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).

  • Grass Mower
    Publication number: 20170013780
    Abstract: A grass mower is provided with a plurality of rotating shafts passing through a ceiling wall of a mower deck and extending upward, disposed in a side-by-side state; cutting blades respectively linked to the rotating shafts in an internal space of the mower deck; an electric motor mounted at a location to the lateral outside relative to a rotation path of the cutting blades within the mower deck, and having an output shaft extending upward; and a power transmission mechanism positioned above the ceiling wall of the mower deck, and configured to transmit power from the output shaft to the rotating shafts of the cutting blades.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ito, Kazuo Koike
  • FLUID TRANSFER APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20170009787
    Abstract: A fluid transfer apparatus includes a spiral pipe that is formed by an elastic tube wound in a spiral manner, and a fluid to be transferred flows in the spiral pipe. The fluid transfer apparatus further includes a speaker that is configured to generate a pressure wave in a working fluid in the tube that is a medium, and the pressure wave causes a change of the cross-sectional area of a flow channel of the tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirokazu ITO, Yasushi YOSHIHARA
  • Traveling vehicle
    Patent number: 9493180
    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: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ito, Kazuo Koike, Yoshikazu Togoshi
  • Electric Work Vehicle
    Publication number: 20160297293
    Abstract: An electric work vehicle includes a left motor 4L that drives a left drive wheel 12L and a right motor 4R that drives a right drive wheel 12R, a cooling liquid circulation flow path 7 connected to the left motor 4L and the right motor 4R, and a cooling liquid distribution mechanism 6 that, according to a travel state, adjusts a ratio between a cooling liquid flow amount that flows from a pump 72 disposed on the cooling liquid circulation flow path 7 to the left motor 4L, and a cooling liquid flow amount that flows from the pump 72 to the right motor 4R.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ito, Kazuo Koike
  • Electric Work Vehicle
    Publication number: 20160297289
    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: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ito, Kazuo Koike
  • Mowing Vehicle
    Publication number: 20160295797
    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: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ito, Yoshitomo Fujimoto
  • Electric Work Vehicle
    Publication number: 20160288829
    Abstract: An electric work vehicle includes a casing structure connected to a vehicle frame and having a central casing, a left casing, and a right casing. The vehicle further includes a left rear wheel supported by the left casing, a right rear wheel supported by the right casing, a left motor housed in a left region of the central casing, a right motor housed in a right region of the central casing, a left transmission mechanism housed in the left casing for transmitting power from the left motor to the left rear wheel, and a right transmission mechanism housed in the right casing for transmitting power from the right motor to the right rear wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ito, Kazuo Koike
  • Battery Pack and Electric Work Vehicle
    Publication number: 20160293906
    Abstract: A battery pack (6) for an electric work vehicle includes a battery unit (6A), a casing (60) for tightly housing the battery unit (6A), a circulation fan (6B) mounted in an inner space of the casing (60), and an air guide (50) provided in the casing (60) to direct cooling air produced by the circulation fan (6B) to the battery unit (6A).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ito, Kazuo Koike
  • EXHAUST SYSTEM COMPONENT INCLUDING A SELF-HEALING CERAMIC MATERIAL AND INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE EQUIPPED WITH THE COMPONENT
    Publication number: 20160215670
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust system component having excellent properties to be located in an exhaust flow path from an internal combustion engine, particularly, an exhaust system component having an extended use-life. The exhaust system component of the present invention for an internal combustion engine has a self-healing ceramic material and an electric heater for heating the self-healing ceramic material. In particular, the exhaust system component of the present invention is an oxygen sensor having a detection element and an electric heater, wherein the detection element has a solid electrolyte layer, a reference-side electrode layer, an exhaust-side electrode layer, and a diffusion layer and/or a trap layer each composed of a self-healing ceramic material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoki TAKEUCHI, Noriaki KUMAGAI, Go HAYASHITA, Masakazu TABATA, Hirokazu ITO, Kazuhiro SUGIMOTO, Hiroki MURATA
  • AIRFLOW CONTROL DEVICE OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE
    Publication number: 20160215709
    Abstract: There is provided an airflow control device of an internal combustion engine comprising: a plasma actuator provided in an intake passage, a fuel injector for port injection provided in the intake passage so as to inject fuel toward the plasma actuator and a control unit for controlling them. The control unit is configured to actuate the plasma actuator after valve opening of an intake valve, in addition to causing the fuel injector to perform an operation of fuel injection, and causing the plasma actuator to perform an operation in a part of a valve closing period of the intake valve. Furthermore, the control unit includes a determination unit to determine whether or not water has adhered to the plasma actuator, and makes port injection operation and plasma actuator operation be performed only when water has adhered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventor: Hirokazu Ito
  • INTAKE SYSTEM OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE
    Publication number: 20160069305
    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: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventor: Hirokazu Ito
  • FUEL INJECTION VALVE
    Publication number: 20160047346
    Abstract: In a fuel injection valve having a nozzle hole plate wherein a nozzle hole is formed, the nozzle hole is formed with a flow path cross-section having an oval shape that has long axes and short axes, and the nozzle hole is formed having a tapered shape in which a flow path sectional area becomes larger from an entry-side open end portion toward an exit-side open end portion. The nozzle hole is formed such that a second angle that is an intersecting angle of opposing nozzle hole inner wall surface portions in an oblique section along the short axes of the entry-side open end portion and the exit-side open end portion, is greater than a first angle that is an intersecting angle of opposing nozzle hole inner wall surface portions in a longitudinal section along the long axes of the entry-side open end portion and the exit-side open end portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Natsuki SUGIYAMA, Mitsutaka YOSHIDA, Akio SATOU, Masahiko ASANO, Yasuo KINOSHITA, Masao NAKAYAMA, Kenji KIDERA, Masaru SETODOI, Hirokazu ITO, Hiroyuki SAKAI
  • Battery assembly
    Patent number: 9257687
    Abstract: A battery assembly includes a plurality of electric cells each having an external terminal at one end thereof, a first cap attached to the one end of each of the electric cells and a first holder attached to the plurality of electric cells and is in contact with the first caps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: GS YUASA INTERNATIONAL LTD
    Inventors: Yasutaka Miyawaki, Yoshinori Ishimoto, Atsushi Nishida, Hirokazu Ito
  • Vehicle steerable by movement of center of gravity
    Patent number: 9216764
    Abstract: A vehicle steerable by movement of the center of gravity has an auxiliary wheel. A left drive wheel is driven by a left rotary driver. A right drive wheel is driven by a right rotary driver. A gravity center position calculator calculates a position of the center of gravity of a driver on a steering step board based on a detection signal from a load detection module detecting a load distribution of the driver. A travel controller has a first control mode controlling rotary drive of the left and right rotary drivers to achieve straight forward travel or turning. The travel controller also has a second control mode controlling the rotary drive of the left and right rotary drivers to achieve straight forward travel, turning or straight backward travel based on the position of the center of gravity. A driver input operation device can be used to select either the first or the second control mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ito, Kazuo Koike, Yoshitomo Fujimoto
  • MOWER WITH MOTOR COOLING
    Publication number: 20150359174
    Abstract: A mower includes a rotary blade cutting grass due to being rotationally driven. A work motor rotationally drives the rotary blade. A mower deck houses the rotary blade in an interior thereof. A first shroud forms an air flow passage along the work motor. The air flow passage connects the interior and exterior of the mower deck.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirokazu ITO, Yoshikazu TOGOSHI, Miyuki IKEDA
  • MOWER WITH MOWER DECK MOUNTED MOTOR
    Publication number: 20150359170
    Abstract: A mower includes a rotary grass cutting blade. A mower deck houses the rotary blade in an interior thereof. A motor has at least a portion thereof positioned or extending into the interior of the mower deck. The motor rotationally drives the rotary blade. A guide member can be utilized to form an air flow passage along the motor, with the air flow passage connecting the interior and exterior of the mower deck.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirokazu ITO, Yoshikazu TOGOSHI
  • Riding mower with blade motor control
    Patent number: 9173346
    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: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuo Koike, Hirokazu Ito
  • RIDING WORK VEHICLE
    Publication number: 20150289444
    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: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuo KOIKE, Hirokazu ITO
  • LAWN MOWER
    Publication number: 20150201556
    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: September 11, 2014
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Inventors: Hirokazu ITO, Kazuo KOIKE, Yoshitomo FUJIMOTO
  • TRAVELING VEHICLE
    Publication number: 20150175190
    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 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: September 11, 2014
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Hirokazu ITO, Kazuo KOIKE, Yoshikazu TOGOSHI