Patents by Inventor Tomonori Ohtsubo

Tomonori Ohtsubo 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: 7517019
    Abstract: A driving posture adjusting device comprises a slide rail (39) disposed in a forwardly raising posture on a floor portion of a vehicle body; a seat slider (44) disposed in a lower front portion of a seat cushion (35) of a driver seat and slidably supported along the slide rail (39); a seat driving mechanism (40) for moving the driver seat in forward and backward directions by driving the seat slider (44); a guide plate (51) formed with a guide groove (53) of a predetermined path and fixed on the vehicle body; and a guide member (52) provided in a rear portion of the seat cushion (35), the guide member including a guided portion (52) supported along the guide groove (53), where a rear end portion of the seat cushion is raised by sliding the guided portion along the guide groove of the guide plate in response to an operation of moving the driver seat toward a front side of the vehicle body by driving the seat slider by the seat driving mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Tomonori Ohtsubo, Hiroki Uemura, Toshimine Morino
  • Publication number: 20090088930
    Abstract: Disclosed is a driving posture adjusting apparatus comprising: a seat-position adjusting mechanism (2) adapted to move a seat cushion (1a) of a driver seat (1) in a longitudinal direction so as to adjust a longitudinal position of the driver seat (1); a seated-posture adjusting mechanism (3) adapted to adjust a seated posture of a driver seated in the driver seat (1); a controllability adjusting mechanism (7) adapted to adjust controllability for an operation section (4) to be operated by the driver; a seat slide switch (91) adapted to issue an instruction for actuating the seat-position adjusting mechanism (2) to move the seat cushion (1a) of the driver seat (1) in the longitudinal direction; and control unit (95) operable to actuate the seated-posture adjusting mechanism (3) and the controllability adjusting mechanism (7), in correlation with the longitudinal position of the driver seat (1) adjusted according to an input signal through the seat slide switch (91), so as to obtain a driving posture correspond
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomonori OHTSUBO, Hiroki UEMURA, Yusaku TAKEDA, Asami IWAMOTO, Hirokazu YAMASAKI, Toshikazu MAEDA
  • Patent number: 7437229
    Abstract: The pedal adjusting devises and the floor adjusting device control pedals and the movable floor respectively according to the driver's body size detected, with first adjusting characteristic such that the pedals become closer to the driver and the movable floor goes up further, as the driver's body size detected becomes small, and with second adjusting characteristics, which are different from the first characteristics, for the driver having the relatively small body size whose body size detected is smaller than the specified body size. Accordingly, the arrangement positions of the pedals and the going-up-and-down position of the floor can be properly adjusted for drivers having different body sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Tomonori Ohtsubo, Hiroki Uemura
  • Publication number: 20080231090
    Abstract: A driving position adjusting device comprises a seat-position adjusting mechanism to adjust height and seat-face angle of a seat cushion in accordance with longitudinal movement of a driver's seat, and a floor adjusting mechanism to adjust a height of a floor board in accordance with the operation of the longitudinal adjustment of the driver's seat, wherein the seat-position adjusting mechanism is configured so that an inclination angle of the seat cushion becomes smaller as the driver's seat is moved forward from a middle position, and the floor adjusting mechanism is configured so that the height of the floor board becomes higher as the driver's seat is moved forward from the middle position. Accordingly, the sitting position of the driver and the operational function of the operational pedal can be provided properly regardless of the body size of the driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusaku TAKEDA, Tomonori OHTSUBO, Hiroki UEMURA, Naoki YAMADA
  • Patent number: 7419029
    Abstract: There is provided a driver driving position adjusting device, comprising a movable floor panel adjusting mechanism operative to adjust at least a vertical position of a movable floor panel, an adjusting device operative to adjust at least one of a seat face position of a driver seat, an operating angle of the pedal operated by the leg portion of the driver and a position of a steering, and a driving position adjusting operating device operative to operate the movable floor panel adjusting mechanism and the adjusting device. Accordingly, the proper driving position and pedal operation can be provided regardless of the body size of driver, by adjusting at least the vertical position of the movable floor panel on which the leg portion of the driver operating the pedal is placed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Tomonori Ohtsubo, Hiroki Uemura
  • Publication number: 20080048477
    Abstract: A vehicle seat assembly comprises a coupling member 12 coupling a front end of a seat-cushion frame 2 to an upper rail 11, a rear link member 23 provided in a rear end of the seat-cushion frame 2, and a support member 24 provided on the side of a vehicle body to support the rear link member 23. The rear link member 23 includes a pivoted portion 26 pivotally supported by the upper rail 11, a coupled portion 28 coupled to the rear end of the seat-cushion frame 2, and an engaged portion engaged with the support member 24. The support member 24 includes a sliding drive portion (sliding groove 33) which slidably supports the engaged portion of the rear link member 23 to allow the rear link member 23 to be swingingly displaced in conjunction with a longitudinal movement of the seat-cushion frame 2, so as to move the coupled portion 28 in an upward/downward direction to drivingly lift and lower the rear end of the seat-cushion frame 2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Applicants: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION, DELTA KOGYO CO., LTD., TOYO SEAT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takushi Ujimoto, Terumi Akazawa, Teiji Hiyori, Keisuke Iida, Tomonori Ohtsubo, Hiroki Uemura
  • Publication number: 20080047771
    Abstract: Disclosed is a movable floor apparatus for a vehicle, which comprises a movable board 5 disposed beneath feet of an occupant seated in an occupant seat 4, a drive source 6 disposed below the occupant seat 4, and a driving-force transmission mechanism 7 adapted, according to a driving force of the drive source 6, to input a force directed in a selected one of frontward and rearward directions of a vehicle body, into a rear portion of the movable board 5. The movable board 5 is supported in such a manner as to be selectively displaced upwardly and downwardly in response to respective ones of the frontward and rearward forces input from the driving-force transmission mechanism 7. The movable floor apparatus of the present invention makes it possible to allow a lowermost height position of a movable board to be set at a lower level so as to cope with various seating postures with enhanced flexibility.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Applicants: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION, DELTA KOGYO, LTD., TOYO SEAT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takushi Ujimoto, Terumi Akazawa, Teiji Hiyori, Keisuke Iida, Tomonori Ohtsubo, Hiroki Uemura, Reiji Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20070205626
    Abstract: A driving posture adjusting device comprises a slide rail (39) disposed in a forwardly raising posture on a floor portion of a vehicle body; a seat slider (44) disposed in a lower front portion of a seat cushion (35) of a driver seat and slidably supported along the slide rail (39); a seat driving mechanism (40) for moving the driver seat in forward and backward directions by driving the seat slider (44); a guide plate (51) formed with a guide groove (53) of a predetermined path and fixed on the vehicle body; and a guide member (52) provided in a rear portion of the seat cushion (35), the guide member including a guided portion (52) supported along the guide groove (53), where a rear end portion of the seat cushion is raised by sliding the guided portion along the guide groove of the guide plate in response to an operation of moving the driver seat toward a front side of the vehicle body by driving the seat slider by the seat driving mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Inventors: Tomonori Ohtsubo, Hiroki Uemura, Toshimine Morino
  • Publication number: 20070176456
    Abstract: A floor board positioned in the foot area of an occupant seated in an occupant seat is allowed to be driven up or down. In an automobile movable floor apparatus, a floor board 5 that covers the upper face of an automobile body floor 3 and a raising-lowering drive mechanism 6 that drives the floor board 5 to be raised or lowered are provided in the foot area of an occupant seated in an occupant seat 4, and a toe board portion 8 sloping down to the rear and a floor base portion 9 that extends toward the rear of the automobile body and is continuous with the rear end of the toe board portion 8 are provided in the automobile body floor 3. The floor board 5 includes a toe board corresponding portion 18 that corresponds to the toe board portion 8 of the automobile body floor 3, and a floor base corresponding portion 19 that corresponds to the floor base portion 9, and the toe board corresponding portion 18 and the floor base corresponding portion 19 are formed in a flattened V-like shape when viewed from the side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Inventors: Tomonori Ohtsubo, Hiroki Uemura, Toshimine Morino, Kazuhiro Matsuhashi, Keisuke Iida, Yukio Iwayama, Eiji Yoshimura
  • Publication number: 20060169863
    Abstract: The seat face's position is adjusted by the position adjusting device in such a manner that the passenger's hip point Hpt lowers as the seat cushion is moved rearward, and the degree of the hip point lowering is configured such that the lowering degree of the hip point Hpt at the central section B is greater than that of the hip point lowering at the rear section C and the front section A that are located behind and before the central section C respectively. Accordingly, the proper sitting position to any passengers with different body sizes can be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2006
    Publication date: August 3, 2006
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomonori Ohtsubo, Hiroki Uemura, Naoki Yamada, Yasuhiko Miura
  • Patent number: 7023108
    Abstract: When ingress intention of a passenger who is supposed to sit on a second seat is predicted, a distance between a first seat and the second seat is expanded automatically. Accordingly, taking time for access to the second seat can be avoided, thereby decreasing necessary time for having access and improving accessibility to the second seat. When a full-open mode is selected (Yes in S1); the passenger does not sit on the third-row seat (Yes in S2); the passenger does not sit on the second-row seat (Yes in S3); and a child seat is not installed on the second-row seat (Yes in S4), a second-row seat sliding motor is driven and a first-row seat driving mechanism operates. Accordingly, forward sliding of the second-row seat starts (S5), and a sliding door is driven backward to open fully.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yukihito Itami, Hirokazu Yamasaki, Tomonori Ohtsubo, Tomoo Taguchi
  • Publication number: 20060041359
    Abstract: The pedal adjusting devises and the floor adjusting device control pedals and the movable floor respectively according to the driver's body size detected, with first adjusting characteristic such that the pedals become closer to the driver and the movable floor goes up further, as the driver's body size detected becomes small, and with second adjusting characteristics, which are different from the first characteristics, for the driver having the relatively small body size whose body size detected is smaller than the specified body size. Accordingly, the arrangement positions of the pedals and the going-up-and-down position of the floor can be properly adjusted for drivers having different body sizes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Publication date: February 23, 2006
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Tomonori Ohtsubo, Hiroki Uemura
  • Publication number: 20050109555
    Abstract: There is provided a driver driving position adjusting device, comprising a movable floor panel adjusting mechanism operative to adjust at least a vertical position of a movable floor panel, an adjusting device operative to adjust at least one of a seat face position of a driver seat, an operating angle of the pedal operated by the leg portion of the driver and a position of a steering, and a driving position adjusting operating device operative to operate the movable floor panel adjusting mechanism and the adjusting device. Accordingly, the proper driving position and pedal operation can be provided regardless of the body size of driver, by adjusting at least the vertical position of the movable floor panel on which the leg portion of the driver operating the pedal is placed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2004
    Publication date: May 26, 2005
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Tomonori Ohtsubo, Hiroki Uemura
  • Publication number: 20040036330
    Abstract: When ingress intention of a passenger who is supposed to sit on a second seat is predicted, a distance between a first seat and the second seat is expanded automatically. Accordingly, taking time for access to the second seat can be avoided, thereby decreasing necessary time for having access and improving accessibility to the second seat. When a full-open mode is selected (Yes in S1); the passenger does not sit on the third-row seat (Yes in S2); the passenger does not sit on the second-row seat (Yes in S3); and a child seat is not installed on the second-row seat (Yes in S4), a second-row seat sliding motor is driven and a first-row seat driving mechanism operates. Accordingly, forward sliding of the second-row seat starts (S5), and a sliding door is driven backward to open fully.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2003
    Publication date: February 26, 2004
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yukihito Itami, Hirokazu Yamasaki, Tomonori Ohtsubo, Tomoo Taguchi