Patents by Inventor Yoshinobu Soga

Yoshinobu Soga 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: 5119698
    Abstract: A hydraulic control apparatus for controlling a continuously variable transmission for a motor vehicle, including a shift control valve device having a valve spool adapted to receive a first thrust corresponding to the currently required engine output and a second thrust corresponding to the input shaft speed of the transmission such that the spool is biased by the first and second thrusts in a shift-down and a shift-up direction for shifting down and shifting up the transmission, respectively, so that the speed ratio of the transmission is changed according to a distance of movement of the spool from a neutral position thereof in one of the shift-down and shift-up directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1992
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masami Sugaya, Yoshinobu Soga
  • Patent number: 5094129
    Abstract: A hydraulic control control apparatus for controlling a speed ratio of a vehicle continuously variable transmission, which includes a device for producing a first pressure varying with the input shaft speed of the transmission, a device for producing a second pressure varying with the currently required output of the vehicle engine, a device for producing a third pressure varying with the vehicle speed, such that a rate of increase in the third pressure is limited after the vehicle speed pressure reaches a predetermined upper limit which varies with the second pressure, and a shift control valve device including a valve spool operated to control the hydraulic actuator for changing the speed ratio so as to shift-down the transmission, in relation to an increase in the second pressure and an increase in the vehicle speed pressure, and changing the speed ratio so as to shift-up the transmission, in relation to an increase in the first speed pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1992
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masami Sugaya, Yoshinobu Soga
  • Patent number: 5088355
    Abstract: A power transmitting system for a motor vehicle, including a continuously variable transmission, a reversing device disposed downstream of the transmission, and a hydraulic control apparatus for controlling the transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1992
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masami Sugaya, Yoshinobu Soga, Takahiro Okada
  • Patent number: 5063816
    Abstract: A hydraulic control apparatus for controlling the speed ratio of a vehicle continously variable transmission having a clutch device disposed in series with the transmission in a power transmitting line, to disconnect the power transmitting line when a shift lever is placed in a neutral position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1991
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Soga, Masami Sugaya
  • Patent number: 5052980
    Abstract: A hydraulic control apparatus for a power transmitting system for an automotive vehicle having a continuously variable transmission which has a first and a second shaft, a pair of variable-diameter pulleys provided on the first and second shafts, a belt connecting the pulleys, and a pair of hydraulic actuators for changing diameters of the pulleys, wherein a tension of the belt is controlled by regulating an actuating pressure in a driven side actuator of the hydraulic actuators which is provided on a driven one of the two shafts. The apparatus includes a pressure regulating valve which has a valve spool for regulating the actuating pressure in the driven side actuator, and a pressure-reducing chamber for receiving a pressure-reducing pilot pressure for biasing the spool for reducing the actuating pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1991
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Itoh, Masami Sugaya, Yoshinobu Soga, Kunio Morisawa, Ryoji Habuchi, Katsumi Kouno, Yuji Hattori, Takashi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 5050715
    Abstract: A hydraulic control apparatus for a vehicle power transmitting system having a fluid coupling equipped with a lock-up clutch, and a transmission to which power is transmitted from an engine of the vehicle through the fluid coupling. The fluid coupling has an engaging chamber and a releasing chamber for engaging and releasing the lock-up clutch. The apparatus includes a discharge passage communicating with the engaging chamber, for normally draining the engaging chamber to a drain, to thereby normally release the lock-up clutch, and a rapid release valve connected to the discharge passage. The rapid release valve operates to by-pass the discharge passage to the drain therethrough, for thereby rapidly draining the engaging chamber to rapidly release the lock-up clutch. A lock-up pressure regulating valve is provided for regulating a lock-up clutch pressure applied to the fluid coupling, normally to a first value, and upon operation of the rapid release valve, to a second value higher than the first value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1991
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Itoh, Kunio Morisawa, Ryoji Habuchi, Masami Sugaya, Yoshinobu Soga
  • Patent number: 5006093
    Abstract: A hydraulic control apparatus for a vehicle power transmitting system having a continuously variable transmission having a first and a second shaft, a pair of variable-diameter pulleys provided on the shafts, a belt connecting the pulleys, and two hydraulic actuators for changing diameters of the pulleys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1991
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Itoh, Masami Sugaya, Yoshinobu Soga, Kunio Morisawa, Ryoji Habuchi, Katsumi Kouno, Yuji Hattori
  • Patent number: 4967621
    Abstract: A hydraulic control device for controlling a belt-and-pulley type continuously variable transmission for a motor vehicle which has two variable-diameter pulleys connected by a belt, and two hydraulic actuators for changing effective diameters of the pulleys. The hydraulic control device includes a first and a second pressure regulating valve for adjusting a pressure of a fluid supplied from a hydraulic power source, respectively to a first line pressure and a second line pressure lower than the first line pressure, and a CVT shift control valve device for controlling a speed ratio of the transmission. The valve device includes a shift-direction switching directional control valve and a shift-speed control flow control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1990
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Soga, Masami Sugaya, Katsumi Kouno, Susumu Okawa
  • Patent number: 4867732
    Abstract: A hydraulic control device for controlling a belt-and-pulley type continuously variable transmission for an automotive vehicle which includes an input and an output shaft, a pair of variable-diameter pulleys provided on the input and output shafts, respectively, a transmission belt connecting the pair of pulleys, and a pair of hydraulic actuators for changing effective diameters of the variable-diameter pulleys. The hydraulic control device further includes a shift control valve device for controlling pressures applied to the hydraulic actuators, to change the speed ratio of the continuously variable transmission over a mechanically defined range, and a controller for applying a drive signal to the shift control valve device. The controller includes a device for limiting a value of the drive signal, so as to prevent the actual speed ratio of the transmission from reaching upper and lower limits of the mechanically defined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1989
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Soga, Katsumi Kouno, Masami Sugaya, Susumu Okawa
  • Patent number: 4857034
    Abstract: A hydraulic control system for a continuously variable transmission for an automotive vehicle, the transmission having a first and a second variable-diameter pulley provided on respective first and second shafts, a belt connecting the first and second pulleys, and a first and a second hydraulic cylinder for changing effective diameters of the first and second pulleys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1989
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsumi Kouno, Susumu Okawa, Masami Sugaya, Yoshinobu Soga
  • Patent number: 4778435
    Abstract: A hydraulic control system for a continuously variable transmission for an automotive vehicle, the transmission having a first and a second variable-diameter pulley provided on respective first and second shafts, a belt connecting the first and second pulleys, and a first and a second hydraulic cylinder for changing effective diameters of the first and second pulleys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1988
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masami Sugaya, Katsumi Kouno, Yoshinobu Soga, Susumu Okawa
  • Patent number: 4772249
    Abstract: A hydraulic control system for a continuously variable transmission for an automotive vehicle, the transmission having a first and a second variable-diameter pulley provided on respective first and second shafts, a belt connecting the first and second pulleys, and a first and a second hydraulic cylinder for changing effective diameters of the first and second pulleys. The control system includes a shift-control valve receiving a first line pressure from said pressure source to one of the cylinders, while simultaneously permitting a flow of the fluid from the other cylinder. A second pressure line is connected to the shift-control valve to receive therefrom a pressure of the fluid flowing from above-indicated other cylinder. A pressure regulating valve regulates the pressure in the second pressure line, as a second line pressure lower than said first line pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1988
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsumi Kouno, Susumu Okawa, Masami Sugaya, Yoshinobu Soga
  • Patent number: 4685357
    Abstract: A hydraulic control system for a continuously variable transmission having two variable-diameter pulleys, a belt connecting the pulleys to transmit power from one of the pulleys to the other, and corresponding cylinders for changing effective diameters of the pulleys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1987
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daisaku Sawada, Masami Sugaya, Yoshinobu Soga, Ryuji Imai
  • Patent number: 4642069
    Abstract: A hydraulic control system for a continuously variable transmission having a first and a second variable-diameter pulley provided on a first and a second shaft, a transmission belt connecting the first and second pulleys to transmit power from one of the first and second pulleys to the other, and a pair of hydraulic cylinders for changing an effective diameter of the pulleys engaging the belt. The hydraulic control system includes a hydraulic source delivering a pressurized fluid, and a flow control device for controlling a flow of the pressurized fluid from said hydraulic source into one of said hydraulic cylinders, and a flow of the fluid from said one hydraulic cylinder, thereby changing the effective diameters of the pulleys to vary a speed ratio of the transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1987
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daisaku Sawada, Masami Sugaya, Ryuji Imai, Yoshinobu Soga