Patents Assigned to Matsushita Refrigeration Company
  • Publication number: 20050265863
    Abstract: Relating to oil feed to a piston portion in a dual support bearing of a hermetic compressor, and a structure for improving efficiency and reliability and accomplishing reduction of noise is disclosed. In this structure, since an auxiliary bearing 119 is provided with an oil feed passage 129 for conducting lubricating oil 108 discharged from an upper end of an oil feed mechanism 114, to a sliding surface of a piston 120, the lubricating oil 108 is fed to the piston 120 and a piston pin 122 from the oil feed passage 129 to make the sealing performance excellent, so that the amount of leakage of refrigerant gas from a compression chamber 117 is reduced to improve the freezing capability or efficiency. Further, lubrication of sliding portions of the piston 120 and the piston pin 122 becomes excellent so that noise caused by sliding is reduced and the reliability is improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Publication date: December 1, 2005
    Applicant: Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Hironari Akashi, Hirotake Kawabata, Akihiko Kubota, Takahide Nagao, Makoto Katayama, Kosuke Tsuboi, Takashi Kakiuchi, Takeshi Kojima
  • Patent number: 6957951
    Abstract: In a hermetic compressor for use on an air-conditioning unit as well as a refrigerating unit such as a refrigerator and a showcase, there is disclosed a constitution designed to provide a silently operated hermetic compressor that has an intake muffler readily assembled thereon. The hermetic compressor including a substantially disk-like elastic member disposed between the intake muffler at an outlet thereof and a cylinder head is provided, in which an outlet orifice of the intake muffler constantly remains pressed against an intake valve port through a gasket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Toshihiko Ota, Hidetoshi Nishihara, Akihiko Kubota, Masahiko Osaka, Manabu Motegi, Kazuhito Noguchi, Takeshi Kojima
  • Patent number: 6946754
    Abstract: A linear motor includes a stator including a stator core for forming plural magnetic poles and a magnetic wire mounted on the stator core, and a mover provided at the interior of the stator and including a mover core and a magnet mounted on the outer side of the mover core. The linear motor has the magnet have a reduced mass, thus having a small size, a low overall cost, and a high operating efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Ko Inagaki, Ichiro Morita
  • Patent number: 6938428
    Abstract: An ice tray driving device has a mesh start section. The mesh start section includes a raised tooth formed by projecting at least one tooth of each of two output gears in the tooth width direction, a column section axially adjacent to the driving gear, a recessed tooth disposed in the column section and formed so as to mesh with the raised tooth, and a slide member for blocking the recessed tooth of the column section at a predetermined position. When the driving gear rotates one of the two output gears, the slide member keeps the blockage of the recessed tooth with respect to the raised tooth of the output gear that is not rotated to prevent the meshing. Thus, the meshing is started only by facing the raised tooth to the recessed tooth, the driving gear and the entire ice tray driving device can be downsized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Ichiro Onishi, Masatoshi Shokyu
  • Patent number: 6938968
    Abstract: Vacuum heat insulator comprising a laminated core made of a plurality of sheets of inorganic fibers having 10 ?m or smaller in diameter and a certain composition including SiO2 as a main component, Al2O3, CaO, and MgO, a gas barrier enveloping member, and an absorbent. The vacuum heat insulator is characterized by having at least one groove formed therein after fabrication of the vacuum heat insulator. Further, the vacuum heat insulator is characterized by using inorganic fiber core of which a peak of distribution in fiber diameter lies between 1 ?m or smaller and 0.1 ?m or larger, and not containing binding material for binding the fiber material. Electronic apparatuses use the vacuum heat insulator. With use of the vacuum heat insulator, electronic and electric apparatuses superior in energy saving and not to present uncomfortable feeling to the user can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Yasuaki Tanimoto, Tomohisa Tenra, Masayuki Nakanishi, Akiko Yuasa
  • Publication number: 20050172646
    Abstract: A refrigerant compressor includes a compressor section, driver, a first contact section and a second contact section. The compressor section is accommodated in a closed container for compressing refrigerant gas. The driver drives the compressor section. The first and second contact sections are brought into contact with each other or they slide with each other by driving the compressor section. On the surface of each one of the contact sections, at least one of plural recesses uniformly placed or a mixed layer, to which molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is bound, is formed. The foregoing structure allows increasing the abrasion resistance of the first and second contact sections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2003
    Publication date: August 11, 2005
    Applicant: Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Hirotaka Kawabata, Takahide Nagao, Akihiko Kubota, Hironari Akashi, Kosuke Tsuboi, Takashi Kakiuchi, Makoto Katayama, Takeshi Kojima
  • Publication number: 20050121991
    Abstract: A synchronous motor includes a stator, a rotor and permanent magnets. The rotor includes a rotor iron core rotatable relative to the stator, and a plurality of conductor bars accommodated within corresponding slots in the rotor iron core. The conductor bars have their opposite ends shortcircuited by respective shortcircuit rings to form a starter cage conductor. The rotor also has a plurality of magnet retaining slots defined therein at a location on an inner side of the conductor bars, in which hole permanent magnets are embedded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2005
    Publication date: June 9, 2005
    Applicants: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Kenji Sasaki, Teruo Tamura, Michihiro Yoshida, Toru Takimoto, Hideyuki Taniguchi, Hiroyuki Uesaka
  • Patent number: 6879064
    Abstract: A linear motor includes an outer yoke formed of a core made of thin magnetic plates laminated and a coil, an inner yoke formed of a core made of thin magnetic plates laminated and permanent magnets rigidly stuck on this laminated core, and an output shaft fixed to the inner yoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Masanori Kobayashi, Ichiro Kita, Ichiro Morita, Ko Inagaki, Akira Inoue
  • Patent number: 6876119
    Abstract: A synchronous motor includes a stator, a rotor and permanent magnets. The rotor includes a rotor iron core and rotatable relative to the stator, a plurality of conductor bars accommodated within corresponding slots in the rotor iron core. The conductor bars have their opposite ends shortcircuited by respective shortcircuit rings to form a starter cage conductor. The rotor also has a plurality of magnet retaining slots defined therein at a location on an inner side of the conductor bars, in which hole permanent magnets are embedded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignees: Matsushita Electric Industral Co., Ltd., Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Kenji Sasaki, Teruo Tamura, Michihiro Yoshida, Toru Takimoto, Hideyuki Taniguchi, Hiroyuki Uesaka
  • Patent number: 6859364
    Abstract: A portable information device such as a notebook type computer is provided with a highly efficient thermal insulator capable of blocking transfer of heat between an internal heating component and a device enclosure, so as to reduce temperature rise on a surface of the device. The portable information device is also provided with a highly efficient thermal insulator to block transfer of heat between the heating component and an expansion unit mounting case, thereby reducing temperature rise and preventing malfunction of an external expansion unit. The information device includes the thermal insulator to separate between the internal heating component and the device enclosure, another thermal insulator to separate between the heating component and the expansion unit mounting case, and a heat sink. The thermal insulator is a vacuum thermal insulator including inorganic fiber as a core member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Akiko Yuasa, Yasuaki Tanimoto, Chie Hirai
  • Patent number: 6848892
    Abstract: A tightly closed casing has an inside space for storing coolant gas. A block is accommodated in this casing. A motor includes a stator and a mover. A piston is connected to the mover of the motor. A movable element includes the mover of the motor and the piston. A stationary element includes the stator of the motor and the block. An elastic element has a portion fixed to the movable element and another portion fixed to the stationary element. A cylinder is shiftable in an axial direction with respect the block. A shifting device shifts the cylinder in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Ichiro Morita, Masanori Kobayashi, Koh Inagaki, Makoto Katayama
  • Patent number: 6802997
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a rigid polyurethane foam material, a method of manufacturing a refrigerator using the material, and a refrigerator manufactured by the same method. The method includes recovering highly purified rigid polyurethane foam from a scrapped refrigerator, and decomposing the rigid polyurethane foam for recycling. The method includes steps of: shredding a scrapped refrigerator containing rigid polyurethane foam in order to separate rigid polyurethane foam lumps; grinding the rigid polyurethane foam lumps into a rigid polyurethane foam powder; liquefying the rigid polyurethane foam powder by either aminolysis reaction or glycolysis reaction; reacting thus obtained liquefied rigid polyurethane foam powder and supercritical/sub-critical water in order to decompose the rigid polyurethane foam powder into a crude material; and fractionating the crude material to obtain a raw material of rigid polyurethane foam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Kazutaka Uekado, Akiko Yuasa
  • Publication number: 20040169431
    Abstract: A synchronous motor includes a stator, a rotor and permanent magnets. The rotor includes a rotor iron core and rotatable relative to the stator, a plurality of conductor bars accommodated within corresponding slots in the rotor iron core. The conductor bars have their opposite ends shortcircuited by respective shortcircuit rings to form a starter cage conductor. The rotor also has a plurality of magnet retaining slots defined therein at a location on an inner side of the conductor bars, in which hole permanent magnets are embedded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2004
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Applicants: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Kenji Sasaki, Teruo Tamura, Michihiro Yoshida, Toru Takimoto, Hideyuki Taniguchi, Hiroyuki Uesaka
  • Patent number: 6775998
    Abstract: Respective evaporators are set to a proper value in evaporation temperature and the efficiency in refrigeration cycle is enhanced, resulting in a reduction of energy consumption. A refrigerating unit and a refrigerator comprise a compressor, a condenser, a plurality of evaporators connected in series, a refrigerant flow rate adjustable unit and a refrigerant, thereby constituting a refrigeration cycle. The refrigerant flow rate adjustable unit controls each respective evaporation temperature of the plurality of evaporators. Preferably, the refrigeration unit further comprises a bypass circuit bypassing at least one of the plurality of evaporators and, when needs arise, the refrigerant is channeled through the bypass circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Masashi Yuasa, Shuzo Kamimura, Hiroshi Yamada, Hideki Fukui, Yasuki Hamano, Naoki Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 6742353
    Abstract: A refrigerator is improved in storage environment by suppressing drying and oxidation and enhanced in volume efficiency and cooling efficiency. The refrigerator includes a refrigerating chamber, a vegetable chamber, and a freezing chamber in order from its top to its bottom. Cool air is introduced into the freezing chamber by a first cooler and a first fan, and is introduced into the refrigerating chamber by a second cooler and a second fan. These chambers function as a direct cooling chamber. The vegetable chamber functions as an indirect cooling chamber cooled by a cooling plate which is disposed at the top of the chamber and has a large thermal conductivity, which is cooled by forced convection by the second cooler and the second fan, producing the effects of low temperature radiation and natural convection in the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Yoshiki Ohashi, Masatoshi Sasaki, Yohei Nomoto, Hiroshi Yamada
  • Patent number: 6727627
    Abstract: A synchronous motor includes a stator, a rotor and permanent magnets. The rotor includes a rotor iron core and rotatable relative to the stator, a plurality of conductor bars accommodated within corresponding slots in the rotor iron core. The conductor bars have their opposite ends shortcircuited by respective shortcircuit rings to form a starter squirrel cage conductor. The rotor also have a plurality of magnet retaining slots defined therein at a location on an inner side of the conductor bars, in which hole permanent magnets are embedded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignees: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Kenji Sasaki, Teruo Tamura, Michihiro Yoshida, Toru Takimoto, Hideyuki Taniguchi, Hiroyuki Uesaka
  • Patent number: 6704202
    Abstract: The present invention solves a problem that a power controller be large in a refrigerating system, and provides a compact-size as well as an inexpensive power controller. Highly heat-dissipating first board 1 including an inverter circuit mounted thereon and second board including a control circuit mounted thereon are placed in parallel with each other and accommodated by case 9. Case 9 has slits through which heat sink 2 and connector 6 can extend outside case 9, and further has fixing section 11 for fixing case 9 to a compressor. This structure allows the power controller to dissipate heat in an optimum manner and to be downsized, and also allows the compressor to integrate the controller thereinto. A capacity that the controller occupies in the refrigerating system can be substantially reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Koji Hamaoka, Keiji Ogawa, Tomonori Nakano
  • Patent number: 6688856
    Abstract: A closed motor-driven compressor includes a compression component (2) and an electric component (3) for driving the compression component (2), both of which are elastically supported within a closed vessel (1). A suction muffler (8) is mounted on the compression component (2) and includes a plurality of elements (10, 11, 12; 14, 15, 16; 18, 19, 20; 22, 23, 24; 26, 27, 28) assembled together and each made of synthetic resin. One of the plurality of elements (10, 11, 12; 14, 15, 16; 18, 19, 20; 22, 23, 24; 26, 27, 28) has a guide rib (13; 17; 21) integrally formed therewith that is tapered down toward an adjoining one of the plurality of elements (10, 11, 12; 14, 15, 16; 18, 19, 20; 22, 23, 24; 26, 27, 28), thereby facilitating assembly of the two elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Manabu Motegi, Masahiko Osaka, Akihiko Kubota, Masahiro Kakutani
  • Patent number: 6684979
    Abstract: A hermetic motor-driven compressor is capable of decreasing both the resonance sound due to an oil feed pipe and the resonance sound due to a crankshaft generated when the oil feed pipe is rotated while being dipped in the refrigerating machine oil. Within a hermetically sealed enclosure, a compression component and a motor drive component are supported through an elastic support arrangement, and the compression component comprises a crankshaft adapted to be rotatively driven by the motor drive component through an eccentric portion and provided with a journal, a balance weight disposed at the eccentric portion and a coaxial oil feed pipe disposed in the balance weight so as to revolve coaxially with the journal, so that the stirring of the refrigerating machine oil can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Maiko Nakazato, Akihiko Kubota, Manabu Motegi, Masahiko Osaka
  • Patent number: 6684659
    Abstract: In a refrigerator using a flammable coolant, in order to decrease danger of ignition when defrosting is conducted under an environment of leakage of the flammable coolant, the refrigerator comprises a cooling cycle evaporator and a defrosting devicve for defrosting the evaporator, wherein a temperature of the defrosting device is lower than an ignition temperature of the flammable coolant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Masaaki Tanaka, Takeshi Shimizu, Koichi Nishimura