Patents by Inventor Yuichi Kawamoto

Yuichi Kawamoto 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: 8303013
    Abstract: A pick-up style utility vehicle with an expandable cargo bed. The vehicle includes a chassis supporting a front seat, a rear seat, a screen formation, and a bottom plate of the cargo bed. The pick-up style utility vehicle is capable of being changed between a normal state in which the rear seat is situated on the bottom plate and an expanded state in which the rear seat is moved from the top of the bottom plate. A screen formation is positioned between the cargo bed in the normal state and the rear seat, and includes two screen formation divisions as a double door, and each of the screen formation divisions is supported rotatably around a vertical shaft by the chassis. In the normal state, the two screen formation divisions close the front of the cargo bed. In the expanded state, the two screen formation divisions open the front of the cargo bed and form side plates in the cargo bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Horiuchi, Yuichi Kawamoto, Masahiro Kawahara, Teruaki Yamamoto, Yoshiya Takehara, Steave Leach
  • Publication number: 20110156433
    Abstract: A pick-up style utility vehicle with an expandable cargo bed, the vehicle comprising a chassis, the chassis supporting a front seat, a rear seat, a screen formation, and a bottom plate of the cargo bed, wherein the pick-up style utility vehicle is capable to change a normal state in which the rear seat is situated on the bottom plate and an expanded state in which the cargo bed is expanded into a free space formed by shunting the rear seat from the top of the bottom plate, wherein the pick-up style utility vehicle comprises a screen formation between the cargo bed in the normal state and the rear seat, and comprises two screen formation divisions as a double door, and each of the screen formation division being supported rotatably around the vertical shaft by the chassis, wherein in the normal state, the two screen formation divisions closing the front of the cargo bed configure a screen in the normal state, the screen in the normal state separating between the rear seat and the cargo bed, wherein in the expa
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Inventors: YUJI HORIUCHI, YUICHI KAWAMOTO, MASAHIRO KAWAHARA, TERUAKI YAMAMOTO, YOSHIYA TAKEHARA, STEAVE LEACH
  • Patent number: 7900442
    Abstract: The present invention provides an engine including a secondary air supply apparatus for supplying a secondary air to an exhaust gas passage in a cylinder head. The engine comprises a secondary air passage of the secondary air supply apparatus which extends from an outer peripheral surface of the cylinder head through an under-portion of the exhaust gas passage into the exhaust gas passage. The secondary air passage has a groove geometry of passage portion on a matching surface between the cylinder head and a cylinder body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kuji, Yuichi Kawamoto
  • Publication number: 20080178584
    Abstract: The present invention provides an engine including a secondary air supply apparatus for supplying a secondary air to an exhaust gas passage in a cylinder head. the engine comprises a secondary air passage of the secondary air supply apparatus which is extending from an outer peripheral surface of the cylinder head through an under-portion of the exhaust gas passage into the exhaust gas passage. The secondary air passage has a groove geometry of passage portion on a matching surface between the cylinder head and a cylinder body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kuji, Yuichi Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 7096843
    Abstract: There is provided a multicylinder four-cycle combustion engine, in which a communication hole is formed, to allow gases to flow smoothly form one cylinder to another so that the pumping loss occurring within the cylinders can be reduced. The combustion engine (E) includes an engine casing (EC) having defined therein a plurality of cylinders (2A to 2D), each having a cylinder bore (20A to 20D), and a crank chamber (30A to 30D) below the respective cylinder bore. A partition wall (21) separating the neighbor cylinder bores (20A, 20B; 20C, 20D) of the cylinders (2A to 2D) and the crank chambers (30A to 30D) from each other is formed with a communication hole (4). An open edge portion (4aa) of the uppermost edge (4a) thereof, which opens into the cylinder bore (20A to 20D) has a circumferentially intermediate major portion extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the cylinder longitudinal axis (CH).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuichi Kawamoto, Tomoyuki Terao, Matsuhiro Asano, Yoshiharu Matsuda
  • Patent number: 7040454
    Abstract: The interior of a crankcase is divided into a front crank chamber and a rear transmission chamber by a partition wall of a given height. A lower part of the transmission case is used as an oil reservoir chamber for reserving lubricating oil. Opposite ends of the crankcase are covered with covers to form a generator chamber and a clutch chamber. The crank chamber is connected to the generator chamber by a drain passage to drain oil collected in the crank chamber into the generator chamber. A scavenging pump placed in the clutch chamber sucks the oil collected in the generator chamber through an oil passage extending across the crankcase under the crank chamber and discharges the oil into an air space in the clutch chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuichi Kawamoto, Kiyohito Takano
  • Patent number: 6863146
    Abstract: An all-terrain vehicle includes a variable-speed V-belt drive disposed on one side of a crankcase of an engine, a V-belt drive cover covering the variable-speed V-belt drive, a gear transmission of transmitting a power of the engine in cooperation with the variable-speed V-belt drive, and a speed sensing device. The speed sensing device includes a speed sensor of measuring a rotating speed of a member which transmits the power of the engine to the wheels. The speed sensor is disposed right under the V-belt drive cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuichi Kawamoto, Kiyohito Takano
  • Publication number: 20050045121
    Abstract: There is provided a multicylinder four-cycle combustion engine, in which a communication hole is formed, to allow gases to flow smoothly form one cylinder to another so that the pumping loss occurring within the cylinders can be reduced. The combustion engine (E) includes an engine casing (EC) having defined therein a plurality of cylinders (2A to 2D), each having a cylinder bore (20A to 20D), and a crank chamber (30A to 30D) below the respective cylinder bore. A partition wall (21) separating the neighbor cylinder bores (20A, 20B; 20C, 20D) of the cylinders (2A to 2D) and the crank chambers (30A to 30D) from each other is formed with a communication hole (4). An open edge portion (4aa) of the uppermost edge (4a) thereof, which opens into the cylinder bore (20A to 20D) has a circumferentially intermediate major portion extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the cylinder longitudinal axis (CH).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2004
    Publication date: March 3, 2005
    Inventors: Yuichi Kawamoto, Tomoyuki Terao, Matsuhiro Asano, Yoshiharu Matsuda
  • Patent number: 6857499
    Abstract: A transmission for an all-terrain vehicle includes: a variable-speed drive operatively connected to an engine, and a gear transmission mechanism operatively connected to the drive. The mechanism includes: a single shifting fork for selecting at least a forward high-speed ratio, a forward low-speed ratio, neutral or reverse, a shifting lever disposed at a position below a right end part or a left end part of a handlebar at a level above the engine, the shifting lever extending substantially upward, a single change lever shaft connected with the shifting fork, the change lever being disposed on the same side as the side on which the shifting lever is disposed with respect to a longitudinal center axis of the all-terrain vehicle, and the change lever shaft extending substantially upward at a rear end part of the engine, and a single connecting member connecting the change lever shaft and the shifting lever. The connecting member is extending at a side of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuichi Kawamoto, Kiyohito Takano
  • Patent number: 6840973
    Abstract: An air cleaner is provided which is effective to retain a cleaner element 3 in a heteromorphic shape and which has an increased cleaning capability and an assemblability. The air cleaner includes a cleaner element 3 made of a urethane foam and formed in a tubular form having an endless wall and operable to pass an air therethrough in a direction across the thickness of the cleaner element to purify the air. The cleaner element 3 when viewed from top represents a heteromorphic shape, and first and second retainer plates 7 and 8 made of an elastic material effective to retain the heteromorphic shape of the wall, which plates 7 and 8 are bonded to upper and lower end faces of the cleaner element 3. The cleaner element 3 together with the first and second retainer plates 7 and 8 is carried by a holder assembly 4 and is accommodated within a cleaner housing 1 together with the holder assembly 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kuji, Isamu Nishikawa, Yuichi Kawamoto, Kouji Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20040244760
    Abstract: A dry-sump lubrication type four-stroke cycle engine includes an oil feed pump for feeding oil by pressure to parts needing lubrication, and a scavenging pump for returning the oil lubricated the parts needing lubrication into an oil tank. The respective rotors of the oil feed pump and the scavenging pump are fixedly mounted on a single rotor shaft. The oil feed pump and the scavenging pump are mounted on a clutch cover which is configured to cover one side of a crankcase and contain a clutch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichi Kawamoto, Tomohiro Kanazawa
  • Publication number: 20040245050
    Abstract: The interior of a crankcase is divided into a front crank chamber and a rear transmission chamber by a partition wall of a given height. A lower part of the transmission case is used as an oil reservoir chamber for reserving lubricating oil. Opposite ends of the crankcase are covered with covers to form a generator chamber and a clutch chamber. The crank chamber is connected to the generator chamber by a drain passage to drain oil collected in the crank chamber into the generator chamber. A scavenging pump placed in the clutch chamber sucks the oil collected in the generator chamber through an oil passage extending across the crankcase under the crank chamber and discharges the oil into an air space in the clutch chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichi Kawamoto, Kiyohito Takano
  • Patent number: 6823829
    Abstract: A dry-sump lubrication type four-stroke cycle engine includes an oil feed pump for feeding oil by pressure to parts needing lubrication, and a scavenging pump for returning the oil lubricated the parts needing lubrication into an oil tank. The respective rotors of the oil feed pump and the scavenging pump are fixedly mounted on a single rotor shaft. The oil feed pump and the scavenging pump are mounted on a clutch cover which is configured to cover one side of a crankcase and contain a clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuichi Kawamoto, Tomohiro Kanazawa
  • Publication number: 20040194573
    Abstract: A crank case 20 has a mission chamber 52 at a rear part, and a generator chamber 58 and a clutch chamber 59 are provided on both side of the crank case 20 in the direction of the crank shaft. The mission chamber 52 houses a transmission gear mechanism. The mission chamber 52 is bulged to one side in the direction of the crank shaft. A reverse idle gear 90 is disposed in the bulged part of the mission chamber 52. The reverse idle gear 90 is projected through a partition wall between the mission chamber 52 and the generator chamber 58 toward the generator chamber 58. The reverse idle gear shaft 44 has both ends supported by the left end wall 53a of the mission chamber and a shaft support member 66 secured to the end wall 53a.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2003
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichi Kawamoto, Shinji Shuto, Kiyohito Takano
  • Patent number: 6799485
    Abstract: A crank case 20 has a mission chamber 52 at a rear part, and a generator chamber 58 and a clutch chamber 59 are provided on both side of the crank case 20 in the direction of the crank shaft. The mission chamber 52 houses a transmission gear mechanism. The mission chamber 52 is bulged to one side in the direction of the crank shaft. A reverse idle gear 90 is disposed in the bulged part of the mission chamber 52. The reverse idle gear 90 is projected through a partition wall between the mission chamber 52 and the generator chamber 58 toward the generator chamber 58. The reverse idle gear shaft 44 has both ends supported by the left end wall 53a of the mission chamber and a shaft support member 66 secured to the end wall 53a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuichi Kawamoto, Shinji Shuto, Kiyohito Takano
  • Publication number: 20040187453
    Abstract: An air cleaner is provided which is effective to retain a cleaner element 3 in a heteromorphic shape and which has an increased cleaning capability and an assemblability. The air cleaner includes a cleaner element 3 made of a urethane foam and formed in a tubular form having an endless wall and operable to pass an air therethrough in a direction across the thickness of the cleaner element to purify the air. The cleaner element 3 when viewed from top represents a heteromorphic shape, and first and second retainer plates 7 and 8 made of an elastic material effective to retain the heteromorphic shape of the wall, which plates 7 and 8 are bonded to upper and lower end faces of the cleaner element 3. The cleaner element 3 together with the first and second retainer plates 7 and 8 is carried by a holder assembly 4 and is accommodated within a cleaner housing 1 together with the holder assembly 4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2003
    Publication date: September 30, 2004
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kuji, Isamu Nishikawa, Yuichi Kawamoto, Kouji Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6786188
    Abstract: A dry-sump lubrication type four-stroke cycle engine having a crankcase provided with a crankshaft chamber in its front part and a transmission chamber in its rear part, a generator chamber on one side of the crankcase in an axial direction of the crankshaft, and a clutch chamber on the other side of the crankcase. The crankshaft chamber and the transmission chamber are separated by a partition wall of a predetermined height to form an oil reservoir chamber in a lower part of the transmission chamber. An auxiliary oil reservoir chamber is formed in a lower part of the clutch chamber. A suction chamber is formed under a crankshaft chamber bottom wall defining a bottom of the crankshaft chamber so as to communicate with a suction port of a scavenging pump of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuichi Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 6786290
    Abstract: A straddle-type four wheeled all terrain vehicle includes a bar-type handle provided forward of a straddle-type seat; a vehicle body cover covering a portion of a vehicle body including a steering shaft of the handle, the steering shaft penetrating through the vehicle body cover; and a belt converter, wherein an opening of the vehicle body cover through which the steering shaft pass is an intake port of a cooling air into the belt converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kuji, Yuichi Kawamoto, Takeshi Usui, Hiroyuki Tezuka
  • Patent number: 6776250
    Abstract: A straddle-type four wheeled all terrain vehicle include a vehicle body with a seat which a rider straddles. A handle is placed forward of the seat for being steered by the rider straddling the seat to operate the vehicle body. A container is provided at a portion of the vehicle body that is situated between the handle and the seat, for accommodating a small article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kuji, Yuichi Kawamoto
  • Publication number: 20040099075
    Abstract: An all-terrain vehicle includes a variable-speed V-belt drive disposed on one side of a crankcase of an engine, a V-belt drive cover covering the variable-speed V-belt drive, a gear transmission of transmitting a power of the engine in cooperation with the variable-speed V-belt drive, and a speed sensing device. The speed sensing device includes a speed sensor of measuring a rotating speed of a member which transmits the power of the engine to the wheels. The speed sensor is disposed right under the V-belt drive cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2003
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Applicant: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichi Kawamoto, Kiyohito Takano