Patents by Inventor Eiji Okawachi
Eiji Okawachi 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).
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Patent number: 9109750Abstract: A gap amount (62) between a liner (53) and a reinforcement layer (55) before filling gas into a tank (30) is calculated on the basis of a tank pressure and a tank temperature in the tank (30). It is predicted whether a load larger than or equal to an allowable amount acts on the liner (53) by the gas filling on the basis of the calculated gap amount (62). When it is predicted that the load larger than or equal to the allowable amount acts on the liner (53), a filling flow rate at which the gas is filled into the tank (30) is limited in comparison with a case where it is predicted that the load larger than or equal to the allowable amount does not act on the liner (53).Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2011Date of Patent: August 18, 2015Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Eiji Okawachi, Tsukuo Ishitoya
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Publication number: 20150137022Abstract: A valve main unit, in which a high pressure valve is to be provided, includes a channel for hydrogen gas. An internal surface of the channel is constituted by an oxidation layer formed by performing anodizing on an aluminum-based alloy. The oxidation layer of the channel is formed by performing the anodizing under a condition in which the oxidation layer with a thickness of 8 ?m or less is formed at an external surface of the valve main unit, the external surface having an opening communicating with the channel.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2014Publication date: May 21, 2015Inventors: Kazuhisa SUGIYAMA, Koji NISHI, Yutaka INADA, Eiji OKAWACHI, Akira YAMASHITA
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Patent number: 8770012Abstract: A fuel leakage detection system comprises: a communication part for acquiring data relating to fuel filling of an onboard fuel tank from the vehicle side when a fuel supply part is connected to a filler port; a fuel flow rate measurement part, provided on the upstream of the fuel supply part 18, for measuring the flow rate of fuel flowing to the fuel supply part; a fuel flow-out permission part for permitting/stopping the outflow of fuel to the fuel supply part; and a control unit for controlling the fuel flow-out permission part. The control unit further comprises a fuel leakage detection part for detecting fuel leakage when filling fuel to a vehicle based on the fuel flow rate acquired by the fuel flow rate measurement part and on data relating to fuel filling acquired from the vehicle side via the communication part, and the fuel flow out permission part stops outflow of fuel to the fuel supply part when occurrence of fuel leakage is detected by the fuel detection part.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2010Date of Patent: July 8, 2014Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroki Yahashi, Eiji Okawachi, Tsukuo Ishitoya
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Patent number: 8550105Abstract: A valve system includes a fusible plug valve that functions as a fusible plug valve and as a manual valve. When functioning as a fusible plug valve, the fusible plug valve opens at a high temperature to release gas from a high pressure tank to outside. When functioning as a manual valve, the fusible plug valve is opened manually to release the gas from the high pressure tank to the outside.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2010Date of Patent: October 8, 2013Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tsukuo Ishitoya, Eiji Okawachi, Kazushi Numazaki, Hisanori Kondo, Koji Koide
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Patent number: 8522834Abstract: A gas filling device comprises a gas supplier configured to supply the gas to gas filler passages and a controller configured to separately open and close each of the valves provided in the respective gas filler passages, so as to control a gas flow supplied from the gas supplier, wherein the controller comprises a heat dissipation information acquirer configured to obtain heat dissipation information regarding heat dissipation capacity of each of the plurality of tanks and an in-tank information acquirer configured to obtain information regarding at least one of temperature and pressure in each of the plurality of tanks, and the controller is characterized to cause opening and closing the valves to allow communication between the separate gas filler passages, based on the heat dissipation information obtained by the heat dissipation information acquirer and the information in the tank obtained by the in-tank information acquirer.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2009Date of Patent: September 3, 2013Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Eiji Okawachi
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Publication number: 20130206257Abstract: A fuel supply system includes a fuel gas tank; a temperature detecting portion; a fuel gas discharge flow path; a main stop valve that is provided in the fuel gas discharge flow path; and a control portion. The main stop valve includes an inlet portion and an outlet portion, a main valve that is arranged between the inlet portion and the outlet portion and that opens and closes the fuel gas discharge flow path, a pilot flow path that is provided so as to communicate the inlet portion with the outlet portion, a pilot valve that opens and closes the pilot flow path, and an actuator capable of opening and closing the main valve and the pilot valve at different timings. The control portion opens the pilot valve and closes the main valve when the detected temperature is equal to or lower than a first reference temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 17, 2011Publication date: August 15, 2013Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Eiji Okawachi, Kazushi Numazaki
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Patent number: 8435700Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell system configured to be able to suppress loads imposed on a liner caused by gas filling, as well as a method for supplying fuel gas in the fuel cell system, and a mobile body. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a tank which includes a liner and a reinforcement layer formed on an outer peripheral surface of the liner and in which fuel gas is stored, an adjustment device configured to adjust a supply amount of fuel gas to be fed from the tank to the fuel cell, an information acquisition section configured to acquire information on a pressure and a temperature in the tank, a calculation section configured to calculate a gap amount between the liner and the reinforcement layer based on information acquired by the information acquisition section during operation of the fuel cell system, and a decision section configured to decide whether or not to limit the supply amount based on the calculated gap amount.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2010Date of Patent: May 7, 2013Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Eiji Okawachi, Tsukuo Ishitoya
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Publication number: 20130052557Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell system configured to be able to suppress loads imposed on a liner caused by gas filling, as well as a method for supplying fuel gas in the fuel cell system, and a mobile body. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a tank which includes a liner and a reinforcement layer formed on an outer peripheral surface of the liner and in which fuel gas is stored, an adjustment device configured to adjust a supply amount of fuel gas to be fed from the tank to the fuel cell, an information acquisition section configured to acquire information on a pressure and a temperature in the tank, a calculation section configured to calculate a gap amount between the liner and the reinforcement layer based on information acquired by the information acquisition section during operation of the fuel cell system, and a decision section configured to decide whether or not to limit the supply amount based on the calculated gap amount.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2010Publication date: February 28, 2013Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Eiji Okawachi, Tsukuo Ishitoya
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Publication number: 20130037165Abstract: A gap amount (62) between a liner (53) and a reinforcement layer (55) before filling gas into a tank (30) is calculated on the basis of a tank pressure and a tank temperature in the tank (30). It is predicted whether a load larger than or equal to an allowable amount acts on the liner (53) by the gas filling on the basis of the calculated gap amount (62). When it is predicted that the load larger than or equal to the allowable amount acts on the liner (53), a filling flow rate at which the gas is filled into the tank (30) is limited in comparison with a case where it is predicted that the load larger than or equal to the allowable amount does not act on the liner (53).Type: ApplicationFiled: April 20, 2011Publication date: February 14, 2013Inventors: Eiji Okawachi, Tsukuo Ishitoya
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Publication number: 20130014855Abstract: A fuel leakage detection system comprises: a communication part for acquiring data relating to fuel filling of an onboard fuel tank from the vehicle side when a fuel supply part is connected to a filler port; a fuel flow rate measurement part, provided on the upstream of the fuel supply part 18, for measuring the flow rate of fuel flowing to the fuel supply part; a fuel flow-out permission part for permitting/stopping the outflow of fuel to the fuel supply part; and a control unit for controlling the fuel flow-out permission part. The control unit further comprises a fuel leakage detection part for detecting fuel leakage when filling fuel to a vehicle based on the fuel flow rate acquired by the fuel flow rate measurement part and on data relating to fuel filling acquired from the vehicle side via the communication part, and the fuel flow out permission part stops outflow of fuel to the fuel supply part when occurrence of fuel leakage is detected by the fuel detection part.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 30, 2010Publication date: January 17, 2013Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hiroki Yahashi, Eiji Okawachi, Tsukuo Ishitoya
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Publication number: 20120205003Abstract: A gas filling device comprises a gas supplier configured to supply the gas to gas filler passages and a controller configured to separately open and close each of the valves provided in the respective gas filler passages, so as to control a gas flow supplied from the gas supplier, wherein the controller comprises a heat dissipation information acquirer configured to obtain heat dissipation information regarding heat dissipation capacity of each of the plurality of tanks and an in-tank information acquirer configured to obtain information regarding at least one of temperature and pressure in each of the plurality of tanks, and the controller is characterized to cause opening and closing the valves to allow communication between the separate gas filler passages, based on the heat dissipation information obtained by the heat dissipation information acquirer and the information in the tank obtained by the in-tank information acquirer.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2009Publication date: August 16, 2012Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Eiji Okawachi, I
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Publication number: 20120132298Abstract: A valve system includes a fusible plug valve that functions as a fusible plug valve and as a manual valve. When functioning as a fusible plug valve, the fusible plug valve opens at a high temperature to release gas from a high pressure tank to outside. When functioning as a manual valve, the fusible plug valve is opened manually to release the gas from the high pressure tank to the outside.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2010Publication date: May 31, 2012Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tsukuo Ishitoya, Eiji Okawachi, Kazushi Numazaki, Hisanori Kondo, Koji Koide
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Publication number: 20110247726Abstract: A gas filling system, a gas fuel vehicle and a gas station capable of avoiding the joint of a receptacle and a nozzle freezing and filling a gas smoothly is provided. A gas filling system comprises: a gas fuel vehicle including a receptacle; and a gas station which sends and fills a cooled gas via a filling nozzle connected to the receptacle into a tank in the gas fuel vehicle, wherein the gas filling system comprises a waterproof cover which covers a joint of the receptacle and the filling nozzle.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2008Publication date: October 13, 2011Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Eiji Okawachi
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Publication number: 20100320217Abstract: Provided is a backup ring capable of reinforcing a seal member such as an O-ring, preventing extrusion of the seal member, and preventing the backup ring from suddenly opening in its circumferential direction, thereby improving the sealability; and a tank equipped with such a backup ring is also provided. A backup ring is formed into a ring body by making a first cut surface and a second cut surface come into contact with each other wherein the cut surfaces are formed by cutting the backup ring. An engagement protrusion is formed on the first cut surface, while an engagement recess capable of engaging with the engagement protrusion is formed on the second cut surface so that the engagement protrusion can be attached to or detached from the engagement recess. When the engagement protrusion and the engagement recess engage with each other, the first cut surface is in contact with the second cut surface, so that circumferential movement of the second cut surface relative to the first cut surface is prevented.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2007Publication date: December 23, 2010Inventors: Eiji Okawachi, Tsukuo Ishitoya