Patents by Inventor Nobuo Hara

Nobuo Hara 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: 11014422
    Abstract: A leaning vehicle includes a body frame, a right wheel and a left wheel, a linkage mechanism including arms rotatably supported on the body frame, buffer devices, a left-right tilt angle control mechanism configured to control a tilt angle of the body frame by adjusting a rotation of the arms with respect to the body frame, a buffer control mechanism configured to suppress motion of the buffer devices, and a control section. The control section determines whether to cause the left-right tilt angle control mechanism to perform roll angle control during traveling toward stop, and performs control of causing the buffer control mechanism to suppress motion of the buffer devices in a period in which the vehicle speed is in at least a part of a low-speed traveling range and in at least a part of a period in which the left-right tilt angle control mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuo Hara, Yukihide Fukuhara, Takeshi Toyota, Tatsuya Nagata
  • Patent number: 11014600
    Abstract: A leaning vehicle includes a body frame, a steered wheel and a non-steered wheel, a motor, a left-right-tilt-angle-detection-section, and a control device that controls the motor to apply a steering force to the steered wheel. The steering force steers the steered wheel to turn the leaning vehicle rightward in a case where the body frame tilts rightward, and steers the steered wheel to turn the leaning vehicle leftward in a case where the body frame tilts leftward. Alternatively, the steering force steers the steered wheel to turn the leaning vehicle leftward in the case where the body frame tilts rightward, and steers the steered wheel to turn the leaning vehicle rightward in the case where the body frame tilts leftward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuo Hara, Yukihide Fukuhara, Takeshi Toyota, Tatsuya Nagata
  • Patent number: 10994796
    Abstract: A leaning vehicle includes an actuator, a left steerable front wheel, a right steerable front wheel, a steering mechanism and a leaning mechanism. The steering mechanism includes a first center steering shaft, a second center steering shaft disposed at the front side of the first center steering shaft, and a center steering shaft rotation interlocking mechanism that interlocks rotation of the first center steering shaft with rotation of the second center steering shaft. The actuator is provided between a left end and a right end of a link member of the leaning mechanism in the left-right direction. At least one part of the actuator is provided at a position that overlaps with a movable range of the center steering shaft rotation interlocking mechanism as viewed from the up direction or the down direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shuhei Kanehara, Tsunero Hamada, Yukihide Fukuhara, Takeshi Toyota, Nobuo Hara
  • Patent number: 10894571
    Abstract: A leaning vehicle includes a vehicle body, a left wheel, a right wheel, a leaning mechanism, a leaning drive mechanism and a leaning brake mechanism. The leaning drive mechanism includes a drive source. The leaning drive mechanism includes a gear, rotary shafts, and a gear casing member. The leaning brake mechanism includes a brake member and a resistance applying member. The gear and the rotary shaft of the leaning drive mechanism and the brake member of the leaning brake mechanism are supported by the vehicle body in a rotatable manner by way of the gear casing member of the leaning drive mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shuhei Kanehara, Yukihide Fukuhara, Nobuo Hara, Takeshi Toyota
  • Publication number: 20200277018
    Abstract: A leaning vehicle includes an actuator control unit that causes an actuator to generate an actuator torque in a counterclockwise direction based on a bar-handle-rotation-moment change amount in the case where a bar-handle-rotation-moment change amount in the counterclockwise direction is generated by a rider performing one operation of a right-grip-pushing-force increasing operation, a left-grip-pulling-force increasing operation, a right-grip-pulling-force reducing operation, and a left-grip-pushing-force reducing operation. The actuator control unit causes the actuator to generate an actuator torque in a clockwise direction based on a bar-handle-rotation-moment change amount in the case where a bar-handle-rotation-moment change amount in the clockwise direction is generated by a rider performing one operation of a left-grip-pushing-force increasing operation, a right-grip-pulling-force increasing operation, a left-grip-pulling-force reducing operation, and a right-grip-pushing-force reducing operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Applicant: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasunobu HARAZONO, Nobuo HARA
  • Publication number: 20200216136
    Abstract: A straddled vehicle imparts tactile stimulation to a rider by adopting a technical concept that is different from a technical concept of imparting tactile stimulation by vibration of a general vibrator. The straddled vehicle includes a steerable wheel and a tactile stimulation actuator. The steerable wheel is supported by a vehicle body frame so as to be rotatable around a wheel axle. The steerable wheel is steered leftward by a rider rotating a bar handle counterclockwise as viewed in a downward direction, and is steered rightward by the rider rotating the bar handle clockwise as viewed in the downward direction. The tactile stimulation actuator communicates information to the rider by imparting a frontward or backward pressure to the left hand or right hand of the rider as a tactile stimulation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Applicant: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuo HARA, Tomoyoshi MASUDA, Yukihide FUKUHARA, Masatomo KANEHARA, Hidekazu TSUBOI
  • Patent number: 10696346
    Abstract: A leaning vehicle includes a linkage mechanism including arms rotatably supported on a body frame, a left-right tilt angle control mechanism configured to control a tilt angle of the body frame by adjusting a rotation of the arms with respect to the body frame, and a control section. The control section controls the left-right tilt angle control mechanism to cause the tilt angle of the body frame to approach a target value based on information on at least a vehicle speed. The control section updates the target value in accordance with an input to the leaning vehicle from a rider concerning a tilt of the body frame, and controls the left-right tilt angle control mechanism to cause the tilt angle of the body frame to approach the updated target value in a period in which the vehicle speed is in at least a part of a low-speed traveling range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuo Hara, Yukihide Fukuhara, Takeshi Toyota, Tatsuya Nagata
  • Patent number: 10668972
    Abstract: A saddle riding type vehicle includes left and right front wheels that unlock a linkage more surely when the vehicle starts. The vehicle includes a linkage that connects the left and right front wheels to a vehicle body frame, a lock that locks or unlocks the linkage, a lock controller that controls the lock, a wheel speed sensor that detects a vehicle speed, and a vehicle speed change rate obtainer that obtains a vehicle speed change rate. The lock controller unlocks the linkage via the lock if the linkage is locked by the lock and at least one of the vehicle speed and the vehicle speed change rate satisfies an unlocking condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuo Hara, Yu Shibuya
  • Patent number: 10625771
    Abstract: A vehicle with two front wheels includes an EPS that makes it difficult for a rider to feel a sensation of physical disorder while realizing a vertical angle suppression function. The EPS is configured to apply an assisting force to a steering effort transmission mechanism. The vehicle further includes an EPL configured to apply a turning effort to a cross member of a link mechanism to turn the cross member relative to a vehicle body frame, and a control unit configured to control the EPS and the EPL. The control unit determines an EPS command value that determines a magnitude of output torque of the EPS and an EPL command value that determines a magnitude of output torque of the EPL according to a physical quantity including at least a vehicle speed and a vertical angle, and controls a ratio of the EPL command value to the EPS command value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuo Hara, Yukihide Fukuhara, Takeshi Toyota, Tatsuya Nagata
  • Publication number: 20200017158
    Abstract: Flexibility in design of steering characteristics is enhanced in a leaning vehicle including two front steerable wheels. A vehicle includes a body frame, a left front wheel, a right front wheel, a rear wheel, a leaning mechanism, a steering mechanism, and a leaning-responsiveness-adjusting mechanism. The leaning mechanism includes arms rotatably supported by the body frame. The arms rotate with respect to the body frame so that the body frame leans. The steering mechanism mechanically transfers rotation of the handle to the left front wheel and the right front wheel. Accordingly, the body frame leans in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the handle. The leaning-responsiveness-adjusting mechanism controls a motor by using an instruction value based on a time derivative value of a physical quantity generated by a motion of a rider affecting leaning of the body frame to thereby adjust responsiveness of leaning of the body frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Applicant: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuo HARA, Yukihide FUKUHARA, Tatsuya NAGATA
  • Patent number: 10456751
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method capable of easily controlling the permeation rate and the selectivity of gas molecules, in a hollow fiber carbon membrane which can be used as a gas separation membrane. The present invention provides a method of producing a hollow fiber carbon membrane, the method including: a preparation step of preparing a precursor made of an organic polymer compound in the form of a hollow fiber; a preheating step of heating the precursor to a temperature of 150° C. to 400° C. in an atmosphere containing an oxygen gas; and a carbonization step of heating the precursor which has been subjected to the preheating step to a temperature of 450° C. to 850° C., thereby carbonizing the precursor; wherein the carbonization step includes heating the precursor in the presence of a hydrocarbon gas which may contain a nitrogen atom and which has from 1 to 8 carbon atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Miki Yoshimune, Kenji Haraya, Nobuo Hara
  • Publication number: 20190118387
    Abstract: A parking device that parks a vehicle without use of a mechanism that enables the vehicle to stand by itself, includes an arm that supports the vehicle, an actuator that moves a position of the arm, and a controller configured or programmed to control an operation of the actuator to bring the arm adjacent to the vehicle in accordance with entry of the vehicle into the parking device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Inventors: Hiroyuki MORITA, Satoshi KASAI, Hirokatsu MURAMATSU, Tatsuro KATAKURA, Nobuo HARA
  • Publication number: 20190084639
    Abstract: A straddled vehicle includes a vehicle body frame, a steering shaft supported by the vehicle body frame, a handlebar that includes a left grip and a right grip and is connected to the steering shaft, a steering wheel, and a steering assist device that applies assist force in a same direction as that of a steering torque that has been input to the handlebar by a rider to the steering shaft. The steering assist device causes the assist force to decrease as speed of the vehicle increases in a first vehicle speed zone and causes the assist force to increase as the speed of the vehicle increases in a second vehicle speed zone that is higher than the first vehicle speed zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Applicant: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeshi TOYOTA, Nobuo HARA, Yukihide FUKUHARA, Tatsuya NAGATA
  • Patent number: 10232904
    Abstract: A leaning vehicle includes a body frame including a headpipe, a front wheel, a steering torque transmission including a steering shaft supported by bearings, a handlebar assembly, and a front wheel connector that transmits a steering torque, and a steering torque detector. The steering torque transmission includes a torsional deformation element upstream of a portion of the steering shaft supported by the most upstream bearing in a steering torque transmission path, and which is easily twisted and deformed by a steering torque input from grips on the handlebar assembly. The steering torque detector detects at least a portion of the steering torque input into the steering torque transmission based on a torsional deformation of the torsional deformation element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Toyota, Nobuo Hara, Yukihide Fukuhara, Tatsuya Nagata
  • Patent number: 10086900
    Abstract: A saddle riding type vehicle that ensures little or no difference between an actual state of the vehicle and a state of the vehicle recognized by the rider includes a vehicle body frame, a pair of front wheels, a linkage, a lock, a controller, and a notifier. The linkage connects the pair of front wheels to the vehicle body frame. The lock locks the linkage by preventing operation of the linkage and unlocks the linkage by allowing the linkage to operate. The controller controls locking and unlocking of the linkage by the lock. The notifier notifies that the linkage is locked when relative displacement between the pair of front wheels in the vertical direction exceeds a prescribed range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuo Hara, Yu Shibuya
  • Patent number: 10086901
    Abstract: A saddle riding type vehicle includes a linkage, a lock, a controller, and an operator and prevents operation of a linkage upon fulfillment of a prescribed condition and allows the rider's intention to be more easily and accurately reflected in the control of the vehicle. The linkage connects a pair of front wheels to a vehicle body frame. The lock locks the linkage by preventing operation of the linkage and unlocks the linkage by allowing the linkage to operate. The operator continues to output an operation signal to the controller while an operation is input by the rider. The controller controls the lock to lock the linkage if the operation signal is input upon fulfillment of a locking condition that allows the linkage to be locked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yu Shibuya, Nobuo Hara
  • Publication number: 20180265117
    Abstract: A leaning vehicle includes a body frame, a steered wheel and a non-steered wheel, a motor that applies a steering force to steer the steered wheel, a left-right-tilt-angle-detection-section that detects a left-right tilt angle of the body frame, and a control device that controls a motor that applies a steering force to the steered wheel. The control device causes the motor to output a steering force to steer the steered wheel in a direction that causes the leaning vehicle to turn rightward in a case where the body frame tilts rightward in accordance with the left-right tilt angle, and causes the motor to output a steering force to steer the steered wheel in a direction that causes the leaning vehicle to turn leftward in a case where the body frame tilts leftward in accordance with the left-right tilt angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Applicant: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuo HARA, Yukihide FUKUHARA, Takeshi TOYOTA, Tatsuya NAGATA
  • Publication number: 20180265157
    Abstract: A leaning vehicle includes a linkage mechanism including arms rotatably supported on a body frame, a left-right tilt angle control mechanism configured to control a tilt angle of the body frame by adjusting a rotation of the arms with respect to the body frame, and a control section. The control section controls the left-right tilt angle control mechanism to cause the tilt angle of the body frame to approach a target value based on information on at least a vehicle speed. The control section updates the target value in accordance with an input to the leaning vehicle from a rider concerning a tilt of the body frame, and controls the left-right tilt angle control mechanism to cause the tilt angle of the body frame to approach the updated target value in a period in which the vehicle speed is in at least a part of a low-speed traveling range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Applicant: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuo HARA, Yukihide FUKUHARA, Takeshi TOYOTA, Tatsuya NAGATA
  • Publication number: 20180264906
    Abstract: A leaning vehicle includes a body frame, a right wheel and a left wheel, a linkage mechanism including arms rotatably supported on the body frame, buffer devices, a left-right tilt angle control mechanism configured to control a tilt angle of the body frame by adjusting a rotation of the arms with respect to the body frame, a buffer control mechanism configured to suppress motion of the buffer devices, and a control section. The control section determines whether to cause the left-right tilt angle control mechanism to perform roll angle control during traveling toward stop, and performs control of causing the buffer control mechanism to suppress motion of the buffer devices in a period in which the vehicle speed is in at least a part of a low-speed traveling range and in at least a part of a period in which the left-right tilt angle control mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Applicant: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuo HARA, Yukihide FUKUHARA, Takeshi TOYOTA, Tatsuya NAGATA
  • Publication number: 20180265156
    Abstract: A vehicle with two front wheels includes an EPS that makes it difficult for a rider to feel a sensation of physical disorder while realizing a vertical angle suppression function. The EPS is configured to apply an assisting force to a steering effort transmission mechanism. The vehicle further includes an EPL configured to apply a turning effort to a cross member of a link mechanism to turn the cross member relative to a vehicle body frame, and a control unit configured to control the EPS and the EPL. The control unit determines an EPS command value that determines a magnitude of output torque of the EPS and an EPL command value that determines a magnitude of output torque of the EPL according to a physical quantity including at least a vehicle speed and a vertical angle, and controls a ratio of the EPL command value to the EPS command value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Applicant: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuo HARA, Yukihide FUKUHARA, Takeshi TOYOTA, Tatsuya NAGATA