Patents by Inventor Hidefumi Nihei

Hidefumi Nihei 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: 20230278641
    Abstract: A lower structure of a vehicle is configured to include a floor panel, an exhaust member arranged below the floor panel, and a cover member provided between the floor panel and the exhaust member and attached to the floor panel. The cover member includes front fixation portions provided on the front side and fixed to the floor panel and a bead portion arranged behind the front fixation portions and extending in a vehicle width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2023
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Inventor: Hidefumi NIHEI
  • Publication number: 20230278506
    Abstract: A vehicle lower structure is provided with an underbody cover installed to cover a vehicle body lower surface from below, a noise insulating material laid on an upper surface of the underbody cover, and a locking member fixed to the underbody cover while being laid on the noise insulating material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2023
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Inventor: Hidefumi NIHEI
  • Publication number: 20230257029
    Abstract: A vehicle lower structure includes an under cover. The under cover includes: a cover body located under an exhaust pipe and installed on a vehicle body; a lid detachably attached to the cover body and configured to close a work hole penetrating the cover body in an upper-lower direction when the lid is attached to the cover body and to open the work hole when the lid is detached from the cover body; and a baffle made of a metal material and installed in an area of an upper surface of the lid that includes a portion closest to the exhaust pipe and its surroundings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventor: Hidefumi NIHEI
  • Publication number: 20230126494
    Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure includes: side sills extending along a vehicle front-rear direction and provided on both sides in a vehicle width direction of a vehicle body, respectively; a front undercover covering a lower surface of the vehicle body and having a first flange which extends to an outer bottom surface of each of the side sills; and a side sill garnish having a second flange covering the outer bottom surface from outside in the vehicle width direction. The first flange and the second flange are overlapped with each other in a vehicle up-down direction, and are fastened together to the outer bottom surface of the side sill.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2022
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Inventor: Hidefumi NIHEI
  • Publication number: 20230099045
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a vehicle body lower structure. The vehicle body lower structure includes an airflow guiding plate that is arranged on the vehicle body of a vehicle and is movable between a receiving position covering the lower part of the vehicle body and a deploying position protruding downward. Specifically, the airflow guiding plate includes a front airflow guiding plate and a rear airflow guiding plate. The front airflow guiding plate is rotatably arranged on the vehicle body with its front end, and the rear airflow guiding plate is rotatably arranged with its front end on the rear end of the front airflow guiding plate, and its rear end is slidably arranged on the vehicle body in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. Moreover, the orientation of the front airflow guiding plate is different from the orientation of the rear airflow guiding plate in the deploying position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi ANDO, Yoshiteru HOSHIDA, Kei AMBO, Yuki NAKAMURA, Hidefumi NIHEI
  • Publication number: 20230094610
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a vehicle body lower structure, which can improve aerodynamic performance and improve driving stability. The vehicle body lower structure includes an airflow guiding plate that is arranged on the vehicle body of a vehicle and is movable between a receiving position covering the lower part of the vehicle body and a deploying position protruding downward. The airflow guiding plate includes a first airflow guiding plate and a second airflow guiding plate. The first airflow guiding plate is arranged in front of the left and right front wheels of the vehicle, and the second airflow guiding plate is arranged under the center of the vehicle body. Moreover, the protruding amount of the first airflow guiding plate is different from the protruding amount of the second airflow guiding plate in the deploying position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi ANDO, Yoshiteru HOSHIDA, Kei AMBO, Yuki NAKAMURA, Hidefumi NIHEI, Yasunari MIYAUCHI
  • Publication number: 20230094537
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a vehicle body lower structure. The vehicle body lower structure includes an airflow guiding plate that is arranged on the vehicle body of a vehicle and is movable between a receiving position covering the lower part of the vehicle body and a deploying position protruding downward. The vehicle body lower structure further includes: a shaft member, which extends in the left-right direction of the vehicle, thereby rotatably connecting the front end of the airflow guiding plate to the vehicle body; a belt member, one end of which is connected to the airflow guiding plate and the other end thereof is connected the vehicle body; and an actuator, which is used to wind the belt member. In addition, the belt member is bent when the airflow guiding plate moves from the deploying position to the receiving position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi ANDO, Kei AMBO, Yoshiteru HOSHIDA, Yasunari MIYAUCHI, Yuki NAKAMURA, Hidefumi NIHEI
  • Publication number: 20230094082
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a vehicle body lower structure, which may improve aerodynamic performance and inhibit the airflow guiding plate from being over-expanded or detached. The vehicle body lower structure includes an airflow guiding plate that is arranged on the vehicle body of a vehicle and is movable between a receiving position covering the lower part of the vehicle body and a deploying position protruding downward. The vehicle body lower structure further includes: a hook member, which is provided on the upper surface of the airflow guiding plate. When the airflow guiding plate is in the deploying position, the hook member is locked onto the buckle part of the vehicle body. When the airflow guiding plate is located at the receiving position, the hook member is separated from the buckle part of the vehicle body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi ANDO, Kei AMBO, Yuki NAKAMURA, Yoshiteru HOSHIDA, Hidefumi NIHEI, Yasunari MIYAUCHI
  • Patent number: 9522703
    Abstract: A windshield glass support structure is provided that is capable of absorbing an impact load caused by external force even if the external force is applied at any angle to an outer surface of the windshield glass. The windshield glass support structure includes a windshield support panel that extends toward a lower end of the windshield glass from a cross member, and a glass support member that inclines rearward in the vehicle front-rear direction and upward in the vehicle up-down direction from a front edge of the windshield support panel along a lower side surface of the windshield glass. The glass support member is arranged to be deformable when external force is applied in any direction from a front in the vehicle front-rear direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Naoi, Masato Sasaki, Hidefumi Nihei
  • Patent number: 9126634
    Abstract: A structure (100) for a front portion of a vehicle includes: a windshield lower member (6); a cross member (7) fixed to the windshield lower member (6); paired damper housings (4) disposed in front of both ends of the cross member (7); and paired damper housing supports (5) arranged between the cross member (7) and the damper housing (4) to drain water. The windshield lower member (6) and the cross member (7) define a closed cross section K which extends in the vehicle width direction and serves as a second intake path (R2). The cross member (7) has, in rear of the damper housing supports (5), paired left and right outside air intake openings (72a, 72b) for outside air to pass therethrough. The windshield base member (6) has a blower air intake opening (62a) opened to face one of the pair of outside air intake openings (72a, 72b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazutada Sasaki, Hidefumi Nihei, Daisuke Naoi, Masanobu Eguchi, Minoru Hasegawa
  • Publication number: 20150232128
    Abstract: A windshield glass support structure is provided that is capable of absorbing an impact load caused by external force even if the external force is applied at any angle to an outer surface of the windshield glass. The windshield glass support structure includes a windshield support panel that extends toward a lower end of the windshield glass from a cross member, and a glass support member that inclines rearward in the vehicle front-rear direction and upward in the vehicle up-down direction from a front edge of the windshield support panel along a lower side surface of the windshield glass. The glass support member is arranged o be deformable when external force is applied in any direction from a front in the vehicle front-rear direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2013
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventors: Daisuke Naoi, Masato Sasaki, Hidefumi Nihei
  • Patent number: 9033400
    Abstract: The vehicle front structure 100 has a windshield lower 6, a cross member 7 fixed on the windshield lower 6, an upper member 1 extending in a front-back direction of a vehicle, a damper housing 4 fixed inside the upper member 1 in a vehicle width direction and arranged in front the cross member 7, and a damper housing support 5 coupling the cross member 7 with the damper housing 4. A closed section K is formed by the windshield lower 6 and the cross member 7. The damper housing support 5 has a damper housing fixed section 51 which is fixed on an upper surface 41 of the damper housing 4 and a vertical wall section 53 which extends backward from an inside of the damper housing fixed section 51 in the vehicle width direction and is fixed on the cross member 7.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazutada Sasaki, Hidefumi Nihei, Daisuke Naoi, Masanobu Eguchi
  • Publication number: 20150028629
    Abstract: A structure for a front part of a vehicle includes a pair of air-liquid-separating chambers disposed on both sides in a vehicle-width direction, and to separate air from water having flowed in from the outside of the vehicle; a windshield lower to support a windshield glass from under the windshield glass, and having an extending section extending forward more than an front end of the windshield glass; and a cowl top supported by the extending section, and to cover an opening formed between the extending section and an engine hood. The cowl top is provided with a first drain section positioned on a rear end side of the engine hood, extending in the vehicle-width direction, and to drain water having flowed to the cowl top from the engine hood to the sides of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2013
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Kazutada Sasaki, Hidefumi Nihei
  • Publication number: 20150015030
    Abstract: A structure (100) for a front portion of a vehicle includes: a windshield lower member (6); a cross member (7) fixed to the windshield lower member (6); paired damper housings (4) disposed in front of both ends of the cross member (7); and paired damper housing supports (5) arranged between the cross member (7) and the damper housing (4) to drain water. The windshield lower member (6) and the cross member (7) define a closed cross section K which extends in the vehicle width direction and serves as a second intake path (R2). The cross member (7) has, in rear of the damper housing supports (5), paired left and right outside air intake openings (72a, 72b) for outside air to pass therethrough. The windshield base member (6) has a blower air intake opening (62a) opened to face one of the pair of outside air intake openings (72a, 72b).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Kazutada Sasaki, Hidefumi Nihei, Daisuke Naoi, Masanobu Eguchi, Minoru Hasegawa
  • Publication number: 20140367994
    Abstract: The vehicle front structure 100 has a windshield lower 6, a cross member 7 fixed on the windshield lower 6, an upper member 1 extending in a front-back direction of a vehicle, a damper housing 4 fixed inside the upper member 1 in a vehicle width direction and arranged in front the cross member 7, and a damper housing support 5 coupling the cross member 7 with the damper housing 4. A closed section K is formed by the windshield lower 6 and the cross member 7. The damper housing support 5 has a damper housing fixed section 51 which is fixed on an upper surface 41 of the damper housing 4 and a vertical wall section 53 which extends backward from an inside of the damper housing fixed section 51 in the vehicle width direction and is fixed on the cross member 7.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Kazutada Sasaki, Hidefumi Nihei, Daisuke Naoi, Masanobu Eguchi