Patents by Inventor Shuji Muraoka

Shuji Muraoka 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: 11745697
    Abstract: There are provided a side panel constituting a vehicle side face at a higher level than a damper attachment portion suspending a rear wheel, a retractor fixed to a cabin-inside face of the side panel, a frame member forming a closed-cross section extending vertically in corporation with the side panel, and a reinforcing member fixed to the side panel. The reinforcing member comprises a retractor attachment portion to attach the retractor, a gusset portion to partition the closed-cross section of a C pillar reinforcement vertically, and a vibration-damping joint portion joined to the side panel via a vibration-damping material. Herein, the reinforcing member is formed integrally by a member which is configured to be continuous over a range of the retractor attachment portion, the gusset portion and the vibration-damping joint portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuji Muraoka, Kosuke Nagatomo
  • Publication number: 20230067279
    Abstract: There are provided a side panel constituting a vehicle side face at a higher level than a damper attachment portion suspending a rear wheel, a retractor fixed to a cabin-inside face of the side panel, a frame member forming a closed-cross section extending vertically in corporation with the side panel, and a reinforcing member fixed to the side panel. The reinforcing member comprises a retractor attachment portion to attach the retractor, a gusset portion to partition the closed-cross section of a C pillar reinforcement vertically, and a vibration-damping joint portion joined to the side panel via a vibration-damping material. Herein, the reinforcing member is formed integrally by a member which is configured to be continuous over a range of the retractor attachment portion, the gusset portion and the vibration-damping joint portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuji MURAOKA, Kosuke NAGATOMO
  • Patent number: 11420682
    Abstract: In a vehicle having a large side door opening, a vehicle-body structure suppresses, during a collision in which an apron reinforcement recedes, bending deformation of a hinge pillar at a mounting portion of the apron reinforcement. Embodiments include a reinforcement member inside a closed cross-section of a hinge pillar overlapping a mounting portion of an apron reinforcement in the up-down direction. The reinforcement member includes a body extending in the up-down direction spaced apart from the hinge pillar, a front flange portion at a front portion of the body, a lateral flange portion at a rear portion of the body, a front ridge portion between the body and the front flange portion, and a rear ridge portion between the body and the lateral flange portion. Each of the front ridge portion and the rear ridge portion is continuously provided over the reinforcement member in the vehicle up-down direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuji Muraoka, Yusuke Desaki, Tsuneaki Zenitani, Satoshi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11345407
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an upper vehicle-body structure that suppresses bending deformation of a front pillar portion with respect to a hinge pillar portion by suppressing the crushing of a closed cross-section portion when external force is applied to the front pillar portion in the direction of bending the front pillar portion in the bending direction thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsuneaki Zenitani, Shuji Muraoka, Yusuke Desaki, Arata Osako
  • Patent number: 11273870
    Abstract: To provide a vehicle-body structure of a vehicle which can achieve both absorption of a front-end collision load acting on a side sill via a front wheel and prevention of receding of the front wheel toward the vehicle-width-direction inner side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuji Muraoka, Makoto Morimoto, Haruki Kiguchi, Satoshi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11142252
    Abstract: An upper vehicle-body structure including: a pair of left and right roof side rails; strikers to which upper portions of rear doors are engaged; a second roof reinforcement that couples the roof side rails to each other at substantially same locations as the strikers; striker mounting members on which the strikers are mounted; and reinforcement members that overlap with the roof side rails from vehicle-width-direction outer sides at substantially same locations as the striker mounting members, in which the reinforcement members each have a lower end located on a vehicle upper side than a joining location between each of the striker mounting members and each of the roof side rails and are joined to the roof side rails overlapping with the reinforcement members in a vehicle up-down direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke Desaki, Makoto Morimoto, Shuji Muraoka, Tomomi Nishimori
  • Patent number: 11077881
    Abstract: A lower vehicle body structure for a vehicle includes a floor panel, a pair of side frames, a battery, a left and right pair of side sills, a cross-member, an impact absorption member, and a reinforcement member. The impact absorption member is disposed at a lower surface side of the floor panel and at a position overlapping the cross-member in a front-rear direction of the vehicle body so as to extend in a vehicle width direction between the side frames and the side sills. Also, the impact absorption member is joined to the side frames and the side sills. The reinforcement member is disposed in the cross-member to extend in the vehicle width direction between portions of the cross-member, which correspond to the left and right pair of side frames in the vehicle width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato Matsuda, Nobuyuki Nakayama, Shuji Muraoka
  • Patent number: 11014613
    Abstract: A side body vehicle structure is disclosed that has a pair of left and right side sills and opposite swing type side doors. The side sills may have an upper flange portion facing the rear door in the vehicle width direction which functions as a rear door facing part, and the upper flange portion of a more forward part of the vehicle than the rear door facing part may function as a front door facing part. The rear door facing part may be formed in a shape having a length in the vehicle vertical direction longer than a length in a vehicle vertical direction of the front door facing part. In a vertical cross section along the vehicle width direction, a gusset member may form a closed cross section with the side sill inner member, and an upper end thereof may be joined to the rear door facing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shuji Muraoka, Yamato Matsuda, Toshihiro Takebayashi, Toshiyuki Koga, Kazuhisa Hatano, Morihide Yamada
  • Publication number: 20210147003
    Abstract: In a vehicle having a large side door opening, a vehicle-body structure suppresses, during a collision in which an apron reinforcement recedes, bending deformation of a hinge pillar at a mounting portion of the apron reinforcement. Embodiments include a reinforcement member inside a closed cross-section of a hinge pillar overlapping a mounting portion of an apron reinforcement in the up-down direction. The reinforcement member includes a body extending in the up-down direction spaced apart from the hinge pillar, a front flange portion at a front portion of the body, a lateral flange portion at a rear portion of the body, a front ridge portion between the body and the front flange portion, and a rear ridge portion between the body and the lateral flange portion. Each of the front ridge portion and the rear ridge portion is continuously provided over the reinforcement member in the vehicle up-down direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuji Muraoka, Yusuke Desaki, Tsuneaki Zenitani, Satoshi Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20210086836
    Abstract: To provide a vehicle-body structure of a vehicle which can achieve both absorption of a front-end collision load acting on a side sill via a front wheel and prevention of receding of the front wheel toward the vehicle-width-direction inner side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuji MURAOKA, Makoto MORIMOTO, Haruki KIGUCHI, Satoshi NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20200385063
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an upper vehicle-body structure that suppresses bending deformation of a front pillar portion with respect to a hinge pillar portion by suppressing the crushing of a closed cross-section portion when external force is applied to the front pillar portion in the direction of bending the front pillar portion in the bending direction thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuneaki ZENITANI, Shuji MURAOKA, Yusuke DESAKI, Arata OSAKO
  • Publication number: 20200385064
    Abstract: An upper vehicle-body structure including: a pair of left and right roof side rails; strikers to which upper portions of rear doors are engaged; a second roof reinforcement that couples the roof side rails to each other at substantially same locations as the strikers; striker mounting members on which the strikers are mounted; and reinforcement members that overlap with the roof side rails from vehicle-width-direction outer sides at substantially same locations as the striker mounting members, in which the reinforcement members each have a lower end located on a vehicle upper side than a joining location between each of the striker mounting members and each of the roof side rails and are joined to the roof side rails overlapping with the reinforcement members in a vehicle up-down direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke DESAKI, Makoto MORIMOTO, Shuji MURAOKA, Tomomi NISHIMORI
  • Publication number: 20200031399
    Abstract: A lower vehicle body structure for a vehicle includes a floor panel, a pair of side frames, a battery, a left and right pair of side sills, a cross-member, an impact absorption member, and a reinforcement member. The impact absorption member is disposed at a lower surface side of the floor panel and at a position overlapping the cross-member in a front-rear direction of the vehicle body so as to extend in a vehicle width direction between the side frames and the side sills. Also, the impact absorption member is joined to the side frames and the side sills. The reinforcement member is disposed in the cross-member to extend in the vehicle width direction between portions of the cross-member, which correspond to the left and right pair of side frames in the vehicle width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato MATSUDA, Nobuyuki NAKAYAMA, Shuji MURAOKA
  • Publication number: 20190344830
    Abstract: A side body vehicle structure is disclosed that has a pair of left and right side sills and opposite swing type side doors. The side sills may have an upper flange portion facing the rear door in the vehicle width direction which functions as a rear door facing part, and the upper flange portion of a more forward part of the vehicle than the rear door facing part may function as a front door facing part. The rear door facing part may be formed in a shape having a length in the vehicle vertical direction longer than a length in a vehicle vertical direction of the front door facing part. In a vertical cross section along the vehicle width direction, a gusset member may form a closed cross section with the side sill inner member, and an upper end thereof may be joined to the rear door facing part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Shuji Muraoka, Yamato Matsuda, Toshihiro Takebayashi, Toshiyuki Koga, Kazuhisa Hatano, Morihide Yamada
  • Patent number: 10315704
    Abstract: A rear frame, a roof side rail, a rear wheelhouse, a C pillar, and a rear suspension housing reinforcement which interconnects the C pillar and the rear wheelhouse are provided. Herein, the rear suspension housing reinforcement has a cutout portion which is configured to extend obliquely rearward and upward at a rear lower end portion thereof, the cutout portion being not connected to the rear wheelhouse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke Kiyoshita, Shuji Muraoka, Yuki Yamachika
  • Patent number: 10308288
    Abstract: A side vehicle-body structure of a vehicle comprises a rear frame, a roof side rail, a rear wheelhouse, a C pillar, and a suspension housing reinforcement which interconnects the C pillar and the rear wheelhouse in a vertical direction, wherein the suspension housing reinforcement comprises a front suspension housing reinforcement which extends downward from a lower end portion of the C pillar along an extension direction of the C pillar and connects to an upper portion of the rear wheelhouse and a rear suspension housing reinforcement which is positioned in back of the front suspension housing reinforcement, extends rearward and downward from a rear portion of the C pillar and/or a rear portion of the front suspension housing reinforcement, and connects to the upper portion of the rear wheelhouse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke Kiyoshita, Shuji Muraoka
  • Publication number: 20180244318
    Abstract: A side vehicle-body structure of a vehicle comprises a rear frame, a roof side rail, a rear wheelhouse, a C pillar, and a suspension housing reinforcement which interconnects the C pillar and the rear wheelhouse in a vertical direction, wherein the suspension housing reinforcement comprises a front suspension housing reinforcement which extends downward from a lower end portion of the C pillar along an extension direction of the C pillar and connects to an upper portion of the rear wheelhouse and a rear suspension housing reinforcement which is positioned in back of the front suspension housing reinforcement, extends rearward and downward from a rear portion of the C pillar and/or a rear portion of the front suspension housing reinforcement, and connects to the upper portion of the rear wheelhouse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2017
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke KIYOSHITA, Shuji MURAOKA
  • Publication number: 20180244319
    Abstract: A rear frame, a roof side rail, a rear wheelhouse, a C pillar, and a rear suspension housing reinforcement which interconnects the C pillar and the rear wheelhouse are provided. Herein, the rear suspension housing reinforcement has a cutout portion which is configured to extend obliquely rearward and upward at a rear lower end portion thereof, the cutout portion being not connected to the rear wheelhouse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2017
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke KIYOSHITA, Shuji MURAOKA, Yuki YAMACHIKA
  • Patent number: 9604674
    Abstract: A rear pillar inner provided at a side panel inner and extending upward from a front-side upper portion of a rear wheel house, a rear pillar reinforcement joined to an outside portion of the rear pillar inner, and an outside reinforcing member connecting an outside portion of the side panel inner and the rear wheel house are provided. The rear pillar reinforcement has a rear-side pillar-reinforcement ridge portion extending vertically. The outside reinforcing member has a front-side reinforcing-member ridge portion extending vertically. A lower end portion of the rear pillar reinforcement and an upper end portion of the outside reinforcing member are joined such that the both ridge portions are arranged to align substantially straightly, when viewed from the side, and to slant in such a manner that an upper side thereof is positioned relatively forward compared to a lower side thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Fujii, Shuji Muraoka, Toshiharu Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20160023685
    Abstract: A rear pillar inner provided at a side panel inner and extending upward from a front-side upper portion of a rear wheel house, a rear pillar reinforcement joined to an outside portion of the rear pillar inner, and an outside reinforcing member connecting an outside portion of the side panel inner and the rear wheel house are provided. The rear pillar reinforcement has a rear-side pillar-reinforcement ridge portion extending vertically. The outside reinforcing member has a front-side reinforcing-member ridge portion extending vertically. A lower end portion of the rear pillar reinforcement and an upper end portion of the outside reinforcing member are joined such that the both ridge portions are arranged to align substantially straightly, when viewed from the side, and to slant in such a manner that an upper side thereof is positioned relatively forward compared to a lower side thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki FUJII, Shuji MURAOKA, Toshiharu IKEDA