Patents by Inventor Koichi Suyama

Koichi Suyama 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: 8249774
    Abstract: A toe angle changing control ECU for controlling a toe angle of wheels of a vehicle. The toe angle changing control ECU includes: a straight traveling state judging section for judging whether or not the vehicle is in a; a memory for storing the toe angle of the wheels while the vehicle is in the straight traveling state; and a toe angle setting section for setting the wheels to the toe angle stored in the memory when the straight traveling state judging section judges that the vehicle is in the straight traveling state. While in the straight traveling state, the wheels are set to a toe angle at which the wheels are substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, reducing the rolling resistance of the wheels, and improving fuel consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Suyama, Akiyoshi Kobayashi, Yutaka Horiuchi, Kenji Hattori
  • Publication number: 20120010781
    Abstract: A toe angle changing control ECU for controlling a toe angle of wheels of a vehicle. The toe angle changing control ECU includes: a straight traveling state judging section for judging whether or not the vehicle is in a; a memory for storing the toe angle of the wheels while the vehicle is in the straight traveling state; and a toe angle setting section for setting the wheels to the toe angle stored in the memory when the straight traveling state judging section judges that the vehicle is in the straight traveling state. While in the straight traveling state, the wheels are set to a toe angle at which the wheels are substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, reducing the rolling resistance of the wheels, and improving fuel consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koichi Suyama, Akiyoshi Kobayashi, Yutaka Horiuchi, Kenji Hattori
  • Patent number: 8050819
    Abstract: A toe angle changing control ECU for controlling a toe angle of wheels of a vehicle. The toe angle changing control ECU includes: a straight traveling state judging section for judging whether or not the vehicle is in a; a memory for storing the toe angle of the wheels while the vehicle is in the straight traveling state; and a toe angle setting section for setting the wheels to the toe angle stored in the memory (44) when the straight traveling state judging section judges that the vehicle is in the straight traveling state. While in the straight traveling state, the wheels are set to a toe angle at which the wheels are substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, reducing the rolling resistance of the wheels, and improving fuel consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Suyama, Akiyoshi Kobayashi, Yutaka Horiuchi, Kenji Hattori
  • Patent number: 8011675
    Abstract: In an expansion actuator employing a screw feed mechanism, when a screw feed mechanism (60) formed from a male thread member (58) and a female thread member (59) that are screwed one into the other is driven by a motor (33) via a reduction gear (44), relative displacement between the male thread member (58) and the female thread member (59) in the direction of an axis (L) can be outputted as expansion and contraction due to relative movement of first and second housings (31, 32). Since the screw feed mechanism (60) is disposed so as to surround outer peripheries of the motor (33) and the reduction gear (44), which are disposed on the axis (L), compared with a case in which the motor (33), the reduction gear (44), and the screw feed mechanism (60) are disposed in series on the axis (L), it is possible to make the dimension of the expansion actuator (14) in the axis (L) direction smaller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Koichi Suyama
  • Patent number: 7990003
    Abstract: A telescopic actuator includes a motor having a rotation shaft, a reduction gear which decelerates an output rotation of the rotation shaft, a feed screw mechanism having a male screw member and a female screw member which are relatively rotated by an output rotation of the reduction gear, a first housing accommodating the motor, and a second housing accommodating the reduction gear and the feed screw mechanism. The first housing and the second housing are detachably attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Suyama, Yutaka Horiuchi, Hajime Kajiwara, Takehiko Hakui, Kotaro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7883147
    Abstract: A vehicle seat cushion structure whereby even when a steering wheel or other object is pushed closer toward a vehicle occupant after a vehicle is involved in a head-on collision and little space is left in front of the vehicle occupant, the space can be readily enlarged. The cushion structure comprises a supporting member provided on a seat frame and a cushion member disposed in a folded state on the supporting member. The folded cushion member is capable of being withdrawn from a cushion removal opening formed on a side of a seat. Space is provided between the vehicle occupant and the steering wheel or the like when the cushion member is removed via the cushion removal opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Matsumoto, Kenji Hattori, Koichi Suyama
  • Publication number: 20100066040
    Abstract: In an expansion actuator employing a screw feed mechanism, when a screw feed mechanism (60) formed from a male thread member (58) and a female thread member (59) that are screwed one into the other is driven by a motor (33) via a reduction gear (44), relative displacement between the male thread member (58) and the female thread member (59) in the direction of an axis (L) can be outputted as expansion and contraction due to relative movement of first and second housings (31, 32). Since the screw feed mechanism (60) is disposed so as to surround outer peripheries of the motor (33) and the reduction gear (44), which are disposed on the axis (L), compared with a case in which the motor (33), the reduction gear (44), and the screw feed mechanism (60) are disposed in series on the axis (L), it is possible to make the dimension of the expansion actuator (14) in the axis (L) direction smaller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Koichi Suyama
  • Patent number: 7562738
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus for detecting an operation amount of or an operation state quantity by an operation force on each of two independent operation elements to thereby control a steering unit based on a difference between the operation state quantities so detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Suyama, Takamitsu Tajima, Yoshinobu Tada, Kouichi Sato
  • Patent number: 7552794
    Abstract: An input device 30A of an electric steering device 1 includes a pair of steering wheels 31A, 31B. When both the steering wheels 31A, 31B or one of the steering wheels 31A, 31B. is operated being rotated, front wheels 9 can be steered. Further, when both the steering wheels 31A, 31B or one of the steering wheels 31A, 31B is slid in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle, the front wheels 9 can be steered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norifumi Tamura, Takamitsu Tajima, Yoshinobu Tada, Koichi Suyama, Shigeki Ehara
  • Publication number: 20090134686
    Abstract: A vehicle seat which comprises a seat cushion, a frame for the seat cushion, and a seat pan supported by the seat cushion frame. A surface of the seat pan is covered with a cushion material, and a cutout is formed in a front portion of the seat pan. The cutout is shaped such that a leg of an occupant sitting on the seat cushion can fit in the cutout while deforming the cushion material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Naito, Yuta Urushiyama, Koichi Suyama
  • Publication number: 20090066132
    Abstract: A vehicle seat cushion structure whereby even when a steering wheel or other object is pushed closer toward a vehicle occupant after a vehicle is involved in a head-on collision and little space is left in front of the vehicle occupant, the space can be readily enlarged. The cushion structure comprises a supporting member provided on a seat frame and a cushion member disposed in a folded state on the supporting member. The folded cushion member is capable of being withdrawn from a cushion removal opening formed on a side of a seat. Space is provided between the vehicle occupant and the steering wheel or the like when the cushion member is removed via the cushion removal opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Matsumoto, Kenji Hattori, Koichi Suyama
  • Publication number: 20080201037
    Abstract: To provide a toe angle changing control ECU for controlling a toe angle of wheels of a vehicle. The toe angle changing control ECU includes: a straight traveling state judging section (41) for judging whether or not the vehicle is in a straight traveling state within a predetermined time period based on detection results (a vehicle speed, a steering torque, a yaw rate, and a lateral acceleration) of the traveling condition of the vehicle; a memory (44) for storing the toe angle of the wheels while the vehicle is in the straight traveling state; and a toe angle setting section (43) for setting the wheels to the toe angle stored in the memory (44) when the straight traveling state judging section (41) judges that the vehicle is in the straight traveling state. While the vehicle is in the straight traveling state, the wheels are set to a toe angle at which the wheels are substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the rolling resistance of the wheels becomes minimum theoretically.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koichi Suyama, Akiyoshi Kobayashi, Yutaka Horiuchi, Kenji Hattori
  • Publication number: 20080157612
    Abstract: A telescopic actuator includes a motor having a rotation shaft, a reduction gear which decelerates an output rotation of the rotation shaft, a feed screw mechanism having a male screw member and a female screw member which are relatively rotated by an output rotation of the reduction gear, a first housing accommodating the motor, and a second housing accommodating the reduction gear and the feed screw mechanism. The first housing and the second housing are detachably attached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koichi Suyama, Yutaka Horiuchi, Hajime Kajiwara, Takehiko Hakui, Kotaro Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20060214409
    Abstract: An input device 30A of an electric steering device 1 includes a pair of steering wheels 31A, 31B. When both the steering wheels 31A, 31B or one of the steering wheels 31A, 31B. is operated being rotated, front wheels 9 can be steered. Further, when both the steering wheels 31A, 31B or one of the steering wheels 31A, 31B is slid in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle, the front wheels 9 can be steered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2006
    Publication date: September 28, 2006
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norifumi Tamura, Takamitsu Tajima, Yoshinobu Tada, Koichi Suyama, Shigeki Ehara
  • Publication number: 20060118350
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus for detecting an operation amount of or an operation state quantity by an operation force on each of two independent operation elements to thereby control a steering unit based on a difference between the operation state quantities so detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Suyama, Takamitsu Tajima, Yoshinobu Tada, Kouichi Sato
  • Patent number: 6968919
    Abstract: A cable type steering system includes an operation cable having an outer tube and inner cable slidably received in the outer tube. A drive pulley coupled to a steering wheel for rotation and a driven pulley coupled to a steering gear box for steering wheels for rotation are connected to end portions of the inner cable. A steering torque inputted to the steering wheel is transmitted to the steering gear box via the inner cable of the operation cable. At least one of a first portion of the system extending from the drive pulley to a first position of the outer tube and a second portion of the system extending from the driven pulley to a second position of the outer tube is accommodated within a waterproof space formed by a cover, such as a rubber cover or a cover molded of synthetic resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuo Shimizu, Koichi Suyama, Katsuji Watanabe, Atsuhiko Yoneda
  • Patent number: 6796567
    Abstract: A cable-type steering device in which a driving pulley coupled to a first pulley shaft connected to a steering wheel and a follower pulley coupled to a second pulley shaft connected to a steering gear box are connected to each other by operating cables, whereby a steering torque input to the steering wheel is transmitted through the operating cables to the steering gear box. At least one of transmission of a steering torque between the driving pulley and the first pulley shaft and transmission of a steering torque between the follower pulley and the second pulley shaft is carried out through a tapered coupling portion including a tapered surface formed on an outer periphery of at least one of the first and second pulley shafts and a tapered surface formed on an inner periphery of at least one of the driving pulley and the follower pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuo Shimizu, Atsuhiko Yoneda, Katsuji Watanabe, Koichi Suyama
  • Patent number: 6752424
    Abstract: A cable type steering system includes a drive pulley coupled to a steering wheel for rotation and having a drive pulley main body, a driven pulley coupled to a steering gear box for steering wheels for rotation and having a driven pulley main body, and an operation cable connecting the drive pulley with the driven pulley, so that a steering torque inputted to the steering wheel is transmitted to the steering gear box via the operation cable. At least one of the drive pulley main body and the driven pulley main body may be molded of a synthetic resin in such a manner as to cover a detent portion formed on an outer circumference of a pulley boss made of a metal both from an axial direction and a radial direction, and at least part of the covered detent portion is visible from outside of the covering pulley main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuo Shimizu, Koichi Suyama, Katsuji Watanabe, Atsuhiko Yoneda
  • Publication number: 20030080546
    Abstract: A cable-type steering device in which a driving pulley coupled to a first pulley shaft connected to a steering wheel and a follower pulley coupled to a second pulley shaft connected to a steering gear box are connected to each other by operating cables, whereby a steering torque input to the steering wheel is transmitted through the operating cables to the steering gear box. At least one of transmission of a steering torque between the driving pulley and the first pulley shaft and transmission of a steering torque between the follower pulley and the second pulley shaft is carried out through a tapered coupling portion including a tapered surface formed on an outer periphery of at least one of the first and second pulley shafts and a tapered surface formed on an inner periphery of at least one of the driving pulley and the follower pulley.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2002
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuo Shimizu, Atsuhiko Yoneda, Katsuji Watanabe, Koichi Suyama
  • Publication number: 20030071449
    Abstract: A cable type steering system includes an operation cable having an outer tube and inner cable slidably received in the outer tube. A drive pulley coupled to a steering wheel for rotation is connected to one end portion of the inner cable, and a driven pulley coupled to a steering gear box for steering wheels for rotation. A driven pulley is connected to the other end portion of the inner cable. A steering torque inputted to the steering wheel is transmitted to the steering gear box via the inner cable of the operation cable. At least one of a first portion extending from the drive pulley to a first optional position of the outer tube and a second portion extending from the driven pulley to a second optional position of the outer tube is accommodated within a waterproof space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2002
    Publication date: April 17, 2003
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuo Shimizu, Koichi Suyama, Katsuji Watanabe, Atsuhiko Yoneda