Patents by Inventor Akimi Watanabe
Akimi 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).
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Patent number: 9598138Abstract: A steering structure of a saddle-ride-type vehicle includes a steering shaft rotatably supported on a head pipe provided to a front end portion of a vehicle body frame, a bridge mounted on the steering shaft above or below the head pipe, and a cylinder type steering damper provided between the vehicle body frame and the bridge. The steering damper is mounted on the bridge in front of a center axis of the steering shaft as viewed in a side view, and on the vehicle body frame behind the center axis as viewed in a side view.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2015Date of Patent: March 21, 2017Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventor: Akimi Watanabe
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Publication number: 20150251722Abstract: A steering structure of a saddle-ride-type vehicle includes a steering shaft rotatably supported on a head pipe provided to a front end portion of a vehicle body frame, a bridge mounted on the steering shaft above or below the head pipe, and a cylinder type steering damper provided between the vehicle body frame and the bridge. The steering damper is mounted on the bridge in front of a center axis of the steering shaft as viewed in a side view, and on the vehicle body frame behind the center axis as viewed in a side view.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2015Publication date: September 10, 2015Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventor: Akimi Watanabe
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Patent number: 8960701Abstract: In a two-wheeled motor vehicle having a pair of right and left front forks for supporting a front wheel so that the front wheel is rotatable, a top bridge for supporting upper ends of the pair of right and left front forks, a handle post provided to the top bridge, and a bar-shaped handle secured to the hand post, the handle is provided above the front forks with respect to an axial line direction of the front forks, each front fork is provided with an air valve for sealingly filling air in the front fork and a projection on the upper surface thereof, and the projection is formed to be higher than the air valve.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2013Date of Patent: February 24, 2015Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Kayabe Industry Co., Ltd.Inventors: Akimi Watanabe, Nobuhiro Noguchi, Satoshi Kamiya
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Patent number: 8550202Abstract: To provide a rear portion structure of a saddle-type vehicle, which enables securement of a space for arranging vehicle-mounted components on the upper side of a drive chain at a position apart from a pivot shaft. A motorcycle includes a rear wheel swingably provided on a main member via a swing arm, a drive chain entrained about a driven sprocket provided on the rear wheel and a drive sprocket, and a seat frame. An air-exhaust pipe extends from an engine on a lower portion of the seat frame, an extending portion extends rearward of the vehicle from the seat frame, and a chain guide roller is mounted on the extending portion.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2012Date of Patent: October 8, 2013Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Akimi Watanabe, Yotaro Mori, Naoki Kuwabara, Toshitaka Akita, Seiji Anzai, Yusuke Inoue
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Publication number: 20130257012Abstract: In a two-wheeled motor vehicle having a pair of right and left front forks for supporting a front wheel so that the front wheel is rotatable, a top bridge for supporting upper ends of the pair of right and left front forks, a handle post provided to the top bridge, and a bar-shaped handle secured to the hand post, the handle is provided above the front forks with respect to an axial line direction of the front forks, each front fork is provided with an air valve for sealingly filling air in the front fork and a projection on the upper surface thereof, and the projection is formed to be higher than the air valve.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2013Publication date: October 3, 2013Applicants: KAYABA INDUSTRY CO., LTD., HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Akimi Watanabe, Nobuhiro Noguchi, Satoshi Kamiya
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Publication number: 20130075182Abstract: To provide a rear portion structure of a saddle-type vehicle, which enables securement of a space for arranging vehicle-mounted components on the upper side of a drive chain at a position apart from a pivot shaft. A motorcycle includes a rear wheel swingably provided on a main member via a swing arm, a drive chain entrained about a driven sprocket provided on the rear wheel and a drive sprocket, and a seat frame. An air-exhaust pipe extends from an engine on a lower portion of the seat frame, an extending portion extends rearward of the vehicle from the seat frame, and a chain guide roller is mounted on the extending portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2012Publication date: March 28, 2013Inventors: Akimi Watanabe, Yotaro Mori, Naoki Kuwabara, Toshitaka Akita, Seiji Anzai, Yusuke Inoue
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Publication number: 20080236968Abstract: A hydraulic buffering apparatus in which an impact from the road surface is alleviated even when the impact due to high-frequency vibrations are generated, so that the ride quality of a vehicle is improved. A piston is provided in a cylinder for partitioning the interior of the cylinder into a rod-side oil chamber on the side of a piston rod and a counter-rod-side oil chamber. The two oil chambers are in communication with each other via a pair of ports provided on the piston. Damping valves are respectively provided at exit ends of the pair of ports respectively so as to be openable and closable. A supporting member holds the piston and the damping valves. The supporting member is slidably arranged on a shaft of the piston rod and is held between stoppers provided on the shaft of the piston rod via resilient members.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2008Publication date: October 2, 2008Inventor: Akimi Watanabe
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Patent number: 7390004Abstract: In a steering damper device, a rotary damper includes a damper case, a rotary shaft rotatably supported on the case, and an actuation lever connected to the rotary shaft; the damper case is mounted to a steering side member; and a tip end of the actuation lever is connected to a frame side member. One end of a control lever is connected to the frame side member via a first pivot. A tip end of the actuation lever is connected to the other end of the lever via a second pivot. The first and second pivots are arranged so that a line connecting the centers of the first and second pivots is substantially intersected by an axis of a steering stem at a steering angle of 0°. Thus, the steering damper device can obtain desired characteristics while using a rotary damper with a simple structure.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2005Date of Patent: June 24, 2008Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kazuhiko Gogo, Akimi Watanabe
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Patent number: 7306248Abstract: A steering damper device having a cylindrical damper disposed between a steering side member and a vehicle body side member, wherein said cylindrical damper includes a damper casing and a damper rod which is slidably displaced in the damper casing. The amount of slidable displacement of the damper rod with respect to a steering angle of the handlebar is small when the steering angle of the handlebar is near 0° and the amount of slidable displacement is larger as the steering angle is progressively changed from 0°. The damping coefficient of the cylindrical damper is large when the steering angle of the handlebar is near 0° and the damping coefficient is smaller when the steering angle is progressively changed from 0°.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2005Date of Patent: December 11, 2007Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kazuhiko Gogo, Akimi Watanabe
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Publication number: 20060207845Abstract: In a steering damper device, a rotary damper includes a damper case, a rotary shaft rotatably supported on the case, and an actuation lever connected to the rotary shaft; the damper case is mounted to a steering side member; and a tip end of the actuation lever is connected to a frame side member. One end of a control lever is connected to the frame side member via a first pivot. A tip end of the actuation lever is connected to the other end of the lever via a second pivot. The first and second pivots are arranged so that a line connecting the centers of the first and second pivots is substantially intersected by an axis of a steering stem at a steering angle of 0°. Thus, the steering damper device can obtain desired characteristics while using a rotary damper with a simple structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2005Publication date: September 21, 2006Inventors: Kazuhiko Gogo, Akimi Watanabe
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Patent number: 7052027Abstract: A cylindrical steering damper apparatus for a motorcycle has a relatively simple structure, in which a gradually increasing damping force is generated according to the turned angle when a handlebar is turned, and the damping force is not generated when the handlebar is returned. The cylindrical damper is disposed between a head pipe, for pivotally supporting a steering stem, and a fork bridge of a front fork, so as to be the shortest when the handlebarbar is at a neutral position. The cylindrical damper is connected to the head pipe and the fork bridge via spherical ball-and-socket joints. The cylindrical damper generates the damping force when being expanded. Since the cylindrical damper is expanded when the handlebar is turned in either a left or right direction, a damping force is generated.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2004Date of Patent: May 30, 2006Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kazuhiko Gogo, Akimi Watanabe
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Publication number: 20050212250Abstract: A steering damper device having a cylindrical damper disposed between a steering side member and a vehicle body side member, wherein said cylindrical damper includes a damper casing and a damper rod which is slidably displaced in the damper casing. The amount of slidable displacement of the damper rod with respect to a steering angle of the handlebar is small when the steering angle of the handlebar is near 0° and the amount of slidable displacement is larger as the steering angle is progressively changed from 0°. The damping coefficient of the cylindrical damper is large when the steering angle of the handlebar is near 0° and the damping coefficient is smaller when the steering angle is progressively changed from 0°.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2005Publication date: September 29, 2005Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Kazuhiko Gogo, Akimi Watanabe
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Publication number: 20050046141Abstract: A cylindrical steering damper apparatus for a motorcycle has a relatively simple structure, in which a gradually increasing damping force is generated according to the turned angle when a handlebar is turned, and the damping force is not generated when the handlebar is returned. The cylindrical damper is disposed between a head pipe, for pivotally supporting a steering stem, and a fork bridge of a front fork, so as to be the shortest when the handlebarbar is at a neutral position. The cylindrical damper is connected to the head pipe and the fork bridge via spherical ball-and-socket joints. The cylindrical damper generates the damping force when being expanded. Since the cylindrical damper is expanded when the handlebar is turned in either a left or right direction, a damping force is generated.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 18, 2004Publication date: March 3, 2005Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kazuhiko Gogo, Akimi Watanabe