Patents by Inventor Shinobu Tanaka

Shinobu Tanaka 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: 10967722
    Abstract: A battery pack comprises a lower-stage battery stack and an upper-stage battery stack. The upper-stage battery stack is separated from the lower-stage battery stack in a vehicle height direction. A middle frame that is a reinforcing member is arranged at a height position that matches a height position of a separation space between the upper-stage battery stack and the lower-stage battery stack in terms of a position in the vehicle height direction. Longitudinal frames of the middle frame project outward from the upper-stage battery stack in a vehicle width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinobu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10940892
    Abstract: A vehicle substructure, comprising a pair of side members arranged apart in the vehicle width direction, and extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a cross member that extends in the vehicle width direction and connects the pair of side members, wherein the cross member include a pairs of cross member low-strength sections that are of weaker strength than a center portion, on both sides in the vehicle width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuma Otoguro, Shinobu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10899389
    Abstract: A vehicle substructure, comprising a pair of rockers arranged apart in a vehicle width direction, and extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction, and a floor cross member that extends in the vehicle width direction and connects to the pairs of rockers, wherein the floor cross member includes a pair of floor cross member low-strength sections that are of weaker strength than a center portion, on both sides in the vehicle width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Kasai, Shinobu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10829156
    Abstract: A vehicle lower structure includes: a battery pack provided under a floor of a vehicle cabin; a framework member fixed to a bottom surface of the case, the framework member extending across the case in a vehicle width direction; a first extension framework member detachably attached to one end of the framework member in the vehicle width direction such that at least one of distal ends of the first extension framework member in the vehicle width direction is located outward of one end of the case in the vehicle width direction; and a second extension framework member detachably attached to the other end of the framework member in the vehicle width direction such that at least one of distal ends of the second extension framework member in the vehicle width direction is located outward of the other end of the case in the vehicle width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuma Otoguro, Yuya Saruwatari, Toshiharu Shinya, Shinobu Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20200215895
    Abstract: A battery pack comprises a lower-stage battery stack and an upper-stage battery stack. The upper-stage battery stack is separated from the lower-stage battery stack in a vehicle height direction. A middle frame that is a reinforcing member is arranged at a height position that matches a height position of a separation space between the upper-stage battery stack and the lower-stage battery stack in terms of a position in the vehicle height direction. Longitudinal frames of the middle frame project outward from the upper-stage battery stack in a vehicle width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventor: Shinobu TANAKA
  • Patent number: 10688856
    Abstract: A floor structure has a floor panel, a battery pack, and floor cross members. The battery pack is disposed under the floor panel. The floor cross members are disposed on the floor panel and extend from one end to the other end of the floor panel in the vehicle width direction. The floor cross members include deformation starting portions in which bases are raised. Dimensions in a vehicle height direction of the deformation starting portions are shorter than dimensions of areas of the floor cross members in a vehicle width direction other than the deformation starting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Kasai, Shinobu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10589603
    Abstract: A vehicle side door internally includes an impact beam which extends along a longitudinal axis of a door. The impact beam is attached to a door inner panel via an outer extension. An inner extension is attached inside the outer extension. A distance along thickness of the door between the inner extension and the impact beam is shorter in a close proximity section than in a longitudinally neighboring area. Because the load received by the inner extension via the close proximity section is transferred to joint portions connecting to the outer extension, the load received by the outer extension from the impact beam is dispersed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinobu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10549610
    Abstract: A vehicle door includes an outer panel, an inner panel including an inner wall portion, a side wall portion, and a flange portion, an impact beam provided so to extend between the outer panel and the inner wall portion on a surface parallel to inner wall portion, and a bracket including a fixed portion, a joint portion, and a recessed portion. The recessed portion recesses toward an inner-panel side such that a tip end of the impact beam is distanced from the bracket. In an extending direction of the impact beam, a yield strength of a region from the fixed portion to a tip end position of the impact beam for a load applied from the outer panel-side is lower than a yield strength of a region from the tip end position of the impact beam to the joint portion for the load applied from the outer-panel side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinobu Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20190276081
    Abstract: A vehicle lower structure includes: a battery pack provided under a floor of a vehicle cabin; a framework member fixed to a bottom surface of the case, the framework member extending across the case in a vehicle width direction; a first extension framework member detachably attached to one end of the framework member in the vehicle width direction such that at least one of distal ends of the first extension framework member in the vehicle width direction is located outward of one end of the case in the vehicle width direction; and a second extension framework member detachably attached to the other end of the framework member in the vehicle width direction such that at least one of distal ends of the second extension framework member in the vehicle width direction is located outward of the other end of the case in the vehicle width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Inventors: Kazuma OTOGURO, Yuya SARUWATARI, Toshiharu SHINYA, Shinobu TANAKA
  • Publication number: 20190232773
    Abstract: A floor structure has a floor panel, a battery pack, and floor cross members. The battery pack is disposed under the floor panel. The floor cross members are disposed on the floor panel and extend from one end to the other end of the floor panel in the vehicle width direction. The floor cross members include deformation starting portions in which bases are raised. Dimensions in a vehicle height direction of the deformation starting portions are shorter than dimensions of areas of the floor cross members in a vehicle width direction other than the deformation starting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: Satoshi KASAI, Shinobu TANAKA
  • Publication number: 20190217895
    Abstract: A vehicle substructure, comprising a pair of rockers arranged apart in a vehicle width direction, and extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction, and a floor cross member that extends in the vehicle width direction and connects to the pairs of rockers, wherein the floor cross member includes a pair of floor cross member low-strength sections that are of weaker strength than a center portion, on both sides in the vehicle width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Kasai, Shinobu Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20190217896
    Abstract: A vehicle substructure, comprising a pair of side members arranged apart in the vehicle width direction, and extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a cross member that extends in the vehicle width direction and connects the pair of side members, wherein the cross member include a pairs of cross member low-strength sections that are of weaker strength than a center portion, on both sides in the vehicle width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuma OTOGURO, Shinobu TANAKA
  • Publication number: 20190084386
    Abstract: A vehicle side door internally includes an impact beam which extends along a longitudinal axis of a door. The impact beam is attached to a door inner panel via an outer extension. An inner extension is attached inside the outer extension. A distance along thickness of the door between the inner extension and the impact beam is shorter in a close proximity section than in a longitudinally neighboring area. Because the load received by the inner extension via the close proximity section is transferred to joint portions connecting to the outer extension, the load received by the outer extension from the impact beam is dispersed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinobu TANAKA
  • Publication number: 20180208029
    Abstract: A vehicle door includes an outer panel, an inner panel including an inner wall portion, a side wall portion, and a flange portion, an impact beam provided so to extend between the outer panel and the inner wall portion on a surface parallel to inner wall portion, and a bracket including a fixed portion, a joint portion, and a recessed portion. The recessed portion recesses toward an inner-panel side such that a tip end of the impact beam is distanced from the bracket. In an extending direction of the impact beam, a yield strength of a region from the fixed portion to a tip end position of the impact beam for a load applied from the outer panel-side is lower than a yield strength of a region from the tip end position of the impact beam to the joint portion for the load applied from the outer-panel side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinobu TANAKA
  • Patent number: 9796425
    Abstract: A step portion that is farther toward a vehicle width direction outside than a cabin inside vertical wall portion, is set on a door inner panel. A portion of the step portion is a first overlapping portion that is arranged in a position overlapping with an outside vertical wall portion of a center pillar in a vehicle side view. A portion of the outside vertical wall portion of the center pillar is a second overlapping portion that faces the first overlapping portion at a distance that is narrower than a distance between the step portion and the cabin inside vertical wall portion. A third overlapping portion that is connected to the first overlapping portion in a position overlapping with the second overlapping portion of the center pillar in the vehicle side view, is set on an end portion of a beltline reinforcement in a length direction thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinobu Tanaka, Takuya Oshima, Kenjiro Yamada, Tatsunori Mori, Yasuhiko Fukuzumi, Shuuitsu Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20160152119
    Abstract: A step portion that is farther toward a vehicle width direction outside than a cabin inside vertical wall portion, is set on a door inner panel. A portion of the step portion is a first overlapping portion that is arranged in a position overlapping with an outside vertical wall portion of a center pillar in a vehicle side view. A portion of the outside vertical wall portion of the center pillar is a second overlapping portion that faces the first overlapping portion at a distance that is narrower than a distance between the step portion and the cabin inside vertical wall portion. A third overlapping portion that is connected to the first overlapping portion in a position overlapping with the second overlapping portion of the center pillar in the vehicle side view, is set on an end portion of a beltline reinforcement in a length direction thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinobu TANAKA, Takuya OSHIMA, Kenjiro YAMADA, Tatsunori MORI, Yasuhiko FUKUZUMI, Shuuitsu YAMAMOTO
  • Patent number: 9254811
    Abstract: In an inflated and deployed state of a side-airbag, a shoulder bag section is disposed to extend from the side of a shoulder of a seated occupant toward the vehicle front side, above a main bag section. The vehicle width direction dimension of the shoulder bag section is set smaller than that of the main bag section, and a vehicle width direction inner side face at an upper end side of the main bag section slopes or curves so as to rise on progression toward the vehicle width direction outer side. An upper arm is pushed upward by making sliding contact with this face. Moreover, the shoulder can be restrained by the shoulder bag section, even when the seated occupant moves under inertia obliquely toward the vehicle front.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeki Hayashi, Satoshi Fukushima, Shinobu Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20150239423
    Abstract: In an inflated and deployed state of a side-airbag, a shoulder bag section is disposed to extend from the side of a shoulder of a seated occupant toward the vehicle front side, above a main bag section. The vehicle width direction dimension of the shoulder bag section is set smaller than that of the main bag section, and a vehicle width direction inner side face at an upper end side of the main bag section slopes or curves so as to rise on progression toward the vehicle width direction outer side. An upper arm is pushed upward by making sliding contact with this face. Moreover, the shoulder can be restrained by the shoulder bag section, even when the seated occupant moves under inertia obliquely toward the vehicle front.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeki Hayashi, Satoshi Fukushima, Shinobu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9039037
    Abstract: In an inflated and expanded state of a side airbag, a forwardly extending portion, provided at an upper portion of a rear side bag portion, extends from a side of a shoulder portion of a seated passenger toward a vehicle front side and is disposed above a front side bag portion. A dimension in a vehicle transverse direction of this forwardly extending portion is set to be smaller than that of the front side bag portion, and a vehicle transverse direction inner side surface at an upper end side of the front side bag portion is inclined or curved so as to rise-up while heading toward a vehicle transverse direction outer side. An upper arm portion is pushed-up due to sliding contact with this surface. Even when the seated passenger inertially toward an oblique front of a vehicle, the shoulder portion can be restrained by the forwardly extending portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Fukushima, Shigeki Hayashi, Shinobu Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20150035262
    Abstract: In an inflated and expanded state of a side airbag, a forwardly extending portion, provided at an upper portion of a rear side bag portion, extends from a side of a shoulder portion of a seated passenger toward a vehicle front side and is disposed above a front side bag portion. A dimension in a vehicle transverse direction of this forwardly extending portion is set to be smaller than that of the front side bag portion, and a vehicle transverse direction inner side surface at an upper end side of the front side bag portion is inclined or curved so as to rise-up while heading toward a vehicle transverse direction outer side. An upper arm portion is pushed-up due to sliding contact with this surface. Even when the seated passenger inertially toward an oblique front of a vehicle, the shoulder portion can be restrained by the forwardly extending portion .
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2012
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Fukushima, Shigeki Hayashi, Shinobu Tanaka