Patents by Inventor Akinobu Kubota

Akinobu Kubota 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: 12043224
    Abstract: A vehicle cleaner system includes: a cleaner unit configured to be mounted on a vehicle and to discharge a cleaning liquid to an external sensor that acquires information outside the vehicle so as to clean the external sensor; and a cleaner control unit configured to control the cleaner unit. The cleaner control unit is configured to acquire vehicle speed information related to a traveling speed of the vehicle, and control the cleaner unit such that at least one of a discharge amount of the cleaning liquid, a discharge amount of the cleaning liquid per unit time, the number of times of discharge of the cleaning liquid, the number of times of discharge of the cleaning liquid per unit time, and a discharge time of the cleaning liquid varies according to the vehicle speed information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Kawamura, Akinobu Kubota, Masaru Sakai, Masaaki Sato
  • Patent number: 12036957
    Abstract: A vehicular cleaner system (1) for cleaning a to-be-cleaned object (100), wherein: the vehicular cleaner system (1) is provided with a tank (11) that accommodates a cleaning liquid, a pump (12) that pressure-feeds the cleaning liquid inside the tank (11), a high-pressure-air generation unit (2) that generates high-pressure air, a first ejection port that sprays the cleaning liquid toward a cleaning surface of the to-be-cleaned object (100), a second ejection port that sprays the high-pressure air toward the cleaning surface, and a controller (4) and vehicle ECU (40) that control the spraying of the cleaning liquid and the spraying of the high-pressure air; and the controller (4) and the vehicle ECU (40) perform control so as to initiate the spraying of the high-pressure air from the second ejection port after spraying of the cleaning liquid from the first ejection port has been initiated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Kawamura, Masayuki Kondo, Hikaru Nagai, Akinobu Kubota, Yasuhiro Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20240181999
    Abstract: A cleaner system is mounted on a vehicle including an external sensor configured to acquire information outside the vehicle. The cleaner system includes: a cleaning device configured to clean the external sensor or prevent adhesion of dirt to the external sensor by discharging a cleaning medium to the external sensor; and a cleaner control unit configured to operate the cleaning device at a predetermined cleaning strength when a predetermined operation condition is satisfied. The cleaner control unit further acquires a travel situation of the vehicle, and controls a cleaning strength based on the travel situation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Publication date: June 6, 2024
    Applicants: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD., KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Suzuki, Akinobu Kubota, Syota Yonemaru, Natsuki Iguchi, Yoshiaki Fushimi, Tatsuya Inoue, Masaaki Sato, Toshihisa Hayami
  • Patent number: 11993230
    Abstract: A vehicle cleaner system that includes a single pump and a plurality of cleaners which are connected to the single pump and clean different cleaning target objects with a cleaning medium is disclosed. The cleaning target objects include a sensor which detects information on outside of a vehicle and a cleaner control unit which operates the plurality of cleaners in accordance with input of a signal. The cleaner control unit is capable of operating the plurality of cleaners such that cleaning methods of the plurality of cleaners are different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaru Sakai, Masayuki Kondo, Kazuki Kawamura, Akinobu Kubota
  • Publication number: 20230391293
    Abstract: A vehicle cleaner system includes: a cleaner unit mounted on a vehicle and configured to clean an external sensor acquiring information on outside of the vehicle; an advanced notification information acquiring unit configured to acquire expressway advanced notification information notifying that the vehicle has arrived within a predetermined distance from an entrance of an expressway; and a cleaner control unit configured to, when the advanced notification information acquiring unit has acquired the expressway advanced notification information, control the cleaner unit to clean the external sensor or diagnose whether or not the external sensor needs to be cleaned by the cleaner unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2023
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaru SAKAI, Kazuki KWAMURA, Akinobu Kubota, Massaki SATO
  • Patent number: 11827188
    Abstract: A foreign matter removal device (1) is configured to remove foreign matters on a lens (101) of an in-vehicle camera (100) attached to a vehicle so that the lens (101) of the in-vehicle camera (100) is exposed toward an outside of a body panel of the vehicle. The foreign matter removal device includes a single-cylinder type reciprocating pump (5) configured to generate high-pressure air and a nozzle (22) configured to inject the high-pressure air toward the lens (101). A volume of an internal space of the pump is 10 cm3 or less. Exhaust time (t1) per cycle required for exhausting the air in the internal space is 0.03 seconds or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Ichikawa, Akinobu Kubota
  • Patent number: 11794702
    Abstract: A cleaner for cleaning an object to be cleaned includes a generation unit configured to generate high-pressure air, a nozzle configured to inject the high-pressure air toward a cleaning surface of the object to be cleaned, and a control unit configured to control an injection of the high-pressure air. Even when foreign objects do not adhere to the cleaning surface, the control unit executes an operation mode in which the high-pressure air is generated and injected when a predetermined condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akinobu Kubota, Yasuhiro Ichikawa, Junji Baba, Kazuki Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20230331191
    Abstract: A vehicular cleaner system (1) for cleaning a to-be-cleaned object (100), wherein: the vehicular cleaner system (1) is provided with a tank (11) that accommodates a cleaning liquid, a pump (12) that pressure-feeds the cleaning liquid inside the tank (11), a high-pressure-air generation unit (2) that generates high-pressure air, a first ejection port that sprays the cleaning liquid toward a cleaning surface of the to-be-cleaned object (100), a second ejection port that sprays the high-pressure air toward the cleaning surface, and a controller (4) and vehicle ECU (40) that control the spraying of the cleaning liquid and the spraying of the high-pressure air; and the controller (4) and the vehicle ECU (40) perform control so as to initiate the spraying of the high-pressure air from the second ejection port after spraying of the cleaning liquid from the first ejection port has been initiated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2023
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTORING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki KAWAMURA, Masayuki KONDO, Hikaru NAGAI, Akinobu KUBOTA, Yasuhiro ICHIKAWA
  • Patent number: 11772612
    Abstract: A vehicle cleaner system includes: a cleaner unit mounted on a vehicle and configured to clean an external sensor acquiring information on outside of the vehicle; an advanced notification information acquiring unit configured to acquire expressway advanced notification information notifying that the vehicle has arrived within a predetermined distance from an entrance of an expressway; and a cleaner control unit configured to, when the advanced notification information acquiring unit has acquired the expressway advanced notification information, control the cleaner unit to clean the external sensor or diagnose whether or not the external sensor needs to be cleaned by the cleaner unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaru Sakai, Kazuki Kawamura, Akinobu Kubota, Masaaki Sato
  • Patent number: 11738720
    Abstract: This vehicle cleaner unit, for cleaning a to-be-cleaned object mounted on the vehicle, is provided with: a single motor; a single pump comprising a cylinder which extends in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle cleaner unit and into which air is introduced, and a piston which can carry out linear motion in the longitudinal direction inside of the cylinder and which blows air to outside of the vehicle cleaning unit at high pressure; a biasing spring which biases the piston to a first side in the longitudinal direction; and a single worm mechanism which transmits rotary motion of the motor to cause the piston to carry out linear motion to the second side opposite of the first side. The rotation axis of the motor and the longitudinal direction are parallel, and the motor and the pump are positioned on the same side of the worm mechanism in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masayuki Kondo, Akinobu Kubota
  • Patent number: 11731590
    Abstract: A vehicular cleaner system (1) for cleaning a to-be-cleaned object (100), wherein: the vehicular cleaner system (1) is provided with a tank (11) that accommodates a cleaning liquid, a pump (12) that pressure-feeds the cleaning liquid inside the tank (11), a high-pressure-air generation unit (2) that generates high-pressure air, a first ejection port that sprays the cleaning liquid toward a cleaning surface of the to-be-cleaned object (100), a second ejection port that sprays the high-pressure air toward the cleaning surface, and a controller (4) and vehicle ECU (40) that control the spraying of the cleaning liquid and the spraying of the high-pressure air; and the controller (4) and the vehicle ECU (40) perform control so as to initiate the spraying of the high-pressure air from the second ejection port after spraying of the cleaning liquid from the first ejection port has been initiated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Kawamura, Masayuki Kondo, Hikaru Nagai, Akinobu Kubota, Yasuhiro Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20230031726
    Abstract: A sensor unit to be mounted on a vehicle, the sensor unit includes: a LiDAR; a housing configured to accommodate the LiDAR; and a cleaner attached to the housing and including a first nozzle configured to jet air at a first surface to be cleaned corresponding to the LiDAR and a second nozzle configured to jet a cleaning liquid at the first surface to be cleaned. The first nozzle is disposed above the second nozzle, a jetting direction of the air from the first nozzle is a direction that is parallel to a horizontal direction or a direction that is more downward-trending than the horizontal direction, and a jetting direction of the cleaning liquid from the second nozzle is a direction that is more upward-trending than the horizontal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akinobu KUBOTA, Taishi HACHIYA
  • Patent number: 11535203
    Abstract: Provided is an air cleaner for vehicles, configured so that objects to be cleaned can be easily maintained in as clean state. This fair cleaner (1) for vehicles is provided with: ejection openings (20, 30) for ejecting air toward the surfaces (21, 31) to be cleaned of objects (2, 3) to be cleaned and a non-positive displacement blower means (10) for continuously delivering air to the ejection openings (20, 30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO.. LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro Matsunaga, Akinobu Kubota, Yasuhiro Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20220390568
    Abstract: A sensor system to be mounted on a vehicle includes a LiDAR, a camera, a housing that accommodates the LiDAR and the camera and a cleaner that is attached to the housing and has at least one nozzle configured to clean a first cleaning target surface corresponding to the LiDAR and a second cleaning target surface corresponding to the camera at the same time using a cleaning medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akinobu KUBOTA, Taishi HACHIYA, Masaaki SATO, Kazuhiro SUZUKI, Toshihisa HAYAMI, Yusuke TOTSUKA, Masayuki MIWA
  • Patent number: 11505163
    Abstract: A foreign matter removal device that removes foreign matters adhering to a lens (101) included in an in-vehicle camera (100), including a camera bracket (91) that attaches the in-vehicle camera (100) to a rear bumper panel (200b) of a vehicle in a state in which the lens (101) is exposed toward the outside of the rear bumper panel (200b) of the vehicle, a high-pressure air generation unit disposed inside the rear bumper panel (200b) and configured to generate high-pressure air, and a nozzle unit provided with a nozzle (22) that injects the high-pressure air toward the lens (101), wherein a through-hole (92) is formed in the camera bracket (91), and the high-pressure air generated by the high-pressure air generation unit passes from the inside to the outside of the rear bumper panel (200b) through the through-hole (92), and is injected from the nozzle (22) toward the lens (101).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kimura, Junji Baba, Akinobu Kubota, Yasuhiro Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 11427163
    Abstract: A vehicle cleaner system includes: a window washer configured to clean a front window of a vehicle; a lamp cleaner configured to clean a headlamp; a sensor cleaner configured to clean a sensor that detects information outside the vehicle; and a cleaner control unit configured to operate at least one of the window washer, the lamp cleaner, and the sensor cleaner in accordance with input of a signal. The cleaner control unit is configured to operate the window washer, the lamp cleaner, and the sensor cleaner such that at least two or more of a number of operations of the window washer, a number of operations of the lamp cleaner, and a number of operations of the sensor cleaner are different in accordance with a predetermined number of signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akinobu Kubota, Masayuki Kondo, Kazuki Kawamura, Masaru Sakai
  • Patent number: 11414054
    Abstract: An electromagnetic valve includes a solenoid; a sealing portion provided on a movable element; an urging member; a first pipe including a first outlet side end portion; and a second pipe including an inlet side end portion and a second outlet side end portion. The first pipe includes a receiving seat being in close contact with the sealing portion. In a first state where the sealing portion is separated from the receiving seat, a liquid flows to the first outlet side end portion. In a second state where the sealing portion is in close contact with the receiving seat, the liquid flows to the second outlet side end portion and does not flow to the first outlet side end portion, and a pressing force by the urging member and a hydrostatic pressure of the liquid in the merging portion act to press the sealing portion against the receiving seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akinobu Kubota, Masaaki Sato
  • Publication number: 20220227333
    Abstract: A vehicular air curtain device configured to send continuously, based on an operation signal, air to a sensor or a sensor cover mounted on a vehicle at a predetermined wind speed or a predetermined air flow rate in order to prevent dirt from adhering to the sensor or the sensor cover, the vehicular air curtain device includes: an air blowing mechanism; a motor configured to drive the air blowing mechanism; and an air curtain control unit configured to change a drive voltage or a drive current of the motor in accordance with a predetermined condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro MATSUNAGA, Akinobu KUBOTA, Masaaki SATO, Masaru SAKAI, Yasuhiro ICHIKAWA, Kazuhiro SUZUKI, Yusuke FUNAMI, Toshihisa HAYAMI
  • Publication number: 20220176916
    Abstract: Of the moving directions of the piston, the direction in which high-pressure air is delivered is a delivery direction, and the direction in the opposite direction from the delivery direction is a force accumulation direction. The piston is moved in the force accumulation direction by the moving mechanism, and moved in the delivery direction by the biasing force of the biasing spring in response to the release of the moving force exerted by the moving mechanism. The cylinder is provided with: a piston supporting portion that supports the piston; and a connection protrusion that has a delivery path for delivering the high-pressure air to the nozzle. The inner surface of an end of the piston supporting portion in the delivery direction is formed as a closed surface. The delivery path is located further toward the force accumulation direction than the closed surface is.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takayuki Kato, Takayoshi Mochizuki, Akinobu Kubota, Yasuhiro Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20220097658
    Abstract: A vehicle cleaner system according to the present invention includes: cleaner units that eject cleaning fluid to on-vehicle objects to be cleaned; motor pumps that supply the cleaning fluid to the cleaner units; normally closed solenoid valves provided between the cleaner units and the motor pumps to switch between allowance and disallowance of the transfer of the cleaning fluid from the motor pumps to the cleaner units; and a cleaner control unit that controls the motor pumps and the solenoid valves. The cleaner control unit sets an operation stop time t2, for which at least one of a motor pump and a solenoid valve is stopped, and stops, on the basis of a predetermined condition, the operation of the at least one of the motor pump and the solenoid valve for the duration of the operation stop time t2 after the cleaning fluid is ejected to the object to be cleaned.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hikaru NAGAI, Akinobu KUBOTA, Kazuki KAWAMURA, Toshihisa HAYAMI, Yusuke FUNAMI, Yoshio ITO, Kazuhiro SUZUKI