Patents by Inventor Hirotoshi Kihara

Hirotoshi Kihara 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: 11566797
    Abstract: A subcooler is made up of a plate type heat exchanger. The accumulator is located between a compressor and the subcooler in a width direction of an outdoor unit in a planar view. The subcooler overlaps with the accumulator in the width direction in the planar view. As a result, a compact heat pump can be provided when the subcooler is a plate type heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: YANMAR POWER TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Norihiro Okuda, Terunori Aikawa, Hirotoshi Kihara
  • Patent number: 10816251
    Abstract: An exemplary heat pump includes: a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant; a first heat exchanger configured to condense the compressed refrigerant; a flow rate adjustment valve configured to adjust a flow rate of the condensed refrigerant; an expansion valve having an adjustable opening and configured to decompress the refrigerant having passed the flow rate adjustment valve; a second heat exchanger configured to cool a temperature control target by using the refrigerant decompressed by the expansion valve; and a control device configured to control the opening of the expansion valve based on a difference between the temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the second heat exchanger and the temperature of the refrigerant flowing out from the second heat exchanger, and to control the opening of the flow rate adjustment valve based on the flow rate of the refrigerant to be supplied to the second heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: YANMAR POWER TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Norihiro Okuda, Hirotoshi Kihara, Keisuke Ota, Terunori Aikawa
  • Publication number: 20200191416
    Abstract: A subcooler is made up of a plate type heat exchanger. The accumulator is located between a compressor and the subcooler in a width direction of an outdoor unit in a planar view. The subcooler overlaps with the accumulator in the width direction in the planar view. As a result, a compact heat pump can be provided when the subcooler is a plate type heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Norihiro OKUDA, Terunori AIKAWA, Hirotoshi KIHARA
  • Patent number: 10641530
    Abstract: An exemplary heat pump (10) includes: a compressor (16A, 16B) that discharges refrigerant; an oil separator (30) that separates oil from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor; an oil return channel (80) that returns the oil separated by the oil separator to the compressor; a pressure sensor (86A, 86B) that detects a pressure in the oil return channel; a first pressure loss member (84A, 84B) and a second pressure loss member (88A, 88B) disposed in portions of the oil return channel at an oil separator side and a compressor side relative to the pressure sensor; and a control device that increases an output of the compressor in a case where a pressure detected by the pressure sensor exceeds a suction pressure of the compressor and less than a discharge pressure of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: YANMAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotoshi Kihara, Keisuke Ota, Terunori Aikawa, Hirohiko Nobuhara, Hirotaka Nakamura
  • Patent number: 10605506
    Abstract: A heat pump includes a control device configured to control conduction and shutting-off of electric power to a first compressor heater, and to control whether or not an alarm unit notifies an alarm. The control device causes the alarm unit to notify the alarm when the control device determines that duration of electric conduction to the first compressor heater is a predetermined period or longer. With this, it is possible to provide a heat pump that can control electric conduction to the heater to enable saving of electricity, and that can detect a problem in the controlling of the electric conduction to the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: YANMAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotoshi Kihara, Keiji Sugimori, Sadanori Yasuda, Hirotaka Nakamura, Makoto Asai
  • Patent number: 10591171
    Abstract: A subcooler is made up of a plate type heat exchanger. The accumulator is located between a compressor and the subcooler in a width direction of an outdoor unit in a planar view. The subcooler overlaps with the accumulator in the width direction in the planar view. As a result, a compact heat pump can be provided when the subcooler is a plate type heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: YANMAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Norihiro Okuda, Terunori Aikawa, Hirotoshi Kihara
  • Patent number: 10527327
    Abstract: An exemplary heat pump includes: an accumulator that separates liquid refrigerant from gas refrigerant returning to a compressor; a refrigerant suction channel connecting the compressor to the accumulator; a refrigerant return channel that returns liquid refrigerant in the accumulator to the refrigerant suction channel; a first valve disposed on the refrigerant return channel; a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of refrigerant in the refrigerant suction channel; a second valve that reduces a pressure of a part of liquid refrigerant flowing between the first and second heat exchangers; a refrigerant evaporator that gasifies, by using waste heat of an engine, the liquid refrigerant whose pressure has been reduced; a gas refrigerant supply channel through which the gasified refrigerant is supplied to the accumulator; and a control device that, while the first valve is open, controls an opening of the second valve based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: YANMAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideshi Okada, Hirotoshi Kihara, Sadanori Yasuda, Keisuke Ota, Tomoya Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 10273887
    Abstract: In a case where a control device receives a stop signal instructing stopping of an engine and the control device determines that the engine temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature based on a signal from a timer or based on a signal from a cooling water temperature sensor, an operation control is maintained until the control device determines that the engine temperature is the predetermined temperature or higher. This way, an engine is provided which is capable of restraining generation of blowby condensate water without stopping a cooling water pump during the operation of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: YANMAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideshi Okada, Hirotoshi Kihara
  • Publication number: 20180245526
    Abstract: In a case where a control device receives a stop signal instructing stopping of an engine and the control device determines that the engine temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature based on a signal from a timer or based on a signal from a cooling water temperature sensor, an operation control is maintained until the control device determines that the engine temperature is the predetermined temperature or higher. This way, an engine is provided which is capable of restraining generation of blowby condensate water without stopping a cooling water pump during the operation of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Applicant: Yanmar Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideshi OKADA, Hirotoshi KIHARA
  • Publication number: 20180080690
    Abstract: An exemplary heat pump includes: an accumulator that separates liquid refrigerant from gas refrigerant returning to a compressor; a refrigerant suction channel connecting the compressor to the accumulator; a refrigerant return channel that returns liquid refrigerant in the accumulator to the refrigerant suction channel; a first valve disposed on the refrigerant return channel; a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of refrigerant in the refrigerant suction channel; a second valve that reduces a pressure of a part of liquid refrigerant flowing between the first and second heat exchangers; a refrigerant evaporator that gasifies, by using waste heat of an engine, the liquid refrigerant whose pressure has been reduced; a gas refrigerant supply channel through which the gasified refrigerant is supplied to the accumulator; and a control device that, while the first valve is open, controls an opening of the second valve based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Applicant: Yanmar Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideshi OKADA, Hirotoshi KIHARA, Sadanori YASUDA, Keisuke OTA, Tomoys YOSHIMURA
  • Publication number: 20180080694
    Abstract: A heat pump includes a control device configured to control conduction and shutting-off of electric power to a first compressor heater, and to control whether or not an alarm unit notifies an alarm. The control device causes the alarm unit to notify the alarm when the control device determines that duration of electric conduction to the first compressor heater is a predetermined period or longer. With this, it is possible to provide a heat pump that can control electric conduction to the heater to enable saving of electricity, and that can detect a problem in the controlling of the electric conduction to the heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Applicant: Yanmar Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotoshi KIHARA, Keiji SUGIMORI, Sadanori YASUDA, Hirotaka NAKAMURA, Makoto ASAI
  • Publication number: 20180080697
    Abstract: An exemplary heat pump includes: a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant; a first heat exchanger configured to condense the compressed refrigerant; a flow rate adjustment valve configured to adjust a flow rate of the condensed refrigerant; an expansion valve having an adjustable opening and configured to decompress the refrigerant having passed the flow rate adjustment valve; a second heat exchanger configured to cool a temperature control target by using the refrigerant decompressed by the expansion valve; and a control device configured to control the opening of the expansion valve based on a difference between the temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the second heat exchanger and the temperature of the refrigerant flowing out from the second heat exchanger, and to control the opening of the flow rate adjustment valve based on the flow rate of the refrigerant to be supplied to the second heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Applicant: Yanmar Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norihiro OKUDA, Hirotoshi KIHARA, Keisuke OTA, Terunori AIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20180058356
    Abstract: In cases where a control device determines that a load is continuously less than a predetermined value for a predetermined period, the control device executes a first control to maintain the engine speed at a first rotation speed or higher, and when the control device determines that the load reached the predetermined value within the predetermined time, the control device executes a second control to maintain the engine speed at a second rotation speed or higher, which is higher than the first rotation speed. This provides a control device for an engine and an engine, which can restrain activation of an oil pressure switch attributed to an oil temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Applicant: Yanmar Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotoshi KIHARA, Hirotaka NAKAMURA, Shiro TANIHARA, Kyoko HASHIMOTO, Makoto ASAI, Takafumi KUBO
  • Publication number: 20180051704
    Abstract: An exemplary heat pump (10) includes: a compressor (16A, 16B) that discharges refrigerant; an oil separator (30) that separates oil from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor; an oil return channel (80) that returns the oil separated by the oil separator to the compressor; a pressure sensor (86A, 86B) that detects a pressure in the oil return channel; a first pressure loss member (84A, 84B) and a second pressure loss member (88A, 88B) disposed in portions of the oil return channel at an oil separator side and a compressor side relative to the pressure sensor; and a control device that increases an output of the compressor in a case where a pressure detected by the pressure sensor exceeds a suction pressure of the compressor and less than a discharge pressure of the compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Applicant: Yanmar Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotoshi KIHARA, Keisuke OTA, Terunori AIKAWA, Hirohiko NOBUHARA, Hirotaka NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20170328583
    Abstract: A subcooler is made up of a plate type heat exchanger. The accumulator is located between a compressor and the subcooler in a width direction of an outdoor unit in a planar view. The subcooler overlaps with the accumulator in the width direction in the planar view. As a result, a compact heat pump can be provided when the subcooler is a plate type heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Inventors: Norihiro OKUDA, Terunori AIKAWA, Hirotoshi KIHARA
  • Patent number: 9790886
    Abstract: A gas engine 1 which operates in stoichiometric mode under high-load conditions and which operates in lean burn mode under medium- and low-load conditions includes a valve 2 which supplies the gas engine 1 with an air-fuel mixture composed of air and fuel gas. In the valve 2, a valve unit 21 for stoichiometric operation is connected in series to a valve unit 22 for lean burn operation and is also connected to a mixer 24. An opening area of the valve 2 is controlled in such a manner as to ensure a predetermined opening area for effecting stoichiometric operation, to uniformly decrease the opening area over time until a switching operation from stoichiometric operation to lean burn operation ends, to ensure a predetermined opening area for effecting lean burn operation, and to uniformly increase the opening area over time until a switching operation from lean burn operation to stoichiometric operation ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: YANMAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toru Nakazono, Hiroyuki Otsubo, Hirotoshi Kihara
  • Patent number: 9157350
    Abstract: To provide a configuration that can discharge condensed water remaining in an exhaust gas passage in an engine in which a catalyst is placed in the exhaust gas passage. An engine system (100) is an engine system having an engine (10) in which a catalyst (6) is placed in an exhaust gas passage (31). The engine system (100) has a determination device (81a) for determining whether or not the catalyst (6) is immersed in the condensed water condensed from exhaust gas in a cold state and remaining in the exhaust gas passage (31) when the engine (10) is started, and an operation continuing device (81b) that allows operation of the engine (10) to continue when it is determined that the catalyst (6) is immersed in the condensed water so that a discharge operation time Te exceeds a required time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Yanmar Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Fukuda, Hiroki Nariyasu, Hirotoshi Kihara, Shojiro Koga
  • Publication number: 20140311448
    Abstract: A gas engine 1 which operates in stoichiometric mode under high-load conditions and which operates in lean burn mode under medium- and low-load conditions includes a valve 2 which supplies the gas engine 1 with an air-fuel mixture composed of air and fuel gas. In the valve 2, a valve unit 21 for stoichiometric operation is connected in series to a valve unit 22 for lean burn operation and is also connected to a mixer 24. An opening area of the valve 2 is controlled in such a manner as to ensure a predetermined opening area for effecting stoichiometric operation, to uniformly decrease the opening area over time until a switching operation from stoichiometric operation to lean burn operation ends, to ensure a predetermined opening area for effecting lean burn operation, and to uniformly increase the opening area over time until a switching operation from lean burn operation to stoichiometric operation ends.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: YANMAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toru Nakazono, Hiroyuki Otsubo, Hirotoshi Kihara
  • Publication number: 20140083084
    Abstract: To provide a configuration that can discharge condensed water remaining in an exhaust gas passage in an engine in which a catalyst is placed in the exhaust gas passage. An engine system (100) is an engine system having an engine (10) in which a catalyst (6) is placed in an exhaust gas passage (31). The engine system (100) has a determination device (81a) for determining whether or not the catalyst (6) is immersed in the condensed water condensed from exhaust gas in a cold state and remaining in the exhaust gas passage (31) when the engine (10) is started, and an operation continuing device (81b) that allows operation of the engine (10) to continue when it is determined that the catalyst (6) is immersed in the condensed water so that a discharge operation time Te exceeds a required time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: Yanmar Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi FUKUDA, Hiroki NARIYASU, Hirotoshi KIHARA, Shojiro KOGA
  • Patent number: 8360014
    Abstract: In the context of an enclosure-housed engine in which an engine 10 is housed within an enclosure 2, the present invention is such that arranged in an intake chamber 8A, separate from one or more chambers where a radiator 18 and the engine are disposed, there is engine intake equipment comprising an air cleaner 22 and an intake silencer 23; the constitution being such that at least one wall face of said intake chamber is subjected to a cooling airstream, intake and exhaust of which are driven by a radiator fan; and the constitution being such that the radiator fan 19 is driven, regardless of whether or not engine coolant within the radiator is circulating, when outside air temperature is greater than or equal to a prescribed temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Yanmar Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaaki Ono, Toshiyuki Hayashi, Hirotoshi Kihara, Shojiro Matsumura