Patents by Inventor Hisato KAWAHARA

Hisato KAWAHARA 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: 11813948
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a power interface configured to perform at least one of power transmission to and power reception from an external apparatus, a power accumulation device, a power line that constitutes at least a part of a current path between the power interface and the power accumulation device, and a control device configured to control charging and discharging of the power accumulation device using a plurality of profiles for protecting the power line. The profiles are determined such that the degrees of reduction of the magnitude of a current that flows through the power line and the energization time become larger as the ambient temperature of the power line becomes higher. The profiles include a first profile and a second profile that has a larger degree of reduction than that of the first profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hisato Kawahara
  • Publication number: 20230302944
    Abstract: An evaluation jig comprises a female terminal connectable to a male terminal of a charging connector. The female terminal includes a plurality of contact pieces and a support portion. Each contact piece has a flexible piece, and a contact portion protruding toward the center axis from an inner surface of the flexible piece. The flexible piece forms a portion of a cylinder having the center axis. The flexible piece has a length equal to or larger than twice an outer diameter of the cylinder in a direction parallel to the center axis. The flexible piece is elastically deformable so that the flexible piece has a distal end portion to be displaceable in a radial direction of the cylinder relative to a proximal end portion of the flexible piece. The contact portion has a shape curved so as to protrude inward in the radial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hisato KAWAHARA, Hiroaki YUASA, Hidetoshi KUSUMI, Kyoko INAYOSHI
  • Publication number: 20230291214
    Abstract: The evaluation jig includes a pair of female terminals connectable to a pair of male terminals of a charging connector and an electric wire that connects the paired female terminals to each other. The electric wire has a cross-sectional area of 70 mm2 or more and 95 mm2 or less. The electric wire has a length of 2 m or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidetoshi KUSUMI, Hisato KAWAHARA, Hiroaki YUASA
  • Patent number: 11691533
    Abstract: An evaluation jig comprises a female terminal connectable to a male terminal of a charging connector. The female terminal includes a plurality of contact pieces and a support portion. Each contact piece has a flexible piece, and a contact portion protruding toward the center axis from an inner surface of the flexible piece. The flexible piece forms a portion of a cylinder having the center axis. The flexible piece has a length equal to or larger than twice an outer diameter of the cylinder in a direction parallel to the center axis. The flexible piece is elastically deformable so that the flexible piece has a distal end portion to be displaceable in a radial direction of the cylinder relative to a proximal end portion of the flexible piece. The contact portion has a shape curved so as to protrude inward in the radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hisato Kawahara, Hiroaki Yuasa, Hidetoshi Kusumi, Kyoko Inayoshi
  • Patent number: 11695286
    Abstract: The evaluation jig includes a pair of female terminals connectable to a pair of male terminals of a charging connector and an electric wire that connects the paired female terminals to each other. The electric wire has a cross-sectional area of 70 mm2 or more and 95 mm2 or less. The electric wire has a length of 2 m or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Kusumi, Hisato Kawahara, Hiroaki Yuasa
  • Patent number: 11673481
    Abstract: The evaluation jig comprises a pair of female terminals connectable to a pair of male terminals of a charging connector and an adjustment member capable of adjusting contact resistance of the female terminal and the male terminal. The female terminal is reducible in diameter. The adjustment member includes an annular band attached to an outer peripheral surface of the female terminal and formed in an annulus surrounding the female terminal, a metal band attached to an outer peripheral surface of the annular band and capable of applying external force to the female terminal to reduce the female terminal in diameter, and an adjustment unit capable of adjusting the external force applied by the metal band to the female terminal. The annular band is made of an electrically and thermally insulating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Kusumi, Hisato Kawahara, Hiroaki Yuasa
  • Publication number: 20230155311
    Abstract: An evaluation jig comprises a pair of female terminals connectable to a pair of male terminals of a charging connector, and an adjustment member that can adjust contact resistance of the female terminal and the male terminal. The female terminal is reducible in diameter. The adjustment member can apply an external force to the female terminal to reduce the female terminal in diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2023
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hisato KAWAHARA, Hiroaki Yuasa, Hidetoshi Kusumi
  • Publication number: 20230091519
    Abstract: A female terminal connectable to a male terminal is provided. At least one of the male terminal and the female terminal is coolable by a coolant. The female terminal includes a female terminal body electrically connectable to the male terminal, and a heat transfer member that transfers cold of the coolant. The female terminal body includes a space forming portion forming a receiving space that receives the male terminal, and a contact portion protruding from the space forming portion and coming into electrical contact with the male terminal. The heat transfer member is electrically insulating and disposed in the receiving space, and comes into thermal contact with the male terminal and the space forming portion when the male terminal is inserted in the receiving space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hisato KAWAHARA
  • Patent number: 11588265
    Abstract: An evaluation jig comprises a pair of female terminals connectable to a pair of male terminals of a charging connector, and an adjustment member that can adjust contact resistance of the female terminal and the male terminal. The female terminal is reducible in diameter. The adjustment member can apply an external force to the female terminal to reduce the female terminal in diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hisato Kawahara, Hiroaki Yuasa, Hidetoshi Kusumi
  • Publication number: 20220334143
    Abstract: An evaluation method is a method for evaluating a charging connector in coolability by connecting an evaluation jig to the charging connector, the charging connector including a pair of male terminals coolable with a coolant, the evaluation jig including a pair of female terminals, the pair of female terminals being connected to the pair of male terminals in evaluating the charging connector in coolability. The method comprises: connecting the pair of female terminals to the pair of male terminals; adjusting a connection state between the male terminal and the female terminal such that contact resistance between the terminals is 0.06 m? or more and 0.15 m? or less; and after the adjusting, evaluating the coolability depending on whether the male and female terminals have a temperature of 90° C. or lower when a charging current of 400 A is supplied to the terminals for 30 minutes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hisato KAWAHARA, Hiroaki YUASA, Hidetoshi KUSUMI
  • Patent number: 11460424
    Abstract: An evaluation method is for evaluating a charging connector in coolability by connecting an evaluation jig to the charging connector, the charging connector including a pair of male terminals and a bottom wall, the evaluation jig including a pair of female terminals, the pair of female terminals being connected to the pair of male terminals in evaluating the charging connector in coolability. The method comprises: connecting the pair of female terminals to the pair of male terminals; and adjusting a connection state of the terminals so that contact resistance between the terminals falls within a prescribed range. In the step of adjusting, a resistance between a point of 4.5 mm of the male terminal from a surface of the bottom wall and a point of 43 mm of the female terminal from the surface of the bottom wall is measured as the contact resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hisato Kawahara, Hiroaki Yuasa, Hidetoshi Kusumi
  • Publication number: 20220242266
    Abstract: An evaluation jig comprises a female terminal connectable to a male terminal of a charging connector. The female terminal includes a plurality of contact pieces and a support portion. Each contact piece has a flexible piece, and a contact portion protruding toward the center axis from an inner surface of the flexible piece. The flexible piece forms a portion of a cylinder having the center axis. The flexible piece has a length equal to or larger than twice an outer diameter of the cylinder in a direction parallel to the center axis. The flexible piece is elastically deformable so that the flexible piece has a distal end portion to be displaceable in a radial direction of the cylinder relative to a proximal end portion of the flexible piece. The contact portion has a shape curved so as to protrude inward in the radial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hisato KAWAHARA, Hiroaki YUASA, Hidetoshi KUSUMI, Kyoko INAYOSHI
  • Patent number: 11402406
    Abstract: An evaluation method is a method for evaluating a charging connector in coolability by connecting an evaluation jig to the charging connector, the charging connector including a pair of male terminals coolable with a coolant, the evaluation jig including a pair of female terminals, the pair of female terminals being connected to the pair of male terminals in evaluating the charging connector in coolability. The method comprises: connecting the pair of female terminals to the pair of male terminals; adjusting a connection state between the male terminal and the female terminal such that contact resistance between the terminals is 0.06 m? or more and 0.15 m? or less; and after the adjusting, evaluating the coolability depending on whether the male and female terminals have a temperature of 90° C. or lower when a charging current of 400 A is supplied to the terminals for 30 minutes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hisato Kawahara, Hiroaki Yuasa, Hidetoshi Kusumi
  • Publication number: 20220212552
    Abstract: The evaluation jig comprises a pair of female terminals connectable to a pair of male terminals of a charging connector and an adjustment member capable of adjusting contact resistance of the female terminal and the male terminal. The female terminal is reducible in diameter. The adjustment member includes an annular band attached to an outer peripheral surface of the female terminal and formed in an annulus surrounding the female terminal, a metal band attached to an outer peripheral surface of the annular band and capable of applying external force to the female terminal to reduce the female terminal in diameter, and an adjustment unit capable of adjusting the external force applied by the metal band to the female terminal. The annular band is made of an electrically and thermally insulating material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidetoshi KUSUMI, Hisato KAWAHARA, Hiroaki YUASA
  • Patent number: 11345247
    Abstract: The evaluation jig comprises a pair of female terminals connectable to a pair of male terminals of a charging connector and an adjustment member capable of adjusting contact resistance of the female terminal and the male terminal. The female terminal is reducible in diameter. The adjustment member includes an annular band attached to an outer peripheral surface of the female terminal and formed in an annulus surrounding the female terminal, a metal band attached to an outer peripheral surface of the annular band and capable of applying external force to the female terminal to reduce the female terminal in diameter, and an adjustment unit capable of adjusting the external force applied by the metal band to the female terminal. The annular band is made of an electrically and thermally insulating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Kusumi, Hisato Kawahara, Hiroaki Yuasa
  • Patent number: 11338696
    Abstract: An evaluation jig comprises a female terminal connectable to a male terminal of a charging connector. The female terminal includes a plurality of contact pieces and a support portion. Each contact piece has a flexible piece, and a contact portion protruding toward the center axis from an inner surface of the flexible piece. The flexible piece forms a portion of a cylinder having the center axis. The flexible piece has a length equal to or larger than twice an outer diameter of the cylinder in a direction parallel to the center axis. The flexible piece is elastically deformable so that the flexible piece has a distal end portion to be displaceable in a radial direction of the cylinder relative to a proximal end portion of the flexible piece. The contact portion has a shape curved so as to protrude inward in the radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hisato Kawahara, Hiroaki Yuasa, Hidetoshi Kusumi, Kyoko Inayoshi
  • Patent number: 11312254
    Abstract: The evaluation jig comprises a pair of female terminals connectable to a pair of male terminals of a charging connector and an adjustment member capable of adjusting contact resistance of the female terminal and the male terminal. The female terminal is reducible in diameter. The adjustment member includes an annular band attached to an outer peripheral surface of the female terminal and formed in an annulus surrounding the female terminal, a metal band attached to an outer peripheral surface of the annular band and capable of applying external force to the female terminal to reduce the female terminal in diameter, and an adjustment unit capable of adjusting the external force applied by the metal band to the female terminal. The annular band is made of an electrically and thermally insulating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Kusumi, Hisato Kawahara, Hiroaki Yuasa
  • Publication number: 20220016993
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a power interface configured to perform at least one of power transmission to and power reception from an external apparatus, a power accumulation device, a power line that constitutes at least a part of a current path between the power interface and the power accumulation device, and a control device configured to control charging and discharging of the power accumulation device using a plurality of profiles for protecting the power line. The profiles are determined such that the degrees of reduction of the magnitude of a current that flows through the power line and the energization time become larger as the ambient temperature of the power line becomes higher. The profiles include a first profile and a second profile that has a larger degree of reduction than that of the first profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hisato KAWAHARA
  • Publication number: 20210213841
    Abstract: The evaluation jig comprises a pair of female terminals connectable to a pair of male terminals of a charging connector and an adjustment member capable of adjusting contact resistance of the female terminal and the male terminal. The female terminal is reducible in diameter. The adjustment member includes an annular band attached to an outer peripheral surface of the female terminal and formed in an annulus surrounding the female terminal, a metal band attached to an outer peripheral surface of the annular band and capable of applying external force to the female terminal to reduce the female terminal in diameter, and an adjustment unit capable of adjusting the external force applied by the metal band to the female terminal. The annular band is made of an electrically and thermally insulating material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidetoshi KUSUMI, Hisato KAWAHARA, Hiroaki YUASA
  • Publication number: 20210218255
    Abstract: The evaluation jig includes a pair of female terminals connectable to a pair of male terminals of a charging connector and an electric wire that connects the paired female terminals to each other. The electric wire has a cross-sectional area of 70 mm2 or more and 95 mm2 or less. The electric wire has a length of 2 m or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidetoshi KUSUMI, Hisato KAWAHARA, Hiroaki YUASA