Patents by Inventor Toshihiko Ookawara

Toshihiko Ookawara 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: 8590351
    Abstract: A pair of left and right slide pins 10 and 20 are disposed at the rear side of the lid 1 movably in the lateral direction. The base member 30 is installed in the installation part formed on the lid 1 from the surface side of the lid 1. The operation handle 50 that drives a pair of slide pins 10 and 20 is mounted on the surface side of the base member 30. Also, the rotor 40 causing a pair of slide pins 10 and 20 to interlock in accordance with drive operation of the operation handle 50 is rotatably installed at the base member 30. The rotor 40 has a pair of drive force transmission engagement parts 43 and 43. A pair of slide pins 10 and 20 have the engaged parts 101 and 201, which are separately engaged with one and the other of the pair of drive force transmission engagement parts 43 and 43, respectively. The rotor 40 is mounted in the base member 30 in a state where the respective drive force transmission parts 43 and 43 are exposed to the rear side of the lid 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Piolax Inc.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Ookawara, Toshihiro Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8141398
    Abstract: A side lock apparatus includes: a housing which is fixed to a lid; a disc-shaped rotor which is supported on the housing; and rods which are linked with the rotor, wherein: the housing includes: a bearing portion for the rotor which is provided in such a manner as to extend vertically along the short upper portion of the lid; a first wall; a second wall; and a cylindrical portion which is brought into sliding contact with a disc-shaped outer circumferential surface of the rotor to support the rotor; the rotor is supported on the bearing portion in such a manner that the disc shape thereof becomes horizontal relative to a wall thickness direction of the short upper portion of the lid; and the rods are supported between the first wall and the second wall in such a manner as to slide in an opposite direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Piolax Inc.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Ookawara, Toshihiro Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20110174027
    Abstract: A pair of left and right slide pins 10 and 20 are disposed at the rear side of the lid 1 movably in the lateral direction. The base member 30 is installed in the installation part formed on the lid 1 from the surface side of the lid 1. The operation handle 50 that drives a pair of slide pins 10 and 20 is mounted on the surface side of the base member 30. Also, the rotor 40 causing a pair of slide pins 10 and 20 to interlock in accordance with drive operation of the operation handle 50 is rotatably installed at the base member 30. The rotor 40 has a pair of drive force transmission engagement parts 43 and 43. A pair of slide pins 10 and 20 have the engaged parts 101 and 201, which are separately engaged with one and the other of the pair of drive force transmission engagement parts 43 and 43, respectively. The rotor 40 is mounted in the base member 30 in a state where the respective drive force transmission parts 43 and 43 are exposed to the rear side of the lid 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Inventors: Toshihiko Ookawara, Toshihiro Shimizu
  • Patent number: 7695028
    Abstract: A lock apparatus includes a operation handle, a pair of springs movably supported by the container member, a pair of slide pins urged in directions of lock holes defined on the support member by the springs, respectively, and a pair of cam members to which rear end portions of the slide pins are fitted, respectively, to urge each slide pin to project and retract. When the operation handle is operated in a swing manner, a front end portion of each slide pin is retracted from each lock hole of the support member against pressure of each spring. Engagement holes are defined on opposed surfaces of each front end portion of the cam member having a cylindrical shape. Each rear end portion of the slide pin is formed in a bifurcated structure to have elastic pieces. Each of elastic pieces has a protrusion for detachably engaging with each of engagement holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignees: Piolax, Inc., Kanto Auto Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouichi Katou, Noboru Niikura, Toshihiko Ookawara
  • Patent number: 7455333
    Abstract: A side lock apparatus comprises a retainer, a rotor rotatably supported on the retainer, a pair of rods which are brought into engagement with positions which are point symmetrical relative to an axial center of the rotor at proximal end portions thereof and are supported in such a manner that distal end portions thereof appear from and disappear into both ends of a lid so as to be brought into engagement with and disengagement from a circumferential edge of an opening, a knob supported on the retainer in such a manner as to be pushed and pulled on and a return spring mounted on the rotor. When the knob is pulled on, since a pusher element of the knob pushes on a bearing portion of the rotor, the rotor rotates against the biasing force of the return spring, whereby the rods are withdrawn into the inside of the lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Piolax Inc.
    Inventor: Toshihiko Ookawara
  • Publication number: 20070163310
    Abstract: A side lock apparatus includes: a housing which is fixed to a lid; a disc-shaped rotor which is supported on the housing; and rods which are linked with the rotor, wherein: the housing includes: a bearing portion for the rotor which is provided in such a manner as to extend vertically along the short upper portion of the lid; a first wall; a second wall; and a cylindrical portion which is brought into sliding contact with a disc-shaped outer circumferential surface of the rotor to support the rotor; the rotor is supported on the bearing portion in such a manner that the disc shape thereof becomes horizontal relative to a wall thickness direction of the short upper portion of the lid; and the rods are supported between the first wall and the second wall in such a manner as to slide in an opposite direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Applicant: Piolax Inc.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Ookawara, Toshihiro Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20070080542
    Abstract: A side lock apparatus comprises a retainer, a rotor rotatably supported on the retainer, a pair of rods which are brought into engagement with positions which are point symmetrical relative to an axial center of the rotor at proximal end portions thereof and are supported in such a manner that distal end portions thereof appear from and disappear into both ends of a lid so as to be brought into engagement with and disengagement from a circumferential edge of an opening, a knob supported on the retainer in such a manner as to be pushed and pulled on and a return spring mounted on the rotor. When the knob is pulled on, since a pusher element of the knob pushes on a bearing portion of the rotor, the rotor rotates against the biasing force of the return spring, whereby the rods are withdrawn into the inside of the lid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2006
    Publication date: April 12, 2007
    Applicant: PIOLAX INC.
    Inventor: Toshihiko Ookawara
  • Publication number: 20040189012
    Abstract: A lock apparatus includes a operation handle, a pair of springs movably supported by the container member, a pair of slide pins urged in directions of lock holes defined on the support member by the springs, respectively, and a pair of cam members to which rear end portions of the slide pins are fitted, respectively, to urge each slide pin to project and retract. When the operation handle is operated in a swing manner, a front end portion of each slide pin is retracted from each lock hole of the support member against pressure of each spring. Engagement holes are defined on opposed surfaces of each front end portion of the cam member having a cylindrical shape. Each rear end portion of the slide pin is formed in a bifurcated structure to have elastic pieces. Each of elastic pieces has a protrusion for detachably engaging with each of engagement holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2003
    Publication date: September 30, 2004
    Applicants: Piolax Inc., Kanto Auto Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouichi Katou, Noboru Niikura, Toshihiko Ookawara
  • Patent number: 6669178
    Abstract: An air damper suitably used in the glove box of an automobile comprises a cylinder having a first open end and a second end, a guide cap covering the first open end, and a piston moveable in the cylinder. A compression coil spring is inserted into the cylinder between the piston and the guide cap. The coil spring forces the piston toward the second end of the cylinder in the free state. The piston has a hook piece, which is threaded with a string. At least one end of the string is taken out of the cylinder via the guide cap, and connected to the glove box. The guide cap has a stopper means projecting inside the coil spring and toward the piston. When the glove box is opened and the string is pulled out of the cylinder, the piston moves toward the guide cap. The piston then strikes the stopper means of the guide cap before the coil spring is fully compressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Piolax, Inc.
    Inventor: Toshihiko Ookawara
  • Patent number: 6598925
    Abstract: A fixing structure is constituted by a housing (1) fixed to a mounting hole H on the side of a vehicle member, and a storage member 2 supported in the housing (1) so that the storage member (2) can be opened and closed. A frame member 3 made of resin material having greater toughness than the housing (1) is mounted to an outer periphery of the housing (1). The frame member (3) is integrally provided with resilient leg pieces (4A), (4B) and (4C) which are retained to hole edges of the mounting hole (H). With this, the resilient leg pieces (4A), (4B) and (4C) to be retained to the hole edges of the mounting hole (H) on the side of the vehicle member are not provided on the housing (1), but are integrally provided on the frame member (3) made of resin material having greater toughness than the housing (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Piolax Inc.
    Inventors: Seiji Sawatani, Toshiko Watanabe, Toshihiko Ookawara
  • Publication number: 20030001402
    Abstract: A fixing structure is constituted by a housing 1 fixed to a mounting hole H on the side of a vehicle member, and a storage member 2 supported in the housing 1 so that the storage member 2 can be opened and closed. A frame member 3 made of resin material having greater toughness than the housing 1 is mounted to an outer periphery of the housing 1. The frame member 3 is integrally provided with resilient leg pieces 4A, 4B and 4C which are retained to hole edges of the mounting hole H. With this, the resilient leg pieces 4A, 4B and 4C to be retained to the hole edges of the mounting hole H on the side of the vehicle member are not provided on the housing 1, but are integrally provided on the frame member 3 made of resin material having greater toughness than the housing 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Applicant: PIOLAX INC.
    Inventors: Seiji Sawatani, Toshiko Watanabe, Toshihiko Ookawara
  • Publication number: 20010023800
    Abstract: An air damper suitably used in the glove box of an automobile comprises a cylinder having a first open end and a second end, a guide cap covering the first open end, and a piston movable in the cylinder. A compression coil spring is inserted in the cylinder between the piston and the guide cap. The coil spring forces the piston toward the second end of the cylinder in the free state. The piston has a hook piece, which is threaded with a spring. At least one end of the spring is taken out of the cylinder via the guide cap, and connected to the glove box. The guide cap has a stopper means projecting inside the coil spring and toward the piston. If the glove box is opened and the string is pulled out of the cylinder, the piston moves toward the guide cap. The piston then strikes the stopper means of the guide cap before the coil spring is fully compressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2001
    Publication date: September 27, 2001
    Inventor: Toshihiko Ookawara