Patents by Inventor Mineki Ninomiya

Mineki Ninomiya 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: 6582181
    Abstract: A lift-up mechanism (50, 150) installed inside a vehicle serves to move a seat unit (10, 110) into or out of the vehicle. The seat unit (10, 110) is used as a passenger seat inside the vehicle and as a wheelchair outside the vehicle. Connecting plates (56, 156) are disposed on the lift-up mechanism (50, 150) permit the lift-up mechanism (50, 150) to be connected to the seat unit (10, 110) by inserting the connecting plates into connecting recesses (40, 140) formed in the seat unit (10, 110). Front wheels (60, 160) and rear wheels (70, 170) of the seat unit (10, 110) can be retracted and extended. A drive unit having an electric motor or similar drive may be provided to retract and extend the front wheels (60, 160) and the rear wheels (70, 170). An attitude changing arrangement may be provided to automatically change the attitude of the front wheels (60, 160) when the front wheels (60, 160) and the rear wheels (70, 170) are retracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignees: Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Matsunaga Seisakusho
    Inventors: Yoshiro Suehiro, Masamitsu Iwatani, Takafumi Hijikata, Kenji Murabayashi, Mineki Ninomiya, Yoshiyuki Miura, Tomoyuki Kuroda, Takeshi Toda, Shigeyuki Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 6572172
    Abstract: A longitudinal support base 30 is provided with a rotating support base 10 that can be slide in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. A seat body is placed on the rotating support base 10 via a rotary disc 13 so as to rotate. The longitudinal support base 30 is provided with an intermediate gear 22 that is engaged with a rack 21 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle seat. The seat body 2 side is provided with a pinion gear 24 that is engaged with the intermediate gear 11. The rotary disc 13 is rotated by means of a driving force of an electric motor 41. Thus, when the electric motor 41 is rotated, the seat body 2 rotates and slides in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mineki Ninomiya, Masamitsu Iwatani, Yoshiyuki Miura, Kenji Murabayashi, Tomoyuki Kuroda, Masanori Iwao, Takafumi Hijikata, Yasuo Suga, Takayuki Tajima, Tadashi Takenoshita, Yoshiro Suehiro
  • Publication number: 20020094262
    Abstract: A lift-up mechanism (50, 150) installed inside a vehicle serves to move a seat unit (10, 110) into or out of the vehicle. The seat unit (10, 110) is used as a passenger seat inside the vehicle and as a wheelchair outside the vehicle. Connecting plates (56, 156) are disposed on the lift-up mechanism (50, 150) permit the lift-up mechanism (50, 150) to be connected to the seat unit (10, 110) by inserting the connecting plates into connecting recesses (40, 140) formed in the seat unit (10, 110). Front wheels (60, 160) and rear wheels (70, 170) of the seat unit (10, 110) can be retracted and extended. A drive unit having an electric motor or similar drive may be provided to retract and extend the front wheels (60, 160) and the rear wheels (70, 170). An attitude changing arrangement may be provided to automatically chance the attitude of the front wheels (60, 160) when the front wheels (60, 160) and the rear wheels (70, 170) are retracted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2002
    Publication date: July 18, 2002
    Applicant: Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiro Suehiro, Masamitsu Iwatani, Takafumi Hijikata, Kenji Murabayashi, Mineki Ninomiya, Yoshiyuki Miura, Tomoyuki Kuroda, Takeshi Toda, Shigeyuki Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 6416272
    Abstract: A lift-up mechanism (50, 150) installed inside a vehicle serves to move a seat unit (10, 110) into or out of the vehicle. The seat unit (10, 110) is used as a passenger seat inside the vehicle and as a wheelchair outside the vehicle. Connecting plates (56, 156) are disposed on the lift-up mechanism (50, 150) permit the lift-up mechanism (50, 150) to be connected to the seat unit (10, 110) by inserting the connecting plates into connecting recesses (40, 140) formed in the seat unit (10, 110). Front wheels (60, 160) and rear wheels (70, 170) of the seat unit (10, 110) can be retracted and extended. A drive unit having an electric motor or similar drive may be provided to retract and extend the front wheels (60, 160) and the rear wheels (70, 170). An attitude changing arrangement may be provided to automatically change the attitude of the front wheels (60, 160) when the front wheels (60, 160) and the rear wheels (70, 170) are retracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignees: Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Matsunaga Seisakusho
    Inventors: Yoshiro Suehiro, Masamitsu Iwatani, Takafumi Hijikata, Kenji Murabayashi, Mineki Ninomiya, Yoshiyuki Miura, Tomoyuki Kuroda, Takeshi Toda, Shigeyuki Matsunaga