Patents by Inventor Norihiro Yamamura

Norihiro Yamamura 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: 11525508
    Abstract: In a shift device (10), a base portion (42) of a collar (40) is accommodated in a mounting hole (50) of a support portion (34), and a thin plate portion (52) of the support portion (34) is disposed at an upper side of an upper face (42A) of the base portion (42). When an impact load of at least a predetermined value is applied to a shift lever, the thin plate portion (52) of the support portion (34) is broken by the base portion (42) and the support portion (34) moves while being guided by the base portion (42). Thus, the impact load is absorbed. Consequently, an impact load absorption mode may be made consistent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventor: Norihiro Yamamura
  • Publication number: 20200079213
    Abstract: In a shift device (10), a base portion (42) of a collar (40) is accommodated in a mounting hole (50) of a support portion (34), and a thin plate portion (52) of the support portion (34) is disposed at an upper side of an upper face (42A) of the base portion (42). When an impact load of at least a predetermined value is applied to a shift lever, the thin plate portion (52) of the support portion (34) is broken by the base portion (42) and the support portion (34) moves while being guided by the base portion (42). Thus, the impact load is absorbed. Consequently, an impact load absorption mode may be made consistent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2017
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventor: Norihiro YAMAMURA
  • Patent number: 9970536
    Abstract: A shift device is configured including a restriction member and a release section. The restriction member stops a detent pin that has been moved at a release position, restricting movement of a shift lever to a third shift position when the shift lever is moved from a first shift position to a second shift position. When the shift lever has been moved at the second shift position, by the detent pin being moved to the release position from a non-release position, the release section releases the restriction of movement of the shift lever toward the third shift position by the restriction member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Norihiro Yamamura, Shosaku Watarai, Munetoshi Makimura, Atsushi Ishida
  • Publication number: 20170328464
    Abstract: In a lever of a shift lever device, a button on the lever is press-operated such that the button swings to slide a link and slide a detent rod along an axial direction. When the button is press-operated, the link slides along the axial direction of the detent rod and presses the detent rod along the axial direction. Accordingly, the sliding resistance of the detent rod can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Inventor: Norihiro YAMAMURA
  • Patent number: 9446760
    Abstract: A vehicle drive device having a control device making another first planetary gear device constituent member and a second planetary gear device constituent member non-rotatable by a brake to perform electric motor running for running with power of a second electric motor while an engine is put into a non-drive state, when the engine is started during the electric motor running the control device causing a first electric motor to rotate the engine while the other first planetary gear device constituent member and the one second planetary gear device constituent member are kept non-rotatable by the brake, and when the brake is released after start of the engine, the control device controlling the first electric motor before release of the brake so a torque applied to the brake due to power of the engine reaches a magnitude balancing with a torque applied to the brake due to a running load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kiyokami, Norihiro Yamamura
  • Patent number: 9233683
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus configured to selectively establish one of a first drive state in which a vehicle drive force is generated primarily by a second motor/generator operated with an electric energy supplied from an electric-energy storage device while an engine is placed in a rest state, and a second drive state in which a first motor/generator is operated with a drive force of the engine, to generate an electric energy and in which the vehicle drive force is generated primarily by the second motor/generator operated with at least the electric energy generated by the first motor/generator. The vehicle control apparatus is further configured such that the vehicle drive force generated in the second drive state at a given value of an accelerator pedal operation amount ?acc is larger than that generated in the first drive state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryoki Il, Akihiro Sato, Norihiro Yamamura, Akiko Nishimine, Tomoyuki Maruyama, Takeshi Miyagawa, Tomoaki Furukawa, Takeshi Kanayama, Tetsuo Hori, Koji Hayashi
  • Patent number: 9199626
    Abstract: A control device of a vehicle includes: an engine; a connection/disconnection device configured to connect/interrupt the engine; a rotating machine disposed to enable transmission of drive power to the wheels; and a running position selection device, the control device including a first manual mode selected by performing a deceleration increasing operation by a driver for increasing vehicle deceleration while the automatic running position is selected and a second manual mode selected by performing a deceleration increasing operation by a driver for increasing the vehicle deceleration while the manual running position is selected, while the vehicle is running with the engine interrupted from the wheels, if the first manual mode is selected, the vehicle deceleration being generated only by the rotating machine, and if the second manual mode is selected, the connection/disconnection device being put into the connected state to generate the vehicle deceleration at least by the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoaki Furukawa, Takeshi Kanayama, Tetsuo Hori, Tomoyuki Maruyama, Akiko Nishimine, Takeshi Miyagawa, Ryoki Ii, Koji Hayashi, Norihiro Yamamura, Akihiro Sato
  • Publication number: 20150323064
    Abstract: A shift device is configured including a restriction member and a release section. The restriction member stops a detent pin that has been moved at a release position, restricting movement of a shift lever to a third shift position when the shift lever is moved from a first shift position to a second shift position. When the shift lever has been moved at the second shift position, by the detent pin being moved to the release position from a non-release position, the release section releases the restriction of movement of the shift lever toward the third shift position by the restriction member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: Norihiro YAMAMURA, Shosaku WATARAI, Munetoshi MAKIMURA, Atsushi ISHIDA
  • Patent number: 9168860
    Abstract: A vehicular indicator device for a hybrid vehicle which is provided with vehicle drive power sources in the form of an engine and an electric motor and which is driven in one of a plurality of vehicle drive modes including an EV drive mode, a series HV drive mode and a parallel HV drive mode that is automatically selected according to a vehicle drive power, said indicator device being configured to indicate the selected vehicle drive mode and said vehicle drive power, the vehicular indicator device being configured to indicate a running state of the hybrid vehicle as represented by said vehicle drive power and said selected vehicle drive mode, in a two-dimensional coordinate system on a display screen, which coordinate system is defined by said vehicle drive power and said selected vehicle drive mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Norihiro Yamamura, Koji Hayashi, Takeshi Kanayama, Tetsuo Hori, Tomoyuki Maruyama, Akiko Nishimine, Takeshi Miyagawa, Ryoki Il, Tomoaki Furukawa, Akihiro Sato
  • Publication number: 20150273998
    Abstract: A planetary carrier Cf for a power division mechanism 3, which is provided in a power transmission system of a hybrid vehicle and linked to an input shaft 21 of an engine 1, includes stepped pinion gears each including a main pinion gear section Pf1 and a subpinion gear section Pf2. The main pinion gear sections Pf1 mesh with a sun gear Sf and a ring gear Rf of the power division mechanism 3. The subpinion gear sections Pf2 mesh with a ring gear R2 coupled to a drive shaft 91 of an oil pump 9. The oil pump 9 is thereby driven not only in HV travel and P charging during which the engine 1 is running, but also in EV travel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroaki KIYOKAMI, Norihiro YAMAMURA
  • Patent number: 9102322
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus configured to selectively establish one of a first drive state in which a vehicle drive force is generated primarily by a second motor/generator operated with an electric energy supplied from an electric-energy storage device while an engine is placed in a rest state, and a second drive state in which a first motor/generator is operated with a drive force of the engine, to generate an electric energy and in which the vehicle drive force is generated primarily by the second motor/generator operated with at least the electric energy generated by the first motor/generator. The vehicle control apparatus is further configured such that the vehicle drive force generated in the second drive state at a given value of an accelerator pedal operation amount ?acc is larger than that generated in the first drive state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryoki Il, Akihiro Sato, Norihiro Yamamura, Akiko Nishimine, Tomoyuki Maruyama, Takeshi Miyagawa, Tomoaki Furukawa, Takeshi Kanayama, Tetsuo Hori, Koji Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20150203095
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus configured to selectively establish one of a first drive state in which a vehicle drive force is generated primarily by a second motor/generator operated with an electric energy supplied from an electric-energy storage device while an engine is placed in a rest state, and a second drive state in which a first motor/generator is operated with a drive force of the engine, to generate an electric energy and in which the vehicle drive force is generated primarily by the second motor/generator operated with at least the electric energy generated by the first motor/generator. The vehicle control apparatus is further configured such that the vehicle drive force generated in the second drive state at a given value of an accelerator pedal operation amount ?acc is larger than that generated in the first drive state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Inventors: Ryoki II, Akihiro SATO, Norihiro YAMAMURA, Akiko NISHIMINE, Tomoyuki MARUYAMA, Takeshi MIYAGAWA, Tomoaki FURUKAWA, Takeshi KANAYAMA, Tetsuo HORI, Koji HAYASHI
  • Patent number: 9085299
    Abstract: A drive control device for a hybrid vehicle is provided with a differential device including four rotary elements; and an engine, first and second electric motors and an output rotary member which are respectively connected to the four rotary elements. One of the four rotary elements is constituted by a rotary component of a first differential mechanism and a rotary component of a second differential mechanism selectively connected through a clutch, and one of the rotary components of the first and second differential mechanisms which are selectively connected to each other through the clutch is selectively fixed to a stationary member through a brake. The drive control device comprises: an electric motor operation control portion configured to control the second electric motor for starting the engine with an output torque of the second electric motor, when a reaction force is exerted on the first and second electric motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Takahashi, Tomoyuki Maruyama, Hiroaki Kiyokami, Satoshi Kasamai, Koki Ueno, Takeshi Miyagawa, Norihiro Yamamura, Yoshitaka Suzuki, Hiroki Kuwamoto, Tomohito Ono
  • Patent number: 9061679
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle includes: engine starting means for starting an engine when a need for switching to a 4-wheel drive mode has been forecasted, the hybrid vehicle having a series HV drive mode in which the hybrid vehicle is run with a second electric motor, in the released state of a connecting/disconnecting device, while a first electric motor is operated with a drive force of said engine to generate an electric energy, the control apparatus further including, as said engine starting means, series HV drive controlling means for starting said engine and enlarging a series HV drive mode region for running the hybrid vehicle in said series HV drive mode, so as to cover a portion or an entirety of an original EV drive mode region for running the hybrid vehicle in said EV drive mode, when the need for switching to said 4-wheel drive mode has been forecasted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Maruyama, Norihiro Yamamura, Akiko Nishimine, Ryoki Il, Tomoaki Furukawa, Takeshi Kanayama, Tetsuo Hori, Koji Hayashi, Takeshi Miyagawa, Akihiro Sato
  • Patent number: 9026291
    Abstract: A vehicle hybrid drive device having an EV running mode enabling a vehicle to run only with a second rotating machine used as a drive power source while an engine is disconnected from a drive power transmission path, a series HEV running mode enabling the vehicle to run only with the second rotating machine used as the drive power source while a first rotating machine is rotationally driven to generate electricity by the engine disconnected from the drive power transmission path, and a parallel HEV running mode enabling the vehicle to run with the engine and at least one of the first and second rotating machines used as the drive power sources while the engine is connected to the drive power transmission path. If a driver desires power-performance-oriented running or fuel-efficiency-oriented running, the range for selecting the series HEV running mode is made narrower or wider, respectively, than usual.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Hayashi, Takeshi Kanayama, Tetsuo Hori, Ryoki Ii, Tomoaki Furukawa, Akiko Nishimine, Takeshi Miyagawa, Tomoyuki Maruyama, Norihiro Yamamura, Akihiro Sato
  • Publication number: 20150073635
    Abstract: A drive control device for a hybrid vehicle is provided with a differential device including four rotary elements; and an engine, first and second electric motors and an output rotary member which are respectively connected to the four rotary elements. One of the four rotary elements is constituted by a rotary component of a first differential mechanism and a rotary component of a second differential mechanism selectively connected through a clutch, and one of the rotary components of the first and second differential mechanisms which are selectively connected to each other through the clutch is selectively fixed to a stationary member through a brake. The drive control device comprises: an electric motor operation control portion configured to control the second electric motor for starting the engine with an output torque of the second electric motor, when a reaction force is exerted on the first and second electric motors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Takahashi, Tomoyuki Maruyama, Hiroaki Kiyokami, Satoshi Kasamai, Koki Ueno, Takeshi Miyagawa, Norihiro Yamamura, Yoshitaka Suzuki, Hiroki Kuwamoto, Tomohito Ono
  • Publication number: 20150031487
    Abstract: A vehicle drive device having a control device making another first planetary gear device constituent member and a second planetary gear device constituent member non-rotatable by a brake to perform electric motor running for running with power of a second electric motor while an engine is put into a non-drive state, when the engine is started during the electric motor running the control device causing a first electric motor to rotate the engine while the other first planetary gear device constituent member and the one second planetary gear device constituent member are kept non-rotatable by the brake, and when the brake is released after start of the engine, the control device controlling the first electric motor before release of the brake so a torque applied to the brake due to power of the engine reaches a magnitude balancing with a torque applied to the brake due to a running load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kiyokami, Norihiro Yamamura
  • Patent number: 8909400
    Abstract: It is provided a control apparatus for a vehicle provided with an electric motor power source, an inverter, an electric motor, an inverter smoothing capacitor, and a step-variable automatic transmission, the control apparatus being configured to implement a torque reduction control, and to implement a torque reduction limitation control to limit reduction of an output torque of the electric motor to within a range in which a terminal voltage of the inverter smoothing capacitor will not exceed a predetermined withstanding voltage of the inverter and to limit the reduction of the output torque by limiting an amount of change of the output torque per unit time during the reduction of the output torque in the torque reduction control, to within a predetermined torque reduction rate limiting range, and wherein the torque reduction rate limiting range is determined upon initiation of a shifting action of the automatic transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daiki Sato, Taiyo Uejima, Kazuyuki Shiiba, Norihiro Yamamura
  • Patent number: 8868277
    Abstract: A hybrid drive system configured to selectively establish one of a first drive mode in which a first motor/generator MG1 is operated with a drive force of an engine, to generate an electric energy and in which a vehicle drive force is generated primarily by a second motor/generator MG2, and a second drive mode in which the vehicle drive force is generated by the engine, and at least one of the first motor/generator MG1 and second motor/generator MG2 is operated to generate an assisting vehicle drive force, as needed, and further configured such that an amount of a working oil to be supplied to the first motor/generator MG1 is larger in the first drive mode than in the second drive mode, permitting sufficient cooling of the electric motor depending upon a selected one of the vehicle drive modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akiko Nishimine, Koji Hayashi, Takeshi Kanayama, Tetsuo Hori, Tomoyuki Maruyama, Takeshi Miyagawa, Ryoki Ii, Tomoaki Furukawa, Norihiro Yamamura, Akihiro Sato
  • Patent number: 8798837
    Abstract: A vehicle hybrid drive device includes: a first rotating machine coupled to an engine; a connection/disconnection device capable of connecting/disconnecting the engine and the first rotating machine to/from wheels; and a second rotating machine disposed in a manner enabling transmission of drive power to the wheels, the vehicle hybrid drive device enabling a vehicle to run in two running modes of an EV running mode enabling the vehicle to run with the second rotating machine used as a drive power source while the connection/disconnection device is disconnected, and a parallel HEV running mode enabling the vehicle to run with the engine and at least one of the first and second rotating machines as the drive power sources while the connection/disconnection device is connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Kanayama, Koji Hayashi, Tetsuo Hori, Tomoyuki Maruyama, Akiko Nishimine, Takeshi Miyagawa, Tomoaki Furukawa, Norihiro Yamamura, Akihiro Sato, Ryoki Il