Patents by Inventor Shiro Kokubu

Shiro Kokubu 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: 9745910
    Abstract: An air feed ratio controlling apparatus can include a predictor for predicting an air fuel ratio on the downstream side of a catalyst calculates a predicted air fuel ratio at least based on an actual air fuel ratio from an oxygen sensor and a history of a first correction coefficient. The air fuel ratio controlling apparatus can also include an adaptive model corrector which determines the deviation between the actual air fuel ratio and the predicted air fuel ratio as a prediction error ERPRE, and superposes a second correction coefficient on the first correction coefficient so that the prediction error may be reduced to zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masanori Nakamura, Yukihiro Asada, Shiro Kokubu, Emi Shida
  • Patent number: 8807273
    Abstract: An exhaust muffler device has a ceramic catalyst body, and a holding tube having an end portion configured to hold the ceramic catalyst body therein with a holding mat therebetween. The end portion is reduced in diameter to form a reduced diameter portion. An exhaust pipe is connected to the holding tube, with a downstream end portion thereof being fitted to an inner circumference of the reduced diameter portion of the holding tube. An inner circumferential surface of the downstream end portion of the exhaust pipe is in proximity to a boundary portion of the holding mat and the ceramic catalyst body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Murakami, Hiroshi Mahira, Tadahisa Masatani, Kensuke Honma, Shiro Kokubu
  • Patent number: 8517198
    Abstract: A vehicular fuel tank fuel filler orifice device that is provided with a fuel filler orifice in an upper wall of a vehicular fuel tank that stores ethanol fuel for an engine and a fuel filler guide tube extending from the fuel filler orifice to the interior of the fuel tank. A flame arrestor made of a metal mesh with a larger diameter than that of the fuel filler guide tube is mounted on the fuel filler guide tube. The flame arrestor covers a lower opening of the fuel filler guide tube for allowing a flow of the fuel but preventing the entrance of a flame. Using a flame arrestor, not only prevents a flame from entering a fuel tank from a fuel filler orifice but also smoothly carries out an exchange of fuel and air in the flame arrestor when filling with fuel, thus speeding the filling with fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Muto, Yasufumi Yokura, Shiro Kokubu
  • Publication number: 20120253643
    Abstract: An air feed ratio controlling apparatus can include a predictor for predicting an air fuel ratio on the downstream side of a catalyst calculates a predicted air fuel ratio at least based on an actual air fuel ratio from an oxygen sensor and a history of a first correction coefficient. The air fuel ratio controlling apparatus can also include an adaptive model corrector which determines the deviation between the actual air fuel ratio and the predicted air fuel ratio as a prediction error ERPRE, and superposes a second correction coefficient on the first correction coefficient so that the prediction error may be reduced to zero.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masanori NAKAMURA, Yukihiro ASADA, Shiro KOKUBU, Emi SHIDA
  • Patent number: 8220437
    Abstract: Secondary fuel filter (143) provided downstream of a fuel pump (92) has a smaller pore size than a primary fuel filter (141) provided upstream of the fuel pump. The secondary fuel filter is covered with a case member (171) and positioned along a center frame (23) of the vehicle. The secondary fuel filter is made of non-woven fabric and formed in a bag shape, and fuel is filtered by the secondary fuel filter as it passes from the interior to the outside of the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yamada, Minoru Ueda, Toshiyuki Kubota, Shiro Kokubu, Kazuyuki Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20110259885
    Abstract: A vehicular fuel tank fuel filler orifice device that is provided with a fuel filler orifice (15a) in an upper wall (3a) of a vehicular fuel tank (3) that stores ethanol fuel as fuel for an engine and with a fuel filler guide tube (15) extending from the fuel filler orifice (15a) to the interior of the fuel tank (3), wherein the fuel filler guide tube (15) is provided with a flame arrestor (21) and a skirt (27), the flame arrestor (21) covering a lower opening of the fuel filler guide tube (15) and allowing flow of the fuel but preventing the entrance of flame, the skirt (27) extending downward from an outer peripheral part of the flame arrestor (21), and air convection between the fuel tank (3) and the fuel filler guide tube (15) occurring via the flame arrestor (21) being prevented by the skirt (27).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Inventors: Yusuke Muto, Yasufumi Yokura, Shiro Kokubu
  • Publication number: 20100288763
    Abstract: A vehicular fuel tank fuel filler orifice device that is provided with a fuel filler orifice (15a) in an upper wall (3a) of a vehicular fuel tank (3) that stores ethanol fuel as fuel for an engine and a fuel filler guide tube (15) extending from the fuel filler orifice (15a) to the interior of the fuel tank (3), wherein mounted on the fuel filler guide tube (15) is a flame arrestor (21) that is made of a metal mesh and has a larger diameter than that of the fuel filler guide tube (15), the flame arrestor (21) covering a lower opening of the fuel filler guide tube (15) and allowing flow of the fuel but preventing the entrance of flame It is thereby possible, using a flame arrestor, not only to prevent a flame from entering a fuel tank from a fuel filler orifice but also to smoothly carry out exchange of fuel and air in the flame arrestor when filling with fuel, thus speeding the filling with fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Muto, Yasufumi Yokura, Shiro Kokubu
  • Publication number: 20100288762
    Abstract: A vehicular fuel tank fuel filler orifice device that is provided with a fuel filler orifice (15a) in an upper wall (3a) of a vehicular fuel tank (3) that stores ethanol fuel as fuel for an engine and a fuel filler guide tube (15) extending from the fuel filler orifice (15a) to the interior of a fuel tank (3) and receiving a fuel filler gun (G), wherein mounted on the fuel filler guide tube (15) are a flame arrestor (21) and a gun stopper (20), the flame arrestor (21) covering a lower opening of the fuel filler guide tube (15) and allowing flow of the fuel but preventing the entrance of flame, and the gun stopper (20) preventing abutment of the fuel filler gun (G) inserted into the fuel filler guide tube (15) against the flame arrestor (21). This enables damage to a flame arrestor by a fuel filler gun inserted into a fuel filler orifice to be prevented without using a long fuel filler guide tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Muto, Yasufumi Yokura, Shiro Kokubu
  • Publication number: 20100059024
    Abstract: Secondary fuel filter (143) provided downstream of a fuel pump (92) has a smaller pore size than a primary fuel filter (141) provided upstream of the fuel pump. The secondary fuel filter is covered with a case member (171) and positioned along a center frame (23) of the vehicle. The secondary fuel filter is made of non-woven fabric and formed in a bag shape, and fuel is filtered by the secondary fuel filter as it passes from the interior to the outside of the filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yamada, Minoru Ueda, Toshiyuki Kubota, Shiro Kokubu, Kazuyuki Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7567866
    Abstract: A fuel injection control device of an internal combustion engine capable of using multiple kinds of fuel includes an ECU with a ROM for storing multiple reference fuel injection quantity maps corresponding to mixture concentrations of the multiple kinds of fuels. A control program of the CPU stores which of the multiple reference fuel injection quantity map is used out of the maps in an EEP-ROM, performs starting control of an engine using the reference fuel injection quantity map which is used immediately before stopping previous time at the time of initiating the starting based on the stored maps and, at the same time, performs the starting control by gradually increasing the fuel injection quantity until the starting of an engine is finished. As a result, control of fuel supply is optimized in response to mixing different kinds of fuels, and the engine starting time is shortened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shiro Kokubu
  • Patent number: 7475683
    Abstract: A fuel injection control apparatus, for a variable-fuel engine, includes a plurality of stored maps for determining a basic fuel injection time corresponding to a state of an engine and alcohol concentration in the fuel. The apparatus includes a memory storage region which stores the fuel injection control maps. The apparatus also includes an oxygen sensor disposed in an exhaust pipe for detecting oxygen concentration in an exhaust gas; a basic fuel injection time calculator which determines the basic fuel injection time using the currently selected fuel injection control map; a correction coefficient calculator which determines an air-fuel ratio correction coefficient for correcting the basic fuel injection time; a fuel injection quantity calculator; and a map changeover part which selects the fuel injection control map of the concentration of alcohol close to the concentration of alcohol of the fuel based on the air-fuel ratio correction coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shiro Kokubu
  • Publication number: 20080072878
    Abstract: A fuel injection control apparatus, for a variable-fuel engine, includes a plurality of stored maps for determining a basic fuel injection time corresponding to a state of an engine and alcohol concentration in the fuel. The apparatus includes a memory storage region which stores the fuel injection control maps. The apparatus also includes an oxygen sensor disposed in an exhaust pipe for detecting oxygen concentration in an exhaust gas; a basic fuel injection time calculator which determines the basic fuel injection time using the currently selected fuel injection control map; a correction coefficient calculator which determines an air-fuel ratio correction coefficient for correcting the basic fuel injection time; a fuel injection quantity calculator; and a map changeover part which selects the fuel injection control map of the concentration of alcohol close to the concentration of alcohol of the fuel based on the air-fuel ratio correction coefficient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shiro Kokubu
  • Publication number: 20080059047
    Abstract: A fuel injection control device of an internal combustion engine capable of using multiple kinds of fuel includes an ECU with a ROM for storing multiple reference fuel injection quantity maps corresponding to mixture concentrations of the multiple kinds of fuels. A control program of the CPU stores which of the multiple reference fuel injection quantity map is used out of the maps in an EEP-ROM, performs starting control of an engine using the reference fuel injection quantity map which is used immediately before stopping previous time at the time of initiating the starting based on the stored maps and, at the same time, performs the starting control by gradually increasing the fuel injection quantity until the starting of an engine is finished. As a result, control of fuel supply is optimized in response to mixing different kinds of fuels, and the engine starting time is shortened.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Inventor: Shiro Kokubu
  • Patent number: 6467459
    Abstract: To change a fuel injection quantity to follow a throttle opening change in a low load region. A first calculator calculates a basic injection time using a throttle opening and an engine rotational speed. A second calculator calculates a basic injection time using an intake pipe negative pressure and the engine rotational speed. A selector selects the first calculator when the load is higher, and selects the second calculator when the load is lower. If the rate of change of the throttle opening is greater than a reference value, then a switcher sets the selector to select the first calculator. Thus, if the rate of increase of the throttle opening is greater than the reference value even when the load is low, the first calculator is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Machida, Yoshiaki Hirakata, Tomomi Yuhara, Masahiko Abe, Shiro Kokubu
  • Publication number: 20020007822
    Abstract: To change a fuel injection quantity to follow a throttle opening change in a low load region. A first calculator calculates a basic injection time using a throttle opening and an engine rotational speed. A second calculator calculates a basic injection time using an intake pipe negative pressure and the engine rotational speed. A selector selects the first calculator when the load is higher, and selects the second calculator when the load is lower. If the rate of change of the throttle opening is greater than a reference value, then a switcher sets the selector to select the first calculator. Thus, if the rate of increase of the throttle opening is greater than the reference value even when the load is low, the first calculator is selected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Publication date: January 24, 2002
    Inventors: Kenichi Machida, Yoshiaki Hirakata, Tomomi Yuhara, Masahiko Abe, Shiro Kokubu