Patents by Inventor Keizo Kawasaki

Keizo Kawasaki 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: 20170080979
    Abstract: There is provided an automotive vehicle which comprises a side door, impact bars provided at the side door, a side inner panel, a first reinforcing member provided to extend along a rear side of a peripheral portion of an entrance portion and joined to an outside of the side inner panel so as to form a first closed cross section together with the side inner panel, and second reinforcing members joined to an outside of the first reinforcing member so as to form second closed cross sections together with the first reinforcing member, the second reinforcing members being configured to overlap with the impact bars, in a side view, when the side door closes the entrance portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichi SATO, Keizo KAWASAKI, Yuuichi SUGIMURA
  • Patent number: 9592856
    Abstract: There are provided a pair of roof rails, a roof panel, a front header, a pair of front pillars, and a pair of center pillars, and a pair of front inclination roof reinforcements provided at a lower face of the roof panel. Each of the front inclination roof reinforcements is configured to extend obliquely from its front portion which is joined to the front header to its rear portion which is positioned on an outward side, in a vehicle width direction, relative to the front portion and joined to a portion located in the vicinity of a joint portion of the center pillar and the roof rail. Thereby, the torsional rigidity of a vehicle body can be properly improved, so that the maneuverability/stability of a vehicle can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakamura, Keizo Kawasaki, Kenichi Sato
  • Publication number: 20160311471
    Abstract: A vehicle body side part structure for a vehicle includes a side sill connected to the lower part of a pillar, and a partition member provided within the side sill. The partition member includes a partition wall for dividing a closed sectional space of the side sill in the vehicle front-rear direction, and joint flange joined to the inner surface of a side sill inner member. The partition wall includes a ridge extending from a side of the side sill outer reinforcement to a side of the side sill inner member and connected to the joint flange. A widening portion is formed at an end of on the ridge close to the joint flange. This configuration makes it possible to improve the load transmission performance at the time of a side collision of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira IYOSHI, Shigeaki WATANABE, Keizo KAWASAKI, Takahiro KAGEYAMA
  • Publication number: 20160236721
    Abstract: There are provided a pair of roof rails, a roof panel, a front header, a pair of front pillars, a windshield provided between the front header and the front pillars, a front inclination roof reinforcement extending rearward, a front portion of which is joined to the front header, and partition members provided inside the front header at respective positions which do not overlap with, in a vehicle width direction, the front inclination roof reinforcement. Thereby, vertical vibrations of the front header caused by vertical vibrations of the windshield can be suppressed with a light structure, so that the comfortability of the ride (the vibration damping performance) can be improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi NAKAMURA, Keizo KAWASAKI, Kenichi SATO
  • Publication number: 20160236722
    Abstract: There are provided a pair of roof rails, a roof panel, a front header, a pair of front pillars, and a pair of center pillars, and a pair of front inclination roof reinforcements provided at a lower face of the roof panel. Each of the front inclination roof reinforcements is configured to extend obliquely from its front portion which is joined to the front header to its rear portion which is positioned on an outward side, in a vehicle width direction, relative to the front portion and joined to a portion located in the vicinity of a joint portion of the center pillar and the roof rail. Thereby, the torsional rigidity of a vehicle body can be properly improved, so that the maneuverability/stability of a vehicle can be improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi NAKAMURA, Keizo KAWASAKI, Kenichi SATO
  • Patent number: 9079618
    Abstract: A pair of right-and-left roof rails, a roof panel provided between the roof rails, a roof reinforcement extending in a vehicle width direction below the roof panel, a center pillar, and a gusset joined to an end portion, in the vehicle width direction, of the roof reinforcement are provided. Further, a node-shaped plate member is provided inside the roof rail at a position which overlaps the roof reinforcement longitudinally and vertically. Accordingly, buckling of a portion of the roof reinforcement which is located in the vicinity of a roof side can be restrained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuyoshi Ishigame, Yuichi Sugimura, Sakayu Terada, Keizo Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 8899662
    Abstract: A rear apron panel is provided between a suspension tower and a dash panel. A vertical branch brace is provided to extend upwardly from a front side frame along an inner face of a suspension tower to form a closed cross section with a rear portion of the suspension tower. A deformation restraint member interconnects the apron frame and the vertical branch brace. Accordingly, there is provided a vehicle-body front structure which can restrain the apron frame from deforming outwardly in the vehicle width direction in the vehicle frontal collision to prevent the dash panel from moving back into the vehicle compartment too much.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroto Kido, Masanobu Fukushima, Isamu Kizaki, Satoshi Nakamura, Keizo Kawasaki, Manabu Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20140175839
    Abstract: A pair of right-and-left roof rails, a roof panel provided between the roof rails, a roof reinforcement extending in a vehicle width direction below the roof panel, a center pillar, and a gusset joined to an end portion, in the vehicle width direction, of the roof reinforcement are provided. Further, a node-shaped plate member is provided inside the roof rail at a position which overlaps the roof reinforcement longitudinally and vertically. Accordingly, buckling of a portion of the roof reinforcement which is located in the vicinity of a roof side can be restrained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuyoshi ISHIGAME, Yuichi SUGIMURA, Sakayu TERADA, Keizo KAWASAKI
  • Patent number: 8690227
    Abstract: A gusset member which is provided in back of a front wheel and connects a dash panel and a hinge pillar is provided. A first reinforcing member which is connected to the gusset member to reinforce a lower portion of the hinge pillar is provided. Accordingly, a cabin deformation of a vehicle side portion as a whole can be properly restrained, thereby ensuring a sufficient space of a vehicle compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hidenori Matsuoka, Akiyoshi Masuda, Keizo Kawasaki, Masanobu Fukushima, Atsushi Kawamoto, Hiromasa Honji
  • Patent number: 8292356
    Abstract: A reinforcing member is provided at a lower-outside corner of a side-sill reinforcement so as to extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction including a connection portion of the side sill to a center pillar for straining deformation of the corner. A deformation promoting portion which is provided at an upper portion of the side-sill reinforcement at a specified position which corresponds to the connection portion for prompting deformation of the upper portion of the side-sill reinforcement. Accordingly, a lower vehicle-body structure of a vehicle which can properly restrain the side sill and the center pillar from coming toward the vehicle inside at the vehicle side crash can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuyoshi Ishigame, Yuichi Sugimura, Masaki Motoki, Yukari Fujii, Akihiro Yukimori, Yoshikazu Nishimura, Kohei Kirita, Katsumi Ejima, Keizo Kawasaki
  • Publication number: 20120205944
    Abstract: A rear apron panel is provided between a suspension tower and a dash panel. A vertical branch brace is provided to extend upwardly from a front side frame along an inner face of a suspension tower to form a closed cross section with a rear portion of the suspension tower. A deformation restraint member interconnects the apron frame and the vertical branch brace. Accordingly, there is provided a vehicle-body front structure which can restrain the apron frame from deforming outwardly in the vehicle width direction in the vehicle frontal collision to prevent the dash panel from moving back into the vehicle compartment too much.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroto KIDO, Masanobu FUKUSHIMA, Isamu KIZAKI, Satoshi NAKAMURA, Keizo KAWASAKI, Manabu HASHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20100237659
    Abstract: A reinforcing member is provided at a lower-outside corner of a side-sill reinforcement so as to extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction including a connection portion of the side sill to a center pillar for straining deformation of the corner. A deformation promoting portion which is provided at an upper portion of the side-sill reinforcement at a specified position which corresponds to the connection portion for prompting deformation of the upper portion of the side-sill reinforcement. Accordingly, a lower vehicle-body structure of a vehicle which can properly restrain the side sill and the center pillar from coming toward the vehicle inside at the vehicle side crash can be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuyoshi ISHIGAME, Yuichi SUGIMURA, Masaki MOTOKI, Yukari FUJII, Akihiro YUKIMORI, Yoshikazu NISHIMURA, Kohei KIRITA, Katsumi EJIMA, Keizo KAWASAKI