Patents by Inventor Keizo Araki

Keizo Araki 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: 11858569
    Abstract: A vehicle is provided with a vehicle body, N (N is an integer equal to or larger than 2) wheels including one or more front wheels and one or more rear wheels, a force generator, and a force controller. The N wheels include one or more turn wheels turnable in the width direction of the vehicle. The force generator is configured to generate a force which changes a yaw angular acceleration. The force controller is configured to control the force generator. A gravity center of the vehicle body is located away from a rotation center of the vehicle toward front side or rear side when the vehicle turns. The force controller controls the force generator to control a roll torque in the width direction acting on the vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: AISIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keizo Araki, Akira Mizuno, Shota Kubo
  • Patent number: 11794845
    Abstract: A leaning vehicle, including a vehicle body, one steerable front wheel and two rear wheels, or two steerable front wheels and one or two rear wheels, a suspension mechanism, a steering mechanism, a steering controller, and an up-down direction acceleration detector attached to the vehicle body or the suspension mechanism. The two steerable front wheels or the two rear wheels are arranged side by side to form a left-right pair of wheels. The up-down direction acceleration detector detects an acceleration in an up-down direction of the leaning vehicle or the vehicle body, generated as one wheel in the left-right pair of wheels passes a bump or a pothole in a road. The steering controller so controls the one or two steerable front wheels that the one or two steerable front wheels are in a free-steering state, so as to swivel around a steering axis freely, based on the detected acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keisuke Terada, Toshifumi Uchiyama, Keizo Araki, Shota Kubo
  • Publication number: 20220388570
    Abstract: A vehicle is provided with a vehicle body, N (N is an integer equal to or larger than 2) wheels including one or more front wheels and one or more rear wheels, a force generator, and a force controller. The N wheels include one or more turn wheels turnable in the width direction of the vehicle. The force generator is configured to generate a force which changes a yaw angular acceleration. The force controller is configured to control the force generator. A gravity center of the vehicle body is located away from a rotation center of the vehicle toward front side or rear side when the vehicle turns. The force controller controls the force generator to control a roll torque in the width direction acting on the vehicle body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2020
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Applicant: AISIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keizo ARAKI, Akira MIZUNO, Shota KUBO
  • Patent number: 11472474
    Abstract: A vehicle small in width and capable of ensuring both driving stability and drivability includes: a vehicle body with two or more wheels including steered wheels (right front wheel, left front wheel) for steering; an inclination angle detection part that detects the inclination angle of the vehicle body about a roll axis thereof; and a torque applying part (turning mechanism) that applies a steering torque to the steered wheels in accordance with an inclination angular velocity or an inclination angular acceleration of the vehicle body calculated from the inclination angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: AISIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keizo Araki, Akira Mizuno, Shota Kubo
  • Publication number: 20210316809
    Abstract: A leaning vehicle, including a vehicle body, one steerable front wheel and two rear wheels, or two steerable front wheels and one or two rear wheels, a suspension mechanism, a steering mechanism, a steering controller, and an up-down direction acceleration detector attached to the vehicle body or the suspension mechanism. The two steerable front wheels or the two rear wheels are arranged side by side to form a left-right pair of wheels. The up-down direction acceleration detector detects an acceleration in an up-down direction of the leaning vehicle or the vehicle body, generated as one wheel in the left-right pair of wheels passes a bump or a pothole in a road. The steering controller so controls the one or two steerable front wheels that the one or two steerable front wheels are in a free-steering state, so as to swivel around a steering axis freely, based on the detected acceleration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Inventors: Keisuke TERADA, Toshifumi UCHIYAMA, Keizo ARAKI, Shota KUBO
  • Publication number: 20210316730
    Abstract: A leaning vehicle including a vehicle body, a steerable front wheel set swivelable around an axis extending in an up-down direction, a rear wheel set, a turn operation input device that receives a turn operation and transmits the turn operation non-mechanically, a leaning device including a lean actuator that leans the vehicle body, the steerable front wheel set and the rear wheel set to a leftward or rightward direction, and a centripetal force generator including a centripetal force generation actuator, which outputs a controllable torque to thereby generate an additional centripetal force that acts on the steerable front wheel set and the rear wheel set during a turn of the leaning vehicle. The controller controls the torque while controlling the lean actuator in accordance with the received turn operation, to thereby control a leaning condition of the vehicle body during the turn and to control generation of the additional centripetal force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Inventors: Keisuke TERADA, Toshifumi UCHIYAMA, Keizo ARAKI, Shota KUBO
  • Publication number: 20210269017
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: a vehicle body; one or more turn wheels turnable to right and left; a lean actuator configured to apply a lean torque to the vehicle body; a turn wheel support unit; and a controller. The turn wheel support unit includes: a supporting member that rotatably supports the one or more turn wheels; and a turning actuator configured to apply a turning torque to the supporting member. The controller is configured to determine a target lean angle, and determine the target lean torque and the target turning torque using the target lean angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Applicant: EQUOS RESEARCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keizo ARAKI, Akira MIZUNO, Shota KUBO
  • Publication number: 20210206446
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: a vehicle body; one or more turn wheels turnable to right and left; turn wheel support unit; and controller. The turn wheel support unit includes: a supporting member that rotatably supports the one or more turn wheels; and a turning actuator configured to apply a turning torque to the supporting member. The controller is configured to determine a target lean angle, determine a first type control value by using a difference between the target lean angle and a lean angle, and determine the target turning torque by using one or more control values including the first type control value. Where the first type control value indicates a torque that causes the supporting member to turn in a direction opposite to a target direction that is a rotational direction to rotate the vehicle body in its width direction so that the lean angle approaches the target lean angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Applicant: EQUOS RESEARCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keizo ARAKI, Akira MIZUNO, Shota KUBO
  • Publication number: 20210061348
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: a vehicle body; lean mechanism; operation input, lean control, and turn wheel support units. The turn wheel support unit includes: a supporting member supporting one or more turn wheels; turning actuator applying to the supporting member a torque for turning the supporting member; and turn control unit using a control parameter to control a turning actuator torque. The turn control unit includes: a specifying module using the control parameter to specify one or more turn wheels target direction; first determination module determining a first control value for causing the one or more turn wheels direction to approach the target direction; an actuation control value determination module using the first control value to determine an actuation control value; and torque control module controlling a turning actuator torque according to the actuation control value. The first determination module uses the vehicle velocity to adjust the first control value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Applicant: EQUOS RESEARCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keizo ARAKI, Akira MIZUNO, Koji MOGI
  • Patent number: 10875597
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: a vehicle body; three or more wheels; an operation input unit to be operated to input a turning direction; and a lean mechanism for leaning the vehicle body in its width direction. Within at least partial range of vehicle velocity, the vehicle is configured to travel in a mode in which the vehicle body is leaned by the lean mechanism according to an input into the operation input unit, and a steering angle of a steered wheel changes following a lean of the vehicle body. And, the vehicle includes a changing device for changing a turn resistance force acting between the vehicle body and the steered wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: EQUOS RESEARCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Mizuno, Keizo Araki
  • Publication number: 20200339193
    Abstract: [Problem] To provide a moving body for which it is possible to change the movement direction without changing the orientation during travel. [Solution] With a moving body 1, an exterior case 2 and a drive part 3 are supported by a rotating shaft 4 so as to be able to rotate relative to each other. An upper support shaft 8 of the rotating shaft 4 and the exterior case 2 are connected at a position for which the center of gravity of the exterior case 2 is on the axis of a lower support shaft 10 of the rotating shaft 4. The weight of the exterior case 2 is such that a sufficiently high moment of inertia is provided so that no rotation occurs even when the drive part 3 rotates against the rotational resistance of a bearing 9.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2017
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Applicant: EQUOS RESEARCH CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Keizo ARAKI
  • Publication number: 20200262262
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: N (N is an integer equal to or larger than 3) wheels including a pair of wheels spaced apart from each other in a width direction of the vehicle and a steered wheel turnable to right and left relative to the vehicle body; operation input unit to be operated to input a steering direction of the steered wheel; lean mechanism for leaning the vehicle body in its width direction; and lean control unit for controlling the lean mechanism. Lean control unit controls the lean mechanism so that vehicle body leans toward the steering direction side in response to an input into the operation input unit. Vehicle includes detector for detecting a force that changes a lean angle of the vehicle body. Lean control unit causes the lean mechanism to generate a torque that produces a force in a direction opposite to a force detected by the detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Applicant: EQUOS RESEARCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keizo ARAKI, Akira MIZUNO, Shoji YOKOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20200231200
    Abstract: A vehicle according to the present invention includes: a vehicle body provided with three or more wheels including at least a steered wheel and a pair of wheels arranged in the vehicle width direction; an inclining part that inclines the vehicle body; an input member that is turned to input a turning direction; an input shaft that transmits the turning of the input member; a steering shaft that is turned to steer the steered wheel and is turnable irrespective of the turning operation of the input member; and a connection mechanism (spring (80), etc.) that connects the input shaft and the steering shaft with a fastening force allowing the steering angle of the wheel to follow the turning direction determined by inclination of the vehicle body and allowing for torque transmission from the steering shaft to the input shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Applicant: EQUOS RESEARCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keizo ARAKI, Akira MIZUNO
  • Publication number: 20200108861
    Abstract: A vehicle small in width and capable of ensuring both driving stability and drivability includes: a vehicle body with two or more wheels including steered wheels (right front wheel, left front wheel) for steering; an inclination angle detection part that detects the inclination angle of the vehicle body about a roll axis thereof; and a torque applying part (turning mechanism) that applies a steering torque to the steered wheels in accordance with an inclination angular velocity or an inclination angular acceleration of the vehicle body calculated from the inclination angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Applicant: EQUOS RESEARCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keizo ARAKI, Akira MIZUNO, Shota KUBO
  • Patent number: 10597078
    Abstract: A vehicle is configured to travel, when a vehicle velocity is within a velocity range from not less than a first velocity of at least zero to not more than a second velocity larger than the first velocity, in a mode in which a vehicle body is leaned by a lean mechanism according to an input into an operation input unit, and a wheel angle of a turn wheel changes following a lean of the vehicle body. A natural frequency of roll oscillation of the vehicle body is either within a range of smaller than a reference frequency or within a range of larger than the reference frequency, the reference frequency being a frequency at which oscillation of the wheel angle of the turn wheel has phase delay of 90 degrees relative to the roll oscillation of the vehicle body in its width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignees: THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO, EQUOS RESEARCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Suda, Jeffrey Too Chuan Tan, Hiroki Arakawa, Keizo Araki, Akira Mizuno
  • Patent number: 10421516
    Abstract: A vehicle in which traveling can be stabilized and the risk of overturning can be reduced, a vehicle with a pair of first suspension arms, a pair of second suspension arms connected to the pair of first suspension arms via a pair of joints, a pair of shock absorbers for connecting the pair of first suspension arms and pair of second suspension arms, a pair of forks as to allow turning about a steering axis with respect to the pair of second suspension arms, a pair of front wheels arranged on the pair of forks, a vehicle body to which the pair of front wheels are included, and a leaning part for leaning the vehicle body. The tread width increases as the vehicle body is leaned by the leaning part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: EQUOS RESEARCH CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Keizo Araki
  • Patent number: 10302150
    Abstract: In a lock-up clutch of a starting device, a one-sided friction plate is adopted as a first friction engagement plate fitted with a clutch hub on the power input side and a second friction engagement plate fitted with a clutch drum on the power output side; an engagement oil chamber is defined between a lock-up piston and a flange member; a supply oil passage through which working oil is supplied to the first and second friction engagement plates and is defined between the lock-up piston and a front cover; a return oil passage for the working oil which has passed through the first and second friction engagement plates and is defined on the side of the flange member opposite to the lock-up piston; and the return oil passage communicates with the supply oil passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Ito, Keizo Araki, Mayuko Matsukage
  • Patent number: 10302170
    Abstract: A dynamic damper is coupled to an intermediate member of a damper device. A drive member of the damper device has additional abutment portions coupled to end portions of vibration absorption springs of the dynamic damper before both first and second inter-element stoppers operate. The second inter-element stoppers operate before the first inter-element stoppers operate and at least by the time when the additional coupling portions are coupled to end portions of the vibration absorption springs. Outer springs and the vibration absorption springs act in parallel to transfer torque after the additional coupling portions are coupled to end portions of the vibration absorption springs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: AISIN AW CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Ito, Keizo Araki, Yuichiro Hirai, Masaki Wajima, Makoto Ueno, Yuji Kanyama, Kotaro Tsuda
  • Patent number: 10156271
    Abstract: A center piece is coupled to a flange member to thereby form a second oil path between an intermediate wall portion of the center piece and the flange portion. A male screw portion is formed on an outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical portion of the center piece, and a nut member in which a female screw portion is formed on an inner peripheral surface is screwed to the male screw portion. Accordingly, the flange member is pressed onto the intermediate wall portion to thereby couple the center piece to the flange member. As a result, the center piece can be coupled to the flange member without causing backlash.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Ito, Keizo Araki, Akiyoshi Otsuki, Junya Kashimura
  • Publication number: 20180290684
    Abstract: A vehicle is configured to travel, when a vehicle velocity is within a velocity range from not less than a first velocity of at least zero to not more than a second velocity larger than the first velocity, in a mode in which a vehicle body is leaned by a lean mechanism according to an input into an operation input unit, and a wheel angle of a turn wheel changes following a lean of the vehicle body. A natural frequency of roll oscillation of the vehicle body is either within a range of smaller than a reference frequency or within a range of larger than the reference frequency, the reference frequency being a frequency at which oscillation of the wheel angle of the turn wheel has phase delay of 90 degrees relative to the roll oscillation of the vehicle body in its width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Applicants: THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO, EQUOS RESEARCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro SUDA, Jeffrey Too Chuan TAN, Hiroki ARAKAWA, Keizo ARAKI, Akira MIZUNO