Patents by Inventor Hirokazu Ito

Hirokazu Ito 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).

  • CONTROL APPARATUS FOR NATURALLY ASPIRATED GASOLINE ENGINE
    Publication number: 20170335777
    Abstract: An object is to supply fresh air and EGR gas into a cylinder in good balance according to the required load in a naturally aspirated gasoline engine. When the operation state of the engine falls in a low load range, a control apparatus adjusts the degree of opening of the second throttle while keeping the first throttle fully open and controls EGR gas quantity by adjusting the degree of opening of the EGR valve. When the operation state falls in a middle load range, the apparatus controls EGR gas quantity by adjusting the degree of opening of the first throttle while keeping the EGR valve fully open. When the operation state falls in a high load range, the apparatus adjusts the degree of opening of the first throttle while keeping the second throttle fully open and controls EGR gas quantity by adjusting the degree of opening of the EGR valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Yuji Yamaguchi, Hirokazu Ito, Yuji Miyoshi
  • Riding work vehicle
    Patent number: 9783203
    Abstract: The present invention provides a riding work vehicle that includes a vehicle body having a driver seat; a driving wheel unit supporting the vehicle body; a working electric motor that drives a work unit having a work device; an electric motor controller controlling an operation of the working electric motor in a steady mode or a power saving mode in which consumed power is smaller than the steady mode; and a work load evaluator that evaluates load of the working electric motor. In the riding work vehicle, the electric motor controller operates the working electric motor in the power saving mode in a case where the load of the working electric motor evaluated by the work load evaluator is low load lower than a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuo Koike, Hirokazu Ito
  • Portable Charger Device, Contactless Charger System for Electric Work Vehicle and Electric Grass Mower Machine
    Publication number: 20170282733
    Abstract: A portable charger device 200 includes a charger device side battery 3, a first charging control section 31 for non-quick charging of the charger device side battery 3 by power supply from an external power source 8, and a second charging control section 32 for quick charging of a vehicle side battery 4 mounted on an electric vehicle 100 by power supply from the charger device side battery 3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ito, Yasuhiro Manji, Kazuaki Matsuda
  • Electric Work Vehicle
    Publication number: 20170263914
    Abstract: An electric work vehicle includes a plurality of battery mounting portions, a plurality of battery packs that can be detachably mounted to the battery mounting portions, a main body contact provided for each one of the battery mounting portions and electrically connected with the battery back mounted to the battery mounting portion, a power feeding circuit to which the main body contact is parallel connected, a battery switch configured to block flow of electric power from the battery pack to the power feeding circuit, a switch operating portion for operating the battery switch, a charged amount estimating portion for estimating a charged power of the battery pack mounted to the battery mounting portion, an electric motor driven by power fed from at least one battery pack via the power feeding circuit, and a driving wheel receiving power transmitted from the electric motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ito, Yasuhiro Manji
  • Traveling vehicle
    Patent number: 9731760
    Abstract: A traveling vehicle includes: a traveling machine body supported by a pair of left and right driving wheels; a pair of left motor and the right motor configured to independently drive the driving wheels; a riding part disposed behind the traveling machine body and connected to the traveling machine body, and configured to enable riding of a worker; a handle connected to the traveling machine body so as to be swingable left and right with respect to the traveling machine body; a plurality of load sensors for detecting a forward and backward weight shift of the worker who is riding on the riding part; a rotation angle sensor for detecting a leftward and rightward swinging operation amount of the handle; and a controller for controlling operation of the left and right motors based on detection values by the plurality of load sensors and the rotation angle sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ito, Kazuo Koike, Yoshikazu Togoshi
  • FLUID TRANSPORT PIPE
    Publication number: 20170227029
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fluid transport pipe. A first unit channel in which a channel cross-sectional area continuously decreases toward a downstream side and a second unit channel in which a channel cross-sectional area continuously increases toward the downstream side are alternately combined. A ratio A (=L/{[Smax]1/2-[Smin]1/2}) is set within a range in which a drag reduction rate RD becomes a positive value. The fluid transport pipe includes: a first opening formed in a channel wall of the first unit channel; a second opening formed in a channel wall of the second unit channel; and a bypass channel that allows by-passing of a flow from the first unit channel to the second unit channel through the openings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION TOKYO UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE & TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Hirokazu ITO, Tsuneo TSUTSUI, Naoki TAKEUCHI, Kaoru IWAMOTO
  • Vehicle Having Independently Driven and Controlled Right and Left Wheels
    Publication number: 20170217488
    Abstract: A self-propelled vehicle includes a maneuvering unit, a drive unit including first and second drive sections, which are driven and controlled by drive wheel control commands, a drive wheel unit including left and right drive wheels driven by the first and second drive sections, respectively, at least one caster wheel which is controlled by a caster wheel control command, a bank detector for detecting a degree of bank of the vehicle and a control unit including a drive wheel control section for generating the drive wheel control commands. The control unit further includes a caster wheel control section which generates the caster wheel control command for controlling the steering angle of the caster wheel during a bank traversing travel, based on the bank degree so as to resolve a difference between a target travel and the actual travel which occurs during the bank traversing travel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Kazuo Koike, Hirokazu Ito, Yoshikazu Togoshi
  • Mowing vehicle including arrangement for raising/lowering height of a mower unit
    Patent number: 9699961
    Abstract: A mowing vehicle that includes: a raising/lowering control portion 59 that changes the height of the mower unit with respect to the ground between an operation height and a non-operation height, and a management portion 55 that provides control instructions to the raising/lowering control portion 59 and a mowing blade driving control portion 58 based on a result of detection performed by a traveling state detection portion 7.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ito, Yoshitomo Fujimoto
  • Lawn mower having a grass collection system with air flow recycle for standing up grass for cutting
    Patent number: 9686912
    Abstract: A lawn mower includes a mower deck including a blade rotationally driven to cut grass and generate an air flow to feed the cut grass. A cutting chamber houses the blade. An ejection outlet is open to the cutting chamber and ejects the cut grass. A grass collection container collects the cut grass ejected from the ejection outlet. An air chamber is provided in a vicinity of the cutting chamber and receives the air flow generated by rotation of the blade through the grass collection container. A first passage connects the ejection outlet and the grass collection container. A second passage connects the grass collection container and the air chamber. The air flow supplied from the grass collection container to the air chamber through the second passage is supplied to the cutting chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ito, Kazuo Koike
  • LAWN MOWER
    Publication number: 20170156261
    Abstract: A lawn mower includes: a mower unit having a plurality of blades for performing lawn mowing work, the plurality of blades being driven by rotational power, a blade motor configured to transmit rotational power to each of the plurality of blades, and be capable of optionally changing the rotation number of the rotational power transmitted to each of the plurality of blades; and a controller configured to detect respective speeds of the plurality of blades to the ground and perform energy-saving control of increasing and decreasing the rotation number of the rotational power transmitted to each of the plurality of blades in accordance with increase and reduction in the detected speed of each of the plurality of blades.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirokazu ITO, Kazuo KOIKE, Yoshitomo FUJIMOTO
  • Vehicle having independently driven and controlled right and left drive wheels
    Patent number: 9656687
    Abstract: A self-propelled vehicle includes a maneuvering unit, a drive unit including first and second drive sections, which are driven and controlled by drive wheel control commands, a drive wheel unit including left and right drive wheels driven by the first and second drive sections, respectively, at least one caster wheel which is controlled by a caster wheel control command, a bank detector for detecting a degree of bank of the vehicle and a control unit including a drive wheel control section for generating the drive wheel control commands. The control unit further includes a caster wheel control section which generates the caster wheel control command for controlling the steering angle of the caster wheel during a bank traversing travel, based on the bank degree so as to resolve a difference between a target travel and the actual travel which occurs during the bank traversing travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Koike, Hirokazu Ito, Yoshikazu Togoshi
  • Electric Work Vehicle, Battery Pack for Electric Work Vehicle and Contactless Charging System
    Publication number: 20170136864
    Abstract: An electric work vehicle includes: a battery pack that is arranged between a left rear wheel arranged outside of a left frame and a right rear wheel arranged outside of a right frame, the front end of the battery pack being located forward of an axle center of a rear wheel unit; a left motor that is arranged above the battery pack, in the periphery of the left rear wheel, receives a supply of power from the battery pack, and transmits rotational power to the left rear wheel; and a right motor that is arranged above the battery pack, in the periphery of the right rear wheel, receives a supply of power from the battery pack, and transmits rotational power to the right rear wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ito, Kazuo Koike, Yasuhiro Manji
  • Grass Mower Machine
    Publication number: 20170135283
    Abstract: A grass mower machine includes a mower deck 30 that protrudes from a frame unit in a machine body transverse direction, cutter blades 20 attached respectively to a first rotation shaft 21, a second rotation shaft 22 and a third rotation shaft 23 that are disposed side by side and spaced apart from each other in the machine body transverse direction, a first power transmitting body 71 for transmitting power from an output shaft 41 of an electric motor 4 which is disposed on an outer side of rotation paths of the cutter blades 20 as seen in a plane view to the first rotation shaft 21, a second power transmitting body 72 for transmitting power from the first rotation shaft 21 to the second rotation shaft 22, and a third power transmitting body 73 for transmitting power from the second rotation shaft 22 to the third rotation shaft 23.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ito, Kazuo Koike
  • Electric Work Vehicle
    Publication number: 20170120755
    Abstract: An electric work vehicle includes a left motor which supplies rotating power to a left drive wheel, a right motor which supplies rotating power to a right drive wheel, a motor control unit which provides drive signals to the left motor and the right motor independently of each other in response to an operation relative to a steering operation unit, a yaw rate detector which detects an actual yaw rate of a vehicle body, an arithmetic yaw rate computing unit which derives an arithmetic yaw rate based on a rotating speed of the left motor or the left drive wheel and a rotating speed of the right motor or the right drive wheel, and a slip detection unit detecting occurrence of slipping based on the arithmetic yaw rate and an actual yaw rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ito, Kazuaki Matsuda
  • Intake system of internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 9624880
    Abstract: The present invention provides an intake system of an internal combustion engine. A plasma actuator is provided in a region which is on an inner wall surface of an intake passage and to which fuel injected from a fuel injection valve adheres. The plasma actuator is disposed so as to generate an airflow in a predetermined direction not including a component in a direction toward a downstream side of the intake passage at the time of its operation. A control unit is configured to control the plasma actuator so as to actuate the plasma actuator in at least a part of a period from start of fuel injection by the fuel injection valve to start of valve opening of an intake valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirokazu Ito
  • Lawn mower with respective blade speed detection relative to ground
    Patent number: 9615508
    Abstract: Lawn mower utilizing a work device having a plurality of blades for performing lawn mowing work. A power device is configured to transmit rotational power to each of the plurality of blades, and be capable of optionally changing the rotation number of the rotational power transmitted to each of the plurality of blades. A blade speed detection unit is configured to detect respective speeds of the plurality of blades to a ground. A control device is configured to perform energy-saving control of increasing and decreasing the rotation number of the rotational power transmitted to each of the plurality of blades in accordance with increase and reduction in the detected speed of each of the plurality of blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ito, Kazuo Koike, Yoshitomo Fujimoto
  • Electric work vehicle
    Patent number: 9616736
    Abstract: An electric work vehicle includes a motor unit including a left motor and a right motor arranged side by side in a transverse direction of the vehicle and connected to a vehicle frame, a left transmission mechanism extending rearward in a fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle from a left side of the left motor to transmit power from the left motor to a left rear wheel, a right transmission mechanism extending rearward in the fore-and-aft direction from a right side of the right motor to transmit power from the right motor to a right rear wheel, and a battery unit housed in a battery casing. The battery casing includes an upper casing extending rearward of the left transmission mechanism and the right transmission mechanism from a top of the motor unit, and a lower casing projecting downward from a bottom of a rear half of the upper casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ito, Kazuo Koike
  • Electric Connector
    Publication number: 20170070011
    Abstract: An electric connector includes a socket connector, a bar-like plug connector to be inserted/withdrawn to/from the socket connector and a fuse. When the plug connector is inserted to the socket connector, electric conduction is established in the electric circuit via the fuse. The fuse is attached to the socket connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ito, Kazuo Koike, Masatake Takai, Koichi Yokota, Kazuyuki Ozai
  • Electric Work Vehicle
    Publication number: 20170055443
    Abstract: An electric work vehicle includes a left frame and a right frame extending in a vehicle fore/aft direction, a battery assembly mounted between the left frame and the right frame, a left rear wheel mounted outward of the left frame in a vehicle lateral direction, a right rear wheel mounted outward of the right frame in the vehicle lateral direction, a left motor mounted outward of the left frame in the vehicle lateral direction and forward of an axis of the left rear wheel for transmitting rotary driving power to the left rear wheel, and a right motor mounted outward of the right frame in the vehicle lateral direction and forward of an axis of the right rear wheel for transmitting rotary driving power to the right rear wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Yuto Fujii, Hirokazu Ito, Kazuo Koike
  • TRAVELING VEHICLE
    Publication number: 20170021861
    Abstract: A traveling vehicle including a traveling machine body supported by a pair of left and right driving wheels; a pair of left motor and the right motor configured to independently drive the driving wheels; a riding part disposed behind the traveling machine body and connected to the traveling machine body, and configured to enable riding of a worker; a handle connected to the traveling machine body so as to be swingable left and right with respect to the traveling machine body; a plurality of load sensors for detecting a forward and backward weight shift of the worker who is riding on the riding part; a rotation angle sensor for detecting a leftward and rightward swinging operation amount of the handle; and a controller for controlling operation of the left and right motors based on detection values by the plurality of load sensors and the rotation angle sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Publication date: January 26, 2017
    Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirokazu ITO, Kazuo KOIKE, Yoshikazu TOGOSHI