Patents by Inventor Shoichi Shono
Shoichi Shono 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).
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Patent number: 7038139Abstract: A spiral cable device is provided with a cylindrical casing, an inner cylinder rotatable relative to the cylindrical casing, and a flexible flat cable connected to the inner cylinder at one end thereof and to the cylindrical casing at the other end thereof. The flexible flat cable has plural leads arranged in a single layer and is folded to form multiple layers of the leads, so that even where the flexible flat cable is to have many leads, the spiral cable device can be made short in the axial direction thereof.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2003Date of Patent: May 2, 2006Assignees: Toyoda Koki Kabushiki Kaisha, The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yukihiko Kanayama, Morihiro Matsuda, Junji Kawamuro, Shoichi Shono, Yasunori Okada
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Patent number: 6860570Abstract: A vehicular parking brake apparatus includes right and left-side brakes connected to an electric motor via a cable and an equalizer, so that the operating forces of the brakes become equal. In this case, the operating forces of the right and left brakes are commonly controlled based on one of the wheels that exhibits a greater rate of slip. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a rate of slip of the right and left wheels from becoming excessively great. The electric motor is controlled taking into account a transfer delay of the cable. Therefore, the slip rates of the right and left wheels can be quickly converged to a proper state. Thus, in a case where a parking brake is operated during the running of the vehicle, the operating force of the parking brake is controlled so that the state of slip of the wheels is a proper state.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2001Date of Patent: March 1, 2005Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Akihiro Yanaka, Shoichi Shono, Toshiaki Hamada, Yoshikazu Tachiiri
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Patent number: 6848535Abstract: A transmission ratio variable mechanism (100) varies a transmission ratio between a steering amount of a steering wheel (2) and a turning amount of wheels (7). The transmission ratio variable mechanism (100) includes an input shaft (3) transmitted with a rotational force of the steering wheel (2), a housing (102, 103) unitarily rotating with the input shaft (3), an output shaft (4) connected to wheels side, a motor (160) fixed in the housing for transmitting the rotation to the output shaft (4) via a speed reduction device (150), and a reverse input blocking device (180) for always transmitting a rotational output from the motor (160) to the output shaft (4) and for always blocking a rotational input from the output shaft (4) to the motor (160).Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2003Date of Patent: February 1, 2005Assignee: Toyoda Koki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Motoyasu Yamamori, Osamu Watanabe, Morihiro Matsuda, Shoichi Shono, Akihiro Yanaka
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Publication number: 20040093138Abstract: A transfer ratio varying apparatus includes: a steering shaft configured to transmit a steering angle, an actuator connected to the steering shaft and a damper disposed between the input shaft and the steering shaft and configured to absorb vibration caused by the actuator. The actuator includes: a housing, an input shaft configured to integrally rotate with the housing and connected to the steering shaft, a motor including a rotatable shaft, an output shaft configured to transmit an angle to a wheel assembly, and a gear mechanism between the rotatable shaft and the output shaft at the housing, configured to adjust a rotational angle of the rotatable shaft and to output the adjusted rotational angle to the output shaft.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2003Publication date: May 13, 2004Applicant: TOYODA KOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Isao Hasegawa, Osamu Watanabe, Motoyasu Yamamori, Morihiro Matsuda, Shoichi Shono, Masatoshi Nakatsu
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Publication number: 20030221862Abstract: A spiral cable device is provided with a cylindrical casing, an inner cylinder rotatable relative to the cylindrical casing, and a flexible flat cable connected to the inner cylinder at one end thereof and to the cylindrical casing at the other end thereof. The flexible flat cable has plural leads arranged in a single layer and is folded to form multiple layers of the leads, so that even where the flexible flat cable is to have many leads, the spiral cable device can be made short in the axial direction thereof.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 23, 2003Publication date: December 4, 2003Applicants: TOYODA KOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yukihiko Kanayama, Morihiro Matsuda, Junji Kawamuro, Shoichi Shono, Yasunori Okada
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Patent number: 6631796Abstract: A vehicle parking brake system having an AUTO selector for selectively establishing an automatic mode and a manual mode, parking brake units, and an electronic control unit operable in the automatic mode to automatically activate the parking brake units to apply a parking brake to vehicle rear left and right wheels (RW1, RW2) when the vehicle is in a parked state, and to automatically de-activate the parking brake units to remove the parking brake from the vehicle wheel, and in the manual mode to selectively apply and remove the parking brake to and from the vehicle wheels according to operations of a MANUAL MODE control switch.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2001Date of Patent: October 14, 2003Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Akihiro Yanaka, Shoichi Shono, Toshiaki Hamada
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Publication number: 20030178242Abstract: A transmission ratio variable mechanism (100) varies a transmission ratio between a steering amount of a steering wheel (2) and a turning amount of wheels (7). The transmission ratio variable mechanism (100) includes an input shaft (3) transmitted with a rotational force of the steering wheel (2), a housing (102, 103) unitarily rotating with the input shaft (3), an output shaft (4) connected to wheels side, a motor (160) fixed in the housing for transmitting the rotation to the output shaft (4) via a speed reduction device (150), and a reverse input blocking device (180) for always transmitting a rotational output from the motor (160) to the output shaft (4) and for always blocking a rotational input from the output shaft (4) to the motor (160).Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2003Publication date: September 25, 2003Applicant: TOYODA KOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Motoyasu Yamamori, Osamu Watanabe, Morihiro Matsuda, Shoichi Shono, Akihiro Yanaka
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Publication number: 20020027386Abstract: A vehicular parking brake apparatus includes right and left-side brakes connected to an electric motor via a cable and an equalizer, so that the operating forces of the brakes become equal. In this case, the operating forces of the right and left brakes are commonly controlled based on one of the wheels that exhibits a greater rate of slip. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a rate of slip of the right and left wheels from becoming excessively great. The electric motor is controlled taking into account a transfer delay of the cable. Therefore, the slip rates of the right and left wheels can be quickly converged to a proper state. Thus, in a case where a parking brake is operated during the running of the vehicle, the operating force of the parking brake is controlled so that the state of slip of the wheels is a proper state.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2001Publication date: March 7, 2002Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akihiro Yanaka, Shoichi Shono, Toshiaki Hamada, Yoshikazu Tachiiri
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Publication number: 20020023818Abstract: A vehicle parking brake system having an AUTO selector for selectively establishing an automatic mode and a manual mode, parking brake units, and an electronic control unit operable in the automatic mode to automatically activate the parking brake units to apply a parking brake to vehicle rear left and right wheels (RW1, RW2) when the vehicle is in a parked state, and to automatically de-activate the parking brake units to remove the parking brake from the vehicle wheel, and in the manual mode to selectively apply and remove the parking brake to and from the vehicle wheels according to operations of a MANUAL MODE control switch.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2001Publication date: February 28, 2002Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akihiro Yanaka, Shoichi Shono, Toshiaki Hamada
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Patent number: 6298292Abstract: In a vehicle height adjust control apparatus and method for changing the vehicle height using actuators, the incidence of noises produced during the switching of actuators is reduced and good durability or long service life of the actuators is achieved. Based on a vehicle speed detected by a vehicle speed sensor, a microcomputer calculates a forward-backward acceleration. If the forward-backward acceleration is equal to or less than a first predetermined value, a vehicle height deviating from a target vehicle height is adjusted by a normal operation. If the forward-backward acceleration is greater than the first predetermined value but not greater than a second predetermined value, the determination for starting vehicle height adjustment is prevented. If the forward-backward acceleration is greater than the second predetermined value, the vehicle height adjustment is suspended.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 1998Date of Patent: October 2, 2001Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shoichi Shono, Atushi Sato
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Patent number: 6282470Abstract: A vehicle height adjust control apparatus that increases the durability or service life of a fluid system, including a fluid supply-discharge device and a fluid actuator, can have a pressure sensor and vehicle height sensors. If a microcomputer determines that the pressure detected by the pressure sensor is greater than a predetermined pressure, the microcomputer changes a target vehicle height to a vehicle height presently detected by the vehicle height sensors. In a preferred construction, the target vehicle height is changed to the vehicle height presently detected, if it is determined that the detected pressure remains greater than the predetermined pressure for at least a predetermined length of time. The predetermined length of time is changed to a longer time when the fluid temperature is relatively low. These additional determination conditions prevent unnecessary or ineffective changes of the target vehicle height due to by a sensor abnormality or a fluid temperature change.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 1998Date of Patent: August 28, 2001Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shoichi Shono, Atushi Sato, Masaaki Tabata
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Patent number: 6240348Abstract: A vehicle height adjust control apparatus and method prevents interference between a vehicle and a road surface due to a vehicle height reduction caused by an occupant or load added during a stop of the vehicle and minimizes unnecessary or ineffective operation of actuators while the vehicle is stopped with a brake pedal depressed. The apparatus has a vehicle sensor for detecting a vehicle speed, and a brake switch for detecting a brake pedal depressing operation. When the vehicle is stopped and the brake pedal is depressed, a microcomputer maintains a normal determination condition for starting a vehicle height adjustment to raise the vehicle body, but prevents a vehicle height reducing adjustment from lowering the vehicle body or uses a severe determination condition for starting a vehicle height reducing adjustment, thereby restricting the vehicle height adjustment only in the reducing direction.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 1998Date of Patent: May 29, 2001Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shoichi Shono, Atushi Sato
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Patent number: 6219601Abstract: A vehicle height adjust control apparatus and method adjusts an actual vehicle height to a target vehicle height using a microcomputer that controls an electric motor, leveling valves and an accumulator valve on the basis of the actual vehicle height detected by vehicle height sensors, so as to eliminate any deviation of the actual vehicle height from the target vehicle height. If a hydraulic fluid temperature detected by a fluid temperature sensor is very low or very high, the microcomputer suspends the vehicle height adjusting control and the supply of hydraulic fluid to an accumulator by stopping the operation of the electric motor and a hydraulic pump and/or switching the valves to a closed state. The suspending control thereby prevents very high and low viscosities of the hydraulic fluid, or very low and high fluidities thereof, which prevent an undesirable increase of the load on the hydraulic pump and an undesirable decrease of the ejecting performance thereof.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 1998Date of Patent: April 17, 2001Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shoichi Shono, Yoshiyuki Hashimoto, Masaaki Tabata, Kenji Harada, Atushi Sato, Masaki Kanatani
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Patent number: 6202010Abstract: A vehicle height adjust control apparatus and method precisely performs vehicle height adjustment while preventing unnecessary vehicle height adjustment. In the apparatus, a microcomputer compares the amount of shift of a vehicle height detected by a vehicle height sensor with a first predetermined value. If the amount of shift is greater than the first predetermined value, the microcomputer integrates the amount of shift. The integral of the amount of shift is compared with a second predetermined value. If the integral is greater than the second predetermined value, the microcomputer determines that vehicle height adjustment should be started. The first and/or second predetermined values used in an initial period immediately after an engine is started are smaller than the first and/or second predetermined values used after the initial period.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 1998Date of Patent: March 13, 2001Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shoichi Shono, Atushi Sato, Yoshiyuki Hashimoto
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Patent number: 6168171Abstract: The method of controlling a vehicle height adjust apparatus for a vehicle that includes an actuator capable of changing a vehicle height, a height detector that detects the vehicle height and a controller linked to the actuator that receives parameters indicating a state of the vehicle includes the steps of detecting the vehicle height and at least one of a steering angle of a steering wheel of the vehicle and a differential-limited state of wheels of the vehicle, and controlling the actuator with the controller to adjust the vehicle height to approach the target vehicle height if the steering angle is not greater than a predetermined steering angle and/or the wheels are not in a differential-limited state.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 1998Date of Patent: January 2, 2001Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shoichi Shono, Atushi Sato
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Patent number: 6161845Abstract: A vehicle height adjust control apparatus includes a plurality of actuators provided between a vehicle body and a plurality of wheels that are capable of changing a vehicle height at a wheel position corresponding to each of a plurality of wheels of the vehicle, a vehicle height detector that detects an actual vehicle height at different positions, a controller for controlling the actuators to eliminate deviations of each of the actual vehicle heights detected by the vehicle height detector from corresponding predetermined target vehicle heights and a simultaneous controller linked with the controller that simultaneously changes the actual vehicle height at individual wheel positions by controlling the actuators if the actual vehicle heights detected by the vehicle height detector are deviated from the corresponding target vehicle heights by at least a predetermined value toward the same side.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 1998Date of Patent: December 19, 2000Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shoichi Shono, Atushi Sato
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Patent number: 6116618Abstract: A vehicle height adjust control apparatus, incorporating a slope determination apparatus, has a vehicle speed sensor, a vehicle height detector that detects a rear vehicle height of a rear portion of a vehicle body and front vehicle heights at the right and left front wheel positions, and actuators for changing the front and rear vehicle heights. In a case where the detected vehicle speed or an acceleration calculated from the detected vehicle speed is small and where the difference between the detected front vehicle heights at the right and left wheel positions is small and the averaged front vehicle height considerably deviates from a target vehicle height, a microcomputer determines that the vehicle is on a steep slope.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 1998Date of Patent: September 12, 2000Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shoichi Shono, Atushi Sato