Patents by Inventor Toshinori Tanase

Toshinori Tanase 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: 7201394
    Abstract: An airbag apparatus has an airbag, an inflator, a cover and an opening mechanism. When an impact the magnitude of which is greater than a predetermined value is applied to the vehicle, the inflator supplies gas to the airbag. The cover covers the airbag. The opening mechanism opens the cover prior to inflation of the airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Mori, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Yuji Kuriyama, Tadashi Yamamoto, Toru Koyama, Toshinori Tanase
  • Patent number: 7192050
    Abstract: A airbag main body is formed by sewing a pair of fabric sheets. The airbag main body is provided with a seam. The seam has passages for permitting gas in the airbag main body to pass therethrough. The seam divides the interior of the airbag main body into a main inflation chamber and a sub-inflation chamber. The sub-inflation chamber is inflated with gas that has flowed from the main inflation chamber and passed through the passages formed in the seam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Sato, Toshinori Tanase
  • Publication number: 20070046003
    Abstract: A first airbag apparatus of the present invention has an airbag module, which includes an airbag and an inflator, and a displacement mechanism, which displaces the airbag module. The displacement mechanism displaces the airbag module from an original position to a predetermined position when a collision of the vehicle is predicted and displaces the airbag module from the predetermined position to the original position when the predicted collision is avoided. A second airbag apparatus of the present invention has the airbag module and the displacement mechanism, which displaces a support member. The support member displaces the airbag from the original position to the predetermined position before the airbag is deployed. The deployed airbag is supported between the support body that is displaced to the predetermined position and an occupant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Publication date: March 1, 2007
    Applicant: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Mori, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Yuji Kuriyama, Tadashi Yamamoto, Toru Koyama, Toshinori Tanase, Masakazu Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 7172209
    Abstract: An airbag of the head-protecting airbag device according to the present invention pushes and opens a door portion in a lower edge of an airbag cover, when fed with inflation gas, and protrudes for covering side windows. An assist grip is located in an arrangement area of the airbag cover. The assist grip is secured to vehicle body together with the airbag cover at its fixing portions located in both ends of its grip portion. The airbag cover is provided around each of portions fixed to the vehicle body together with the fixing portions with a breakable portion. When pushed by the inflating airbag, the breakable portion is broken to shift a portion of the airbag cover located toward the door portion inward of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chiharu Totani, Masayasu Okada, Toshinori Tanase
  • Publication number: 20070024033
    Abstract: A side airbag apparatus includes an inflator and an airbag. The airbag that is deployed and inflated in a space between a body side portion of a vehicle and an occupant seated on a front seat in a passenger compartment by the pressure of gas injected from the inflator. The apparatus also includes a pair of hook devices and tethers. The hook devices are located at the rear end in the airbag. Each tether extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle and has an end hooked to one of the hook devices and an end fixed to the front inner end of the airbag. The tethers suppress the expansion of the airbag in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, thereby promoting the expansion of the airbag in the lateral direction of the vehicle. Further, the apparatus includes an occupant size detector for detecting the size of the occupant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2006
    Publication date: February 1, 2007
    Applicant: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeyuki Suzuki, Yuji Sato, Toshinori Tanase
  • Patent number: 7168736
    Abstract: A side air bag device (10) includes an inflator (11) arranged in a backrest (15a) of a seat (15) to discharge gas, an air bag (12) having an upper chamber (12a) and a lower chamber (12b), which are each inflated by discharging gas, and an impact reducing means (19) for reducing impact that is applied to a passenger when the air bag contacts the passenger during inflation of the air bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinori Tanase, Yoshio Mizuno, Toru Koyama
  • Publication number: 20070001441
    Abstract: An occupant restraining device (S1) is provided with: a shielding member (41) to be let off from the peripheral edge (DW/VW) of a vehicle window (WF) arranged in a door of a vehicle, so as to shield the window; and a let-off means (81, 86, 87) for letting off the housed shielding member (41) so as to shield the window (WF). The shielding member (41) and the let-off means (81, 86, 87) are arranged in the door (FD). A garnish (21) is arranged on the peripheral edge of the door (FD) for covering the housed shielding member (41) so that the shielding member (41) is let off. An airbag device (ABM) can be arranged in the vehicle without any problem even if the occupant restraining device (S1) is mounted together with the airbag device (ABM) on the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2005
    Publication date: January 4, 2007
    Inventors: Michio Inoue, Chiharu Totani, Toshinori Tanase, Takuji Nagata, Shuji Inui, Shinji Oguchi
  • Patent number: 7156418
    Abstract: An airbag has a lower expansion portion, a central expansion portion, and an upper expansion portion. When the airbag is deployed, the lower expansion portion corresponds to the lumbar region of an occupant, the central expansion portion corresponds to the abdomen of the occupant, and the upper expansion portion corresponds to a shoulder of the occupant. The lower expansion portion is folded upward to be tucked in a pair of fabric sheets forming the central expansion portion. After tucking, the airbag is folded to form a bellows-like portion such that the distal end of the airbag approaches an inflator located in the proximal end of the airbag. After folding to form the bellows-like portion part of the bellows-like portion that corresponds to the upper expansion portion, which has not been tucked, is bent downward substantially by 180° so that the part contacts the front side of part of the bellows-like portion that corresponds to the central expansion portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiji Sato, Toshinori Tanase
  • Publication number: 20060131847
    Abstract: A side airbag device having an airbag and an inflator. The airbag has an airbag body which is unfolded and inflated, by gas supplied from an inflator, between the body side of a vehicle and an occupant's chest to head region. A projecting portion is unfolded and inflated from the airbag body in front of the occupant's head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2005
    Publication date: June 22, 2006
    Inventors: Yuji Sato, Toshinori Tanase
  • Patent number: 7040652
    Abstract: In a head protecting airbag device, an airbag includes an inflation portion and a connection port portion. The connection port portion includes: an outlet side portion having a communication port to the inflation portion at its lower end; and an inlet side portion for inserting an inflator therein. The inflator includes a body portion having a gas discharge port, and a diffuser having a gas outlet port. The diffuser is connected with the body portion so as to cover the gas discharge port, having its two ends forced into contact with the outer circumference of the body portion. The inflator is connected to a connection port portion with good sealing properties and the gas outlet port faces toward the communication port of the connection port portion and thus toward the inflation portion. This head protecting airbag device simplifies the connection structure between the inflator and the airbag while retaining the quick expansion and inflation of the airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Ogata, Eishichi Nakamura, Toshinori Tanase
  • Publication number: 20060076759
    Abstract: A side air bag device (10) includes an inflator (11) arranged in a backrest (15a) of a seat (15) to discharge gas, an air bag (12) having an upper chamber (12a) and a lower chamber (12b), which are each inflated by discharging gas, and an impact reducing means (19) for reducing impact that is applied to a passenger when the air bag contacts the passenger during inflation of the air bag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2005
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Inventors: Toshinori Tanase, Yoshio Mizuno, Toru Koyama
  • Publication number: 20060066079
    Abstract: An occupant restraint apparatus includes a head protecting airbag which is housed on an upper part of windows. In the airbag, a front end portion of a lower edge thereof is connected to a pretensioner situated in the vicinity of a lower portion of a pillar portion, via a connecting material, and a rear end portion on the lower edge is connected to a guide block, which engages with a guide rail of a pillar portion, via a connecting material. When the airbag is deployed, a tension is generated in the lower edge of the airbag between the connecting materials by moving the block downward and by hauling by the pretensioner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Publication date: March 30, 2006
    Inventors: Michio Inoue, Toshinori Tanase
  • Patent number: 6997473
    Abstract: A side air bag device includes an inflator arranged in a backrest of a seat for discharge gas, an air bag having an upper chamber and a lower chamber which are each inflated by discharging gas, and an impact reducing means reducing means ror reducing impact that is applied to a passenger when the air bag contacts the passenger during inflation of the air bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinori Tanase, Yoshio Mizuno, Toru Koyama
  • Patent number: 6986528
    Abstract: An occupant restraining device (S1) is provided with: a shielding member (41) to be let off from the peripheral edge (DW/VW) of a vehicle window (WF) arranged in a door of a vehicle, so as to shield the window; and a let-off means (81, 86, 87) for letting off the housed shielding member (41) so as to shield the window (WF). The shielding member (41) and the let-off means (81, 86, 87) are arranged in the door (FD). A garnish (21) is arranged on the peripheral edge of the door (FD) for covering the housed shielding member (41) so that the shielding member (41) is let off. An airbag device (ABM) can be arranged in the vehicle without any problem even if the occupant restraining device (S1) is mounted together with the airbag device (ABM) on the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michio Inoue, Chiharu Totani, Toshinori Tanase, Takuji Nagata, Shuji Inui, Shinji Oguchi
  • Publication number: 20050248131
    Abstract: A first airbag apparatus of the present invention has an airbag module, which includes an airbag and an inflator, and a displacement mechanism, which displaces the airbag module. The displacement mechanism displaces the airbag module from an original position to a predetermined position when a collision of the vehicle is predicted and displaces the airbag module from the predetermined position to the original position when the predicted collision is avoided. A second airbag apparatus of the present invention has the airbag module and the displacement mechanism, which displaces a support member. The support member displaces the airbag from the original position to the predetermined position before the airbag is deployed. The deployed airbag is supported between the support body that is displaced to the predetermined position and an occupant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2005
    Publication date: November 10, 2005
    Inventors: Kenji Mori, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Yuji Kuriyama, Tadashi Yamamoto, Toru Koyama, Toshinori Tanase, Masakazu Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 6959944
    Abstract: A first airbag apparatus of the present invention has an airbag module, which includes an airbag and an inflator, and a displacement mechanism, which displaces the airbag module. The displacement mechanism displaces the airbag module from an original position to a predetermined position when a collision of the vehicle is predicted and displaces the airbag module from the predetermined position to the original position when the predicted collision is avoided. A second airbag apparatus of the present invention has the airbag module and the displacement mechanism, which displaces a support member. The support member displaces the airbag from the original position to the predetermined position before the airbag is deployed. The deployed airbag is supported between the support body that is displaced to the predetermined position and an occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Mori, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Yuji Kuriyama, Tadashi Yamamoto, Toru Koyama, Toshinori Tanase, Masakazu Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20050206136
    Abstract: An airbag apparatus has an airbag, an inflator, a cover and an opening mechanism. When an impact the magnitude of which is greater than a predetermined value is applied to the vehicle, the inflator supplies gas to the airbag. The cover covers the airbag. The opening mechanism opens the cover prior to inflation of the airbag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2005
    Publication date: September 22, 2005
    Inventors: Kenji Mori, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Yuji Kuriyama, Tadashi Yamamoto, Toru Koyama, Toshinori Tanase
  • Patent number: 6938920
    Abstract: An occupant restraining device (S1) comprises a shielding member (51F) and an airbag (104F). The shielding member (51F) in action is deployed from the peripheral edge (DW) of a window (WF) of a vehicle to shield the window. The airbag (104F) in action is expanded and inflated from the peripheral edge (UW) of the window that it can be interposed between the shielding member (51F) and an occupant (M). The airbag (104F) allows the side of the lower end (105b) at the time of completion of the expansion and inflation to move in the direction generally perpendicular to the window (WF). Even if the occupant (M) is close to the window (WF), the expanded and inflated airbag (104F) is smoothly interposed between the occupant (M) and the window (WF).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michio Inoue, Chiharu Totani, Toshinori Tanase, Shinji Oguchi
  • Publication number: 20050127644
    Abstract: The head-protecting airbag device (M1) includes an airbag (12) provided with a gas admissive portion (13) and a non-admissive portion (23). The gas admissive portion (13) includes a gas feed passage (14) for feeding inflation gas G toward both front and rearwards of the vehicle, and a plurality of vertical chambers (17) juxtaposed along front-rear direction of the vehicle. Each of the vertical chambers (17) includes a communication port at its upper end for communicating with the gas feed passage (14). The substantial lengths of a vehicle's outer wall (13b) and an inner wall (13a) of the airbag (12) are differentiated from each other by a belt (31) in the periphery (19) of the communication port (18). Thus the periphery (19) of the communication port (18) guides inflation gas (G) obliquely down and toward the vehicle's exterior (O) when inflation gas (G) flows into the vertical chamber (17) via the communication port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Publication date: June 16, 2005
    Inventors: Masao Kino, Toshinori Tanase, Tetsuya Ogata, Yoshio Mizuno, Toru Koyama
  • Publication number: 20050121884
    Abstract: In a head protecting airbag device, an airbag includes an inflation portion and a connection port portion. The connection port portion includes: an outlet side portion having a communication port to the inflation portion at its lower end; and an inlet side portion for inserting an inflator therein. The inflator includes a body portion having a gas discharge port, and a diffuser having a gas outlet port. The diffuser is connected with the body portion so as to cover the gas discharge port, having its two ends forced into contact with the outer circumference of the body portion. The inflator is connected to a connection port portion with good sealing properties and the gas outlet port faces toward the communication port of the connection port portion and thus toward the inflation portion. This head protecting airbag device simplifies the connection structure between the inflator and the airbag while retaining the quick expansion and inflation of the airbag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2005
    Publication date: June 9, 2005
    Inventors: Tetsuya Ogata, Eishichi Nakamura, Toshinori Tanase