Patents by Inventor Kozo Yamaguchi

Kozo Yamaguchi 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: 7654511
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided with a processing tray 42 to mount sheets ejected from an image formation section, aligning means (aligning plates 61, etc.) for aligning end portions of a sheet ejected on the processing tray 42, a post-processing apparatus 43 that performs binding processing on the sheets aligned by the aligning means, and moving means (unit moving motor 60, etc.) for moving the post-processing apparatus 43 to a plurality of post-processing positions set to perform the binding processing at different binding processing target position on the sheets, and moves the sheets to a post-processing undergoing position corresponding to the post-processing position substantially in parallel with a travel direction of the post-processing apparatus 43. It is thereby possible to perform the binding processing on the ejected sheets appropriately while implementing the apparatus compact in size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Jinichi Nagata, Kozo Yamaguchi, Hideo Yoshikawa, Shin Tsugane, Makoto Shimura
  • Patent number: 7525224
    Abstract: A drive unit comprises an electric motor, a drive unit casing 2 accommodating therein the electric motor, an inverter 3 that controls the electric motor, and a flow passage of a refrigerant that cools the inverter. The inverter defines a space R between it and a heat sink 5 integral with a substrate of the inverter, and is mounted to the drive unit casing, the space being communicated to the flow passage of the refrigerant. The heat sink comprises fins 56 that cross the space R, and abuts against the drive unit casing in a state of low thermal conduction. Thereby, the heat sink is effectively cooled by heat exchange with a cooling refrigerant in wide areas. Also, the fins contact with the drive unit casing in a state of low thermal conduction via a heat insulation material, etc., whereby direct heat conduction is avoided and efficient cooling is enabled while temperature gradient conformed to heat-resistant temperatures of the inverter and the electric motor is maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Takenaka, Naruhiko Kutsuna, Kozo Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7276007
    Abstract: A hybrid drive unit includes a three-element planetary gear coupled to two motors, and a reduction planetary gear which is drivingly connected to the three-element planetary gear and switches modes by controlling a clutch and a brake. A three-element direct drive mode is able to be achieved by providing another clutch which couples together any two elements of the reduction planetary gear, and locking up the reduction planetary gear. As a result, motor output is reduced compared with a four-element direct drive mode of related art during high-speed running, and energy recovery efficiency during regeneration can also be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeki Takami, Kozo Yamaguchi, Takeshi Inuzuka, Tomohiko Ito
  • Patent number: 7255186
    Abstract: An output of an internal combustion engine is transmitted to an output shaft by controlling a control motor to change a rotation speed output from the engine without speed steps via power distribution planetary gear. An output of a drive motor is input to the output shaft by changing the speed into two-step decelerated rotation by means of an automatic transmission. The transmission produces a desired torque by decelerating the speed by a large degree when a vehicle speed is low, and produces a desired number of revolutions by decelerating the speed by a small degree when the vehicle speed is high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2007
    Assignees: Aisin AW Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoru Wakuta, Kenji Omote, Takeshi Inuzuka, Kazuhisa Ozaki, Kazumasa Tsukamoto, Kozo Yamaguchi, Masatoshi Adachi, Kazutoshi Motoike, Masahiro Kojima
  • Patent number: 7228209
    Abstract: The invention includes a target-engine-speed acquisition element that acquires a target engine speed necessary to reduce engine speed, thereby stopping the engine at a target stop position; a crank-angle acquisition element that acquires a crank angle indicative of the position of a crankshaft; and a target-engine-speed correction element that corrects the target engine speed according to the acquired crank angle. Because the target engine speed is corrected according to the crank angle, the engine can be stopped at the target stop position even if the friction in the engine, the electric motor, etc. varies, the temperature or viscosity of the lubricating and cooling oils varies, or the vehicle is accelerated or decelerated during the reduction of the engine speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Izawa, Hideki Hisada, Masaki Nomura, Kozo Yamaguchi, Toshio Okoshi, Tomochika Inagaki, Kazuma Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 7222685
    Abstract: A drive device with electronic circuit, including floated wiring for electrically connecting the solid wirings of a circuit to each other and an electronic circuit mechanically connected to an engine, wherein the electronic circuit is formed so that the flat surface thereof including the floated wiring is substantially disposed vertically relative to the output axis of the engine, whereby the vibration of the engine in the major X- and Z-directions can be prevented from applying to the floated wiring in Y-axis direction to increase the seismic resistance of the electronic circuit, and the arrangement of the drive device having the electronic circuit mechanically installed thereon can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Takenaka, Hiromichi Agata, Takeshi Hara, Kozo Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7211912
    Abstract: A drive system includes a plurality of electric power devices, a drive case having a plurality of case segments which are connected to each other, each of the electric power devices being contained in one of the case segments, and a plurality of inverters, one for each of the electric power devices. The inverters are collectively attached to one of the case segments, and a flow path of a coolant for cooling the inverters is positioned between the case segment to which the inverters are attached and the inverters. Accordingly, a cooling unit which performs heat insulation and cooling between the drive system and the inverters is positioned only on the outer surface of one of the case segments and does not extend across the connection interfaces between the case segments. Therefore, the risk of leakage of the coolant into the drive case can be substantially eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Takenaka, Kozo Yamaguchi, Takahiro Kido
  • Patent number: 7174978
    Abstract: A hybrid drive unit including a first motor, a first planetary gear and a second motor, wherein the first planetary gear distributes and transmits a drive force transmitted from an input shaft to the first motor and an output shaft, a power output from the output shaft and the second motor are synthesized and the first motor and the first planetary gear are housed in a transmission case with the second motor spaced from the transmission case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Taniguchi, Kazumasa Tsukamoto, Kozo Yamaguchi, Kazuhisa Ozaki, Takeshi Inuzuka, Satoru Wakuta
  • Patent number: 7117071
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle drive apparatus including an electric power generator mechanically connected to the engine, a drive motor driven by at least one of an electric current generated by the electric power generator and an electric current supplied from a battery; a detector that detects a battery state of the battery and a controller that sets a target torque of the drive motor based on the battery state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Aoki, Toshio Okoshi, Hiroyuki Kojima, Kozo Yamaguchi, Ken Iwatsuki
  • Publication number: 20060202403
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided with a processing tray 42 to mount sheets ejected from an image formation section, aligning means (aligning plates 61, etc.) for aligning end portions of a sheet ejected on the processing tray 42, a post-processing apparatus 43 that performs binding processing on the sheets aligned by the aligning means, and moving means (unit moving motor 60, etc.) for moving the post-processing apparatus 43 to a plurality of post-processing positions set to perform the binding processing at different binding processing target position on the sheets, and moves the sheets to a post-processing undergoing position corresponding to the post-processing position substantially in parallel with a travel direction of the post-processing apparatus 43. It is thereby possible to perform the binding processing on the ejected sheets appropriately while implementing the apparatus compact in size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2006
    Publication date: September 14, 2006
    Applicants: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Jinichi Nagata, Kozo Yamaguchi, Hideo Yoshikawa, Shin Tsugane, Makoto Shimura
  • Patent number: 7102260
    Abstract: A drive unit comprises an electric motor 1, a drive unit casing 2 accommodating therein the electric motor, an inverter 3 that controls the electric motor, and a flow passage of a refrigerant that cools the inverter. The inverter is mounted on a heat sink 53 and mounted to the drive unit casing with a space R defined, and the space is communicated to the flow passage of the refrigerant. The heat sink comprises fins 56, and the drive unit casing comprises fins 22, the both fins being apart from each other. Thereby, both a side of the drive unit casing and a side of the heat sink are effectively cooled by heat exchange with a cooling refrigerant in wide areas. Also, the fins are apart from each other whereby direct heat conduction is avoided and efficient cooling is enabled with temperature gradient conformed to heat-resistant temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Takenaka, Naruhiko Kutsuna, Kozo Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7030520
    Abstract: A drive unit including an electric motor, a drive unit casing accommodating therein the electric motor, an inverter that controls the electric motor and a flow passage in which a refrigerant passes therein in order to cool the inverter, wherein the inverter is mounted on the drive unit casing such that a heat sink, united with a substrate of the inverter, defines a space that is in communication with the flow passage on a portion thereof opposed to the drive unit casing, the space is compartmented by a separator into a first chamber facing the heat sink and a second chamber facing the drive unit casing and the heat sink comprises heat-sink side fins extending into the first chamber and apart from the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Takenaka, Naruhiko Kutsuna, Kozo Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20050253465
    Abstract: A drive unit comprises an electric motor, a drive unit casing 2 accommodating therein the electric motor, an inverter 3 that controls the electric motor, and a flow passage of a refrigerant that cools the inverter. The inverter defines a space R between it and a heat sink 5 integral with a substrate of the inverter, and is mounted to the drive unit casing, the space being communicated to the flow passage of the refrigerant. The heat sink comprises fins 56 that cross the space R, and abuts against the drive unit casing in a state of low thermal conduction. Thereby, the heat sink is effectively cooled by heat exchange with a cooling refrigerant in wide areas. Also, the fins contact with the drive unit casing in a state of low thermal conduction via a heat insulation material, etc., whereby direct heat conduction is avoided and efficient cooling is enabled while temperature gradient conformed to heat-resistant temperatures of the inverter and the electric motor is maintained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2003
    Publication date: November 17, 2005
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD
    Inventors: Masayuki Takenaka, Naruhiko Kutsuna, Kozo Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20050221939
    Abstract: A hybrid drive unit includes a three-element planetary gear coupled to two motors, and a reduction planetary gear which is drivingly connected to the three-element planetary gear and switches modes by controlling a clutch and a brake. A three-element direct drive mode is able to be achieved by providing another clutch which couples together any two elements of the reduction planetary gear, and locking up the reduction planetary gear. As a result, motor output is reduced compared with a four-element direct drive mode of related art during high-speed running, and energy recovery efficiency during regeneration can also be improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2005
    Publication date: October 6, 2005
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeki Takami, Kozo Yamaguchi, Takeshi Inuzuka, Tomohiko Ito
  • Publication number: 20050168081
    Abstract: A drive unit comprises an electric motor 1, a drive unit casing 2 accommodating therein the electric motor, an inverter 3 that controls the electric motor, and a flow passage of a refrigerant that cools the inverter. The inverter is mounted on a heat sink 53 and mounted to the drive unit casing with a space R defined, and the space is communicated to the flow passage of the refrigerant. The heat sink comprises fins 56, and the drive unit casing comprises fins 22, the both fins being apart from each other. Thereby, both a side of the drive unit casing and a side of the heat sink are effectively cooled by heat exchange with a cooling refrigerant in wide areas. Also, the fins are apart from each other whereby direct heat conduction is avoided and efficient cooling is enabled with temperature gradient conformed to heat-resistant temperatures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2003
    Publication date: August 4, 2005
    Inventors: Masayuki Takenaka, Naruhiko Kutsuna, Kozo Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20050006963
    Abstract: A drive unit comprises an electric motor, a drive unit casing 2 accommodating therein the electric motor, an inverter 3 that controls the electric motor, and a flow passage of a refrigerant that cools the inverter. The inverter defines a space R between it and a heat sink 5 integral with a substrate of the inverter, and is mounted to the drive unit casing, the space is compartmented by separation means 8 into a first chamber R1 facing the heat sink and a second chamber R2 facing the drive unit casing, and is communicated to the flow passage of the refrigerant, and the heat sink comprises heat-sink-side fins 56 extending into the first chamber and apart from the separation means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2003
    Publication date: January 13, 2005
    Inventors: Masayuki Takenaka, Naruhiko Kutsuna, Kozo Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20040255904
    Abstract: The invention includes a target-engine-speed acquisition element that acquires a target engine speed necessary to reduce engine speed, thereby stopping the engine at a target stop position; a crank-angle acquisition element that acquires a crank angle indicative of the position of a crankshaft; and a target-engine-speed correction element that corrects the target engine speed according to the acquired crank angle. Because the target engine speed is corrected according to the crank angle, the engine can be stopped at the target stop position even if the friction in the engine, the electric motor, etc. varies, the temperature or viscosity of the lubricating and cooling oils varies, or the vehicle is accelerated or decelerated during the reduction of the engine speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2004
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Izawa, Hideki Hisada, Masaki Nomura, Kozo Yamaguchi, Toshio Okoshi, Tomochika Inagaki, Kazuma Hasegawa
  • Publication number: 20040226761
    Abstract: A drive system includes a plurality of electric power devices, a drive case having a plurality of case segments which are connected to each other, each of the electric power devices being contained in one of the case segments, and a plurality of inverters, one for each of the electric power devices. The inverters are collectively attached to one of the case segments, and a flow path of a coolant for cooling the inverters is positioned between the case segment to which the inverters are attached and the inverters. Accordingly, a cooling unit which performs heat insulation and cooling between the drive system and the inverters is positioned only on the outer surface of one of the case segments and does not extend across the connection interfaces between the case segments. Therefore, the risk of leakage of the coolant into the drive case can be substantially eliminated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Publication date: November 18, 2004
    Applicant: AISIN AW. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masayuki Takenaka, Kozo Yamaguchi, Takahiro Kido
  • Publication number: 20040084233
    Abstract: An output of an internal combustion engine is transmitted to an output shaft by controlling a control motor to change a speed without speed steps, in a power distribution planetary gear. An output of a drive motor is input to the output shaft by changing the speed into two-step decelerated rotation by means of an automatic transmission. The transmission produces a desired torque by decelerating the speed by a large degree when a vehicle speed is low, and produces a desired number of revolutions by decelerating the speed by a small degree when the vehicle speed is high.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2003
    Publication date: May 6, 2004
    Applicants: AISIN AW CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Wakuta, Kenji Omote, Takeshi Inuzuka, Kazuhisa Ozaki, Kazumasa Tsukamoto, Kozo Yamaguchi, Masatoshi Adachi, Kazutoshi Motoike, Masahiro Kojima
  • Patent number: 6722457
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an engine and a first electric motor mechanically connected to the engine and to a drive wheel. The engine is startable by the first electric motor. The hybrid vehicle further includes: start condition satisfaction determination processing system and method for determining whether a variable that varies corresponding to the rotation of the drive wheel is equal to or greater than a threshold set within a range that does not exceed an upper limit value prescribed by a maximum torque of the first electric motor and a torque of the first electric motor needed to start the engine; and engine start instruction output processing system and method for outputting an engine start instruction if the variable is equal to or greater than the threshold. If the variable is greater than or equal to the threshold, the engine start instruction is outputted, and the engine is immediately started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kozo Yamaguchi, Hideki Hisada, Kazuo Aoki, Toshio Okoshi