Patents by Inventor Masakazu Shirooka
Masakazu Shirooka 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: 11479103Abstract: A battery pack houses battery stacks vertically in a plurality of stages. The battery pack includes a lower casing, a holder formed of leg portions attached to the lower casing in front and back of the battery stacks in the lower stage and a frame attached on upper portions of the leg portions, and a plate member that connects the lower casing and the frame of the holder. The battery stacks in an upper stage are arranged on top of the frame along the length of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2020Date of Patent: October 25, 2022Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masakazu Shirooka, Yuna Yagi
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Publication number: 20200262284Abstract: A battery pack houses battery stacks vertically in a plurality of stages. The battery pack includes a lower casing, a holder formed of leg portions attached to the lower casing in front and back of the battery stacks in the lower stage and a frame attached on upper portions of the leg portions, and a plate member that connects the lower casing and the frame of the holder. The battery stacks in an upper stage are arranged on top of the frame along the length of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2020Publication date: August 20, 2020Inventors: Masakazu SHIROOKA, Yuna YAGI
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Patent number: 10358166Abstract: A vehicle front section structure includes: a suspension tower to which an upper end portion of a strut of a suspension is attached; a dash panel that demarcates an engine compartment from a cabin; an instrument panel reinforcement that bridges a right and left pair of front pillars; an intervening member that is disposed between the suspension tower and the dash panel; a connecting portion that is disposed on the instrument panel reinforcement and that is configured to be connected with a steering support member for supporting, via a steering column, a steering wheel in which an airbag is stored; a brace that couples the dash panel and the steering support member to each other; and a weak portion that is formed in the instrument panel reinforcement on the vehicle front side thereof and at a vicinity of a vehicle width direction inner side of the connecting portion.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2017Date of Patent: July 23, 2019Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masakazu Shirooka, Kengo Kishimoto
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Patent number: 10232885Abstract: A vehicle lower portion structure includes a front pillar reinforcement provided to a front pillar and having a lower end portion joined to a panel forming a rocker; and a rocker reinforcement provided to the rocker, joined to the panel, and having a front end that is disposed to face a rear end of the lower end portion from a vehicle rear side, wherein when a collision load is input from a vehicle front side to at least the front pillar, the rear end comes in contact with the front end.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2016Date of Patent: March 19, 2019Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masakazu Shirooka, Yohsuke Matsumoto
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Publication number: 20180148098Abstract: A vehicle front section structure includes: a suspension tower to which an upper end portion of a strut of a suspension is attached; a dash panel that demarcates an engine compartment from a cabin; an instrument panel reinforcement that bridges a right and left pair of front pillars; an intervening member that is disposed between the suspension tower and the dash panel; a connecting portion that is disposed on the instrument panel reinforcement and that is configured to be connected with a steering support member for supporting, via a steering column, a steering wheel in which an airbag is stored; a brace that couples the dash panel and the steering support member to each other; and a weak portion that is formed in the instrument panel reinforcement on the vehicle front side thereof and at a vicinity of a vehicle width direction inner side of the connecting portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2017Publication date: May 31, 2018Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masakazu SHIROOKA, Kengo KISHIMOTO
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Patent number: 9809253Abstract: In a vehicle, a floor member reinforcing member extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction within a closed cross-section portion that is formed by a floor member and a floor panel. The floor member reinforcing member intersects a second floor cross member as seen in plan view. Namely, a portion, that is reinforced by the floor member reinforcing member, of the floor member extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction so as to include a portion, that intersects the second floor cross member, of the floor member. Further, occurrence of bending due to collision load at the portion, that is reinforced by the floor member reinforcing member, of the floor member is suppressed. The reinforced portion of the floor member is displaced toward a vehicle obliquely upper front side following displacement of the second floor cross member toward a vehicle obliquely upper front side.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2014Date of Patent: November 7, 2017Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masakazu Shirooka, Teppei Hae
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Patent number: 9650074Abstract: A vehicle front portion structure has: front side members that are disposed along a vehicle body longitudinal direction, and that have inclined portions that cause vehicle body front portion sides to be positioned higher than vehicle body rear portion sides; and a suspension member that is disposed at a vehicle body front side of the inclined portions, and that has inclined walls whose angle of inclination is made to be smaller than an angle of inclination of the inclined portions, the inclined wall being formed at regions that face the inclined portions, in a side view seen from a vehicle transverse direction.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2014Date of Patent: May 16, 2017Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Masakazu Shirooka
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Publication number: 20170050679Abstract: A vehicle lower portion structure includes a front pillar reinforcement provided to a front pillar and having a lower end portion joined to a panel forming a rocker; and a rocker reinforcement provided to the rocker, joined to the panel, and having a front end that is disposed to face a rear end of the lower end portion from a vehicle rear side, wherein when a collision load is input from a vehicle front side to at least the front pillar, the rear end comes in contact with the front end.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2016Publication date: February 23, 2017Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masakazu SHIROOKA, Yohsuke MATSUMOTO
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Publication number: 20160236717Abstract: In a vehicle, a floor member reinforcing member extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction within a closed cross-section portion that is formed by a floor member and a floor panel. The floor member reinforcing member intersects a second floor cross member as seen in plan view. Namely, a portion, that is reinforced by the floor member reinforcing member, of the floor member extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction so as to include a portion, that intersects the second floor cross member, of the floor member. Further, occurrence of bending due to collision load at the portion, that is reinforced by the floor member reinforcing member, of the floor member is suppressed. The reinforced portion of the floor member is displaced toward a vehicle obliquely upper front side following displacement of the second floor cross member toward a vehicle obliquely upper front side.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2014Publication date: August 18, 2016Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masakazu SHIROOKA, Teppei HAE
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Patent number: 9387883Abstract: There is provided a vehicle front portion structure including: a front side member including a linear portion that extends along the vehicle front and rear direction on the vehicle width direction outside of the vehicle front portion and is disposed on the vehicle front side of a dash panel, and a slanted portion that extends obliquely downward along an undersurface of the dash panel from a rear end portion of the linear portion; and a side portion weak portion disposed in a vehicle width direction outside surface or a vehicle width direction inside surface of the linear portion along a joint between the linear portion and the slanted portion.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2015Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akihiro Hirota, Masakazu Shirooka
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Patent number: 9242540Abstract: In a vehicular battery mounting structure, a rear suspension beam has a beam main body portion extending in a vehicle width direction, and a beam end portion formed on an outside of the beam main body portion in the vehicle width direction. A sectional area of the beam end portion viewed from a side is larger than the beam main body portion. Also, a backboard forming a rear portion of a battery frame has a board main body portion that extends in the vehicle width direction and is arranged in front of the beam main body portion. A vehicle body attaching portion attached to a vehicle body frame is provided on an end portion on the outside of the board main body portion. The vehicle body attaching portion is arranged in front of the end portion on the outside of the beam main body portion, and opposing the end portion.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2012Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Masakazu Shirooka
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Publication number: 20160016611Abstract: A vehicle front portion structure has: front side members that are disposed along a vehicle body longitudinal direction, and that have inclined portions that cause vehicle body front portion sides to be positioned higher than vehicle body rear portion sides; and a suspension member that is disposed at a vehicle body front side of the inclined portions, and that has inclined walls whose angle of inclination is made to be smaller than an angle of inclination of the inclined portions, the inclined wall being formed at regions that face the inclined portions, in a side view seen from a vehicle transverse direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2014Publication date: January 21, 2016Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Masakazu SHIROOKA
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Publication number: 20150307134Abstract: There is provided a vehicle front portion structure including: a front side member including a linear portion that extends along the vehicle front and rear direction on the vehicle width direction outside of the vehicle front portion and is disposed on the vehicle front side of a dash panel, and a slanted portion that extends obliquely downward along an undersurface of the dash panel from a rear end portion of the linear portion; and a side portion weak portion disposed in a vehicle width direction outside surface or a vehicle width direction inside surface of the linear portion along a joint between the linear portion and the slanted portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2015Publication date: October 29, 2015Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akihiro HIROTA, Masakazu SHIROOKA
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Publication number: 20150183468Abstract: There is provided a vehicle front section structure including: a front side member that is disposed along a vehicle front-rear direction at a vehicle width direction outside of a vehicle front section, and that includes an inner member and an outer member forming a closed cross-section portion extending in the vehicle front-rear direction; and a projection member disposed at the vehicle width direction outside of the front side member and attached to the outer member so as to project out further toward the vehicle width direction outside than the front side member, wherein a weakened portion is provided at the inner member in a vehicle front-rear direction range where the projection member is disposed.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2014Publication date: July 2, 2015Inventor: Masakazu SHIROOKA
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Patent number: 8863878Abstract: In a vehicle battery mounting structure, each sidewall of a bracket body has a load-receiving portion extending obliquely from the vehicle vertical direction upper end of a base portion toward the vehicle vertical direction lower end of a flat wall. The load-receiving portion is located between a rear wall and an intermediate beam. Thus, when the intermediate beam is moving toward the vehicle longitudinal direction front side during a rear collision, or the like, a front wall of the intermediate beam smashes against the load-receiving portion.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2011Date of Patent: October 21, 2014Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masakazu Shirooka, Akihiro Hirota
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Publication number: 20140231162Abstract: In a vehicular battery mounting structure, a rear suspension beam has a beam main body portion extending in a vehicle width direction, and a beam end portion formed on an outside of the beam main body portion in the vehicle width direction. A sectional area of the beam end portion viewed from a side is larger than the beam main body portion. Also, a backboard forming a rear portion of a battery frame has a board main body portion that extends in the vehicle width direction and is arranged in front of the beam main body portion. A vehicle body attaching portion attached to a vehicle body frame is provided on an end portion on the outside of the board main body portion. The vehicle body attaching portion is arranged in front of the end portion on the outside of the beam main body portion, and opposing the end portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2012Publication date: August 21, 2014Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Masakazu Shirooka
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Publication number: 20130153318Abstract: In a vehicle battery mounting structure, each sidewall of a bracket body has a load-receiving portion extending obliquely from the vehicle vertical direction upper end of a base portion toward the vehicle vertical direction lower end of a flat wall. The load-receiving portion is located between a rear wall and an intermediate beam. Thus, when the intermediate beam is moving toward the vehicle longitudinal direction front side during a rear collision, or the like, a front wall of the intermediate beam smashes against the load-receiving portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 2, 2011Publication date: June 20, 2013Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masakazu Shirooka, Akihiro Hirota