Patents by Inventor Hirotaka Natsume
Hirotaka Natsume 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: 11952042Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure of a vehicle may include: a floor panel; a side sill; and a frame member that extends in the front-rear direction on the vehicle-width-direction inner side of the side sill and includes a front-rear extended portion that is in abutment against the side sill on the vehicle-width-direction inner side and extends in the vehicle front-rear direction along the side sill. The front-rear extended portion may include: a bottom face portion; an inner wall portion; and an inner-side flange that extends to the vehicle-width-direction inner side from a distal end portion of the inner wall portion and is joined to the floor panel. Deformation facilitating facilitators that facilitate deformation of the bottom face portion in the vehicle width direction when a collision load in the vehicle width direction is input may be formed in the bottom face portion.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2022Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Mikado Kawasaki, Hirotaka Natsume, Keisuke Ebisumoto, Akiko Nakamoto, Daisuke Tsuji, Kento Otsuka
-
Publication number: 20230347727Abstract: A floor tunnel protruding upwardly and extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction at a central position, in a vehicle width direction, of a floor panel, a cross member having ridgelines extending in the vehicle width direction at a rear end of the floor tunnel and a closed-cross section portion interconnecting a pair of right-and-left side sills, and a pair of right-and-left battery units positioned below the floor panel and between the side sills and provided on right-and-left sides, in the vehicle width direction, of the floor tunnel are provided. The cross member is provided with a reinforcement portion to reinforce the ridgelines in a range, in the vehicle width direction, which includes at least the position of the battery units and excludes the central position, in the vehicle width direction, of the floor panel.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 10, 2023Publication date: November 2, 2023Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Hirotaka NATSUME, Toshiyuki KOGA, Akiko NAKAMOTO, Kento OTSUKA, Kohichi TANIMOTO, Yuji YOKOGI, Yoshie NISHIMOTO
-
Publication number: 20230257028Abstract: A vehicle floor frame provides improved ride quality and energy absorption. A wall section opposes a lower surface of a floor panel; an outer wall section extends from an outer end portion of the wall section toward the floor panel; an inner wall section extends from an inner end portion of the wall section toward the floor panel; and a hole and a bead reduce a dimension of the wall section when an impact load is applied from an outer side in a vehicle width direction. A nut plate in a closed cross section of the floor frame includes lateral wall fixed sections respectively fixed to the outer wall section and the inner wall section; an opposing wall fixed section fixed to the wall section; and deformation promoting sections configured to reduce a dimension in the vehicle width direction of the nut plate when the impact load is applied.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 24, 2023Publication date: August 17, 2023Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Takuya ADACHI, Hirotaka NATSUME
-
Publication number: 20220379967Abstract: There are provided a pair of side sills provided at both outward sides, in a vehicle width direction, of a vehicle body and extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction, first and second battery units provided below a floor panel on respective inward sides, in the vehicle width direction, of and adjacently to the side sills, the first and second battery units being spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction, and a connecting member interconnecting the first and second battery units. The connecting member comprises a vehicle-width-direction connection portion to interconnect the first and second battery units so as to transmit a load, in the vehicle width direction, therebetween and plural deformation promotion portions provided adjacently to the vehicle-width-direction connection portion so as to cause deformation at the vehicle-width-direction connection portion when receiving the load caused by a vehicle side collision.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 1, 2022Publication date: December 1, 2022Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Hirotaka NATSUME, Kazuhiro KAGEYAMA, Daisuke TSUJI, Shuang GAO, Yoshie NISHIMOTO
-
Publication number: 20220348262Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure of a vehicle may include: a floor panel; a side sill; and a frame member that extends in the front-rear direction on the vehicle-width-direction inner side of the side sill and includes a front-rear extended portion that is in abutment against the side sill on the vehicle-width-direction inner side and extends in the vehicle front-rear direction along the side sill. The front-rear extended portion may include: a bottom face portion; an inner wall portion; and an inner-side flange that extends to the vehicle-width-direction inner side from a distal end portion of the inner wall portion and is joined to the floor panel. Deformation facilitating facilitators that facilitate deformation of the bottom face portion in the vehicle width direction when a collision load in the vehicle width direction is input may be formed in the bottom face portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 12, 2022Publication date: November 3, 2022Applicant: Mazda Motor CorporationInventors: Mikado KAWASAKI, Hirotaka NATSUME, Keisuke EBISUMOTO, Akiko NAKAMOTO, Daisuke TSUJI, Kento OTSUKA
-
Publication number: 20220348267Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure of a vehicle may include: a floor panel; a raised wall portion; a cross member that is disposed on an upper face of the floor panel and extends in the vehicle width direction; a frame member including: an inclined portion that is disposed so as to form a closed cross-section with the floor panel on a vehicle-width-direction outer side of the raised wall portion on the upper face of the floor panel and a connector connected to the cross member at a rear end of the inclined portion; and a coupler that is disposed on the floor panel at a place on a vehicle front side of the connection portion and couples the inclined portion and the raised wall portion to each other in the vehicle width direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2022Publication date: November 3, 2022Applicant: Mazda Motor CorporationInventors: Keisuke EBISUMOTO, Hirotaka NATSUME, Ippei KURODA, Shunsuke HIRAI
-
Patent number: 11383770Abstract: A vehicle-body structure which prevent deformation of a floor tunnel caused by a side collision load transmitted from a cross member to the floor tunnel via a seat mounting bracket. A pair of left and right backbone frames extending in a vehicle front-rear direction are provided each of which faces a top and a side of a floor tunnel and is fixed to the floor tunnel. A tunnel reinforcement is provided that includes a front projection, an intermediate projection, and a rear projection abutting on an underside of the floor tunnel. The backbone frame includes multiple beads abutting on the floor tunnel. The tunnel reinforcement is fixed at the front projection, the intermediate projection, and the rear projection to the seat mounting bracket via the floor tunnel and is also fixed to the multiple beads of the backbone frame via the floor tunnel.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2020Date of Patent: July 12, 2022Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Keisuke Ebisumoto, Hirotaka Natsume, Kazuhiro Kageyama
-
Patent number: 11325654Abstract: A front vehicle-body structure includes a front wheel including a wheel; and a side sill that extends in a front-rear direction on a rear side of the front wheel and has side sill inner and outer portions positioned on vehicle-width-direction inner and outer sides, respectively. Vehicle-width-direction end portions of the inner and outer portions are joined at a joined portion formed by the vehicle-width-direction end portions abutting against each other. The inner portion has a higher buckling strength in the front-rear direction than the outer portion. The joined portion has a second joined portion extending inclined to the vehicle-width-direction outer side toward a rear side, and a first joined portion bent from the second joined portion, extending to a front side, and positioned on a front-end portion of the side sill closer to the vehicle-width-direction inner side than a center line of the wheel in the vehicle width direction.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2020Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Keisuke Ebisumoto, Takeshi Nakamura, Hirotaka Natsume, Yuki Kataoka, Manabu Tatsuda, Ippei Kuroda, Satoshi Nakamura
-
Patent number: 11097787Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure allows miniaturization of an undercover and prevents an increase in minimum ground clearance. In the lower vehicle-body structure, a vehicle body floor includes step-up portions connected to a floor tunnel on opposite sides of the floor tunnel in a vehicle width direction at least in regions where first and second cross members are disposed on the vehicle body floor. The lower vehicle-body structure includes a mount member that faces the floor tunnel and connects the step-up portions on the opposite sides of the floor tunnel, and includes first and second undercovers that cover a lower side of the mount member so as to be continuous with a bottom surface of the vehicle body floor on outer sides of the step-up portions in the vehicle width direction.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2019Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Keisuke Ebisumoto, Hidenori Matsuoka, Hirotaka Natsume, Yuki Ikawa, Naohiko Kasaki, Yosuke Morikawa
-
Patent number: 11046369Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure of the present invention comprises a vehicle floor, a first floor cross member extending in a vehicle width direction, a second floor cross member extending in the vehicle width direction, the second floor cross member being spaced, in a vehicle longitudinal direction, apart from the first floor cross member, a side sill extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction and provided at an end portion, in the vehicle width direction, of the vehicle floor, a floor frame extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction and provided on an inward side, in the vehicle width direction, of the side sill, and attaching members for attaching a seat to a vehicle body. The attaching members are fixed to the side sill, the first floor cross member, and/or the second floor cross member.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2019Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Hirotaka Natsume, Kazuhiro Kageyama, Keisuke Ebisumoto, Hidenori Matsuoka
-
Patent number: 11008049Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure comprises a vehicle floor comprising a bottom face portion and a floor tunnel which protrudes upwardly and extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction, a pair of right-and-left floor cross members extending in a vehicle width direction on both sides of the floor tunnel, and a connecting member provided to extend in the vehicle width direction at a position which overlaps the floor cross members in the vehicle longitudinal direction and be fixed to at least one of the vehicle floor and the floor cross members at plural fixation positions. These plural fixation positions are located at plural different levels in a range of a height of the floor cross members.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2019Date of Patent: May 18, 2021Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Hirotaka Natsume, Kazuhiro Kageyama, Hiroaki Suumen, Yuki Kuwano, Tsuyoshi Iwata, Keisuke Ebisumoto, Hidenori Matsuoka
-
Patent number: 11008048Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure comprises a vehicle floor comprising a bottom face portion and a floor tunnel, a pair of right-and-left first floor cross members extending in a vehicle width direction and provided on both sides of the floor tunnel, a pair of right-and-left second floor cross members extending in the vehicle width direction and provided on both sides of the floor tunnel, the second floor cross members being spaced rearwardly from the first floor cross members, a first connecting member provided to extend in the vehicle width direction at a position overlapping the first floor cross members in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a second connecting member provided to extend in the vehicle width direction at a position overlapping the second floor cross members in the vehicle longitudinal direction.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2019Date of Patent: May 18, 2021Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Hirotaka Natsume, Kazuhiro Kageyama, Keisuke Ebisumoto, Hidenori Matsuoka
-
Publication number: 20210070375Abstract: A vehicle-body structure which prevent deformation of a floor tunnel caused by a side collision load transmitted from a cross member to the floor tunnel via a seat mounting bracket. A pair of left and right backbone frames extending in a vehicle front-rear direction are provided each of which faces a top and a side of a floor tunnel and is fixed to the floor tunnel. A tunnel reinforcement is provided that includes a front projection, an intermediate projection, and a rear projection abutting on an underside of the floor tunnel. The backbone frame includes multiple beads abutting on the floor tunnel. The tunnel reinforcement is fixed at the front projection, the intermediate projection, and the rear projection to the seat mounting bracket via the floor tunnel and is also fixed to the multiple beads of the backbone frame via the floor tunnel.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2020Publication date: March 11, 2021Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Keisuke EBISUMOTO, Hirotaka NATSUME, Kazuhiro KAGEYAMA
-
Publication number: 20210061366Abstract: A front vehicle-body structure includes a front wheel including a wheel; and a side sill that extends in a front-rear direction on a rear side of the front wheel and has side sill inner and outer portions positioned on vehicle-width-direction inner and outer sides, respectively. Vehicle-width-direction end portions of the inner and outer portions are joined at a joined portion formed by the vehicle-width-direction end portions abutting against each other. The inner portion has a higher buckling strength in the front-rear direction than the outer portion. The joined portion has a second joined portion extending inclined to the vehicle-width-direction outer side toward a rear side, and a first joined portion bent from the second joined portion, extending to a front side, and positioned on a front-end portion of the side sill closer to the vehicle-width-direction inner side than a center line of the wheel in the vehicle width direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2020Publication date: March 4, 2021Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Keisuke EBISUMOTO, Takeshi NAKAMURA, Hirotaka NATSUME, Yuki KATAOKA, Manabu TATSUDA, Ippei KURODA, Satoshi NAKAMURA
-
Patent number: 10814745Abstract: A lower vehicle body structure is provided, which includes a vehicle body floor having a bottom surface part, a floor tunnel bulging upwardly from the bottom surface part of the vehicle body floor and extending in vehicle front-and-rear directions, a power transmission mechanism disposed inside the floor tunnel, a mount member supporting the power transmission mechanism from below, and seat rails disposed on the vehicle body floor and slidably supporting seats from below. The mount member and the seat rails are jointly fastened to the vehicle body floor.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2019Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: Mazda Motor CorporationInventors: Hirotaka Natsume, Hidenori Matsuoka, Keisuke Ebisumoto
-
Patent number: 10793191Abstract: A lower vehicle body structure includes a vehicle body floor having a bottom surface part, a floor tunnel bulging upwardly from the bottom surface part and extending in vehicle front-and-rear directions, side sills extending in the front-and-rear directions, hinge pillars extending upwardly from the side sills, first frames, lowered parts and second frames. Each first frame extends in the front-and-rear directions between the floor tunnel and a side sill. Each lowered part is provided to the bottom surface part between a first frame and a side sill so as to be lowered below a part where the floor and the side sills are joined. Each second frame extends to a first frame, obliquely rearwardly and inwardly from a side sill along an upper surface of the bottom surface part, and forms in a part including a lowered part a closed cross-section between the bottom surface part and a second frame.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2019Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: Mazda Motor CorporationInventors: Hirotaka Natsume, Hidenori Matsuoka, Keisuke Ebisumoto
-
Publication number: 20200047818Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure allows miniaturization of an undercover and prevents an increase in minimum ground clearance. In the lower vehicle-body structure, a vehicle body floor includes step-up portions connected to a floor tunnel on opposite sides of the floor tunnel in a vehicle width direction at least in regions where first and second cross members are disposed on the vehicle body floor. The lower vehicle-body structure includes a mount member that faces the floor tunnel and connects the step-up portions on the opposite sides of the floor tunnel, and includes first and second undercovers that cover a lower side of the mount member so as to be continuous with a bottom surface of the vehicle body floor on outer sides of the step-up portions in the vehicle width direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2019Publication date: February 13, 2020Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Keisuke EBISUMOTO, Hidenori MATSUOKA, Hirotaka NATSUME, Yuki IKAWA, Naohiko KASAKI, Yosuke MORIKAWA
-
Publication number: 20190382053Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure comprises a vehicle floor comprising a bottom face portion and a floor tunnel, a pair of right-and-left first floor cross members extending in a vehicle width direction and provided on both sides of the floor tunnel, a pair of right-and-left second floor cross members extending in the vehicle width direction and provided on both sides of the floor tunnel, the second floor cross members being spaced rearwardly from the first floor cross members, a first connecting member provided to extend in the vehicle width direction at a position overlapping the first floor cross members in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a second connecting member provided to extend in the vehicle width direction at a position overlapping the second floor cross members in the vehicle longitudinal direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 10, 2019Publication date: December 19, 2019Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Hirotaka NATSUME, Kazuhiro KAGEYAMA, Keisuke EBISUMOTO, Hidenori MATSUOKA
-
Publication number: 20190382052Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure of the present invention comprises a vehicle floor, a first floor cross member extending in a vehicle width direction, a second floor cross member extending in the vehicle width direction, the second floor cross member being spaced, in a vehicle longitudinal direction, apart from the first floor cross member, a side sill extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction and provided at an end portion, in the vehicle width direction, of the vehicle floor, a floor frame extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction and provided on an inward side, in the vehicle width direction, of the side sill, and attaching members for attaching a seat to a vehicle body. The attaching members are fixed to the side sill, the first floor cross member, and/or the second floor cross member.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 10, 2019Publication date: December 19, 2019Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Hirotaka NATSUME, Kazuhiro KAGEYAMA, Keisuke EBISUMOTO, Hidenori MATSUOKA
-
Publication number: 20190382054Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure comprises a vehicle floor comprising a bottom face portion and a floor tunnel which protrudes upwardly and extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction, a pair of right-and-left floor cross members extending in a vehicle width direction on both sides of the floor tunnel, and a connecting member provided to extend in the vehicle width direction at a position which overlaps the floor cross members in the vehicle longitudinal direction and be fixed to at least one of the vehicle floor and the floor cross members at plural fixation positions. These plural fixation positions are located at plural different levels in a range of a height of the floor cross members.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 13, 2019Publication date: December 19, 2019Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Hirotaka NATSUME, Kazuhiro KAGEYAMA, Hiroaki SUUMEN, Yuki KUWANO, Tsuyoshi IWATA, Keisuke EBISUMOTO, Hidenori MATSUOKA