Patents by Inventor Morihide Yamada

Morihide Yamada 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: 11691494
    Abstract: A battery unit which stores plural battery modules therein is attached to respective lower faces of a pair of floor frames at its both sides. The battery unit comprises an attaching bracket which protrudes substantially horizontally from the battery case and is positioned just below the lower face of the floor frame with a distance therebetween. A specified rigidity ratio is set for an attachment portion of the battery unit to the floor frame, and the attaching bracket is attached to the lower face of the floor frame via an intermediate part such that the above-described rigidity ratio is 0.1 or greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Morihide Yamada, Kazuhisa Hatano, Hisashi Akune, Munenari Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11420686
    Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle includes a pair of left and right side sills; a substantially flat front floor panel; a first floor cross member disposed on an upper surface of the front floor panel located below a front part of a front seat; a second floor cross member disposed on an upper surface of the front floor panel 8 located below a rear part of the front seat; a kick-up portion raised from a rear end of the front floor panel 8 toward a vehicle upper side; and a console support bracket that has a front part connected to a vehicle body on a vehicle front side and a rear part connected to the kick-up portion. A lower part of the console support bracket is secured to the first and second floor cross members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato Matsuda, Nobuyuki Nakayama, Morihide Yamada, Katsuhito Kouno, Toshihiro Takebayashi
  • Patent number: 11312220
    Abstract: There are provided a floor panel, a pair of right-and-left floor frames, and a battery unit supporting a battery module and mounted at the floor frames. The battery unit comprises the battery module, a pair of right-and-left side frames mounted at the pair of floor frames, and a pair of front-and-rear module supporting mechanisms which comprises a pair of front-and-rear cross frames respectively extending in a vehicle width direction and interconnecting the pair of side frames and mounting brackets supporting a front end portion and a rear end portion of the battery module. Bending rigidity, in a vertical direction, of the module supporting mechanism comprising the third cross frame and the first mounting bracket is set to be lower than that of the side frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Morihide Yamada, Kazuhisa Hatano, Hisashi Akune, Munenari Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11299211
    Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure of an electric vehicle to increase resistance to lateral collision and also improve front-end collision load transfer performance of a tunnel. The lower vehicle-body structure of an electric vehicle includes a floor having a tunnel formed in a front part at a middle in a vehicle-width direction; and a floor cross member spanning, above the floor, between side sills disposed on opposite sides of the floor. Also, a rear end of the tunnel is located directly in front of the floor cross member, and reinforcing brackets are provided extending from the tunnel toward an upper end of the floor cross member and connected to the upper end of the floor cross member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato Matsuda, Nobuyuki Nakayama, Morihide Yamada, Katsuhito Kouno, Toshihiro Takebayashi
  • Patent number: 11220298
    Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure of an electric vehicle that can ensure desired resistance to rear-end collision even if a tunnel of a front floor panel is eliminated. The lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle includes a pair of left and right side sills; a substantially flat front floor panel; a first floor cross member and a second floor cross member connecting the left and right side sills in a vehicle-width direction. The lower vehicle-body structure further includes a kick-up portion raised from a rear end of the front floor panel toward a vehicle upper side; a rear floor panel connected to a vehicle rear side of the kick-up portion; and a kick-up reinforcing element connecting a substantial middle of the kick-up portion in the vehicle-width direction and the front floor panel in front of the substantial middle of the kick-up portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato Matsuda, Nobuyuki Nakayama, Morihide Yamada
  • Publication number: 20210402862
    Abstract: A battery unit which stores plural battery modules therein is attached to respective lower faces of a pair of floor frames at its both sides. The battery unit comprises an attaching bracket which protrudes substantially horizontally from the battery case and is positioned just below the lower face of the floor frame with a distance therebetween. A specified rigidity ratio is set for an attachment portion of the battery unit to the floor frame, and the attaching bracket is attached to the lower face of the floor frame via an intermediate part such that the above-described rigidity ratio is 0.1 or greater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Morihide YAMADA, Kazuhisa HATANO, Hisashi AKUNE, Munenari TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 11192585
    Abstract: A lower body structure includes a floor panel forming a floor surface of a vehicle interior, a floor cross member extending in a vehicle width direction above the floor panel, a console support bracket supporting a console at the center of the floor panel and mounted to the floor cross member, and a shift lever support bracket having an upper part supporting the shift lever and a lower part fixed to the console support bracket in front and rear portions. A mount point at which the shift lever is mounted to the shift lever support bracket is offset forward with respect to front and rear side fixing parts in which the shift lever support bracket is fixed to the console support bracket in the front and rear portions, and the front side fixing part of the console support bracket has a rigidity higher than the rear side fixing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato Matsuda, Nobuyuki Nakayama, Morihide Yamada
  • Patent number: 11186158
    Abstract: A battery unit comprises side frames, cross frames, and plural battery modules having substantially the same size comprising a longitudinal dimension, a lateral dimension, and a height dimension. The battery modules are respectively mounted at the cross frames in the same position and arranged in plural rows adjacently to a vehicle width direction such that a direction of the above-described longitudinal dimension is substantially parallel to a vehicle longitudinal direction, and mounting rigidity of the battery modules stored in a first storage area is set to be different from that of the battery modules stored in second and third storage areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Morihide Yamada, Kazuhisa Hatano, Hisashi Akune, Munenari Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11165119
    Abstract: A battery unit comprises plural battery modules and a battery case storing the plural battery modules, and is arranged over a range from a first storage area located below a front seat to second and third storage areas located in back of the front seat. The number of front-side fastening portions of the battery modules corresponding to the first storage area is set to be smaller than the number of rear-side fastening portions of the battery modules corresponding to the first storage area. The fastening portion is arranged on an inward side, in a vehicle width direction, of the fastening portion provided at an outward side in the vehicle width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Morihide Yamada, Kazuhisa Hatano, Hidetaka Goto, Koutaro Takada
  • Patent number: 11014613
    Abstract: A side body vehicle structure is disclosed that has a pair of left and right side sills and opposite swing type side doors. The side sills may have an upper flange portion facing the rear door in the vehicle width direction which functions as a rear door facing part, and the upper flange portion of a more forward part of the vehicle than the rear door facing part may function as a front door facing part. The rear door facing part may be formed in a shape having a length in the vehicle vertical direction longer than a length in a vehicle vertical direction of the front door facing part. In a vertical cross section along the vehicle width direction, a gusset member may form a closed cross section with the side sill inner member, and an upper end thereof may be joined to the rear door facing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shuji Muraoka, Yamato Matsuda, Toshihiro Takebayashi, Toshiyuki Koga, Kazuhisa Hatano, Morihide Yamada
  • Publication number: 20200376947
    Abstract: There are provided a floor panel, a pair of right-and-left floor frames, and a battery unit supporting a battery module and mounted at the floor frames. The battery unit comprises the battery module, a pair of right-and-left side frames mounted at the pair of floor frames, and a pair of front-and-rear module supporting mechanisms which comprises a pair of front-and-rear cross frames respectively extending in a vehicle width direction and interconnecting the pair of side frames and mounting brackets supporting a front end portion and a rear end portion of the battery module. Bending rigidity, in a vertical direction, of the module supporting mechanism comprising the third cross frame and the first mounting bracket is set to be lower than that of the side frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Morihide YAMADA, Kazuhisa HATANO, Hisashi AKUNE, Munenari TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20200376948
    Abstract: A battery unit comprises side frames, cross frames, and plural battery modules having substantially the same size comprising a longitudinal dimension, a lateral dimension, and a height dimension. The battery modules are respectively mounted at the cross frames in the same position and arranged in plural rows adjacently to a vehicle width direction such that a direction of the above-described longitudinal dimension is substantially parallel to a vehicle longitudinal direction, and mounting rigidity of the battery modules stored in a first storage area is set to be different from that of the battery modules stored in second and third storage areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Morihide YAMADA, Kazuhisa HATANO, Hisashi AKUNE, Munenari TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20200381686
    Abstract: A battery unit comprises plural battery modules and a battery case storing the plural battery modules, and is arranged over a range from a first storage area located below a front seat to second and third storage areas located in back of the front seat. The number of front-side fastening portions of the battery modules corresponding to the first storage area is set to be smaller than the number of rear-side fastening portions of the battery modules corresponding to the first storage area. The fastening portion is arranged on an inward side, in a vehicle width direction, of the fastening portion provided at an outward side in the vehicle width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Morihide YAMADA, Kazuhisa HATANO, Hidetaka GOTO, Koutaro TAKADA
  • Publication number: 20200361534
    Abstract: A lower body structure includes a floor panel forming a floor surface of a vehicle interior, a floor cross member extending in a vehicle width direction above the floor panel, a console support bracket supporting a console at the center of the floor panel and mounted to the floor cross member, and a shift lever support bracket having an upper part supporting the shift lever and a lower part fixed to the console support bracket in front and rear portions. A mount point at which the shift lever is mounted to the shift lever support bracket is offset forward with respect to front and rear side fixing parts in which the shift lever support bracket is fixed to the console support bracket in the front and rear portions, and the front side fixing part of the console support bracket has a rigidity higher than the rear side fixing part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato MATSUDA, Nobuyuki NAKAYAMA, Morihide YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20200361541
    Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure of an electric vehicle to increase resistance to lateral collision and also improve front-end collision load transfer performance of a tunnel. The lower vehicle-body structure of an electric vehicle includes a floor having a tunnel formed in a front part at a middle in a vehicle-width direction; and a floor cross member spanning, above the floor, between side sills disposed on opposite sides of the floor. Also, a rear end of the tunnel is located directly in front of the floor cross member, and reinforcing brackets are provided extending from the tunnel toward an upper end of the floor cross member and connected to the upper end of the floor cross member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato MATSUDA, Nobuyuki NAKAYAMA, Morihide YAMADA, Katsuhito KOUNO, Toshihiro TAKEBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20200361542
    Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure of an electric vehicle that can ensure desired resistance to rear-end collision even if a tunnel of a front floor panel is eliminated. The lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle includes a pair of left and right side sills; a substantially flat front floor panel; a first floor cross member and a second floor cross member connecting the left and right side sills in a vehicle-width direction. The lower vehicle-body structure further includes a kick-up portion raised from a rear end of the front floor panel toward a vehicle upper side; a rear floor panel connected to a vehicle rear side of the kick-up portion; and a kick-up reinforcing element connecting a substantial middle of the kick-up portion in the vehicle-width direction and the front floor panel in front of the substantial middle of the kick-up portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato MATSUDA, Nobuyuki NAKAYAMA, Morihide YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20200361535
    Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle includes a pair of left and right side sills; a substantially flat front floor panel; a first floor cross member disposed on an upper surface of the front floor panel located below a front part of a front seat; a second floor cross member disposed on an upper surface of the front floor panel 8 located below a rear part of the front seat; a kick-up portion raised from a rear end of the front floor panel 8 toward a vehicle upper side; and a console support bracket that has a front part connected to a vehicle body on a vehicle front side and a rear part connected to the kick-up portion. A lower part of the console support bracket is secured to the first and second floor cross members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato MATSUDA, Nobuyuki NAKAYAMA, Morihide YAMADA, Katsuhito KOUNO, Toshihiro TAKEBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20190344830
    Abstract: A side body vehicle structure is disclosed that has a pair of left and right side sills and opposite swing type side doors. The side sills may have an upper flange portion facing the rear door in the vehicle width direction which functions as a rear door facing part, and the upper flange portion of a more forward part of the vehicle than the rear door facing part may function as a front door facing part. The rear door facing part may be formed in a shape having a length in the vehicle vertical direction longer than a length in a vehicle vertical direction of the front door facing part. In a vertical cross section along the vehicle width direction, a gusset member may form a closed cross section with the side sill inner member, and an upper end thereof may be joined to the rear door facing part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Shuji Muraoka, Yamato Matsuda, Toshihiro Takebayashi, Toshiyuki Koga, Kazuhisa Hatano, Morihide Yamada
  • Patent number: 10246143
    Abstract: An airflow straightening structure of an automotive vehicle, in which slits for traveling-air peeling off (separation) and connection portions for cover reinforcing are adjacently provided at a rear-end edge portion of a cover having a substantially-flat airflow straightening face extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction, wherein protrusions are provided to extend in a direction crossing the vehicle longitudinal direction along a cover surface of the cover which are positioned in front of the connection portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Nakata, Shuichi Nakagami, Morihide Yamada, Masaya Nishimoto
  • Patent number: 10189505
    Abstract: A side body structure of a vehicle is provided, which includes a hinge pillar having a hinge pillar member forming, in a side part of the vehicle, a closed section space extending continuously in vertical directions of the vehicle, a side sill having a side sill member forming, on a rear side of the hinge pillar in the side part of the vehicle, a closed section space extending continuously in longitudinal directions of the vehicle, and a closed section space component forming, in a connecting part between a lower end part of the hinge pillar and a front end part of the side sill, a closed section space extending continuously in the longitudinal directions and connecting to the closed section space of the side sill on the rear side, the closed section space of the closed section space component having a vertical dimension that increases toward a front side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Narahara, Morihide Yamada, Takahiro Aonuma, Masaya Nishimoto, Nobuhiko Yokoyama, Atsushi Kawamoto