Patents by Inventor Tetsuo Maki

Tetsuo Maki 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: 7513524
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant restraint system is provided with an air bag restraint device including a first deploying portion deploying between a vehicle occupant and a portion in a vehicle, and a second deploying portion deploying related to the first deploying portion. The second deploying portion providing a support for the first deploying portion to receive at least a part of a load acting on the first deploying portion from a head of the vehicle occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouichi Oota, Hideo Tobata, Daisuke Masuda, Gousuke Wakana, Tetsuo Maki
  • Patent number: 7163236
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant restraint system of the present invention has: a seat belt restraint device (13) including a shoulder belt (11) which restrains the body of a vehicle occupant (C) diagonally from one of the shoulders (Cs) to the chest (Cc), and a lap belt (12) which restrains the waist (Cw) of the vehicle occupant (C); an upper air bag (30) supported by an upper support point (32) provided on the shoulder belt (11); a lower air bag (31) supported by a lower support point (33) provided on the lap belt (12) and coming into contact with the upper air bag (30) in a vertical direction when being inflated and extended; and an air bag movement inhibiting structure (H1–H9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Masuda, Hideo Tobata, Kouichi Oota, Tetsuo Maki
  • Publication number: 20060119085
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant restraint system of the present invention has: a seat belt restraint device (13) including a shoulder belt (11) which restrains the body of a vehicle occupant (C) diagonally from one of the shoulders (Cs) to the chest (Cc), and a lap belt (12) which restrains the waist (Cw) of the vehicle occupant (C); an upper air bag (30) supported by an upper support point (32) provided on the shoulder belt (11); a lower air bag (31) supported by a lower support point (33) provided on the lap belt (12) and coming into contact with the upper air bag (30) in a vertical direction when being inflated and extended; and an air bag movement inhibiting structure (H1-H9).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2005
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Inventors: Daisuke Masuda, Hideo Tobata, Kouichi Oota, Tetsuo Maki
  • Publication number: 20060028004
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant restraint system is provided with an air bag restraint device including a first deploying portion deploying between a vehicle occupant and a portion in a vehicle, and a second deploying portion deploying related to the first deploying portion. The second deploying portion providing a support for the first deploying portion to receive at least a part of a load acting on the first deploying portion from a head of the vehicle occupant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2005
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Inventors: Kouichi Oota, Hideo Tobata, Daisuke Masuda, Gousuke Wakana, Tetsuo Maki
  • Patent number: 6602362
    Abstract: Conductors, which are formed on a suspension member of the hard-disc drive suspension, are subject to thermal expansion and shrinkage during the laminating process with a substrate via a polyimide binder. The tracking width of the suspension member is influenced by the thermal expansion and shrinkage. In order to provide a copper-alloy foil, which can attain improved tracking width, the following ratio of thermal expansion and shrinkage is adjusted in a range of from −0.1 to +0.1% &Dgr;(%)=(l−l0)/l0×100 where l0 the length of a specimen before heating at 330° C. for 2 hours, and l is the length of a specimen after heating at 330° C. for 2 hours. &Dgr;(%) is measured in the direction parallel to the rolling direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Nippon Mining and Metals Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Tomioka, Tetsuo Maki, Naohiko Era
  • Publication number: 20020179198
    Abstract: The conductors, which are formed on a suspension member of the hard-disc drive suspension is subjected to thermal expansion and shrinkage during the laminating process with a substrate via polyimide binder 3. The tracking width of the suspension member is influenced by the thermal expansion and shrinkage. In order to provide a copper-alloy foil, which can attain improved tracking width, the following ratio of thermal expansion and shrinkage is adjusted in a range of from −0.1 to+0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2001
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Inventors: Yasuo Tomioka, Tetsuo Maki, Naohiko Era
  • Patent number: 6474679
    Abstract: A vehicle air bag system is provided with an air bag that inflates and unfolds to cover the entire front surface of a front pillar 3. When it is judged based on the detection operation of a collision detection device 10 that there is a risk of colliding with a pedestrian, a hood pop-up device 11 is actuated and the rear end part of the engine hood 1 moves up, widening the gap between the rear end part and the front windshield 2. Simultaneously, the air bag module 15 is actuated and the air bag 18 expands out from the gap. The air bag inflates and unfolds so as to cover the entire front surface of the front pillar 3 from the base to the upper end thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Miyasaka, Tetsuo Maki
  • Publication number: 20020014761
    Abstract: A vehicle air bag system is provided with an air bag that inflates and unfolds to cover the entire front surface of a front pillar 3. When it is judged based on the detection operation of a collision detection device 10 that there is a risk of colliding with a pedestrian, a hood pop-up device 11 is actuated and the rear end part of the engine hood 1 moves up, widening the gap between the rear end part and the front windshield 2. Simultaneously, the air bag module 15 is actuated and the air bag 18 expands out from the gap. The air bag inflates and unfolds so as to cover the entire front surface of the front pillar 3 from the base to the upper end thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2001
    Publication date: February 7, 2002
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Miyasaka, Tetsuo Maki
  • Patent number: 6182782
    Abstract: A device for reducing impact to a pedestrian involved in a collision with a motor vehicle includes a displacement mechanism to raise a hood from a rest position to an impact position elevated relative to the rest position, and an air bag module including an air bag. The air bag module is operative to inflate the air bag after displacement of the hood from the rest position to the impact position has begun. When inflated, the air bag has its first cushion portion extending beneath the hood and its second cushion portion extending out from the rear of the hood. The second cushion portion extends over a lower portion of a windshield of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuki Matsuura, Tetsuo Maki
  • Patent number: 6106039
    Abstract: A bumper structure for a vehicle comprises a first cross member, a bumper stay, a reinforcement, and a front bumper facsia. The bumper stay is connected with the first cross member to extend forward. The reinforcement is arranged in front of the bumper stay to be connected with the bumper stay. The bumper facsia is arranged in front of the reinforcement. The bumper stay includes a first portion being dispose on its front side and a second portion, which is different in strength from the first portion, being disposed on its rear side. The bumper facsia pushes backward the reinforcement with a front portion of the vehicle colliding with an obstacle. At that time, the reinforcement functions as a mass while one of the first portion and the second portion, which is low in strength, functions as a spring and is then crushed. Hence, a deceleration rises sharply relative to a moving stroke of the bumper facsia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuo Maki
  • Patent number: 6059342
    Abstract: A car body structure comprises a pillar panel, and a pillar garnish molding made of synthetic resin and fitted to the pillar panel on the cabin side. The pillar garnish molding has a closed section which is enclosed by a base portion facing the pillar panel, a plurality of ribs formed upright on the surface of the base portion and formed at a distance along the longitudinal direction of the pillar panel, and a cover member formed to cover the ribs. Therefore the car body structure is capable of achieving good energy absorption efficiency of head impact deceleration even if the width of the pillar panel is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Kawai, Motoru Komatsu, Satoru Ichikawa, Tetsuo Maki
  • Patent number: 5927786
    Abstract: A car body structure comprises a pillar panel, and a pillar garnish molding made of synthetic resin and fitted to the pillar panel on the cabin side. The pillar garnish molding has a closed section which is enclosed by a base portion facing the pillar panel a plurality of ribs formed upright on the surface of the base portion and formed at a distance along the longitudinal direction of the pillar panel, and a cover member formed to cover the ribs. Therefore the car body structure is capable of achieving good energy absorption efficiency of head impact deceleration even if the width of the pillar panel is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Kawai, Motoru Komatsu, Satoru Ichikawa, Tetsuo Maki
  • Patent number: 5913649
    Abstract: A protector cap for covering a mounting bolt head has a spacer interposed between the cap and the bolt to position the cap with respect to the bolt head and to isolate the cap from the bolt head. The cap is made of a resin. The spacer is a separate member engaged with the inner surface of the cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1999
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Kazunori Tomimatsu, Kenichi Saito, Tetsuo Maki, Masanobu Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 5836613
    Abstract: A nut member, which is arranged in a pillar panel and to which a bolt for supporting a seat belt anchor plate is fixed, comprises a nut main body to which the bolt is fixed and a nut holder supported to the pillar panel to hold the nut main body. The nut holder has a holder portion formed to support a tensile load applied to the nut main body, and engaging means for holding a state in which the nut main body is held in the holder portion and for supporting the nut main body until a compressive load applied to the nut main body is increased up to a predetermined value are provided to at least one of the nut main body and the nut holder. Accordingly, a car body structure can be achieved which can control an allowable value against a compressive load applied to the seat belt anchor plate and support a large tensile load sufficiently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Saito, Tetsuo Maki
  • Patent number: 5833303
    Abstract: A pillar construction for a vehicle body includes a steel pad formed from a resilient sheet steel and disposed between a pillar inner panel of a pillar main body and a pillar trim. In a secondary collision in which the pillar trim is subjected to a force directed outward of a vehicle body and deformed thereby, the steel pad produces a reaction force against deformation of the pillar trim at the initial stage of the secondary collision and substantially no reaction force at the final stage of the secondary collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Kawai, Kenichi Saito, Tetsuo Maki
  • Patent number: 5826907
    Abstract: A novel vehicle energy absorbing structure is disclosed, in which a hard member has a portion facing the compartment, a cover having a substantially U-shaped section is provided to cover the compartment side of the hard member, and an energy absorbing member is interposed between the cover and the hard member to absorb energy by plastic deformation. At the time of deformation of the cover caused under a pressure load not less than a predetermined value, at least a trigger portion formed in the cover provides a momentum for plastic deformation of the energy absorbing member. Thus a compact vehicle energy absorbing structure is provided which can absorb a sufficient amount of load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1998
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Saito, Tetsuo Maki, Satoru Yoshikawa, Satoru Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 5810428
    Abstract: A framework of a vehicle body structure comprises an outer panel and an inner panel. These outer and inner panels are joined to constitute a longitudinally extending hollow structure. The inner panel includes a center panel part facing toward the interior of the vehicle body, and first and second side panel parts extending obliquely outward from laterally opposed edges of the center panel part. The center panel part has a rigidity higher than each of the first and second side panel parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuo Maki
  • Patent number: 5741044
    Abstract: A bracket is provided with a projection having its tip displaced from a rear panel of a pillar inner panel toward the rear end of the automobile and the projection is provided with a through bore and that the garnish main body has its inner surface held in linear contact with the tip of the projection of the bracket and includes a boss inserted into the through bore of the projection of the bracket and supported by the projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1998
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Kawai, Tetsuo Maki, Shozo Suzuki