Patents by Inventor Takao Imada

Takao Imada 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: 5685386
    Abstract: In a vehicle having a pair of right and left front wheels and a pair of right and left rear wheels, when the front wheels are driven wheels, a differential limiting mechanism such as a multi-disc viscous clutch is arranged between axle members coupled to axles of the front wheels via universal joints, or when the rear wheels are driven wheels, the differential limiting mechanism is arranged between axles of the rear wheels. The differential limiting force of the differential limiting mechanism is controlled on the basis of various physical quantities (a steering angle .theta.h, a vehicle speed V, a brake hydraulic pressure P, a vertical acceleration G, and a road-surface .mu.) associated with the traveling state of the vehicle detected by sensors. Therefore, there can be provided a driven wheel differential limiting apparatus for a vehicle, which has high reliability and durability since the differential limiting force is controlled via, e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corp.
    Inventors: Toshiro Kondo, Fumitaka Ando, Yasuhiro Nakashima, Takao Imada
  • Patent number: 5439244
    Abstract: An intersection of an extension of a front lower arm with an extension of a rear lower arm outside a transversely outer side constitutes a lower set point of a virtual kingpin axis. The transversely inner end portion of one lower arm of the front lower arm and the rear lower arm is connected to the body of the vehicle so as to be capable of being displaced in the longitudinal direction of the body. When the wheel is steered, the transversely outer end portion of the lower arm for the externally cornering wheel is displaced rearward while it pivots rearward about the transversely inner end portion of the lower arm, and the rearward displacement is transmitted so as to displace the transversely inner end portion of the one lower arm through a control link. The control link may be divided into two elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Tomosada, Fumitaka Ando, Toshiro Kondo, Takao Imada