Patents by Inventor Hiroaki Saitou

Hiroaki Saitou 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: 11919366
    Abstract: A target thermal sensation setter sets target thermal sensations for a finite number of parts into which the occupant is virtually divided. A cabin temperature controller individually controls a cabin air-conditioning unit and an auxiliary heater so that the thermal sensations of the respective parts of the occupant estimated by an occupant thermal sensation estimator fall within a range of the target thermal sensations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignees: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD., JAPAN CLIMATE SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kensaku Saitou, Kou Komori, Mio Furui, Yu Nakashima, Hiroshi Hamamoto, Yoichi Miyazaki, Hideaki Nishii, Hiroaki Shigenaka
  • Publication number: 20220416552
    Abstract: An in-vehicle battery system comprises: a battery; a relay for establishing or cutting off an electrical connection between the battery and an inverter; a plurality of switches respectively provided in a current path for switching the relay; and a battery control apparatus that supervises a status of the battery. The plurality of switches include a first switch provided in the battery control apparatus and a second switch provided in a vehicle control apparatus which controls traveling of the vehicle; the first switch and the second switch are serially connected to each other in the current path; the battery control apparatus controls a status of switching the first switch; and the vehicle control apparatus controls a status of switching the second switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicants: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD., NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsumi YAMAUCHI, Akihiro MACHIDA, Toyoki IGUCHI, Hiroaki SAITOU, Hiroaki HASHIMOTO, Akihiro NOMURA
  • Patent number: 10511066
    Abstract: A battery pack cooling system includes a plurality of cells disposed in an internal space of a battery pack case so as to form a cooling passage configured to cool the cell modules by cooling air flowing in the cooling passage. The cooling passage includes a cooling air inlet passage, a cooling air exhaust passage, and a plurality of cooling branch passages disposed to connect the cooling air inlet passage and the cooling air exhaust passage in parallel. A minimum temperature sensor is disposed in the upstream position to measure a lowest temperature region in a first cell module. A maximum temperature sensor is disposed in the downstream position which becomes a highest temperature region in the first cell module. Another temperature sensor is disposed in a second cell module to measure the temperature of either the highest temperature or the lowest temperature in the second cell module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toyoki Iguchi, Hiroaki Hashimoto, Masayoshi Saeki, Hiroaki Saitou, Shigeyuki Kiyota, Yoshiyuki Tanaka, Hiroshi Iwata, Hiroshi Hoshi, Akira Kotaki, Nayuta Yamachi, Toshiyuki Yoshida, Chikara Kikkawa, Takeshi Haga
  • Patent number: 10315521
    Abstract: A vehicle power supply system is provided for an electric vehicle. The vehicle power supply system has a first relay and a second relay, which are two-contact movable relays that connect/disconnect a high voltage circuit. The first relay has a first movable contact that is arranged to move with respect to a first fixed contact in a first direction when connecting/disconnecting. The second relay has a second movable contact is arranged to move with respect to a second fixed contact in a second direction when connecting/disconnecting. The second direction is opposite to the first direction. One of the first and second relays is oriented such that its movable contact separates from its fixed contact in a direction in which the greatest acceleration input is applied at the time of a collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouji Kato, Shigeyuki Kiyota, Yoshiyuki Tanaka, Toyoki Iguchi, Hiroaki Saitou
  • Publication number: 20190173135
    Abstract: A battery pack cooling system includes a plurality of cells disposed in an internal space of a battery pack case so as to form a cooling passage configured to cool the cell modules by cooling air flowing in the cooling passage. The cooling passage includes a cooling air inlet passage, a cooling air exhaust passage, and a plurality of cooling branch passages disposed to connect the cooling air inlet passage and the cooling air exhaust passage in parallel. A minimum temperature sensor is disposed in the upstream position to measure a lowest temperature region in a first cell module. A maximum temperature sensor is disposed in the downstream position which becomes a highest temperature region in the first cell module. Another temperature sensor is disposed in a second cell module to measure the temperature of either the highest temperature or the lowest temperature in the second cell module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2019
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Inventors: Toyoki IGUCHI, Hiroaki HASHIMOTO, Masayoshi SAEKI, Hiroaki SAITOU, Shigeyuki KIYOTA, Yoshiyuki TANAKA, Hiroshi IWATA, Hiroshi HOSHI, Akira KOTAKI, Nayuta YAMACHI, Toshiyuki YOSHIDA, Chikara KIKKAWA, Takeshi HAGA
  • Patent number: 10249913
    Abstract: A battery pack cooling system includes a plurality of cells disposed in an internal space of a battery pack case so as to form a cooling passage configured to cool the cell modules by cooling air flowing in the cooling passage. A first temperature sensor is a minimum temperature sensor disposed in the upstream position which becomes a lowest temperature. A second temperature sensor is a maximum temperature sensor disposed in the downstream position which becomes a highest temperature. A third temperature sensor is configured to measure the temperature of either the highest temperature or the lowest temperature disposed in a second cell module. A cooling passage includes a cooling air inlet passage, a cooling air exhaust passage, and a plurality of cooling branch passages disposed to connect the cooling air inlet passage and the cooling air exhaust passage in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toyoki Iguchi, Hiroaki Hashimoto, Masayoshi Saeki, Hiroaki Saitou, Shigeyuki Kiyota, Yoshiyuki Tanaka, Hiroshi Iwata, Hiroshi Hoshi, Akira Kotaki, Nayuta Yamachi, Toshiyuki Yoshida, Chikara Kikkawa, Takeshi Haga
  • Patent number: 10084216
    Abstract: A battery cooling structure has a plurality of cooling passages that are formed on a surface of a cover plate attachable to a battery pack and that are for taking in cooling air into the battery pack, and a connection passage that is formed in a direction intersecting with the plurality of cooling passages on the surface of the cover plate, and that connects the plurality of cooling passages with one another to allow interchange of the cooling air. The battery pack is arranged in a center console box between a driver seat and a front passenger seat of a vehicle. The cover plate is attached to a side surface of the battery pack. The plurality of cooling passages extend in parallel with one another and in a direction vertical to a floor surface. Partial portions of the cooling passages on a floor surface side are open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toyoki Iguchi, Hiroaki Saitou, Koji Katou, Yuuta Yamagata, Shigeyuki Kiyota
  • Patent number: 9893342
    Abstract: An electricity storage module in which a plurality of battery cells are electrically connected via conductive members, wherein: each of the conductive members has a pair of electrode connecting parts that are welded to respective electrode terminals of a pair of adjacent battery cells, a base part that is connected to the pair of electrode connecting parts via a pair of elastically deformable parts, and a voltage detecting terminal that is connected to the base part and detects a terminal voltage of a battery cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignees: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD., NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eisuke Sengoku, Hiroshi Hoshi, Takeshi Haga, Shigeyuki Kiyota, Yoshiyuki Tanaka, Toyoki Iguchi, Hiroaki Saitou, Masayoshi Saeki
  • Patent number: 9893333
    Abstract: Provided are a battery block and a secondary battery module capable of holding a plurality of battery cells stably and so reducing a load applied to a welding part of a conductive member that is connected to an electrode by welding or the like. The battery block includes a lower holding frame and a middle holding frame, one of which includes two protrusions that are in contact with an outer peripheral face of each battery cell and the other includes a pressing part that presses the outer peripheral face of the battery cell inwardly in the radial direction. Then, one of an upper holding frame and the middle holding frame includes two protrusions that are in contact with an outer peripheral face of each battery cell and the other includes a pressing part that presses the outer peripheral face of the battery cell inwardly in the radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignees: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD., NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hoshi, Tsunemi Aiba, Naoki Kojima, Chikara Kikkawa, Toshiyuki Yoshida, Shigeyuki Kiyota, Yoshiyuki Tanaka, Toyoki Iguchi, Hiroaki Saitou
  • Publication number: 20170288284
    Abstract: A battery cooling structure has a plurality of cooling passages that are formed on a surface of a cover plate attachable to a battery pack and that are for taking in cooling air into the battery pack, and a connection passage that is formed in a direction intersecting with the plurality of cooling passages on the surface of the cover plate, and that connects the plurality of cooling passages with one another to allow interchange of the cooling air. The battery pack is arranged in a center console box between a driver seat and a front passenger seat of a vehicle. The cover plate is attached to a side surface of the battery pack. The plurality of cooling passages extend in parallel with one another and in a direction vertical to a floor surface. Partial portions of the cooling passages on a floor surface side are open.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toyoki Iguchi, Hiroaki Saitou, Koji Katou, Yuuta Yamagata, Shigeyuki Kiyota
  • Patent number: 9627151
    Abstract: An electrical storage module in which a plurality of electricity storage elements are electrically connected by conductive member, includes: a voltage detection board having voltage detection conductor that detects terminal voltage of the electricity storage element; a first external threaded component that connects the voltage detection conductor of the voltage detection board to the conductive member; and a cover that covers the voltage detection board; wherein: the cover is made from an insulating material; the conductive member has a first internal threaded portion into which the first external threaded component is to be screwingly engaged; and the distance between the inside surface of the cover that faces a head portion of the first external threaded component and an upper surface of the head portion of the first external threaded component is shorter than the distance between an end portion of the first internal threaded portion towards the cover side and an end of shaft portion of the first external
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignees: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd., Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eisuke Sengoku, Toshikazu Maeshima, Hiroshi Hoshi, Akira Kotaki, Shigeyuki Kiyota, Yoshiyuki Tanaka, Toyoki Iguchi, Hiroaki Saitou, Masayoshi Saeki
  • Patent number: 9590217
    Abstract: A vehicle battery mounting structure is provided for mounting a battery on a vehicle. The vehicle battery mounting structure has a sling is used which is mounted to move a battery and which is removed after the battery is moved to a position for assembly onto the vehicle body. In this structure for mounting a battery on a vehicle, the battery includes a gas discharge hose as an attached component which is assembled onto the vehicle body after the battery is mounted. The sling is provided with a hose holding opening for holding the gas discharge hose. The hose holding opening includes a hose opening for removing the gas discharge hose being held, the hose opening being set on the worker side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Saitou
  • Patent number: 9573472
    Abstract: A battery control system connected to a battery equipped with an explosion-proofing mechanism for cutting off an electric current when the battery enters an overcharge state, including: a cell voltage detection unit that detects voltage at the battery; a storage unit that stores information pertaining to the battery conditions; an overcharge decision-making unit that makes a decision as to whether or not the battery is in an overcharge state; a storage control unit that engages the storage unit to store information pertaining to the overcharge state when the overcharge decision-making unit decides that the battery is in an overcharge state; and an explosion-proofing decision-making unit that decides that the explosion-proofing mechanism in the battery has actuated if the overcharge information is stored in the storage unit and the cell voltage detected by the cell voltage detection unit is lower than a predetermined lower limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignees: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd., Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Takada, Akihiro Machida, Norihiro Shinotsuka, Hiroshi Morikawa, Toshikazu Maeshima, Shigeyuki Kiyota, Yoshiyuki Tanaka, Toyoki Iguchi, Hiroaki Saitou, Hiroaki Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20160204478
    Abstract: A battery pack cooling system includes a plurality of cells disposed in an internal space of a battery pack case so as to form a cooling passage configured to cool the cell modules by cooling air flowing in the cooling passage. A first temperature sensor is a minimum temperature sensor disposed in the upstream position which becomes a lowest temperature. A second temperature sensor is a maximum temperature sensor disposed in the downstream position which becomes a highest temperature. A third temperature sensor is configured to measure the temperature of either the highest temperature or the lowest temperature disposed in a second cell module. A cooling passage includes a cooling air inlet passage, a cooling air exhaust passage, and a plurality of cooling branch passages disposed to connect the cooling air inlet passage and the cooling air exhaust passage in parallel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Applicants: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Toyoki IGUCHI, Hiroaki HASHIMOTO, Masayoshi SAEKI, Hiroaki SAITOU, Shigeyuki KIYOTA, Yoshiyuki TANAKA, Hiroshi IWATA, Hiroshi HOSHI, Akira KOTAKI, Nayuta YAMACHI, Toshiyuki YOSHIDA, Chikara KIKKAWA, Takeshi HAGA
  • Publication number: 20160193925
    Abstract: A battery control system connected to a battery equipped with an explosion-proofing mechanism for cutting off an electric current when the battery enters an overcharge state, including: a cell voltage detection unit that detects voltage at the battery; a storage unit that stores information pertaining to the battery conditions; an overcharge decision-making unit that makes a decision as to whether or not the battery is in an overcharge state; a storage control unit that engages the storage unit to store information pertaining to the overcharge state when the overcharge decision-making unit decides that the battery is in an overcharge state; and an explosion-proofing decision-making unit that decides that the explosion-proofing mechanism in the battery has actuated if the overcharge information is stored in the storage unit and the cell voltage detected by the cell voltage detection unit is lower than a predetermined lower limit value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Applicants: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD., NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masayuki TAKADA, Akihiro MACHIDA, Norihiro SHINOTSUKA, Hiroshi MORIKAWA, Toshikazu MAESHIMA, Shigeyuki KIYOTA, Yoshiyuki TANAKA, Toyoki IGUCHI, Hiroaki SAITOU, Hiroaki HASHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20160190542
    Abstract: An electricity storage module in which a plurality of battery cells are electrically connected via conductive members, wherein: each of the conductive members has a pair of electrode connecting parts that are welded to respective electrode terminals of a pair of adjacent battery cells, a base part that is connected to the pair of electrode connecting parts via a pair of elastically deformable parts, and a voltage detecting terminal that is connected to the base part and detects a terminal voltage of a battery cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2014
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Applicants: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD., NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eisuke SENGOKU, Hiroshi HOSHI, Takeshi HAGA, Shigeyuki KIYOTA, Yoshiyuki TANAKA, Toyoki IGUCHI, Hiroaki SAITOU, Masayoshi SAEKI
  • Publication number: 20160176294
    Abstract: A vehicle power supply system is provided for an electric vehicle. The vehicle power supply system has a first relay and a second relay, which are two-contact movable relays that connect/disconnect a high voltage circuit. The first relay has a first movable contact that is arranged to move with respect to a first fixed contact in a first direction when connecting/disconnecting. The second relay has a second movable contact is arranged to move with respect to a second fixed contact in a second direction when connecting/disconnecting. The second direction is opposite to the first direction. One of the first and second relays is oriented such that its movable contact separates from its fixed contact in a direction in which the greatest acceleration input is applied at the time of a collision.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Kouji KATO, Shigeyuki KIYOTA, Yoshiyuki TANAKA, Toyoki IGUCHI, Hiroaki SAITOU
  • Publication number: 20160164055
    Abstract: A vehicle battery mounting structure is provided for mounting a battery on a vehicle. The vehicle battery mounting structure has a sling is used which is mounted to move a battery and which is removed after the battery is moved to a position for assembly onto the vehicle body. In this structure for mounting a battery on a vehicle, the battery includes a gas discharge hose as an attached component which is assembled onto the vehicle body after the battery is mounted. The sling is provided with a hose holding opening for holding the gas discharge hose. The hose holding opening includes a hose opening for removing the gas discharge hose being held, the hose opening being set on the worker side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Inventor: Hiroaki SAITOU
  • Publication number: 20160035497
    Abstract: An electrical storage module in which a plurality of electricity storage elements are electrically connected by conductive member, includes: a voltage detection board having voltage detection conductor that detects terminal voltage of the electricity storage element; a first external threaded component that connects the voltage detection conductor of the voltage detection board to the conductive member; and a cover that covers the voltage detection board; wherein: the cover is made from an insulating material; the conductive member has a first internal threaded portion into which the first external threaded component is to be screwingly engaged; and the distance between the inside surface of the cover that faces a head portion of the first external threaded component and an upper surface of the head portion of the first external threaded component is shorter than the distance between an end portion of the first internal threaded portion towards the cover side and an end of shaft portion of the first external
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: Eisuke SENGOKU, Toshikazu MAESHIMA, Hiroshi HOSHI, Akira KOTAKI, Shigeyuki KIYOTA, Yoshiyuki TANAKA, Toyoki IGUCHI, Hiroaki SAITOU, Masayoshi SAEKI
  • Patent number: 8396146
    Abstract: A wireless communication modem (2) receives data (10) sent from a host device (4) in a nonprocedural manner, then subjects the received data (10) to protocol conversion, and transmits the converted data to a server (8) via a wireless communication network (6). The wireless communication modem (2) has an on-request transmission mode in which the data (10) is transmitted to the server (8) only when a connection from the server (8) to the wireless communication modem (2) is established.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Sanden Corporation
    Inventors: Masakazu Suga, Hiroaki Saitou, Masato Yoshii