Patents by Inventor Kengo Yokota

Kengo Yokota 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).

  • Driving-force transmitting apparatus for four-wheel-drive vehicle
    Patent number: 8428838
    Abstract: A transmitting apparatus includes a disengaging device that disengages a driving force from a front-wheel differential device to a first driving-force transmitting direction converting unit and a multi-plate clutch mechanism provided between an output of a rear-wheel differential device and a right-rear wheel and capable of successively adjusting a fastening force. Drag torque when the fastening of the multi-plate clutch mechanism is released is set smaller than friction torque of a rear-wheel drive system between the first driving-force transmitting direction converting unit and a second driving-force transmitting direction converting unit. A controller unconnects the disengaging device and releases the fastening of multi-plate clutch mechanism when switching to a two-wheel drive mode, thereby stopping the rotation of the rear-wheel drive system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Univance Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kondo, Yosuke Masuda, Kengo Yokota, Hedeto Noyori, Noriatsu Yano
  • DRIVING-FORCE TRANSMITTING APPARATUS FOR FOUR-WHEEL-DRIVE VEHICLE
    Publication number: 20100274456
    Abstract: A transmitting apparatus includes a disengaging device that disengages a driving force from a front-wheel differential device to a first driving-force transmitting direction converting unit 20 and a multi-plate clutch mechanism provided between an output of a rear-wheel differential device and a right-rear wheel and capable of successively adjusting a fastening force. Drag torque when the fastening of the multi-plate clutch mechanism is released is set smaller than friction torque of a rear-wheel drive system between the first driving-force transmitting direction converting unit and a second driving-force transmitting direction converting unit. A controller unconnects the disengaging device and releases the fastening of multi-plate clutch mechanism when switching to a two-wheel drive mode, thereby stopping the rotation of the rear-wheel drive system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2010
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Inventors: Hiroyuki KONDO, Yosuke Masuda, Kengo Yokota, Hedeto Noyori, Noriatsu Yano