Patents by Inventor Tadao Kozu

Tadao Kozu 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: 7426881
    Abstract: An operating position select device has a select lever unit, a mode shift unit to shift operation modes of the automatic transmission, a mechanically connecting means connecting them, and an assist actuator to assist a select lever. A control unit that controls the actuator is electrically connected to an operating position sensor detecting an operating position of the select lever and an operating force sensor detecting operating force acting on the lever. The control unit has an improper halt detecting part detecting the improper halt of the lever between the select positions and an improper halt preventing part preventing the lever from being kept halted improperly between the select positions to provide the lever with adjustment force so that the lever moves to one of the select positions when the improper halt of the select lever is detected during select operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2008
    Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
    Inventors: Tadao Kozu, Masaharu Nagano, Yukitsugu Hirota, Mitsuo Kikkawa, Yuichi Tanii, Hiroyuki Ikari, Takehiro Kuroda
  • Patent number: 7194927
    Abstract: An operating position select device for an automatic transmission has a select lever unit having a select lever operated by a driver; a mode shift unit mounted on the automatic transmission to shift operation modes of the automatic transmission; a first and second control cables and others for mechanically connecting the select lever and the mode shift unit, and an actuator for outputting assist torque to shift the mode shift unit. An operating angle sensor detects an operating angle of the select lever and an assist angle sensor detects an assist angle of the assist actuator. A control unit controls a drive current supplied to the assist actuator based on the operating angle and the assist angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
    Inventors: Tadao Kozu, Yukitsugu Hirota, Eiji Yamatani
  • Publication number: 20050160849
    Abstract: An operating position select device has a select lever unit, a mode shift unit to shift operation modes of the automatic transmission, a mechanically connecting means connecting them, and an assist actuator to assist a select lever. A control unit that controls the actuator is electrically connected to an operating position sensor detecting an operating position of the select lever and an operating force sensor detecting operating force acting on the lever. The control unit has an improper halt detecting part detecting the improper halt of the lever between the select positions and an improper halt preventing part preventing the lever from being kept halted improperly between the select positions to provide the lever with adjustment force so that the lever moves to one of the select positions when the improper halt of the select lever is detected during select operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Publication date: July 28, 2005
    Inventors: Tadao Kozu, Masaharu Nagano, Yukitsugu Hirota, Mitsuo Kikkawa, Yuichi Tanii, Hiroyuki Ikari, Takehiro Kuroda
  • Publication number: 20050081670
    Abstract: An operating position select device for an automatic transmission has a select lever unit having a select lever operated by a driver; a mode shift unit mounted on the automatic transmission to shift operation modes of the automatic transmission; a first and second control cables and others for mechanically connecting the select lever and the mode shift unit, and an actuator for outputting assist torque to shift the mode shift unit. An operating angle sensor detects an operating angle of the select lever and an assist angle sensor detects an assist angle of the assist actuator. A control unit controls a drive current supplied to the assist actuator based on the operating angle and the assist angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2004
    Publication date: April 21, 2005
    Inventors: Tadao Kozu, Yukitsugu Hirota, Eiji Yamatani