Patents by Inventor Shuntaro KIMURA

Shuntaro KIMURA 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: 11939798
    Abstract: An opening and closing device for a vehicle sliding door, including: a latch; a ratchet; a power closer; a closing lever configured to rotate the latch in a closing direction from a half latched position to a fully latched position, by being rotated by motor power of the power closer; a cancel lever configured to shift between: a coupling position where rotation of the closing lever is transmitted to the latch; and a cancel position where rotation of the closing lever is not transmitted to the latch; and a first lever and a second lever configured to move the cancel lever from the coupling position to the cancel position by operation of an operating handle of a sliding door, wherein the cancel lever includes a non-flat reinforced contacting part to which the first lever and the second lever are independently configured to brought into contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuntaro Kimura, Naoki Hanaki
  • Patent number: 11920385
    Abstract: The present invention is a sensor assembly that is used in a door lock device provided with a latch, a ratchet, a drive unit that drives the ratchet and releases the engagement of the ratchet and the latch, and a case that accommodates the drive unit, the sensor assembly being provided with a sensor that detects the action of the ratchet when the engagement of the ratchet and the latch is released, wherein the sensor assembly is provided with: a connector that holds connection conductors electrically connected to the sensor, and is attached to the case; a sensor base that holds the sensor; a plurality of electric wires that connect the plurality of connection conductors and a plurality of terminal portions of the sensor; and a waterproofing material that comprises a photo-curing resin for covering, along with the sensor base, connecting portions of the terminal portions and the electric wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Act Corporation
    Inventors: Fuyuki Nakatsuka, Shuntaro Kimura, Nao Mizumoto
  • Patent number: 11901661
    Abstract: A vehicle door lock device includes: a housing; electrical components including internal pins; and a terminal electrically connected to the internal and including coupling portions coupling conductive portions. Further, electric circuits of the electrical components are formed when the conductive portions are disconnected by cutting off the coupling portions, the housing includes: positioning protruding portions that protrudes at a right angle with respect to installation portions; and fitting grooves that are opened in a direction parallel to a protruding direction of the positioning protruding portions, and the terminal includes: the conductive portions; positioning holes into which the positioning protruding portions are inserted; connector pins bent at a right angle, and are fitted into the fitting grooves; and electrical component pins bent at a right angle, and are configured to be electrically connected to the electrical components when inserted into the internal pins of the electrical components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuntaro Kimura, Takao Taga
  • Patent number: 11661770
    Abstract: A door lock device pair includes right and left door lock devices; each of the door lock devices including: a housing; a coupler wall projecting from the housing; a flat portion formed on the housing; and a waterproof seal fixed to the flat portion and being wrapped around the coupler wall, the waterproof seal including: inner and outer peripheral surfaces; and an inclined surface that forms an acute angle with respect to the inner peripheral surface and an obtuse angle at another end of the inclined surface, the inner peripheral surface being in contact with the outer peripheral wall and being in contact with the inclined surface, and the waterproof seals in the door lock devices having the same shape, and the waterproof seals being wrapped around the respective outer peripheral walls in the same direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yosuke Matsuda, Takao Taga, Shuntaro Kimura, Akiya Okuda
  • Publication number: 20220123488
    Abstract: A vehicle door lock device includes: a housing; electrical components including internal pins; and a terminal electrically connected to the internal and including coupling portions coupling conductive portions. Further, electric circuits of the electrical components are formed when the conductive portions are disconnected by cutting off the coupling portions, the housing includes: positioning protruding portions that protrudes at a right angle with respect to installation portions; and fitting grooves that are opened in a direction parallel to a protruding direction of the positioning protruding portions, and the terminal includes: the conductive portions; positioning holes into which the positioning protruding portions are inserted; connector pins bent at a right angle, and are fitted into the fitting grooves; and electrical component pins bent at a right angle, and are configured to be electrically connected to the electrical components when inserted into the internal pins of the electrical components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: Shuntaro Kimura, Takao TAGA
  • Publication number: 20220065006
    Abstract: A motor-vehicle door latch device includes an engagement mechanism including a latch and a ratchet, a base plate fixed to a body housing the engagement mechanism, a casing fixed to the base plate such that a first side surface faces a side surface on a vehicle-exterior side of the base plate, a releasing mechanism including a releasing lever, a locking/unlocking mechanism enabling the ratchet to disengage from the latch and vice versa, an electric mechanism including a locking/unlocking motor and a releasing motor, and a closure mechanism rotating the latch from a half-latched position to a fully-latched position, wherein all members forming the releasing mechanism, the locking/unlocking mechanism, and the electric mechanism are arranged on a second side surface opposite the first side surface of the casing, and all members forming the closure mechanism are arranged between the first side surface of the casing and the base plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventors: Naoki HANAKI, Shuntaro KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20220010600
    Abstract: The present invention is a sensor assembly that is used in a door lock device provided with a latch, a ratchet, a drive unit that drives the ratchet and releases the engagement of the ratchet and the latch, and a case that accommodates the drive unit, the sensor assembly being provided with a sensor that detects the action of the ratchet when the engagement of the ratchet and the latch is released, wherein the sensor assembly is provided with: a connector that holds connection conductors electrically connected to the sensor, and is attached to the case; a sensor base that holds the sensor; a plurality of electric wires that connect the plurality of connection conductors and a plurality of terminal portions of the sensor; and a waterproofing material that comprises a photo-curing resin for covering, along with the sensor base, connecting portions of the terminal portions and the electric wires.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Applicant: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fuyuki NAKATSUKA, Shuntaro KIMURA, Nao MIZUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20210214977
    Abstract: An opening and closing device for a vehicle sliding door, including: a latch; a ratchet; a power closer; a closing lever configured to rotate the latch in a closing direction from a half latched position to a fully latched position, by being rotated by motor power of the power closer; a cancel lever configured to shift between: a coupling position where rotation of the closing lever is transmitted to the latch; and a cancel position where rotation of the closing lever is not transmitted to the latch; and a first lever and a second lever configured to move the cancel lever from the coupling position to the cancel position by operation of an operating handle of a sliding door, wherein the cancel lever includes a non-flat reinforced contacting part to which the first lever and the second lever are independently configured to brought into contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuntaro KIMURA, Naoki HANAKI
  • Publication number: 20210040784
    Abstract: A door lock device pair includes right and left door lock devices; each of the door lock devices including: a housing; a coupler wall projecting from the housing; a flat portion formed on the housing; and a waterproof seal fixed to the flat portion and being wrapped around the coupler wall, the waterproof seal including: inner and outer peripheral surfaces; and an inclined surface that forms an acute angle with respect to the inner peripheral surface and an obtuse angle at another end of the inclined surface, the inner peripheral surface being in contact with the outer peripheral wall and being in contact with the inclined surface, and the waterproof seals in the door lock devices having the same shape, and the waterproof seals being wrapped around the respective outer peripheral walls in the same direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventors: Yosuke MATSUDA, Takao TAGA, Shuntaro KIMURA, Akiya OKUDA
  • Patent number: 10829964
    Abstract: A vehicular door latch device includes a latch, a ratchet, a locking and unlocking mechanism, and a rotation member. The latch rotates in accordance with closing of a door while a striker provided in a vehicle body is engaged. When the door is in a fully-closed state, the ratchet holds the latch in a first posture. When the door is in a half-closed state, the ratchet holds the latch in a second posture. The mechanism is switched between an unlocked posture that can cancel interlock, and a locked posture that cannot cancel the interlock. When the latch is in the second posture, the rotation member overlaps the switching route and prohibits the posture change. When coming into contact with the rotation member overlapping the switching route, the mechanism in the unlocked posture is switched to the unlocked posture by rotation of a portion thereof in contact with the rotation member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Act Corporation
    Inventor: Shuntaro Kimura
  • Patent number: 10458157
    Abstract: A vehicle door lock device includes: a connecting portion to which a connector for connection to an external device is connected; a casing; a latch mechanism that is arranged at a rear end portion of the casing in a vehicle front-rear direction and includes a latch and a ratchet; a locking and unlocking mechanism arranged in the casing, the locking and unlocking mechanism including: a lever lock that switches between transmitting or not transmitting a door opening operation to the latch mechanism according to a rotational position; and a motor that drives the lever lock; a first switch that detects a rotational position of the lever lock; a second switch that detects a rotational position of the latch; and a connecting unit that electrically connects the connecting portion to the motor, the first switch and the second switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shuntaro Kimura
  • Patent number: 10407947
    Abstract: A vehicle door lock device includes a latch mechanism holding and releasing a striker of a door; a locking/unlocking member switching between locking and unlocking of the door; a first switch detecting a state of the locking/unlocking member; a second switch switching between on and off of a room lamp of the vehicle; a connection portion to which a connector for an external device is connected; and a switch plate connecting at least the first switch and the second switch to the connection portion. Further, the switch plate includes a first switch plate connecting the first switch to the connection portion, a second switch plate connecting the second switch to the connection portion, and a switch-plate joining portion joining the first switch plate and the second switch plate together and passing between a bottom surface of a case and the locking/unlocking member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Act Corporation
    Inventors: Shuntaro Kimura, Daisuke Enomoto
  • Publication number: 20180291655
    Abstract: A vehicular door latch device includes at least one attachment tool that is locked to a module base, which is fixed to an inside door panel of a door, and a door latch that is locked to the module base via the at least one attachment tool by fixation by being fitted of the at least one attachment tool to the locking member. The vehicular door latch device includes a housing that accommodates a movable element. In the housing, at least one locking member to which the at least one attachment tool is fixed by being fitted is integrally formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: Shuntaro KIMURA, Hiroki HATTORI, Janani VISWANATHAN
  • Publication number: 20180112452
    Abstract: On the basis that a ratchet detection switch detects the releasing operation of a ratchet, and a door opening and closing detection switch detects the opened state of a door, the drive of a motor for a window regulator is controlled so as to open a window glass to a predetermined slight opening position. In addition, on the basis that the door opening and closing detection switch detects the closed state of the door, and the ratchet detection switch detects the engagement of the ratchet to a latch, the drive of the motor for the window regulator is controlled to close the window glass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Applicant: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shuntaro KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20180094460
    Abstract: A vehicular door latch device includes a latch, a ratchet, a locking and unlocking mechanism, and a rotation member. The latch rotates in accordance with closing of a door while a striker provided in a vehicle body is engaged. When the door is in a fully-closed state, the ratchet holds the latch in a first posture. When the door is in a half-closed state, the ratchet holds the latch in a second posture. The mechanism is switched between an unlocked posture that can cancel interlock, and a locked posture that cannot cancel the interlock. When the latch is in the second posture, the rotation member overlaps the switching route and prohibits the posture change. When coming into contact with the rotation member overlapping the switching route, the mechanism in the unlocked posture is switched to the unlocked posture by rotation of a portion thereof in contact with the rotation member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Inventor: Shuntaro Kimura
  • Patent number: 9932763
    Abstract: A vehicle door opening device opens and closes a door with a motor. In the vehicle door opening device, an opening reversible member on which an opening cable is wound is disposed on a top surface of a center guide rail, and a closing reversible member on which a closing cable is wound is disposed under a lower surface of the center guide rail. A moving member moves along the center guide rail and comprises a closing coupling portion to which the closing cable is coupled and an opening coupling portion to which the opening cable coupled. The closing cable moves along the lower surface of the center guide rail, and the opening cable moves along the top surface of the center guide rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Act Corporation
    Inventors: Naoya Seto, Hirotsugu Kinoshita, Shuntaro Kimura, Hiroshi Ishigaki
  • Publication number: 20170370130
    Abstract: A vehicle door lock device includes: a connecting portion to which a connector for connection to an external device is connected; a casing; a latch mechanism that is arranged at a rear end portion of the casing in a vehicle front-rear direction and includes a latch and a ratchet; a locking and unlocking mechanism arranged in the casing, the locking and unlocking mechanism including: a lever lock that switches between transmitting or not transmitting a door opening operation to the latch mechanism according to a rotational position; and a motor that drives the lever lock; a first switch that detects a rotational position of the lever lock; a second switch that detects a rotational position of the latch; and a connecting unit that electrically connects the connecting portion to the motor, the first switch and the second switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventor: Shuntaro KIMURA
  • Patent number: 9834970
    Abstract: A door opening and closing apparatus includes a rail module including: a rail member extending along a front-and-rear direction; a drive device mounted on the rail member; and a supporting member coupled to one end portion of a closing cable the other end portion of which is connected to the drive device and one end portion of an opening cable the other end portion of which is connected to the drive device. The rail module is provided with the drive device fastened to an outside of a vehicle body such that a part of the drive device goes inside the vehicle body through an opening provided on the vehicle body. At least the opening inversion member is provided at an upper portion of the other end portion of the rail member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoya Seto, Shuntaro Kimura, Hiroshi Ishigaki
  • Publication number: 20170335605
    Abstract: A vehicle door lock device includes a latch mechanism holding and releasing a striker of a door; a locking/unlocking member switching between locking and unlocking of the door; a first switch detecting a state of the locking/unlocking member; a second switch switching between on and off of a room lamp of the vehicle; a connection portion to which a connector for an external device is connected; and a switch plate connecting at least the first switch and the second switch to the connection portion. Further, the switch plate includes a first switch plate connecting the first switch to the connection portion, a second switch plate connecting the second switch to the connection portion, and a switch-plate joining portion joining the first switch plate and the second switch plate together and passing between a bottom surface of a case and the locking/unlocking member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Shuntaro KIMURA, Daisuke ENOMOTO
  • Patent number: 9803407
    Abstract: A door opening and closing apparatus includes a rail module including: a rail member extending along a front-and-rear direction; a drive device mounted on the rail member; and a supporting member coupled to one end portion of a closing cable the other end portion of which is connected to the drive device and one end portion of an opening cable the other end portion of which is connected to the drive device. The rail module is provided with the drive device fastened to an outside of a vehicle body such that a part of the drive device goes inside the vehicle body through an opening provided on the vehicle body. A portion of a housing of the drive device located outside the vehicle body closes the opening while a sealing member is interposed therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoya Seto, Shuntaro Kimura, Naoki Hanaki