Patents by Inventor Yukifumi Yamada

Yukifumi Yamada 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: 7334843
    Abstract: A seat reclining apparatus includes: a base plate fixed to a seat bottom or a seatback and including a plurality of guiding portions extending in a radial direction of the base plate; a gear plate fixed to the seat bottom or the seatback, the gear plate rotatably assembled at the base plate and formed with internal teeth; a lock gear assembled at the base plate and guided by the guiding portions of the base plate to be movable in the radial direction, the lock gear being formed with external teeth engageable with the internal teeth of the gear plate. At least one external tooth, which is positioned at a front end or a rear end from a rearward tilting direction of the seatback, has a radius of a pitch circle being smaller than a radius of a pitch circle of the internal teeth of the gear plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukifumi Yamada, Yasuhiro Kojima
  • Patent number: 7328877
    Abstract: A seat slide apparatus for a vehicle includes a first rail fixedly mounted on a vehicle, a second rail secured to a seat and mounted to be rotatable relative to the first rail, a sliding member arranged between the first rail and the second rail and slidably movable in response to a relative movement between the first rail and the second rail, and a lock member associated with the second rail and movable with the second rail, the lock member provided to be engageable with engagement bores provided at the first rail and the second rail and being biased in a direction to be engaged with the engagement bores, the lock member being accommodated in a space defined by the first rail and the second rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukifumi Yamada, Hideo Nihonmatsu
  • Patent number: 7318573
    Abstract: A seat sliding device comprises a lower rail fixed at a stationary part and extending in a seat longitudinal direction, an upper rail fixed at a seat and slidably guided by the lower rail, a lock mechanism for locking and unlocking a slidable movement of the upper rail to the lower rail in order to adjust a position of the seat relative to the stationary part, the lock mechanism being attached at the upper rail, and a memory mechanism for returning the seat, which has moved to a forefront seat position from an occupant's seated position during a walk-in operation, to the occupant's seated position, the memory mechanism having a memory rail positioned at a distance from at least one of the lower rail and the upper rail and a memory slide configured to be fixed to the memory rail and to be slidably movable relative to the memory rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukifumi Yamada, Hideo Nihonmatsu
  • Patent number: 7300091
    Abstract: A seat sliding device for a vehicle for unlocking or retaining an unlocked state of a movable rail that supports a seat relative to a fixed rail by interlocking with a turning of a seat back in a forward direction or an operation of an operation handle, includes a link mechanism provided at one of a pair of rails which are arranged in parallel with each other by keeping a predetermined distance therebetween and a lock mechanism provided at the other one of the pair of rails. After the seat is moved in the forward direction with the seat back being turned forward, the link mechanism makes the lock mechanism inoperative so that the seat can be moved in a rearward direction regardless of a state of the seat back being positioned in the forward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideo Nihonmatsu, Yasuhiro Kojima, Yukifumi Yamada
  • Patent number: 7284798
    Abstract: A vehicle-seat reclining device includes a seat cushion frame, a seat back frame, a first base plate, a second base plate, and an internal gear recessed in one surface of the second base plate. A fitting projection having an outline that is concentric and in phase with that of the internal gear projects from the other surface of the second base plate, and a fitting hole is provided in the seat back frame so as to be fitted on the fitting projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Sakai, Yukifumi Yamada, Sadao Ito
  • Patent number: 7281749
    Abstract: A vehicle seat device includes a right side link mechanism and a left side link mechanism adapted to be provided between a vehicle floor and a seat for supporting the seat to move upward and downward relative to the vehicle floor, a first actuator operatively engaged with the right side link mechanism for operating the right side link mechanism, a second actuator operatively engaged with the left side link mechanism for operating the left side link mechanism, and a controller for controlling the first actuator and the second actuator separately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukifumi Yamada, Sadao Ito, Hideo Nihonmatsu
  • Patent number: 7258400
    Abstract: In a vehicle-seat retracting apparatus, a seating state is switched to a non-seating state by retracting a headrest and tilting a seat back relative to a seat cushion (lower arm). In association with retraction of the headrest, the tilting angle of the seat back with respect to the seat cushion is unlocked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yukifumi Yamada
  • Publication number: 20070158987
    Abstract: A seat sliding apparatus for a vehicle includes a lower rail fixed to a vehicle floor, an upper rail fixed to a vehicle seat, rolling engagement members disposed between the lower rail and the upper rail for making the upper rail to be movable relative to the lower rail in a longitudinal direction thereof, and two retainers arranged between the lower rail and the upper rail along a longitudinal direction thereof and each including a notch. The rolling engagement members are rotatably held at a front end portion and a rear end portion of the retainer. In addition, the lower rail includes a first engagement projection engaging with front end and rear end surfaces of the notch in response to a sliding movement of the upper rail relative to the lower rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Publication date: July 12, 2007
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masatoshi Hayakawa, Yasuhiro Kojima, Yukifumi Yamada
  • Publication number: 20070145224
    Abstract: A seat apparatus for a vehicle includes a lower rail fixed to a vehicle floor, an upper rail slidably supported relative to the lower rail and having a U-shaped cross section opened downward, a supporting member integrally formed with a bottom wall portion connected, at both longitudinal ends thereof, to an upper portion of the upper rail and a side wall portion extending upward from at least one width directional end of the bottom wall portion and supporting a vehicle seat, and a curved portion formed at an intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the bottom wall portion of the supporting member and curved upward to be distant from the upper rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2006
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yukifumi YAMADA, Yasuhiro Kojima
  • Publication number: 20070145801
    Abstract: A vehicle seat reclining device includes a lock mechanism at each side of the vehicle seat for restricting or allowing a rotational movement of a seat back relative to a seat cushion. The lock mechanism includes a cam mechanism rotating around a rotational axis of the seat back relative to the seat cushion for restricting or allowing the relative rotation between the seat back and the seat cushion. The cam mechanism includes an engagement hole and a first shaft provided at the lock mechanism having an engagement portion engaging with the engagement hole with a clearance The other side lock mechanism includes a second shaft and a connecting portion for connecting the second shaft with the first shaft, wherein the second shaft is connected with the first shaft in such a manner that a rotation position of the second shaft is adjusted to agree with a rotation allowing timing of the relative rotation between the seat back and the seat cushion by the lock mechanisms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2006
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yukifumi Yamada, Yasuhiro Kojima
  • Publication number: 20070145762
    Abstract: A seat sliding device for a vehicle for unlocking or retaining an unlocked state of a movable rail that supports a seat relative to a fixed rail by interlocking with a turning of a seat back in a forward direction or an operation of an operation handle, includes a link mechanism provided at one of a pair of rails which are arranged in parallel with each other by keeping a predetermined distance therebetween and a lock mechanism provided at the other one of the pair of rails. After the seat is moved in the forward direction with the seat back being turned forward, the link mechanism makes the lock mechanism inoperative so that the seat can be moved in a rearward direction regardless of a state of the seat back being positioned in the forward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Inventors: Hideo Nihonmatsu, Yasuhiro Kojima, Yukifumi Yamada
  • Publication number: 20070137978
    Abstract: A seat adjusting apparatus includes: a first clutch mechanism; a second clutch mechanism; and a return member having a contact portion and a second engagement portion. The contact portion is configured to come in contact with a roller and is positioned in a wedge-shaped space. The contact portion is located at the side of an area, where a distance between a cam surface of an input side member of a first clutch mechanism and an inner peripheral surface of a control member is reduced. The second engagement portion is engaged in a circumferential direction with a first engagement portion provided at the input side member so that the return member rotates integrally with the input side member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yukifumi YAMADA, Yasuhiro Kojima
  • Publication number: 20070138853
    Abstract: A seat reclining apparatus for a vehicle includes a first plate including internal gear teeth, a second plate including external gear teeth, a third plate including internal gear teeth, a fourth plate including external gear teeth, a shaft rotatably supported by the first and third plates, a first and second wedge members, a first cam pressing the wedge members to integrally rotate therewith, a support member arranged between the other one of the first and second plates and the third and fourth plates and engaging with the third plate and the fourth plate when an amount of eccentricity between the internal gear teeth and the external gear teeth reaches a predetermined level, and a second cam pressing the support member to integrally rotate therewith. The amount of eccentricity defined by the support member is smaller than that defined by the wedge members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Sadao Ito, Yukifumi Yamada
  • Publication number: 20070137965
    Abstract: The seat adjusting apparatus includes: an input side member connected to the operating lever and rotatably supported by the output shaft; a control member arranged at a radially outer side of the input side member; a first clutch mechanism transmitting operation force of the operating member from the input side member to the control member when the operating lever is driven to operate and discontinuing force transmission between the input side member and the control member when the operating member returns to an original position; and a second clutch mechanism transmitting the operation force of the operating member from the control member to the output shaft when the operating member is driven to operate and restraining the output shaft from rotating when the operating member is not driven to operate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yukifumi Yamada, Yasuhiro Kojima
  • Publication number: 20070132294
    Abstract: A seat reclining apparatus for a vehicle includes a first plate held at one of a seat cushion frame and a seatback frame, a second plate held at the other one of the seat cushion frame and the seatback frame, a pole having an external tooth facing the internal tooth, a first protrusion provided at the pole, a restricting portion provided at the second plate so as to face the first, the restricting portion coming in contact with the first protrusion so that the internal tooth and the external tooth are prohibited from being engaged, a second protrusion provided at the pole, and a stopper portion provided at the second plate for keeping a rotational angle of the second plate relative to the first plate at a predetermined angle upon a contact with the second protrusion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2006
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yukifumi Yamada, Yasuhiro Kojima
  • Publication number: 20070108825
    Abstract: A seat reclining apparatus includes: a base plate fixed to a seat bottom or a seatback and including a plurality of guiding portions extending in a radial direction of the base plate; a gear plate fixed to the seat bottom or the seatback, the gear plate rotatably assembled at the base plate and formed with internal teeth; a lock gear assembled at the base plate and guided by the guiding portions of the base plate to be movable in the radial direction, the lock gear being formed with external teeth engageable with the internal teeth of the gear plate. At least one external tooth, which is positioned at a front end or a rear end from a rearward tilting direction of the seatback, has a radius of a pitch circle being smaller than a radius of a pitch circle of the internal teeth of the gear plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Applicant: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukifumi Yamada, Yasuhiro Kojima
  • Publication number: 20070108826
    Abstract: A clutch device for a seat lifting apparatus of a vehicle includes a friction brake portion for transmitting rotation of an operational lever to an output shaft, an output gear provided at the output shaft, a biasing force receiving portion provided at the output shaft for receiving a biasing force which assists a rotation of the output shaft, a first bearing portion provided at one side of the biasing force receiving portion and the output gear and a second bearing portion provided at the other side of the biasing force receiving portion and the output gear. The first bearing portion and the second bearing portion rotatably support the output shaft at both sides of the biasing force receiving portion and the output gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kojima, Yukifumi Yamada
  • Publication number: 20070102985
    Abstract: An electric telescopic apparatus for a vehicle seat includes a base body provided at one of the vehicle seat or an ottoman, a movable body provided at a movable portion, the movable body assembled to the base body so as to extend or retract relative to the base body, a rack fixed on one of a top surface or a bottom surface of the base body or the movable body, the rack being formed in a plate shape which extends in the extending and retracting direction of the movable body and having teeth, a pinion housed in the other of the base body or the movable body and engaged with the rack, a drive unit for driving the pinion, and a guide mechanism provided at the base body and the movable body to guide the movable body in the extending and retracting direction of the movable body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Publication date: May 10, 2007
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiromi Taniguchi, Takuya Mizuno, Masaki Okada, Yukifumi Yamada
  • Publication number: 20070102982
    Abstract: A reclining apparatus for a vehicle seat includes a lower plate, an upper plate rotatably supported by each lower plate, a cam for restricting or permitting rotation of each upper plate relative to each lower plate, a connecting shaft fitted to each cam with a fit clearance for integrally rotating each cam and a spring wound around a rotational axis of each cam for biasing each cam in a rotational direction in which rotation of each upper plate relative to each lower plate is restricted. A first end of each spring is engaged with each lower plate and a second end of each spring is engaged with each cam. The spring includes a pressing portion for pressing the connecting shaft so that a play corresponding to the fit clearance between each cam and the connecting shaft can be eliminated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2006
    Publication date: May 10, 2007
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yukifumi Yamada, Yasuhiro Kojima
  • Publication number: 20070090263
    Abstract: A seat sliding apparatus includes a lower rail, an upper rail fixed to a vehicle seat and mounted on the lower rail to move, a lock mechanism having a lock lever for locking the upper rail with the lower rail, a slide supporting member disposed between the rails, a sliding portion provided at both the rails, with which the slide supporting member contact, lock portions provided at one of the rails facing each other, another lock portion provided at the other one of the rails locating between the lock portions, the lock lever being fitted into at least one of the lock portions. The sliding portion of the upper rail is formed along a longitudinal direction over an entire length of the upper rail and the lock portions of the upper rail are arranged at one of an upper side and a lower side of the sliding portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yukifumi Yamada, Yasuhiro Kojima