Patents by Inventor Masanori Kodera

Masanori Kodera 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: 20230311795
    Abstract: A vehicle may include a vehicle body including a floor panel, a battery pack located below the floor panel and an energy absorption member located outwardly from the battery pack in a vehicle width direction and fixing the battery pack to the vehicle body. A support that protrudes downwardly may be disposed on a lower wall of the battery pack. The energy absorption member may include a protrusion that protrudes inwardly in the vehicle width direction toward the support. A tip end of the protrusion may include a contact surface being in contact with a side surface of the support in the vehicle width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISH
    Inventors: Yuuki MUKAIGAWA, Naoki TANI, Ryuma OSAKA, Shungo IIZUKA, Shunji SHIBATA, Kyohei MIYAOKA, Masanori KODERA, Takashi IWASAKI
  • Patent number: 10720663
    Abstract: Provided is a laminated battery module that is capable of imparting a minimum required restraining load to a battery laminate at a low temperature and a low charging rate, while also withstanding the load on the battery laminate at a high temperature and a high charging rate, without increasing the size of the restraining member. A laminated battery module 100 includes a battery laminate 15 containing one or more unit cells, a restraining member 20 containing a pair of end plates 21 located on both ends of the battery laminate 15 in the direction of lamination and tensioning members 22 that fasten the pair of end plates 21 mutually, and an elastic member 30 located between the pair of end plates 21; wherein, the elastic member 30 is composed of a material that undergoes a decrease in the elastic modulus thereof accompanying a rise in temperature from ?30° C. to 80° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KYOHO MACHINE WORKS, LTD.
    Inventors: Masayuki Kitaura, Seigo Fujishima, Yukihiro Isogai, Masanori Kodera
  • Patent number: 10189552
    Abstract: A ship propulsion device (1) is adapted to rotate a propeller (20) to propel a ship (2). In a case where the rotating speed of the propeller (20) is less than a predetermined rotating speed, a low-output sub-motor (M2) is controlled and rotationally driven by a small-capacity general-purpose inverter (24), and the rotational driving is transmitted to the propeller (20) so as to rotate the propeller. In that case, in a drive system of a main motor (M1), rotation is not transmitted to a slip clutch (23) or an input shaft (7) by cutting off an on-off clutch (8). In a case where the rotating speed of the propeller (20) becomes equal to or more than the predetermined rotating speed, a driving source is switched from the sub-motor (M2) to the main motor (M1) so as to couple the on-off clutch (8), and the rotating speed of the main motor (M1) is controlled by the slip clutch (23) and transmitted to the propeller (20) so as to rotate the propeller (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: NIIGATA POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koichi Shiraishi, Takuro Hatamoto, Masanori Kodera
  • Publication number: 20180294510
    Abstract: Provided is a laminated battery module that is capable of imparting a minimum required restraining load to a battery laminate at a low temperature and a low charging rate, while also withstanding the load on the battery laminate at a high temperature and a high charging rate, without increasing the size of the restraining member. A laminated battery module 100 includes a battery laminate 15 containing one or more unit cells, a restraining member 20 containing a pair of end plates 21 located on both ends of the battery laminate 15 in the direction of lamination and tensioning members 22 that fasten the pair of end plates 21 mutually, and an elastic member 30 located between the pair of end plates 21; wherein, the elastic member 30 is composed of a material that undergoes a decrease in the elastic modulus thereof accompanying a rise in temperature from ?30° C. to 80° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KYOHO MACHINE WORKS, LTD.
    Inventors: Masayuki KITAURA, Seigo FUJISHIMA, Yukihiro ISOGAI, Masanori KODERA
  • Publication number: 20170259897
    Abstract: A ship propulsion device (1) is adapted to rotate a propeller (20) to propel a ship (2). In a case where the rotating speed of the propeller (20) is less than a predetermined rotating speed, a low-output sub-motor (M2) is controlled and rotationally driven by a small-capacity general-purpose inverter (24), and the rotational driving is transmitted to the propeller (20) so as to rotate the propeller. In that case, in a drive system of a main motor (M1), rotation is not transmitted to a slip clutch (23) or an input shaft (7) by cutting off an on-off clutch (8). In a case where the rotating speed of the propeller (20) becomes equal to or more than the predetermined rotating speed, a driving source is switched from the sub-motor (M2) to the main motor (M1) so as to couple the on-off clutch (8), and the rotating speed of the main motor (M1) is controlled by the slip clutch (23) and transmitted to the propeller (20) so as to rotate the propeller (20).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventors: Koichi SHIRAISHI, Takuro HATAMOTO, Masanori KODERA
  • Patent number: 9543554
    Abstract: A battery holder includes restriction members protruded from a holding base plate in an axial direction of batteries to be located in spaces between the batteries. Each of the restriction members has: a tapered surface which is inclined to the axial direction and is in line contact with an outer periphery of the end face of the battery when the restriction member is inserted into the space, so as to apply a force to move the battery in a radial direction of the battery; and a support surface which supports a side face of the battery that is not in contact with the tapered surface, by surface contact. The support surface receives a moving force in the radial direction from the tapered surface and supports the side face of the battery by a reactive force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignees: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD., KYOHO MACHINE WORKS, LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Takeda, Jin Kasuya, Yoshiaki Kameda, Kosuke Kusaba, Masanori Kodera, Yukihiro Isogai, Kazuhiro Noro, Nobuyoshi Fujiwara
  • Publication number: 20140295240
    Abstract: A battery device includes a bus bar having a coupling bus bars, a positive electrode bus bar and a negative electrode bus bar. The coupling bus bar includes: a positive electrode connection member arranged to sequentially connect positive electrode terminals of the respective batteries included in one battery array group; and a negative electrode connection member arranged to sequentially connect negative electrode surfaces of the respective batteries included in another battery array group. The positive electrode connection member is electrically connected with the negative electrode connection member. The positive electrode bus bar is arranged to sequentially connect specific positive electrode terminals in a specific battery array group, which are not connected by the coupling bus bar. The negative electrode bus bar is arranged to sequentially connect specific negative electrode terminals in a specific battery array group, which are not connected by the coupling bus bar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicants: KYOHO MACHINE WORKS, LTD., TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi TAKEDA, Jin KASUYA, Yoshiaki KAMEDA, Kosuke KUSABA, Masanori KODERA, Yukihiro ISOGAI, Kazuhiro NORO, Nobuyoshi FUJIWARA
  • Publication number: 20140283360
    Abstract: A battery holder holds a plurality of batteries by a simple structure. A battery holder 20 has a holder member 40 to hold batteries Bt. The holder member 40 includes a holder body 42 provided as a plate-like member, and holding holes 40S. The holding hole 40S is formed, such that a holding space 40Sa is secured between the inner wall of the holding hole 40S and the side face of the battery Bt. The holder member 40 has pressing projections 42a, each being formed by pressing and plastically deforming part of the holder body 42 toward an axial direction of the battery and formed by protruding part of the inner wall of the holding hole 40S toward the center of the battery. The pressing projections are arranged, such as to press the side face of the battery Bt and hold the battery Bt in the holder member 40.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi TAKEDA, Jin KASUYA, Yoshiaki KAMEDA, Kosuke KUSABA, Masanori KODERA, Yukihiro ISOGAI, Kazuhiro NORO, Nobuyoshi FUJIWARA
  • Publication number: 20140287288
    Abstract: A battery holder includes restriction members protruded from a holding base plate in an axial direction of batteries to be located in spaces between the batteries. Each of the restriction members has: a tapered surface which is inclined to the axial direction and is in line contact with an outer periphery of the end face of the battery when the restriction member is inserted into the space, so as to apply a force to move the battery in a radial direction of the battery; and a support surface which supports a side face of the battery that is not in contact with the tapered surface, by surface contact. The support surface is configured to receive a moving force in the radial direction from the tapered surface and support the side face of the battery by a reactive force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicants: KYOHO MACHINE WORKS, LTD., TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi TAKEDA, Jin KASUYA, Yoshiaki KAMEDA, Kosuke KUSABA, Masanori KODERA, Yukihiro ISOGAI, Kazuhiro NORO, Nobuyoshi FUJIWARA
  • Patent number: 8556668
    Abstract: In a hybrid type marine propulsion device including a main engine and a motor, low fuel consumption is realized by a compact configuration and highly efficient drive control. A marine propulsion device includes a clutch 7 provided on an input shaft 6 of a main engine, a horizontal input/output shaft 8 connected to the clutch, a vertical shaft 11 connected to the input/output shaft through an upper bevel gear 9, a horizontal propeller shaft 13 connected to a lower end of the vertical shaft through a lower bevel gear 12, and a propeller 14 at the other end side of the propeller shaft, in which the propeller is revolved around the vertical shaft to set a propulsion direction, wherein a motor generator 20 is mounted on a floor 3, and connected directly to the other end side of the input/output shaft. In a low rotation region, motor propulsion is performed, and in a high rotation region, hybrid propulsion in which the main engine is assisted by the motor is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Niigata Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori Kodera, Yoshiki Nanke, Koichi Shiraishi, Yasuo Aizawa, Toshiyuki Saito
  • Publication number: 20120129411
    Abstract: In a hybrid type marine propulsion device including a main engine and a motor, low fuel consumption is realized by a compact configuration and highly efficient drive control. A marine propulsion device includes a clutch 7 provided on an input shaft 6 of a main engine, a horizontal input/output shaft 8 connected to the clutch, a vertical shaft 11 connected to the input/output shaft through an upper bevel gear 9, a horizontal propeller shaft 13 connected to a lower end of the vertical shaft through a lower bevel gear 12, and a propeller 14 at the other end side of the propeller shaft, in which the propeller is revolved around the vertical shaft to set a propulsion direction, wherein a motor generator 20 is mounted on a floor 3, and connected directly to the other end side of the input/output shaft. In a low rotation region, motor propulsion is performed, and in a high rotation region, hybrid propulsion in which the main engine is assisted by the motor is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: NIIGATA POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masanori Kodera, Yoshiki Nanke, Koichi Shiraishi, Yasuo Aizawa, Toshiyuki Saito
  • Patent number: 4636701
    Abstract: A control system for controlling the rotation of a rotary mechanism such as a propeller housing in a Z-type propulsion apparatus is provided. A command signal and a feedback signal both relating to the rotation of the rotary mechanism are compared with each other. And a control signal which varies at a predetermined inclination is generated when the command and feedback signals differ in amplitude from each other. And a drive unit rotates the rotary mechanism in accordance with the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1987
    Assignee: Niigata Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori Kodera, Yasuo Aizawa, Kohji Ichijo
  • Patent number: 4611549
    Abstract: There is provided a rotation control system for a Z-type propulsion apparatus which can achieve an optimum turning of a vessel under any steering conditions of the vessel by controlling the rotation speed of a hollow rotary housing of the Z-type propulsion apparatus in accordance with the load exerted on the rotary housing, the number of revolution of a propeller provided in the rotary housing, or the combination thereof. A difference between a signal representative of an angle of a steering handle and a signal representative of an angle of the rotary housing is first detected. The detected signal, which is representative of the difference between the angle of the steering handle and the angle of the rotary housing, is then limited in accordance with the load exerted on the rotary housing, speed of the vessel, or the combination thereof, and the rotary housing is driven in accordance with the limited signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1986
    Assignee: Niigata Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori Kodera, Yasuo Aizawa, Kohji Ichijo
  • Patent number: 4610214
    Abstract: There is provided a system for controlling the rotation of a rotary housing mounting a propeller unit of a Z-type propulsion apparatus in which the rotary housing does not rotate in the direction opposite to that of rotation of a steering handle even when the steering handle for commanding the rotary housing to rotate is angularly moved by more than .+-.180.degree.. A vector calculation circuit either produces a sinusoidal signal representative of a sine of the difference of angle between the steering angle of the steering handle and the follow-up angle of the rotary housing and a cosine signal representative of a cosine of the difference of angle or produces the sinusoidal and cosine signals and a second sinusoidal signal representative of an angle obtained by adding 45.degree. to the difference of angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1986
    Assignee: Niigata Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori Kodera, Yasuo Aizawa, Kohji Ichijo