Patents by Inventor Souichi Nakayama

Souichi Nakayama 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: 10266072
    Abstract: In a power seat operation device, a slider that is supported so as to be slidable in a radial direction with respect to a dial slides toward the radial direction center of the dial during rotation of the dial. A knob engagement portion that is provided to the slider is thereby disposed between a pair of slider engagement portions that are provided to a knob. This enables rotational operation of the knob to be restricted. However, during rotational operation of the knob, one out of the pair of slider engagement portions opposes the knob engagement portion from toward the radial direction center of the dial. This enables rotational operation of the dial in conjunction with sliding of the slider to be restricted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakamura, Kenichi Katsube, Souichi Nakayama, Takenori Takashima, Satoshi Myojin, Tomonori Tanabe
  • Patent number: 10192699
    Abstract: In a power seat operation device, a micro switch is attached inside a dial that is rotatably provided to a side face of a power seat. An opening is formed inside the dial, with an operation portion of a knob to operate the micro switch inserted through the opening. There is accordingly a possibility that liquid might infiltrate into the dial, however a channel is formed inside the dial by the dial and the knob. The channel lets liquid flow downward to the lower side of the micro switch so as to discharge the liquid to outside the dial in cases in which liquid has infiltrated into the dial through the opening in a state in which the opening is positioned at the upper side of the micro switch. The channel is partitioned from the micro switch, enabling flow of liquid to the micro switch to be prevented or suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakamura, Kenichi Katsube, Souichi Nakayama, Takenori Takashima, Satoshi Myojin, Tomonori Tanabe
  • Publication number: 20180190450
    Abstract: In a power seat operation device, a micro switch is attached inside a dial that is rotatably provided to a side face of a power seat. An opening is formed inside the dial, with an operation portion of a knob to operate the micro switch inserted through the opening. There is accordingly a possibility that liquid might infiltrate into the dial, however a channel is formed inside the dial by the dial and the knob. The channel lets liquid flow downward to the lower side of the micro switch so as to discharge the liquid to outside the dial in cases in which liquid has infiltrated into the dial through the opening in a state in which the opening is positioned at the upper side of the micro switch. The channel is partitioned from the micro switch, enabling flow of liquid to the micro switch to be prevented or suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakamura, Kenichi Katsube, Souichi Nakayama, Takenori Takashima, Satoshi Myojin, Tomonori Tanabe
  • Publication number: 20180111507
    Abstract: In a power seat operation device, a cam portion formed at a dial base has valleys and peaks that are alternately arranged in a row along a rotation direction of a dial so as to form an undulation in a radial direction. A slider is supported by the dial so as to be slidable in the radial direction. The slider is abutted against the cam portion by biasing force from a roller spring and fits into one out of the valleys so as to retain the dial at one of the rotary positions. During rotational operation of the dial, the slider crosses over at least one out of the peaks while elastically deforming the roller spring and sliding with respect to the dial.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakamura, Kenichi Katsube, Souichi Nakayama, Takenori Takashima, Satoshi Myojin, Tomonori Tanabe
  • Publication number: 20180111508
    Abstract: In a power seat operation device, a slider that is supported so as to be slidable in a radial direction with respect to a dial slides toward the radial direction center of the dial during rotation of the dial. A knob engagement portion that is provided to the slider is thereby disposed between a pair of slider engagement portions that are provided to a knob. This enables rotational operation of the knob to be restricted. However, during rotational operation of the knob, one out of the pair of slider engagement portions opposes the knob engagement portion from toward the radial direction center of the dial. This enables rotational operation of the dial in conjunction with sliding of the slider to be restricted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakamura, Kenichi Katsube, Souichi Nakayama, Takenori Takashima, Satoshi Myojin, Tomonori Tanabe
  • Patent number: 9446690
    Abstract: A power seat operation device is configured in such a manner that, when a dial member is rotated and operated, a movable mechanism which is to be operated is selected from among movable mechanisms. When a switch member is rotated and operated, the selected movable mechanism is actuated. The switch member is rotated and operated about a rotation axis extending in the widthwise direction of the seat. Thus the direction of operation of the switch member can be aligned with or nearly aligned with both the direction of the actual movement of a seat back when a recliner mechanism is actuated and the direction of the actual movement of an ottoman when an ottoman mechanism is actuated. Also, in a state in which a seat slide mechanism is selected, the direction of the operation of the switch member is aligned with the front-rear direction of the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryohei Shigematsu, Shinji Iino, Souichi Nakayama, Masato Shirao, Takeshi Nakamura, Masahiro Oda, Kenichi Katsube
  • Publication number: 20150321587
    Abstract: A power seat operation device is configured in such a manner that, when a dial member is rotated and operated, a movable mechanism which is to be operated is selected from among movable mechanisms. When a switch member is rotated and operated, the selected movable mechanism is actuated. The switch member is rotated and operated about a rotation axis extending in the widthwise direction of the seat. Thus the direction of operation of the switch member can be aligned with or nearly aligned with both the direction of the actual movement of a seat back when a recliner mechanism is actuated and the direction of the actual movement of an ottoman when an ottoman mechanism is actuated. Also, in a state in which a seat slide mechanism is selected, the direction of the operation of the switch member is aligned with the front-rear direction of the seat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: Ryohei Shigematsu, Shinji Iino, Souichi Nakayama, Masato Shirao, Takeshi Nakamura, Masahiro Oda, Kenichi Katsube