Patents by Inventor Makoto Mizutani

Makoto Mizutani 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: 11008083
    Abstract: A steering assist unit for a tiller handle of an outboard motor includes a housing, a pump, and a hydraulic actuator. The housing is connected to the tiller handle. The pump is housed in the housing. The hydraulic actuator is driven by hydraulic fluid from the pump. The hydraulic actuator applies an assist steering force to the outboard motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Makoto Mizutani
  • Patent number: 10926854
    Abstract: A steering device for an outboard motor is rotatably supported on a hull of a boat about a steering axis. The steering device includes a tiller handle, an actuator, and a linkage. The tiller handle is attached to the outboard motor. The actuator rotates the tiller handle about the steering axis. The link linkage is movably disposed between a connection position and a blocking position. The linkage transmits the driving force from the actuator to the tiller handle at the connection position. The linkage shuts off the transmission of the driving force from the actuator to the tiller handle at the blocking position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Makoto Mizutani
  • Publication number: 20200307753
    Abstract: A system for maneuvering a boat including a hull and an outboard motor includes a left tilt shaft, a right tilt shaft, a steering shaft support, and a hydraulic cylinder. At least a portion of the hydraulic cylinder is between the left tilt shaft and the right tilt shaft. The hydraulic cylinder exerts a steering force on the outboard motor to rotate the outboard motor about a steering shaft. A hydraulic pump supplies hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic cylinder. One of the left tilt shaft and the right tilt shaft includes a first hole. A portion of the stroke range of the hydraulic cylinder is located within the first hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Makoto MIZUTANI, Tomohiro HAGI
  • Publication number: 20200290713
    Abstract: A steering assist unit for a tiller handle of an outboard motor includes a housing, a pump, and a hydraulic actuator. The housing is connected to the tiller handle. The pump is housed in the housing. The hydraulic actuator is driven by hydraulic fluid from the pump. The hydraulic actuator applies an assist steering force to the outboard motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventor: Makoto MIZUTANI
  • Patent number: 10752327
    Abstract: A steering system for a vessel includes an electric actuator that generates power to rotate a steering wheel, a transmitting mechanism that transmits a rotation of the electric actuator to the steering wheel, and a power supply controller that supplies electric power to the electric actuator according to an input signal that is not based on a rotation of the steering wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Makoto Mizutani
  • Patent number: 10703207
    Abstract: In an outboard motor, a controller controls an electric motor. An output outputs a predetermined notification information in response to a notification command signal output from the controller. When the controller receives a shut-off signal indicating that a semiconductor fuse is off, the controller outputs the notification command signal and causes the output to output notification information. When the controller receives a recovery operation signal indicating a predetermined operation performed by a user from an operator in a state where the semiconductor fuse has turned off, the controller outputs a recovery command signal to the semiconductor fuse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeshi Naito, Yoshihiro Mizushima, Makoto Mizutani, Noriyoshi Ichikawa, Makoto Ito
  • Patent number: 10696368
    Abstract: An inner circumferential surface of a clamp bracket is open at an inner side surface of the clamp bracket. At least a portion of a movable body is surrounded by the inner circumferential surface in a side view. The movable body is movable to a plurality of positions including a position above a swivel bracket and a position inside a space surrounded by the inner circumferential surface of the clamp bracket. A steering shaft rotates around a steering axis along with movement of the movable body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignees: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, MARINE CANADA ACQUISITION INC.
    Inventors: Makoto Mizutani, Morihiko Nanjo, Noam Dean Davidson, Ray Tat Lung Wong
  • Publication number: 20200140050
    Abstract: A boat speed control device for a boat including a manual shifter and an outboard motor, includes an actuator and a controller. The outboard motor is operably connected to the manual shifter. The manual shifter includes a shift lever shiftable between a sailing position and a neutral position. The actuator is connected to the shift lever. The controller is configured or programmed to control the actuator to shift the shift lever to the sailing position and the neutral position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2017
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventor: Makoto MIZUTANI
  • Publication number: 20200130797
    Abstract: An outboard motor includes an outboard motor main body, a support including a tilt shaft and that supports the outboard motor main body, and a trim cylinder including a first trim cylinder shaft disposed below the tilt shaft along an outer surface of a transom of a hull. A distance between the tilt shaft and the first trim cylinder shaft is adjustable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventor: Makoto MIZUTANI
  • Publication number: 20200079484
    Abstract: A steering system for a vessel includes an electric actuator that generates power to rotate a steering wheel, a transmitting mechanism that transmits a rotation of the electric actuator to the steering wheel, and a power supply controller that supplies electric power to the electric actuator according to an input signal that is not based on a rotation of the steering wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventor: Makoto MIZUTANI
  • Publication number: 20200017182
    Abstract: A steering device for an outboard motor is rotatably supported on a hull of a boat about a steering axis. The steering device includes a tiller handle, an actuator, and a linkage. The tiller handle is attached to the outboard motor. The actuator rotates the tiller handle about the steering axis. The linkage is movably disposed between a connection position and a blocking position. The linkage transmits the driving force from the actuator to the tiller handle at the connection position. The linkage shuts off the transmission of the driving force from the actuator to the tiller handle at the blocking position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Inventor: Makoto MIZUTANI
  • Patent number: 10518857
    Abstract: A steering system for a vessel includes an electric actuator that generates power to rotate a steering wheel, a transmitting mechanism that transmits a rotation of the electric actuator to the steering wheel, and a power supply controller that supplies electric power to the electric actuator according to an input signal that is not based on a rotation of the steering wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Makoto Mizutani
  • Publication number: 20190377347
    Abstract: A steering for a marine propulsion unit adjusts at least one of a required steering speed and a required steering torque such that the required steering speed and the required steering torque fall within an output region when the required steering speed and the required steering torque are outside the output region, sets a target steering angle according to the adjusted required steering speed and required steering torque, and sets the target steering angle according to a rotation angle of a steering wheel when the required steering speed and the required steering torque are within the output region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Inventor: Makoto MIZUTANI
  • Publication number: 20190352537
    Abstract: A polishing liquid for polishing a surface to be polished containing a tungsten material, the polishing liquid comprising abrasive grains; a polymer having a cationic group at the terminal; an oxidizing agent; a metal oxide-dissolving agent; and water, in which the polymer has a structural unit derived from an unsaturated carboxylic acid, a weight average molecular weight of the polymer is 20000 or less, and a pH is less than 5.0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Inventors: Hiroshi ONO, Makoto MIZUTANI
  • Publication number: 20190344870
    Abstract: An inner circumferential surface of a clamp bracket is open at an inner side surface of the clamp bracket. At least a portion of a movable body is surrounded by the inner circumferential surface in a side view. The movable body is movable to a plurality of positions including a position above a swivel bracket and a position inside a space surrounded by the inner circumferential surface of the clamp bracket. A steering shaft rotates around a steering axis along with movement of the movable body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Makoto MIZUTANI, Morihiko NANJO, Noam Dean DAVIDSON, Ray Tat Lung WONG
  • Publication number: 20190344667
    Abstract: In an outboard motor, a controller controls an electric motor. An output outputs a predetermined notification information in response to a notification command signal output from the controller. When the controller receives a shut-off signal indicating that a semiconductor fuse is off, the controller outputs the notification command signal and causes the output to output notification information. When the controller receives a recovery operation signal indicating a predetermined operation performed by a user from an operator in a state where the semiconductor fuse has turned off, the controller outputs a recovery command signal to the semiconductor fuse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Takeshi NAITO, Yoshihiro MIZUSHIMA, Makoto MIZUTANI, Noriyoshi ICHIKAWA, Makoto ITO
  • Patent number: 10375250
    Abstract: A gateway device including: a plurality of control units configured to respectively notify first data received from the plurality of communication devices or/and second communication networks and notify the plurality of communication devices or/and second communication networks of second data; and a data analysis and management unit configured to analyze data received from the first communication network and notify a control unit included in the plurality of control units of a result of the analysis, the control unit being related to result of the analysis, and analyze the first data received from the plurality of control units respectively and notify the first communication network, the data analysis and management unit generating a plurality of local MAC addresses from a MAC address given to the gateway device and assigning the local MAC addresses to the plurality of control units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: NEC PLATFORMS, LTD.
    Inventor: Makoto Mizutani
  • Patent number: 10336426
    Abstract: A trim-tilt device includes a first electric motor electrically connected to a power source and tilts an outboard motor body in an up-and-down direction. A steering device includes a second electric motor electrically connected to the power source. The steering device turns the outboard motor body in a right-and-left direction. A fuel pump is electrically connected to the power source, and supplies fuel to an engine. A controller limits an inrush current into the first electric motor using a PWM control for a predetermined period of time from a starting time point of an input current into the first electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeshi Naito, Yoshihiro Mizushima, Kazuyuki Agemura, Makoto Mizutani, Takeshi Ohata, Makoto Ito
  • Publication number: 20180362130
    Abstract: A trim-tilt device includes a first electric motor electrically connected to a power source and tilts an outboard motor body in an up-and-down direction. A steering device includes a second electric motor electrically connected to the power source. The steering device turns the outboard motor body in a right-and-left direction. A fuel pump is electrically connected to the power source, and supplies fuel to an engine. A controller limits an inrush current into the first electric motor using a PWM control for a predetermined period of time from a starting time point of an input current into the first electric motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventors: Takeshi NAITO, Yoshihiro MIZUSHIMA, Kazuyuki AGEMURA, Makoto MIZUTANI, Takeshi OHATA, Makoto ITO
  • Patent number: 10119049
    Abstract: A polishing agent for chemomechanically polishing a base having a carbon-based material and an insulating material to remove at least a part of the carbon-based material, the carbon-based material having a carbon content of 60 to 95 atm % as measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the polishing agent comprising: an abrasive grain comprising silica; an allylamine-based polymer; and water, wherein a mass ratio of a content of the allylamine-based polymer with respect to a content of the abrasive grain is 0.002 to 0.400, and the abrasive grain has a positive charge in the polishing agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: HITACHI CHEMICAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Mizutani, Satoyuki Nomura, Haruaki Sakurai, Masaya Nishiyama, Masayuki Hanano