Patents by Inventor Masaki Kawachi

Masaki Kawachi 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: 7721563
    Abstract: An apparatus for calculating torque of a variable capacity compressor, including: a sensor configured to detect internal and external states of an air conditioner; an OFF-torque calculator configured to calculate and store a steady-state torque according to a state detected by the sensor just before a clutch is turned off; a start torque calculator configured to calculate a start torque according to a state detected by the sensor after the clutch is turned on; a steady-state full-stroke calculator configured to calculate a steady-state full-stroke torque based on an assumption that the compressor was in a full-stroke-state according to a state detected by the sensor after the clutch is turned on; and a determiner configured to provide, when an elapsed time after the clutch is turned on is less than a predetermined time, a maximum one of the torque values calculated by the OFF-torque calculator, start torque calculator, and steady-state full-stroke calculator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignees: Calsonic Kansei Corporation, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiji Takahashi, Masaki Kawachi, Masanori Ogawa, Hirofumi Muto, Daisuke Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20090145293
    Abstract: A tilting plate type compressor includes: cylinder bores; a crank chamber; a drive shaft rotatably supported by a bearing provided within a bearing cavity; a tilting plate provided within the crank chamber and capable of swingably rotating due to a rotation of the drive shaft; and pistons capable of reciprocating within the cylinder bores due to swingably rotating of the tilting plate; an extraction path communicating between the crank chamber and a suction chamber; and an intake path communicating between the crank chamber and a discharge chamber. The extraction path includes an intra-axis path provided within the drive shaft and opens into the bearing cavity. The intake path opens into the bearing cavity and communicates with the crank chamber via the bearing cavity. According to the compressor, it can be prevented much as possible that oil leaks from the crank chamber through the extraction path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Inventors: Masaki KAWACHI, Yasuhiro Sakurai, Keigo Usui
  • Publication number: 20060272343
    Abstract: An apparatus for calculating torque of a variable capacity compressor, including: a sensor configured to detect internal and external states of an air conditioner; an OFF-torque calculator configured to calculate and store a steady-state torque according to a state detected by the sensor just before a clutch is turned off; a start torque calculator configured to calculate a start torque according to a state detected by the sensor after the clutch is turned on; a steady-state full-stroke calculator configured to calculate a steady-state full-stroke torque based on an assumption that the compressor was in a full-stroke-state according to a state detected by the sensor after the clutch is turned on; and a determiner configured to provide, when an elapsed time after the clutch is turned on is less than a predetermined time, a maximum one of the torque values calculated by the OFF-torque calculator, start torque calculator, and steady-state full-stroke calculator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2006
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Inventors: Eiji Takahashi, Masaki Kawachi, Masanori Ogawa, Hirofumi Muto, Daisuke Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20060275145
    Abstract: An apparatus for calculating torque of a variable capacity compressor is provided. The compressor includes a suction chamber, a discharge chamber, a piston to draw coolant from the suction chamber, compress the drawn coolant, and discharge the compressed coolant into the discharge chamber, a clutch to be turned on to transmit driving force from a driving source to the piston so that the piston operates and to be turned off to disconnect the driving force of the driving source from the piston so that the piston stops, and a pressure adjuster to adjust a back pressure introduced from the discharge chamber to the back of the piston and thereby adjust a piston stroke.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2006
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Inventors: Eiji Takahashi, Masaki Kawachi, Masanori Ogawa, Morio Sekizuka
  • Patent number: 6942465
    Abstract: A compressor is disclosed having a gas extraction passage, internally formed in a drive shaft and continuously communicating with a crank chamber and a suction chamber, that has an inlet portion, to be exposed to the crank chamber, is formed in the drive shaft in a radial direction. As a result, mist-like oil accompanied by blow-by gas tending to flow into the gas extraction passage initially impinges upon and adheres to an inner peripheral surface of the inlet portion of the gas extraction passage due to rotational movement of the drive shaft. Namely, oil separation (gas-liquid separation) occurs at the inlet portion of the gas extraction passage. Then, oil separated from the blow-by gas at the inlet portion of the gas extraction passage is forcibly returned to the crank chamber due to a centrifugal force caused by rotational movement of the drive shaft. Accordingly, the compressor has a structure in which oil accompanied by blow-by gas is hard to escape the suction chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Kawachi, Masanori Ogawa, Hiroyuki Makishima, Hiroshi Kageyama, Susumu Higano
  • Patent number: 6883340
    Abstract: A vehicle air conditioning control apparatus having an externally controlled type compressor 3 and an externally controlled type cooling electric fan 9 is disclosed in which a control map, for determining a duty ratio for a fan motor 10 in terms of a compressor discharge pressure Pd, is determined based on the maximum efficiency point, for providing the maximum fuel consumption, that allows a total engine load torque, represented by a total sum of an engine load torque caused by the externally controlled type compressor 3 and an engine load torque caused by a fan motor 10, to be a minimum torque, and a duty voltage to be applied to the fan motor 10 is controlled using the compressor outlet pressure Pd and the control map which is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuichi Hirose, Hiroyasu Nadamoto, Kazuo Masuko, Noriyuki Okawa, Masaki Kawachi, Saburo Watanabe, Kaoru Sato, Takeshi Sekine
  • Publication number: 20040031277
    Abstract: A vehicle air conditioning control apparatus having an externally controlled type compressor 3 and an externally controlled type cooling electric fan 9 is disclosed in which a control map, for determining a duty ratio for a fan motor 10 in terms of a compressor discharge pressure Pd, is determined based on the maximum efficiency point, for providing the maximum fuel consumption, that allows a total engine load torque, represented by a total sum of an engine load torque caused by the externally controlled type compressor 3 and an engine load torque caused by a fan motor 10, to be a minimum torque, and a duty voltage to be applied to the fan motor 10 is controlled using the compressor outlet pressure Pd and the control map which is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2003
    Publication date: February 19, 2004
    Applicant: CALSONIC KANSEI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryuichi Hirose, Hiroyasu Nadamoto, Kazuo Masuko, Noriyuki Okawa, Masaki Kawachi, Saburo Watanabe, Kaoru Sato, Takeshi Sekine
  • Publication number: 20040005223
    Abstract: A compressor is disclosed having a gas extraction passage, internally formed in a drive shaft and continuously communicating with a crank chamber and a suction chamber, that has an inlet portion, to be exposed to the crank chamber, is formed in the drive shaft in a radial direction. As a result, mist-like oil accompanied by blow-by gas tending to flow into the gas extraction passage initially impinges upon and adheres to an inner peripheral surface of the inlet portion of the gas extraction passage due to rotational movement of the drive shaft. Namely, oil separation (gas-liquid separation) occurs at the inlet portion of the gas extraction passage. Then, oil separated from the blow-by gas at the inlet portion of the gas extraction passage is forcibly returned to the crank chamber due to a centrifugal force caused by rotational movement of the drive shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2003
    Publication date: January 8, 2004
    Applicant: CALSONIC KANSEI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaki Kawachi, Masanori Ogawa, Hiroyuki Makishima, Hiroshi Kageyama, Susumu Higano
  • Patent number: 6500085
    Abstract: A device includes a power-transmission pulley rotatably mounted on an automotive accessory housing, a drive plate fixedly connected to a rotating shaft of the accessory, and shear pins which connect the pulley and the drive plate. The shear pins each have a notched portion and a flanged portion which is offset from the notched portion and which is sandwiched between the pulley and the drive plate. The diameter of shear-pin insertion holes formed in the drive plate is larger than the shear pins which are fixedly connected to the pulley. The shear pins are fixedly connected to the drive plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2002
    Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
    Inventor: Masaki Kawachi
  • Patent number: 6481977
    Abstract: A swashplate type variable-displacement compressor includes a compressor housing defining therein a crank chamber, a refrigerant suction chamber, a refrigerant discharge chamber, and a low-pressure refrigerant passage connected to an evaporator outlet, and a pressure regulator. The pressure regulator controls the amount of low-pressure refrigerant gas flowing into the refrigerant suction chamber by regulating a differential pressure between the pressure in the refrigerant suction chamber and the pressure in the crank chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuo Mameda, Masaki Kawachi
  • Patent number: 6435074
    Abstract: In a swash plate type compressor comprising a piston 4 slidably received in a cylinder bore disposed parallel with the driving shaft and a swash plate 2 obliquely attached to the driving shaft and engaged by the piston 4 through a bearing device, the bearing device comprises a spherical seat 4b composed of a single concave surface formed in the piston 4, and a substantially hemispherical shoe 10 contacting the spherical seat 4b, the outer peripheral surface of the shoe 10 being composed of a skirt portion 12, a top portion 16 having a larger radius of curvature, R2, than that R of the spherical seat 4b, and a transition portion 14 contacting the spherical seat 4b between the skirt portion 12 and the top portion 16 and having a smaller radius of curvature, R3, than that R of the spherical seat 4b.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Tadahisa Tanaka, Toshikatsu Miyaji, Masaki Kawachi
  • Patent number: 6332329
    Abstract: When a solenoid 42 of a flow-rate control valve drive mechanism is demagnetized, a pilot valve 41 is closed for introduction of working pressure into a pressure chamber 35 of a flow-rate control valve 31 to be stopped, and a spool valve 33 is closed for a low-pressure side refrigerant path 25 to be closed and for a refrigerant suction rate to a refrigerant suction chamber 7 to be reduced to a zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
    Inventors: Kouetsu Takehana, Masanori Ogawa, Shinichiro Higashihara, Masaki Kawachi, Hiroyuki Makishima
  • Publication number: 20010016529
    Abstract: A mechanical device for transmitting power includes a power-transmission pulley rotatably mounted on a housing of an automotive accessory, a drive plate fixedly connected to a shaft end of a rotating shaft of the automotive accessory, and a plurality of shear pins via which the pulley and the drive plate are joined to each other. Each of the shear pins has a notched portion between opposing faces of the pulley and the drive plate, and a flanged portion formed at a position being offset from the notched portion toward the drive plate and interleaved between the pulley and the drive plate so that the notched portion adjoins the flanged portion and that both side walls of the flanged portion abut the opposing faces of the pulley and the drive plate. An inside diameter of each of a plurality of shear-pin insertion holes formed in the drive plate, is dimensioned to be larger than an outside diameter of each of the shear pins fixedly connected to the pulley, for easy assembling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Publication date: August 23, 2001
    Applicant: CALSONIC KANSEI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masaki Kawachi
  • Publication number: 20010016168
    Abstract: A swashplate type variable-displacement compressor includes a compressor housing defining therein a crank chamber, a refrigerant suction chamber, a refrigerant discharge chamber, and a low-pressure refrigerant passage connected to an evaporator outlet, and a pressure regulator. The pressure regulator controls the amount of low-pressure refrigerant gas flowing into the refrigerant suction chamber by regulating a differential pressure between the pressure in the refrigerant suction chamber and the pressure in the crank chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2001
    Publication date: August 23, 2001
    Applicant: CALSONIC KANSEI CORPORTION
    Inventors: Yasuo Mameda, Masaki Kawachi
  • Patent number: 6179571
    Abstract: A swash plate type compressor comprises a case; a drive shaft rotatably installed in the case; a drive plate fixed to the drive shaft to rotate therewith; a sleeve axially slidably disposed on the drive shaft; a journal pivotally mounted on the sleeve; a swash plate disposed on the journal to move therewith; and a transmission/hinge mechanism arranged between the drive plate and the journal to transmit the rotation of the drive shaft to the journal permitting the pivotal movement of the journal relative to said sleeve. The transmission/hinge mechanism includes a first arm projected from the drive plate and having an elongate through hole; two spaced second arms projected from the journal, the second arms being so spaced as to intimately put therebetween the first arm, the second arms having cylindrical bores which are aligned; and a pin including a middle portion slidably received in the elongate through hole and axially opposed end portions press-fitted in the cylindrical bores of the second arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Kawachi, Toshikatsu Miyaji
  • Patent number: 6120259
    Abstract: A swash plate type compressor comprises a case including a cylindrical cylinder block; a drive shaft installed in the case and rotatable about its axis; a swash plate carried by the drive shaft s and rotatable together therewith; a cylindrical rear housing having refrigerant intake and exhaust chambers defined therein; and a sealing structure arranged between the cylinder block and the rear housing to assure a hermetical sealing therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Calsonic Corporation
    Inventors: Toshikatsu Miyaji, Masaki Kawachi
  • Patent number: 6095030
    Abstract: A swash plate type variable displacement compressor for refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle of an air conditioning system for an automotive vehicle. The compressor comprises a drive shaft around which a journal is movably disposed around so as to be rotatable with the drive shaft. The journal has a generally cylindrical boss section which has an external thread portion, and a flange section. A swash plate is provided for converting a rotational motion of the drive shaft into a linear motion of the pistons. The swash plate is fixedly mounted on the boss section of the journal and has an internal thread portion which is engaged with the external thread portion of the boss section. The swash plate includes a generally cylindrical thick central section having the internal thread portion, and a peripheral section integral with the central section and having an axial dimension smaller than the central section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: Calsonic Corporation
    Inventor: Masaki Kawachi