Patents by Inventor Kota Sakamoto

Kota Sakamoto 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: 20240083218
    Abstract: A cabin heating circuit includes a first pump, a heat source, and a heater core. A battery heating circuit includes a first flow path that branches off from the cabin heating circuit at a three-way flow control valve. The battery heating circuit further includes a second flow path that is independent of the first flow path. The first flow path and the second flow path are thermally coupled by a heat exchanger. The second flow path includes the heat exchanger, a second pump, and a battery heat exchanger. The control unit adjusts an output of the heat source, an opening degree of the three-way flow control valve, an output of the first pump, and an output of the second pump. If a cabin and a battery are heated simultaneously, the control unit regulates the output of the first pump and/or the output of the second pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: Zhaoliang XU, Nan Li, Xiaohua Xu, Kai Wu, Kota Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 11345386
    Abstract: A steering column device includes a steering shaft; and a steering column. The steering column includes a housing, a cover, and a sealing member. The housing includes an inclined portion having an inclined surface with an inside diameter increasing from a first side to a second side, the inclined surface contacting the sealing member from the first side. The cover includes a facing portion having a facing surface contacting the sealing member from the second side, and an insertion portion having an outer peripheral surface contacting the sealing member from an inner peripheral side. The sealing member is accommodated in an accommodation space defined by the inclined surface, the facing surface, and the outer peripheral surface. An escape space continuous with the accommodation space is provided between the housing and the cover, the escape space being located closer to the first side than the inclined surface is.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kota Sakamoto
  • Publication number: 20210323597
    Abstract: A steering column device includes a steering shaft; and a steering column. The steering column includes a housing, a cover, and a sealing member. The housing includes an inclined portion having an inclined surface with an inside diameter increasing from a first side to a second side, the inclined surface contacting the sealing member from the first side. The cover includes a facing portion having a facing surface contacting the sealing member from the second side, and an insertion portion having an outer peripheral surface contacting the sealing member from an inner peripheral side. The sealing member is accommodated in an accommodation space defined by the inclined surface, the facing surface, and the outer peripheral surface. An escape space continuous with the accommodation space is provided between the housing and the cover, the escape space being located closer to the first side than the inclined surface is.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2021
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kota SAKAMOTO
  • Patent number: 10589597
    Abstract: A vehicle air conditioner includes a refrigeration cycle unit, a heater core, a cool air bypass passage, an air volume ratio regulator, and an auxiliary heat exchanger. The heater core is disposed in a heating passage located downstream of an evaporator with respect to an airflow. The auxiliary heat exchanger is provided in the refrigeration cycle unit. The evaporator includes a cold energy storage. The cold energy storage stores cold energy when the compressor is in operation, and dissipate cold energy while the compressor stops. The auxiliary heat exchanger is located downstream of the evaporator and upstream of the heater core with respect to the airflow. The auxiliary heat exchanger changes enthalpy of refrigerant by heat exchange between the refrigerant and air having been cooled by the evaporator and to be heated by the heater core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Yamada, Shin Nishida, Kota Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 10406889
    Abstract: A heater core for exchanging heat between a coolant and ventilation air to be blown into a vehicle interior is disposed in a high-pressure side heat-medium circulation circuit that allows for circulation of the coolant heated by a heat pump cycle. A radiator for exchanging heat between at least a part of the coolant flowing out of the heater core and a low-pressure refrigerant in the heat pump cycle is disposed in a low-pressure side heat-medium circulation circuit coupled to the high-pressure side heat-medium circulation circuit. Thus, excessive heat included in the coolant flowing out of the heater core and which is not used to heat the ventilation air can suppress frost formation on an exterior heat exchanger and can also defrost the exterior heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kota Sakamoto, Satoshi Itoh
  • Patent number: 10226980
    Abstract: A system for cooling a battery. The system has a cabin cooling refrigerant pathway including an orifice tube through which refrigerant flows to an evaporator. A battery cooling refrigerant pathway includes a thermal expansion valve (TXV) through which refrigerant flows to a chiller. An accumulator is in receipt of refrigerant from both the cabin cooling refrigerant pathway and the battery cooling refrigerant pathway. A battery coolant loop includes a coolant pathway for directing coolant from the chiller to the battery to cool the battery. The coolant is cooled by the chiller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Zhiwei Shan, Kota Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 10155428
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle device has a compressor, a radiator, an auxiliary heat exchanger, a decompressor, an evaporator, and an interior heat exchanger. The auxiliary heat exchanger performs a heat exchange between refrigerant and air and causes the refrigerant to radiate heat. The evaporator performs a heat exchange between air and refrigerant after being decompressed in the decompressor before the air is heated in the auxiliary heat exchanger. The interior heat exchanger has a first heat exchanging portion and a second heat exchanging portion and performs a heat exchange between refrigerant flowing in the first heat exchanging portion and refrigerant flowing in the second heat exchanging portion. The first heat exchanging portion is disposed in a refrigerant path between the radiator and the decompressor and is connected to the auxiliary heat exchanger in series. The second heat exchanging portion is disposed in a refrigerant path between the evaporator and the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kota Sakamoto, Shin Nishida, Michio Nishikawa
  • Publication number: 20180319244
    Abstract: A vehicle air conditioner includes a refrigeration cycle unit, a heater core, a cool air bypass passage, an air volume ratio regulator, and an auxiliary heat exchanger. The heater core is disposed in a heating passage located downstream of an evaporator with respect to an airflow. The auxiliary heat exchanger is provided in the refrigeration cycle unit. The evaporator includes a cold energy storage configured to store cold energy. The cold energy storage stores cold energy when the compressor is in operation, and dissipate cold energy while the compressor stops. The auxiliary heat exchanger is located downstream of the evaporator and upstream of the heater core with respect to the airflow. The auxiliary heat exchanger is configured to change enthalpy of refrigerant by heat exchange between the refrigerant and air having been cooled by the evaporator and to be heated by the heater core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Inventors: Atsushi YAMADA, Shin NISHIDA, Kota SAKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20170326947
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle device has a compressor, a radiator, an auxiliary heat exchanger, a decompressor, an evaporator, and an interior heat exchanger. The auxiliary heat exchanger performs a heat exchange between refrigerant and air and causes the refrigerant to radiate heat. The evaporator performs a heat exchange between air and refrigerant after being decompressed in the decompressor before the air is heated in the auxiliary heat exchanger. The interior heat exchanger has a first heat exchanging portion and a second heat exchanging portion and performs a heat exchange between refrigerant flowing in the first heat exchanging portion and refrigerant flowing in the second heat exchanging portion. The first heat exchanging portion is disposed in a refrigerant path between the radiator and the decompressor and is connected to the auxiliary heat exchanger in series. The second heat exchanging portion is disposed in a refrigerant path between the evaporator and the compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Inventors: Kota SAKAMOTO, Shin NISHIDA, Michio NISHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20170297407
    Abstract: A system for cooling a battery. The system has a cabin cooling refrigerant pathway including an orifice tube through which refrigerant flows to an evaporator. A battery cooling refrigerant pathway includes a thermal expansion valve (TXV) through which refrigerant flows to a chiller. An accumulator is in receipt of refrigerant from both the cabin cooling refrigerant pathway and the battery cooling refrigerant pathway. A battery coolant loop includes a coolant pathway for directing coolant from the chiller to the battery to cool the battery. The coolant is cooled by the chiller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Zhiwei SHAN, Kota SAKAMOTO
  • Patent number: 9605883
    Abstract: A heat pump cycle includes a refrigerant circuit and a coolant circuit. A first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger are disposed between the refrigerant circuit and the coolant circuit. The first heat exchanger includes an exterior heat exchanger that functions as an evaporator in a heating operation, and a radiator for radiating heat of a coolant. The second heat exchanger transmits a heat of high-pressure refrigerant to the coolant in the heating operation. A temperature of refrigerant within the second heat exchanger is higher than a temperature of refrigerant within the first heat exchanger. The heat obtained from the second heat exchanger is supplied to the first heat exchanger through the coolant. Further, the heat obtained from the second heat exchanger is stored in the coolant. In defrosting operation, the coolant that has stored the heat therein is supplied to the first heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiki Katoh, Kota Sakamoto, Yuuichi Kami
  • Publication number: 20160297283
    Abstract: A heater core for exchanging heat between a coolant and ventilation air to be blown into a vehicle interior is disposed in a high-pressure side heat-medium circulation circuit that allows for circulation of the coolant heated by a heat pump cycle. A radiator for exchanging heat between at least a part of the coolant flowing out of the heater core and a low-pressure refrigerant in the heat pump cycle is disposed in a low-pressure side heat-medium circulation circuit coupled to the high-pressure side heat-medium circulation circuit. Thus, excessive heat included in the coolant flowing out of the heater core and which is not used to heat the ventilation air can suppress frost formation on an exterior heat exchanger and can also defrost the exterior heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Applicant: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kota SAKAMOTO, Satoshi ITOH
  • Publication number: 20140318170
    Abstract: A heat pump cycle includes a refrigerant circuit and a coolant circuit. A first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger are disposed between the refrigerant circuit and the coolant circuit. The first heat exchanger includes an exterior heat exchanger that functions as an evaporator in a heating operation, and a radiator for radiating heat of a coolant. The second heat exchanger transmits a heat of high-pressure refrigerant to the coolant in the heating operation. A temperature of refrigerant within the second heat exchanger is higher than a temperature of refrigerant within the first heat exchanger. The heat obtained from the second heat exchanger is supplied to the first heat exchanger through the coolant. Further, the heat obtained from the second heat exchanger is stored in the coolant. In defrosting operation, the coolant that has stored the heat therein is supplied to the first heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventors: Yoshiki Katoh, Kota Sakamoto, Yuuichi Kami