Patents by Inventor Yasuaki Kato

Yasuaki Kato 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: 11397011
    Abstract: An air-sending device includes a propeller fan, a bell mouth surrounding an outer periphery of the propeller fan, a fan grille disposed downstream of the bell mouth and including a plurality of first crosspieces. An edge of the air outlet of the bell mouth includes a varying portion whose distance from a rotation axis of the propeller fan varies. In a cross-section of any of the plurality of first crosspieces that is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the any of the plurality of first crosspieces, a virtual line segment connecting an upstream side end portion and a downstream side end portion is defined as a first virtual line segment. At the portions of the plurality of first crosspieces disposed on the inner circumference side of the varying portion, the angle between a virtual line segment parallel to the rotation axis and the first virtual line segment is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takahide Tadokoro, Yasuaki Kato, Keisuke Hokazono
  • Patent number: 11262098
    Abstract: An indoor unit according to the present invention includes: an air-sending portion, which includes a casing having a rectangular air outlet and accommodating an impeller including a plurality of blades; a heat exchanger, which is configured to exchange heat with gas sent from the air-sending portion; and a guide portion, which includes an upper guide defining a passage for the gas and being arranged between an upper edge portion of the air outlet and an upper end portion of the heat exchanger and a lower guide defining a passage for the gas and being arranged between a lower edge portion of the air outlet and a lower end portion of the heat exchanger, and is open at side regions of the guide portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takuya Teramoto, Takashi Ikeda, Yasuaki Kato, Ryo Horie
  • Publication number: 20210164670
    Abstract: An air-sending device includes a propeller fan, a bell mouth surrounding an outer periphery of the propeller fan, a fan grille disposed downstream of the bell mouth and including a plurality of first crosspieces. An edge of the air outlet of the bell mouth includes a varying portion whose distance from a rotation axis of the propeller fan varies. In a cross-section of any of the plurality of first crosspieces that is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the any of the plurality of first crosspieces, a virtual line segment connecting an upstream side end portion and a downstream side end portion is defined as a first virtual line segment. At the portions of the plurality of first crosspieces disposed on the inner circumference side of the varying portion, the angle between a virtual line segment parallel to the rotation axis and the first virtual line segment is changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Takahide TADOKORO, Yasuaki KATO, Keisuke HOKAZONO
  • Patent number: 11002292
    Abstract: A propeller fan includes a boss and a blade. The boss rotates about an axis. The blade is provided at an outer periphery of the boss. The blade has a first region in a radial direction. In the first region, a blade chord center line shifts downstream toward an outer peripheral side. In a cylindrical cross section about an axis, a cross-sectional shape of the blade at least in the first region is an airfoil shape. When a cross section taken along the blade chord center line and projected onto a plane including the axis is viewed, the blade chord center line is a curve having a convex on a downstream side in an entire region in the radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Nakashima, Yasuaki Kato, Wahei Shingu, Hiroaki Murakami
  • Publication number: 20190277308
    Abstract: A propeller fan includes a boss and a blade. The boss rotates about an axis. The blade is provided at an outer periphery of the boss. The blade has a first region in a radial direction. In the first region, a blade chord center line shifts downstream toward an outer peripheral side. In a cylindrical cross section about an axis, a cross-sectional shape of the blade at least in the first region is an airfoil shape. When a cross section taken along the blade chord center line and projected onto a plane including the axis is viewed, the blade chord center line is a curve having a convex on a downstream side in an entire region in the radial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Inventors: Seiji NAKASHIMA, Yasuaki KATO, Wahei SHINGU, Hiroaki MURAKAMI
  • Publication number: 20190242612
    Abstract: An indoor unit according to the present invention includes: an air-sending portion, which includes a casing having a rectangular air outlet and accommodating an impeller including a plurality of blades; a heat exchanger, which is configured to exchange heat with gas sent from the air-sending portion; and a guide portion, which includes an upper guide defining a passage for the gas and being arranged between an upper edge portion of the air outlet and an upper end portion of the heat exchanger and a lower guide defining a passage for the gas and being arranged between a lower edge portion of the air outlet and a lower end portion of the heat exchanger, and is open at side regions of the guide portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Inventors: Takuya TERAMOTO, Takashi IKEDA, Yasuaki KATO, Ryo HORIE
  • Patent number: 10047764
    Abstract: In a blade cross-sectional view, assuming that a tangent at an end of the outer periphery is defined as LQ, an imaginary line orthogonal to the rotation axis is defined as LO, an angle formed by the tangent (LQ) and the imaginary line (LO) is defined as an outer peripheral end tangent angle (?), and a position at which an imaginary plane including a position of an intake-side end portion of the bellmouth and a peripheral edge of the blade cross each other is defined as an overlap starting point, the outer peripheral end tangent angle on a trailing edge portion side with respect to a blade cross section including the overlap starting point is set to be smaller than the outer peripheral end tangent angle on a leading edge portion side with respect to the blade cross section including the overlap starting point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takahide Tadokoro, Yasuaki Kato, Atsushi Kono
  • Patent number: 9970454
    Abstract: A propeller fan, including: a boss; and a plurality of blades, each of the plurality of blades including a pressure surface and a suction surface, in which: when a connecting portion between the pressure surface and a side surface of the boss is defined as a pressure surface-side boundary portion, and a connecting portion between the suction surface and the side surface of the boss is defined as a suction surface-side boundary portion, a curvature of the suction surface-side boundary portion is smaller than a curvature of the pressure surface-side boundary portion; and as a blade area projected on a plane orthogonal to the rotation axis, a blade area of the suction surface is larger than a blade area of the pressure surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takahide Tadokoro, Yasuaki Kato, Atsushi Kono
  • Patent number: 9897108
    Abstract: An inner peripheral side of the blade with respect to an apex (P) of the leading edge protruding portion extends forward in the fan rotating direction with respect to the apex (P). A radius (Rq) at a position of an apex (Q) of the trailing edge protruding portion is larger than a radius (Rp) at a position of the apex (P). The radius (Rq) at the position of the apex (Q) is larger than an intermediate radius (Rm) between a radius (Ro) of an outer peripheral edge and a radius (Ri) of an inner peripheral edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takahide Tadokoro, Yasuaki Kato, Atsushi Kono
  • Patent number: 9874227
    Abstract: An air blower includes a casing having an air inlet portion and an air outlet portion, a fan, and a fan guard. The fan includes a boss portion and a plurality of blades. The fan guard includes a guide portion having a tubular outer shape, which protrudes toward the fan. A center in a distal end shape, which is defined by a contour line of a distal end portion of the guide portion, matches with a rotation axis of the boss portion. A center in a root shape, which is defined by a contour line of a root portion of the guide portion, is shifted with respect to the rotation axis of the boss portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takahide Tadokoro, Yasuaki Kato, Atsushi Kono
  • Patent number: 9863433
    Abstract: The propeller fan includes a boss including a rotation axis, a plurality of blades formed on an outer periphery of the boss, and a bellmouth arranged so as to surround the plurality of blades at a trailing edge side of each of the blades. Each blade has a bending portion that bulges toward an upstream side of the air current in a cross-sectional shape in a radial direction, and a bend of the bending portion of the blade at an inner side of the bellmouth is set to be gentler than a bend of the bending portion of the blade at an outer side of the bellmouth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takahide Tadokoro, Yasuaki Kato, Atsushi Kono
  • Patent number: 9513021
    Abstract: The rear side outer peripheral edge of a propeller fan rotated and driven by a motor, of a propeller fan drive unit, is surrounded by a bell mouth. An upper plate, a lower plate, a side plate, and a machine room plate constitute an air duct at the suction side, outside the radial direction of the propeller fan. The cross-section of the bell mouth, at a first position in the vicinity where a blade of the propeller fan is closest, and where the distance between the propeller fan and the plate constituting the air duct outside the radial direction is relatively narrow, is made to be such that an expansion angle ?1 of the bell mouth suction side is made small. The overlapped height Hb of the propeller fan and the bell mouth is made large against a cross-section at a second position where the distance between the propeller fan and a plate is relatively large. The shape of the cross-section of the bell mouth is made to change gradually between the first position and the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuaki Kato, Takahide Tadokoro, Masanobu Baba, Hiroyuki Takada
  • Publication number: 20160146217
    Abstract: An air blower includes a casing having an air inlet portion and an air outlet portion, a fan, and a fan guard. The fan includes a boss portion and a plurality of blades. The fan guard includes a guide portion having a tubular outer shape, which protrudes toward the fan. A center in a distal end shape, which is defined by a contour line of a distal end portion of the guide portion, matches with a rotation axis of the boss portion. A center in a root shape, which is defined by a contour line of a root portion of the guide portion, is shifted with respect to the rotation axis of the boss portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2013
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Inventors: Takahide TADOKORO, Yasuaki KATO, Atsushi KONO
  • Patent number: 9325055
    Abstract: An antenna apparatus is provided which has a centroid close to a vibration isolation structure and which is hard to vibrate like a pendulum motion when vibration is applied. The antenna apparatus includes a first base plate, an antenna unit disposed at a side of the first base plate and supported by the first base plate, and a counter weight unit disposed at another side of the first base plate opposite to the antenna unit and supported by the first base plate. The antenna apparatus further includes a vibration isolation structure having one end fixed to the first base plate to suppress a vibration of the first base plate, and a second base plate to which other end of the vibration isolation structure is fixed and which is fixed to a moving object or a structural object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuaki Kato, Noboru Kawaguchi
  • Publication number: 20160025101
    Abstract: A propeller fan, including: a boss; and a plurality of blades, each of the plurality of blades including a pressure surface and a suction surface, in which: when a connecting portion between the pressure surface and a side surface of the boss is defined as a pressure surface-side boundary portion, and a connecting portion between the suction surface and the side surface of the boss is defined as a suction surface-side boundary portion, a curvature of the suction surface-side boundary portion is smaller than a curvature of the pressure surface-side boundary portion; and as a blade area projected on a plane orthogonal to the rotation axis, a blade area of the suction surface is larger than a blade area of the pressure surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2014
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventors: Takahide TADOKORO, Yasuaki KATO, Atsushi KONO
  • Publication number: 20150345513
    Abstract: An inner peripheral side of the blade with respect to an apex (P) of the leading edge protruding portion extends forward in the fan rotating direction with respect to the apex (P). A radius (Rq) at a position of an apex (Q) of the trailing edge protruding portion is larger than a radius (Rp) at a position of the apex (P). The radius (Rq) at the position of the apex (Q) is larger than an intermediate radius (Rm) between a radius (Ro) of an outer peripheral edge and a radius (Ri) of an inner peripheral edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Inventors: Takahide TADOKORO, Yasuaki KATO, Atsushi KONO
  • Publication number: 20150176597
    Abstract: In a blade cross-sectional view, assuming that a tangent at an end of the outer periphery is defined as LQ, an imaginary line orthogonal to the rotation axis is defined as LO, an angle formed by the tangent (LQ) and the imaginary line (LO) is defined as an outer peripheral end tangent angle (?), and a position at which an imaginary plane including a position of an intake-side end portion of the bellmouth and a peripheral edge of the blade cross each other is defined as an overlap starting point, the outer peripheral end tangent angle on a trailing edge portion side with respect to a blade cross section including the overlap starting point is set to be smaller than the outer peripheral end tangent angle on a leading edge portion side with respect to the blade cross section including the overlap starting point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Takahide Tadokoro, Yasuaki Kato, Atsushi Kono
  • Patent number: 9062888
    Abstract: An air conditioner includes a propeller fan within a unit body, an L-shaped heat exchanger on a lateral surface and a rear surface of the unit body, a bell mouth installed radially outward of the propeller fan, and a plate to partition compressor space from propeller fan space, and to guide an airstream from the heat exchanger toward the bell mouth. A first bell mouth portion, which includes a sectional position and thereabout where a length of a segment connecting an end of the heat exchanger on a fan rotating direction side and a fan center is maximized, extends toward an upstream side longer than a second bell mouth portion which is located at a sectional position in a line-symmetrical relation to the first bell mouth portion with respect to a vertical line passing the fan center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahide Tadokoro, Yasuaki Kato
  • Publication number: 20150159671
    Abstract: The propeller fan includes a boss including a rotation axis, a plurality of blades formed on an outer periphery of the boss, and a bellmouth arranged so as to surround the plurality of blades at a trailing edge side of each of the blades. Each blade has a bending portion that bulges toward an upstream side of the air current in a cross-sectional shape in a radial direction, and a bend of the bending portion of the blade at an inner side of the bellmouth is set to be gentler than a bend of the bending portion of the blade at an outer side of the bellmouth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Inventors: Takahide Tadokoro, Yasuaki Kato, Atsushi Kono
  • Publication number: 20140217248
    Abstract: An antenna apparatus which has the centroid close to a base and which has a less constraint for placement of a counter weight. The antenna apparatus includes a base fixed to a moving object or a structural object, an antenna unit disposed at a side of the base and supported by the base, and a counter weight unit disposed at a side of the base opposite to the antenna unit and supported by the base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuaki Kato, Noboru Kawaguchi