Patents by Inventor Tomohito Sono

Tomohito Sono 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).

  • Publication number: 20230174162
    Abstract: A vehicle side structure includes a side door and a pillar which includes at least a pillar reinforcement. In the vehicle side structure, an end portion, in a vehicle longitudinal direction, of the side door incorporates a digital key sensor and has a protruding region, and the pillar reinforcement includes an outer wall facing outward in the vehicle width direction and having an indented region in which a part of a main surface of the outer wall is curved or bent so as to protrude inward in the vehicle width direction, a center concave bead extending along the vehicle vertical direction at the center, in the vehicle longitudinal direction, of the outer wall, and a center convex bead raised from a bottom surface of the center concave bead, in which a vertical length range of the center convex bead is overlapped at least partially with the indented region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2022
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Hirokazu MAEDA, Masahiro NOZAWA, Tomohito SONO, Yoshihiro KOJIMA, Nobuhito NISHIO
  • Patent number: 10926805
    Abstract: A rocker structure includes: a closed cross-sectional part that extends along a vehicle front-rear direction on an outer side of a floor panel of a vehicle in a vehicle width direction, the closed cross-sectional part including an outer wall and an inner wall located respectively on an outer side and an inner side of the closed cross-sectional part in the vehicle width direction; and a horizontal plate propped between the outer wall and the inner wall along the vehicle width direction, the horizontal plate having ridges protruding upward in a vehicle height direction and valleys depressed downward in the vehicle height direction that are provided alternately along the vehicle width direction, an amount of protrusion of the ridges and an amount of depression of the valleys varying from an outer wall side toward an inner wall side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuuki Mukaigawa, Tomohito Sono
  • Patent number: 10766540
    Abstract: A rocker structure includes a closed cross-sectional part that extends along a vehicle front-rear direction on the outer side of a floor panel of a vehicle in a vehicle width direction, a horizontal plate, and a first vertical plate. The closed cross-sectional part includes an outer wall, an inner wall, a lower wall, and an upper wall. The horizontal plate has a ridge and a valley, and is propped along the vehicle width direction between the outer wall and the inner wall, and the ridge and the valley are provided alternately along the vehicle width direction. The ridge protrudes upward in the vehicle-height direction, and the valley is depressed downward in the vehicle-height direction. The first vertical plate is propped along the vehicle-height direction between the horizontal plate and one of the lower wall and the upper wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohito Sono, Yuuki Mukaigawa, Kosho Kawahara
  • Publication number: 20190248419
    Abstract: A rocker structure includes: a closed cross-sectional part that extends along a vehicle front-rear direction on an outer side of a floor panel of a vehicle in a vehicle width direction, the closed cross-sectional part including an outer wall and an inner wall located respectively on an outer side and an inner side of the closed cross-sectional part in the vehicle width direction; and a horizontal plate propped between the outer wall and the inner wall along the vehicle width direction, the horizontal plate having ridges protruding upward in a vehicle height direction and valleys depressed downward in the vehicle height direction that are provided alternately along the vehicle width direction, an amount of protrusion of the ridges and an amount of depression of the valleys varying from an outer wall side toward an inner wall side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuuki MUKAIGAWA, Tomohito Sono
  • Publication number: 20190248418
    Abstract: A rocker structure includes a closed cross-sectional part that extends along a vehicle front-rear direction on the outer side of a floor panel of a vehicle in a vehicle width direction, a horizontal plate, and a first vertical plate. The closed cross-sectional part includes an outer wall, an inner wall, a lower wall, and an upper wall. The horizontal plate has a ridge and a valley, and is propped along the vehicle width direction between the outer wall and the inner wall, and the ridge and the valley are provided alternately along the vehicle width direction. The ridge protrudes upward in the vehicle-height direction, and the valley is depressed downward in the vehicle-height direction. The first vertical plate is propped along the vehicle-height direction between the horizontal plate and one of the lower wall and the upper wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohito Sono, Yuuki Mukaigawa, Kosho Kawahara