Patents by Inventor Yoshimoto Matsuda

Yoshimoto Matsuda 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: 11326676
    Abstract: A power unit of a utility vehicle includes a power source for travel of the utility vehicle, a continuously variable transmission, a gear transmission, a first clutch, a second clutch, and an output mechanism. The gear transmission includes a first GT input shaft, a second GT input shaft, a GT output shaft, a first GT intermediate shaft, a second GT intermediate shaft, first speed-change gears, second speed-change gears, a first transmission gear, and a second transmission gear. The first clutch is configured to disable power transmission from the power source to the first GT input shaft. The second clutch is configured to disable power transmission from a CVT output shaft of the continuously variable transmission to the second GT input shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shouji Ozawa, Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Patent number: 11313462
    Abstract: A utility vehicle comprises a traveling driving power source which generates rotational driving power for driving a drive wheel; a continuously variable transmission including an input shaft to which the rotational driving power transmitted from the traveling driving power source is input, an output shaft which outputs the rotational driving power toward the drive wheel, a drive pulley provided at the input shaft, a driven pulley provided at the output shaft, and a belt wrapped around the drive pulley and the driven pulley; a clutch which is disposed in a driving power transmission path at a location that is between the belt and the drive wheel and is capable of disconnecting the driving power transmission path; and a clutch actuator which operates the clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20220120337
    Abstract: A dual clutch transmission-equipped power unit includes a prime mover including a drive shaft and a dual clutch transmission that changes the speed of rotation produced by rotational power output by the drive shaft. The dual clutch transmission includes a first input shaft which overlaps the drive shaft when viewed in a first direction perpendicular to the drive shaft. The dual clutch transmission includes a second input shaft which overlaps the drive shaft when viewed in a second direction perpendicular to the drive shaft. The dual clutch transmission includes a countershaft which overlaps the drive shaft when viewed in a third direction perpendicular to the drive shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventor: Yoshimoto MATSUDA
  • Publication number: 20220001736
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes: an engine including a crankshaft; an electric motor including a motor drive shaft; a power transmission shaft to which a total of drive power from the engine and drive power from the electric motor is transmitted; and a switching dog clutch located on a power transmission route from the crankshaft to the power transmission shaft, the switching dog clutch including a switching dog structure slidable to cut off the power transmission route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Inventor: Yoshimoto MATSUDA
  • Patent number: 11215244
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: a transmission including an input shaft that receives power inputted from a power source for travel of the vehicle and an output shaft that outputs power to a drive wheel; a manual gear shifting power transmission mechanism that delivers an operation force of a driver as gear shifting power to the transmission; a clutch disposed between the power source for travel of the vehicle and the input shaft; and a controlled clutch actuation power transmission mechanism that delivers power of a clutch actuator as clutch actuation power to the clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Patent number: 11167638
    Abstract: A utility vehicle includes: a power unit that outputs drive power; a drive shaft that receives the drive power transmitted from the power unit; a front axle that receives the drive power transmitted from the drive shaft; a right front wheel connected to the front axle; a left front wheel connected to the front axle; a right clutch configured to disable power transmission from the drive shaft to the right front wheel; a left clutch configured to disable power transmission from the drive shaft to the left front wheel; a clutch actuator that actuates the left clutch and the right clutch; and a controller that controls the clutch actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shouji Ozawa, Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Patent number: 11097609
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes: an internal combustion engine; an electric motor; a transmission including an input shaft that receives power inputted from the internal combustion engine and the electric motor and an output shaft that outputs power to a drive wheel; and a power cutting-off mechanism configured to cut off a power transmission route between the internal combustion engine and the output shaft, wherein the electric motor is connected to a rotating member provided on the output shaft in such a manner that the electric motor transmits power to the output shaft at a location downstream of the power cutting-off mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshimoto Matsuda, Hirokazu Morita
  • Patent number: 11084376
    Abstract: A control apparatus of a straddle vehicle includes: a prediction section that determines whether a rider of the straddle vehicle intends to turn the straddle vehicle and predicts whether turning of the straddle vehicle will occur, based on information related to at least one of a predetermined behavior exhibited by a vehicle body of the straddle vehicle before turning and a predetermined driving operation performed by the rider; and a vehicle control section that provides driving assistance during turning of the straddle vehicle based on a result of the prediction made by the prediction section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Patent number: 11041427
    Abstract: A parallel hybrid vehicle includes: an engine serving as a drive source for travel of the parallel hybrid vehicle; an electric motor serving as a drive source for travel of the parallel hybrid vehicle; and a water pump that causes a cooling liquid to circulate in a cooling path. The water pump is connected to the engine to receive power from the engine and is connected to the electric motor to receive power from the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Patent number: 11014438
    Abstract: A hybrid straddle vehicle comprises a hybrid traveling driving power unit including an engine and a traveling motor, the hybrid traveling driving power unit being configured to generate driving power for allowing the hybrid straddle vehicle to travel; a fuel tank which stores therein fuel to be supplied to the engine; and a battery unit which stores therein electric power to be supplied to the traveling motor. An outer end of the fuel tank in a vehicle width direction is located outward of the battery unit in the vehicle width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20210088135
    Abstract: A utility vehicle comprises a traveling driving power source which generates rotational driving power for driving a drive wheel; a continuously variable transmission including an input shaft to which the rotational driving power transmitted from the traveling driving power source is input, an output shaft which outputs the rotational driving power toward the drive wheel, a drive pulley provided at the input shaft, a driven pulley provided at the output shaft, and a belt wrapped around the drive pulley and the driven pulley; a clutch which is disposed in a driving power transmission path at a location that is between the belt and the drive wheel and is capable of disconnecting the driving power transmission path; and a clutch actuator which operates the clutch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20210070388
    Abstract: A hybrid leisure vehicle equipped with an electric motor and an engine includes: an accelerator sensor that detects an operation amount of an accelerator operation member operated by a user; a controller that includes a processor and a memory and that controls the electric motor and the engine based on a detection signal of the accelerator sensor; and a selection input device connected to the controller and operated by the user. The memory stores a plurality of mode programs each of which specifies how to change states of the electric motor and the engine depending on vehicle-related parameters. The processor selects a mode program from the plurality of mode programs in response to an input provided by the user to the selection input device, and controls the electric motor and the engine according to the selected mode program.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2018
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Inventor: Yoshimoto MATSUDA
  • Publication number: 20210061096
    Abstract: A utility vehicle includes: a power unit that outputs drive power; a drive shaft that receives the drive power transmitted from the power unit; a front axle that receives the drive power transmitted from the drive shaft; a right front wheel connected to the front axle; a left front wheel connected to the front axle; a right clutch configured to disable power transmission from the drive shaft to the right front wheel; a left clutch configured to disable power transmission from the drive shaft to the left front wheel; a clutch actuator that actuates the left clutch and the right clutch; and a controller that controls the clutch actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Shouji Ozawa, Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20210061097
    Abstract: A power unit of a utility vehicle includes: a power source for travel of the utility vehicle; a continuously variable transmission; a reduced-speed shaft disposed parallel to a drive shaft of the power source and coaxially with a CVT input shaft of the continuously variable transmission; speed-reduction gears that transmit rotational power of the drive shaft to the reduced-speed shaft; and an electricity generator mounted on a shaft assembly including the CVT input shaft and the reduced-speed shaft. The drive shaft, the shaft assembly, the CVT input shaft, and the CVT output shaft extend in a first direction. The electricity generator is aligned with the power source in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the location of the electricity generator in the first direction overlaps with the location of the power source in the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Shouji Ozawa, Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20210062874
    Abstract: A power unit of a utility vehicle includes a power source for travel of the utility vehicle, a continuously variable transmission, a gear transmission, and an output mechanism. The gear transmission includes a GT input shaft, a GT output shaft, and first and second GT intermediate shafts that transmit rotational power from the GT input shaft to the GT output shaft. The first GT intermediate shaft is disposed on one side with respect to the GT input shaft, and the second GT intermediate shaft is disposed on the other side with respect to the GT input shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Shouji Ozawa, Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20210062901
    Abstract: A power unit of a utility vehicle includes a power source for travel of the utility vehicle, a continuously variable transmission, a gear transmission, a first clutch, a second clutch, and an output mechanism. The gear transmission includes a first GT input shaft, a second GT input shaft, a GT output shaft, a first GT intermediate shaft, a second GT intermediate shaft, first speed-change gears, second speed-change gears, a first transmission gear, and a second transmission gear. The first clutch is configured to disable power transmission from the power source to the first GT input shaft. The second clutch is configured to disable power transmission from a CVT output shaft of the continuously variable transmission to the second GT input shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Shouji Ozawa, Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20210061094
    Abstract: A utility vehicle includes: a pair of front wheels; a pair of rear wheels; at least one front wheel power source configured to drive the front wheels and not to drive the rear wheels; at least one rear wheel power source configured to drive the rear wheels and not to drive the front wheels; and a controller that controls the front wheel power source and the rear wheel power source. Upon receiving a predetermined two-wheel drive command, the controller brings the front wheel power source into a non-operative state while allowing the rear wheel power source to drive the rear wheels. Upon receiving a predetermined four-wheel drive command, the controller brings the front wheel power source into operation while allowing the rear wheel power source to drive the rear wheels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Patent number: 10914349
    Abstract: A power unit of a utility vehicle includes a power source for travel of the utility vehicle, a continuously variable transmission, a gear transmission, and an output mechanism. The gear transmission includes a GT input shaft, a GT output shaft, and first and second GT intermediate shafts that transmit rotational power from the GT input shaft to the GT output shaft. The first GT intermediate shaft is disposed on one side with respect to the GT input shaft, and the second GT intermediate shaft is disposed on the other side with respect to the GT input shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shouji Ozawa, Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Patent number: 10900563
    Abstract: A utility vehicle comprises a traveling driving power source which generates rotational driving power for driving a drive wheel; a continuously variable transmission including an input shaft to which the rotational driving power transmitted from the traveling driving power source is input, an output shaft which outputs the rotational driving power toward the drive wheel, a drive pulley provided at the input shaft, a driven pulley provided at the output shaft, and a belt wrapped around the drive pulley and the driven pulley; a clutch which is disposed in a driving power transmission path at a location that is between the belt and the drive wheel and is capable of disconnecting the driving power transmission path; and a clutch actuator which operates the clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20210019960
    Abstract: This state monitoring device configured to monitor a current state of a vehicle includes: a storage configured to have stored therein a load index which is an index indicating an accumulation degree of a load having occurred in the vehicle; and a calculation unit configured to receive detection values of a plurality of sensors mounted on the vehicle, and configured to perform a predetermined calculation. The calculation unit includes: a status specification section configured to, by using the detection values of the plurality of sensors, specify, out of a plurality of status categories determined in advance and each indicating a status of use regarding running of the vehicle, one or more of the status categories; and an index update section configured to, on the basis of each specified status category, update the load index stored in the storage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventor: Yoshimoto MATSUDA