Patents by Inventor Hiroaki Nishiumi
Hiroaki Nishiumi 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).
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Patent number: 11728503Abstract: A fuel cell module includes a fuel cell stack, a plurality of accessories, a plurality of maintenance components, and a frame. The frame has a three-dimensional structure having an internal space. The fuel cell stack and the accessories are fixed to the frame in a state where they are accommodated in the internal space. In a plan view of the fuel cell module, the maintenance components are fixed to the frame in a state where the maintenance components are placed in an external space formed on one side from the frame from among external spaces formed outside the internal space.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2021Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Daisuke Ishikawa, Hiroaki Nishiumi
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Patent number: 11652222Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack having a hydrogen hole in which hydrogen gas passes, a hydrogen-related auxiliary machine, and a hydrogen pipe that connects the hydrogen hole and the hydrogen-related auxiliary machine. The hydrogen pipe includes a liquid retention part that is located below the hydrogen hole, and a connecting point between the hydrogen pipe and the hydrogen-related auxiliary machine in a gravity direction.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2021Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takami Hosoi, Hiroaki Nishiumi
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Patent number: 11637297Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a cathode off-gas discharge channel, a gas-liquid separator, and a cover member. The gas-liquid separator includes a body, a first discharge channel including a first valve seat at an end, and a first valve device including a first valve element and a first driver. The cover member covers at least the first discharge channel and the first valve seat in the gas-liquid separator, and includes a gas channel defining portion that defines a gas channel communicating with the cathode off-gas discharge channel between the cover member and the gas-liquid separator. The gas channel is configured such that a cathode off-gas flowing into the cover member comes into contact with the first discharge channel and the first valve seat and does not come into contact with the first driver.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2021Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, ASIN CORPORATIONInventors: Takami Hosoi, Hiroaki Nishiumi, Takashi Mishima, Hitoshi Okuno, Toshihide Yamada
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Publication number: 20220226753Abstract: A gas-liquid separator includes a housing, an inlet in the housing, a flow passage which is in communication with the inlet and through which a water-containing gas supplied through the inlet flows in a vertical direction, a gas-flow director configured to change a flow direction of the water-containing gas flowing through the flow passage from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction, and a gas-liquid separating portion configured to bring the water-containing gas, supplied from the gas-flow director into the housing, into contact with a plurality of separation blades in sequence to separate water from the water-containing gas.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2022Publication date: July 21, 2022Applicants: AISIN CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hitoshi OKUNO, Takami HOSOI, Hiroaki NISHIUMI
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Publication number: 20220173424Abstract: A fuel cell module includes a fuel cell stack, a plurality of accessories, a plurality of maintenance components, and a frame. The frame has a three-dimensional structure having an internal space. The fuel cell stack and the accessories are fixed to the frame in a state where they are accommodated in the internal space. In a plan view of the fuel cell module, the maintenance components are fixed to the frame in a state where the maintenance components are placed in an external space formed on one side from the frame from among external spaces formed outside the internal space.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2021Publication date: June 2, 2022Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Daisuke ISHIKAWA, Hiroaki NISHIUMI
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Publication number: 20220115679Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a cathode off-gas discharge channel, a gas-liquid separator, and a cover member. The gas-liquid separator includes a body, a first discharge channel including a first valve seat at an end, and a first valve device including a first valve element and a first driver. The cover member covers at least the first discharge channel and the first valve seat in the gas-liquid separator, and includes a gas channel defining portion that defines a gas channel communicating with the cathode off-gas discharge channel between the cover member and the gas-liquid separator. The gas channel is configured such that a cathode off-gas flowing into the cover member comes into contact with the first discharge channel and the first valve seat and does not come into contact with the first driver.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2021Publication date: April 14, 2022Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN CORPORATIONInventors: Takami HOSOI, Hiroaki NISHIUMI, Takashi MISHIMA, Hitoshi OKUNO, Toshihide YAMADA
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Publication number: 20220093947Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack having a hydrogen hole in which hydrogen gas passes, a hydrogen-related auxiliary machine, and a hydrogen pipe that connects the hydrogen hole and the hydrogen-related auxiliary machine. The hydrogen pipe includes a liquid retention part that is located below the hydrogen hole, and a connecting point between the hydrogen pipe and the hydrogen-related auxiliary machine in a gravity direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 27, 2021Publication date: March 24, 2022Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takami HOSOI, Hiroaki NISHIUMI
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Patent number: 11225152Abstract: A fuel cell vehicle capable of determining, when a fuel cell vehicle collides with a rigid body, whether a stack is damaged by a visual observation at a low cost. A fuel cell vehicle includes: a fragile part configured to be located so as to come into contact with a side surface of the stack frame that is orthogonal to a direction in which cells in the stack are stacked, and be deformed when a preset collision force causing damage to a stack is applied; and a deformation part configured to form a part of the vehicle body, and be deformed and come into contact with the fragile part when a collision force is applied to the vehicle body.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2019Date of Patent: January 18, 2022Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Daisuke Ishikawa, Hiroaki Nishiumi
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Patent number: 10991958Abstract: A gas and water discharge unit for a fuel cell system that can be prevented from freezing even when it is formed using resin material. The unit includes a gas-liquid separator for separating produced water from fuel off-gas discharged from a fuel cell device, a gas and water discharge valve disposed downstream of the gas-liquid separator, and a resin unit body integrally formed with the gas-liquid separator and the gas and water discharge valve, in which the inside of the unit body includes a first channel with a valve seal at an end thereof on the gas and water discharge valve side, the first channel allowing communication between the gas-liquid separator and the gas and water discharge valve, a second channel communicating with the first channel via the gas and water discharge valve, and a heated water channel surrounding at least one of the first or second channel.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2019Date of Patent: April 27, 2021Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takami Hosoi, Hiroaki Nishiumi, Takashi Mishima, Koichi Kashiwagi, Hitoshi Okuno
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Patent number: 10919576Abstract: A vehicle includes: a front room disposed at a front portion of the vehicle in the vehicle in a vehicle-longitudinal direction; a fuel cell stack disposed in the front room, the fuel cell stack including multiple cells stacked in the vehicle-longitudinal direction; and a buffer member disposed in front of the fuel cell stack in the vehicle-longitudinal direction.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2018Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hiroaki Nishiumi, Yugo Ichida
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Patent number: 10737565Abstract: A fuel cell vehicle capable of reducing an impact on a fuel cell stack thereof in the vehicle-width direction is provided. The fuel cell vehicle includes: the fuel cell stack; a stack frame to which the fuel cell stack is adapted to be mounted, and disposed in a front compartment of the vehicle; and a pair of front side members disposed on both the right and left sides of the stack frame and disposed to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction. The fuel cell stack is disposed so as to be fitted within the width in the vehicle-width direction of the stack frame in the vehicle-width direction. The stack frame entirely overlaps the front side members when viewed in the vehicle-width direction.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2018Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yugo Ichida, Hiroaki Nishiumi
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Publication number: 20200207224Abstract: A fuel cell vehicle capable of determining, when a fuel cell vehicle collides with a rigid body, whether a stack is damaged by a visual observation at a low cost. A fuel cell vehicle includes: a fragile part configured to be located so as to come into contact with a side surface of the stack frame that is orthogonal to a direction in which cells in the stack are stacked, and be deformed when a preset collision force causing damage to a stack is applied; and a deformation part configured to form a part of the vehicle body, and be deformed and come into contact with the fragile part when a collision force is applied to the vehicle body.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2019Publication date: July 2, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Daisuke ISHIKAWA, Hiroaki NISHIUMI
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Patent number: 10608262Abstract: A fuel cell vehicle comprises a fuel cell module configured to include a fuel cell stack, a tank configured to store a gas that is supplied to the fuel cell stack, a fuel cell placement chamber configured to place the fuel cell module therein and a tank placement chamber formed on a rear side of the fuel cell placement chamber in a vehicle longitudinal direction of the fuel cell vehicle under a floor of the fuel cell vehicle and configured to place the tank therein. The fuel cell module is placed vertically above the tank such as not to overlap with the tank when being viewed in the vehicle longitudinal direction.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2017Date of Patent: March 31, 2020Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Taiho Kogyo Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroaki Nishiumi, Tatsuya Tokumasu
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Patent number: 10559841Abstract: There is provided a fuel cell comprising a cell stacked body and a case configured to surround at least stacked body side faces of the cell stacked body. The case comprises a first case configured to include a first case side wall and a pair of first opposed side walls that are arranged to rise from a circumference of the first case side wall such as to have a draft angle; and a second case configured to include a second case side wall and a pair of second opposed side walls that are arranged to rise from a circumference of the second case side wall such as to have a draft angle. A first edge of each of the first opposed side walls is joined with a second edge of each of the second opposed side walls. This configuration suppresses size expansion of the fuel cell.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2017Date of Patent: February 11, 2020Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KANUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yuma Takabatake, Hiroaki Nishiumi, Michitaro Itoga, Masahiko Nishikawa
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Publication number: 20190363375Abstract: A gas and water discharge unit for a fuel cell system that can be prevented from freezing even when it is formed using resin material The unit includes a gas-liquid separator for separating produced water from fuel off-gas discharged from a fuel cell device, a gas and water discharge valve disposed downstream of the gas-liquid separator, and a resin unit body integrally formed with the gas-liquid separator and the gas and water discharge valve, in which the inside of the unit body includes a first channel with a valve seal at an end thereof on the gas and water discharge valve side, the first channel allowing communication between the gas-liquid separator and the gas and water discharge valve, a second channel communicating With the first channel via the gas and water discharge valve, and a heated water channel surrounding at least one of the first or second channel.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 13, 2019Publication date: November 28, 2019Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takami HOSOI, Hiroaki NISHIUMI, Takashi MISHIMA, Koichi KASHIWAGI, Hitoshi OKUNO
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Patent number: 10468705Abstract: A fuel cell case that is configured to place a fuel cell therein, the fuel cell case includes: a first member including a bottom surface of the fuel cell case; and a second member fixed to an outer circumferential portion of the first member using a fastener, wherein a gasket seals between the first member and the second member, and the first member includes a rib, wherein the rib is positioned on an inner circumferential side of a portion where the first member comes into contact, with the gasket and is protruded upward from a surface where the first member comes into contact with the gasket.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2015Date of Patent: November 5, 2019Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hiroaki Nishiumi
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Publication number: 20190193547Abstract: A fuel cell vehicle capable of reducing an impact on a fuel cell stack thereof in the vehicle-width direction is provided. The fuel cell vehicle includes: the fuel cell stack; a stack frame to which the fuel cell stack is adapted to be mounted, and disposed in a front compartment of the vehicle; and a pair of front side members disposed on both the right and left sides of the stack frame and disposed to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction. The fuel cell stack is disposed so as to be fitted within the width in the vehicle-width direction of the stack frame in the vehicle-width direction. The stack frame entirely overlaps the front side members when viewed in the vehicle-width direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2018Publication date: June 27, 2019Inventors: Yugo Ichida, Hiroaki Nishiumi
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Patent number: 10179520Abstract: A fuel cell vehicle comprises a fuel cell module, a vehicle body frame, a plurality of mounting portions and a tank. A front portion of the vehicle body frame that a front side mounting portion is attached to is configured to be movable upward in a vehicle height direction when a load is applied in the vehicle longitudinal direction. A rear side mounting portion configured to mount a rear side of the fuel cell module in the vehicle longitudinal direction to the vehicle body frame is configured to be more easily breakable, compared with the front side mounting portion, when the load is applied in the vehicle longitudinal direction.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2017Date of Patent: January 15, 2019Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Taiho Kogyo Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shigetaka Yoshikawa, Hiroaki Nishiumi, Tatsuya Tokumasu
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Publication number: 20180304929Abstract: A vehicle includes: a front room disposed at a front portion of the vehicle in the vehicle in a vehicle-longitudinal direction; a fuel cell stack disposed in the front room, the fuel cell stack including multiple cells stacked in the vehicle-longitudinal direction; and a buffer member disposed in front of the fuel cell stack in the vehicle-longitudinal direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 10, 2018Publication date: October 25, 2018Inventors: Hiroaki NISHIUMI, Yugo ICHIDA
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Patent number: 10014549Abstract: A fuel cell system mounted on a vehicle, includes: a fuel cell configured to cause electrochemical reaction between an anode gas and a cathode gas to proceed; and a fuel cell casing that is configured to place the fuel cell therein, wherein the fuel cell casing has a bottom face that is formed in an approximately rectangular shape, the fuel cell casing is positioned such that longitudinal sides of the approximately rectangular shape are parallel to a left-right direction of the vehicle, and the bottom face has a rib that is extended only in a front-back direction of the vehicle is provided on the bottom face.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2015Date of Patent: July 3, 2018Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroaki Nishiumi, Tateki Takayama, Toshiyuki Tonuma