Patents by Inventor Yoshiyuki Esaki
Yoshiyuki Esaki 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).
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Patent number: 9125340Abstract: A ride-on lawn mower includes a traveling vehicle body including an operator's seat, and a wheel post for supporting a steering wheel mounted forward of the operator's seat. The lawn mower further includes a mower apparatus connected to a front part of the traveling vehicle body, a roll-over protective structure mounted in a rear part of the operator's seat, and a front guard extending upward from the wheel post and forward of the steering wheel.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2013Date of Patent: September 8, 2015Assignee: Kubota CorporationInventors: Hironori Tsuchihashi, Yoshikazu Togoshi, Takafumi Komatsu, Akira Minoura, Kazuaki Nogami, Kazutomo Miyaguchi, Eiji Satou, Yoshiyuki Esaki
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Patent number: 9045171Abstract: A work vehicle includes a fixed hood covering a rear area of an engine compartment housing an engine and an engine accessory, a swing axis extending through the rear area of the engine compartment in a transverse direction of the vehicle, and a swing hood swinging around the swing axis between a closed position and an open position. The swing hood tucks the fixed hood inside the swing hood and thus covers the fixed hood in the open position, and covers a front area and a middle area of the engine compartment and overlaps with a front end portion of the fixed hood in the closed position.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2013Date of Patent: June 2, 2015Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATIONInventors: Kazuaki Nogami, Hiroyuki Tada, Yoshiyuki Esaki, Kazutomo Miyaguchi, Eiji Sato, Akira Minoura, Hironori Tsuchihashi, Osami Fujiwara, Seiya Yoshida
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Publication number: 20140237973Abstract: A ride-on lawn mower includes a traveling vehicle body including an operator's seat, and a wheel post for supporting a steering wheel mounted forward of the operator's seat. The lawn mower further includes a mower apparatus connected to a front part of the traveling vehicle body, a roll-over protective structure mounted in a rear part of the operator's seat, and a front guard extending upward from the wheel post and forward of the steering wheel.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2013Publication date: August 28, 2014Applicant: Kubota CorporationInventors: Hironori Tsuchihashi, Yoshikazu Togoshi, Takafumi Komatsu, Akira Minoura, Kazuaki Nogami, Kazutomo Miyaguchi, Eiji Satou, Yoshiyuki Esaki
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Publication number: 20140014429Abstract: A work vehicle includes a fixed hood covering a rear area of an engine compartment housing an engine and an engine accessory, a swing axis extending through the rear area of the engine compartment in a transverse direction of the vehicle, and a swing hood swinging around the swing axis between a closed position and an open position. The swing hood tucks the fixed hood inside the swing hood and thus covers the fixed hood in the open position, and covers a front area and a middle area of the engine compartment and overlaps with a front end portion of the fixed hood in the closed position.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2013Publication date: January 16, 2014Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATIONInventors: Kazuaki NOGAMI, Hiroyuki TADA, Yoshiyuki ESAKI, Kazutomo MIYAGUCHI, Eiji SATO, Akira MINOURA, Hironori TSUCHIHASHI, Osami FUJIWARA, Seiya YOSHIDA
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Patent number: 8469402Abstract: A riding mower having left and right driving rear wheels independently drivable forward and backward and a pair of left and right steerable front wheels is provided with a support device capable of being mounted with a cylindrical gas cylinder in a horizontal position on an external side of a rollover projection frame. The support device is provided such that the mounted gas cylinder is positioned along front and rear of the rollover protection frame and is mounted in a tilted state in which the central axis of the cylindrical gas cylinder is closer to a central side in a lateral direction of a vehicle body toward a rear side from a plan view.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2011Date of Patent: June 25, 2013Assignee: Kubota CorporationInventors: Akira Minoura, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kuninosuke Iwata, Hiroyuki Tada, Yoshiyuki Esaki
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Patent number: 8418678Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel system for a traveling vehicle having an engine mounted on a vehicle body and a ROPS extending upward from the vehicle body. The fuel system includes a fuel tank accommodating an amount of fuel, a canister, an evaporating hose including a first evaporating hose portion and a second evaporating hose portion for sending fuel vapor generated inside the fuel tank to the canister. The first evaporating hose portion is connected to the fuel tank and extending upward from the fuel tank along a vertical post of the ROPS. The second evaporating hose portion extends downward along a vertical post of the ROPS and is connected to the canister.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2010Date of Patent: April 16, 2013Assignee: Kubota CorporationInventors: Kazuhiro Ochi, Masahiro Yamada, Hideya Umemoto, Eiji Satou, Yusuke Shoji, Kazuaki Nogami, Takeshi Komorida, Hiroyuki Tada, Yoshikazu Togoshi, Akira Minoura, Yoshiyuki Esaki
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Patent number: 8172268Abstract: A work vehicle has a plurality of wheels including a first wheel and a fuel tank disposed upwardly of the first wheel. The fuel tank includes a first portion which is located higher than the highest point of the first wheel in a side view and which also is overlapped at least partially with the first wheel in a top view; a second portion disposed forwardly of the highest point of the first wheel and extending downwardly from the first portion so as to extend lower than the highest point of the first wheel, the second portion being in fluid communication with the first portion; and a third portion disposed rearwardly of the highest point of the first wheel and extending downwardly from the first portion so as to extend lower than the highest point of the first wheel, the third portion being in fluid communication with the first portion.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2008Date of Patent: May 8, 2012Assignee: Kubota CorporationInventors: Takeshi Komorida, Yoshiyuki Esaki, Eiji Satou
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Publication number: 20120023886Abstract: A riding mower having left and right driving rear wheels independently drivable forward and backward and a pair of left and right steerable front wheels is provided with a support device capable of being mounted with a cylindrical gas cylinder in a horizontal position on an external side of a rollover projection frame. The support device is provided such that the mounted gas cylinder is positioned along front and rear of the rollover protection frame and is mounted in a tilted state in which the central axis of the cylindrical gas cylinder is closer to a central side in a lateral direction of a vehicle body toward a rear side from a plan view.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2011Publication date: February 2, 2012Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATIONInventors: Akira MINOURA, Yoshihiro UEDA, Kuninosuke IWATA, Hiroyuki TADA, Yoshiyuki ESAKI
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Patent number: 8099938Abstract: A rear discharge type mower apparatus includes: a blade housing having a top plate, a front wall and at least one side wall and a first front guide plate and a second front guide plate. Each of the first and second front guide plates are located rearwardly of the front wall and have a shape extending substantially along a rotation path of a corresponding blade. The mower apparatus also includes a first auxiliary plate and a second auxiliary plate. A portion of the second auxiliary plate and the first auxiliary plate extend parallel to each other such that an opening that is opposed to a mowed grass discharge opening is formed by the rearward ends of the linear portion and the first auxiliary plate. The lower edges of the first and second auxiliary plates are closer to the top plate than the corresponding blade.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2009Date of Patent: January 24, 2012Assignee: Kubota CorporationInventors: Masaji Kure, Yoshikazu Togoshi, Koji Fujiwara, Kazuo Samejima, Masatoshi Yamaguchi, Kazuo Koike, Yoshiyuki Esaki
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Publication number: 20100242924Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel system for a traveling vehicle having an engine mounted on a vehicle body and a ROPS extending upward from the vehicle body. The fuel system includes a fuel tank accommodating an amount of fuel, a canister, an evaporating hose including a first evaporating hose portion and a second evaporating hose portion for sending fuel vapor generated inside the fuel tank to the canister. The first evaporating hose portion is connected to the fuel tank and extending upward from the fuel tank along a vertical post of the ROPS. The second evaporating hose portion extends downward along a vertical post of the ROPS and is connected to the canister.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2010Publication date: September 30, 2010Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATIONInventors: Kazuhiro Ochi, Masahiro Yamada, Hideya Umemoto, Eiji Satou, Yusuke Shoji, Kazuaki Nogami, Takeshi Komorida, Hiroyuki Tada, Yoshikazu Togoshi, Akira Minoura, Yoshiyuki Esaki
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Patent number: 7770370Abstract: A working vehicle includes a vehicle body supported by a plurality of wheels; an implement supported by the vehicle body via a link mechanism such that the implement can be raised and lowered, the implement being permitted to be lowered under its own weight; an abutting member that moves in tandem with the raising and lowering movement of the implement; a receiving piece for limiting the lowering of the implement under its own weight by receiving a first portion of the abutting member; and a manually operable first operating piece for changing the position of the receiving piece between a receiving position and a retracted position, wherein a lowering limiting position is set to a vertical position that is closer to the upper limit of a range of the raising or lowering movement of the implement than to the lower limit of that range.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2008Date of Patent: August 10, 2010Assignee: Kubota CorporationInventors: Takeshi Komorida, Yoshiyuki Esaki, Yoshikazu Togoshi, Eiji Satou
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Patent number: 7735306Abstract: A rear discharge type mower apparatus comprising a blade housing having a top plate, a front wall and at least one side wall; a support shaft supported by the blade housing and extending vertically; a rotatable blade supported by the support shaft, a tip end of the blade forming a rotation path; and a guide plate located rearwardly of the front wall and having a shape extending along the rotation path of a corresponding blade, and forming an opening for ejecting cut grass rearwardly. The guide plate has a first end located in an upstream position with respect to a rotating direction of the corresponding blade, and a second end located in a downstream position with respect to the rotating direction of the corresponding blade; and an auxiliary plate extending from an area of the first end into inside the rotation path of the corresponding blade.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2006Date of Patent: June 15, 2010Assignee: Kubota CorporationInventors: Masaji Kure, Yoshikazu Togoshi, Koji Fujiwara, Kazuo Samejima, Masatoshi Yamaguchi, Kazuo Koike, Yoshiyuki Esaki
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Publication number: 20090282799Abstract: A rear discharge type mower apparatus includes a blade housing, a support shaft supported by the blade housing, a rotatable blade supported by the support shaft, and a front guide plate having a shape extending substantially along the rotation path of a corresponding blade. The front guide plate forms an opening for ejecting cut grass rearwardly and has a downstream plate portion located in a downstream position with respect to a rotating direction of the corresponding blade and having an end defining one end of the opening. The downstream plate portion extends rearwardly of the blade housing and a distance from a center of rotation to the downstream plate portion is progressively decreased toward a rear end of the blade housing. At least a part of the downstream plate portion is located radially inside of the rotation path of the corresponding blade.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2009Publication date: November 19, 2009Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATIONInventors: Masaji Kure, Yoshikazu Togoshi, Koji Fujiwara, Kazuo Samejima, Masatoshi Yamaguchi, Kazuo Koike, Yoshiyuki Esaki
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Patent number: 7562515Abstract: A riding type mower comprises: a plurality of wheels including at least one driven wheel; a vehicle body supported by the plurality of wheels; a driver's seat supported by the vehicle body; a mower unit located below the vehicle body; a suspension mechanism for vertically movably supporting the mower unit from the vehicle body, the suspension mechanism having a restraint member operatively connected to the suspension mechanism; an operation mechanism for operating the suspension mechanism; a stopper for setting a lower limit for a vertical position of the mower unit to define a cutting height by abutment against the restraint member, the stopper is adapted to be rotated to change the lower limit; a lower limit adjustment element located laterally of the driver's seat and rotatable to rotate the stopper; and a linking mechanism for operatively connecting the lower limit adjustment element with the stopper.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2006Date of Patent: July 21, 2009Assignee: Kubota CorporationInventors: Takeshi Komorida, Hideya Umemoto, Yoshiyuki Esaki
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Patent number: 7559295Abstract: A cooling structure for a working vehicle with a transmission disposed rearwardly and downwardly of a driver's seat and having a hydrostatic transmission, and an air-cooled engine disposed rearwardly of the transmission. The cooling structure comprising a fan for cooling the engine and a fan for cooling the transmission mounted on a rotary shaft operatively connecting the transmission with an output shaft of the air-cooled engine, the fans being configured such that air flows generated by the fans move from adjacent the transmission toward the engine; an oil cooler for cooling fluid supplied to the hydrostatic transmission, the oil cooler being disposed between the fan for cooling the engine and the fan for cooling the transmission, and disposed to face each of the fans; and an air guiding plate disposed at a position higher than the oil cooler for guiding air to regions of the fans.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2007Date of Patent: July 14, 2009Assignee: Kubota CorporationInventors: Masahiro Yamada, Yoshikazu Togoshi, Akira Minoura, Yoshihiro Ueda, Yoshiyuki Esaki, Eiji Satou, Takeshi Komorida
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Patent number: 7527298Abstract: A riding work vehicle includes an engine hood provided at a rear portion of the vehicle body, an engine cooling air inlet provided at a front end area of the engine hood, and a mower connecting portion for connecting a mower to the vehicle body. A pair of right and left first fenders are supported to the vehicle body so as to be located above the front wheels or rear wheels. Second fenders are provided separately from the first fenders and overlapping at least partially with the first fenders as viewed from above. Second fender support portions support the second fenders to the vehicle body. Each one of the second fenders includes an overlapping portion overlapping with the first fender as viewed from above and a dust cover portion disposed laterally of the engine cooling air inlet.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2007Date of Patent: May 5, 2009Assignee: Kubota CorporationInventors: Hironori Tsuchihashi, Koji Fujiwara, Yoshiyuki Esaki
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Publication number: 20090013942Abstract: A cooling structure for a working vehicle with a transmission disposed rearwardly and downwardly of a driver's seat and having a hydrostatic transmission, and an air-cooled engine disposed rearwardly of the transmission. The cooling structure comprising a fan for cooling the engine and a fan for cooling the transmission mounted on a rotary shaft operatively connecting the transmission with an output shaft of the air-cooled engine, the fans being configured such that air flows generated by the fans move from adjacent the transmission toward the engine; an oil cooler for cooling fluid supplied to the hydrostatic transmission, the oil cooler being disposed between the fan for cooling the engine and the fan for cooling the transmission, and disposed to face each of the fans; and an air guiding plate disposed at a position higher than the oil cooler for guiding air to regions of the fans.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2007Publication date: January 15, 2009Applicant: Kubota CorporationInventors: Masahiro Yamada, Yoshikazu Togoshi, Akira Minoura, Yoshihiro Ueda, Yoshiyuki Esaki, Eiji Satou, Takeshi Komorida
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Publication number: 20080302077Abstract: A working vehicle includes a vehicle body supported by a plurality of wheels; an implement supported by the vehicle body via a link mechanism such that the implement can be raised and lowered, the implement being permitted to be lowered under its own weight; an abutting member that moves in tandem with the raising and lowering movement of the implement; a receiving piece for limiting the lowering of the implement under its own weight by receiving a first portion of the abutting member; and a manually operable first operating piece for changing the position of the receiving piece between a receiving position and a retracted position, wherein a lowering limiting position is set to a vertical position that is closer to the upper limit of a range of the raising or lowering movement of the implement than to the lower limit of that range.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 19, 2008Publication date: December 11, 2008Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATIONInventors: Takeshi Komorida, Yoshiyuki Esaki, Yoshikazu Togoshi, Eiji Satou
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Publication number: 20080302805Abstract: A work vehicle has a plurality of wheels including a first wheel and a fuel tank disposed upwardly of the first wheel. The fuel tank includes a first portion which is located higher than the highest point of the first wheel in a side view and which also is overlapped at least partially with the first wheel in a top view; a second portion disposed forwardly of the highest point of the first wheel and extending downwardly from the first portion so as to extend lower than the highest point of the first wheel, the second portion being in fluid communication with the first portion; and a third portion disposed rearwardly of the highest point of the first wheel and extending downwardly from the first portion so as to extend lower than the highest point of the first wheel, the third portion being in fluid communication with the first portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 19, 2008Publication date: December 11, 2008Applicant: Kubota CorporationInventors: Takeshi Komorida, Yoshiyuki Esaki, Eiji Satou
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Patent number: 7437865Abstract: A mower comprising: a cutting blade housing; rotating cutting blades; and a front baffle plate disposed forwardly of a rotation zone of each of the rotating cutting blades; wherein the front baffle plate comprises: an upstream-side cutting blade plate portion and a downstream-side cutting blade plate portion having a concave curved guide surface wherein the front baffle plate is configured such that the distance between a rotation zone of the upstream-side cutting blade and a boundary between the upstream-side cutting blade plate portion and the downstream-side cutting blade plate portion in the baffle plates is greater than the distance between the boundary and a rotation zone of the downstream-side cutting blade.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2007Date of Patent: October 21, 2008Assignee: Kubota CorproationInventors: Kazuo Koike, Masatoshi Yamaguchi, Yoshiyuki Esaki