Patents by Inventor Yukihide SHIBUTANI

Yukihide SHIBUTANI 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).

  • Publication number: 20230071962
    Abstract: A vehicular aerodynamic device includes first and second links being coupled via first and second engagement members and integrally rotating, thereby transmitting drive force to an aerodynamic member. The first and second engagement members are coupled to the first and second links, respectively, and integrally rotate by engaging with each other, and rotate relative to each other by external force. At least one of a first coupling portion that couples the first link and the first engagement member and a second coupling portion that couples the second link and the second engagement member includes clutch-side and link-side engagement surfaces integrally rotating by engaging with each other. A second gap between the clutch-side and link-side engagement surfaces in a second relative rotation direction is narrower than a first gap between the clutch-side and link-side engagement surfaces in a first relative rotation direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Applicant: AISIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki MIZUNO, Yukihide SHIBUTANI
  • Patent number: 11155312
    Abstract: A movable spoiler device provided in a front part of a vehicle body, the movable spoiler device includes: a link mechanism in which a plurality of links are coupled and configured to operate by driving the links by an actuator; a spoiler member connected with one of the plurality of links and being deployable and retractable with respect to the vehicle body by operation of the link mechanism; and a clutch mechanism provided on a driving force transmission path between the actuator and the spoiler member, and configured to block transmission of a driving force when an external force equal to or greater than a predetermined value is applied to the spoiler member with the spoiler member being in a deployed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tokuhiro Shiga, Taishi Hashimoto, Yukihide Shibutani, Hideki Mizuno
  • Patent number: 11052954
    Abstract: A vehicular straightening device includes: a straightening member disposed in front of a front wheel of a vehicle so as to be movable upward and downward with respect to a vehicle body; a drive unit that moves the straightening member up and down with respect to the vehicle body between a storage position on a vehicle body side and a straightening position where the straightening member protrudes downward from the vehicle body; and a connecting mechanism that connects the straightening member and the drive unit and releases a connection between the straightening member and the drive unit when an external force acts on the straightening member at the straightening position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tokuhiro Shiga, Yukihide Shibutani, Hideki Mizuno
  • Patent number: 11040744
    Abstract: A spoiler device includes a link mechanism and a spoiler member. In the link mechanism, a drive link, an intermediate link, a driven link, and a fixed link are annularly connected. The drive link is driven by an actuator, thereby causing the link mechanism to operate as a four-joint link. The spoiler member is fixed to the intermediate link or the driven link. Any one of the drive link, the intermediate link, and the driven link is configured so as to include, two division links whose one end portions are connected by a connection portion. The two division links are rotatable around the connection portion, and are pressed in rotational directions by a pressing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tokuhiro Shiga, Yukihide Shibutani, Hideki Mizuno
  • Publication number: 20200164934
    Abstract: A movable spoiler device provided in a front part of a vehicle body, the movable spoiler device includes: a link mechanism in which a plurality of links are coupled and configured to operate by driving the links by an actuator; a spoiler member connected with one of the plurality of links and being deployable and retractable with respect to the vehicle body by operation of the link mechanism; and a clutch mechanism provided on a driving force transmission path between the actuator and the spoiler member, and configured to block transmission of a driving force when an external force equal to or greater than a predetermined value is applied to the spoiler member with the spoiler member being in a deployed state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tokuhiro SHIGA, Taishi HASHIMOTO, Yukihide SHIBUTANI, Hideki MIZUNO
  • Patent number: 10625792
    Abstract: A movable front spoiler device includes: an actuator including a rotation shaft provided so as to be rotatable forwardly and reversely; a link mechanism connected to the rotation shaft of the actuator; a spoiler connected to the link mechanism and provided so as to be pivotable between a deployed position and a retract position; and a spring attached to the spoiler and configured to bias the spoiler in a pivot direction in which the spoiler pivots toward the deployed position in which the spoiler pivots toward the deployed position when the rotation shaft of the actuator rotates forwardly, and pivots toward the retract position when the rotation shaft of the actuator rotates reversely, and the actuator is provided such that the rotation shaft is rotatable reversely by an external force applied to the spoiler in a pivot direction in which the spoiler pivots toward the retract position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tokuhiro Shiga, Yukihide Shibutani, Hideki Mizuno
  • Publication number: 20200094889
    Abstract: A spoiler device includes a link mechanism and a spoiler member. In the link mechanism, a drive link, an intermediate link, a driven link, and a fixed link are annularly connected. The drive link is driven by an actuator, thereby causing the link mechanism to operate as a four-joint link. The spoiler member is fixed to the intermediate link or the driven link. Any one of the drive link, the intermediate link, and the driven link is configured so as to include, two division links whose one end portions are connected by a connection portion. The two division links are rotatable around the connection portion, and are pressed in rotational directions by a pressing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tokuhiro SHIGA, Yukihide SHIBUTANI, Hideki MIZUNO
  • Publication number: 20190152543
    Abstract: A vehicular straightening device includes: a straightening member disposed in front of a front wheel of a vehicle so as to be movable upward and downward with respect to a vehicle body; a drive unit that moves the straightening member up and down with respect to the vehicle body between a storage position on a vehicle body side and a straightening position where the straightening member protrudes downward from the vehicle body; and a connecting mechanism that connects the straightening member and the drive unit and releases a connection between the straightening member and the drive unit when an external force acts on the straightening member at the straightening position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2018
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tokuhiro Shiga, Yukihide Shibutani, Hideki Mizuno
  • Publication number: 20190118872
    Abstract: A movable front spoiler device includes: an actuator including a rotation shaft provided so as to be rotatable forwardly and reversely; a link mechanism connected to the rotation shaft of the actuator; a spoiler connected to the link mechanism and provided so as to be pivotable between a deployed position and a retract position; and a spring attached to the spoiler and configured to bias the spoiler in a pivot direction in which the spoiler pivots toward the deployed position in which the spoiler pivots toward the deployed position when the rotation shaft of the actuator rotates forwardly, and pivots toward the retract position when the rotation shaft of the actuator rotates reversely, and the actuator is provided such that the rotation shaft is rotatable reversely by an external force applied to the spoiler in a pivot direction in which the spoiler pivots toward the retract position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tokuhiro SHIGA, Yukihide SHIBUTANI, Hideki MIZUNO
  • Patent number: 9371098
    Abstract: A spoiler device for a vehicle includes a rear spoiler including an airflow controlling surface that is configured to continue to a roof surface and configured to be provided at a roof end, and an air duct including an air inlet opening to the airflow controlling surface and being formed penetrating through the rear spoiler, the air duct including an air outlet positioned in vicinity to an edge portion of the rear spoiler in a vehicle width direction, the air duct configured to guide an airflow at a vehicle top surface to a border portion between a vehicle rear side and a vehicle lateral side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Wataru Yamaguchi, Yukihide Shibutani
  • Patent number: 9321405
    Abstract: A roof rail includes a support member configured to be assembled on a roof of a vehicle, a first cover made from synthetic resin material, the first cover including a lengthwise-direction first end portion which is fixed to the support member and a lengthwise-direction second end portion which is supported by the support member to be expandable and contractible in a vehicle front/rear direction, and a second cover made from synthetic resin material, the second cover being supported by the support member to be expandable and contractible in the vehicle front/rear direction, the second cover including a lengthwise-direction end portion which is assembled to the lengthwise-direction second end portion of the first cover, wherein an outer surface of the lengthwise-direction second end portion of the first cover and an outer surface of the lengthwise-direction end portion of the second cover are coplanar with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukihide Shibutani, Shinichi Haneda, Yoshiteru Taniguchi, Yasushiro Shibata
  • Publication number: 20160009323
    Abstract: A spoiler device for a vehicle includes a rear spoiler including an airflow controlling surface that is configured to continue to a roof surface and configured to be provided at a roof end, and an air duct including an air inlet opening to the airflow controlling surface and being formed penetrating through the rear spoiler, the air duct including an air outlet positioned in vicinity to an edge portion of the rear spoiler in a vehicle width direction, the air duct configured to guide an airflow at a vehicle top surface to a border portion between a vehicle rear side and a vehicle lateral side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Wataru YAMAGUCHI, Yukihide SHIBUTANI
  • Patent number: 9156508
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle rear spoiler device to be mounted on a rear side of a roof of a vehicle. The vehicle rear spoiler device includes a wall surface for forming an air flow path between the wall surface and a rear window glass of the vehicle. A part of an air current moving rearward along a roof surface of the roof during traveling is caused to pass through the air flow path as a downward current toward the rear window glass. The wall surface is formed to gradually widen the air flow path in a manner that an outflow width of an outlet on the rear window glass side in the air flow path is larger than an inflow width of an inlet on the roof side in the air flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Wataru Yamaguchi, Yukihide Shibutani, Mamoru Morita
  • Publication number: 20150008699
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle rear spoiler device to be mounted on a rear side of a roof of a vehicle. The vehicle rear spoiler device includes a wall surface for forming an air flow path between the wall surface and a rear window glass of the vehicle. A part of an air current moving rearward along a roof surface of the roof during traveling is caused to pass through the air flow path as a downward current toward the rear window glass. The wall surface is formed to gradually widen the air flow path in a manner that an outflow width of an outlet on the rear window glass side in the air flow path is larger than an inflow width of an inlet on the roof side in the air flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventors: Wataru Yamaguchi, Yukihide Shibutani, Mamoru Morita
  • Publication number: 20140292040
    Abstract: A roof rail includes a support member configured to be assembled on a roof of a vehicle, a first cover made from synthetic resin material, the first cover including a lengthwise-direction first end portion which is fixed to the support member and a lengthwise-direction second end portion which is supported by the support member to be expandable and contractible in a vehicle front/rear direction, and a second cover made from synthetic resin material, the second cover being supported by the support member to be expandable and contractible in the vehicle front/rear direction, the second cover including a lengthwise-direction end portion which is assembled to the lengthwise-direction second end portion of the first cover, wherein an outer surface of the lengthwise-direction second end portion of the first cover and an outer surface of the lengthwise-direction end portion of the second cover are coplanar with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yukihide SHIBUTANI, Shinichi HANEDA, Yoshiteru TANIGUCHI, Yasushiro SHIBATA
  • Publication number: 20120242833
    Abstract: An exterior component for a vehicle includes a camera capturing an image of surroundings of a vehicle, and a through-hole at which the camera is provided. The through-hole forms an airflow to flow through the through-hole in association with a driving of the vehicle. The camera is provided at a position where the airflow flows and where an image capturing range serving as a function of the camera is ensured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Wataru YAMAGUCHI, Yukihide SHIBUTANI