Patents by Inventor Toshio Furudate

Toshio Furudate 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: 6600246
    Abstract: A vibration-generating device having a weight that is formed semicircular in section and has a recess near an insertion hole of a shaft. The weight, after being inserted onto the shaft, is supported in an inclined position by a support member. A pressing member applies a pressure to the recess. Preferably, the pressure is offset from the rotational axis of the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Furudate, Yuji Inada, Shinichi Hosobuchi
  • Patent number: 6589118
    Abstract: An input device for a game machine for inputting signals to a game machine using a computer, including: at least one control member projecting to the outside of a casing; a movement-transmitting member formed around the control member and operatively associated with the movement of an operating point of the control member, the movement-transmitting member being provided with a plurality of conductive elastic members; and a board provided in the casing and having formed thereon resistors corresponding to the conductive elastic members, the conductive elastic members changing the area of contact between the conductive elastic members and the resistors according to a direction of movement and a tilt angle of the operating point of the control member so as to vary the amount of resistance; wherein, by moving the operating point of the control member, analog signals corresponding to the movement are input to the game machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Soma, Toshio Furudate, Ryoichi Maeda
  • Patent number: 6567074
    Abstract: In an operating unit, push buttons are integrally formed via a connecting section, and the top face of the connecting section abuts the bottom face of a panel. On side-faces of the push buttons, an outwardly protruding flange is integrally formed. The top face of the flange is set to be at a position higher than that of the top face of the connecting section. When one of the push buttons is pressed down, the operating unit is rotated about a point in the inside of another of the push buttons as a fulcrum so as to turn on the output of a switch member. Because the operating unit is rotated about the inside point as the fulcrum, other switch members cannot be switched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsu Numata, Toshio Furudate
  • Patent number: 6420956
    Abstract: A first resistive element and a second resistive element are serially connected to each other, and a contact element having a lower resistivity than the first resistive element elastically contacts the first resistive element. The resistance between both ends of the first resistive element varies with the contact area between the first resistive element and the contact element. When a predetermined voltage is applied to the first and the second resistive elements, an output voltage, which corresponds to the resistance ratio of the first resistive element to the second resistive element, is obtained from a conductive pattern. When the resistance ratio of the first resistive element to the second resistive element is set in the range of 1 to 3, the linearity is improved and a wide variation range of the output voltage is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Furudate, Ryoichi Maeda
  • Publication number: 20020050918
    Abstract: A first resistive element and a second resistive element are serially connected to each other, and a contact element having a lower resistivity than the first resistive element elastically contacts the first resistive element. The resistance between both ends of the first resistive element varies with the contact area between the first resistive element and the contact element. When a predetermined voltage is applied to the first and the second resistive elements, an output voltage, which corresponds to the resistance ratio of the first resistive element to the second resistive element, is obtained from a conductive pattern. When the resistance ratio of the first resistive element to the second resistive element is set in the range of 1 to 3, the linearity is improved and a wide variation range of the output voltage is obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Publication date: May 2, 2002
    Applicant: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Furudate, Ryoichi Maeda
  • Publication number: 20020047328
    Abstract: A vibration-generating device having a weight that is formed semicircular in section and has a recess near an insertion hole of a shaft. The weight, after being inserted onto the shaft, is supported in an inclined position by a support member. A pressing member applies a pressure to the recess. Preferably, the pressure is offset from the rotational axis of the shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2001
    Publication date: April 25, 2002
    Inventors: Toshio Furudate, Yuji Inada, Shinichi Hosobuchi
  • Patent number: 6352477
    Abstract: A signal input device having control levers projected out of an upper case, and a movement transmitting member movable with movement of each control transmitting member so as to change the resistance value of corresponding resistance elements by changing the contact area between the resistance element and the electrically conductive rubber in accordance with the movement of the movement transmitting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Soma, Toshio Furudate
  • Publication number: 20020015021
    Abstract: In an operating unit, push buttons are integrally formed via a connecting section, and the top face of the connecting section abuts the bottom face of a panel. On side-faces of the push buttons, an outwardly protruding flange is integrally formed. The top face of the flange is set to be at a position higher than that of the top face of the connecting section. When one of the push buttons is pressed down, the operating unit is rotated about a point in the inside of another of the push buttons as a fulcrum so as to turn on the output of a switch member. Because the operating unit is rotated about the inside point as the fulcrum, other switch members cannot be switched.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Publication date: February 7, 2002
    Applicant: Alps Electric Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Tetsu Numata, Toshio Furudate
  • Patent number: 6288459
    Abstract: A vibration generating device having a weight which is formed semicircular in section and provided with a recess in the vicinity of an insertion hole of a shaft. The weight, after insertion on the shaft, is supported in an inclined position on a support block. Then, a tapered pressing member is moved downwardly to apply the pressure to the recess. In this case, the direction of pressure application of the pressing member is deviated from the axis of the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Furudate, Yuji Inada, Shinichi Hosobuchi