Patents by Inventor Mitsuaki Katsuno

Mitsuaki Katsuno 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: 4917403
    Abstract: A webbing support apparatus being capable of changing a support height of a webbing to be wound around an occupant of a vehicle, which is provided with a slider for supporting the webbing and being movably supported in a vertical direction in a guide rail, and the slider is provided with a restricting member which is engaged with the guide rail during its downward movement to prevent a downward movement of the slider more than a predetermined value. Accordingly, the slider can be positively lowered step by step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1990
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Toshio Gyoda, Mitsuaki Katsuno, Motonobu Sugiura
  • Patent number: 4905928
    Abstract: A locking mechanism applied to a retractor for winding up on a take-up shaft a webbing which fastens an occupant of a vehicle is designed to prevent the unwinding of the webbing when the vehicle suddenly decelerates. A lock wheel, that follows the rotation of the take-up shaft, maintains movable lock members rotating together with the take-up shaft at a position where the movable members are separated from fixed lock members. Upon sudden deceleration of the vehicle the lock wheel creates a rotational lag with respect to the take-up shaft, whereby the lock plates are engaged with the fixed lock members by the lock wheel, thereby preventing the rotation of the take-up shaft in a webbing unwinding direction.The movable lock members are pressed in the direction of the axis of the take-up shaft by an elastic body projected from the lock wheel, whereby clatter due to the vibrations of the vehicle is abolished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1990
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Katsuno, Shinji Mori
  • Patent number: 4722552
    Abstract: A webbing intermediate portion retaining apparatus for use in an automatic seatbelt system for a vehicle arranged such that, when an occupant enters the vehicle, an occupant restraining webbing is automatically fastened to the occupant's body, whereas, when the occupant leaves the vehicle, the webbing is automatically unfastened from his body. The apparatus enables the intermediate portion of the webbing to be retained by a hook provided on a door of the vehicle when the occupant leaves the vehicle. The apparatus effects control such that, when the occupant is going to leave the vehicle, the hook is moved to a position for retaining the intermediate portion of the webbing, whereas, after the occupant has entered the vehicle, the hook is moved to a position for canceling the retaining of the intermediate portion of the webbing. Accordingly, when the occupant enters and leaves the vehicle, it is possible to ensure a sufficient space for him to move smoothly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1988
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki Seisakusho, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshio Gyoda, Mitsuaki Katsuno, Tatsushi Kubota, Chikao Nagasaka, Kazuyoshi Kato
  • Patent number: 4682790
    Abstract: A webbing retaining structure is employed in an automatic seatbelt system for a vehicle which is so designed that one end portion of a webbing which is closer to the outside of the vehicle is moved in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the webbing is thereby automatically fastened to the body of an occupant. A first member which retains the end portion of the webbing is pivotally supported by a second member which is mounted on the vehicle body. A combination of a projection and recesses in which it is selectively fitted is provided between the first and second members. The angle at which the webbing is retained by the vehicle body can be adjusted by changing the position of combination between the projection and the recesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1987
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Katsuno, Toshio Gyoda, Hideki Tanaka, Kunihiro Hurumoto, Noritada Yoshitsugu, Kenji Matsui
  • Patent number: 4438949
    Abstract: Automatically fastening seatbelt system, wherein an anchor plate engaged with one of restraining webbings is connected through a support device to a driving force transmitting member and made movable along a guide rail, whereby the webbings are automatically fastened to an occupant, a release device is provided at a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail, and the operation of the support device is released by the operation of the release device to release the anchor plate from the guide rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1984
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tsuge, Mitsuaki Katsuno, Yuji Nishimura, Tatsushi Kubota, Tadao Yamada, Yoshihiro Hayashi
  • Patent number: 4426102
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatically fastening seatbelt system wherein webbings for restraining an occupant are automatically fastened about the occupant upon his entering the vehicle, to thereby improve the safety of the occupant. This seatbelt system is of an arrangement that, when the occupant enters or leaves the vehicle, an webbing is positioned forward in looking from the vehicle to prevent the webbing to slide on the lap of the occupant and the like, so that the actions of the occupant entering or leaving the vehicle can be facilitated. This seatbelt system can drive a guide arm for moving the intermediate portion of the webbing and a sprocket wheel for moving an anchor of the webbing by use of a single motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1984
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Katsuno, Shigeru Moriya
  • Patent number: 4420173
    Abstract: An automatic seatbelt system which has a flexible tape extending continuously along a vehicle body form a roof side portion through a center pillar to a door so as to move a shoulder webbing connected to the roof side portion and a lap webbing connected to the door at the same time by a single driving sprocket wheel in response to an occupant entering or leaving a vehicle. The tape has a plurality of openings along the longitudinal direction thereof and the sprocket wheel is meshed with the tape by the openings. The tape extends continuously between the vehicle body and vehicle door and has a stepped portion substantially extending in a vertical direction, for example, a direction which is aligned with the rotation center of door hinges so as to twist itself around the longitudinal center thereof during opening or closing the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1983
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Shigeru Moriya, Akio Yosida, Yoshihiro Hayashi, Tatsushi Kubota, Mitsuaki Katsuno
  • Patent number: 4402473
    Abstract: A conventional type of seat belt retractor having a pendulum control to lock protraction of belt webbing in event of vehicle impact is modified to provide also manual control of webbing protraction by including a lever unit that can engage a pawl of the ratchet wheel mechanism that locks the shaft on which the webbing winds and a coil spring or similar member that resiliently connects the lever unit to the pawl. The modified seat belt retractors are useful in locking baggage, child seats or the like on the vehicle seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1981
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1983
    Assignee: Kabushiki-Kaisha, Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Tatsushi Kubota, Mitsuaki Katsuno
  • Patent number: 4386793
    Abstract: The intermediate portion of an outer webbing is secured to the forward end of an inner webbing through a holder, and opposite ends of the outer webbing are secured to a door, whereby the webbings are automatically fastened to or unfastened from an occupant in accordance with the closing or opening action of the door.A lock bar provided in the holder functions such that, during normal running condition of a vehicle, the outer webbing and the holder are made movable relative to each other to bring any one of the occupants, having various physical builds into a proper webbing fastened condition, while, in an emergency of the vehicle, the lock bar subjected to a tension in the webbing clampingly holds the webbing between the outer webbing contact portion and itself, thereby securing the occupant in a reliably restrained condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1981
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1983
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Katsuno, Mitsuhiro Ogura
  • Patent number: 4345782
    Abstract: A passive seatbelt driving system for a vehicle including a stroke amplifying means having variable amplification coupled to a door of the vehicle for amplifying the opening and closing strokes of the door, a take-up pulley driven by the amplified strokes from the stroke-amplifying means and a wire wound on the take-up pulley and coupled to a seatbelt such that when the door is opened the take-up pulley is driven by the amplified strokes from the stroke-amplifying means to pull the seatbelt away from the seat in the vehicle to provide sufficient space to enter or leave the vehicle regardless of the amount by which the door is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1979
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1982
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Noritada Yoshitsugu, Masanao Motonami, Mitsuaki Katsuno
  • Patent number: 4252342
    Abstract: A safety seatbelt system which automatically provides a safety seatbelt around a passenger when he takes a seat in a vehicle and closes a door. Once the seatbelt is put around the passenger, he cannot remove the seatbelt while driving the vehicle. This system comprises a hand brake switch and a hand brake switch relay, and a solenoid magnetizing circuit for supplying magnetizing current to a solenoid to prevent the seatbelt from being hooked and removed from the passenger as long as the hand brake is released, said solenoid magnetizing circuit forming a second solenoid operating system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1979
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1981
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Gosaku Terabayashi, Tatsushi Kubota, Mitsuaki Katsuno
  • Patent number: 4213651
    Abstract: A seatbelt for a vehicle including a retractor provided adjacent one side and on a forward underside of a passenger seat. The retractor is arranged and configured such that a seatbelt extending from the retractor extends diagonally across the underside of the seat to a point on the seat opposite from the side on which the retractor is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1979
    Date of Patent: July 22, 1980
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Noritada Yoshitsugu, Masanao Motonami, Mitsuaki Katsuno
  • Patent number: 4206886
    Abstract: A seatbelt locking device for seatbelt systems including an arm rotatably supported on a frame which rotatably supports a seatbelt retractor shaft. One end of the arm contacts an unretracted portion of the seatbelt and detects the tension on the unretracted portion of the seatbelt. The arm, seatbelt and frame are arranged and configured such that the seatbelt is clamped and securely locked between the end of the arm and the frame when the tension of the seatbelt exceeds some predetermined amount during a vehicular emergency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1979
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1980
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki
    Inventors: Noritada Yoshitsugu, Jun Yasumatsu, Mitsuaki Katsuno, Yoshio Tsujiuchi