yanagawa, Masanori Ukai, Masaru Ukita
  • Publication number: 20160046260
    Abstract: A webbing take-up device is obtained in which the number of rotations of a spool from the start of deformation of a first energy absorption member until the start of deformation of a second energy absorption member can exceed one rotation. In a webbing take-up device, a restricting tab is provided at an open side of the engagement recess portion. Although the leading end of the stopper pawl and the engagement recess portion face each other in the first rotation of the lock ring, a leading end of a stopper pawl is thereby unable to enter inside the engagement recess portion. The restricting tab is restricted from rotating when the leading end of the stopper pawl abuts an abutting portion of the restricting tab. When the lock ring accordingly rotates in a pull-out direction, the restricting tab moves relative to the open side of the engagement recess portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Ayaka NAKAMURA, Masanori UKAI, Wataru YANAGAWA, Masaru UKITA
  • Patent number: 9260077
    Abstract: A pretensioner comprising a gas generating unit; a pretensioner body to whose inside the gas is supplied; a spool driving member disposed inside the pretensioner body and causing a spool to rotate to retract webbing onto the spool; a gas flow rate adjusting portion disposed in the spool driving member and whose inner peripheral shape is set in accordance with a flow rate of the gas to be passed through the gas flow rate adjusting portion; and a filter unit having a vent portion that is communicated with a space between the gas generating unit and the spool driving member and is also communicated with the gas flow rate adjusting portion. The open shape of the gas flow rate adjusting portion has a portion that does not coincide in a plan view with the open shape of the vent portion, and the overall open area of the vent portion is set larger than the open area of the gas flow rate adjusting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Tomonori Nagata, Shinichi Okubo, Masaru Ukita, Katsuki Asagiri, Yasutaka Watanabe, Keiichi Kato, Yusuke Hirokawa, Hiroaki Yamazoe
  • Patent number: 9221425
    Abstract: A webbing retractor has a clutch mechanism including a lock member; a clutch cover, and a clutch guide that is positioned between the clutch cover and a spool. The clutch guide is capable of relatively rotating between an unactuated position and an actuated position with respect to the clutch cover, the clutch guide being engaged with a trigger member positioned on a side of the spool and being normally held in the unactuated position. A spring is provided in a compressed state between the clutch cover and the clutch guide, and a pawl is positioned between the clutch cover and the clutch guide, and engages with the ring unit when the trigger member disengages from the clutch guide. An axial-direction separation restricting mechanism restricts axial-direction separation between the clutch cover and the clutch guide while allowing the relative rotation between the clutch cover and the clutch guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Wataru Yanagawa, Masaru Ukita, Yoshiaki Maekubo
  • Patent number: 9212024
    Abstract: A webbing retractor is provided that can improve balance of load that a torsion shaft receives from a spool. Fit-together projections are formed at a spool side engaging portion of a main torsion member. Further, a load receiving portion is formed at a webbing insert-through hole side at the spool side engaging portion. Rotation radius direction components of rotational forces, that respective inclined surfaces of the fit-together projections receive from respective inclined surfaces of rotation restricting holes, are nullified by a rotation radius direction component of rotational force that the load receiving portion receives from a load imparting portion. Due thereto, balance of load that the main torsion member receives from a spool can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Maekubo, Masaru Ukita, Wataru Yanagawa
  • Patent number: 9150192
    Abstract: A coil spring is provided in a compressed state between a coupling wall section provided at a clutch guide and an inner-side locking section. The clutch guide is provided with a support section which supports one axial-direction end section of the coil spring from a side opposite to the clutch cover in an axial direction of the clutch guide. The clutch cover is provided with a leading-end protruding section which is projected with respect to the inner-side locking section so as to be inserted in the other axial-direction end section of the coil spring. The leading-end protruding section is inclined, with respect to a direction orthogonal to an axial direction of the clutch cover, toward a support section side, so that the coil spring is curved so as to be convex to the support section side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Wataru Yanagawa, Masaru Ukita, Yoshiaki Maekubo
  • Patent number: 9090229
    Abstract: A webbing take-up device is obtained capable of securing sealing properties to gas generated by actuation of a gas generator. A switching mechanism of a webbing take-up device is equipped with a body, a gas generator, a piston that is actuated on receipt of pressure of gas generated by the gas generator, and a cylinder that internally houses the piston. A sheet and a support plate are attached to the body. Crushable ribs are provided to the sheet. The crushable ribs press the cylinder through a general portion of the sheet by attaching the sheet and the support plate to the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Maekubo, Masaru Ukita, Wataru Yanagawa, Takayoshi Ando
  • Patent number: 9027866
    Abstract: A webbing take-up device that is both capable of promoting reductions in size and weight and capable of excellently maintaining coupling strength between a pawl member and a ring portion. A clutch plate and a lock ring of this webbing take-up device are coupled by plural teeth provided at the clutch plate meshing with plural teeth provided at the lock ring. This lock ring is specified to have a lower material strength than the clutch plate. A tooth height H2 of the plural teeth of the lock ring is specified to be lower than a tooth height of the plural teeth of the clutch plate. Thus, when the lock ring and the clutch plate mesh, tooth tips of the plural teeth of the clutch plate come into contact with tooth bottoms of the plural teeth of the lock ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Wataru Yanagawa, Masaru Ukita, Yoshiaki Maekubo
  • Patent number: 9027865
    Abstract: In a webbing winding device, even when a piston moves toward the other side in a movement direction due to a reaction when the piston moves to a maximum movement position, an engagement surface of a hook portion comes into contact with a subject engagement surface of a subject engagement portion, so that the movement of the piston toward the other side in the movement direction is restricted. Accordingly, the piston is prevented from returning to a standby position, and a pawl is prevented from returning to a lock position. For this reason, a state where a rotation of a locking ring in the pull-out direction is maintained. Accordingly, after the piston moves from the standby position to the maximum movement position, the piston is prevented from returning to the standby position, and the force limiter load is prevented from being changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Kabuhiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Masaru Ukita, Wataru Yanagawa, Yoshiaki Maekubo, Takayoshi Ando
  • Patent number: 8955785
    Abstract: In a webbing winding device, a sub-torsion shaft is inserted from one side in the axial direction of a spool into the spool when assembling the sub-torsion shaft to the spool. Subsequently, by the sub-torsion shaft rotating in the winding direction, movement of the sub-torsion shaft with respect to the spool in the winding direction and in one side in the axial direction is inhibited. Subsequently, by a stopper being fitted from one side in the axial direction into insertion groove portions, movement of the sub-torsion shaft with respect to the spool in the pull out direction is inhibited. Accordingly, since the direction in which the sub-torsion shaft is assembled to the spool becomes only a direction parallel to the axial direction of the spool, the assembility of the sub-torsion shaft with respect to the spool may be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Wataru Yanagawa, Yoshiaki Maekubo, Masaru Ukita
  • Publication number: 20140263798
    Abstract: In a webbing take-up device, a structure for interlocking a second lock pawl with a first lock pawl is only a shaft. It also suffices for switching between restricting of rotation of a lock ring and cancelling of the restricting to be carried out merely by moving a piston by gas pressure generated at a gas generator. In this way, by a simple structure, it is possible to switch between a mode, in which torsional deformation is brought about at a sub torsion main body of a sub torsion shaft, and a mode, in which torsional deformation is not brought about at the sub torsion main body of the sub torsion shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Masaru UKITA, Wataru YANAGAWA
  • Publication number: 20140239108
    Abstract: In a webbing take-up device, configuration is made such that in a state in which a restriction wall of a cam gear is positioned at a lateral the side of a pin of a link configuring a switching section, the restriction wall abuts the pin when the link attempts to move. The restriction wall does not actively move the link regardless of the number of revolutions made by the cam gear. Operation noise of the link, a stopper pawl and a slide stopper accordingly does not occur during pull-out and take-up of webbing during normal usage, and a desirable user sensation is achieved in pull-out and take-up of the webbing during normal usage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Wataru YANAGAWA, Masanori UKAI, Masaru UKITA
  • Publication number: 20140224915
    Abstract: In a webbing take-up device, due to actuation of a pre-tensioning mechanism when a vehicle collision, a piston is moved, rack teeth of the piston mesh with pinion teeth of a pinion, causing the pinion rotate and a spool to be rotated in the take-up direction. In a state where a large rotational force in the pull-out direction is acting from an occupant on the pinion, through a webbing and the spool, a rack tooth is broken by a pinion tooth when the rack teeth initially mesh with the pinion teeth, especially by a tip end of the rack tooth meshing with the pinion tooth. Therefore, sticking-in of the pinion teeth rack teeth and the pinion teeth can be suppressed, or easily eliminated, enabling loss in force transmitted from the piston to the pinion to be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Wataru YANAGAWA, Masaru UKITA
  • Patent number: 8789786
    Abstract: Plural door portions are formed by sectioning the gas blowing section of the gas generator with slits. In a state in which gas has been generated by the gas generator, the plural door portions part at the slits and open towards the outside of the casing body. A gas flow path section is connected to a peripheral wall section configuring an deployment space permitting opening of the door portions. The gas flow path section is provided with an upstream portion which is in communication with the deployment space and formed along a direction orthogonal to the direction of gas blowing from the gas blowing section, and an opening portion provided at the gas inflow side, which is set so as to communicate with a space which is between adjacent door portions when the door portions 56 are in a opened state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Maekubo, Masaru Ukita, Wataru Yanagawa
  • Publication number: 20140145021
    Abstract: In a pretensioner mechanism, movement of a piston is anchored by an anchoring pin. The anchoring pin is crushed and the piston is allowed to move. Hence, a pinion is turned by a rack of the piston. A facilitating cavity is formed in the anchoring pin. Crushing and deformation of the anchoring pin in a diametric direction thereof due to a movement of the rack is facilitated by the facilitating cavity. Therefore, the anchoring pin may be easily crushed and deformed in the diametric direction by the movement of the rack, and the action of the anchoring pin caused by the movement of the rack may be effectively made consistent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Wataru Yanagawa, Masaru Ukita, Hiroaki Yamazoe
  • Patent number: 8695911
    Abstract: A webbing take-up device capable of smoothly releasing rotation locking while also stabilizing a load support direction during rotation locking. A pawl is equipped with a flat plane shaped load receiving face. The pawl is normally retained in a load receiving position but is rotationally moved when imparted with drive force of a drive mechanism section. The lock ring is equipped with a protrusion portion set with a lower rigidity than the rigidity of the pawl. The lock ring is not capable of rotating by the protrusion portion being supported by the load receiving face of the pawl, and rotation is permitted by moving the load receiving face away from the protrusion portion with rotational movement of the pawl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Maekubo, Masaru Ukita, Wataru Yanagawa
  • Patent number: 8573526
    Abstract: A webbing take-up device comprising a take-up shaft on which webbing is taken up; a movement member that is moved at a specific occasion such as a vehicle collision is detected or there is rapid vehicle deceleration; a rotation member comprising a coaxially provided rotation shaft support portion and recess portion formed at an end portion in an axial direction of the rotation shaft support portion, the take-up shaft being rotated in the take-up direction by the rotation member meshing with the movement member and being rotated during movement of the movement member; and a cover member disposed on a rotation shaft support portion side of the rotation member, the cover member comprising a plate portion, a substantially ring shaped wall that projects out from the plate portion towards a rotation member side and is accommodated in the recess portion, and a shaft bearing hole formed in the plate portion and the substantially ring shaped wall for supporting the rotation shaft support portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Wataru Yanagawa, Masaru Ukita
  • Publication number: 20130264408
    Abstract: A webbing take-up device is obtained capable of suppressing generating of extraordinary noise caused by vibration accompanying vehicle travelling. A switching mechanism of a webbing take-up device is equipped with a lock ring and a body that is formed with a recessed portion that houses the lock ring. The switching mechanism is also equipped with a sheet that is attached to the body so as to cover the recessed portion housing the lock ring. Protruding portions are formed at the sheet. The protruding portions make contact with the lock ring housed in the recessed portion of the body. As a result the lock ring is restricted from vibrating inside the recessed portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2013
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Yoshiaki MAEKUBO, Masaru UKITA, Wataru YANAGAWA, Takayoshi ANDO
  • Publication number: 20130256442
    Abstract: A restriction rotating body is provided at a carrier plate, on the opposite side of a sun gear to a planet gear. When an internal-toothed gear is displaced together with a sensor gear in the rotation radial direction thereof, the internal-toothed gear presses a shaft portion of the restriction rotating body, and further, a gear portion of the restriction rotating body presses the sun gear. Due thereto, the amount of relative displacement of the internal-toothed gear with respect to the sun gear can accordingly be reduced. Moreover, since the restriction rotating body does not mesh with the internal-toothed gear, the restriction rotating body can be easily assembled after assembly of the planet gear. The planet gear can accordingly be easily assembled prior to assembly of the restriction rotating body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Wataru YANAGAWA, Masaru UKITA, Hitoshi TAKAMATSU