Patents by Inventor Takekazu Kakinuma

Takekazu Kakinuma 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: 20100025139
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle body which constitutes a coaxial two-wheel vehicle including two wheels coaxially arranged. The vehicle body includes: a parallel linkage that includes horizontal links and vertical links and is rotatable in a left-and-right direction of the coaxial two-wheel vehicle; and step plates respectively provided to upper end portions of the vertical links. A load of a passenger riding on the left and right step plates acts on the parallel linkage at a position inside or outside of a line which passes through a ground contact point of one of the wheels respectively mounted to the vertical links and which is in parallel with the vertical links.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Kosaka, Susumu Oikawa, Takekazu Kakinuma, Ikuo Yamano
  • Publication number: 20090194955
    Abstract: A vehicle with two parallel wheels according to the invention has split steps (2L, 2R), a vehicle body, a pair of wheels (4L, 4R) coaxially parallelly arranged, a pair of wheel drive units for independently driving the wheels (4L, 4R), and a pair of step run-on assisting mechanisms (8L, 8R) arranged corresponding to the wheels (4L, 4R) and changing the degree of dependency of step run-on operation. The step run-on assisting mechanisms (8L, 8R) each have an assisting turning member (15) having a circular arc support surface with a curvature radius greater than the radius of the wheel (4L, 4R) and having its turning center in front, in the travel direction, of the rotation center of the wheel, a link member (16) rotatably supporting the assisting turning member (15), and a damper (25, 26) for changing, according to the speed at which the assisting turning member (15) collides with a step, force retaining one end of the link member (16).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takekazu Kakinuma, Ikuo Yamano, Yoshihiro Kawarasaki
  • Publication number: 20090032323
    Abstract: A coaxial two-wheel vehicle with which a rider stably travels without the upper body being swayed left and right in a riding state of the center of gravity being positioned high is provided. The coaxial two-wheel vehicle includes: a step plate for a driver to ride; a vehicle body that supports the step plate to be capable of changing a posture in a roll direction of rotating around a roll axis as the center, when a traveling direction is made the roll axis; a pair of wheels disposed on both sides on the same axis in the direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the vehicle body and rotatably supported by the vehicle body; a pair of wheel drive means to drive and rotate the pair of wheels independently; and a handle for directly changing a posture of the step plate or indirectly changing the posture through the vehicle body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takekazu KAKINUMA, Ikuo Yamano, Kunihito Sawai
  • Patent number: 7407187
    Abstract: A chassis braking system for braking a chassis includes a braking unit including a braking surface biased toward a road surface on which the chassis runs and having a first state where movement of the braking surface toward the road surface is locked and a second state where the braking surface abuts against the road surface. A control unit releases the lock of the braking unit and shifts the braking unit from the first state to the second state when predetermined conditions are met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takekazu Kakinuma, Hiroaki Morikawa
  • Publication number: 20070251735
    Abstract: A coaxial two-wheel vehicle is provided. The coaxial two-wheel vehicle includes a step plate for a rider to ride on; a vehicle body supporting the step plate to be capable of changing a posture in a roll direction of rotating around a roll axis as the center when a traveling direction is set to the roll axis; and a pair of wheels disposed on the same axis at both sides of the vehicle body in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction and rotatably supported by the vehicle body. Further, the coaxial two-wheel vehicle includes a pair of wheel drivers driving and rotating the pair of wheels independently and a control lever directly changing a posture of the step plate or indirectly changing the posture through the vehicle body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Publication date: November 1, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takekazu Kakinuma, Ikuo Yamano, Kunihito Sawai
  • Publication number: 20070041817
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a conveyance vehicle in which pulling force or pushing force of someone who conveys the conveyance vehicle by pulling or pushing the conveyance vehicle and a control method thereof. A conveyance vehicle according to the present invention is composed of two wheels 3L, 3R, two electrically-powered motors 15, 15 for rotating the two wheels 3L, 3R, a conveyance body 2 having the two electrically-powered motors 15, 15 mounted thereon, a handle 6 for applying conveying force to the conveyance body 2, a force sensor 7 for detecting pulling force acting on the handle 6 and a vehicle control unit 5 for driving the electrically-powered motor 15 based on a detected signal from the force sensor 7.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2004
    Publication date: February 22, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takekazu Kakinuma
  • Publication number: 20070017754
    Abstract: A chassis braking system for braking a chassis includes a braking unit including a braking surface biased toward a road surface on which the chassis runs and having a first state where movement of the braking surface toward the road surface is locked and a second state where the braking surface abuts against the road surface. A control unit releases the lock of the braking unit and shifts the braking unit from the first state to the second state when predetermined conditions are met.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2006
    Publication date: January 25, 2007
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takekazu Kakinuma, Hiroaki Morikawa
  • Publication number: 20060260857
    Abstract: A coaxial two-wheel vehicle with which a rider stably travels without the upper body being swayed left and right in a riding state of the center of gravity being positioned high is provided. The coaxial two-wheel vehicle includes: a step plate for a driver to ride; a vehicle body that supports the step plate to be capable of changing a posture in a roll direction of rotating around a roll axis as the center, when a traveling direction is made the roll axis; a pair of wheels disposed on both sides on the same axis in the direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the vehicle body and rotatably supported by the vehicle body; a pair of wheel drive means to drive and rotate the pair of wheels independently; and a handle for directly changing a posture of the step plate or indirectly changing the posture through the vehicle body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2006
    Publication date: November 23, 2006
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takekazu Kakinuma, Ikuo Yamano, Kunihito Sawai
  • Publication number: 20040201271
    Abstract: A two-wheeled vehicle able to assist wheels and keep a chassis in a stable posture at the time of abnormal operation without detracting from mobility at the time of normal operation, wherein, when some sort of abnormality is detected in the two-wheeled vehicle, an auxiliary wheel actuator disengages a projection and recess, whereby a first auxiliary wheel springs out toward a road surface together with a shank due to a biasing force of a coil spring. At the time of normal operation, the first auxiliary wheel is recessed in a step board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2004
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takekazu Kakinuma, Hiroaki Morikawa
  • Patent number: 5042774
    Abstract: A multi-axes robot includes a stationary base and one or more detachable arm units. Each of the detachable arm units comprises a pivotal base detachably mounted on the stationary base, and a first arm pivotably supported on the pivotal base, a second arm pivotably mounted on a free end of the first arm, and a tool mounting shaft supported on a free end of the second arm. The angular orientation of the arm units with respect to the stationary base and to each other may be optimally adjusted, so as to select suitable working ranges for each of the arm units and define cooperative working ranges for a plurality of arm units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1991
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takekazu Kakinuma