Patents by Inventor Hirotsugu KOHIGASHI

Hirotsugu KOHIGASHI 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: 10549601
    Abstract: The present invention is provided with: an evaporator (6) in which a compressed refrigerant is vaporized; an expansion valve expanding the refrigerant before the refrigerant flows into the evaporator (6); refrigerant pipes (26, 27) that connect the evaporator (6) and the expansion valve to each other; and a unit case (3) housing the evaporator (6), the expansion valve, and the refrigerant pipes (26, 27), and including an air flow channel (4) for passing air through the evaporator (6). A refrigerant pipe housing chamber (31) is disposed in the unit case (3), and housing the refrigerant pipes (26, 27). The refrigerant pipe housing chamber (31) is partitioned while being isolated from the housing section for the evaporator (6) and the air flow channel (4). The outer circumferential surfaces of the refrigerant pipes (26, 27) are separated from the inner wall surface of the refrigerant pipe housing chamber (31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Nakado, Nobuya Nakagawa, Tomohiko Shibata, Hirotsugu Kohigashi
  • Patent number: 10399411
    Abstract: Provided is a damper opening/closing mechanism of a vehicle air-conditioning device, the damper opening/closing mechanism being configured such that a pin (28) of a damper lever (26) is fitted in a cam groove (24) of a link plate (22) rotatably driven by a stepping motor and that a damper (19) is opened/closed through the damper lever (26) rotated by rotation of the link plate (22). One end portion of the cam groove (24) for reference positioning of the stepping motor is in such a shape that a connection surface (32) not contacting an outer peripheral surface of the pin (28) connects between the point of contact of the outer periphery of the pin (28) with one end surface of the cam groove (24) and the point with a side wall surface (24A) of the cam groove (24) when the damper (19) is in a closed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventor: Hirotsugu Kohigashi
  • Patent number: 10137763
    Abstract: A refrigerant/heat medium heat exchanger that heats a heat medium which circulates in a heater core of an HVAC unit is provided in a discharge pipe of a cooling refrigerant circuit, a heating bypass circuit that extends to a receiver is connected to a downstream side of the refrigerant/heat medium heat exchanger through a switching means, a second circuit having a second decompression means is provided between an outlet of the receiver and a first end of a vehicle exterior heat exchanger, and a third circuit having a solenoid valve is provided between a second end of the vehicle exterior heat exchanger and an intake circuit. In a vehicle air-conditioning system, a heating refrigerant circuit is configured by an electric compressor, a refrigerant/heat medium heat exchanger, a switching means, a heating bypass circuit, a receiver, a second circuit, a vehicle exterior heat exchanger, and a third circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuya Nakagawa, Hirotsugu Kohigashi
  • Patent number: 10118462
    Abstract: A heat-pump-type vehicular air-conditioning that includes a cooling refrigerant circuit. The circuit has a base for connecting an onboard condenser provided on the downstream side of an onboard evaporator inside an HVAC unit. The circuit includes a second decompression unit between the outlet side of a receiver and one end side of a vehicle-mounted external heat exchanger. Also included is a second circuit having a solenoid valve opened during heating between the other end side of the vehicle-mounted external heat exchanger and the intake circuit of an electric compressor. The vehicular air-conditioning system being provided with a heating refrigerant circuit in which the electric compressor, a switching unit, the onboard condenser, the receiver, the first circuit, the vehicle-mounted external heat exchanger, and the second circuit are connected in the stated order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotsugu Kohigashi, Nobuya Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20180065445
    Abstract: Provided is a damper opening/closing mechanism of a vehicle air-conditioning device, the damper opening/closing mechanism being configured such that a pin (28) of a damper lever (26) is fitted in a cam groove (24) of a link plate (22) rotatably driven by a stepping motor and that a damper (19) is opened/closed through the damper lever (26) rotated by rotation of the link plate (22). One end portion of the cam groove (24) for reference positioning of the stepping motor is in such a shape that a connection surface (32) not contacting an outer peripheral surface of the pin (28) connects between the point of contact of the outer periphery of the pin (28) with one end surface of the cam groove (24) and the point with a side wall surface (24A) of the cam groove (24) when the damper (19) is in a closed state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES AUTOMOTIVE THERMAL SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hirotsugu KOHIGASHI
  • Publication number: 20180037085
    Abstract: The present invention is provided with: an evaporator (6) in which a compressed refrigerant is vaporized; an expansion valve expanding the refrigerant before the refrigerant flows into the evaporator (6); refrigerant pipes (26, 27) that connect the evaporator (6) and the expansion valve to each other; and a unit case (3) housing the evaporator (6), the expansion valve, and the refrigerant pipes (26, 27), and including an air flow channel (4) for passing air through the evaporator (6). A refrigerant pipe housing chamber (31) is disposed in the unit case (3), and housing the refrigerant pipes (26, 27). The refrigerant pipe housing chamber (31) is partitioned while being isolated from the housing section for the evaporator (6) and the air flow channel (4). The outer circumferential surfaces of the refrigerant pipes (26, 27) are separated from the inner wall surface of the refrigerant pipe housing chamber (31).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES AUTOMOTIVE THERMAL SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji NAKADO, Nobuya NAKAGAWA, Tomohiko SHIBATA, Hirotsugu KOHIGASHI
  • Publication number: 20170320378
    Abstract: A refrigerant/heat medium heat exchanger that heats a heat medium which circulates in a heater core of an HVAC unit is provided in a discharge pipe of a cooling refrigerant circuit, a heating bypass circuit that extends to a receiver is connected to a downstream side of the refrigerant/heat medium heat exchanger through a switching means, a second circuit having a second decompression means is provided between an outlet of the receiver and a first end of a vehicle exterior heat exchanger, and a third circuit having a solenoid valve is provided between a second end of the vehicle exterior heat exchanger and an intake circuit. In a vehicle air-conditioning system, a heating refrigerant circuit is configured by an electric compressor, a refrigerant/heat medium heat exchanger, a switching means, a heating bypass circuit, a receiver, a second circuit, a vehicle exterior heat exchanger, and a third circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES AUTOMOTIVE THERMAL SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuya NAKAGAWA, Hirotsugu KOHIGASHI
  • Publication number: 20160052365
    Abstract: A heat-pump-type vehicular air-conditioning system, wherein a cooling refrigerant circuit constituting a base is provided with a first circuit for connecting an onboard condenser provided on the downstream side of an onboard evaporator inside an HVAC unit, the first circuit having a second decompression unit between the outlet side of a receiver and one end side of a vehicle-mounted external heat exchanger; and a second circuit having a solenoid valve opened during heating between the other end side of the vehicle-mounted external heat exchanger and the intake circuit of an electric compressor; the vehicular air-conditioning system being provided with a heating refrigerant circuit in which the electric compressor, a switching unit, the onboard condenser, the receiver, the first circuit provided with the second decompression unit, the vehicle-mounted external heat exchanger, and the second circuit provided with the solenoid valve are connected in the stated order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES AUTOMOTIVE THERMAL SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotsugu KOHIGASHI, Nobuya NAKAGAWA