Patents by Inventor Nobuaki Kobayashi

Nobuaki Kobayashi 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: 9322375
    Abstract: A fuel injection valve realizing improved circumferential uniformity of swirling fuel is provided. The fuel injection valve includes swirling chambers each having an inner peripheral wall whose curvature is gradually larger from upstream to downstream, paths for swirling each of which, having a fuel flow-in region formed along a valve axis direction, guides fuel to the associated one of the swirling chambers, and fuel injection orifices open into the associated swirling chambers, respectively. In the fuel injection valve, a curved portion is formed on the bottom, in a sectional view along the valve axis direction, of an inlet portion of each of the paths for swirling so as to change the fuel flow in each of the paths for swirling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Okamoto, Kazuki Yoshimura, Noriyuki Maekawa, Nobuaki Kobayashi, Eiji Ishii, Takahiro Saito
  • Patent number: 9309853
    Abstract: A fuel injection valve which has: swirl chambers each having an inner wall whose curvature is gradually increased from upstream to downstream along fuel flow; passages for swirling motion, the passages permitting introduction of fuel into the swirl chambers; fuel injection holes opening into the swirl chambers and including at least two narrow-angle injection holes and a wide-angle injection hole from which at least two narrow-angle sprays and a wide-angle spray are respectively ejected; and an orifice plate provided with the injection holes. The narrow-angle injection holes are spaced a given distance from the center of the orifice plate. The wide-angle injection hole is formed on a line perpendicularly intersecting a line segment that interconnects the centers of the narrow-angle injection holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Okamoto, Yoshihito Yasukawa, Noriyuki Maekawa, Nobuaki Kobayashi, Takahiro Saito
  • Patent number: 9284929
    Abstract: An electromagnetic fuel injection valve includes: a valve element which closes a fuel passage by coming into contact with a valve seat and opens the fuel passage by going away from the valve seat; an electromagnet which includes a coil and a magnetic core formed as a drive portion for driving the valve element; a movable element which is held by the valve element in a state where the movable element is displaceable in the direction of a drive force of the valve element relative to the valve element; a first biasing portion for biasing the valve element in the direction opposite to the direction of a drive force generated by the drive portion; a second biasing portion for biasing the movable element in the direction of the drive force with a biasing force smaller than the biasing force generated by the first biasing portion; and a restricting portion for restricting the displacement of the movable element in the direction of the drive force relative to the valve element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nakai, Motoyuki Abe, Toru Ishikawa, Yasuo Namaizawa, Nobuaki Kobayashi, Kiyoshi Yoshii, Hitoshi Furudate
  • Patent number: 9157403
    Abstract: A fuel injection valve includes a valve element movably disposed to a valve seat member having a valve seat and formed with an opening located at a downstream side thereof. A swirl imparting chamber is formed to impart a swirl force to fuel within the swirl imparting chamber by turning fuel. An injection hole is opened to the bottom of swirl imparting chamber to inject fuel to outside. Additionally, a communication passage is formed to connect the swirl imparting chamber with the opening of the valve seat member. In this fuel injection valve, the swirl imparting chamber and the communication passage are formed to satisfy the following equation: 0.15?W/D<0.5 where W is width of the communication passage; and D is diameter of the swirl imparting chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro Saito, Nobuaki Kobayashi, Hiroshi Ohno, Atsushi Nakai, Yoshio Okamoto
  • Patent number: 9121379
    Abstract: In a fuel injection valve, a pipe line through which fuel is uniformly caused to flow is supposed from a flow quantity of fuel flowing into each of communication passages which is communicated between a corresponding one of a plurality of swirl generating chambers and an opening section of a valve seat member and, if a diameter of the pipe line is assumed to be da and a diameter of each of injection holes is assumed to be d0, da/d0 is set such that a spray angle of fuel injected from each of the injection holes provides a desired spray angle and the communication passages and the injection holes are designed such that at least one of fuel sprays injected from the respective injection holes is contacted on any other fuel sprays at a lower position than a liquid film part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro Saito, Nobuaki Kobayashi, Hiroshi Ohno, Atsushi Nakai, Yoshio Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20150021414
    Abstract: A fuel injection valve includes: a swirl chamber having an inner peripheral wall formed to be gradually increased in curvature toward a downstream side from an upstream side; a swirl passage, through which a fuel is introduced into the swirl chamber; and a fuel injection port opened to the swirl chamber, wherein the swirl chamber and the swirl passage are formed so that a side wall of the swirl passage connected to a downstream end side of the swirl chamber, or an extension thereof is made not to intersect a downstream side portion of the inner peripheral wall of the swirl chamber, or an extension thereof,
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventors: Yoshihito YASUKAWA, Yoshio OKAMOTO, Takahiro SAITO, Masanori ISHIKAWA, Eiji ISHII, Nobuaki KOBAYASHI, Noriyuki MAEKAWA
  • Patent number: 8888021
    Abstract: A fuel injection valve includes: a swirl chamber having an inner peripheral wall formed to be gradually increased in curvature toward a downstream side from an upstream side; a swirl passage, through which a fuel is introduced into the swirl chamber; and a fuel injection port opened to the swirl chamber, wherein the swirl chamber and the swirl passage are formed so that a side wall of the swirl passage connected to a downstream end side of the swirl chamber, or an extension thereof is made not to intersect a downstream side portion of the inner peripheral wall of the swirl chamber, or an extension thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihito Yasukawa, Yoshio Okamoto, Takahiro Saito, Masanori Ishikawa, Eiji Ishii, Nobuaki Kobayashi, Noriyuki Maekawa
  • Patent number: 8882003
    Abstract: A fuel injector has a swirl generator located downstream from a valve seat. A fuel injection hole is connected to a downstream side of the swirl generator. The swirl generator includes a swirl chamber having an involute or a spiral shape and the fuel injection hole bored at a bottom or the swirl chamber and a swirl generation use passage connected to the upstream side of the swirl chamber for introducing fuel into the swirl chamber. The bottom of the swirl chamber is provided with a step height so as to make a level difference in which the bottom of the swirl chamber is lower than a bottom of the swirl generation use passage, and the step height is formed at a position where fuel flowing into the swirl chamber from the swirl generation use passage meets fuel turning in the swirl chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Okamoto, Yoshihito Yasukawa, Noriyuki Maekawa, Nobuaki Kobayashi, Takahiro Saito
  • Publication number: 20140251262
    Abstract: A fuel injection valve realizing improved circumferential uniformity of swirling fuel is provided. The fuel injection valve includes swirling chambers each having an inner peripheral wall whose curvature is gradually larger from upstream to downstream, paths for swirling each of which, having a fuel flow-in region formed along a valve axis direction, guides fuel to the associated one of the swirling chambers, and fuel injection orifices open into the associated swirling chambers, respectively. In the fuel injection valve, a curved portion is formed on the bottom, in a sectional view along the valve axis direction, of an inlet portion of each of the paths for swirling so as to change the fuel flow in each of the paths for swirling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio OKAMOTO, Kazuki YOSHIMURA, Noriyuki MAEKAWA, Nobuaki KOBAYASHI, Eiji ISHII, Takahiro SAITO
  • Publication number: 20140251263
    Abstract: A fuel injection valve realizing improved circumferential uniformity of swirling fuel is provided. The fuel injection valve includes a swirling chamber having an inner peripheral wall whose curvature is gradually larger from upstream to downstream, a path for swirling which, having a fuel flow-in region formed along a valve axis direction, guides fuel to the swirling chamber, and a fuel injection orifice open into the swirling chamber. In the fuel injection valve, the path for swirling is inclined toward the fuel injection orifice formed on a downstream side of the swirling chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio OKAMOTO, Kazuki YOSHIMURA, Noriyuki MAEKAWA, Nobuaki KOBAYASHI, Eiji ISHII, Takahiro SAITO
  • Publication number: 20140251264
    Abstract: A fuel injection valve realizing improved circumferential uniformity of swirling fuel is provided. The fuel injection valve includes swirling chambers each having an inner peripheral wall whose curvature is gradually larger from upstream to downstream, paths for swirling each of which, having a fuel flow-in region formed along a valve axis direction, guides fuel to the associated one of the swirling chambers, and fuel injection orifices open into the associated swirling chambers, respectively. In the fuel injection valve, the paths for swirling are interconnected in a central portion of an orifice plate and are smaller in height toward where they are interconnected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio OKAMOTO, Kazuki YOSHIMURA, Noriyuki MAEKAWA, Nobuaki KOBAYASHI, Eiji ISHII, Takahiro SAITO
  • Publication number: 20140027541
    Abstract: A fuel injection valve which ensures improved uniformity of a swirl flow in a circumferential direction. It includes: a valve element provided movably; a nozzle body with an opening downstream, including a valve seat face for the valve element to rest on in a valve closed state; a swirling path communicating with the opening of the nozzle body, located downstream of the opening; a swirling chamber located downstream of the swirling path, in which fuel is swirled and given a swirling force; and a fuel injection hole formed at the bottom of the swirling chamber to inject fuel outward. The swirling chamber has an inner wall surface which makes a spiral curve. The swirling chamber and the fuel injection hole are formed so that the center of a base circle for the spiral curve coincides with the center of the fuel injection hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio OKAMOTO, Yoshihito YASUKAWA, Noriyuki MAEKAWA, Eiji ISHII, Kazuki YOSHIMURA, Takahiro SAITO, Nobuaki KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20130304308
    Abstract: Provided are a vehicle information acquisition device and a vehicle information acquisition method which are capable of accelerating the update time of vehicle information that needs to be updated in a short time and enhancing convenience. A vehicle information acquisition device (200) transmits respective pieces of request data each requesting any one of multiple kinds of vehicle information in a predetermined order via a vehicle diagnosis connector (302) provided in a vehicle (300) and receives, from the vehicle (300) side, respective pieces of response data indicating the respective pieces of vehicle information to thereby periodically acquire the respective pieces of vehicle information. The vehicle information acquisition device is characterized by transmitting, among the respective pieces of request data, request data that requests vehicle information having a higher update priority at a higher frequency than request data that requests vehicle information having a lower update priority.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: NIPPON SEIKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yousuke Maruyama, Nobuaki Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20130255640
    Abstract: A fuel injection valve which has: swirl chambers each having an inner wall whose curvature is gradually increased from upstream to downstream along fuel flow; passages for swirling motion, the passages permitting introduction of fuel into the swirl chambers; fuel injection holes opening into the swirl chambers and including at least two narrow-angle injection holes and a wide-angle injection hole from which at least two narrow-angle sprays and a wide-angle spray are respectively ejected; and an orifice plate provided with the injection holes. The narrow-angle injection holes are spaced a given distance from the center of the orifice plate. The wide-angle injection hole is formed on a line perpendicularly intersecting a line segment that interconnects the centers of the narrow-angle injection holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshio OKAMOTO, Yoshihito YASUKAWA, Noriyuki MAEKAWA, Nobuaki KOBAYASHI, Takahiro SAITO
  • Publication number: 20130256428
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel injection valve that is made superior in atomization performance by preventing an influence of minute deformation occurring when an orifice plate is assembled to a nozzle body, thereby reducing fuel leakage from a swirling passage to increase the strength of a swirl flow. The valve includes a valve body openable and closable to jet fuel; a nozzle body having a valve seat surface capable of coming into contact with the valve body to block the jet of fuel; and an orifice plate disposed downstream of the valve seat surface and having a plurality of fuel injection holes adapted to jet swirl fuel. The nozzle body has an end face portion with a downwardly convex inclined surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshio OKAMOTO, Nobuya SEKIYAMA, Yoshihito YASUKAWA, Noriyuki MAEKAWA, Nobuaki KOBAYASHI, Takahiro SAITO
  • Patent number: 8536385
    Abstract: A process for preparing dimethyl ether or a mixture of dimethyl ether and methanol including passing a raw gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen through a catalyst slurry containing a mixture including (a) a medium oil having as a main component, a branched, saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon having 16 to 50 carbon atoms, 1 to 7 tertiary carbon atoms, 0 quaternary carbon atoms, and 1 to 16 carbon atoms in the branched chains bonded to the tertiary carbon atom; and at least one of the tertiary carbon atoms is bonded to hydrocarbon chains with a chain length having 4 or more of carbon atoms in three directions, (b) a methanol synthesis catalyst; (c) a methanol dehydration catalyst; and (d) a methanol shift catalyst or a methanol dehydration/shift catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignees: Inpex Corporation, Japan Petroleum Exploration Co., Ltd., Total Gas & Power Ventures, Toyota Tsusho Corporation
    Inventors: Keiichi Okuyama, Yotaro Ohno, Takashi Ogawa, Seiji Aoki, Tsutomu Shikada, Yasuhiro Mogi, Toshifumi Suzuki, Yasuo Miyoshi, Nobuaki Kobayashi, Kazuro Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20130087639
    Abstract: An electromagnetic fuel injection valve includes: a valve element which closes a fuel passage by coming into contact with a valve seat and opens the fuel passage by going away from the valve seat; an electromagnet which includes a coil and a magnetic core formed as a drive portion for driving the valve element; a movable element which is held by the valve element in a state where the movable element is displaceable in the direction of a drive force of the valve element relative to the valve element; a first biasing portion for biasing the valve element in the direction opposite to the direction of a drive force generated by the drive portion; a second biasing portion for biasing the movable element in the direction of the drive force with a biasing force smaller than the biasing force generated by the first biasing portion; and a restricting portion for restricting the displacement of the movable element in the direction of the drive force relative to the valve element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2011
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nakai, Motoyuki Abe, Toru Ishikawa, Yasuo Namaizawa, Nobuaki Kobayashi, Kiyoshi Yoshii, Hitoshi Furudate
  • Publication number: 20130026256
    Abstract: A fuel injector has a swirl generator located downstream from a valve seat. A fuel injection hole is connected to a downstream side of the swirl generator. The swirl generator includes a swirl chamber having an involute or a spiral shape and the fuel injection hole bored at a bottom or the swirl chamber and a swirl generation use passage connected to the upstream side of the swirl chamber for introducing fuel into the swirl chamber. The bottom of the swirl chamber is provided with a step height so as to make a level difference in which the bottom of the swirl chamber is lower than a bottom of the swirl generation use passage, and the step height is formed at a position where fuel flowing into the swirl chamber from the swirl generation use passage meets fuel turning in the swirl chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio OKAMOTO, Yoshihito Yasukawa, Noriyuki Maekawa, Nobuaki Kobayashi, Takahiro Saito
  • Patent number: 8342430
    Abstract: A fuel injection valve has a valve body, a valve seat member having a valve seat and an opening portion formed at a downstream side of the valve seat member, a swirl chamber providing swirl to fuel, an orifice nozzle formed at a bottom of the swirl chamber and jetting the fuel, a communication conduit connecting the swirl chamber and the opening portion of the valve seat member, and a fuel inflow prevention wall provided at a connecting area between the communication conduit and the swirl chamber. The fuel inflow prevention wall is formed so as to prevent an incoming fuel from the communication conduit from directly flowing into the orifice nozzle and to suppresse a collision between a flow of the fuel that swirls and comes to the connecting area and a fuel flow coming from the communication conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ohno, Minoru Hyodo, Nobuaki Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20120247427
    Abstract: A fuel injection valve includes a valve element movably disposed to a valve seat member having a valve seat and formed with an opening located at a downstream side thereof. A swirl imparting chamber is formed to impart a swirl force to fuel within the swirl imparting chamber by turning fuel. An injection hole is opened to the bottom of swirl imparting chamber to inject fuel to outside. Additionally, a communication passage is formed to connect the swirl imparting chamber with the opening of the valve seat member. In this fuel injection valve, the swirl imparting chamber and the communication passage are formed to satisfy the following equation: 0.15?W/D<0.5 where W is width of the communication passage; and D is diameter of the swirl imparting chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Inventors: Takahiro Saito, Nobuaki Kobayashi, Hiroshi Ohno, Atsushi Nakai, Yoshio Okamoto