Patents by Inventor Tatsuo Obata

Tatsuo Obata 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: 10632833
    Abstract: In a vehicle drive device, a case cover includes a cylindrical wall portion formed circumferentially in an outside space of a first rotating shaft and projecting toward the case parallel to an axial direction of the first rotating shaft, an oil pump includes a pump cover arranged in a space radially inside the wall portion and a pump chamber formed in a space radially inside the wall portion by the case cover including the wall portion and the pump cover to house the pump gear, and the wall portion includes a support portion disposed on the other axial end side of the first rotating shaft relative to the pump cover, having a bearing fitted thereto, and rotatably supporting a second rotating shaft via the bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kiyokami, Yota Mizuno, Tatsuo Obata
  • Patent number: 10408335
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a case, a motor, a gear mechanism, a lubrication mechanism, and a cooling mechanism. The motor and the gear mechanism are housed in the case. The gear mechanism includes a specified gear and a first gear. A vertical lower section of the first gear is positioned above a surface of the oil. The lubrication mechanism lubricates the gear mechanism by the oil thrown up by the specified gear. The cooling mechanism includes an oil pump and a pipe. The oil pump and the pipe supply the oil reserved in the case to the motor. The pipe is located above the first gear. The pipe has a hole, and the oil discharged from the hole. The hole is positioned above the first gear. A normal line direction of the hole differs from a vertically downward direction. The first gear does not overlap the normal line direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinichiro Suenaga, Ryuichi Hasegawa, Masato Watanabe, Tatsuo Obata, Satoshi Miyanaga
  • Publication number: 20190128179
    Abstract: In a vehicle drive device, a case cover includes a cylindrical wall portion formed circumferentially in an outside space of a first rotating shaft and projecting toward the case parallel to an axial direction of the first rotating shaft, an oil pump includes a pump cover arranged in a space radially inside the wall portion and a pump chamber formed in a space radially inside the wall portion by the case cover including the wall portion and the pump cover to house the pump gear, and the wall portion includes a support portion disposed on the other axial end side of the first rotating shaft relative to the pump cover, having a bearing fitted thereto, and rotatably supporting a second rotating shaft via the bearing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki KIYOKAMI, Yota MIZUNO, Tatsuo OBATA
  • Patent number: 10094377
    Abstract: An oil pump for a vehicle includes a driven gear, a drive gear, a pump body, and a plate. The drive gear engages the driven gear. The pump body is secured to a rear cover of a transaxle case. The plate is interposed between the rear cover and the pump body. A pump chamber is formed between the rear cover and the pump body. The driven gear and the drive gear are housed in the pump chamber. The pump chamber is formed: between the plate and the pump body, or between the plate and the rear cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuo Obata, Hiromichi Kimura, Takeshi Kuwahara, Katsuhide Kitagawa, Kunio Morisawa, Masamitsu Seno, Hirotaka Yata, Tomoo Atarashi
  • Patent number: 9991760
    Abstract: A vehicular drive system is provided with at least one electric motor and a helical gear portion which are accommodated within a casing formed by a plurality of casing members fixed to each other, wherein: said casing includes a first casing member to which a stator of each of said at least one electric motor is fixed, and a second casing member which is fixed to said first casing member so as to cooperate with said first casing member to form a space accommodating said at least one electric motor and which has a support portion supporting said helical gear portion; and a rotor of said each electric motor is rotatably supported at opposite ends thereof by said first casing member and said second casing member, respectively, while said helical gear portion is rotatably supported by said second casing member through said support portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuo Obata, Kunio Morisawa, Tsuyoshi Kitahata, Takeshi Kuwahara, Hiromichi Kimura, Masahiro Tanae, Toru Saitou
  • Publication number: 20170067554
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a case, a motor, a gear mechanism, a lubrication mechanism, and a cooling mechanism. The motor and the gear mechanism are housed in the case. The gear mechanism includes a specified gear and a first gear. A vertical lower section of the first gear is positioned above a surface of the oil. The lubrication mechanism lubricates the gear mechanism by the oil thrown up by the specified gear. The cooling mechanism includes an oil pump and a pipe. The oil pump and the pipe supply the oil reserved in the case to the motor. The pipe is located above the first gear. The pipe has a hole, and the oil discharged from the hole. The hole is positioned above the first gear. A normal line direction of the hole differs from a vertically downward direction. The first gear does not overlap the normal line direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinichiro SUENAGA, Ryuichi HASEGAWA, Masato WATANABE, Tatsuo OBATA, Satoshi MIYANAGA
  • Patent number: 9505444
    Abstract: A vehicle front structure includes: a power unit provided on a front part of a vehicle; a front side member which is arranged outside the power unit in a vehicle width direction and which extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction; and a load receiving portion which is provided on a side portion on a front side member side of the power unit and which is located inside the front side member in a vehicle width direction while stiffness thereof in the vehicle width direction is higher than other location of the side portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Michitaka Tsuchida, Shunsuke Hayashi, Tatsuo Obata, Kazuaki Ishiura, Takeshi Kuwahara
  • Patent number: 9441684
    Abstract: A parking pawl achieves a parking locked state by engaging with a parking gear. A parking rod is configured to move along the axial direction of the parking rod. The parking rod passes through a cam member. The cam member is configured to move from a first position to a second position in accordance with movement of the parking rod. The cam member includes a tapered portion that presses the parking pawl such that the parking pawl is engaged with the parking gear when the cam member moves from the first position to the second position. The parking rod includes a protruding portion that protrudes from the cam member. A guide member is configured to guide the cam member, and is configured to support the protruding portion and the tapered portion when the cam member is at the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuaki Ishiura, Michitaka Tsuchida, Tatsuo Obata
  • Publication number: 20150226277
    Abstract: A parking pawl achieves a parking locked state by engaging with a parking gear. A parking rod is configured to move along the axial direction of the parking rod. The parking rod passes through a cam member. The cam member is configured to move from a first position to a second position in accordance with movement of the parking rod. The cam member includes a tapered portion that presses the parking pawl such that the parking pawl is engaged with the parking gear when the cam member moves from the first position to the second position. The parking rod includes a protruding portion that protrudes from the cam member. A guide member is configured to guide the cam member, and is configured to support the protruding portion and the tapered portion when the cam member is at the first position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Publication date: August 13, 2015
    Inventors: Kazuaki Ishiura, Michitaka Tsuchida, Tatsuo Obata
  • Patent number: 9096218
    Abstract: It is provided a control device of a vehicle power transmission device including: a torque limiter device blocking transmission of a torque amount exceeding a predetermined torque with operation involving differential rotation between a first rotating member and a second rotating member; and an electric motor coupled to one of the first rotating member and the second rotating member in a power transmittable manner, wherein when a rotation speed difference is generated between the first rotating member and the second rotating member due to the operation of the torque limiter device, the electric motor is operated so as to suppress the rotation speed difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Kitahata, Tatsuo Obata, Hiromichi Kimura, Takeshi Kuwahara, Toru Saito, Masahiro Tanae
  • Publication number: 20150060179
    Abstract: A vehicle front structure includes: a power unit provided on a front part of a vehicle; a front side member which is arranged outside the power unit in a vehicle width direction and which extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction; and a load receiving portion which is provided on a side portion on a front side member side of the power unit and which is located inside the front side member in a vehicle width direction while stiffness thereof in the vehicle width direction is higher than other location of the side portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Michitaka Tsuchida, Shunsuke Hayashi, Tatsuo Obata, Kazuaki Ishiura, Takeshi Kuwahara
  • Patent number: 8905885
    Abstract: A vehicle drive device configured with reduced axial dimensions, while still having appropriate lubrication. The vehicle drive device is configured with an input shaft coupled to an engine, a rotary electric machine, and an output shaft coupled to wheels. A power transfer mechanism couples input shaft, the rotary electric machine, and the output shaft. A case houses at least the rotary electric machine and the power transfer mechanism. An oil reserving portion capable of reserving oil supplied by rotation of the power transfer mechanism is provided above the rotor shaft inside the case. A communication oil passage is oriented between the oil reserving portion and an inner circumferential space formed inside the rotor shaft. The rotor shaft is disposed to be inserted into the inside housing space, and has a supply communication hole that communicates between the inner circumferential space and the inside housing space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignees: Aisin Aw Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Yamamoto, Masamitsu Seno, Takuya Komatsu, Natsuki Sada, Hirotaka Yata, Tomoo Atarashi, Hiromichi Kimura, Takeshi Kuwahara, Tatsuo Obata, Michitaka Tsuchida, Yoshinori Morita, Shingo Kato
  • Publication number: 20140341757
    Abstract: A plate is interposed between a rear cover and a pump body. The pump chamber is formed between the plate and the pump body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicants: AISIN AW CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsuo Obata, Hiromichi Kimura, Takeshi Kuwahara, Katsuhide Kitagawa, Kunio Morisawa, Masamitsu Seno, Hirotaka Yata, Tomoo Atarashi
  • Publication number: 20140285045
    Abstract: A vehicular drive system is provided with at least one electric motor and a bevel gear portion which are accommodated within a casing formed by a plurality of casing members fixed to each other, wherein: said casing includes a first casing member to which a stator of each of said at least one electric motor is fixed, and a second casing member which is fixed to said first casing member so as to cooperate with said first casing member to form a space accommodating said at least one electric motor and which has a support portion supporting said bevel gear portion; and a rotor of said each electric motor is rotatably supported at opposite ends thereof by said first casing member and said second casing member, respectively, while said bevel gear portion is rotatably supported by said second casing member through said support portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Inventors: Tatsuo Obata, Kunio Morisawa, Tsuyoshi Kitahata, Takeshi Kuwahara, Hiromichi Kimura, Masahiro Tanae, Toru Saitou
  • Patent number: 8808125
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle driving apparatus includes: a first rotor shaft of a first electric motor, the first electric motor being disposed on a first axis; a power distribution mechanism that includes a planetary gear device and is disposed on the first axis; an output gear shaft that serves as an output member of the power distribution mechanism and is disposed on the first axis; a counter shaft disposed on a second axis; a second rotor shaft of a second electric motor disposed on a third axis; a power transmission shaft disposed on the third axis; a differential gear disposed on a fourth axis; and a casing that includes a plurality of case members. The output gear shaft, the power transmission shaft, the counter shaft, the differential gear, the first rotor shaft, and the second rotor shaft are rotatably supported by a common case member that is one of the plurality of case members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michitaka Tsuchida, Tomoaki Nishizuru, Tatsuo Obata, Natsuki Sada, Hirotaka Yata, Tomoo Atarashi
  • Publication number: 20140155214
    Abstract: A lubricating oil supply apparatus arranged in a transaxle case includes a differential ring gear, a catch tank that stores lubricating oil picked up by the differential ring gear, a first flow path arranged higher than a highest position of an outer diameter of the differential ring gear, a gear with a higher center position than the differential ring gear, and a second flow path that guides the lubricating oil picked up by the gear to the catch tank. The first flow path guides the lubricating oil picked up by the differential ring gear to the catch tank. The gear is in mesh with the differential ring gear, and picks up the lubricating oil picked up by the differential ring gear. The second flow path is arranged lower than a highest position of an outer diameter of the gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiromichi KIMURA, Tatsuo OBATA, Shingo KATO, Yuya AOKI
  • Patent number: 8720660
    Abstract: Disclosed is a parking lock mechanism of a power transmission apparatus which can stably supply lubrication oil to the sliding surface of a parking cam to decrease the sliding resistance of the parking cam. The parking lock mechanism 52 includes a support portion 73 for positioning a sleeve 71 with respect to an extension housing 6, and a first guide rib 74 provided on the support portion 73 for catching oil circulating in a transaxle case 4 to supply the oil to the support portion 73. The sleeve 71 has an upper portion formed with a notch 71c for allowing a parking pawl 62 to be held in abutment with a parking cam 61. The oil caught by the first guide rib 74 is supplied through the support portion 73 and the notch 71c of the sleeve 71 to the sliding surface of the parking cam 61, viz., the sliding surface between the parking pawl 62 and the parking cam 61 and the sliding surface between the parking cam 61 and the sleeve 71.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiromichi Kimura, Michitaka Tsuchida, Takeshi Kitahata, Tatsuo Obata, Yosuke Suzuki, Takeshi Kuwahara
  • Patent number: 8668612
    Abstract: In a lubrication structure of a differential gear unit, a case has a guide rib that extends over a certain area with respect to a rotation path of a head of a bolt when a ring gear rotates, and that protrudes out from the case toward the head of the bolt. Also, a through-hole that extends in a vertical direction is formed in an upper portion of a hollow supporting portion, and the guide rib has an oil reservoir that curves toward an upper end opening of the through-hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiromichi Kimura, Takeshi Kuwahara, Takeshi Kitahata, Tatsuo Obata, Masahiro Tanae
  • Publication number: 20130283972
    Abstract: A vehicle drive device configured with reduced axial dimensions, while still having appropriate lubrication. The vehicle drive device is configured with an input shaft coupled to an engine, a rotary electric machine, and an output shaft coupled to wheels. A power transfer mechanism couples input shaft, the rotary electric machine, and the output shaft. A case houses at least the rotary electric machine and the power transfer mechanism. An oil reserving portion capable of reserving oil supplied by rotation of the power transfer mechanism is provided above the rotor shaft inside the case. A communication oil passage is oriented between the oil reserving portion and an inner circumferential space formed inside the rotor shaft. The rotor shaft is disposed to be inserted into the inside housing space, and has a supply communication hole that communicates between the inner circumferential space and the inside housing space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Yamamoto, Masamitsu Seno, Takuya Komatsu, Natsuki Sada, Hirotaka Yata, Tomoo Atarashi, Hiromichi Kimura, Takeshi Kuwahara, Tatsuo Obata, Michitaka Tsuchida, Yoshinori Morita, Shingo Kato
  • Patent number: 8527130
    Abstract: A hybrid drive apparatus includes: a drive power source that includes an internal combustion engine, a first electric motor, and a second electric motor; a power transmission mechanism that includes a carrier, a sun gear, and a ring gear, and that is configured to rotate the output shaft of the internal combustion engine by the first electric motor; and plural bearings that each includes an outer ring member and an inner ring member fitted to the outer ring member through a rolling element, and that are provided apart from each other in an axial direction of the output shaft with the carrier being positioned between the bearings. An inner periphery of the outer ring member is positioned more inward in a radial direction of the ring gear relative to a meshing portion between inner teeth of the ring gear and outer teeth of one of the pinion gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Kitahata, Tatsuo Obata, Takeshi Kuwahara, Hiromichi Kimura, Toru Saito, Masahiro Tanae