Patents by Inventor Hiromune Matsuoka

Hiromune Matsuoka 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: 20080223062
    Abstract: An air conditioning apparatus is capable of being mounted on the ceiling of an air-conditioned room. The air conditioning apparatus includes a casing in which an intake port is formed in a bottom surface, a filter provided in the intake port, a cleaning mechanism for removing dust collected by the filter from the filter, and a dust box provided at the bottom of the casing to collect dust removed by the cleaning mechanism. A nozzle insertion hole through which a nozzle of a vacuum cleaner can be inserted is formed facing downward in the dust box.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2006
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Applicant: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Yabu, Hiromune Matsuoka, Jun Koizumi
  • Publication number: 20080209926
    Abstract: An air conditioner has a heat source unit with a compressor and a heat source heat exchanger and utilization units with utilization expansion valves and utilization heat exchangers. The heat source unit and the utilization unit are interconnected via refrigerant communication pipes. The air conditioner is capable of switching and operating between a normal operation mode in which control of the respective devices is performed depending on the operation loads of the utilization units and a refrigerant quantity judging operation mode in which the utilization units perform cooling operation. The utilization expansion valves are controlled such that degrees of superheating at outlets of the utilization heat exchangers become a positive value, and an operation capacity of the compressor is controlled such that evaporation pressures in the utilization heat exchangers become constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2005
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Applicant: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiromune Matsuoka, Junichi Shimoda, Kenji Sato, Kazuhide Mizutani
  • Patent number: 7392821
    Abstract: Disclosed is a drain water discharge structure for an air conditioning apparatus in which at least any one of an internal drain pipe (12) and an external drain pipe (14) is formed from an antibacterial metal pipe, thereby to inhibit the generation of slime in the external drain pipe (14) and to make the external drain pipe (14) less apt to deterioration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Haruo Nakata, Kazuhide Mizutani, Hiromune Matsuoka, Makio Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20080134700
    Abstract: An air conditioner includes a main refrigerant circuit and a liquid level detection circuit. The main refrigerant circuit includes a compressor that compresses gas refrigerant, a heat source side heat exchanger, a receiver that stores liquid refrigerant, and user side heat exchangers. The liquid level detection circuit is arranged so as to be capable of drawing out a portion of the refrigerant in the receiver from a first predetermined position of the receiver, reducing the pressure of the refrigerant and heating it, measuring the temperature of the refrigerant, and then returning the refrigerant to the intake side of the compressor, in order to detect whether the liquid level in the receiver is at the first predetermined position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2008
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Applicant: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhide MIZUTANI, Hiromune Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 7334426
    Abstract: The capacity of a compressor (21) in cleaning operation is set based on a Froude number Fr. The Froude number Fr expresses a ratio of an inertial force of a gas refrigerant flowing through a gas side communication pipe (70) to a gravity working on a liquid in the gas side communication pipe (70). The capacity of the compressor (21) in the cleaning operation is set so that the Froude number Fr is larger than 1, whereby the inertial force of the gas refrigerant flowing through the gas side communication pipe (70) becomes larger than the gravity working on the liquid in the gas side communication pipe (70) which contains mineral oil and foreign matters. In this connection, the liquid containing the mineral oil and the foreign matters is pushed up by the gas refrigerant even in a perpendicularly extending portion of the gas side communication pipe (70).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Yoshimi, Manabu Yoshimi, Kazuhide Mizutani, Hiromune Matsuoka
  • Publication number: 20070113581
    Abstract: The separation efficiency of non-condensable gas in the separation membrane is enhanced in a refrigeration device provided with a configuration whereby non-condensable gas remaining in the refrigerant connection pipes at the time of on-site installation can be separated and removed from a state of mixture with the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit using a separation membrane. An air conditioning device 1 comprises a heat source unit (2) and a utilization unit (5) connected via a refrigerant connection pipe (6, 7) to form a refrigerant circuit (10), and has a cooler (32), a secondary receiver (33), and a separation membrane device (34). The cooler (32) cools at least a portion of the refrigerant that flows through the liquid-side refrigerant circuit (11) as the compressor (21) is operated and the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit (10) is recirculated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2004
    Publication date: May 24, 2007
    Applicant: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Manabu Yoshimi, Nobuki Matsui, Hiromune Matsuoka, Kazuhide Mizutani
  • Publication number: 20070101759
    Abstract: A refrigeration apparatus utilizes a separation membrane to separate and eliminate a noncondensable gas from a refrigerant inside a refrigerant circuit. The refrigeration apparatus has a gas separation apparatus. The gas separation apparatus includes a separation membrane apparatus connected to a liquid side refrigerant circuit that connects a heat source side heat exchanger and a utilization side heat exchanger. The separation membrane apparatus has a separation membrane that separates from the refrigerant and discharges out of the liquid side refrigerant circuit the noncondensable gas remaining in a refrigerant connecting pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2004
    Publication date: May 10, 2007
    Applicant: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromune Matsuoka, Kazuhide Mizutani, Nobuki Matsui, Manabu Yoshimi
  • Patent number: 7171825
    Abstract: A refrigeration equipment includes a vapor compression type of refrigerant circuit that prevents a decline in refrigeration ability in user side heat exchangers when the refrigerant condensed by a heat source side heat exchanger is reduced in pressure and sent to the user side heat exchangers. An air conditioner includes a refrigerant liquid junction line and a refrigeration gas junction line, a heat source side expansion valve, a cooler, and a first pressure detection mechanism. The heat source side expansion valve reduces the pressure of the refrigerant that is condensed in the heat source side heat exchanger and sent to the user side heat exchangers. The cooler cools the refrigerant that is condensed in the heat source side heat exchanger and sent to the user side heat exchangers. The first pressure detection mechanism detects the pressure of the refrigerant after the pressure thereof has been reduced by the heat source side expansion valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromune Matsuoka, Kazuhide Mizutani
  • Patent number: 7117688
    Abstract: The present invention allows an optimal quantity of refrigerant to be quickly and easily charged into the refrigeration device. In a refrigeration device that includes a refrigerant cycle circuit (A) connecting an outdoor unit (X) and indoor units (Y) via refrigerant lines (6), (7), a refrigerant charging device (10) that charges refrigerant to the refrigerant cycle circuit (A) in the cooling operational state is detachably connected to the liquid side refrigerant line (6) (the high pressure liquid line during cooling operations) that links the outdoor unit (X) with the indoor units (Y). In this way, when the refrigerant charging device (10) and the liquid line refrigerant line (6) are linked together and the refrigerant cycle circuit (A) is in the cooling operational state, refrigerant charging can be carried out from the refrigerant charging device (10) to the refrigerant cycle circuit (A) via the liquid side refrigerant line (6) (the high pressure liquid line).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Dalkin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromune Matsuoka, Osamu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7104086
    Abstract: A refrigeration apparatus is provided with a vapor compression type refrigerant circuit. With this apparatus, reliability from the standpoint of the pipe cleaning mode of the apparatus is improved. The air conditioning system has a main refrigerant circuit that has a compressor, a heat-source-side heat exchanger, and a user-side heat exchanger. The air conditioning system also has a contaminant collecting device provided on the intake side of the compressor (21). The contaminant collecting device is equipped with a contaminant collecting container, an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, and a main opening/closing device. The contaminant collecting container separates contaminants from refrigerant flowing in the intake gas pipe toward the compressor when the refrigerant is directed through it. The inlet and outlet pipes are each provided with a return preventing shape for preventing contaminants that have accumulated inside the pipes from returning to the intake gas pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhide Mizutani, Hiromune Matsuoka, Atsushi Yoshimi, Manabu Yoshimi
  • Patent number: 7086250
    Abstract: An outdoor air conditioner unit is connected to indoor units by a gaseous refrigerant communication pipe and a liquid refrigerant communication pipe. The outdoor air conditioner unit is provided with a gas-side shut-off valve and a liquid-side shut-off valve. The gas-side shut-off valve has a pipe connecting port to which the gaseous refrigerant communication pipe is connected. The liquid-side shut-off valve has a pipe connecting port to which the liquid refrigerant communication pipe is connected. In a plan view, the pipe connecting ports are offset from each other in both the depthwise direction and the widthwise direction. Thus, the outdoor air conditioner unit is configured to reduce interference between the refrigerant pipes connected to the gas-side and liquid-side shut-off valves of the outdoor unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki Ishihara, Hiromune Matsuoka, Toshiaki Mukaidani, Tadashi Saoi
  • Publication number: 20060150664
    Abstract: The capacity of a compressor (21) in cleaning operation is set based on a Froude number Fr. The Froude number Fr expresses a ratio of an inertial force of a gas refrigerant flowing through a gas side communication pipe (70) to a gravity working on a liquid in the gas side communication pipe (70). The capacity of the compressor (21) in the cleaning operation is set so that the Froude number Fr is larger than 1, whereby the inertial force of the gas refrigerant flowing through the gas side communication pipe (70) becomes larger than the gravity working on the liquid in the gas side communication pipe (70) which contains mineral oil and foreign matters. In this connection, the liquid containing the mineral oil and the foreign matters is pushed up by the gas refrigerant even in a perpendicularly extending portion of the gas side communication pipe (70).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Publication date: July 13, 2006
    Applicant: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Yoshimi, Manabu Yoshimi, Kazuhide Mizutani, Hiromune Matsuoka
  • Publication number: 20060070658
    Abstract: Disclosed is a drain water discharge structure for an air conditioning apparatus in which at least any one of an internal drain pipe (12) and an external drain pipe (14) is formed from an antibacterial metal pipe, thereby to inhibit the generation of slime in the external drain pipe (14) and to make the external drain pipe (14) less apt to deterioration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2003
    Publication date: April 6, 2006
    Inventors: Haruo Nakata, Kazuhide Mizutani, Hiromune Matsuoka, Makio Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 7017362
    Abstract: In an air conditioner which is divided into an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, the present invention improves the reliability with respect to the electrical insulation and refrigerant leakage of connection structures for refrigerant lines of the air conditioner that serve to transmit electrical signals of the indoor unit and outdoor unit via connection lines that serve to connect the indoor unit and outdoor unit and circulate refrigerant. An insulation portion of an electric insulation device is formed from an annular first flange, an annular second flange, a gasket that is arranged between the first flange and the second flange and composed of an electric insulation material, a plurality of through bolts and nuts that join the first flange and the second flange, a sleeve composed of an electric insulation material that lies between the bolt holes of the first flange and the second flange and the through bolts, and a washer that is interposed between head portions of the through bolts and the first flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiromune Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 7013665
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electric insulation device of an air conditioner divided into an indoor unit and an outdoor unit which can improve work efficiency during installation of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit. An electric insulation device is arranged between a gas side connection line and a gas side refrigerant line of an outdoor unit, and electrically insulates the gas side connection line and the gas side refrigerant line on the outdoor unit side. The electric insulation device includes a refrigerant line connection portion that is connected to a gas side refrigerant line of the indoor unit, a connection line connection portion that is connected to the gas side connection line, an insulation portion capable of both electrically insulating the refrigerant line connection portion and the gas side connection line and circulating refrigerant, and a terminal portion on which an electric connection line is mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiromune Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 6990822
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an air conditioning system provided with an outdoor unit having a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor unit having an indoor heat exchanger, and a gaseous refrigerant pipe connecting the indoor heat exchanger to the compressor. The present invention serves to make it possible to run such an air conditioning system in cooling mode continuously even when the outside air temperature is low by preventing the indoor heat exchanger from freezing. The air conditioning system is provided with one air-cooled outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor units connected in parallel to the outdoor unit. The indoor heat exchangers and the compressor are connected together by the gaseous refrigerant pipe. A pressure adjusting device is installed in the gaseous refrigerant pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiromune Matsuoka
  • Publication number: 20060000224
    Abstract: An air conditioner is configured with a plurality of utilization units, such that an increase in the cost of parts constituting a refrigerant circuit is prevented even if the maximum working pressure of the refrigerant circuit increases. The air conditioner has a plurality of utilization units, a vapor compression type refrigerant circuit with an accumulator. The refrigerant circuit has a high pressure unit for handling a high-pressure refrigerant at a maximum working pressure of 3.3 MPa or higher, and a low pressure unit for handling only low-pressure refrigerant at a maximum working pressure of less than 3.3 MPa. The accumulator is one of the parts constituting the low pressure unit and is capable of pooling refrigerant circulating inside the refrigerant circuit as liquid refrigerant. The refrigerant that flows through the low pressure unit and the high pressure unit is preferably R410A.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2004
    Publication date: January 5, 2006
    Applicant: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiromune Matsuoka
  • Publication number: 20050252236
    Abstract: A refrigeration device is provided that has a compressor, a heat source side heat exchanger, and a user side heat exchanger. The refrigeration device also has a condenser arranged between the compressor and the user side heat exchanger. The condenser is arranged to condense a portion of the refrigerant that is compressed in the compressor and that is sent to the user side heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2003
    Publication date: November 17, 2005
    Applicant: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromune Matsuoka, Kazuhide Mizutani
  • Publication number: 20050252221
    Abstract: In a refrigeration device including a refrigeration circuit having a compressor and a receiver, the present invention will improve the ability of a liquid level detection circuit to accurately determine whether or not liquid refrigerant is stored up to a predetermined position of the receiver. An air conditioner includes a main refrigerant circuit and a liquid level detection circuit. The main refrigerant circuit includes a compressor that compresses gas refrigerant, a heat source side heat exchanger, a receiver that stores liquid refrigerant, and user side heat exchangers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Publication date: November 17, 2005
    Applicant: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhide Mizutani, Hiromune Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 6948335
    Abstract: The present invention provides an oil equalizing circuit for a refrigeration system provided with a plurality of compression mechanisms, the oil equalizing circuit being capable of supplying sufficient oil to the compressors that are running during partial load operation. The refrigeration system compression mechanism is provided with the following: first, second, and third compressors; a refrigerant intake main pipe; first, second, and third intake branch pipes connected to the intake sides of the compressors; first, second, and third oil separators connected to the discharge sides of the compressors; and first, second, and third oil return pipes provided on the oil separators. The first oil return pipe is configured such that oil is delivered to the refrigerant intake main pipe due to gravity when only the first compressor is running. The second oil return pipe is configured such that oil is delivered to the refrigerant intake main pipe due to gravity when only the first and second compressors are running.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiromune Matsuoka