Patents by Inventor Kojiro Okabe
Kojiro Okabe 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).
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Patent number: 8496287Abstract: A front vehicle body structure includes, on each of left and right sides, a front side frame, an upper member, a frame connecting member, an impact absorbing mechanism. The impact absorbing mechanism has a closed cross-sectional shape in frontal view of a vehicle. The impact absorbing mechanism includes an external wall and an internal wall. The external wall is substantially straight with respect to an upper internal wall of the upper member such that the frame connecting member is disposed therebetween. The internal wall has a shape in which at least a front portion of the internal wall between a central portion of the internal wall in its longitudinal direction and the bumper beam is obliquely bent outward.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2011Date of Patent: July 30, 2013Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yuji Matsuura, Shigeto Yasuhara, Kojiro Okabe, Ryota Abe, Ken Sato
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Patent number: 8256831Abstract: A vehicle body front structure is disclosed, wherein a large engine can be installed even if the entire vehicle body length is kept compact, and an impact load can be efficiently absorbed. In a vehicle body front structure (10), internal and external extension members (41, 42) protruding forward are provided to the front ends of left and right front side frames (11, 12) and the front ends of left and right upper members (13, 14) via a mounting plate (35). In the mounting plate, internal mounting parts (51) and front walls (68) of the internal extension members are inclined farther toward the front of the vehicle body nearer the center of the vehicle width direction.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2009Date of Patent: September 4, 2012Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Ryota Abe, Kojiro Okabe, Shinichi Yoshikawa
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Publication number: 20120086225Abstract: A front vehicle body structure includes, on each of left and right sides, a front side frame, an upper member, a frame connecting member, an impact absorbing mechanism. The impact absorbing mechanism has a closed cross-sectional shape in frontal view of a vehicle. The impact absorbing mechanism includes an external wall and an internal wall. The external wall is substantially straight with respect to an upper internal wall of the upper member such that the frame connecting member is disposed therebetween. The internal wall has a shape in which at least a front portion of the internal wall between a central portion of the internal wall in its longitudinal direction and the bumper beam is obliquely bent outward.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2011Publication date: April 12, 2012Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Yuji MATSUURA, Shigeto Yasuhara, Kojiro Okabe, Ryota Abe, Ken Sato
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Patent number: 8151921Abstract: A vehicle front structure is disclosed in which a bulkhead (15) is provided between left and right front side frames (11), and a cooling unit (17) is provided having a radiator in the bulkhead. An upper support bracket (41) and a lower support bracket (42) for supporting upper and lower parts of the cooling unit are provided so as to be capable of sliding in a rearward direction of the vehicle body. The upper and lower support brackets slide in the rearward direction of the vehicle body when the vehicle is involved in a light collision, whereby the cooling unit moves rearward while kept in a vertical state and damage is reduced.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2008Date of Patent: April 10, 2012Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kojiro Okabe, Hidemi Tamaki
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Patent number: 8056926Abstract: Overlapping section (81) is constructed by positioning an inner side wall portion (78) of an outer impact absorbing section (63) closer to a longitudinal centerline (48) of a vehicle body than an outer side wall (33, 103) of a front side frame (11, 12; 91), so that a collision impact load can be transmitted to the outer side wall portion by way of the overlapping section. Inner impact absorbing section (62) projects forward by a greater length than an outer impact absorbing section (63). Thus, an airbag-deploying acceleration threshold value Gs is set within a range between an acceleration level when the inner impact absorbing section (62) alone is deformed by impact energy and an acceleration level when the inner and outer impact absorbing sections (62, 63) are deformed.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2008Date of Patent: November 15, 2011Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kojiro Okabe, Fumitoshi Kase, Shigeto Yasuhara
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Publication number: 20110148151Abstract: A vehicle body front structure is disclosed, wherein a large engine can be installed even if the entire vehicle body length is kept compact, and an impact load can be efficiently absorbed. In a vehicle body front structure (10), internal and external extension members (41, 42) protruding forward are provided to the front ends of left and right front side frames (11, 12) and the front ends of left and right upper members (13, 14) via a mounting plate (35). In the mounting plate, internal mounting parts (51) and front walls (68) of the internal extension members are inclined farther toward the front of the vehicle body nearer the center of the vehicle width direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2009Publication date: June 23, 2011Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Ryota Abe, Kojiro Okabe, Shinichi Yoshikawa
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Publication number: 20100259033Abstract: Overlapping section (81) is constructed by positioning an inner side wall portion (78) of an outer impact absorbing section (63) closer to a longitudinal centerline (48) of a vehicle body than an outer side wall (33, 103) of a front side frame (11, 12; 91), so that a collision impact load can be transmitted to the outer side wall portion by way of the overlapping section. Inner impact absorbing section (62) projects forward by a greater length than an outer impact absorbing section (63). Thus, an airbag-deploying acceleration threshold value Gs is set within a range between an acceleration level when the inner impact absorbing section (62) alone is deformed by impact energy and an acceleration level when the inner and outer impact absorbing sections (62, 63) are deformed.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2008Publication date: October 14, 2010Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Kojiro Okabe, Fumitoshi Kase, Shigeto Yasuhara
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Publication number: 20100231006Abstract: A vehicle front structure is disclosed in which a bulkhead (15) is provided between left and right front side frames (11), and a cooling unit (17) is provided having a radiator in the bulkhead. An upper support bracket (41) and a lower support bracket (42) for supporting upper and lower parts of the cooling unit are provided so as to be capable of sliding in a rearward direction of the vehicle body. The upper and lower support brackets slide in the rearward direction of the vehicle body when the vehicle is involved in a light collision, whereby the cooling unit moves rearward while kept in a vertical state and damage is reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2008Publication date: September 16, 2010Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Kojiro Okabe, Hidemi Tamaki
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Patent number: 7641246Abstract: A bumper beam structure for a vehicle includes a height-raising wall provided on an upper portion of a beam body to be fixedly on left and right frames of a vehicle body. The height-raising wall includes: a bottom wall portion fixed to the upper portion of the beam body; a running-up preventing wall portion extending upwardly from the bottom wall portion; a first reinforcing wall portion connecting to the respective one end of the running-up preventing and bottom wall portions; and a second reinforcing wall portion connecting to the respective other ends of the running-up preventing and bottom wall portions. With such a height-raising wall, the bumper beam structure can interfere with another vehicle of a higher height to prevent the other vehicle from running up onto the vehicle provided with the bumper beam structure.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2008Date of Patent: January 5, 2010Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tomoaki Ichikawa, Keiichi Honda, Kojiro Okabe
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Publication number: 20090140546Abstract: A vehicle body front structure wherein impact absorbers are provided on front side frames and a bumper beam is provided to the impact absorbers. The bumper beam has high-strength parts in the rear halves of the left and right ends. The high-strength parts are supported by internal impact absorbers and external impact absorbers.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2008Publication date: June 4, 2009Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Kojiro Okabe, Shigeto Yasuhara
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Publication number: 20080315597Abstract: A bumper beam structure for a vehicle includes a height-raising wall provided on an upper portion of a beam body to be fixedly on left and right frames of a vehicle body. The height-raising wall includes: a bottom wall portion fixed to the upper portion of the beam body; a running-up preventing wall portion extending upwardly from the bottom wall portion; a first reinforcing wall portion connecting to the respective one end of the running-up preventing and bottom wall portions; and a second reinforcing wall portion connecting to the respective other ends of the running-up preventing and bottom wall portions. With such a height-raising wall, the bumper beam structure can interfere with another vehicle of a higher height to prevent the other vehicle from running up onto the vehicle provided with the bumper beam structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2008Publication date: December 25, 2008Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Tomoaki Ichikawa, Keiichi Honda, Kojiro Okabe
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Patent number: 7338099Abstract: A bumper beam structure has a metal and molded bumper beam main body extending in a width direction of a vehicle, wherein a rear face of the main body is joined to side frames of the vehicle; and a center gusset joined to a center portion of the bumper beam main body in the length direction of the main body so as to produce a closed section at a front face of the bumper beam main body. The center gusset has a pair of support walls which are respectively adhered and fastened to upper and lower walls of the bumper beam main body in a manner such that the support walls are respectively laid over the upper and the lower walls. Preferably, in each support wall, ends in a length direction of the support wall are inclined with respect to a plane which is perpendicular to the length direction.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2005Date of Patent: March 4, 2008Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kojiro Okabe, Katsuhiko Shiotsuki, Nobuyuki Tsuichihara, Noboru Hayashi
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Patent number: 7108092Abstract: A front grill impact-absorbing structure has a load-transmitting member (90) which retreats together with a front grill (30) when a collision force (F1) acts on the front grill from the front. By the load-transmitting member retreating together with the front grill, the collision force is transmitted to a water-cooled engine radiator (20) inside an engine compartment (11). In the initial state of the collision, the radiator absorbs the collision force and moderates the collision force.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2002Date of Patent: September 19, 2006Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takaki Suwa, Kojiro Okabe, Tatsuo Marushima, Takashi Abe, Shigeru Iba, Yousuke Satoh
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Publication number: 20060138790Abstract: A bumper beam structure has a metal and molded bumper beam main body extending in a width direction of a vehicle, wherein a rear face of the main body is joined to side frames of the vehicle; and a center gusset joined to a center portion of the bumper beam main body in the length direction of the main body so as to produce a closed section at a front face of the bumper beam main body. The center gusset has a pair of support walls which are respectively adhered and fastened to upper and lower walls of the bumper beam main body in a manner such that the support walls are respectively laid over the upper and the lower walls. Preferably, in each support wall, ends in a length direction of the support wall are inclined with respect to a plane which is perpendicular to the length direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 8, 2005Publication date: June 29, 2006Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kojiro Okabe, Katsuhiko Shiotsuki, Nobuyuki Tsuichihara, Noboru Hayashi
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Patent number: 6880655Abstract: An air-intake structure around a front grille for a vehicle in which an engine radiator is disposed at a front part of the body of a vehicle, and a front of the engine radiator is covered with the front grille. An air-intake port for an engine air-induction duct is disposed above the engine radiator. The air-intake port is offset to the left from a transverse center and is oriented toward the front grille. A closed portion is provided on the front grille which closes the entirety of a portion of the front grille which faces the air-intake port.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2002Date of Patent: April 19, 2005Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takaki Suwa, Kojiro Okabe, Tatsuo Marushima
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Publication number: 20040195020Abstract: A front grill impact-absorbing structure has a load-transmitting member (90) which retreats together with a front grill (30) when a collision force (F1) acts on the front grill from the front. By the load-transmitting member retreating together with the front grill, the collision force is transmitted to a water-cooled engine radiator (20) inside an engine compartment (11). In the initial state of the collision, the radiator absorbs the collision force and moderates the collision force.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2004Publication date: October 7, 2004Inventors: Takaki Suwa, Kojiro Okabe, Tatsuo Marushima, Takashi Abe, Shigeru Iba, Yousuke Satoh
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Publication number: 20030042055Abstract: An air-intake structure around a front grille for a vehicle in which an engine radiator is disposed at a front part of the body of a vehicle, and a front of the engine radiator is covered with the front grille. An air-intake port for an engine air-induction duct is disposed above the engine radiator. The air-intake port is offset to the left from a transverse center and is oriented toward the front grille. A closed portion is provided on the front grille which closes the entirety of a portion of the front grille which faces the air-intake port.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 15, 2002Publication date: March 6, 2003Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takaki Suwa, Kojiro Okabe, Tatsuo Marushima