Patents by Inventor Tomoo Sawazaki

Tomoo Sawazaki 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: 10744874
    Abstract: A vehicle, such as a hybrid vehicle, according to one aspect of the present invention is configured such that: a propeller shaft rotated by an engine is arranged so as to extend in a vehicle body front-rear direction; a drive gear provided at a rear end portion of the propeller shaft and a driven gear configured to rotate together with a differential case of a differential device mesh with each other; a motor or a generator is connected to the differential case so as to transmit power to the differential case; the motor or the generator is arranged at one of vehicle width direction right and left sides of an axis of the propeller shaft; and the differential case is arranged at the other of the vehicle width direction right and left sides of the axis of the propeller shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Hidaka, Eiji Mito, Tomoo Sawazaki, Hideo Toyota
  • Patent number: 10569632
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention is a hybrid vehicle including: an engine arranged at a vehicle body front portion; a propeller shaft configured to transmit an output of the engine to wheels arranged at a vehicle body rear portion; and a drive motor provided so as to drive the propeller shaft and supported with a vehicle body, and the propeller shaft transmits an output of the drive motor to wheels arranged at at least one of the vehicle body front portion and the vehicle body rear portion. The propeller shaft is supported with the vehicle body through the drive motor by a middle portion of the propeller shaft in the vehicle body front-rear direction being supported with the drive motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Toyota, Tomoo Sawazaki, Yukiya Tanaka, Hiraku Nishikawa
  • Publication number: 20190084395
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention is a hybrid vehicle including: an engine arranged at a vehicle body front portion; a propeller shaft configured to transmit an output of the engine to wheels arranged at a vehicle body rear portion; and a drive motor provided so as to drive the propeller shaft and supported with a vehicle body, and the propeller shaft transmits an output of the drive motor to wheels arranged at at least one of the vehicle body front portion and the vehicle body rear portion. The propeller shaft is supported with the vehicle body through the drive motor by a middle portion of the propeller shaft in the vehicle body front-rear direction being supported with the drive motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideo Toyota, Tomoo Sawazaki, Yukiya Tanaka, Hiraku Nishikawa
  • Publication number: 20190031022
    Abstract: A vehicle, such as a hybrid vehicle, according to one aspect of the present invention is configured such that: a propeller shaft rotated by an engine is arranged so as to extend in a vehicle body front-rear direction; a drive gear provided at a rear end portion of the propeller shaft and a driven gear configured to rotate together with a differential case of a differential device mesh with each other; a motor or a generator is connected to the differential case so as to transmit power to the differential case; the motor or the generator is arranged at one of vehicle width direction right and left sides of an axis of the propeller shaft; and the differential case is arranged at the other of the vehicle width direction right and left sides of the axis of the propeller shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Seiji Hidaka, Eiji Mito, Tomoo Sawazaki, Hideo Toyota
  • Patent number: 8710393
    Abstract: By respectively abutting first and second outer diameter sections of a second metallic member against first and second inner diameter sections of a first metallic member, and energizing the first metallic member and the second metallic member using a pair of electrodes while pressurizing both metallic members in an axial direction thereof, a first junction where the first inner diameter section and the first outer diameter section are bonded and a second junction where the second inner diameter section and the second outer diameter section are bonded are formed between both metallic members, and a gap in which the metals do not come into contact with each other is formed between both junctions over a predetermined axial length. Accordingly, a high joint strength can be secured using less energy for bonding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignees: Mazda Motor Corporation, Origin Electric Company, Limited
    Inventors: Shinya Okumura, Akira Hashimoto, Kazuyuki Shiino, Takeshi Fujii, Akinobu Yamagata, Hiroaki Hayashi, Tomoo Sawazaki, Kazuyuki Ishida, Masatoshi Hamano, Hiroji Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20110104511
    Abstract: By respectively abutting first and second outer diameter sections of a second metallic member against first and second inner diameter sections of a first metallic member, and energizing the first metallic member and the second metallic member using a pair of electrodes while pressurizing both metallic members in an axial direction thereof, a first junction where the first inner diameter section and the first outer diameter section are bonded and a second junction where the second inner diameter section and the second outer diameter section are bonded are formed between both metallic members, and a gap in which the metals do not come into contact with each other is formed between both junctions over a predetermined axial length. Accordingly, a high joint strength can be secured using less energy for bonding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicants: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION, ORIGIN ELECTRIC COMPANY, LIMTED
    Inventors: Shinya OKUMURA, Akira HASHIMOTO, Kazuyuki SHIINO, Takeshi FUJII, Akinobu YAMAGATA, Hiroaki HAYASHI, Tomoo SAWAZAKI, Kazuyuki ISHIDA, Masatoshi HAMANO, Hiroji SASAKI
  • Patent number: 5984835
    Abstract: An automatic transmission control system having a hydraulic control circuit for supplying operating pressure selectively to a plurality of friction coupling elements to place the transmission in desired gears includes a pressure generator for generating operating pressure and supplying it to specific coupling elements which operate in response to operating pressure at different highest levels and an accumulator having a spring loaded piston which provides an increase in operating pressure at a rate variable according to movement of the piston, the rate being greater for greater piston movement as compared with for smaller piston movement, the accumulator being brought into communication selectively with the specific coupling elements by means of a switching element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takeyoshi Kawa, Tomoo Sawazaki, Hiroshi Shinozuka, Junichi Doi
  • Patent number: 5810694
    Abstract: A control system for an automatic transmission having at least a friction coupling element which is coupled with a hydraulic pressure increasing by way of a leveled transitional pressure has an accumulator which discharge a high level of pressure accumulated therein into the friction coupling element during a gear shift under the condition where the line pressure is low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Kamada, Koichi Yamamoto, Tomoo Sawazaki, Hiroshi Shinozuka, Kazushi Kurokawa, Takamichi Teraoka, Masakazu Hombo, Naotaka Hirami, Yasunori Kanda, Akinobu Aoki, Tatsuhiko Iwasaki, Takeyoshi Kawa, Kenji Sawa
  • Patent number: 5785628
    Abstract: A control system for an automatic transmission having friction coupling elements, at least one of which is locked in 3rd and 4th gears and unlocked in 1st and 2nd gears, includes a first shift valve shiftable between 3rd and 4th gears, and second shift valve shiftable between in 2nd gear and 1st gear in which engine brake available, and a solenoid valve providing control pressure which is selectively directed to these shift valves and cause them to shift so as to lock or unlock the friction coupling elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Kamada, Kenji Sawa, Hiroshi Shinozuka, Tomoo Sawazaki, Koichi Yamamoto, Kazushi Kurokawa, Takamichi Teraoka, Masakazu Hombo, Naotaka Hirami, Yasunori Kanda, Akinobu Aoki, Tatsuhiko Iwasaki, Takeyoshi Kawa
  • Patent number: 5772550
    Abstract: A control system for an automatic transmission having a transmission gear mechanism and a plurality of friction coupling elements which are selectively locked and unlocked with hydraulic oil to change power transmission paths to place the automatic transmission into desired available gears, a first one of the friction coupling elements having a locking pressure chamber and an unlocking pressure chamber and being locked when operating oil is supplied into only the locking pressure chamber and unlocking when operating oil is coincidentally supplied into the locking pressure chamber and the unlocking pressure chamber, and a second one of the friction coupling elements having a locking/unlocking pressure chamber in communication, with the unlocking pressure chamber of the first friction coupling element and being locked only when operation oil is supplied into the locking/unlocking pressure chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1998
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Kamada, Koichi Yamamoto, Tomoo Sawazaki, Hiroshi Shinozuka, Kazushi Kurokawa, Takamichi Teraoka, Masakazu Hombo, Naotaka Hirami, Yasunori Kanda, Akinobu Aoki, Tatsuhiko Iwasaki, Takeyoshi Kawa
  • Patent number: 5725455
    Abstract: A hydraulic control system for an automatic transmission having at least a forward clutch which is unlocked in a fourth gear and locked in other forward gears and a lock-up clutch for coupling input and output elements of a torque converter together is equipped with a pressure control valve for controlling operating pressure for the forward clutch, a lock-up control valve for connecting and disconnecting the first valve from the lock-up clutch, a pressure line through which control source pressure is introduced into the forward clutch while the first valve is in communication with the lock-up clutch, and a shift valve for discharging the control source pressure from the pressure line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Kamada, Kenji Sawa, Hiroshi Shinozuka, Tomoo Sawazaki, Koichi Yamamoto, Kazushi Kurokawa, Takamichi Teraoka, Masakazu Hombo, Naotaka Hirami, Yasunori Kanda, Akinobu Aoki, Tatsuhiko Iwasaki, Takeyoshi Kawa
  • Patent number: 5665020
    Abstract: A control system for an automatic transmission having at least a friction coupling element which is coupled with a hydraulic pressure increasing by way of a leveled transitional pressure has an accumulator which discharge a high level of pressure accumulated therein into the fiction coupling element during a gear shift under the condition where the line pressure is low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Kamada, Koichi Yamamoto, Tomoo Sawazaki, Hiroshi Shinozuka, Kazushi Kurokawa, Takamichi Teraoka, Masakazu Hombo, Naotaka Hirami, Yasunori Kanda, Akinobu Aoki, Tatsuhiko Iwasaki, Takeyoshi Kawa, Kenji Sawa
  • Patent number: 5435211
    Abstract: A control system for a torque converter includes a lockup clutch provided in the converter for connecting input and output shafts of the torque converter directly. The lockup clutch includes an engaging chamber and a releasing chamber. The control system further includes a lockup shift valve for selectively switching communication between a fluid line, having a predetermined pressure, and the engaging chamber and communication between the fluid line and the releasing chamber. A lockup control valve is provided for controlling a pressure difference between fluid pressures in the engaging chamber and the releasing chamber and a control valve is provided for controlling the lockup clutch so that it engages completely. A first on-off solenoid valve controls the lockup shift valve, a duty solenoid valve controls the lockup control valve, and a second on-off solenoid valve controls the control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1995
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Akio Matsumoto, Tomoo Sawazaki, Junichi Doi
  • Patent number: 5397284
    Abstract: An automobile automatic transmission shift control system, for causing a specific gear shift by unlocking a first frictional element with a simultaneously with locking a second frictional element, discharges locking pressure from the first frictional element in such a way that the locking pressure is throttled after it has dropped below a specified level of pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1995
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Akio Matsumoto, Junichi Doi, Tomoo Sawazaki