Patents by Inventor Hironori Asa

Hironori Asa 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).

  • Publication number: 20070289326
    Abstract: A controller reduces a rotational speed of a Rankine cycle from a predetermined normal rotational speed during an operation of a compressor in a predetermined state when the controller determines that a predicted refrigerant flow quantity, which is predicted by assuming that the compressor is operated in a sole operation of the Rankine cycle at the predetermined normal rotational speed of the Rankine cycle, exceeds a predetermined flow quantity. The predetermined state is a state that satisfies a predetermined condition, which relates to the sole operation of the Rankine cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Applicants: DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Michio Nishikawa, Atsushi Inaba, Hironori Asa, Hiroshi Kishita
  • Patent number: 7296427
    Abstract: In a hybrid compressor for a vehicle where a vehicle engine is stopped when the vehicle is temporally stopped, a pulley, a motor and a compressor can be driven in independent from each other, and are connected to a sun gear, planetary carriers and a ring gear of a planetary gear. A rotational speed of the motor is adjusted by a controller, so that a rotational speed of the compressor is changed with respect to a rotational speed of the pulley. Accordingly, production cost of the hybrid compressor and the size thereof can be reduced, while a cooling function can be ensured even when the vehicle engine is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignees: Nippon Soken, Inc., DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushi Suzuki, Shigeki Iwanami, Hironori Asa, Keiichi Uno
  • Publication number: 20070245737
    Abstract: A waste heat utilization device includes a Rankine cycle in which an operation fluid circulates, and a control unit which controls an operation of the Rankine cycle. The Rankine cycle has a heater for heating the operation fluid using a waste fluid with a waste heat from a heat engine, an expander that expands the heated operation fluid to recover a mechanical energy, and a condenser for cooling and condensing the expanded operation fluid. The control unit operates the Rankine cycle when a waste fluid temperature is not less than a predetermined temperature and when the waste fluid is in a flowing state in the heat engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2007
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Applicant: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Inaba, Michio Nishikawa, Hironori Asa, Keiichi Uno, Takahisa Suzuki, Hiroshi Kishita
  • Publication number: 20070245732
    Abstract: A fluid machine includes a fluidization portion for compressing or expanding a working fluid which is heated to be brought into a vapor phase state after circulating in a cycle, an oil storage portion for storing therein lubricant oil for lubricating a sliding surface of the fluidization portion, a lubricant oil feed passage for guiding the lubricant oil stored in the oil storage portion to a sliding portion of the fluidization portion by a flow of the working fluid, and a sliding surface pressure adjustment portion that is controlled to adjust a sliding surface pressure of the sliding portion. The working fluid flows inside the machine with the sliding surface pressure of the sliding portion decreased as compared with that in a normal operation of the fluidization portion by the sliding surface pressure adjustment portion, and thereafter the decreasing of the sliding surface pressure by the sliding surface pressure adjustment portion is released.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2007
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Applicants: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Keiichi Uno, Hironori Asa, Kazuhide Utida
  • Patent number: 7281909
    Abstract: A compressor device compresses refrigerant of a refrigeration cycle system and is connected to an engine and a motor to selectively receive drive force from one or both of the engine and the motor. When the engine is operated in an idling mode, a control apparatus energizes the motor to drive the compressor device alone or in cooperation with the engine and controls the energization of the motor to adjust load on the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Keiichi Uno, Yasushi Suzuki, Shigeki Iwanami, Hironori Asa, Kazuhide Uchida
  • Publication number: 20070227472
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a waste heat collecting system having an expansion device, in which an over expansion of refrigerant is prevented so that a loss to be caused by the over expansion is eliminated. A volume ratio of expansion for the expansion device is selected at a value, at which proper expansion of the refrigerant is achieved when the pressure difference between the high pressure and the low pressure is minimum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Applicants: DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Takeuchi, Kazuhide Utida, Keiichi Uno, Atsushi Inaba, Hiroshi Ogawa, Hironori Asa, Hiroshi Kishita
  • Patent number: 7263828
    Abstract: An expansion-and-compressor device of a fluid machine has a pump mode operation in which the expansion-and-compressor device is rotated by a driving force from a driving source to compress working fluid, and a motor mode operation in which the fluid pressure is converted into energy of movement to output kinetic energy. The fluid machine further has a transmission device for transmitting the driving force from the driving source with increased rotational speed, when the expansion-and-compressor device is operated in the pump mode operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignees: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigeki Iwanami, Hironori Asa, Keiichi Uno, Yasuhiro Takeuchi, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • 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
  • Patent number: 7250017
    Abstract: An auxiliary machine driven by an engine comprises: an operating section operated by a rotary motion and having a drive shaft; an input shaft, one side of which is connected to the engine and the other side of which is connected to the operating section; a clutch for connecting the engine to the input shaft and for disconnecting the engine from the input shaft; an electric motor; a planetary gear mechanism arranged between the input shaft and the output shaft; a first rotary direction regulating means for inhibiting a rotary direction of the input shaft in one-direction; and a second rotary direction regulating means for inhibiting a rotary direction of the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignees: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Hironori Asa, Shigeki Iwanami, Keiichi Uno, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • 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
  • 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
  • Patent number: 7121190
    Abstract: A fluid machine for a gas compression refrigerating system comprises a first and a second working for performing a pump mode operation, in which working fluid of low pressure is sucked into and compressed by the working chambers. The fluid machine further comprises valve mechanism for selectively forming a motor mode passage in combination with a fluid passage change-over device, so that super heated working fluid of high pressure is introduced into at least one of the working chambers to perform a motor mode operation, in which the high pressure working fluid is expanded in the working chamber to obtain mechanical energy. The fluid machine according to the invention, therefore, performs the pump mode operation at one of the working chambers and at the same time the motor mode operation at the other working chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignees: Nippon Soken, Inc., Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ogawa, Mikio Matsuda, Kazuhide Uchida, Shigeki Iwanami, Keiichi Uno, Hironori Asa
  • Publication number: 20060213218
    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. A portion of an outlet side passage formed in the fluid machine, through which the working fluid flows from the expansion device, is arranged adjacent to a portion of a pump outlet-side passage formed in the fluid machine, through which the working fluid flows from the pump, so that heat of the working fluid in the outlet side passage is transferred to the working fluid in the pump outlet-side passage. As a result, efficiency of Rankine cycle for collecting waste heat is increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2006
    Publication date: September 28, 2006
    Applicants: DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, Inc.
    Inventors: Keiichi Uno, Hironori Asa, Yasuhiro Takeuchi, Hiroshi Kishita, Kazuhide Uchida, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20060196204
    Abstract: A fluid pump includes a driving part, a movable part that is movable by power transmitted from the driving part via a transmission part, a fixed part disposed on a side of the movable part, opposite to the transmission part, to form an operating chamber having an outlet from which a fluid flowing into the operating chamber is pressure-fed to an outside in a liquid state by the movable part, and an introduction passage for introducing a part of the fluid in the operating chamber to the transmission part. Accordingly, the liquid fluid can be introduced to the transmission part such as a bearing through the introduction passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Publication date: September 7, 2006
    Applicants: DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Takeuchi, Hironori Asa, Keiichi Uno, Kazuhide Uchida, Yoichiro Kawamoto, Hiroshi Kishita, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20060198747
    Abstract: A fluid machine includes a stationary scroll member and a movable scroll member. A second tooth portion of the movable scroll member is arranged to be revolved with respect to a first tooth portion of the stationary scroll member and to form an operating chamber between the movable scroll member and the stationary scroll member. The operating chamber is changeable in accordance with a revolution of the movable scroll member to be defined between two sliding contact portions, and is dividable into first and second operating chambers. The second tooth portion is provided with a passage portion through which an introducing port for introducing a fluid to the operating chamber communicates with the second operating chamber when the introducing port communicates with the first operating chamber. The passage portion disconnects the introducing port from the second operating chamber when the introducing port is disconnected from the first operating chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2006
    Publication date: September 7, 2006
    Applicants: DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Keiichi Uno, Yasuhiro Takeuchi, Hironori Asa, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • 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
  • Patent number: 7028475
    Abstract: A fluid machine according to the present invention has an expansion-and-compressor device selectively operating as an expansion device for collecting waste heat from an internal combustion engine and converting the collected heat energy into mechanical rotational force, and as a compressor device for compressing refrigerant for a refrigerating cycle for air conditioner. The fluid machine further comprises an electric rotating device selectively operating as an electric power generator and as an electric motor. A power transmission device is further provided between the expansion-and-compressor device and the electric rotating device for selectively transmitting the rotational force from the expansion-and-compressor device to the electric rotating device and vice versa. The power transmission device is composed of a planetary gear train so that it can change rotational speed to be transmitted to the expansion-and-compressor device or to the electric rotating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Iwanami, Yasushi Suzuki, Keiichi Uno, Kazuhide Uchida, Tadashi Hotta, Hironori Asa, Yasuhiro Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20060073050
    Abstract: A complex fluid machine (100) comprises a compressor device (110) for a refrigerating cycle (20) and an expansion device (120) for Rankine cycle (30) to collect waste heat from an engine (10) and convert into a rotational force, wherein the compressor device (110) and the expansion device (120) are arranged in a fluid machine housing (111, 101c, 121), but those devices (110, 120) are operatively independent from each other. The compressor and expansion devices (110, 120) are formed as scroll type devices, and each of the fixed scroll wraps (112b, 122b) are formed at a common base plate (101) and extend in opposite directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Publication date: April 6, 2006
    Applicants: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigeki Iwanami, Keiichi Uno, Hironori Asa, Tomohiro Kishimoto, Hiroshi Ogawa