Patents by Inventor Shotaro Ayuzawa
Shotaro Ayuzawa 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: 11230082Abstract: A vehicle floor panel is provided in which a honeycomb core made of metal sandwiched and adhered between two CFRP plates is one in which a large number of core units formed into a polygon shape are continuous within one plane so as to share a side of the polygon. Since closed-section parts formed by a hat-shaped cross section part formed along the side and one CFRP plate are continuous with each other at a vertex of the polygon of the adjacent core units, not only is it possible to lighten the weight by opening the interior of the polygon (P) shape core unit, but it is also possible to enhance the energy-absorbing performance by dispersing and transmitting a collision load inputted into one direction of the floor panel toward a plurality of other directions because the high strength load transmission path is continuous with other load transmission paths.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2017Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventor: Shotaro Ayuzawa
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Patent number: 11014614Abstract: A body structure of an automobile is provided in which a body floor includes a floor panel having a bulge portion bulging upward formed on the rear part on opposite side parts in the vehicle width direction, and a side member disposed in the fore-and-aft direction along the upper face on opposite side parts in the vehicle width direction of the floor panel and having integrally formed therewith the rear pillar rising upward from the upper face of the bulge portion. Due to the mounting structure of a rear side frame and the roof side rail support member, it is possible to enhance the strength and stiffness of the rear part of the body floor made of CFRP by the bulge portion and the rear pillar and to strongly mount the rear side frame and the roof side rail support member on the rear part of the body floor.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2017Date of Patent: May 25, 2021Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventor: Shotaro Ayuzawa
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Publication number: 20200047449Abstract: A vehicle floor panel is provided in which a honeycomb core made of metal sandwiched and adhered between two CFRP plates is one in which a large number of core units formed into a polygon shape are continuous within one plane so as to share a side of the polygon. Since closed-section parts formed by a hat-shaped cross section part formed along the side and one CFRP plate are continuous with each other at a vertex of the polygon of the adjacent core units, not only is it possible to lighten the weight by opening the interior of the polygon (P) shape core unit, but it is also possible to enhance the energy-absorbing performance by dispersing and transmitting a collision load inputted into one direction of the floor panel toward a plurality of other directions because the high strength load transmission path is continuous with other load transmission paths.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2017Publication date: February 13, 2020Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventor: Shotaro Ayuzawa
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Publication number: 20200039586Abstract: A body structure of an automobile is provided in which a body floor includes a floor panel having a bulge portion bulging upward formed on the rear part on opposite side parts in the vehicle width direction, and a side membe disposed in the fore-and-aft direction along the upper face on opposite side parts in the vehicle width direction of the floor pane and having integrally formed therewith the rear pilla rising upward from the upper face of the bulge portion. Due to the mounting structure of a rear side frame and the roof side rail support member, it is possible to enhance the strength and stiffness of the rear part of the body floor made of CFRP by the bulge portion and the rear pillar and to strongly mount the rear side frame and the roof side rail support member on the rear part of the body floor.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2017Publication date: February 6, 2020Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventor: Shotaro Ayuzawa
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Patent number: 10322752Abstract: A plurality of metallic bulkheads fixed at predetermined intervals inside a side sill includes a partition wall portion partitioning an inner space of the side sill and a bonding flange portion formed to surround an outer periphery of the partition wall portion and bonded to an inner surface of the side sill and has an I-shaped cross-section. The partition wall portion of one bulkhead fixed to an upper curved portion is disposed to be substantially parallel to a radial direction passing through a curved center of the upper curved portion such that the partition wall portion is propped to prevent the upper curved portion from being crushed when a collision load in a front and rear direction is input to a pillar portion of the side sill to prevent the collapse deformation of the pillar portion.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2017Date of Patent: June 18, 2019Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventor: Shotaro Ayuzawa
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Patent number: 10288097Abstract: A fiber-reinforced resin member is provided in which a non-conductive sleeve and first and second non-conductive sheets are disposed between a metal fastening member and CFRP laminate, electrical continuity between the metal fastening member and the CFRP laminate is cut off, and corrosion of the metal fastening member due to galvanic corrosion is prevented. A first annular space is formed between a first flange portion of a first member and the first non-conductive sheet, a second annular space is formed between a second flange portion of a second member and the second non-conductive sheet. Therefore, even if frayed carbon fiber sticks out from a gap between the non-conductive sleeve and the first and second non-conductive sheets, due to the first and second annular spaces being formed therein, it is possible to prevent the sticking-out carbon fiber from contacting the first and second members and providing electrical continuity.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2015Date of Patent: May 14, 2019Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shotaro Ayuzawa, Yoshikatsu Ohta
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Patent number: 10173726Abstract: Since a recess 11f configured to house an in-vehicle component 37 is formed on an outer surface of a first wall portion 11c of a FRP vehicle body panel 24, a metallic reinforcing member 32 is fitted to the recess 11f and is fixed by adhesive, the reinforcing member 32 can compensate for a decrease in strength of the first wall portion 11c caused by the recess 11f. Since an outer peripheral portion of the reinforcing member 32 is mechanically fastened to the vehicle body panel 24 with rivets 33 and 35, the outer peripheral portion serving as a starting point of peeling of an adhesive is reinforced by mechanical fastening so that the vehicle body panel 24 and the reinforcing member 32 can be firmly integrated.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2017Date of Patent: January 8, 2019Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventor: Shotaro Ayuzawa
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Patent number: 10167019Abstract: An automobile vehicle body and an automobile vehicle body manufacturing method is provided in which a metal joint is divided into an upper joint and a lower joint. The upper joint includes an upper wall which is fitted into a side member, a vehicle width direction inner wall and a vehicle width direction outer wall, and a lower joint includes a lower wall which is joined to a lower face and an outside face of a vehicle body floor, and the vehicle width direction outer wall, and therefore, the vehicle width direction outer wall of the upper joint is fastened to the vehicle width direction outer wall of the lower joint by a first bolt, and the vehicle width direction inner wall of the upper joint is fastened to an inside face of the side member by a second bolt.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2015Date of Patent: January 1, 2019Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shotaro Ayuzawa, Takahira Kawata, Minoru Sakamoto
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Patent number: 9981699Abstract: In a body structure of an automobile, a floor panel having a sandwich structure in which a core is sandwiched between and joined to an outer skin and an inner skin, which are made of a CFRP, and a first load-dispersing frame extending in the fore-and-aft direction along a side sill is disposed between an energy-absorbing member and the core. A locally concentrated load inputted into the side sill is absorbed by crumpling of the energy-absorbing member of the interior of the floor panel beneath the side sill and then widely dispersed through the floor panel further inside in the vehicle width direction than the side sill by the first load-dispersing frame, and local destruction of the floor panel further inside in the vehicle width direction than the side sill is inhibited. Furthermore, by increasing bending stiffness of the first load-dispersing frame, to reduce the sheet thickness of the CFRP outer and the inner skins, a light weight is achieved.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2014Date of Patent: May 29, 2018Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shotaro Ayuzawa, Yuta Urushiyama, Takahira Kawata
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Patent number: 9975581Abstract: A metallic joint 18 having a substantially T-shaped cross section configured to join an inner surface in a vehicle width direction of a FRP side wall member 13 extending in a front-rear direction and an outer end in the vehicle width direction of a FRP standing wall member 14 extending in the vehicle width direction includes left-right joining surfaces 18b and 18c joined to an inner surface in the vehicle width direction of the side wall member 13, and a front-rear joining surface 18a which extends inward in the vehicle width direction from an intermediate portion in the front-rear direction of the left-right joining surfaces 18b and 18c and is joined to a front surface or a rear surface of the outer end in the vehicle width direction of the standing wall member 14.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2017Date of Patent: May 22, 2018Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Shotaro Ayuzawa, Minoru Sakamoto
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Patent number: 9849920Abstract: An automobile body structure is provided in which a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic cabin formed of a bathtub shape includes an inverted U-shaped roll bar providing a connection between front parts of a pair of left and right side frames, and a pair of left and right roll bar-supporting bars connecting an upper portion of the roll bar to rear parts of the pair of left and right side frames. Since a rear part of a roof panel and a front part of a tailgate panel are supported on a mounting bracket provided on the roll bar-supporting bar, it is possible, by changing the fore-and-aft position of the mounting bracket, to freely set the rear end position of the roof panel and the front end position of the tailgate panel and, moreover, it is possible to strongly support the roof panel and the tailgate panel.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2014Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takahira Kawata, Shotaro Ayuzawa
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Publication number: 20170361875Abstract: A plurality of metallic bulkheads fixed at predetermined intervals inside a side sill includes a partition wall portion partitioning an inner space of the side sill and a bonding flange portion formed to surround an outer periphery of the partition wall portion and bonded to an inner surface of the side sill and has an I-shaped cross-section. The partition wall portion of one bulkhead fixed to an upper curved portion is disposed to be substantially parallel to a radial direction passing through a curved center of the upper curved portion such that the partition wall portion is propped to prevent the upper curved portion from being crushed when a collision load in a front and rear direction is input to a pillar portion of the side sill to prevent the collapse deformation of the pillar portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 14, 2017Publication date: December 21, 2017Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventor: Shotaro Ayuzawa
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Publication number: 20170297632Abstract: Since a recess 11f configured to house an in-vehicle component 37 is formed on an outer surface of a first wall portion 11c of a FRP vehicle body panel 24, a metallic reinforcing member 32 is fitted to the recess 11f and is fixed by adhesive, the reinforcing member 32 can compensate for a decrease in strength of the first wall portion 11c caused by the recess 11f. Since an outer peripheral portion of the reinforcing member 32 is mechanically fastened to the vehicle body panel 24 with rivets 33 and 35, the outer peripheral portion serving as a starting point of peeling of an adhesive is reinforced by mechanical fastening so that the vehicle body panel 24 and the reinforcing member 32 can be firmly integrated.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 19, 2017Publication date: October 19, 2017Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventor: Shotaro Ayuzawa
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Publication number: 20170297633Abstract: A metallic joint 18 having a substantially T-shaped cross section configured to join an inner surface in a vehicle width direction of a FRP side wall member 13 extending in a front-rear direction and an outer end in the vehicle width direction of a FRP standing wall member 14 extending in the vehicle width direction includes left-right joining surfaces 18b and 18c joined to an inner surface in the vehicle width direction of the side wall member 13, and a front-rear joining surface 18a which extends inward in the vehicle width direction from an intermediate portion in the front-rear direction of the left-right joining surfaces 18b and 18c and is joined to a front surface or a rear surface of the outer end in the vehicle width direction of the standing wall member 14.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 11, 2017Publication date: October 19, 2017Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Shotaro Ayuzawa, Minoru Sakamoto
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Publication number: 20170267290Abstract: An automobile vehicle body and an automobile vehicle body manufacturing method is provided in which a metal joint is divided into an upper joint and a lower joint. The upper joint includes an upper wall which is fitted into a side member, a vehicle width direction inner wall and a vehicle width direction outer wall, and a lower joint includes a lower wall which is joined to a lower face and an outside face of a vehicle body floor, and the vehicle width direction outer wall, and therefore, the vehicle width direction outer wall of the upper joint is fastened to the vehicle width direction outer wall of the lower joint by a first bolt, and the vehicle width direction inner wall of the upper joint is fastened to an inside face of the side member by a second bolt.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2015Publication date: September 21, 2017Inventors: Shotaro AYUZAWA, Takahira KAWATA, Minoru SAKAMOTO
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Patent number: 9751569Abstract: In an automobile body structure, since a center pillar connecting a side sill and a roof side rail is formed from a pair of CFRP laminates that oppose each other on the inside and the outside in the vehicle width direction and a plurality of metal plates that join the pair of CFRP laminates in the vehicle width direction so as to form a closed cross-section, a compressive load and a tensile load acting on the vehicle width direction inner face and the vehicle width direction outer face of the center pillar when the collision load of a side collision is inputted can be supported by carbon fibers of the pair of CFRP laminates, and out of plane deformation of a front face and a rear face of the center pillar, which is difficult to support with the CFRP laminate, can be prevented by the metal plate.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2014Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shotaro Ayuzawa, Yoshikazu Shirai
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Publication number: 20170234342Abstract: A fiber-reinforced resin member is provided in which a non-conductive sleeve and first and second non-conductive sheets are disposed between a metal fastening member and CFRP laminate, electrical continuity between the metal fastening member and the CFRP laminate is cut off, and corrosion of the metal fastening member due to galvanic corrosion is prevented. A first annular space is formed between a first flange portion of a first member and the first non-conductive sheet, a second annular space is formed between a second flange portion of a second member and the second non-conductive sheet. Therefore, even if frayed carbon fiber sticks out from a gap between the non-conductive sleeve and the first and second non-conductive sheets, due to the first and second annular spaces being formed therein, it is possible to prevent the sticking-out carbon fiber from contacting the first and second members and providing electrical continuity.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2015Publication date: August 17, 2017Inventors: Shotaro AYUZAWA, Yoshikatsu OHTA
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Publication number: 20170137066Abstract: In an automobile body structure, since a center pillar connecting a side sill and a roof side rail is formed from a pair of CFRP laminates that oppose each other on the inside and the outside in the vehicle width direction and a plurality of metal plates that join the pair of CFRP laminates in the vehicle width direction so as to form a closed cross-section, a compressive load and a tensile load acting on the vehicle width direction inner face and the vehicle width direction outer face of the center pillar when the collision load of a side collision is inputted can be supported by carbon fibers of the pair of CFRP laminates, and out of plane deformation of a front face and a rear face of the center pillar, which is difficult to support with the CFRP laminate, can be prevented by the metal plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2014Publication date: May 18, 2017Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Shotaro AYUZAWA, Yoshikazu SHIRAI
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Publication number: 20170073020Abstract: In a body structure of an automobile, a floor panel having a sandwich structure in which a core is sandwiched between and joined to an outer skin and an inner skin, which are made of a CFRP, and a first load-dispersing frame extending in the fore-and-aft direction along a side sill is disposed between an energy-absorbing member and the core. A locally concentrated load inputted into the side sill is absorbed by crumpling of the energy-absorbing member of the interior of the floor panel beneath the side sill and then widely dispersed through the floor panel further inside in the vehicle width direction than the side sill by the first load-dispersing frame, and local destruction of the floor panel further inside in the vehicle width direction than the side sill is inhibited. Furthermore, by increasing bending stiffness of the first load-dispersing frame, to reduce the sheet thickness of the CFRP outer and the inner skins, a light weight is achieved.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2014Publication date: March 16, 2017Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shotaro AYUZAWA, Yuta URUSHIYAMA, Takahira KAWATA
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Publication number: 20160251038Abstract: An automobile body structure is provided in which a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic cabin formed of a bathtub shape includes an inverted U-shaped roll bar providing a connection between front parts of a pair of left and right side frames, and a pair of left and right roll bar-supporting bars connecting an upper portion of the roll bar to rear parts of the pair of left and right side frames. Since a rear part of a roof panel and a front part of a tailgate panel are supported on a mounting bracket provided on the roll bar-supporting bar, it is possible, by changing the fore-and-aft position of the mounting bracket, to freely set the rear end position of the roof panel and the front end position of the tailgate panel and, moreover, it is possible to strongly support the roof panel and the tailgate panel.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2014Publication date: September 1, 2016Inventors: Takahira KAWATA, Shotaro AYUZAWA