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).

  • Saddle-Type Electric Vehicle
    Publication number: 20130319782
    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: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2010
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Starting Assist Method and Starting Assist System of Electric Vehicle
    Publication number: 20130300236
    Abstract: An electric motorcycle includes an electric driving unit including an electric motor and a power transmission mechanism, and is configured to halt supplying of electric power to the electric motor for at least a period in the stopped state. A starting assist method is executed in the electric motorcycle. The starting assist method comprises the steps of activating the electric motor and rotating a rotor by itself to store rotation energy in the rotor, keeping the rotation energy stored in the rotor in the step of storing the rotation energy, in a stopped state of the electric motorcycle, and transmitting the rotation energy of the rotor kept in the step of keeping the rotation energy to the rear wheel as starting assist power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Electric Motorcycle
    Publication number: 20130292198
    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: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Electric Vehicle
    Publication number: 20130282218
    Abstract: A control system includes an electric motor, an electric storage device, a throttle grip, a brake lever, a controller, and an acceleration/deceleration 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 throttle grip when the acceleration/deceleration adjustment lever is placed in a location closer to a driver than a cut-off position to cause the electric motor to activate the rear wheel, and cuts off electric power supplied to the electric motor irrespective of an operation of the throttle grip in a state in which the acceleration/deceleration adjustment lever has been operated and placed in the cut-off position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Saddle-Type Electric Vehicle
    Publication number: 20130277133
    Abstract: In a case where a motor shaft of a driving electric motor extends in a rightward and leftward direction, and one end portion in the rightward and leftward direction is coupled to a transmission, in a saddle-type electric vehicle such as an electric motorcycle, a transmission accommodating section of a motor unit case is fastened at right and left sides to a vehicle body frame, and a motor accommodating section is coupled to the transmission accommodating section at one end portion in the rightward and leftward direction. Thus, misalignment of bearings of the motor shaft due to deflection of the motor unit case can be suppressed while reducing a weight of the motor unit case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Regeneration Control System in Electric Vehicle
    Publication number: 20130282219
    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: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Electric Motorcycle
    Publication number: 20130270022
    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: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Electric Motorcycle
    Publication number: 20130270026
    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: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2010
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Saddle-Type Vehicle
    Publication number: 20130270940
    Abstract: An electric two-wheeled vehicle includes a case, an electric component accommodated in the case and having an electric part producing heat during operation, and a traveling wind guide body for cooling the electric component by traveling wind, and the traveling wind guide body has a traveling wind inlet taking in traveling wind from front, a traveling wind path through which the traveling wind taken in by the traveling wind inlet flows, and a traveling wind outlet ejecting the traveling wind flowing through the traveling wind path toward a radiation fin of the case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Electric Motorcycle
    Publication number: 20130270025
    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: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2010
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • STRADDLE-TYPE ELECTRIC VEHICLE, AND MOUNTING STRUCTURE OF ELECTRIC POWER CONTROLLER IN ELECTRIC VEHICLE
    Publication number: 20130270023
    Abstract: A straddle-type electric vehicle (e.g., electric motorcycle 1) comprising a driving motor and an electric power control unit for controlling electric power supplied from batteries to the driving motor, a case of the electric power control unit is mounted to the battery box from outward, and electrode terminals protruding outward from the case are inserted into insertion holes of the battery box. The electrode terminals protruding into inside of the battery box are connected to electrodes of the batteries via electric conductors such as bus bars. In this structure, electric connecting work between the batteries and the electric power control unit can be easily carried out, high-voltage lines can be minimized in length, and the high-voltage lines are not exposed to outside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Cooling Structure for Electric Vehicle
    Publication number: 20130270938
    Abstract: Provided is an electric motorcycle including a traveling motor, and a power supply circuit of an inverter and the like, in which a non-conducting cooling oil is supplied to be brought into direct contact with at least one of an electromagnetic coil of the traveling motor and a circuit board of the inverter. A radiator is disposed outside cases of a power plant and a power control controller so as to allow a traveling wind to pass by. Cooling oil is circulated between the radiator and a case of at least one of the power plant and power control controller. A cooling structure for an electric motor and the like that can obtain a higher cooling efficiency than a conventional art while having a simple structure which hardly causes increases in size, weight, cost, and the like can be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Saddle-Type Electric Vehicle
    Publication number: 20130270024
    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: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Acceleration Control System in Electric Vehicle
    Publication number: 20130274983
    Abstract: A control system includes an electric motor, an electric storage device, a throttle grip, a brake lever, a controller, and an acceleration/deceleration 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 throttle 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 acceleration/deceleration adjustment lever. The acceleration/deceleration adjustment lever is provided separately from throttle grip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • System and method for controlling straddle-type vehicle
    Patent number: 8560173
    Abstract: A control system in a straddle-type vehicle is provided. The control system includes front and rear wheels, comprises a load distribution changing section which changes a ground load distribution between the front and rear wheels during driving of the vehicle; a slip suppressing condition determiner section which determines whether or not a suppressing condition used to suppress a slip of one of the front and rear wheels is met, during driving of the vehicle; and a load distribution control section which controls the load distribution changing section to make the ground load of the one of the front and rear wheels greater when the slip suppressing condition determiner section determines that the suppressing condition is met, than when the slip suppressing condition determiner section determines that the suppressing condition is not met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Control system in vehicle, wheelie determining method, and driving power suppressing method
    Patent number: 8560199
    Abstract: A control system in a vehicle including a front wheel which is a driven wheel and a rear wheel which is a drive wheel, the control system including: a control unit configured to control a driving power generated in a driving source according to a driving state of the vehicle; and a front wheel speed sensor configured to detect a rotational speed of the front wheel; the control unit including: a wheelie determiner configured to determine whether or not a predetermined wheelie starting condition is met, based on a value detected by the front wheel speed sensor; and a driving power controller configured to suppress the driving power if the wheelie determiner determines that the predetermined wheelie starting condition is met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Mounting Structure of Electricity Storage Device in Electric Vehicle
    Publication number: 20130264134
    Abstract: An installing structure of an electric storage device in an electric car which includes an electric motor for traveling and a plurality of the electric storage devices configured to store power supplied to the electric motor, wherein a traveling wind passage extending in forward and rearward direction, through which a traveling wind, generated with traveling of the electric car, passes, is formed in an electric storage device group including the plurality of the electric storage devices, and connection terminals of the electric storage devices and a power cable that connects the connection terminals to each other are disposed in a manner of facing the traveling wind passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Control system in a vehicle
    Patent number: 8554429
    Abstract: A control system in a vehicle in which at least one pair of driving power transmission members are engaged with each other with a slack on a driving power transmission path, comprises an input shaft rotational speed detector for detecting a rotational speed of an input shaft located upstream of engaged portions of the driving power transmission members in a direction in which the driving power is transmitted, a determiner for determining whether or not the driving power transmission members are in a non-contact state at the engaged portions for a period of time based on a change rate of the detected input shaft rotational speed, and a controller for controlling the vehicle to reduce a rotational speed difference between the input shaft and an output shaft located downstream of the engaged portions, when the determiner determines that the driving power transmission members are in the non-contact state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Saddle-Type Electric Vehicle
    Publication number: 20130256049
    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: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Electric Motorcycle
    Publication number: 20130233634
    Abstract: An electric motorcycle according to the present invention includes an electric motor generating traveling power to be transmitted to a driving wheel, a battery supplying electric power to the electric motor, a battery case accommodating the battery, and a body frame having a head pipe supporting a steering shaft, and a frame portion extending substantially rearward from the head pipe. The battery case has a first connecting portion to be coupled to a first member forming the body frame, and a second connecting portion arranged away from the first connecting portion in the up and down direction or the forward and rearward direction and coupled to a second member forming the body frame, so as to form a part of the frame portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda