Patents by Inventor Masanobu Fukukawa

Masanobu Fukukawa 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: 7699383
    Abstract: A pedestrian protection apparatus for a vehicle, including a plate member which is disposed at a front face of the vehicle, which includes front and rear portions, and which is fixed at the rear portion to the vehicle with at least a leading end part of the front portion protruded from the front face of the vehicle, the apparatus being arranged to sweep a leg portion of a pedestrian, thereby protecting the leg portion, wherein the leading end part includes at least one horizontally extending portion and a plurality of vertically extending portions each having an anterior surface substantially orthogonal to a horizontal plane, the horizontally extending portion and the vertically extending portions being formed integrally with the leading end part so as to be alternately disposed in the frontward and backward direction of the vehicle and extend in a staircase-like form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Kojima Press Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanobu Fukukawa, Yoshihiro Ogura, Kaoru Ito, Kuniaki Hasegawa, Hiroki Kurokawa, Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, Naoki Goda
  • Patent number: 7607720
    Abstract: A pedestrian protection apparatus for a vehicle, including: a plate member, which includes front and rear portions, and which is fixed at the rear portion to the vehicle; and at least one reinforcing bead each formed integrally on the front portion of the plate member and each including a bead-extending portion and a bead-end portion which extends integrally from a rear-side edge of the bead-extending portion for connecting the rear-side edge and the rear portion of the plate member, the apparatus being arranged to sweep a leg portion of a pedestrian that has collided with the front of the vehicle by contact of a front end of the plate member with the leg portion, thereby protecting the leg portion, wherein a connecting portion between the bead-end portion and the rear portion of the plate member is gently curved without being folded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Kojima Press Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keisuke Noyori, Kuniaki Hasegawa, Yoshihiro Ogura, Masanobu Fukukawa
  • Patent number: 7597383
    Abstract: In a pedestrian protection apparatus installed in a lower part of a front of a vehicle, a plate extends in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and includes a front section having at least a portion protruding from the front of the vehicle, a rear section fixed to the vehicle, and a center section provided between the front and rear sections. The front section is more rigid than the rear section, and the center section is less rigid than the front section and more rigid than the rear section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Kojima Press Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kaoru Itou, Yoshihiro Ogura, Kuniaki Hasegawa, Masanobu Fukukawa, Hiroki Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 7575271
    Abstract: A pedestrian protection apparatus for a vehicle, includes a plate member which is disposed at a lower part of a front of the vehicle so as to extend in a frontward and backward direction of the vehicle, which includes a front portion and a rear portion; and a plurality of first reinforcing beads protruding upward and extending in the frontward and backward direction of the vehicle and a plurality of second reinforcing beads protruding downward and extending in the frontward and backward direction. The first reinforcing beads and the second reinforcing beads are provided integrally with the front portion so as to be alternately disposed in a vehicle width direction. The apparatus is arranged to sweep a leg portion that has collided with the front of the vehicle by contact of the plate member with the leg portion, thereby protecting the leg portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Kojima Press Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kuniaki Hasegawa, Masanobu Fukukawa, Yoshihiro Ogura, Keisuke Noyori, Hiroki Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 7441828
    Abstract: A pedestrian protection apparatus for a vehicle, including: a plate member, which includes front and rear portions, and which is fixed at the rear portion to the vehicle; and at least one reinforcing bead each formed integrally on the front portion of the plate member and each including a bead-extending portion and a bead-end portion which extends integrally from a rear-side edge of the bead-extending portion for connecting the rear-side edge and the rear portion of the plate member, the apparatus being arranged to sweep a leg portion of a pedestrian that has collided with the front of the vehicle by contact of a front end of the plate member with the leg portion, thereby protecting the leg portion, wherein a connecting portion between the bead-end portion and the rear portion of the plate member is gently curved without being folded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Kojima Press Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keisuke Noyori, Kuniaki Hasegawa, Yoshihiro Ogura, Masanobu Fukukawa
  • Publication number: 20080258485
    Abstract: A pedestrian protection apparatus for a vehicle, including a plate member which is disposed at a front face of the vehicle, which includes front and rear portions, and which is fixed at the rear portion to the vehicle with at least a leading end part of the front portion protruded from the front face of the vehicle, the apparatus being arranged to sweep a leg portion of a pedestrian, thereby protecting the leg portion, wherein the leading end part includes at least one horizontally extending portion and a plurality of vertically extending portions each having an anterior surface substantially orthogonal to a horizontal plane, the horizontally extending portion and the vertically extending portions being formed integrally with the leading end part so as to be alternately disposed in the frontward and backward direction of the vehicle and extend in a staircase-like form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Applicants: Kojima Press Industry Co., Ltd., Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masanobu Fukukawa, Yoshihiro Ogura, Kaoru Ito, Kuniaki Hasegawa, Hiroki Kurokawa, Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, Naoki Goda
  • Publication number: 20080217959
    Abstract: A pedestrian protection apparatus for a vehicle, including: a plate member, which includes front and rear portions, and which is fixed at the rear portion to the vehicle; and at least one reinforcing bead each formed integrally on the front portion of the plate member and each including a bead-extending portion and a bead-end portion which extends integrally from a rear-side edge of the bead-extending portion for connecting the rear-side edge and the rear portion of the plate member, the apparatus being arranged to sweep a leg portion of a pedestrian that has collided with the front of the vehicle by contact of a front end of the plate member with the leg portion, thereby protecting the leg portion, wherein a connecting portion between the bead-end portion and the rear portion of the plate member is gently curved without being folded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Applicant: Kojima Press Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keisuke NOYORI, Kuniaki HASEGAWA, Yoshihiro OGURA, Masanobu FUKUKAWA
  • Publication number: 20080001433
    Abstract: A pedestrian protection apparatus for a vehicle, including: a plate member, which includes front and rear portions, and which is fixed at the rear portion to the vehicle; and at least one reinforcing bead each formed integrally on the front portion of the plate member and each including a bead-extending portion and a bead-end portion which extends integrally from a rear-side edge of the bead-extending portion for connecting the rear-side edge and the rear portion of the plate member, the apparatus being arranged to sweep a leg portion of a pedestrian that has collided with the front of the vehicle by contact of a front end of the plate member with the leg portion, thereby protecting the leg portion, wherein a connecting portion between the bead-end portion and the rear portion of the plate member is gently curved without being folded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicant: Kojima Press Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keisuke NOYORI, Kuniaki HASEGAWA, Yoshihiro OGURA, Masanobu FUKUKAWA
  • Publication number: 20070284915
    Abstract: A pedestrian protection apparatus for a vehicle, includes a plate member which is disposed at a lower part of a front of the vehicle so as to extend in a frontward and backward direction of the vehicle, which includes a front portion and a rear portion; and a plurality of first reinforcing beads protruding upward and extending in the frontward and backward direction of the vehicle and a plurality of second reinforcing beads protruding downward and extending in the frontward and backward direction. The first reinforcing beads and the second reinforcing beads are provided integrally with the front portion so as to be alternately disposed in a vehicle width direction. The apparatus is arranged to sweep a leg portion that has collided with the front of the vehicle by contact of the plate member with the leg portion, thereby protecting the leg portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2007
    Publication date: December 13, 2007
    Applicant: Kojima Press Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kuniaki Hasegawa, Masanobu Fukukawa, Yoshihiro Ogura, Keisuke Noyori, Hiroki Kurokawa
  • Publication number: 20070138815
    Abstract: A pedestrian protection apparatus for a vehicle, including a plate member which is disposed at a front face of the vehicle, which includes front and rear portions, and which is fixed at the rear portion to the vehicle with at least a leading end part of the front portion protruded from the front face of the vehicle, the apparatus being arranged to sweep a leg portion of a pedestrian, thereby protecting the leg portion, wherein the leading end part includes at least one horizontally extending portion and a plurality of vertically extending portions each having an anterior surface substantially orthogonal to a horizontal plane, the horizontally extending portion and the vertically extending portions being formed integrally with the leading end part so as to be alternately disposed in the frontward and backward direction of the vehicle and extend in a staircase-like form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Applicants: Kojima Press Industry Co., Ltd., Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masanobu FUKUKAWA, Yoshihiro Ogura, Kaoru Ito, Kuniaki Hasegawa, Hiroki Kurokawa, Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, Naoki Goda
  • Publication number: 20070085356
    Abstract: In a pedestrian protection apparatus installed in a lower part of a front of a vehicle, a plate extends in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and includes a front section having at least a portion protruding from the front of the vehicle, a rear section fixed to the vehicle, and a center section provided between the front and rear sections. The front section is more rigid than the rear section, and the center section is less rigid than the front section and more rigid than the rear section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Publication date: April 19, 2007
    Applicant: Kojima Press Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kaoru Itou, Yoshihiro Ogura, Kuniaki Hasegawa, Masanobu Fukukawa, Hiroki Kurokawa