Patents by Inventor Kaoru Hirata

Kaoru Hirata 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: 11914407
    Abstract: The flow rate control device 10 includes a control valve 11, a restriction part 12 provided downstream of the control valve 11, an upstream pressure sensor 13 for measuring a pressure P1 between the control valve 11 and the restriction part 12, a differential pressure sensor 20 for measuring a differential pressure ?P between the upstream and the downstream of the restriction part 12, and an arithmetic control circuit 16 connected to the control valve 11, the upstream pressure sensor 13, and the differential pressure sensor 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Kaoru Hirata, Keisuke Ideguchi, Shinya Ogawa, Katsuyuki Sugita, Masaaki Nagase, Kouji Nishino, Nobukazu Ikeda, Hiroyuki Ito
  • Publication number: 20230359228
    Abstract: A flow rate control device 100 includes a control valve 6 provided in a flow path 1, a flow rate measurement unit 2, 3 for measuring fluid flow rate controlled by the control valve 6, and a controller 7. The controller 7 is configured so as to control the opening/closing operation of the control valve 6 to match the measurement integral flow rate based on the signal outputted from the flow rate measurement unit (Vn+Vd) to the target integral flow rate Vs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2023
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Applicant: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Katsuyuki SUGITA, Kouji NISHINO, Naofumi YASUMOTO, Kaoru HIRATA, Shinya OGAWA, Keisuke IDEGUCHI
  • Patent number: 11733721
    Abstract: A flow rate control device 100 includes a control valve 6 provided in a flow path 1, a flow rate measurement unit 2, 3 for measuring fluid flow rate controlled by the control valve 6, and a controller 7. The controller 7 is configured so as to control the opening/closing operation of the control valve 6 to match the measurement integral flow rate based on the signal outputted from the flow rate measurement unit (Vn+Vd) to the target integral flow rate Vs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Sugita, Kouji Nishino, Naofumi Yasumoto, Kaoru Hirata, Shinya Ogawa, Keisuke Ideguchi
  • Publication number: 20230129479
    Abstract: A flow rate control device (8) includes a control valve (6) having a valve element and a piezoelectric element for moving the valve element, and an arithmetic processing circuit (7) for controlling an operation of the control valve, wherein the arithmetic processing circuit is configured to receive an external command signal SE corresponding to a target flow rate when opening the control valve from a closed state so that a gas flows at the target flow rate, and to generate an internal command signal E1 output to a driving circuit for determining a voltage applied to the piezoelectric element based on the external command signal, the internal command signal is a signal that rises with time from zero and converges to a value of the external command signal, and is generated such that a slope at the time of initial rise and a slope immediately before convergence are smaller than a slope therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Applicant: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Katsuyuki SUGITA, Kouji NISHINO, Kaoru HIRATA, Shinya OGAWA, Keisuke IDEGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20230011244
    Abstract: A pressure control device 20 includes a pressure control valve 25, a flow resistance 23 provided downstream of the pressure control valve, for restricting a gas flow, a first pressure sensor 21 for measuring a gas pressure between the pressure control valve and the flow resistance, a second pressure sensor 22 for measuring a gas pressure downstream of the flow resistance, and an arithmetic control circuit 26 connected to the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor. The pressure control device is configured to control the gas pressure downstream of the flow resistance by adjusting an opening degree of the pressure control valve based on an output of the second pressure sensor regardless of an output of the first pressure sensor control, and calculate the flow rate of the gas downstream of the flow resistance based on the output of the first pressure sensor and the output of the second pressure sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Applicant: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Kaoru HIRATA, Kouji NISHINO, Katsuyuki SUGITA, Shinya OGAWA, Keisuke IDEGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20220390269
    Abstract: The abnormality detection method of the flow rate control device 10 is performed in the gas supply system 100 including the flow rate control device 10 having the restriction part 12, the control valve 14, the flow rate control pressure sensor 16 for measuring the upstream pressure P1, and the control circuit 19, the inflow pressure sensor 20 for measuring the supply pressure P0, and the upstream on-off valve 2 provided upstream of the inflow pressure sensor, and includes a step of closing the upstream on-off valve in a state in which the gas flows at the controlled flow rate at the downstream of the restriction part by controlling the opening degree of the control valve based on the output of the flow rate control pressure sensor, a step of measuring the drop in the supply pressure P0 on the upstream side of the control valve after closing the upstream on-off valve while keeping the control valve open, and a step of detecting the presence or absence of abnormality in the flow rate control device based on the
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2020
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Applicant: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Atsushi HIDAKA, Masaaki NAGASE, Kouji NISHINO, Nobukazu IKEDA, Kaoru HIRATA
  • Publication number: 20220268365
    Abstract: A diaphragm valve includes a body 3 having a flow path 2 formed therein, a sheet 4 formed in the flow path 2, a metal diaphragm 5 for opening and closing the flow path 2 by abutting on or separating from the sheet 4, a pair of clamping parts 6 and 7 for claiming peripheral edge portions of both side surfaces of the metal diaphragm 5 respectively to fix the metal diaphragm 5 to the body 3, and an actuator 8 for abutting the metal diaphragm 5 on the sheet 4 or separating the metal diaphragm from the sheet 4, wherein a fluorine resin coating is formed on a sheet side surface 5a of the metal diaphragm 5 in a region excluding a clamping region D-C between the sheet side surface 5a and the clamping part 7, and at least in a contact region B-A with the sheet 4 in a region C surrounded by the clamping region D-C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Applicant: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Kaoru HIRATA, Masaaki NAGASE, Atsushi HIDAKA, Kazuyuki MORISAKI, Keisuke IDEGUCHI, Kosuke SUGIMOTO, Masafumi KITANO, Kouji NISHINO, Nobukazu IKEDA
  • Patent number: 11416011
    Abstract: A pressure-type flow rate control device includes a restriction part; a control valve provided upstream of the restriction part; an upstream pressure sensor for detecting pressure between the restriction part and the control valve; and an arithmetic processing circuit connected to the control valve and the upstream pressor sensor. The device is configured to perform flow rate control by controlling the control valve according to an output of the upstream pressure sensor. The arithmetic processing circuit performs an operation of closing the control valve in order to reduce a flow rate of a fluid flowing through the restriction part, and performs an operation of closing the control valve by feedback control in which a target value is an exponential function more gradual than the pressure drop characteristic data when a gas flows out of the restriction part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Sugita, Kaoru Hirata, Nobukazu Ikeda, Kouji Nishino, Masahiko Takimoto, Takahiro Imai, Shinya Ogawa
  • Patent number: 11402250
    Abstract: The liquid level meter according to the present invention includes a resistive temperature detector, a temperature measuring body located above it, a temperature detecting unit detecting temperatures of the resistive temperature detector and the temperature measuring body, a current controlling unit determining a current value to be flowed through the resistive temperature detector so that the resistive temperature detector and the temperature measuring body become a predetermined temperature difference, a power supply unit supplying the current of the determined current value to the resistive temperature detector, and a liquid level detecting unit detecting a position of a liquid level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Atsushi Hidaka, Takatoshi Nakatani, Satoru Yamashita, Katsuyuki Sugita, Kaoru Hirata, Masaaki Nagase, Kouji Nishino, Nobukazu Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11391608
    Abstract: A self-diagnosis method of a flow rate control device includes: a step (a) for measuring a pressure drop characteristic after a pressure control valve (6) has been changed to a closed state from a state where a fluid flows from the upstream side of the pressure control valve with the opening of a flow rate control valve (8) is larger than a restriction part; a step (b) for measuring the pressure drop characteristic after the pressure control valve has been changed to the closed state from a state where the fluid flows from the upstream side of the flow rate control valve to the downstream side with the opening of the flow rate control valve is smaller than the restriction part; a step (c) for determining whether there is an abnormality by comparing the pressure drop characteristic measured in step (a) with a corresponding reference pressure drop characteristic; a step (d) for determining whether there is an abnormality by comparing the pressure drop characteristic measured in step (b) with a corresponding ref
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Sugita, Ryousuke Dohi, Kaoru Hirata, Koji Kawada, Nobukazu Ikeda, Kouji Nishino
  • Publication number: 20220197316
    Abstract: The flow rate control device 10 includes a control valve 11, a restriction part 12 provided downstream of the control valve 11, an upstream pressure sensor 13 for measuring a pressure P1 between the control valve 11 and the restriction part 12, a differential pressure sensor 20 for measuring a differential pressure ?P between the upstream and the downstream of the restriction part 12, and an arithmetic control circuit 16 connected to the control valve 11, the upstream pressure sensor 13, and the differential pressure sensor 20.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Applicant: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Kaoru HIRATA, Keisuke IDEGUCHI, Shinya OGAWA, Katsuyuki SUGITA, Masaaki NAGASE, Kouji NISHINO, Nobukazu IKEDA, Hiroyuki ITO
  • Patent number: 11346457
    Abstract: A piezoelectric element-driven valve 1 including a main body, a valve element, piezoelectric actuators, a plurality of cylindrical actuator boxes arranged in series, a cylindrical outer connecting jig detachably connecting the adjacent actuator boxes and having an opening for drawing out wiring, a plurality of piezoelectric actuators accommodated in the actuator box respectively in the same direction, and a cylindrical inner connecting jig slidably accommodated in the outer connecting jig and having an opening for positioning the adjacent piezoelectric actuators and drawing out wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Ryousuke Dohi, Kaoru Hirata, Katsuyuki Sugita, Koji Kawada, Kouji Nishino, Nobukazu Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11313756
    Abstract: An abnormality detection method performed using a flow rate control device including a restriction portion, a control valve, a first pressure sensor, a second pressure sensor, and a downstream valve, includes a step of changing the control valve and the downstream valve from an open state to a closed state, a step of measuring an upstream pressure or a downstream pressure in the closed state, and at least one step of (a) extracting an upstream pressure at a point when a difference between the upstream pressure and the downstream pressure reaches a predetermined value as an upstream convergence pressure, and extracting the downstream pressure as a downstream convergence pressure, and (b) extracting the time from a point when the control valve are changed to a closed state to a point when a difference between the upstream pressure and the downstream pressure reaches a predetermined value as a convergence time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: FUTIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Masaaki Nagase, Kaoru Hirata, Yohei Sawada, Kouji Nishino, Nobukazu Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11269362
    Abstract: A flow rate control method performed using a flow rate control device 100 comprising a first control valve 6 provided in a flow path, a second control valve 8 provided downstream of the first control valve, and a pressure sensor 3 for measuring fluid pressure downstream of the first control valve, the method comprising steps of: (a) closing the opening of the first control valve from a state in which, while controlling the opening of the first control valve based on an output of the pressure sensor so as to be the first flow rate, maintaining the opening of the second control valve in an open state, and flowing a fluid at the first flow rate; and (b) based on the output of the pressure sensor, the pressure remaining downstream of the first control valve is controlled by adjusting the opening of the second control valve, and flowing the fluid at the second flow rate downstream of the second control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Kaoru Hirata, Shinya Ogawa, Katsuyuki Sugita, Kouji Nishino, Nobukazu Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11226641
    Abstract: A fluid control device includes a main body block including a first flow passage, and a second flow passage, a first and second fluid control units installed on an installation surface of the main body block. The first and second flow passages include a first portion extending along a first direction and a second flow passage portion orthogonal to the first direction. The second portion is formed of a hole extending from a side surface of the main body block and a sealing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Kaoru Hirata, Katsuyuki Sugita, Takahiro Imai, Shinya Ogawa, Kouji Nishino, Nobukazu Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11216016
    Abstract: A flow rate control method for raising a flow rate performed in a flow control device having a first control valve, a second control valve downstream of the first control valve, and a pressure sensor for measuring a pressure between the first and the second control valves, comprises a step (a) of determining a pressure remaining downstream of the first control valve in a state of closing the second control valve, and a step (b) of controlling the pressure remaining downstream of the first control valve by adjusting the opening degree of the second control valve based on the output of the pressure sensor to flow the fluid downstream the second control valve at the first flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Kaoru Hirata, Shinya Ogawa, Katsuyuki Sugita, Kouji Nishino, Nobukazu Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11137779
    Abstract: The fluid controller includes a fluid control module and an external control module. The fluid control module includes a control valve on a flow channel, a valve driver circuit that drives the control valve, a fluid meter on a flow channel, and a first processor that processes a signal output from the fluid meter. The external control module includes a second processor that processes a signal output from the first processor. The second processor outputs a valve control signal according to the signal of the fluid meter output from the first processor, the valve control signal is directly input to the valve driver circuit without through the first processor, and the valve driver circuit outputs a voltage that drives the control valve according to the valve control signal from the second processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Kaoru Hirata, Katsuyuki Sugita, Yohei Sawada, Masahiko Takimoto, Kouji Nishino
  • Publication number: 20210240208
    Abstract: A flow rate control method performed in a flow control device 100 having a first control valve 6 provided in the flow path, a second control valve 8 provided downstream of the first control valve, and a pressure sensor 3 for measuring a fluid pressure upstream of the first control valve and downstream of the second control valve, comprises, at the time of flow rate raise, a step (a) of determining a pressure remaining downstream of the first control valve by using a pressure sensor in a state of closing the second control valve, and a step (b) of controlling the pressure remaining downstream of the first control valve by adjusting the opening degree of the second control valve on the basis of the output from the pressure sensor, and flowing a fluid at the first flow rate downstream the second control valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Applicant: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Kaoru HIRATA, Shinya OGAWA, Katsuyuki SUGITA, Kouji NISHINO, Nobukazu IKEDA
  • Publication number: 20210239230
    Abstract: A piezoelectric element-driven valve 1 including a main body, a valve element, piezoelectric actuators, a plurality of cylindrical actuator boxes arranged in series, a cylindrical outer connecting jig detachably connecting the adjacent actuator boxes and having an opening for drawing out wiring, a plurality of piezoelectric actuators accommodated in the actuator box respectively in the same direction, and a cylindrical inner connecting jig slidably accommodated in the outer connecting jig and having an opening for positioning the adjacent piezoelectric actuators and drawing out wiring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Applicant: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Ryousuke DOHI, Kaoru HIRATA, Katsuyuki SUGITA, Koji KAWADA, Kouji NISHINO, Nobukazu IKEDA
  • Patent number: 11079774
    Abstract: A flow rate control device (100) comprises: a pressure control valve (6) provided in a flow path; a flow rate control valve (8) provided downstream side of the pressure control valve; and a first pressure sensor (3) for measuring pressure on the downstream side of the pressure control valve and on the upstream side of the flow rate control valve. The flow rate control valve has a valve element (13) seated on/separated from a valve seat (12); a piezoelectric element (10b) for moving the valve element so as be seated on/separated from the valve seat; and a strain sensor (20) provided on a side surface of the piezoelectric element. The pressure control valve (6) is configured to control the pressure control valve (6) on the basis of a signal output from the first pressure sensor (3), and to control the driving of the piezoelectric element of the flow rate control valve (8) based on a signal output from the strain sensor (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Sugita, Ryousuke Dohi, Kaoru Hirata, Koji Kawada, Nobukazu Ikeda, Kouji Nishino