Patents by Inventor Masayuki Furutani

Masayuki Furutani 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: 11560866
    Abstract: Removal and breakage of fuel piping during a vehicle front collision is prevented for an engine mounted longitudinally in an engine compartment. Embodiments include a side structure of the engine having an alternator in front of an intake manifold and fuel piping behind the intake manifold so as to extend in the vertical direction. The intake manifold includes a plurality of independent intake pipe portions each having one end portion connected to one side of the engine in a vehicle width direction, and a surge tank portion to which the other end portions of the independent intake pipe portions are connected. As seen from the rear side, a portion of the fuel piping closer to the surge tank portion is located closer to the one side of the engine in the vehicle width direction than the surge tank portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masayuki Furutani, Takuya Yamada
  • Patent number: 11549470
    Abstract: Interference between an intake manifold and a fuel pipe during a vehicle front collision is prevented in an engine which is longitudinally mounted in an engine room. A vehicle component is arranged on the front side of an intake manifold, and a fuel pipe is arranged on the rear side of the intake manifold. The intake manifold includes a mounting portion on the intake-air downstream end side of a plurality of independent intake pipe portions and connects each of the plurality of independent intake pipe portions to a portion of the engine on one side of the engine in the vehicle width direction. The mounting portion has a front-side mounting portion relatively positioned on the front side and a rear-side mounting portion relatively positioned on the rear side, and the rear-side mounting portion has a higher rigidity than the front-side mounting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masayuki Furutani, Akira Ichigi, Masahiro Nishioka, Takuya Yamada
  • Publication number: 20220381208
    Abstract: Interference between an intake manifold and a fuel pipe during a vehicle front collision is prevented in an engine which is longitudinally mounted in an engine room. A vehicle component is arranged on the front side of the intake manifold, and the fuel pipe is arranged on the rear side of the intake manifold. The intake manifold includes a plurality of independent intake pipe portions arranged side by side in the vehicle front-rear direction which branch for each of the cylinders of the engine; and a plurality of coupling portions that each couple adjacent independent intake pipe portions to each other in an integral manner A first coupling portion of the plurality of coupling portions positioned on the frontmost side has a lower rigidity than a third coupling portion of the plurality of coupling portions positioned the rearmost side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masayuki FURUTANI, Akira ICHIGI, Masahiro NISHIOKA, Takuya YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20220381206
    Abstract: Interference between an intake manifold and a fuel pipe during a vehicle front collision is prevented in an engine which is longitudinally mounted in an engine room. A vehicle component is arranged on the front side of an intake manifold, and a fuel pipe is arranged on the rear side of the intake manifold. The intake manifold includes a mounting portion on the intake-air downstream end side of a plurality of independent intake pipe portions and connects each of the plurality of independent intake pipe portions to a portion of the engine on one side of the engine in the vehicle width direction. The mounting portion has a front-side mounting portion relatively positioned on the front side and a rear-side mounting portion relatively positioned on the rear side, and the rear-side mounting portion has a higher rigidity than the front-side mounting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masayuki FURUTANI, Akira ICHIGI, Masahiro NISHIOKA, Takuya YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20220381207
    Abstract: Removal and breakage of fuel piping during a vehicle front collision is prevented for an engine mounted longitudinally in an engine compartment. Embodiments include a side structure of the engine having an alternator in front of an intake manifold and fuel piping behind the intake manifold so as to extend in the vertical direction. The intake manifold includes a plurality of independent intake pipe portions each having one end portion connected to one side of the engine in a vehicle width direction, and a surge tank portion to which the other end portions of the independent intake pipe portions are connected. As seen from the rear side, a portion of the fuel piping closer to the surge tank portion is located closer to the one side of the engine in the vehicle width direction than the surge tank portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masayuki FURUTANI, Takuya YAMADA
  • Patent number: 11512673
    Abstract: Interference between an intake manifold and a fuel pipe during a vehicle front collision is prevented in an engine which is longitudinally mounted in an engine room. A vehicle component is arranged on the front side of the intake manifold, and the fuel pipe is arranged on the rear side of the intake manifold. The intake manifold includes a plurality of independent intake pipe portions arranged side by side in the vehicle front-rear direction which branch for each of the cylinders of the engine; and a plurality of coupling portions that each couple adjacent independent intake pipe portions to each other in an integral manner A first coupling portion of the plurality of coupling portions positioned on the frontmost side has a lower rigidity than a third coupling portion of the plurality of coupling portions positioned the rearmost side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masayuki Furutani, Akira Ichigi, Masahiro Nishioka, Kakuya Yamada
  • Publication number: 20220316392
    Abstract: An engine crank pulley structure disposed at a vehicle front side of a longitudinal engine includes: a front pulley that transmits crank rotational force to the water pump via a belt; a rear pulley that is disposed at a vehicle rear side of the front pulley and transmits a crank rotational force to a compressor via a belt; and a connecting portion that connects the front pulley and the rear pulley, the connecting portion crushing and deforming in a vehicle front-rear direction as a collision load toward the vehicle rear side is applied to it. An outer diameter of the front pulley is smaller than an inner diameter of the rear pulley.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Masayuki Furutani, Koichi Hirata, Satoshi Nishizaka, Kazuhiro Tokushima, Yuzo Fujino
  • Patent number: 11285797
    Abstract: A side part structure of an engine having cylinders lined up in a front-and-rear direction of a vehicle body, is provided. The structure includes auxiliary machinery disposed in a front part of one side wall part of the engine in a vehicle width direction, a fuel system component disposed in a rear part of the side wall part, an intercooler disposed between the auxiliary machinery and the fuel system component, and a first protector member disposed between the intercooler and the fuel system component. At least a front part of the first protector member is formed so as to be separated from the side wall part as it extends rearward. A front part of the intercooler is disposed rearward of the auxiliary machinery and the intercooler is disposed along the first protector member so as to be separated from the side wall part as it extends rearward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Furutani, Akira Noomo, Yuta Morinaga, Masahiko Tanisho, Tsuyoshi Kouno
  • Publication number: 20210086603
    Abstract: A side part structure of an engine having cylinders lined up in a front-and-rear direction of a vehicle body, is provided. The structure includes auxiliary machinery disposed in a front part of one side wall part of the engine in a vehicle width direction, a fuel system component disposed in a rear part of the side wall part, an intercooler disposed between the auxiliary machinery and the fuel system component, and a first protector member disposed between the intercooler and the fuel system component. At least a front part of the first protector member is formed so as to be separated from the side wall part as it extends rearward. A front part of the intercooler is disposed rearward of the auxiliary machinery and the intercooler is disposed along the first protector member so as to be separated from the side wall part as it extends rearward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Masayuki Furutani, Akira Noomo, Yuta Morinaga, Masahiko Tanisho, Tsuyoshi Kouno
  • Patent number: 10913347
    Abstract: An engine is a rear exhaust engine provided with an exhaust system component on a rear side in a vehicle front-rear direction. This engine includes a first flow rectifying member, provided above the engine, that subjects traveling wind to flow rectification so that the traveling wind flows rearward and a second flow rectifying member, disposed adjacently to a rear side of the first flow rectifying member, that subjects the traveling wind, subjected to flow rectification by the first flow rectifying member, to flow rectification so that the traveling wind is directed to the exhaust system component, in which fuel system components are disposed below the first flow rectifying member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Ken Saito, Takashi Kashiwabara, Masayuki Furutani, Ryosuke Kawafune
  • Publication number: 20200347806
    Abstract: Disclosed is an engine which comprises: an engine body comprising a cylinder head and a cylinder block; an inlet duct attached to the engine body; and a fuel system component disposed between the engine body and the inlet duct, wherein the inlet duct is disposed on a vehicle forward side of the engine body when mounted to a vehicle, and wherein the inlet duct has: a fuel system component-corresponding portion located in a zone overlapping the fuel system component when viewed from the vehicle forward side, and a region located adjacent to the fuel system component-corresponding portion and having a lower rigidity than the fuel system component-corresponding portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 25, 2018
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: Masahiko TANISHO, Nozomu HACHIYA, Ken YOSHIDA, Masayuki FURUTANI, Masahiro NISHIOKA, Jun NISHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20200031217
    Abstract: An engine is a rear exhaust engine provided with an exhaust system component on a rear side in a vehicle front-rear direction. This engine includes a first flow rectifying member, provided above the engine, that subjects traveling wind to flow rectification so that the traveling wind flows rearward and a second flow rectifying member, disposed adjacently to a rear side of the first flow rectifying member, that subjects the traveling wind, subjected to flow rectification by the first flow rectifying member, to flow rectification so that the traveling wind is directed to the exhaust system component, in which fuel system components are disposed below the first flow rectifying member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Ken Saito, Takashi Kashiwabara, Masayuki Furutani, Ryosuke Kawafune
  • Patent number: 10094512
    Abstract: An accessory support structure for a vehicle engine includes a pair of accessory-side supports provided on the engine accessory, and a pair of engine-side supports provided on the engine body. The engine-side supports each have a shaft hole into which a bolt is inserted, a slot closer to the engine body than the shaft hole is, and extending substantially horizontally, and an intermediate portion interposed between the shaft hole and the slot to restrict movement of the bolt. The engine-side supports each remove a restriction imposed by the intermediate portion and guide the bolt from the shaft hole to the slot if an external force acting on the alternator toward the engine body exceeds a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadatomo Toda, Seiji Namba, Masayuki Furutani, Keiichi Kamimura
  • Publication number: 20180066577
    Abstract: An accessory support structure for a vehicle engine includes a pair of accessory-side supports provided on the engine accessory, and a pair of engine-side supports provided on the engine body. The engine-side supports each have a shaft hole into which a bolt is inserted, a slot closer to the engine body than the shaft hole is, and extending substantially horizontally, and an intermediate portion interposed between the shaft hole and the slot to restrict movement of the bolt. The engine-side supports each remove a restriction imposed by the intermediate portion and guide the bolt from the shaft hole to the slot if an external force acting on the alternator toward the engine body exceeds a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadatomo TODA, Seiji NAMBA, Masayuki FURUTANI, Keiichi KAMIMURA
  • 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: 8466326
    Abstract: Disclosed are a production method for a ubiquinone powder for use in preparations, including Step 1 of compression molding a ubiquinone crystal powder at a linear molding pressure of from 0.6 to 2.5 tons/cm to obtain a compressed fragment; and Step 2 of grinding the compressed fragment obtained in Step 1 to obtain a powder; and a ubiquinone powder for use in preparations, which is obtained by the subject production method. According to the subject production method, it becomes possible to provide a ubiquinone powder for use in preparations for medicines and health foods, which has a high bulk density, a small angle of repose and excellent handling properties and fluidity, without using an additive such as an excipient, a binder and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Takafumi Yoshimura, Rieko Nakano, Masayuki Furutani, Takeshi Uchiho
  • Publication number: 20120059194
    Abstract: Disclosed are a production method for a ubiquinone powder for use in preparations, including Step 1 of compression molding a ubiquinone crystal powder at a linear molding pressure of from 0.6 to 2.5 tons/cm to obtain a compressed fragment; and Step 2 of grinding the compressed fragment obtained in Step 1 to obtain a powder; and a ubiquinone powder for use in preparations, which is obtained by the subject production method. According to the subject production method, it becomes possible to provide a ubiquinone powder for use in preparations for medicines and health foods, which has a high bulk density, a small angle of repose and excellent handling properties and fluidity, without using an additive such as an excipient, a binder and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI GAS CHEMICAL COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: Takafumi Yoshimura, Rieko Nakano, Masayuki Furutani, Takeshi Uchiho
  • Patent number: 5495906
    Abstract: A motor continuously drives rear wheels during medium and low-speed running, while an engine drives front wheels in a high-speed running area. In this case, transfer of an engine-generated driving force to wheels is controlled by a transmission. In a medium- or low-speed running area, the engine is used only for power generation and engine-driven running is not carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1996
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masayuki Furutani
  • Patent number: 5497070
    Abstract: Controller 40 receives accelerator opening and brake depressing amounts, and the output of an ammeter 30 and voltmeter 32 as inputs. In response to the state of these input signals, the controller 40 determines the timing to detect the state of charge (SOC) of the battery 10 and detects the SOC of the battery 10. That is, it is first judged that the SOC is not more than a predetermined value if the voltage of the battery 10 is not more than a predetermined value when the accelerator opening is not more than a predetermined value. It is next judged that the SOC is not more than a predetermined value if the voltage of the battery 10 is not more than a predetermined value when the brake is depressed beyond a certain degree. In these cases, the engine 24 is driven to cause a generator 22 to perform generation of electricity to charge the battery 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1996
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayuki Furutani, Yoshihide Ny