Patents by Inventor Tomoaki Furukawa
Tomoaki Furukawa 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: 10994602Abstract: A duct assembly for a vehicle includes an intake duct configured to supply air to an object to be cooled and a discharge duct configured to discharge the air supplied to the object to be cooled to the outside of the vehicle. The discharge duct has a discharge port that opens downward. The intake duct has an intake port that opens rearward. The rear bumper has a depression and an upper wall section. The depression has a panel opening that allows passage of air supplied to the intake port. The depression is recessed from the upper wall section toward the front of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2019Date of Patent: May 4, 2021Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Koichi Nakamura, Tomoaki Furukawa, Kiyonori Takagi
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Patent number: 10900410Abstract: A duct assembly for a vehicle includes an intake duct having an intake port that opens rearward, a discharge duct having a discharge port that opens downward, and a protrusion. The protrusion protrudes to a position below the discharge port from a position that is forward of the discharge port and overlaps with the discharge port in the width direction of the vehicle. The protrusion has a protruding distal end face. The distance in the front-rear direction from the rear end of the protruding distal end face to the rear end of the discharge port is defined as L. The distance in the vertical direction from the lower end of the object to be cooled to the rear end of the protruding distal end face is defined as H. The value obtained by dividing the distance L by the distance H is less than 3.5.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2019Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Koichi Nakamura, Tomoaki Furukawa, Kiyonori Takagi
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Patent number: 10828978Abstract: A vehicle includes a heat exchanging type cooling device comprising an undercover disposed below the cooler body and having an air outlet through which the ambient air discharged through the lower surface of the cooler body is exhausted downwardly into outside atmosphere, the air outlet being formed through the undercover so as to extend in a vertical direction. The undercover is provided with a plurality of fins disposed within the air outlet such that the fins are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, each of the fins extending in a width direction of the vehicle and being inclined such that a lower end of the fin is located backward of its upper end in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2019Date of Patent: November 10, 2020Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Koichi Nakamura, Tomoaki Furukawa, Kiyonori Takagi
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Patent number: 10828979Abstract: A cooling device of a vehicle includes a cooler body of a heat exchanging type and an air intake duct which are disposed in a rear portion of the vehicle. The air intake duct extends backwardly from the cooler body in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and is disposed such that the air intake duct is displaceable relative to the cooler body forwardly of the vehicle upon application of an impact load to the air intake duct. The cooler body is attached to a body of the vehicle, while the air intake duct is attached to the cooler body, such that a strength of attachment of the air intake duct to the cooler body is lower than a strength of attachment of the cooler body to the body of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2019Date of Patent: November 10, 2020Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Koichi Nakamura, Tomoaki Furukawa, Kiyonori Takagi
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Patent number: 10793206Abstract: A vehicle includes a heat exchanging type cooling device includes an undercover disposed below the cooler body and having an air exhaust passage into which the ambient air discharged through the lower surface of the cooler body is introduced and through which the ambient air is exhausted into outside atmosphere, under a negative air pressure generated due to an air stream generated during running of the vehicle; and an elastically deformable sealing member in a closed form interposed between the air exhaust passage and the lower surface of the cooler body. The undercover is attached to the body of the vehicle, such that a gap is provided between the undercover and the lower surface of the cooler body, and such that the sealing member fluid-tightly closes the gap.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2019Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Koichi Nakamura, Tomoaki Furukawa, Kiyonori Takagi
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Publication number: 20200063639Abstract: A duct assembly for a vehicle includes an intake duct having an intake port that opens rearward, a discharge duct having a discharge port that opens downward, and a protrusion. The protrusion protrudes to a position below the discharge port from a position that is forward of the discharge port and overlaps with the discharge port in the width direction of the vehicle. The protrusion has a protruding distal end face. The distance in the front-rear direction from the rear end of the protruding distal end face to the rear end of the discharge port is defined as L. The distance in the vertical direction from the lower end of the object to be cooled to the rear end of the protruding distal end face is defined as H. The value obtained by dividing the distance L by the distance H is less than 3.5.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 30, 2019Publication date: February 27, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Koichi NAKAMURA, Tomoaki FURUKAWA, Kiyonori TAKAGI
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Publication number: 20200062107Abstract: A duct assembly for a vehicle includes an intake duct configured to supply air to an object to be cooled and a discharge duct configured to discharge the air supplied to the object to be cooled to the outside of the vehicle. The discharge duct has a discharge port that opens downward. The intake duct has an intake port that opens rearward. The rear bumper has a depression and an upper wall section. The depression has a panel opening that allows passage of air supplied to the intake port. The depression is recessed from the upper wall section toward the front of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 30, 2019Publication date: February 27, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Koichi NAKAMURA, Tomoaki FURUKAWA, Kiyonori TAKAGI
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Publication number: 20190232778Abstract: A cooling device of a vehicle includes a cooler body of a heat exchanging type and an air intake duct which are disposed in a rear portion of the vehicle. The air intake duct extends backwardly from the cooler body in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and is disposed such that the air intake duct is displaceable relative to the cooler body forwardly of the vehicle upon application of an impact load to the air intake duct. The cooler body is attached to a body of the vehicle, while the air intake duct is attached to the cooler body, such that a strength of attachment of the air intake duct to the cooler body is lower than a strength of attachment of the cooler body to the body of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2019Publication date: August 1, 2019Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Koichi Nakamura, Tomoaki Furukawa, Kiyonori Takagi
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Publication number: 20190233026Abstract: A vehicle includes a heat exchanging type cooling device includes an undercover disposed below the cooler body and having an air exhaust passage into which the ambient air discharged through the lower surface of the cooler body is introduced and through which the ambient air is exhausted into outside atmosphere, under a negative air pressure generated due to an air stream generated during running of the vehicle; and an elastically deformable sealing member in a closed form interposed between the air exhaust passage and the lower surface of the cooler body. The undercover is attached to the body of the vehicle, such that a gap is provided between the undercover and the lower surface of the cooler body, and such that the sealing member fluid-tightly closes the gap.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2019Publication date: August 1, 2019Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Koichi Nakamura, Tomoaki Furukawa, Kiyonori Takagi
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Publication number: 20190232777Abstract: A vehicle includes a heat exchanging type cooling device comprising an undercover disposed below the cooler body and having an air outlet through which the ambient air discharged through the lower surface of the cooler body is exhausted downwardly into outside atmosphere, the air outlet being formed through the undercover so as to extend in a vertical direction. The undercover is provided with a plurality of fins disposed within the air outlet such that the fins are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, each of the fins extending in a width direction of the vehicle and being inclined such that a lower end of the fin is located backward of its upper end in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2019Publication date: August 1, 2019Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Koichi Nakamura, Tomoaki Furukawa, Kiyonori Takagi
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Patent number: 9233683Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus configured to selectively establish one of a first drive state in which a vehicle drive force is generated primarily by a second motor/generator operated with an electric energy supplied from an electric-energy storage device while an engine is placed in a rest state, and a second drive state in which a first motor/generator is operated with a drive force of the engine, to generate an electric energy and in which the vehicle drive force is generated primarily by the second motor/generator operated with at least the electric energy generated by the first motor/generator. The vehicle control apparatus is further configured such that the vehicle drive force generated in the second drive state at a given value of an accelerator pedal operation amount ?acc is larger than that generated in the first drive state.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2015Date of Patent: January 12, 2016Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Ryoki Il, Akihiro Sato, Norihiro Yamamura, Akiko Nishimine, Tomoyuki Maruyama, Takeshi Miyagawa, Tomoaki Furukawa, Takeshi Kanayama, Tetsuo Hori, Koji Hayashi
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Patent number: 9199626Abstract: A control device of a vehicle includes: an engine; a connection/disconnection device configured to connect/interrupt the engine; a rotating machine disposed to enable transmission of drive power to the wheels; and a running position selection device, the control device including a first manual mode selected by performing a deceleration increasing operation by a driver for increasing vehicle deceleration while the automatic running position is selected and a second manual mode selected by performing a deceleration increasing operation by a driver for increasing the vehicle deceleration while the manual running position is selected, while the vehicle is running with the engine interrupted from the wheels, if the first manual mode is selected, the vehicle deceleration being generated only by the rotating machine, and if the second manual mode is selected, the connection/disconnection device being put into the connected state to generate the vehicle deceleration at least by the engine.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2011Date of Patent: December 1, 2015Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tomoaki Furukawa, Takeshi Kanayama, Tetsuo Hori, Tomoyuki Maruyama, Akiko Nishimine, Takeshi Miyagawa, Ryoki Ii, Koji Hayashi, Norihiro Yamamura, Akihiro Sato
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Patent number: 9168860Abstract: A vehicular indicator device for a hybrid vehicle which is provided with vehicle drive power sources in the form of an engine and an electric motor and which is driven in one of a plurality of vehicle drive modes including an EV drive mode, a series HV drive mode and a parallel HV drive mode that is automatically selected according to a vehicle drive power, said indicator device being configured to indicate the selected vehicle drive mode and said vehicle drive power, the vehicular indicator device being configured to indicate a running state of the hybrid vehicle as represented by said vehicle drive power and said selected vehicle drive mode, in a two-dimensional coordinate system on a display screen, which coordinate system is defined by said vehicle drive power and said selected vehicle drive mode.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2011Date of Patent: October 27, 2015Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Norihiro Yamamura, Koji Hayashi, Takeshi Kanayama, Tetsuo Hori, Tomoyuki Maruyama, Akiko Nishimine, Takeshi Miyagawa, Ryoki Il, Tomoaki Furukawa, Akihiro Sato
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Patent number: 9102322Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus configured to selectively establish one of a first drive state in which a vehicle drive force is generated primarily by a second motor/generator operated with an electric energy supplied from an electric-energy storage device while an engine is placed in a rest state, and a second drive state in which a first motor/generator is operated with a drive force of the engine, to generate an electric energy and in which the vehicle drive force is generated primarily by the second motor/generator operated with at least the electric energy generated by the first motor/generator. The vehicle control apparatus is further configured such that the vehicle drive force generated in the second drive state at a given value of an accelerator pedal operation amount ?acc is larger than that generated in the first drive state.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2010Date of Patent: August 11, 2015Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Ryoki Il, Akihiro Sato, Norihiro Yamamura, Akiko Nishimine, Tomoyuki Maruyama, Takeshi Miyagawa, Tomoaki Furukawa, Takeshi Kanayama, Tetsuo Hori, Koji Hayashi
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Publication number: 20150203095Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus configured to selectively establish one of a first drive state in which a vehicle drive force is generated primarily by a second motor/generator operated with an electric energy supplied from an electric-energy storage device while an engine is placed in a rest state, and a second drive state in which a first motor/generator is operated with a drive force of the engine, to generate an electric energy and in which the vehicle drive force is generated primarily by the second motor/generator operated with at least the electric energy generated by the first motor/generator. The vehicle control apparatus is further configured such that the vehicle drive force generated in the second drive state at a given value of an accelerator pedal operation amount ?acc is larger than that generated in the first drive state.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2015Publication date: July 23, 2015Inventors: Ryoki II, Akihiro SATO, Norihiro YAMAMURA, Akiko NISHIMINE, Tomoyuki MARUYAMA, Takeshi MIYAGAWA, Tomoaki FURUKAWA, Takeshi KANAYAMA, Tetsuo HORI, Koji HAYASHI
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Patent number: 9061679Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle includes: engine starting means for starting an engine when a need for switching to a 4-wheel drive mode has been forecasted, the hybrid vehicle having a series HV drive mode in which the hybrid vehicle is run with a second electric motor, in the released state of a connecting/disconnecting device, while a first electric motor is operated with a drive force of said engine to generate an electric energy, the control apparatus further including, as said engine starting means, series HV drive controlling means for starting said engine and enlarging a series HV drive mode region for running the hybrid vehicle in said series HV drive mode, so as to cover a portion or an entirety of an original EV drive mode region for running the hybrid vehicle in said EV drive mode, when the need for switching to said 4-wheel drive mode has been forecasted.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2011Date of Patent: June 23, 2015Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tomoyuki Maruyama, Norihiro Yamamura, Akiko Nishimine, Ryoki Il, Tomoaki Furukawa, Takeshi Kanayama, Tetsuo Hori, Koji Hayashi, Takeshi Miyagawa, Akihiro Sato
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Patent number: 9026291Abstract: A vehicle hybrid drive device having an EV running mode enabling a vehicle to run only with a second rotating machine used as a drive power source while an engine is disconnected from a drive power transmission path, a series HEV running mode enabling the vehicle to run only with the second rotating machine used as the drive power source while a first rotating machine is rotationally driven to generate electricity by the engine disconnected from the drive power transmission path, and a parallel HEV running mode enabling the vehicle to run with the engine and at least one of the first and second rotating machines used as the drive power sources while the engine is connected to the drive power transmission path. If a driver desires power-performance-oriented running or fuel-efficiency-oriented running, the range for selecting the series HEV running mode is made narrower or wider, respectively, than usual.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2010Date of Patent: May 5, 2015Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Koji Hayashi, Takeshi Kanayama, Tetsuo Hori, Ryoki Ii, Tomoaki Furukawa, Akiko Nishimine, Takeshi Miyagawa, Tomoyuki Maruyama, Norihiro Yamamura, Akihiro Sato
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Patent number: 8868277Abstract: A hybrid drive system configured to selectively establish one of a first drive mode in which a first motor/generator MG1 is operated with a drive force of an engine, to generate an electric energy and in which a vehicle drive force is generated primarily by a second motor/generator MG2, and a second drive mode in which the vehicle drive force is generated by the engine, and at least one of the first motor/generator MG1 and second motor/generator MG2 is operated to generate an assisting vehicle drive force, as needed, and further configured such that an amount of a working oil to be supplied to the first motor/generator MG1 is larger in the first drive mode than in the second drive mode, permitting sufficient cooling of the electric motor depending upon a selected one of the vehicle drive modes.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2010Date of Patent: October 21, 2014Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Akiko Nishimine, Koji Hayashi, Takeshi Kanayama, Tetsuo Hori, Tomoyuki Maruyama, Takeshi Miyagawa, Ryoki Ii, Tomoaki Furukawa, Norihiro Yamamura, Akihiro Sato
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Patent number: 8798837Abstract: A vehicle hybrid drive device includes: a first rotating machine coupled to an engine; a connection/disconnection device capable of connecting/disconnecting the engine and the first rotating machine to/from wheels; and a second rotating machine disposed in a manner enabling transmission of drive power to the wheels, the vehicle hybrid drive device enabling a vehicle to run in two running modes of an EV running mode enabling the vehicle to run with the second rotating machine used as a drive power source while the connection/disconnection device is disconnected, and a parallel HEV running mode enabling the vehicle to run with the engine and at least one of the first and second rotating machines as the drive power sources while the connection/disconnection device is connected.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2010Date of Patent: August 5, 2014Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takeshi Kanayama, Koji Hayashi, Tetsuo Hori, Tomoyuki Maruyama, Akiko Nishimine, Takeshi Miyagawa, Tomoaki Furukawa, Norihiro Yamamura, Akihiro Sato, Ryoki Il
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Publication number: 20140129067Abstract: A control device of a vehicle includes: an engine; a connection/disconnection device configured to connect/interrupt the engine; a rotating machine disposed to enable transmission of drive power to the wheels; and a running position selection device, the control device including a first manual mode selected by performing a deceleration increasing operation by a driver for increasing vehicle deceleration while the automatic running position is selected and a second manual mode selected by performing a deceleration increasing operation by a driver for increasing the vehicle deceleration while the manual running position is selected, while the vehicle is running with the engine interrupted from the wheels, if the first manual mode is selected, the vehicle deceleration being generated only by the rotating machine, and if the second manual mode is selected, the connection/disconnection device being put into the connected state to generate the vehicle deceleration at least by the engine.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2011Publication date: May 8, 2014Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tomoaki Furukawa, Takeshi Kanayama, Tetsuo Hori, Tomoyuki Maruyama, Akiko Nishimine, Takeshi Miyagawa, Ryoki II, Koji Hayashi, Norihiro Yamamura, Akihiro Sato