Patents by Inventor Chitoshi Sugano

Chitoshi Sugano 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: 10005412
    Abstract: A vehicle front portion structure includes: a suspension member, first and second crash boxes, a front cross member and braces. The braces extends obliquely outward in a vehicle width direction and toward a vehicle rearward direction, with front end portions of the braces being fastened to the front cross member and rear end portions of the braces being fastened to arm portions. The braces are equipped with radiator support portions that support a radiator provided at a vehicle front side of a power unit, and with easily deformed portions which, when a crash load has been input, become deformation origins that enable the braces to deform in such a way that the rear end portions move closer to the front cross member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Chitoshi Sugano, Tatsuya Komamura
  • Patent number: 9849913
    Abstract: A vehicle front section structure including: a front side member that includes an inside sidewall portion; a first wall portion that configures part of a power unit support section, and that is joined to the inside sidewall portion by a first join portion; a second wall portion that configures part of the power unit support section, and that is joined to the inside sidewall portion by a second join portion; and a low rigidity portion of the inside sidewall portion that is disposed at another side in a vehicle front-rear direction, and the vehicle lower side, of the first join portion, that is disposed further toward one side in the vehicle front-rear direction than the second join portion, and that has lower rigidity than a portion of the inside sidewall portion further toward the one side in the vehicle front-rear direction than the first join portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Chitoshi Sugano
  • Patent number: 9789833
    Abstract: A vehicle frame structure includes a bumper reinforcement, a side structure that includes a first side wall on an outer side of the side structure in a vehicle width direction and a first protruding structure, and a crush box that is arranged between the bumper reinforcement and the side structure and includes a second side wall on an outer side of the crush box in the vehicle width direction, the second side wall having a second protruding structure. An edge line of the first protruding structure and an edge line of the second protruding structure are provided to be continuous in a vehicle front-rear direction, and a width in a vehicle up and down direction of the first protruding structure becomes wider farther away from the second protruding structure, in the vehicle front-rear direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kosuke Taguchi, Chitoshi Sugano
  • Publication number: 20170120850
    Abstract: A vehicle front portion structure includes: a suspension member, first and second crash boxes, a front cross member and braces. The braces extends obliquely outward in a vehicle width direction and toward a vehicle rearward direction, with front end portions of the braces being fastened to the front cross member and rear end portions of the braces being fastened to arm portions. The braces are equipped with radiator support portions that support a radiator provided at a vehicle front side of a power unit, and with easily deformed portions which, when a crash load has been input, become deformation origins that enable the braces to deform in such a way that the rear end portions move closer to the front cross member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Chitoshi SUGANO, Tatsuya KOMAMURA
  • Publication number: 20170073011
    Abstract: A vehicle front section structure including: a front side member that includes an inside sidewall portion; a first wall portion that configures part of a power unit support section, and that is joined to the inside sidewall portion by a first join portion; a second wall portion that configures part of the power unit support section, and that is joined to the inside sidewall portion by a second join portion; and a low rigidity portion of the inside sidewall portion that is disposed at another side in a vehicle front-rear direction, and the vehicle lower side, of the first join portion, that is disposed further toward one side in the vehicle front-rear direction than the second join portion, and that has lower rigidity than a portion of the inside sidewall portion further toward the one side in the vehicle front-rear direction than the first join portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Chitoshi SUGANO
  • Publication number: 20170050598
    Abstract: A vehicle frame structure includes a bumper reinforcement, a side structure that includes a first side wall on an outer side of the side structure in a vehicle width direction and a first protruding structure, and a crush box that is arranged between the bumper reinforcement and the side structure and includes a second side wall on an outer side of the crush box in the vehicle width direction, the second side wall having a second protruding structure. An edge line of the first protruding structure and an edge line of the second protruding structure are provided to be continuous in a vehicle front-rear direction, and a width in a vehicle up and down direction of the first protruding structure becomes wider farther away from the second protruding structure, in the vehicle front-rear direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2016
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kosuke TAGUCHI, Chitoshi SUGANO
  • Patent number: 9555756
    Abstract: A vehicle front structure includes: a pair of right and left front side members extending in the vehicle front-rear direction; load receiving members each projecting from a corresponding one of the front side members outward in the vehicle-width direction, having an outer side surface in the vehicle-width direction, which is tilted inward in the vehicle-width direction from the vehicle front side toward the vehicle rear side; and protruding members each disposed forward of a corresponding one of the load receiving members in the vehicle front-rear direction, each protruding forward in the vehicle front-rear direction, and each having a front end portion and a rear end portion, the rear end portion being fixed at a position at which at least a part of the protruding member overlaps with the corresponding load receiving member in a front view of the vehicle, and the front end portion being a free end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Chitoshi Sugano, Yasunori Iwamoto, Kenichi Murayama
  • Patent number: 9499206
    Abstract: In a vehicle to which a vehicle rear structure is applied, a rear roof-side inner of a roof-side inner is joined to a front roof-side inner of the roof-side inner at locations of first joins, of an overlap flange. Configuration is thereby such that strength is high at the overlap flange of the roof-side inner. Moreover, the rear roof-side inner is joined to both the front roof-side inner and the upper support at the location of a second join of the overlap flange. This enables upthrust load from a rear suspension to be effectively transmitted to the overlap flange, and distributed to the front roof-side inner and the rear roof-side inner. This enables rigidity of the roof-side inner to be secured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Chitoshi Sugano
  • Publication number: 20160039374
    Abstract: A vehicle front structure includes: a pair of right and left front side members extending in the vehicle front-rear direction; load receiving members each projecting from a corresponding one of the front side members outward in the vehicle-width direction, having an outer side surface in the vehicle-width direction, which is tilted inward in the vehicle-width direction from the vehicle front side toward the vehicle rear side; and protruding members each disposed forward of a corresponding one of the load receiving members in the vehicle front-rear direction, each protruding forward in the vehicle front-rear direction, and each having a front end portion and a rear end portion, the rear end portion being fixed at a position at which at least a part of the protruding member overlaps with the corresponding load receiving member in a front view of the vehicle, and the front end portion being a free end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Chitoshi SUGANO, Yasunori IWAMOTO, Kenichi MURAYAMA
  • Publication number: 20150251701
    Abstract: In a vehicle to which a vehicle rear structure is applied, a rear roof-side inner of a roof-side inner is joined to a front roof-side inner of the roof-side inner at locations of first joins, of an overlap flange. Configuration is thereby such that strength is high at the overlap flange of the roof-side inner. Moreover, the rear roof-side inner is joined to both the front roof-side inner and the upper support at the location of a second join of the overlap flange. This enables upthrust load from a rear suspension to be effectively transmitted to the overlap flange, and distributed to the front roof-side inner and the rear roof-side inner. This enables rigidity of the roof-side inner to be secured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Inventor: Chitoshi Sugano