Patents by Inventor Shota Tanabe

Shota Tanabe 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).

  • Publication number: 20180146615
    Abstract: In a mower provided with a center pivot axle 12, a control unit 1 controls a height adjusting mechanism 19 for a mowing unit 16 so that a grass cutting height is increased from an initial level when an absolute value of a roll angle of the center pivot axle relative to a vehicle body has exceeded a first roll angle threshold value. A cutting blade 21 is stopped when the absolute value of the roll angle has exceeded a fourth roll angle threshold value which is greater than the first roll angle threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Inventors: Koji Kuriyagawa, Hajime Yoshimura, Norikazu Shimizu, Shota Tanabe
  • Publication number: 20180148089
    Abstract: Power equipment such as a riding mower 2 is provided with a center pivot axle 16 for non-driven wheels 9 thereof and a rigid axle 14 for driven wheels 8. A control unit 1 of the power equipment is configured to accelerate the left driven wheel when a right end up roll angle of the center pivot axle is detected by an axle sensor 25, and to accelerate the right driven wheel when a left end up roll angle of the center pivot axle is detected by the axle sensor when substantially no steering input of a steering device 22 is detected by a steering sensor 24 so that the power equipment may maintain a straight course.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Inventors: Koji Kuriyagawa, Hajime Yoshimura, Norikazu Shimizu, Shota Tanabe
  • Publication number: 20170265384
    Abstract: In a mower (10) driven by a pair of electric motors (15) and using an engine (14) for driving a cutter blade (22), a fuel tank (16) for supplying fuel to the engine is positioned in a space surrounded by the electric motors and a chute (30) for forwarding grass clippings to a grass collection bag (23). The chute extends rearward with an upward slant, and is bent in side view in such a manner that a lower part has a steeper incline than an upper part thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Shota Tanabe, Koji Kuriyagawa, Hajime Yoshimura, Satoshi Onodera
  • Publication number: 20170265387
    Abstract: In a mower (10) driven by a pair of electric motors (15), a battery (16) for supplying electric power to the electric motors is positioned in a space surrounded by the electric motors and a chute (30) for forwarding grass clippings to a grass collection bag (23). The chute extends rearward with an upward slant, and is bent in side view in such a manner that a lower part has a steeper incline than an upper part thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Shota Tanabe, Koji Kuriyagawa, Satoshi Onodera, Hajime Yoshimura
  • Publication number: 20170265382
    Abstract: The lawn mower (10) comprises an internal combustion engine (100) having a plurality of cylinders, an engine control unit (110) for selectively deactivating at least one of the cylinders, a cutting blade (70) supported by a lawn mower main body via a cutter deck, and connected to the engine in a power transmitting relationship, a clutch (80) provided in a power transmission path between the engine and the cutting blade, a height adjustment mechanism (90) provided on the cutter deck for adjusting the height of the cutting blade, and a central control unit (50) for controlling an operation of the height adjusting mechanism, the clutch and the engine control unit. The central control unit is configured to cause the engine control unit to deactivate at least one of the cylinders when a prescribed operating condition is met, and to raise the cutting blade to a prescribed elevated height before deactivating the at least one of the cylinders.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Koji Kuriyagawa, Hajime Yoshimura, Norikazu Shimizu, Shota Tanabe, Tomohiro Miyauchi
  • Publication number: 20170265381
    Abstract: The power equipment such as a lawn mower (10) comprises an internal combustion engine (100) having a plurality of cylinders, an engine control unit (110) for selectively deactivating at least one of the cylinders, a work implement such as a cutting blade (70) connected to the engine in a power transmitting relationship, a clutch (80) provided in a power transmission path between the engine and the work implement, and a central control unit (50) for controlling an operation of a propelling device, the clutch and the engine control unit. The central control unit is configured to operate the engine at a prescribed rotational speed with two or more of the cylinders kept activated when the clutch is engaged and the propelling device is propelling the power equipment forward, and to deactivate at least one of the cylinders when an opening of a throttle valve is below a first prescribed value for a prescribed time period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Koji Kuriyagawa, Hajime Yoshimura, Norikazu Shimizu, Shota Tanabe, Tomohiro Miyauchi
  • Publication number: 20170265395
    Abstract: The power equipment such as a lawn mower (10) comprises an internal combustion engine (100) having a plurality of cylinders, an engine control unit (110) for selectively deactivating at least one of the cylinders, a work implement such as a cutting blade (70) connected to the engine in a power transmitting relationship, a clutch (80) provided in a power transmission path between the engine and the work implement, and a central control unit (50) for controlling an operation of a propelling device, the clutch and the engine control unit. The central control unit is configured to start the engine with two or more of the cylinders activated, to cause the engine control unit to operate the engine at a prescribed rotational speed, and to cause the engine control unit to deactivate at least one of the cylinders when the engine has reached a stable state at the prescribed rotational speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Koji Kuriyagawa, Hajime Yoshimura, Norikazu Shimizu, Shota Tanabe, Tomohiro Miyauchi