Patents by Inventor Takafumi Katou

Takafumi Katou 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).

  • Vehicle steering system
    Patent number: 6585074
    Abstract: A vehicle steering system includes a rack and pinion mechanism having a pinion functionally coupled to a steering wheel and a rack meshing with the pinion and functionally coupled to steerable wheels and a mechanism for displacing the rack in the axial direction thereof to steer the steerable wheels independently of steering operation initiated by the steering wheel. The rack and pinion mechanism comprises a variable gear ratio rack and pinion mechanism having a variable gear ratio, which is the lowest when the steering wheel is in a neutral position and becomes higher as the steering angle of the steering wheel becomes large.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takafumi Katou, Yoshimitsu Akuta, Kazuo Matsuura, Keiichi Takikawa
  • Vehicle steering system
    Publication number: 20020063012
    Abstract: A vehicle steering system includes a rack and pinion mechanism having a pinion functionally coupled to a steering wheel and a rack meshing with the pinion and functionally coupled to steerable wheels and a mechanism for displacing the rack in the axial direction thereof to steer the steerable wheels independently of steering operation initiated by the steering wheel. The rack and pinion mechanism comprises a variable gear ratio rack and pinion mechanism having a variable gear ratio, which is the lowest when the steering wheel is in a neutral position and becomes higher as the steering angle of the steering wheel becomes large.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2001
    Publication date: May 30, 2002
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takafumi Katou, Yoshimitsu Akuta, Kazuo Matsuura, Keiichi Takikawa