Patents by Inventor Jiro OIKAWA

Jiro OIKAWA 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: 11705563
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a control unit that detects an abnormality of a flow dividing valve provided in a bypass channel for an oxidation gas by using a detected opening degree detected by a valve opening degree detection sensor that detects the opening degree of the flow dividing valve. When the detected abnormality is an opening abnormality that is failure to open and the flow dividing valve can close, the control unit sends a closing command for making the opening degree smaller than a current opening degree to a valve driving motor. Either when the detected abnormality is a closing abnormality that is failure to close and the flow dividing valve can open or when the detected abnormality is an opening-closing abnormality that is failure both to close and to open, the control unit sends a maintaining command for maintaining the opening degree to the valve driving motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshikatsu Fujimura, Shinobu Otsuka, Jiro Oikawa
  • Patent number: 11695139
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell; a first valve device provided at an oxidation gas supply channel; a second valve device provided at an oxidation off-gas discharge channel; a third valve device provided at a bypass channel; an abnormality detection unit configured to detect an abnormality; and a control unit. The control unit causes the fuel cell to initiate fail-safe power generation if (i) a different abnormality from a valve opening abnormality is detected in the first valve device, (ii) the different abnormality is detected in the second valve device, or (iii) any abnormality is detected in the third valve device. During the fail-safe power generation, if any abnormality is additionally detected in any valve device different from the valve device in which an abnormality is already detected, the control unit stops power generation by the fuel cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshikatsu Fujimura, Shinobu Otsuka, Jiro Oikawa
  • Patent number: 11476481
    Abstract: A control device of a fuel cell system does not execute feedback control of an air valve in a case where a first condition in which a valve opening degree command value calculated by the control device is less than a command value threshold and a second condition in which a valve opening degree measurement value measured by an air valve opening degree sensor is less than a measurement value threshold are satisfied, and executes the feedback control of the air valve in a case where the first condition or the second condition is not satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisan Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuo Yamamoto, Jiro Oikawa
  • Publication number: 20220123335
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell; a first valve device provided at an oxidation gas supply channel; a second valve device provided at an oxidation off-gas discharge channel; a third valve device provided at a bypass channel; an abnormality detection unit configured to detect an abnormality; and a control unit. The control unit causes the fuel cell to initiate fail-safe power generation if (i) a different abnormality from a valve opening abnormality is detected in the first valve device, (ii) the different abnormality is detected in the second valve device, or (iii) any abnormality is detected in the third valve device. During the fail-safe power generation, if any abnormality is additionally detected in any valve device different from the valve device in which an abnormality is already detected, the control unit stops power generation by the fuel cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: Yoshikatsu FUJIMURA, Shinobu OTSUKA, Jiro OIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20220109171
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a control unit that detects an abnormality of a flow dividing valve provided in a bypass channel for an oxidation gas by using a detected opening degree detected by a valve opening degree detection sensor that detects the opening degree of the flow dividing valve. When the detected abnormality is an opening abnormality that is failure to open and the flow dividing valve can close, the control unit sends a closing command for making the opening degree smaller than a current opening degree to a valve driving motor. Either when the detected abnormality is a closing abnormality that is failure to close and the flow dividing valve can open or when the detected abnormality is an opening-closing abnormality that is failure both to close and to open, the control unit sends a maintaining command for maintaining the opening degree to the valve driving motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Publication date: April 7, 2022
    Inventors: Yoshikatsu FUJIMURA, Shinobu OTSUKA, Jiro OIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20210391587
    Abstract: A control device of a fuel cell system does not execute feedback control of an air valve in a case where a first condition in which a valve opening degree command value calculated by the control device is less than a command value threshold and a second condition in which a valve opening degree measurement value measured by an air valve opening degree sensor is less than a measurement value threshold are satisfied, and executes the feedback control of the air valve in a case where the first condition or the second condition is not satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2021
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuo YAMAMOTO, Jiro OIKAWA