Patents by Inventor Atsushi Inaba

Atsushi Inaba 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: 7260952
    Abstract: A fluid machine has a compressor device for compressing refrigerant of a refrigerating cycle for an automotive vehicle, an electric rotating device operating as an electric motor for generating a rotational driving force to drive the compressor device or operating as an electric power generator, an expansion device for collecting waste heat from an engine and generating a rotational driving force to drive the electric rotating device and/or the compressor device, and a switching device for connecting or disconnecting the compressor device with or from the expansion device. In the fluid machine, the waste heat from the engine can be always collected by the expansion device, irrespectively whether or not the compressor device is operating for an air conditioning operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignees: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Takeuchi, Shigeki Iwanami, Hironori Asa, Yasushi Yamanaka, Atsushi Inaba, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20070175212
    Abstract: It is an object to provide a fluid machine, which is simple in structure and in which lubricating oil containing smaller amount of the working fluid is supplied to sliding portions of an expansion device. The fluid machine has the expansion device for generating a driving force by expansion of the working fluid, which contains the lubricating oil and is heated to a gas phase condition. The fluid machine further has an electric power generating device driven by the driving force of the expansion device and generating electric power. An oil pooling portion is formed in a fluid passage, through which the working fluid discharged from the expansion device flows, such that the lubricating oil contained in the working fluid is brought into contact with at least one of sliding portions of the expansion device and the electric power generating device. And a heating unit is provided to heat the working fluid in the oil pooling portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Applicants: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Keiichi Uno, Hironori Asa, Yasuhiro Takeuchi, Hiroshi Ogawa, Hiroshi Kishita, Kazuhide Uchida, Yasuhiro Kawase, Atsushi Inaba
  • Publication number: 20070126236
    Abstract: A power supply control system for a vehicle includes a supply line system, a first electric generating means, a second electric generating means, and a control means. The first electric generating means generates electricity through use of a mechanical drive force of a drive source of the vehicle, which drives the vehicle to run. The second electric generating means generates electricity through use of a heat energy. The first and second electric generating means are connected to the supply line system. The control means controls the first electric generating means and the second electric generating means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Applicant: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tamura, Kazuyoshi Obayashi, Atsushi Inaba, Hironori Asa, Katsunori Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7181919
    Abstract: A waste heat energy recovery system has a refrigerant cycle and a Rankine cycle. When the cycle operation is changed from the refrigerant cycle to the Rankine cycle, an expansion device is started after the pump is started. When the cycle operation is changed from the Rankine cycle to the refrigerant cycle, the expansion device is stopped after the pump is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Keiichi Uno, Hironori Asa, Atsushi Inaba, Takashi Yamanaka, Hideji Yoshida, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 7178358
    Abstract: A vapor-compression refrigerant cycle system with a refrigeration cycle and a Rankine cycle includes a compressor, a radiator, a gas-liquid separator, a decompression device and an evaporator. In the vapor-compression refrigerant cycle system, a liquid pump is disposed for supplying the liquid refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator to a heater for heating the refrigerant, a cooling means is provided for cooling the liquid refrigerant to be sucked into the liquid pump, and an energy recovery unit for expanding the refrigerant flowing out of the heater is disposed to recover thermal energy in the refrigerant from the heater. When the Rankine cycle is set so that the energy recovery unit recovers the thermal energy, the cooling means cools the liquid refrigerant to be sucked into the liquid pump. Therefore, pumping efficiency of the liquid pump can be effectively improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Atsushi Inaba, Yasushi Yamanaka, Shigeki Iwanami, Koichi Ban, Shigeru Hisanaga, Tadashi Hotta, Yukikatsu Ozaki, Kazuhide Uchida
  • Patent number: 7152422
    Abstract: A vapor compression refrigerator having a refrigeration cycle (200) is disclosed. In a Rankine cycle (300), a refrigerant is circulated through a pump (310), a heater (320), an expander (330) and a condenser (220) in that order, and power is recovered by the expander 330 due to the expansion of the refrigerant from the heater (320). In a host gas cycle (500), on the other hand, the inlet of the compressor (210) can be connected from a point between the pump (310) and the heater (320) by a switching path (510) having a first restricting portion (510), the refrigerant is circulated by the compressor (210) through the heater (320) and the switching path (510) in that order, and the heater (320) exhibits the function of heating a heat generating device (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Takano, Atsushi Inaba, Koichi Ban, Koji Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20060254309
    Abstract: A fluid machine has a scroll type expansion device which is operated by a high temperature high pressure refrigerant. The refrigerant is heated by use of waste heat from an engine for a vehicle. The fluid machine further has a motor generator for generating electric power when it is driven by a rotational force produced at the expansion device, wherein a rotating shaft of the motor generator is coupled to a movable scroll of the expansion device via a crank mechanism. A biasing member is provided for biasing the crank mechanism in a direction that the movable scroll wrap is separated from a contact in a circumferential direction with a fixed scroll wrap. Pressure of the refrigerant in a working chamber in the center portion is thereby equalized to the pressure in the outer peripheral portion, at a startup period of the expansion mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2006
    Publication date: November 16, 2006
    Applicants: DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Takeuchi, Keiichi Uno, Shigeru Hisanaga, Hironori Asa, Takashi Yamanaka, Atsushi Inaba, Kazuhide Uchida, Hiroshi Ogawa, Yoichiro Kawamoto, Hiroshi Kishita
  • Publication number: 20060225421
    Abstract: A device for utilizing waste heat from a heat engine comprises a Rankine cycle including a pump, a heating device, an expansion device, and a condenser device, and a controller for controlling an operation of the Rankine cycle. The controller calculates an optimum heat collection amount (Qho) as a heat value to be collected from waste heat of the engine, wherein the heat collection amount (Qho) is calculated as an optimum amount in relation to a potential maximum heat radiation amount (Qco) to be radiated at the condenser device. The controller calculates an optimum flow amount (G) of refrigerant corresponding to the optimum heat collection amount (Qho), so that a maximum driving power (L) is generated at the expansion device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Publication date: October 12, 2006
    Applicant: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Yamanaka, Atsushi Inaba, Shinichi Hamada
  • Publication number: 20060144047
    Abstract: In an automotive vehicle having a heater for a heating operation for a passenger room of the vehicle with use of waste heat of an engine, a vapor compression refrigerating device comprises a refrigerating cycle for a cooling operation for the passenger room. The vapor compression refrigerating device further comprises a heating cycle (a heat pump cycle, or a hot gas cycle) for performing a heating operation to engine cooling water by using the high temperature and high pressure refrigerant from a compressor device, wherein a control means activates the heating cycle at a predetermined time before starting an engine when an outside air temperature is lower than a predetermined value. Accordingly, the engine has been already warmed up before a driver gets into the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2006
    Publication date: July 6, 2006
    Applicant: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Inaba, Koichi Ban, Yasushi Yamanaka
  • Publication number: 20060107681
    Abstract: A complex fluid machine has an expansion-compressor device, a pump, and a motor generator, wherein the expansion-compressor device, the pump, and the motor generator are operatively connected and arranged in series, and a power transmitting device for disconnecting the pump from the motor generator, when the expansion-compressor device is driven by the motor generator so as to be operated as a compressor device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2005
    Publication date: May 25, 2006
    Applicants: DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Keiichi Uno, Hironori Asa, Yasuhiro Takeuchi, Hideji Yoshida, Akihiro Imura, Atsushi Inaba, Koichi Ban, Takashi Yamanaka, Shigeki Iwanami, Hiroshi Kishita, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20060080985
    Abstract: A vapor compression refrigerating apparatus comprises a refrigerating cycle for performing a cooling operation of an automotive air conditioning system, a Rankine cycle for collecting waste heat from an engine of a vehicle to generate an electric power by an electric rotating device driven by an expansion device of the Rankine cycle, and a heat pump cycle for generating heat to supply the generated heat to the engine so that a warming up operation of the engine can be facilitated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2005
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Applicant: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Inaba, Yasushi Yamanaka, Koichi Ban, Takashi Yamanaka
  • Publication number: 20060026981
    Abstract: In a refrigerating device comprising waste heat utilization equipment having: a refrigerating cycle 200 formed by sequentially connecting a compressor 210, a condenser 210, an expansion valve 240, and an evaporator 250; and a Rankine cycle 300 formed by sequentially connecting a heater 310 using the waste heat of a heat generating device (for example, an internal combustion engine) 10 as a heating source, an expansion device 320, the above-mentioned condenser 220, and a pump 330, in which the drive shafts of the compressor 210 and the expansion device 320 are separated from each other. Then, the output of the expansion device 320 is used mainly for generating electricity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2005
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Applicants: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Atsushi Inaba, Yasushi Yamanaka, Shigeru Hisanaga, Takashi Yamanaka, Hironori Asa, Hiroshi Kisita
  • Publication number: 20060005557
    Abstract: A vapor compression refrigerator having a refrigeration cycle (200) is disclosed. In a Rankine cycle (300), a refrigerant is circulated through a pump (310), a heater (320), an expander (330) and a condenser (220) in that order, and power is recovered by the expander 330 due to the expansion of the refrigerant from the heater (320). In a host gas cycle (500), on the other hand, the inlet of the compressor (210) can be connected from a point between the pump (310) and the heater (320) by a switching path (510) having a first restricting portion (510), the refrigerant is circulated by the compressor (210) through the heater (320) and the switching path (510) in that order, and the heater (320) exhibits the function of heating a heat generating device (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2005
    Publication date: January 12, 2006
    Applicant: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Takano, Atsushi Inaba, Koichi Ban, Koji Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20050262858
    Abstract: The waste heat recovering operation mode (a Rankine cycle) is started and operated for a predetermined period of time T1 (s) (S430 to S450). In the case where the difference (P2?P1) between the upstream pressure P1 and the downstream pressure P2 of the liquid pump is higher than the predetermined pressure P, the waste heat recovering operation mode is continued. In the case where the difference (P2?P1) is not more than the predetermined pressure P, after the air conditioning mode is started (S480 to S500), the waste heat recovering operation mode is started again (S430 to S450). Due to the foregoing, it is possible to provide a heat cycle, which is provided with a refrigerating cycle and a Rankine cycle which are changeable each other, in which an incomplete start at the time of Rankine cycle can be reduced and a deterioration of the cycle efficiency can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2005
    Publication date: December 1, 2005
    Applicants: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Atsushi Inaba, Tadashi Hotta
  • Patent number: 6964178
    Abstract: An air conditioning system for a vehicle has a cool storage heat exchanger for continuing cooling operation with stored cooling energy during a compressor is stopped due to a temporal stop of an engine for the vehicle. Cooling energy is stored in the cool storage material of the cool storage heat exchanger during a normal cooling operation during which the compressor is operated by the engine. When the vehicle stops, for example before a traffic lamp, and thereby the compressor is not operated, an ejector is operated to circulate the refrigerant from the cool storage heat exchanger to an evaporator so that the cooling operation can be continued.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yasukazu Aikawa, Etsuhisa Yamada, Atsushi Inaba, Shigeru Hisanaga, Hirotsugu Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20050235670
    Abstract: A fluid machine has a compressor device for compressing refrigerant of a refrigerating cycle for an automotive vehicle, an electric rotating device operating as an electric motor for generating a rotational driving force to drive the compressor device or operating as an electric power generator, an expansion device for collecting waste heat from an engine and generating a rotational driving force to drive the electric rotating device and/or the compressor device, and a switching device for connecting or disconnecting the compressor device with or from the expansion device. In the fluid machine, the waste heat from the engine can be always collected by the expansion device, irrespectively whether or not the compressor device is operating for an air conditioning operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Publication date: October 27, 2005
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Takeuchi, Shigeki Iwanami, Hironori Asa, Yasushi Yamanaka, Atsushi Inaba, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20050217288
    Abstract: A waste heat energy recovery system has a refrigerant cycle and a Rankine cycle. When the cycle operation is changed from the refrigerant cycle to the Rankine cycle, an expansion device is started after the pump is started. When the cycle operation is changed from the Rankine cycle to the refrigerant cycle, the expansion device is stopped after the pump is stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2005
    Publication date: October 6, 2005
    Inventors: Keiichi Uno, Hironori Asa, Atsushi Inaba, Takashi Yamanaka, Hideji Yoshida, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20050188717
    Abstract: An air conditioning system for a vehicle has a cool storage heat exchanger for continuing cooling operation with stored cooling energy during a compressor is stopped due to a temporal stop of an engine for the vehicle. Cooling energy is stored in the cool storage material of the cool storage heat exchanger during a normal cooling operation during which the compressor is operated by the engine. When the vehicle stops, for example before a traffic lamp, and thereby the compressor is not operated, an ejector is operated to circulate the refrigerant from the cool storage heat exchanger to an evaporator so that the cooling operation can be continued.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2005
    Publication date: September 1, 2005
    Inventors: Yasukazu Aikawa, Etsuhisa Yamada, Atsushi Inaba, Shigeru Hisanaga, Hirotsugu Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 6935129
    Abstract: A radiator for a vapor-compression refrigerant cycle and a condenser for a Rankine cycle are integrated to construct a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger includes a core portion for performing a heat exchange, and is disposed to have a first function portion used as the radiator and a second function portion used as the condenser. A function ratio changing ratio includes a displacement member such as a plunger disposed in a header tank of the heat exchanger, and changes a ratio between the first function portion and the second function portion. For example, the displacement member partitions an inner space of the header tank into two space parts when both the vapor-compression refrigerant cycle and the Rankine cycle are operated, and does not partition the inner space when only one of the vapor-compression refrigerant cycle and the Rankine cycle is operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Sasaki, Atsushi Inaba, Takashi Yamanaka, Eiichi Torigoe
  • Patent number: 6928820
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a rankine cycle suitable for a use for a motor vehicle. In a waste heat collecting system having the rankine cycle and a refrigerating cycle, when ECU receives an air-conditioning signal from A/C ECU, the refrigerating cycle is operated, by preceding the operation of the rankine cycle. In the case that there is no air-conditioning signal and a temperature of an engine cooling water is higher than a predetermined value, the rankine cycle is operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignees: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Atsushi Inaba, Shinichi Hamada, Shigeru Hisanaga, Tadashi Hotta