Patents by Inventor Yoshimi Furukawa

Yoshimi 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).

  • Patent number: 4412594
    Abstract: A motor vehicle steering system for steering rearward wheels as well as forward wheels. The steering system includes a sensor for sensing at least a turning motion of the motor vehicle, a computer for processing signals from the sensor, and an actuator controllable by the computer for steering the rearward wheels in order to meet driving conditions of the vehicle while turning, as much as possible. The sensor may comprise a lateral acceleration or yaw angular velocity sensor, or a combination of a steering angle sensor and a lateral acceleration or yaw angular velocity sensor, or a combination of a steering angle sensor and an acceleration and deceleration sensor, or the like. A steered angle ratio .gamma. of the rearward wheels to forward wheels is selected to be in the range of 0<.gamma..ltoreq.0.6 when the vehicle is moving at a speed of 80 km/h or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1983
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshimi Furukawa, Shoichi Sano
  • Patent number: 4406472
    Abstract: A steering system for vehicle, comprising, in a steering force transmission route between a steering wheel and rear wheels of the vehicle, a crank mechanism having an input member, a movement-transmitting member connected to the input member, and an output member connected through a crank rod to the movement-transmitting member, the crank rod causing the output member to move linearly in response to the rotation of the input member. With respect to the steering angle of the steering wheel and that of the front wheels, the magnitude of the steering angle of the rear wheels can be freely selectively determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1981
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1983
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimi Furukawa
  • Patent number: 4313514
    Abstract: A steering apparatus for vehicles which includes a pinion rotatably mounted on an arm movable longitudinally in response to turning movement of a steering wheel, and a pair of longitudinally movable racks held in meshing engagement with the pinion. One of the racks is operatively coupled with front wheels of the vehicle and with a pivot arm pivotable on a movable pivot which is displaceable along the pivot arm in response to vehicle speeds. The other rack is coupled through a pivotable lever with an arm which is pivotally mounted on the pivot arm and is operatively coupled with the rear wheels. When the steering wheel is turned, the front and rear wheels are turned in the same direction or in opposite directions, depending on the position of the movable pivot on the pivot arm, which position is a function of the vehicle speed. The front and rear wheels are turned in the same direction when the vehicle is running at a high speed, and in opposite directions when the vehicle is running at a low speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1979
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1982
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshimi Furukawa, Shoichi Sano
  • Patent number: 4295657
    Abstract: A steering apparatus for a four-wheeled vehicle including a pair of pivotable knuckle arms connected to a pair of respective front wheels and actuatable through a steering gear by rotational movement of a steering wheel. One of the knuckle arms is pivotally connected to one end of a connector rod extending longitudinally of the vehicle, the other end of the connector rod being connected to a cam plate slidable in a housing. The cam plate has an inverted S-shaped cam groove or alternatively an S-shaped cam groove within which is slidably received a pin mounted on a tie rod pivotally connected between a pair of pivotable support arms supporting a pair of rear wheels, respectively. Due to the shape of the cam groove, the rear wheels are turned in the same direction as the front wheels when the steering wheel is rotated through a relatively small angle, and the rear and front wheels are turned in opposite directions when the steering wheel is rotated through a relatively large angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1979
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1981
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shoichi Sano, Yoshimi Furukawa