Patents by Inventor Masato Kumamoto
Masato Kumamoto 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: 9811108Abstract: An accelerator pedal device includes a housing which pivotably supports a pedal arm, a return spring, a magnetic position sensor which detects an angular position of the pedal arm, and a drive source, a return lever, and a control circuit board serving as an active control mechanism which controls to push back the pedal arm toward a rest position under predetermined conditions, a circuit for a Hall element of the position sensor is arranged on the control circuit board. According to the above, a conventionally-required circuit board dedicated to a position sensor is not required to be arranged and the position sensor is connected via bus bars and the like while eliminating lead wire and the like.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2012Date of Patent: November 7, 2017Assignee: MIKUNI CORPORATIONInventors: Masato Kumamoto, Tsuyoshi Ohsawa
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Patent number: 9457660Abstract: An accelerator pedal apparatus includes a pedal arm rotating around a first rotation axis line, a return spring and a reaction force adding mechanism including a drive source and a rotation member rotating around a second rotation axis line and having a contact portion contacted to the pedal arm which adds reaction force in the direction to return the pedal arm to the rest position. A first distance from the contact position of the pedal arm with the contact portion to the first rotation axis line is longer than a second distance to the second rotation axis line. The pedal arm includes a contact section having the contact portion displaced while being contacted so that the contact portion is to be farther from the first rotation axis line when rotating toward the maximum depression position and to be closer to the first rotation axis line when rotating toward the rest position.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2010Date of Patent: October 4, 2016Assignee: MIKUNI CORPORATIONInventors: Tsuyoshi Osawa, Masato Kumamoto, Yoshitomo Fukushima, Kouji Kikuchi, Tsuyoshi Shimizu, Hisashi Kawade, Hiromutsu Touhachi
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Publication number: 20160201676Abstract: Provided is a vacuum pump mechanism capable of suppressing occurrence of needless drive torque. A suction port arranged at a housing is connected to a brake master back of a brake booster, and an oil regulating unit capable of adjusting a quantity of lubricating oil flowing through a lubricating oil supply passage when the brake master back reaches a predetermined negative pressure. Accordingly, when the brake master back reaches the predetermined negative pressure, the oil regulating unit adjusts the quantity of lubricating oil flowing through the lubricating oil supply passage to a reduced quantity or zero, whereby a load exerted by the lubricating oil to a vane and the like of a vacuum pump can be reduced than before. Therefore, occurrence of a needless drive torque at the vacuum pump can be suppressed.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2014Publication date: July 14, 2016Applicant: MIKUNI CORPORATIONInventors: Shoichi ISHIGUCHI, Yoshio SHIBUYA, Masato KUMAMOTO
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Patent number: 9079492Abstract: An accelerator pedal device having a pedal arm working in conjunction with an accelerating pedal, a housing to rotatably support the pedal arm around a prescribed pivot axis line between a rest position and a maximum applied position, a hysteresis generation mechanism that comes in contact with the vicinity of an upper end of the pedal arm to generate hysteresis in a pedal force of the accelerator pedal, and an active control mechanism to push back the pedal arm toward the rest position under prescribed conditions between the pivot axis line and the hysteresis generation mechanism. The active control mechanism includes a drive source provided in the housing, and a return lever that is rotated in the same direction as the direction of the swinging of the pedal arm in conjunction with the drive source and is detachably engaged with the vicinity of the upper end of the pedal arm.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2009Date of Patent: July 14, 2015Assignees: MIKUNI CORPORATION, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Tsuyoshi Osawa, Masato Kumamoto, Kouji Kikuchi, Tsuyoshi Shimizu, Hisashi Kawade, Hiromutsu Touhachi
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Publication number: 20150167665Abstract: Conventional multistage oil pumps could not have been used in an application where the pressure and the temperature are high. A multistage oil pump including two rotors that are connected in series in the direction of the rotation axis, wherein the respective rotors are accommodated in a rotor case separately across a spacer, the inside thereof being partitioned by the spacer part. The rotor case is in the form of an integral cylindrical part, and the spacer is integral with the rotor case. The rotors and the rotor case are made of a ferrous material, and the rotor case is fixed to a housing by positioning pins.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 2013Publication date: June 18, 2015Applicant: MIKUNI CORPORATIONInventors: Masato Kumamoto, Noriaki Chiba, Takehiko Naiki
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Publication number: 20140238181Abstract: An accelerator pedal device includes a slide guide path which is formed in a housing, a first slider which is engaged with the pedal arm for receiving pedaling force as being slidably arranged in the slide guide path and which includes a first inclined face inclined against a movement direction of the first slider, a second slider which is slidably arranged in the slide guide path and which includes a second inclined face contacted to the first inclined face, and an urging spring which exerts urging force in a direction opposing to the pedaling force as being engaged with the second slider, wherein the slide guide path is formed as being tapered in a direction of movement of the first slider and the second slider which are moved in association with depression of the accelerator pedal. Accordingly, desired hysteresis can be obtained on the pedaling force while achieving downsizing.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2012Publication date: August 28, 2014Applicant: MIKUNI CORPORATIONInventors: Meguru Kashiyama, Masato Kumamoto
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Patent number: 8794103Abstract: An accelerator pedal apparatus includes a pedal arm rotating around a first rotation axis line and having a contact portion, a return spring and a reaction force adding mechanism including a drive source and a rotation member rotating around a second rotation axis line in a state of being contacted to the contact portion which adds reaction force to return the pedal arm toward the rest position. A first distance from the contact position of the rotation member with the contact portion to the first rotation axis line is longer than a second distance to the second rotation axis line. The rotation member includes a contact section having the contact portion displaced while being contacted so that the contact portion is to be closer to the second rotation axis line when rotating toward the maximum depression position and to be farther from the second rotation axis line when rotating toward the rest position.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2010Date of Patent: August 5, 2014Assignee: Mikuni CorporationInventors: Tsuyoshi Osawa, Masato Kumamoto, Yoshitomo Fukushima, Kouji Kikuchi, Tsuyoshi Shimizu, Hisashi Kawade, Hiromutsu Touhachi
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Patent number: 8738261Abstract: An accelerator pedal apparatus includes an accelerator pedal, a hysteresis generating mechanism which generates hysteresis on pedaling force, a reaction force adding mechanism which adds reaction force to push back the accelerator pedal toward a rest position, and controller which performs drive control of the reaction force adding mechanism, while the controller performs drive control of the reaction force adding mechanism so that reaction force is added during returning as well as during depressing of the accelerator pedal under predetermined conditions as the reaction force being larger than pedaling force difference between pedaling force at the depression side and pedaling force at the return side of the pedaling force hysteresis to obtain an appropriate accelerator feeling and to quickly perform danger avoidance or danger notification.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2012Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Mikuni CorporationInventors: Shigeru Yamazaki, Meguru Kashiyama, Masato Kumamoto, Tsuyoshi Oosawa, Hiromutsu Touhachi
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Publication number: 20140130633Abstract: An accelerator pedal device includes a housing which pivotably supports a pedal arm, a return spring, a magnetic position sensor which detects an angular position of the pedal arm, and a drive source, a return lever, and a control circuit board serving as an active control mechanism which controls to push back the pedal arm toward a rest position under predetermined conditions, a circuit for a Hall element of the position sensor is arranged on the control circuit board. According to the above, a conventionally-required circuit board dedicated to a position sensor is not required to be arranged and the position sensor is connected via bus bars and the like while eliminating lead wire and the like.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2012Publication date: May 15, 2014Applicant: MIKUNI CORPORATIONInventors: Masato Kumamoto, Tsuyoshi Ohsawa
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Publication number: 20130280041Abstract: An oil pump including an upstream pump unit including an upstream inner rotor and an upstream outer rotor; a downstream pump unit including a downstream inner rotor and a downstream outer rotor as being arranged adjacently to the upstream pump unit in a predetermined axis line direction; a rotary shaft concurrently rotating the upstream inner rotor and the downstream inner rotor; and a housing which contains the upstream pump unit and the downstream pump unit as supporting the rotary shaft and which includes an inlet port for sucking oil from the outside into the upstream pump unit, an ejection port for ejecting a part thereof to the outside in a pressurization process of the upstream pump unit, a communication port for providing communication between the upstream pump unit and the downstream pump unit, and a discharge port for discharging oil from the downstream pump unit to the outside.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 17, 2013Publication date: October 24, 2013Applicant: MIKUNI CORPORATIONInventors: Masato KUMAMOTO, Noriaki Chiba, Takehiko Naiki
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Patent number: 8521360Abstract: An accelerator pedal apparatus including an actuator pedal, a hysteresis generating mechanism which provides a hysteresis pedaling force characteristic having larger pedaling force in a depression direction than that in a return direction, and a reaction force adding control mechanism which adds operational reaction force to operation of the accelerator pedal based on an adjustment force generation command from an upper unit, while the operational reaction force added by the reaction force adding control mechanism is not larger than a hysteresis amount generated by the hysteresis generating mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2012Date of Patent: August 27, 2013Assignee: Mikuni CorporationInventors: Shigeru Yamazaki, Meguru Kashiyama, Masato Kumamoto, Tsuyoshi Oosawa, Hiromutsu Touhachi
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Publication number: 20120216652Abstract: An accelerator pedal apparatus including an actuator pedal, a hysteresis generating mechanism which provides a hysteresis pedaling force characteristic having larger pedaling force in a depression direction than that in a return direction, and a reaction force adding control mechanism which adds operational reaction force to operation of the accelerator pedal based on an adjustment force generation command from an upper unit, while the operational reaction force added by the reaction force adding control mechanism is not larger than a hysteresis amount generated by the hysteresis generating mechanism.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 21, 2012Publication date: August 30, 2012Applicant: Mikuni CorporationInventors: Shigeru YAMAZAKI, Meguru Kashiyama, Masato Kumamoto, Tsuyoshi Oosawa, Hiromutsu Touhachi
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Publication number: 20120221220Abstract: An accelerator pedal apparatus includes an accelerator pedal, a hysteresis generating mechanism which generates hysteresis on pedaling force, a reaction force adding mechanism which adds reaction force to push back the accelerator pedal toward a rest position, and controller which performs drive control of the reaction force adding mechanism, while the controller performs drive control of the reaction force adding mechanism so that reaction force is added during returning as well as during depressing of the accelerator pedal under predetermined conditions as the reaction force being larger than pedaling force difference between pedaling force at the depression side and pedaling force at the return side of the pedaling force hysteresis to obtain an appropriate accelerator feeling and to quickly perform danger avoidance or danger notification.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2012Publication date: August 30, 2012Applicant: Mikuni CorporationInventors: Shigeru YAMAZAKI, Meguru Kashiyama, Masato Kumamoto, Tsuyoshi Oosawa, Hiromutsu Touhachi
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Publication number: 20110083527Abstract: An accelerator pedal apparatus includes a pedal arm rotating around a first rotation axis line and having a contact portion, a return spring and a reaction force adding mechanism including a drive source and a rotation member rotating around a second rotation axis line in a state of being contacted to the contact portion which adds reaction force to return the pedal arm toward the rest position. A first distance from the contact position of the rotation member with the contact portion to the first rotation axis line is longer than a second distance to the second rotation axis line. The rotation member includes a contact section having the contact portion displaced while being contacted so that the contact portion is to be closer to the second rotation axis line when rotating toward the maximum depression position and to be farther from the second rotation axis line when rotating toward the rest position.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2010Publication date: April 14, 2011Applicant: MIKUNI CORPORATIONInventors: Tsuyoshi Osawa, Masato Kumamoto, Yoshitomo Fukushima, Kouji Kikuchi, Tsuyoshi Shimizu, Hisashi Kawade, Hiromutsu Touhachi
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Publication number: 20110083528Abstract: An accelerator pedal apparatus includes a pedal arm rotating around a first rotation axis line, a return spring and a reaction force adding mechanism including a drive source and a rotation member rotating around a second rotation axis line and having a contact portion contacted to the pedal arm which adds reaction force in the direction to return the pedal arm to the rest position. A first distance from the contact position of the pedal arm with the contact portion to the first rotation axis line is longer than a second distance to the second rotation axis line. The pedal arm includes a contact section having the contact portion displaced while being contacted so that the contact portion is to be farther from the first rotation axis line when rotating toward the maximum depression position and to be closer to the first rotation axis line when rotating toward the rest position.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2010Publication date: April 14, 2011Applicant: MIKUNI CORPORATIONInventors: Tsuyoshi Osawa, Masato Kumamoto, Yoshitomo Fukushima, Kouji Kikuchi, Tsuyoshi Shimizu, Hisashi Kawade, Hiromutsu Touhachi
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Publication number: 20100083789Abstract: An accelerator pedal device having a pedal arm working in conjunction with an accelerating pedal, a housing to rotatably support the pedal arm around a prescribed pivot axis line between a rest position and a maximum applied position, a hysteresis generation mechanism that comes in contact with the vicinity of an upper end of the pedal arm to generate hysteresis in a pedal force of the accelerator pedal, and an active control mechanism to push back the pedal arm toward the rest position under prescribed conditions between the pivot axis line and the hysteresis generation mechanism. The active control mechanism includes a drive source provided in the housing, and a return lever that is rotated in the same direction as the direction of the swinging of the pedal arm in conjunction with the drive source and is detachably engaged with the vicinity of the upper end of the pedal arm.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2009Publication date: April 8, 2010Applicants: MIKUNI CORPORATION, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Tsuyoshi OSAWA, Masato KUMAMOTO, Kouji KIKUCHI, Tsuyoshi SHIMIZU, Hisashi KAWADE, Hiromutsu TOUHACHI
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Patent number: 7051615Abstract: The present apparatus includes an accelerator pedal 10, a pedal arm 20, a pedal shaft 30 which supports the pedal arm 20 so as to be free to swing, a return spring 40, a friction generating mechanism 50 which generates friction force corresponding to a position of the pedal arm 20, an accelerator position sensor 60 and a control segment 70 which controls an opening of a throttle valve 110 based on an output signal of the sensor 60. A play range in which a friction force equal to or larger than a specific level is not generated is set to the friction generating mechanism in the range where the pedal arm moves from a resting position by a specific amount. In the play range, an output signal of the accelerator position sensor 60 is kept constant so that the throttle valve is kept at a specific opening. In this manner, a desirable operating feeling without an unsuitable feeling with the accelerator pedal operation is obtained, and the accelerator apparatus is compact.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2001Date of Patent: May 30, 2006Assignee: Mikuni CorporationInventors: Masato Kumamoto, Takumi Oikawa, Tsuyoshi Hosono
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Patent number: 6745642Abstract: An accelerator pedal assembly comprises a pedal arm, a pedal shaft, a return spring and a frictional force generating mechanism for generating frictional force according to movement of the pedal arm. The frictional force generating mechanism has a sliding guide path defining a sliding surface for generating frictional force and a frictional force varying mechanism located within the sliding guide path for varying frictional force according to movement of the pedal arm in such a manner that the frictional force generated when the pedal arm moves towards the position of maximum depression increases according to the amount of movement, and the frictional force generated when the pedal arm moves towards the rest position is reduced according to the amount of movement. This enables the assembly to be made smaller and means that the accelerator pedal assembly operates more smoothly as a result of superior depression force hysteresis.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2002Date of Patent: June 8, 2004Assignee: Mikuni CorporationInventors: Masato Kumamoto, Takumi Oikawa
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Publication number: 20040011155Abstract: The present apparatus comprises an accelerator pedal 10, a pedal arm 20, a pedal shaft 30 which supports the pedal arm 20 free to swing, a return spring 40, a friction generating mechanism 50 which generates friction force in accordance with the movement of the pedal arm 20, an accelerator position sensor 60 and a control segment 70 which controls an opening of a throttle valve 110 in accordance with an output signal of the sensor 60, wherein a play range in which friction force equal to or larger than a specific level is not generated is set to the friction generating mechanism in the range where the pedal arm moves from the resting position by a specific amount, and in the play range, an output signal of the accelerator position sensor 60 is kept constant resulting in that the throttle valve is kept at a specific opening. In this manner, desirable operating feeling without unsuitable feeling with the accelerator pedal operation is obtained while the accelerator apparatus is being compact and so on.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 2, 2003Publication date: January 22, 2004Inventors: Masato Kumamoto, Takumi Oikawa, Tsuyoshi Hosono
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Publication number: 20020100341Abstract: An accelerator pedal assembly comprises a pedal arm, a pedal shaft, a return spring and a frictional force generating mechanism for generating frictional force according to movement of the pedal arm. The frictional force generating mechanism has a sliding guide path defining a sliding surface for generating frictional force and a frictional force varying mechanism located within the sliding guide path for varying frictional force according to movement of the pedal arm in such a manner that the frictional force generated when the pedal arm moves towards the position of maximum depression increases according to the amount of movement, and the frictional force generated when the pedal arm moves towards the rest position is reduced according to the amount of movement. This enables the assembly to be made smaller and means that the accelerator pedal assembly operates more smoothly as a result of superior depression force hysteresis.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2002Publication date: August 1, 2002Inventors: Masato Kumamoto, Takumi Oikawa