Patents by Inventor Takanori Kantou

Takanori Kantou 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: 5198629
    Abstract: A horn switch for a steering wheel having an air bag device. The steering wheel includes a multilayer membrane switch as the horn switch in which spacers in one layer are not aligned with the spacers in the other layers. Accordingly, even when the membrane switch is depressed just over one of the spacers in one layer, the electrode plates in the other layers can make contact with each other. Thus the operable area of the membrane switch is enlarged. Further, the membrane switch is supported on its lower surface by a number of ribs which define a number of spaces between the pad lower surface and air bag device. As a result of this space, the operation on the membrane switch can be made resilient in spite of the provision of the air bag device directly under the steering wheel pad. Further, because each part of the pad separated by the air bag device upon impact, each part must be provided with a membrane switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1993
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chikahisa Hayashi, Yoshio Sano, Junichi Mizutani, Takanori Kantou, Hiroaki Shinto, Sumio Sakaguchi