Patents by Inventor Tadao Tanaka

Tadao Tanaka 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: 4856815
    Abstract: When vibrations having a period at which pitching tends to occur in a vehicle body is detected, if its amplitude falls out of the range between "H" and "L", a control unit increases the damping force of each suspension unit by using an actuator. In addition, if the amplitude falls out of the range between "HH" and "LL", the control unit supplies a predetermined amount of air to each air spring chamber in response to an upward displacement of vehicle height, and exhausts a predetermined amount of air from each air spring chamber in response to a downward displacement of vehicle height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1989
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Jidoshia Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Mitsubhishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadao Tanaka, Mitsuhiko Harara, Yasutaka Taniguchi, Shozo Takizawa, Minoru Tatemoto, Tetsuya Terada, Shunichi Wada, Shigeki Ohtagaki, Kouji Mitsuhata
  • Patent number: 4856813
    Abstract: If a deceleration exeeds first set value G1 within set time T1 after the brake is depressed, a set amount of fluid is supplied to the fluid spring chamber of each front-wheel suspension unit. If a deceleration exceeds the second set value G2 when set time T1 or more has elapsed upon this operation, a set amount of fluid is exhausted from the fluid spring chamber of each rearwheel suspension unit. With this operation, since braking action for gradually increasing a deceleration is controlled by two stages, uncomfortableness which passangers feel in anti-nose-dive control can be greatly reduced. In addition, control is not performed only by depressing the brake pedal if an acutal deceleration is smaller than first set value G1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1989
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadao Tanaka, Mitsuhiko Harara, Yasutaka Taniguchi, Shozo Takizawa, Minoru Tatemoto, Tetsuya Terada, Shunichi Wada, Shigeki Ohtagaki, Kouji Mitsuhata
  • Patent number: 4852905
    Abstract: A vehicle suspension apparatus having a fluid spring chamber provided for each wheel and inserted between the wheel and a vehicle body, a fluid supply unit for supplying a fluid to each fluid spring chamber through a supply valve, a fluid exhaust unit for exhausting the fluid from each fluid spring chamber through an exhaust valve, a roll amount sensor for detecting a roll amount of the vehicle body, and a roll controller for setting a control target corresponding to the roll amount detected by the roll amount sensor and executing roll control in which the supply valves corresponding to the fluid spring chambers at a contracting side with respect to a direction of roll generated in the vehicle body and the exhaust valves corresponding to the fluid spring chambers at an expanding side are opened in accordance with the control target, includes a pressure sensor for detecting an internal pressures in the fluid spring chamber at one of front and rear sides, and an internal pressure relationship memory for storing
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1989
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadao Tanaka, Mitsuhiko Harara, Yasutaka Taniguchi, Shozo Takizawa, Minoru Tatemoto
  • Patent number: 4852903
    Abstract: A vehicle suspension apparatus comprises a G sensor for detecting lateral acceleration G acting on the vehicle, and a G sensor map for setting the time for supplying/exhausting fluid to and from a fluid spring chamber mounted in each suspension unit in accordance with the lateral acceleration G detected by the G sensor, said lateral acceleration G being higher than a predetermined value. Whether the vehicle is running on a rough road is judged by a rough-road judging routine. When it is judged by the rough-road judging routine that the vehicle is running on a rough road, the non-sensitive area of the G sensor map is widened such that the lateral acceleration G detected by the G sensor is non-sensitive to the G sensor map while the vehicle is running on the rough road, even if the detected lateral acceleration G is somewhat high, thereby preventing the erroneous roll control function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1989
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadao Tanaka, Mitsuhiko Harara, Yasutaka Taniguchi, Shozo Takizawa, Minoru Tatemoto
  • Patent number: 4846496
    Abstract: Wheel suspension units each having fluid spring chambers are arranged in a vehicle suspension apparatus. A roll control quantity determined in accordance with the relationship between a vehicle velocity and a steering angular velocity, i.e., inlet solenoid valves and exhaust solenoid valves, are controlled in accordance with a solenoid ON/OFF time, thereby controlling the roll of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1989
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadao Tanaka, Sunao Chikamori, Mitsuhiko Harara, Shinichi Takeuchi, Masanaga Suzumura, Minoru Tatemoto, Naotake Kumagai, Hiroki Abe
  • Patent number: 4730843
    Abstract: Wheel suspension units each having fluid spring chambers are arranged in a vehicle suspension apparatus. A roll control quantity determined in accordance with the relationship between a vehicle velocity and a steering angular velocity, i.e., inlet solenoid valves and exhaust solenoid valves, are controlled in accordance with a solenoid ON/OFF time, thereby controlling the roll of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 15, 1988
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadao Tanaka, Sunao Chikamori, Mitsuhiko Harara, Shinichi Takeuchi, Masanaga Suzumura, Minoru Tatemoto, Naotake Kumagai, Hiroki Abe
  • Patent number: 4697237
    Abstract: A microcomputer performs roll control and communication control. In roll control, when the steering state detecting means and vehicle velocity detecting means detect a factor which causes a roll state of the vehicle body, a second control signal is produced to open desired supply and exhaust control valve so as to supply a preset amount of fluid to the fluid spring chambers of contracted suspension units and to exhaust a preset amount of fluid from the fluid spring chambers of stretched suspension units. In communication control, a first control signal is supplied to the communicating means to open the communication control valve when the steering state sensor detects that the steering angle falls within a preset steering angle and to close the communication control valve otherwise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1987
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadao Tanaka, Mitsuhiko Harara, Yasutaka Taniguchi, Masanaga Suzumura, Minoru Tatemoto, Naotake Kumagai
  • Patent number: 4695074
    Abstract: In a vehicle suspension apparatus having air spring chambers between the vehicle body and the respective wheels to perform height and position control modes by controlling supply control valve means for supplying air to the air spring chambers and exhaust control valve means for exhausting air from the air spring chambers, the vehicle suspension apparatus has a high-pressure reserve tank connected to the respective chambers through the supply control valves, a first compressor for supplying compressed air to the high-pressure reserve tank, a low-pressure reserve tank connected to the respective chambers through the corresponding exhaust control valves and the suction port of the first compressor, and a second compressor for supplying atmospheric air to the high-pressure reserve tank through a check valve and a drier arranged between the check valve and the second compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1987
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Kobayashi, Shozo Takizawa, Tadao Tanaka, Mitsuhiko Harara, Yasutaka Taniguchi, Masanaga Suzumura, Minoru Tatemoto, Naotake Kumagai
  • Patent number: 4673193
    Abstract: In a vehicle suspension apparatus, front and rear wheel suspension units respectively have air spring chambers. Air is supplied to predetermined air spring chambers from an air source through a supply control valve, and at the same time air is exhausted from remaining air spring chambers through an exhaust control valve. Three-directional valves are inserted between the respective air spring chambers and the exhaust control valve. One end of a front wheel communication path is connected to the front left wheel three-directional valve and the other end of the path is connected to the front right wheel three-directional valve. Similarly, one end of a rear wheel communication path is connected to the rear left wheel three-directional valve and the other end of the path is connected to the rear right wheel three-directional valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1987
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Kobayashi, Shozo Takizawa, Tadao Tanaka, Mitsuhiko Harara, Yasutaka Taniguchi, Masanaga Suzumura, Naotake Kumagai, Minoru Tatemoto
  • Patent number: 4669749
    Abstract: In a vehicle suspension apparatus comprising communication control means for producing a disabling control signal for disabling the communicating solenoid valves when conditions are satisfied that the velocity detected by the velocity sensor exceeds a preset velocity and the steering angle detected by the steering sensor exceeds a preset steering angle and for producing an enabling control signal when the conditions are not satisfied, and roll control means for producing a control command signal for opening desired ones of the supply and exhaust control valves for a preset control time in order to supply a preset amount of fluid to contracted fluid spring chambers along a roll direction and for exhausting a preset amount of fluid from stretched fluid spring chambers when the conditions are satisfied, the preset velocity as one of the conditions determined by the communication control means is set to have a first value when the communicating solenoid valves are enabled and to have a second value larger than th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1987
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadao Tanaka, Mitsuhiko Harara, Yasutaka Taniguchi, Masanaga Suzumura, Minoru Tatemoto, Naotake Kumagai
  • Patent number: 4669750
    Abstract: A vehicle suspension apparatus has air spring chamber provided at a suspension unit for supporting a rear wheel, air supply means for supplying air to the air spring chamber of the suspension unit for supporting the rear wheel through supply opening and closing valve, air exhaust means for exhausting air from the air spring means of the suspension unit for supporting the rear wheel, a parking brake sensor for detecting the operated state of a parking brake, and a shift position detecting sensor for detecting the shift position of an automatic transmission having a fluid drive unit for transmitting drive power to wheels. The parking brake sensor detects whether or not the parking brake is engaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1987
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadao Tanaka, Mitsuhiko Harara, Tasutaka Taniguchi, Masanaga Suzumura, Shozo Takizawa, Naotake Kumagai, Minoru Tatemoto
  • Patent number: 4640526
    Abstract: A vehicle suspension apparatus including suspension units each provided for each wheel and having an air spring chamber is disclosed, in which rolling control and vehicle height control are done through control of air to and from the air spring chambers. The driving of a reservoir tank for storing compressed air to be supplied to the air spring chambers, is inhibited until the engine operation has been stabilized after the start of the engine preset level. In this way, the problems in the engine lubrication and idling are solved, and the defficiencies of the starting property of the engine are overcome.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1987
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadao Tanaka, Sunao Chikamori, Mitsuhiko Harara, Yasutaka Taniguchi, Masanaga Suzumura, Minoru Tatemoto, Naotake Kumagai, Hiroki Abe, Shozo Takizawa
  • Patent number: 4639014
    Abstract: The characteristic of the suspension is held to be a soft one when the vehicle is running along a flat surface, while it is automatically switched by the switch unit to a hard one when the cycle period T of vertical vibration of the vehicle height becomes near the cycle of the natural vibration of sprung mass of the suspension at the time of running along a road having an irregular surface or jumping a projection, thereby suppressing the resonance of the vehicle body due to external force applied from the road to improve the comfortability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1987
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadao Tanaka, Sunao Chikamori, Mitsuhiko Harara, Yasutaka Taniguchi, Masanaga Suzumura, Minoru Tatemoto, Naotake Kumagai, Hiroki Abe, Shozo Takizawa
  • Patent number: 4625992
    Abstract: A suspension apparatus has suspension units which have individual fluid spring chambers and are arranged on the wheels. When a detected negative acceleration (deceleration) exceeds a reference negative deceleration, front wheel fluid supply valves are opened for a control time T to supply a predetermined amount of fluid to the front wheel spring chambers and rear wheel fluid extent valves are opened for the control time T to exhaust a predetermined amount of fluid from the rear wheel fluid spring chambers, thereby decreasing nose dive at the time of deceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 2, 1986
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadao Tanaka, Sunao Chikamori, Mitsuhiko Harara, Shinichi Takeuchi, Yasutaka Taniguchi, Masanaga Suzumura, Minoru Tatemoto, Naotake Kumagai, Hiroki Abe
  • Patent number: 4625994
    Abstract: A suspension apparatus has suspension units mounted on wheels and each unit has a fluid spring chamber. Fluid is supplied to contracted fluid spring chambers and is exhausted from elongated fluid spring chambers to control the change in position of the vehicle. In the position control mode, a large-diameter path is selected to supply or exhaust a large amount of compressed fluid. In the height control mode, a small-diameter path is selected to supply or exhaust a small amount of compressed fluid. The required amounts of compressed fluid can be supplied to the fluid spring chambers in both the position and height control modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 2, 1986
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadao Tanaka, Sunao Chikamori, Mitsuhiko Harara, Shinichi Takeuchi, Masanaga Suzumura, Minoru Tatemoto, Naotake Kumagai, Hiroki Abe
  • Patent number: 4624476
    Abstract: Wheel suspension units each having fluid spring chambers are arranged in a vehicle suspension apparatus. A roll control quantity, determined in accordance with the relationship between a vehicle velocity and a steering angle, i.e., inlet solenoid valves and exhaust solenoid valves are controlled in accordance with solenoid ON/OFF time, thereby controlling rolling of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1986
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadao Tanaka, Sunao Chikamori, Mitsuhiko Harara, Shinichi Takeuchi, Masanaga Suzumura, Minoru Tatemoto, Naotake Kumagai, Hiroki Abe
  • Patent number: 4613154
    Abstract: Air spring chambers are provided in suspension units of respective wheels, and air intake solenoid valves and exhaust solenoid valves are provided corresponding to the air spring chambers. Further, switching means for switching the suspension units between the hard and soft states is provided, and when the vehicle's velocity, detected by the vehicle velocity sensors, is less than the set velocity, the suspension units are set to the soft state, and when the vehicle's velocity is the set velocity or higher, the suspension units are set to the hard state to control the switching means in a vehicle suspension apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 23, 1986
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadao Tanaka, Mitsuhiko Harara, Yasutaka Taniguchi, Masanaga Suzumura, Minoru Tatemoto, Naotake Kumagai
  • Patent number: 4605244
    Abstract: A vehicle suspension apparatus including suspension units each provided for each wheel and having an air spring chamber is disclosed. When steering wheel is quickly returned toward the center position at the time of a slalom running, it is detected from the steering angular velocity and vehicle velocity that the vehicle body has begun to be returned to a neutral state, and communication control valves are opened before the reaching of the center position, i.e., before the steering angle reaches an insensitive range. Rolling control thus can be improved without delay in the restoration of the position of the vehicle body even at the time of a high speed slalom running, at which time the steering wheel is repeatedly operated quickly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1986
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadao Tanaka, Sunao Chikamori, Mitsuhiko Harara, Yasutaka Taniguchi, Masanaga Suzumura, Minoru Tatemoto, Naotake Kumagai, Hiroki Abe, Shozo Takizawa
  • Patent number: 4602805
    Abstract: The front wheel exhaust valves and the rear wheel supply valves are opened for a predetermined period of time when rapid acceleration of the vehicle is detected by the accelerator pedal sensor and the gear position sensor, the absolute value of change in vehicle position and its velocity can be properly controlled. Therefore, comfort and steering stability can be improved as compared with vehicles mounting of the conventional apparatus. In addition, since an acceleration state is detected by the gear position sensor as well as the accelerator pedal sensor, rapid acceleration of the vehicle can be accurately detected, thereby preventing unnecessary position control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 29, 1986
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadao Tanaka, Sunao Chikamori, Mitsuhiko Harara, Yasutaka Taniguchi, Masanaga Suzumura, Minoru Tatemoto, Naotake Kumagai, Hiroki Abe