Patents by Inventor Kazuhiro Fujii
Kazuhiro Fujii 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: 20100297486Abstract: The battery system comprises battery blocks 3 having a plurality of stacked battery cells 1, ventilating ducts that are supply ducts and exhaust ducts 7 disposed on each side of the battery blocks 3, and ventilating apparatus 9. Cooling gas is forced to flow from the supply ducts through cooling gaps 4 and into the exhaust ducts 7 to cool the battery cells 1. The battery system has temperature equalizing plates 15 disposed on the supply duct sides of the battery blocks 3. These temperature equalizing plates 15 are provided with mass-flow regulating openings 16 extending in the battery cell 1 stacking direction. The area exposed by the mass-flow regulating openings 16 varies with position in the battery cell 1 stacking direction, and supply duct cooling gas passes through the mass-flow regulating openings 16 into each cooling gap 4 to equalize the temperature of all the battery cells 1.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2010Publication date: November 25, 2010Inventor: Kazuhiro Fujii
-
Publication number: 20100294068Abstract: An electrical bicycle shift control device is provided with a base member, a first shift operating member and a second shift operating member. The handlebar mounting portion is configured to be fixedly mounted to a free end of a bicycle handlebar. The base member includes a handlebar mounting portion that is configured to be fixedly mounted a handlebar. The first shift operating member is pivotally coupled the base member from a rest position to a shift position in a first shift operating direction. The second shift operating member is mounted on the first shift operating member to move with the first shift operating member with respect to the base member. The second shift operating member is independently movable relative the first shift operating member from a rest position to a shift position in a second shift operating direction that is different to the first shift operating direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 19, 2009Publication date: November 25, 2010Applicant: SHIMANO INC.Inventors: Kazuhiro FUJII, Akinobu UNO
-
Publication number: 20100218633Abstract: A bicycle shifting control apparatus controls an electrical power supplied from a power supply to first and second gear shifting devices that are operated by first and second gear shift operating devices, respectively. The bicycle shifting control apparatus includes a first power supply sensor and a controller. The first power supply sensor detects a power level of the power supply. The controller receives a power level signal from the first power supply sensor. The controller performs a stopping operation of the first gear shifting device in response to the first power supply sensor detecting the power level of the power supply being below a first prescribed power level, but the controller transmits a second gear shift signal from the second gear shift operating device to the second gear shifting device to perform a second shifting operation of the second gear shifting device.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2009Publication date: September 2, 2010Applicant: Shimano Inc.Inventors: Tadashi ICHIDA, Takumi ONOGI, Kazuhiro FUJII, Masahiko FUKUDA, Haruyuki TAKEBAYASHI, Ryuichiro TAKAMOTO
-
Patent number: 7779724Abstract: An electrical bicycle shift control assembly is provided that includes at least one electrical bicycle shift control device. The shift control device includes a handlebar mounting portion configured to be clamped onto a handlebar and an electrical shift control switch portion. The electrical switch portion has an operating member arranged to move relative to the handlebar mounting portion between a neutral position and an actuating position. Preferably, the electrical switch portion is detachably coupled to the handlebar mounting portion via a mating mounting structure to be removable from the handlebar mounting portion without removing the handlebar mounting portion from the handlebar. Preferably, a bicycle computer unit including a display screen is supported by the handlebar mounting portion. The operating member can include a dial-shaped element or a lever-shaped element that is configured to rotate about an operating axis.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2004Date of Patent: August 24, 2010Assignee: Shimano Inc.Inventor: Kazuhiro Fujii
-
Patent number: 7762916Abstract: A front derailleur basically comprises a base member, a chain guide, inner and outer links, a first arm portion, and a coil spring. The chain guide is freely swingably coupled to the base member to guide a chain in a direction of shifting gears. Each of the outer link and the inner link has first and second sections freely rotatably coupled to the base member and the chain guide, respectively. The outer link and the inner link are disposed substantially parallel to each other. The first arm portion extends in a direction away from the base member. The coil spring has first and second ends connected to the base member and a free end of the first arm portion such that a biasing force is applied on the chain guide in a direction toward a frame of the bicycle when the base member is installed on the frame.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2005Date of Patent: July 27, 2010Assignee: Shimano Inc.Inventors: Tadashi Ichida, Kazuhiro Fujii
-
Patent number: 7722487Abstract: A bicycle front derailleur is provided with a mounting fixture that is configured to maintain an angular orientation of the front derailleur about a mounting axis parallel to a center axis of a frame tube in a stable manner. The mounting fixture has a bicycle frame fastening part, a front derailleur mounting part and a front derailleur contact part. The bicycle frame fastening part is configured to be fastened to the seat tube. The front derailleur mounting part is disposed on the bicycle frame fastening part and configured to be fastened to the front derailleur so that fine adjustment is possible about the mounting axis disposed at a distance from the seat tube. The front derailleur contact part selectively contacts a side surface of the front derailleur on the side facing the seat tube in a position that is different from that of the front derailleur mounting part.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2006Date of Patent: May 25, 2010Assignee: Shimano Inc.Inventors: Tadashi Ichida, Kazuhiro Fujii, Yoshihiro Oda
-
Patent number: 7703350Abstract: A bicycle control device is provided with a lever bracket and an electrical unit. The lever bracket is movably supporting the control lever. The electrical unit is coupled to the lever bracket. The lever bracket includes a bracket body and a bracket lid. The bracket body has a rearwardly located bicycle mounting portion, a control lever mounting portion and a forwardly located unit mounting portion containing the electrical unit. The bracket lid is releasably coupled to a forwardly face of the unit mounting portion of the bracket body to at least partially enclose the electrical unit in the unit mounting portion of the bracket body.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2006Date of Patent: April 27, 2010Assignee: Shimano Inc.Inventor: Kazuhiro Fujii
-
Patent number: 7679494Abstract: A bicycle display device is configured to accurately verify an amount of adjustment occurring when performing a fine adjustment of a transmission position of a transmission device. The bicycle display device is mounted on a bicycle, and includes a mounting part and a display element. The mounting part is attachable to a brake bracket of the bicycle. The display element is supported by the mounting part, and is configured and arranged to display a fine adjustment display screen for indicating the amount of adjustment when adjusting the transmission position of a transmission device such as a rear derailleur.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2006Date of Patent: March 16, 2010Assignee: Shimano Inc.Inventors: Kazuhiro Fujii, Masahiko Fukuda, Ryuichiro Takamoto
-
Patent number: 7651423Abstract: A front variable speed drive device is configured and arranged to electrically operate driving of a front derailleur by a shift cable. The front variable speed drive device comprises a case member, a motor drive mechanism, and a cable linking portion. The case member is mounted on a hanger portion of a bicycle frame. The motor drive mechanism is mounted on the case member, and has a revolving shaft. The cable linking portion has a retaining portion configured and arranged to retain a first end of the shift cable. The cable linking portion is rotatably mounted on the revolving shaft, and has a hypothetical arm line extending in the direction perpendicular to the shift cable from the center of rotation with a length of the hypothetical arm line changing depending on the rotation phase. Thus, motor torque required for shifting gears is reduced with a simple structure.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2005Date of Patent: January 26, 2010Assignee: Shimano Inc.Inventors: Tadashi Ichida, Kazuhiro Fujii
-
Patent number: 7628518Abstract: A bicycle hub includes a hub shaft, a hub shell, a bearing arrangement, an electricity generating mechanism and at least one lamp. The hub shaft is configured and arranged to be mounted in a non-rotatable manner to a bicycle frame. The hub shell has a hollow interior with the hub shaft being disposed in the hollow interior of the hub shell. The bearing arrangement is arranged between the hub shell and the hub shaft in such a manner that the hub shell can rotate freely with respect to the hub shaft. The electricity generating mechanism is arranged inside the hub shell and is configured to generate electricity in response to relative rotation of the hub shell with respect to the hub shaft. The lamp is arranged on at least one end of the hub shell and illuminated using electricity generated by the electricity generating mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2004Date of Patent: December 8, 2009Assignee: Shimano Inc.Inventors: Kazuhiro Fujii, Koji Uno
-
Patent number: 7614971Abstract: A derailleur control apparatus comprises a control unit that receives shift control signals. The control unit provides a first signal to operate the derailleur a first distance from a first sprocket to a second sprocket in response to a first shift control signal received while operating in a riding mode, and the control unit provides a second signal to operate the derailleur a second distance less than the first distance in response to a second shift control signal received while operating in the riding mode.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2005Date of Patent: November 10, 2009Assignee: Shimano, Inc.Inventors: Kazuhiro Fujii, Ryuichiro Takamoto, Tadashi Ichida
-
Publication number: 20090261652Abstract: A bicycle electrical wiring unit is provided with a junction housing, a wiring junction and a cable winding structure. The wiring junction is mounted to the junction housing for connecting at least two electrical cables. The cable winding structure is disposed on the junction housing with the cable winding structure including at least one electrical cable holder for selectively retaining different lengths of an intermediate section of a first electrical cable of the electrical cables to the junction housing.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 21, 2008Publication date: October 22, 2009Applicant: SHIMANO INC.Inventors: Kenji NAKAYAMA, Kazuhiro FUJII
-
Publication number: 20090235772Abstract: A bar end electric shifter is provided with a handlebar mounting portion, an electrical switch housing portion, a first electrical shift operating member and a second electrical shift operating member. The handlebar mounting portion is configured to be fixedly mounted to a free end of a bicycle handlebar. The electrical switch housing portion extends longitudinally from the handlebar mounting portion. The electrical switch housing portion has first and second lateral sides with a center axis of the free end of the handlebar extends longitudinally through the electrical switch housing portion when the handlebar mounting portion is mounted to the free end of the bicycle handlebar. The first electrical shift operating member is located on one of the lateral sides of the electrical switch housing portion. The second electrical shift operating member is located on one of the lateral sides of the electrical switch housing portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2008Publication date: September 24, 2009Applicant: Shimano Inc.Inventors: Kazuyuki NAKA, Kazuhiro FUJII, Toshio TETSUKA
-
Publication number: 20090220852Abstract: In the battery pack, a battery holder accommodates a plurality of cylindrical batteries disposed in a matrix or offset arrangement in a mutually parallel posture. The battery holder includes a holder main body and an end plate respectively connected to opposite ends of the holder main body having a plurality of opposed walls disposed in a mutually parallel posture inside peripheral walls, and also having a storage portion accommodating the cylindrical batteries between the opposed walls. The opposed wall is provided, on its opposite faces, with a protrusion projecting toward the swale between the adjacent cylindrical batteries to constitute a thick portion defining a through-hole extending through in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical battery. A connection rod is inserted in the through-hole defined in the above-mentioned thick portion, and the end plate is secured to the opposite ends of the holder main body by means of the connection rod.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 26, 2009Publication date: September 3, 2009Inventor: Kazuhiro Fujii
-
Publication number: 20090191994Abstract: A derailleur includes a motor that drives a drive member, a driven member driven by the drive member, and a clutch having a first element that disengages from a second element when substantial resistance exists in a power transmission path between the drive member and the driven member. An apparatus for controlling the derailleur comprises a re-engage command receiving circuit and a re-engagement circuit, wherein the re-engage command receiving circuit receives a re-engage command signal to re-engage the first element with the second element when the first element is disengaged from the second element, and the re-engagement circuit re-engages the first element with the second element in response to the re-engage command signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2008Publication date: July 30, 2009Applicant: SHIMANO, INC.Inventors: RYUICHIROU TAKAMOTO, KAZUHIRO FUJII, MASAHIKO FUKUDA
-
Publication number: 20090191453Abstract: The car power source apparatus is provided with a battery block 10 housing a plurality of batteries 11 in a battery case 12, and an electronic component block 20 with an electronic component case 22 housing electronic components 21, which connect with the batteries 11 in the battery block 10. The electronic component case 22 of the electronic component block 20 houses relays 31 that cut-off battery block 10 battery current. The relays 31 are disposed in a thermally connected fashion with the electronic component case 22 via flexible thermally conducting sheet 30. The section of the electronic component case 22 thermally connected with the relays 31 is a metal case, and heat generated by the relays 31 is transferred via the flexible thermally conducting sheet 30 to the metal case where it is radiated to the outside.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2009Publication date: July 30, 2009Inventors: Kazuhiro FUJII, Atsushi Fujita
-
Patent number: 7565848Abstract: A bicycle control device is provided that has a base member, an electrical shift control switch and a brake lever. The base member has a handlebar mounting portion configured to be fixedly mounted to a free end of a handlebar and an electrical switch housing portion extending longitudinally from the handlebar mounting portion such that a center axis of the free end of the handlebar extends longitudinally through the electrical switch housing portion when the base member is mounted to the free end of the handlebar. The electrical shift control switch is mounted to the electrical switch housing portion of the base member. The brake lever is pivotally attached to the base member to be selectively moved relative to the base member between a rest position and a braking position.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2006Date of Patent: July 28, 2009Assignee: Shimano Inc.Inventor: Kazuhiro Fujii
-
Patent number: 7547263Abstract: An apparatus for adjusting a position of a bicycle control device comprises a memory that stores a plurality of operating position values corresponding to a plurality of operating positions, a manually operated adjustment value providing unit that provides an adjustment value, and an updating unit. The updating unit provides a first updated operating position value from a first operating position value from the plurality of operating position values based on the adjustment value, and the updating unit provides a second updated operating position value from a different second operating position value from the plurality of operating position values based on the adjustment value.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2005Date of Patent: June 16, 2009Assignee: Shimano, Inc.Inventors: Masahiko Fukuda, Kazuhiro Fujii, Ryuichiro Takamoto
-
Publication number: 20090127819Abstract: A bicycle electrical cable tensioning assembly that includes a power supply structure for a bicycle. The power supply structure includes a battery configured to be supported on a frame of the bicycle, a junction attachable to the frame of the bicycle and first, second, third and fourth cable portions. The first cable portion extends between the junction and the battery providing an electrical connection therebetween. The second cable portion extends between the junction and a bicycle shifter mechanism connecting end providing an electrical connection therebetween. The third cable portion extends between the junction and a bicycle front derailleur connecting end providing an electrical connection therebetween. The fourth cable portion extends between the junction and a bicycle rear derailleur connecting end providing an electrical connection therebetween.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2009Publication date: May 21, 2009Applicant: SHIMANO INC.Inventors: Fumiaki YOSHIDA, Kazuhiro FUJII
-
Patent number: 7503863Abstract: A bicycle front derailleur motor unit assembly is provided that includes a motorized front derailleur mounting member and a motor unit. The front derailleur mounting member is configured to be mounted to a bicycle frame. The front derailleur mounting member includes a front derailleur mounting portion configured to be coupled to a linkage of a front derailleur and a motor unit mounting portion. The motor unit includes a motor unit housing configured to be removably coupled to the motor unit mounting portion and an output shaft configured to rotate about a rotation axis relative to the motor unit housing in first and second opposite rotational directions. The motor unit mounting portion and the motor unit housing include first and second fastener-less mating structures configured to resist rotational movement of the motor unit housing relative to the front derailleur mounting member due to a torque produced by the output shaft.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2005Date of Patent: March 17, 2009Assignee: Shimano Inc.Inventors: Tadashi Ichida, Kazuhiro Fujii