Patents by Inventor Akira Minoura
Akira Minoura 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: 8567166Abstract: A spring support body is slidably supported on a support portion provided to a connecting member connected to a link mechanism, the spring support body supporting a side of a tension spring opposite to the side connecting the tension spring to a tension wheel body, the tension spring biasing the tension wheel body to a tension position, the tension wheel body being freely movable between a tension position and a tension release position. An operation tool slides the spring support body between the tension side and the loosened side of the tension spring, the operation tool being connected to the spring support body by being disposed such that the operation tool is positioned on a lateral exterior side of a cutting blade housing with respect to the connecting member.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2012Date of Patent: October 29, 2013Assignee: Kubota CorporationInventors: Akira Minoura, Akihito Sugio, Yoshikazu Togoshi, Eiji Sato
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Publication number: 20130256054Abstract: A work vehicle includes a cooling fan, an engine, and a diesel particulate filter (DPF) purifying exhaust gas of the engine, placed under a hood in that order, beginning at the front. Exhaust gas from the engine is exhausted through an exhaust passage after passing through the DPF. The cooling fan supplies cooling air to the rear. The DPF is placed such that a length direction thereof follows a width direction of a vehicle body. The exhaust passage includes a first passage, a second passage, and a third passage. The first passage extends forward and upward from the DPF before extending along the length direction thereof on a front side of the DPF. The second passage extends downward from a downstream portion of the first passage. The third passage extends to the rear from a downstream portion of the second passage and also includes an exhaust outlet.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2012Publication date: October 3, 2013Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATIONInventors: Kazuaki NOGAMI, Hironori TSUCHIHASHI, Takahiro SHIRAGA, Eiji SATO, Akira MINOURA, Takafumi KOMATSU
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Patent number: 8523231Abstract: A riding mower includes a pair of right and left front wheels; a pair of right and left rear wheels; a driver's seat provided between the rear wheels and the front wheels; an engine provided in the rear of the driver's seat; and a mower provided under the driver's seat. The riding mower is capable of being mounted with a fuel gas cylinder sideways on a side of the engine in which an operation section of the fuel gas cylinder faces backward. The riding mower further includes a guard member that is opposed to a rear surface of the fuel gas cylinder and is switchable between a protection position to cover the rear side of the operation section and an open position to open the rear surface of the fuel gas cylinder.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2011Date of Patent: September 3, 2013Assignee: Kubota CorporationInventors: Hiroyuki Tada, Yoshikazu Togoshi, Kazuaki Nogami, Akira Minoura
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Patent number: 8469402Abstract: A riding mower having left and right driving rear wheels independently drivable forward and backward and a pair of left and right steerable front wheels is provided with a support device capable of being mounted with a cylindrical gas cylinder in a horizontal position on an external side of a rollover projection frame. The support device is provided such that the mounted gas cylinder is positioned along front and rear of the rollover protection frame and is mounted in a tilted state in which the central axis of the cylindrical gas cylinder is closer to a central side in a lateral direction of a vehicle body toward a rear side from a plan view.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2011Date of Patent: June 25, 2013Assignee: Kubota CorporationInventors: Akira Minoura, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kuninosuke Iwata, Hiroyuki Tada, Yoshiyuki Esaki
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Publication number: 20130125703Abstract: A fuel pump supplying reservoir oil reservoired in an input case to devices to be supplied with the reservoir oil and a filter for filtering the reservoir oil circulating in the input case are provided in the input case. A fuel pump supplying reservoir oil in each of left and right axle cases to a hydraulic continuously variable transmission provided in each of the axle cases and a filter filtering the reservoir oil circulating in each of the left and right axle cases are provided in each of the left and right axle cases.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2012Publication date: May 23, 2013Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATIONInventors: Hideya UMEMOTO, Akira MINOURA
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Patent number: 8418678Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel system for a traveling vehicle having an engine mounted on a vehicle body and a ROPS extending upward from the vehicle body. The fuel system includes a fuel tank accommodating an amount of fuel, a canister, an evaporating hose including a first evaporating hose portion and a second evaporating hose portion for sending fuel vapor generated inside the fuel tank to the canister. The first evaporating hose portion is connected to the fuel tank and extending upward from the fuel tank along a vertical post of the ROPS. The second evaporating hose portion extends downward along a vertical post of the ROPS and is connected to the canister.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2010Date of Patent: April 16, 2013Assignee: Kubota CorporationInventors: Kazuhiro Ochi, Masahiro Yamada, Hideya Umemoto, Eiji Satou, Yusuke Shoji, Kazuaki Nogami, Takeshi Komorida, Hiroyuki Tada, Yoshikazu Togoshi, Akira Minoura, Yoshiyuki Esaki
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Publication number: 20130047567Abstract: A spring support body is slidably supported on a support portion provided to a connecting member connected to a link mechanism, the spring support body supporting a side of a tension spring opposite to the side connecting the tension spring to a tension wheel body, the tension spring biasing the tension wheel body to a tension position, the tension wheel body being freely movable between a tension position and a tension release position. An operation tool slides the spring support body between the tension side and the loosened side of the tension spring, the operation tool being connected to the spring support body by being disposed such that the operation tool is positioned on a lateral exterior side of a cutting blade housing with respect to the connecting member.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2012Publication date: February 28, 2013Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATIONInventors: Akira MINOURA, Akihito SUGIO, Yoshikazu TOGOSHI, Eiji SATO
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Publication number: 20120307863Abstract: An exhaust gas temperature detection sensor is arranged at a predetermined position outside a muffler, or at a predetermined position outside an exhaust pipe constituting an exhaust gas flow passage on a more downstream side than the muffler in an exhaust direction. The sensor detects that an atmosphere temperature at the predetermined position outside the muffler has reached a predetermined temperature based on an increase in a temperature inside the muffler, or detects that an atmosphere temperature at the predetermined position outside the exhaust pipe has reached a predetermined temperature based on an increase in a temperature of an exhaust gas inside the exhaust pipe.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2012Publication date: December 6, 2012Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATIONInventors: Hiroyuki TADA, Masato ASAHARA, Yoshihiro UEDA, Hideki AOKI, Akira MINOURA
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Publication number: 20120247077Abstract: A riding mower includes a pair of right and left front wheels; a pair of right and left rear wheels; a driver's seat provided between the rear wheels and the front wheels; an engine provided in the rear of the driver's seat; and a mower provided under the driver's seat. The riding mower is capable of being mounted with a fuel gas cylinder sideways on a side of the engine in which an operation section of the fuel gas cylinder faces backward. The riding mower further includes a guard member that is opposed to a rear surface of the fuel gas cylinder and is switchable between a protection position to cover the rear side of the operation section and an open position to open the rear surface of the fuel gas cylinder.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2011Publication date: October 4, 2012Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATIONInventors: Hiroyuki TADA, Yoshikazu TOGOSHI, Kazuaki NOGAMI, Akira MINOURA
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Patent number: 8156722Abstract: Disclosed is a mower with a mower deck, a plurality of cutting chambers mutually communicated and arranged in a lateral direction within the mower deck, and a blade mounted in each cutting chamber to be rotatable about a vertical axis. A grass clippings guide in form of a vertical wall is disposed in an upper area within the cutting chamber, to guide the grass clippings flowing within the cutting chamber toward a center of rotation of the blade. A shield member is disposed for preventing entry of grass clippings between the grass clippings guide and a peripheral wall of the cutting chamber.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2008Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Assignee: Kubota CorporationInventors: Akihito Sugio, Kazuo Sameshiima, Akira Minoura, Masatake Murakawa, Masatoshi Yamaguchi, Kazuo Koike, Masato Asahara, Yoshikazu Togoshi, Osami Fujiwara, Koji Fujiwara
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Publication number: 20120023886Abstract: A riding mower having left and right driving rear wheels independently drivable forward and backward and a pair of left and right steerable front wheels is provided with a support device capable of being mounted with a cylindrical gas cylinder in a horizontal position on an external side of a rollover projection frame. The support device is provided such that the mounted gas cylinder is positioned along front and rear of the rollover protection frame and is mounted in a tilted state in which the central axis of the cylindrical gas cylinder is closer to a central side in a lateral direction of a vehicle body toward a rear side from a plan view.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2011Publication date: February 2, 2012Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATIONInventors: Akira MINOURA, Yoshihiro UEDA, Kuninosuke IWATA, Hiroyuki TADA, Yoshiyuki ESAKI
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Patent number: 8087221Abstract: A mower unit includes a mower deck mounting therein in parallel layout first, second and third rotary blades rotatably driven about vertical axes and a washing device. The mower deck includes a top wall, side walls and first, second and third auxiliary side walls for evacuation. The washing device includes a single water supplying unit disposed upwardly of the top wall for supplying washing water and first, second and third water discharging units disposed through the first, second and third auxiliary side walls for discharging water to the first, second and third rotary blades respectively. The washing device includes also a water supplying pipe unit interconnecting and communicating the water supplying unit to the first, second and third water discharging units. The water supplying pipe unit is disposed within a mower deck rear space delimited by outer faces of the first, second and third auxiliary side walls.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2010Date of Patent: January 3, 2012Assignee: Kubota CorporationInventors: Akihito Sugio, Akira Minoura, Yoshikazu Togoshi, Eiji Satou, Takahiro Shiraga, Kazuo Koike, Motosumi Shiotsuki, Yusuke Shoji
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Publication number: 20110259012Abstract: A working vehicle has a cooling fan provided on a first side of an engine to blow air to the engine; a muffler main body provided on a second side thereof in a position lower than an upper surface of a head cover of the engine; and an exhaust pipe exposed in a position facing an air blowing path of the cooling fan higher than the upper surface of the head cover of the engine to discharge exhaust from the muffler main body.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2011Publication date: October 27, 2011Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATIONInventors: Hiroyuki TADA, Masato ASAHARA, Yoshihiro UEDA, Eiji SATO, Akira MINOURA
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Publication number: 20110232250Abstract: A mower unit is disclosed, including a mower deck mounting therein in parallel layout first, second and third rotary blades rotatably driven about vertical axes and a washing device. The mower deck includes a top wall, side walls and first, second and third auxiliary side walls for evacuation, the auxiliary side walls having shapes along at least a machine body rear portion of the rotary path of each rotary blade. The washing device includes a single water supplying unit disposed upwardly of the top wall for supplying washing water and first, second and third water discharging units disposed through the first, second and third auxiliary side walls for discharging water to the first, second and third rotary blades respectively. The washing device includes also a water supplying pipe unit interconnecting and communicating the water supplying unit to the first, second and third water discharging units.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2010Publication date: September 29, 2011Applicant: Kubota CorporationInventors: Akihito Sugio, Akira Minoura, Yoshikazu Togoshi, Eiji Satou, Takahiro Shiraga, Kazuo Koike, Motosumi Shiotsuki, Yusuke Shoji
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Patent number: 7866426Abstract: A riding type mower comprises: a plurality of wheels; a vehicle body supported by the plurality of wheels; a water-cooled engine located in a rear region of the vehicle body; a hood for covering the engine; a driver's seat located forwardly of the hood; a rollover protection frame located between the driver's seat and the water-cooled engine, the rollover protection frame having a pair of right and left support columns spaced apart from each other in a lateral direction; a radiator for the water-cooled engine located between the pair of the support columns of the rollover protection frame.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2006Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: Kubota CorporationInventors: Hideya Umemoto, Akira Minoura, Osami Fujiwara, Kazuaki Nogami, Takeshi Komorida
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Publication number: 20100242924Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel system for a traveling vehicle having an engine mounted on a vehicle body and a ROPS extending upward from the vehicle body. The fuel system includes a fuel tank accommodating an amount of fuel, a canister, an evaporating hose including a first evaporating hose portion and a second evaporating hose portion for sending fuel vapor generated inside the fuel tank to the canister. The first evaporating hose portion is connected to the fuel tank and extending upward from the fuel tank along a vertical post of the ROPS. The second evaporating hose portion extends downward along a vertical post of the ROPS and is connected to the canister.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2010Publication date: September 30, 2010Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATIONInventors: Kazuhiro Ochi, Masahiro Yamada, Hideya Umemoto, Eiji Satou, Yusuke Shoji, Kazuaki Nogami, Takeshi Komorida, Hiroyuki Tada, Yoshikazu Togoshi, Akira Minoura, Yoshiyuki Esaki
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Patent number: 7594378Abstract: A mower tractor includes a vehicle body supported by a plurality of wheels; an engine mounted to the vehicle body; a mower suspended from the vehicle body; at least one grass collector bag for collecting grass cut by the mower; a grass collector bag holder supporting said at least one grass collector bag at a position on one side with respect to the engine; and a stopper portion for abutting against the grass collector bag so as to prevent the grass collector bag supported by the grass collector bag holder from moving toward the vehicle body.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2005Date of Patent: September 29, 2009Assignee: Kubota CorporationInventors: Masato Asahara, Kazuo Samejima, Yoshikazu Togoshi, Akira Minoura, Yasunobu Nakatani, Osami Fujiwara
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Publication number: 20090178382Abstract: Disclosed is a mower with a mower deck, a plurality of cutting chambers mutually communicated and arranged in a lateral direction within the mower deck, and a blade mounted in each cutting chamber to be rotatable about a vertical axis. A grass clippings guide in form of a vertical wall is disposed in an upper area within the cutting chamber, to guide the grass clippings flowing within the cutting chamber toward a center of rotation of the blade. A shield member is disposed for preventing entry of grass clippings between the grass clippings guide and a peripheral wall of the cutting chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 2008Publication date: July 16, 2009Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATIONInventors: Akihito Sugio, Kazuo Sameshiima, Akira Minoura, Masatake Murakawa, Masatoshi Yamaguchi, Kazuo Koike, Masato Asahara, Yoshikazu Togoshi, Osami Fujiwara, Koji Fujiwara
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Patent number: 7559295Abstract: A cooling structure for a working vehicle with a transmission disposed rearwardly and downwardly of a driver's seat and having a hydrostatic transmission, and an air-cooled engine disposed rearwardly of the transmission. The cooling structure comprising a fan for cooling the engine and a fan for cooling the transmission mounted on a rotary shaft operatively connecting the transmission with an output shaft of the air-cooled engine, the fans being configured such that air flows generated by the fans move from adjacent the transmission toward the engine; an oil cooler for cooling fluid supplied to the hydrostatic transmission, the oil cooler being disposed between the fan for cooling the engine and the fan for cooling the transmission, and disposed to face each of the fans; and an air guiding plate disposed at a position higher than the oil cooler for guiding air to regions of the fans.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2007Date of Patent: July 14, 2009Assignee: Kubota CorporationInventors: Masahiro Yamada, Yoshikazu Togoshi, Akira Minoura, Yoshihiro Ueda, Yoshiyuki Esaki, Eiji Satou, Takeshi Komorida
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Publication number: 20090013942Abstract: A cooling structure for a working vehicle with a transmission disposed rearwardly and downwardly of a driver's seat and having a hydrostatic transmission, and an air-cooled engine disposed rearwardly of the transmission. The cooling structure comprising a fan for cooling the engine and a fan for cooling the transmission mounted on a rotary shaft operatively connecting the transmission with an output shaft of the air-cooled engine, the fans being configured such that air flows generated by the fans move from adjacent the transmission toward the engine; an oil cooler for cooling fluid supplied to the hydrostatic transmission, the oil cooler being disposed between the fan for cooling the engine and the fan for cooling the transmission, and disposed to face each of the fans; and an air guiding plate disposed at a position higher than the oil cooler for guiding air to regions of the fans.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2007Publication date: January 15, 2009Applicant: Kubota CorporationInventors: Masahiro Yamada, Yoshikazu Togoshi, Akira Minoura, Yoshihiro Ueda, Yoshiyuki Esaki, Eiji Satou, Takeshi Komorida