Patents by Inventor Yuji Fukuda

Yuji Fukuda 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).

  • Publication number: 20230203787
    Abstract: A hydraulic system for a working machine includes a prime mover, a boom cylinder, a control valve, a first hydraulic pump to deliver pilot fluid to switch the control valve, a second hydraulic pump to deliver hydraulic fluid to activate the boom cylinder, a hydraulic controller configured or programmed to control the second hydraulic pump to set a load-sensing (LS) differential pressure, a first pilot fluid passage, a second pilot fluid passage branching off from the first pilot fluid passage and connected to the hydraulic controller, a solenoid valve to change a pilot pressure that is a pressure of the pilot fluid applied to the hydraulic controller, and a pressure compensator to increase the LS differential pressure as a temperature of the hydraulic fluid including the pilot fluid decreases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventor: Yuji FUKUDA
  • Publication number: 20230193595
    Abstract: In a working machine, a controller decreases a supply amount of hydraulic fluid from a travel pump to a travel motor based on a travel state of a machine body when a speed-change instruction is issued by operating a switch. When a speed-increase operation is performed, the controller switches the travel switching valve from the first state to the second state in a prior period lasting up to when the supply amount to the travel motor starts decreasing, in a restoration period in which the supply amount to the travel motor after being decreased is being restored, or in an after-restoration period in which the supply amount has been restored.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2022
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuki UEDA, Yuji FUKUDA, Ryota HAMAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20230193596
    Abstract: In a working machine, a controller decreases a supply amount of a hydraulic fluid from a travel pump to a travel motor based on a travel state of a machine body when a speed-change instruction of increasing or decreasing speed is output by operating a switch, and a pressure detector detects a travel pressure that is a pressure of a hydraulic fluid delivered by the travel pump to the travel motor. In accordance with the travel pressure detected by the travel pressure detector, the controller changes a delay period lasting up to a switching timing of the travel switching valve from an output timing of the speed-change instruction of the switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuki UEDA, Yuji FUKUDA, Ryota HAMAMOTO
  • Patent number: 11680386
    Abstract: A hydraulic system includes a hydraulic pump, a first hydraulic actuator, a second hydraulic actuator, a first control valve to control the first hydraulic actuator, a second control valve to control the second hydraulic actuator, a pressure increasing portion to increasing a pressure of the operation fluid, a first discharge fluid tube connected to any one of the first control valve and the second control valve and connected to the pressure increasing portion, a second discharge fluid tube connected to the first discharge fluid tube and configured to discharge the operation fluid, a float switching valve having an allowance position, a prevention position, and a float position, the allowance position blocking the second discharge fluid tube and allowing the operation fluid to flow to the pressure increasing portion, the prevention position unblocking the second discharge fluid tube and preventing the operation fluid from flowing to the pressure increasing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji Fukuda, Keigo Honda
  • Publication number: 20230160179
    Abstract: A hydraulic system for a working machine includes hydraulic actuators actuated with hydraulic fluid delivered from a hydraulic pump, control valves each of which is shiftable among shift positions to control a flowrate of hydraulic fluid flowing to the corresponding hydraulic actuator, a detection fluid passage, an interlocking control valve, and a pressure detection unit. Each control valve includes an input port, an output port, and a flowrate reduction section. One of the control valves includes a flowrate increase section. The interlocking control valve is configured to be shifted in accordance with a shift of the one of the control valves among the shift positions and to be shifted to a blocking position to block a pilot fluid introduced into the interlocking control valve from the detection fluid passage when the one of the control valves is shifted to the increase position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2023
    Publication date: May 25, 2023
    Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuji FUKUDA
  • Patent number: 11644098
    Abstract: A hydraulic system of a work machine includes a first hydraulic device to operate in a first operation mode while pressure of hydraulic oil supplied from a hydraulic pump via a first oil passage is equal to or higher than a first pressure threshold. The hydraulic oil in the first oil passage is to be discharged via a second oil passage. A pilot check valve is provided in the second oil passage and has a pilot port to receive a pilot pressure of the hydraulic oil. The pilot check valve is closed to stop discharging the hydraulic oil in the first oil passage through the second oil passage while the pilot pressure is lower than the fourth pressure threshold. The pilot check valve is opened while the pilot pressure is higher than or equal to the fourth pressure threshold. The first hydraulic device is a ride control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji Fukuda, Kazuyoshi Arii, Ryohei Sumiyoshi
  • Publication number: 20230098551
    Abstract: A coupler cylinder is driven between a locked state and an unlocked state of a bucket by being supplied with hydraulic oil. A main pump supplies the hydraulic oil to the coupler cylinder. A pressure increasing valve controls the supply of the hydraulic oil to the coupler cylinder. A controller controls drive of the pressure increasing valve. The controller instructs the pressure increasing valve to stop the supply of the hydraulic oil to the coupler cylinder based on pressure in an oil passage between the main pump and the coupler cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyotaka NINOMIYA, Koji SATO, Takuya HIGASHIURA, Yuji FUKUDA, Akihiro KOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20230092677
    Abstract: In a hydraulic system for a working machine, a controller is configured or programmed to increase an output-port pressure of one activation valve for one hydraulic device and an output-port pressure of another activation valve for another hydraulic device to a normal pressure higher than a preloading pressure from a state where the output-port pressure of the one activation valve is equal to the preloading pressure and the output-port pressure of the other activation valve is lower than the preloading pressure, by causing the output-port pressure of the one activation valve to be lower than the preloading pressure and increasing the output-port pressure of the other activation valve to the normal pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Yuji FUKUDA, Ryota HAMAMOTO, Jun TOMITA, Yuya KONISHI
  • Patent number: 11608616
    Abstract: A hydraulic system for a working machine includes hydraulic actuators actuated with hydraulic fluid delivered from a hydraulic pump, and control valves each of which is shiftable among shift positions to control a flowrate of hydraulic fluid flowing to the corresponding hydraulic actuator. Each control valve includes an input port, an output port, and a flowrate reduction section. When the control valve is shifted to a reduction position, the flowrate reduction section reduces a flowrate of the hydraulic fluid entering the input port and outputs the flowrate-reduced hydraulic fluid to the output port. At least one of the control valves includes a flowrate increase section. When the control valve is shifted to an increase position, the flowrate increase section outputs the hydraulic fluid having entered the input port to the output port at a flowrate larger than that of hydraulic fluid output by the flowrate reduction section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuji Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20230070893
    Abstract: A hydraulic system for a working machine includes a hydraulic pump to output a hydraulic fluid, an operation device operable to supply a pilot fluid in accordance with an amount by which the operation device is operated, a hydraulic actuator to be operated by the hydraulic fluid, a pilot fluid passage connected to the operation device, a first control valve connected to the pilot fluid passage and to be operated by the pilot fluid to control a flow of the hydraulic fluid, a second control valve to be operated by the pilot fluid to control a flow of the hydraulic fluid, a proportional valve to change a pressure of the pilot fluid to operate the second control valve, a pressure detector provided in the pilot fluid passage to detect a pressure in the pilot fluid passage, and a controller to control the proportional valve based on the pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Kohei NAGAO, Yuji FUKUDA
  • Patent number: 11585067
    Abstract: A hydraulic system includes a first supply line connecting a boom control valve and a bottom side of a boom cylinder, a second supply line connecting the boom control valve and a rod side of the boom cylinder, a leveling switch valve having: a first operating position allowing a leveling operation of a working tool; and a first stopping position allowing the leveling operation to stop, a ride controller including: a ride-control switch valve connected to a branched fluid line branched from the first supply line; and an accumulator configured to perform an anti-vibrating operation for suppressing a pressure fluctuation of the boom cylinder, and a drain fluid line to discharge operation fluid in a downstream section extending from the leveling switch valve to the rod side of the boom cylinder in the second supply line when the leveling switch valve is switched to the first stopping position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuji Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20230049370
    Abstract: A hydraulic system for a working vehicle includes a first hydraulic pump to deliver pilot fluid to a control valve for a hydraulic actuator whose highest load pressure acts on a first fluid passage, and a second hydraulic pump to deliver hydraulic fluid whose pressure acts on a second fluid passage. A hydraulic controller is operable to control a load-sensing (LS) differential pressure between the highest load pressure and a delivery pressure of the hydraulic fluid from the second hydraulic pump. A third fluid passage to which the second hydraulic pump delivers the hydraulic fluid branches to a fourth fluid passage for flow of the pilot fluid. A solenoid valve is operable to change a pilot pressure of the pilot fluid for the hydraulic controller, and a controller is configured or programmed to control the solenoid valve to adjust the pilot pressure to change the LS differential pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Inventors: Yuji FUKUDA, Kazuyoshi ARII, Toshihiko TAKEMURA
  • Publication number: 20230051323
    Abstract: A hydraulic system for a working machine includes a traveling motor to output power to a traveling device in the working machine, a first detector to detect a physical quantity that changes in accordance with a traveling state of the working machine and that is detected at intervals of a predetermined period, and a controller to execute automatic shift-down to automatically reduce a rotational speed of the traveling motor to a first speed stage when the rotational speed of the traveling motor is in a second speed stage higher than the first speed stage. The controller is configured or programmed to determine a tendency or degree of change in the physical quantity, based on values of the physical quantity detected at intervals of the predetermined period by the first detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Inventors: Kohei NAGAO, Yuji FUKUDA, Ryota HAMAMOTO
  • Patent number: 11572675
    Abstract: A working machine comprises an operation member for operating a hydraulic device via a control valve. An oscillation calculator acquires a specific value corresponding to a feature representing oscillation of the operation member when the feature appears in variation of an control signal output according to an operation amount of the operation member within one of a sequence of predetermined periods, and calculates an evaluation value representing a degree of oscillation of the operation member by adding up the specific value or values obtained within one or more of the predetermined periods. A control signal generator generates a control signal for controlling the control valve based on the operation signal. The control signal generator decreases a value of the control signal per a unit value of the operation signal as the evaluation value gradually increases with the elapse of one or more of the sequence of the predetermined periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Toyama, Yuji Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20220389680
    Abstract: A hydraulic system of a working machine includes a hydraulic pump to output a hydraulic fluid, at least one proportional valve to deliver the hydraulic fluid to a supply target, a valve body including the proportional valve, a heat-up fluid passage in the valve body and into which the hydraulic fluid flows, a switching valve switchable between an open position in which the hydraulic fluid passing through the heat-up fluid passage is supplied to a hydraulic device and a closed position in which the hydraulic fluid is not supplied thereto and the hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic device is to be returned, a controller to operate the switching and proportional valves, and a return circuit through which the hydraulic fluid flowing into the heat-up fluid passage is returned as a result of at least one of the switching and proportional valves being operated by the controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventors: Yuji FUKUDA, Jun TOMITA, Yuya KONISHI, Toshiya TANI, Daisuke SAKURAI
  • Publication number: 20220341128
    Abstract: A hydraulic system for a work machine, which includes a first hydraulic pump to deliver operation fluid, a second hydraulic pump to deliver pilot fluid, a first hydraulic actuator configured to control flow rate of the operation fluid based on the pilot pressure applied to the pressure receivers, a manual operator configured to operate the first hydraulic actuator, having an operation lever to move toward both directions, operation valves to change pressure of the pilot fluid in accordance with movement of the operation lever, and a discharge fluid tube to drain the pilot fluid from the operation valves. The hydraulic system includes an actuating valve in the discharge fluid tube and configured to reduce pressure of the pilot fluid in the discharge fluid tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji FUKUDA, Kazuyoshi ARII
  • Publication number: 20220341130
    Abstract: A working machine comprises an operation member for operating a hydraulic device via a control valve. An oscillation calculator acquires a specific value corresponding to a feature representing oscillation of the operation member when the feature appears in variation of an control signal output according to an operation amount of the operation member within one of a sequence of predetermined periods, and calculates an evaluation value representing a degree of oscillation of the operation member by adding up the specific value or values obtained within one or more of the predetermined periods. A control signal generator generates a control signal for controlling the control valve based on the operation signal. The control signal generator decreases a value of the control signal per a unit value of the operation signal as the evaluation value gradually increases with the elapse of one or more of the sequence of the predetermined periods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro TOYAMA, Yuji FUKUDA
  • Patent number: 11459731
    Abstract: A working machine includes a switching valve to switch between a first state and a second state, the first state allowing a revolving speed of a traveling motor to be a first speed, the second state allowing the revolving speed of the traveling motor to be a second speed, and a controller device to reduce the revolving speed of the prime mover in either acceleration to switch from the first state to the second state or deceleration to switch from the second state to the first state. The controller device associates a return timing with a switch timing in either the acceleration or deceleration, the return timing allowing an actual revolving speed of a prime mover to start returning toward a first target revolving speed after the actual revolving speed is reduced, the switch timing allowing the switching valve to switch to either an acceleration side or a deceleration side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji Fukuda, Ryota Hamamoto, Jun Tomita
  • Publication number: 20220307229
    Abstract: A working machine is provided, which includes a prime mover, a first traveling pump driven by power of the prime mover to supply operation fluid through a connector fluid tube, a traveling motor including first and second ports connected to the connector fluid tube, the traveling motor configured to be switched in a first speed and a second speed higher than the first speed, a first pressure detector to detect first traveling-pump pressure near the first port, a second pressure detector to detect second traveling-pump pressure near the second port, and a controller configured, with the traveling motor switched in the second speed, to automatically shift down the traveling motor from the second speed to the first speed, when a differential pressure between the first traveling-pump pressure and the second traveling-pump is equal to or more than a deceleration threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji FUKUDA, Jun TOMITA, Ryota HAMAMOTO, Ryosuke KINUGAWA, Yoshimitsu TANAKA
  • Publication number: 20220298754
    Abstract: A control valve of hydraulic system for a working machine is provided, which includes a main body and a spool. The main body includes first, second, third, fourth and fifth ports, and first second, third, fourth and fifth inner fluid paths connected to the first, second, third, fourth and fifth ports, respectively. The spool is configured to move between a neutral position and a communicating position allowing fluid communication between the second inner fluid path and the fifth inner fluid path or between the first inner fluid path and the fifth inner fluid path. The spool includes a communicating hole configured to allow the fluid communication between the second port and the fourth port, or between the first port and the fourth port, when the spool is in a position between the communicating position and the neutral position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Applicant: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji FUKUDA, Keigo HONDA