Patents by Inventor Shigeru Kotama

Shigeru Kotama 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: 11242029
    Abstract: A seat belt device includes a buckle provided on a side portion of a seat for a vehicle, and configured such that a tongue plate is inserted into the buckle; a buckle force limiter mechanism connected to the buckle via a connecting member having an elongate shape, the buckle force limiter mechanism being configured to allow the buckle to move in a pulling direction when a tensile load equal to or larger than a predetermined tensile load is applied to the buckle; and a case covering the connecting member from an inner side in a seat width direction, the case having a corner at an upper end portion of the case, the corner facing the connecting member, and the corner having an arc shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Daiki Furukawa, Yusuke Hirao, Yasuaki Kosugi, Shigekazu Imanaka, Hideki Kato, Katsuya Shimazu, Yoshio Mizuno, Shigeru Kotama, Hikaru Ikefuji
  • Publication number: 20200290558
    Abstract: A seat belt device includes a buckle provided on a side portion of a seat for a vehicle, and configured such that a tongue plate is inserted into the buckle; a buckle force limiter mechanism connected to the buckle via a connecting member having an elongate shape, the buckle force limiter mechanism being configured to allow the buckle to move in a pulling direction when a tensile load equal to or larger than a predetermined tensile load is applied to the buckle; and a case covering the connecting member from an inner side in a seat width direction, the case having a corner at an upper end portion of the case, the corner facing the connecting member, and the corner having an arc shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Daiki Furukawa, Yusuke Hirao, Yasuaki Kosugi, Shigekazu Imanaka, Hideki Kato, Katsuya Shimazu, Yoshio Mizuno, Shigeru Kotama, Hikaru Ikefuji
  • Patent number: 8528848
    Abstract: A webbing take-up device provided with a clutch disposed between a take-up shaft and a motor, the clutch coupling and releasing coupling of the take-up shaft to the motor. When a gear wheel of the clutch is rotated in a take-up direction by the motor, a friction spring mounted to a spring housing portion of the clutch housing moves a pawl with a first protrusion of the friction spring, causing the pawl to mesh with a ratchet wheel. Relative rotation of the gear wheel with respect to the ratchet wheel (spool) in the take-up direction is thereby restricted, and the spool rotates with the gear wheel in the take-up direction. Since the pawl is directly moved by the friction spring mounted on the clutch housing, the configuration for moving the pawl can be simplified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakucho
    Inventors: Kimihiro Ouchi, Shigeru Kotama
  • Publication number: 20090294565
    Abstract: A webbing take-up device provided with a clutch disposed between a take-up shaft and a motor, the clutch coupling and releasing coupling of the take-up shaft to the motor. When a gear wheel of the clutch is rotated in a take-up direction by the motor, a friction spring mounted to a spring housing portion of the clutch housing moves a pawl with a first protrusion of the friction spring, causing the pawl to mesh with a ratchet wheel. Relative rotation of the gear wheel with respect to the ratchet wheel (spool) in the take-up direction is thereby restricted, and the spool rotates with the gear wheel in the take-up direction. Since the pawl is directly moved by the friction spring mounted on the clutch housing, the configuration for moving the pawl can be simplified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Kimihiro OUCHI, Shigeru KOTAMA
  • Patent number: 5284307
    Abstract: A preloader in which one end of a wire, which is connected to a webbing take-up shaft via a clutch unit when a vehicle is abruptly decelerated, is fixed to a piston in a cylinder. The cylinder has a pair of through holes defined therethrough. The through holes are defined further toward a base of the cylinder than the piston is located, when the piston is held in abutment against a leading end of the cylinder. When the vehicle is abruptly decelerated, a large quantity of gas is generated by a gas generator and is introduced into the cylinder, thereby moving the piston to abut against the leading end of the cylinder. In this condition, the gas, which has been introduced into the cylinder, passes through the through holes so as to be discharged from the cylinder to an outside. Accordingly, the high pressure gas does not act on the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 8, 1994
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventor: Shigeru Kotama
  • Patent number: 5195694
    Abstract: A preloader adapted to forcibly pull a webbing in a taking-up direction when the vehicle suddenly decelerates, so as to allow the webbing to be applied closely around an occupant. A clamp member for clamping the webbing is provided to prevent a subsequent tight winding of the webbing. The clamp member is constantly urged in a webbing-clamping direction by an urging member, and is normally held in a position spaced apart from the webbing against an urging force of the urging member. As the holding is canceled after the forcible taking up of the webbing, the clamp member is capable of clamping the webbing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1993
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Yasutaka Watanabe, Shigeru Kotama, Fuminori Teraoka
  • Patent number: 5163708
    Abstract: A preloader for use in a webbing retractor for allowing a webbing to be fitted closely around a vehicle occupant at the time of an emergency of a vehicle. The preloader includes a gas generating device for generating a gas instantaneously at the time of an emergency of the vehicle; a moving member adapted so as to be moved by the pressure of the gas; a force converting/transmitting device connected to the moving member and adapted to move together with the moving member so as to convert the moving force of the moving member into a torque acting in a webbing taking-up direction and transmit the torque to a takeup shaft of the webbing retractor; and a force transmission preventing device for preventing the moving force of the moving member from being transmitted to the force converting/transmitting device when a load exceeding a predetermined value is applied by the force converting/transmitting device to the moving member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1992
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventor: Shigeru Kotama