Patents by Inventor Akio Mitani

Akio Mitani 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: 5044930
    Abstract: A pulse combustion apparatus comprising a metal pipe member, an exhaust chamber, and an insert member. The pipe member has two open ends and its inner diameter is uniform over its entire length. The first open end of the pipe member is closed, and the second open end thereof is connected to the exhaust chamber. The insert member is located within the pipe member such that it and the pipe member define a combustion chamber within the pipe member, close to the first end thereof, and also an exhaust passage connecting the combustion chamber to the exhaust chamber and having a cross section area smaller than that of the combustion chamber. The combustion chamber and the exhaust passage constitute a Helmholtz resonator which realizes pulse combustion of the fuel gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Ichiro Hongo, Kazuo Saito, Akio Mitani
  • Patent number: 4977953
    Abstract: A latent heat regenerating apparatus includes a regenerative tank wherein a latent heat regenerative material is housed. The material has a phase transition temperature and a supercooling-release temperature and is capable of maintaining a supercooled-state in a temperature range between the temperatures. A thermoelectric cooling element is located in the regenerative material so as to control supercooling of the material. The element has a heat radiating portion for radiating heat into the material and a heat absorbing portion for absorbing heat from the material, thereby cooling that portion of the material near the absorbing portion to a temperature lower than the supercooling-release temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Katsuaki Yamagishi, Koji Kashima, Akio Mitani, Masatoshi Shimura
  • Patent number: 4946381
    Abstract: A combustion chamber of a pulsating combustor is supplied with fuel from a fuel-supplying system and with air for combustion from an air-intake chamber through an air-intake pipe. The air-intake pipe is interiorly provided with an aerodynamic valve having a forward flow coefficient greater than a flow coefficient in a reversed direction. An air-supplying fan controlled by a combustion control unit is connected to the air-intake chamber. A fuel control valve for varying the amount of fuel supplied to the combustion chamber is connected to a fuel-supplying pipe of a fuel-supplying system. When a mixture gas within the combustion chamber is fired at the start of a pulsating combustion system, the combustion control unit rotates the air-supplying fan at high speed to forcibly feed air for combustion into the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1990
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazuo Saito, Ichiro Hongo, Akio Mitani, Hiroshi Ito
  • Patent number: 4850424
    Abstract: A heat accumulator includes a heat storage tank and a latent heat accumulating material which fills the tank. The heat accumulating material remains in a stable supercooled condition at temperatures lower than a predetermined phase transformation temperature, and is released from the supercooled condition by a releasing device. The releasing device includes a holding member, which is mounted on the storage tank such that it is capable of touching the accumulating material and which holds a seed material. A driving mechanism drives the holding member so that the seed material comes into contact with the heat accmulating material for a predetermined period of time, releasing the latter from its supercooled condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Akio Mitani, Koji Kashima, Hiroichi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 4742868
    Abstract: A regenerative heating apparatus includes a radiating container and an adsorbent contained in the container. The adsorbent adsorbs vapor to generate heat when touched by the vapor, and releases the adsorbed vapor when heated. A heater for heating the adsorbent is disposed in the container. The vapor released from the adsorbent is condensed by a condensor and then fed into a liquid tank, thereby a dried adsorbent is produced. In a heating operation, the liquid in the tank is fed to an evaporator by a pump and evaporated thereby. The resultant vapor is fed to the dried adsorbent, and the adsorbent adsorbs the vapor to generate heat, thereby heating air around the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1988
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Akio Mitani, Koroku Endo
  • Patent number: 4727726
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a heat accumulating unit for accumulating an exceess heat generated during the operation of a refrigeration cycle main unit and radiating the accumulated heat at a desired time. The accumulating unit includes a heat accumulating container and latent heat accumulating material housed in the container. The material has a predetermined phase transition temperature and a supercooling state release temperature which is lower than the phase transition temperature. The material maintains a supercooling state at a temperature between the phase transition temperature and the supercooling state release temperature. When the material is cooled by a release mechanism to a temperature below the supercooling state release temperature, the supercooling state of the material is released and the material radiates the accumulated heat. The radiated heat is used for heating the refrigerant to be sent a compressor at the start of the heating or defrosting operation of the main unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 1, 1988
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Akio Mitani, Koji Kashima, Hiroichi Yamaguchi, Kouroku Endo
  • Patent number: 4569206
    Abstract: A refrigerator with a freezing chamber has a freezing chamber, and cooling chamber having a forced air circulating path provided adjacent to the freezing chamber for intaking the air in the freezing chamber, cooling the intaken air by an evaporator and returning the cooled air to the freezing chamber. A damper plate for cutting off the air circulating path during the defrosting period of the evaporator is provided. The ON and OFF of this damper plate are controlled in response to the status change of the shape memory alloy memory which takes different statuses above and below a predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1986
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Akio Mitani, Takao Ariga
  • Patent number: 4426853
    Abstract: An air conditioning system comprises a first air duct having an inlet port and an exhaust port opening into a room, a room air circulating fan for introducing the air inside the room into the first air duct through the inlet port and discharging the air into the room through the exhaust port of the first air duct, solar heat collector for producing hot air by utilizing solar heat, a second air duct adjacent to the first air duct on the inlet port side thereof, hot air feeding fan for feeding the hot air from the solar heat collector into the second air duct, a rotary total heat exchanger for dehumidification disposed between said first and second air ducts so as to extend severally in the two ducts, a third air duct adjacent to the first air duct on the downstream side of the rotary total heat exchanger, outside air feeding fan for feeding the outside air into the third air duct, a stationary multi-diaphragm-type sensible heat exchanger for cooling disposed between the first and third air ducts so as to be lo
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1982
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1984
    Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akio Mitani, Koichi Matsui, Hirotsugu Sakata
  • Patent number: 4294081
    Abstract: A freezing refrigerator has a freezing chamber for accommodating food to be freezed and a cold chamber for accommodating food kept at low temperature, those chambers being separated by a heat insulative member and provided with doors, respectively. The cold chamber is provided therein a cold chamber cooler for cooling the inside thereof and the freezing chamber is provided therearound with a first freezing chamber cooler for cooling the inside therein. A second freezing chamber cooler is provided close to the rear side of the freezing chamber but is separated from the inner surface of the freezing chamber. The surface temperature of the second cooler is kept lower than that of the first freezing chamber cooler. A shield plate is further provided to blind one from seeing the second cooler when the door for the freezing chamber is open, the shield plate being disposed close to the second cooler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1979
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1981
    Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akio Mitani, Moriyoshi Sakamoto, Hiroaki Murasaki