Patents by Inventor Katsumasa Mukai

Katsumasa Mukai 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: 10981619
    Abstract: In a rocking vehicle, a front wheel suspension device suspends a front wheel in an upwardly displaceable manner due to a reaction force from a road surface. The rocking vehicle includes a cushion support arm, on a body frame side, including a cushion support portion of the front wheel suspension device, and a rigidity adjustment device which is extended between plural portions of the cushion support arm. The rigidity adjustment device applies a pre-tension to the cushion support arm, and the pre-tension generates a pre-force component in the cushion support portion in the same direction as the upward moving direction of the front wheel due to a reaction force of the front wheel from the road surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Katsumasa Mukai, Satoru Kubo, Hiroki Yoshino, Hirohisa Takahashi, Kazuki Yamagishi, Ryuji Sasaki, Kiyotaka Sakai
  • Patent number: 10286976
    Abstract: A swing arm structure includes pivot shafts extending in a vehicle width direction and disposed in a vehicle body frame, a pair of wall portions disposed in the vehicle width direction in the vehicle body frame, and an interposed portion disposed between the wall portions in a swing arm. The wall portions have wall portion-side pass-through portions, which receive the pivot shafts passed therethrough. The interposed portion has interposed portion-side pass-through portions formed therein at, out of both end portions in the vehicle width direction, portions facing the wall portion-side pass-through portions. The interposed portion-side pass-through portions receive the pivot shafts passed therethrough. The interposed portion has a non-pass-through portion formed therein at a middle portion in the vehicle width direction of the interposed portion. The non-pass-through portion does not receive the pivot shafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Kuwabara, Kenji Kofuji, Kazuho Nakai, Takafumi Irie, Katsumasa Mukai
  • Publication number: 20180346057
    Abstract: In a rocking vehicle, a front wheel suspension device suspends a front wheel in an upwardly displaceable manner due to a reaction force from a road surface. The rocking vehicle includes a cushion support arm, on a body frame side, including a cushion support portion of the front wheel suspension device, and a rigidity adjustment device which is extended between plural portions of the cushion support arm. The rigidity adjustment device applies a pre-tension to the cushion support arm, and the pre-tension generates a pre-force component in the cushion support portion in the same direction as the upward moving direction of the front wheel due to a reaction force of the front wheel from the road surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Katsumasa Mukai, Satoru Kubo, Hiroki Yoshino, Hirohisa Takahashi, Kazuki Yamagishi, Ryuji Sasaki, Kiyotaka Sakai
  • Publication number: 20170088233
    Abstract: A structure promoting a reduction in size and weight of a swing arm structure. Pivot shafts that extend in a vehicle width direction are disposed in the vehicle body frame. A pair of wall portions is disposed in the vehicle width direction in the vehicle body frame. An interposed portion is disposed between the wall portions in the swing arm. The wall portions have wall portion-side pass-through portions, which receive the pivot shafts passed therethrough. The interposed portion has interposed portion-side pass-through portions formed therein at, out of both end portions in the vehicle width direction, portions facing the wall portion-side pass-through portions, respectively. The interposed portion-side pass-through portions receive the pivot shafts, respectively, passed therethrough. The interposed portion has a non-pass-through portion formed therein at least at a middle portion in the vehicle width direction of the interposed portion. The non-pass-through portion does not receive the pivot shafts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Inventors: Naoki Kuwabara, Kenji Kofuji, Kazuho Nakai, Takafumi Irie, Katsumasa Mukai
  • Patent number: 9555850
    Abstract: In a saddle-type vehicle, an engine is supported by a pivot shaft through insertion of the pivot shaft into a bracket part provided at a rear part of the engine. A center lower cross frame is so provided as to span a space between parts in left and right pivot plates on the lower side relative to the pivot shaft. The pivot shaft and the center lower cross frame are connected by a hanger member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichiro Ishida, Masao Akieda, Jun Fujii, Toshiaki Nakao, Katsumasa Mukai, Kenjiro Iwasaki
  • Publication number: 20160200391
    Abstract: In a saddle-type vehicle, an engine is supported by a pivot shaft through insertion of the pivot shaft into a bracket part provided at a rear part of the engine. A center lower cross frame is so provided as to span a space between parts in left and right pivot plates on the lower side relative to the pivot shaft. The pivot shaft and the center lower cross frame are connected by a hanger member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventors: Shinichiro ISHIDA, Masao AKIEDA, Jun FUJII, Toshiaki NAKAO, Katsumasa MUKAI, Kenjiro IWASAKI
  • Patent number: 8381863
    Abstract: A saddle-type vehicle has an engine-fastening structure which stabilizes a seating face contact between a collar and a vehicle body frame on one side, and between the collar and an engine on the other side. The vehicle includes a vehicle body frame having an engine-supporting portion, and an engine block having a female threaded portion formed therein for alignment with the engine-supporting portion. The collar is interposed between the engine-supporting portion and the engine block. The engine-supporting portion of the frame, the collar and the engine side female threaded portion are fastened together by a bolt. A gap is provided at least at locations between the collar and the bolt which oppose a boundary between the collar and the engine-supporting portion, and another boundary between the collar and the engine side female threaded portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kanji Hayashi, Masao Akieda, Katsumasa Mukai, Yutaka Nakanishi, Jun Hariu, Kenji Morita, Osamu Kikuchi, Takeshi Kimishima, Kazuma Morimitsu
  • Publication number: 20100243364
    Abstract: A saddle-type vehicle has an engine-fastening structure which stabilizes a seating face contact between a collar and a vehicle body frame on one side, and between the collar and an engine on the other side. The vehicle includes a vehicle body frame having an engine-supporting portion, and an engine block having a female threaded portion formed therein for alignment with the engine-supporting portion. The collar is interposed between the engine-supporting portion and the engine block. The engine-supporting portion of the frame, the collar and the engine side female threaded portion are fastened together by a bolt. A gap is provided at least at locations between the collar and the bolt which oppose a boundary between the collar and the engine-supporting portion, and another boundary between the collar and the engine side female threaded portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kanji HAYASHI, Masao AKIEDA, Katsumasa MUKAI, Yutaka NAKANISHI, Jun HARIU, Kenji MORITA, Osamu KIKUCHI, Takeshi KIMISHIMA, Kazuma MORIMITSU
  • Patent number: 7650955
    Abstract: To improve a swing arm support structure of a vehicle, thus making it possible to adjust a magnitude, timing, and the like of external force transmitted to a vehicle body frame. In a vehicle, in which a rear wheel is attached to a rear end of a swing arm made freely swingable with respect to a vehicle body frame, dogleg brackets are provided. The dogleg brackets include vehicle body frame coupling portions coupled to the vehicle body frame, and include engine support portions for supporting an engine. Further, the dogleg brackets are provided with swing arm support portions for supporting the swing arm which are provided apart and separately from the vehicle body frame coupling portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yosuke Hasegawa, Kazuro Furukawa, Katsumasa Mukai
  • Patent number: 7533751
    Abstract: In a motorcycle or a three-wheeled vehicle which tiltably supports a proximal end portion of a swing arm which pivotally supports a wheel on a vehicle body frame by way of a pivot shaft, the swing arm pivot structure is inexpensive and can be easily assembled without particularly using relatively expensive bearings such as taper bearings. At the same time, the preload adjustment is no longer necessary thus facilitating the assembling operation and the maintenance operation. A proximal portion of the pivot shaft is connected to the swing arm in a state wherein the proximal portion is non-rotatable relative to the swing arm. At the same time, a distal portion of the pivot shaft is fitted in and held by the vehicle body frame in a state wherein the distal portion is rotatable relative to the vehicle body frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Etsumi Handa, Katsumasa Mukai, Hisayoshi Kageyama
  • Patent number: 7503415
    Abstract: An engine support bracket for a motorcycle is formed as an L-shaped channel member that is horizontally mounted on a vehicle body frame. Mounting portions of an engine are mounted on the L-shaped channel member and are fastened to the L-shaped channel member using a bolt. With this arrangement, assembling of the engine onto the vehicle body frame can be completed with a simple operation, and hence, the operability in assembling the engine is enhanced. Further, as parts for connecting the engine to the vehicle body frame, only the L-shaped channel member need be provided. Thus, the number of parts is decreased thus also providing a simple structure. Further, a head of the bolt and a nut, which fix the engine to the vehicle body frame, do not appear on a side surface of the mounting portions of the engine. Hence, the appearance of the motorcycle is enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yosuke Hasegawa, Katsumasa Mukai
  • Patent number: 7311232
    Abstract: A motorcycle saddlebag mounting device having a restricting means for staggering timings of yawing occurring in a motorcycle body and resonance caused by lateral swing of a saddlebag is provided. The restricting means is provided between a support bracket mounted to a seat rail and a saddlebag mounting frame rotatably mounted to the support bracket. Rotation of the frame with respect to the support bracket is restricted, so that resonance caused by yawing of the motorcycle body and lateral swing of the saddlebag is cancelled out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignees: Honda Access Co., Ltd., Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Watanabe, Hideo Ochiai, Katsumasa Mukai
  • Publication number: 20070284847
    Abstract: To improve a swing arm support structure of a vehicle, thus making it possible to adjust a magnitude, timing, and the like of external force transmitted to a vehicle body frame. In a vehicle, in which a rear wheel is attached to a rear end of a swing arm made freely swingable with respect to a vehicle body frame, dogleg brackets are provided. The dogleg brackets include vehicle body frame coupling portions coupled to the vehicle body frame, and include engine support portions for supporting an engine. Further, the dogleg brackets are provided with swing arm support portions for supporting the swing arm which are provided apart and separately from the vehicle body frame coupling portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Publication date: December 13, 2007
    Inventors: Yosuke Hasegawa, Kazuro Furukawa, Katsumasa Mukai
  • Publication number: 20070045025
    Abstract: An engine support bracket for a motorcycle is formed as an L-shaped channel member that is horizontally mounted on a vehicle body frame. Mounting portions of an engine are mounted on the L-shaped channel member and are fastened to the L-shaped channel member using a bolt. With this arrangement, assembling of the engine onto the vehicle body frame can be completed with a simple operation, and hence, the operability in assembling the engine is enhanced. Further, as parts for connecting the engine to the vehicle body frame, only the L-shaped channel member need be provided. Thus, the number of parts is decreased thus also providing a simple structure. Further, a head of the bolt and a nut, which fix the engine to the vehicle body frame, do not appear on a side surface of the mounting portions of the engine. Hence, the appearance of the motorcycle is enhanced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Publication date: March 1, 2007
    Inventors: Yosuke Hasegawa, Katsumasa Mukai
  • Publication number: 20060065463
    Abstract: In a motorcycle or a three-wheeled vehicle which tiltably supports a proximal end portion of a swing arm which pivotally supports a wheel on a vehicle body frame by way of a pivot shaft, the swing arm pivot structure is inexpensive and can be easily assembled without particularly using relatively expensive bearings such as taper bearings. At the same time, the preload adjustment is no longer necessary thus facilitating the assembling operation and the maintenance operation. A proximal portion of the pivot shaft is connected to the swing arm in a state wherein the proximal portion is non-rotatable relative to the swing arm. At the same time, a distal portion of the pivot shaft is fitted in and held by the vehicle body frame in a state wherein the distal portion is rotatable relative to the vehicle body frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2005
    Publication date: March 30, 2006
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Etsumi Handa, Katsumasa Mukai, Hisayoshi Kageyama
  • Publication number: 20040232183
    Abstract: A motorcycle saddlebag mounting device having a restricting means for staggering timings of yawing occurring in a motorcycle body and resonance caused by lateral swing of a saddlebag is provided. The restricting means is provided between a support bracket mounted to a seat rail and a saddlebag mounting frame rotatably mounted to the support bracket. Rotation of the frame with respect to the support bracket is restricted, so that resonance caused by yawing of the motorcycle body and lateral swing of the saddlebag is cancelled out.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2004
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Applicants: HONDA ACCESS CO., LTD, HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Watanabe, Hideo Ochiai, Katsumasa Mukai