Patents by Inventor Atsushi Tsukizaki

Atsushi Tsukizaki 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: 11697339
    Abstract: A vehicle drive apparatus includes an internal combustion engine, an electric-power-generating-motor gear train, a drive gear, a driven gear, a differential, a low clutch and a high clutch. The electric-power-generating-motor gear train and the driven gear are arranged on a first plane. The drive gear, the driven gear, and the differential are arranged on a second plane. The low clutch and the high clutch are arranged on a third plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Miura, Masato Koga, Atsushi Tsukizaki
  • Patent number: 11619300
    Abstract: An engine transmission is provided with an interference member that is configured to interfere with one of a low-gear clutch sleeve and a high-gear clutch sleeve so that when one of the low-gear clutch sleeve and the high-gear clutch sleeve is at an engagement position, the other one of the low-gear clutch sleeve and the high-gear clutch sleeve cannot move to an engagement position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Tsukizaki
  • Publication number: 20220274477
    Abstract: A power transmission device has a generator driven an internal combustion engine and a drive motor driven by the generator. The power transmission device further has a first clutch mechanism, a second clutch mechanism and a shift cam mechanism. The shift cam mechanism is actuated by a mode actuator to engage and disengage the first and second clutch mechanisms. The first clutch mechanism connect or disconnect power transmission between the drive motor and the drive wheel. The second clutch mechanism connect or disconnect power transmission between the internal combustion engine and the drive wheel. The shift cam mechanism has a first cam groove and a second cam groove that have a first series mode position, a parallel mode position, an internal combustion engine direct connection mode position, a neutral mode position, and a second series mode position, which are provided in that order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Inventor: Atsushi TSUKIZAKI
  • Publication number: 20220242222
    Abstract: A vehicle drive apparatus includes an internal combustion engine, an electric-power-generating-motor gear train, a drive gear, a driven gear, a differential, a low clutch and a high clutch. The electric-power-generating-motor gear train and the driven gear are arranged on a first plane. The drive gear, the driven gear, and the differential are arranged on a second plane. The low clutch and the high clutch are arranged on a third plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Yoshitaka MIURA, Masato KOGA, Atsushi TSUKIZAKI
  • Publication number: 20220196146
    Abstract: An engine transmission is provided with an interference member that is configured to interfere with one of a low-gear clutch sleeve and a high-gear clutch sleeve so that when one of the low-gear clutch sleeve and the high-gear clutch sleeve is at an engagement position, the other one of the low-gear clutch sleeve and the high-gear clutch sleeve cannot move to an engagement position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventor: Atsushi TSUKIZAKI
  • Patent number: 11192440
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, an electric-power generator, an electric motor and a transmission device. The transmission device includes an input gear, an output gear, an intermediate gear, a case and a connection-disconnection device. The connection-disconnection device is configured to switch between connecting and disconnecting a path along which the drive force is inputted to the input gear. When viewed from a direction long a rotational axis, a rotational axis of an intermediate gear is positioned vertically higher than a straight line that links a rotational axis of the input gear and a rotational axis of the output gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Tsukizaki
  • Publication number: 20210323534
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, an electric-power generator, an electric motor and a transmission device. The transmission device includes an input gear, an output gear, an intermediate gear, a case and a connection-disconnection device. The connection-disconnection device is configured to switch between connecting and disconnecting a path along which the drive force is inputted to the input gear. The intermediate gear has a rotational center that is positioned lower in a vertical direction than a straight line that links a rotational center of the input gear and a rotational center of the output gear as seen from an axial direction, which is a direction parallel to the rotational axis of the intermediate gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Inventor: Atsushi TSUKIZAKI
  • Publication number: 20210197656
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, an electric-power generator, an electric motor and a transmission device. The transmission device includes an input gear, an output gear, an intermediate gear, a case and a connection-disconnection device. The connection-disconnection device is configured to switch between connecting and disconnecting a path along which the drive force is inputted to the input gear. When viewed from a direction long a rotational axis, a rotational axis of an intermediate gear is positioned vertically higher than a straight line that links a rotational axis of the input gear and a rotational axis of the output gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventor: Atsushi Tsukizaki
  • Patent number: 10760682
    Abstract: A drive system is provided with a first motor generator as a power source, and a multistage gear transmission for changing the speed of output from the first motor generator and transmitting the output to drive wheels. The multistage gear transmission has a plurality of engagement clutches as shifting elements that are meshingly engaged upon movement from a disengaged position. This hybrid vehicle is provided with a start control device where, when a start clutch has been engaged while the vehicle is stopped, the start control device maintains the engagement of the start clutch for a duration that includes when the vehicle is stopped and until the next vehicle start.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Tsukizaki, Masato Koga, Hiroyuki Fukuda, Ryohey Toyota
  • Patent number: 10532733
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle start control device is provided for a hybrid vehicle that ensures an EV reverse starting intended by a driver, even when an engagement command is issued to an engagement clutch that selects an ICE gear shift stage, when carrying out EV reverse starting. In this hybrid vehicle, a multistage gear transmission includes an EV shift actuator that selects an EV gear shift stage, and ICE shift actuators that select an ICE gear shift stage. A starting controller operates the EV electric actuator to select EV 1st of the multistage gear transmission at a time of starting, and that carries out an EV starting using the first motor/generator. At a time of an EV reverse starting, the starting controller carries out a control to the operating positions of the ICE shift actuators that prevent the selection of the ICE gear shift stage by the ICE shift actuators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Yagi, Masato Koga, Atsushi Tsukizaki
  • Patent number: 10295052
    Abstract: A vehicle transmission control device is provided in a vehicle having a gear type transmission capable of selecting a plurality of gear shift patterns, and an electric oil pump for supplying lubricating oil to a gear-shifting mechanism. The vehicle transmission control device includes a transmission controller that selects a path having a small load on the lubricated parts from among the plurality of power transmission paths upon detecting a malfunction has occurred in the oil pump to prevent seizing of lubricated parts and damage to gear-shifting mechanism if a malfunction occurs in the oil pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Tsukizaki, Masato Koga, Hiroyuki Fukuda, Ryohey Toyota, Hidekazu Yagi
  • Patent number: 10293811
    Abstract: A power generation control device is provided for a hybrid vehicle that prevents unintended engagement of a released engagement clutch during idle power generation. An internal combustion engine is operated during idle power generation so that the input-output differential rotation speed of engagement clutches for selectively connecting an electric motor and/or the internal combustion engine to the drive wheel becomes a value greater than or equal to a rotation difference threshold value at which the engagement clutches are not engaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Tsukizaki, Masato Koga, Hidekazu Yagi
  • Patent number: 10279673
    Abstract: A mode transition control device is provided for a hybrid vehicle. The mode transition control device reduces a sensation of discomfort that may be imparted to a driver at a time of a mode transition from a series traveling mode to a parallel traveling mode during traveling. During mode transition from the series traveling mode to the parallel traveling mode in a hybrid vehicle, a gear shift stage is selected such that a rotational speed change amount of an internal combustion engine accompanying mode transition is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Tsukizaki, Ryohey Toyota
  • Patent number: 10232698
    Abstract: A mode transition control device a hybrid vehicle has a transmission control unit that prevents a second power generation system from overheating while traveling in a series HEV mode. When a battery is at a power generation request threshold value or lower, the vehicle travels in a “series HEV mode,” in which the first electric motor is utilized as a drive source and receives electrical power from the second motor/generator and the battery. The transmission control unit controls the traveling mode to transition from the “series HEV mode” to a “parallel HEV mode” when the vehicle speed has reached a switchover vehicle speed. When a temperature rise of the second power generation system is predicted while traveling in the “series HEV mode,” the transmission control unit changes the switchover vehicle speed to a slower switchover vehicle speed that was used prior to a determination of the temperature rise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Miyagawa, Masato Koga, Atsushi Tsukizaki, Ryohey Toyota
  • Patent number: 10160348
    Abstract: A starting control device is provided for an electrically driven vehicle having an electric motor and an internal combustion engine as drive sources and a transmission shifts and transmits an output of the electric motor to a drive wheel. The starting control device is configured to suppress an abrupt increase in the rotation of the electric motor at the time of an EV start of the vehicle from a released state of a starting dog clutch. In the electrically driven vehicle, an EV start is carried out by transmitting the output of the first motor/generator (MG1) to the drive wheel via a starting dog clutch that is meshingly engaged. The output of the first motor/generator is limited until the starting dog clutch comes into a meshed state in which the transmission transmits drive power at the time of start from a released state of the starting dog clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Tsukizaki, Masato Koga, Hiroyuki Fukuda, Ryohey Toyota
  • Publication number: 20180354494
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle start control device is provided for a hybrid vehicle that ensures an EV reverse starting intended by a driver, even when an engagement command is issued to an engagement clutch that selects an ICE gear shift stage, when carrying out EV reverse starting. In this hybrid vehicle, a multistage gear transmission includes an EV shift actuator that selects an EV gear shift stage, and ICE shift actuators that select an ICE gear shift stage. A starting controller operates the EV electric actuator to select EV 1st of the multistage gear transmission at a time of starting, and that carries out an EV starting using the first motor/generator. At a time of an EV reverse starting, the starting controller carries out a control to the operating positions of the ICE shift actuators that prevent the selection of the ICE gear shift stage by the ICE shift actuators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidekazu YAGI, Masato KOGA, Atsushi TSUKIZAKI
  • Publication number: 20180201116
    Abstract: A mode transition control device a hybrid vehicle has a transmission control unit that prevents a second power generation system from overheating while traveling in a series HEV mode. When a battery is at a power generation request threshold value or lower, the vehicle travels in a “series HEV mode,” in which the first electric motor is utilized as a drive source and receives electrical power from the second motor/generator and the battery. The transmission control unit controls the traveling mode to transition from the “series HEV mode” to a “parallel HEV mode” when the vehicle speed has reached a switchover vehicle speed. When a temperature rise of the second power generation system is predicted while traveling in the “series HEV mode,” the transmission control unit changes the switchover vehicle speed to a slower switchover vehicle speed that was used prior to a determination of the temperature rise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventors: Tomohiro MIYAGAWA, Masato KOGA, Atsushi TSUKIZAKI, Ryohey TOYOTA
  • Patent number: 10023182
    Abstract: A transmission control device is provided for a hybrid vehicle that ensures gear shift responsiveness corresponding to a driver's request while achieving excellent gear shifting quality when shifting gears under normal conditions. The transmission control device includes a transmission controller that carries out a shift control for switching between gear shift patterns that are established by the multistage gear transmission by a movement of the engagement clutches based on a gear shift request. The transmission controller selects from among a plurality of gear shift patterns that can be established gear shift patterns in which one engagement clutch is present in a power transmission path leading from the power sources to a drive wheel, and designates the selected gear shift patterns as a normal-use gear shift pattern group, which is used for shift control under normal conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Koga, Atsushi Tsukizaki, Ryohey Toyota, Keita Okudaira
  • Publication number: 20180186362
    Abstract: A transmission control device is provided for a hybrid vehicle that ensures gear shift responsiveness corresponding to a driver's request while achieving excellent gear shifting quality when shifting gears under normal conditions. The transmission control device includes a transmission controller that carries out a shift control for switching between gear shift patterns that are established by the multistage gear transmission by a movement of the engagement clutches based on a gear shift request. The transmission controller selects from among a plurality of gear shift patterns that can be established gear shift patterns in which one engagement clutch is present in a power transmission path leading from the power sources to a drive wheel, and designates the selected gear shift patterns as a normal-use gear shift pattern group, which is used for shift control under normal conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Inventors: Masato KOGA, Atsushi TSUKIZAKI, Ryohey TOYOTA, Keita OKUDAIRA
  • Publication number: 20180172143
    Abstract: A vehicle transmission control device is provided in a vehicle having a gear type transmission capable of selecting a plurality of gear shift patterns, and an electric oil pump for supplying lubricating oil to a gear-shifting mechanism. The vehicle transmission control device includes a transmission controller that selects a path having a small load on the lubricated parts from among the plurality of power transmission paths upon detecting a malfunction has occurred in the oil pump to prevent seizing of lubricated parts and damage to gear-shifting mechanism if a malfunction occurs in the oil pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Atsushi TSUKIZAKI, Masato KOGA, Hiroyuki FUKUDA, Ryohey TOYOTA, Hidekazu YAGI