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).

  • Patent number: 8496287
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Matsuura, Shigeto Yasuhara, Kojiro Okabe, Ryota Abe, Ken Sato
  • Patent number: 8256831
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryota Abe, Kojiro Okabe, Shinichi Yoshikawa
  • Publication number: 20120086225
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji MATSUURA, Shigeto Yasuhara, Kojiro Okabe, Ryota Abe, Ken Sato
  • Patent number: 8151921
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kojiro Okabe, Hidemi Tamaki
  • Patent number: 8056926
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kojiro Okabe, Fumitoshi Kase, Shigeto Yasuhara
  • Publication number: 20110148151
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryota Abe, Kojiro Okabe, Shinichi Yoshikawa
  • Publication number: 20100259033
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kojiro Okabe, Fumitoshi Kase, Shigeto Yasuhara
  • Publication number: 20100231006
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kojiro Okabe, Hidemi Tamaki
  • Patent number: 7641246
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoaki Ichikawa, Keiichi Honda, Kojiro Okabe
  • Publication number: 20090140546
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kojiro Okabe, Shigeto Yasuhara
  • Publication number: 20080315597
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2008
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoaki Ichikawa, Keiichi Honda, Kojiro Okabe
  • Patent number: 7338099
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kojiro Okabe, Katsuhiko Shiotsuki, Nobuyuki Tsuichihara, Noboru Hayashi
  • Patent number: 7108092
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takaki Suwa, Kojiro Okabe, Tatsuo Marushima, Takashi Abe, Shigeru Iba, Yousuke Satoh
  • Publication number: 20060138790
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2005
    Publication date: June 29, 2006
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kojiro Okabe, Katsuhiko Shiotsuki, Nobuyuki Tsuichihara, Noboru Hayashi
  • Patent number: 6880655
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takaki Suwa, Kojiro Okabe, Tatsuo Marushima
  • Publication number: 20040195020
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2004
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Inventors: Takaki Suwa, Kojiro Okabe, Tatsuo Marushima, Takashi Abe, Shigeru Iba, Yousuke Satoh
  • Publication number: 20030042055
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2002
    Publication date: March 6, 2003
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takaki Suwa, Kojiro Okabe, Tatsuo Marushima