Patents by Inventor Mitsuo Nogami

Mitsuo Nogami 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: 7832760
    Abstract: A vertical cell is formed in a forward inflation section of an airbag. The vertical cell extends in a vehicle height direction at the rear of a pillar, and communicates through a bottom end of the vertical cell with a horizontal cell. When the inflation section is deployed, the folded horizontal cell or the lower side part of the airbag is pulled back toward the passenger compartment with respect to the side window opening. Accordingly, the horizontal cell deploys to an area below a bottom edge of the side window opening or a beltline in the passenger compartment on the inner side of a front side door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Tetsu Mitsuo, Akihiko Narui, Mitsuo Nogami
  • Patent number: 7806433
    Abstract: A supplemental inflation part is formed in a portion of an upper-end side inflation section of an airbag, the portion overlapping a B-pillar garnish. The supplemental inflation part has a semicircular shape that forms a push-out part. Folding the push-out part allows the upper-end side inflation section to be inflated largely at the initial stage of deployment of the airbag. Thus, the airbag is pushed toward the passenger compartment with greater force upon its deployment. Therefore, a terminal part of a headliner that covers the folded airbag is largely opened so that the airbag deploys smoothly downward along the side of the vehicle body in the passenger compartment without interference from the top end of the B-pillar garnish.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Tetsu Mitsuo, Akihiko Narui, Mitsuo Nogami
  • Patent number: 7597348
    Abstract: An airbag is formed from fabric layers joined at a seam, and gas generator inflates the airbag by means of gas expelled from the gas generator's insertion end which has been inserted into the airbag. A gas guide is formed in the airbag in order to direct gas from the gas generator into the airbag and includes a pouch-shaped gas guide member in which are formed gas injection nozzles and an attachment orifice. The insertion end of the gas generator is inserted into the attachment orifice with the gas injection nozzles facing an interior of the airbag. A convex-shaped seam is included where the fabric layers are joined, and is disposed in opposition to the gas guide member. The gas guide member comes into contact with the convex-shaped seam as a result of the pressure of the flow of gas from the gas generator through the gas guide member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Masataka Fukuda, Yuichiro Yoshida, Makoto Higano, Mitsuo Nogami, Taro Shimizu
  • Patent number: 7523959
    Abstract: A fastener for fixing a curtain airbag to a body panel of an automobile comprises a screw grommet having a shank to be inserted into mounting holes of an airbag-anchor portion and a body panel, and a flange to press the airbag-anchor portion against the body panel. The flange has an opening and the shank has a shank hole continuous to the opening into which a tapping screw is driven. The shank has resilient fingers protruding outward from sides of the shank to engage edge regions of mounting holes in a temporary fixing state. The fingers are held in a permanent fixing state by screwing the tapping screw into the shank hole, preventing the fingers from being bent inward. The flange has an edge with an upstanding partition to allow a central region of the flange to be partitioned from a main body of the curtain airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Newfrey LLC
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kawai, Yoshiharu Kawasaki, Shuichi Okinaka, Mitsuo Nogami
  • Publication number: 20080054606
    Abstract: A vertical cell is formed in a forward inflation section of an airbag. The vertical cell extends in a vehicle height direction at the rear of a pillar, and communicates through a bottom end of the vertical cell with a horizontal cell. When the inflation section is deployed, the folded horizontal cell or the lower side part of the airbag is pulled back toward the passenger compartment with respect to the side window opening. Accordingly, the horizontal cell deploys to an area below a bottom edge of the side window opening or a beltline in the passenger compartment on the inner side of a front side door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Tetsu Mitsuo, Akihiko Narui, Mitsuo Nogami
  • Publication number: 20080054605
    Abstract: A supplemental inflation part is formed in a portion of an upper-end side inflation section of an airbag, the portion overlapping a B-pillar garnish. The supplemental inflation part has a semicircular shape that forms a push-out part. Folding the push-out part allows the upper-end side inflation section to be inflated largely at the initial stage of deployment of the airbag. Thus, the airbag is pushed toward the passenger compartment with greater force upon its deployment. Therefore, a terminal part of a headliner that covers the folded airbag is largely opened so that the airbag deploys smoothly downward along the side of the vehicle body in the passenger compartment without interference from the top end of the B-pillar garnish.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Tetsu Mitsuo, Akihiko Narui, Mitsuo Nogami
  • Publication number: 20070257475
    Abstract: An airbag is formed from fabric layers joined at a seam, and gas generator inflates the airbag by means of gas expelled from the gas generator's insertion end which has been inserted into the airbag. A gas guide is formed in the airbag in order to direct gas from the gas generator into the airbag and includes a pouch-shaped gas guide member in which are formed gas injection nozzles and an attachment orifice. The insertion end of the gas generator is inserted into the attachment orifice with the gas injection nozzles facing an interior of the airbag. A convex-shaped seam is included where the fabric layers are joined, and is disposed in opposition to the gas guide member. The gas guide member comes into contact with the convex-shaped seam as a result of the pressure of the flow of gas from the gas generator through the gas guide member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2004
    Publication date: November 8, 2007
    Inventors: Masataka Fukuda, Yuichiro Yoshida, Makoto Higano, Mitsuo Nogami, Taro Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20070246921
    Abstract: A fastener for fixing a curtain airbag to a body panel of an automobile comprises a screw grommet having a shank to be inserted into mounting holes of an airbag-anchor portion and a body panel, and a flange to press the airbag-anchor portion against the body panel. The flange has an opening and the shank has a shank hole continuous to the opening into which a tapping screw is driven. The shank has resilient fingers protruding outward from sides of the shank to engage edge regions of mounting holes in a temporary fixing state. The fingers are held in a permanent fixing state by screwing the tapping screw into the shank hole, preventing the fingers from being bent inward. The flange has an edge with an upstanding partition to allow a central region of the flange to be partitioned from a main body of the curtain airbag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kawai, Yoshiharu Kawasaki, Shuichi Okinaka, Mitsuo Nogami
  • Patent number: 7210886
    Abstract: A fastener for fixing a curtain airbag to a body panel of an automobile comprises a screw grommet having a shank to be inserted into mounting holes of an airbag-anchor portion and a body panel, and a flange to press the airbag-anchor portion against the body panel. The flange has an opening and the shank has a shank hole continuous to the opening into which a tapping screw is driven. The shank has resilient fingers protruding outward from sides of the shank to engage edge regions of mounting holes in a temporary fixing state. The fingers are held in a permanent fixing state by screwing the tapping screw into the shank hole, preventing the fingers from being bent inward. The flange has an edge with an upstanding partition to allow a central region of the flange to be partitioned from a main body of the curtain airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Newfrey LLC
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kawai, Yoshiharu Kawasaki, Shuichi Okinaka, Mitsuo Nogami
  • Publication number: 20040136812
    Abstract: A fastener for fixing a curtain airbag to a body panel of an automobile comprises a screw grommet having a shank to be inserted into mounting holes of an airbag-anchor portion and a body panel, and a flange to press the airbag-anchor portion against the body panel. The flange has an opening and the shank has a shank hole continuous to the opening into which a tapping screw is driven. The shank has resilient fingers protruding outward from sides of the shank to engage edge regions of mounting holes in a temporary fixing state. The fingers are held in a permanent fixing state by screwing the tapping screw into the shank hole, preventing the fingers from being bent inward. The flange has an edge with an upstanding partition to allow a central region of the flange to be partitioned from a main body of the curtain airbag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Applicant: Newfrey LLC
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kawai, Yoshiharu Kawasaki, Shuichi Okinaka, Mitsuo Nogami