Patents by Inventor Akitaka Ichikawa

Akitaka Ichikawa 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).

  • Publication number: 20240019023
    Abstract: In a catch tank, a partition wall is formed that extends along a vehicle front-rear direction and divides the catch tank in a vehicle width direction in a vehicle-mounted state, which helps prevent oil in the catch tank from flowing unevenly to one of a first space and a second space even when the oil surface of the oil tilts during turn of the vehicle, for example. As a result, an appropriate amount of oil required for lubrication is supplied through a second lubrication hole regardless of tilt of the vehicle or turn of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Marina HIRATA, Akitaka ICHIKAWA, Hiroshi KAWANISHI, Tsukasa SAKAMAKI, Shohei NAGATA
  • Patent number: 11035418
    Abstract: A tolerance ring includes a cylindrical main body, which has an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface, and a plurality of protuberances, which protrudes outward in a radial direction from the inner circumferential surface of the main body. The main body includes a recess that extends from an end of the main body to at least one of the protuberances and communicates with an inside of the at least one of the protuberances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignees: TOGO SEISAKUSYO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuji Nakamura, Hirofumi Kurachi, Akitaka Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 10704608
    Abstract: A shaft coupling structure includes a shaft, a sleeve, into which the shaft is inserted, and a tolerance ring. The tolerance ring includes a cylindrical main body and a plurality of protuberances, which protrudes outward in a radial direction from an inner circumferential surface of the main body. The tolerance ring is fitted between an outer circumferential surface of the shaft and an inner circumferential surface of the sleeve. A communication passage that connects an inside and an outside of each protuberance is provided between the outer circumferential surface of the shaft and the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignees: TOGO SEISAKUSYO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuji Nakamura, Hirofumi Kurachi, Akitaka Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 10443657
    Abstract: A power transmission device includes a rotor shaft, a gear shaft, and a rattling suppression member. The rattling suppression member is provided between a first shaft end portion and the gear shaft or between a second shaft end portion and the rotor shaft. The first shaft end portion is a portion, protruding to the gear shaft side from one of a pair of first bearings, of the rotor shaft, while the second shaft end portion is a portion, protruding to the rotor shaft side from one of a pair of second bearings, of the gear shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kodo Nakawatari, Hiroki Kuwamoto, Akitaka Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 10300780
    Abstract: A support structure for rotating shafts of a vehicle, including: a drive shaft operatively connected to a power transmitting shaft to which a drive force of an engine is transmitted; and a rotor shaft of an electric motor spline-coupled to the drive shaft, each of the rotor shaft of the electric motor and the drive shaft is being supported by at least one bearing, in the support structure, one of the rotor shaft and the drive shaft is constituted by a first rotary shaft and a second rotary shaft which are operatively connected to each other, and an elastic member is interposed between the first rotary shaft and the second rotary shaft such that the first and second rotary shafts are operatively spline-connected to each other through the elastic member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshimitsu Yokouchi, Hiroki Kuwamoto, Haruo Isomura, Akitaka Ichikawa, Hiroatsu Endo
  • Publication number: 20180372164
    Abstract: A shaft coupling structure includes a shaft, a sleeve, into which the shaft is inserted, and a tolerance ring. The tolerance ring includes a cylindrical main body and a plurality of protuberances, which protrudes outward in a radial direction from an inner circumferential surface of the main body. The tolerance ring is fitted between an outer circumferential surface of the shaft and an inner circumferential surface of the sleeve. A communication passage that connects an inside and an outside of each protuberance is provided between the outer circumferential surface of the shaft and the main body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Applicants: TOGO SEISAKUSYO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuji NAKAMURA, Hirofumi KURACHI, Akitaka ICHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20180372163
    Abstract: A tolerance ring includes a cylindrical main body, which has an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface, and a plurality of protuberances, which protrudes outward in a radial direction from the inner circumferential surface of the main body. The main body includes a recess that extends from an end of the main body to at least one of the protuberances and communicates with an inside of the at least one of the protuberances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Applicants: TOGO SEISAKUSYO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuji NAKAMURA, Hirofumi KURACHI, Akitaka ICHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20180257476
    Abstract: A support structure for rotating shafts of a vehicle, including: a drive shaft operatively connected to a power transmitting shaft to which a drive force of an engine is transmitted; and a rotor shaft of an electric motor spline-coupled to the drive shaft, each of the rotor shaft of the electric motor and the drive shaft is being supported by at least one bearing, in the support structure, one of the rotor shaft and the drive shaft is constituted by a first rotary shaft and a second rotary shaft which are operatively connected to each other, and an elastic member is interposed between the first rotary shaft and the second rotary shaft such that the first and second rotary shafts are operatively spline-connected to each other through the elastic member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2015
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshimitsu YOKOUCHI, Hiroki KUWAMOTO, Haruo ISOMURA, Akitaka ICHIKAWA, Hiroatsu ENDO
  • Patent number: 10017041
    Abstract: A power transmission structure of a vehicle, which is provided with a first rotor, a second rotor, and a metallic cylinder. In this power transmission structure, the reduction shaft and the second rotor shaft receive reaction force from the cylindrical metallic member in radially opposite directions. The cylindrical metallic member is deformable elastically in a radial direction and press-fitted in a part where the reduction shaft and the second rotor shaft of a second electric motor overlap each other in the radial direction adjacent to a spline fitting part of the reduction shaft and the second rotor shaft. Therefore, misalignment between the axis of the reduction shaft and the axis of the second rotor shaft is restrained, and generation of tooth hitting sound is thus restrained. Since the cylindrical metallic member has high rigidity and is restrained from being deformed in a rotation direction, responsiveness of torque transmission is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akitaka Ichikawa, Yoshimitsu Yokouchi, Masataka Sugiyama, Haruo Isomura, Hiroki Kuwamoto
  • Patent number: 9784336
    Abstract: In a positive torsion angle region in which a torque is transmitted from an engine side, a small hysteresis torque is generated at all times. Therefore, torsional vibrations of a small amplitude occurring during idle operation can be effectively attenuated by the small hysteresis torque, without switching to a large hysteresis torque, for example, during idle operation of the engine. As a result, the driver can be prevented from feeling uncomfortable due to switching to a large hysteresis torque during idle operation, and drivability can therefore be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masataka Sugiyama, Hiroaki Kimura, Akitaka Ichikawa, Masaru Ebata, Tomohiro Saeki, Tsutomu Sekine, Hiroaki Suezaki
  • Publication number: 20170067512
    Abstract: A power transmission device includes a rotor shaft, a gear shaft, and a rattling suppression member. The rattling suppression member is provided between a first shaft end portion and the gear shaft or between a second shaft end portion and the rotor shaft. The first shaft end portion is a portion, protruding to the gear shaft side from one of a pair of first bearings, of the rotor shaft, while the second shaft end portion is a portion, protruding to the rotor shaft side from one of a pair of second bearings, of the gear shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kodo NAKAWATARI, Hiroki KUWAMOTO, Akitaka ICHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20160311305
    Abstract: A power transmission structure of a vehicle, which is provided with a first rotor, a second rotor, and a metallic cylinder. In this power transmission structure, the reduction shaft and the second rotor shaft receive reaction force from the cylindrical metallic member in radially opposite directions. The cylindrical metallic member is deformable elastically in a radial direction and press-fitted in a part where the reduction shaft and the second rotor shaft of a second electric motor overlap each other in the radial direction adjacent to a spline fitting part of the reduction shaft and the second rotor shaft. Therefore, misalignment between the axis of the reduction shaft and the axis of the second rotor shaft is restrained, and generation of tooth hitting sound is thus restrained. Since the cylindrical metallic member has high rigidity and is restrained from being deformed in a rotation direction, responsiveness of torque transmission is improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akitaka ICHIKAWA, Yoshimitsu YOKOUCHI, Masataka SUGIYAMA, Haruo ISOMURA, Hiroki KUWAMOTO
  • Patent number: 9132832
    Abstract: A vehicle power transmission device is disposed on a hybrid vehicle having an engine and an electric motor, the vehicle power transmission device includes a first member having one of outer circumferential teeth disposed around one axial center or inner circumferential teeth meshing with the outer circumferential teeth and a second member having the other teeth, the inner circumferential teeth and the outer circumferential teeth meshes with each other to limit relative rotation around the one axial center between the first member and the second member, the relative rotation between the first member and the second member is limited to transmit torque of the electric motor to drive wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akitaka Ichikawa, Yoshimitsu Yokouchi, Masahiro Kojima, Ryuji Ibaraki, Michitaka Tsuchida, Shinichiro Suenaga, Hiromichi Kimura
  • Patent number: 9102319
    Abstract: A vehicle power transmission device is disposed on a hybrid vehicle having an engine and an electric motor, the vehicle power transmission device includes a first member having one of outer circumferential teeth disposed around one axial center or inner circumferential teeth meshing with the outer circumferential teeth and a second member having the other teeth, the inner circumferential teeth and the outer circumferential teeth meshes with each other to limit relative rotation around the one axial center between the first member and the second member, the relative rotation between the first member and the second member is limited to transmit torque of the electric motor to drive wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akitaka Ichikawa, Yoshimitsu Yokouchi, Masahiro Kojima, Ryuji Ibaraki, Michitaka Tsuchida, Shinichiro Suenaga, Hiromichi Kimura
  • Publication number: 20150184718
    Abstract: In a positive torsion angle region in which a torque is transmitted from an engine side, a small hysteresis torque is generated at all times. Therefore, torsional vibrations of a small amplitude occurring during idle operation can be effectively attenuated by the small hysteresis torque, without switching to a large hysteresis torque, for example, during idle operation of the engine. As a result, the driver can be prevented from feeling uncomfortable due to switching to a large hysteresis torque during idle operation, and drivability can therefore be improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Applicants: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masataka Sugiyama, Hiroaki Kimura, Akitaka Ichikawa, Masaru Ebata, Tomohiro Saeki, Tsutomu Sekine, Hiroaki Suezaki
  • Publication number: 20140335998
    Abstract: A vehicle power transmission device is disposed on a hybrid vehicle having an engine and an electric motor, the vehicle power transmission device includes a first member having one of outer circumferential teeth disposed around one axial center or inner circumferential teeth meshing with the outer circumferential teeth and a second member having the other teeth, the inner circumferential teeth and the outer circumferential teeth meshes with each other to limit relative rotation around the one axial center between the first member and the second member, the relative rotation between the first member and the second member is limited to transmit torque of the electric motor to drive wheels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akitaka Ichikawa, Yoshimitsu Yokouchi, Masahiro Kojima, Ryuji Ibaraki, Michitaka Tsuchida, Shinichiro Suenaga, Hiromichi Kimura