Patents by Inventor Kazutada Sasaki

Kazutada Sasaki 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: 20230294775
    Abstract: A vehicle hood hinge includes: a lower hinge configured to be fixed to a vehicle body; an upper hinge configured to be fixed to, and supported by, a hood so as to be movable relative to the lower hinge, the hood being configured to open or close an opening formed in an upper surface of the vehicle body; a link mechanism linking the lower hinge with the upper hinge; and a load receiving member configured to support a load of the hood, wherein the link mechanism is configured to switch between pivoting to cause the hood to be pivoted about an axis through the lower hinge and lifting to lift the hood, and the load receiving member is configured to receive, on a front-rear side thereof, the load of the hood lifted through the lifting, to restrict the hood from lowering.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2023
    Publication date: September 21, 2023
    Inventors: Kazutada SASAKI, Chisato SUETSUGU, Shin SAEKI, Thomas Wood
  • Patent number: 11731581
    Abstract: Technology is provided which allows the amount of a hood protruding forward from a striker to be reduced at a normal time before the pop-up hood system is operated, and allowing the stroke when the front end of the hood rotates downward when the pop-up hood system is operated to be reduced, such that it is possible to effectively utilize the space. A hood retraction structure includes: a slider provided at a front side lower portion of a hood; and a rail that is provided on an upper portion of a striker body constituting a hood locking mechanism, movable in a longitudinal direction relative to the slider, and is longer than the slider in a length in the longitudinal direction. Retraction of the slider relative to the rail allows the hood to retract relative to the hood locking mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chisato Suetsugu, Kazutada Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11719025
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle latch device including a latch body capable of being lifted up in a state of latching a striker provided to a hood of a vehicle; a position holder that holds a position of the latch body on a vehicle body side during a normal time; and an actuator that is interposed between the latch body and the position holder and lifts up the latch body at a time of pop-up. On the position holder, a striker releaser is disposed which releases a latched state of the striker latched by a latch of a latch mechanism provided to the latch body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazutada Sasaki, Chisato Suetsugu, Shin Saeki, Csaba Szente, Ioan Dorin Ilea
  • Patent number: 11673612
    Abstract: A hood back portion moving mechanism is supported with a hinge on a side of a vehicle body such that a back end portion of a hood provided at a front portion of a vehicle body is able to be opened and closed, and the hood is lifted up by an actuator. A back end portion of a pop-up link is rotatably coupled to an upper hinge included in the hinge, the hood is rotatably coupled to a front end portion of the pop-up link, and the actuator is bridged over the upper hinge and the hood.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazutada Sasaki, Chisato Suetsugu
  • Patent number: 11623695
    Abstract: A pop-up hood apparatus includes a hood, a hood lock mechanism, a support mechanism, an actuator, and a pair of auxiliary support parts. The support mechanism has a movable block and a base block. Each auxiliary support part includes: a load reception block that is capable of supporting the side edge part of the hood from below; a biasing member that biases the load reception block upward; and a displacement regulation member that regulates an upward displacement from an initial position of the load reception block against a biasing force of the biasing member. The movable block and the displacement regulation member are interlocked by an interlock part that displaces the displacement regulation member in a regulation release direction in response to an upward displacement of the movable block by the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazutada Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11608118
    Abstract: A pop-up hood apparatus includes a hood, a hood lock mechanism, an actuator for raising, and an auxiliary support section configured to support a side edge portion of the hood from below upon an actuation of the actuator. The auxiliary support section includes a load receiving block configured to support the side edge portion of the hood from below, a biasing member configured to bias the load receiving block upward, a displacement restricting member configured to restrict upward displacement of the load receiving block, and a restriction releasing section configured to release upward displacement restriction of the load receiving block according to upward displacement of the hood lock mechanism. The displacement restricting member is displaced to a position that abuts a lower surface of the load receiving block when the load receiving block that has been released upward displacement restriction is displaced upward by a predetermined amount or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazutada Sasaki, Masato Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11584331
    Abstract: A hinge for a vehicle hood is provided. The hinge includes a hinge lower fixed to a vehicle body, and a hinge upper fixed to the hood and rotatably supported relative to the hinge lower. The hinge upper includes a first member rotatably supported relative to the hinge lower, and a second member fixed to the hood and relatively movable relative to the first member. The hinge further includes a first lock configured to be engageable with the first member to restrict rotation of the first member relative to the hinge lower. The first member and the second member are integrally rotatable relative to the hinge lower in a normal operation of opening and closing the hood. When the hood is caused to pop up, the first lock engages with the first member and the second member is relatively movable relative to the first member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazutada Sasaki, Chisato Suetsugu, Shin Saeki, Thomas Wood
  • Publication number: 20220314924
    Abstract: Technology is provided which allows the amount of a hood protruding forward from a striker to be reduced at a normal time before the pop-up hood system is operated, and allowing the stroke when the front end of the hood rotates downward when the pop-up hood system is operated to be reduced, such that it is possible to effectively utilize the space. A hood retraction structure includes: a slider provided at a front side lower portion of a hood; and a rail that is provided on an upper portion of a striker body constituting a hood locking mechanism, movable in a longitudinal direction relative to the slider, and is longer than the slider in a length in the longitudinal direction. Retraction of the slider relative to the rail allows the hood to retract relative to the hood locking mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Chisato SUETSUGU, Kazutada SASAKI
  • Publication number: 20220316246
    Abstract: Provided is technology whereby it is possible to avoid interference between a secondary lever and a hood retraction structure upon the retraction of a pop-up hood. A hood retraction structure includes: a slider provided at a front side lower portion of a hood; and a rai that is provided on an upper portion of a striker body constituting a hood locking mechanism, and is movable in a longitudinal direction relative to the slider. The slider has a notch having an opening end provided by being cut in a concave shape from a vehicle front side toward a vehicle rear side, and the notch constitutes the hood locking mechanism, and is provided at a position corresponding to an upper portion of a secondary lever that regulates upward movement of the striker body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Chisato SUETSUGU, Kazutada SASAKI
  • Patent number: 11230255
    Abstract: A pop-up hood apparatus includes a hood, a hood lock mechanism, a support mechanism of the hood lock mechanism, and an actuator that displaces the hood lock mechanism upward. The support mechanism includes a movable block that supports the hood lock mechanism and a base block and that supports the movable block such that the movable block is slidable upward and downward. The base block has a long hole that extends along a vertical direction. A protrusion part that is slidably inserted in the long hole is provided on the movable block. A resistance-applying part that comes into contact with the protrusion part and that applies a resistance to the protrusion part is provided in at least a higher region of the long hole than a required elevation position of the hood.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazutada Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11148634
    Abstract: The present invention addresses the problem of enlarging a clearance between an engine room and a hood so as to reduce an impact when a protection target collides with a vehicle body and suitably prevent the collision between the protection target and a windshield lower and/or a wiper. This vehicle body structure includes: a hood provided at a vehicle body; and a shift mechanism by which the hood is moved relative to the vehicle body, wherein the shift mechanism supports the hood movable with respect to the vehicle body and moves the hood upward and rearward with respect to the vehicle body. The vehicle body includes a wiper configured to wipe a front window W and the shift mechanism moves the hood to a position where the hood and at least part of the wiper overlap in a vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masato Sasaki, Kazutada Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20210301563
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle latch device including a latch body capable of being lifted up in a state of latching a striker provided to a hood of a vehicle; a position holder that holds a position of the latch body on a vehicle body side during a normal time; and an actuator that is interposed between the latch body and the position holder and lifts up the latch body at a time of pop-up. On the position holder, a striker releaser is disposed which releases a latched state of the striker latched by a latch of a latch mechanism provided to the latch body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Kazutada SASAKI, Chisato SUETSUGU, Shin SAEKI, Csaba Szente
  • Publication number: 20210301565
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle latch device including a latch body capable of being lifted up in a state of latching a hood of a vehicle; a position holder that holds a position of the latch body on a vehicle body side during a normal time; and an actuator that is interposed between the latch body and the position holder and lifts up the latch body at a time of pop-up. The latch body and the position holder are coupled by a pair of link mechanisms disposed side by side in a horizontal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Kazutada SASAKI, Chisato SUETSUGU, Shin SAEKI, Csaba Szente
  • Publication number: 20210300295
    Abstract: A hinge for a vehicle hood is provided. The hinge includes a hinge lower fixed to a vehicle body, and a hinge upper fixed to the hood and rotatably supported relative to the hinge lower. The hinge upper includes a first member rotatably supported relative to the hinge lower, and a second member fixed to the hood and relatively movable relative to the first member. The hinge further includes a first lock configured to be engageable with the first member to restrict rotation of the first member relative to the hinge lower. The first member and the second member are integrally rotatable relative to the hinge lower in a normal operation of opening and closing the hood. When the hood is caused to pop up, the first lock engages with the first member and the second member is relatively movable relative to the first member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Kazutada SASAKI, Chisato SUETSUGU, Shin SAEKI, Thomas Wood
  • Publication number: 20210301564
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle latch device including a latch body capable of being lifted up in a state of latching a hood of a vehicle; a position holder that holds a position of the latch body on a vehicle body side during a normal time; and an actuator that is interposed between the latch body and the position holder and lifts up the latch body at a time of pop-up. The position holder has a latching portion that latches a part of the latch body. The latching portion latches the part of the latch body from a plurality of directions with a set of members. By extending, the actuator directly or indirectly pushes the latching portion to thereby release a latching state thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Kazutada SASAKI, Chisato SUETSUGU, Shin SAEKI, Csaba Szente
  • Patent number: 10975599
    Abstract: A vehicle body structure is provided. The vehicle body structure includes a hood provided at a vehicle body; and a transfer mechanism configured to move the hood relative to the vehicle body, the transfer mechanism including: a main actuator configured to move a vehicle-widthwise center portion of the hood relative to the vehicle body; and driven actuators configured to move the hood relative to the vehicle body on left and right sides of the main actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazutada Sasaki, Masato Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20200290682
    Abstract: A hood back portion moving mechanism is supported with a hinge on a side of a vehicle body such that a back end portion of a hood provided at a front portion of a vehicle body is able to be opened and closed, and the hood is lifted up by an actuator. A back end portion of a pop-up link is rotatably coupled to an upper hinge included in the hinge, the hood is rotatably coupled to a front end portion of the pop-up link, and the actuator is bridged over the upper hinge and the hood.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventors: Kazutada Sasaki, Chisato Suetsugu
  • Publication number: 20200290683
    Abstract: A pop-up hood apparatus includes a hood, a hood lock mechanism, an actuator for raising, and an auxiliary support section configured to support a side edge portion of the hood from below upon an actuation of the actuator. The auxiliary support section includes a load receiving block configured to support the side edge portion of the hood from below, a biasing member configured to bias the load receiving block upward, a displacement restricting member configured to restrict upward displacement of the load receiving block, and a restriction releasing section configured to release upward displacement restriction of the load receiving block according to upward displacement of the hood lock mechanism. The displacement restricting member is displaced to a position that abuts a lower surface of the load receiving block when the load receiving block that has been released upward displacement restriction is displaced upward by a predetermined amount or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventors: Kazutada Sasaki, Masato Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20200269931
    Abstract: A pop-up hood apparatus includes a hood, a hood lock mechanism, a support mechanism, an actuator, and a pair of auxiliary support parts. The support mechanism has a movable block and a base block. Each auxiliary support part includes: a load reception block that is capable of supporting the side edge part of the hood from below; a biasing member that biases the load reception block upward; and a displacement regulation member that regulates an upward displacement from an initial position of the load reception block against a biasing force of the biasing member. The movable block and the displacement regulation member are interlocked by an interlock part that displaces the displacement regulation member in a regulation release direction in response to an upward displacement of the movable block by the actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventor: Kazutada Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20200262386
    Abstract: A pop-up hood apparatus includes a hood, a hood lock mechanism, a support mechanism of the hood lock mechanism, and an actuator that displaces the hood lock mechanism upward. The support mechanism includes a movable block that supports the hood lock mechanism and a base block and that supports the movable block such that the movable block is slidable upward and downward. The base block has a long hole that extends along a vertical direction. A protrusion part that is slidably inserted in the long hole is provided on the movable block. A resistance-applying part that comes into contact with the protrusion part and that applies a resistance to the protrusion part is provided in at least a higher region of the long hole than a required elevation position of the hood.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Inventor: Kazutada Sasaki