Patents by Inventor Mikio Yuki

Mikio Yuki 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: 6484486
    Abstract: A mower unit of grass cutting machine has at least two blades. The left blade is rotatable clockwise, while the right blade is rotatable counterclockwise. A grass discharge passage is formed between the two blades. An endless rotational belt for transmitting drive to the two blades is offset forwardly in a region between the blades, thereby forming, between the blades, a space without the endless rotational belt. The grass discharge passage has an upper surface inclined rearwardly and upwardly to extend from a position forwardly of a pair of pulleys corresponding to the two blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Nagai, Nobuyuki Yamashita, Mikio Yuki, Hiroshi Oshima, Masatake Murakawa, Hiroshi Kawabata
  • Publication number: 20020083694
    Abstract: A mower unit of a grass cutting machine has at least two blades. The left blade is rotatable clockwise, while the right blade is rotatable counterclockwise. A grass discharge passage is formed between the two blades. An endless rotational belt for transmitting drive to the two blades is offset forwardly in a region between the blades, thereby forming, between the blades, a space without the endless rotational. The grass discharge passage has an upper surface inclined rearwardly and upwardly to extend from a position forwardly of a pair of pulleys corresponding to the two blades.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2001
    Publication date: July 4, 2002
    Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki Nagai, Nobuyuki Yamashita, Mikio Yuki, Hiroshi Oshima, Masatake Murakawa, Hiroshi Kawabata
  • Patent number: 6122903
    Abstract: An apparatus for raising and lowering a mower unit, having a control lever movable between a first terminal position and a second terminal position for raising and lowering the mower unit, a link mechanism for raising the mower unit with movement from the first terminal position to the second terminal position of the control lever, a first stopper for holding the control lever in the first terminal position, a second stopper for holding the control lever in the second terminal position, and an assist mechanism for applying a force to the link mechanism to raise the mower unit only when the control lever is located between the first terminal position and the second terminal position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Hayashi, Masatake Murakawa, Kazuaki Kurohara, Nobuyuki Yamashita, Mikio Yuki, Eriya Harada
  • Patent number: 5887671
    Abstract: A working vehicle with power steering, having a substantially closed accommodating space defined by an engine hood and a control panel, an engine disposed in the accommodating space and a steering shaft disposed in the control panel. A cooling fan produces cooling air flows moving toward the engine from an air intake formed in the control panel. A power steering apparatus for supplying steering assist power to the steering shaft, and a control unit for controlling the power steering apparatus, are arranged in the accommodating space to be exposed to the cooling air flows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Mikio Yuki, Hiroyuki Ogasawara, Masatake Murakawa, Kazuaki Kurohara, Nobuyuki Yamashita, Masaki Hayashi, Eriya Harada, Masatoshi Yamaguchi, Hiroki Nagai, Yoshio Tomiyama, Katsuhiko Uemura
  • Patent number: 5718303
    Abstract: An engine hood construction for a work vehicle is disclosed. The engine hood is vertically separatable into a lower hood section and an upper hood section. The lower hood section is fixedly attachable to and detachable from a vehicle frame, and the upper hood section is attached to the vehicle frame to be pivotably and vertically opened and closed relative to the frame. A control panel is provided at a rear portion of the engine hood and forming a rear wall of an engine room. The control panel has a forwardly opened hook shape in a plan view. The construction further includes a connecting arrangement for fixedly connecting the lower hood section to the vehicle frame and engaging members for enabling the lower hood section to be engaged with the control panel along a fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle when the connecting arrangement is not connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ogasawara, Mikio Yuki, Akira Minoura, Kazuaki Kurohara, Masaki Hayashi, Katsuhiko Uemura, Eriya Harada
  • Patent number: 5542243
    Abstract: A lawn tractor has an engine, front wheels and rear wheels, a body frame extending longitudinally of the tractor, a mower unit supported by the body frame, a grass catcher supported by the body frame, a blower unit supported by the body frame, and a duct for transporting grass clippings cut by the mower unit into the grass catcher. The duct includes a first duct portion extending between the mower unit and the blower unit, and a second duct portion extending between the blower unit and the grass catcher. An output shaft of the engine, an input shaft of the mower unit and an input shaft of the blower unit all extend vertically. The engine output shaft, mower input shaft and blower input shaft are arranged inwardly of the rear wheels in the transverse direction of the body frame and substantially linearly in the longitudinal direction thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1996
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Mikio Yuki, Kazuaki Kurohara, Akio Matsui, Katsuhiko Uemura
  • Patent number: 5443524
    Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide a teaching playback swing-phase-controlled above knee prosthesis which enables an external data setting to set the mechanism of the teaching playback swing-phase-controlled above knee prosthesis for conditions that enable the mechanism to operate for motions according to a walking speed. The teaching playback swing-phase-controlled above knee prosthesis includes a structural body having a thigh frame and a leg frame pivotally joined to the thigh frame for swing motion relative to the thigh frame, an air cylinder having a cylinder body, a piston axially slidably fitted in the cylinder body and provided with a valve, and a piston rod having one end fixed to the piston and the other end pivotally joined to the thigh frame, and a stepping motor for adjusting the opening of the valve of the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1995
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho, Hyogo Prefectual Social Welfare Corporation
    Inventors: Seishi Sawamura, Sakuya Nakajima, Kunio Amemori, Hidehisa Oku, Akio Nakagawa, Ichiro Kitayama, Mikio Yuki, Shiro Horiguchi, Yoshihisa Araki, Shigeru Yuki, Toshihiro Hamada
  • Patent number: 5367861
    Abstract: A small riding lawn mower having a grass cutting unit suspended from a body frame between a front axle and a rear axle, an engine supported by a body frame in a position forwardly of the rear axle with respect to a longitudinal direction of the body frame, a hydrostatic transmission disposed rearwardly of the rear axle, and a driver's seat disposed forwardly of the engine. The body frame includes profile members disposed at opposite sides and extending longitudinally of the mower, and a cross plate interconnecting the profile members. A belt transmission mechanism connecting the hydrostatic transmission to an engine output shaft is surrounded by a plate frame structure formed below the body frame. The plate frame structure defines a further independent chamber for accommodating a muffler of the engine. This chamber has peripheral walls shaped to guide cooling air from the engine to the muffler and laterally outwardly of the mower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1994
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Masatake Murakawa, Mikio Yuki, Ryozo Imanishi, Masatsugu Tone, Akira Minoura
  • Patent number: 5224327
    Abstract: A lawn mower includes a blade housing enclosing grass cutting blades and having a lateral discharge opening, a blower unit connected to the discharge opening, and a duct connected to the blower unit for transporting grass clippings to a grass catcher. The blower unit includes an elbow-like lower blower housing connected to the blade housing, an upper blower housing having a substantially vertical cylindrical side wall connected to the duct, and an impeller mounted in the upper blower housing to be rotatable about a vertical axis. The impeller has a plane of rotation above a plane of rotation of the blades. The lower blower housing includes a flange for connection to the upper blower housing. The flange has an opening elongated in a direction along a passage defined by the two blower housings. This opening has width approximately half of the diameter of the impeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1993
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Minoura, Masagi Kure, Yoji Fujiwara, Masatake Murakawa, Masatsugu Tone, Mikio Yuki
  • Patent number: 5215056
    Abstract: An engine speed control system for a working vehicle having an engine, and a propelling transmission and a power takeoff device driven by the engine. Engine speed is adjustable by an accelerator controlled by control signals outputted from a control unit. The control unit is connected to a clutch operation detecting switch for detecting an operative state of a power takeoff clutch for operating a power takeoff device and to a shift condition detecting switch for detecting a shift of the propelling transmission. The control unit outputs a control signal for rotating the engine at an idling speed when the propelling transmission is in neutral and the power takeoff clutch is disengaged, and a control signal for rotating the engine at a high rotating rate when the propelling transmission is in a drive transmitting position or the power takeoff clutch is engaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1993
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Eriya Harada, Mikio Yuki, Masatsugu Tone, Masatake Murakawa, Ryozo Imanishi
  • Patent number: 5042604
    Abstract: A working vehicle comprising an engine mounted on a vehicle frame, a control box mounted on the vehicle frame, and a radiator erected on the vehicle frame between the engine and the control box structure. A dust-proof space is defined by the control box, the radiator and a hinged hood covering the engine. Elastic sealing elements are arranged between opposite lateral sides of the control box and the radiator, and between an upper end of the radiator and the hood. The hood in a closed position presses upon the upper elastic elements to provide an additional support for the radiator and to seal the dust-proof space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1991
    Assignee: Kubota, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masatsugu Tone, Mikio Yuki, Ryozo Imanishi, Yoji Fujiwara, Akira Minoura
  • Patent number: 4945716
    Abstract: A lawn mower comprising a mower unit including a mower housing defining a grass clipping side discharge opening, and a blower connected to the mower housing for communication with the discharge opening. The mower housing contains rotary cutting blades driven by a vertical drive shaft. The blower includes a blower case, a blower shaft extending substantially horizontally through the blower case toward the mower housing, and a blower fan mounted on the blower shaft inside the blower case. The blower shaft is operative connected through a shaft transmission device provided on the mower housing to a PTO shaft which receives power from the drive shaft through a bevel gear pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1990
    Assignee: Kubota Ltd.
    Inventors: Masatake Murakawa, Mikio Yuki
  • Patent number: 4926624
    Abstract: A lawn mower comprising a cutting unit disposed between front and rear wheels, a grass discharge duct extending rearwardly from the cutting unit, and grass collecting containers each defining a top opening for receiving grass clippings sent through the discharge duct. The containers are supported by an E-shaped frame connected to, and retained by pins in, open rear ends of right and left pipe frames extending rearwardly and then upwardly from a mower body. The E-shaped frame engages the open rear ends of the pipe frames to interconnect the rear ends with a selected spacing therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Assignee: Kubota, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masatake Murakawa, Niro Bando, Masatsugu Tone, Mikio Yuki, Junji Miyata, Tetsuaki Hayashi, Kazuaki Kurohara
  • Patent number: 4903469
    Abstract: A lawn mower comprising a cutting unit disposed between front and rear wheels, a grass discharge duct extending rearwardly from the cutting unit, and a grass collecting container defining a top opening for receiving grass clippings sent through the discharge duct. The grass collecting container includes a mouthpiece extending along peripheries of the top opening to rest on a U-shaped support frame mounted at a rear end of the mower. The mouthpiece is connected to the support frame by a projection and bore engagement. The support frame includes a holder defining an upwardly opening recess, and the container has a cover defining a downwardly opening recess at a position opposed to the holder. The two recesses define an opening for receiving a rear end of the grass discharge duct. The grass discharge duct includes an annular engagement portion extending peripherally of the rear end thereof for engagement with inner edges of the two recesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1990
    Assignee: Kubota, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masatake Murakawa, Niro Bando, Masatsugu Tone, Mikio Yuki, Junji Miyata, Tetsuaki Hayashi, Kazuaki Kurohara
  • Patent number: 4731983
    Abstract: A lawn mower comprises a vehicle body, a cutting unit mounted below the vehicle body, a grass catcher mounted rearwardly of the vehicle body, and a discharge duct extending between the cutting unit and the catcher for transmitting grass clippings from the cutting unit to the catcher. The catcher defines an opening at which a lid member is removably mounted, the lid member includes a coupler opening for coupling to a discharge opening of the discharge duct and an air vent around the coupler opening. The catcher is switchable between a sideways turned posture in which the coupler opening is coupled to the discharge opening and an upright posture in which the coupler opening is directed upwardly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1988
    Assignee: Kubota, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mikio Yuki, Niro Bando, Kazuaki Kurohara, Hiroshi Itatani, Fumihiro Ikeda, Hiroyuki Ogasawara, Nobuyuki Yamashita, Masaji Kure
  • Patent number: 4721494
    Abstract: A drive transmission structure for a tractor comprising a belt drive system for transmitting power from an engine output shaft to a transmission having a brake mechanism. The belt drive system includes a belt type stepless change speed mechanism having a split pulley assembly and a swing device for swinging the split pulley assembly toward the engine output shaft and the transmission, a first belt for transmitting the power from the engine output shaft to the split pulley assembly, and a second belt for transmitting the power from the split pulley assembly to the transmission. The pulley assembly defines two split pulley sections for engaging the first and second belts, respectively. A control device is provided to change power transmission ratios by actuating the swing device. Further, a tension pulley type clutch mechanism is provided to act on the first belt or the second belt. The brake mechanism and the tension pulley type clutch mechanism are controlled by the clutch and brake control mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1988
    Assignee: Kubota, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuaki Hayashi, Hiroshi Itatani, Niro Bando, Mikio Yuki, Nobuyuki Yamashita, Hiroyuki Ogasawara, Mitsuaki Miyata, Kazuaki Kurohara, Fumihiro Ikeda, Yutaka Nakata
  • Patent number: 4119183
    Abstract: A clutch comprising a drive rotary member, a driven rotary member engageable with and disengageable from the drive rotary member by being moved relative thereto in the directions of axis of rotation, an annular cam interposed between the drive rotary member and the driven rotary member, and an engaging member manually operably mounted on a case to prevent rotation of the cam. When the engaging member is operated to project toward the driven rotary member through the cam, the driven rotary member is held out of engagement with the drive rotary member reliably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1976
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1978
    Assignee: Kubata Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisatake Fujioka, Tomeo Umemoto, Masamitsu Shingaki, Mikio Yuki, Mitsuhiro Sato, Shosuke Kawabata
  • Patent number: 4091685
    Abstract: A speed change unit for a tiller comprising three shafts, two shift gears having a large width axially thereof and two driven gears, one of the driven gears being freely rotatably mounted on one of the shafts and selectively meshable with one of the shift gears and another gear being fixedly mounted on the same shaft and selectively meshable with one of the shift gears, thereby the rotation of one of the driven gears on the shaft can be delivered to a transmission system for axles via two transmission systems different in speed change ratio and same in the direction of transmission of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1978
    Assignee: Kubota, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masamitsu Shingaki, Tomeo Umemoto, Mitsuhiro Sato, Mikio Yuki