Patents by Inventor Naoki Kuwabara

Naoki Kuwabara 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: 11535336
    Abstract: A saddle riding vehicle includes a swing arm in which front ends of arm sections and supporting a wheel are supported by a pivot shaft, and an electronic control suspension that is provided between the pivot shaft and the arm sections, that has a portion overlapping with the swing arm in side view of the vehicle and that includes a control valve section at an upper portion thereof. In the saddle riding vehicle, the control valve section is disposed on one lateral side in regard of the vehicle width direction of the upper portion of the suspension, and extends toward a vehicle width-directionally outer side from a side surface of the upper portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Ohlins Racing AB
    Inventors: Naoki Kuwabara, Yuta Ishizaka, Björn Bylund
  • Patent number: 11345430
    Abstract: A front fork, which suspends a front wheel is a compression type and includes a pressure tank at a lower end portion thereof. The front fork includes, at the lower end portion, a caliper bracket which supports a brake caliper which constitutes a disc brake and a sensor mounting portion on which a wheel speed sensor is mounted. The caliper bracket includes a pair of an upper caliper support portion and a lower caliper support portion. In a vehicle side view, the pressure tank is disposed between the upper caliper support portion and the lower caliper support portion, and the sensor mounting portion is disposed inferior to or superior to the pressure tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignees: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., ÖHLINS RACING AB
    Inventors: Naoki Kuwabara, Yusuke Hayashi, Mikael Jonsson
  • Publication number: 20200407008
    Abstract: A saddle riding vehicle includes a swing arm in which front ends of arm sections and supporting a wheel are supported by a pivot shaft, and an electronic control suspension that is provided between the pivot shaft and the arm sections, that has a portion overlapping with the swing arm in side view of the vehicle and that includes a control valve section at an upper portion thereof. In the saddle riding vehicle, the control valve section is disposed on one lateral side in regard of the vehicle width direction of the upper portion of the suspension, and extends toward a vehicle width-directionally outer side from a side surface of the upper portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Inventors: Naoki Kuwabara, Yuta Ishizaka, Björn Bylund
  • Publication number: 20200407006
    Abstract: A front fork, which suspends a front wheel is a compression type and includes a pressure tank at a lower end portion thereof. The front fork includes, at the lower end portion, a caliper bracket which supports a brake caliper which constitutes a disc brake and a sensor mounting portion on which a wheel speed sensor is mounted. The caliper bracket includes a pair of an upper caliper support portion and a lower caliper support portion. In a vehicle side view, the pressure tank is disposed between the upper caliper support portion and the lower caliper support portion, and the sensor mounting portion is disposed inferior to or superior to the pressure tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Inventors: Naoki Kuwabara, Yusuke Hayashi, Mikael Jonsson
  • Patent number: 10793221
    Abstract: A front structure for a straddle-type vehicle includes a front cushion unit supported by a support shaft installed between a pair of left and right arms of a straddle-type vehicle while being disposed at a position behind a front wheel steering shaft of the straddle-type vehicle and above an engine, and a cover that covers a space between the pair of left and right arms between the front wheel steering shaft and the front cushion unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Naoki Kuwabara
  • Patent number: 10787048
    Abstract: A holding structure of a tire air pressure detecting device includes a tire air pressure detecting device (23) which is held by a screw shaft (43) of a tire valve (30), a fixing nut (44) which is screwed to the screw shaft (43) and configured to fix the tire valve (40) to a wheel rim (30), a holding sleeve (50) which is screwed to the screw shaft (43) and configured to hold the tire air pressure detecting device (23) on the screw shaft (43), an elastic member (45) which is sandwiched between the tire air pressure detecting device (23) and a device supporting portion (60) including at least one of the fixing nut (44), the holding sleeve (50) and the wheel rim (30) in an axial direction of the screw shaft (43), and a rotation restricting portion (48) which is configured to restrict rotation of the tire air pressure detecting device (23) around the screw shaft (43) between the elastic member (45) and the tire air pressure detecting device (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takatoshi Ebinuma, Masayuki Fujita, Naoki Kuwabara
  • Patent number: 10780936
    Abstract: A straddle-type vehicle includes a drive unit used for driving a rear wheel of the straddle-type vehicle, wherein a discharge port that discharges oil in the drive unit is installed on a lower section of the drive unit, and a guide that guides oil to an outside in a vehicle width direction is installed in a vicinity of a lower section of the discharge port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Naoki Kuwabara
  • Patent number: 10647371
    Abstract: An electric handle lock structure for a saddled vehicle which can provide a compact arrangement around a handle to thereby achieve miniaturization of a vehicle body front portion. A handle lock structure for a saddled vehicle includes: a handle steering shaft operated by a handle; a front wheel steering shaft disposed to steer a front wheel in front of the handle steering shaft; a top bridge which is fastened to an upper end of the handle steering shaft and to which the handle is fixed; and an electric handle lock device that is electrically operated and is provided between the handle steering shaft and the front wheel steering shaft in the proximity of the handle, and the electric handle lock device is disposed so that at least part thereof overlaps below the top bridge in a plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Naoki Kuwabara
  • Patent number: 10641338
    Abstract: A bearing structure for a shaft includes a shaft on which a male thread section is formed and a concave section recessed inside in a radial direction is partially formed in a circumferential direction thereof, a cylindrical holder in which the shaft is disposed, a bearing attached between the shaft and the holder and configured to rotatably support the shaft at an opening side thereof at which the holder is open, a thread engagement member having a female thread section threadedly engaged with the male thread section and a flat surface section crossing the circumferential direction of the shaft and formed on an outer circumference thereof, and coaxially threadedly fastened to the shaft from the opening side, and a locking member having a convex section fitted into the concave section and an engaging section engaged with the flat surface section, and partially locked to the shaft and the thread engagement member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Kuwabara, Masayuki Fujita
  • Patent number: 10286976
    Abstract: A swing arm structure includes pivot shafts extending in a vehicle width direction and disposed in a vehicle body frame, a pair of wall portions disposed in the vehicle width direction in the vehicle body frame, and an interposed portion disposed between the wall portions in a swing arm. The wall portions have wall portion-side pass-through portions, which receive the pivot shafts passed therethrough. The interposed portion has interposed portion-side pass-through portions formed therein at, out of both end portions in the vehicle width direction, portions facing the wall portion-side pass-through portions. The interposed portion-side pass-through portions receive the pivot shafts passed therethrough. The interposed portion has a non-pass-through portion formed therein at a middle portion in the vehicle width direction of the interposed portion. The non-pass-through portion does not receive the pivot shafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Kuwabara, Kenji Kofuji, Kazuho Nakai, Takafumi Irie, Katsumasa Mukai
  • Publication number: 20190135055
    Abstract: A holding structure of a tire air pressure detecting device includes a tire air pressure detecting device (23) which is held by a screw shaft (43) of a tire valve (30), a fixing nut (44) which is screwed to the screw shaft (43) and configured to fix the tire valve (40) to a wheel rim (30), a holding sleeve (50) which is screwed to the screw shaft (43) and configured to hold the tire air pressure detecting device (23) on the screw shaft (43), an elastic member (45) which is sandwiched between the tire air pressure detecting device (23) and a device supporting portion (60) including at least one of the fixing nut (44), the holding sleeve (50) and the wheel rim (30) in an axial direction of the screw shaft (43), and a rotation restricting portion (48) which is configured to restrict rotation of the tire air pressure detecting device (23) around the screw shaft (43) between the elastic member (45) and the tire air pressure detecting device (23).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventors: Takatoshi Ebinuma, Masayuki Fujita, Naoki Kuwabara
  • Publication number: 20190040911
    Abstract: A bearing structure for a shaft includes a shaft on which a male thread section is formed and a concave section recessed inside in a radial direction is partially formed in a circumferential direction thereof, a cylindrical holder in which the shaft is disposed, a bearing attached between the shaft and the holder and configured to rotatably support the shaft at an opening side thereof at which the holder is open, a thread engagement member having a female thread section threadedly engaged with the male thread section and a flat surface section crossing the circumferential direction of the shaft and formed on an outer circumference thereof, and coaxially threadedly fastened to the shaft from the opening side, and a locking member having a convex section fitted into the concave section and an engaging section engaged with the flat surface section, and partially locked to the shaft and the thread engagement member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventors: Naoki Kuwabara, Masayuki Fujita
  • Publication number: 20190023342
    Abstract: A front structure for a straddle-type vehicle includes a front cushion unit supported by a support shaft installed between a pair of left and right arms of a straddle-type vehicle while being disposed at a position behind a front wheel steering shaft of the straddle-type vehicle and above an engine, and a cover that covers a space between the pair of left and right arms between the front wheel steering shaft and the front cushion unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventor: Naoki Kuwabara
  • Publication number: 20190023345
    Abstract: A straddle-type vehicle includes a drive unit used for driving a rear wheel of the straddle-type vehicle, wherein a discharge port that discharges oil in the drive unit is installed on a lower section of the drive unit, and a guide that guides oil to an outside in a vehicle width direction is installed in a vicinity of a lower section of the discharge port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventor: Naoki Kuwabara
  • Patent number: 10131399
    Abstract: To achieve steering angle adjustment on a steering part side and a front wheel side, a positioning structure includes: a first engagement part for engaging the steering part and a body frame with each other at a first steering angle that is an angle about a first steering axis at the time of assembling the vehicle; a second engagement part for engaging a fork and a fork holder at a second steering angle that is an angle about a second steering axis at the time of assembling the vehicle; and a linking mechanism for linking the first engagement part and the second engagement part to each other. The linking mechanism is provided with a steering adjusting mechanism for putting the first engagement part into engagement by adjusting the first steering angle and for putting the second engagement part into engagement by adjusting the second steering angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Kuwabara, Masayuki Fujita
  • Publication number: 20180304946
    Abstract: An electric handle lock structure for a saddled vehicle which can provide a compact arrangement around a handle to thereby achieve miniaturization of a vehicle body front portion. A handle lock structure for a saddled vehicle includes: a handle steering shaft operated by a handle; a front wheel steering shaft disposed to steer a front wheel in front of the handle steering shaft; a top bridge which is fastened to an upper end of the handle steering shaft and to which the handle is fixed; and an electric handle lock device that is electrically operated and is provided between the handle steering shaft and the front wheel steering shaft in the proximity of the handle, and the electric handle lock device is disposed so that at least part thereof overlaps below the top bridge in a plan view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventor: Naoki Kuwabara
  • Publication number: 20180244336
    Abstract: A front fork capable of reducing an unsprung weight of the arm-shaped front fork, optimizing rigidity, and improving appearance is provided. A front swing arm includes a left and right arm portions, and a bridge portion integrally connecting the left and right arm portions, a first lightening hole, a second lightening hole and a third lightening hole are provided in the arm portion, the first lightening hole, the second lightening hole and the third lightening hole are covered with a reflector provided to be exposed to an outer side surface of the arm portion from outside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Inventors: Naoki Kuwabara, Masayuki Fujita, Kenji Tako
  • Patent number: 9849933
    Abstract: A front suspension structure includes a head pipe radially internally supporting a shaft portion forming a steering axis such that the shaft portion is rotatable about the steering axis; a front fork connected to a lower end portion of the shaft portion on a lower side of the head pipe, the front fork supporting an axle of a steering wheel; a link member having one end portion connected rotatably on an upper side of a turning member having the shaft portion, and having another end portion connected rotatably on a side of handlebars; the head pipe disposed so as to be separated frontward from a vehicle body frame; and a rocking arm having a front end portion rockably supported by the head pipe, and having a rear end portion rockably supported by the vehicle body frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Kuwabara, Jun Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 9849743
    Abstract: A swing arm having a reduced number of parts in which manufacturing cost can be reduced. In a swing arm including: vehicle-body-side support portions that are supported on a vehicle body side by a first rotary shaft; wheel-side support portions that are supported on a wheel side by a second rotary shaft; and a pair of arm portions that connect the vehicle-body-side support portions and the wheel-side support portions to each other, cross members that extend in an axial direction of the first rotary shaft is arranged on the pair of arm portions so as to extend between the pair of arm portions, and the cross members have a U shape in cross section orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the cross members, thus forming opening portions that open so as to face a direction that the pair of arm portions extends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Kuwabara, Hiroaki Tomita, Hajime Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 9738305
    Abstract: A tilt steering apparatus includes a steering column having a tube member housing a steering shaft and rotatably installed on a body frame for tilt about a steering column tilt axis. Between a steering gearbox and the steering shaft, the apparatus includes a first universal joint secured to the steering shaft, an intermediate shaft and a second universal joint. The first universal joint includes a swing center defining a steering shaft tilt axis. Bearings rotatably support the steering shaft within the steering column tube and elastic members engage with the bearings to flex for axial movement of the steering shaft in the steering column tube. This relative movement accommodates an offset between the steering shaft and steering column tilt axes, thereby avoiding an increase in thrust load between the shaft and column during tilt for improved steerability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Kuwabara