Patents by Inventor Shigeto Inami

Shigeto Inami 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: 8910993
    Abstract: A cowling structure includes a head pipe mounted to the front of a body frame, a steering gear held such that it is capable of pivoting about the axis of the head pipe, side cowls each arranged at the transverse outside of the body frame, together with an opening so formed in each side cowl that it communicates with the transverse outside and inside of each side cowl. When viewed in a side view, the side cowls are lengthened up to the fore of the head pipe, and the opening is in such a position that it is level with the head pipe and overlaps with the steering gear in the fore of the head pipe. Such cowling structure permits less damages to the external appearance while providing the improvement in the lightness of banking at the time in the early stage of turning of a vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Omi Iida, Jun Hirose, Shigeto Inami, Katsumasa Ieda
  • Patent number: 8631888
    Abstract: A cowling structure for a saddle-ride type vehicle for cooling an engine and providing a windshield for a rider. The cowling structure includes a seat for a rider to sit thereon, the seat is arranged behind and above an engine suspended from a vehicle body frame. An under cowl covers at least part of a lower portion of the engine. The under cowl is formed to cover at least part of a side surface of the engine. A guide portion is provided in an upper portion of the under cowl, the guide portion extending inward in a vehicle width direction and toward the side surface of the engine. An opening is provided in front of the guide portion, the opening introducing a flow of air into the under cowl. The guide portion has a slope surface which slopes downward from the front to the rear of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Omi Iida, Jun Hirose, Shigeto Inami, Nobutaka Ban
  • Publication number: 20120292948
    Abstract: A cowling structure includes a head pipe mounted to the front of a body frame, a steering gear held such that it is capable of pivoting about the axis of the head pipe, side cowls each arranged at the transverse outside of the body frame, together with an opening so formed in each side cowl that it communicates with the transverse outside and inside of each side cowl. When viewed in a side view, the side cowls are lengthened up to the fore of the head pipe, and the opening is in such a position that it is level with the head pipe and overlaps with the steering gear in the fore of the head pipe. Such cowling structure permits less damages to the external appearance while providing the improvement in the lightness of banking at the time in the early stage of turning of a vehicle body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Omi Iida, Jun Hirose, Shigeto Inami, Katsumasa Ieda
  • Patent number: 8205707
    Abstract: In a vehicle of a type which does not bank a vehicle body at the time of turning, an inclination angle sensor is provided which receives the least influence of a centrifugal force at the time of turning. In a four-wheeled buggy that includes a vehicle body frame, four longitudinal wheels including front wheels and rear wheels are provided together with an engine, a fuel tank and a fuel pump. A steering shaft is connected to a steering handle with an inclination angle sensor arranged above a seat and being positioned in front of the steering shaft. Accordingly, the inclination angle sensor is hardly influenced by a centrifugal force at the time of turning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Yamamoto, Shigeto Inami
  • Patent number: 8141543
    Abstract: A vehicle has an engine and a fuel tank, which is located above the engine, mounted on a vehicle-body frame. A fuel pump, which supplies fuel is spaced-apart from the fuel tank and is located below the fuel tank and in front of the engine. Further, a center of the fuel pump in the vehicle-width direction is located so as to overlap a vehicle-body center line which extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. Additionally, the fuel pump is mounted on lower main frames, which are positioned below the vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Shigeto Inami, Tsuneo Kajikawa, Tadashi Oshima
  • Patent number: 8043179
    Abstract: A drive chain adjustment mechanism for simplifying the tension adjustment work of a drive chain of an all terrain vehicle. The drive chain is wound around a driven sprocket connected to the rear wheels of the vehicle. The mechanism includes a case to which the driven sprocket is coupled; a cam which moves the case in a fore and aft direction with respect to a vehicle body frame; and a bolt which is located rearward of a shaft portion of the driven sprocket, and which attaches the cam and the case to the vehicle body frame. When the case is moved in the fore and aft direction of a vehicle body, the tension of the drive chain is adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bunzo Seki, Tomoaki Yamagata, Shigeto Inami
  • Publication number: 20110180345
    Abstract: A cowling structure for a saddle-ride type vehicle for cooling an engine and providing a windshield for a rider. The cowling structure includes a seat for a rider to sit thereon, the seat is arranged behind and above an engine suspended from a vehicle body frame. An under cowl covers at least part of a lower portion of the engine. The under cowl is formed to cover at least part of a side surface of the engine. A guide portion is provided in an upper portion of the under cowl, the guide portion extending inward in a vehicle width direction and toward the side surface of the engine. An opening is provided in front of the guide portion, the opening introducing a flow of air into the under cowl. The guide portion has a slope surface which slopes downward from the front to the rear of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Inventors: Omi IIDA, Jun Hirose, Shigeto Inami, Nobutaka Ban
  • Patent number: 7882923
    Abstract: In a vehicle of a type which does not bank a vehicle body at the time of turning, an inclination angle sensor is provided which receives the least influence of a centrifugal force at the time of turning. In a four-wheeled buggy that includes a vehicle body frame, four longitudinal wheels including front wheels and rear wheels are provided together with an engine, a fuel tank and a fuel pump. A steering shaft is connected to a steering handle with an inclination angle sensor arranged above a seat and being positioned in front of the steering shaft. Accordingly, the inclination angle sensor is hardly influenced by a centrifugal force at the time of turning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Yamamoto, Shigeto Inami
  • Patent number: 7828098
    Abstract: A battery arrangement structure for a vehicle that concentrates a mass of a vehicle body while effectively making use of a space in the vehicle body. The engine of the vehicle is mounted on a vehicle body frame, an intake device which includes a throttle body is connected to the engine, and a battery is arranged inside a pair of left and right upper frames which constitute the vehicle body frames. The throttle body is arranged on either one of left and right sides with respect to a vehicle body center line which extends in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle body, and the battery is arranged on anotheer side with respect to the vehicle body center line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takao Yamamoto, Shigeto Inami
  • Publication number: 20100258373
    Abstract: In a vehicle of a type which does not bank a vehicle body at the time of turning, an inclination angle sensor is provided which receives the least influence of a centrifugal force at the time of turning. In a four-wheeled buggy that includes a vehicle body frame, four longitudinal wheels including front wheels and rear wheels are provided together with an engine, a fuel tank and a fuel pump. A steering shaft is connected to a steering handle with an inclination angle sensor arranged above a seat and being positioned in front of the steering shaft. Accordingly, the inclination angle sensor is hardly influenced by a centrifugal force at the time of turning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Inventors: Takao YAMAMOTO, Shigeto Inami
  • Patent number: 7708107
    Abstract: A suspension system structure is provided which permits a suspension arm to be disposed without being affected by a driven sprocket or a brake disc. A final drive case is supported on rear portions of left and right vehicle body subframes. A driven sprocket and a brake disc are coaxially disposed on the left and right of the final drive case. The driven sprocket and the brake disc are disposed on the inside of the vehicle body frame. An upper arm and a lower arm are disposed on the outside of the vehicle body frame. Support portions of the upper arm and the lower arm relative to the vehicle body frame are overlapped partly with the driven sprocket and the brake disc in a side view to provide a guard therefor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bunzo Seki, Tomoaki Yamagata, Shigeto Inami
  • Patent number: 7661687
    Abstract: In the rough-terrain traveling vehicle in which rear wheels as left and right wheels are independently suspended via left and right lower arms respectively, and an anti-roll bar device is extended between the left and right lower arms, the left and right rear wheels are driven from an engine side via a chain, and the anti-roll bar device is disposed so as to extend across the inside of the circle of the chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bunzo Seki, Shigeto Inami
  • Patent number: 7540360
    Abstract: A mounting structure for a speed reduction device of a vehicle includes a vehicle frame, a casing mounted on the vehicle frame at a casing mounting portion, a brake caliper mounted to the casing at a caliper mounting portion, a brake disc mounted on a drive axle of the vehicle, and a clamping portion mounted on the brake caliper for applying clamping force to the brake disc. The clamping portion, the caliper mounting portion, and the casing mounting portion are positioned on a substantially straight line, and are positioned substantially parallel to the direction of braking force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bunzo Seki, Shigeto Inami
  • Patent number: 7497451
    Abstract: A cushion mounting structure of a saddle-ride vehicle with a cushion unit having an elongated stroke length for absorbing an impact from a wheel. The structure includes an upper and a lower arm constituting a suspension arm. The arms are tiltably connected to left and right portions of a support frame, the rear wheels being supported on the suspension arm. One end of a cushion unit is supported on the vehicle body frame, while the other end is supported on an upper arm by a link member and a push rod. The first end of the cushion unit is positioned inside the vehicle body frame in the vehicle body width direction, the second end of the cushion unit is positioned outside the vehicle body frame in a width direction, and an axis of the cushion unit extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle while intersecting the vehicle body frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bunzo Seki, Shigeto Inami, Tsuneo Kajikawa, Tomoaki Yamagata
  • Patent number: 7374009
    Abstract: A control box mounting bracket is attached to a vehicle body frame. The control box mounting bracket mounts an engine control box on the vehicle body frame and in the periphery of the control box mounting bracket. The control box mounting bracket includes an attaching portion to which the control box is attached and a coupler support portion which supports a plurality of couplers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Yamamoto, Tomohiko Yashiro, Shigeto Inami, Masaki Yamazaki, Kunihiko Fukui
  • Patent number: 7306069
    Abstract: A frame structure and a method of manufacturing a body frame that is divided into small assemblies to facilitate the carriage and storage of articles and individuals and the manufacturing efficiency. A body frame is divided into three, namely, a front assembly having a closed loop structure, an engine support system assembly having a closed loop structure and a rear suspension support system assembly having a closed loop structure. The front assembly and the rear suspension support system assembly are connected to the engine support system assembly to form the body frame. The small assemblies have a closed loop structure whereby the rigidity is enhanced, and the shape is also stabilized. Therefore, the accuracy management can be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masao Takeshima, Shigeto Inami
  • Publication number: 20070200333
    Abstract: A vehicle has an engine and a fuel tank, which is located above the engine, mounted on a vehicle-body frame. A fuel pump, which supplies fuel is spaced-apart from the fuel tank and is located below the fuel tank and in front of the engine. Further, a center of the fuel pump in the vehicle-width direction is located so as to overlap a vehicle-body center line which extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. Additionally, the fuel pump is mounted on lower main frames, which are positioned below the vehicle body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Publication date: August 30, 2007
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeto Inami, Tsuneo Kajikawa, Tadashi Oshima
  • Publication number: 20070199776
    Abstract: A mounting structure for a speed reduction device of a vehicle includes a vehicle frame, a casing mounted on the vehicle frame at a casing mounting portion, a brake caliper mounted to the casing at a caliper mounting portion, a brake disc mounted on a drive axle of the vehicle, and a clamping portion mounted on the brake caliper for applying clamping force to the brake disc. The clamping portion, the caliper mounting portion, and the casing mounting portion are positioned on a substantially straight line, and are positioned substantially parallel to the direction of braking force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Publication date: August 30, 2007
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Bunzo SEKI, Shigeto INAMI
  • Publication number: 20070074925
    Abstract: A suspension system structure is provided which permits a suspension arm to be disposed without being affected by a driven sprocket or a brake disc. A final drive case is supported on rear portions of left and right vehicle body subframes. A driven sprocket and a brake disc are coaxially disposed on the left and right of the final drive case. The driven sprocket and the brake disc are disposed on the inside of the vehicle body frame. An upper arm and a lower arm are disposed on the outside of the vehicle body frame. Support portions of the upper arm and the lower arm relative to the vehicle body frame are overlapped partly with the driven sprocket and the brake disc in a side view to provide a guard therefor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Publication date: April 5, 2007
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bunzo Seki, Tomoaki Yamagata, Shigeto Inami
  • Publication number: 20070066429
    Abstract: A drive chain adjustment mechanism for simplifying the tension adjustment work of a drive chain of an all terrain vehicle. The drive chain is wound around a driven sprocket connected to the rear wheels of the vehicle. The mechanism includes a case to which the driven sprocket is coupled; a cam which moves the case in a fore and aft direction with respect to a vehicle body frame; and a bolt which is located rearward of a shaft portion of the driven sprocket, and which attaches the cam and the case to the vehicle body frame. When the case is moved in the fore and aft direction of a vehicle body, the tension of the drive chain is adjusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Bunzo Seki, Tomoaki Yamagata, Shigeto Inami