Patents by Inventor Koji Iwaki

Koji Iwaki 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: 8109355
    Abstract: A hydraulically driven vehicle comprises: a first transaxle disposed at one of front and rear portions of the vehicle, wherein the first transaxle incorporates a first hydraulic motor for driving a first axle; a second transaxle disposed at the other of the rear or front portion of the vehicle, wherein the second transaxle incorporates a second hydraulic motor for driving a second axle; a hydraulic pump for supplying fluid to the first and second hydraulic motors; a mower; a duct for transferring grass mowed by the mower, wherein the first transaxle is disposed above the duct; and a vertical power train interposed between the first axle and an axial center shaft of a wheel driven by the first axle, wherein the power train is disposed on a lateral outside of the duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Iwaki, Norihiro Ishii, Fumitoshi Ishino
  • Patent number: 7980339
    Abstract: A power transmission system of a hydraulically driven working vehicle comprises: a prime mover supported by a vehicle frame, the prime mover including a prime mover output shaft projecting in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle; a pump housing; a hydraulic pump disposed in the pump housing, the hydraulic pump including a pump shaft projecting from the pump housing in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle so as to be drivingly connected to the prime mover output shaft; a first hydraulic motor disposed outside the pump housing so as to be fluidly connected to the hydraulic pump; a transaxle supported by one of front and rear portions of the vehicle frame, the transaxle including a transaxle housing, a pair of axles disposed in the transaxle housing so as to be driven by the hydraulic motor, and a differential gear unit disposed in the transaxle housing so as to be drivingly interposed between the hydraulic motor and the pair of axles; a PTO shaft; and a working power train extracting a part of power t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norihiro Ishii, Koji Iwaki, Fumitoshi Ishino
  • Patent number: 7980351
    Abstract: A transaxle (1), having a hydraulic drive unit (20) and a pair of left and right wheel support units (2L and 2R), is suspended from a vehicle frame so as to be turnable around a turning-center axis oriented in a fore-and-aft direction of a vehicle. The hydraulic drive unit (20) comprises: a pair of left and right hydraulic motors (23L and 23R) having respective left and right horizontal motor shafts (23b); a center section (22) formed therein with an oil passage for hydraulically connecting at least one of the hydraulic motors to a hydraulic pump, the center section having motor attachment surfaces onto which the hydraulic motors are attached; and a pair of left and right axle casings (2L and 2R) containing the respective hydraulic motors and supporting the respective motor shafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Iwaki, Norihiro Ishii, Shigenori Sakikawa, Katsumoto Mizukawa, Manabu Kawakami, Kentaro Nagata
  • Publication number: 20110155486
    Abstract: A electric vehicle comprises a drive wheel which is driven by a traction electric motor, a brake command device, a brake releasing unit, a brake shaft, a friction plate, and a braking spring. The brake shaft is rotatable in a brake realizing direction which is one direction by an operation of the brake command device, and is rotatable in a brake releasing direction which is the other direction by driving of the brake releasing unit. The friction plate is operatively connected to the traction electric motor, and is frictionally braked when the brake shaft is rotated in the brake realizing direction. The braking spring applies an elastic force to the brake shaft in a direction to rotate the brake shaft in the brake realizing direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: KANZAKI KOKYUKOKI MFG. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji IWAKI, Kazunari KOGA, Kengo SASAHARA
  • Publication number: 20110099993
    Abstract: A transmission comprises a casing, an output element, a hydrostatic stepless transmission unit (HST) and a forward/backward traveling direction selecting unit (reverser). The output element is supported by the casing. The HST is disposed in the casing so as to be driven by a drive source disposed outside of the casing. The HST includes a pump shaft and a motor shaft member. The pump shaft is drivingly connected to the drive source. The motor shaft member is fitted around the pump shaft coaxially to the pump shaft so as to be rotatable relative to the pump shaft, thereby constituting a hydraulic pump and a hydraulic motor centered on the pump shaft and the motor shaft member. An axially distal end of the motor shaft member is disposed on the axially proximal side of an axially distal end of the pump shaft so that axial ends of the pump shaft are the axially most distal ends of the HST in the axial direction of the pump shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Inventors: Norihiro ISHII, Koji Iwaki
  • Patent number: 7900735
    Abstract: A hydrostatic transaxle comprises: a motor casing; at least one hydraulic motor disposed in the motor casing; at least one output shaft disposed in the motor casing so as to be driven by the at least one hydraulic motor; and a pair of steerable wheel support units attached onto respective opposite ends of the motor casing. Each of the steerable wheel support units includes an axle, a steerable casing, a wheel, and a steering arm. In each of the steerable wheel support units, the axle is drivingly connected to the at least one output shaft, the steerable casing is substantially horizontally rotatable relative to the motor casing, the wheel is attached on an outer end of the axle outside of the steerable casing, and the steering arm is rotatably integrally provided on the steerable casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Iwaki, Norihiro Ishii, Fumitoshi Ishino
  • Publication number: 20100222172
    Abstract: A power transmission system of a hydraulically driven working vehicle comprises: a prime mover supported by a vehicle frame, the prime mover including a prime mover output shaft projecting in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle; a pump housing; a hydraulic pump disposed in the pump housing, the hydraulic pump including a pump shaft projecting from the pump housing in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle so as to be drivingly connected to the prime mover output shaft; a first hydraulic motor disposed outside the pump housing so as to be fluidly connected to the hydraulic pump; a transaxle supported by one of front and rear portions of the vehicle frame, the transaxle including a transaxle housing, a pair of axles disposed in the transaxle housing so as to be driven by the hydraulic motor, and a differential gear unit disposed in the transaxle housing so as to be drivingly interposed between the hydraulic motor and the pair of axles; a PTO shaft; and a working power train extracting a part of power t
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Inventors: Norihiro ISHII, Koji Iwaki, Fumitoshi Ishino
  • Publication number: 20100147616
    Abstract: A hydrostatic transaxle comprises: a motor casing; at least one hydraulic motor disposed in the motor casing; at least one output shaft disposed in the motor casing so as to be driven by the at least one hydraulic motor; and a pair of steerable wheel support units attached onto respective opposite ends of the motor casing. Each of the steerable wheel support units includes an axle, a steerable casing, a wheel, and a steering arm. In each of the steerable wheel support units, the axle is drivingly connected to the at least one output shaft, the steerable casing is substantially horizontally rotatable relative to the motor casing, the wheel is attached on an outer end of the axle outside of the steerable casing, and the steering arm is rotatably integrally provided on the steerable casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2010
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Inventors: Koji IWAKI, Norihiro ISHII, Fumitoshi ISHINO
  • Patent number: 7726425
    Abstract: A power transmission system of a hydraulically driven working vehicle comprises: a prime mover supported by a vehicle frame, the prime mover including a prime mover output shaft projecting in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle; a pump housing; a hydraulic pump disposed in the pump housing, the hydraulic pump including a pump shaft projecting from the pump housing in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle so as to be drivingly connected to the prime mover output shaft; a first hydraulic motor disposed outside the pump housing so as to be fluidly connected to the hydraulic pump; a transaxle supported by one of front and rear portions of the vehicle frame, the transaxle including a transaxle housing, a pair of axles disposed in the transaxle housing so as to be driven by the hydraulic motor, and a differential gear unit disposed in the transaxle housing so as to be drivingly interposed between the hydraulic motor and the pair of axles; a PTO shaft; and a working power train extracting a part of power t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norihiro Ishii, Koji Iwaki, Fumitoshi Ishino
  • Patent number: 7690470
    Abstract: A hydrostatic transaxle comprises: a motor casing; at least one hydraulic motor disposed in the motor casing; at least one output shaft disposed in the motor casing so as to be driven by the at least one hydraulic motor; and a pair of steerable wheel support units attached onto respective opposite ends of the motor casing. Each of the steerable wheel support units includes an axle, a steerable casing, a wheel, and a steering arm. In each of the steerable wheel support units, the axle is drivingly connected to the at least one output shaft, the steerable casing is substantially horizontally rotatable relative to the motor casing, the wheel is attached on an outer end of the axle outside of the steerable casing, and the steering arm is rotatably integrally provided on the steerable casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Iwaki, Norihiro Ishii, Fumitoshi Ishino
  • Publication number: 20100051410
    Abstract: The traveling system transmission structure for vehicle includes a planetary gear unit, a forward/rearward-travel switch unit and a transmission case. A front end portion of a sun gear shaft is directly or indirectly supported by a front bearing wall that is detachably connected to a front side of the transmission case and a rear end portion of a planetary outputting member is directly or indirectly supported by an intermediate bearing wall, so that the planetary gear unit is accommodated in a front chamber that is sandwiched by the front bearing wall and the intermediate bearing wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Inventors: Koji Iwaki, Fumitoshi Ishino, Hideki Kanenobu, Kazunari Koga, Norihiro Ishii, Toshiaki Okanishi
  • Patent number: 7647770
    Abstract: In a hydraulic four-wheel drive vehicle, a rear transaxle incorporates a hydraulic motor for driving rear wheels, a front transaxle incorporates a hydraulic motor for driving front wheels, and hydraulic pressure fluid pipes interposed between the front and rear transaxles are extended along at least one of left and right side plates of a frame of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Iwaki, Shiro Ueno, Norihiro Ishii, Hideaki Okada, Fumitoshi Ishino, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Shinichi Hirose, Hironori Sumomozawa
  • Publication number: 20090288901
    Abstract: A hydraulically driven vehicle comprises: a first transaxle disposed at one of front and rear portions of the vehicle, wherein the first transaxle incorporates a first hydraulic motor for driving a first axle; a second transaxle disposed at the other of the rear or front portion of the vehicle, wherein the second transaxle incorporates a second hydraulic motor for driving a second axle; a hydraulic pump for supplying fluid to the first and second hydraulic motors; a mower; a duct for transferring grass mowed by the mower, wherein the first transaxle is disposed above the duct; and a vertical power train interposed between the first axle and an axial center shaft of a wheel driven by the first axle, wherein the power train is disposed on a lateral outside of the duct.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2009
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Inventors: Koji IWAKI, Norihiro Ishii, Fumitoshi Ishino
  • Publication number: 20090236169
    Abstract: The working vehicle includes an axle unit that has a differential gear device, an axle case, an axle input shaft and first and second main output shafts, and an HST unit that has a hydraulic pump main body, a hydraulic motor main body, a capacity adjustment mechanism, an HST case, a pump shaft and a motor shaft, an HST input shaft, and an HST output shaft, wherein the axle unit is directly or indirectly supported by the vehicle frame so as to be positioned close to a first main driving wheel in a state where the axle input shaft extends in a vehicle widthwise direction, wherein the HST unit is directly or indirectly supported by the vehicle frame at a position away from the axle unit in a state where the HST output shaft extends in the vehicle widthwise direction, and wherein the HST output shaft and the axle input shaft are operatively connected to each other through an endless type transmission member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Inventors: Hiroshi SUGIMOTO, Hideki Kanenobu, Koji Iwaki, Kenta Sashikuma
  • Patent number: 7588103
    Abstract: A hydrostatic transaxle, comprises: a transaxle casing; a pair of left and right axles disposed in the transaxle casing; a pair of hydraulic motors for driving the respective axles; and a pair of left and right steerable drive wheels disposed on left and right outsides of the transaxle casing so as to be drivingly connected to the respective axles. The hydraulic motors are disposed in the housing so as to be fluidly connected to a common hydraulic pressure source in parallel to each other. One of the hydraulic motors is a fixed displacement hydraulic motor, and the other is a variable displacement hydraulic motor. Displacement of the variable displacement hydraulic motor is changed according to change of steered angles of the drive wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Iwaki, Norihiro Ishii, Fumitoshi Ishino
  • Publication number: 20090200858
    Abstract: A wheel motor device according to the present invention includes a hydraulic motor main body forming an HST in cooperation with the hydraulic pump main body, a motor shaft supporting the hydraulic motor main body in a relatively non-rotatable manner, a speed-reduction gear mechanism for reducing the speed of the rotational power output from the motor shaft, a first output member for outputting the rotational power whose speed has been reduced by the speed-reduction gear mechanism toward a corresponding first driving wheel, a casing accommodating the hydraulic motor main body and the speed-reduction gear mechanism, and a brake mechanism selectively and operatively applying a brake force to the first output member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Inventor: Koji IWAKI
  • Publication number: 20090098961
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine comprises: a crankshaft; an oil pan; and an output shaft supported by the oil pan. The output shaft is disposed perpendicular to the crankshaft, and is drivingly connected to the crankshaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Hasegawa, Koji Iwaki, Hiroaki Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20090049833
    Abstract: A hydraulic transaxle has an axle casing and a pair of hydraulic motors disposed in the axle casing. The hydraulic motors have respective motor shafts and respective moveable swash plates. An axis of tilt of each moveable swash plate is offset with respect to a longitudinal axis of the respective motor shaft, and the moveable swash plates are operatively engaged to a steering operation device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Publication date: February 26, 2009
    Inventors: Shinya SAKAKURA, Takeshi Okazaki, Koji Iwaki
  • Publication number: 20090025997
    Abstract: A hydraulic drive vehicle comprises a vehicle frame, a bonnet, a prime mover, a hydraulic transaxle, a seat, a reservoir tank, and a cooling fan and a cooling duct. The bonnet is supported on one of front and rear portions of the vehicle frame, and provided therein with a first space. The prime mover is disposed in the first space. The hydraulic transaxle is driven by the prime mover. The seat is supported on the other of the front and rear portions of the vehicle frame, and is provided therebelow with a second space. The reservoir tank is fluidly connected to the hydraulic transaxle. The cooling fan is driven by the prime mover. The cooling duct is disposed in the second space. The cooling fan and the reservoir tank are disposed in the cooling duct so that the cooling fan cools the reservoir tank. A hydraulic pump for driving the hydraulic transaxle is disposed in the cooling duct so as to be cooled by the cooling fan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Inventors: Norihiro Ishii, Koji Iwaki, Fumitoshi Ishino, Toshiyuki Hasegawa, Hiroaki Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20080283324
    Abstract: In a hydraulic four-wheel drive vehicle, a rear transaxle incorporates a hydraulic motor for driving rear wheels, a front transaxle incorporates a hydraulic motor for driving front wheels, and hydraulic pressure fluid pipes interposed between the front and rear transaxles are extended along at least one of left and right side plates of a frame of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2008
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Inventors: Koji IWAKI, Shiro UENO, Norihiro ISHII, Hideaki OKADA, Hiroshi SUGIMOTO, Shinichi HIROSE, Hironori SUMOMOZAWA, Fumitoshi ISHINO