Patents by Inventor Seiji Sawai

Seiji Sawai 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: 11801799
    Abstract: In order to absorb collision energy so as to prevent an increase in reaction force against a pedestrian to a level higher than or equal to a certain level during collision, a bumper absorber of the present invention includes: a trunk part that extends in an X direction and that is simply compressed in the X direction in response to an impact; and a branch part that branches off from the trunk part toward a rear of a vehicle body, the branch part having a branching part in which the branch part branches off from the trunk part and which is provided with a breakage inducing part that causes breakage between the trunk part and the branch part in response to the impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignees: KANEKA CORPORATION, Chugai Co., Ltd., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Tamura, Seiji Sawai, Yusuke Kikuchi, Yuuki Nakamura, Shota Kotake, Yoshikazu Yukimoto
  • Publication number: 20220185212
    Abstract: In order to absorb collision energy so as to prevent an increase in reaction force against a pedestrian to a level higher than or equal to a certain level during collision, a bumper absorber of the present invention includes: a trunk part that extends in an X direction and that is simply compressed in the X direction in response to an impact; and a branch part that branches off from the trunk part toward a rear of a vehicle body, the branch part having a branching part in which the branch part branches off from the trunk part and which is provided with a breakage inducing part that causes breakage between the trunk part and the branch part in response to the impact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Applicants: KANEKA CORPORATION, CHUGAI CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Tamura, Seiji Sawai, Yusuke Kikuchi, Yuuki Nakamura, Shota Kotake, Yoshikazu Yukimoto
  • Patent number: 11142033
    Abstract: A front suspension structure of a vehicle where an appropriate locus of a front wheel when going over undulating ground, an arm span, and an arm length can be secured. Left and right first arms are rotatable about a rotation axis extending forward and obliquely toward a center in a left-right direction in a plan view and passing through two proximal parts. A frame front section has left and right front coupling parts to which proximal parts of front rods of left and right upper arms are coupled respectively. A distance between the left and right front coupling parts is smaller than a width in a left-right direction of a housing of a differential gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Yoshida, Kenta Higashiyama, Seiji Sawai, Masahide Shimbori
  • Patent number: 11014420
    Abstract: A vehicle that can reduce change in the toe angle of a rear wheel in a toe-out direction at the time of a braking force being provided by the vehicle. A coupling point between a vehicle frame and a trailing arm is defined as a first coupling point. A coupling point between the trailing arm and a lateral arm is defined as a second coupling point. A coupling point between the lateral arm and a frame rear section is defined as a third coupling point. A straight line connecting the first coupling point and the second coupling point is defined as a first straight line. A straight line connecting the second coupling point and the third coupling point is defined as a second straight line. With those definitions, an angle between the first straight line and the second straight line in a plan view of the vehicle is 90 degrees or greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji Sawai, Masahiro Yoshida, Kenta Higashiyama, Masahide Shimbori
  • Patent number: 10823249
    Abstract: A shock absorber includes a cylinder and a piston. The piston is configured to partition an internal space of the cylinder into two oil chambers and is capable of sliding in an axial direction of the cylinder. The piston having formed therethrough a communication path configured to bring the two oil chambers into communication with each other. The shock absorber also includes a first rod and a second rod. The first rod extends in a first direction of the axial direction with respect to the piston. The second rod has a diameter larger than a diameter of the first rod, and extends in a second direction of the axial direction, which is opposite to the first direction, with respect to the piston. The shock absorber further includes a rod mounting member, which is provided on the first rod, and a cylinder mounting member, which is provided on the cylinder and arranged as offset from an axis of the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji Sawai, Takashi Imamura
  • Patent number: 10538276
    Abstract: A straddle-type vehicle includes a vehicle body frame; a power unit supported by the vehicle body frame; a seat mounted at a position higher than the power unit; a handle bar mounted at a position more forward than the seat; a pair of front wheels spaced apart from each other in a vehicle width direction; a pair of suspensions spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction and connecting the pair of front wheels to the vehicle frame; and a vehicle body vibration control damper including end portions connected to a first attachment portion and a second attachment portion, respectively, mounted on the vehicle body frame so as to be spaced apart from each other in a vehicle front-back direction, and mounted so as to extend in the vehicle front-back direction with at least a portion thereof located between the pair of suspensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazunari Takata, Keijiro Ota, Chisei Asami, Koji Kobayashi, Seiji Sawai
  • Publication number: 20190291523
    Abstract: A front suspension structure of a vehicle where an appropriate locus of a front wheel when going over undulating ground, an arm span, and an arm length can be be secured. Left and right first arms are rotatable about a rotation axis extending forward and obliquely toward a center in a left-right direction in a plan view and passing through two proximal parts. A frame front section has left and right front coupling parts to which proximal parts of front rods of left and right upper arms are coupled respectively. A distance between the left and right front coupling parts is smaller than a width in a left-right direction of a housing of a differential gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Masahiro YOSHIDA, Kenta HIGASHIYAMA, Seiji SAWAI, Masahide SHIMBORI
  • Publication number: 20190291521
    Abstract: A vehicle that can reduce change in the toe angle of a rear wheel in a toe-out direction at the time of a braking force being provided by the vehicle. A coupling point between a vehicle frame and a trailing arm is defined as a first coupling point. A coupling point between the trailing arm and a lateral arm is defined as a second coupling point. A coupling point between the lateral arm and a frame rear section is defined as a third coupling point. A straight line connecting the first coupling point and the second coupling point is defined as a first straight line. A straight line connecting the second coupling point and the third coupling point is defined as a second straight line. With those definitions, an angle between the first straight line and the second straight line in a plan view of the vehicle is 90 degrees or greater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Seiji SAWAI, Masahiro YOSHIDA, Kenta HIGASHIYAMA, Masahide SHIMBORI
  • Patent number: 10315483
    Abstract: An oil channel that connects a right damper and a left damper includes a switching valve arranged between a right oil channel ER and a left oil channel EL. The switching valve includes a valve main body in which a first switching channel is formed for connecting the right oil channel ER and the left oil channel EL. The valve main body is rotatable to a first position where the first switching channel connects the right oil channel ER and the left oil channel EL to each other and to a second position different from the first position. According to this damping system, it is possible to adjust oil flow in the oil channel by performing a simple operation for the switching valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Seiji Sawai
  • Patent number: 10252775
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a snowmobile are disclosed. The lower arm is arranged below the upper arm. The lower arm includes proximal portions and connected to the ski support frame. The lower arm extends outwardly from the proximal portions and in the vehicle width direction and connects the ski support frame and the ski. The proximal portions and of the lower arm are positioned higher than the lower end of the engine. At least a portion of the lower arm is positioned higher than the rotational center of the crank shaft. This structure can prevent the center of gravity of the vehicle body from becoming high and reduce running resistance when the vehicle traveling in deep snow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Sawai, Takashi Imamura, Atsushi Yasuda
  • Patent number: 10144444
    Abstract: This specification relates to a snowmobile. Each of the right suspension and the left suspension includes a damper capable of expanding and contracting according to the vertical movement of the lower arm and a spring that exerts spring force in the expansion/contraction direction of the damper. The cylinder of the right damper and the cylinder of the left damper are connected to each other through a hydraulic fluid channel so that the hydraulic fluid flows between the cylinder of the right damper and the cylinder of the left damper. This snowmobile can reduce the difference in contact pressure on snow surface between the left ski and the right ski, when the vehicle turns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Sawai, Takashi Imamura, Atsushi Yasuda
  • Patent number: 10124858
    Abstract: The present specification relates to a snowmobile. The upper arm includes two proximal portions connected to the vehicle frame and the upper arm extends outwardly from the two proximal portions in the vehicle width direction and the upper arm is connected to the knuckle. The two proximal portions are rotatable so that the knuckle and the skis can move up and down relative to the vehicle frame. The axis Ax2, passing through the rotation center C2 of the two proximal portions of the upper arm, goes through a position of the rotation center of the secondary shaft or through a position above the rotation center of the secondary shaft. This structure can reduce the force acting on the vehicle body frame via the upper arm and prevent an increase in the force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Sawai, Takashi Imamura, Atsushi Yasuda
  • Patent number: 10046830
    Abstract: A snowmobile includes a transmission unit that transmits a driving force generated by an engine to the ground surface, in which ground touching portions of the transmission unit that are spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction receive reaction forces mutually different in magnitude from the ground surface; a suspension that supports the transmission unit so as to swing in the up-down direction; and a vehicle body vibration control damper extending between a first portion and a second portion that are spaced apart from each other of the vehicle body frame and a member fixed to the vehicle body frame, the vehicle body vibration control damper generating a damping force against variations that change the distance between the first portion and the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Seiji Sawai
  • Publication number: 20180094689
    Abstract: A shock absorber includes a cylinder and a piston. The piston is configured to partition an internal space of the cylinder into two oil chambers and is capable of sliding in an axial direction of the cylinder. The piston having formed therethrough a communication path configured to bring the two oil chambers into communication with each other. The shock absorber also includes a first rod and a second rod. The first rod extends in a first direction of the axial direction with respect to the piston. The second rod has a diameter larger than a diameter of the first rod, and extends in a second direction of the axial direction, which is opposite to the first direction, with respect to the piston. The shock absorber further includes a rod mounting member, which is provided on the first rod, and a cylinder mounting member, which is provided on the cylinder and arranged as offset from an axis of the cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Inventors: Seiji SAWAI, Takashi IMAMURA
  • Publication number: 20180079275
    Abstract: A hydraulic shock absorbing apparatus for a vehicle includes left and right front wheels, left and right arms, and hydraulic shock absorbers provided between a vehicle body and the left and right arms. A first end portion of each hydraulic shock absorber includes a cylinder main body partitioned into a first oil chamber and a second oil chamber by a piston. A second end portion of the hydraulic shock absorber includes a piston rod including the piston. A reserve tank is connected to one hydraulic shock absorber via a first hydraulic oil passage and connected to the other hydraulic shock absorber via a second hydraulic oil passage. The first hydraulic oil passage and the second hydraulic oil passage are individually connected to a third oil chamber of the reserve tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2016
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventors: Seiji SAWAI, Yutaka YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20180072126
    Abstract: An oil channel that connects, a right damper and a left damper includes a switching valve arranged between a right oil channel ER and a left oil channel EL. The switching valve includes a valve main body in which a first switching channel is formed for connecting the right oil channel ER and the left oil channel EL. The valve main body is rotatable to a first position where the first switching channel connects the right oil channel ER and the left oil channel EL to each other and to a second position different from the first position. According to this damping system, it is possible to adjust oil flow in the oil channel by performing a simple operation for the switching valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventor: Seiji SAWAI
  • Patent number: 9845113
    Abstract: A first hydraulic damper includes one end portion attached to a first attachment position of a vehicle body. A second hydraulic damper includes one end portion coupled to the other end portion of the first hydraulic damper via a linking member, and the other end portion attached to a second attachment position of the vehicle body. Each of the first and second hydraulic dampers includes a hydraulic cylinder, a piston, a piston rod, a free piston, a compression coil spring, first and second working oil passages to cause first and second oil chambers to communicate with each other, and working oil passage throttles. The first hydraulic damper, second hydraulic damper, and the linking member are coupled in the longitudinal direction. One of the hydraulic cylinder and piston rod is attached to the vehicle body, and the other is coupled to the linking rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji Sawai, Yutaka Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20170334488
    Abstract: A straddle-type vehicle includes a vehicle body frame; a power unit supported by the vehicle body frame; a seat mounted at a position higher than the power unit; a handle bar mounted at a position more forward than the seat; a pair of front wheels spaced apart from each other in a vehicle width direction; a pair of suspensions spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction and connecting the pair of front wheels to the vehicle frame; and a vehicle body vibration control damper including end portions connected to a first attachment portion and a second attachment portion, respectively, mounted on the vehicle body frame so as to be spaced apart from each other in a vehicle front-back direction, and mounted so as to extend in the vehicle front-back direction with at least a portion thereof located between the pair of suspensions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Kazunari TAKATA, Keijiro OTA, Chisei ASAMI, Koji KOBAYASHI, Seiji SAWAI
  • Publication number: 20170217540
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a snowmobile are disclosed. The lower arm is arranged below the upper arm. The lower arm includes proximal portions and connected to the ski support frame. The lower arm extends outwardly from the proximal portions and in the vehicle width direction and connects the ski support frame and the ski. The proximal portions and of the lower arm are positioned higher than the lower end of the engine. At least a portion of the lower arm is positioned higher than the rotational center of the crank shaft. This structure can prevent the center of gravity of the vehicle body from becoming high and reduce running resistance when the vehicle traveling in deep snow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Seiji SAWAI, Takashi IMAMURA, Atsushi YASUDA
  • Publication number: 20170217472
    Abstract: This specification relates to a snowmobile. Each of the right suspension and the left suspension includes a damper capable of expanding and contracting according to the vertical movement of the lower arm and a spring that exerts spring force in the expansion/contraction direction of the damper. The cylinder of the right damper and the cylinder of the left damper are connected to each other through a hydraulic fluid channel so that the hydraulic fluid flows between the cylinder of the right damper and the cylinder of the left damper. This snowmobile can reduce the difference in contact pressure on snow surface between the left ski and the right ski, when the vehicle turns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Seiji SAWAI, Takashi IMAMURA, Atsushi YASUDA