Patents by Inventor Kazuyuki Watanabe

Kazuyuki Watanabe 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: 20090318262
    Abstract: A control system of a vehicle including an engine and an automatic transmission operable to form one of a plurality of gear positions set according to running conditions of the vehicle, and a method of controlling the vehicle are provided. In the control, the rotational speed of an input-side rotary shaft of a shifting mechanism of the transmission is detected, and the vehicle is controlled so that, when an execution condition that one of the gear positions set according to the running conditions is maintained and the rotational speed of the input-side rotary shaft has increased to be higher than a rotational speed corresponding to the set gear position is satisfied, the vehicle is brought into running conditions that will eliminate a state in which air is present in the hydraulic fluid supplied from an oil supply device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2009
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirofumi Fujita, Kazuyuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7578050
    Abstract: A switch to be used mainly for controlling a variety of electronic devices in automobiles, and a method of manufacturing the same switch are disclosed for providing a switch free from positional deviation in its display section and easy to manufacture. Operating units having no display sections are mounted to a housing, then the shapes of each one of the operating units are recognized by a control circuit. An upper jig and a lower jig are moved for a laser beam device to remove a non-translucent section and expose parts of a translucent section, thereby forming the display sections. This structure allows eliminating positional deviation of the display sections and also requiring no visual checks done for confirming the display sections in manufacturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kuniharu Matsuoka, Masahiro Yamaguchi, Keiichirou Tamenaga, Kazuyuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7543693
    Abstract: The temperature of a friction engagement device of an automatic transmission is estimated, and the target speed ratio of a torque converter increases as the estimated temperature of the friction engagement device increases. The engagement load of the friction engagement device is then controlled so as to achieve the increased target speed ratio of the torque converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Nakayashiki, Kazuyuki Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20090118953
    Abstract: An ECU executes a program including outputting, when the oil temperature THO of ATF<the threshold value THO (0), a control signal to the solenoid valve to control the solenoid valve to cause the lock-up relay valve to enter the state of resupplying the ATF discharged from the torque converter to the torque converter. In the state where the ATF discharged from the torque converter is being resupplied to the torque converter, the second oil path guiding the ATF discharged from the torque converter to the oil pan is disconnected from the torque converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2006
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuaki Nakamura, Kazuyuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7492068
    Abstract: A voltage control device for vehicle alternator has an IC chip as an electric component for controlling electric circuits, terminals connected electrically to the IC chip for controlling electric circuits, a resin case in which the terminals are formed by insert molding, and a terminal exposure portion of a hole shape, formed in a part of the resin case, corresponding to a positioning pin for positioning the terminals. A projection part as a positioning member of a wall shape is formed in the surroundings of the terminal exposure portion and on the surface of the resin case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kennichi Mizuta, Kazuyuki Watanabe, Tomohiko Hamada
  • Publication number: 20080233408
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing water-using household equipment of which hydrophilicity, surface hardness and appearances are good and the water-using household equipment. The water-using household equipment includes a coat including silicic acid, and a coat constituted by composition of 44 to 97% by mass of Si by SiO2 conversion, 0.2 to 17% by mass of Li by Li2O conversion and 2.4 to 49% by mass of Na by Na2O conversion on the coat including the silicic acid on a surface of a substrate. The method for manufacturing water-using household equipment includes: a surface treatment step of treating at least a surface of the substrate contacting water or contacting a water vapor atmosphere with a coating agent including silicic acid and forming a surface treatment layer; and an application step of forming an application layer on the surface treatment layer by applying an aqueous solution including 1 to 20 mass portions of Si by SiO2 conversion, 0.05 to 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2006
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Obata, Kazuyuki Watanabe, Yuichiro Kida, Sayuri Endo, Masahiro Fukadu, Keijiro Shigeru, Daisaku Maeda
  • Publication number: 20080215218
    Abstract: ECU executes a program including the step (S108) of setting a B2 brake to a engaging state when a first speed gear is effected (YES at S100) and when the difference between an output shaft rotation speed NOUT (1) estimated from an input shaft rotation speed NIN and the detected output shaft rotation speed NOUT (2) is larger than a threshold N (0) (YES at S106). When the B2 brake is in an engaged state, the relative rotation between the inner race and the outer race of one-way clutch is limited.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2006
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Watanabe, Hiromichi Kimura, Koji Oshima, Masaru Morise, Hirofumi Onishi
  • Publication number: 20080196975
    Abstract: An embodiment of a differential device of the present invention comprises a pair of side gears and a pair of pinion gears housed inside a differential case, with the pinion gears supported by a pinion shaft fixed to the differential case at axial end sections thereof so as to be capable of sliding freely thereabout. Lubricating oil channels are provided that pass through each of the end sections of the pinion shaft in the axial direction thereof. One end of each lubricating oil channel opens to the exterior of the differential case at a shaft-end corner section of the pinion shaft corresponding to an upstream side thereof in a direction of rotation of the differential case, and another end opens to a sliding surface of the pinion shaft with respect to one of the pinion gears. The differential device also comprises a mechanism for providing lubricating oil to the lubricating oil channels upon rotation of the differential case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirofumi FUJITA, Kazuyuki Watanabe, Takuya Ito
  • Patent number: 7395154
    Abstract: A navigation apparatus and arrival detection method detect a current location of a vehicle and searches for a route to a set destination. The apparatus and method provide guidance to the destination along the searched route and determine whether the destination is set within a car-free area. If it is determined that the destination is set within the car-free area, the apparatus and method expand an arrival detection area for the destination, and terminate the guidance to the destination when it is determined that the vehicle is within the expanded arrival detection area. Alternatively, even if the destination is not within a car-free area, after an engine of a vehicle is shut off and restarts, the navigation apparatus and method expand an arrival detection area for the destination, and terminate the guidance to the destination when the vehicle is within the expanded arrival detection area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori Kikuchi, Takashi Kuno, Akiko Matsuo, Kazuyuki Watanabe, Mikio Shimadue
  • Publication number: 20080115847
    Abstract: An oil suction device for an automatic transmission includes: an oil pan that receives oil supplied to various portions of the automatic transmission and returned to the oil pan and reserves the received oil therein; an oil strainer located over the oil pan; a suction port drawing in the oil reserved in the oil pan; and an elastic wall provided selectively between a portion of the oil pan that receives a relatively small amount of the oil returned to the oil pan and the suction port, the elastic wall extending from a bottom surface of the oil pan and reaching a lower surface of the oil strainer to interrupt a flow of oil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2007
    Publication date: May 22, 2008
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirofumi Fujita, Kazuyuki Watanabe, Kazuaki Nakamura, Takeshi Ishiwada
  • Publication number: 20080110736
    Abstract: A switch to be used mainly for controlling a variety of electronic devices in automobiles, and a method of manufacturing the same switch are disclosed for providing a switch free from positional deviation in its display section and easy to manufacture. Operating units having no display sections are mounted to a housing, then the shapes of each one of the operating units are recognized by a control circuit. An upper jig and a lower jig are moved for a laser beam device to remove a non-translucent section and expose parts of a translucent section, thereby forming the display sections. This structure allows eliminating positional deviation of the display sections and also requiring no visual checks done for confirming the display sections in manufacturing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventors: Kuniharu Matsuoka, Masahiro Yamaguchi, Keiichirou Tamenaga, Kazuyuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7370744
    Abstract: In a friction engagement device of an automatic transmission, a brake piston is actuated by an oil pressure and a friction disc is pressed by the brake piston. The friction engagement device of an automatic transmission includes an oil pressure chamber extending in an annular shape and a main oil pressure supply path and a secondary oil pressure supply path each extending separately to supply oil to the oil pressure chamber. Each of the main oil pressure supply path and secondary oil pressure supply path connects to the oil pressure chamber in a position different from each other in a circumferential direction of the oil pressure chamber. With a construction as such, a friction engagement device of an automatic transmission is provided which prevents a load to the friction disc from locally increasing and attains a smooth speed-changing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirofumi Fujita, Hiromichi Kimura, Kazuyuki Watanabe, Kazuaki Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20080081499
    Abstract: A wiring material is provided by electrically connecting a connecting terminal with two single line conductors arranged in parallel. The connecting terminal is provided with a tube-shaped section for storing two single line conductors, the two single line conductors are inserted into the tube-shaped section, resistance welding is performed by carrying electricity from the external of the tube-shaped section in a status where the tube-shaped section and the single line conductors are mutually brought into contact, and the connecting terminal is electrically connected with the two single line conductors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Publication date: April 3, 2008
    Inventors: Toru Sumi, Tsukasa Iwasita, Kenichi Egami, Kazuyuki Watanabe, Hiroshi Okikawa
  • Publication number: 20080038084
    Abstract: A fastening structure includes a bolt, a fastened member, and gasket material. The fastened member has a bolthole into which the bolt is screwed, and a communication hole that extends from the bolthole to a space other than the bolthole. At least a part of a gap between a thread of the bolt and a thread of the bolthole, and at least a part of the communication hole are filled with the gasket material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Publication date: February 14, 2008
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuaki NAKAMURA, Kazuyuki Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20080028923
    Abstract: A hydraulic stroking device that performs stroking action by adjusting a pressure of hydraulic fluid in a fluid chamber is disclosed. The hydraulic device includes a hydraulic piston, a sealing member, and a variable sealing performance mechanism. The piston is provided in a fluid chamber, and receives the pressure of hydraulic fluid and is moved by the pressure. The sealing member seals between a circumferential surface of the piston and an inner surface of the fluid chamber. When the piston is not moving with the hydraulic fluid being pressurized, the variable sealing performance mechanism enhances the sealing performance of the sealing member compared to the sealing performance in a state when the piston is being moved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Publication date: February 7, 2008
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirofumi Fujita, Kazuyuki Watanabe, Kazuaki Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20080016975
    Abstract: A power transmission system for a vehicle is provided, including: a housing that can reserve oil therein; and a rotational member rotatably supported within the housing, with a surface of the rotational member being partly contactable with a surface of the oil reserved in the housing, in which the surface of the rotational member partly contactable with the oil surface includes a non-contact surface that is not in contact with any power transmission members, the non-contact surface having an oil repellent section. When the surface of the rotational member contacts the oil surface, the oil repellent section repels the oil quickly. Therefore, the amount of oil, which adheres to and rotates with the rotational member agitating the oil, decreases. This reduces oil heat generation and rotational resistance to the rotational member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2007
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Inventors: Kazuaki Nakamura, Kazuyuki Watanabe, Takeshi Ishiwada
  • Patent number: 7288922
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle generator includes a switch, a regulator, a fault condition detector, and a PWM signal generator. The switch is selectively turned on and off so as to intermittently excite the generator. The regulator controls on/off operation of the switch so as to bring an output of the generator into agreement with a target value. The fault condition detector detects a fault condition of the generator. The PWM signal generator generates and outputs a PWM signal that has a duty determined as a function of a duty of the on/off operation of the switch and a frequency determined based on if the fault condition of the generator is detected by the fault condition detector. Consequently, the control apparatus can inform an external control apparatus of the duty of the on/off operation of the switch and the fault condition of the generator with the single PWM signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Fuyuki Maehara, Kazuyuki Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20070137920
    Abstract: The invention provides a power train mechanism capable of decreasing a rotational resistance. The power train mechanism includes: a clutch drum; a forced feed oil passage and a central oil passage for supplying oil to the clutch drum; an oil reservoir provided below the clutch drum; an outer circumferential surface surrounding member for surrounding an outer circumferential surface of the clutch drum, while facing the outer circumferential surface with a clearance therebetween to such a degree as to avoid contact with the outer circumferential surface during rotation of the outer circumferential surface of the clutch drum; and a trans-axle rear cover provided continuously to the outer circumferential surface surrounding member, for surrounding axial one end surface of the clutch drum, in which a side of the outer circumferential surface surrounding member axially opposite to the trans-axle rear cover is an open end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuaki Nakamura, Kazuyuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7224148
    Abstract: The vehicle power-generation control unit includes a voltage detecting circuit detecting a generation voltage of a vehicle generator driven by a vehicle engine, a switching device allowing an exciting current to flow into an exciting winding of the vehicle generator when the switching device is in an on state, an average duty ratio detecting circuit detecting a temporal average duty ratio of the switching device on the basis of the generation voltage, an enhanced duty-cycle signal generating circuit generating an enhanced duty-cycle signal having a duty ratio equal to the temporal average duty ratio added with a supplementary duty ratio determined depending on at least one of vehicle state information and vehicle generator state information, and a driver circuit driving the switching device with the duty ratio of the enhanced duty-cycle signal when the generation voltage detected by the voltage detecting circuit is lower than a predetermined target voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Watanabe, Tadatoshi Asada
  • Publication number: 20070046113
    Abstract: A voltage control device for vehicle alternator has an IC chip as an electric component for controlling electric circuits, terminals connected electrically to the IC chip for controlling electric circuits, a resin case in which the terminals are formed by insert molding, and a terminal exposure portion of a hole shape, formed in a part of the resin case, corresponding to a positioning pin for positioning the terminals. A projection part as a positioning member of a wall shape is formed in the surroundings of the terminal exposure portion and on the surface of the resin case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2006
    Publication date: March 1, 2007
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kennichi Mizuta, Kazuyuki Watanabe, Tomohiko Hamada