Patents by Inventor Shinichi Wakamoto

Shinichi Wakamoto 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: 20140331702
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus including a refrigeration cycle configured by connecting one or more load-side units including a load-side heat exchanger and a load-side expansion device with a heat-source-side unit including a heat-source-side heat exchanger and a compressor and by causing refrigerant to circulate through a refrigerant circuit including the load-side heat exchanger, the load-side expansion device, the heat-source-side heat exchanger, and the compressor, controls, during a heating operation, the opening degree of the load-side expansion device, based on the discharge pressure of the compressor, so that the pressure of refrigerant at the outlet of the compressor becomes equal to a target pressure, in the case where the operation capacity of the compressor is approximately at the maximum value of the operation capacity of the compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kosuke Tanaka, Koji Yamashita, Takeshi Hatomura, Shinichi Wakamoto, Naofumi Takenaka
  • Patent number: 8881548
    Abstract: A multi-chamber type air-conditioning apparatus is provided in which a refrigerant whose effect on human bodies is a concern is prevented from leaking into a room or the like in which an indoor unit is installed, simultaneous operation of cooling and heating is possible, and performance deterioration by a refrigerant flow control device or drop of the cooling capacity of the indoor unit can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Wakamoto, Koji Yamashita, Naofumi Takenaka, Yusuke Shimazu
  • Publication number: 20140260387
    Abstract: When indoor units are performing a cooling operation, an air-conditioning apparatus controls third flow passage switching valves, for example a first solenoid valve, a second solenoid valve, a third solenoid valve, and a fourth solenoid valve, so that a number of intermediate heat exchangers operating as evaporators is greater than in a cooling main operation. During the cooling main operation, a target value for suction pressure or evaporating temperature at a compressor is set equal to or lower than that in a case in which the indoor units are performing the cooling operation, and a frequency of the compressor and a capacity of a heat-source-side heat exchanger are controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Naofumi Takenaka, Shinichi Wakamoto, Osamu Morimoto, Daisuke Shimamoto
  • Publication number: 20140246180
    Abstract: An outdoor cooling unit in a vehicle air-conditioning apparatus is configured such that the angle between a normal line to a suction plane of a suction portion and a normal line to a discharge plane of a discharge portion is acute and such that air inside a housing flows in a substantially checkmark-shape, substantially V shape or substantially U shape. In the outdoor cooling unit, a blade of an axial fan is configured such that a chord center line formed by connecting chord central points from an inner circumferential end to an outer circumferential end of the blade and projecting the connected chord central points on a plane containing a rotating shaft is convexly curved toward the downstream side over the entire area in the radial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seiji Nakashima, Shinichi Wakamoto, Taichi Uto
  • Publication number: 20140245766
    Abstract: A first flow switching device causes part of a refrigerant discharged from an injection compressor to flow through a first bypass pipe and be supplied to an outdoor heat exchanger targeting for defrosting. A second flow switching device causes part of the refrigerant supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger targeting for defrosting to enter a second bypass pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Wakamoto, Naofumi Takenaka, Koji Yamashita, Osamu Morimoto, Hirofumi Koge
  • Patent number: 8820106
    Abstract: A heat source-side refrigerant circuit A including a compressor 11, an outdoor heat exchanger 13, a first refrigerant branch portion 21 connected to the compressor 11, a second refrigerant branch portion 22 and a third refrigerant branch portion 23 connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 13, a first refrigerant flow rate control device 24 provided between branch piping 40 and the second refrigerant branch portion 22, intermediate heat exchangers 25n connected at one side thereof to the first refrigerant branch portion 21 and the third refrigerant branch portion 23 via three-way valves 26n and connected at the other side thereof to the second refrigerant branch portion 22, and second refrigerant flow rate control devices 27n provided between the respective intermediate heat exchangers 25n and the second refrigerant branch portion 22, and user-side refrigerant circuits Bn having indoor heat exchangers 31n connected respectively to the intermediate heat exchangers 25n are provided, and at least one of water and
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Wakamoto, Koji Yamashita, Takashi Okazaki, Naoki Tanaka, Keisuke Hokazono, Hiroyuki Morimoto, Yuji Motomura, Takeshi Hatomura, Tomohiko Kasai, Naofumi Takenaka, Yusuke Shimazu
  • Patent number: 8783059
    Abstract: A refrigerating air-conditioning apparatus, at least provided with no possibility that a foreign material returns to a compressor from an accumulator at a time of the pipeline-cleaning operation firstly, and provided with a possibility to perform a collecting operation for the foreign material in a short time secondary, is provided. The heat-source side unit includes an accumulator provided with a function to separate and collect the foreign material in an existing pipeline, a collecting container for collecting the foreign material separated by the accumulator, and an oil return pipeline for returning refrigerating machine oil to the compressor via a flow amount adjusting device, installed at a lower portion of the accumulator, and at a time of ordinary cooling or heating operation, the refrigerating machine oil is caused to flow into the oil return pipeline, and at a time of pipeline cleaning and foreign material-collecting operations, the flow amount adjusting device is fully closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Toyoshima, Susumu Yoshimura, Shinichi Wakamoto, Osamu Morimoto
  • Publication number: 20140165635
    Abstract: A channel on an upstream side of a third expansion device and a channel on an upstream side of a second expansion device are connected during a heating operation, and medium pressure refrigerant generated by the third expansion device during the heating operation is introduced on a suction side of a compressor via the second expansion device and a suction injection pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Yamashita, Takeshi Hatomura, Katsuhiro Ishimura, Shinichi Wakamoto, Naofumi Takenaka
  • Publication number: 20140083123
    Abstract: In an air-conditioning apparatus, a controller controls an amount of refrigerant injection into a compressor by controlling an opening area of an expansion device such that the electric power consumption of the compressor becomes smaller, or such that a heating capacity or a cooling capacity of an intermediate heat exchanger becomes larger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Yamashita, Shinichi Wakamoto, Naofumi Takenaka, Kosuke Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20140026605
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus controls an opening degree of at least one of a second expansion device and a third expansion device to adjust the amount of refrigerant to flow through the injection pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Ishimura, Koji Yamashita, Hiroyuki Morimoto, Shinichi Wakamoto, Naofumi Takenaka
  • Publication number: 20140007607
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus in which a primary-side refrigerant in a two-phase gas-liquid state that has flowed into each of intermediate heat exchangers absorbs heat from a secondary-side refrigerant flowing in counterflow to the primary-side refrigerant, and evaporates and turns into a low-temperature, low-pressure gas state. The air-conditioning apparatus ensures high heat exchange efficiency even when a direction of a heat source-side refrigerant (secondary-side refrigerant) flowing through an intermediate heat exchanger changes, and enables an appropriate operation in any operation mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Asako Tamura, Naofumi Takenaka, Shinichi Wakamoto, Susumu Yoshimura, Koji Yamashita
  • Patent number: 8616017
    Abstract: A first cycle, in which a first medium is circulated, employs a compressor, a first heat exchanger structured with an air heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, and a third heat exchanger. A second cycle, in which a second medium is circulated and heat is exchanged with the first medium through the second heat exchanger, employs indoor units, each having a fan. A third cycle, in which the second medium is circulated and heat is exchanged with the first medium through the third heat exchanger, shares the indoor units with the second cycle. Flow path switching valves switch flow paths between the second cycle and third cycle. Before the first heat exchanger is defrosted, a halted indoor unit is filled with the second medium in the third cycle with its fan being halted. The third heat exchanger functions as an evaporator during a defrosting operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Shimazu, Keisuke Takayama, Koji Yamashita, Hiroyuki Morimoto, Shinichi Wakamoto
  • Publication number: 20130333862
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus controls that a discharge temperature does not become too high with a refrigerant whose compressor discharge temperature readily rises, and thus suppress degradation of the refrigerant and a refrigerating machine oil. An injection pipe that injects a heat source side refrigerant into a compressor is installed, connected a pipe between a backflow prevention device and an opening and closing device installed on a branching pipe, and an aperture unit in the compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Yamashita, Hiroyuki Morimoto, Katsuhiro Ishimura, Shinichi Wakamoto, Naofumi Takenaka
  • Publication number: 20130283843
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus uses R32, a refrigerant mixture containing R32 and HFO1234yf in which R32 has a mass percentage of 40% or higher, or a refrigerant mixture containing R32 and HFO1234ze in which R32 has a mass percentage of 15% or higher, as a heat-source refrigerant. The air-conditioning apparatus includes a low-pressure shell-structure compressor, a first flow switching valve, a heat-source-side heat exchanger, first flow control devices, and plural use-side heat exchangers connected by refrigerant pipes, forming a refrigeration cycle. The compressor includes a compression chamber within a sealed container including an opening extending between inside and outside of the sealed container. The air-conditioning apparatus can perform only a heating at the use-side heat exchangers, only a cooling at the use-side heat exchangers, and a mixed cooling and heating in a mixed fashion at the use-side heat exchangers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Naofumi Takenaka, Shinichi Wakamoto, Koji Yamashita, Hiroyuki Morimoto, Katsuhiro Ishimura
  • Publication number: 20130239602
    Abstract: A heat pump hot-water supply apparatus controls a second expansion device during a heating operation so as to adjust the amount of refrigerant flowing through an injection pipe, and controls a third expansion device during a cooling operation so as to adjust the amount of refrigerant flowing through the injection pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Yamashita, Hiroyuki Morimoto, Katsuhiro Ishimura, Shinichi Wakamoto, Naofumi Takenaka
  • Publication number: 20130233008
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit including a low-pressure shell structure compressor into which a refrigerant flowing through an injection pipe flows, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a first expansion device, a refrigerant flow switching device, and a second expansion device configured to allow the refrigerant which has passed through the first expansion device and flows from the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger to have an intermediate pressure, the compressor, the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, the first expansion device, the refrigerant flow switching device, and the second expansion device being connected by pipes to constitute the refrigerant circuit, and further includes a controller that controls an amount of refrigerant flowing through the injection pipe into a compression chamber. A part of a high-pressure refrigerant flowing from the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger flows through the injection pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Yamashita, Hiroyuki Morimoto, Katsuhiro Ishimura, Shinichi Wakamoto, Naofumi Takenaka
  • Publication number: 20130186126
    Abstract: [Object] To reduce pressure loss of refrigerant while suppressing a cost increase. [Solution] In an air-conditioning apparatus 100 having a compressor 201, a radiator 204 (301), an expansion device 302, and an evaporator 301 (204), which are connected by a refrigerant pipe to form a refrigeration cycle, at least a part of the refrigerant pipe (207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 212) that connects from the suction side of the compressor 201 to the evaporator 301 (204) is configured by a plurality of pipes connected in parallel, and a refrigerant that flows through the refrigeration cycle is a tetrafluoropropene-based refrigerant or a refrigerant mixture having tetrafluoropropene as a main component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Morimoto, Koji Yamashita, Shinichi Wakamoto, Naofumi Takenaka
  • Publication number: 20130174594
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes a heat medium circuit with a heat medium flow reversing device that can switch the flow direction of a heat medium in the heat medium side passage of the heat exchanger related to heat medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Yamashita, Shinichi Wakamoto, Naofumi Takenaka
  • Publication number: 20130139539
    Abstract: In an air-conditioning apparatus, an expansion device, a second refrigerant flow switching device, and heat exchangers related to heat medium, connected between the expansion device and the second refrigerant flow switching device such that a heat source side refrigerant flows in parallel, are connected in a part of refrigerant passages, and an expansion device, a second refrigerant flow switching device, and heat exchangers related to heat medium, connected between the expansion device and the second refrigerant flow switching device such that the heat source side refrigerant flows in series, are connected in the rest of the refrigerant passages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Yamashita, Hiroyuki Morimoto, Yuji Motomura, Junichi Ue, Shinichi Wakamoto, Naofumi Takenaka
  • Publication number: 20130098092
    Abstract: A first bypass pipe has one end connected to a main pipe extending from a compressor to an indoor heat exchanger, and its other end branched off into parts that are each connected to the main pipe on an inlet side of an outdoor heat exchanger, and a second bypass pipe has one end connected to an injection port communicating with the compression chamber of the compressor in which compression is taking place and its other end branched off into parts that are each connected to the main pipe on an outlet side of the outdoor heat exchangers. During a defrosting operation that removes frost on the outdoor heat exchangers, a part of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor is supplied from the first bypass pipe to the outdoor heat exchanger to be defrosted, and is then passed through the second bypass pipe and injected from the injection port of the compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Wakamoto, Naofumi Takenaka, Osamu Morimoto, Hirofumi Koge, Kazuyoshi Shinozaki, Tomokazu Kawagoe