Patents by Inventor Jun FUKANO

Jun FUKANO 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: 11441281
    Abstract: A snow removal machine has: a storage unit that stores a vehicle speed coefficient map indicating the relationship between an incline angle and a vehicle speed coefficient for decreasing an instructed vehicle speed; a vehicle speed coefficient setting unit that sets the vehicle speed coefficient on the basis of a detected incline angle and the vehicle speed coefficient map; and a vehicle speed setting unit that sets the vehicle speed of a traveling unit by way of multiplying the instructed vehicle speed by the set vehicle speed coefficient. The vehicle speed coefficient map sets the vehicle speed coefficient so same is smaller for larger incline angles when at least the traveling unit is going forward on an upslope. A travel control unit controls a drive source so that the traveling unit travels at the set vehicle speed set by the vehicle speed setting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Fukano, Toshiaki Kawakami, Tsutomu Mizoroke, Atsushi Moroi
  • Publication number: 20220167544
    Abstract: A work machine includes: a pair of drive wheels that is either front wheels or rear wheels; a pair of non-driving wheels that is the other of the front wheels and the rear wheels; a work device disposed between the front wheels and the rear wheels; a machine body; and a control device including an automatic turn-execution unit configured to execute an automatic turn in a U shape. The automatic-turn execution unit is configured to execute: a gentle turn operation in which the work machine makes a gentle turn; and a counter-rotation turn operation in which the work machine makes a counter-rotation turn after the gentle turn operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shota TANABE, Nobuo YAMAZAKI, Jun FUKANO
  • Patent number: 11246261
    Abstract: Walk-behind power equipment includes: a main body including front and rear wheels; a work unit provided on the main body; a work motor that drives the work unit; a travel motor that rotates the rear wheel; a handle extending from the main body rearward and upward; a posture detector that detects a rearward tilted state of the main body in which the rear wheel is in contact with a ground and the front wheel is not; and a control unit that drive-controls the work motor and travel motor, wherein when the main body is in the rearward tilted state, the control unit causes a rotational speed of the travel motor to be reduced compared to when the front wheel is in contact with the ground, or causes a rotational speed of the work motor to be reduced compared to when the front wheel is in contact with the ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Fukano, Masato Takeda, Keisuke Muraoka
  • Publication number: 20210289699
    Abstract: Walk-behind power equipment includes: a main body including front and rear wheels; a work unit provided on the main body; a work motor that drives the work unit; a travel motor that rotates the rear wheel; a handle extending from the main body rearward and upward; a posture detector that detects a rearward tilted state of the main body in which the rear wheel is in contact with a ground and the front wheel is not; and a control unit that drive-controls the work motor and travel motor, wherein when the main body is in the rearward tilted state, the control unit causes a rotational speed of the travel motor to be reduced compared to when the front wheel is in contact with the ground, or causes a rotational speed of the work motor to be reduced compared to when the front wheel is in contact with the ground.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Jun FUKANO, Masato TAKEDA, Keisuke MURAOKA
  • Patent number: 11026366
    Abstract: Walk-behind power equipment includes: a main body provided with at least one front wheel and left and right rear wheels and a work unit; travel motors provided for the respective rear wheels; a handle extending from the main body rearward and upward; at least one of a tilt angle detector that detects a tilt angle of the main body and a load detector that detects a downward load applied to the handle; a yaw rate detector that detects a yaw rate; and a control unit that drive-controls the travel motors. The control unit determines whether the main body is in a rearward tilted state based on the tilt angle or the downward load, and if it is determined that the main body is not in the rearward tilted state, performs straight-line travel control to set a rotational speed difference between the travel motors to reduce the yaw rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Fukano, Masato Takeda, Keisuke Muraoka
  • Patent number: 11013170
    Abstract: To properly determine a state in which driving of the work unit should be prohibited in power equipment, the power equipment (1) includes: a main body (2); a work unit provided on the main body; a work motor (8) that drives the work unit; a tilt angle detector (41) that detects a tilt angle of the main body; and a control unit (10) that drive-controls the work motor, wherein the control unit performs prohibition control to prohibit driving of the work motor when the tilt angle becomes greater than or equal to a predetermined tilt angle determination value and a change rate of the tilt angle becomes greater than or equal to a predetermined change rate determination value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Fukano, Masato Takeda, Keisuke Muraoka
  • Patent number: 10899266
    Abstract: A snow removal machine capable of illuminating, with a light projector, a dropped position of snow that varies depending on a direction of a chute guide. A working machine as a snow removal machine includes a machine body, and a chute that is provided on the machine body, and throws away snow. The chute includes a chute main body extending upwardly from the machine body, and a chute guide that is pivotably provided on a distal end portion of the chute main body, and adjusts a snow throwing direction that is an up-down direction of the snow to be thrown, the chute guide is connected to the chute main body side through a link, and the link is provided with a light projector so as to be capable of illuminating a dropped position of the snow to be thrown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuta Kimura, Yoshimasa Teruya, Jun Fukano, Tsutomu Mizoroke
  • Patent number: 10844561
    Abstract: A burden on an operation of an operator is reduced. A working machine includes a grid light that projects a grid light of a grid-shaped pattern, and a control unit that control the vehicle in accordance with deformation of the pattern of the grid light according to a shape of a projection spot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuta Kimura, Yoshimasa Teruya, Jun Fukano, Tsutomu Mizoroke
  • Publication number: 20200291590
    Abstract: A snow removal machine has: a storage unit that stores a vehicle speed coefficient map indicating the relationship between an incline angle and a vehicle speed coefficient for decreasing an instructed vehicle speed; a vehicle speed coefficient setting unit that sets the vehicle speed coefficient on the basis of a detected incline angle and the vehicle speed coefficient map; and a vehicle speed setting unit that sets the vehicle speed of a traveling unit by way of multiplying the instructed vehicle speed by the set vehicle speed coefficient. The vehicle speed coefficient map sets the vehicle speed coefficient so same is smaller for larger incline angles when at least the traveling unit is going forward on an upslope. A travel control unit controls a drive source so that the traveling unit travels at the set vehicle speed set by the vehicle speed setting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventors: Jun Fukano, Toshiaki Kawakami, Tsutomu Mizoroke, Atsushi Moroi
  • Patent number: 10709061
    Abstract: Electric power equipment such as a lawn mower is provided with a travel unit driven by a travel motor for propelling the equipment, a work unit driven by a work motor to perform prescribed work such as cutting grass as the equipment travels, and a control unit configured to decrease a rotational speed of the travel motor in response to an increase in a load applied to the work motor, and to increase the rotational speed of the travel motor in response to a decrease in a load applied to the work motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Fukano, Masato Takeda, Keisuke Muraoka
  • Patent number: 10427601
    Abstract: Visibility of information that is provided to a worker is enhanced. A working machine includes an indicator device that functions as an information providing unit that provides information of a machine body to the worker, and the indicator device emits an indicator light to a ground that is located in front of the working machine and is exposed to a worker side that is located at a manipulation position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuta Kimura, Yoshimasa Teruya, Jun Fukano, Tsutomu Mizoroke
  • Publication number: 20190269067
    Abstract: To properly determine a state in which driving of the work unit should be prohibited in power equipment, the power equipment (1) includes: a main body (2); a work unit provided on the main body; a work motor (8) that drives the work unit; a tilt angle detector (41) that detects a tilt angle of the main body; and a control unit (10) that drive-controls the work motor, wherein the control unit performs prohibition control to prohibit driving of the work motor when the tilt angle becomes greater than or equal to a predetermined tilt angle determination value and a change rate of the tilt angle becomes greater than or equal to a predetermined change rate determination value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Inventors: Jun FUKANO, Masato TAKEDA, Keisuke MURAOKA
  • Publication number: 20190269068
    Abstract: Walk-behind power equipment includes: a main body provided with at least one front wheel and left and right rear wheels and a work unit; travel motors provided for the respective rear wheels; a handle extending from the main body rearward and upward; at least one of a tilt angle detector that detects a tilt angle of the main body and a load detector that detects a downward load applied to the handle; a yaw rate detector that detects a yaw rate; and a control unit that drive-controls the travel motors. The control unit determines whether the main body is in a rearward tilted state based on the tilt angle or the downward load, and if it is determined that the main body is not in the rearward tilted state, performs straight-line travel control to set a rotational speed difference between the travel motors to reduce the yaw rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Inventors: Jun FUKANO, Masato TAKEDA, Keisuke MURAOKA
  • Patent number: 10306734
    Abstract: Presence of a working machine is noticed by those in the surroundings, and a worker is easily informed of a warning relating to an external environment. A working machine includes a detection unit including a sensor detecting an external environment of a machine body, and a control unit that controls a headlight that functions as an illumination unit based on the detected external environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuta Kimura, Yoshimasa Teruya, Jun Fukano, Tsutomu Mizoroke
  • Publication number: 20190037666
    Abstract: Presence of a working machine is noticed by those in the surroundings, and a worker is easily informed of a warning relating to an external environment. A working machine includes a detection unit including a sensor detecting an external environment of a machine body, and a control unit that controls a headlight that functions as an illumination unit based on the detected external environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Yuta Kimura, Yoshimasa Teruya, Jun Fukano, Tsutomu Mizoroke
  • Publication number: 20190031099
    Abstract: Visibility of information that is provided to a worker is enhanced. A working machine includes an indicator device that functions as an information providing unit that provides information of a machine body to the worker, and the indicator device emits an indicator light to a ground that is located in front of the working machine and is exposed to a worker side that is located at a manipulation position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Yuta Kimura, Yoshimasa Teruya, Jun Fukano, Tsutomu Mizoroke
  • Publication number: 20190031080
    Abstract: There is provided a snow removal machine capable of illuminating, with a light projector, a dropped position of snow that varies depending on a direction of a chute guide. A working machine as a snow removal machine includes a machine body, and a chute that is provided on the machine body, and throws away snow. The chute includes a chute main body extending upwardly from the machine body, and a chute guide that is pivotably provided on a distal end portion of the chute main body, and adjusts a snow throwing direction that is an up-down direction of the snow to be thrown, the chute guide is connected to the chute main body side through a link, and the link is provided with a light projector so as to be capable of illuminating a dropped position of the snow to be thrown.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Yuta Kimura, Yoshimasa Teruya, Jun Fukano, Tsutomu Mizoroke
  • Publication number: 20190003136
    Abstract: A burden on an operation of an operator is reduced. A working machine includes a grid light that projects a grid light of a grid-shaped pattern, and a control unit that control the vehicle in accordance with deformation of the pattern of the grid light according to a shape of a projection spot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Yuta Kimura, Yoshimasa Teruya, Jun Fukano, Tsutomu Mizoroke
  • Patent number: 10158302
    Abstract: Electric power equipment such as a lawn mower is provided with a travel unit driven by a travel motor for propelling the equipment, a work unit driven by a work motor to perform prescribed work such as cutting grass as the equipment travels, a battery for powering the motors, and a control unit which is configured to lower a rotational speed of the travel motor according to a decrease in the voltage or the remaining charge of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Fukano, Masato Takeda, Keisuke Muraoka
  • Patent number: 10130031
    Abstract: In a walk behind mower (10) including a clutch (23) provided in a power transmission path between an electric motor (35) and driven wheels (13), a clutch actuating mechanism (24) interposed between the electric motor and the clutch for selectively engaging the clutch, and a control unit (140) for selectively supplying electric power from a power source to the electric motor according to a command from an operation switch (30), the clutch actuating mechanism includes a cam mechanism for engaging the clutch by using a force transmitted to an input end (23a) of the clutch in the power transmission path when the electric motor is being driven in a normal rotational direction, and the control unit is configured to drive the electric motor in a reverse rotational direction for a prescribed period of time before stopping supplying electric power to the electric motor when a command to stop supplying electric power to the electric motor is received from the operation switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Yoshimura, Yasumi Fukuzumi, Jun Fukano