Patents by Inventor Takahiro Sugama

Takahiro Sugama 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: 9533604
    Abstract: A seat slide device is fixed to the floor of a vehicle and includes lower rails, each of which includes a front range and a rear range and extends forward and backward, and an upper rail supporting a movable seat and capable of moving over the lower rails. The seat slide device also includes a lock portion, a stopper, and a stopper-releasing operating portion. The lock portion selectively restricts movement of the upper rail on the lower rails at a plurality of positions. The lock portion is provided to the upper rail. The stopper stops movement of the upper rail before the upper rail advances from either one of the front range and the rear range, past this range, to the other range. The stopper-releasing operating portion enables movement of the upper rail when the upper rail has been stopped by the stopper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shirou Nakashima, Manabu Handa, Takahiro Sugama, Hideki Fujisawa, Sho Kume, Tsutomu Oya
  • Publication number: 20150001366
    Abstract: A seat slide device is fixed to the floor of a vehicle and includes lower rails, each of which includes a front range and a rear range and extends forward and backward, and an upper rail supporting a movable seat and capable of moving over the lower rails. The seat slide device also includes a lock portion, a stopper, and a stopper-releasing operating portion. The lock portion selectively restricts movement of the upper rail on the lower rails at a plurality of positions. The lock portion is provided to the upper rail. The stopper stops movement of the upper rail before the upper rail advances from either one of the front range and the rear range, past this range, to the other range. The stopper-releasing operating portion enables movement of the upper rail when the upper rail has been stopped by the stopper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shirou Nakashima, Manabu Handa, Takahiro Sugama, Hideki Fujisawa, Sho Kume, Tsutomu Oya
  • Patent number: 8562060
    Abstract: A vehicle seat device in which a seat can be simply and reliably held at a storage position. In a vehicle seat, a vehicle width direction outer side end portion of a seat cushion is supported so as to be capable of rotating around a drive shaft having an axis along a vehicle front-rear direction, and the seat cushion can be switched between a seating configuration at which an occupant can be seated and a storage configuration at which the seat cushion stands erect along a vehicle cabin inner side surface, due to being rotated around the drive shaft by a driving motor. Further, the vehicle seat which is in the storage configuration is held at the storage configuration by a striker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignees: Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Boushoku Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideyuki Kato, Takahiro Sugama, Masami Natsume, Tetsuya Abe
  • Publication number: 20120139312
    Abstract: The invention provides a vehicle seat device in which a seat can be simply and reliably held at a storage position. In a vehicle seat (10), a vehicle width direction outer side end portion of a seat cushion (12) is supported so as to be capable of rotating around a drive shaft (30) having an axis along a vehicle front-rear direction, and the seat cushion can be switched between a seating configuration at which an occupant can be seated and a storage configuration at which the seat cushion (12) stands erect along a vehicle cabin inner side surface S, due to being rotated around the drive shaft (30) by a driving motor (42). Further, the vehicle seat (10) which is in the storage configuration is held at the storage configuration due to a striker (46) engaging with a seat dragger (48) and is configured such that the striker (46) is released from the seat dragger (48) at the time of switching to the seating configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2007
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicants: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TOYOTA SHATAI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideyuki Kato, Takahiro Sugama, Masami Natsume, Tetsuya Abe
  • Patent number: 7954873
    Abstract: A striker is supported by and coupled to a seat body and is held in a rotated position where the striker is lowered to a position along the shape of the seat body. When the seat body is moved and stowed, the striker is raised to and held at a rotated and raised position where the striker can be engaged and locked to a locking device. Elasticity of an opening spring and a rubber body, which are arranged between the striker and a coupling section, allows a forced rotational displacement of the striker in both forward and reverse directions from a state in which the striker is held at the rotated and raised position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignees: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Abe, Takahiro Sugama, Masami Natsume, Yasuhiro Nishii
  • Publication number: 20110095585
    Abstract: The invention provides a vehicle seat device including fewer restrictions with respect to seat function and which can be switched from a seating position to a storage position by motive power. In a vehicle seat (10), a vehicle width direction outer side end portion of a seat cushion (12) is supported so as to be capable of rotating around a drive shaft (30) having an axis along a vehicle front-rear direction, and the seat cushion can be switched between a seating configuration at which an occupant can be seated and a storage configuration at which the seat cushion (12) stands erect along a vehicle cabin inner side surface S, due to rotating around the drive shaft (30).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2007
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Inventors: Hideyuki Kato, Takahiro Sugama, Mikihito Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 7753428
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle seat device operating as follows. A retracting instruction is given by a seat switch to start operation of a seat back actuator. Lock of the seat back and a seat cushion is released to rotate the seat back to the position where it is overlapped with the seat cushion. A floor actuator is driven to release engagement between the floor panel and the floor lock. A lift up motor is operated to lift up the vehicle seat device toward the vehicle body. After this, a dragger lock motor is operated to lock a striker on the seat back rear surface and the dragger unit, thereby completing the retraction operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideyuki Kato, Takahiro Sugama, Masami Natsume, Takahiro Kan, Mikihito Muramatsu
  • Publication number: 20100117425
    Abstract: A striker is supported by and coupled to a seat body and is held in a rotated position where the striker is lowered to a position along the shape of the seat body. When the seat body is moved and stowed, the striker is raised to and held at a rotated and raised position where the striker can be engaged and locked to a locking device. Elasticity of an opening spring and a rubber body, which are arranged between the striker and a coupling section, allows a forced rotational displacement of the striker in both forward and reverse directions from a state in which the striker is held at the rotated and raised position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicants: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TOYOTA SHATAI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuya Abe, Takahiro Sugama, Masami Natsume, Yasuhiro Nishii
  • Publication number: 20090102222
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle seat device operating as follows. A retracting instruction is given by a seat switch to start operation of a seat back actuator. Lock of the seat back and a seat cushion is released to rotate the seat back to the position where it is overlapped with the seat cushion. A floor actuator is driven to release engagement between the floor panel and the floor lock. A lift up motor is operated to lift up the vehicle seat device toward the vehicle body. After this, a dragger lock motor is operated to lock a striker on the seat back rear surface and the dragger unit, thereby completing the retraction operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2007
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Inventors: Hideyuki Kato, Takahiro Sugama, Masami Natsume, Takahiro Kan, Mikihito Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 7293838
    Abstract: A seat for a vehicle has an upper panel provided integrally with a seat back which can be tilted forward and rearward by operating an operation lever for reclining use. At a first operation position of an operation lever for walk-in use, the operation lever for walk-in use is interlocked with the operation lever for reclining use through a linking arm to tilt the upper panel urged by a spring forward. A projected piece mounted on the upper panel contacts a slide-unlocking lever and operates the slide-unlocking lever to rotate in an unlocking direction. Thereby slide locking of the seat for the vehicle is released. At a second operation position of the operation lever for walk-in use, the slide-unlocking lever is operated directly by a linking plate. Thereby the slide locking of the seat for the vehicle is released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignees: Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takahiro Sugama, Makoto Esaki, Takashi Mukoujima
  • Publication number: 20060181133
    Abstract: A seat for a vehicle has an upper panel provided integrally with a seat back which can be tilted forward and rearward by operating an operation lever for reclining use. At a first operation position of an operation lever for walk-inuse, the operation lever for walk-in use is interlocked with the operation lever for reclining use through a linking arm to tilt the upper panel urged by a spring forward. A projected piece mounted on the upper panel contacts a slide-unlocking lever and operates the slide-unlocking lever to rotate in an unlocking direction. Thereby slide locking of the seat for the vehicle is released. At a second operation position of the operation lever for walk-in use, the slide-unlocking lever is operated directly by a linking plate. Thereby the slide locking of the seat for the vehicle is released.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2006
    Publication date: August 17, 2006
    Applicants: TOYOTA SHATAI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiro Sugama, Makoto Esaki, Takashi Mukoujima
  • Patent number: 6021989
    Abstract: A swivel assembly of a vehicle seat including a ring-shaped upper plate fixed to a seat side member of a vehicle; a ring-shaped lower plate fixed to a floor side member of the vehicle; and a set plate holding the upper plate between it and the lower plate. One ball is provided between the upper plate and the lower plate. The other ball is provided between the upper plate and the set plate. The other ball is in contact with both inner surfaces of each of one sectionally V-shaped guide groove and the other sectionally V-shaped guide groove confronting the one groove. The upper plate can be held at a predetermined position without being loosened vertically and horizontally even though the upper plate, the lower plate, and the set plate have errors occurred in manufacture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Morita, Koichi Yamamoto, Takahiro Sugama, Hisayoshi Kato, Kyoji Inoue, Teruhiko Oshima