Patents Assigned to Honda
  • Friction stir welder and method for friction stir welding
    Patent number: 8701968
    Abstract: The present invention provides a friction stir welder that includes a stage on which at least two material pieces to be welded are mounted and stacked, a pressing member that covers and presses end faces of the material pieces to be welded that are mounted and stacked on the stage, and a rotary tool that is inserted into the stacked material pieces to be welded while rotating, so that a plastic flow is generated at an interfacing portion as well as in the vicinity thereof between the rotary tool and the material pieces to be welded, thereby to joint the material pieces to be welded to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuru Sayama, Tetsuya Miyahara, Fumiaki Fukuchi
  • Motorcycle
    Patent number: 8706336
    Abstract: A motorcycle apparatus is provided which may include a step disposed between a front wheel and a rear wheel, and to support feet of a rider and a side cover configured to cover a lateral side of the vehicle body. The apparatus may also include a charging electric cable for charging the battery from an outside power source and an electric cable housing unit to house the charging electric cable in the vehicle body, and in which the charging electric cable is connected to the vehicle body. The apparatus may further include a housing opening portion to be opened for inserting or removing a leading end portion of the charging electric cable into or from the electric cable housing unit and an opening lid to close the housing opening portion. The housing opening portion may be located under the step and provided to the side cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shujiro Inui
  • Muffler for small-sized vehicle
    Patent number: 8701824
    Abstract: The inside of a muffler main body formed from an outer plate into the shape of a cylinder is divided into an upstream-side expansion chamber and downstream-side expansion chambers by partition walls. A catalyst is contained in the upstream-side expansion chamber having a larger volume, and a cylinder-shaped reinforcement member is attached to an inner surface of the outer plate of the upstream-side expansion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Hayama, Kenichiro Nakamura
  • Nondestructive testing system for steel workpiece
    Patent number: 8704512
    Abstract: A nondestructive testing system for testing the strength of a gear (15) that has been subjected to vacuum carburization is disclosed. A detection coil (33) embedded in a resin member (32) having a wedge-shaped cross section is placed in proximity to a bottom land (44) of the gear, and the carburized depth of the bottom land is measured to test the strength of the gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuzo Yamamoto, Ichiro Nagasawa
  • Structure for front section of vehicle body
    Patent number: 8702148
    Abstract: A dash-board lower panel in a vehicle body includes a vertical plate-shaped partition plate that partitions the vehicle body into a front and a rear section, and an inclined plate that inclines downward and rearward from the bottom end of the partition plate. At least part of the rear surface of the partition plate is reinforced by a reinforcement plate. The reinforcement plate has an extended section at the bottom end thereof. The extended section extends from above a bent section, which is between the partition plate and the inclined plate, to below the bent section, and is joined to the inclined plate. A closed cross-section body, which is long and narrow in the vehicle-width direction, is formed by the extended section and the dash-board lower panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shuji Ichikawa
  • Fog detection error protection for window fog control
    Patent number: 8701427
    Abstract: A method for controlling a vehicle HVAC system to automatically defog a windshield glass and to prevent fogging or condensation of the windshield glass. In-cabin air temperature and relative humidity are measured and used to determine a dewpoint. Further, ambient or outside temperature is measured. If windshield wipers are being used or if the cabin air temperature is less than a predetermined temperature, the ambient air temperature value is used as a glass temperature, otherwise the glass temperature is determined from the ambient air temperature and vehicle speed. A fog margin, which is a measure of the likelihood of fog formation, is based upon the difference between dewpoint and the windshield glass temperature. The fog margin is used to control the HVAC system to anticipate and respond to potential fogging conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Daniel Yelles
  • Exhaust system for motorcycle
    Patent number: 8701823
    Abstract: A muffler of a motorcycle having an outside diameter greater than the outside diameter d1 of a rectilinear portion of a branch pipe is disposed at a transverse portion of an exhaust pipe. Since the muffler is formed to be roughly elliptic in sectional shape, the outside diameter of the muffler is represented by a major diameter da as the length in the direction of a major axis and a major diameter db as the length in the direction of a minor axis. When the muffler is disposed between a swing arm and a seat to be along the transverse portion of the exhaust pipe, the muffler can be disposed on the more vehicle front side while securing the capacity thereof. Therefore, protrusion of the muffler toward the rear of the vehicle is suppressed, and the external appearance of a vehicle rear portion is enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Matsushima, Yusuke Inoue, Shiro Yama, Seiichiro Eguchi, Yosuke Inoue
  • Structure for vehicle body front portion
    Patent number: 8702158
    Abstract: A structure for a vehicle body front portion, provided with a cross-member (24) which is provided to a dashboard lower panel (19) on the engine room (13) side thereof and is extended between left and right front side frames (16, 16). The cross-member (24) is divided into left and right cross-members (65, 66). A cup-shaped joint cover (22) is sandwiched between the left and right cross-members (65, 66).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Kihara, Shuji Ichikawa, Daisuke Naoi
  • Accelerator pedal device
    Patent number: 8706374
    Abstract: An accelerator pedal device provided with a driving control device. The driving control device generates a braking force for braking a vehicle when the operation quantity of an acceleration pedal is below a first threshold value, and generates a driving force for driving the vehicle when the operation quantity exceeds a second threshold value larger than the first threshold value. The driving control device does not generate either the driving force or the braking force, and allows the vehicle to drive inertially, when the operation quantity ranges from the first threshold value to the second threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Takiguchi, Yoichi Sugimoto, Koichiro Takemasa, Taisuke Tsurutani
  • Method of controlling braking in a vehicle
    Patent number: 8706358
    Abstract: A braking control system includes sensors for detecting pressure applied to a brake pedal. The system can also include a pressure sensor capable of detecting the hydraulic pressure of the braking system. The system can also include a position sensor for detecting a position of the brake pedal. The pressure applied to the brake pedal is compared to either the hydraulic pressure or the pedal position. If the resulting measurements are not correlated properly, braking countermeasures are applied. Braking countermeasures can include engine braking, regenerative braking, hydraulic assist, and brake pad assist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: David S. DeWitt
  • Battery cooling system and method
    Patent number: 8701811
    Abstract: A vehicle including a battery residing in a compartment having at least one vented wall. The vehicle further includes an at least partially hollow frame having an air inlet. A conduit extends between the frame and the battery box providing fluid communication therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: James S. Robinson, Michael W. Maurer, Christopher D. Meeks, Jason A. Widmer
  • Oil passage structure for hydraulic clutch of an engine
    Patent number: 8701849
    Abstract: A lubricating oil passage 113 includes an upstream oil passage 113a defined coaxially in a rotational shaft 71 for supplying lubricating oil to lubricated parts and a downstream oil passage 113b connected to the upstream oil passage 113a for supplying lubricating oil to canceler chambers 97, 107. The downstream oil passage 113b may be smaller in diameter than the upstream oil passage 113a and having at least a portion extending parallel to the axis of the rotational shaft 71. Control oil passages 111, 112 which have axes parallel to the axis of the rotational shaft 71 are defined in the rotational shaft 71 such that at least a portion of the control oil passages 111, 112 is disposed in a range wherein the downstream oil passage 113b is provided in a direction along the axis of the rotational shaft 71.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Fujimoto, Kinya Mizuno, Yoshiaki Tsukada
  • Vehicle instrument panel structure
    Patent number: 8702144
    Abstract: There is provided a structure with which a lid can be easily removed from a vehicle instrument panel, and the lid hardly drops off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshikazu Kamioka, Nam Seok Kang
  • Vehicle front structure
    Patent number: 8702157
    Abstract: A vehicle front structure includes a front grille, and a hood edge, disposed above the front grille, configured to receive a front end edge of an engine hood of a vehicle, having a front end edge extending part extending downward from a front end edge thereof. The front grille includes, at an upper end, a grille supporting part, extending between an extending line (plane) of the hood edge and the front end edge extending part. The front end edge extending part is pinched between the grille supporting part and a supporting member provided behind the front grille.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Hirose, Hideyuki Yamaguchi
  • Cargo cover for movable seat
    Patent number: 8702145
    Abstract: A cargo area assembly for a movable seat in an automotive vehicle includes a configurable panel covering at least a portion of a storage compartment located rearwardly of the seat. The configurable panel and a removable panel cooperate to cover the storage compartment, if desired, in a full forward and full rearward position of the seat. The configurable panel incorporates hinges to allow various positioning of panel portions and storage alternatives, and the removable panel is dimensioned for storage in the tailgate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michael Cao, Ross L. Burghardt
  • Multi-link, adjustable-stroke type engine
    Patent number: 8701623
    Abstract: A multi-link, adjustable-stroke type engine includes: a timing gear provided on and concentrically with a crankshaft; an eccentric gear provided on an eccentric shaft and meshing with the timing gear so that rotation of the timing gear is transmitted to the eccentric gear; a lubricating oil passage provided in a cylinder barrel for supplying lubricating oil to lower shaft end portions of the crankshaft and eccentric shaft; and an ejection section provided in the lubricating oil passage for ejecting lubricating oil toward a meshing engagement section between the timing gear and the eccentric gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shohei Kono, Kotaro Sugi
  • Vehicular door
    Patent number: 8702153
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicular door including a load transfer member. The load transfer member includes a transfer member body disposed in a wide-thickness portion in a door body, and a projection projecting downward from the transfer member body. The transfer member body has a lower region whose surface on a door-outer-panel side abuts on, or comes close to, the inner surface of the door outer panel, and an inclined region whose door-outer-panel side surface is inclined to come apart from the door outer panel and whose surface on a door-inner-panel side abuts on, or comes close to, the inner surface of the door inner panel. The thickness of the lower region and the inclined region in a door-thickness direction is set narrower than the width of an insertion portion between the door inner panel and a door beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Kiyohito Kurokawa, Masakazu Takahashi, Itaru Genpei, Shingo Hakamata, Isamu Nakanishi, Tomofumi Ichinose, Daichi Okamoto, Hakurei Watanabe, Mai Kato, Yuji Nozawa, Yoshihisa Sugamata
  • WORKPIECE FEEDING APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20140102861
    Abstract: In a workpiece feeding apparatus having a rotating shaft adapted to rotate to separate and individually feed a plate-like workpiece suspended side by side in an axial direction along a helical region formed on an outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft and drop the plate-like workpiece from an edge thereof and a motor rotating the rotating shaft, the rotating shaft includes a first rod connected to the motor, and a second rod rotatably connected to the first rod and having a helical region formed on the outer peripheral surface of the second rod and a workpiece hanger at the edge to extend perpendicular to the axial direction and to be bent at a distal end, such that the second rod stops rotating when the workpiece is hung from the distal end of the workpiece hanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicants: HONDA SUN CO., LTD., HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshio Uchinashi
  • INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM
    Publication number: 20140107840
    Abstract: An apparatus executes movement control that causes a robot arm equipped with a camera to move up to an object, thereby enabling a manipulator to move to an object quickly, accurately, and stably as a control system. Specifically, when the object is not detected, the apparatus executes teaching playback control to cause a manipulator to move along a path up to a target position set in advance based on a position of the object. When the object is detected, the apparatus defines a position closer to the object than the target position as a new target position, sets a new path up to the new target position, executes teaching playback control to cause the manipulator to move along the new path until a switching condition for switching the movement control is fulfilled. When the switching condition is fulfilled, the apparatus executes visual servo control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryo Nakajima, Hideari Kamachi, Gentoku Fujii
  • Front bumper
    Patent number: D703117
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Art Osborne, Matthew Mantz