Patents by Inventor Hirofumi EBISUMOTO

Hirofumi EBISUMOTO 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: 20230311672
    Abstract: A control device for an electric vehicle is provided, which includes a drive motor of which magnetic poles of a rotor are comprised of variable magnetism magnets, and a clutch disposed between the drive motor and driving wheels. When the electric vehicle travels, the control device performs a torque control, and a first clutch control in which an engaging torque of the clutch is controlled to be higher than a demanded torque. When performing a magnetization control when the electric vehicle travels, the control device changes the clutch control from the first clutch control to a second clutch control in which the engaging torque is made to coincide with the demanded torque, before the execution of the magnetization control, and adds a given slip torque to the demanded torque to start a micro slip control in which the clutch is transitioned from an engaged state into a micro slip state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Hirofumi Ebisumoto, Tomohiro Yoshizue, Tsukasa Sori
  • Patent number: 11529946
    Abstract: A control system for a movable body configured to move by utilizing a motor torque generated by a drive motor, is provided. The system includes the drive motor including a rotor configured to output a rotational force and provided with a variable-magnetic-force magnet, and a stator opposing the rotor with a gap therebetween and provided with a plurality of coils, a powertrain component provided so as to be associated with the drive motor, and a controller having a magnetization controlling module configured to control magnetizing current flowing through the coils so as to change a magnetic force of the variable-magnetic-force magnet. During a demagnetization control in which the magnetic force of the variable-magnetic-force magnet is reduced by the magnetization controlling module, the controller operates the powertrain component to suppress a decrease in a moving force applied to the movable body due to a decrease in the motor torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Itasaka, Hirofumi Ebisumoto
  • Patent number: 11326654
    Abstract: A friction engagement element control system is provided, which includes a friction engagement element including friction plates, which are an input-side friction plate and an output-side friction plate, and an actuation system configured to engage the input-side friction plate with the output-side friction plate with a pushing force, the friction plates having a characteristic in which a friction coefficient thereof decreases as a rotational difference between the friction plates increases. The device includes a controller configured to control the pushing force so that the negative slope characteristic becomes a positive slope characteristic in which a frictional force of the friction engagement element decreases as the rotational difference decreases, when engaging the friction engagement element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hirofumi Ebisumoto, Nobuhide Seo, Tsukasa Sori
  • Patent number: 11320005
    Abstract: A friction engagement element control system is provided, which includes a friction engagement element including friction plates, and an actuation system configured to engage an input-side friction plate with an output-side friction plate with a pushing force, the friction plates having a negative slope characteristic in which a friction coefficient thereof decreases as a rotational difference between the friction plates increases, a rotational difference sensor of the friction engagement element, a separator configured to divide a variation in the detected rotational difference into a high-frequency component that is a vibration component and other low-frequency components, and a controller configured to control a pushing force only for the vibration component of the rotational difference so that the negative slope characteristic becomes a positive slope characteristic in which a frictional force of the friction engagement element decreases as the rotational difference decreases, when engaging the friction e
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventor: Hirofumi Ebisumoto
  • Patent number: 11293497
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a wet friction engaging device. The device includes: a plate group engaged with two connecting members and including two groups of friction plates housed in a plate housing chamber and alternately arranged; and a spring attached between a spring plate and an end plate. The plate group is switched between an engaged state in which the friction plates are in close contact with each other, and a disengaged state in which the friction plates are separable from each other. The spring plate is fixed to the end plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hirofumi Ebisumoto, Tsukasa Sori
  • Patent number: 11226015
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a wet friction engaging device. The device includes a plate group engaged with two connecting members and including two groups of friction plates housed in a plate housing chamber and alternately arranged in an axial direction with surfaces facing each other. The plate group is switched between an engaged state in which the friction plates are in close contact with each other, and a disengaged state in which the friction plates are separable from each other. End plates at respective ends of the plate group are kept at a larger distance in the axial direction after a switch to the disengaged state than in the engaged state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hirofumi Ebisumoto, Tsukasa Sori, Hitoshi Tamegai
  • Patent number: 11168745
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a wet friction engaging device. The device includes: a plate group engaged with two connecting members and including two groups of friction plates housed in a plate housing chamber and alternately arranged in an axial direction with surfaces facing each other; and a piston configured to apply a pressing force to the plate group. The plate group is switched between an engaged state in which the friction plates are in close contact with each other, and a disengaged state in which the friction plates are separable from each other. One of end plates at respective ends of the plate group is a movable end plate movable in the axial direction, and the other is a stationary end plate immovable in the axial direction. The movable end plate is biased by a spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Tsukasa Sori, Hirofumi Ebisumoto
  • Publication number: 20210285507
    Abstract: A friction engagement element control system is provided, which includes a friction engagement element including friction plates, and an actuation system configured to engage an input-side friction plate with an output-side friction plate with a pushing force, the friction plates having a negative slope characteristic in which a friction coefficient thereof decreases as a rotational difference between the friction plates increases, a rotational difference sensor of the friction engagement element, a separator configured to divide a variation in the detected rotational difference into a high-frequency component that is a vibration component and other low-frequency components, and a controller configured to control a pushing force only for the vibration component of the rotational difference so that the negative slope characteristic becomes a positive slope characteristic in which a frictional force of the friction engagement element decreases as the rotational difference decreases, when engaging the friction e
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventor: Hirofumi Ebisumoto
  • Patent number: 11105382
    Abstract: A control system for a movable body configured to move by utilizing a motor torque generated by a drive motor, is provided. The system includes the drive motor including a rotor configured to output a rotational force and provided with a variable-magnetic-force magnet, and a stator opposing the rotor with a gap therebetween and provided with a plurality of coils. The device includes a powertrain component provided so as to be associated with the drive motor, and a controller having a magnetization controlling module configured to control magnetizing current flowing through the coils so as to change a magnetic force of the magnet. During a magnetization control in which the magnetic force of the magnet is increased by the magnetization controlling module, the controller operates the powertrain component to suppress an increase in a moving force applied to the movable body due to an increase in the motor torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Itasaka, Hirofumi Ebisumoto
  • Publication number: 20210254676
    Abstract: A control system for a movable body configured to move by utilizing a motor torque generated by a drive motor, is provided. The system includes the drive motor including a rotor configured to output a rotational force and provided with a variable-magnetic-force magnet, and a stator opposing the rotor with a gap therebetween and provided with a plurality of coils. The device includes a powertrain component provided so as to be associated with the drive motor, and a controller having a magnetization controlling module configured to control magnetizing current flowing through the coils so as to change a magnetic force of the magnet. During a magnetization control in which the magnetic force of the magnet is increased by the magnetization controlling module, the controller operates the powertrain component to suppress an increase in a moving force applied to the movable body due to an increase in the motor torque.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Naoki Itasaka, Hirofumi Ebisumoto
  • Publication number: 20210253085
    Abstract: A control system for a movable body configured to move by utilizing a motor torque generated by a drive motor, is provided. The system includes the drive motor including a rotor configured to output a rotational force and provided with a variable-magnetic-force magnet, and a stator opposing the rotor with a gap therebetween and provided with a plurality of coils, a powertrain component provided so as to be associated with the drive motor, and a controller having a magnetization controlling module configured to control magnetizing current flowing through the coils so as to change a magnetic force of the variable-magnetic-force magnet. During a demagnetization control in which the magnetic force of the variable-magnetic-force magnet is reduced by the magnetization controlling module, the controller operates the powertrain component to suppress a decrease in a moving force applied to the movable body due to a decrease in the motor torque.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Naoki Itasaka, Hirofumi Ebisumoto
  • Publication number: 20210254672
    Abstract: A friction engagement element control system is provided, which includes a friction engagement element including friction plates, which are an input-side friction plate and an output-side friction plate, and an actuation system configured to engage the input-side friction plate with the output-side friction plate with a pushing force, the friction plates having a characteristic in which a friction coefficient thereof decreases as a rotational difference between the friction plates increases. The device includes a controller configured to control the pushing force so that the negative slope characteristic becomes a positive slope characteristic in which a frictional force of the friction engagement element decreases as the rotational difference decreases, when engaging the friction engagement element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Hirofumi Ebisumoto, Nobuhide Seo, Tsukasa Sori
  • Publication number: 20200378451
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a wet friction engaging device. The device includes: a plate group engaged with two connecting members and including two groups of friction plates housed in a plate housing chamber and alternately arranged in an axial direction with surfaces facing each other; and a piston configured to apply a pressing force to the plate group. The plate group is switched between an engaged state in which the friction plates are in close contact with each other, and a disengaged state in which the friction plates are separable from each other. One of end plates at respective ends of the plate group is a movable end plate movable in the axial direction, and the other is a stationary end plate immovable in the axial direction. The movable end plate is biased by a spring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Tsukasa SORI, Hirofumi EBISUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20200378452
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a wet friction engaging device. The device includes a plate group engaged with two connecting members and including two groups of friction plates housed in a plate housing chamber and alternately arranged in an axial direction with surfaces facing each other. The plate group is switched between an engaged state in which the friction plates are in close contact with each other, and a disengaged state in which the friction plates are separable from each other. End plates at respective ends of the plate group are kept at a larger distance in the axial direction after a switch to the disengaged state than in the engaged state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Hirofumi EBISUMOTO, Tsukasa SORI, Hitoshi TAMEGAI
  • Publication number: 20200378449
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a wet friction engaging device. The device includes: a plate group engaged with two connecting members and including two groups of friction plates housed in a plate housing chamber and alternately arranged; and a spring attached between a spring plate and an end plate. The plate group is switched between an engaged state in which the friction plates are in close contact with each other, and a disengaged state in which the friction plates are separable from each other. The spring plate is fixed to the end plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Hirofumi EBISUMOTO, Tsukasa SORI
  • Patent number: 8612073
    Abstract: In an electric vehicle inverter apparatus 100, a vehicle control controller 15 detects a switch open signal output from a collision detector 16 when the collision detector 16 is caused by a collision between electric vehicles to operate. Then, an inverter main circuit connection switch 10 of a high-voltage battery unit 8 is put into an open state. Thus, the direct-current power supply from a high-voltage battery 12 to a DC bus portion is interrupted. In addition, electric charges charged into a main circuit capacitor 7 are discharged by a forced discharge circuit portion 22b.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki, Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Fuji, Hidenori Hara, Kenji Yamada, Yoshinori Tanaka, Akihiro Furukawa, Hirofumi Ebisumoto, Kei Yonemori, Nobuhide Seo, Ryuichiro Amano
  • Publication number: 20100214055
    Abstract: In an electric vehicle inverter apparatus 100, a vehicle control controller 15 detects a switch open signal output from a collision detector 16 when the collision detector 16 is caused by a collision between electric vehicles to operate. Then, an inverter main circuit connection switch 10 of a high-voltage battery unit 8 is put into an open state. Thus, the direct-current power supply from a high-voltage battery 12 to a DC bus portion is interrupted. In addition, electric charges charged into a main circuit capacitor 7 are discharged by a forced discharge circuit portion 22b.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI, MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kiyotaka FUJI, Hidenori HARA, Kenji YAMADA, Yoshinori TANAKA, Akihiro FURUKAWA, Hirofumi EBISUMOTO, Kei YONEMORI, Nobuhide SEO, Ryuichiro AMANO
  • Publication number: 20100082191
    Abstract: Disclosed is a motor control method for an electric-powered vehicle (1), which is designed to switch an output characteristic of an electric motor (5) for rotatably driving a driving wheel (16) of the vehicle (1), between a low-speed mode adaptable to a relatively low rotation speed operation region and a high-speed mode adaptable to a relatively high rotation speed operation region, on the basis of a given switching rotation speed (Nt) as a threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuhide SEO, Kei YONEMORI, Ryuichiro AMANO, Hirofumi EBISUMOTO