Patents Assigned to Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
  • Patent number: 7089103
    Abstract: In a system for controlling an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders and connected to the automatic transmission and mounted on a vehicle and the operation of the engine is switched between full-cylinder operation during which all of the cylinders are operative and cutoff-cylinder operation during which some of the cylinders are non-operative, based on at least the load of the engine, a gradient of road on which the vehicle runs is estimated and the cutoff-cylinder operation is prohibited when the estimated gradient is equal to or greater than a threshold value. With this, it becomes possible to generate sufficient deceleration, when the vehicle runs a downhill during cutoff-cylinder operation, while ensuring to prevent the operator to feel excessive acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiro Katakura, Kenji Nakajima, Hiroshi Terayama, Shinichi Nishio, Yoshiyuki Nagayama, Hiroyuki Kushiyama
  • Patent number: 7086364
    Abstract: The intake system includes an intake path forming section having a downstream end in communication with an intake port included in each of cylinder heads of a pair of banks of an engine main body. The intake path connects to the common air chamber with an upstream end of the intake path being open in the air chamber. A fuel injection valve for injecting fuel toward the upstream end opening portion of each intake path is disposed in the air chamber. A path forming member constituting at least part of an intake path forming section by forming an upstream end of an intake path is connected to a first wall portion of an air chamber. A fuel injection valve is mounted from the outside in a second wall portion of the air chamber opposing the first wall portion with a leading end portion facing an inside of the air chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Udono
  • Patent number: 7086372
    Abstract: A connection structure between a plastic gear and a shaft permits easy phase matching relative to a device mounted on the shaft, and easy meshing of a gear provided on the shaft with another gear. The connection structure includes a plastic gear, a shaft, and a set plate. The plastic gear has a geometric recess which receives the correspondingly-shaped set plate therein. The set plate includes a central shaped opening. The shaft is provided with a mating extension extending from a first end, and which fits within the shaped opening. The mating extension is formed such that the plastic gear may be mounted thereon in a first position wherein the plastic gear is not positioned to interact with a mating gear, and the plastic gear can be slidably moved thereon to a second position such that the plastic gear is positioned to interact with the mating gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chikashi Takiguchi, Akira Takahashi, Teruo Kihara
  • Patent number: 7086356
    Abstract: To simplify a coolant piping around an engine in an engine cooling structure, which has a pump mounted on a crankcase for circulating a coolant between cylinder and head jackets. A crankcase has coolant supply passages for guiding a coolant from a pump and coolant return passages for guiding a coolant delivered out of cylinder jackets. The coolant supply passages and the coolant return passages extend substantially parallel to the axis of a crankshaft. The cylinder jackets and head jackets are formed wherein the coolant supplied from the coolant supply passages returns from the cylinder jackets via the head jackets to the cylinder jackets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Minoru Matsuda
  • Patent number: 7086371
    Abstract: To reduce the number of parts, improve the mountability and maintainability, and allow for a reduction in the size and weight an engine is provided having a crankshaft, a crankcase having a plurality of bearing portions for rotatably supporting the crankshaft with each of the bearing portions being dividable along a divisional plane arranged on the axis of the crankshaft. Cylinder barrels are connected to the crankcase and include cylinder bores with cylinder heads connected to the cylinder barrels. The cylinder heads are integrated with portions of the cylinder barrels forming at least the cylinder bores to form cylinder blocks. The cylinder blocks and the crankcase are fastened together by a plurality of fastening bolts having axes parallel to the axes of the cylinder bores and extending through at least the cylinder blocks, with a compressive structure in the axial direction of the fastening bolts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Sanada, Shumpei Hasegawa, Minoru Matsuda
  • Patent number: 7086368
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine includes a crown, tubular walls extending from the edge of the crown, and a cup portion protruding from the rear surface of the crown and having a concave spherical surface for forming a spherical joint with a spherical small end on a connecting rod. The tubular walls and the cup portion are joined together by radially extending ribs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsuneo Endoh, Masaki Nakata, Kengo Ishimitsu, Tsutomu Inoue
  • Patent number: 7086389
    Abstract: A general-purpose engine includes a canister for adsorbing fuel vapor that has evaporated within a fuel tank. The fuel vapor, which has desorbed from the canister, is guided to an intake system communicating with an engine main body. A housing recess is formed in a base of the fuel tank, recesses toward the interior of the fuel tank, and houses the canister. Thus, an external impact to the canister can be avoided while also avoiding any increase in the dimensions of the general-purpose engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Yamada
  • Publication number: 20060168963
    Abstract: A Rankine cycle system includes: an evaporator for heating a liquid-phase working medium with thermal energy of exhaust gas of an engine so as to generate a gas-phase working medium; a displacement type expander for converting the thermal energy of the gas-phase working medium generated by the evaporator into mechanical energy; a target pressure setter for setting a target pressure for the gas-phase working medium based on actual flow rate and temperature of the gas-phase working medium supplied to the expander; an estimated flow rate calculator for calculating an estimated flow rate of the gas-phase working medium supplied to the expander based on an output and a rotational speed of the engine; and a target rotational speed calculator for calculating a target rotational speed for the expander based on the estimated flow rate calculated by the estimated flow rate calculator and the target pressure set by the target pressure setter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2006
    Publication date: August 3, 2006
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihisa Sato, Shigeru Ibaraki, Kensaku Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20060170206
    Abstract: A vehicle front body structure includes a hollow front side frame of closed cross-sectional structure having a wheel relief portion having a horizontal width reducing to allow swivel movement of a front wheel of the vehicle. The wheel relief portion has a pair of reinforcement beads extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and projecting from an outer sidewall and an inner sidewall, respectively, of the front side frame into an internal space of the hollow front side frame. The reinforcement beads have top surfaces being in abutment with each other and firmly fixed together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Publication date: August 3, 2006
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Mitsui, Shigeto Yasuhara, Ken Yasui
  • Publication number: 20060170280
    Abstract: A combined brake system and method, for a two-wheeled motor vehicle, is capable of synchronizing a braking operation of either a front or rear wheel with a braking operation of the other wheel. The brake system enables a rider to perform braking operations in which the rider feels no little or no discomfort. The system includes a pair of hydraulic pressure modulators for supplying hydraulic pressure, generated by an electrically-operated actuator, to front and rear brake calipers, respectively. A controller electrically controls each hydraulic pressure modulator in response to a riding condition for the vehicle and in response to a braking operation applied by the vehicle operator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2005
    Publication date: August 3, 2006
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanobu Nakayama, Kazuhiko Tani, Yukimasa Nishimoto, Hideo Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20060173578
    Abstract: The occurrence of a slippage of a robot in operation, following a desired gait, is determined, and the permissible range of a restriction object amount, such as a floor reaction force horizontal component or a floor reaction force moment vertical component to be applied to the robot, is variably set according to a slippage determination result. A provisional motion of a desired gait is determined using a dynamic model, and if the restriction object amount defined by the provisional motion deviates from the permissible range, then the motion of a desired gait is determined by correcting the provisional motion by changing the changing rate of the angular momentum of the robot from the provisional motion so as to limit the restriction object amount to the permissible range, while satisfying a dynamic balance condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2004
    Publication date: August 3, 2006
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Takenaka, Takashi Matsumoto, Takahide Yoshiike
  • Patent number: 7082900
    Abstract: In an outboard engine system, a first opening communicating with a cooling water discharge passage and a second opening communicating with a cooling water supply passage are formed adjacent to each other in an upper wall of a cooling water passage forming member. A relief valve is provided in a first opening at a position remote from a tilt shaft. The relief valve includes a valve seat provided at the upper wall and facing downward. A valve body is seated on the valve seat from below. Accordingly, any cooling water staying in an upper portion of the relief valve leaks through gaps between the valve seat and the valve body to be discharged easily. When the outboard engine system is tilted upward about the tilt shaft, the opening provided with the relief valve is moved upward so that the cooling water is discharged smoothly through the other opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki Tawa, Yoshihiko Fukuda
  • Patent number: 7083221
    Abstract: An arrangement structure of a vehicle door open-close device to automatically open and close a vehicle door by a driving force. The arrangement structure comprises of a roof member, a side member, and a gazette member. The roof member is provided on a door-opening area for constituting a ceiling member of a vehicle body. The side member is provided on the door-opening area for constituting a side portion of a vehicle body. The gazette member is provided on the door-opening area for being attached to the roof member and the side member so as to extend over the roof member and the side member. Furthermore, the vehicle door open-close device is ranged in a space surrounded by the roof member, the side member, and the gazette member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazunori Hida
  • Patent number: 7082898
    Abstract: The present invention aims at expanding an operation range for allowing a compression ignition combustion operation. The present invention provides an internal combustion engine of a compression ignition type that is capable of operating with a compression ignition combustion scheme in a given operation range. The ECU of the internal combustion engine detects an operating condition of the internal combustion engine and determines, according to the detected operating condition, which mode is to be used operate the internal combustion engine, a 4-cycle compression ignition mode or a 2-cycle compression ignition mode. The ECU controls the internal compression engine to perform the compression ignition mode determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Tohru Kitamura, Tomio Kimura, Shohei Okazaki, Akira Kato, Toshihiro Yamaki, Katsura Okubo, Moriyoshi Awasaka, Junji Yasuda, Yasuhiro Urata, Takashi Kakinuma, Yoshimasa Kaneko
  • Patent number: 7084373
    Abstract: A torch for MIG welding includes a gas nozzle for supplying a fluid therethrough to a workpiece, a tip disposed coaxially in the gas nozzle for supplying an electrode wire from a center thereof to a workpiece, and a rotor rotatably supported on the tip. The rotor includes a plurality of blades connected to a bearing rotatably supported on the tip for receiving rotary power due to a flow of fluid through the gas nozzle, a ring joining ends of the blades, and a plurality of spatter removal plates extending axially along an inner surface of the gas nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Sugahara, Noritoshi Takasaki
  • Patent number: 7082761
    Abstract: A hydraulic continuously variable transmission includes a swash plate plunger pump, a swash plate plunger motor, and a closed hydraulic circuit for connecting them to each other, wherein a motor pivoting member is supported by a motor casing so as to be pivotally movable, with the swash plate angle being variably adjustable, to simplify the configuration of a swash plate as much as possible and to widen the swash plate angle range. An inner race of a ball bearing for supporting a transmission output shaft, to which a pump cylinder and a motor cylinder are connected, so that the transmission output shaft is rotatable relative to the motor casing is formed by cutting off an end face portion in the axial direction, on the side of facing the motor pivoting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuru Saitou, Yasushi Fujimoto, Katsuhiko Ito
  • Patent number: 7083224
    Abstract: A front fender structure includes an enclosure extension which extends from an enclosure extending vertically between a fender panel and an outer panel which forms a front pillar toward the upper part of a wheel arch edge portion of the fender panel; and a fender panel surface reinforcement portion which is provided on the enclosure extension along the inner surface of the fender panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuya Yamamura, Ko Ishikawa, Yasuto Shigematsu, Tadashi Miyashita
  • Patent number: D526253
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Oda
  • Patent number: D526263
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Roger Brown
  • Patent number: D526428
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shingo Yagihashi