Patents by Inventor Yuzou Sato

Yuzou Sato 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: 7641256
    Abstract: A tonneau cover device comprises a tonneau cover and guide rails. A front end of the tonneau cover is pivotally supported at the vehicle. The tonneau cover comprises plural board members provided in a longitudinal direction and jointly connected to each other. The board member is supported by the guide rails to move vertically. A change of a longitudinal distance between a support pin portion of the board member at the guide rail and a pivot axis portion of the board member when the board member moves upward along the guide rails is absorbed by the joint connections of the tonneau cover. Accordingly, the tonneau cover can be opened widely and the tonneau cover can allow even large baggage to be carried in or out of the baggage compartment smoothly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Masanori Kodaira, Tomohiro Hori, Yuzou Sato
  • Patent number: 7537265
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle rear structure, which is designed such that a pull bar (7) provided at a rear end of a tonneau cover (6) is slidingly displaced along a pair of right and left guide rails (38). The right and left guide rails (8) are positioned parallel to each other in a rear view of the vehicle. Each of the guide rails (8) has an upper portion located at a position overlapping a corresponding one of a pair of right and left rear pillars (18) in the rear view of the vehicle and in front of the rear pillar (18) in a side view of the vehicle, and a lower portion located at a position overlapping the rear pillar (18) in the side view of the vehicle and on the inner side of the rear pillar (18) in the rear view of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Hori, Yuzou Sato, Masanori Kodaira, Tomoo Taguchi, Kou Niida
  • Publication number: 20070176460
    Abstract: A tonneau cover device comprises a tonneau cover and guide rails. A front end of the tonneau cover is pivotally supported at the vehicle. The tonneau cover comprises plural board members provided in a longitudinal direction and jointly connected to each other. The board member is supported by the guide rails to move vertically. A change of a longitudinal distance between a support pin portion of the board member at the guide rail and a pivot axis portion of the board member when the board member moves upward along the guide rails is absorbed by the joint connections of the tonneau cover. Accordingly, the tonneau cover can be opened widely and the tonneau cover can allow even large baggage to be carried in or out of the baggage compartment smoothly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Inventors: Masanori Kodaira, Tomohiro Hori, Yuzou Sato
  • Publication number: 20070120391
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle rear structure, which is designed such that a pull bar (7) provided at a rear end of a tonneau cover (6) is slidingly displaced along a pair of right and left guide rails (38). The right and left guide rails (8) are positioned parallel to each other in a rear view of the vehicle. Each of the guide rails (8) has an upper portion located at a position overlapping a corresponding one of a pair of right and left rear pillars (18) in the rear view of the vehicle and in front of the rear pillar (18) in a side view of the vehicle, and a lower portion located at a position overlapping the rear pillar (18) in the side view of the vehicle and on the inner side of the rear pillar (18) in the rear view of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2006
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Inventors: Tomohiro Hori, Yuzou Sato, Masanori Kodaira, Tomoo Taguchi, Kou Niida