Patents by Inventor Masaru Chikita

Masaru Chikita 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: 11541941
    Abstract: A front vehicle-body structure is provided that is lightweight and reduces an impact load transmitted to lower limbs of an occupant. Embodiments include a transmission disposed in a vehicle front portion, a dash lower panel dividing an inside from an outside of a vehicle cabin in a vehicle rear of the transmission, and an organ type accelerator pedal disposed on a vehicle-width-direction inner side of the dash lower panel opposed to the transmission. The dash lower panel includes a panel rear portion in which the accelerator pedal is arranged, a panel front portion extending from the panel rear portion to a vehicle front upper side, and a fragile portion extending in a vehicle width direction along a boundary between the panel rear portion and the panel front portion, which is fragile compared to the panel rear portion and the panel front portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki Nagashima, Masaru Chikita, Yasushi Ishikawa, Ken Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 11279417
    Abstract: A vehicle underbody structure includes a catalyst disposed in a front portion of an exhaust pipe; a cover member for covering the catalyst from above; and a heat insulator disposed inside a tunnel portion behind the catalyst and configured to cover the exhaust pipe from above. The heat insulator is disposed away from the tunnel portion by a predetermined gap in an up-down direction. A front portion of the heat insulator and a rear portion of the cover member are disposed in such a way as to overlap each other. A front end of the heat insulator is disposed on the upper side with respect to a rear end of the cover member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hironobu Sakashita, Masaru Chikita, Kazuhiro Kageyama, Kohei Miyamoto
  • Publication number: 20210323611
    Abstract: A front vehicle-body structure is provided that is lightweight and reduces an impact load transmitted to lower limbs of an occupant. Embodiments include a transmission disposed in a vehicle front portion, a dash lower panel dividing an inside from an outside of a vehicle cabin in a vehicle rear of the transmission, and an organ type accelerator pedal disposed on a vehicle-width-direction inner side of the dash lower panel opposed to the transmission. The dash lower panel includes a panel rear portion in which the accelerator pedal is arranged, a panel front portion extending from the panel rear portion to a vehicle front upper side, and a fragile portion extending in a vehicle width direction along a boundary between the panel rear portion and the panel front portion, which is fragile compared to the panel rear portion and the panel front portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2021
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki NAGASHIMA, Masaru CHIKITA, Yasushi ISHIKAWA, Ken FUJIMOTO
  • Patent number: 11072379
    Abstract: A tire deflector device configured such that a deflector is disposed on a bottom portion of a vehicle in front of a front wheel is provided. The deflector includes a guide surface extending substantially horizontally in a vehicle longitudinal direction, and a vertical wall portion including a surface extending downwardly on a rear portion of the guide surface and extending in a vehicle width direction. An angle defined by a lower portion of a vertical wall portion including at least a lower end of the vertical wall portion and an imaginary orthogonal plane orthogonal to the guide surface lies within a range from 20 degrees to 45 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki Ikawa, Masaru Chikita
  • Patent number: 10960933
    Abstract: A torsion beam type of rear suspension comprising a pair of right-and-left trailing arms and a torsion beam. A floor under cover for airflow straightening is attached to a portion of a vehicle body in front of the rear suspension so as to cover a vehicle-body lower face. A cover-support bracket is laid between a rear portion of a side sill and an inward side, in a vehicle width direction, of an arm pivot of the trail arm. A portion of the floor under cover which is positioned in the vicinity of its rear end is engaged with the cover-support bracket such that a rear end portion of the floor under cover is extended from an inward-side edge of a front portion of a rear wheel house to an inside of the rear wheel house.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuhei Nishida, Yoshiatsu Kuga, Masaru Chikita
  • Patent number: 10906599
    Abstract: A garnish is provided with a protrusion portion which protrudes outwardly, in a vehicle width direction, so as to suppress a side-face airflow flowing below a door maximum-width portion of a side portion of a cabin from going around below a vehicle floor. A plate-shaped tire deflector is provided at a lower end portion of a front edge of a rear wheel house which corresponds to a position, in a vertical direction, of a rear end portion of the protrusion portion, wherein the tire deflector is configured to deflect a side-face airflow flowing above the protrusion portion such that the side-face airflow is turned toward an outward side, in the vehicle width direction, so as not to flow into the rear wheel house and adheres to a tire-wheel outer face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuhei Nishida, Yoshiatsu Kuga, Issei Yasuda, Masaru Chikita
  • Patent number: 10787208
    Abstract: A torsion beam type of rear suspension comprising a pair of right-and-left trailing arms and a torsion beam connecting the trailing arms is provided. A floor under cover for airflow straightening is attached to a portion of a vehicle body in front of the rear suspension so as to cover a vehicle-body lower face. A arm cover is attached to a lower portion of the trailing arm so as to cover a lower face of the trailing arm. The arm cover is provided with an arm-cover enlarged portion which is configured to protrude outwardly, in a vehicle width direction, from the trailing arm in a vehicle bottom-face view. The floor under cover is provided with a floor-under-cover enlarged portion such that a rear end portion of the floor under cover faces closely to a front edge of the arm-cover enlarged portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuhei Nishida, Yoshiatsu Kuga, Masaru Chikita, Hiroyuki Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20200298914
    Abstract: A vehicle underbody structure includes a catalyst disposed in a front portion of an exhaust pipe; a cover member for covering the catalyst from above; and a heat insulator disposed inside a tunnel portion behind the catalyst and configured to cover the exhaust pipe from above. The heat insulator is disposed away from the tunnel portion by a predetermined gap in an up-down direction. A front portion of the heat insulator and a rear portion of the cover member are disposed in such a way as to overlap each other. A front end of the heat insulator is disposed on the upper side with respect to a rear end of the cover member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hironobu SAKASHITA, Masaru CHIKITA, Kazuhiro KAGEYAMA, Kohei MIYAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20200010129
    Abstract: A tire deflector device configured such that a deflector is disposed on a bottom portion of a vehicle in front of a front wheel is provided. The deflector includes a guide surface extending substantially horizontally in a vehicle longitudinal direction, and a vertical wall portion including a surface extending downwardly on a rear portion of the guide surface and extending in a vehicle width direction. An angle defined by a lower portion of a vertical wall portion including at least a lower end of the vertical wall portion and an imaginary orthogonal plane orthogonal to the guide surface lies within a range from 20 degrees to 45 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki IKAWA, Masaru CHIKITA
  • Publication number: 20190291524
    Abstract: A torsion beam type of rear suspension comprising a pair of right-and-left trailing arms and a torsion beam connecting the trailing arms is provided. A floor under cover for airflow straightening is attached to a portion of a vehicle body in front of the rear suspension so as to cover a vehicle-body lower face. A arm cover is attached to a lower portion of the trailing arm so as to cover a lower face of the trailing arm. The arm cover is provided with an arm-cover enlarged portion which is configured to protrude outwardly, in a vehicle width direction, from the trailing arm in a vehicle bottom-face view. The floor under cover is provided with a floor-under-cover enlarged portion such that a rear end portion of the floor under cover faces closely to a front edge of the arm-cover enlarged portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuhei NISHIDA, Yoshiatsu KUGA, Masaru CHIKITA, Hiroyuki TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20190291789
    Abstract: A torsion beam type of rear suspension comprising a pair of right-and-left trailing arms and a torsion beam. A floor under cover for airflow straightening is attached to a portion of a vehicle body in front of the rear suspension so as to cover a vehicle-body lower face. A cover-support bracket is laid between a rear portion of a side sill and an inward side, in a vehicle width direction, of an arm pivot of the trail arm. A portion of the floor under cover which is positioned in the vicinity of its rear end is engaged with the cover-support bracket such that a rear end portion of the floor under cover is extended from an inward-side edge of a front portion of a rear wheel house to an inside of the rear wheel house.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuhei NISHIDA, Yoshiatsu KUGA, Masaru CHIKITA
  • Publication number: 20190291791
    Abstract: A garnish is provided with a protrusion portion which protrudes outwardly, in a vehicle width direction, so as to suppress a side-face airflow flowing below a door maximum-width portion of a side portion of a cabin from going around below a vehicle floor. A plate-shaped tire deflector is provided at a lower end portion of a front edge of a rear wheel house which corresponds to a position, in a vertical direction, of a rear end portion of the protrusion portion, wherein the tire deflector is configured to deflect a side-face airflow flowing above the protrusion portion such that the side-face airflow is turned toward an outward side, in the vehicle width direction, so as not to flow into the rear wheel house and adheres to a tire-wheel outer face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuhei NISHIDA, Yoshiatsu KUGA, Issei YASUDA, Masaru CHIKITA
  • Patent number: 9254812
    Abstract: A vehicle comprises a bumper reinforcement extending in a vehicle width direction and a shock absorbing member fixed to a front face of the bumper reinforcement and extending in the vehicle width direction along the bumper reinforcement. The shock absorbing member comprises a base portion extending vertically along the front face of the bumper reinforcement and a projection portion extending forward from a lower end portion of the base portion and being resiliently-downward deformable relative to the base portion. Thus, the vehicle comprising the shock absorbing member provided in front of the bumper reinforcement with the leg-flicking function for the pedestrian protection can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Kuniyoshi Tashiro, Arihiro Furumoto, Ryo Ando, Masayuki Furutani, Masaru Chikita, Koji Miyamoto
  • Publication number: 20150136512
    Abstract: A vehicle comprises a bumper reinforcement extending in a vehicle width direction and a shock absorbing member fixed to a front face of the bumper reinforcement and extending in the vehicle width direction along the bumper reinforcement. The shock absorbing member comprises a base portion extending vertically along the front face of the bumper reinforcement and a projection portion extending forward from a lower end portion of the base portion and being resiliently-downward deformable relative to the base portion. Thus, the vehicle comprising the shock absorbing member provided in front of the bumper reinforcement with the leg-flicking function for the pedestrian protection can be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kuniyoshi TASHIRO, Arihiro FURUMOTO, Ryo ANDO, Masayuki FURUTANI, Masaru CHIKITA, Koji MIYAMOTO
  • Patent number: 7270366
    Abstract: The present invention is a floor panel structure of a car body that can reduce noise within the automobile cabin. The present invention is a car body floor panel structure wherein the floor of an automobile has a floor panel connected to car body frame members, and also a predetermined mode of vibration is generated to suppress the generation of acoustic emission from the floor panel. The floor panel vibration mode adjusting structure has rectangular rigidity adjusting areas that are formed by causing the floor panel to protrude upward or downward in order to generate 2×1 mode or 2×2 mode vibration in the floor panel in a frequency band that nearly matches the tire cavity resonance frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takanobu Kamura, Akinori Utsunomiya, Tsuyoshi Sugihara, Masaru Chikita
  • Patent number: 7134710
    Abstract: The present invention is a floor panel structure of a car body where an automobile floor comprises a floor panel that is connected to the frame members of the car body and also has a vibration mode adjusting structure that suppresses the generation of acoustic emission by generating 2×1 mode vibration in a predetermined frequency band. The floor panel has a non-rectangular vibration region and the vibration mode adjusting structure of the floor panels the vibration mode adjusting structure of the floor panel comprises a vibration adjusting part that defines the vibration distribution and vibration amplitude of the antinodes of 2×1 mode vibration, and the vibration adjusting part is disposed within the a non-rectangular vibration region so as to make the vibration volumes of two antinodes of vibration in 2×1 mode nearly the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takanobu Kamura, Masaru Chikita
  • Patent number: 7104595
    Abstract: The present invention is a floor panel structure of a car body where an automobile floor includes a floor panel that is connected to the frame members of the car body and also have a vibration mode adjusting structure that suppresses the generation of acoustic emission by generating 2×1 mode vibrations in a predetermined frequency band. The floor panel has a non-rectangular vibration region and the vibration mode adjusting structure of the floor panel has a vibration adjusting part that defines the position of node of 2×1 mode vibration, and this vibration adjusting part is disposed within the non-rectangular vibration region so as not to touch the frame members and so as to form two regions where the vibration volumes of two antinodes of vibration in 2×1 mode are made nearly the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takanobu Kamura, Masaru Chikita
  • Publication number: 20050116507
    Abstract: The present invention is a floor panel structure of a car body that can reduce noise within the automobile cabin. The present invention is a car body floor panel structure wherein the floor of an automobile has a floor panel connected to car body frame members, and also a predetermined mode of vibration is generated to suppress the generation of acoustic emission from the floor panel. The floor panel vibration mode adjusting structure has rectangular rigidity adjusting areas that are formed by causing the floor panel to protrude upward or downward in order to generate 2×1 mode or 2×2 mode vibration in the floor panel in a frequency band that nearly matches the tire cavity resonance frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2004
    Publication date: June 2, 2005
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takanobu Kamura, Akinori Utsunomiya, Tsuyoshi Sugihara, Masaru Chikita
  • Publication number: 20050040678
    Abstract: The present invention is a floor panel structure of a car body where an automobile floor comprises a floor panel that is connected to the frame members of the car body and also has a vibration mode adjusting structure that suppresses the generation of acoustic emission by generating 2×1 mode vibration in a predetermined frequency band. The floor panel has a non-rectangular vibration region and the vibration mode adjusting structure of the floor panels the vibration mode adjusting structure of the floor panel comprises a vibration adjusting part that defines the vibration distribution and vibration amplitude of the antinodes of 2×1 mode vibration, and the vibration adjusting part is disposed within the a non-rectangular vibration region so as to make the vibration volumes of two antinodes of vibration in 2×1 mode nearly the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2004
    Publication date: February 24, 2005
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takanobu Kamura, Masaru Chikita
  • Publication number: 20050040677
    Abstract: The present invention is a floor panel structure of a car body where an automobile floor includes a floor panel that is connected to the frame members of the car body and also have a vibration mode adjusting structure that suppresses the generation of acoustic emission by generating 2×1 mode vibrations in a predetermined frequency band. The floor panel has a non-rectangular vibration region and the vibration mode adjusting structure of the floor panel has a vibration adjusting part that defines the position of node of 2×1 mode vibration, and this vibration adjusting part is disposed within the non-rectangular vibration region so as not to touch the frame members and so as to form two regions where the vibration volumes of two antinodes of vibration in 2×1 mode are made nearly the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2004
    Publication date: February 24, 2005
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takanobu Kamura, Masaru Chikita