Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Carrier, Blackman & Associates, P.C.
  • Patent number: 8172341
    Abstract: A vehicular anti-lock control system includes: a ground load calculation section for detecting or estimating a ground load of a wheel; a road surface friction coefficient calculation section for detecting or estimating a road surface friction coefficient; and a reference fluid pressure calculation section for calculating an upper side reference fluid pressure and a lower side reference fluid pressure in anti-lock control based on the ground load and the friction coefficient. The upper and lower side reference fluid pressures are respectively determined to be an upper limit value and a lower limit value of a fluid pressure in anti-lock control. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the amount of change in the fluid pressure during anti-lock control, thus improving the braking effect and the braking feel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuki Ito, Osamu Yamamoto, Naoto Ohkubo, Hiromi Inagaki
  • Patent number: 8171576
    Abstract: A jetted bathtub includes: a bathtub; a suction port opening in a wall of the bathtub and allowing water stored in the bathtub to be sucked therein; a pressurizer configured to suck water from the suction port, and pressurize and discharge the water; and a jet nozzle having a single tube held on the wall below a rim of the bathtub, the jet nozzle being configured to eject water introduced into the tube so that the water is ejected into the bathtub with its ejection direction being varied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Kitaura, Katsushi Uryu, Hirotomo Suyama, Hidetaka Miyahara, Makoto Hatakeyama
  • Patent number: 8167604
    Abstract: A fluid spring is provided with a sleeve, a first chamber configured to accommodate a fluid and formed in the sleeve, a hollow piston rod, a second chamber configured to accommodate the fluid and formed in the hollow piston rod, and a communicating passage configured to make the first chamber and the second chamber communicate with each other and formed in an end portion of the hollow piston rod. A part of the hollow piston rod is displacably accommodated in the first chamber. The communicating passage only permits the fluid to flow in a direction from the first chamber to the second chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kaoru Hirotani
  • Patent number: 8167467
    Abstract: A saddle-type vehicle is provided with a rear cowl for covering a rear portion of a body frame, while having an opening capable of being closed with a rider's seat. The vehicle also includes a rear lamp assembly including a tail lamp bulb and a pair of turn signal bulbs, with stays being provided on the upper side of the rear lamp assembly. The rear lamp assembly is mounted to the body frame with a center cover, for covering the upper side of a tail lamp part of the combination lamp, and turn signal covers, for covering the upper side of turn signal parts and turn signal sockets in the combination lamp. The turn signal covers each have an arm located below the rider's seat and extending toward the inner side in the vehicle width direction, and the arm is fastened to the stay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Rinatsu Iida, Gen Tanabe
  • Patent number: 8166933
    Abstract: A power unit for a small-sized vehicle that includes a valve operating system equipped with a hydraulic valve operation mode change mechanism capable of changing the operational mode of an engine valve, and a clutch device disposed between a crankshaft and a shift mechanism so as to switch hydraulically between connection and disconnection of power transmission, wherein a discharge outlet of one oil pump (209) driven by power transmission from the crankshaft is connected in common to a valve operation mode change mechanisms (63, 64) and a clutch device (102). This enables the hydraulic system to be made compact while avoiding any increase in the overall bulk of the power unit, thus providing a power unit suitable for a small-sized vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Fujimoto, Atsushi Ogasawara
  • Patent number: 8168245
    Abstract: A coral is washed with purified water or tap water, and a crushed coral is heat-treated. Proteins and other organic matter are incorporated between calcium molecules in the coral skeleton, and the organic matter is decomposed and released as volatile components. In the skeleton from which organic matter is released, a calcium skeleton having a porous structure is formed, and the surface area of pores is increased. A hydrogen gas can be retained in the structure by adsorbing a hydrogen gas to the pores in such a calcium skeleton a porous structure (micropores). The resulting coral powder, with which ions dissolved in water are easily extracted, shows a low oxidation reduction potential when dissolved in water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Solvent Science Laboratory
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Matsuo, Kokichi Hanaoka, Ryouichi Ohtsubo, Atsuyoshi Murakami, Masahiro Kawano
  • Patent number: 8167352
    Abstract: A floor carpet (40) for covering a vehicle floor as well as a tool storage area is disclosed. The floor carpet has an overlapping flap (57) for overlapping a rear surface (33) of a peripheral edge of an opening (32) formed in a vehicle body (11) when the opening is closed, the flap being able to be pulled toward the surface of the opening when opened. The overlapping flap has a plurality of small lap portions (61) and a plurality of large lap portions (62) for overlapping the rear surface of the peripheral edge of the opening to a small degree and a large degree. The small lap portions and the large lap portions are alternately arranged in a wave shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mitsuyoshi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8166737
    Abstract: A walk-behind lawnmower having a height adjusting mechanism for adjusting the height of a housing above the ground. The height adjusting mechanism includes: a front wheel supporting member and a rear wheel supporting member that are attached to the housing so as to be capable of swinging up and down; a linking member for linking the front and rear wheel supporting members so as to be capable of concerted motion; and a locking mechanism for restricting and releasing displacement of the linking member in the forward-and-backward direction. The locking mechanism includes: a plurality of locking grooves arranged in a row from front to rear on the linking member; a locking pin capable of selectively interlocking with one of the locking grooves; a pin-guiding part for guiding the locking pin to be capable of entering into and retracting from one of the locking grooves; and an operating member for sliding and operating the locking pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Ninomiya, Tetsuo Iida, Nobuyuki Hirose, Mai Ohba
  • Patent number: 8169092
    Abstract: In a cogeneration system having a generator adapted to be connectable to an AC power feed line between a commercial power network and an electrical load, an internal combustion engine for driving the generator such that exhaust heat of the engine is supplied to a thermal load and an actuator that opens and closes a throttle valve of the engine, there are provided a power demand detector that detects power demand of the electrical load, a thermal demand detector that detects thermal demand of the thermal load. The operation of the actuator is controlled in response to the detected power demand so as to increase or decrease the engine, and ignition timing of the engine is controlled in a retard direction in response to the detected thermal demand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi Yamamura, Hiroyuki Eguchi
  • Patent number: 8167382
    Abstract: A brake system for a motorcycle includes a pressure-regulating unit interposed between a fluid pressure-generating unit and a wheel brake. The operation of a pressure-regulating unit is controlled by a control unit on based on a value detected by an operating amount detector. The fluid pressure-generating unit is arranged between an engine body mounted on a body frame and an exhaust pipe extending from the engine body. The exhaust pipe is connected to the front surface of a cylinder head of the engine body, and is extended downwardly from the cylinder head. A support member for supporting the fluid pressure-generating unit is supported, through elastic members, by the engine body and frame members of a body frame of the motorcycle. The body frame extends rearwardly downwards from a head pipe connected to the body frame at a front end portion thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuji Tahara, Masatsugu Nishimura
  • Patent number: 8167968
    Abstract: In a vehicle having an air cleaner for cleaning incoming intake air supplied to an engine, a stepped surface is formed on at least one of a plurality of walls of an air cleaner housing. The stepped surface is formed on an upper wall of the air cleaner housing, such that an outer step is arranged on a periphery of an inner step. The upper wall is formed into a stereoscopic shape by providing the stepped surface thereon, such that the rigidity of the upper wall is enhanced, and a sonic resonance of the upper wall can be suppressed during vehicle operation, thereby reducing intake noises. By providing the stepped surface to the upper wall of the air cleaner for reducing intake noises, and it is unnecessary to add one or more extra components to the air cleaner for reducing intake noises.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masatoshi Sato, Masaya Ishiguro
  • Patent number: 8167070
    Abstract: A battery housing structure, in an electric vehicle, is operable to regulate a temperature of a battery disposed between front and rear wheels of the vehicle. The battery housing structure includes a main housing body for receiving the battery, inlet and outlet ports for respectively supplying air to and discharging air from the main housing body; and a fan for discharging air from the main housing body. A bypass passage is provided in the battery housing structure for selectively connecting a downstream side of the fan with the inlet ports. First and second air flow control valves are also provided in the battery housing structure for selectively controlling and routing the flow of air within the battery housing structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Takamura, Atsushi Otsu, Takashi Sone
  • Patent number: 8163335
    Abstract: A particle cluster for an aerosol deposition method, the particle cluster includes: an assembly packed with a plurality of fine particles including brittle material fine particles, the particle clusters having a spatula angle of 46.2° or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomokazu Ito, Hironori Hatono
  • Patent number: 8162015
    Abstract: Provided is a pneumatic tire capable of improving the drainage performance while favorably maintaining the uneven wear resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ryousuke Nukushina
  • Patent number: 8161927
    Abstract: A valve system of an overhead-camshaft-type internal combustion engine includes a cam holder fastened to a cylinder head having a combustion chamber formed therein. The cam holder supports a camshaft, and is disposed above the combustion chamber. The cam holder includes a bottom wall, a pair of oppositely-facing support walls having lower sides thereof joined with each other by the bottom wall, and a rib joining predetermined oppositely-facing portions of respective upper side portions of the support walls with each other. The support walls of the cam holder pivotally support the cam shaft. The rib may be integrated with the cam holder, or may be separately formed and fastened to the support walls of the cam holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi Ochiai, Hiroshi Kuribara
  • Patent number: 8162385
    Abstract: A load transmission body for a vehicle, which transmits an impact load to a floor of the vehicle body, includes: a pair of side walls fixed to the floor of the vehicle body and extending in a vehicle front-back direction; a front reinforcing wall having a closed cross-sectional structure, extending in a vehicle width direction, and reciprocally coupling with the pair of side walls; a rear reinforcing wall disposed at a vehicle rear side of the front reinforcing wall, having a closed cross-sectional structure, extending in the vehicle width direction, and reciprocally coupling with the pair of side walls; and a side reinforcing member provided at each of the side walls, having reinforcing beads extending in the vehicle front-back direction, and a front end portion and a rear end portion that are coupled to the front wall and the rear wall, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jogen Yamaki, Takeshi Abe, Hisato Oku
  • Patent number: 8162092
    Abstract: In a frictional drive vehicle, a load acting on the vehicle such as the weight of a rider is converted into a force that urges two frictionally engaging parts (3L, 3R, 25) toward each other. Thereby, the contact pressure between the two frictionally engaging parts is maintained at an optimum level under all conditions. A weight of a rider may be transmitted to a drive member that frictionally engages a main wheel via a four-link parallel link mechanism (40, 50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Takenaka, Makoto Hirano, Hideharu Izumi, Kazuya Kuwabara, Taiji Koyama, Masao Sasaki, Hiroshi Gomi, Shinichiro Kobashi
  • Patent number: 8158050
    Abstract: A green tire (G) is formed by stacking a tire component such as a carcass layer (13) on a film (12) which is made of a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer composition and which is disposed on the entire outer circumferential surface of a cylindrical rigid inner die (1) formed of split parts (2). The green tire (G) is placed in a vulcanizing mold together with the rigid inner die (1) and then heated to a given temperature. The film (12) is pressurized from the inner circumferential side and inflated, and the green tire (G) is vulcanized. Thus, unvulcanized rubber of the tire components is pressed toward the inner circumferential surface of the vulcanizing mold and flows in circumferential directions. As a result, volume unevenness of the tire components is corrected. The film (12) which functions as a bladder is tightly bonded to the inner circumferential surface of the tire to become an inner layer of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuzou Sano, Noboru Takada
  • Patent number: 8151521
    Abstract: Vehicle door structure includes: a door body openably and closably mounted to a vehicle body; a door sash provided on the door body and including a vertical sash section extending in a vertical direction of the door body, and an upper sash section formed continuously with an upper end portion of the vertical sash section and bent relative to the vertical sash section; and a garnish provided on the door sash and including a base section covering the vertical sash section and fixed to the vertical sash section, an extension section formed continuously with an upper end portion of the base section, bent relative to the base section and covering the upper sash section, and an engaging section provided on the extension section and engaging with the upper sash section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaaki Iwabuchi
  • Patent number: 8154594
    Abstract: A standard camera picks up a standard image, and a reference camera picks up a reference image. A flat area is extracted from the standard image and the reference image. An edge image is created by extracting the edges and feature points from the standard image and then a corrected edge image is created by removing the flat area. Object detection processing is carried out on the edges and feature points of the corrected edge image with reference to the reference image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignees: Tokyo Institute of Technology, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihito Seki, Masatoshi Okutomi