Patents by Inventor Yoshiatsu Kuga
Yoshiatsu Kuga 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: 11590912Abstract: A front vehicle-body structure flows air from the vehicle lower side to its upper side. After hitting a front bumper face, the air is separated and flows around and along a top face of an exterior member, ensuring aerodynamic performance. Embodiments include exterior members covering the upper side of an engine room, and a front grille disposed on a lower side relative to a front end portion of the exterior member. A rectification member extends the width of the exterior member in the vehicle width direction on the lower side of the exterior member front end portion. The rectification member includes a front piece portion extending toward the vehicle up-down-direction lower side from the exterior member to an upper end portion of the front grille, and a lower piece portion extending toward the vehicle rear side from an upper end of the front piece portion.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2021Date of Patent: February 28, 2023Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Michiya Mizokane, Yuki Ikawa, Masayoshi Enomoto, Yoshiatsu Kuga, Satoshi Okamoto
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Patent number: 11535312Abstract: A rear vehicle-body structure separates air flowing on a side of the vehicle so as not to flow around to a rear of the vehicle, to ensure aerodynamic performance. The disclosed rear vehicle-body structure has a rear combi lamp mounted on a vehicle-width-direction outer side face of a vehicle rear portion, and a rear bumper mounted under the rear combi lamp. The rear combi lamp includes, on the vehicle-width-direction outer side face, a curved portion that is curved from a vehicle-width-direction outer side forwardly inward in a vehicle width direction in a vehicle plan view. The curved portion has a curvature increasing toward a lower side of the vehicle. A protruding portion protruding toward the vehicle-width-direction outer side as going to a rear of the vehicle is provided at a front portion of the curved portion.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2021Date of Patent: December 27, 2022Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Michiya Mizokane, Yoshiatsu Kuga
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Patent number: 11420576Abstract: It is intended to provide a vehicle body lower structure capable of preventing a backflow component from flowing outside the vehicle from a rear wheel housing at the shortest distance. The vehicle body lower structure of a vehicle comprising a rear wheel housing 12, and a mud guard 71 integrally attached to an inner surface of a rear portion of the rear wheel housing 12, wherein the mud guard 71 has a plate-shaped shielding portion 71b extending from a vehicle width directional inner side of a rear edge of the rear wheel housing 12 toward a front side of the vehicle, and wherein the shielding portion 71b has an up-down directional length extending from a bottom portion of the mud guard 71 to a position above at least a tail pipe 33 whose outlet portion 33a is oriented toward a rear surface of a vehicle body adjacent thereto.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2019Date of Patent: August 23, 2022Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Shuhei Nishida, Yoshiatsu Kuga, Toshio Sakamoto
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Publication number: 20210309175Abstract: A front vehicle-body structure flows air from the vehicle lower side to its upper side. After hitting a front bumper face, the air is separated and flows around and along a top face of an exterior member, ensuring aerodynamic performance. Embodiments include exterior members covering the upper side of an engine room, and a front grille disposed on a lower side relative to a front end portion of the exterior member. A rectification member extends the width of the exterior member in the vehicle width direction on the lower side of the exterior member front end portion. The rectification member includes a front piece portion extending toward the vehicle up-down-direction lower side from the exterior member to an upper end portion of the front grille, and a lower piece portion extending toward the vehicle rear side from an upper end of the front piece portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2021Publication date: October 7, 2021Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Michiya MIZOKANE, Yuki IKAWA, Masayoshi ENOMOTO, Yoshiatsu KUGA, Satoshi OKAMOTO
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Publication number: 20210309307Abstract: A rear vehicle-body structure separates air flowing on a side of the vehicle so as not to flow around to a rear of the vehicle, to ensure aerodynamic performance. The disclosed rear vehicle-body structure has a rear combi lamp mounted on a vehicle-width-direction outer side face of a vehicle rear portion, and a rear bumper mounted under the rear combi lamp. The rear combi lamp includes, on the vehicle-width-direction outer side face, a curved portion that is curved from a vehicle-width-direction outer side forwardly inward in a vehicle width direction in a vehicle plan view. The curved portion has a curvature increasing toward a lower side of the vehicle. A protruding portion protruding toward the vehicle-width-direction outer side as going to a rear of the vehicle is provided at a front portion of the curved portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2021Publication date: October 7, 2021Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Michiya MIZOKANE, Yoshiatsu KUGA
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Patent number: 11124249Abstract: A deflector structure of an automotive vehicle comprises a deflector. The deflector comprises a traveling-wind control part to control a flow of a traveling wind generated in forward traveling of an automotive vehicle. The traveling-wind control part comprises an outside control section and an inside control section. The outside control section and the inside control section are shaped such that an atmospheric pressure of an outside space portion which is positioned just in front of an outside part, in the vehicle width direction, of a front wheel is lower than that of a central space portion which is positioned just in front of a central part, in the vehicle width direction, of the front wheel at a level position from a lower end of the deflator to a vicinity below the lower end of the deflector.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2019Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Shuhei Nishida, Yoshiatsu Kuga, Akihiro Nakata
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Patent number: 11077893Abstract: A deflector structure for an automobile. The deflector structure includes a protruding structure having an outer surface positioned to be hit by traveling air when the automobile travels forward. The outer surface of the protruding portion includes a first inclined portion located on a vehicle-width-direction outer side and inclined upward toward the automobile front side; and a second inclined portion located on a vehicle-width-direction inner side and inclined upward toward the automobile front side. An angle of inclination of the second inclined portion on an acute angle side of the second inclined portion with respect to a horizontal direction is smaller than an angle of inclination of the first inclined portion on an acute angle side of the first inclined portion with respect to the horizontal direction.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2019Date of Patent: August 3, 2021Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Akihiro Nakata, Michiya Mizokane, Shuhei Nishida, Yoshiatsu Kuga, Ryo Yanagisawa, Masaaki Bessho
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Publication number: 20210170967Abstract: It is intended to provide a vehicle body lower structure capable of preventing a backflow component from flowing outside the vehicle from a rear wheel housing at the shortest distance. The vehicle body lower structure of a vehicle comprising a rear wheel housing 12, and a mud guard 71 integrally attached to an inner surface of a rear portion of the rear wheel housing 12, wherein the mud guard 71 has a plate-shaped shielding portion 71b extending from a vehicle width directional inner side of a rear edge of the rear wheel housing 12 toward a front side of the vehicle, and wherein the shielding portion 71b has an up-down directional length extending from a bottom portion of the mud guard 71 to a position above at least a tail pipe 33 whose outlet portion 33a is oriented toward a rear surface of a vehicle body adjacent thereto.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 11, 2019Publication date: June 10, 2021Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Shuhei NISHIDA, Yoshiatsu KUGA, Toshio SAKAMOTO
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Patent number: 10960933Abstract: A torsion beam type of rear suspension comprising a pair of right-and-left trailing arms and a torsion beam. A floor under cover for airflow straightening is attached to a portion of a vehicle body in front of the rear suspension so as to cover a vehicle-body lower face. A cover-support bracket is laid between a rear portion of a side sill and an inward side, in a vehicle width direction, of an arm pivot of the trail arm. A portion of the floor under cover which is positioned in the vicinity of its rear end is engaged with the cover-support bracket such that a rear end portion of the floor under cover is extended from an inward-side edge of a front portion of a rear wheel house to an inside of the rear wheel house.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2019Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Shuhei Nishida, Yoshiatsu Kuga, Masaru Chikita
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Patent number: 10906599Abstract: A garnish is provided with a protrusion portion which protrudes outwardly, in a vehicle width direction, so as to suppress a side-face airflow flowing below a door maximum-width portion of a side portion of a cabin from going around below a vehicle floor. A plate-shaped tire deflector is provided at a lower end portion of a front edge of a rear wheel house which corresponds to a position, in a vertical direction, of a rear end portion of the protrusion portion, wherein the tire deflector is configured to deflect a side-face airflow flowing above the protrusion portion such that the side-face airflow is turned toward an outward side, in the vehicle width direction, so as not to flow into the rear wheel house and adheres to a tire-wheel outer face.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2019Date of Patent: February 2, 2021Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Shuhei Nishida, Yoshiatsu Kuga, Issei Yasuda, Masaru Chikita
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Patent number: 10899388Abstract: An arm cover comprises a main part and a front part. These parts are configured such that when the rear suspension takes a standard vehicle-weight position, these parts are respectively inclined rearwardly and downwardly, wherein an angle of inclination of the inclined front part is smaller than that of the inclined main part. When the rear suspension takes the standard vehicle-weight position, a front edge of the front part is located at a higher level than a bottom face portion of a under cover, and when the rear suspension takes a rebound position, the front edge of the front part is located at a position which is higher than a level of the bottom face portion of the under cover and close to a rear end portion of the under cover.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2019Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Shuhei Nishida, Yoshiatsu Kuga, Hiroyuki Takahashi, Yosuke Fukamachi, Satoshi Okamoto
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Patent number: 10787208Abstract: A torsion beam type of rear suspension comprising a pair of right-and-left trailing arms and a torsion beam connecting the trailing arms is provided. A floor under cover for airflow straightening is attached to a portion of a vehicle body in front of the rear suspension so as to cover a vehicle-body lower face. A arm cover is attached to a lower portion of the trailing arm so as to cover a lower face of the trailing arm. The arm cover is provided with an arm-cover enlarged portion which is configured to protrude outwardly, in a vehicle width direction, from the trailing arm in a vehicle bottom-face view. The floor under cover is provided with a floor-under-cover enlarged portion such that a rear end portion of the floor under cover faces closely to a front edge of the arm-cover enlarged portion.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2019Date of Patent: September 29, 2020Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Shuhei Nishida, Yoshiatsu Kuga, Masaru Chikita, Hiroyuki Takahashi
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Publication number: 20200207427Abstract: A deflector structure for an automobile. The deflector structure includes a protruding structure having an outer surface positioned to be hit by traveling air when the automobile travels forward. The outer surface of the protruding portion includes a first inclined portion located on a vehicle-width-direction outer side and inclined upward toward the automobile front side; and a second inclined portion located on a vehicle-width-direction inner side and inclined upward toward the automobile front side. An angle of inclination of the second inclined portion on an acute angle side of the second inclined portion with respect to a horizontal direction is smaller than an angle of inclination of the first inclined portion on an acute angle side of the first inclined portion with respect to the horizontal direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2019Publication date: July 2, 2020Applicant: Mazda Motor CorporationInventors: Akihiro NAKATA, Michiya MIZOKANE, Shuhei NISHIDA, Yoshiatsu KUGA, Ryo YANAGISAWA, Masaaki BESSHO
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Publication number: 20200130755Abstract: A deflector structure of an automotive vehicle comprises a deflector. The deflector comprises a traveling-wind control part to control a flow of a traveling wind generated in forward traveling of an automotive vehicle. The traveling-wind control part comprises an outside control section and an inside control section. The outside control section and the inside control section are shaped such that an atmospheric pressure of an outside space portion which is positioned just in front of an outside part, in the vehicle width direction, of a front wheel is lower than that of a central space portion which is positioned just in front of a central part, in the vehicle width direction, of the front wheel at a level position from a lower end of the deflator to a vicinity below the lower end of the deflector.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2019Publication date: April 30, 2020Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Shuhei NISHIDA, Yoshiatsu KUGA, Akihiro NAKATA
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Publication number: 20190291783Abstract: An arm cover comprises a main part and a front part. These parts are configured such that when the rear suspension takes a standard vehicle-weight position, these parts are respectively inclined rearwardly and downwardly, wherein an angle of inclination of the inclined front part is smaller than that of the inclined main part. When the rear suspension takes the standard vehicle-weight position, a front edge of the front part is located at a higher level than a bottom face portion of a under cover, and when the rear suspension takes a rebound position, the front edge of the front part is located at a position which is higher than a level of the bottom face portion of the under cover and close to a rear end portion of the under cover.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 22, 2019Publication date: September 26, 2019Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Shuhei NISHIDA, Yoshiatsu KUGA, Hiroyuki TAKAHASHI, Yosuke FUKAMACHI, Satoshi OKAMOTO
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Publication number: 20190291524Abstract: A torsion beam type of rear suspension comprising a pair of right-and-left trailing arms and a torsion beam connecting the trailing arms is provided. A floor under cover for airflow straightening is attached to a portion of a vehicle body in front of the rear suspension so as to cover a vehicle-body lower face. A arm cover is attached to a lower portion of the trailing arm so as to cover a lower face of the trailing arm. The arm cover is provided with an arm-cover enlarged portion which is configured to protrude outwardly, in a vehicle width direction, from the trailing arm in a vehicle bottom-face view. The floor under cover is provided with a floor-under-cover enlarged portion such that a rear end portion of the floor under cover faces closely to a front edge of the arm-cover enlarged portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 22, 2019Publication date: September 26, 2019Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Shuhei NISHIDA, Yoshiatsu KUGA, Masaru CHIKITA, Hiroyuki TAKAHASHI
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Publication number: 20190291791Abstract: A garnish is provided with a protrusion portion which protrudes outwardly, in a vehicle width direction, so as to suppress a side-face airflow flowing below a door maximum-width portion of a side portion of a cabin from going around below a vehicle floor. A plate-shaped tire deflector is provided at a lower end portion of a front edge of a rear wheel house which corresponds to a position, in a vertical direction, of a rear end portion of the protrusion portion, wherein the tire deflector is configured to deflect a side-face airflow flowing above the protrusion portion such that the side-face airflow is turned toward an outward side, in the vehicle width direction, so as not to flow into the rear wheel house and adheres to a tire-wheel outer face.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 22, 2019Publication date: September 26, 2019Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Shuhei NISHIDA, Yoshiatsu KUGA, Issei YASUDA, Masaru CHIKITA
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Publication number: 20190291789Abstract: A torsion beam type of rear suspension comprising a pair of right-and-left trailing arms and a torsion beam. A floor under cover for airflow straightening is attached to a portion of a vehicle body in front of the rear suspension so as to cover a vehicle-body lower face. A cover-support bracket is laid between a rear portion of a side sill and an inward side, in a vehicle width direction, of an arm pivot of the trail arm. A portion of the floor under cover which is positioned in the vicinity of its rear end is engaged with the cover-support bracket such that a rear end portion of the floor under cover is extended from an inward-side edge of a front portion of a rear wheel house to an inside of the rear wheel house.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 22, 2019Publication date: September 26, 2019Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Shuhei NISHIDA, Yoshiatsu KUGA, Masaru CHIKITA
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Patent number: 7717204Abstract: An opening portion is formed at an upper-side portion of a shroud panel so as to penetrate the panel longitudinally. A face member and a face support member form a duct that guides part of outside air coming in through an outside-air intake of the face member to an opening portion of the shroud panel. Accordingly, there can be provided a bumper structure that can properly guide the outside air to an engine room behind the heat exchanger.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2008Date of Patent: May 18, 2010Assignee: Mazda Motor CorporationInventors: Kazuma Kondou, Naoaki Yamamoto, Minoru Ohkubo, Hiroshi Yokokura, Yoshiatsu Kuga
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Publication number: 20080191500Abstract: An opening portion is formed at an upper-side portion of a shroud panel so as to penetrate the panel longitudinally. A face member and a face support member form a duct that guides part of outside air coming in through an outside-air intake of the face member to an opening portion of the shroud panel. Accordingly, there can be provided a bumper structure that can properly guide the outside air to an engine room behind the heat exchanger.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 14, 2008Publication date: August 14, 2008Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Kazuma KONDOU, Naoaki YAMAMOTO, Minoru OHKUBO, Hiroshi YOKOKURA, Yoshiatsu KUGA