Patents by Inventor Shigeru Shibutani

Shigeru Shibutani 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).

  • Publication number: 20090091488
    Abstract: The input device has a fixed board and a movable board, which face with each other at established intervals. The fixed board has lower fixed-electrodes and upper fixed-electrodes, each of which has a band shape, in an orthogonal arrangement on the upper surface. The movable board has a movable electrode on all over the lower surface. Power is supplied to the lower-fixed electrodes and the upper fixed-electrodes only; the movable electrode is in no need of power supply, and therefore movable electrode 24 has no need for being connected to the fixed board and the controller. This eliminates a connector, providing a cost-reduced remote-control transmitter with a simple structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Publication date: April 9, 2009
    Inventor: Shigeru Shibutani
  • Patent number: 7375674
    Abstract: The invention relates to a switching device and a remote control unit using the switching device to be used for operating a variety of electronic products. The invention aims to provide a device and unit which can be miniaturized and which can utilize a high-density components mounting technology. A switch (12) is disposed inside an inner periphery of the rotary operating part (17), and a lever (14) of the switch (12) is engaged with a cam (18) formed at an inner boundary of the operating part (17), constituting a switching device (19). With this constitution, the switching device and the remote control unit using the device can be provided miniaturized using a high-density components mounting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuro Hanahara, Shigeru Shibutani, Takaya Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20060132347
    Abstract: The invention relates to a switching device and a remote control unit using the switching device to be used for operating a variety of electronic products. The invention aims to provide a device and unit which can be miniaturized and which can utilize a high-density components mounting technology. A switch (12) is disposed inside an inner periphery of the rotary operating part (17), and a lever (14) of the switch (12) is engaged with a cam (18) formed at an inner boundary of the operating part (17), constituting a switching device (19). With this constitution, the switching device and the remote control unit using the device can be provided miniaturized using a high-density components mounting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Publication date: June 22, 2006
    Inventors: Tetsuro Hanahara, Shigeru Shibutani, Takaya Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6621017
    Abstract: A push-button switch includes an insulating board, an actuator, an urging body and a push button. The insulating board has plural switch-contacts. The actuator is made of resilient material and includes a base section placed on the board, a primary and secondary actuating sections. Both the sections are disposed above the switch-contacts and linked to the base section via respective linking sections. The urging body has a first end rotatably supported by a supporting section formed on the actuator or another supporting section formed on the insulating board, and has a second end for urging the primary actuating section. The push button depresses a mid-section of the urging body. The structure discussed above allows the push-button switch to have various combinations of operating forces and strokes. The push-button switch and a multiple switch employing this push-button switch can be used in various electronic apparatuses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Shibutani, Tetsuo Murakami, Yoshihiko Kamimura
  • Publication number: 20020027062
    Abstract: A push-button switch includes an insulating board, an actuator, an urging body and a push button. The insulating board has plural switch-contacts. The actuator is made of resilient material and includes a base section placed on the board, a first and second actuating sections. Both the sections are disposed above the switch-contacts and linked to the base section via respective linking sections. The urging body has a first end rotatably supported by a supporting section formed on the actuator or another supporting section formed on the insulating board, and a second end for urging the first actuating section. The push button depresses a mid-section of the urging body. The structure discussed above allows the push-button switch to have various combinations of operating forces and strokes. The push-button switch and a multiple switch employing this push-button switch can be used in various electronic apparatuses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2001
    Publication date: March 7, 2002
    Inventors: Shigeru Shibutani, Tetsuo Murakami, Yoshihiko Kamimura