Patents by Inventor Tooru Matsushima

Tooru Matsushima 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: 9463773
    Abstract: A protruding wall section 17 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of a steering column 2b around a lock hole 11a, a concave groove 20 that engages with the protruding wall section 17 is provided in a portion that surrounds a guide section 13a of a butting surface 19 of a lock unit 12a, and by engaging the protruding wall section 17 with the concave groove 20, and preferably, by engaging concave sections 18 that are provided in the steering column 2b with convex sections 21 that are provided on the lock unit 12a so that the lock unit 12a is supported by and fastened to the steering column 2b, the occurrence of damage such as cracking of the steering column 2b is prevented even when there is an attempt to rotate a steering wheel by large force when an ignition key is turned OFF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Tooru Matsushima, Kiyoshi Sadakata
  • Patent number: 9393932
    Abstract: A steering lock apparatus is provided that can protect a steering column 2e from damage, such as cracking, even when a steering wheel is forcibly rotated with the ignition key off. Protrusions 24 in the circumferential direction are provided at a plurality of locations in the axial direction of peripheral edge portions on both sides in the circumferential direction, which is a rotational direction of the steering wheel, of a peripheral edge of a lock through hole 16d. The protrusions 24 in the circumferential direction absorb the large force, that is applied to the peripheral edge portions of the lock through hole 16d in an attempt to rotate the steering wheel with the ignition key off by plastically deforming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Tooru Matsushima, Tooru Kamei, Tadashi Hibino
  • Publication number: 20160031414
    Abstract: A protruding wall section 17 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of a steering column 2b around a lock hole 11a, a concave groove 20 that engages with the protruding wall section 17 is provided in a portion that surrounds a guide section 13a of a butting surface 19 of a lock unit 12a, and by engaging the protruding wall section 17 with the concave groove 20, and preferably, by engaging concave sections 18 that are provided in the steering column 2b with convex sections 21 that are provided on the lock unit 12a so that the lock unit 12a is supported by and fastened to the steering column 2b, the occurrence of damage such as cracking of the steering column 2b is prevented even when there is an attempt to rotate a steering wheel by large force when an ignition key is turned OFF.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: Tooru MATSUSHIMA, Kiyoshi SADAKATA
  • Publication number: 20150114054
    Abstract: A steering lock apparatus is provided that can protect a steering column 2e from damage, such as cracking, even when a steering wheel is forcibly rotated with the ignition key off. Protrusions 24 in the circumferential direction are provided at a plurality of locations in the axial direction of peripheral edge portions on both sides in the circumferential direction, which is a rotational direction of the steering wheel, of a peripheral edge of a lock through hole 16d. The protrusions 24 in the circumferential direction absorb the large force, that is applied to the peripheral edge portions of the lock through hole 16d in an attempt to rotate the steering wheel with the ignition key off by plastically deforming.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Tooru Matsushima, Tooru Kamei, Tadashi Hibino
  • Patent number: 8904901
    Abstract: A steering device is provided that facilitates an operation of mounting a friction plate on a mounting bracket. A first friction plate and a second friction plate just need to be mounted on an outer column only. It is possible to greatly facilitate an operation of assembling alternate layers of the first friction plate and the second friction plate at specified orientations. When the outer column is displaced telescopically, a tightening rod touches a long slit in the second friction plate. The second friction plate rocks around a columnar protrusion as the rocking center. The long slit is formed lengthwise in a direction of tilt positioning. The long slit absorbs a difference between a rocking trajectory formed by the second friction plate and a linear trajectory formed by the outer column. The second friction plate smoothly rocks. The outer column can be smoothly adjusted in the telescopic direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Mashimo, Tadashi Hibino, Tooru Matsushima, Tetsuo Arakawa
  • Publication number: 20120297917
    Abstract: A steering device is provided that facilitates an operation of mounting a friction plate on a mounting bracket. A first friction plate and a second friction plate just need to be mounted on an outer column only. It is possible to greatly facilitate an operation of assembling alternate layers of the first friction plate and the second friction plate at specified orientations. When the outer column is displaced telescopically, a tightening rod touches a long slit in the second friction plate. The second friction plate rocks around a columnar protrusion as the rocking center. The long slit is formed lengthwise in a direction of tilt positioning. The long slit absorbs a difference between a rocking trajectory formed by the second friction plate and a linear trajectory formed by the outer column. The second friction plate smoothly rocks. The outer column can be smoothly adjusted in the telescopic direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: NSK LTD.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Mashimo, Tadashi Hibino, Tooru Matsushima, Tetsuo Arakawa