Patents by Inventor Hirotoshi Maekawa
Hirotoshi Maekawa 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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Publication number: 20110013439Abstract: A power conversion apparatus comprising a base 110 which includes a first fixation portion 110a and a second fixation portion 110b that are coupled to each other at a desired angle, wherein power modules IPM1, IPM2 and IPM3 are fixed on the first fixation portion 110a of the base 110, a control circuit board 10 is fixed with its first principal surface 10a held in direct or indirect touch with the second fixation portion 110b of the base 110, and components constituting a control circuit are packaged on the second principal surface 10b of the control circuit board 10. Owing to the configuration, a versatility for the installation of the power conversion apparatus on a vehicle becomes high, the vibration-proofness of the control circuit board is enhanced, and heats generated by the electronic components, etc. packaged on the control circuit board are sufficiently emitted.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2010Publication date: January 20, 2011Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATIONInventors: Hiroshi Yamabuchi, Yuji Kuramoto, Hirotoshi Maekawa, Ryoji Nishiyama
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Patent number: 7826231Abstract: A power conversion apparatus comprising a base which includes a first fixation portion and a second fixation portion that are coupled to each other at a desired angle, wherein power modules are fixed on the first fixation portion of the base, a control circuit board is fixed with its first principal surface held in direct or indirect touch with the second fixation portion of the base, and components constituting a control circuit are packaged on the second principal surface of the control circuit board. Owing to the configuration, a versatility for the installation of the power conversion apparatus on a vehicle becomes high, the vibration-proofness of the control circuit board is enhanced, and heats generated by the electronic components, etc. packaged on the control circuit board are sufficiently emitted.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2006Date of Patent: November 2, 2010Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CompanyInventors: Hiroshi Yamabuchi, Yuji Kuramoto, Hirotoshi Maekawa, Ryoji Nishiyama
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Publication number: 20100019753Abstract: Three or more circuits including a driving inverter circuit and rectifier circuits are connected in series, each of the circuits including a high-voltage side MOSFET and a low-voltage side MOSFET connected in series as well as a smoothing capacitor having positive and negative terminals between which the MOSFETs are connected. LC series circuits, each including a capacitor and an inductor, are disposed individually between one specific circuit and the other circuits with periods of resonance of the LC series circuits made equal to one another. In performing DC/DC power conversion through charging and discharging operation of the capacitors, a resonance phenomenon of the LC series circuits is used to improve conversion efficiency and achieve a reduction in size of the apparatus structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2007Publication date: January 28, 2010Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Matahiko Ikeda, Takahiro Urakabe, Kiyoharu Anzai, Akihiko Iwata, Hirotoshi Maekawa, Toshiyuki Kikunaga, Masaru Kobayashi, Tatsuya Okuda
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Patent number: 7619907Abstract: A DC/DC power conversion device includes n-stage circuits comprised of an inverter circuit for driving which is connected between positive terminals and negative terminals of smoothing capacitors, and a rectifier circuit which is connected between positive terminals and negative terminals of smoothing capacitors; a first circuit corresponding to at least one among the n-stage circuits and configured by connecting in parallel cell circuits of m, second circuits corresponding to a plurality of remaining circuits of (n?1) among the n-stage circuits; capacitors for energy transfer connected between middle points of the cell circuits and middle points of the second circuits; and column circuits of m comprised of the cell circuits, the second circuits and the capacitors for energy transfer, wherein the middle points are contact points of high voltage sided elements and low voltage sided elements of the cell circuits and the second circuits; and driving signals for driving the respective column circuits have the samType: GrantFiled: March 31, 2008Date of Patent: November 17, 2009Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Takahiro Urakabe, Matahiko Ikeda, Masaru Kobayashi, Akihiko Iwata, Tatsuya Okuda, Hirotoshi Maekawa, Toshiyuki Kikunaga
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Publication number: 20090261793Abstract: Three or more circuits, in which series-connected low-voltage and high-voltage side switches including MOSFETs including parasitic diodes are connected across positive and negative terminals of each of smoothing capacitors, are connected in series. One of elementary series circuits, each including a capacitor and an inductor, is disposed between any adjacent two of the circuits with the elementary series circuits set to have the same period of resonance. The MOSFETs of rectifier circuits are brought into an ON state simultaneously with the MOSFETs of a driving inverter circuit and brought into an OFF state earlier than the MOSFETs of the driving inverter circuit by a period of time not exceeding a time period equal to (period of resonance)/2. A resonance phenomenon of the capacitor and the inductor is used and conduction loss in the rectifier circuits is reduced in DC/DC power conversion performed through charging and discharging operation of the capacitor.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2007Publication date: October 22, 2009Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATIONInventors: Takahiro Urakabe, Matahiko Ikeda, Akihiko Iwata, Kiyoharu Anzai, Hirotoshi Maekawa, Toshiyuki Kikunaga, Masaru Kobayashi, Tatsuya Okuda
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Patent number: 7471003Abstract: A protection operation control part switches a gate signal interruption switch for protection of power elements to a gate signal interruption side, and invalidates a switching signal from a hybrid control unit to place transistors into a nonconducting operation. A motor current signal from a motor current detector is converted into a current value by a motor current calculation unit, and is inputted to a short-circuit abnormality detection unit through a motor control arithmetic part, and a short-circuit abnormality is detected. At a time of detecting the short-circuit abnormality, an internal combustion engine operation instruction unit gives an instruction to an internal combustion engine control unit so as to limit output of an internal combustion engine, and releases a conduction state of an abnormal motor current.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2006Date of Patent: December 30, 2008Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masaru Kobayashi, Hirotoshi Maekawa, Ryoji Nishiyama, Yuji Kuramoto, Kiyoharu Anzai
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Publication number: 20080252145Abstract: A DC/DC power conversion device includes n-stage circuits comprised of an inverter circuit for driving which is connected between positive terminals and negative terminals of smoothing capacitors, and a rectifier circuit which is connected between positive terminals and negative terminals of smoothing capacitors; a first circuit corresponding to at least one among the n-stage circuits and configured by connecting in parallel cell circuits of m, second circuits corresponding to a plurality of remaining circuits of (n?1) among the n-stage circuits; capacitors for energy transfer connected between middle points of the cell circuits and middle points of the second circuits; and column circuits of m comprised of the cell circuits, the second circuits and the capacitors for energy transfer, wherein the middle points are contact points of high voltage sided elements and low voltage sided elements of the cell circuits and the second circuits; and driving signals for driving the respective column circuits have the samType: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2008Publication date: October 16, 2008Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATIONInventors: Takahiro URAKABE, Matahiko Ikeda, Masaru Kobayashi, Akihiko Iwata, Tatsuya Okuda, Hirotoshi Maekawa, Toshiyuki Kikunaga
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Publication number: 20070183130Abstract: A power conversion apparatus comprising a base 110 which includes a first fixation portion 110a and a second fixation portion 110b that are coupled to each other at a desired angle, wherein power modules IPM1, IPM2 and IPM3 are fixed on the first fixation portion 110a of the base 110, a control circuit board 10 is fixed with its first principal surface 10a held in direct or indirect touch with the second fixation portion 110b of the base 110, and components constituting a control circuit are packaged on the second principal surface 10b of the control circuit board 10. Owing to the configuration, a versatility for the installation of the power conversion apparatus on a vehicle becomes high, the vibration-proofness of the control circuit board is enhanced, and heats generated by the electronic components, etc. packaged on the control circuit board are sufficiently emitted.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2006Publication date: August 9, 2007Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATIONInventors: Hiroshi Yamabuchi, Yuji Kuramoto, Hirotoshi Maekawa, Ryoji Nishiyama
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Publication number: 20070093359Abstract: A protection operation control part switches a gate signal interruption switch for protection of power elements to a gate signal interruption side, and invalidates a switching signal from a hybrid control unit to place transistors into a nonconducting operation. A motor current signal from a motor current detector is converted into a current value by a motor current calculation unit, and is inputted to a short-circuit abnormality detection unit through a motor control arithmetic part, and a short-circuit abnormality is detected. At a time of detecting the short-circuit abnormality, an internal combustion engine operation instruction unit gives an instruction to an internal combustion engine control unit so as to limit output of an internal combustion engine, and releases a conduction state of an abnormal motor current.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 12, 2006Publication date: April 26, 2007Inventors: Masaru Kobayashi, Hirotoshi Maekawa, Ryoji Nishiyama, Yuji Kuramoto, Kiyoharu Anzai
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Publication number: 20070062674Abstract: A cooling structure includes a heat dissipation structure 20 having a heat generator 8 and a heatsink 7 that is adhered through an insulating adhesive layer 6 to at least a surface of the heat generator 8 that faces a cooling fluid 9 and made of a metal foil having the flexibility; and a fluid flow path 5 that is disposed outside of the heat dissipation structure 20 so that the cooling fluid 9 flowing inside thereof and the heatsink 7 may directly come into contact. Furthermore, on a surface of the heatsink that directly comes into contact with the cooling fluid 9, a fine recess 15 is disposed.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2006Publication date: March 22, 2007Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATIONInventors: Shigetoshi Ippoushi, Akira Yamada, Hirotoshi Maekawa, Fumiharu Yabunaka
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Patent number: 6888729Abstract: To perform a miniaturization and weight reduction of an electric power conversion apparatus, and in extension, the miniaturization of an inverter apparatus itself. In the inverter apparatus which converts a DC voltage into an AC voltage, a semiconductor device for electric power conversion, and a drive and protection circuit which drives and protects this semiconductor device for electric power conversion, and a power supply circuit which supplies power to this drive and protection circuit are integrated in the same module.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2002Date of Patent: May 3, 2005Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hirotoshi Maekawa, Syougo Matsuoka
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Patent number: 6791170Abstract: There is provided a high performance onboard semiconductor device with low manufacturing costs and low repair costs. The onboard semiconductor device includes a power chip substrate on which a power chip is mounted, a control substrate provided with an electrical part in relation to the power chip, and an outer enclosing case in which the power chip substrate and the control substrate are contained, and is characterized in that the control substrate and the outer enclosing case are removably fixed to each other.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 1999Date of Patent: September 14, 2004Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masaru Fuku, Hirotoshi Maekawa
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Publication number: 20030072117Abstract: To perform a miniaturization and weight reduction of an electric power conversion apparatus, and in extension, the miniaturization of an inverter apparatus itself. In the inverter apparatus which converts a DC voltage into an AC voltage, a semiconductor device for electric power conversion, and a drive and protection circuit which drives and protects this semiconductor device for electric power conversion, and a power supply circuit which supplies power to this drive and protection circuit are integrated in the same module.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 4, 2002Publication date: April 17, 2003Applicant: MITSUBISHI DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hirotoshi Maekawa, Syougo Matsuoka
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Patent number: 6392376Abstract: A motor controller improves reliability and enables stable and high-accuracy control by detecting a current value running through the motor detected by current detectors by preventing changes in ambient environment, particularly the influence of temperature variations. The arithmetic and control unit of the motor controller has a storage unit for storing current detection characteristic compensation data for compensating for fluctuations in the characteristics of the current detectors, a current value computing device for computing current values by correcting detection currents from the current detectors, and a device for computing and generating drive signals for controlling the switching of the power elements based on the computed current values.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2000Date of Patent: May 21, 2002Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masaru Kobayashi, Kiyoharu Anzai, Hirotoshi Maekawa
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Patent number: 6327165Abstract: A power conversion apparatus comprising a switching power module (1) for conducting power conversion in a switching manner, a plurality of smoothing capacitors (6A) for smoothing a direct-current power supply output to be applied to the switching power module (1), and a switching power module connecting wiring board (19) for establishing connection of the smoothing capacitor (6A) to the switching power module (1). A ceramic capacitor is used as the smoothing capacitors (6A). The smoothing capacitors (6A), a smoothing capacitor case (23) accommodating the ceramic capacitors and the switching power module connection wiring board (19) are integrated structurally with each other to construct a smoothing capacitor assembly (24). This smoothing capacitor assembly (24) is connected to the switching power module (1).Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2000Date of Patent: December 4, 2001Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Toshinori Yamane, Hirotoshi Maekawa
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Patent number: 6268986Abstract: In a motor control unit adapted to control each switching element of each switching arm and control the current sent to a motor, the temperature sensing diodes 19a˜19c are arranged near the switching elements and a constant current circuit 18 is connected to the temperature sensing diode. An overheat prevention means is also provided to recognize the switching element temperature by detecting a forward voltage value of the diode and to place the switching element in an OFF-state when the switching element is judged to be in an overheat condition based on the recognized temperature of the switching element.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 1999Date of Patent: July 31, 2001Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masaru Kobayashi, Hirotoshi Maekawa
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Patent number: 6215679Abstract: The present invention provides an alternator having a small size and a high reliability wherein, the alternator is equipped with a switching power module 1 having a resin case 13 housing switching elements 2 and a driving circuit section 5, a smoothing capacitor 7 for smoothing a direct current output supplied to the switching elements 2, a control circuit section 6 for outputting a control signal to the driving circuit section 5 and a cooling member 24; a ceramic capacitor is used as the smoothing capacitor; a smoothing capacitor board 25 for mounting the smoothing capacitor 7 is disposed between an insulating board mounting with the switching elements 2 and a driving circuit board 18 mounting with the driving circuit section 5; and the smoothing capacitor board 25 functions also as an electromagnetic shielding plate for protecting the driving circuit section 5 against the switching noise of the switching elements.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2000Date of Patent: April 10, 2001Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Toshinori Yamane, Hirotoshi Maekawa
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Patent number: 6181587Abstract: Conventionally, there is a problem that it is impossible to provide an analog signal detecting circuit having high reliability and long lifetime under a bad environment since a photocoupler is used for electrical insulation of a digital signal. Then, an analog signal detecting circuit is provided with a carrier wave generating unit for generating a carrier wave, a pulse width modulating unit for pulse width modulating an analog signal inputted from the signal input terminal by using the carrier wave generated by the carrier wave generating unit and for outputting a digital signal, a reverse level shift HVIC for transmitting the digital signal from one power supply system to the other power supply system, and a demodulation unit for demodulating the digital signal transmitted to the other power supply system into an analog signal and for outputting it to a signal output terminal.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2000Date of Patent: January 30, 2001Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yuuji Kuramoto, Hirotoshi Maekawa, Kiyoharu Anzai
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Patent number: 6181590Abstract: A small-sized highly reliable power inverter comprises switching elements for inverting power by switching, a drive circuit unit for driving the switching elements, smoothing capacitors for smoothing the output of a DC power source to be supplied to the switching elements, an insulated substrate for mounting the switching elements, a drive circuit board for mounting the drive circuit, and a smoothing capacitor substrate for mounting the smoothing capacitors between the insulated substrate and the drive circuit board, wherein ceramic capacitors are used as the smoothing capacitors and the smoothing capacitor substrate serves as an electromagnetic shielding plate.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 1999Date of Patent: January 30, 2001Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Toshinori Yamane, Hirotoshi Maekawa
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Patent number: 6137705Abstract: A power inverter having high reliability in a severe use environment with reduced delay in switching times and rounding of waveforms. Specifically, the power inverter utilizes switching element drive and protection circuits, and a control arithmetic unit (CAU) formed on a single substrate through a high-voltage integrated circuit. Additionally, the ground potentials (GND) of the switching element drive and protection circuits, and the CAU are made equal to the ground potentials of the switching elements and the power inversion portion of the circuit. Finally, the power inversion portion and a smoothing capacitor are constructed using the same module as the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 1999Date of Patent: October 24, 2000Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hirotoshi Maekawa, Kiyoharu Anzai, Eiji Tutiya