Patents Assigned to Zexel Corporation
  • Patent number: 6021956
    Abstract: Whether a thermal image is in a steady state or an unsteady state is judged based on measurement values of temperatures of objects and ambient temperature and previously obtained relational expressions between ambient temperature and the temperatures of the objects and an air conditioner is controlled based on the result of the judgment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventor: Tatsuo Haraguchi
  • Patent number: 6022199
    Abstract: A reciprocating compressor is provided. Compression chambers are formed on at least one end of pistons slidably received within respective cylinder bores of a cylinder block. A cylinder head is secured to the cylinder block and has a high-pressure chamber and a low-pressure chamber formed therein. A separating member is arranged between the cylinder block and the cylinder head. The separating member has a valve sheet, a valve plate, a stopper plate. The valve sheet is formed with suction valves and discharge valves. The valve plate is arranged between the valve sheet and the cylinder block, and formed with refrigerant outlet ports and relief holes each opening into a corresponding one of the compression chambers, for communicating with a corresponding one of refrigerant inlet ports formed through the stopper plate when the corresponding suction valve opens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Yoshii, Katsutoshi Enomoto, Katsuhiko Arai, Hisao Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 6022204
    Abstract: A vane compressor has at least one of a front-side member and a rear-side member thereof formed with a suction chamber opening toward a cam ring, which has a substantially arcuate or annular shape and extends around a drive shaft. The cam ring has one end face formed with a refrigerant inlet port for supplying a low-pressure refrigerant into compression chambers formed between vanes. Alternatively, a front head is arranged on one end face of the cam ring. A shell encloses another end and an outer peripheral surface of the cam ring and holds a movable plate in a state opposed to the other end face of the cam ring such that the movable plate can be moved along a central axis of the drive shaft. An inside of the shell and the movable plate defines a high-pressure chamber therein. Each adjacent pair of the vanes, the front head, and the movable plate defines a compression chamber therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiro Murayama, Shunji Muta, Tomoyasu Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6019027
    Abstract: A refrigerant compressor is provided. A cylinder block has a plurality of cylinder bores axially formed therethrough. A plurality of pistons are slidably received in the cylinder bores, respectively. A housing is secured to the cylinder block and has a crankcase defined therein. A drive shaft extends through the crankcase and has one end on a cylinder block side. A torque-transmitting member is received within the crankcase and mounted on the drive shaft, for rotation in unison with the drive shaft for converting torque transmitted from the drive shaft into reciprocating motion of each of the pistons. A bearing supports the one end of the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventors: Shunichi Furuya, Hiroshi Kanai
  • Patent number: 6016964
    Abstract: An air-mix door control device for an automobile air-conditioning system home-position-sets the air-mix door for the full-hot position or the full-cool position when it is necessary to control an air-mix door for a new target opening position other than a full-hot position or a full-cool position under a condition that an opening position detecting unit for detecting an opening position of the air-mix door causes a trouble. Also, the air-mix door control device calculates a reverse drive time required for reversely driving the air-mix door from the home-position-set position to the new target opening position so as to correct a time error derived from a torque variation of an air-mix door motor actuator due to a battery voltage. Thus, the air-mix door control device reversely drives the air-mix door according to the reverse drive time and controls the air-mix door for the new target opening position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventor: Masashi Ohkubo
  • Patent number: 6015336
    Abstract: A grinding apparatus according to the present invention grinds a work having a plurality of non-circular work faces to be worked with a grindstone driven by a motor. The work faces are disposed at intervals. Distances between a grindstone unit, bearings and a gear train which are adjacent to each other, are substantially equal to a distance between adjacent work faces of the work. The gear train and the bearings can be respectively positioned between the adjacent work faces of the work in grinding. Therefore, it is possible to prevent interference of the gear train and the bearings with the work faces other than the work face which is being ground by the grinding wheel by a simple structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2000
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Kubota, Katsunori Arai, Yuji Sato, Takayuki Yui, Toshihisa Kanakubo
  • Patent number: 6004106
    Abstract: In a distributor type fuel injection pump and a power transmission pump for transmitting power to the fuel injection pump, when a rotation system member of the injection pump is seized if anything should happen, only an injection pump is damaged to thereby greatly reduce damage to an engine. To this end, an annular groove is provided in a rotor to which power from the engine is transmitted, and the annular groove constitutes a frail portion of the rotor. The annular groove is positioned along the rotor so that all or most of the sliding portions of the rotor are located on a side of the groove opposite to a power supply side. When seizure occurs in the sliding portions of the rotor to prevent rotation, the rotor is twisted off at the annular groove by the power from the engine, so that rotation of a power supply side portion of the rotor is not prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventors: Hajime Machida, Satoshi Kitamura, Jun Matsubara
  • Patent number: 6001039
    Abstract: A working oil receiving chamber 8 is provided with an expanding and contracting member 12. The expanding and contracting member 12 is comprised of an expansible and contractible bellows 2a made of metal, and a bottom portion 12b made of metal and for closing opposite open ends of the bellows portion 12a, so that the member 12 can expand as the pressure of the working oil in the working oil receiving chamber 8 is increased and can contract as the pressure is decreased. A slightly compressed gas is filled in the expanding and contracting member 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Ohkubo, Isao Ishikawa, Shinichiro Nakajima
  • Patent number: 6001480
    Abstract: An amorphous hard carbon film deposited on a substrate wherein the film further contains silicon and nitrogen. A method for deposition of an amorphous hard carbon film containing silicon and nitrogen on a substrate wherein a carbon source, a silicon source and a nitrogen source are introduced in a deposition chamber in which the substrate are placed to deposit the film on said substrate. A mechanical part having a slidable member or slidable members wherein the slidable member(s) is coated with the above amorphous hard carbon film. A method for the use of the above amorphous hard carbon film wherein the film is coated on the surface of a slidable member of a mechanical part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventor: Kentaro Sho
  • Patent number: 6002105
    Abstract: A first PTC heater and a second PTC heater are provided at the downstream side of a heater core that uses engine cooling water for its heat source, and the second PTC heater is positioned at a foot outlet. Under conditions that require the use of the PTC heaters, power is supplied to all the PTC heaters if the discharge mode is set to a FOOT mode or a DEF/FOOT mode, whereas power is supplied only to the first PTC heater if the discharge mode is set to a DEFROST mode. In an air conditioning control apparatus for vehicles provided with a heater core and PTC heaters, warm air at appropriate temperatures can be supplied through both the foot outlet and the defrost outlet during an initial stage of heating in which the temperature of the engine cooling water is low. In addition, since no power is supplied to the second PTC heater unless the foot outlet is open, energy resources are saved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventor: Takanobu Tamada
  • Patent number: 5997257
    Abstract: A refrigerant compressor has a first high pressure chamber formed in the rear head, a second high pressure chamber formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder block, and a discharge passage communicating between the two. The discharge passage comprises at least one through hole through which a corresponding through bolt extends, at least one communication passage between the through hole and the first high pressure discharge chamber, at least one communication hole in the cylinder block communicating the through hole to the second high pressure chamber. Alternate embodiments include an oil reservoir and means for separating lubricant carried by the fluid flow within the discharge passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ishida, Kazuo Eitai, Minoru Kanaizuka
  • Patent number: 5996633
    Abstract: Heat-exchanging conduit tubes for a laminated heat exchanger made of aluminum material containing aluminum alloy having a brazing material claded and formed by folding one plate or overlaying two plates and brazing to connect edge joints of the folded plate or the overlaid plates, wherein the folded plate or the overlaid plates have projections protruded from one or both faces of the opposed plates toward the other plate, the projections are joined in contact with a flat face of the other plate or the projections of the other plate, and the edge joints of the folded plate or the overlaid plates are joined, and the height of the edge joint of the each plate is smaller than those of the projections. Thus, the heat-exchanging conduit tubes can be securely brazed to provide flat tubes having a satisfactory pressure resistance, and a method for producing them can be attained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventor: Soichi Kato
  • Patent number: 5988988
    Abstract: A capacity control valve device for a variable capacity swash plate compressor which includes at least one piston, a suction port, a suction chamber, and a refrigerant inlet passage communicating the suction port with the suction chamber, in which each piston has its stroke changed to control delivery quantity of the compressor. The control valve device is arranged at an intermediate portion of the refrigerant inlet passage, for controlling differential pressure between the suction port and the suction chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Tokumasu
  • Patent number: 5983656
    Abstract: An air conditioning system is provided. A driving force is constantly transmitted to a clutchless compressor via a pulley. A condenser causes a high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant compressed by the clutchless compressor to change to a high-pressure liquid refrigerant through heat exchange with external air. An expansion valve adiabatically expands the liquid refrigerant to thereby change the liquid refrigerant into a low-pressure atomized refrigerant. An evaporator evaporates the atomized refrigerant through heat exchange with the external air. The evaporator is heated when a thermal load on the compressor is low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Tokumasu
  • Patent number: 5979051
    Abstract: A heat exchanger that a tube member 2' has beads 21 protruded from the face of one plate toward the other plate, tube member 2' is held by block members 31, 31, a forming jig 40 is inserted between medium passages 24, 24 formed by the beads 21 to hold to press the beads 21 at an end 2a of the tube member 2' to mutually adhere the faces of the beads 21 on the outer face of the tube member 2', and recesses formed by the mutually contacted faces of the beads 21, 21 have a cross-sectional area of about 0.2 mm.sup.2 or below. And, a region where the recesses have a cross-sectional area of about 0.2 mm.sup.2 or below is within 10 mm outside header pipes 3, 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventors: Soichi Kato, Muneo Sakurada, Shin Kurihara, Sadao Haiya, Takashi Sugita, Shoji Akiyama, Takahumi Umehara
  • Patent number: 5980216
    Abstract: There is provided a variable capacity swash plate compressor having a construction which is capable of lubricating sliding contact portions of a retainer and a retainer support plate to thereby reduce abrasion of the two component parts of the compressor and prevent noises from being produced from them. The variable capacity swash plate compressor has a retainer mounted on its swash plate in a relatively rotatable manner with respect to the swash plate for supporting a plurality of shoes, and an annular retainer support plate for supporting the retainer in a state held in surface contact with one face of the retainer. In the variable capacity swash plate compressor, the retainer support plate is formed with a cut-away portion which is cut away therefrom, thereby increasing an exposed area of the one face of the retainer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Tokumasu
  • Patent number: 5979544
    Abstract: In a heat exchanger formed by laminating tube elements alternately with fins over a plurality of levels, a plurality of beads are formed in each of tube elements provided with intake/outlet portions in the areas where the tank portions change to a passage portion. The width of these beads are set to be larger than the beads in other tube elements so as to constrict the passage cross section. In addition, the areas of the communicating holes formed in tank portions away from the intake/outlet portion through which the heat exchanging medium flows in are made smaller than the areas of the communicating holes formed in tank portions near the intake/outlet portion. The centers of the communicating holes in the tank portions further away from the intake/outlet portion are located further downward than the centers of the communicating holes in the tank portions provided closer to the intake/outlet portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventor: Seiji Inoue
  • Patent number: 5979802
    Abstract: In a variable nozzle hole area type fuel injection nozzle using a rotary valve a drive arrangement of the rotary valve (7) comprises an actuator (9) mounted to the nozzle holder proper and a drive shaft (8) extending through an axial hole (43a) of the needle valve (4) and having its lower end reaching the vicinity of the lower end of the needle valve (4) and a coupling shaft (10) positioned inside a control hole (45) provided in the lower end of the needle valve (4) and as well as performing a torque transmitting function the coupling shaft (10) has a leak passage (10f) and a seat portion (10c) so that it can perform a valve function for controlling termination of a pilot injection and separately from the actuator there is provided a driving mechanism (14) for forcibly moving the coupling shaft (10) in the axial direction while the needle valve (4) is open to end the action of the seat portion (10c).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 5979296
    Abstract: A communication path (32) for communicating a hermetically closed space (S) with an inlet port (20) is formed within a casing (1). An oil reservoir (30) having an inside capacity much greater than an inside capacity of the communication path (32) is formed in an intermediate part of the communication path (32).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Zexel Corporation
    Inventors: Hideya Kikuchi, Etsuro Hozumi, Nobuo Aoki, Akinao Minegishi
  • Patent number: 5975433
    Abstract: A fuel injection nozzle with which it is possible to control the nozzle hole area and the injection period so that the injection pressure, the injection period and the injection amount are suited to the load and the speed of the engine and with which it is possible to conduct a pilot injection and a main injection certainly and precisely by simple control using a small actuator just by rotating this actuator in one direction. The fuel injection nozzle is of a type having a rotary valve disposed in a well, the rotary valve being rotated by an actuator to adjust the opening area of the nozzle holes formed in an enclosing wall bounding the well; the enclosing wall has a conical inner surface and the rotary valve has at its upper end a pressure-receiving surface for receiving the pressure of the pressurized fuel and has at its circumferential periphery a conical seat surface of an angle matching the angle of the conical inner surface of the enclosing wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: ZEXEL Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Hasegawa, Takashi Kobayashi