Patents by Inventor Michihiro Aida

Michihiro Aida 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: 9334628
    Abstract: A motor grader is provided with an engine, front and rear travel wheels, a transmission, a work implement, a control unit, and a vehicle speed adjusting knob. The transmission has hydraulic clutches for switching between forward and reverse travel and for switching between speed stages. The transmission changes the speed of power from the engine, and transmits the power to either the front travel wheels and/or to the rear travel wheels. The work implement includes a blade for grading. During travel at a forward first speed, the control unit causes one of the hydraulic clutches of the transmission to operate as a braking clutch such that the motor grader travels at a very low speed. The vehicle speed adjusting knob is a member for setting the vehicle speed during very low-speed travel to an arbitrary speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Tomonao Nagamura, Tetsuya Morimoto, Michihiro Aida
  • Publication number: 20140345890
    Abstract: A motor grader is provided with an engine, front and rear travel wheels, a transmission which has hydraulic clutches for switching between forward and reverse travel and for switching between speed stages, changes the speed of power from the engine, and transmits the power to either the front travel wheels and/or to the rear travel wheels; a work implement which includes a blade for grading; a very low-speed travel controlling means; and a vehicle speed adjusting knob. During travel at a forward first speed, the very low-speed travel controlling means causes one of the hydraulic clutches of the transmission to operate as a braking clutch, causing the motor grader to travel at a very low speed. The vehicle speed adjusting knob is a member for setting the vehicle speed during very low-speed travel to an arbitrary speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventors: Tomonao Nagamura, Tetsuya Morimoto, Michihiro Aida
  • Patent number: 8382641
    Abstract: A motor grader includes an engine, a torque converter, a drive wheel, an engine revolution detector, and a control unit. The torque converter, including a lock-up clutch, transmits driving force from the engine. The drive wheel is rotationally driven by the driving force from the engine. The engine revolution detector detects engine revolution. When the lock-up clutch is engaged, the control unit is configured to: maintain the engaged state of the lock-up clutch when the engine revolution is greater than a predetermined lock-up release revolution lower than a low idle revolution; and switch the lock-up clutch into a disengaged state when the engine revolution is less than or equal to the predetermined lock-up release revolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhito Nishimaki, Michihiro Aida, Noritoshi Takekuma, Osamu Kodama, Takafumi Takenaka
  • Patent number: 7997350
    Abstract: In a motor grader, when a cylinder hydraulic pressure detected by a cylinder-hydraulic-pressure-detecting section is less than a predetermined threshold value, a control section makes a determination that the motor grader is in a running state and uses a running-hydraulic-pressure waveform corresponding to the running state to control the hydraulic pressure supplied to a clutch. When the cylinder hydraulic pressure is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the control section makes a determination that the motor grader is in a working state and uses a working-hydraulic-pressure waveform corresponding to the working state to control the hydraulic pressure supplied to the clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Shiohara, Michihiro Aida
  • Publication number: 20110118083
    Abstract: A motor grader includes an engine, a torque converter, a drive wheel, an engine revolution detector, and a control unit. The torque converter, including a lock-up clutch, transmits driving force from the engine. The drive wheel is rotationally driven by the driving force from the engine. The engine revolution detector detects engine revolution. When the lock-up clutch is engaged, the control unit is configured to: maintain the engaged state of the lock-up clutch when the engine revolution is greater than a predetermined lock-up release revolution lower than a low idle revolution; and switch the lock-up clutch into a disengaged state when the engine revolution is less than or equal to the predetermined lock-up release revolution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhito Nishimaki, Michihiro Aida, Noritoshi Takekuma, Osamu Kodama, Takafumi Takenaka
  • Publication number: 20100044060
    Abstract: In a motor grader, when a cylinder hydraulic pressure detected by a cylinder-hydraulic-pressure-detecting section is less than a predetermined threshold value, a control section makes a determination that the motor grader is in a running state and uses a running-hydraulic-pressure waveform corresponding to the running state to control the hydraulic pressure supplied to a clutch. When the cylinder hydraulic pressure is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the control section makes a determination that the motor grader is in a working state and uses a working-hydraulic-pressure waveform corresponding to the working state to control the hydraulic pressure supplied to the clutch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Masaki Shiohara, Michihiro Aida