Patents by Inventor Kai TANAKA
Kai TANAKA 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).
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Patent number: 11976572Abstract: High cycle fatigue (HCF) in a turbine wheel of a sector-divided dual volute turbocharger, particularly a turbocharger where the tongue-to-blade gap is as small as from 1-3% of the wheel diameter, is reduced, by locally increasing the volute cross-sectional area just upstream of the tongues. Thereby, it becomes possible to reduce the force function of the exhaust gas pressure onto the turbine wheel blades. Modifying how the pressure presents itself to the wheel reduces blade excitation and, ultimately, HCF of turbine wheels. In another aspect of the invention, the angle of the tongues are modified to direct the exhaust more directly onto the turbine wheel than conventional tongues. It is surprising that this approach not only accomplishes the desired result, but does this without significant loss of turbine stage efficiency.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2022Date of Patent: May 7, 2024Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.Inventors: Kai Tanaka, Tim Weiland
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Publication number: 20240089907Abstract: A method performed by a terminal apparatus 10 in accordance with an application program configured to be initiated upon being designated as a destination for sharing electronic content, the method including acquiring shared information set for the electronic content, automatically entering the shared information in an input field in which a user can enter information, acquiring location information on a spot, and storing spot information, which includes information entered in the input field and the acquired location information, so that the spot information can be viewed by the user.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 6, 2023Publication date: March 14, 2024Inventors: Kai TANAKA, Junpei OKAMOTO, Makoto KINOSHITA
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Publication number: 20240020587Abstract: An information processing apparatus including a controller, wherein the controller is configured to acquire an activity history, which is information indicating a history of places of stay and times of stay of a user of a terminal apparatus, extract at least one place of stay for which the time of stay indicated by the activity history exceeds a threshold, set the at least one place of stay as a first place of stay based on the time of stay at the at least one place of stay, and transmit, in a case in which it is determined that a current location of the user is the first place of stay and that the first place of stay is within a service area, an instruction to the terminal apparatus of the user to display a reservation button for an on-demand bus on a screen of the terminal apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2023Publication date: January 18, 2024Inventors: Kai TANAKA, Junpei OKAMOTO, Makoto KINOSHITA
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Publication number: 20240015470Abstract: A server apparatus includes a communication interface configured to communicate with a terminal apparatus and a controller configured to transmit event information related to an event in an area to the terminal apparatus in response to area information, transmitted by the terminal apparatus, for identifying the area. Upon receiving anticipatory information indicating anticipation of transmission of the area information from the terminal apparatus, the controller is configured to predict an area to be identified by new area information based on past area information and transmit the event information corresponding to the predicted area to the terminal apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 6, 2023Publication date: January 11, 2024Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kai TANAKA, Junpei OKAMOTO, Makoto KINOSHITA
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Patent number: 11634998Abstract: A turbocharger includes a turbine housing including an interior surface defining a turbine housing interior. The interior surface extends between a turbine housing inlet and a turbine housing outlet. The turbine housing also includes a wastegate duct disposed downstream of the turbine housing inlet and defining a wastegate channel. The turbocharger also includes a valve seat disposed about the wastegate channel, with the valve seat having a valve seat plane extending along the valve seat. The turbocharger further includes a wastegate assembly including a valve element engageable with the valve seat. The wastegate channel extends along a channel axis, and the channel axis is obliquely oriented with respect to the valve seat plane such that the wastegate channel and the valve element are configured to direct exhaust gas to a catalytic converter.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2019Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.Inventors: Matthew Brian Cooley, Alexander George Milburn, Kai Tanaka
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Publication number: 20230068498Abstract: High cycle fatigue (HCF) in a turbine wheel of a sector-divided dual volute turbocharger, particularly a turbocharger where the tongue-to-blade gap is as small as from 1-3% of the wheel diameter, is reduced, by locally increasing the volute cross-sectional area just upstream of the tongues. Thereby, it becomes possible to reduce the force function of the exhaust gas pressure onto the turbine wheel blades. Modifying how the pressure presents itself to the wheel reduces blade excitation and, ultimately, HCF of turbine wheels. In another aspect of the invention, the angle of the tongues are modified to direct the exhaust more directly onto the turbine wheel than conventional tongues. It is surprising that this approach not only accomplishes the desired result, but does this without significant loss of turbine stage efficiency.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 18, 2022Publication date: March 2, 2023Inventors: Kai Tanaka, Tim Weiland
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Patent number: 11549431Abstract: A turbocharger includes a turbine housing. The turbine housing includes a turbine inlet wall defining an inlet passage, an exducer shroud wall defining an exducer interior, a turbine outlet wall defining an outlet passage, a wastegate port wall defining a wastegate channel, and a bushing wall coupled to the wastegate port wall and defining a bushing boss extending along a bushing axis, and a valve seat disposed about the wastegate channel. The turbocharger also includes a wastegate assembly. The wastegate assembly includes a valve element engageable with the valve seat. The wastegate port wall is disposed outside of the exducer interior such that the wastegate port wall and the bushing wall are configured to be thermally decoupled from the turbine inlet wall and such that relative displacement between the valve seat and the bushing axis is reduced during operation of the turbocharger.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2021Date of Patent: January 10, 2023Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.Inventors: Matthew Brian Cooley, Kai Tanaka
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Publication number: 20210396171Abstract: A turbocharger includes a turbine housing. The turbine housing includes a turbine inlet wall defining an inlet passage, an exducer shroud wall defining an exducer interior, a turbine outlet wall defining an outlet passage, a wastegate port wall defining a wastegate channel, and a bushing wall coupled to the wastegate port wall and defining a bushing boss extending along a bushing axis, and a valve seat disposed about the wastegate channel. The turbocharger also includes a wastegate assembly. The wastegate assembly includes a valve element engageable with the valve seat. The wastegate port wall is disposed outside of the exducer interior such that the wastegate port wall and the bushing wall are configured to be thermally decoupled from the turbine inlet wall and such that relative displacement between the valve seat and the bushing axis is reduced during operation of the turbocharger.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 2, 2021Publication date: December 23, 2021Inventors: Matthew Brian Cooley, Kai Tanaka
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Publication number: 20210348520Abstract: A turbocharger includes a turbine housing including an interior surface defining a turbine housing interior. The interior surface extends between a turbine housing inlet and a turbine housing outlet. The turbine housing also includes a wastegate duct disposed downstream of the turbine housing inlet and defining a wastegate channel. The turbocharger also includes a valve seat disposed about the wastegate channel, with the valve seat having a valve seat plane extending along the valve seat. The turbocharger further includes a wastegate assembly including a valve element engageable with the valve seat. The wastegate channel extends along a channel axis, and the channel axis is obliquely oriented with respect to the valve seat plane such that the wastegate channel and the valve element are configured to direct exhaust gas to a catalytic converter.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 4, 2019Publication date: November 11, 2021Inventors: Matthew Brian Cooley, Alexander George Milburn, Kai Tanaka
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Patent number: 11136915Abstract: A wastegate assembly includes a valve arm moveable between a first position and a second position to control flow of exhaust gas to a turbine housing interior of a turbocharger. The valve arm includes a proximal end, a distal end spaced from the proximal end, and a valve arm orientation projection spaced from the distal end and extending away from the proximal end. The wastegate assembly also includes a valve body coupled to the distal end of the valve arm that is moveable with the valve arm. The valve body includes a valve body orientation component, and the orientation projection of the valve arm extends toward and is orientable with the orientation component of the valve body to orient the valve arm relative to the valve body. The valve body is disposed between the orientation projection of the valve arm and the distal end of the valve arm.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2019Date of Patent: October 5, 2021Assignee: Borg Warner Inc.Inventors: Alexander George Milburn, Matthew Brian Cooley, Kai Tanaka
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Patent number: 11131234Abstract: A turbocharger includes a turbine housing. The turbine housing includes a turbine inlet wall defining an inlet passage, an exducer shroud wall defining an exducer interior, a turbine outlet wall defining an outlet passage, a wastegate port wall defining a wastegate channel, and a bushing wall coupled to the wastegate port wall and defining a bushing boss extending along a bushing axis, and a valve seat disposed about the wastegate channel. The turbocharger also includes a wastegate assembly. The wastegate assembly includes a valve element engageable with the valve seat. The wastegate port wall is disposed outside of the exducer interior such that the wastegate port wall and the bushing wall are configured to be thermally decoupled from the turbine inlet wall and such that relative displacement between the valve seat and the bushing axis is reduced during operation of the turbocharger.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2019Date of Patent: September 28, 2021Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.Inventors: Matthew Brian Cooley, Kai Tanaka
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Publication number: 20210172370Abstract: A wastegate assembly includes a valve arm moveable between a first position and a second position to control flow of exhaust gas to a turbine housing interior of a turbocharger. The valve arm includes a proximal end, a distal end spaced from the proximal end, and a valve arm orientation projection spaced from the distal end and extending away from the proximal end. The wastegate assembly also includes a valve body coupled to the distal end of the valve arm that is moveable with the valve arm. The valve body includes a valve body orientation component, and the orientation projection of the valve arm extends toward and is orientable with the orientation component of the valve body to orient the valve arm relative to the valve body. The valve body is disposed between the orientation projection of the valve arm and the distal end of the valve arm.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2019Publication date: June 10, 2021Inventors: Alexander George Milburn, Matthew Brian Cooley, Kai Tanaka
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Publication number: 20200200072Abstract: A turbocharger includes a turbine housing. The turbine housing includes a turbine inlet wall defining an inlet passage, an exducer shroud wall defining an exducer interior, a turbine outlet wall defining an outlet passage, a wastegate port wall defining a wastegate channel, and a bushing wall coupled to the wastegate port wall and defining a bushing boss extending along a bushing axis, and a valve seat disposed about the wastegate channel. The turbocharger also includes a wastegate assembly. The wastegate assembly includes a valve element engageable with the valve seat. The wastegate port wall is disposed outside of the exducer interior such that the wastegate port wall and the bushing wall are configured to be thermally decoupled from the turbine inlet wall and such that relative displacement between the valve seat and the bushing axis is reduced during operation of the turbocharger.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2019Publication date: June 25, 2020Inventors: Matthew Brian COOLEY, Kai TANAKA