Patents by Inventor Norishige Konno

Norishige Konno 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: 20220173413
    Abstract: A fuel cell includes: an electrolyte membrane; first and second catalyst layers respectively formed on first and second surfaces of the electrolyte membrane; and a separator, the first catalyst layer being arranged between the separator and the electrolyte membrane, wherein the separator includes first and second grooves through which reactant gas flows between the first catalyst layer and the separator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuaki NONOYAMA, Norishige KONNO, Masayuki ITO
  • Patent number: 11283087
    Abstract: A fuel cell includes: an electrolyte membrane; first and second catalyst layers respectively formed on first and second surfaces of the electrolyte membrane; and a separator, the first catalyst layer being arranged between the separator and the electrolyte membrane, wherein the separator includes first and second grooves through which reactant gas flows between the first catalyst layer and the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuaki Nonoyama, Norishige Konno, Masayuki Ito
  • Patent number: 11145877
    Abstract: A fuel cell includes: an electrolyte membrane; first and second catalyst layers respectively formed on first and second surface of the electrolyte membrane; and a separator disposed opposite to the electrolyte membrane with respect to the first catalyst layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuaki Nonoyama, Norishige Konno, Masayuki Ito
  • Patent number: 10998560
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack 11 includes a cell laminate 21 composed of a plurality of stacked cells 20, and air is introduced from an anode end part 21a of the cell laminate 21. The cell laminate 21 has two end cells 24 installed adjacently to a cathode end part 21b side, thereby providing the cathode end part 21b with high thermal insulation properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Norishige Konno, Hiroki Okabe
  • Patent number: 10505211
    Abstract: The invention relates to fuel cell unit arranged in an underfloor space of a fuel cell vehicle. The fuel cell unit includes a fuel cell that has a plurality of cells stacked together; and a cell monitor that is arranged in a side region of the fuel cell, and that monitors a state of each of the cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tsutomu Shirakawa, Norishige Konno, Kazuya Mori
  • Patent number: 10468690
    Abstract: An anode-side separator 120 includes first grooves 202 and second grooves 204 that are formed alternately, by formation of a plurality of pit-and-bump stripes provided by press molding, in a separator central region 121 opposed to a power generation region 112 of a MEGA 110. Terminal first grooves 202t is extended at an upper edge of the separator central region 121 in which the first grooves 202 and the second grooves 204 are formed. The terminal first grooves 202t include a depressed corner recess 202tb made shallower in groove depth in a corner portion of the separator central region 121 on a fuel-gas supply hole side. The depressed corner recess 202tb connects between the second grooves 204 that extend below the terminal first grooves 202t, and the outer edge portion 123.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Norishige Konno
  • Publication number: 20190305326
    Abstract: A fuel cell includes: an electrolyte membrane; first and second catalyst layers respectively formed on first and second surface of the electrolyte membrane; and a separator disposed opposite to the electrolyte membrane with respect to the first catalyst layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuaki NONOYAMA, Norishige KONNO, Masayuki ITO
  • Publication number: 20190305325
    Abstract: A fuel cell includes: an electrolyte membrane; first and second catalyst layers respectively formed on first and second surfaces of the electrolyte membrane; and a separator, the first catalyst layer being arranged between the separator and the electrolyte membrane, wherein the separator includes first and second grooves through which reactant gas flows between the first catalyst layer and the separator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuaki NONOYAMA, Norishige KONNO, Masayuki ITO
  • Publication number: 20190229353
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack 11 includes a cell laminate 21 composed of a plurality of stacked cells 20, and air is introduced from an anode end part 21a of the cell laminate 21. The cell laminate 21 has two end cells 24 installed adjacently to a cathode end part 21b side, thereby providing the cathode end part 21b with high thermal insulation properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Norishige KONNO, Hiroki OKABE
  • Patent number: 10193165
    Abstract: A separator has a recess-projection shape formed by press working. The separator has one surface as a gas circulation surface and an opposite surface as a cooling surface, the gas circulation surface having a reactive gas flow path including a plurality of reactive gas flow path grooves resulting from the recess-projection shape, the cooling surface having a cooling water flow path including a plurality of cooling water flow path grooves resulting from the recess-projection shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Norishige Konno
  • Patent number: 10164266
    Abstract: A separator to be used in a fuel cell includes a gas flow path including a plurality of gas flow path grooves that allow reactive gas to flow; a gas discharge hole used for discharging the reactive gas from the gas flow path; and an outlet flow path part positioned between the gas discharge hole and the gas flow path and used for flowing the reactive gas discharged from the gas flow path into the gas discharge hole. The plurality of gas flow path grooves includes a coupling flow path part coupled to the outlet flow path part. The coupling flow path part includes tilted gas flow path grooves tilted from a direction of gravitational force. A groove width of the tilted gas flow path groove in the coupling flow path part is set such that a force of a wall surface of the tilted gas flow path groove to retain water by means of a surface tension of the water is larger than a force applied to the water by the gravitational force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Norishige Konno, Daisuke Kanno
  • Patent number: 10153498
    Abstract: An anode-side separator 120 includes first grooves 202 and second grooves 204 that are located alternately in a separator central region 121 opposed to a power generation region 112 of a MEGA 110 by formation of a plurality of pit-and-bump stripes provided by press molding. The first grooves 202 extend in the separator central region 121 on the gas surface side of the anode-side separator 120, while the second grooves 204 extend in the separator central region 121 on the cooling surface side opposite to the as surface side. Terminal first grooves 202t that are first grooves 202 extending on the outer edge portion 123 side outside the separator central region have lower terminal-side rising height Ht than the other first grooves 202 positioned on the separator central region 121 side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Norishige Konno
  • Publication number: 20180233754
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack 11 includes a cell laminate 21 composed of a plurality of stacked cells 20, and air is introduced from an anode end part 21a of the cell laminate 21. The cell laminate 21 has two end cells 24 installed adjacently to a cathode end part 21b side, thereby providing the cathode end part 21b with high thermal insulation properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Norishige KONNO, Hiroki OKABE
  • Patent number: 10038202
    Abstract: A fuel cell separator 10 includes a power generation section 10B provided in a central region on a surface of the separator formed into a plate, a plurality of manifolds 11A, 11B, 12A, and 12B provided in a region closer to the outer periphery than the power generation section 10B, and a reinforcing portion 14A provided so as to extend from a manifold beam portion 15 formed between the plurality of manifolds 11A, 11B, 12A, and 12B to a gap region 13 formed between the power generation section 10B and the manifolds 11A, 11B, 12A, and 12B.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroki Okabe, Norishige Konno
  • Patent number: 9799897
    Abstract: In a fuel cell, a cathode passage extends from an oxidizing gas supply hole to an oxidizing gas discharge hole. A turn interval at which a flow direction of an oxidizing gas returns to an original direction in an upstream-side passage region is different from the turn interval in a downstream-side passage region. A ratio between the turn interval in the upstream-side passage region and the turn interval in the downstream-side passage region is set to 1.1:1 to 3:1. The upstream-side passage region is overlapped with a most downstream-side passage portion of an anode passage with a membrane electrode assembly interposed between the upstream-side passage region and the most downstream-side passage portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroya Nakaji, Naohiro Takeshita, Hideki Kubo, Takashi Kondo, Seiji Mizuno, Norishige Konno
  • Publication number: 20160248104
    Abstract: An anode-side separator 120 includes first grooves 202 and second grooves 204 that are formed alternately, by formation of a plurality of pit-and-bump stripes provided by press molding, in a separator central region 121 opposed to a power generation region 112 of a MEGA 110. Terminal first grooves 202t is extended at an upper edge of the separator central region 121 in which the first grooves 202 and the second grooves 204 are formed. The terminal first grooves 202t include a depressed corner recess 202tb made shallower in groove depth in a corner portion of the separator central region 121 on a fuel-gas supply hole side. The depressed corner recess 202tb connects between the second grooves 204 that extend below the terminal first grooves 202t, and the outer edge portion 123.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Norishige KONNO
  • Publication number: 20160233522
    Abstract: An anode-side separator 120 includes first grooves 202 and second grooves 204 that are located alternately in a separator central region 121 opposed to a power generation region 112 of a MEGA 110 by formation of a plurality of pit-and-bump stripes provided by press molding. The first grooves 202 extend in the separator central region 121 on the gas surface side of the anode-side separator 120, while the second grooves 204 extend in the separator central region 121 on the cooling surface side opposite to the as surface side. Terminal first grooves 202t that are first grooves 202 extending on the outer edge portion 123 side outside the separator central region have lower terminal-side rising height Ht than the other first grooves 202 positioned on the separator central region 121 side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Norishige KONNO
  • Publication number: 20160226082
    Abstract: A separator has a recess-projection shape formed by press working. The separator has one surface as a gas circulation surface and an opposite surface as a cooling surface, the gas circulation surface having a reactive gas flow path including a plurality of reactive gas flow path grooves resulting from the recess-projection shape, the cooling surface having a cooling water flow path including a plurality of cooling water flow path grooves resulting from the recess-projection shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Norishige KONNO
  • Patent number: 9406920
    Abstract: A connector includes a housing for holding connector terminals and a side fitting slot located at a side of the housing. The side fitting slot is defined by an arm provided on the housing and receives a mating part to which the connector terminals are connected when the mating part is inserted in the side fitting slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Tyco Electronics Japan G.K.
    Inventors: Sumiyoshi Furuya, Norishige Konno, Sogo Goto
  • Publication number: 20160218374
    Abstract: A separator to be used in a fuel cell includes a gas flow path including a plurality of gas flow path grooves that allow reactive gas to flow; a gas discharge hole used for discharging the reactive gas from the gas flow path; and an outlet flow path part positioned between the gas discharge hole and the gas flow path and used for flowing the reactive gas discharged from the gas flow path into the gas discharge hole. The plurality of gas flow path grooves includes a coupling flow path part coupled to the outlet flow path part. The coupling flow path part includes tilted gas flow path grooves tilted from a direction of gravitational force. A groove width of the tilted gas flow path groove in the coupling flow path part is set such that a force of a wall surface of the tilted gas flow path groove to retain water by means of a surface tension of the water is larger than a force applied to the water by the gravitational force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Norishige KONNO, Daisuke KANNO