Patents by Inventor Ethuo Shirai

Ethuo Shirai 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).

  • Transfer apparatus for a vehicle
    Patent number: 5351780
    Abstract: A transfer apparatus for a vehicle has an input shaft which is connected to pinion shafts so as to rotate together with the pinion shafts in a transfer casing. Pinion gears, provided on the pinion shafts, mesh with first and second differential side gears provided around the input shaft. A first output shaft is formed as a unitary body with the first differential side gear. Since a clutch mechanism is disposed on one side of and beside the first output shaft, the entire transfer apparatus structure is compact in both axial and radial directions of the input shaft. The second differential side gear is connected to a sprocket, which connected to a second output shaft. In order to transfer rotation of either the input shaft or the second differential side gear to the clutch mechanism, either a differential casing or a portion extending from the sprocket is provided so as to connect with the clutch mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1994
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Wataru Kuwahara, Masaru Shiraishi, Ethuo Shirai
  • Transfer apparatus for a vehicle
    Patent number: 5271479
    Abstract: A transfer apparatus for a vehicle has an input shaft which is connected to pinion shafts so as to rotate together with the pinion shafts in a transfer casing. Pinion gears, provided on the pinion shafts, mesh with first and second differential side gears provided around the input shaft. A first output shaft is formed as a unitary body with the first differential side gear. Since a clutch mechanism is disposed on one side of and beside the first output shaft, the entire transfer apparatus structure is compact in both axial and radial directions of the input shaft. The second differential side gear is connected to a sprocket, which connected to a second output shaft. In order to transfer rotation of either the input shaft or the second differential side gear to the clutch mechanism, either a differential casing or a portion extending from the sprocket is provided so as to connect with the clutch mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1993
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Wataru Kuwahara, Masaru Shiraishi, Ethuo Shirai
  • Vehicle gear transmission having an overdrive gear stage
    Patent number: 4757726
    Abstract: A vehicle gear transmission having an overdrive and reverse gear stages. The counter-overdrive gear and the counter-reverse gear on the countershaft are rotatably mounted on the countershaft and a synchronizing mechanism is provided between the counter-overdrive gear and the counter-reverse gear. The clutch hub sleeve of the synchronizing mechanism is actuated by a manual shift lever through a reversing lever which functions to reverse the direction of movement of the shift lever before the movement is transmitted to the clutch hub sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1988
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Touhei Yamaguchi, Kazuhiko Moriyama, Ethuo Shirai