Patents by Inventor Kazuaki Iwama

Kazuaki Iwama 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: 6488481
    Abstract: A compressor has a suction muffler structure capable of reducing vibration and noise accompanying liquid compression. The suction muffler structure involves a muffler chamber defined between a suction chamber of the compressor and an external coolant circuit. A suction passage connects the muffler chamber to the suction chamber. A liquid-storage space is formed in the region of the muffler chamber lower than the inlet of the suction passage to the muffler chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nagai, Kazushige Murao, Kazuaki Iwama, Hiroshi Kamishima
  • Patent number: 6487958
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to form a film of a high quality on a constituent part in a compressor. The compressor has a swash plate as a constituent part to be filmed. The swash plate on which the film is to be formed is arranged on a seat of a film forming device. An adhesive layer is formed to the end surfaces of the swash plate in advance. A sheet to form a film is absorbed to a hollow body of a suction device of the film forming device, and press-contacted to the swash plate. The sheet is thus adhered to the end surface of the swash plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Manabu Sugiura, Hiroaki Kayukawa, Kazuaki Iwama, Naohiko Isomura, Shigeki Kawachi
  • Patent number: 6471113
    Abstract: A method of forming a coating on a work surface of a machine component. The method includes a preparatory step of preparing a feed form formed of a metal material that is softer than at least a work surface of a machine component, a pressure-welding step of pressure-welding an end face of the feed form to the work surface of the machine component while causing relative rotation between the machine component and the feed form, to join the feed form to the machine component, and a cutting step of cutting the feed form in a direction substantially orthogonal to an axis of the relative rotation at a portion near a joining position at which the machine component and the feed form are joined, to add a soft metal layer having a predetermined thickness to the work surface of the machine component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Seizo Hirayama, Manabu Sugiura, Kazuaki Iwama, Seiji Suzaki
  • Patent number: 6378415
    Abstract: The durability of a coating layer formed on the sliding surface between two members of a compressor, and the sliding contact between the two members, is kept excellent over a long period of time. In a peripheral portion 10d of a swash plate 10, a pair of shoes 20 are connected to the swash plate 10 while intervening between the swash plate 10 and a piston 8. Both the swash plate 10 and the shoes 20 are formed from an iron series material. A film 23 is formed on both surfaces 22 of the peripheral portion 10d of the swash plate 10, and the shoes 20 slide on the film 23 on the swash plate 10. The film 23 is a coating layer formed from a resin containing metallic particles. The particle size of the metallic particles is larger than the thickness of the film 23 (e.g., from 10 to 100 &mgr;m), and the surface of the film 23 is made smooth by polishing. The resin functioning as a binder of the metallic particles is formed from, for example, a polyimide resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Manabu Sugiura, Kazuaki Iwama, Teiichi Sato
  • Publication number: 20020031434
    Abstract: A swash plate used in a compressor. A side of the swash plate that contacts head side shoes is coated with two layers. The first layer is formed of aluminum material and the second layer is formed with solid lubricant. A side of the swash plate that contacts skirt side shoes is coated with a single layer of solid lubricant. Accordingly, the swash plate has a sufficiently wear resistance on both sides for the minimized cost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2001
    Publication date: March 14, 2002
    Inventors: Manabu Sugiura, Kazuaki Iwama, Naohiki Isomura, Shigeki Kawachi, Hiroaki Kayukawa
  • Publication number: 20010017078
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to form a film of a high quality on a constituent part in a compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2001
    Publication date: August 30, 2001
    Inventors: Manabu Sugiura, Hiroaki Kayukawa, Kazuaki Iwama, Naohiko Isomura, Shigeki Kawachi
  • Publication number: 20010017079
    Abstract: A coating forming method, which has an excellent versatility as a forming art of a metal material coating on the sliding contact surface of a swash plate, with shoes, can maintain a good working environment in the field and can effectively reduce the working processes, time, and cost is provided. The coatings 31A and 31B are formed in the shielded metal-arc welding padding method on the surfaces 30A and 30B of the swash plate 10, which slidably contact with the shoes 20A and 20B.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2001
    Publication date: August 30, 2001
    Inventors: Manabu Sugiura, Kazuaki Iwama, Naohiko Isomura, Shigeki Kawachi
  • Publication number: 20010015130
    Abstract: A film forming method for a compressor and a part of the compressor to be formed with a film are disclosed. A paint container (36) is arranged above a rotary holding mechanism (34) with a swash plate (15) of the compressor mounted thereon. A lubrication paint (37) in the paint container (36) is dripped on the end surface (152) of the swash plate (15) through a dripping unit (38). The swash plate (15) is rotated at high speed by the operation of a motor (M) so that the surplus portion of the lubrication paint (37) on the end surface (152) is removed by centrifugal force. The lubrication paint (37) remaining on the end surface (152) with the surplus portion thereof removed by centrifugal force has a uniform film thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2001
    Publication date: August 23, 2001
    Inventors: Manabu Sugiura, Kazuaki Iwama, Naohiko Isomura, Shigeki Kawachi, Hiroaki Kayukawa
  • Patent number: 6217293
    Abstract: A variable displacement compressor includes a swash plate, which is rotatably supported on a drive shaft in a crank chamber. The crank chamber is connected to a discharge chamber through a pressurizing passage. An electromagnetic control valve is located in the pressurizing passage. When the control valve opens the pressurizing passage, pressure in the crank chamber increases and inclination of the swash plate decreases. When the control valve closes the pressurizing passage, the pressure in the crank chamber decreases and inclination of the swash plate increases. A fixed restrictor is located in the pressurizing passage. When the control valve suddenly opens the pressurizing passage, the fixed restrictor limits the flow rate of gas in the pressurizing passage so that the pressure in the crank chamber gradually increases. Accordingly, the inclination of the swash plate gradually decreases, thus reducing vibration and noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Masakazu Murase, Yoshinobu Ishigaki, Kazuaki Iwama, Takuya Okuno
  • Patent number: 6146107
    Abstract: A drive plate or lug plate is supported on a drive shaft for integral rotation therewith. A cam plate is coupled to the lug plate by a hinge mechanism to integrally rotate with the drive shaft and tilt with respect to the axis of the drive shaft. The cam plate is coupled to a piston to convert the rotation of the drive shaft into linear reciprocating movement of the piston in a cylinder to compress gas supplied from an external circuit and to discharge the compressed gas outward from the cylinder. The hinge mechanism has a first guide pin projecting to the lug plate from the cam plate, a second guide pin projecting to the lug plate from the cam plate in a position following the first guide pin which is the leading pin with respect to the direction of rotation of the drive shalt, a first guide hole formed in a support arm projecting from the lug plate to receive the first guide pin and a second guide hole formed in a second support arm projecting from the drive plate to receive the second guide pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2000
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Masahiro Kawaguchi, Tetsuhiko Fukanuma, Kazuaki Iwama, Hiroyuki Nagai
  • Patent number: 6053350
    Abstract: A removable sealing plug device for protecting the interior of a refrigerant compressor from dust, dirt, and corrosion during storage and/or transport of the compressor before it is assembled into a refrigerating system, including a plug element made of a rubber material and having a body portion suitable for being sealingly fitted in an inlet and/or outlet port of the compressor and a columnar head portion formed in an upper face of the body portion, and a base plate having a through-hole in which the columnar head of the plug element is press-fitted, the through-hole of the base plate being provided with sawtooth-like projections to non-removably hold the columnar portion of the plug element and secure it to the outer portion of the compressor, by using an existing threaded hole and a screw bolt, to hold the plug element between the base plate element and the outer circumference of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Ken Suitou, Kazuaki Iwama, Hiroshi Uneyama, Atsuyuki Morishita
  • Patent number: 5765996
    Abstract: A compressor has a plurality of cylinder bores defined around a rotary shaft in a cylinder block and a plurality of double-headed pistons accommodated in the respective cylinder bores. The pistons compress refrigerant gas in a plurality of front and rear compression chambers defined in the bores in the front and rear of the respective pistons according to the rotation of a cam plate mounted on the rotary shaft. The compressor has bearing that receive thrust loads applied to the rotary shaft during operation of the compressor. The pistons create a net thrust load determined by the difference between the maximum of the sum of loads applied to the front sides of the pistons by the refrigerant gas in the front compression chambers and the maximum of the sum of loads applied to the rear sides of the pistons by the refrigerant gas in the rear compression chambers. The pistons transfer the net thrust load to the rotary shaft in a predetermined direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Toshiro Fujii, Koichi Ito, Kazuaki Iwama, Katsuya Ohyama
  • Patent number: 5638736
    Abstract: A wave cam 17 is rotatably supported by a drive shaft 13 in cylinder blocks 11, 12. Front and rear cam surfaces 17A, 17B of the wave cam 17 are defined by the surface of a predetermined imaginary cylindroid. Semi-spherical shoes 18, 19 are interposed between each cam surface 17A, 17B and each double-headed piston 16, which is accommodated in each cylinder bore 11a, 12a. Each shoe 18, 19 has a spherical surface 18a, 19a and a flat surface 18b, 19b. An imaginary circumference C0 corresponding to the arrangement of centers Q1, Q2 of the spherical surfaces 18a, 19a of the shoes 18, 19, respectively, is defined on each cam surface 17A, 17B. An imaginary circumference C1 corresponding to the arrangement of axes L1 of each cylinder bore 11a, 12a is also defined on each cam surface 17A, 17B. The center of both circumferences C0, C1 coincide with an axis L0 of the drive shaft 13. The radius R1 of the circumference C0 is larger than the radius of the circumference C1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1997
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Kazuo Murakami, Toshiro Fujii, Kazuaki Iwama, Katsuya Ohyama
  • Patent number: 5601416
    Abstract: A wave cam type compressor is described. Cylindroid blocks are provided to support a drive shaft and to contain a plurality of cylinder bores centered around the drive shaft. A wave cam attached to the drive shaft has cam surfaces on the front side and the rear side. The cam surfaces are composed of convex surfaces only. Pistons in the cylindroid blocks are operated by the wave cam through shoes. Each shoe has a spherical surface and a flat surface. The spherical surface is fitted in a recess formed on the piston, while the flat surface makes line contact with the cam surface of the wave cam. The shoes move relative to the wave cam on a predetermined circular path on the cam surfaces. The rotation of the wave cam together with the drive shaft is converted to reciprocating motions of the pistons in the cylinder bores with the aid of the shoes and wave cam, thus achieving compression of a fluid supplied to the cylinder bores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1997
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Kazuo Murakami, Toshiro Fujii, Kazuaki Iwama
  • Patent number: 5551844
    Abstract: A reciprocating compressor includes double headed pistons forming front and rear sets of compression chambers on either side thereof and a pair of tapered rotary valves arranged for introducing a coolant gas into the compression chambers. The valves are urged into contact with valve chambers by springs and a drive shaft is urged in one axial direction by a prestress mechanism. The valve urging force for one rotary valve is different from the valve urging force for the other rotary valve, so that the rotary valves operate at different times and over different distances and the movements of the rotary valves are controlled to move the drive shaft in the same axial direction as the direction of the prestress mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Toshiro Fujii, Yuichi Kato, Kazuaki Iwama, Katsuya Ohyama
  • Patent number: 5542340
    Abstract: A wave cam type compressor includes cylinder blocks. A drive shaft is rotatably supported in the center cylinder blocks. A plurality of cylinder bores are defined about the drive shaft in the cylinder blocks. A wave cam, mounted on the drive shaft, comprises opposing cam surfaces. A width of second portions which move a piston to its bottom dead center position is more narrow than a width of first portions which move a piston to its top dead center position. The pistons are connected to the wave cam by way of shoes. The shoes move along a predetermined path on the cam surfaces. The shoes and the wave cam convert the integral rotation of the drive shaft and wave cam to a reciprocating movement of the pistons to compress fluid introduced into the cylinder bores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1996
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Kazuo Murakami, Toshiro Fujii, Kazuaki Iwama, Katsuya Ohyama
  • Patent number: 5536149
    Abstract: A piston-reciprocating type compressor has a disk mounted on a rotary drive shaft and operably coupled to a piston. The piston compresses refrigerant gas in a cylinder bore with a compressive force according a cooling load. A retaining chamber formed in the vicinity of an end of the drive shaft. A partition is housed in the retaining chamber. Two recesses are formed with the opposite sides of the partition in the moveable manner. The compressed gas is supplied to the recesses under pressure in proportion to the cooling load. A thrust bearing which connects with the partition supports an end of the drive shaft. The drive that is biased in the direction counter to a thrust load acting on the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1996
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Toshiro Fujii, Koichi Ito, Kazuaki Iwama, Katsuya Ohyama, Yuichi Kato
  • Patent number: 5533872
    Abstract: A rotary valve is supported on a rotary shaft for an integral rotation. The rotary valve has a suction passage and a discharge passage. The suction passage connects a cylinder bore with a suction chamber according to the rotation of the rotary valve when a piston is in the suction stroke. The discharge passage connects the cylinder bore with a discharge chamber according to the rotation of the rotary valve when the piston is in the discharge stroke. The discharge passage includes a first passage and a second passage. The second passage communicates with the cylinder bore after the first passage has communicated with the cylinder bore after the first passage has communicated with the cylinder bore according to the rotation of the rotary valve. A discharge valve is mounted on the rotary valve. The discharge valve selectively opens and closes the first passage according to the difference between the pressures in the cylinder bore and in the discharge chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Toshiro Fujii, Kazuaki Iwama, Yuichi Kato, Katsuya Ohyama
  • Patent number: 5401144
    Abstract: A swash plate type refrigerant compressor having an axial cylinder block assembly having therein a double-headed piston operated compressing mechanism for compressing refrigerant gas introduced from an external air-conditioning system to a plurality of cylinder bores, the compressor further having a swash plate chamber capable of not only permitting a swash plate to rotate to thereby reciprocating the pistons but also receiving the refrigerant gas before compression, a rotary valve capable of controlling distribution of the refrigerant gas from the swash plate chamber to each of the cylinder bores, and a pair of taper roller bearings mounted in front and rear housings attached to the cylinder block assembly, and rotatably and stably supporting a drive shaft for mounting thereon the swash plate. The front and rear housings having only a discharge chamber for receiving the compressed refrigerant gas, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jisoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Toshiro Fujii, Kazuo Murakami, Koichi Ito, Kazuaki Iwama
  • Patent number: D384675
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Kazuo Murakami, Toshiro Fujii, Satoshi Umemura, Kazuaki Iwama