Patents by Inventor Mitsuru Enomoto

Mitsuru Enomoto 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: 8998183
    Abstract: A suspension apparatus 100 includes a leaf spring 110 in which a front end and a rear end are rotatably supported by a frame 2 of a car and an intermediate portion thereof in a longitudinal direction is attached to an axle 3; and a stay 160 having an engaging portion 161 for blocking rotation of a portion to a rear of a breaking point of the leaf spring 110 when the leaf spring 110 is broken at a portion to a rear of the intermediate portion thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mamoru Akeda, Nobuhiro Shibuya, Mitsuru Enomoto
  • Patent number: 8973933
    Abstract: A suspension device for suspension of an axle by an intermediate portion of a single leaf spring has first restriction device which restricts, upon breakage of the leaf spring at a position behind the intermediate portion of the spring, the rear portion of the leaf spring from tilting downwardly relative to a shackle, and a second restriction device for restriction of the shackle from pivotally moving backward beyond a predetermined angle. The first restriction device is constituted by a stopper plate on the shackle for support of the rear portion of the leaf spring from below upon breakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignees: Hino Motors, Ltd., NHK Spring Co., Ltd., Horikiri, Inc.
    Inventors: Mitsuru Enomoto, Mamoru Akeda, Nobuhiro Shibuya
  • Patent number: 8662511
    Abstract: A suspension device for suspension of an axle 2 by an intermediate portion of a single leaf spring 5 has first restriction means which restricts, upon breakage of the leaf spring 5 at a position behind the intermediate portion of the spring, the rear portion of the leaf spring 5 from tilting downwardly relative to a shackle 6, and a second restriction means (retainer pawl 13) for restriction of the shackle 6 from pivotally moving backward beyond a predetermined angle. The first restriction means is constituted by a bush 12 with projections 12b which is arranged at a connection between the shackle 6 and the rear end of the leaf spring 5 for integral rotation with the rear end of the leaf spring 5 and engages with the shackle 6 at a predetermined rotary position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignees: Hino Motors, Ltd., NHK Spring Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Mitsuru Enomoto, Naoshi Sato, Yoshiharu Sugawara, Nobuhiro Shibuya
  • Publication number: 20130140786
    Abstract: A suspension device for suspension of an axle 2 by an intermediate portion of a single leaf spring 5 has first restriction means which restricts, upon breakage of the leaf spring 5 at a position behind the intermediate portion of the spring, the rear portion of the leaf spring 5 from tilting downwardly relative to a shackle 6, and a second restriction means (retainer pawl 13) for restriction of the shackle 6 from pivotally moving backward beyond a predetermined angle. The first restriction means is constituted by a stopper plate 12 (stopper) on the shackle 6 for support of the rear portion of the leaf spring 5 from below upon breakage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicants: HINO MOTORS, LTD., HORIKIRI, Inc., NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuru Enomoto, Mamoru Akeda, Nobuhiro Shibuya
  • Publication number: 20130127133
    Abstract: A suspension device for suspension of an axle 2 by an intermediate portion of a single leaf spring 5 has first restriction means which restricts, upon breakage of the leaf spring 5 at a position behind the intermediate portion of the spring, the rear portion of the leaf spring 5 from tilting downwardly relative to a shackle 6, and a second restriction means (retainer pawl 13) for restriction of the shackle 6 from pivotally moving backward beyond a predetermined angle. The first restriction means is constituted by a bush 12 with projections 12b which is arranged at a connection between the shackle 6 and the rear end of the leaf spring 5 for integral rotation with the rear end of the leaf spring 5 and engages with the shackle 6 at a predetermined rotary position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicants: NHK SPRING CO., LTD., HINO MOTORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuru Enomoto, Naoshi Sato, Yoshiharu Sugawara, Nobuhiro Shibuya
  • Patent number: 8186659
    Abstract: Interplate rubber members 15 are interposed between abutting front and rear ends of spring leaves 2A and 2B. The spring leaves 2A and 2B have paired curved portions 14A and 14B, respectively, which are symmetrically S-shaped with respect to a connected position of an axle 3 in side view. A curvature radius of continuous and mutually reverse curves of each of the curved portions 14A of the upper spring leaf 2A is greater than a curvature radius of continuous and mutually reverse curves of each of the curved portions 14B of the lower spring leaf 2B. The upper curved portions 14A have longitudinally outward bend starts longitudinally outward of longitudinally outward bend starts of the lower curved portions 14B and have longitudinally inward bend ends longitudinally inward of longitudinally inward bend ends of the lower curved portions 14B.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignees: Hino Motors, Ltd., NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuru Enomoto, Kaoru Nakamura, Koko Fukunaga
  • Publication number: 20120043707
    Abstract: A suspension apparatus 100 includes a leaf spring 110 in which a front end and a rear end are rotatably supported by a frame 2 of a car and an intermediate portion thereof in a longitudinal direction is attached to an axle 3; and a stay 160 having an engaging portion 161 for blocking rotation of a portion to a rear of a breaking point of the leaf spring 110 when the leaf spring 110 is broken at a portion to a rear of the intermediate portion thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mamoru Akeda, Nobuhiro Shibuya, Mitsuru Enomoto
  • Publication number: 20090302513
    Abstract: Interplate rubber members 15 are interposed between abutting front and rear ends of spring leaves 2A and 2B. The spring leaves 2A and 2B have paired curved portions 14A and 14B, respectively, which are symmetrically S-shaped with respect to a connected position of an axle 3 in side view. A curvature radius of continuous and mutually reverse curves of each of the curved portions 14A of the upper spring leaf 2A is greater than a curvature radius of continuous and mutually reverse curves of each of the curved portions 14B of the lower spring leaf 2B. The upper curved portions 14A have longitudinally outward bend starts longitudinally outward of longitudinally outward bend starts of the lower curved portions 14B and have longitudinally inward bend ends longitudinally inward of longitudinally inward bend ends of the lower curved portions 14B.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicants: HINO MOTORS, LTD., NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuru ENOMOTO, Kaoru NAKAMURA, Koko FUKUNAGA
  • Patent number: 6763906
    Abstract: A rear part of a vehicle body is supported by a rear-front axle (18) and a rear-rear axle (20), and right and left rear-front wheels (17) rotatably mounted at opposite ends of the rear-front axle (18) are constituted so as to be steered by a steering mechanism. The steering mechanism is driven by an actuator so as to steer the rear-front wheels (17), and the actuator (51) is controlled by the control means. The control means stops the steering of the rear-front wheels (17) when a vehicle speed is approximately zero, and the control means operates the actuator when a difference between a theoretical steering angle of the rear-front wheels (17), relative to that of the front wheels (15), and an actual steering angle exceeds a predetermined value even though the vehicle speed is approximately zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Hino Motors, Ltd.
    Inventors: Fujio Momiyama, Mitsuru Enomoto
  • Patent number: 6341251
    Abstract: There is provided a rear front wheel steering control system for a rear two-axle vehicle, which can steer rear front wheels by means of relatively small sized rear front wheel steering device, and thereby can start a vehicle smoothly. Front wheel steering device and rear front wheel steering device are driven by an engine. A controller controls the engine, and also controls the rear front wheel steering device so as to steer rear front wheels in the same direction as that of front wheels based on the detection outputs of the front steering angle sensor of the front wheel and the vehicle speed sensor. When the vehicle speed sensor detects a vehicle speed lower than a first reference value, and a difference in steering angle between a target steering angle based on the steering angle of the front wheel and an actually-measured steering angle of the rear front wheel is larger than a second reference value, the controller increases the rotational speed of the engine to a third reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2002
    Assignee: Hino Motors, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuru Enomoto, Ryoe Watanabe