Patents by Inventor Masatsugu Arai

Masatsugu Arai 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: 11834033
    Abstract: A power regeneration device 21 that converts the power of a main engine DC line 16 connected to a main engine power generator 12 through a rectification circuit 14 to supply the converted power to an accessory DC line 34 connected to an accessory power generator 31 through a rectification circuit 32 includes a plurality of power conversion modules 221 to 22N configured such that input sections 221a to 22Na are connected in series. The main engine power generator 12 and a power consumption device 15 are controlled such that a voltage input to the power regeneration device 21 does not exceed a voltage upper limit value Vm and a portion between a positive electrode terminal (+) and a negative electrode terminal (?) of each of the input sections of the power conversion modules to be stopped is short-circuited by a bypass device and the voltage upper limit value Vm is decreased when some of the plurality of power conversion modules 221 to 22N are stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Kadota, Masatsugu Arai, Takayuki Satou, Naoki Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20220349154
    Abstract: An operation record analysis system for a construction machine is provided which can efficiently extract work contents that may possibly make a factor of decrease in the operation rate from within operation information recorded at the time of operation of a construction machine. The operation record analysis system for a construction machine includes an object sensor that senses an object existing around a machine body. A controller calculates the position of the object on the basis of the information from the object sensor, decides, on the basis of the information from a machine body position sensor and a machine body posture sensor, and the position of the object, whether or not the machine body and the object are close to each other, and adds a result of the decision to the operation information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Inventors: Yoshibumi FUKUDA, Takuya NAKA, Masatsugu ARAI, Koutarou MASUDA
  • Publication number: 20220258593
    Abstract: To provide an electric vehicle capable of reducing heat generation of the switching elements while achieving energy saving, the electric vehicle includes: an engine 11; a first generator 12 driven by the engine; a first rectifier circuit 14 connected to the output of the first generator; a first DC line 16 to receive the DC output of the first rectifier circuit; a driving motor 10 connected to the first DC line; a power converter 20 configured to convert voltage of the first DC line; a second DC line 34 to receive the DC output subjected to voltage conversion by the power converter; an auxiliary device 33 connected to the second DC line; and a controller 40 configured to control the power converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro KADOTA, Masatsugu ARAI, Atsushi KITAGUCHI, Naoki FUKUDA
  • Patent number: 11396839
    Abstract: A hydraulic drive fan control device is provided with a variable displacement hydraulic pump, a hydraulic motor, a hydraulic drive fan that is driven by the hydraulic motor, a flow amount control valve, a rotational speed detector that detects a rotational speed of an engine, and a controller. The controller outputs a first valve control signal to the flow amount control valve and outputs a first pump control signal to the hydraulic pump to rotate the hydraulic drive fan at a first rotational speed, and outputs a second valve control signal to the flow amount control valve and outputs a second pump control signal to the hydraulic pump, thereby stopping the rotation of the hydraulic drive fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaaki Tanaka, Masatsugu Arai, Takayuki Sato, Naoki Fukuda, Jun Ikeda, Ryuji Kouno
  • Patent number: 11332115
    Abstract: A power regeneration system of a work vehicle includes: a first generator (12) and a second generator (31) that are driven by an engine (11); a first electric circuit (C1) for supplying electric power to traveling motors (10L, 10R); a second electric circuit (C2) for supplying electric power to an auxiliary device (35); a voltage step down converter (21) providing electric power from the first electric circuit to the second electric circuit; and a controller (51) that determines whether a travel mode of the work vehicle is a powering mode or a regeneration mode in order to control driving of the voltage step down converter. If the travel mode is the regeneration mode, the controller provides the regenerative power from the first electric circuit through the voltage step down converter to the second electric circuit, in order to drive the auxiliary device with the regenerative power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shintarou Tanaka, Masatsugu Arai, Naoki Fukuda, Takaaki Tanaka, Yukiaki Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20220056833
    Abstract: A hydraulic drive fan control device is provided with a variable displacement hydraulic pump, a hydraulic motor, a hydraulic drive fan that is driven by the hydraulic motor, a flow amount control valve, a rotational speed detector that detects a rotational speed of an engine, and a controller. The controller outputs a first valve control signal to the flow amount control valve and outputs a first pump control signal to the hydraulic pump to rotate the hydraulic drive fan at a first rotational speed, and outputs a second valve control signal to the flow amount control valve and outputs a second pump control signal to the hydraulic pump, thereby stopping the rotation of the hydraulic drive fan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Takaaki TANAKA, Masatsugu ARAI, Takayuki SATO, Naoki FUKUDA, Jun IKEDA, Ryuji KOUNO
  • Publication number: 20220001854
    Abstract: A power regeneration device 21 that converts the power of a main engine DC line 16 connected to a main engine power generator 12 through a rectification circuit 14 to supply the converted power to an accessory DC line 34 connected to an accessory power generator 31 through a rectification circuit 32 includes a plurality of power conversion modules 221 to 22N configured such that input sections 221a to 22Na are connected in series. The main engine power generator 12 and a power consumption device 15 are controlled such that a voltage input to the power regeneration device 21 does not exceed a voltage upper limit value Vm and a portion between a positive electrode terminal (+) and a negative electrode terminal (?) of each of the input sections of the power conversion modules to be stopped is short-circuited by a bypass device and the voltage upper limit value Vm is decreased when some of the plurality of power conversion modules 221 to 22N are stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro KADOTA, Masatsugu ARAI, Takayuki SATOU, Naoki FUKUDA
  • Patent number: 11173890
    Abstract: To provide a power regeneration system for a working vehicle that can effectively use a regenerative electric energy. A first electric circuit for supplying an electric power generated by the first generator to a traveling motor, a voltage detector for detecting an actual voltage of the first electric circuit, a second electric circuit for supplying an electric power generated by a second generator to an auxiliary device, a step-down device connected to the first electric circuit and the second electric circuit, and a controller are provided. The controller estimates the voltage of the first electric circuit after a predetermined time has elapsed from the present time, based on information on a traveling state of a work vehicle and the actual voltage detected by the voltage detector, and outputs a drive command to the step-down device when the estimated voltage is equal to or more than a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Fukuda, Masatsugu Arai, Yukiaki Shimizu, Takaaki Tanaka, Shintarou Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11124075
    Abstract: A dump truck 100 including: an engine 1; a generator 10 driven by the engine 1; and a pair of driving wheels 3L and 3R arranged to the left and right of a vehicle body frame 7 includes: a traveling electric motor 12L including a plurality of electric motors 12La, 12Lb, and 12Lc that are coupled to the driving wheel 3L and simultaneously drive the driving wheel 3L; and a traveling electric motor 12R including a plurality of electric motors 12Ra, 12Rb, and 12Rc that are coupled to the driving wheel 3R and simultaneously drive the driving wheel 3R. Thereby, drive systems corresponding to loads of dump trucks or the like can be configured using identical components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru Kaneko, Shinji Sugimoto, Takayoshi Nakamura, Tadashi Osaka, Masatsugu Arai, Naoki Fukuda
  • Patent number: 10704471
    Abstract: Provided is a dump truck that includes an engine (1) and an ECU (7) controlling the engine (1) and that performs a predetermined operation after arriving at a destination. The ECU (7) is configured to makes larger an engine power suppression amount on a route leading the dump truck to the destination as a work waiting time that is a prediction time elapsing from an arrival of the dump truck at the destination to a start of the operation by the dump truck is longer and as an engine load of the dump truck is lower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Nakamura, Naokazu Oda, Masatsugu Arai
  • Publication number: 20200180588
    Abstract: A power regeneration system of a work vehicle includes: a first generator (12) and a second generator (31) that are driven by an engine (11); a first electric circuit (C1) for supplying electric power to traveling motors (10L, 10R); a second electric circuit (C2) for supplying electric power to an auxiliary device (35); a voltage step down converter (21) providing electric power from the first electric circuit to the second electric circuit; and a controller (51) that determines whether a travel mode of the work vehicle is a powering mode or a regeneration mode in order to control driving of the voltage step down converter. If the travel mode is the regeneration mode, the controller provides the regenerative power from the first electric circuit through the voltage step down converter to the second electric circuit, in order to drive the auxiliary device with the regenerative power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: Shintarou TANAKA, Masatsugu ARAI, Naoki FUKUDA, Takaaki TANAKA, Yukiaki SHIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20200156483
    Abstract: A dump truck 100 including: an engine 1; a generator 10 driven by the engine 1; and a pair of driving wheels 3L and 3R arranged to the left and right of a vehicle body frame 7 includes: a traveling electric motor 12L including a plurality of electric motors 12La, 12Lb, and 12Lc that are coupled to the driving wheel 3L and simultaneously drive the driving wheel 3L; and a traveling electric motor 12R including a plurality of electric motors 12Ra, 12Rb, and 12Rc that are coupled to the driving wheel 3R and simultaneously drive the driving wheel 3R. Thereby, drive systems corresponding to loads of dump trucks or the like can be configured using identical components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Satoru KANEKO, Shinji SUGIMOTO, Takayoshi NAKAMURA, Tadashi OSAKA, Masatsugu ARAI, Naoki FUKUDA
  • Patent number: 10583743
    Abstract: In a regenerative braking device of a dump truck comprising an engine, a first generator and a second generator driven by the engine, at least one travel motor driven by generated electric power of the first generator and at least one fan motor to which generated electric power of the second generator is inputted via a first rectifier circuit, the regenerative braking device comprises: a resistive element to which regenerating electric power from the at least one travel motor in regenerative braking is supplied and which is cooled by at least one fan driven by the at least one fan motor and converts electric energy into heat energy and dissipates heat; and a DC/DC converter that inputs a part of the regenerating electric power which is supplied to the resistive element to an output line of the first rectifier circuit via a second rectifier circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomonori Takada, Takanobu Ikari, Takashi Ikimi, Akihiro Nakamura, Masatsugu Arai, Naoki Fukuda, Takaaki Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20200017096
    Abstract: To provide a power regeneration system for a working vehicle that can effectively use a regenerative electric energy. A first electric circuit for supplying an electric power generated by the first generator to a traveling motor, a voltage detector for detecting an actual voltage of the first electric circuit, a second electric circuit for supplying an electric power generated by a second generator to an auxiliary device, a step-down device connected to the first electric circuit and the second electric circuit, and a controller are provided. The controller estimates the voltage of the first electric circuit after a predetermined time has elapsed from the present time, based on information on a traveling state of a work vehicle and the actual voltage detected by the voltage detector, and outputs a drive command to the step-down device when the estimated voltage is equal to or more than a threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Inventors: Naoki FUKUDA, Masatsugu ARAI, Yukiaki SHIMIZU, Takaaki TANAKA, Shintarou TANAKA
  • Publication number: 20180347479
    Abstract: Provided is a dump truck that includes an engine (1) and an ECU (7) controlling the engine (1) and that performs a predetermined operation after arriving at a destination. The ECU (7) is configured to makes larger an engine power suppression amount on a route leading the dump truck to the destination as a work waiting time that is a prediction time elapsing from an arrival of the dump truck at the destination to a start of the operation by the dump truck is longer and as an engine load of the dump truck is lower.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Akihiro NAKAMURA, Naokazu ODA, Masatsugu ARAI
  • Patent number: 10107341
    Abstract: Provided is a clutch control device for a work machine capable of controlling a fan to an appropriate rotational speed. In the clutch control device for the work machine, a controller includes a target fan rotational speed calculation module that calculates a target fan rotational speed for the fan, a clutch characteristic curve storage module that stores a plurality of clutch characteristic curves, a clutch command calculation module that outputs with reference to a clutch characteristic curve a first clutch control signal corresponding to the target fan rotational speed, a feedback control module that output a second clutch control signal based on the difference between the target fan rotational speed and an actual fan rotational speed, and an adder that adds the first clutch control signal and the second clutch control signal to output a third clutch control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Fukuda, Tadashi Osaka, Ryuji Kouno, Masatsugu Arai, Takanobu Ikari, Takaaki Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20180272871
    Abstract: In a regenerative braking device of a dump truck comprising an engine, a first generator and a second generator driven by the engine, at least one travel motor driven by generated electric power of the first generator and at least one fan motor to which generated electric power of the second generator is inputted via a first rectifier circuit, the regenerative braking device comprises: a resistive element to which regenerating electric power from the at least one travel motor in regenerative braking is supplied and which is cooled by at least one fan driven by the at least one fan motor and converts electric energy into heat energy and dissipates heat; and a DC/DC converter that inputs a part of the regenerating electric power which is supplied to the resistive element to an output line of the first rectifier circuit via a second rectifier circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Tomonori TAKADA, Takanobu IKARI, Takashi IKIMI, Akihiro NAKAMURA, Masatsugu ARAI, Naoki FUKUDA, Takaaki TANAKA
  • Publication number: 20180087587
    Abstract: Provided is a clutch control device for a work machine capable of controlling a fan to an appropriate rotational speed. In the clutch control device for the work machine, a controller includes a target fan rotational speed calculation module that calculates a target fan rotational speed for the fan, a clutch characteristic curve storage module that stores a plurality of clutch characteristic curves, a clutch command calculation module that outputs with reference to a clutch characteristic curve a first clutch control signal corresponding to the target fan rotational speed, a feedback control module that output a second clutch control signal based on the difference between the target fan rotational speed and an actual fan rotational speed, and an adder that adds the first clutch control signal and the second clutch control signal to output a third clutch control signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Inventors: Naoki FUKUDA, Tadashi OSAKA, Ryuji KOUNO, Masatsugu ARAI, Takanobu IKARI, Takaaki TANAKA
  • Patent number: 9804606
    Abstract: A management control device controls multiple unmanned vehicles, including the overtaking of a vehicle using an opposite lane. First and second travel permission sections are set for an own vehicle and another vehicle in a stopped state located ahead of the own vehicle on a traveling lane. A path by which the own vehicle overtakes the other vehicle is generated to include a first transition section to change lanes from a traveling lane to an opposite lane, an overtaking section that connects to the first transition section. Also included is a second transition section that connects to the front end of the overtaking section and is for the own vehicle to return to the traveling lane. The section length of the second travel permission section being set in advance is thereby shortened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Kanai, Tomoyuki Hamada, Manabu Katou, Takuya Naka, Masatsugu Arai
  • Patent number: 9586563
    Abstract: An autonomous moving apparatus and an autonomous movement system has a configuration which prevents disabled autonomous moving apparatuses from traveling unexpectedly during collection. An autonomous moving apparatus 1 includes a wheel locking unit 116 which locks the wheels at the time of stop, a manipulation unit 119 which is provided at a location where manipulation thereof is enabled from the outside of the autonomous moving apparatus 1, and a wheel lock releasing unit 118 which releases the lock of the wheels when the manipulation unit 119 is manipulated by force from the outside. In addition, the wheel lock releasing unit 118 releases the lock of the wheels when force equal to or more than a predetermined value is applied to the manipulation unit 119 and maintains the lock of the wheels when the force applied to the manipulation unit 119 is less than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi, ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Kanai, Masatsugu Arai, Ryoko Ichinose, Yukihiko Ono