Patents by Inventor Masashi Hotta

Masashi Hotta 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: 20170088080
    Abstract: An airbag is inflatable in such a manner as to separate a vehicle-side wall which is deployable towards a vehicle body structure and an occupant-side wall which is deployable towards an occupant for catching the occupant. The airbag is configured to be supported by the vehicle body structure on the vehicle-side wall when catching the occupant with the occupant-side wall. The airbag includes a recessed section on left and right sides of and in a vicinity of the center of the occupant-side wall and a tether that connects the bottom of the recessed section to the vehicle-side wall in order to form the recessed section. Opposing walls of the recessed section press each other in a separable fashion when the airbag is inflated. The tether allows gas communication between a central region of the airbag and a peripheral region of the airbag which surrounds the central region, inside the airbag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Inventors: Masashi HOTTA, Takashi IIDA, Yuji SATO, Ikuo YAMADA, Mikine HAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20170008481
    Abstract: A lateral partition of a side airbag apparatus extends in a front-rear direction to divide the interior of an airbag into an upper inflation chamber and a lower inflation chamber. A vertical partition extends vertically and includes a communication portion. The vertical partition divides the upper inflation chamber into an upper-rear inflation chamber, to which inflation gas from a gas generator is supplied, and an upper-front inflation chamber, to which the inflation gas is supplied via the communication portion. An inner tube regulates the flow of the inflation gas to direct to the upper-rear inflation chamber and the lower inflation chamber. The rear ends of two first fabric portions of the vertical partition are joined to the upper parts of the front ends of two second fabric portions of the inner tube by a first vertical joint portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventors: Masashi HOTTA, Takashi IIDA, Yuji SATO, Norio MIZUNO, Yuta OKAYAMA
  • Patent number: 9517747
    Abstract: An airbag of a side airbag apparatus includes an upstream inflation portion, which inflates by inflation gas, and deploys frontward at a side of a vehicle seat. An opening is provided at a wall portion of the upstream inflation portion. A pressure regulator valve closes before an occupant is restrained by the upstream inflation portion, thereby restricting the inflation gas in the upstream inflation portion from flowing through the opening. Upon the occupant restraint, the pressure regulator valve cancels the restriction in response to a change in a tensed state of the dividing portion by an external force applied due to the restraint. A tear seam that connects valve body portions of the pressure regulator valve delays the opening time of the pressure regulator valve upon the occupant restraint by the upstream inflation portion relative to the opening time set only by the pressure regulator valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Hotta, Yuji Sato, Kensaku Honda, Hitoshi Kawabe, Hiroshi Kato
  • Patent number: 9505371
    Abstract: An airbag of a head-protecting airbag device includes a bag body, a plurality of mounting tabs for mounting an upper edge of the bag body on the vehicle body, and a tension cloth. The bag body includes at its terminal region in a front and rear direction where the tension cloth is located a terminal inflatable portion that is partitioned from a remaining general inflatable portion by a terminal partitioning portion. The terminal inflatable portion is so deployable that its upper end region be deployed on an inboard side of a pillar. The mounting tabs include a terminal mounting tab located at the terminal region where the terminal inflatable portion is located and a general mounting tab located at the general inflatable portion. An upward protruding amount of the terminal mounting tab out of the bag body in an unfolded state is greater than that of the general mounting tab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Kawamura, Yuji Sato, Masaaki Okuhara, Takashi Iida, Masashi Hotta, Takuya Hiraiwa, Yasushi Okada
  • Patent number: 9475450
    Abstract: An airbag main body is divided into a first inflation chamber, a second inflation chamber, and a third inflation chamber. The third inflation chamber is inflated beside the lumbar region of an occupant. The vertical partition has a communication hole that connects the first inflation chamber and the second inflation chamber to each other. The airbag main body has a gas passage, which extends in the up-down direction and surrounds at least the gas outlet of an inflator. The gas passage bridges the first inflation chamber and the third inflation chamber. The gas passage has an upper opening, which faces a part of the first inflation chamber that is inflated beside the shoulder region of the occupant. The gas passage also has a lower opening, which faces the third inflation chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takuya Hiraiwa, Yuji Sato, Takashi Iida, Masashi Hotta
  • Patent number: 9475446
    Abstract: An airbag is stored in a storage portion provided in a side of the seat back of a car seat and fixed to a side frame portion. The airbag is deployed and inflated by inflation gas that is supplied in response to an impact from a side of the seat back. The airbag displaces a cover main body of a cover sideways from the seat back with a hinge portion function as a pivot, so that the storage portion is opened. The airbag includes an upstream inflation portion, which forms a rear part and receives inflation gas, and a downstream inflation portion, which is located forward of the upstream inflation portion. The downstream inflation portion receives inflation gas via the upstream inflation portion. The upstream inflation portion has a front end that is located forward of a front end of the cover when the upstream inflation portion is inflated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Hotta, Yuji Sato, Eiji Sato, Masao Kino
  • Patent number: 9428134
    Abstract: An airbag is formed in a bag shape by joining margins of one pair of main body cloth portions. Inflation gas is supplied from an inflator to the airbag according to an impact given from the side of a vehicle seat. With this supply, the airbag deploys and inflates. A longitudinal partition portion is laid between the one pair of main body cloth portions. The longitudinal partition portion partitions an interior of the airbag into a front part and a rear part and has a communication hole. An inside one of the main body cloth portions constituting the airbag is attached to a car. The airbag is attached to a side frame inside the vehicle seat at a position between a rear end of the inside main body cloth portion and the longitudinal partition portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takuya Hiraiwa, Yuji Sato, Takashi Iida, Masashi Hotta
  • Publication number: 20160185314
    Abstract: An airbag of a head-protecting airbag device includes a bag body and a connecting member. The bag body includes a general inflatable portion and a terminal inflatable portion adjoining the general inflatable portion and located at a terminal region in a front and rear direction of the bag body. The connecting member is disposed over an outboard side of the terminal inflatable portion and includes at the leading end a mounting portion to be secured to a periphery of a vehicle window. The root end of the connecting member is jointed to a closed portion of the bag body at least by two jointing points disposed away from each other in an up and down direction. The jointing points are generally equally distant from the mounting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventors: Koji KAWAMURA, Yuji SATO, Masaaki OKUHARA, Masashi HOTTA, Takuya HIRAIWA, Takashi IIDA
  • Publication number: 20160114754
    Abstract: An airbag of a head-protecting airbag device includes a bag body, a plurality of mounting tabs for mounting an upper edge of the bag body on the vehicle body, and a tension cloth. The bag body includes at its terminal region in a front and rear direction where the tension cloth is located a terminal inflatable portion that is partitioned from a remaining general inflatable portion by a terminal partitioning portion. The terminal inflatable portion is so deployable that its upper end region be deployed on an inboard side of a pillar. The mounting tabs include a terminal mounting tab located at the terminal region where the terminal inflatable portion is located and a general mounting tab located at the general inflatable portion. An upward protruding amount of the terminal mounting tab out of the bag body in an unfolded state is greater than that of the general mounting tab.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Koji KAWAMURA, Yuji SATO, Masaaki OKUHARA, Takashi IIDA, Masashi HOTTA, Takuya HIRAIWA, Yasushi OKADA
  • Patent number: 9290148
    Abstract: A section of an inflator from a longitudinally middle portion to a gas outlet is defined as an insertion section. The insertion section is inserted in an airbag through an insertion opening and is arranged along the inner wall surface of the airbag. The inflator includes a proximal end located opposite to the gas outlet. The section of the inflator from the middle portion to the proximal end, that is, an exposed section is located outside the airbag and is arranged along the outer wall surface of the airbag. A lid sheet inside the airbag closes a gap between an inner edge of the insertion opening and the inflator from a position inward of the insertion section. The lid sheet includes a joint located along the rear portion of the insertion opening in the insertion direction of the inflator. The lid sheet is joined to the airbag with the joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Hotta, Yuji Sato
  • Patent number: 9278662
    Abstract: An airbag apparatus includes an airbag, a retainer secured to the airbag, and an elongated inflator attached to the retainer. The inflator discharges gas for inflating the airbag. The retainer includes an attaching protrusion, which protrudes in a direction intersecting an axis of the inflator and secures the retainer to a vehicle together with the airbag. The inflator includes an attaching protrusion, which protrudes in the direction intersecting the axis and secures the inflator to the vehicle together with the retainer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Hotta, Yuji Sato, Kensaku Honda, Yoshiaki Goto, Akira Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20160016530
    Abstract: An airbag of a side airbag apparatus includes an upstream inflation portion, which inflates by inflation gas, and deploys frontward at a side of a vehicle seat. An opening is provided at a wall portion of the upstream inflation portion. A pressure regulator valve closes before an occupant is restrained by the upstream inflation portion, thereby restricting the inflation gas in the upstream inflation portion from flowing through the opening. Upon the occupant restraint, the pressure regulator valve cancels the restriction in response to a change in a tensed state of the dividing portion by an external force applied due to the restraint. A tear seam that connects valve body portions of the pressure regulator valve delays the opening time of the pressure regulator valve upon the occupant restraint by the upstream inflation portion relative to the opening time set only by the pressure regulator valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: Masashi HOTTA, Yuji SATO, Kensaku HONDA, Hitoshi KAWABE, Hiroshi KATO
  • Patent number: 9227589
    Abstract: A side airbag apparatus includes an airbag main body. The inside of the airbag main body is divided by a vertical partition including a gas flow restrictor at least into an upstream inflation portion, which is located rearward of the vertical partition and receives inflating gas, and a downstream inflation portion, which is located forward of the vertical partition and receives the inflating gas that has passed through the upstream inflation portion and the gas flow restrictor. The dimension of the vertical partition in the widthwise direction of the automobile seat is set to a dimension that is equal or approximate to the dimension of the airbag main body in the widthwise direction in a case in which the airbag main body is inflated without the vertical partition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Iida, Masashi Hotta, Takuya Hiraiwa, Yuji Sato
  • Patent number: 9211862
    Abstract: An inflation portion of an airbag, which is inflated by inflation gas, is partitioned into an upstream inflation portion and a downstream inflation portion via a partition member. When being tensioned in a planar manner, the partition member has a length in a longitudinal direction that is longer than a length in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. A pressure regulating valve that is closed at an early stage of a supply period of the inflation gas to the inflation portion and is opened from the middle of the supply period includes a slit-like inner opening that is provided on the partition member and extends in the transverse direction and a pair of valve body portions that are provided around the inner opening and are selectively positioned close to and separated from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Shibayama, Kensaku Honda, Yuji Sato, Michiyasu Ito, Masashi Hotta, Masashi Aoki, Daisuke Yamamura
  • Publication number: 20150343980
    Abstract: An airbag is stored in a storage portion provided in a side of the seat back of a car seat and fixed to a side frame portion. The airbag is deployed and inflated by inflation gas that is supplied in response to an impact from a side of the seat back. The airbag displaces a cover main body of a cover sideways from the seat back with a hinge portion function as a pivot, so that the storage portion is opened. The airbag includes an upstream inflation portion, which forms a rear part and receives inflation gas, and a downstream inflation portion, which is located forward of the upstream inflation portion. The downstream inflation portion receives inflation gas via the upstream inflation portion. The upstream inflation portion has a front end that is located forward of a front end of the cover when the upstream inflation portion is inflated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Inventors: Masashi HOTTA, Yuji SATO, Eiji SATO, Masao KINO
  • Patent number: 9180836
    Abstract: An airbag of a side airbag apparatus includes an upstream inflation portion, which inflates by inflation gas, and deploys frontward at a side of a vehicle seat. An opening is provided at a wall portion of the upstream inflation portion. A pressure regulator valve closes before an occupant is restrained by the upstream inflation portion, thereby restricting the inflation gas in the upstream inflation portion from flowing through the opening. Upon the occupant restraint, the pressure regulator valve cancels the restriction in response to a change in a tensed state of the dividing portion by an external force applied due to the restraint. A tear seam that connects valve body portions of the pressure regulator valve delays the opening time of the pressure regulator valve upon the occupant restraint by the upstream inflation portion relative to the opening time set only by the pressure regulator valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Hotta, Yuji Sato, Kensaku Honda, Hitoshi Kawabe, Hiroshi Kato
  • Patent number: 9150185
    Abstract: An inflation portion of an airbag main body is divided into a first inflation chamber, a second inflation chamber in front of and adjacent to the first inflation chamber with a vertical partition in between, and a third inflation chamber below the first inflation chamber with a lateral partition in between. The vertical partition has a pressure regulator valve. Before the first inflation chamber restrains an occupant, the pressure regulator valve restricts flow of inflation gas from the first inflation chamber to the second inflation chamber. When the first inflation chamber restrains the occupant, the pressure regulator valve opens in response to a change in the tensed state of the vertical partition due to the applied external force generated by the restraint, thereby cancelling the restraint. The lateral partition has a check valve, which restricts flow of inflation gas from the third inflation chamber to the first inflation chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Hotta, Yuji Sato, Yoshiaki Goto, Kensaku Honda
  • Publication number: 20150274117
    Abstract: A side airbag apparatus includes an airbag main body. The inside of the airbag main body is divided by a vertical partition including a gas flow restrictor at least into an upstream inflation portion, which is located rearward of the vertical partition and receives inflating gas, and a downstream inflation portion, which is located forward of the vertical partition and receives the inflating gas that has passed through the upstream inflation portion and the gas flow restrictor. The dimension of the vertical partition in the widthwise direction of the automobile seat is set to a dimension that is equal or approximate to the dimension of the airbag main body in the widthwise direction in a case in which the airbag main body is inflated without the vertical partition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventors: Takashi IIDA, Masashi HOTTA, Takuya HIRAIWA, Yuji SATO
  • Publication number: 20150239418
    Abstract: A section of an inflator from a longitudinally middle portion to a gas outlet is defined as an insertion section. The insertion section is inserted in an airbag through an insertion opening and is arranged along the inner wall surface of the airbag. The inflator includes a proximal end located opposite to the gas outlet. The section of the inflator from the middle portion to the proximal end, that is, an exposed section is located outside the airbag and is arranged along the outer wall surface of the airbag. A lid sheet inside the airbag closes a gap between an inner edge of the insertion opening and the inflator from a position inward of the insertion section. The lid sheet includes a joint located along the rear portion of the insertion opening in the insertion direction of the inflator. The lid sheet is joined to the airbag with the joint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Inventors: Masashi HOTTA, Yuji SATO
  • Publication number: 20150021884
    Abstract: An airbag is formed in a bag shape by joining margins of one pair of main body cloth portions. Inflation gas is supplied from an inflator to the airbag according to an impact given from the side of a vehicle seat. With this supply, the airbag deploys and inflates. A longitudinal partition portion is laid between the one pair of main body cloth portions. The longitudinal partition portion partitions an interior of the airbag into a front part and a rear part and has a communication hole. An inside one of the main body cloth portions constituting the airbag is attached to a car. The airbag is attached to a side frame inside the vehicle seat at a position between a rear end of the inside main body cloth portion and the longitudinal partition portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventors: Takuya HIRAIWA, Yuji SATO, Takashi IIDA, Masashi HOTTA