Patents by Inventor Teruo Hara

Teruo Hara 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: 11955750
    Abstract: A joint connector includes the plurality of wires extending in an extending direction, a plurality of terminals to be respectively connected to front end parts of the plurality of wires in the extending direction, a lower housing for accommodating the plurality of terminals, a busbar to be disposed in the lower housing, and an upper cover to be assembled with the lower housing. The busbar includes a plurality of tabs. Each of the plurality of terminals includes a tube portion, into which each of the plurality of tabs is inserted, and a wire connecting portion to be connected to each of the plurality of wires. The plurality of wires drawn out rearward in the extending direction from the lower housing include bent portions folded forward in the extending direction. The upper cover includes wire pressing portions for holding the plurality of wires folded forward in the extending direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignees: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki Kobayashi, Hajime Kawase, Masaaki Tabata, Teruo Hara, Hajime Matsui
  • Patent number: 11942737
    Abstract: A joint connector for connecting a plurality of wires includes a lower housing, an upper cover assembled with the lower housing, a plurality of terminals respectively connected to front end parts in an extending direction of the plurality of wires, and a busbar connected to the plurality of terminals. The busbar disposed in the lower housing includes a plurality of tabs. Each of the plurality of terminals disposed in the lower housing includes a tube portion, each of the plurality of tabs being inserted into the tube portion, sandwiching portions extending along the extending direction and configured to sandwich one of the plurality of wires, and a sliding portion disposed outside the sandwiching portions, movable along the extending direction and including pressurizing portions configured to pressurize the sandwiching portions toward the wire with the one of the plurality of wires sandwiched by the sandwiching portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignees: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki Kobayashi, Hajime Kawase, Masaaki Tabata, Teruo Hara, Hajime Matsui
  • Patent number: 11888250
    Abstract: A terminal-equipped wire is provided with a wire including a conductor, a terminal to be connected to the conductor, and a shell to be mounted on the terminal. The terminal includes a grip portion for sandwiching the conductor. The shell includes a pressing portion for pressing at least a part of the grip portion toward the conductor. The grip portion has a Sn—Ni alloy layer. The Sn—Ni alloy layer includes locally projecting protrusions. The protrusions bite into the conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignees: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takahito Jo, Yasushi Saito, Tomoyuki Sakata, Masaaki Tabata, Teruo Hara, Shunya Takeuchi, Hideki Matsunaga, Keisuke Teramoto
  • Patent number: 11848519
    Abstract: It is aimed to reduce cost. A female connector (F) includes a female housing (30) to be connected to a male housing (10), a lock functioning portion (57) provided on the female housing (30) and configured to lock the female housing (30) and the male housing (10) in a connected state by being locked to the male housing (10), and a releasing member (63) attachable to and detachable to the female housing (30), the releasing member being a component separate from the female housing (30). The releasing member (63) can displace the lock functioning portion (57) to disengage the lock functioning portion (57) from the male housing (10) while being mounted on the female housing (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignees: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Miyamura, Yutaka Kobayashi, Hiroki Kobayashi, Pipatthana Phatiwuttipat, Teruo Hara
  • Patent number: 11843194
    Abstract: A terminal-equipped electric wire includes an electric wire that includes a conductor, a terminal connected to the conductor, and a shell attached to the terminal. The conductor has a nominal cross-sectional area of 0.13 mm2 or less. The terminal includes a grip portion that pinches the conductor. The shell includes a pressing portion that presses at least a portion of the grip portion toward the conductor. At least one of the conductor and the grip portion includes a tin layer, and an oxide coating formed on the surface of the tin layer. An adhering portion formed of a portion of tin contained in the tin layer that passes through the oxide coating and pours out onto a surface of the oxide coating. The adhering portion has an area of 0.100 mm2 or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignees: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahito Jo, Yasushi Saito, Tomoyuki Sakata, Masaaki Tabata, Teruo Hara, Shunya Takeuchi, Hideki Matsunaga, Keisuke Teramoto, Hiroshi Kobayashi, Takeshi Amakawa
  • Patent number: 11843214
    Abstract: A terminal-equipped electric wire includes an electric wire that includes a conductor, a terminal connected to the conductor, and a shell attached to the terminal. The terminal includes a grip portion that pinches the conductor. The shell includes a pressing portion that presses at least a portion of the grip portion toward the conductor. The grip portion and the conductor are joined with an alloy layer. The alloy layer contains a Cu—Sn alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignees: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahito Jo, Yasushi Saito, Tomoyuki Sakata, Masaaki Tabata, Teruo Hara, Shunya Takeuchi, Hideki Matsunaga, Keisuke Teramoto, Hiroshi Kobayashi, Takeshi Amakawa
  • Patent number: 11749933
    Abstract: A joint connector 10 to be connected to wires 11 includes a lower housing 30 and an upper cover 60. The lower housing 30 accommodates terminals 12 to be respectively connected to front end parts in an extending direction of the wires 11. The upper cover 60 is assembled to close an upper surface of the lower housing 30. The lower housing 30 or the upper cover 60 includes a lower guide portion 36 or an upper guide portion 69 for bending the wires 11 by contacting the wires 11 with the lower housing 30 and the upper cover 60 assembled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignees: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki Kobayashi, Hajime Kawase, Masaaki Tabata, Teruo Hara, Hajime Matsui
  • Publication number: 20230238729
    Abstract: A connector 10 is provided with a terminal 20 to be connected to a front end part of a wire 11 extending in a front-rear direction, a connector housing 40 including an accommodating portion 41 for accommodating the terminal 20, and a rear holder 50 to be mounted on a rear end part of the connector housing 40. The rear holder 50 is formed with an insertion hole 61 extending along an extending direction of the wire between a communication opening 61A communicating with the accommodating portion 41 and a rear opening 61B open to outside in a rear end part of the rear holder 50. A guiding inclined surface 62 for reducing a hole diameter of the insertion hole 61 toward the communication opening 61A is provided on a wall surface of the insertion hole 61.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2021
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Nungna WI, Teruo HARA, Hajime MATSUI
  • Publication number: 20230231340
    Abstract: A wire cover is to be mounted on a rear side in a connecting direction of a connector to be connected to a mating connector. The connector includes a plurality of female terminals disposed apart from each other in a lateral direction and a plurality of wires connected to the respective female terminals and pulled out from the rear side in the connecting direction. The wire cover includes a housing having an insertion opening through which the plurality of wires are inserted and a draw-out opening through which the plurality of wires inserted through the insertion opening are drawn out rightward, and an assisting member for assisting three-dimensional bending of the respective wires inside the housing. The respective wires are three-dimensionally bent inside the housing and drawn out through the draw-out opening by being assisted by the assisting member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventors: Hiroki KOBAYASHI, Shunya TAKEUCHI, Teruo HARA, Hajime MATSUI, Nungna WI, Masaaki TABATA
  • Publication number: 20230187867
    Abstract: A connector is provided with first and second housings connectable to each other, a slider to be supported on the first housing, and a biasing member to be arranged between the slider and the first housing. The second housing includes a stopper portion for stopping a connecting operation of the first and second housings by coming into contact with a contact portion of the first housing and a slider lock receiving portion to be locked by a slider lock portion of a slider. The biasing member has a biasing force for pushing the first housing toward a connection position to the second housing when the slider lock receiving portion is locked by the slider lock portion and contact between the stopper portion and the contact portion is released.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Inventors: Hiroki KOBAYASHI, Tetsuya MIYAMURA, Yutaka KOBAYASHI, Teruo HARA
  • Publication number: 20230137240
    Abstract: A terminal to be connected to a front end part of a wire includes a terminal body and a slide portion. The terminal body includes a sandwiching portion for sandwiching the wire. The slide portion has a tubular shape to be externally fit to the terminal body and includes a pressurizing portion projecting inward from an inner surface of the slide portion. The slide portion is slidable with respect to the terminal body between a non-contact position where the pressurizing portion is not in contact with the sandwiching portion and a contact position forward of the non-contact position, the pressurizing portion being in contact with the sandwiching portion at the contact position. The slide portion has a lower wall, a first side wall extending upward from one side edge of the lower wall and a second sandwiching portion extending upward from the other side edge of the lower wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventors: Shunya TAKEUCHI, Teruo HARA, Hajime MATSUI
  • Patent number: 11637386
    Abstract: A terminal coupled to an electric wire includes a terminal body and a shell. The shell includes a tubular portion and pressing portions 25A and 25B that protrudes from an inner wall of the tubular portion. The tubular portion includes a bottom wall, a first sidewall that projects upward from a first side edge of the bottom wall, a second sidewall that projects upward from a second side edge of the bottom wall, a ceiling that extends from the first sidewall to the second sidewall and is opposite the bottom wall, and a restricting portion that extends from the second sidewall to the first sidewall and overlaps an outer surface of the ceiling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignees: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Teruo Hara, Hajime Kawase, Masaaki Tabata, Hajime Matsui, Hiroshi Kobayashi, Takeshi Amakawa
  • Publication number: 20220368056
    Abstract: A joint connector 10 for electrically connecting a plurality of wires 11 includes a housing 29 and a joint terminal 12 to be disposed in the housing 29. The joint terminal 12 includes a plurality of branch portions 20 arranged along an arrangement direction, a plurality of wire connecting portions 17 respectively continuous with the plurality of branch portions 20 and to be connected to the plurality of wires 11, and a coupling portion 19 for electrically connecting the plurality of branch portions 20 by coupling the plurality of branch portions 20. The coupling portion 19 is in the form of a plate extending in the arrangement direction and is bent. The coupling portion 19 is engaged with the housing 29.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2020
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Hiroki KOBAYASHI, Hajime KAWASE, Masaaki TABATA, Teruo HARA, Hajime MATSUI
  • Publication number: 20220352665
    Abstract: A terminal-equipped wire is provided with a wire including a conductor, a terminal to be connected to the conductor, and a shell to be mounted on the terminal. The terminal includes a grip portion for sandwiching the conductor. The shell includes a pressing portion for pressing at least a part of the grip portion toward the conductor. The grip portion has a Sn—Ni alloy layer. The Sn—Ni alloy layer includes locally projecting protrusions. The protrusions bite into the conductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Inventors: Takahito JO, Yasushi SAITO, Tomoyuki SAKATA, Masaaki TABATA, Teruo HARA, Shunya TAKEUCHI, Hideki MATSUNAGA, Keisuke TERAMOTO
  • Patent number: 11456550
    Abstract: A female terminal includes a terminal connecting portion extending along a length direction and having an insertion opening on a front end in the length direction, a male terminal being inserted into the insertion opening, a resilient contact piece disposed inside the terminal connecting portion and configured to sandwich the male terminal between the terminal connecting portion and the resilient contact piece, a plurality of spring members disposed side by side across a gap along the length direction inside the terminal connecting portion and configured to resiliently contact the male terminal from one side in a width direction intersecting the length direction and the height direction, and a projecting portion projecting from the other side in the width direction toward the one side in the width direction inside the terminal connecting portion and configured to sandwich the male terminal between the plurality of spring members and the projecting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignees: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro Nishitani, Masaaki Tabata, Teruo Hara
  • Publication number: 20220278488
    Abstract: It is aimed to reduce connection resistance between a female housing and a male housing without causing the settling of a resilient contact piece of a female terminal fitting. A female connector (F) includes a female housing (10) configured to accommodate female terminal fittings (20) and to be connected to a male housing (50), and a movable portion (31) displaceable between a terminal deforming position where resilient contact pieces (25) are resiliently deformed away from male terminal fittings (60) and a releasing position where the movable portion is disengaged from the resilient contact pieces (25). As the connection of the female housing (10) and the male housing (50) proceeds, a retainer-side slide-contact portion (32) slides in contact with male-side slide-contact portions (55) and the movable portion (31) is displaced from the releasing position to the terminal deforming position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Inventors: Tetsuya MIYAMURA, Yutaka KOBAYASHI, Hiroki KOBAYASHI, Pipatthana PHATIWUTTIPAT, Teruo HARA
  • Publication number: 20220271448
    Abstract: A terminal-equipped electric wire includes an electric wire that includes a conductor, a terminal connected to the conductor, and a shell attached to the terminal. The terminal includes a grip portion that pinches the conductor. The shell includes a pressing portion that presses at least a portion of the grip portion toward the conductor. The grip portion and the conductor are joined with an alloy layer. The alloy layer contains a Cu—Sn alloy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Applicants: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahito JO, Yasushi SAITO, Tomoyuki SAKATA, Masaaki TABATA, Teruo HARA, Shunya TAKEUCHI, Hideki MATSUNAGA, Keisuke TERAMOTO, Hiroshi KOBAYASHI, Takeshi AMAKAWA
  • Publication number: 20220271473
    Abstract: The present invention reduces cost. A female side connector (F) is provided with: a female side housing (30) fitted to a male side housing (10); a lock function part (57) that is provided to the female side housing (30) and that locks, in a fitted manner, the female side housing (30) and the male side housing (10) by locking the male side housing (10); and a releasing member (63) that is a component separate from the female side housing (30) and that is attachable to and detachable from the female side housing (30), wherein the releasing member (63) can cause the lock function part (57) to be displaced so as to be released and separated from the male side housing (10) in a state where the releasing member is attached to the female side housing (30).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventors: Tetsuya MIYAMURA, Yutaka KOBAYASHI, Hiroki KOBAYASHI, Pipatthana PHATIWUTTIPAT, Teruo HARA
  • Publication number: 20220263261
    Abstract: A terminal-equipped electric wire includes an electric wire that includes a conductor, a terminal connected to the conductor, and a shell attached to the terminal. The conductor has a nominal cross-sectional area of 0.13 mm2 or less. The terminal includes a grip portion that pinches the conductor. The shell includes a pressing portion that presses at least a portion of the grip portion toward the conductor. At least one of the conductor and the grip portion includes a tin layer, and an oxide coating formed on the surface of the tin layer. An adhering portion formed of a portion of tin contained in the tin layer that passes through the oxide coating and pours out onto a surface of the oxide coating. The adhering portion has an area of 0.100 mm2 or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Applicants: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahito JO, Yasushi SAITO, Tomoyuki SAKATA, Masaaki TABATA, Teruo HARA, Shunya TAKEUCHI, Hideki MATSUNAGA, Keisuke TERAMOTO, Hiroshi KOBAYASHI, Takeshi AMAKAWA
  • Publication number: 20220255245
    Abstract: A terminal-equipped electric wire includes an electric wire that includes a conductor, a terminal connected to the conductor, and a shell attached to the terminal. The terminal includes a grip portion that pinches the conductor. The shell includes a pressing portion that presses at least a portion of the grip portion toward the conductor. The maximum pulling load is 20 N or more when the terminal is fixed and the electric wire is pulled at a pulling speed of 50 mm/minute.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Applicants: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahito JO, Yasushi SAITO, Tomoyuki SAKATA, Masaaki TABATA, Teruo HARA, Shunya TAKEUCHI, Hideki MATSUNAGA, Keisuke TERAMOTO, Hiroshi KOBAYASHI, Takeshi AMAKAWA