Patents by Inventor Tetsuyuki Tsukano

Tetsuyuki Tsukano 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: 8136376
    Abstract: An electric lock device including a movable member, a cam plate (5) rotated in an unlocking direction and a locking direction by the driving of a drive source, and a lock member (8) including a cam contact surface (10) in contact with a sliding surface (6) of the cam plate (5). The lock member (8) follows the sliding surface (6) to be displaced between a locking position for inhibiting the movement of the movable member and an unlocking position for allowing the movement of the movable member. The cam profile of the sliding surface (6) is set so that the rotary torque of the cam plate (5) necessary for moving the lock member (8) from the locking position to the unlocking position can be maintained at approximately a constant value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Alpha Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuyuki Tsukano, Takahiro Okada
  • Patent number: 7975516
    Abstract: An electric steering lock apparatus includes a cam plate rotated in an unlocking direction and a locking direction by driving a motor unit, and a lock shaft shifting between a lock position at which the rotation of the steering shaft is prevented and an unlock position at which the rotation of the steering shaft is permitted, following to the sliding surface of the cam plate, wherein, at the position of the cam plate at which the lock shaft is located at the unlock position, the center of rotation of the cam plate is set at an eccentric position with respect to the position of the center of gravity of the cam plate so that the rotation torque resulting from the own weight of the cam plate acts in the unlocking direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignees: Alpha Corporation, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Okada, Tetsuyuki Tsukano, Ryuichi Yoshida, Yoshio Watanuki
  • Patent number: 7810363
    Abstract: An electric steering locking apparatus includes a cam plate (5) that rotates in an unlocking direction (R1) and a locking direction (R2) by driving operation of a motor unit, and a locking shaft (8) that follows a sliding surface (6) of the cam plate (5) and that moves between a locking position where the rotation of a steering shaft is prevented and an unlocking position where the rotation of the steering shaft is permitted. The cam plate (5) is set such that a rotation center (O) coincides with a center of gravity (G).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Alpha Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Okada, Tetsuyuki Tsukano
  • Publication number: 20080271504
    Abstract: An electric steering locking apparatus includes a cam plate (5) that rotates in an unlocking direction (R1) and a locking direction (R2) by driving operation of a motor unit, and a locking shaft (8) that follows a sliding surface (6) of the cam plate (5) and that moves between a locking position where the rotation of a steering shaft is prevented and an unlocking position where the rotation of the steering shaft is permitted. The cam plate (5) is set such that a rotation center (O) coincides with a center of gravity (G).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Inventors: Takahiro Okada, Tetsuyuki Tsukano
  • Patent number: 7412858
    Abstract: There are provided a cam plate (5) that rotates in an unlocking direction and a locking direction, and a locking shaft (8) that moves between a locking position where rotation of a steering shaft is prevented and an unlocking position where the rotation of the steering shaft is permitted by rotation of the cam plate (5). The cam plate (5) is provided with a steering lock preventing unit (20) through a spring (22). The steering lock preventing unit (20) holds the locking shaft (8) in the unlocking position. A ball (23) moves on a moving surface (24) of a motor unit (4) opposed to the cam plate (5) by rotation of the cam plate (5). A projecting wall (25) is provided on the moving surface (24) at a position before the unlocking position in a range where the ball (23) moves from the locking position to the unlocking position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Alpha Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuyuki Tsukano, Koichiro Sugimoto
  • Publication number: 20070295044
    Abstract: An electric lock device including a movable member, a cam plate (5) rotated in an unlocking direction and a locking direction by the driving of a drive source, and a lock member (8) including a cam contact surface (10) in contact with a sliding surface (6) of the cam plate (5). The lock member (8) follows the sliding surface (6) to be displaced between a locking position for inhibiting the movement of the movable member and an unlocking position for allowing the movement of the movable member. The cam profile of the sliding surface (6) is set so that the rotary torque of the cam plate (5) necessary for moving the lock member (8) from the locking position to the unlocking position can be maintained at approximately a constant value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Inventors: Tetsuyuki Tsukano, Takahiro Okada
  • Publication number: 20070214846
    Abstract: There are provided a cam plate (5) that rotates in an unlocking direction and a locking direction, and a locking shaft (8) that moves between a locking position where rotation of a steering shaft is prevented and an unlocking position where the rotation of the steering shaft is permitted by rotation of the cam plate (5). The cam plate (5) is provided with a steering lock preventing unit (20) through a spring (22). The steering lock preventing unit (20) holds the locking shaft (8) in the unlocking position. A ball (23) moves on a moving surface (24) of a motor unit (4) opposed to the cam plate (5) by rotation of the cam plate (5). A projecting wall (25) is provided on the moving surface (24) at a position before the unlocking position in a range where the ball (23) moves from the locking position to the unlocking position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Inventors: Tetsuyuki Tsukano, Koichiro Sugimoto
  • Publication number: 20050268677
    Abstract: An electric steering lock apparatus includes a cam plate rotated in an unlocking direction and a locking direction by driving a motor unit, and a lock shaft shifting between a lock position at which the rotation of the steering shaft is prevented and an unlock position at which the rotation of the steering shaft is permitted, following to the sliding surface of the cam plate, wherein, at the position of the cam plate at which the lock shaft is located at the unlock position, the center of rotation of the cam plate is set at an eccentric position with respect to the position of the center of gravity of the cam plate so that the rotation torque resulting from the own weight of the cam plate acts in the unlocking direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2005
    Publication date: December 8, 2005
    Inventors: Takahiro Okada, Tetsuyuki Tsukano, Ryuichi Yoshida, Yoshio Watanuki
  • Patent number: 6460386
    Abstract: A mechanical key (17) is housed in a mechanical key storing part (15) offset to one side within a key body (1), a bulge (18a) of a key head (18) being housed in an extension part (16a) of an aperture (16), a bridging part (19) that forms a holder linking hole (20) being formed so as to protrude at just the center of the rear end surface of the key body (1) thereby establishing left-to-right symmetry and avoiding an unbalanced appearance. Because the key head (18) of the mechanical key (17) can be formed so that the lever length from the key center axis line is large, it is possible to lighten the key rotational force when the mechanical key is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Alpha Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshio Watanuki, Satoshi Ogata, Tetsuyuki Tsukano
  • Patent number: 6442985
    Abstract: A lock apparatus which can be locked or unlocked by an electronic key or mechanical key, includes a cylinder casing, a sleeve disposed rotatably inside the cylinder casing, a key cylinder disposed rotatably inside the sleeve and in which a mechanical key can be inserted, a tumbler disposed on the key cylinder and which the mechanical key can engage, a key cylinder lock actuator for locking or unlocking a rotation of the sleeve with respect to the cylinder casing and a control unit disposed on the key cylinder side for carrying out transmission and reception of electronic signal for verifying IDs. When, as a result of the ID verification, the ID of the control unit and the ID of the electronic key coincide with each other, the rotation of the sleeve with respects to the cylinder casing is released. Also, when the tumbler engages the sleeve, the key cylinder is rotatable with the sleeve by operating a key cylinder operating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Alpha Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshio Watanuki, Masaki Tamura, Tetsuyuki Tsukano, Shigeo Chiba
  • Patent number: 6389856
    Abstract: A lock apparatus includes: a control unit carrying out transmission and reception of an electronic signal between the electronic key and the control unfit so as to perform ID verification; a rotating member disposed rotatably inside a casing; a lock actuator receiving a lock release signal from the control unit so as to release a lock on the rotating member to the casing; a key insertion hole disposed to the rotating member; a slider hole going through the rotating member; a slider inserted into the slider hole and disposed such that its inner end is protruded into the key insertion hole; and a check lever supported rotatably and in which one end thereof is an operating portion activating the transmission and reception of the control unit and the other end makes contact with the outer end face of the slider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Alpha Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshio Watanuki, Tetsuyuki Tsukano, Satoshi Ogata
  • Patent number: 6382003
    Abstract: A lock apparatus of the invention capable of being locked/unlocked by an electronic key, comprises: an electronic key having a circuit chip generating an electronic signal, and an insertion portion provided at an end thereof and comprised of a pair of opposing flat portions and slope portions on both sides so as to be formed in a tapered flat shape; and a rotating member having an insertion hole opening at an end face thereof and in which the insertion portion of the electronic key is to be inserted, an opening portion of the key insertion hole having a rectangular sectional shape corresponding to a cross section of the insertion portion and being larger than an end of the insertion portion, and an interior of the key insertion hole being formed in a tapered flat shape corresponding to the tapered flat shape of the insertion portion and having a slant wall as a side face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Alpha Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshio Watanuki, Tetsuyuki Tsukano, Satashi Ogata
  • Patent number: 5428978
    Abstract: A cylinder lock device (10) includes a lever (15) rotatably disposed between a casing (11) and a key cylinder (13), and a blocking member (17) disposed within a notch (16) formed in the lever (15). A concavity (18) are formed on an inner wall of the casing (11), and a chamfer (19) is formed on the key cylinder (13). When the lever (15) is in the locked position and the key cylinder (13) is further rotated to the dead-locked position over the locked position, the blocking member (17) moves away from the chamfer (19) of the key cylinder (13) and into the concavity (18) of the casing (11). When the key is pulled out from the key cylinder in the dead-locked position, the locking device is forcibly maintained in the locked position to prevent unauthorized unlocking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: Alpha Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuyuki Tsukano