Patents by Inventor Shinji Kurachi
Shinji Kurachi 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).
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Patent number: 11958537Abstract: A vehicle includes a hood. The hood includes a hood outer and a hood inner. The hood inner has a plate shape, covers a lower surface of the hood outer, and is made of resin. A space is provided between the hood outer and the hood inner. The hood inner includes a shock absorbing portion that is bent so as to project toward the space. The shock absorbing portion has a central portion located at a center of the shock absorbing portion in a right-left direction of the vehicle and side portions located on respective sides of the central portion in the right-left direction. A thickness of the hood inner in the central portion is thicker than a thickness of the hood inner in the side portions.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2021Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akihiro Yanaka, Shinji Kurachi, Hidenori Iwayama
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Patent number: 11946292Abstract: A side door disclosed herein is a side door for a vehicle, and includes an inner panel, a door handle attached to the inner panel and operable by a user, an outer panel covering the inner panel from an outer side of the vehicle and having an opening that exposes the door handle, and a cover attached to the inner panel and at least partially closing the opening of the outer panel. A projection is provided in the cover to project into a space between the door handle and the outer panel at least in a vehicle front-rear direction across the door handle.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2021Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akihiro Yanaka, Shinji Kurachi, Takanori Komatsu
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Patent number: 11945504Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle body and a mounted component provided in the vehicle body. The vehicle body includes a pair of side member, a first crossmember, a second crossmember, and a bracket. The side members extend in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the side members are provided on the opposite sides across the mounted component in the vehicle right-left direction when the side members are viewed from above in the vehicle up-down direction. The first crossmember extends in the vehicle right-left direction such that the first crossmember is joined to surfaces of respective inner walls of the side members. The second crossmember extends in the vehicle right-left direction at a position closer to the mounted component than the first crossmember such that the second crossmember penetrates through the respective inner walls. The mounted component is connected to the first crossmember and the second crossmember via the bracket.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2021Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akihiro Yanaka, Shinji Kurachi, Tetsuji Shibata, Yoshinori Ikegami
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Patent number: 11814107Abstract: A vehicle includes: a hood; a cowl top placed rearward of the hood; a body structure disposed below the hood and the cowl top; and a shock absorber that is disposed between the hood and the body structure and is fixed to the body structure. At least one of the hood and the cowl top has a support portion facing a side surface of the shock absorber.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2021Date of Patent: November 14, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akihiro Yanaka, Shinji Kurachi, Hidenori Iwayama
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Patent number: 11787480Abstract: The technique disclosed in the present specification is embodied as a vehicle. The vehicle includes a floor panel and a pedal. The floor panel constitutes a floor of a vehicle cabin of the vehicle and has an inclined portion in a front portion of the floor panel. The inclined portion is inclined upward toward a front side of the vehicle. The pedal is disposed rearward of the inclined portion of the floor panel in a vehicle front-rear direction and operated by a driver of the vehicle toward the inclined portion. A raised portion that is raised toward the vehicle cabin is provided integrally with the inclined portion of the floor panel. When the driver places a foot on the pedal, the raised portion is located forward of a heel portion of the foot in the vehicle front-rear direction.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2021Date of Patent: October 17, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akihiro Yanaka, Shinji Kurachi, Shunsuke Teruyama
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Patent number: 11708114Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle body including: an elongated frame made of a first material and extending along a door opening; and an elongated rail made of a second material having a linear expansion coefficient different from that of the first material, the rail covering the frame and extending along the frame, the rail being configured to abut with a weather strip when a door closes the door opening. The rail is fixed to the frame at a plurality of fixation parts that includes: a first fixation part provided in an intermediate part of the rail in the longitudinal direction of the rail; and second fixation parts provided, respectively, in opposite end parts of the rail in its longitudinal direction. In the longitudinal direction of the rail, backlash widths at the second fixation parts are larger than a backlash width at the first fixation part.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2021Date of Patent: July 25, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akihiro Yanaka, Shinji Kurachi, Masayuki Koizumi
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Patent number: 11679688Abstract: A plurality of charging stations and a plurality of commercial facilities where a user of a vehicle can stay during charging in one of the plurality of charging stations are provided. An information providing method for the vehicle includes: causing a charging server to select a plurality of candidates from among the plurality of charging stations in accordance with location information about each of the vehicle and the plurality of commercial facilities; causing the charging server to provide a car navigation device with information showing the plurality of candidates selected; causing the server to deliver an advertisement for a commercial facility associated with each of the plurality of candidates selected; and causing the charging server to receive information about a candidate selected with the car navigation device from among the plurality of candidates by the user referring to the advertisement.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2021Date of Patent: June 20, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Satoru Sakuma, Shuhei Yamamoto, Munehiro Kamiya, Hideo Hasegawa, Shinji Kurachi, Tomoya Shimizu
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Patent number: 11667215Abstract: The technology described in the present specification is embodied in a vehicle. The vehicle includes a vehicle body, a seat, and a seat bracket. The vehicle body includes a pipe material extending in the vehicle right-left direction. The seat is provided in the vehicle body, and an occupant of the vehicle sits on the seat. The seat is fixed to the pipe material via the seat bracket. The seat bracket includes a bracket lower and a bracket upper. The bracket lower is placed below the pipe material. The bracket upper is placed above the pipe material such that the pipe material is sandwiched between the bracket upper and the bracket lower.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2021Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akihiro Yanaka, Shinji Kurachi, Yoshinori Ikegami, Yoshikazu Tanoue
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Publication number: 20220161644Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle body including: an elongated frame made of a first material and extending along a door opening; and an elongated rail made of a second material having a linear expansion coefficient different from that of the first material, the rail covering the frame and extending along the frame, the rail being configured to abut with a weather strip when a door closes the door opening. The rail is fixed to the frame at a plurality of fixation parts that includes: a first fixation part provided in an intermediate part of the rail in the longitudinal direction of the rail; and second fixation parts provided, respectively, in opposite end parts of the rail in its longitudinal direction. In the longitudinal direction of the rail, backlash widths at the second fixation parts are larger than a backlash width at the first fixation part.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2021Publication date: May 26, 2022Inventors: Akihiro Yanaka, Shinji Kurachi, Masayuki Koizumi
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Publication number: 20220161689Abstract: The technology described in the present specification is embodied in a vehicle. The vehicle includes a vehicle body, a seat, and a seat bracket. The vehicle body includes a pipe material extending in the vehicle right-left direction. The seat is provided in the vehicle body, and an occupant of the vehicle sits on the seat. The seat is fixed to the pipe material via the seat bracket. The seat bracket includes a bracket lower and a bracket upper. The bracket lower is placed below the pipe material. The bracket upper is placed above the pipe material such that the pipe material is sandwiched between the bracket upper and the bracket lower.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 19, 2021Publication date: May 26, 2022Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akihiro Yanaka, Shinji Kurachi, Yoshinori Ikegami, Yoshikazu Tanoue
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Publication number: 20220161861Abstract: A vehicle includes: a hood; a cowl top placed rearward of the hood; a body structure disposed below the hood and the cowl top; and a shock absorber that is disposed between the hood and the body structure and is fixed to the body structure. At least one of the hood and the cowl top has a support portion facing a side surface of the shock absorber.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 11, 2021Publication date: May 26, 2022Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akihiro Yanaka, Shinji Kurachi, Hidenori Iwayama
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Publication number: 20220162888Abstract: A side door disclosed herein is a side door for a vehicle, and includes an inner panel, a door handle attached to the inner panel and operable by a user, an outer panel covering the inner panel from an outer side of the vehicle and having an opening that exposes the door handle, and a cover attached to the inner panel and at least partially closing the opening of the outer panel. A projection is provided in the cover to project into a space between the door handle and the outer panel at least in a vehicle front-rear direction across the door handle.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 2021Publication date: May 26, 2022Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akihiro Yanaka, Shinji Kurachi, Takanori Komatsu
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Publication number: 20220161856Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle body and a mounted component provided in the vehicle body. The vehicle body includes a pair of side member, a first crossmember, a second crossmember, and a bracket. The side members extend in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the side members are provided on the opposite sides across the mounted component in the vehicle right-left direction when the side members are viewed from above in the vehicle up-down direction. The first crossmember extends in the vehicle right-left direction such that the first crossmember is joined to surfaces of respective inner walls of the side members. The second crossmember extends in the vehicle right-left direction at a position closer to the mounted component than the first crossmember such that the second crossmember penetrates through the respective inner walls. The mounted component is connected to the first crossmember and the second crossmember via the bracket.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 19, 2021Publication date: May 26, 2022Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akihiro Yanaka, Shinji Kurachi, Tetsuji Shibata, Yoshinori Ikegami
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Publication number: 20220161865Abstract: The technique disclosed in the present specification is embodied as a vehicle. The vehicle includes a floor panel and a pedal. The floor panel constitutes a floor of a vehicle cabin of the vehicle and has an inclined portion in a front portion of the floor panel. The inclined portion is inclined upward toward a front side of the vehicle. The pedal is disposed rearward of the inclined portion of the floor panel in a vehicle front-rear direction and operated by a driver of the vehicle toward the inclined portion. A raised portion that is raised toward the vehicle cabin is provided integrally with the inclined portion of the floor panel. When the driver places a foot on the pedal, the raised portion is located forward of a heel portion of the foot in the vehicle front-rear direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 1, 2021Publication date: May 26, 2022Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akihiro Yanaka, Shinji Kurachi, Shunsuke Teruyama
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Publication number: 20220161863Abstract: A vehicle includes a hood. The hood includes a hood outer and a hood inner. The hood inner has a plate shape, covers a lower surface of the hood outer, and is made of resin. A space is provided between the hood outer and the hood inner. The hood inner includes a shock absorbing portion that is bent so as to project toward the space. The shock absorbing portion has a central portion located at a center of the shock absorbing portion in a right-left direction of the vehicle and side portions located on respective sides of the central portion in the right-left direction. A thickness of the hood inner in the central portion is thicker than a thickness of the hood inner in the side portions.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 19, 2021Publication date: May 26, 2022Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akihiro Yanaka, Shinji Kurachi, Hidenori Iwayama
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Patent number: 11200800Abstract: A vehicle search system includes a vehicle incorporating a vehicle-mounted camera and a server configured to communicate with the vehicle. The server transmits search target vehicle data for specifying a search target vehicle to the vehicle. The vehicle is configured to (a) store the search target vehicle data from the server and (b) transmit, when a vehicle detected by the vehicle-mounted camera falls under search target vehicles included in the search target vehicle data, detection information on the detected vehicle to the server.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2020Date of Patent: December 14, 2021Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Satoru Sakuma, Shuhei Yamamoto, Munehiro Kamiya, Hideo Hasegawa, Shinji Kurachi, Tomoya Shimizu
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Patent number: 11192544Abstract: A vehicle management system includes a vehicle controller mountable in a vehicle, and a commercial facility management system for managing a parking lot and payment in a commercial facility. The commercial facility management system includes a system controller. The system controller performs processing for associating the vehicle with a user of the vehicle when the vehicle enters the parking lot, and cooperates with the vehicle controller of the vehicle associated with the user to control the vehicle to travel from a parking place to a pick-up/drop-off place for the user when the user finishes payment.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2020Date of Patent: December 7, 2021Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Satoru Sakuma, Shuhei Yamamoto, Munehiro Kamiya, Hideo Hasegawa, Shinji Kurachi, Tomoya Shimizu
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Patent number: 11175143Abstract: An electric efficiency prediction method for a vehicle includes: the first step of obtaining “object vehicle information” showing information about a status of use of a vehicle that is an electrically powered vehicle; and the second step of, for each link connecting nodes virtually set on an expected traveling route of the vehicle, by using the object vehicle information, correcting an electric efficiency actual value of electric efficiency collected from each of a plurality of vehicles to calculate an electric efficiency predicted value in each link for the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2018Date of Patent: November 16, 2021Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Satoru Sakuma, Shuhei Yamamoto, Munehiro Kamiya, Hideo Hasegawa, Shinji Kurachi, Tomoya Shimizu
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Publication number: 20210162880Abstract: A plurality of charging stations and a plurality of commercial facilities where a user of a vehicle can stay during charging in one of the plurality of charging stations are provided. An information providing method for the vehicle includes: causing a charging server to select a plurality of candidates from among the plurality of charging stations in accordance with location information about each of the vehicle and the plurality of commercial facilities; causing the charging server to provide a car navigation device with information showing the plurality of candidates selected; causing the server to deliver an advertisement for a commercial facility associated with each of the plurality of candidates selected; and causing the charging server to receive information about a candidate selected with the car navigation device from among the plurality of candidates by the user referring to the advertisement.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 9, 2021Publication date: June 3, 2021Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Satoru SAKUMA, Shuhei YAMAMOTO, Munehiro KAMIYA, Hideo HASEGAWA, Shinji KURACHI, Tomoya SHIMIZU
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Publication number: 20210138925Abstract: A provider terminal transmits, to a server, (i) location information for specifying a location of a power supply facility for supplying power to a vehicle and (ii) an acceptance period for accepting the supply of power at the location. The user terminal transmits, to the server, (i) a desired location for the supply of power to the vehicle and (ii) a desired starting time for the supply of power to the vehicle at the desired location. The server includes: a provision DB configured to store one or more pieces of association information in which respective pieces of location information are associated with respective acceptance periods; a determination device configured to determine a power supply facility corresponding to the desired location and the desired starting time; and a communicator configured to notify a location of the power supply facility.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 18, 2021Publication date: May 13, 2021Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Satoru SAKUMA, Shuhei YAMAMOTO, Munehiro KAMIYA, Hideo HASEGAWA, Shinji KURACHI, Tomoya SHIMIZU