Patents by Inventor Shotaro NIIMI
Shotaro NIIMI 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: 11285933Abstract: A vehicle drive device includes a control device, and the control device controls an electric motor, a first pressing mechanism and a second pressing mechanism such that a relational expression of T<T1+T2 is satisfied, where T represents a torque that is input to an input rotation member, T1 represents a maximum of a torque that is able to be transmitted by a first multi-disc clutch and T2 represents a maximum of a torque that is able to be transmitted by a second multi-disc clutch.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2020Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventors: Toshihiko Yamamoto, Tetsuya Yamazaki, Wataru Hirata, Shotaro Niimi, Tomoaki Kato
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Publication number: 20210107443Abstract: A vehicle drive device includes a control device, and the control device controls an electric motor, a first pressing mechanism and a second pressing mechanism such that a relational expression of T<T1+T2 is satisfied, where T represents a torque that is input to an input rotation member, T1 represents a maximum of a torque that is able to be transmitted by a first multi-disc clutch and T2 represents a maximum of a torque that is able to be transmitted by a second multi-disc clutch.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2020Publication date: April 15, 2021Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventors: Toshihiko YAMAMOTO, Tetsuya YAMAZAKI, Wataru HIRATA, Shotaro NIIMI, Tomoaki KATO
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Patent number: 10654360Abstract: A four-wheel drive vehicle includes a dog clutch that selectively interrupts transmission of a drive force to a propeller shaft, first and second multi-plate clutches that selectively interrupt transmission of the drive force from the propeller shaft to left and right rear wheels, first and second pistons that press the first and second multi-plate clutches, and a hydraulic circuit that supplies hydraulic oil to first and second cylinder chambers. During a transition to a four-wheel drive mode, torque transmitted through the first multi-plate clutch increases the speed of rotation of the propeller shaft so as to engage the dog clutch, and the second multi-plate clutch is kept from transmitting torque to the propeller shaft.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2018Date of Patent: May 19, 2020Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventors: Shotaro Niimi, Go Nagayama, Kotaro Sarai
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Patent number: 10480597Abstract: A clutch apparatus includes a clutch hub, a clutch drum, a multi-plate clutch having inner clutch plates and outer clutch plates, a piston for pressing the multi-plate clutch, an electric motor, a moving mechanism for moving the piston in an axial direction in accordance with the amount of rotation of the electric motor, and a control unit for controlling the electric motor. When increasing a rotational force that is transmitted between the clutch hub and the clutch drum by increasing electric current that is supplied to the electric motor, the control unit moves the piston in the axial direction by temporarily supplying the electric motor with the electric current having a first current value that is greater than a second current value corresponding to a target rotational force that needs to be transmitted between the clutch hub and the clutch drum.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2018Date of Patent: November 19, 2019Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventors: Tomohiro Nozu, Yuta Takeuchi, Tsutomu Matsumoto, Shotaro Niimi
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Patent number: 10415659Abstract: A driving-force transmitting apparatus includes first and second friction clutches, a piston that presses the first and second friction clutches, a hydraulic pump that feeds hydraulic oil to a cylinder chamber in the piston, an electric motor that drives the hydraulic pump, and a control apparatus that controls the electric motor to adjust the discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump. The control apparatus has a feedback control apparatus that controls the electric motor using a correction value based on a deviation between a target value and an actual value of the discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump, a hydraulic-oil temperature estimating apparatus that estimates a temperature of hydraulic oil, and a gain adjusting apparatus that changes a correction amount for feedback control in accordance with the estimated temperature of the hydraulic oil.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2016Date of Patent: September 17, 2019Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventors: Tomohiro Nozu, Akira Kodama, Masaki Mita, Shotaro Niimi
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Patent number: 10293687Abstract: A control apparatus for a four-wheel drive vehicle includes a current detector configured to output a detection signal in accordance with the magnitude of an actual control current, a target current value calculator configured to calculate a target current value that is a target value of the control current, and a current controller configured to control a current output circuit to output the control current having the target current value calculated by the target current value calculator based on a result of detection performed by the current detector. When the four-wheel drive vehicle is in a two-wheel drive mode in which first and second friction clutches are released, the current controller performs zero-point adjustment for adjusting a zero point of the control current to be output from the current output circuit.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2017Date of Patent: May 21, 2019Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventors: Tomohiro Nozu, Go Nagayama, Shotaro Niimi, Akiyoshi Kakita, Kotaro Sarai
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Patent number: 10228029Abstract: A control apparatus controls a driving force transmission device including: an electric motor; a pressing mechanism to convert the rotational force of the motor into an axial pressing force; friction clutches including friction members configured to come into frictional engagement with each other by the pressing force provided by the pressing mechanism. The driving force transmission device is configured to transmit a driving force between a pair of rotary members by the friction clutches. The apparatus includes: a target current calculating circuit to calculate a target current to be supplied to the motor; and a correction circuit to correct a voltage to be applied to the motor so as to reduce a difference between the target current and an actual current supplied to the motor. The correction circuit increases or reduces, in accordance with the actual current, the amount of correction of the voltage to be applied to the motor.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2017Date of Patent: March 12, 2019Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventors: Tomohiro Nozu, Akira Kodama, Shotaro Niimi
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Publication number: 20180355929Abstract: A clutch apparatus includes a clutch hub, a clutch drum, a multi-plate clutch having inner clutch plates and outer clutch plates, a piston for pressing the multi-plate clutch, an electric motor, a moving mechanism for moving the piston in an axial direction in accordance with the amount of rotation of the electric motor, and a control unit for controlling the electric motor. When increasing a rotational force that is transmitted between the clutch hub and the clutch drum by increasing electric current that is supplied to the electric motor, the control unit moves the piston in the axial direction by temporarily supplying the electric motor with the electric current having a first current value that is greater than a second current value corresponding to a target rotational force that needs to be transmitted between the clutch hub and the clutch drum.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 6, 2018Publication date: December 13, 2018Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventors: Tomohiro Nozu, Yuta Takeuchi, Tsutomu Matsumoto, Shotaro Niimi
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Publication number: 20180345787Abstract: A four-wheel drive vehicle includes a dog clutch that selectively interrupts transmission of a drive force to a propeller shaft, first and second multi-plate clutches that selectively interrupt transmission of the drive force from the propeller shaft to left and right rear wheels, first and second pistons that press the first and second multi-plate clutches, and a hydraulic circuit that supplies hydraulic oil to first and second cylinder chambers. During a transition to a four-wheel drive mode, torque transmitted through the first multi-plate clutch increases the speed of rotation of the propeller shaft so as to engage the dog clutch, and the second multi-plate clutch is kept from transmitting torque to the propeller shaft.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2018Publication date: December 6, 2018Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventors: Shotaro NIIMI, Go NAGAYAMA, Kotaro SARAI
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Publication number: 20180099563Abstract: A control apparatus for a four-wheel drive vehicle includes a current detector configured to output a detection signal in accordance with the magnitude of an actual control current, a target current value calculator configured to calculate a target current value that is a target value of the control current, and a current controller configured to control a current output circuit to output the control current having the target current value calculated by the target current value calculator based on a result of detection performed by the current detector. When the four-wheel drive vehicle is in a two-wheel drive mode in which first and second friction clutches are released, the current controller performs zero-point adjustment for adjusting a zero point of the control current to be output from the current output circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2017Publication date: April 12, 2018Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventors: Tomohiro NOZU, Go NAGAYAMA, Shotaro NIIMI, Akiyoshi KAKITA, Kotaro SARAI
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Patent number: 9770982Abstract: Provided is a control device for a four-wheel drive which can maintain driving stability while restraining noise and vibration. A control device includes: a second control device that, when at least one of front wheel has slipped, engages a dog clutch after rotating a propeller shaft by a rotational force transmitted via first and second friction clutches; and a third control device that, if a predetermined condition is satisfied when the front wheels are not slipping, engages the dog clutch after rotating the propeller shaft by the rotational force transmitted via the first and second friction clutches. The time required to synchronize the dog clutch by the third control device is longer than that required to synchronize the dog clutch by the second control device.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2016Date of Patent: September 26, 2017Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventors: Tomohiro Nozu, Masaki Mita, Akira Kodama, Shotaro Niimi
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Publication number: 20170261049Abstract: A control apparatus controls a driving force transmission device including: an electric motor; a pressing mechanism to convert the rotational force of the motor into an axial pressing force; friction clutches including friction members configured to come into frictional engagement with each other by the pressing force provided by the pressing mechanism. The driving force transmission device is configured to transmit a driving force between a pair of rotary members by the friction clutches. The apparatus includes: a target current calculating circuit to calculate a target current to be supplied to the motor, and a correction circuit to correct a voltage to be applied to the motor so as to reduce a difference between the target current and an actual current supplied to the motor. The correction circuit increases or reduces, in accordance with the actual current, the amount of correction of the voltage to be applied to the motor.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2017Publication date: September 14, 2017Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventors: Tomohiro NOZU, Akira KODAMA, Shotaro NIIMI
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Publication number: 20170023075Abstract: A driving-force transmitting apparatus 1 includes first and second friction clutches, a piston that presses the first and second friction clutches, a hydraulic pump that feeds hydraulic oil to a cylinder chamber in the piston, an electric motor that drives the hydraulic pump, and a control apparatus that controls the electric motor to adjust the discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump. The control apparatus has a feedback control apparatus that controls the electric motor using a correction value based on a deviation between a target value and an actual value of the discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump, a hydraulic-oil temperature estimating apparatus that estimates a temperature of hydraulic oil, and a gain adjusting apparatus that changes a correction amount for feedback control in accordance with the estimated temperature of the hydraulic oil.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 19, 2016Publication date: January 26, 2017Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventors: Tomohiro NOZU, Akira KODAMA, Masaki MITA, Shotaro NIIMI
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Publication number: 20160280064Abstract: Provided is a control device for a four-wheel drive which can maintain driving stability while restraining noise and vibration. A control device includes: a second control device that, when at least one of front wheel has slipped, engages a dog clutch after rotating a propeller shaft by a rotational force transmitted via first and second friction clutches; and a third control device that, if a predetermined condition is satisfied when the front wheels are not slipping, engages the dog clutch after rotating the propeller shaft by the rotational force transmitted via the first and second friction clutches. The time required to synchronize the dog clutch by the third control device is longer than that required to synchronize the dog clutch by the second control device.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2016Publication date: September 29, 2016Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventors: Tomohiro NOZU, Masaki MITA, Akira KODAMA, Shotaro NIIMI