Patents by Inventor Hideki Mizutani

Hideki Mizutani 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: 6337141
    Abstract: The seizure resistance of an Al-based flame-sprayed layer formed on the swash plate of a swash-plate type comressor is increased to such a level comparable to that of a flame-sprayed bronze layer. The Al-based flame-sprayed layer of the present invention contains: from 12 to 60% of Si and granular Si particles dispersed in the matrix thereof, and at least one dispersing phase of graphite carbon, amorphous carbon and carbon, the crystallizing degree of which is between the graphite carbon and amorphous carbon, and MoS2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2002
    Assignees: Taiho Kogyo Co., Ltd., Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Toyokazu Yamada, Soo-Myung Hong, Masanori Akiduki, Takashi Kokubo, Hiroaki Kayukawa, Hideki Mizutani, Manabu Sugiura, Takeshi Imanishi
  • Patent number: 6283722
    Abstract: A variable displacement type swash plate compressor that prevents a drive shaft from moving axially when the difference between a crank chamber pressure and a cylinder bore pressure becomes excessive. A hinge mechanism has a support arm extending from a lug plate and a guide pin extends from a swash plate. The head portion of the guide pin fits in a guide hole formed in the support arm. A cutaway surface is formed in a part of the support arm that defines the guide hole. The cutaway surface forms a clearance in the hinge. The clearance permits the swash plate to move without pulling the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Kenji Takenaka, Hiroaki Kayukawa, Tetsuhiko Fukanuma, Masahiro Kawaguchi, Hideki Mizutani, Suguru Hirota, Hiroyuki Nakaima
  • Patent number: 6250891
    Abstract: A variable displacement compressor that varies the gas displacement by controlling the pressure in a crank chamber including a drive shaft, pistons for compressing the gas, and a swash plate. The swash plate is located in the crank chamber and integrally rotates with the drive shaft, and varies the stroke of the pistons. The inclination of the swash plate relative to the drive shaft is varied between maximum and minimum positions. A displacement restoration spring inclines the swash plate. One end of the restoration spring fixed to a predetermined part of the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Masahiro Kawaguchi, Hideki Mizutani, Kiyohiro Yamada, Hiroyuki Nakaima
  • Patent number: 6244159
    Abstract: A compressor includes swash plate, which is tiltably supported by a drive shaft. The displacement of the compressor changes in accordance with the inclination angle of the swash plate. The minimum inclination angle (&thgr;min) of the swash plate is less than three to five degrees relative to a plane perpendicular to the axis of the drive shaft. The swash plate can be moved from its minimum inclination to increase its angle, despite the small minimum inclination angle, due to a return spring, which urges the swash plate to increase the inclination angle. The return spring positively moves the swash plate in a direction increasing the inclination angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Kazuya Kimura, Yuji Kaneshige, Hideki Mizutani
  • Patent number: 6189434
    Abstract: A single-headed piston type swash-plate-operated refrigerant compressor is provided with a swash plate mounted on a rotatable drive shaft and having front and rear opposite surfaces, single headed pistons arranged on the rear side of the swash plate to reciprocate in respective cylinder bores, and front and rear shoes to be held in slide-contact with the peripheral parts of the front and rear surfaces of the swash plate to engage a tail end part of each of the single headed pistons with the swash plate in which the front and rear surfaces of the swash plate are provided with respective uppermost layers having physical surface properties different from one another. A front uppermost and a rear uppermost layer of the swash plate are formed of a sprayed coating of, for example, a copper-base material and the rear uppermost layer is coated by a solid lubricant layer containing a solid lubricant, such as molybdenum disulfide, at least in a part of the solid lubricant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Masahiro Kawaguchi, Shintaro Miura, Takuya Okuno, Hideki Mizutani, Kenji Takenaka, Manabu Sugiura, Hiroaki Kayukawa
  • Patent number: 6149397
    Abstract: In a variable displacement compressor of the invention, cylinder bores (111) and a crankcase (121) are formed in a housing, single-ended pistons (37) are fitted in the cylinder bores (111), and a cam plate (23) is provided in the crankcase (121). The displacement capacity of the compressor is varied by controlling the angle of inclination of the cam plate (23) in accordance with the difference between the internal pressure of the crankcase (121) and an suction pressure present on both sides of each single-ended piston (37). A dampening or muffler chamber (65) is provided downstream of an output channel (114) through which a refrigerant gas discharged from the cylinder bores (111) passes. A check valve (69) which opens and closes in accordance with a pressure difference between upstream and downstream sides of the output channel (114) is provided in the output channel (114), upstream of the muffler chamber (65).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Assignee: Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideki Mizutani, Hiroaki Kayukawa, Shigeki Kanzaki, Kiyohiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 6044751
    Abstract: A variable displacement compressor including a housing assembly, a drive shaft rotatably supported in the housing assembly, a cam plate provided at a generally center thereof with a through hole, through which the drive shaft extends, and provided in a wall surface of the through hole with a support portion abutted onto the drive shaft to establish a slidable support for the cam plate on the drive shaft, a joint mechanism for connecting the cam plate with the drive shaft to rotate the cam plate together with the drive shaft, a piston engaged with the cam plate to be reciprocated in a cylinder due to a rotation of the cam plate, a control mechanism for changing an inclination of the cam plate on the drive shaft to adjust a compressor displacement, and a friction reducing coating layer for reducing friction force caused between the drive shaft and the support portion of the cam plate during an operation for adjusting the compressor displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Kazuya Kimura, Hiroaki Kayukawa, Hideki Mizutani, Shigeyuki Hidaka
  • Patent number: 5823294
    Abstract: A compressor compresses gas containing misted oil. The compressor has a drive plate located in a crank chamber and mounted on a drive shaft and a piston operably coupled to the drive plate and located in a cylinder bore. The drive plate converts rotation of the drive shaft to reciprocating movement of the piston in the cylinder bore to vary the capacity of the cylinder bore. The piston compresses gas supplied to the cylinder bore and discharges the compressed gas from the compressor by way of a discharge chamber and a discharge passage. An oil separating mechanism is disposed midway in the discharge passage to separate the oil from the gas flowing in the discharge passage. A storing chamber is defined in the lower portion of the separating mechanism to store the oil separated from the gas. A supplying passage connects the storing chamber with the crank chamber to supply the oil to the crank chamber from the storing chamber. A supplying valve is disposed midway in the supplying passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Hideki Mizutani, Hiroaki Kayukawa, Suguru Hirota, Fuminobu Enokijima
  • Patent number: 5784950
    Abstract: A single headed swash plate type compressor including, a housing with a crank chamber and cylinder bore, pistons arranged in cylinder bores, and a swash plate driven by a drive shaft. Each of the pistons has at one end thereof a bearing having axially spaced first and second bearing portions and an axially extending third portion interconnecting the first and second bearing portions. Shoes are slidably arranged between the swash plate and the first and second bearing portions for converting rotational movement of the swash plate into reciprocal movement of the pistons. An oil communication hole is arranged in and extends through the second bearing portion for fluid communication between the groove of the second bearing portion on the side remote from the cylinder bore and the crank chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kayukawa, Suguru Hirota, Hideki Mizutani, Fuminobu Enokijima, Takehito Tomita, Yoshitami Kondo, Takahiro Hamaoka, Kenji Takenaka
  • Patent number: 5685556
    Abstract: In a suspension system, a trailing arm and a knuckle are interconnected by a first rubber bush joint located in front of and below an axle, a second rubber bush joint located above the axle, and a third rubber bush joint located in back of and below the axle. Each of the rubber bush joints has a characteristic such that it is soft in a direction of an axis thereof and hard in a direction perpendicular to the axis in order to ensure a longitudinal compliance. The rigidity of the first rubber bush joint in the direction perpendicular to its axis is set lower than that of the third rubber bush joint in the direction perpendicular to its axis in order to produce inward towing of the outer wheel as viewed in the turning direction. Rear sides of the axes of the second and third rubber bush joints are inclined outwardly of the vehicle body in order to generate inward towing during braking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideaki Shibue, Toshiharu Yoshioka, Hideki Mizutani
  • Patent number: 5626463
    Abstract: An axial multi-piston compressor includes a drive shaft, a cylinder block having cylinder bores formed therein and surrounding the drive shaft, and a plurality of pistons slidably received in the respective cylinder bores, wherein the pistons are successively reciprocated in the cylinder bores by a rotation of the drive shaft so that a suction stroke and a discharge stroke are alternately executed in each of the cylinder bores. During the suction stroke, a fluid is introduced into the cylinder bore, and during the compression stroke, the introduced fluid is compressed and discharged from the cylinder bore such that a residual part of the compressed fluid is inevitably left in the cylinder bore when the compression stroke is finished. The compressor further includes a rotary valve for allowing the residual part of the compressed fluid to escape from the cylinder bore into another cylinder bore governed by the compression stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1997
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Kazuya Kimura, Shigeyuki Hidaka, Hiroaki Kayukawa, Toru Takeichi, Chuichi Kawamura, Hideki Mizutani
  • Patent number: 5486098
    Abstract: A swash plate type variable displacement compressor comprises cylinder bores, pistons, a suction chamber and a discharge chamber. A suction valve introduces a low pressure gas into a working chamber in each cylinder bore. A discharge valve introduces a high pressure gas in the working chamber into the discharge chamber during a compression stroke. A crank chamber communicates to each of the cylinder bores at rear sides of the pistons. A swash plate is tiltably supported on a drive shaft and connected to each of the pistons through associated rods. The swash plate makes the pistons reciprocate in response to its undulating swing motion and varies its inclination angle based upon pressure differential between pressure in the suction chamber and pressure in the crank chamber therefore adjusting discharge displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1996
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Kazuya Kimura, Masafumi Ito, Hideki Mizutani, Yoshihiro Makino, Suguru Hirota, Taro Ozeki, Keiichi Kato, Hiroaki Kayukawa
  • Patent number: 5417552
    Abstract: A swash plate is mounted on a drive shaft disposed in a housing having a gas suction chamber in such a way that the swash plate is rotatable integrally with the drive shaft. A plurality of cylinder bores are formed around the drive shaft, extending along the drive shaft. Disposed in each cylinder bore is a piston, which reciprocates between top and bottom dead centers by undulating movement of the swash plate caused by rotation of the drive shaft. A compression chamber where gas is compressed by the reciprocal movement of the piston is defined in each cylinder bore. Provided between the drive shaft and the swash plate is a mechanism for altering an angle of the swash plate with respect to the axis of the drive shaft to change a reciprocal stroke of the piston to thereby control compression displacement. A rotary valve is provided at the drive shaft to be rotatable integrally with the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kayukawa, Kazuya Kimura, Kenji Takenaka, Hideki Mizutani
  • Patent number: 5385450
    Abstract: A reciprocating-piston-type refrigerant compressor provided with a cylinder block having formed therein a plurality of cylinder bores in which a plurality of pistons are reciprocated to effect suction, compression and discharge of refrigerant gas in response to rotation of a drive shaft, a rotary valve element connected to the drive shaft to be rotated together with the drive shaft within a recessed chamber formed in the cylinder block, the valve element having an outer circumference in sliding contact with the inner wall of the recessed chamber and a suction passageway for sequentially introducing the refrigerant gas before compression into the plurality of cylinder bores during the rotation of the rotary valve element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1995
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Kazuya Kimura, Shigeyuki Hidaka, Hideki Mizutani, Toru Takeichi
  • Patent number: 5380168
    Abstract: An axial multi-piston compressor includes a drive shaft, a cylinder block having cylinder bores formed therein and surrounding the drive shaft, and a plurality of pistons slidably received in the respective cylinder bores, wherein the pistons are successively reciprocated in the cylinder bores by a rotation of the drive shaft so that a suction stroke and a discharge stroke are alternately executed in each of the cylinder bores. During the suction stroke, a fluid is introduced into the cylinder bore concerned, and during the compression stroke, the introduced fluid is compressed and discharged from the cylinder bore concerned, such that a residual part of the compressed fluid is inevitably left in the cylinder bore concerned when the compression stroke is finished. The compressor further includes a rotary valve for allowing the residual part of the compressed fluid to escape from the cylinder bore concerned into two other cylinder bores disposed adjacent to each other and subjected to the compression stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1995
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Kazuya Kimura, Hideki Mizutani, Shigeyuki Hidaka, Toru Takeichi
  • Patent number: 5380161
    Abstract: In a swash-plate compressor, pistons are slidably received in cylinder bores. A drive shaft is extended through a crank chamber, and is rotated through an electromagnetic clutch means associated therewith. A conversion mechanism is provided on the shaft for converting a rotational movement of the shaft into a reciprocation of each piston in the corresponding cylinder bore such that a suction stroke and a discharge stroke are alternately executed therein. A fluid is introduced from a suction chamber into the bore during the suction stroke, and during the compression stroke, the fluid is compressed in and discharged from the bore into a discharge chamber. The conversion mechanism is constituted such that a stroke length is shortened in response to an increase of a pressure in the crank chamber, and vice versa. A first passage communicates the crank with the suction chamber, and a second passage communicates the crank chamber with the discharge chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1995
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Kenji Takenaka, Hideki Mizutani, Shigeyuki Hidaka, Osamu Hiramatsu, Toru Takeichi, Hiroaki Kayukawa
  • Patent number: 5372483
    Abstract: An axial multi-piston type compressor includes: a drive shaft; a cylinder block having cylinder bores surrounding the shaft, a central circular space, and respective radial passages for communicating the bores with the space; pistons slidably received in the respective bores, and a housing associated with the block to define a crank chamber. The pistons are successively reciprocated in the bores by a rotation of the shaft so that a suction stroke and a discharge stroke are alternately executed in each bore. A suction rotary valve is rotationally and slidably received in the space to be cooperated with the passages for successively introducing a fluid into the bores subjected to the suction stroke, through the corresponding passages thereof, and for successively closing the passages of the bores subjected to the compression stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1994
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Kazuya Kimura, Hideki Mizutani, Shigeyuki Hidaka
  • Patent number: 5205718
    Abstract: A variable displacement swash plate type compressor comprises a suction chamber, a discharge chamber and a crank chamber. A flow rate control valve mechanism is provided along a refrigerant supply passage, which connects the discharge chamber to the crank chamber. The flow rate control valve mechanism is provided with a discharge pressure chamber and an intermediate chamber. A valve hole is provided between the discharge pressure chamber and the intermediate chamber, to permit both chambers to communicate with each other. A pressure sensitive member is provided in the intermediate chamber to separate the intermediate chamber into a first and a second pressure sensitive chambers. The first pressure sensitive chamber communicates with the discharge pressure chamber via the valve hole. The second pressure sensitive chamber communicates with either the crank chamber or the suction chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1993
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Fujisawa, Hiroaki Kayukawa, Kazuya Kimura, Chuichi Kawamura, Hideki Mizutani