Patents by Inventor Kazuki Niwa

Kazuki Niwa 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: 8152540
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a connector terminal protection cap for a harness and a harness assembly that are capable of protecting connector terminals provided on one end of a harness and that does not come off easily during transfer or transport but can be easily removed at an assembly site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Hattori, Kazuki Niwa
  • Patent number: 8123490
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for controlling an electric compressor, which can actuate the electric compressor rapidly through a simpler and lower-cost configuration while achieving reduction in weight, cost, and assembling time of the electric compressor. In the case where a pressure difference between the inlet side and the outlet side of the compressor body is present when a motor of the electric compressor is actuated, the motor is actuated at a number of revolutions lower than that in the normal mode. Thereby, even if a refrigerant has been liquefied on the outlet side of the compressor body, for example, the motor can be actuated by performing such action as to push out the liquefied refrigerant. In this case, the number of revolutions of the motor is increased by being changed stepwise or linearly, by which the number of revolutions of the motor is caused to reach a required number of revolutions as early as possible while surely performing the actuation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Goto, Koji Nakano, Takashi Nakagami, Makoto Hattori, Takayuki Takashige, Kazuki Niwa
  • Patent number: 8052463
    Abstract: An object is to provide a harness-routing protector with a simple configuration that can be readily fabricated at low cost and can be readily attached to a harness so that the harness, which has a difficulty in maintaining a bent shape, can be readily routed without interfering with other components within a limited space. In a harness-routing protector (30) that routes a harness (10) while maintaining it in a predetermined bent shape so as to prevent it from interfering with other components, a cross-sectionally U-shaped semicylindrical body (34) has a predetermined bent shape and includes an inner guide surface (31) and an outer guide surface (32) that are separated from each other by a gap in which the harness (10) is fittable and a side surface (33) that joins one edge of the inner guide surface (31) and one edge of the outer guide surface (32) to each other, and both end surfaces and the other side surface thereof are open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Hattori, Kazuki Niwa
  • Publication number: 20110236235
    Abstract: An object is to provide an inverter module that can ensure satisfactory anti-vibration strength, moisture resistance, and isolation for each of the upper and lower boards of the inverter module and that can reduce the weight and cost, and to provide an integrated-inverter electric compressor. In an inverter module (21) in which a power system board (23) and a control board (31) are integrated via a resin case (22), the inverter module (21) is configured such that the power system board (23), on which a semiconductor switching device (24) is mounted, is provided at the lower part of the resin case (22) and the control board (31), on which a control-and-communication circuit is mounted, is provided thereabove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Hattori, Masahiko Asai, Kazuki Niwa, Takayuki Takashige, Koji Nakano, Takashi Nakagami, Shunsuke Yakushiji
  • Patent number: 8007255
    Abstract: An inverter-integrated electric compressor enhances vibration resistance of an inverter apparatus integrated with a housing without degrading cooling performance, reduction in weight, or the ease of assembly of the inverter apparatus. An inverter-integrated electric compressor has an inverter apparatus integrated with an inverter storage box of housing. The inverter apparatus includes a metal plate secured in an inverter storage box, a plurality of power semiconductor switching elements mounted on the metal plate, a power substrate on which a power-related control circuit for operating the power semiconductor switching elements is mounted, and a busbar assembly formed by integrating a plurality of busbars with an insulator. The metal plate includes a protrusion extending in a width direction perpendicular to a motor shaft direction of an electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Hattori, Takayuki Takashige, Kazuki Niwa, Koji Nakano, Shunsuke Yakushiji
  • Publication number: 20110190981
    Abstract: The electrical power consumption and cost of a control system for an air conditioning apparatus are reduced. A control system for an air conditioning apparatus mounted in a vehicle includes a plurality of vehicle-side ECUs (control units) that control devices provided in the air conditioning apparatus; and a signal control unit that controls the plurality of vehicle-side ECUs wherein the plurality of vehicle-side ECUs are divided into groups each having a common ON/OFF combination for the individual operating modes of the vehicle, and the vehicle-side ECUs belonging to the same group are connected by a common signal line; and the signal control unit sends ON and OFF signals depending on the operating mode of the vehicle to the signal lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Niwa, Makoto Hattori, Toyohisa Kawashima, Masahiko Asai
  • Patent number: 7977900
    Abstract: The object is to provide an inverter system for a vehicle-mounted air conditioner capable of reducing standby power requirements during nonuse. The voltage supply from a communication power source 80 is turned on and off on the basis of a signal from a communication driver 27a and an electric switch is changed over, whereby the voltage supply from a vehicle-mounted battery power source 50 to a DC-DC converter 26 is turned on and off and the voltage supply to a motor-control microcomputer 24 and a gate circuit 22 is turned on and off. As a result of this, during nonuse the operating state of the motor-control microcomputer 24 is shifted to a sleep mode by performing control by a host ECU 60, whereby the voltage supply is suspended and it becomes possible to reduce power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Nakagami, Koji Nakano, Masahiko Asai, Makoto Hattori, Kazuki Niwa
  • Patent number: 7954337
    Abstract: The object is to provide an integrated compressor that enables a control board to be miniaturized while ensuring a layout in which the heat radiation of parts is considered. Diodes 43 and IGBTs 42 that correspond to each of the U-phase, V-phase and W-phase are arrayed in series for each phase. Rectangular chips are used for the diodes 43 and IGBTs 42. As a result of this, a power board 16 is substantially miniaturized, and the diode 43, the IGBT 42, a P-terminal electrode pattern 40, an N-terminal electrode pattern 41, a shunt resistor 44, output terminal patterns 48U, 48V, 48W, and a feed pattern 50 are disposed so as to lie in a region in contact with an outer surface of a housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Nakagami, Koji Nakano, Masahiko Asai, Makoto Hattori, Kazuki Niwa
  • Publication number: 20110116950
    Abstract: In an inverter-integrated electric compressor having an inverter unit integrated therein, the inverter unit is provided with a plurality of CAN (Controller Area Network) receiver circuits for CAN communications with a vehicle-side control unit, at least one of the CAN receiver circuits being a high-speed CAN receiver circuit allowing connection with a high-speed CAN bus and at least one of the other CAN receiver circuits being a low-speed CAN receiver circuit allowing connection with a low-speed CAN bus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Niwa, Makoto Hattori, Masahiko Asai, Toyohisa Kawashima, Takashi Nakagami, Koji Nakano
  • Publication number: 20110095659
    Abstract: An integrated-inverter electric compressor and an inverter unit thereof are provided, with which sufficient anti-vibration properties can be ensured and weight reduction can be achieved. In an integrated-inverter electric compressor, an inverter unit includes an inverter module in which a power-system metallic board having mounted thereon semiconductor switching elements and so forth is integrated with a plastic case, and a CPU board having mounted thereon a control and communication circuit that operates at a low voltage, such as a CPU, is provided on a top face of the inverter module, and inside the plastic case, a thermosetting resin layer for insulation and anti-humidity purposes is provided so as to cover a top face of the power-system metallic board, and a vibration-absorbing elastomeric adhesive layer that maintains a rubber state in an operating temperature range of the integrated-inverter electric compressor is provided between a bottom face of the CPU board and the thermosetting resin layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2009
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Hattori, Kazuki Niwa, Takashi Nakagami, Koji Nakano, Shunsuke Yakushiji
  • Patent number: 7898116
    Abstract: The invention provides an integrated-inverter electric compressor and an inverter device thereof which allow handling of the inverter device by neither touching nor holding a CPU substrate. An integrated-inverter electric compressor includes an inverter module integrating a power-related metal substrate on which a power semiconductor switching device is mounted and a resin case integrally insert-molded with a plurality of terminals, and is provided with a CPU substrate on which a control and communication circuit having a device that operates at low-voltage is mounted on the upper surface of the inverter module, wherein the resin case is integrated with a grip which extends in a horizontal direction at an upper edge of a circumference thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Hattori, Kazuki Niwa, Koji Nakano, Takashi Nakagami, Shunsuke Yakushiji, Naoto Kunieda
  • Publication number: 20100303648
    Abstract: An inverter-integrated electric compressor in which noise interference with an inverter circuit section due to electromagnetic noise generated from high-voltage-system components can be reliably eliminated without impairing the ease of assembly and a reduction in size. In an inverter-integrated electric compressor (1) provided with an inverter accommodating section (9) on the periphery of a housing (2) and an inverter (20) provided therein, the inverter accommodating section (9) is divided into a first accommodating section (9) accommodating an inverter module (21) equipped with a power system board on which semiconductor switching devices etc. are mounted and a CPU board on which a control and communication circuit etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takayuki Watanabe, Takeshi Hirano, Makoto Hattori, Kazuki Niwa, Takashi Nakagami, Koji Toyama
  • Publication number: 20100240238
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a connector terminal protection cap for a harness and a harness assembly that are capable of protecting connector terminals provided on one end of a harness and that does not come off easily during transfer or transport but can be easily removed at an assembly site.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Hattori, Kazuki Niwa
  • Publication number: 20100232991
    Abstract: In an inverter control apparatus in which a control circuit board is fixed by use of pin-like terminals provided in a power board, the breakage of the pin-like terminals is prevented. The power board 160 is provided with a plurality of signal transmission terminals 210a, 210b, 220a, 220b for signal transmission to and from the control circuit board 150 and for grounding along each of a pair of opposed sides, the control circuit board 150 is electrically connected to the plurality of signal transmission terminals 210a etc. and is fixed by soldering to the plurality of signal transmission terminals 210a etc., and the plurality of signal transmission terminals 210a etc. are arranged along each of the pair of sides in a plurality of rows.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Nakagami, Shunsuke Yakushiji, Koji Nakano, Masahiko Asai, Makoto Hattori, Kazuki Niwa
  • Publication number: 20100170698
    Abstract: An object is to provide a harness-routing protector with a simple configuration that can be readily fabricated at low cost and can be readily attached to a harness so that the harness, which has a difficulty in maintaining a bent shape, can be readily routed without interfering with other components within a limited space. In a harness-routing protector (30) that routes a harness (10) while maintaining it in a predetermined bent shape so as to prevent it from interfering with other components, a cross-sectionally U-shaped semicylindrical body (34) has a predetermined bent shape and includes an inner guide surface (31) and an outer guide surface (32) that are separated from each other by a gap in which the harness (10) is fittable and a side surface (33) that joins one edge of the inner guide surface (31) and one edge of the outer guide surface (32) to each other, and both end surfaces and the other side surface thereof are open.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Hattori, Kazuki Niwa
  • Publication number: 20100170294
    Abstract: The object is to provide an integrated compressor that enables a control board to be miniaturized while ensuring a layout in which the heat radiation of parts is considered. Diodes 43 and IGBTs 42 that correspond to each of the U-phase, V-phase and W-phase are arrayed in series for each phase. Rectangular chips are used for the diodes 43 and IGBTs 42. As a result of this, a power board 16 is substantially miniaturized, and the diode 43, the IGBT 42, a P-terminal electrode pattern 40, an N-terminal electrode pattern 41, a shunt resistor 44, output terminal patterns 48U, 48V, 48W, and a feed pattern 50 are disposed so as to lie in a region in contact with an outer surface of a housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2008
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Nakagami, Koji Nakano, Masahiko Asai, Makoto Hattori, Kazuki Niwa
  • Publication number: 20100074770
    Abstract: An integrated-inverter electric compressor is provided, in which a change of the combination of weld plating layers provided on weld surfaces of an electrical connection terminal of an inverter can be allowed for easily. In an integrated-inverter electric compressor in which an inverter is integrally fitted to a compressor housing and an electrical connection terminal that electrically connects the inverter to an electric motor and/or an external power source is provided, one end of the electrical connection terminal has a wire-bonding weld surface for the inverter, the wire-bonding weld surface being provided with a weld plating layer for welding a bonding wire thereto, whereas the other end of the electrical connection terminal has weld surfaces for the electric motor and/or the external power source, the weld surfaces of two sides being respectively provided with different weld plating layers for connecting lead wires, bus bars, or terminals thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Hattori, Takayuki Takashige, Kazuki Niwa, Takashi Nakagami, Koji Nakano
  • Publication number: 20100024457
    Abstract: The present invention has an object to provide an on-vehicle air conditioner that can prevent breakage or the like caused by applying a high voltage. In an inverter system 20 that controls an operation of a motor 30 of a compressor for the on-vehicle air conditioner, a motor control microcomputer 24 operates by converting a voltage supplied from an on-vehicle battery power source 50 into a low voltage. Thus, the motor control microcomputer 24 is operated to perform failure diagnosis of a high voltage circuit Cb without a high voltage power source 40 being turned on. The failure diagnosis can be performed without power being supplied from the high voltage power source 40 to the high voltage circuit Cb, thereby preventing the high voltage circuit Cb from being broken by applying the high voltage even when there is some failure in the high voltage circuit Cb.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takehiro Adachi, Koji Nakano, Takashi Nakagami, Makoto Hattori, Kazuki Niwa, Takayuki Takashige
  • Publication number: 20100018243
    Abstract: There is provided an integrated electric compressor that is improved in reliability. Bus bar connection is employed for electrical connection between a power board 16 and the power source side and between the power board 16 and the motor side, and welding is employed for joining a bus bar to a capacitor 13 and a reactor 14, for joining board-side terminal parts of the bus bar to PN terminals 20a and 20b, and for joining UVW terminals 25a, 25b and 25c to housing-side terminals 28a, 28b and 28c. By employing resistance welding for the welding, the terminals can be joined to each other with stabilized quality. Further, since flat joint plates are provided on one end side of the housing-side terminals 28a, 28b and 28c, and the UVW terminals 25a, 25b and 25c are welded thereto, reliable joints between terminals can also be attained in these portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Masaharu Tanaka, Koji Nakano, Takashi Nakagami, Makoto Hattori, Takayuki Takashige, Kazuki Niwa, Hiroyuki Kamitani
  • Patent number: 7652902
    Abstract: An object is to provide an integrated-inverter electric compressor that can enhance assembly and vibration resistance of power semiconductor switching devices and control substrates thereof constituting the inverter device. The integrated-inverter electric compressor, in which an inverter device is installed in an inverter container provided on an outer circumference of a housing, includes a plurality of IGBTs constituting the inverter device and a guide member having a plurality of guide holes for passing terminals of the IGBTs provided between the control substrate and the IGBTs. The guide member is provided with at least one first positioning pin, fitted in positioning holes provided in a mounting surface of the IGBT, in one side surface facing the IGBT, and at least one second positioning pin, fitted in positioning holes provided in the control substrate, in another side surface facing the control substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Hattori, Takayuki Takashige, Kazuki Niwa, Koji Nakano, Shunsuke Yakushiji, Makoto Ebisawa