Patents by Inventor Hiroto Fujiwara

Hiroto Fujiwara 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: 11339584
    Abstract: In an outer handle device for a vehicle door, a handle lever is operatively linked to an outer handle, the handle lever being driven by an electric actuator so that the outer handle is pivoted from a housed position to a pop-up position. A restriction device operates so as to follow movement of the handle lever toward a side that goes away from an initial position when the handle lever is driven by the electric actuator so that the outer handle is pivoted from the housed position toward the pop-up position side, the restriction device restricting return of the handle lever to the initial position side from a maximum operated position of the handle lever toward the side that goes away from the initial position. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the outer handle from rattling, thereby enabling marketability to be enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Honda Lock
    Inventor: Hiroto Fujiwara
  • Publication number: 20200181940
    Abstract: In an outer handle device for a vehicle door, a handle lever is operatively linked to an outer handle, the handle lever being driven by an electric actuator so that the outer handle is pivoted from a housed position to a pop-up position. A restriction device operates so as to follow movement of the handle lever toward a side that goes away from an initial position when the handle lever is driven by the electric actuator so that the outer handle is pivoted from the housed position toward the pop-up position side, the restriction device restricting return of the handle lever to the initial position side from a maximum operated position of the handle lever toward the side that goes away from the initial position. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the outer handle from rattling, thereby enabling marketability to be enhanced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventor: Hiroto Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 10072447
    Abstract: An outer handle device for a vehicle door is provided in which an actuator can drive the outer handle to a pop-up position where the operating portion of the outer handle projects outward from the outer panel, wherein in a state in which the outer handle is in a pop-up position, a drive lever of the actuator is held at an operated position by holding means, a release lever is pivoted by a handle lever pivoting with the outer handle when the outer handle pivots from the pop-up position to the full stroke position, the holding of the drive lever by the holding means is released by the pivoting of the release lever, and the drive lever is forcibly returned to the initial position. This enables an outer handle to be returned to a housed position even if there is a malfunction of an actuator-side electric drive source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Honda Lock
    Inventor: Hiroto Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 9926727
    Abstract: A latch release device for a vehicle door is provided which includes an electric actuator that can exert power for latch release for releasing a latched state of a door, a latch mechanism that releases the latched state of the door in response to actuation of the electric actuator or input of a mechanical latch release operating force, and an operating member for latch release that enables normal operation by a vehicle user so as to actuate the electric actuator and emergency operation by a vehicle user so as to input a mechanical latch release operating force into the latch mechanism, wherein the emergency operation of an operating member for latch release is restricted and emergency operation restriction means restricts emergency operation of the operating member for latch release when an operating member for restriction release that a vehicle user can operate is in a non-operated state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Honda Lock
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kouzuma, Hiroto Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 9580939
    Abstract: A vehicle door latch release device is provided in which a latch device enabling latch release in response to operation of an electric actuator and mechanical input of a latch release operating force is provided on a door, and input of a mechanical latch release operating force into the latch device is enabled in an emergency in which latch release by the electric actuator is disabled, wherein a human power acting on the emergency operating member, which can be operated by a vehicle user, can be transmitted as a mechanical latch release operating force to the latch device via operating force transmission means, and restriction/permission switching means can switch between an operation restricted state in which operation of the emergency operating member is restricted and an operation permitted state in which operation of the emergency operating member is enabled in response to a predetermined operation by a vehicle user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Honda Lock
    Inventors: Hiroto Fujiwara, HIroyuki Kouzuma
  • Patent number: 9512652
    Abstract: In an opening/closing operation device for a vehicle open/close door, a handle and a lever for transmitting an unlock operation force to a latch mechanism are turnably supported by an open/close door, and one end portion of the lever is brought into contact with a contact surface formed in the handle. In the contact surface, at least a portion to be in contact with the one end portion of the lever at an initial stage of the manipulation of the handle is formed in an inclined manner or curvedly: in a way that makes the portion situated more forward in a movement direction, in which the contact surface moves in response to the turn of the handle, as the portion comes closer to a rotary fulcrum of the lever in a direction along a plane orthogonal to the movement direction such that the portion intersects the plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Honda Lock, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuro Ono, Hiroto Fujiwara, Yuichi Nakamura, Yuichiro Yamaoka, Masatoshi Adachi
  • Patent number: 9458649
    Abstract: A vehicle door open/close operation apparatus is provided in which a design cover can be opened by a manual operation and can close at least part of an opening provided in a door, and a latch release is operated by a latch device due to the operation of an operating member in a state in which the design cover is open, wherein displacement of the design cover from a closed position toward an open position is detected by a detection switch, and a control unit carries out the user authentication in response to detection of displacement of the design cover by the detection switch. This enables the necessity for carrying out an operation of the operating member again to be avoided even if the operating member is operated quickly, thus enabling the door to be opened smoothly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Honda Lock
    Inventors: Hiroto Fujiwara, Hiroyuki Kouzuma, Kazuyuki Kuriyama
  • Publication number: 20160273247
    Abstract: An outer handle device for a vehicle door is provided in which an actuator can drive the outer handle to a pop-up position where the operating portion of the outer handle projects outward from the outer panel, wherein in a state in which the outer handle is in a pop-up position, a drive lever of the actuator is held at an operated position by holding means, a release lever is pivoted by a handle lever pivoting with the outer handle when the outer handle pivots from the pop-up position to the full stroke position, the holding of the drive lever by the holding means is released by the pivoting of the release lever, and the drive lever is forcibly returned to the initial position. This enables an outer handle to be returned to a housed position even if there is a malfunction of an actuator-side electric drive source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Inventor: Hiroto FUJIWARA
  • Patent number: 9181733
    Abstract: In a vehicle door handle system, a handle is pivotally supported by a base member, at least one portion of the base member being attached to an outer panel; and a lever member is pivotally supported by a spindle fixed to the base member and having an axis at a right angle to a plane extending along the outer panel, the lever member being interlocked and connected with a handle arm configured to pivot with the handle and the lever member being linked to a latch device. An attachment part which attaches the base member to the outer panel is disposed coaxially with the spindle. Accordingly, it is possible to attach the base member to the outer panel while avoiding the bulkiness of conventional systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Honda Lock, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroto Fujiwara, Koichi Sakamoto, Yuujiro Tashima
  • Publication number: 20150191944
    Abstract: A latch release device for a vehicle door is provided which includes an electric actuator that can exert power for latch release for releasing a latched state of a door, a latch mechanism that releases the latched state of the door in response to actuation of the electric actuator or input of a mechanical latch release operating force, and an operating member for latch release that enables normal operation by a vehicle user so as to actuate the electric actuator and emergency operation by a vehicle user so as to input a mechanical latch release operating force into the latch mechanism, wherein the emergency operation of an operating member for latch release is restricted and emergency operation restriction means restricts emergency operation of the operating member for latch release when an operating member for restriction release that a vehicle user can operate is in a non-operated state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kouzuma, Hiroto Fujiwara
  • Publication number: 20150013403
    Abstract: A vehicle door open/close operation apparatus is provided in which a design cover can be opened by a manual operation and can close at least part of an opening provided in a door, and a latch release is operated by a latch device due to the operation of an operating member in a state in which the design cover is open, wherein displacement of the design cover from a closed position toward an open position is detected by a detection switch, and a control unit carries out the user authentication in response to detection of displacement of the design cover by the detection switch. This enables the necessity for carrying out an operation of the operating member again to be avoided even if the operating member is operated quickly, thus enabling the door to be opened smoothly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroto Fujiwara, Hiroyuki Kouzuma, Kazuyuki Kuriyama
  • Publication number: 20150001861
    Abstract: A vehicle door latch release device is provided in which a latch device enabling latch release in response to operation of an electric actuator and mechanical input of a latch release operating force is provided on a door, and input of a mechanical latch release operating force into the latch device is enabled in an emergency in which latch release by the electric actuator is disabled, wherein a human power acting on the emergency operating member, which can be operated by a vehicle user, can be transmitted as a mechanical latch release operating force to the latch device via operating force transmission means, and restriction/permission switching means can switch between an operation restricted state in which operation of the emergency operating member is restricted and an operation permitted state in which operation of the emergency operating member is enabled in response to a predetermined operation by a vehicle user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroto Fujiwara, Hiroyuki Kouzuma
  • Publication number: 20130233034
    Abstract: In an opening/closing operation device for a vehicle open/close door, a handle and a lever for transmitting an unlock operation force to a latch mechanism are turnably supported by an open/close door, and one end portion of the lever is brought into contact with a contact surface formed in the handle. In the contact surface, at least a portion to be in contact with the one end portion of the lever at an initial stage of the manipulation of the handle is formed in an inclined manner or curvedly: in a way that makes the portion situated more forward in a movement direction, in which the contact surface moves in response to the turn of the handle, as the portion comes closer to a rotary fulcrum of the lever in a direction along a plane orthogonal to the movement direction such that the portion intersects the plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicants: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., KABUSHIKI KAISHA HONDA LOCK
    Inventors: Tatsuro Ono, Hiroto Fujiwara, Yuichi Nakamura, Yuichiro Yamaoka, Masatoshi Adachi
  • Publication number: 20110179602
    Abstract: In a vehicle door handle system, a handle is pivotally supported by a base member, at least one portion of the base member being attached to an outer panel; and a lever member is pivotally supported by a spindle fixed to the base member and having an axis at a right angle to a plane extending along the outer panel, the lever member being interlocked and connected with a handle arm configured to pivot with the handle and the lever member being linked to a latch device. An attachment part which attaches the base member to the outer panel is disposed coaxially with the spindle. Accordingly, it is possible to attach the base member to the outer panel while avoiding the bulkiness of conventional systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2011
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA HONDA LOCK, HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroto FUJIWARA, Koichi SAKAMOTO, Yuujiro TASHIMA
  • Patent number: 7931314
    Abstract: A vehicle door outer handle system is provided in which a pair of electrodes and a circuit board on which is provided a detection circuit for detecting a change in capacitance between the electrodes are housed within an operating handle formed from a handle main body and a cover covering the outer side of the handle main body, the operating handle being disposed on an outer side of a vehicle door, and the electrodes (43) being patterned on the circuit board (44), the operating handle thereby being made thin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Honda Lock
    Inventors: Masakatsu Nitawaki, Hiroto Fujiwara, Osamu Hidaka, Yuho Otsuta, Masahiko Sueyoshi
  • Patent number: 7559120
    Abstract: In a vehicle outer handle system including a circuit board which includes an electric part and which is contained in an operating handle, the operating handle is die-formed of a synthetic resin in such a manner that a protecting means covering the circuit board is mold-coupled to the operating handle. Thus, a special water-proofing counter measure is not required, leading to a reduction in number of operating steps and a reduction in number of parts. Further, the generation of an abnormal sound during operation of the operating handle is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Honda Lock
    Inventors: Hiroto Fujiwara, Yuho Otsuta, Kyoutarou Yoshii
  • Publication number: 20080246293
    Abstract: In a vehicle outer handle system including a circuit board which includes an electric part and which is contained in an operating handle, the operating handle is die-formed of a synthetic resin in such a manner that a protecting means covering the circuit board is mold-coupled to the operating handle. Thus, a special water-proofing counter measure is not required, leading to a reduction in number of operating steps and a reduction in number of parts. Further, the generation of an abnormal sound during operation of the operating handle is prevented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Honda Lock
    Inventors: Hiroto Fujiwara, Yuho Otsuta, Kyoutarou Yoshii
  • Publication number: 20070091627
    Abstract: A vehicle door outer handle system is provided in which a pair of electrodes and a circuit board on which is provided a detection circuit for detecting a change in capacitance between the electrodes are housed within an operating handle formed from a handle main body and a cover covering the outer side of the handle main body, the operating handle being disposed on an outer side of a vehicle door, and the electrodes (43) being patterned on the circuit board (44), the operating handle thereby being made thin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2004
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Inventors: Masakatsu Nitawaki, Hiroto Fujiwara, Osamu Hidaka, Yuho Otsuta, Masahiko Sueyoshi
  • Patent number: 6740834
    Abstract: A vehicle door handle system includes a pair of electrodes disposed within an operating handle located on the outer surface side of a door along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. A detection circuit for detecting a change in capacitance between the two electrodes is connected to the two electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Honda Lock, Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiko Sueyoshi, Hiroto Fujiwara, Suguru Asakura, Naoto Yamamoto, Toru Namiki
  • Publication number: 20030122556
    Abstract: A vehicle door handle system includes a pair of electrodes disposed within an operating handle located on the outer surface side of a door along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. A detection circuit for detecting a change in capacitance between the two electrodes is connected to the two electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2002
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Inventors: Masahiko Sueyoshi, Hiroto Fujiwara, Suguru Asakura, Naoto Yamamoto, Toru Namiki