Patents by Inventor Yoshitomo Kato

Yoshitomo Kato 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: 10377335
    Abstract: A steering wheel includes a metal core earthed to a body of a vehicle, an airbag device, an insulator, and a connector. The airbag device includes a bag holder supported by the metal core, wherein the bag holder forms part of a positive electric path connected to a horn device, an airbag coupled to the bag holder by a fastener, and an inflator including a circumferential portion that forms a flange, wherein the flange of the inflator is coupled by the fastener to the bag holder. The insulator insulates the bag holder from at least the flange and the fastener among elements of the airbag device. The connector electrically connects at least the flange, among the flange and the fastener, to the metal core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Ishii, Toshihito Yanagisawa, Yoshiteru Banno, Yoshitomo Kato, Akira Yamashita
  • Patent number: 10005419
    Abstract: A head-protecting airbag device includes: an airbag including: an airbag body; and a connecting tab connected with a mounting bracket, wherein the mounting bracket includes: a mounting piece mounted on the body with a fixing means; and a connecting piece formed to project to both sides from a lower end of the mounting piece, and connected with the airbag; in the connecting tab, an insertion hole, into which the mounting piece is inserted, is disposed in a folded portion; the connecting tab includes a front side portion and a back side portion which extend from the folded portion to the airbag body and cover a font side and a back side of the connecting piece; and a loop coupling portion is disposed in a position where the mounting piece having the connecting piece stored in the connecting tab is prevented from coming off the insertion hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotake Konaka, Yoshitomo Kato
  • Publication number: 20180134243
    Abstract: A steering wheel includes a metal core earthed to a body of a vehicle, an airbag device, an insulator, and a connector. The airbag device includes a bag holder supported by the metal core, wherein the bag holder forms part of a positive electric path connected to a horn device, an airbag coupled to the bag holder by a fastener, and an inflator including a circumferential portion that forms a flange, wherein the flange of the inflator is coupled by the fastener to the bag holder. The insulator insulates the bag holder from at least the flange and the fastener among elements of the airbag device. The connector electrically connects at least the flange, among the flange and the fastener, to the metal core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Inventors: Tsutomu ISHII, Toshihito YANAGISAWA, Yoshiteru BANNO, Yoshitomo KATO, Akira YAMASHITA
  • Publication number: 20170182964
    Abstract: A head-protecting airbag device includes: an airbag including: an airbag body; and a connecting tab connected with a mounting bracket, wherein the mounting bracket includes: a mounting piece mounted on the body with a fixing means; and a connecting piece formed to project to both sides from a lower end of the mounting piece, and connected with the airbag; in the connecting tab, an insertion hole, into which the mounting piece is inserted, is disposed in a folded portion; the connecting tab includes a front side portion and a back side portion which extend from the folded portion to the airbag body and cover a font side and a back side of the connecting piece; and a loop coupling portion is disposed in a position where the mounting piece having the connecting piece stored in the connecting tab is prevented from coming off the insertion hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Hirotake KONAKA, Yoshitomo KATO
  • Publication number: 20110234764
    Abstract: The imaging device includes a first optical system, a second optical system, a first support frame, a second support frame, a frame member, and a support member. The first support frame has a first contact portion and supports the first optical system. The second support frame supports the second optical system. The first and second support frames on the frame member are mounted, and this frame member comes into contact with the first contact portion at three or more points. The support member couples the first support frame to the frame member in a state in which the first receiver comes into contact with the first contact portion. The points of contact between the first contact portion and the first receiver are disposed on an imaginary spherical plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: TORU ICHIMURA, NOBUTAKA KANAYAMA, NARITOSHI KAGAYA, JUNYA YAMADA, YOSHITOMO KATO
  • Patent number: 7251906
    Abstract: A drum type washing and drying machine includes a rotary drum for accommodating laundry therein; a front frame for forming a front surface of a main body of the washing and drying machine, wherein the front frame is provided with a laundry loading/unloading opening through which laundry is loaded into or unloaded from the rotary drum; a detergent dispenser accommodated in the front frame; a dryer filter, accommodated in the front frame, for collecting therein lint generated during a drying process; and a control panel for setting an operation of the main body and displaying an operating state thereof. The dryer filter and the detergent dispenser are substantially symmetrically disposed with respect to the control panel interposed therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kajihara, Yoshitomo Kato, Satoshi Maeda
  • Publication number: 20060101871
    Abstract: A drum type washing and drying machine includes a cylindrical rotary drum provided with drum perforations and having a rotating shaft in a horizontal or a slanted direction; a water tub, supported in a main body of the drum type washing and drying machine, for accommodating therein the rotary drum; a dehumidification unit for dehumidifying air exhausted from the rotary drum via the water tub; and a blower-heater path communicating with the dehumidification unit and incorporating therein a blower and a heater. The washing and drying machine is also provided with a circulation path for allowing the blower-heater path and the rotary drum to communicate with each other via the water tub. An opening sealing member is installed at a connection opening between the blower-heater path and circulation path such that the opening sealing member is disposed to be rotable in conjunction with an operation of the blower.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Publication date: May 18, 2006
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Inuzuka, Yoshitomo Kato
  • Patent number: 7020986
    Abstract: A drum type washing and drying machine includes a cylindrical rotary drum provided with multiple drum perforations on the cylindrical surface thereof and having a rotating shaft in a horizontal or a slanted direction, a water tub, supported in a main body of the machine, for accommodating the rotary drum therein; an air circulation channel for re-circulating air exhausted from the rotary drum back into the rotary drum via a dehumidification unit and a heating unit; and a lint trap device, installed in the air circulation channel, for filtering lint generated from laundry. The lint trap device at least includes a first and a second filter member capable of being detachably attached to each other, and the assembly of the first and the second filter member is freely attachably and detachably installed on a front upper portion of the main body in an approximately horizontal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Nakai, Takahiro Inoue, Yoshitomo Kato
  • Publication number: 20060037213
    Abstract: A drum type washing and drying machine includes a rotary drum for accommodating laundry therein; a front frame for forming a front surface of a main body of the washing and drying machine, wherein the front frame is provided with a laundry loading/unloading opening through which laundry is loaded into or unloaded from the rotary drum; a detergent dispenser accommodated in the front frame; a dryer filter, accommodated in the front frame, for collecting therein lint generated during a drying process; and a control panel for setting an operation of the main body and displaying an operating state thereof. The dryer filter and the detergent dispenser are substantially symmetrically disposed with respect to the control panel interposed therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2005
    Publication date: February 23, 2006
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kajihara, Yoshitomo Kato, Satoshi Maeda