Patents by Inventor Satoru Hirai

Satoru Hirai 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: 7793975
    Abstract: A passenger-seat airbag (32) includes a pair of left and right airbags (44, 46), and a root portion (48) that is connected to both of the left and right airbags (44, 46). When the passenger-seat airbag (32) is provided in a vehicle, an airbag folded portion (62) that forms the left and right airbags (44, 46) is positioned closer to the rear of the vehicle than the root portion (48) is, and a slack portion (49) that forms the root portion (48) is made upright along the airbag folded portion (62), and is positioned closer to the front of the vehicle than the airbag folded portion (62) is. Thus, the slack portion (49) is expanded and deployed toward a windshield earlier to form “a wall”. Then, the left and right airbags (44, 46) are stably deployed toward a passenger seat (toward the rear of the vehicle).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Kanto Auto Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Fukawatase, Seiji Yamada, Kenichi Takenaka, Shinya Suzuki, Satoru Hirai
  • Patent number: 7766373
    Abstract: A passenger-seat airbag includes a left airbag and a right airbag. A root portion connects a left-airbag root portion and a right-airbag root portion. An accordion-folded portion with relatively small folding widths is formed by accordion-folding both side portions of the root portion, whereby at least a gas-injection hole closest to each of both ends of an inflator in a longitudinal direction among a plurality of the gas-injection holes of the inflator is prevented from being closed by the root portion when the passenger-seat airbag is provided in a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Kanto Auto Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Fukawatase, Seiji Yamada, Kenichi Takenaka, Shinya Suzuki, Satoru Hirai
  • Patent number: 7766385
    Abstract: A passenger-seat airbag (32) includes a left airbag (44), a right airbag (46), and a root portion (48). A strap (70) is provided in the root portion (48) that is inflated by gas injected from an inflator (28) when a passenger-seat airbag device (10) operates. The strap (70) connects the base-end portion (48B) of the root portion (48) to a connection root portion (48C). Further, the strap (70) is provided such that a peripheral length (L2) on a front side is longer than or equal to a peripheral length (L1) on a rear side in a lateral view showing the inflated root portion (48).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Kanto Auto Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Fukawatase, Seiji Yamada, Kenichi Takenaka, Shinya Suzuki, Satoru Hirai
  • Publication number: 20090146403
    Abstract: A passenger-seat airbag (32) includes a left airbag (44), a right airbag (46), and a root portion (48). A strap (70) is provided in the root portion (48) that is inflated by gas injected from an inflator (28) when a passenger-seat airbag device (10) operates. The strap (70) connects the base-end portion (48B) of the root portion (48) to a connection root portion (48C). Further, the strap (70) is provided such that a peripheral length (L2) on a front side is longer than or equal to a peripheral length (L1) on a rear side in a lateral view showing the inflated root portion (48).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Inventors: Osamu Fukawatase, Seiji Yamada, Kenichi Takenaka, Shinya Suzuki, Satoru Hirai
  • Publication number: 20080122208
    Abstract: A passenger-seat airbag (32) includes a pair of left and right airbags (44, 46), and a root portion (48) that is connected to both of the left and right airbags (44, 46). When the passenger-seat airbag (32) is provided in a vehicle, an airbag folded portion (62) that forms the left and right airbags (44, 46) is positioned closer to the rear of the vehicle than the root portion (48) is, and a slack portion (49) that forms the root portion (48) is made upright along the airbag folded portion (62), and is positioned closer to the front of the vehicle than the airbag folded portion (62) is. Thus, the slack portion (49) is expanded and deployed toward a windshield earlier to form “a wall”. Then, the left and right airbags (44, 46) are stably deployed toward a passenger seat (toward the rear of the vehicle).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Inventors: Osamu Fukawatase, Seiji Yamada, Kenichi Takenaka, Shinya Suzuki, Satoru Hirai
  • Publication number: 20080106081
    Abstract: A passenger-seat airbag includes a left airbag and a right airbag. A root portion connects a left-airbag root portion and a right-airbag root portion. An accordion-folded portion with relatively small folding widths is formed by accordion-folding both side portions of the root portion, whereby at least a gas-injection hole closest to each of both ends of an inflator in a longitudinal direction among a plurality of the gas-injection holes of the inflator is prevented from being closed by the root portion when the passenger-seat airbag is provided in a vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2006
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Inventors: Osamu Fukawatase, Seiji Yamada, Kenichi Takenaka, Shinya Suzuki, Satoru Hirai