Patents by Inventor Shintaro Okawa

Shintaro Okawa 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: 11414898
    Abstract: An automobile door latch device includes: a mesh mechanism; a body; a base; and an operation mechanism disposed on the base, the operation mechanism including: an outside lever configured to receive an operating force of an outside handle to perform open actuation; a first open lever configured to perform open actuation in conjunction with open actuation of the outside lever; a locking/unlocking mechanism; a second open lever configured to perform open actuation in conjunction with open actuation of the first open lever output from the locking/unlocking mechanism; and a fully open release lever configured to perform open actuation in conjunction with open actuation of the first open lever, wherein the fully open release lever is connected to an operating force transmission member configured to transmit the open actuation of the fully open release lever to a fully opening latch device for holding the slide door in a fully open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keiichiro Okuyama, Toshitaka Matsuoka, Naoki Hanaki, Shigenori Hiramoto, Shintaro Okawa
  • Publication number: 20220251885
    Abstract: A door latch device includes: an electric component including a motor; a machine mechanism; a circuit board; a case; a first cover forming a first housing space in which the motor and the machine mechanism are housed; a second cover forming a second housing space in which the circuit board is housed; a pin hole disposed in the case to establish communication between the first housing space and the second housing space; a pin erected from the circuit board to project to the first housing space through the pin hole; a pin holder configured to support the pin with respect to the circuit board by covering a periphery of a base of the pin; an external waterproof seal configured to waterproof the second housing space against outside; and an internal waterproof seal configured to waterproof a space between the first housing space and the second housing space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Inventors: Shintaro OKAWA, Yasuyuki WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20220235588
    Abstract: A door latch device includes: a first position switch and a second position switch, each including a first contact hole, a second contact hole, and a common contact hole; a common pin configured to be electrically conducted to the common contact hole of the first position switch and the first contact hole of the second position switch by being inserted therein; a first signal pin configured to be electrically conducted to the first contact hole of the first position switch by being inserted therein; and a second signal pin configured to be electrically conducted to the common contact of the second position switch by being inserted therein, wherein the first position switch and the second position switch are configured to perform a switch operation at a same timing of an operation of a predetermined operation detection target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Osamu KAWANOBE, Shintaro OKAWA, Yasuyuki WATANABE
  • Patent number: 11366218
    Abstract: A vehicle sensor unit includes a millimeter wave radar device, an infrared sensor that is arranged at a position adjacent to the millimeter wave radar device, and a cover having a first cover portion and a second cover portion. The first cover portion is located in front of the millimeter wave radar device in a transmission direction of the millimeter waves to conceal the millimeter wave radar device and has millimeter wave transparency. The second cover portion is located in front of the infrared sensor in a transmission direction of the infrared light to conceal the infrared sensor and has infrared light transparency. The millimeter wave radar device and the infrared sensor are attached to the cover so that the whole vehicle sensor unit is configured as a single unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Takahashi, Koji Sakurai, Akihiro Misawa, Tadaoki Ichikawa, Hideto Maeda, Koji Okumura, Yasuhito Takeuchi, Shintaro Okawa, Hiroaki Ando, Yoshinori Yoshizawa
  • Publication number: 20220145675
    Abstract: A latch device including: a latch mechanism configured to hold a door at a closing position; an electric releasing mechanism configured to release meshing of the latch mechanism; a manual releasing mechanism configured to release meshing of the latch mechanism; and a lock configured to switch between a locked state of the manual releasing mechanism and an unlocked state, wherein the electric releasing mechanism is configured to switch the lock from the locked state to the unlocked state by releasing meshing of the latch mechanism and switch the lock from the unlocked state to the locked state when a rotating cam returns to a reference position by a biasing force of a spring, when the lock is in the locked state and the rotating cam rotates by a predetermined angle in a first direction from the reference position by power of a motor against a biasing force of the spring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventors: Shintaro OKAWA, Hirotaka NISHIJIMA
  • Publication number: 20220025678
    Abstract: A door latch device includes: electric components; a machine mechanism; a circuit board; a case; a first cover forming a first housing space in which a motor and the machine mechanism are housed; a second cover forming a second housing space in which the circuit board is housed; and an external waterproof seal disposed between the case and the second cover and waterproofs the second housing space. Further, the case includes: a recessed part forming a part of the second housing space; a surrounding wall surrounding the recessed part; and a seal groove formed along an outer circumference of the surrounding wall and in which the external waterproof seal is disposed, the second housing space is formed by covering the recessed part by the second cover, and an entire circumference between the recessed part and the second cover is waterproofed by the external waterproof seal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Shintaro OKAWA, Yasuyuki WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20210396054
    Abstract: A motor-vehicle door latch device includes: a main body; a latch that engages with a striker on a vehicle body side when a door is closed, and is capable of moving from an open position to a fully-latched position; a ratchet provided with a pawl that blocks the latch from rotating to an opening direction by respectively engaging with a half-latched engagement portion and a fully-latched engagement portion of the latch; and a third latch lever that engages with a third engagement portion provided on the latch when the latch is in a third latch position between a half-latched position and the open position of the latch so that the third latch lever is capable of blocking the latch from rotating in the opening direction from the third latch position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: Shintaro OKAWA, Takuya KAKUMAE
  • Patent number: 11199610
    Abstract: An onboard sensor cover includes a cover body that includes front and rear bases and a decorative layer. The front base is made of a transparent plastic material that permits passage of an infrared ray and a millimeter wave and includes a rear surface in the transmission directions of the infrared ray and the millimeter wave that is configured by a first uneven surface. The rear base is made of a plastic material that permits passage of the infrared ray and the millimeter wave and includes a front surface in the transmission directions that is configured by a second uneven surface. The decorative layer is made of a material that reflects visible light and permits passage of the infrared ray and the millimeter wave and is in contact with the first and second uneven surfaces. The front and rear bases are made of the same type of plastic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Takahashi, Masashi Otoyo, Akihiro Misawa, Hitoshi Uchida, Yasushi Nimi, Shintaro Okawa
  • Patent number: 11142931
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle door latch device capable of shortening of energization time to an electrical drive source while a moving member is restrained by abutting against a stopper portion and improvement of durability of the electrical drive source. A control unit of the door latch device controls an electric motor for driving a sector gear in a release direction based on a door operation of an operation switch, and controls to stop a power supply to the electric motor when the latch is rotated from the full-latch position to the open position and a full-latch detecting switch is activated while the moving member is brought into abutment with the stopper portion and is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Act Corporation
    Inventors: Minetaka Katagawa, Shintaro Okawa, Akifumi Omori
  • Patent number: 11111713
    Abstract: An operator for a vehicle side door including a metallic outer panel, a metallic inner panel, and a door glass partitioning a storage space between a downward movement locus line of the door glass and the metallic inner panel, the operator including: a drive unit provided in the storage space such that the drive unit overlaps with the downward movement locus line of the door in a width direction of the door; a pinion gear fixed to an output shaft of the drive unit; a rack including a rack gear configured to engage with the pinion gear; and a connecting arm pivotally supported on a vehicle body side bracket fixed to the vehicle body, the connecting arm being connected to a front end of the rack, wherein the side door moves in a direction of opening the door and closing the door in accordance with the movement of the rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kiichi Noguchi, Shungo Ikeno, Shintaro Okawa, Kazuyuki Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20210180372
    Abstract: A vehicle door latch apparatus has a latch that is engaged with a striker; a ratchet member rotatably supported by a ratchet shaft and that has a pawl portion, wherein the pawl portion is movable between a latch engaging position, where the pawl portion can face a full latch engaging portion of the latch, and a latch releasing position, where the pawl portion is not in contact with the full latch engaging portion, wherein release component force is generated in a latch releasing direction when latch return force is applied in a releasing direction at the latch engaging position, and the ratchet member is pushed out from the latch engaging position to the latch releasing position by the release component force; a ratchet restraint that is arranged on a side of the ratchet member and that can be moved about a pin between a block position and a release position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicant: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Ishiguro, Hirotaka Nishijima, Takuya Kakumae, Shintaro Okawa, Makoto Kaburaki
  • Publication number: 20210156175
    Abstract: A vehicle door latch apparatus has latch mechanism, powered release means, manual release means and lock mechanism that is switched between a locked state and an unlocked state. Powered release means has cam wheel that is rotated in normal and in reverse rotational directions from a reference position by motor power. When cam wheel is rotated in the normal rotational direction from the reference position, latch mechanism is released while lock mechanism is held in the locked state When cam wheel is rotated in the reverse rotational direction from the reference position, cam wheel switches lock mechanism to the unlocked state. Cam wheel returns lock mechanism to the locked state when cam wheel is rotated in the normal rotational direction back to the reference position in the unlocked state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuyuki ISHIGURO, Hirotaka NISHIJIMA, Shunsuke TAMURA, Shintaro OKAWA
  • Publication number: 20210095087
    Abstract: An infrared transmissive product includes a body. The body is configured to cover a transmitting unit and a receiving unit for infrared rays in an infrared sensor. The body includes a base made of a transparent plastic having an infrared transmissivity, and a coating film layer that is formed on a rear surface of the base in a transmission direction of infrared rays from the transmitting unit and has an infrared transmissivity. The coating film layer includes dispersed aggregates of particles of a pigment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Yoshinori YOSHIZAWA, Shintaro OKAWA, Hiroaki ANDO, Seiichi SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20210096288
    Abstract: An infrared transmissive product includes a body. The body includes a base made of a transparent plastic having an infrared transmissivity and a black layer formed on a rear surface of the base in a transmission direction of infrared rays from a transmitting unit. The black layer includes a coating film layer. The coating film layer is formed by combining a transparent plastic and at least two types of dyes/pigments that have an infrared transmissivity and produce a black color when mixed together. The black layer has a thickness in a range from 5 ?m to 50 ?m. The black layer contains 50 to 150 parts by mass of dyes/pigments as a whole in relation to 100 parts by mass of transparent plastic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Yoshinori YOSHIZAWA, Shintaro OKAWA, Hiroaki ANDO, Seiichi SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20210087863
    Abstract: Vehicle door latch apparatus has; latch that engages strike and that rotates from an unlatched position to a full-latch over rotating position; ratchet member that is rotatably supported by ratchet shaft, wherein ratchet member has pawl portion that is movable between a latch engaging position, where pawl portion can face full-latching engaging portion of latch, and a latch releasing position, where pawl portion is not engaged with full-latching engaging portion; and ratchet restrainer that is positioned on a side of ratchet member and that restrains ratchet member. Ratchet member is configured to be pushed out from latch engaging position to a latch releasing position by release component force F2 that acts on ratchet member in a latch releasing direction, wherein release component force F2 is generated when latch returning force that acts on latch is applied to ratchet member at the latch engaging position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Applicant: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nishijima, Shintaro Okawa, Katsuyuki Ishiguro, Shunsuke Tamura, Hibiki Ogura
  • Patent number: 10954700
    Abstract: In an opening control device that controls the opening of an access panel door, a movable member of a detecting portion, which is pushed in by a main door that is in a closed state, is brought into direct abutment with a connection lever to move the connection lever, wherein the connection lever connects a drive lever, which is linked to operate with an opening operation of the door, and a driven lever, which releases the locking by locking portions, wherein the connection lever has a displacement area which includes a connecting position and in which maintains the connection of the drive lever with the driven lever, the connection lever is moved toward a disconnecting position within the displacement area when the movable member staying in a protruding position and is moved to the disconnecting position as the movable member is pushed into the pushed-in position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunsuke Tamura, Shintaro Okawa, Toshio Takenaka
  • Publication number: 20210032911
    Abstract: Lock mechanism is provided between pawl lever and manual release mean. The present vehicle door latch apparatus includes ratchet member that engages latch and that can be released from latch by release component force F2, latch restraint that prevents ratchet member from being disengaged from latch and powered release means that moves ratchet restraint. Ratchet member includes base lever and pawl lever. When ratchet restraint is moved, base lever is moved to a non-regulated position, where pawl lever can be disengaged from latch by release component force F2. Manual release means is connected to pawl lever. Lock mechanism is provided between pawl lever and manual release means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Applicant: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuyuki ISHIGURO, Hirotaka NISHIJIMA, Shunsuke TAMURA, Shintaro OKAWA
  • Patent number: 10794757
    Abstract: There is provided a near-infrared sensor cover to be applied to a near-infrared sensor including a transmitting unit that transmits near-infrared radiation to outside of a vehicle and a receiving unit that receives near-infrared radiation reaching and reflected by an object outside the vehicle, and to cover the transmitting unit and the receiving unit. The near-infrared sensor cover includes a luster layer formed by dispersing a filler in a coating film, the filler including a core and a shell that covers the core with a material having a refractive index different from that of the core. Light transmittance of near-infrared radiation in the near-infrared sensor cover is 60% or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Okumura, Shintaro Okawa, Hiroaki Ando
  • Publication number: 20200248486
    Abstract: An automobile door latch device includes: a mesh mechanism; a body; a base; and an operation mechanism disposed on the base, the operation mechanism including: an outside lever configured to receive an operating force of an outside handle to perform open actuation; a first open lever configured to perform open actuation in conjunction with open actuation of the outside lever; a locking/unlocking mechanism; a second open lever configured to perform open actuation in conjunction with open actuation of the first open lever output from the locking/unlocking mechanism; and a fully open release lever configured to perform open actuation in conjunction with open actuation of the first open lever, wherein the fully open release lever is connected to an operating force transmission member configured to transmit the open actuation of the fully open release lever to a fully opening latch device for holding the slide door in a fully open position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventors: Keiichiro Okuyama, Toshitaka MATSUOKA, Naoki HANAKI, Shigenori HIRAMOTO, Shintaro OKAWA
  • Publication number: 20200217122
    Abstract: An operator for a vehicle side door including a metallic outer panel, a metallic inner panel, and a door glass partitioning a storage space between a downward movement locus line of the door glass and the metallic inner panel, the operator including: a drive unit provided in the storage space such that the drive unit overlaps with the downward movement locus line of the door in a width direction of the door; a pinion gear fixed to an output shaft of the drive unit; a rack including a rack gear configured to engage with the pinion gear; and a connecting arm pivotally supported on a vehicle body side bracket fixed to the vehicle body, the connecting arm being connected to a front end of the rack, wherein the side door moves in a direction of opening the door and closing the door in accordance with the movement of the rack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventors: Kiichi NOGUCHI, Shungo IKENO, Shintaro OKAWA, Kazuyuki SASAKI