Patents by Inventor Yoshimoto Matsuda

Yoshimoto Matsuda 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: 9114728
    Abstract: An electric vehicle comprises a motor controller for controlling an electric motor to execute a control routine to perform torque control when the driving power transmission path is detected to be in the driving power transmission state, and executes a control routine to perform rotational speed control, when the driving power transmission path is detected to be in the driving power cut-off state; wherein in the rotational speed control, an angular velocity of an upstream rotary member gets close to an angular velocity of a downstream rotary member; wherein when shifting from the driving power cut-off state to the driving power transmission state, the motor controller switches the rotational speed control to the torque control after performing predetermined transit control; and wherein a change rate of the torque output is made less in the transit control than in the torque control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshimoto Matsuda, Hirohide Matsushima
  • Publication number: 20150232150
    Abstract: A saddle type electric vehicle which travels by using an electric motor as a power source includes: a power supply unit including a power supply for the electric motor; and a vehicle body frame defining an accommodating space located between front and rear wheels and accommodating the power supply unit. The vehicle body frame is configured such that the power supply unit is attachable to and detachable from the accommodating space in a vehicle width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventors: Hideyoshi Kosuge, Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Patent number: 9096132
    Abstract: A control system includes an electric motor, an electric storage device, an accelerator grip, a brake lever, a controller, and an adjustment lever. The controller supplies electric power from the electric storage device to the electric motor in response to an acceleration command input by the accelerator grip and causes the electric motor to drive the rear wheel. The controller adjusts the electric power generated by rotational power applied by the rear wheel in response to an acceleration/deceleration command from the adjustment lever. The acceleration/deceleration adjustment lever is provided separately from the brake lever and the accelerator grip. The brake lever is able to activate a brake mechanism for mechanically braking the rear wheel to decelerate a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Patent number: 9090301
    Abstract: An electric motorcycle of the present invention, which drives a drive wheel by driving power generated by an electric motor, comprises a charging port which is provided in a vehicle body and to which an outside charging connector connected to an outside electric power supply is removably attached; and a battery configured to be charged with electric power supplied from the outside electric power supply in a state in which the outside charging connector is connected to the charging port, and to discharge the electric power stored therein to supply the electric power to the electric motor; wherein the charging port is oriented in one direction in a vehicle width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Patent number: 9027694
    Abstract: An electric two-wheeled vehicle includes a motor generating traveling power transmitted to a rear wheel, and a motor case accommodating the motor, wherein the motor case has a traveling wind inflow port allowing traveling wind to flow in the motor case, and a traveling wind outflow port allowing traveling wind flowing in the motor case to flow out, and a space surrounded by the motor case is communicated with a space where a coil of the motor is arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Patent number: 9010476
    Abstract: In a saddle-type electric vehicle like an electric two-wheeled vehicle, a shaft center of a motor shaft of a traveling motor in a power plant installed between a front wheel and a rear wheel is installed lower than a shaft center of a rearward output shaft, and the whole power plant is installed as low as possible in a state where a front part is at a lower position. Batteries are installed diagonally forward from above the power plant, a gravity center of the batteries and a gravity center of the power plant are arranged to correspond to a roll axis line having the front part which is high. Thus, while the height of the gravity centers approximate the roll axis line of the vehicle body, a composite gravity center of the both is properly set, and balance of handling and motion performance can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Patent number: 9008938
    Abstract: A control system for controlling a driving power source in a vehicle, includes a driving state detector for detecting a driving state of the vehicle; a first determiner for determining whether or not the driving state detected by the driving state detector is a first state; a second determiner for determining whether or not the driving state detected by the driving state detector is a second state; a rotational speed limiter for executing rotational speed limiting control for limiting a driving power source rotational speed to a predetermined upper limit value or less when the first determiner determines that the driving state is the first state, during an operation of the driving power source; and a rotational speed limiting termination unit for terminating the rotational speed limiting control, when the second determiner determines that the driving state is the second state, during the operation of the driving power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8973698
    Abstract: An electric motorcycle is provided. The motorcycle includes: a charging connector to which is removably attached an outside charging connector connected to an outside electric power supply; a battery that charges with electric power supplied from the outside electric power supply when the outside charging connector is connected to the charging connector, and discharges the electric power to the motor; a rear frame connected to a front frame of a vehicle body; and a seat on which a driver or passenger is seated and a cowling for covering the vehicle body, the seat and cowling being mounted to the rear frame, wherein the seat or cowling is pivotally or removably attached to the rear frame, and the charging connector is placed in a space in the vicinity of the rear frame, the space being opened and closed by the seat or cowling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8973697
    Abstract: A saddle-type electric vehicle includes a body frame having a head pipe supporting a steering shaft and a main frame portion extending rearward from the head pipe, a battery case provided on the main frame portion behind the head pipe, a battery stored in the battery case and supplying electric power to an electric motor generating traveling power, and a traveling wind path including an inner space of the battery case, wherein a traveling wind inflow port allowing traveling wind to flow in the battery case from front is formed on an upper side of a front portion of the battery case, and a traveling wind outflow port allowing the traveling wind flowing in the battery case to flow out rearward is formed on an upper side of a rear portion of the battery case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8960355
    Abstract: An electric motorcycle of the present invention comprises: a battery for storing electric power; an inverter for generating an AC current by the electric power supplied from the battery to the inverter; a motor for generating driving power by the AC current generated by the inverter and supplied to the motor; a wiring member for electrically connecting the inverter to the motor and flowing a current to drive the motor; a battery case for accommodating the battery; an inverter case for accommodating the inverter; and a motor unit case for accommodating the motor, wherein the wiring member is placed in a space defined by the battery case, the inverter case and the motor unit case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20150042160
    Abstract: An electric vehicle comprises a cylinder lock including an operation key which is movable by a user's operation between a driving position and a charging position provided at a position different from the driving position and an output unit for outputting information indicative of a position of the operation key; and a main controller permits driving control and inhibits charging control when the operation key is moved to the driving position; and the main controller permits the charging control and inhibits the driving control when the operation key is moved to the charging position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20150021985
    Abstract: An electric vehicle comprises an electric motor for generating driving power for moving a vehicle body of the electric vehicle; a battery unit for supplying electric power to the electric motor; a charging connector connected to an outside electric power supply for supplying the electric power to be charged; a main controller for controlling switching between a first connection state in which the battery unit is connected to the electric motor and a second connection state in which the battery unit is connected to the charging connector; and a relay for opening and closing a power supply path from the low-voltage battery to the main controller; wherein a relay opens the power supply path to cut off electric power supply to the main controller for a specified time, when the relay switches one of the first connection state and the second connection state to the other connection state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20150008061
    Abstract: A straddle electric vehicle includes a battery case which accommodates a battery as an electric power supply for an electric motor, and is placed between a front wheel and a rear wheel; and a swing arm pivotably coupled at its front end portion to a vehicle body frame such that the swing arm supports the rear wheel by its rear end portion; wherein the electric motor is placed rearward relative to the battery case and forward relative to the rear wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20150008053
    Abstract: A straddle electric vehicle comprises a battery case accommodating a battery which is an electric power supply for an electric motor; and an air box attached to an upper portion of the battery case, and the air box includes a ram air inlet through which ram air flows into the air box, and a ram air supply port through which the air is supplied from inside the air box to the battery case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Applicant: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8922035
    Abstract: In a leisure vehicle, the load applied to an engine is controlled so that a driving property and an output are improved. The leisure vehicle has a generator 30 to be driven by the engine for generating power, and a power generation control device 42 for controlling the generator 30, wherein the power generation control device 42 increases or decreases a power generation amount of the generator 30 under a predetermined condition regarding the power generation amount of the generator 30 to be increased or decreased in accordance with an increase or a decrease in engine speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8919481
    Abstract: In a saddle-type electric vehicle (e.g., electric motorcycle) including a driving motor and an electric power control unit for controlling electric power supply to the motor, a substrate of a power module to which a semiconductor element such as an IGBT is mounted is accommodated into a case of an electric power control unit such that the substrate is positioned in close proximity to a wall portion of the case, and a cooling jacket is provided such that the coolant contacts the wall portion. A cooler may be mounted such that it closes an opening provided in the case. A desired cooling capability is attained while reducing a size of the cooler to a required size and an amount of the coolant to a required amount and suppressing a weight increase and a cost increase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8919482
    Abstract: An electric motorcycle for driving a rear wheel by driving power generated by an electric motor, comprises a vehicle body frame; a swing arm which extends substantially in a forward and rearward direction, is coupled at a front end portion thereof to the vehicle body frame such that the swing arm is pivotable around the front end portion, and supports the rear wheel at a rear end portion thereof such that the rear wheel is rotatable; a rear suspension coupled to the swing arm and to the vehicle body frame such that the rear suspension is positioned between the swing arm and the vehicle body frame; wherein the rear suspension is placed below a pivot at the front end portion of the swing arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20140379209
    Abstract: A method of diagnosing an electric vehicle incorporating an electric component, comprises detecting a physical load applied to a vehicle body, which is other than an electric characteristic of the electric component; and changing a diagnostic operation for the electric component based on the electric characteristic of the electric component such that the diagnostic operation is performed based on the detected physical load applied to the vehicle body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2011
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Applicant: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20140367184
    Abstract: An electric motorcycle comprises a motor case which is provided at a rear portion of a vehicle body frame; a swing arm which is pivotably coupled at its front end portion to the rear portion of the vehicle body frame; and a rear suspension coupled to the vehicle body frame and the swing arm. The lower end portion of the rear suspension is located below the swing arm, and the rear suspension extends vertically in a location close to a pivot around which the swing arm is pivotable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20140368211
    Abstract: A ground leakage detector for detecting a ground leakage in an electric vehicle including a battery, and a charging connector which is electrically connectable to a terminal member formed at one end of an outside electric wire through which electric power is supplied from outside to the battery, includes a connector connection section electrically connectable to the charging connector; a contactor configured to contact a vehicle body ground location in the electric vehicle; and a detecting circuit for detecting whether or not there is a ground leakage from the battery to the vehicle body ground location, based on a current flowing between the connector connection section and the contactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2011
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Applicant: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masafumi Inoue, Yoshimoto Matsuda