Patents by Inventor Kazuki Kure

Kazuki Kure 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: 10450719
    Abstract: A bulldozer includes a blade disposed in front of a vehicle body. First and second cameras are disposed to the left and right of the vehicle body, respectively. A first optical axis of the first camera faces forward and downward. The first camera overlaps a left crawler belt as seen in a plan view of the bulldozer and is arranged to capture a first image of a gap between a lower edge of the blade and the left crawler belt. A second optical axis of the second camera faces forward and downward. The second camera overlaps a right crawler belt as seen in a plan view of the bulldozer and is arranged to capture a second image of a gap between a lower edge of the blade and the right crawler belt. A display is configured to display the first and second images side-by-side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Tsukamoto, Kazuki Kure, Etsuo Fujita, Sueyoshi Nishimine, Masahiro Ikeda
  • Patent number: 10415212
    Abstract: A bulldozer has a protective structure. The protective structure includes a left pillar portion, a right pillar portion, and a beam portion. The left pillar portion is disposed to the left of a cab and extends in the up-down direction. The right pillar portion is disposed to the right of the cab and extends in the up-down direction. The beam portion is disposed above the cab and couples the left pillar portion and the right pillar portion. A first camera is attached to the left pillar portion and is disposed so that a first optical axis faces forward and downward. A second camera is attached to the right pillar portion and is disposed so that a second optical axis faces forward and downward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Tsukamoto, Kazuki Kure, Etsuo Fujita, Sueyoshi Nishimine, Masahiro Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20190263447
    Abstract: When left and right steering levers are both operated and the operation amount of the left lever is larger than that of the right lever, a controller calculates a correction left operation amount of the left lever according to the operation amount of the right lever, and controls a left steering clutch so as to cause a vehicle body to turn toward the left in accordance with the correction left operation amount. When left and right steering levers are both operated and the operation amount of the right lever is larger than that of the left lever, the controller calculates a correction right operation amount of the right lever according to the operation amount of the left lever, and controls a right steering clutch so as to cause the vehicle body to turn toward the right in accordance with the correction right operation amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Kei NAKANO, Hiroki YAMAMOTO, Kazuki KURE, Souichi TSUMURA
  • Publication number: 20190242089
    Abstract: A bulldozer includes a blade disposed in front of a vehicle body. First and second cameras are disposed to the left and right of the vehicle body, respectively. A first optical axis of the first camera faces forward and downward. The first camera overlaps a left crawler belt as seen in a plan view of the bulldozer and is arranged to capture a first image of a gap between a lower edge of the blade and the left crawler belt. A second optical axis of the second camera faces forward and downward. The second camera overlaps a right crawler belt as seen in a plan view of the bulldozer and is arranged to capture a second image of a gap between a lower edge of the blade and the right crawler belt. A display is configured to display the first and second images side-by-side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Inventors: Takashi TSUKAMOTO, Kazuki KURE, Etsuo FUJITA, Sueyoshi NISHIMINE, Masahiro IKEDA
  • Publication number: 20190226178
    Abstract: A controller controls the steering device so as to cause a vehicle body to turn toward the left when a left steering lever is operated without a right steering lever being operated. The controller controls the steering device so as to cause the vehicle body to turn toward the right when the right steering lever is operated without the left steering lever being operated. The controller reduces the rotation speed of the engine when both the left steering lever and the right steering lever are operated and both the operation amount of the left steering lever and the operation amount of the right steering lever are equal to or greater than a first threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Inventors: Kei NAKANO, Hiroki YAMAMOTO, Kazuki KURE, Souichi TSUMURA
  • Publication number: 20180079361
    Abstract: A display system includes a work vehicle, a first camera, a computation device, and a display device. The first camera is attached to one side portion of the work vehicle. The first camera has an optical axis inclined downward with respect to a horizontal direction. The first camera captures a first image including a surrounding environment of the work vehicle and a first vehicle body portion. The computation device generates a display image from the first image. The display image includes a surrounding image that depicts the surrounding environment of the work vehicle in a bird's-eye view, and a vehicle image. The vehicle image may combine a vehicle model depicted in the work vehicle and an image of the first vehicle body portion captured by the first camera, or may be an image of the first vehicle body portion. The display device displays the display image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventors: Atsushi YAMASHITA, Hajime ASAMA, Hiromitsu FUJII, Wei SUN, Takashi TSUKAMOTO, Kazuki KURE
  • Publication number: 20180073214
    Abstract: A bulldozer has a protective structure. The protective structure includes a left pillar portion, a right pillar portion, and a beam portion. The left pillar portion is disposed to the left of a cab and extends in the up-down direction. The right pillar portion is disposed to the right of the cab and extends in the up-down direction. The beam portion is disposed above the cab and couples the left pillar portion and the right pillar portion. A first camera is attached to the left pillar portion and is disposed so that a first optical axis faces forward and downward. A second camera is attached to the right pillar portion and is disposed so that a second optical axis faces forward and downward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventors: Takashi TSUKAMOTO, Kazuki KURE, Etsuo FUJITA, Sueyoshi NISHIMINE, Masahiro IKEDA
  • Publication number: 20180067513
    Abstract: An operation device includes a hold portion having a base end and a leading end, and an operation portion attached to the leading end of the hold portion. The operation portion includes a finger rest extending substantially along a direction in which the hold portion extends from the base end to the leading end, and first to third operation switches disposed with the finger rest interposed therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Inventors: Kazuki KURE, Hiroki YAMAMOTO, Akane AWAZU
  • Patent number: 9580889
    Abstract: A work vehicle of the present invention includes an engine, a cooling core, a fan, a hydraulic drive unit, and an idle reduction execution unit. The cooling core is mounted in the work vehicle. The fan is configured to blow air to the cooling core and to be capable of making regular and reverse rotations. The hydraulic drive unit is configured to drive the fan by driving the engine. The idle reduction execution unit is configured to stop the engine based on a state of rotation of the fan caused by the hydraulic drive unit and based on an idle state. The idle reduction execution unit stops the engine on a condition that the fan makes regular rotation and the idle state has continued for a predetermined time, and does not stop the engine on a condition that the fan makes reverse rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuki Kure
  • Publication number: 20160251832
    Abstract: A work vehicle of the present invention includes an engine, a cooling core, a fan, a hydraulic drive unit, and an idle reduction execution unit. The cooling core is mounted in the work vehicle. The fan is configured to blow air to the cooling core and to be capable of making regular and reverse rotations. The hydraulic drive unit is configured to drive the fan by driving the engine. The idle reduction execution unit is configured to stop the engine based on a state of rotation of the fan caused by the hydraulic drive unit and based on an idle state. The idle reduction execution unit stops the engine on a condition that the fan makes regular rotation and the idle state has continued for a predetermined time, and does not stop the engine on a condition that the fan makes reverse rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Applicant: KOMATSU LTD
    Inventor: Kazuki KURE
  • Patent number: 9102291
    Abstract: A front grille including a rotation plate is attached to the front end of a body. A grille open-state dimension of the rotation plate relative to a shaft is set to be smaller than a minimum distance among distances between the front end of the body and the backside surface of a blade in the front/back direction of the body when the lower end of the blade is in contact with a level surface. In this way, there can be obtained a bulldozer having a front grille that facilitates cleaning, that has excellent durability, and that provides excellent workability in an opening/closing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuki Kure
  • Patent number: 8875824
    Abstract: A radiator grill is mounted on a work vehicle and includes a frame and a plate member. The plate member is supported by the frame and having a plurality of through-holes aligned in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. Each of the through-holes has a pair of circular parts aligned in the first direction, and an interconnecting part having a width in the second direction that is smaller than diameters of the circular parts, the interconnecting part interconnecting the circular parts. The through-holes are disposed alternately so that one of the circular parts of one of two adjacent ones of the through-holes adjacent to each other in the second direction is aligned with the interconnecting part of the other of the two adjacent ones of the through-holes in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Hironori Yamamitsu, Kazuki Kure, Hiroshi Nakagami, Taira Ozaki
  • Publication number: 20140224558
    Abstract: A front grille including a rotation plate is attached to the front end of a body. A grille open-state dimension of the rotation plate relative to a shaft is set to be smaller than a minimum distance among distances between the front end of the body and the backside surface of a blade in the front/back direction of the body when the lower end of the blade is in contact with a level surface. In this way, there can be obtained a bulldozer having a front grille that facilitates cleaning, that has excellent durability, and that provides excellent workability in an opening/closing operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuki Kure
  • Patent number: 8662223
    Abstract: A controller of a work vehicle sets the upper limit of a fan target rotational speed in accordance with an engine rotational speed. The controller reduces an upper limit of the fan target rotational speed further when a lock-up clutch is in an engaged state than when the lock-up clutch is in a released state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Shintani, Tomohiro Nakagawa, Hironori Toda, Hiroshi Nakagami, Kazuki Kure
  • Patent number: 8483922
    Abstract: The work vehicle includes a braking device, a lubricant feeding section, and a controlling section. The controlling section configured to execute a first control in which an amount of the lubricant fed to the braking device is controlled based on a temperature of a rotating member of the braking device. The controlling section sets the amount of the lubricant to a predetermined first feed amount when the braking device is in a braking state, calculates the temperature of the rotating member, and makes a decision in the first control, based on the calculated temperature of the rotating member, to change the amount of the lubricant from the first feed amount to a second feed amount, which is smaller than the first feed amount, when the braking device is switched from the braking state to a non-braking state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuki Kure, Kazuyuki Suzuki, Shigeru Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8322135
    Abstract: A hydraulic device has a first pump, a second pump, an operating state detector configured and arranged to detect an operating state, a connection switching unit configured and arranged to selectively connect the second pump to either a first hydraulic oil line or a second hydraulic oil line, and a switching controller configured to control, based on the operating state detected by the operating state detector, a switching operation of the connection switching unit. The switching controller is further configured to inhibit the switching operation of the connection of the second pump when the detected operating state is such that at least one of clutches of a multi-stage transmission and a steering device is in a state transition or at least one brake of the steering device is being operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuki Kure, Kazuyuki Suzuki, Shigeru Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20120241235
    Abstract: A controller of a work vehicle sets the upper limit of a fan target rotational speed in accordance with an engine rotational speed. The controller reduces an upper limit of the fan target rotational speed further when a lock-up clutch is in an engaged state than when the lock-up clutch is in a released state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru Shintani, Tomohiro Nakagawa, Hironori Toda, Hiroshi Nakagami, Kazuki Kure
  • Publication number: 20120073843
    Abstract: A suspension device for a work vehicle is capable of not only providing improved ride quality during nonoperational traveling such as on-site movement over uneven terrain, but also ensuring stable driving power during operational traveling such as an excavation operation on uneven terrain. The suspension device 60 has an equalizer bar 61 for coupling undercarriages 4, 4? provided on both sides, respectively, of a vehicle body 3, the equalizer bar 61 being provided in the vehicle body 3 so as to be freely swingable up and down. This suspension device 60 has pitch angle change cylinders 65 as maximum pitch angle changing mechanism for changing the maximum pitch angle of the equalizer bar 61.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Inventor: Kazuki Kure
  • Publication number: 20100198472
    Abstract: The work vehicle includes a braking device, a lubricant feeding section, and a controlling section. The controlling section configured to execute a first control in which an amount of the lubricant fed to the braking device is controlled based on a temperature of a rotating member of the braking device. The controlling section sets the amount of the lubricant to a predetermined first feed amount when the braking device is in a braking state, calculates the temperature of the rotating member, and makes a decision in the first control, based on the calculated temperature of the rotating member, to change the amount of the lubricant from the first feed amount to a second feed amount, which is smaller than the first feed amount, when the braking device is switched from the braking state to a non-braking state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Kure, Kazuyuki Suzuki, Shigeru Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20100071359
    Abstract: A hydraulic device has a first pump, a second pump, an operating state detector configured and arranged to detect an operating state, a connection switching unit configured and arranged to selectively connect the second pump to either a first hydraulic oil line or a second hydraulic oil line, and a switching controller configured to control, based on the operating state detected by the operating state detector, a switching operation of the connection switching unit The switching controller is further configured to inhibit the switching operation of the connection of the second pump when the detected operating state is such that at least one of clutches of a multi-stage transmission and a steering device is in a state transition or at least one brake of the steering device is being operated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Kure, Kazuyuki Suzuki, Shigeru Yamamoto