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: 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: 20060019786
    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: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2005
    Publication date: January 26, 2006
    Applicants: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Hironori Asa, Shigeki Iwanami, Keiichi Uno, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • 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: 20050193734
    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: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2005
    Publication date: September 8, 2005
    Inventors: Shigeki Iwanami, Hironori Asa, Keiichi Uno, Yasuhiro Takeuchi, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 6939114
    Abstract: A dynamotor capable of operating as either a motor or a generator is used with both the armature portion and the field portion thereof capable of being rotated. In the case where a pulley operatively interlocked with the output shaft of the prime mover is mounted on the rotary shaft of the armature portion, the drive shaft of the compressor is mounted on the rotating field portion. Once the dynamotor is operated in motor mode, the rotational speed of the compressor is increased to the sum of the input rotational speed and the rotational speed of the dynamotor. The compressor is stopped by disconnecting a power feed circuit. When the input rotational speed is too high, the dynamotor is operated in generator mode. In this way, the rotational speed is reduced in accordance with the generated electric energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigeki Iwanami, Yukio Ogawa, Takashi Inoue, Hironori Asa
  • Publication number: 20050188713
    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: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Publication date: September 1, 2005
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ogawa, Mikio Matsuda, Kazuhide Uchida, Shigeki Iwanami, Keiichi Uno, Hironori Asa
  • Publication number: 20050074339
    Abstract: In a hybrid compressor device having a pulley 110, motor 120, compressor 130 and control unit 160, the respective rotary shafts 111, 121, 131 of the pulley 110, motor 120 and compressor 130 can be independently rotated, and these rotary shafts are connected to a speed change mechanism 150 by which a drive force can be transmitted from one rotary shaft 111 to the other remaining rotary shafts 121, 131 while the rotating speed is being changed. The motor 120 is composed of an IPM motor 120, in the rotor portion 120a of which permanent magnets 122 are arranged, and the speed change mechanism 150 is accommodated on the inner circumferential side of the rotor portion 120a. The control unit 160 adjusts a rotating speed of the motor 120, and the rotating speed of the compressor 130 can be increased and decreased with respect to the rotating speed of the pulley 110.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2004
    Publication date: April 7, 2005
    Inventors: Hironori Asa, Keiichi Uno, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 6874328
    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: April 5, 2005
    Assignees: Nippon Soken Inc., Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi Suzuki, Shigeki Iwanami, Hironori Asa, Keiichi Uno
  • Patent number: 6857981
    Abstract: A rotary actuator has a synchronous motor and an internally meshing planetary reduction gear having a first shaft rotated by the synchronous motor, an outer gear mounted to said first shaft with an eccentric part so as to be eccentrically rotatable around said first shaft, an inner gear with which said outer gear meshes internally, and a second shaft connected to said outer gear with a transmission means that only transmits said outer gear rotation on its axis to the second shaft. The synchronous motor and the internally meshing planetary reduction gear are accommodated inside a housing, and the first shaft doubles as a rotor shaft of the synchronous motor. An incremental encoder provided along a rotary shaft of the synchronous motor detects the rotation angle of a rotor of the synchronous motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignees: Nippon Soken, Inc., Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Masashi Hori, Hironori Asa, Kiyoshi Kimura, Shigeru Yoshiyama
  • Publication number: 20040231331
    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: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeki Iwanami, Yasushi Suzuki, Keiichi Uno, Kazuhide Uchida, Tadashi Hotta, Hironori Asa, Yasuhiro Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 6804969
    Abstract: A composite auxiliary machine for a vehicle has proper startup performance in starting an engine. The composite auxiliary machine has a compressor for compressing a refrigerant inside a refrigeration cycle device, a rotary machine connected to the compressor and rotated together therewith, a drive pulley for operating the rotary machine in response to a driving force from the vehicle engine, and a clutch device for transmitting and terminating the driving force of the drive pulley. The rotary machine functions as a generator and an electric motor. A variable displacement mechanism is provided in the compressor to vary an amount of discharge per revolution. A control unit controls to engage the clutch device in starting the vehicle engine, and actuates the rotary machine as an electric motor to actuate the vehicle engine. Then, an amount of discharge of a refrigerant is controlled to become smaller than that necessary in the refrigeration cycle device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignees: Nippon Soken, Inc., DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Iwanami, Hironori Asa
  • Patent number: 6802796
    Abstract: A control device is provided in a hybrid-driven auxiliary system using an engine and a motor as driving force. The control device includes: an auxiliary unit into which the motor is integrally assembled; current controlling means for controlling an electric current of the motor for driving or generating; current detecting means for detecting the electric current of the motor; and load torque computing means for computing, based on the electric current of the motor, a load torque when the auxiliary unit is operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignees: Nippon Soken, Inc., Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hironori Asa, Yasushi Suzuki, Keiichi Uno
  • Publication number: 20040187506
    Abstract: A waste heat collecting system for an internal combustion engine has an object to collect waste heat from the engine and make most use of the collected waste heat to achieve the maximum effect of improving fuel consumption ratio. The waste heat utilizing system has a waste heat collecting cycle for collecting waste heat from an internal combustion engine and having an expansion device for generating rotational driving force from the collected waste heat, a refrigerating cycle having a compressor device for compressing a refrigerant and a power transmitting means rotationally driven by a driving force generating means and operatively connected to the compressor device to rotationally drive the same. In this system, the expansion device is operatively connected to the compressor device to rotationally drive the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Publication date: September 30, 2004
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION/NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Shigeki Iwanami, Hironori Asa, Keiichi Uno, Yasushi Suzuki, Shigeru Hisanaga, Atsushi Inaba, Koichi Ban, Takashi Yamanaka, Yasushi Yamanaka, Kazuhide Uchida, Tadashi Hotta
  • Publication number: 20040184923
    Abstract: A check valve is provided to each discharge port, which communicates between a corresponding working chamber and a high pressure chamber in an integrated compressor/expander apparatus. A valve mechanism, which is opened in a motor mode, is provided to communicate between the working chamber and the high pressure chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2004
    Publication date: September 23, 2004
    Applicants: DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Shigeki Iwanami, Yasushi Yamanaka, Yasushi Suzuki, Atsushi Inaba, Hironori Asa, Keiichi Uno, Kazuhide Uchida
  • Publication number: 20040165995
    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: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2004
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Inventors: Yasushi Suzuki, Shigeki Iwanami, Hironori Asa, Keiichi Uno
  • Publication number: 20040163400
    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: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2004
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Inventors: Yasushi Suzuki, Shigeki Iwanami, Hironori Asa, Keiichi Uno
  • Patent number: 6742350
    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: November 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignees: Nippon Soken, Inc., Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi Suzuki, Shigeki Iwanami, Hironori Asa, Keiichi Uno
  • Patent number: 6735962
    Abstract: A composite auxiliary machine for a vehicle and an accompanying control unit to control a compressor. The composite auxiliary machine for a vehicle includes a compressor for compressing refrigerant, a rotary machine that acts as an electric motor and a generator, and a torque and power distributing mechanism for distributing engine torque and power from a drive shaft to a compressor shaft and a rotary machine shaft, and from the rotary machine shaft to the drive shaft and compressor shaft. An intermittent mechanism is provided to the torque and power distributing mechanism so as to connect and disconnect any two of the drive shaft, the compressor shaft, and the rotary machine shaft. A locking mechanism is provided for restricting rotation of the compressor shaft. The compressor includes variable displacement mechanism for varying the amount of discharge per turn of the compressor shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignees: Nippon Soken, Inc., Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Iwanami, Tsuneyuki Egami, Takuo Sakai, Hironori Asa
  • Publication number: 20040079098
    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: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Inventors: Keiichi Uno, Yasushi Suzuki, Shig Ki Iwanami, Hironori Asa, Kazuhide Uchida