Patents by Inventor Tetsuhide Yokoyama

Tetsuhide Yokoyama 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: 20220404078
    Abstract: A gas-liquid separation device comprises a container, an inlet tube, a liquid outlet tube, a gas outlet tube, and a swirl vane. The swirl vane is disposed in the inlet tube. A depression is provided on an inner circumferential surface of the inlet tube. The depression faces the swirl vane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: Tetsuhide YOKOYAMA, Hiroki ISHIYAMA, Yusuke TASHIRO, Hirofumi MATSUDA, Shun KATO
  • Publication number: 20220235946
    Abstract: An air conditioning apparatus includes a first refrigerant circuit enclosing a first refrigerant, and a second refrigerant circuit enclosing a second refrigerant. The first refrigerant circuit includes a compressor configured to compress the first refrigerant, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion device, and a first flow path through which the first refrigerant passes in an intermediate heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the first refrigerant and the second refrigerant. The second refrigerant circuit includes a pump configured to increase a pressure of the second refrigerant and transfer the second refrigerant, a second flow path through which the second refrigerant passes in the intermediate heat exchanger, and an indoor heat exchanger. At least one of the first refrigerant and the second refrigerant has a global warming potential lower than that of R32, and the second refrigerant has a lower flammable limit concentration higher than that of the first refrigerant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Tetsuhide YOKOYAMA, Satoru YANACHI, Masahiro ITO, Tomohiro NAGANO, Takumi NISHIYAMA, Tsuyoshi SATO
  • Patent number: 10473367
    Abstract: A heat pump apparatus, including: a two-cylinder compressor including: an electric motor; two compression units to be driven by the electric motor, the two-cylinder compressor being structured to switch between two operation modes including single operation in which one of the compression units is brought into a non-compression state, and parallel operation in which both the compression units are brought into a compression state; an inverter drive control device supplying drive power to the electric motor of the two-cylinder compressor; an operation mode detecting-determining unit determining a current operation mode based on an electric signal acquired from the inverter drive control device; and a capacity control device determining a rotating frequency of the electric motor so that a temperature of a target object is brought close to a set value, to thereby control the inverter drive control device based on a result of determination of the operation mode detecting-determining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuhide Yokoyama, Yosuke Shinomoto, Shogo Moroe, Akira Satake, Masashi Fujitsuka, Takeshi Mori, Taro Kato, Hideaki Maeyama, Keiko Tada
  • Patent number: 9885357
    Abstract: A hermetic compressor includes a hermetic container having a bottom portion in which lubricating oil is stored and an electric motor including a stator and a rotator. The hermetic compressor further includes a drive shaft attached to the rotator and a compression mechanism for compressing refrigerant by using rotation of the drive shaft. The hermetic compressor also includes a rotary pressure increasing mechanism for increasing a pressure of refrigerant gas, the rotary pressure increasing mechanism being arranged on the rotator, and a cylindrical lateral wall for partitioning a space above the electric motor into an outer space and an inner space in a manner that the a cylindrical lateral wall surrounds the rotary pressure increasing mechanism. Finally, the hermetic compressor includes a discharge pipe for allowing the refrigerant to flow out from the inner space into an external circuit that is external to the hermetic container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuhide Yokoyama, Teruhiko Nishiki, Shogo Moroe, Taro Kato, Keisuke Shingu, Shin Sekiya, Toshihide Koda
  • Patent number: 9879676
    Abstract: A multi-cylinder rotary compressor includes plural compression mechanism parts. A drawing force is applied to a vane of at least one of the compression mechanism parts radially outward with respect to a drive shaft, making a pressing force pressing the vane toward a piston smaller than in other compression mechanism parts. In a normal state, a pressing force due to a gas pressure difference between a suction pressure and a discharge pressure is larger than the drawing force, and a vane front end is pressed against a rotary piston peripheral wall. When the drawing force becomes greater than the pressing force, the vane front end is moved to separate from the rotary piston peripheral wall with a space through which oil is introduced from a sealed container, and a retention mechanism retains the vane separated from the piston, and the compression mechanism part switches to an uncompressed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shogo Moroe, Tetsuhide Yokoyama, Toshiaki Iwasaki, Taro Kato, Hideaki Maeyama, Shinichi Takahashi, Kanichiro Sugiura
  • Publication number: 20170089624
    Abstract: A hermetic compressor, includes: a hermetic container storing a lubricating oil; an electric motor; a drive shaft; a compression mechanism; a rotary pressure increasing mechanism increasing pressure of refrigerant gas; a cylindrical lateral wall partitioning a space above the electric motor into outer and inner spaces; and a discharge pipe allowing refrigerant to flow out from the inner space into an external circuit. The refrigerant gas discharged from the compression mechanism into the hermetic container is moved from a space below the electric motor up to an upper end of the rotator through rotator vents of the rotator, flows into the rotary pressure increasing mechanism to be increased in pressure, flows into the inner space to increase a pressure in the inner space, and is discharged to an outside through the discharge pipe while suppressing inflow of the refrigerant gas from the outer space to the inner space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuhide YOKOYAMA, Teruhiko NISHIKI, Shogo MOROE, Taro KATO, Keisuke SHINGU (Deceased), Shin SEKIYA, Toshihide KODA
  • Patent number: 9541310
    Abstract: A sealed compressor includes a centrifugal impeller above a rotor to synchronously rotate. A refrigerant rises through a rotor air hole, flows in an upper space, and flows out from a discharge pipe. The centrifugal impeller includes an oil separation plate on the rotor, and plural vanes standing on the oil separation plate, and forms inter-vane flow passages between adjacent vanes, and a vane inner flow passage that guides refrigerant from the rotor air hole to inner entrances of the inter-vane flow passages. Outer exits of the inter-vane flow passages are disposed along an entire circumference, and refrigerant increased in pressure while passing through the inter-vane flow passages flows out from the outer exits to the upper space. The oil separation plate closes a short-circuit passage through which the refrigerant directly flows from the vane inner flow passages to the discharge pipe without passing through the inter-vane flow passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuhide Yokoyama, Shogo Moroe, Yoshinori Shirafuji, Teruhiko Nishiki, Taro Kato, Hideaki Maeyama, Hiroki Nagasawa, Keisuke Shingu
  • Publication number: 20160084546
    Abstract: A heat pump apparatus, including: a two-cylinder compressor including: an electric motor; two compression units to be driven by the electric motor, the two-cylinder compressor being structured to switch between two operation modes including single operation in which one of the compression units is brought into a non-compression state, and parallel operation in which both the compression units are brought into a compression state; an inverter drive control device supplying drive power to the electric motor of the two-cylinder compressor; an operation mode detecting-determining unit determining a current operation mode based on an electric signal acquired from the inverter drive control device; and a capacity control device determining a rotating frequency of the electric motor so that a temperature of a target object is brought close to a set value, to thereby control the inverter drive control device based on a result of determination of the operation mode detecting-determining unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuhide YOKOYAMA, Yosuke SHINOMOTO, Shogo MOROE, Akira SATAKE, Masashi FUJITSUKA, Takeshi MORI, Taro KATO, Hideaki MAEYAMA, Keiko TADA
  • Publication number: 20160047379
    Abstract: A multi-cylinder rotary compressor includes plural compression mechanism parts. A drawing force is applied to a vane of at least one of the compression mechanism parts radially outward with respect to a drive shaft, making a pressing force pressing the vane toward a piston smaller than in other compression mechanism parts. In a normal state, a pressing force due to a gas pressure difference between a suction pressure and a discharge pressure is larger than the drawing force, and a vane front end is pressed against a rotary piston peripheral wall. When the drawing force becomes greater than the pressing force, the vane front end is moved to separate from the rotary piston peripheral wall with a space through which oil is introduced from a sealed container, and a retention mechanism retains the vane separated from the piston, and the compression mechanism part switches to an uncompressed state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shogo MOROE, Tetsuhide YOKOYAMA, Toshiaki IWASAKI, Taro KATO, Hideaki MAEYAMA, Shinichi TAKAHASHI, Kanichiro SUGIURA
  • Publication number: 20150354572
    Abstract: A hermetic compressor, includes a hermetic container having a bottom portion in which lubricating oil is stored; an electric motor including a stator and a rotator; a drive shaft attached to the rotator; a compression mechanism for compressing refrigerant by using rotation of the drive shaft; a rotary pressure increasing mechanism for increasing a pressure of refrigerant gas, the rotary pressure increasing mechanism being arranged on the rotator; a cylindrical lateral wall for partitioning a space above the electric motor into an outer space and an inner space in a manner that the a cylindrical lateral wall surrounds the rotary pressure increasing mechanism; and a discharge pipe for allowing the refrigerant to flow out from the inner space into an external circuit that is external to the hermetic container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuhide YOKOYAMA, Teruhiko NISHIKI, Shogo MOROE, Taro KATO, Keisuke SHINGU, Shin SEKIYA, Toshihide KODA
  • Patent number: 9127675
    Abstract: A vane compressor including plural vanes that perform a compression operation such that the normal to a circular arc formed by each vane tip portion and the normal to the inner peripheral surface of a cylinder are constantly approximately coincident with each other. Each of the plural vanes is held constantly in the normal direction of the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder or is held constantly along a direction having a fixed inclination with respect to the normal direction of the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder so that the compression operation is performed in the state the normal to the circular arc formed by the tip portion of each of the plural vanes and the normal to the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder are constantly approximately coincident with each other. The plural vanes are rotatably and movably supported with respect to a rotor portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Sekiya, Hideaki Maeyama, Shinichi Takahashi, Hirotsugu Hayashi, Tetsuhide Yokoyama, Tatsuya Sasaki, Hideto Nakao
  • Patent number: 9115716
    Abstract: There is provided a vane compressor with a plurality of vanes having a structure in which a rotor portion and a rotary shaft are unitarily formed so as to reduce bearing sliding loss of the rotary shaft and reduce gas leakage loss by narrowing a space formed between the rotor portion and the inner peripheral surface of a cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Sekiya, Hideaki Maeyama, Shinichi Takahashi, Tetsuhide Yokoyama, Tatsuya Sasaki, Hideto Nakao, Hirotsugu Hayashi
  • Patent number: 9011121
    Abstract: A device that enhances compressor efficiency by reducing pressure losses in a discharge muffler space into which is discharged a refrigerant compressed by a compression unit. A low-stage discharge muffler space is formed in the shape of a ring around a drive shaft. In the low-stage discharge muffler space, a communication port flow guide is provided so as to cover a predetermined area of an opening of a communication port from a side of a flow path in a reverse direction out of two flow paths in different directions around the drive shaft from a discharge port through which is discharged the refrigerant compressed by a low-stage compression unit to the communication port through which the refrigerant flows out. The communication port flow guide transforms a direction of a flow into a direction of a connecting flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuhide Yokoyama, Raito Kawamura, Kei Sasaki, Shin Sekiya, Taro Kato, Masao Tani, Atsuyoshi Fukaya, Takeshi Fushiki
  • Publication number: 20150052936
    Abstract: A sealed compressor includes a centrifugal impeller above a rotor to synchronously rotate. A refrigerant rises through a rotor air hole, flows in an upper space, and flows out from a discharge pipe. The centrifugal impeller includes an oil separation plate on the rotor, and plural vanes standing on the oil separation plate, and forms inter-vane flow passages between adjacent vanes, and a vane inner flow passage that guides refrigerant from the rotor air hole to inner entrances of the inter-vane flow passages. Outer exits of the inter-vane flow passages are disposed along an entire circumference, and refrigerant increased in pressure while passing through the inter-vane flow passages flows out from the outer exits to the upper space. The oil separation plate closes a short-circuit passage through which the refrigerant directly flows from the vane inner flow passages to the discharge pipe without passing through the inter-vane flow passages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuhide Yokoyama, Shogo Moroe, Yoshinori Shirafuji, Teruhiko Nishiki, Taro Kato, Hideaki Maeyama, Hiroki Nagasawa, Keisuke Shingu
  • Patent number: 8790097
    Abstract: A refrigerant compressor that enhances compressor efficiency by both reducing an amplitude of pressure pulsations and reducing pressure losses in a discharge muffler space into which is discharged a refrigerant compressed at a compression unit. A low-stage discharge muffler space is formed in the shape of a ring around a drive shaft. In the low-stage discharge muffler space, a discharge port rear guide is provided in the proximity of a discharge port through which is discharged the refrigerant compressed by a low-stage compression unit. The discharge port rear guide is provided at a flow path in one direction out of two flow paths from the discharge port to a communication port in different directions around the drive shaft, and prevents the refrigerant from flowing in that direction, thereby causing the refrigerant to circulate in a forward direction in the ring-shaped discharge muffler space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuhide Yokoyama, Toshihide Koda, Shin Sekiya, Kei Sasaki, Raito Kawamura, Taro Kato, Atsuyoshi Fukaya, Takeshi Fushiki, Hideaki Maeyama, Masao Tani
  • Patent number: 8753098
    Abstract: A refrigerant compressor includes: an electric motor including a stator and rotor inside a sealed vessel; a compressing mechanism driven by a crank shaft in the rotor; a lower portion oil pool storing in the sealed vessel lubricating oil that lubricates the compressing mechanism; an upper counterweight on an upper end of the rotor. Refrigerant gas compressed by the compressing mechanism is discharged inside the sealed vessel, passes through a gas channel formed on the electric motor, moves from a lower space to an upper space with respect to the electric motor, and is discharged outside the sealed vessel. An oil return flow channel is formed on the upper end of the rotor toward a lower end from a vicinity of a leading end portion of the upper counterweight in a direction of rotation, and oil expressed in a vicinity of the rotor is directed to the oil return flow channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuhide Yokoyama, Toshihide Koda, Teruhiko Nishiki, Hideaki Maeyama, Taro Kato, Keisuke Shingu, Takuho Hirahara, Shin Sekiya
  • Patent number: 8602760
    Abstract: A vane compressor according to the present invention, including a cylinder which is approximately cylindrical and whose both ends located in an axial direction are open, a cylinder head and a frame which close both the ends of the cylinder, a rotor shaft which includes a rotor part being cylindrical and rotating in the cylinder and a shaft part transmitting torque to the rotor part, and a vane which is installed in the rotor part and whose tip portion has the R-shape facing outward, performs the compression operation in the state where the normal to the R-shape of the tip portion of the vane and the normal to the inner surface of the cylinder are always approximately coincident with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hideaki Maeyama, Shinichi Takahashi, Shin Sekiya, Tetsuhide Yokoyama, Hideto Nakao, Tatsuya Sasaki, Hirotsugu Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20130149178
    Abstract: A vane compressor including plural vanes that perform a compression operation such that the normal to a circular arc formed by each vane tip portion and the normal to the inner peripheral surface of a cylinder are constantly approximately coincident with each other. Each of the plural vanes is held constantly in the normal direction of the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder or is held constantly along a direction having a fixed inclination with respect to the normal direction of the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder so that the compression operation is performed in the state the normal to the circular arc formed by the tip portion of each of the plural vanes and the normal to the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder are constantly approximately coincident with each other. The plural vanes are rotatably and movably supported with respect to a rotor portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Sekiya, Hideaki Maeyama, Shinichi Takahashi, Tetsuhide Yokoyama, Tatsuya Sasaki, Hideto Nakao, Hirotsugu Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20130064705
    Abstract: There is provided a vane compressor with a plurality of vanes having a structure in which a rotor portion and a rotary shaft are unitarily formed so as to reduce bearing sliding loss of the rotary shaft and reduce gas leakage loss by narrowing a space formed between the rotor portion and the inner peripheral surface of a cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shin Sekiya, Hideaki Maeyama, Shinichi Takahashi, Tetsuhide Yokoyama, Tatsuya Sasaki, Hideto Nakao, Hirotsugu Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20120107151
    Abstract: A refrigerant compressor includes: an electric motor including a stator and rotor inside a sealed vessel; a compressing mechanism driven by a crank shaft in the rotor; a lower portion oil pool storing in the sealed vessel lubricating oil that lubricates the compressing mechanism; an upper counterweight on an upper end of the rotor. Refrigerant gas compressed by the compressing mechanism is discharged inside the sealed vessel, passes through a gas channel formed on the electric motor, moves from a lower space to an upper space with respect to the electric motor, and is discharged outside the sealed vessel. An oil return flow channel is formed on the upper end of the rotor toward a lower end from a vicinity of a leading end portion of the upper counterweight in a direction of rotation, and oil expressed in a vicinity of the rotor is directed to the oil return flow channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuhide Yokoyama, Toshihide Koda, Teruhiko Nishiki, Hideaki Maeyama, Taro Kato, Keisuke Shingu, Takuho Hirahara, Shin Sekiya