Patents by Inventor Shigenori Matsushita

Shigenori Matsushita 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: 6893189
    Abstract: A pipelayer is provided which is capable of effectively transporting pipes or the like and stably carrying out load hoisting operation on a slope. The pipelayer comprises: an undercarriage; an upper revolving superstructure mounted on the undercarriage so as to turn around freely upon the undercarriage; a boom supported by the upper revolving superstructure so as to be freely raised and lowered; a pulley block attached to the boom through a universal joint; a hoist mounted on the upper revolving superstructure; a hoist hook hung by a wire rope that is paid out from the hoist and wound around the pulley block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigenori Matsushita, Morio Tsuchie
  • Publication number: 20040190995
    Abstract: A pipelayer is provided which is capable of effectively transporting pipes or the like and stably carrying out load hoisting operation on a slope. The pipelayer comprises: an undercarriage; an upper revolving superstructure mounted on the undercarriage so as to turn around freely upon the undercarriage; a boom supported by the upper revolving superstructure so as to be freely raised and lowered; a pulley block attached to the boom through a universal joint; a hoist mounted on the upper revolving superstructure; a hoist hook hung by a wire rope that is paid out from the hoist and wound around the pulley block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2003
    Publication date: September 30, 2004
    Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Shigenori Matsushita, Morio Tsuchie
  • Patent number: 5819190
    Abstract: A ground leveling control system for a bulldozer, comprising: (a) a cutting edge position detector for detecting a position of a cutting edge of a blade with respect to the ground; and (b) a blade controller for controlling the blade to be lifted or lowered such that the cutting edge position of the blade detected by the cutting edge position detector is kept coincident with a preset target cutting edge position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakagami, Shigenori Matsushita, Shigeru Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5732222
    Abstract: An election terminal apparatus includes an integral-type display/input unit constituted by a liquid crystal display unit and a tablet unit for input data. The display unit displays a first screen including icons corresponding to candidates. A voter operates the tablet unit to designate a candidate for whom he/she wants to vote. The election terminal apparatus discriminates the candidate designated by the voter, and causes the liquid crystal display unit to display an image for allowing the voter to input the candidate name or the like with handwriting. When the voter handwrites the candidate name or the like on the table unit, the election terminal apparatus performs character recognition with respect to the handwritten pattern. When a candidate specified by the recognized characters coincides with the candidate designated first, the election terminal apparatus increments the vote count of the candidate by one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, The Center for Political Public Relations, Inc.
    Inventors: Takayoshi Miyagawa, Shigenori Matsushita, Takayuki Tsuchida, Yoshiyuki Miura, Naoko Shimojima, Katsutoshi Ishikawa, Kunio Ueda
  • Patent number: 5699248
    Abstract: A running slip control system for a bulldozer, comprising: (a) a running slip detector for detecting the running slip of a vehicle body; and (b) a blade controller for lifting a blade to eliminate the running slip when the running slip detector detects the occurrence of running slip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1997
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakagami, Shigenori Matsushita, Shigeru Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5694317
    Abstract: A blade control system for a bulldozer, comprising: (a) a pitch angle detector for detecting a pitch angle of a vehicle body when the vehicle body inclines back and forth; (b) an actual tractive force detector for detecting an actual tractive force of the vehicle body; and (c) a controller for correcting the actual tractive force detected by the actual tractive force detector according to the pitch angle detected by the pitch angle detector and for controlling the blade to be lifted or lowered such that the corrected actual tractive force becomes equal to a target tractive force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 2, 1997
    Assignee: Komatsu, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakagami, Shigenori Matsushita, Shigeru Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5621643
    Abstract: A dozing system for a bulldozer with which dozing can be carried out by a simple operation without giving a great deal of fatigue to the operator.When the running slip of a vehicle body is not detected by a running slip detector, a blade is lifted or lowered by a comparison controller such that an actual tractive force of the vehicle body detected by an actual tractive force detector becomes coincident with a target tractive force set by e.g., a dial, whereby the amount of loads applied to the blade by excavating and moving earth can be maintained constant. On the other hand, when the running slip of the vehicle body is detected by the running slip detector, the comparison controller lifts the blade, thereby reducing the amount of loads applied to the blade by excavating and moving earth in order to eliminate the running slip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1997
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakagami, Shigenori Matsushita, Shigeru Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5609547
    Abstract: An engine overrun preventing system for a vehicle, in which the overrun of an engine is prevented when the overrun of the engine is detected, by (i) switching a lock-up system provided in a torque convertor OFF to cause a slip, if it is detected that the lock-up system is in its ON state; (ii) shifting a transmission into a speed range which is one grade lower than a presently selected speed range and reducing vehicle speed by engine brake, if it is detected that the lock-up system is in its OFF state and that the transmission is placed in another speed range than a first speed; and (iii) actuating a brake to reduce vehicle speed, if it is detected that the lock-up system is in its OFF state and that the transmission is placed in the first speed and if a detected vehicle speed is equal to a predetermined vehicle speed or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 11, 1997
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
    Inventors: Shigenori Matsushita, Shigeru Yamamoto, Shu huai Zhang, Satoru Nishita, Kazushi Nakata
  • Patent number: 5564507
    Abstract: A load control unit for a bulldozer, comprising an actual tractive force detector for detecting the actual tractive force of a vehicle body; target tractive force setting switch for setting a target tractive force for an automatic blade control mode in dozing operation; and blade controller for controlling a blade to be lifted or lowered such that if there is a difference between the actual tractive force detected by the actual tractive force detector and the target tractive force set by the target tractive force setting switch when digging is started with the automatic blade control mode in dozing operation, the actual tractive force gradually comes closer to the target tractive force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1996
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
    Inventors: Shigenori Matsushita, Shu H. Zhang, Shigeru Yamamoto, Satoru Nishita, Kazushi Nakata
  • Patent number: 5555942
    Abstract: A blade control system for use in a bulldozer comprising: a driving mode setting device which can set an automatic blade control mode during dozing operation; a running condition detector for detecting whether a transmission is placed in forward range or reverse range; and a blade controller for controlling tilting and lowering of a blade such that when the speed range detector has detected that the transmission is placed in forward range and the driving mode setting device has set the automatic blade control mode to start digging, the lower end of the blade becomes horizontal in relation to a vehicle body and is brought into contact with the ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1996
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
    Inventors: Shigenori Matsushita, Shigeru Yamamoto, Shu H. Zhang, Satoru Nishita, Kazushi Nakata
  • Patent number: 5551524
    Abstract: A remote control apparatus of a construction machine in which steering control is performed by hydraulically controlling the steering clutches and the steering brakes, comprises remote operating unit for generating a first steering command for turning on or off the steering clutches of the construction machine and a second steering command for turning on or off the steering brakes of the construction machine, steering operation of the construction machine being controlled by the first and second steering commands; and a control unit provided in the construction machine, for performing a control in such a manner that when the first steering command becomes on, the steering clutches are released for a duration during which the first steering command is on, and when the second steering command becomes on in the duration during which the first steering command is on, hydraulic pressure of the steering brakes is gradually changed from a releasing side to a braking side with a predetermined gradient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
    Inventors: Shigeru Yamamoto, Shigenori Matsushita, Kazushi Nakata, Nobuhisa Kamikawa
  • Patent number: 5535830
    Abstract: A dozing control unit for a bulldozer, comprising an actual tractive force detector for detecting the actual tractive force of a vehicle body; a driving mode selector button capable of switching a manual operation mode to an automatic driving mode in dozing operation; and a blade controller for controlling a blade to be lifted or lowered such that if there is a difference between the actual tractive force detected by the actual tractive force detector and a target tractive force set for the automatic driving mode when the manual operation mode is switched to the automatic driving mode by the driving mode selector button, the actual tractive force gradually comes closer to the target tractive force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1996
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
    Inventors: Shigenori Matsushita, Shigeru Yamamoto, Shu H. Zhang
  • Patent number: 5515927
    Abstract: A control unit for controlling load on a bulldozer in the case of manual intervention, comprising: an actual tractive force detector for detecting the actual tractive force of a vehicle body; a target tractive force setting device for setting a target tractive force for an automatic blade control mode in dozing operation according to the actual tractive force detected by the actual tractive force detector; and a blade controller for controlling a blade to be lifted or lowered such that, if there is a difference between the target tractive force set by the target tractive force setting device when switching from the automatic blade control mode to a manual operation mode takes place in dozing operation and the actual tractive force detected by the actual tractive force detector when return from the manual operation mode to the automatic blade control mode takes place, the actual tractive force gradually comes closer to the target tractive force set when switching to the manual operation mode takes place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1996
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
    Inventors: Shigenori Matsushita, Shu H. Zhang, Shigeru Yamamoto, Satoru Nishita, Kazushi Nakata
  • Patent number: 5503232
    Abstract: A steering system for a bulldozer, comprising a steering direction indicating device for indicating a lateral direction in which a vehicle body is to be steered, a dozing operation detector for judging by detection whether the bulldozer is in dozing operation, a steering controller for controlling the vehicle body to be steered in the lateral direction indicated by the steering direction indicating device when the dozing operation detector judges that the bulldozer is in dozing operation, by tilting a blade in the indicated lateral direction in order to impose offset load on the vehicle body, and by causing a difference between the relative travel speeds of right and left crawler belts attached to the vehicle body at least when light load occurs in the dozing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 2, 1996
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
    Inventors: Shigenori Matsushita, Shigeru Yamamoto, Shu H. Zhang
  • Patent number: 5497318
    Abstract: An election terminal apparatus includes an integral-type display/input unit constituted by a liquid crystal display unit and a tablet unit for input data. The display unit displays a first screen including icons corresponding to candidates. A voter operates the tablet unit to designate a candidate for whom he/she wants to vote. The election terminal apparatus discriminates the candidate designated by the voter, and causes the liquid crystal display unit to display an image for allowing the voter to input the candidate name or the like with handwriting. When the voter handwrites the candidate name or the like on the table unit, the election terminal apparatus performs character recognition with respect to the handwritten pattern. When a candidate specified by the recognized characters coincides with the candidate designated first, the election terminal apparatus increments the vote count of the candidate by one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1996
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, The Center for Political Public Relations, Inc.
    Inventors: Takayoshi Miyagawa, Shigenori Matsushita, Takayuki Tsuchida, Yoshiyuki Miura, Naoko Shimojima, Katsutoshi Ishikawa, Kunio Ueda
  • Patent number: 5487428
    Abstract: A straight-ahead traveling control system for a bulldozer comprising: (a) a driving mode setting device which can set an automatic blade control mode for dozing operation; (b) a yaw angle detector for detecting the yaw angle of a vehicle body in relation to a target traveling direction for the vehicle body; (c) a blade tilt angle detector for detecting the tilt angle of the blade tilting laterally in relation to the ground; and (d) a blade controller for controlling tilting of the blade based on a first blade tilting amount used for driving the vehicle body straight ahead and a second blade tilting amount used for forming a laterally horizontal earth surface after digging by the blade, the first blade tilting amount being obtained from the yaw angle of the vehicle body detected by the yaw angle detector and the second blade tilting amount being obtained from the tilt angle of the blade detected by the blade tilt angle detector, when the driving mode setting device has set the automatic blade control mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 30, 1996
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
    Inventors: Shigeru Yamamoto, Shigenori Matsushita, Shu huai Zhang, Satoru Nishita, Kazushi Nakata
  • Patent number: 5485885
    Abstract: A dozing system for a bulldozer, comprising an actual tractive force detector for detecting an actual tractive force of a vehicle body; a target tractive force setting device for setting a target tractive force for a vehicle body; a tractive force deviation calculator for calculating the deviation between the actual tractive force detected by the actual tractive force detector and the target tractive force set by the target tractive force setting device; and a comparison control unit for controlling a blade to be lifted or lowered such that the absolute value of the deviation is increased, when at least the absolute value of the deviation is less than a preset value and tile actual tractive force is approaching the target tractive force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1996
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
    Inventors: Shigenori Matsushita, Shu H. Zhang, Shigeru Yamamoto, Satoru Nishita, Kazushi Nakata
  • Patent number: 5478289
    Abstract: A transmission control method for a vehicle, with which torque starvation does not occur during shifting operation, and wherein shift between drive ranges in forward and reverse respectively is performed by engagement and disengagement of forward and reverse drive clutches as well as engagement and disengagement of at least first and second drive clutches, the first drive clutch to be disengaged is brought into a half-engaged state and the second drive clutch to be engaged is brought into a half-engaged state, and then the first drive clutch in a half-engaged state is fully disengaged and the second drive clutch in a half-engaged state is fully engaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1995
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
    Inventors: Shigenori Matsushita, Shigeru Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5462122
    Abstract: An automatic drive control system for a bulldozer comprising a digging start detector for detecting that the bulldozer is in a digging start position, a digging end detector for detecting that the bulldozer is in a digging end position, a driving direction detector for detecting the momentarily varying driving direction of the bulldozer, and a drive controller for shifting a transmission into a forward gear when the digging start detector detects that the bulldozer is presently in the digging start position; shifting the transmission into a reverse gear when the digging end detector detects that the bulldozer is presently in the digging end position; and controlling the bulldozer such that the driving direction detected by the driving direction detector is made coincident with a target driving direction when the bulldozer is moving from the digging start position towards the digging end position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1995
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
    Inventors: Shigeru Yamamoto, Shigenori Matsushita, Shu H. Zhang, Satoru Nishita, Kazushi Nakata
  • Patent number: 5426874
    Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling the vertical movement of a scraper blade (18) of a bulldozer, a four-position hydraulic control valve (12), having HOLD, UP, DOWN, and FLOAT positions, maintains the scraper blade in the FLOAT condition without requiring a detent mechanism, even when the three-position operation lever (1, 51) is released with the hydraulic control valve (12) in the FLOAT position. The operation lever (1, 51), having HOLD, UP, and DOWN positions, provides electrical signals to a controller (4) for actuating the hydraulic control valve (12) with pilot pressures provided via solenoid pilot valves (6, 7). A hydraulic cylinder (19), connected to the scraper blade (18), is actuated by hydraulic oil from the hydraulic control valve (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1995
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
    Inventors: Kazushi Nakata, Shigenori Matsushita, Shigeru Yamamoto, Shu h-uai Zhang, Satoru Nihsida