Patents by Inventor Yasutaka Watanabe

Yasutaka Watanabe 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: 5314138
    Abstract: A preloader for use in a webbing retractor for retracting an occupant-restraining webbing onto a webbing takeup shaft, and adapted to allow a webbing to be applied to a vehicle occupant with appropriate tightness. An engaging shaft is coaxially coupled with the takeup shaft, and a rotating drum is disposed around the engaging shaft at a fixed distance from the engaging shaft. The rotating drum is held by a plate, and a wire is tightly wound around the outer periphery of the rotating drum. A clamp member is disposed swingably in a direction in which the clamp member engages the webbing and in a direction in which the clamp member moves away therefrom. An urging member is provided for constantly urging the clamp member in a webbing-clamping direction. A trigger member is disposed between the clamp member and the plate, and holds the clamp member in spaced-apart relationship with the webbing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1994
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Yasutaka Watanabe, Kenji Matsui, Fuminori Teraoka, Kohbun Tanaka
  • Patent number: 5205589
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an automatic seat belt system. A guide rail is mounted on a vehicle body, and a driving tape is disposed along the length of the guide rail. A drive means is energized to move a slider to either one of two positions where a webbing restrains an occupant or releases the occupant therefrom. One end of the webbing used for restraining the occupant is supported to the slider which is maintained in engagement with each of the openings defined in the tape. In addition, the slider is movable in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail, and disposed movably with respect to the guide rail. A stopper is maintained in engagement with the slider in the webbing-restraining position so as to prevent the slider from being moved in the direction to which the webbing is pulled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1993
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventor: Yasutaka Watanabe
  • Patent number: 5203588
    Abstract: In an automatic seat belt apparatus, a first tape is connected to a drive source. A second tape is connected to a slider and transmits a driving force from the drive source to the slider via the first tape. When a webbing is applied, a slide piece abuts a stopper. The slide piece moves relatively with respect to a lock plate against an urging force of a compression coil spring. Along with movement of the slide piece, the maintenance of the tapes at a connected position of the lock plate is cancelled. The lock plate rotates due to the urging force of the compression coil spring, and a separated position, at which the first tape and the second tape are separated, is maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1993
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Yasutaka Watanabe, Yasuho Kitazawa
  • Patent number: 5195694
    Abstract: A preloader adapted to forcibly pull a webbing in a taking-up direction when the vehicle suddenly decelerates, so as to allow the webbing to be applied closely around an occupant. A clamp member for clamping the webbing is provided to prevent a subsequent tight winding of the webbing. The clamp member is constantly urged in a webbing-clamping direction by an urging member, and is normally held in a position spaced apart from the webbing against an urging force of the urging member. As the holding is canceled after the forcible taking up of the webbing, the clamp member is capable of clamping the webbing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1993
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Yasutaka Watanabe, Shigeru Kotama, Fuminori Teraoka
  • Patent number: 5163707
    Abstract: An automatic seat belt system in which a slider supported by a guide rail and adapted to be worn by a vehicle occupant is moved from a webbing-application canceling position to a webbing applying position so as to apply the webbing around the occupant. The automatic seat belt system includes a slider holding portion for retaining the slider at the webbing applying position and movable along the guide rail in the retaining state, and a lock pin for retaining the slider holding member onto a chassis by being inserted in a hole provided in the chassis and for setting the slider holding member in a movable state as the lock pin is pulled out of the hole. Also provided is a controller for moving the slider by a predetermined distance from the webbing applying position toward the webbing-application canceling position by reversely rotating the motor before the lock pin is pulled out of the hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1992
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Yasutaka Watanabe, Takashi Kawaharazaki
  • Patent number: 4993656
    Abstract: A webbing retractor which, when a webbing is drawn out instantaneously, prevents the drawing out of the webbing by operating a lock mechanism. In addition, when a vehicle is decelerated suddenly, the drawing out of the webbing is also instantaneously prevented by causing a pawl to engage with a lock wheel preventing the lock wheel from rotating. The webbing retractor includes a lever which is swung in such a manner as to be movable between a first position in which the pawl is made unengageable with the lock wheel and a second position in which the pawl is made engageable with the lock wheel. The webbing retraction also includes a lever swing member which causes the lever to be located in the first position as the take-up shaft rotates in a webbing taking-up direction and to be situated in the second position as the take-up shaft rotates in a webbing draw-out direction. Accordingly, the pawl is prevented from engaging with the lock wheel at a take-up limit of the webbing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 19, 1991
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tsuge, Yasutaka Watanabe, Fuminori Teraoka, Shinji Mori
  • Patent number: 4858953
    Abstract: An apparatus for driving an intermediate portion of a webbing for use in a seatbelt system for restraining an occupant of a vehicle by means of a webbing having one end accommodated in a webbing accommodating device through a biasing force is arranged to withdraw the webbing from the accommodating device in opposition to the biasing force. Accordingly, when an occupant is to apply the webbing to himself by withdrawing it from the accommodating device, the webbing can be withdrawn and applied with a small manual force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1989
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Nishimura, Takashi Kawaharazaki, Keiichi Tamura, Kenji Matsui, Yasutaka Watanabe, Noritada Yoshitsugu