Patents by Inventor Taichi HIRAKAWA

Taichi HIRAKAWA 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: 11577787
    Abstract: A rear vehicle-body structure is provided that can absorb a rear-end collision load by a short frame region on a vehicle-body rear side. Embodiments include a rear side frame having a rear-side breaking frame section including a rear-side breakage starting portion on a rear side among breakage starting portions disposed at intervals in a front-rear direction, a front-side breaking frame section including a front-side breakage starting portion on a front side and at which the direction of breakage is opposite from the direction of breakage at the rear-side breakage starting portion, and a middle frame section between the rear-side breakage starting portion and the front-side breakage starting portion. The axial proof stress of the rear-side breaking frame section is lower than the axial proof stress of the front-side breaking frame section; and the middle frame section includes beads at a predetermined interval in an axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Harumitsu Kubota, Taichi Hirakawa
  • Patent number: 11446998
    Abstract: A front-side cross member and a rear-side cross member in a front portion of a rear floor are spaced apart from each other, on a top side of the rear floor, ends of the front-side cross member in the vehicle width direction are connected to respective lower ends of left and right brace members extending up and down, while the rear-side cross member is disposed on the rear floor from an underside of the rear floor. A high voltage component is disposed on a top face in the front portion of the rear floor between the front and rear-side cross members, the high voltage component is disposed rearwardly spaced apart from the front-side cross member and closer to the rear-side cross member, and the high voltage component is attached to the front-side cross member via a bracket that deforms under a load in the vehicle front-rear direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuto Kodama, Koji Yoshimura, Taichi Hirakawa, Toshihiko Kawamura, Harumitsu Kubota, Takeshi Sasabe
  • Patent number: 11241948
    Abstract: A vehicle body rear part structure for a vehicle includes a side frame, a subframe disposed below the side frame, and a vehicle body frame member disposed on a middle side in the vehicle body front-rear direction with respect to the subframe. The vehicle body frame member includes: a vertical frame offset outwardly in the vehicle width direction with respect to the subframe; and a lateral frame extending inwardly in the vehicle width direction from the vertical frame. A connecting portion is provided on the subframe. The connecting portion includes: an inclined portion extending while being inclined outwardly in the vehicle width direction, to face the vertical frame; and a widening portion widening inwardly in the vehicle width direction up to a position where the connecting portion linearly extends in the vehicle body front-rear direction from the inclined portion, to face the lateral frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto Morimoto, Nobuyuki Nakayama, Harumitsu Kubota, Yasunori Isshiki, Taichi Hirakawa
  • Patent number: 11235807
    Abstract: A rear vehicle-body structure of a vehicle can enhance the performance of protecting a vehicle component disposed under a rear floor against a rear-end collision load. The rear vehicle-body structure of a vehicle includes a rear bumper reinforcement having a rear bumper beam extending in a vehicle width direction along a rear bumper and load absorbing parts extending from left and right ends of the rear bumper beam toward a vehicle front side, and rear side frames extending in a vehicle front-rear direction respectively along left and right side portions of a rear floor and coupled at rear ends to front ends of the load absorbing parts, with a vehicle component being disposed under the rear floor. A vertical center of the rear bumper beam is located lower than a respective vertical center of each of the rear side frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Harumitsu Kubota, Taichi Hirakawa, Nobuyuki Nakayama, Yasunori Isshiki
  • Publication number: 20210300477
    Abstract: A rear vehicle-body structure is provided that can absorb a rear-end collision load by a short frame region on a vehicle-body rear side. Embodiments include a rear side frame having a rear-side breaking frame section including a rear-side breakage starting portion on a rear side among breakage starting portions disposed at intervals in a front-rear direction, a front-side breaking frame section including a front-side breakage starting portion on a front side and at which the direction of breakage is opposite from the direction of breakage at the rear-side breakage starting portion, and a middle frame section between the rear-side breakage starting portion and the front-side breakage starting portion. The axial proof stress of the rear-side breaking frame section is lower than the axial proof stress of the front-side breaking frame section; and the middle frame section includes beads at a predetermined interval in an axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Harumitsu KUBOTA, Taichi HIRAKAWA
  • Patent number: 11130526
    Abstract: A vehicle body rear part structure for a vehicle includes a rear subframe disposed below a rear side frame and extending in a vehicle body front-rear direction. The rear subframe includes a front load absorbing portion and a rear load absorbing portion which extend rearwardly of a vehicle body from an important safety related component disposed on a vehicle body rear part, are disposed on a vehicle body rear side with respect to the important safety related component, and are configured to absorb a collision load when the collision load from rearwardly of the vehicle body is applied. The rear load absorbing portion is disposed on the vehicle body rear side of the front load absorbing portion. Strength of the rear load absorbing portion against compression in an axis direction is set low, as compared with strength of the front load absorbing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto Morimoto, Nobuyuki Nakayama, Harumitsu Kubota, Yasunori Isshiki, Taichi Hirakawa
  • Publication number: 20210061081
    Abstract: A front-side cross member and a rear-side cross member in a front portion of a rear floor are spaced apart from each other, on a top side of the rear floor, ends of the front-side cross member in the vehicle width direction are connected to respective lower ends of left and right brace members extending up and down, while the rear-side cross member is disposed on the rear floor from an underside of the rear floor. A high voltage component is disposed on a top face in the front portion of the rear floor between the front and rear-side cross members, the high voltage component is disposed rearwardly spaced apart from the front-side cross member and closer to the rear-side cross member, and the high voltage component is attached to the front-side cross member via a bracket that deforms under a load in the vehicle front-rear direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuto KODAMA, Koji YOSHIMURA, Taichi HIRAKAWA, Toshihiko KAWAMURA, Harumitsu KUBOTA, Takeshi SASABE
  • Publication number: 20200385058
    Abstract: A rear vehicle-body structure of a vehicle can enhance the performance of protecting a vehicle component disposed under a rear floor against a rear-end collision load. The rear vehicle-body structure of a vehicle includes a rear bumper reinforcement having a rear bumper beam extending in a vehicle width direction along a rear bumper and load absorbing parts extending from left and right ends of the rear bumper beam toward a vehicle front side, and rear side frames extending in a vehicle front-rear direction respectively along left and right side portions of a rear floor and coupled at rear ends to front ends of the load absorbing parts, with a vehicle component being disposed under the rear floor. A vertical center of the rear bumper beam is located lower than a respective vertical center of each of the rear side frames.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Harumitsu KUBOTA, Taichi HIRAKAWA, Nobuyuki NAKAYAMA, Yasunori ISSHIKI
  • Publication number: 20200156706
    Abstract: A vehicle body rear part structure for a vehicle includes a rear subframe disposed below a rear side frame and extending in a vehicle body front-rear direction. The rear subframe includes a front load absorbing portion and a rear load absorbing portion which extend rearwardly of a vehicle body from an important safety related component disposed on a vehicle body rear part, are disposed on a vehicle body rear side with respect to the important safety related component, and are configured to absorb a collision load when the collision load from rearwardly of the vehicle body is applied. The rear load absorbing portion is disposed on the vehicle body rear side of the front load absorbing portion. Strength of the rear load absorbing portion against compression in an axis direction is set low, as compared with strength of the front load absorbing portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto MORIMOTO, Nobuyuki NAKAYAMA, Harumitsu KUBOTA, Yasunori ISSHIKI, Taichi HIRAKAWA
  • Publication number: 20200086928
    Abstract: A vehicle body rear part structure for a vehicle includes a side frame, a subframe disposed below the side frame, and a vehicle body frame member disposed on a middle side in the vehicle body front-rear direction with respect to the subframe. The vehicle body frame member includes: a vertical frame offset outwardly in the vehicle width direction with respect to the subframe; and a lateral frame extending inwardly in the vehicle width direction from the vertical frame. A connecting portion is provided on the subframe. The connecting portion includes: an inclined portion extending while being inclined outwardly in the vehicle width direction, to face the vertical frame; and a widening portion widening inwardly in the vehicle width direction up to a position where the connecting portion linearly extends in the vehicle body front-rear direction from the inclined portion, to face the lateral frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto MORIMOTO, Nobuyuki NAKAYAMA, Harumitsu KUBOTA, Yasunori ISSHIKI, Taichi HIRAKAWA
  • Patent number: 9963024
    Abstract: A deck cover is openably provided at a vehicle-body rear portion positioned in back of a cabin. A top portion of a rear wheelhouse is provided at the vehicle-body rear portion. This top portion is configured to be displaced upward, relative to a vehicle-body rear end portion, such as a rear bumper or a rear end panel, by vehicle-body deformation caused by a vehicle rear collision. The deck cover is supported at a position of the vehicle-body rear portion which is located vertically above or in front of the top portion of the rear wheelhouse such that the deck cover is elevated in accordance with upward displacement of the top portion when the vehicle-body rear portion receives a rear-collision load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taichi Hirakawa, Kazutaka Ishikura, Masaki Oda, Takashi Niseki
  • Publication number: 20170267083
    Abstract: A deck cover is openably provided at a vehicle-body rear portion positioned in back of a cabin. A top portion of a rear wheelhouse is provided at the vehicle-body rear portion. This top portion is configured to be displaced upward, relative to a vehicle-body rear end portion, such as a rear bumper or a rear end panel, by vehicle-body deformation caused by a vehicle rear collision. The deck cover is supported at a position of the vehicle-body rear portion which is located vertically above or in front of the top portion of the rear wheelhouse such that the deck cover is elevated in accordance with upward displacement of the top portion when the vehicle-body rear portion receives a rear-collision load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taichi HIRAKAWA, Kazutaka ISHIKURA, Masaki ODA, Takashi NISEKI