Patents by Inventor Damian Patrick Davies

Damian Patrick Davies 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: 9985446
    Abstract: To restrain deterioration of fuel cells while preventing a battery from being overcharged, a fuel cell vehicle includes a motor for providing torque to wheels, a battery for storing electric power to provide the stored electric power to the motor, and a FC stack for generating electric power to provide the generated electric power to the motor and the battery. A battery charge level determining module determines a battery charge level of the battery, and a FET is configured to connect or disconnect the FC stack to the motor and the battery. A controller is configured to cause the FET to disconnect the FC stack from the motor and the battery and allow power generation by the FC stack when the determined battery charge level by the battery charge level determining module is greater than or equal to a first predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takanori Murakami, Yoshifumi Takai, Yohei Takada, Yoshimasa Matsumoto, Kengo Ikeya, Damian Patrick Davies, Nathan Grange
  • Patent number: 9705140
    Abstract: A vehicle fuel cell apparatus includes a fuel cell stack configured to take in air as a reaction gas and a coolant through an air intake aperture area, and discharge temperature-raised air through air discharging aperture areas. An air suction duct, air discharge ducts, and air discharge fans take in air to the air suction duct. The air discharge ducts have air discharge ports in the vicinity of the air suction duct. The air suction duct is formed with first air intake ports opening at its upstream end portion, and second air intake ports opening at locations nearer to the air discharge ports of the air discharge ducts than the first air intake ports. The second air intake ports are provided with shutters. The arrangement provides a vehicle fuel cell apparatus having enhanced operability in situations involving low-temperature outside air, and allows for enhanced mountability to vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shiro Matsumoto, Kengo Ikeya, Damian Patrick Davies, Nathan Grange
  • Patent number: 9647280
    Abstract: An object is to supply a sufficient amount of air to a fuel cell stack in a fuel cell vehicle when the fuel cell stack is mounted below a floor, the fuel cell stack configured to draw in air through an intake duct and discharge air to the exterior through an exhaust duct. An air introduction surface (26) faces upward or downward in a vehicle upper and lower direction, an intake passage portion (30) of the intake duct (28) extends along the air introduction surface (26) and vertical walls (31, 32) of left and right end portions of the fuel cell stack (11) while a pair of air introduction ports (33, 34) opens in left and right end portions of the intake passage portion (30), and an exhaust passage portion (39) of the exhaust duct (29) extends along an air discharge surface (27) and vertical walls (40, 41) of front and rear end portions of the fuel cell stack (11) while a pair of air discharge ports (42, 43) opens in front and rear end portions of the exhaust passage portion (39).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shiro Matsumoto, Naoki Ozawa, Toru Eguchi, Damian Patrick Davies
  • Patent number: 9466849
    Abstract: Provided is a cooling structure for vehicle electrical components that is capable of solving problems due to water contained in intake air. Air used in an electricity generation reaction and air necessary for self-cooling is supplied to a fuel cell stack (11) via an intake duct (2). Dust and chemical substances in the air are removed by a dust/chemical substance filter (3) provided on the fuel cell stack (11) side within the intake duct (2). Furthermore, air and water are primarily separated by a water filter (4) provided in the intake duct (2) upstream by a prescribed distance in the air flow direction from the dust/chemical substance filter (3). Therefore, water in the intake air does not reach the dust/chemical substance filter (3) and the fuel cell stack (11), and various problems due to water contained in the intake air can be solved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kengo Ikeya, Shiro Matsumoto, Damian Patrick Davies, Nathan Grange
  • Publication number: 20150147671
    Abstract: A vehicle fuel cell apparatus includes a fuel cell stack configured to take in air as a reaction gas and a coolant through an air intake aperture area, and discharge temperature-raised air through air discharging aperture areas. An air suction duct, air discharge ducts, and air discharge fans take in air to the air suction duct. The air discharge ducts have air discharge ports in the vicinity of the air suction duct. The air suction duct is formed with first air intake ports opening at its upstream end portion, and second air intake ports opening at locations nearer to the air discharge ports of the air discharge ducts than the first air intake ports. The second air intake ports are provided with shutters. The arrangement provides a vehicle fuel cell apparatus having enhanced operability in situations involving low-temperature outside air, and allows for enhanced mountability to vehicles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shiro Matsumoto, Kengo Ikeya, Damian Patrick Davies, Nathan Grange
  • Publication number: 20150042156
    Abstract: To restrain deterioration of fuel cells while preventing a battery from being overcharged, a fuel cell vehicle includes a motor for providing torque to wheels, a battery for storing electric power to provide the stored electric power to the motor, and a FC stack for generating electric power to provide the generated electric power to the motor and the battery. A battery charge level determining module determines a battery charge level of the battery, and a FET is configured to connect or disconnect the FC stack to the motor and the battery. A controller is configured to cause the FET to disconnect the FC stack from the motor and the battery and allow power generation by the FC stack when the determined battery charge level by the battery charge level determining module is greater than or equal to a first predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takanori Murakami, Yoshifumi Takai, Yohei Takada, Yoshimasa Matsumoto, Kengo Ikeya, Damian Patrick Davies, Nathan Grange
  • Publication number: 20150004502
    Abstract: Provided is a cooling structure for vehicle electrical components that is capable of solving problems due to water contained in intake air. Air used in an electricity generation reaction and air necessary for self-cooling is supplied to a fuel cell stack (11) via an intake duct (2). Dust and chemical substances in the air are removed by a dust/chemical substance filter (3) provided on the fuel cell stack (11) side within the intake duct (2). Furthermore, air and water are primarily separated by a water filter (4) provided in the intake duct (2) upstream by a prescribed distance in the air flow direction from the dust/chemical substance filter (3). Therefore, water in the intake air does not reach the dust/chemical substance filter (3) and the fuel cell stack (11), and various problems due to water contained in the intake air can be solved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Applicant: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kengo Ikeya, Shiro Matsumoto, Damian Patrick Davies, Nathan Grange
  • Publication number: 20140045090
    Abstract: An object is to supply a sufficient amount of air to a fuel cell stack in a fuel cell vehicle when the fuel cell stack is mounted below a floor, the fuel cell stack configured to draw in air through an intake duct and discharge air to the exterior through an exhaust duct. An air introduction surface (26) faces upward or downward in a vehicle upper and lower direction, an intake passage portion (30) of the intake duct (28) extends along the air introduction surface (26) and vertical walls (31, 32) of left and right end portions of the fuel cell stack (11) while a pair of air introduction ports (33, 34) opens in left and right end portions of the intake passage portion (30), and an exhaust passage portion (39) of the exhaust duct (29) extends along an air discharge surface (27) and vertical walls (40, 41) of front and rear end portions of the fuel cell stack (11) while a pair of air discharge ports (42, 43) opens in front and rear end portions of the exhaust passage portion (39).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shiro Matsumoto, Naoki Ozawa, Toru Eguchi, Damian Patrick Davies
  • Publication number: 20130303070
    Abstract: In an intake device for a fuel cell vehicle in which an intake duct supplies air to a fuel cell housed in a fuel cell case as a reaction gas, the intake duct includes a pair of top and bottom walls and a pair of left and right side walls, the top wall curves downward while extending from a front face of the fuel cell case toward the front side of vehicle, and an air introduction port opening toward a lower side of the vehicle is formed between a lower end portion of the top wall and a front end portion of the bottom wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Ozawa, Shiro Matsumoto, Kengo Ikeya, Damian Patrick Davies