Patents by Inventor Atsushi HIGUCHI

Atsushi HIGUCHI 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: 11931936
    Abstract: In an injection process, molten resin is successively injected from a first flow channel and a second flow channel connected with each other in order into a cavity of a metal mold. High-temperature resin existing in the first flow channel is injected in advance into the cavity as a part of a single shot of molten resin to later form a skin layer of a molded article. Other low temperature resin near a flowable limit existing in the second flow channel is subsequently injected into the cavity as another part of the single shot of molten resin to later form a core layer of the molded article. A low temperature resin remaining in the first flow channel when injection is completed is warmed to be a high-temperature resin before the next cycle, thereby allowing successive molding of molded articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tohru Higuchi, Masato Ichikawa, Tsuyoshi Arai, Jun Hasebe, Atsushi Kawamura, Tomoyoshi Murata
  • Patent number: 10675960
    Abstract: The present invention provides a traveling device including: a framework member of a vehicle body; at least one rail member being supported by the framework member and extending substantially horizontally; a battery supporting member that is mounted to be insertable into the vehicle body and extractable from the vehicle body by the rail member for supporting a battery; and at least one damper member being disposed between the rail member and the battery supporting member, wherein the damper member is attached above or below the rail member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Higuchi, Tetsushi Itoh, Kyosuke Taka, Yoshitaka Okahashi, Kosuke Tanaka, Kiyotaka Hirata
  • Patent number: 10640146
    Abstract: A moving vehicle includes a skid-steer electric motor vehicle chassis that is capable of traveling and an optical sensor provided on the electric motor vehicle chassis. The electric motor vehicle chassis includes a chassis body, a plurality of wheels that are provided as pairs of right and left wheels at the front and rear of the chassis body, and a driving unit that individually rotation-drives the pairs of right and left wheels. The optical sensor is disposed, in planar view, at a position nearby an axle line of a pair of right and left wheels on one side of the front and rear. A pair of right and left wheels on the other side of the front and rear is configured of wheels with rollers each having a wheel body and a plurality of rollers provided on an outer circumferential portion of the wheel body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kosuke Tanaka, Kyosuke Taka, Yoshitaka Okahashi, Atsushi Higuchi, Kiyotaka Hirata
  • Publication number: 20190337564
    Abstract: A moving vehicle includes a skid-steer electric motor vehicle chassis that is capable of traveling and an optical sensor provided on the electric motor vehicle chassis. The electric motor vehicle chassis includes a chassis body, a plurality of wheels that are provided as pairs of right and left wheels at the front and rear of the chassis body, and a driving unit that individually rotation-drives the pairs of right and left wheels. The optical sensor is disposed, in planar view, at a position nearby an axle line of a pair of right and left wheels on one side of the front and rear. A pair of right and left wheels on the other side of the front and rear is configured of wheels with rollers each having a wheel body and a plurality of rollers provided on an outer circumferential portion of the wheel body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventors: KOSUKE TANAKA, KYOSUKE TAKA, YOSHITAKA OKAHASHI, ATSUSHI HIGUCHI, KIYOTAKA HIRATA
  • Patent number: 10466699
    Abstract: An autonomous travel device is provided with wheels, a device main body, a power source that is provided on one end portion of the device main body within the device main body and causes the device main body to travel autonomously by driving the wheels, a battery for supplying power to the power source, and an accommodation unit for accommodating the battery from the other end portion of the device main body to a central portion of the device main body within the device main body. With this configuration, it is possible to easily perform replacement of the battery, and therefore, it is possible to perform autonomous travel that is stabilized due to disposition of the battery in consideration of the center of gravity of the device main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Hirata, Atsushi Higuchi
  • Patent number: 10442462
    Abstract: To provide a vehicle body structure for an autonomously traveling vehicle that is distinguished for maintainability. A vehicle body structure (1) for an autonomously traveling vehicle that travels on wheels (3) provided on a chassis (2) includes side frames (4R), (4L) that extend in a chassis longitudinal direction on both sides of the chassis with respect to a chassis width direction, first drive units (20) in each of which a drive motor (5) that is for driving the wheel (3), a reduction gear (6), and a drive shaft (7) that drives the wheel (3) are integrally configured, and second drive units (30) which each rotatably hold a drive shaft (7) that drives the wheel (3). The vehicle body structure (1) is characterized in that the first drive units (20) and the second drive units (30) are each provided so as to be integrally mountable in and dismountable from the same side frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Higuchi, Kyosuke Taka, Tetsushi Ito, Kiyotaka Hirata, Kosuke Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10399598
    Abstract: A moving vehicle includes a skid-steer electric motor vehicle chassis that is capable of traveling and an optical sensor provided on the electric motor vehicle chassis. The electric motor vehicle chassis includes a chassis body, a plurality of wheels that are provided as pairs of right and left wheels at the front and rear of the chassis body, and a driving unit that individually rotation-drives the pairs of right and left wheels. The optical sensor is disposed, in planar view, at a position nearby an axle line of a pair of right and left wheels on one side of the front and rear. A pair of right and left wheels on the other side of the front and rear is configured of wheels with rollers each having a wheel body and a plurality of rollers provided on an outer circumferential portion of the wheel body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kosuke Tanaka, Kyosuke Taka, Yoshitaka Okahashi, Atsushi Higuchi, Kiyotaka Hirata
  • Patent number: 10279782
    Abstract: A wheel cleaning system for an autonomous driving apparatus includes the autonomous driving apparatus with wheels, capable of driving autonomously based on peripheral information, and a cleaning area for cleaning the wheels. The cleaning area has a cleaning mat for cleaning the wheels as the wheels turn to rub against the mat. The autonomous driving apparatus has a controller for controlling an operation of the autonomous driving apparatus so as to perform a cleaning process of the wheels in the cleaning area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Hirata, Kyosuke Taka, Tetsushi Ito, Masatoshi Tomomasa, Atsushi Higuchi, Kosuke Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20190009663
    Abstract: The present invention provides a traveling device including: a framework member of a vehicle body; at least one rail member being supported by the framework member and extending substantially horizontally; a battery supporting member that is mounted to be insertable into the vehicle body and extractable from the vehicle body by the rail member for supporting a battery; and at least one damper member being disposed between the rail member and the battery supporting member, wherein the damper member is attached above or below the rail member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventors: Atsushi HIGUCHI, Tetsushi ITOH, Kyosuke TAKA, Yoshitaka OKAHASHI, Kosuke TANAKA, Kiyotaka HIRATA
  • Patent number: 10112471
    Abstract: The present invention provides a battery-driven traveling device including: a framework section disposed on at least a bottom part of a vehicle body for ensuring strength of the vehicle body; two slide rails being composed of a left slide rail and a right slide rail and being supported by the framework section and extending substantially horizontally; a battery supporting member that is mounted to be insertable into the vehicle body and extractable from the vehicle body by using the two slide rails; and a plurality of dampers disposed on a path through which vibration of the vehicle body is transmitted from each of the slide rails to the battery supporting member for relaxing the vibration transmitted from the vehicle body to the battery while the device travels, wherein the left slide rail is disposed on left side of the battery supporting member and the right slide rail is disposed on right side of the battery supporting member, and each of the dampers is disposed above or below the left slide rail or the r
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Higuchi, Tetsushi Itoh, Kyosuke Taka, Yoshitaka Okahashi, Kosuke Tanaka, Kiyotaka Hirata
  • Patent number: 10065500
    Abstract: To provide a vehicle body structure for an autonomous traveling vehicle equipped with wheels arranged to a chassis thereof, including; side frames arranged on both sides in a width direction of the chassis and each extended in a longitudinal direction of the chassis; a first drive unit having a drive motor, a drive shaft, a first pulley and a first pulley box; a second drive unit having an axle for supporting the wheel and a second pulley and a second pulley box; and an endless belt. The first pulley box has a first opening formed on a side surface, with respect to an axial direction of the drive shaft while the second pulley box has a second opening formed on a side surface with respect to an axial direction of the axle. The vehicle body structure includes bearing covers for covering the first and second openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20180065503
    Abstract: An autonomous travelling vehicle includes a driving unit configured to drive a vehicle body, a control unit configured to control the driving unit, a cable configured to electrically connect the driving unit and the control unit, a control unit containing frame configured to contain the control unit, and a driving unit containing frame configured to contain the driving unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Inventors: Atsushi HIGUCHI, Yoshitaka OKAHASHI, Kyosuke TAKA
  • Publication number: 20180065242
    Abstract: A moving vehicle includes a skid-steer electric motor vehicle chassis that is capable of traveling and an optical sensor provided on the electric motor vehicle chassis. The electric motor vehicle chassis includes a chassis body, a plurality of wheels that are provided as pairs of right and left wheels at the front and rear of the chassis body, and a driving unit that individually rotation-drives the pairs of right and left wheels. The optical sensor is disposed, in planar view, at a position nearby an axle line of a pair of right and left wheels on one side of the front and rear. A pair of right and left wheels on the other side of the front and rear is configured of wheels with rollers each having a wheel body and a plurality of rollers provided on an outer circumferential portion of the wheel body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Inventors: KOSUKE TANAKA, KYOSUKE TAKA, YOSHITAKA OKAHASHI, ATSUSHI HIGUCHI, KIYOTAKA HIRATA
  • Publication number: 20170369100
    Abstract: To provide a vehicle body structure for an autonomously traveling vehicle that is distinguished for maintainability. A vehicle body structure (1) for an autonomously traveling vehicle that travels on wheels (3) provided on a chassis (2) includes side frames (4R), (4L) that extend in a chassis longitudinal direction on both sides of the chassis with respect to a chassis width direction, first drive units (20) in each of which a drive motor (5) that is for driving the wheel (3), a reduction gear (6), and a drive shaft (7) that drives the wheel (3) are integrally configured, and second drive units (30) which each rotatably hold a drive shaft (7) that drives the wheel (3). The vehicle body structure (1) is characterized in that the first drive units (20) and the second drive units (30) are each provided so as to be integrally mountable in and dismountable from the same side frames.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventors: Atsushi HIGUCHI, Kyosuke TAKA, Tetsushi ITO, Kiyotaka HIRATA, Kosuke TANAKA
  • Publication number: 20170364075
    Abstract: An autonomous travel device is provided with wheels, a device main body, a power source that is provided on one end portion of the device main body within the device main body and causes the device main body to travel autonomously by driving the wheels, a battery for supplying power to the power source, and an accommodation unit for accommodating the battery from the other end portion of the device main body to a central portion of the device main body within the device main body. With this configuration, it is possible to easily perform replacement of the battery, and therefore, it is possible to perform autonomous travel that is stabilized due to disposition of the battery in consideration of the center of gravity of the device main body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Inventors: Kiyotaka HIRATA, Atsushi HIGUCHI
  • Patent number: 9845015
    Abstract: A vehicle body structure of an autonomous vehicle includes: a first driver integrally configured of a drive portion for a first wheel, a drive shaft for the first wheel and a first shaft support for the drive shaft; a second driver integrally configured of an axle for a second wheel and a second shaft support for the axle; and, a pair of side frames arranged on each side in a width direction of the chassis and each extended in a front-to-rear direction of the chassis to support the first driver and the second driver. The first shaft support and the second shaft support each have an attachment part to be fixed to a flank of the side frame from an outside. Each of the first and second drivers is integrally attached to, and detached from, the side frame, by access from the flank of the side frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Higuchi, Kyosuke Taka, Tetsushi Ito, Masatoshi Tomomasa, Kosuke Tanaka, Kiyotaka Hirata
  • Publication number: 20170334279
    Abstract: The present invention provides a battery-driven traveling device including: a framework section disposed on at least a bottom part of a vehicle body for ensuring strength of the vehicle body; two slide rails being composed of a left slide rail and a right slide rail and being supported by the framework section and extending substantially horizontally; a battery supporting member that is mounted to be insertable into the vehicle body and extractable from the vehicle body by using the two slide rails; and a plurality of dampers disposed on a path through which vibration of the vehicle body is transmitted from each of the slide rails to the battery supporting member for relaxing the vibration transmitted from the vehicle body to the battery while the device travels, wherein the left slide rail is disposed on left side of the battery supporting member and the right slide rail is disposed on right side of the battery supporting member, and each of the dampers is disposed above or below the left slide rail or the r
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Atsushi HIGUCHI, Tetsushi ITOH, Kyosuke TAKA, Yoshitaka OKAHASHI, Kosuke TANAKA, Kiyotaka HIRATA
  • Publication number: 20170050517
    Abstract: To provide a vehicle body structure for an autonomous traveling vehicle equipped with wheels arranged to a chassis thereof, including; side frames arranged on both sides in a width direction of the chassis and each extended in a longitudinal direction of the chassis; a first drive unit having a drive motor, a drive shaft, a first pulley and a first pulley box; a second drive unit having an axle for supporting the wheel and a second pulley and a second pulley box; and an endless belt. The first pulley box has a first opening formed on a side surface, with respect to an axial direction of the drive shaft while the second pulley box has a second opening formed on a side surface with respect to an axial direction of the axle. The vehicle body structure includes bearing covers for covering the first and second openings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Inventor: Atsushi HIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20160355092
    Abstract: A vehicle body structure of an autonomous vehicle that travels on wheels attached to a chassis, includes: a first driver integrally configured of a drive portion for driving a first wheel, a drive shaft for driving the first wheel and a first shaft support that rotatably supports the drive shaft; a second driver integrally configured of an axle for supporting a second wheel and a second shaft support that rotatably supports the axle; and, a pair of side frames arranged on each side in a width direction of the chassis and each extended in a front-to-rear direction of the chassis to support the first driver and the second driver. The first shaft support and the second shaft support each have an attachment part to be fixed to a flank of the side frame from an outside. Each of the first and second drivers can be integrally attached to, and detached from, the side frame, by access from the flank of the side frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Inventors: Atsushi HIGUCHI, Kyosuke TAKA, Tetsushi ITO, Masatoshi TOMOMASA, Kosuke TANAKA, Kiyotaka HIRATA
  • Publication number: 20160339879
    Abstract: A wheel cleaning system for an autonomous driving apparatus includes the autonomous driving apparatus with wheels, capable of driving autonomously based on peripheral information, and a cleaning area for cleaning the wheels. The cleaning area has a cleaning mat for cleaning the wheels as the wheels turn to rub against the mat. The autonomous driving apparatus has a controller for controlling an operation of the autonomous driving apparatus so as to perform a cleaning process of the wheels in the cleaning area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventors: Kiyotaka HIRATA, Kyosuke TAKA, Tetsushi ITO, Masatoshi TOMOMASA, Atsushi HIGUCHI, Kosuke TANAKA