Patents by Inventor Kenji Kuroiwa
Kenji Kuroiwa 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).
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Patent number: 6564481Abstract: An electric vehicle has left and right speed control levers provided alongside left and right grips provided at the ends of left and right control handles. The electric vehicle also has left and right electric motors for driving left and right driven wheels and left and right brakes for braking the left and right driven wheels. The left brake and the speed of the left electric motor are controlled with the left speed control lever, the right brake and the speed of the right electric motor are controlled with the right speed control lever, and a driver can execute changes of direction and pivot turns and spot turns while holding the vehicle in a good attitude.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2001Date of Patent: May 20, 2003Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tsutomu Wakitani, Keiichiro Bungo, Kenji Kuroiwa, Tsutomu Inui, Hiroo Kanke, Jitsumi Hanafusa, Takahiro Yamamoto
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Patent number: 6550161Abstract: A walk behind self-propelled crawler has a travel ready lever mounted to one of the left and right handlebars and adapted to be gripped by a human operator to place the electric motors in an operative condition, and a clutch control pushbutton switch disposed on the control board at a position close to the other handlebar, the clutch control pushbutton switch being adapted to be manually operated to actuate the electromagnetic clutch.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2002Date of Patent: April 22, 2003Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Jitsumi Hanafusa, Kenji Kuroiwa
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Patent number: 6543548Abstract: A working vehicle 1 includes front wheels Wf steered by a steering wheel 8, and rear wheels Wr driven through a transmission system T incorporating static hydraulic pressure type continuously variable transmissions. A speed change operating device M for controlling speed change of the transmission system T accelerates or decelerates right and left rear wheels Wr at same rotating speed by operation of a change lever 10, and also generates a difference in rotating speed between the right and left rear wheels Wr by operation of the steering wheel 8. The steering characteristic on the basis of operation of the steering wheel 8 varies depending on the vehicle speed set by the change lever 10, so that an appropriate steering characteristic may be obtained if the vehicle speed is changed.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 1995Date of Patent: April 8, 2003Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Katsuhisa Ichikawa, Masakatsu Kono, Kazunari Iriki, Tsuyoshi Kawabata, Kenji Kuroiwa, Tsutomu Inui
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Publication number: 20030046834Abstract: A self-propelled snowplow vehicle includes a vehicle frame equipped with an auger at a front end portion thereof and pivotally connected to a propelling frame equipped with driving wheels, and a frame lift mechanism for lifting the front end portion of the vehicle frame up and down relative to the propelling frame. The frame lift mechanism comprises an electro-hydraulic cylinder actuator having a piston rod and an electric motor rotatably driven to produce a fluid pressure for reciprocating the piston rod in response to operation of a manual operating switch. The snowplow vehicle also includes a control unit arranged to forcibly stop the electric motor when a predetermined time has elapsed after the operation switch is activated, the predetermined time being equal to an operating time of the cylinder actuator which is required to extend or contract the piston rod over a maximum stroke defined between a fully extended position and a fully contracted position of the piston rod.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2002Publication date: March 13, 2003Inventors: Jitsumi Hanafusa, Kenji Kuroiwa, Tsutomu Wakitani, Tsutomu Inui, Takahiro Yamamoto
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Patent number: 6523283Abstract: An overload protecting device assembled in an auger transmission is disclosed as including a worm wheel having its side wall formed with a plurality of wheel-side protruding segments, a boss member engaging with the wheel and fixedly coupled to an auger shaft for non-rotating relationship, and a slide washer having a plurality of wheel-side projections facing the wheel-side protruding segments. When the auger shaft encounters a torque exceeding a given value, the worm wheel and the boss member are enabled to rotate relative to one another. As the wheel-side projections ride on the protruding segments, the slide washer is moved in a direction opposed to the worm wheel. A washer detection switch detects such a movement to produce a detection signal to forcibly stop the operation of an engine.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2001Date of Patent: February 25, 2003Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroshi Sueshige, Kenji Kuroiwa, Tomoaki Ishikawa
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Publication number: 20030005603Abstract: A walk behind self-propelled crawler snowplow includes a snowplow mechanism driven by an engine via a belt drive power transmission mechanism, and an overload protection device associated with the belt drive power transmission mechanism for protecting the engine against overload. The overload protection device comprises a tension sensor for detecting the tension in an endless belt and generating an electric overload signal to disengage an electromagnetic clutch in the belt drive power transmission mechanism when a belt tension greater than a predetermined value is detected.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 6, 2002Publication date: January 9, 2003Applicant: HONDA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Jitsumi Hanafusa, Masanori Takeishi, Kenji Kuroiwa
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Patent number: 6470603Abstract: A walk behind self-propelled crawler snowplow includes a snowplow mechanism driven by an engine via a belt drive power transmission mechanism, and an overload protection device associated with the belt drive power transmission mechanism for protecting the engine against overload. The overload protection device comprises a tension sensor for detecting the tension in an endless belt and generating an electric overload signal to disengage an electromagnetic clutch in the belt drive power transmission mechanism when a belt tension greater than a predetermined value is detected.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2001Date of Patent: October 29, 2002Assignee: Honda Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Jitsumi Hanafusa, Masanori Takeishi, Kenji Kuroiwa
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Publication number: 20020152647Abstract: A walk behind self-propelled crawler has a travel ready lever mounted to one of the left and right handlebars and adapted to be gripped by a human operator to place the electric motors in an operative condition, and a clutch control pushbutton switch disposed on the control board at a position close to the other handlebar, the clutch control pushbutton switch being adapted to be manually operated to actuate the electromagnetic clutch.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 19, 2002Publication date: October 24, 2002Inventors: Jitsumi Hanafusa, Kenji Kuroiwa
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Patent number: 6453583Abstract: A walk behind self-propelled crawler snowplow includes a snowplow mechanism disposed on a front portion of a vehicle body, an engine disposed on a longitudinal central portion of the vehicle body for driving the snowplow mechanism, a left crawler belt and a right crawler belt disposed on a left side and a right side, respectively, of the vehicle body, and left and right electric motors disposed on a rear portion of the vehicle body for driving the left and right crawler belts, respectively. With this arrangement, the crawler snowplow has a good weight balance such that the load or weight of the vehicle body is born evenly by the crawler belts. Since the snowplow mechanism and the crawler belts are driven separately by different power sources, the crawler snowplow can exhibit a good traveling performance regardless of the load exerted on the snowplow mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2001Date of Patent: September 24, 2002Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Jitsumi Hanafusa, Kenji Kuroiwa
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Publication number: 20020062583Abstract: An electric vehicle has left and right speed control levers provided alongside left and right grips provided at the ends of left and right control handles. The electric vehicle also has left and right electric motors for driving left and right driven wheels and left and right brakes for braking the left and right driven wheels. The left brake and the speed of the left electric motor are controlled with the left speed control lever, the right brake and the speed of the right electric motor are controlled with the right speed control lever, and a driver can execute changes of direction and pivot turns and spot turns while holding the vehicle in a good attitude.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2001Publication date: May 30, 2002Inventors: Tsutomu Wakitani, Keiichiro Bungo, Kenji Kuroiwa, Tsutomu Inui, Hiroo Kanke, Jitsumi Hanafusa, Takahiro Yamamoto
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Publication number: 20020053479Abstract: A motorized vehicle includes left and right electric motors mounted on a vehicle body for independently rotating left and right driving wheels, respectively, at variable speeds, and an actuator for causing the left and right electric motors to rotate simultaneously in opposite directions, thereby ensuring that the vehicle making a turn through a desired angle while staying at the same position. The actuator includes left and right turn control levers respectively mounted to left and right handlebars so as to extend along left and right handgrips. The turn control levers are operationally connected to left and right brakes and the left and right electric motors for causing the simultaneous rotation of the motors in opposite direction based on the position of the turn control levers.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2001Publication date: May 9, 2002Inventors: Tsutomu Wakitani, Tsutomu Inui, Kenji Kuroiwa, Jitsumi Hanafusa
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Publication number: 20020014132Abstract: An overload protecting device assembled in an auger transmission is disclosed as including a worm wheel having its side wall formed with a plurality of wheel-side protruding segments, a boss member engaging with the wheel and fixedly coupled to an auger shaft for non-rotating relationship, and a slide washer having a plurality of wheel-side projections facing the wheel-side protruding segments. When the auger shaft encounters a torque exceeding a given value, the worm wheel and the boss member are enabled to rotate relative to one another. As the wheel-side projections ride on the protruding segments, the slide washer is moved in a direction opposed to the worm wheel. A washer detection switch detects such a movement to produce a detection signal to forcibly stop the operation of an engine.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 27, 2001Publication date: February 7, 2002Inventors: Hiroshi Sueshige, Kenji Kuroiwa, Tomoaki Ishikawa
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Publication number: 20010025441Abstract: A walk behind self-propelled crawler snowplow includes a snowplow mechanism driven by an engine via a belt drive power transmission mechanism, and an overload protection device associated with the belt drive power transmission mechanism for protecting the engine against overload. The overload protection device comprises a tension sensor for detecting the tension in an endless belt and generating an electric overload signal to disengage an electromagnetic clutch in the belt drive power transmission mechanism when a belt tension greater than a predetermined value is detected.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2001Publication date: October 4, 2001Inventors: Jitsumi Hanafusa, Masanori Takeishi, Kenji Kuroiwa
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Patent number: 5901791Abstract: A working vehicle includes an engine in the rear of a passenger seat, and a working machine vertically movably disposed in the rear of the engine, wherein an upper end of the working machine which is lifted to the highest position is set lower than an upper end of the engine. As a result, a ventilation in the vicinity of the engine is improved and a cooling effect of the engine is enhanced. Also, a maintenance of the engine can be conducted without being interfered by the working machine. Further, with this arrangement, a center of gravity of the working machine is low, thereby enhancing a stability of the working vehicle, and a driver or a passenger of the vehicle can visually check backward much easier.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 1997Date of Patent: May 11, 1999Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Katsuhisa Ichikawa, Masakatsu Kono, Kazunari Iriki, Tsuyoshi Kawabata, Kenji Kuroiwa, Tsutomu Inui
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Patent number: 5775437Abstract: A working vehicle includes an engine in the rear of a passenger seat, and a working machine vertically movably disposed in the rear of the engine, wherein an upper end of the working machine which is lifted to the highest position is set lower than an upper end of the engine. As a result, a ventilation in the vicinity of the engine is improved and a cooling effect of the engine is enhanced. Also, a maintenance of the engine can be conducted without being interfered by the working machine. Further, with this arrangement, a center of gravity of the working machine is low, thereby enhancing a stability of the working vehicle, and a driver or a passenger of the vehicle can visually check backward much easier.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 1996Date of Patent: July 7, 1998Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Katsuhisa Ichikawa, Masakatsu Kono, Kazunari Iriki, Tsuyoshi Kawabata, Kenji Kuroiwa, Tsutomu Inui