Patents by Inventor Yamato Matsuda

Yamato Matsuda 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: 11420686
    Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle includes a pair of left and right side sills; a substantially flat front floor panel; a first floor cross member disposed on an upper surface of the front floor panel located below a front part of a front seat; a second floor cross member disposed on an upper surface of the front floor panel 8 located below a rear part of the front seat; a kick-up portion raised from a rear end of the front floor panel 8 toward a vehicle upper side; and a console support bracket that has a front part connected to a vehicle body on a vehicle front side and a rear part connected to the kick-up portion. A lower part of the console support bracket is secured to the first and second floor cross members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato Matsuda, Nobuyuki Nakayama, Morihide Yamada, Katsuhito Kouno, Toshihiro Takebayashi
  • Patent number: 11299211
    Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure of an electric vehicle to increase resistance to lateral collision and also improve front-end collision load transfer performance of a tunnel. The lower vehicle-body structure of an electric vehicle includes a floor having a tunnel formed in a front part at a middle in a vehicle-width direction; and a floor cross member spanning, above the floor, between side sills disposed on opposite sides of the floor. Also, a rear end of the tunnel is located directly in front of the floor cross member, and reinforcing brackets are provided extending from the tunnel toward an upper end of the floor cross member and connected to the upper end of the floor cross member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato Matsuda, Nobuyuki Nakayama, Morihide Yamada, Katsuhito Kouno, Toshihiro Takebayashi
  • Patent number: 11220298
    Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure of an electric vehicle that can ensure desired resistance to rear-end collision even if a tunnel of a front floor panel is eliminated. The lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle includes a pair of left and right side sills; a substantially flat front floor panel; a first floor cross member and a second floor cross member connecting the left and right side sills in a vehicle-width direction. The lower vehicle-body structure further includes a kick-up portion raised from a rear end of the front floor panel toward a vehicle upper side; a rear floor panel connected to a vehicle rear side of the kick-up portion; and a kick-up reinforcing element connecting a substantial middle of the kick-up portion in the vehicle-width direction and the front floor panel in front of the substantial middle of the kick-up portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato Matsuda, Nobuyuki Nakayama, Morihide Yamada
  • Patent number: 11192585
    Abstract: A lower body structure includes a floor panel forming a floor surface of a vehicle interior, a floor cross member extending in a vehicle width direction above the floor panel, a console support bracket supporting a console at the center of the floor panel and mounted to the floor cross member, and a shift lever support bracket having an upper part supporting the shift lever and a lower part fixed to the console support bracket in front and rear portions. A mount point at which the shift lever is mounted to the shift lever support bracket is offset forward with respect to front and rear side fixing parts in which the shift lever support bracket is fixed to the console support bracket in the front and rear portions, and the front side fixing part of the console support bracket has a rigidity higher than the rear side fixing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato Matsuda, Nobuyuki Nakayama, Morihide Yamada
  • Patent number: 11192586
    Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure of a vehicle includes a first cross member disposed on an intermediate portion of a front floor panel in a vehicle front-rear direction as a bridge in a vehicle width direction; a second cross member disposed in a kick-up portion between the front floor panel and a rear floor panel as a bridge in the vehicle width direction at a position in which at least a center portion in the vehicle width direction is higher than the first cross member; and a battery unit disposed below at least the front floor panel to a rear end position of the front floor panel. A high-strength portion for the front floor panel is formed on a rear end of the front floor panel on a lower end portion of the kick-up portion, and is coupled to both of a pair of left and right side sills.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Harumitsu Kubota, Yamato Matsuda, Nobuyuki Nakayama, Kazuhisa Hatano
  • Patent number: 11091016
    Abstract: There are provided a pair of side sills, a floor panel, a pair of floor frames, a battery unit provided between the pair of floor frames, a first cross member interconnecting the pair of side sills, and a seat bracket. The seat bracket comprises a protrusion portion which partially covers an upper wall portion of the first side portion and is upwardly spaced apart from the upper wall portion of the first cross member, and the bead portions and the opening portion (low-rigidity portion) are formed at a part of the upper wall portion of the first cross member which is located at a position corresponding to the protrusion portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato Matsuda, Nobuyuki Nakayama, Katsuhito Kouno, Toshihiro Takebayashi, Toshiyuki Koga
  • 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
  • Patent number: 10981513
    Abstract: A center console structure includes a columnar part erected on a vehicle interior floor surface between a driver seat and a passenger seat and extends upward to the vicinity of the cushion surfaces of the seats and an upper body that is disposed above the columnar part, extends in a front-rear direction, has an upper surface part forming a center console surface, and accommodates a shift operation mechanism, in which the upper body extends forward of the columnar part that is cantilevered and has an extension part that is bent and then rises forward and obliquely upward in the front part thereof, a surface part of the extension part close to a sitting occupant forms an outer surface continuous with the center console surface and a portion of the extension part close to the front of the vehicle is locked to a rear projecting part of an instrument panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kawai, Masanori Taguchi, Eiji Okada, Junko Karube, Yamato Matsuda, Yohichi Yanagi, Kazuki Hikawa, Junko Nakamura, Koji Miyamoto, Atsuo Iwabuchi, Hidehiko Soda, Ryoichi Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20200385056
    Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure of a vehicle includes a first cross member disposed on an intermediate portion of a front floor panel in a vehicle front-rear direction as a bridge in a vehicle width direction; a second cross member disposed in a kick-up portion between the front floor panel and a rear floor panel as a bridge in the vehicle width direction at a position in which at least a center portion in the vehicle width direction is higher than the first cross member; and a battery unit disposed below at least the front floor panel to a rear end position of the front floor panel. A high-strength portion for the front floor panel is formed on a rear end of the front floor panel on a lower end portion of the kick-up portion, and is coupled to both of a pair of left and right side sills.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Harumitsu KUBOTA, Yamato MATSUDA, Nobuyuki NAKAYAMA, Kazuhisa HATANO
  • Publication number: 20200361541
    Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure of an electric vehicle to increase resistance to lateral collision and also improve front-end collision load transfer performance of a tunnel. The lower vehicle-body structure of an electric vehicle includes a floor having a tunnel formed in a front part at a middle in a vehicle-width direction; and a floor cross member spanning, above the floor, between side sills disposed on opposite sides of the floor. Also, a rear end of the tunnel is located directly in front of the floor cross member, and reinforcing brackets are provided extending from the tunnel toward an upper end of the floor cross member and connected to the upper end of the floor cross member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato MATSUDA, Nobuyuki NAKAYAMA, Morihide YAMADA, Katsuhito KOUNO, Toshihiro TAKEBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20200361534
    Abstract: A lower body structure includes a floor panel forming a floor surface of a vehicle interior, a floor cross member extending in a vehicle width direction above the floor panel, a console support bracket supporting a console at the center of the floor panel and mounted to the floor cross member, and a shift lever support bracket having an upper part supporting the shift lever and a lower part fixed to the console support bracket in front and rear portions. A mount point at which the shift lever is mounted to the shift lever support bracket is offset forward with respect to front and rear side fixing parts in which the shift lever support bracket is fixed to the console support bracket in the front and rear portions, and the front side fixing part of the console support bracket has a rigidity higher than the rear side fixing part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato MATSUDA, Nobuyuki NAKAYAMA, Morihide YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20200361542
    Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure of an electric vehicle that can ensure desired resistance to rear-end collision even if a tunnel of a front floor panel is eliminated. The lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle includes a pair of left and right side sills; a substantially flat front floor panel; a first floor cross member and a second floor cross member connecting the left and right side sills in a vehicle-width direction. The lower vehicle-body structure further includes a kick-up portion raised from a rear end of the front floor panel toward a vehicle upper side; a rear floor panel connected to a vehicle rear side of the kick-up portion; and a kick-up reinforcing element connecting a substantial middle of the kick-up portion in the vehicle-width direction and the front floor panel in front of the substantial middle of the kick-up portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato MATSUDA, Nobuyuki NAKAYAMA, Morihide YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20200361535
    Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle includes a pair of left and right side sills; a substantially flat front floor panel; a first floor cross member disposed on an upper surface of the front floor panel located below a front part of a front seat; a second floor cross member disposed on an upper surface of the front floor panel 8 located below a rear part of the front seat; a kick-up portion raised from a rear end of the front floor panel 8 toward a vehicle upper side; and a console support bracket that has a front part connected to a vehicle body on a vehicle front side and a rear part connected to the kick-up portion. A lower part of the console support bracket is secured to the first and second floor cross members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato MATSUDA, Nobuyuki NAKAYAMA, Morihide YAMADA, Katsuhito KOUNO, Toshihiro TAKEBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20200282816
    Abstract: There are provided a pair of side sills, a floor panel, a pair of floor frames, a battery unit provided between the pair of floor frames, a first cross member interconnecting the pair of side sills, and a seat bracket. The seat bracket comprises a protrusion portion which partially covers an upper wall portion of the first side portion and is upwardly spaced apart from the upper wall portion of the first cross member, and the bead portions and the opening portion (low-rigidity portion) are formed at a part of the upper wall portion of the first cross member which is located at a position corresponding to the protrusion portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato MATSUDA, Nobuyuki NAKAYAMA, Katsuhito KOUNO, Toshihiro TAKEBAYASHI, Toshiyuki KOGA
  • 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: 20190366936
    Abstract: A center console structure includes a columnar part erected on a vehicle interior floor surface between a driver seat and a passenger seat and extends upward to the vicinity of the cushion surfaces of the seats and an upper body that is disposed above the columnar part, extends in a front-rear direction, has an upper surface part forming a center console surface, and accommodates a shift operation mechanism, in which the upper body extends forward of the columnar part that is cantilevered and has an extension part that is bent and then rises forward and obliquely upward in the front part thereof, a surface part of the extension part close to a sitting occupant forms an outer surface continuous with the center console surface and a portion of the extension part close to the front of the vehicle is locked to a rear projecting part of an instrument panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki KAWAI, Masanori TAGUCHI, Eiji OKADA, Junko KARUBE, Yamato MATSUDA, Yohichi YANAGI, Kazuki HIKAWA, Junko NAKAMURA, Koji MIYAMOTO, Atsuo IWABUCHI, Hidehiko SODA, Ryoichi HASHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20190366935
    Abstract: A center console structure includes a metal internal frame that supports a shift operation mechanism, and an outer sheath body made of resin that encloses the internal frame and forms a dressed surface. A front side part of the internal frame is slanted so that an upper member is positioned forward and obliquely upward of a base part member closer to the floor surface, and a storage part is formed in front of the base part member in which a bottom part extending in a vehicle front-rear direction to a position immediately below an instrument panel is provided. Both left and right side walls of the bottom part are surrounded by left and right fence parts formed by extending lower parts of left and right side wall parts of the outer sheath body forward, a rear part is surrounded by a front lower part of the outer sheath body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki KAWAI, Masanori TAGUCHI, Eiji OKADA, Junko KARUBE, Yamato MATSUDA, Yohichi YANAGI, Kazuki HIKAWA, Junko NAKAMURA, Koji MIYAMOTO, Atsuo IWABUCHI, Hidehiko SODA, Ryoichi HASHIMOTO
  • 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: 8403403
    Abstract: A pair of sub frames is provided on the outside of a heat exchanger in a vehicle width direction, there is provided a stiffener which interconnects front ends of the sub frames and projects forward, and the stiffener is connected to lower portions of the sub frames. Accordingly, the sufficient attachment rigidity of the stiffener can be secured in the normal state, whereas in the vehicle collision state the stiffener can be easily separated off the sub frames without resisting improperly, so that the safety of pedestrian can be secured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Kuniyoshi Tashiro, Nobuyuki Nakayama, Yamato Matsuda, Hirofumi Miyamoto, Hiroshi Sogabe, Masatoki Kito