Patents by Inventor Hajime Kajiwara

Hajime Kajiwara 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).

  • Patent number: 8444160
    Abstract: A suspension device in which a knuckle for supporting a wheel is supported by arms and a damper is connected to the knuckle. A suspension device (10) is configured in such a manner that the intersection (73) between a line extended from an elastic kingpin axis (68) of a rear wheel (31) and a road surface (72) is located on the rear side, relative to the vehicle, of the ground contact center (74) of the rear wheel. The elastic kingpin axis is tilted forward relative to the vehicle and is disposed below the rotation center (32) of the rear wheel in the vertical direction. A lower connection section (81b) of a damper (18) is provided on a line (33) drawn in substantially the vertical direction from the rotation center of the rear wheel. A damper axis (84) is tilted inward in the width direction of the vehicle and tilted forward relative to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimio Okamoto, Hajime Kajiwara, Masanori Watanabe, Masatoshi Mori
  • Patent number: 8215463
    Abstract: A variable damping-force damper includes a cylinder tube filled with magnetic particles (MRF), a piston that is slidably disposed within the cylinder tube, a piston rod connected with the piston and is disposed so as to protrude out of one end of the cylinder tube and a rod guide that closes one end of the cylinder tube and slidably supports the piston rod. The cylinder tube has a Ni plating film whose Vickers hardness is 800 VHN or more on its inner peripheral surface and the piston slides relative to the Ni plating film. The rod guide has a structure having a predetermined base material portion and a fluorine resin contained Ni plating film that is treated by heat and is provided on the surface of the base material portion. The piston rod slides relative to the fluorine resin contained Ni plating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yohei Kondo, Hidetoshi Amano, Shinji Yamashita, Hajime Kajiwara, Hiroshi Ogasa, Yoshitomo Azekatsu
  • Publication number: 20120043736
    Abstract: A suspension device in which a knuckle for supporting a wheel is supported by arms and a damper is connected to the knuckle. A suspension device (10) is configured in such a manner that the intersection (73) between a line extended from an elastic kingpin axis (68) of a rear wheel (31) and a road surface (72) is located on the rear side, relative to the vehicle, of the ground contact center (74) of the rear wheel. The elastic kingpin axis is tilted forward relative to the vehicle and is disposed below the rotation center (32) of the rear wheel in the vertical direction. A lower connection section (81b) of a damper (18) is provided on a line (33) drawn in substantially the vertical direction from the rotation center of the rear wheel. A damper axis (84) is tilted inward in the width direction of the vehicle and tilted forward relative to the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kimio Okamoto, Hajime Kajiwara, Masanori Watanabe, Masatoshi Mori
  • Patent number: 8051961
    Abstract: In a magneto-rheological variable damper (6), the piston (16) comprises an inner yoke (32), an outer yoke (31) concentrically surrounding the inner yoke and held in position by pair of end plates (33, 34) made of non-magnetic material and disposed on either axial end surfaces of the piston. The piston may be circumferentially surrounded by a piston cover (30) that may be made of non-magnetic material and serves a slide member that engages the inner circumferential surface of a cylinder (12). Alternatively, the end plates may serve as the slide member. In either case, the durability of the damper can be improved by using a wear resistant material for the slide member. In particular, the outer yoke may be made of material such as Permendur which has a high saturation magnetic flux density but a poor mechanical property. Thereby, the range of the damping force can be expanded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitomo Azekatsu, Hajime Kajiwara
  • Patent number: 7997596
    Abstract: Left and right actuators (14) for a vehicle are provided that include a first housing (31) and a second housing (32) connected in a direction of an axis (L), a coupling flange (31a) of the first housing (31) and a coupling flange (32a) of the second housing (32) being connected by a plurality of bolts (35) disposed at equal intervals on a circumference having the axis (L) as the center, and since a component mounting part via which a stroke sensor (102) is mounted on the second housing (32) is provided at an intermediate position between two bolts (35) of the plurality of bolts (35) or at a position of any one bolt (35), the stroke sensors (102) of the left and right actuators (14) can be disposed at positions that are mirror-symmetric relative to a central plane (P) of a vehicle body while reducing the number of components by using in common for each of the left and right actuators (14) the second housing (32) on which the stroke sensor (102) is mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Yuta, Kotaro Yamaguchi, Masanori Watanabe, Takehiko Hakui, Hajime Kajiwara
  • Patent number: 7990003
    Abstract: A telescopic actuator includes a motor having a rotation shaft, a reduction gear which decelerates an output rotation of the rotation shaft, a feed screw mechanism having a male screw member and a female screw member which are relatively rotated by an output rotation of the reduction gear, a first housing accommodating the motor, and a second housing accommodating the reduction gear and the feed screw mechanism. The first housing and the second housing are detachably attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Suyama, Yutaka Horiuchi, Hajime Kajiwara, Takehiko Hakui, Kotaro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7980982
    Abstract: A ring gear of a planetary reduction gear is screwed into an inner peripheral surface of a first housing through an opening thereof, while the thrust-receiving flange of a screw feed mechanism is held by the locknut screwed into an inner peripheral surface of a second housing through an opening thereof. In addition, the locknut and the ring gear face each other in an axial direction with a slight gap provided therebetween when the openings, respectively, of the first and second housings are connected to each other in the axial direction. Accordingly, even if the threaded connection of any one component of the locknut and the ring gear is loosened, the one component is prevented from moving by the other component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Yuta, Hajime Kajiwara, Takehiko Hakui, Masanori Watanabe, Kotaro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7922181
    Abstract: A first rotor (24; 124) and a second rotor (25; 125) are arranged in a coaxial and mutually rotatable relationship and are provided with a first driven gear (41; 141) and a second driven gear (42; 142), respectively. A drive shaft (31; 131) is also provided with a first drive gear (43; 143) and a second drive gear (44; 144) which are commonly connected to an output shaft of an electric motor (32; 132), and mesh with the first and second driven gears, respectively, at slightly different gear ratios. The first and second rotors are connected via a thread feed mechanism (36; 136) that converts a relative rotation between the first and second rotors into an axial linear movement between the first and second rotors that is used for changing a distance between a vehicle body part and a corresponding end of a suspension spring in a vehicle height adjusting system (9; 109).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiko Hakui, Hajime Hirata, Hajime Kajiwara, Kiyoshi Nakajima, Yoshimitsu Akuta, Kunimichi Hatano
  • Patent number: 7871084
    Abstract: A telescopic actuator includes a motor, an input flange rotated by the motor, a male screw member coupled to the input flange, a female screw member threadedly engaged with the male screw member, an output rod coupled to the female screw member, the output rod being moved in an axial direction thereof to output a thrust force when the input flange is rotated, and a housing inside which the male screw member and the female screw member are accommodated. The input flange is supported by the housing such that a relative movement of the input flange with respect to the housing is allowed in a radial direction but restricted in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiko Hakui, Kotaro Yamaguchi, Masanori Watanabe, Atsushi Yuta, Hajime Kajiwara
  • Patent number: 7766350
    Abstract: A telescopic actuator is adapted to be used on a right side or a left side of a body. The telescopic actuator includes a housing having a cylindrical shape and formed with an opening portion, an output rod supported inside the housing so as to be protrudable and retractable with respect to the housing, and a stroke sensor comprising a detectable portion provided on the output rod so as to be movable inside the opening portion of the housing and a detecting portion provided on the housing so as to face the detectable portion. A direction in which the detectable portion is eccentrically disposed with respect to a vertical plane including an axial line of the output rod is different depending on whether the telescopic actuator is used on the right side or on the left side of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Terada, Hajime Kajiwara, Takehiko Hakui, Kotaro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7766345
    Abstract: A telescopic actuator includes a housing, an output rod which is slidable in an axial direction with respect to the housing, at least two slide bearings via which the output rod is supported by the housing, and a stopper disposed between the two slide bearings. The stopper regulates a moving end position of the output rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiko Hakui, Kotaro Yamaguchi, Masanori Watanabe, Atsushi Yuta, Hajime Kajiwara
  • Publication number: 20100019465
    Abstract: Left and right actuators (14) for a vehicle are provided that include a first housing (31) and a second housing (32) connected in a direction of an axis (L), a coupling flange (31a) of the first housing (31) and a coupling flange (32a) of the second housing (32) being connected by a plurality of bolts (35) disposed at equal intervals on a circumference having the axis (L) as the center, and since a component mounting part via which a stroke sensor (102) is mounted on the second housing (32) is provided at an intermediate position between two bolts (35) of the plurality of bolts (35) or at a position of any one bolt (35), the stroke sensors (102) of the left and right actuators (14) can be disposed at positions that are mirror-symmetric relative to a central plane (P) of a vehicle body while reducing the number of components by using in common for each of the left and right actuators (14) the second housing (32) on which the stroke sensor (102) is mounted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Yuta, Kotaro Yamaguchi, Masanori Watanabe, Takehiko Hakui, Hajime Kajiwara
  • Publication number: 20090241706
    Abstract: A ring gear of a planetary reduction gear is screwed into an inner peripheral surface of a first housing through an opening thereof, while the thrust-receiving flange of a screw feed mechanism is held by the locknut screwed into an inner peripheral surface of a second housing through an opening thereof. In addition, the locknut and the ring gear face each other in an axial direction with a slight gap provided therebetween when the openings, respectively, of the first and second housings are connected to each other in the axial direction. Accordingly, even if the threaded connection of any one component of the locknut and the ring gear is loosened, the one component is prevented from moving by the other component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Yuta, Hajime Kajiwara, Takehiko Hakui, Masanori Watanabe, Kotaro Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20090200126
    Abstract: A variable damping-force damper includes a cylinder tube filled with magnetic particles (MRF), a piston that is slidably disposed within the cylinder tube, a piston rod connected with the piston and is disposed so as to protrude out of one end of the cylinder tube and a rod guide that closes one end of the cylinder tube and slidably supports the piston rod. The cylinder tube has a Ni plating film whose Vickers hardness is 800 VHN or more on its inner peripheral surface and the piston slides relative to the Ni plating film. The rod guide has a structure having a predetermined base material portion and a fluorine resin contained Ni plating film that is treated by heat and is provided on the surface of the base material portion. The piston rod slides relative to the fluorine resin contained Ni plating film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yohei Kondo, Hidetoshi Amano, Shinji Yamashita, Hajime Kajiwara, Hiroshi Ogasa, Yoshitomo Azekatsu
  • Publication number: 20090107779
    Abstract: In a magneto-rheological variable damper (6), the piston (16) comprises an inner yoke (32), an outer yoke (31) concentrically surrounding the inner yoke and held in position by pair of end plates (33, 34) made of non-magnetic material and disposed on either axial end surfaces of the piston. The piston may be circumferentially surrounded by a piston cover (30) that may be made of non-magnetic material and serves a slide member that engages the inner circumferential surface of a cylinder (12). Alternatively, the end plates may serve as the slide member. In either case, the durability of the damper can be improved by using a wear resistant material for the slide member. In particular, the outer yoke may be made of material such as Permendur which has a high saturation magnetic flux density but a poor mechanical property. Thereby, the range of the damping force can be expanded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitomo Azekatsu, Hajime Kajiwara
  • Publication number: 20080257081
    Abstract: A telescopic actuator includes a motor, an input flange rotated by the motor, a male screw member coupled to the input flange, a female screw member threadedly engaged with the male screw member, an output rod coupled to the female screw member, the output rod being moved in an axial direction thereof to output a thrust force when the input flange is rotated, and a housing inside which the male screw member and the female screw member are accommodated. The input flange is supported by the housing such that a relative movement of the input flange with respect to the housing is allowed in a radial direction but restricted in the axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takehiko Hakui, Kotaro Yamaguchi, Masanori Watanabe, Atsushi Yuta, Hajime Kajiwara
  • Publication number: 20080157612
    Abstract: A telescopic actuator includes a motor having a rotation shaft, a reduction gear which decelerates an output rotation of the rotation shaft, a feed screw mechanism having a male screw member and a female screw member which are relatively rotated by an output rotation of the reduction gear, a first housing accommodating the motor, and a second housing accommodating the reduction gear and the feed screw mechanism. The first housing and the second housing are detachably attached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koichi Suyama, Yutaka Horiuchi, Hajime Kajiwara, Takehiko Hakui, Kotaro Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20080157497
    Abstract: A telescopic actuator is adapted to be used on a right side or a left side of a body. The telescopic actuator includes a housing having a cylindrical shape and formed with an opening portion, an output rod supported inside the housing so as to be protrudable and retractable with respect to the housing, and a stroke sensor comprising a detectable portion provided on the output rod so as to be movable inside the opening portion of the housing and a detecting portion provided on the housing so as to face the detectable portion. A direction in which the detectable portion is eccentrically disposed with respect to a vertical plane including an axial line of the output rod is different depending on whether the telescopic actuator is used on the right side or on the left side of the body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Terada, Hajime Kajiwara, Takehiko Hakui, Kotaro Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20080157490
    Abstract: A telescopic actuator includes a housing, an output rod which is slidable in an axial direction with respect to the housing, at least two slide bearings via which the output rod is supported by the housing, and a stopper disposed between the two slide bearings. The stopper regulates a moving end position of the output rod.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takehiko Hakui, Kotaro Yamaguchi, Masanori Watanabe, Atsushi Yuta, Hajime Kajiwara
  • Publication number: 20070210539
    Abstract: A first rotor (24; 124) and a second rotor (25; 125) are arranged in a coaxial and mutually rotatable relationship and are provided with a first driven gear (41; 141) and a second driven gear (42; 142), respectively. A drive shaft (31; 131) is also provided with a first drive gear (43; 143) and a second drive gear (44; 144) which are commonly connected to an output shaft of an electric motor (32; 132), and mesh with the first and second driven gears, respectively, at slightly different gear ratios. The first and second rotors are connected via a thread feed mechanism (36; 136) that converts a relative rotation between the first and second rotors into an axial linear movement between the first and second rotors that is used for changing a distance between a vehicle body part and a corresponding end of a suspension spring in a vehicle height adjusting system (9; 109).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2007
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Inventors: Takehiko Hakui, Hajime Hirata, Hajime Kajiwara, Kiyoshi Nakajima, Yoshimitsu Akuta, Kunimichi Hatano