Patents by Inventor Kazuhiko Tani

Kazuhiko Tani 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: 9303907
    Abstract: An electric valve is provided in a supply pipe. A flow rate control unit controls the degree of opening of the electric valve such that the flow rate in the supply pipe lies within a predetermined range, on the basis of a pressure difference between pressure of refrigerant supplied to the supply pipe and the pressure of refrigerant on the suction side of a compressor. An outdoor air temperature sensor detects outdoor air temperature; and a low-pressure side pressure sensor detects refrigerant pressure on the suction side of the compressor. The pressure difference is a difference between a saturation pressure corresponding to the outdoor air temperature detected by the outdoor air temperature sensor and refrigerant pressure detected by the low-pressure side pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Kawano, Masahiro Oka, Kazuhiko Tani, Atsushi Okamoto
  • Patent number: 9187069
    Abstract: To prevent deterioration of sports driving performance due to the actuation of an ABS in a front-wheel and rear-wheel interlocking brake system of a brake-by-wire system. A brake interlock determining portion starts a front-wheel brake when input hydraulic pressure by a brake operation (pedal operation) on a rear-wheel becomes equal to or greater than an interlocking brake starting pressure value. A threshold selecting switch allows switching of the interlocking brake starting pressure value between when the ABS is active and when the ABS is inactive. When the ABS is active, a lower pressure value is selected as the interlocking brake starting pressure value. When the ABS is inactive, an upper pressure value is selected as the interlocking brake starting pressure value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Nishikawa, Kazuya Takenouchi, Takehiko Nanri, Kazuhiko Tani
  • Publication number: 20150300662
    Abstract: Provided is an air conditioner which comprises multiple outdoor units, the air conditioner being configured so that, with the use of a low cost configuration, required refrigeration machine oil is supplied to all the outdoor units through refrigerant piping and so that the air conditioner has increased reliability. An air conditioner is provided with multiple indoor units and with four outdoor units which are connected to the multiple indoor units through refrigerant piping. A line of first refrigerant piping leading from the multiple indoor units is branched into two lines of second refrigerant piping, each of the two lines of second refrigerant piping is branched into two lines of third refrigerant piping, and the four lines of third refrigerant piping are respectively connected to the four outdoor units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: Hitachi Appliances, Inc.
    Inventors: Koji NAITO, Yasutaka YOSHIDA, Kazumoto URATA, Hiroyuki KAWAGUCHI, Yuki FURUTA, Kazuhiko TANI
  • Patent number: 9139176
    Abstract: A brake device 10 for a motorcycle is capable of electrically performing driving so as to control a front wheel brake caliper 16 and a rear wheel brake caliper 18 in response to each operation of a brake lever 12 and a brake pedal 14 and is configured so that the rear wheel brake caliper 18 and the front wheel brake caliper 16 can be combined based on the operation of the brake pedal 14. The brake device 10 performs correction of a target hydraulic pressure acting on the front wheel brake caliper 16 using a prescribed preset function in such a manner as to give a braking force smaller than a braking force corresponding to an additional operation of the brake lever 12 when the brake lever 12 is additionally operated in the state where the brake pedal 14 is operated and the front wheel brake caliper 16 is generating braking force in combination with the rear wheel brake caliper 18.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Nishikawa, Kazuya Takenouchi, Takehiko Nanri, Kazuhiko Tani
  • Patent number: 9067574
    Abstract: A hydraulic modulator including a motor having a motor housing, a stator, a rotor, and a motor shaft. A power transmitting mechanism is provided for transmitting the power of the motor to the outside thereof. A master cylinder includes a piston linearly movable by the power transmitted by the power transmitting mechanism. The master cylinder is arranged so as to overlap the motor housing in such a manner that the axis of the master cylinder is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the motor shaft. The master cylinder is arranged on one side of the motor housing in the range corresponding to the axial length of the motor shaft. The length of the hydraulic modulator along the motor shaft falls within the axial length of the motor shaft, so that the hydraulic modulator can be reduced in size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Nishikawa, Kazuhiko Tani, Makoto Toda
  • Patent number: 8899056
    Abstract: An air conditioner includes a compressor, first and second heat exchangers connected with high pressure piping, low pressure piping connecting the second heat exchanger to a compressor suction port, a pressure reducing mechanism arranged to reduce pressure in the high pressure piping, a bypass passageway, a vessel connected to the bypass passageway, and first and second opening/closing mechanisms. The first heat exchanger is connected to a compressor discharge port. The bypass passageway is arranged to divert refrigerant from the high pressure piping to the low pressure piping without passing through the second heat exchanger. The first opening/closing mechanism is arranged to open/close a first portion of the bypass passageway that connects the high pressure piping to the vessel. The second opening/closing mechanism is arranged to open/close a second portion of the bypass passageway that connects an upper part of the vessel to the low pressure piping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Kawano, Masahiro Oka, Kazuhiko Tani, Atsushi Okamoto
  • Patent number: 8881878
    Abstract: A brake device for a vehicle includes a brake pedal rotatably supported on a support shaft and extending in a front ward direction from the support shaft in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. A master cylinder is located on the rear side of the support shaft in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle for generating a braking hydraulic pressure according to the rotational operation of the brake pedal. An operational amount detector is mechanically connected to the brake pedal for detecting the rotational amount of the brake pedal. The master cylinder includes an axis that is arranged vertically and is located above the support shaft with the operational amount detector being located on the rear side of the support shaft in the longitudinal direction of the motorcycle. Thus, the master cylinder and the operational amount detector can be densely arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Nishikawa, Makoto Toda, Kazuhiko Tani
  • Publication number: 20140293245
    Abstract: A projector includes a first dimming control that adjusts brightness of a projected light and a second dimming control that adjusts the brightness of the projected light separately from the first dimming control. When the brightness of the projected light is adjusted by combining the first dimming control and the second dimming control, one of the first dimming control or the second dimming control controls a direction of decreasing the brightness of the projected light before the other of the first dimming control or the second dimming control controls a direction of increasing the brightness of the projected light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Tani
  • Patent number: 8424979
    Abstract: A reduction in size, weight and cost of a brake system of a motorcycle provided with a circulating-type ABS is achieved by a brake system provided with a circulating-type ABS and a by-wire-type brake system. In the brake system, solenoid valves, hydraulic pressure sensors, accumulators and pumps are integrated into a unit, and concurrently stroke simulators are attached to the unit as separate bodies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Tani
  • Publication number: 20130067944
    Abstract: An operation control apparatus of air-conditioning apparatus having an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, includes a controller programmed to execute energy conservation control of the air conditioning apparatus. The controller includes at least one required temperature calculation part calculating a required evaporation temperature or a required condensation temperature based on either a current amount, of heat exchanged in a usage-side heat exchanger of the indoor unit and a greater amount of heat exchanged in the usage-side heat exchanger than the current amount, or an operating state amount that yields the current amount of heat exchanged in the usage-side heat exchanger and an operating state amount that yields the greater amount of heat exchanged in the usage-side heat exchanger than the current amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kousuke Kibo, Kazuhiko Tani, Masahiro Oka, Shinichi Kasahara, Yasuyuki Aisaka, Shingo Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 8369681
    Abstract: When a mark key of a remote control is pressed by a user during fast-forward reproduction of video images and audio sounds, a system control unit searches a position of a video image which is presumed as a scene change closest to and on rewind side from the position of the video image reproduced at the time the mark key is pressed. This search is performed, based on rate of change in amount of data (bit rate) of the compressed video data used per unit time to generate the video signals by a video and audio signal processing unit. The system control unit then sets, as a mark position, the position of the video image presumed as the scene change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Takagi, Kazuhiko Tani
  • Patent number: 8280557
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes first and second outdoor units having first and second outdoor heat exchangers and first and second heat source-side degree of subcooling adjustment devices configured to adjust first and second degrees of subcooling in outlet sides of the first and second outdoor heat exchangers, respectively. First and second outdoor-side determination units are configured to determine first and second degrees of subcooling, respectively. A controller is configured to control the first and second heat source-side degree of subcooling adjustment devices, respectively, such that a difference between the first degree of subcooling and the second degree of subcooling is reduced when refrigerant is charged into a refrigerant circuit having the first outdoor heat exchanger and the second outdoor heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Kawano, Masahiro Oka, Kazuhiko Tani, Atsushi Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20120145493
    Abstract: A brake device for a vehicle includes a brake pedal rotatably supported on a support shaft and extending in a front ward direction from the support shaft in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. A master cylinder is located on the rear side of the support shaft in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle for generating a braking hydraulic pressure according to the rotational operation of the brake pedal. An operational amount detector is mechanically connected to the brake pedal for detecting the rotational amount of the brake pedal. The master cylinder includes an axis that is arranged vertically and is located above the support shaft with the operational amount detector being located on the rear side of the support shaft in the longitudinal direction of the motorcycle. Thus, the master cylinder and the operational amount detector can be densely arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Inventors: Yutaka Nishikawa, Makoto Toda, Kazuhiko Tani
  • Publication number: 20120148428
    Abstract: A hydraulic modulator including a motor having a motor housing, a stator, a rotor, and a motor shaft. A power transmitting mechanism is provided for transmitting the power of the motor to the outside thereof. A master cylinder includes a piston linearly movable by the power transmitted by the power transmitting mechanism. The master cylinder is arranged so as to overlap the motor housing in such a manner that the axis of the master cylinder is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the motor shaft. The master cylinder is arranged on one side of the motor housing in the range corresponding to the axial length of the motor shaft. The length of the hydraulic modulator along the motor shaft falls within the axial length of the motor shaft, so that the hydraulic modulator can be reduced in size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Inventors: Yutaka NISHIKAWA, Kazuhiko Tani, Makoto Toda
  • Patent number: 8186771
    Abstract: A stroke simulator in a brake system includes a cylinder body, a piston movably inserted in the cylinder body, and a second elastic member adapted to be pressed by the piston. It functions to give a simulative operational feel to a brake lever by operating the brake lever to generate a fluid pressure in a front wheel master cylinder and transmit this fluid pressure to the cylinder body, thereby deforming the second elastic member through the piston, and wherein annular recesses are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the second elastic member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaie Kato, Kazuya Takenouchi, Yutaka Nishikawa, Masatsugu Nishimura, Kazuhiko Tani, Yoko Uno
  • Patent number: 7938495
    Abstract: A motorcycle brake system enables a smooth switching to a hydraulic loss simulator to provide an improved feeling of braking operation. A brake operating unit includes a brake caliper, an electromagnetic on-off valve (V1) which blocks a main brake passage, a pressure sensor, a hydraulic modulator, and a hydraulic loss simulator. The brake system allocates a braking force to front and rear wheels by controlling the hydraulic modulator based on a result of detection by the pressure sensor. The brake operating unit has a brake light switch for detecting the starting of operation thereof, actuates an electromagnetic on-off valve (V1) to block the main brake passage based on a result of detection by the brake light switch, and unblocks the main brake passage when a predetermined amount of time elapses without any input made to the pressure sensor in a standby state with the main brake passage blocked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co.,
    Inventors: Kazuya Takenouchi, Masanobu Nakayama, Hideo Takahashi, Kazuhiko Tani, Masaie Kato, Yutaka Nishikawa
  • Publication number: 20110043031
    Abstract: To prevent deterioration of sports driving performance due to the actuation of an ABS in a front-wheel and rear-wheel interlocking brake system of a brake-by-wire system. A brake interlock determining portion starts a front-wheel brake when input hydraulic pressure by a brake operation (pedal operation) on a rear-wheel becomes equal to or greater than an interlocking brake starting pressure value. A threshold selecting switch allows switching of the interlocking brake starting pressure value between when the ABS is active and when the ABS is inactive. When the ABS is active, a lower pressure value is selected as the interlocking brake starting pressure value. When the ABS is inactive, an upper pressure value is selected as the interlocking brake starting pressure value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Nishikawa, Kazuya Takenouchi, Takehiko Nanri, Kazuhiko Tani
  • Publication number: 20110024249
    Abstract: A braking device for the motorcycle is configured to permit actuation control in an interlocking manner of a rear-wheel brake caliper and a front-wheel brake caliper based on an operation of a brake pedal. The braking device includes a hydraulic pressure detector for detecting rear-wheel brake hydraulic pressure caused by the operation of the brake pedal; a determining portion that determines whether or not a detected value by the hydraulic pressure detector is a predetermined value or more; and a hydraulic pressure controller that, when it is determined by the determining portion that the detected value is the predetermined value or more, changes a rising rate of the rear-wheel brake hydraulic pressure to a value lower than a rising rate during a period until the time when the rear-wheel brake hydraulic pressure reaches the predetermined value to control the rear-wheel brake hydraulic pressure, and also controls front-wheel brake hydraulic pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Inventors: Yutaka NISHIKAWA, Kazuya Takenouchi, Takehiko Nanri, Kazuhiko Tani
  • Patent number: 7857397
    Abstract: A braking system includes first and second electromagnetic opening valves and a bleeding mode setting unit. The first electromagnetic opening and closing valve is provided to a first brake fluid channel to communicate or block a first fluid pressure from a master cylinder to a wheel brake. The second electromagnetic opening and closing valve is provided to a second brake fluid channel to communicate or block a second fluid pressure from a power unit to the wheel brake. The bleeding mode setting unit is provided to set a bleeding mode in which each of the first and second electromagnetic opening and closing valves is opened and closed in order to perform an air-bleeding from each of the first and second brake fluid channels. The determining unit is provided to determine whether or not the bleeding mode setting unit is allowed to set the bleeding mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiko Nanri, Kazuya Takenouchi, Makoto Toda, Kazuhiko Tani
  • Patent number: 7841671
    Abstract: To enhance a brake feel of a motorcycle adopting a combined brake system. In a braking device for adjusting hydraulic pressure supplied to a brake caliper at a rear wheel according to hydraulic pressure at a front wheel produced by a brake operation at the front wheel of a motorcycle, a pattern for adjusting a brake caliper pressure at the rear wheel is different between a case when a temporal increasing rate of master cylinder pressure at the front wheel is equal to or exceeds a predetermined value and a case when the temporal increasing rate is below the predetermined value. Further, to provide a braking device for a motorcycle wherein a variation of a vertical load of a rear wheel when a brake is applied at a front wheel is inhibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanobu Nakayama, Kazuya Takenouchi, Kazuhiko Tani