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).

  • Patent number: 11590912
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiya Mizokane, Yuki Ikawa, Masayoshi Enomoto, Yoshiatsu Kuga, Satoshi Okamoto
  • Patent number: 11535312
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiya Mizokane, Yoshiatsu Kuga
  • Patent number: 11420576
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuhei Nishida, Yoshiatsu Kuga, Toshio Sakamoto
  • Publication number: 20210309175
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiya MIZOKANE, Yuki IKAWA, Masayoshi ENOMOTO, Yoshiatsu KUGA, Satoshi OKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20210309307
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiya MIZOKANE, Yoshiatsu KUGA
  • Patent number: 11124249
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuhei Nishida, Yoshiatsu Kuga, Akihiro Nakata
  • Patent number: 11077893
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Nakata, Michiya Mizokane, Shuhei Nishida, Yoshiatsu Kuga, Ryo Yanagisawa, Masaaki Bessho
  • Publication number: 20210170967
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuhei NISHIDA, Yoshiatsu KUGA, Toshio SAKAMOTO
  • Patent number: 10960933
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuhei Nishida, Yoshiatsu Kuga, Masaru Chikita
  • Patent number: 10906599
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuhei Nishida, Yoshiatsu Kuga, Issei Yasuda, Masaru Chikita
  • Patent number: 10899388
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuhei Nishida, Yoshiatsu Kuga, Hiroyuki Takahashi, Yosuke Fukamachi, Satoshi Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10787208
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuhei Nishida, Yoshiatsu Kuga, Masaru Chikita, Hiroyuki Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20200207427
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro NAKATA, Michiya MIZOKANE, Shuhei NISHIDA, Yoshiatsu KUGA, Ryo YANAGISAWA, Masaaki BESSHO
  • Publication number: 20200130755
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuhei NISHIDA, Yoshiatsu KUGA, Akihiro NAKATA
  • Publication number: 20190291783
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuhei NISHIDA, Yoshiatsu KUGA, Hiroyuki TAKAHASHI, Yosuke FUKAMACHI, Satoshi OKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20190291524
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuhei NISHIDA, Yoshiatsu KUGA, Masaru CHIKITA, Hiroyuki TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20190291791
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuhei NISHIDA, Yoshiatsu KUGA, Issei YASUDA, Masaru CHIKITA
  • Publication number: 20190291789
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuhei NISHIDA, Yoshiatsu KUGA, Masaru CHIKITA
  • Patent number: 7717204
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuma Kondou, Naoaki Yamamoto, Minoru Ohkubo, Hiroshi Yokokura, Yoshiatsu Kuga
  • Publication number: 20080191500
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2008
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuma KONDOU, Naoaki YAMAMOTO, Minoru OHKUBO, Hiroshi YOKOKURA, Yoshiatsu KUGA