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).

  • Publication number: 20100014988
    Abstract: There is provided an integrated electric compressor having a circuit configuration capable of decreasing the size thereof while restraining current ripples. In an inverter of the electric compressor, by providing a capacitor 13 and a reactor 14 between a power source and an inverter board 12, the ripples of a driving voltage is restrained, and a motor can be driven with high efficiency and the size of a housing can be decreased. Further, by connecting the capacitor 13 and the reactor 14 to a power board 16 by using a bus bar 23, the voltage ripple restraining effect is further increased, and the capacitor 13 and the reactor 14 are unitized integrally by the bus bar 23 to improve the assembling workability of the power board 16.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Tsutsui, Makoto Hattori, Takayuki Takashige, Kazuki Niwa, Koji Nakano
  • Publication number: 20090291002
    Abstract: There is provided an integrated electric compressor that can be made small in size while reducing radio noise effectively. In an inverter of the electric compressor, a snubber circuit 21 comprising a resistor R and a capacitor C is provided between input/output terminals 20 of a power source and a switching element 18. The snubber circuit 21 is formed by surface mounting a resistive element constituting the resistor R and a capacitor element constituting the capacitor C on a power board 16. A leakage current from a motor 19 is thus restrained and radio noise is reduced. The resistive element and the capacitor element constituting the snubber circuit 21 are preferably surface mounted on the power board 16 on the side opposite to the side on which a control circuit board is arranged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeo Kasai, Koji Nakano, Koji Toyama, Makoto Hattori, Kazuki Niwa
  • Publication number: 20090263255
    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: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Goto, Koji Nakano, Takashi Nakagami, Makoto Hattori, Takayuki Takashige, Kazuki Niwa
  • Publication number: 20090255704
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to facilitate welding connection of an enameled wire to a busbar to increase accuracy and reliability of the welding, and provide a high quality and highly reliable busbar connection structure and inverter-integrated electric compressor by reducing processes of welding operation. In a busbar connection structure for closely contacting, welding and connecting an enameled wire end portion (27A, 28A) of a coil onto an external connection bent surface (35) formed on a busbar (33), a through hole (36, 46) through which the end portion (27A, 28A) of the enameled wire (27, 28) passes is formed on the inside of a base portion of the bent surface (35) of the busbar (33), and the end portion (27A, 28A) of the enameled wire (27, 28) is passed through the through hole (36, 46), positioned onto a welding point (35A) of the bent surface (35), and welded and connected onto the bent surface (35).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Niwa, Makoto Hattori, Takayuki Takashige, Atsushi Takai
  • Publication number: 20090246047
    Abstract: An integrated-inverter electric compressor whose grounding effect and grounding reliability are increased by reliably grounding an inverter device to a housing and in which the size the inverter device are reduced by simplifying the grounding structure is provided. The integrated-inverter electric compressor includes an inverter device provided in an inverter container on the outer circumference of a housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2008
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Hattori, Kazuki Niwa, Koji Nakano, Takashi Nakagami, Takayuki Takashige, Koji Toyama
  • Publication number: 20090244854
    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: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2008
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Hattori, Kazuki Niwa, Koji Nakano, Takashi Nakagami, Shunsuke Yakushiji, Naoto Kunieda
  • Publication number: 20090230902
    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: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Nakagami, Koji Nakano, Masahiko Asai, Makoto Hattori, Kazuki Niwa
  • Publication number: 20080205107
    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: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Hattori, Takayuki Takashige, Kazuki Niwa, Koji Nakano, Shunsuke Yakushiji, Makoto Ebisawa
  • Publication number: 20080116838
    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 1 has an inverter apparatus 22 integrated with an inverter storage box 11 of a housing 3. The inverter apparatus 22 includes a metal plate 23 secured in an inverter storage box 11; a plurality of power semiconductor switching elements 24 mounted on the metal plate 23; a power substrate 25 on which a power-related control circuit for operating the power semiconductor switching elements 24 is mounted; and a busbar assembly 26 formed by integrating a plurality of busbars with an insulator. The metal plate 23 includes a protrusion 33 extending in a width direction perpendicular to a motor shaft direction L of an electric motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Publication date: May 22, 2008
    Inventors: Makoto Hattori, Takayuki Takashige, Kazuki Niwa, Koji Nakano, Shunsuke Yakushiji
  • Publication number: 20080003627
    Abstract: A method for producing firefly D-luciferin or a luminescent derivative thereof characterized by reacting a starting material for firefly L-luciferin in the presence of esterase, which contains at least one selected from the group consisting of (1) esters of firefly L-luciferin or derivatives thereof and (2) thioesters of firefly L-luciferin or derivatives thereof. The invention enables inexpensive determination of activity of firefly luciferase, long-time stable control of luminescence, and quantitative determination of L-cysteine, cystine and ATP.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicants: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, THE UNIVERSITY OF ELECTRO-COMMUNICATIONS
    Inventors: Yoshihiro OHMIYA, Kazuki NIWA, Haruki NIWA, Mitsuhiro NAKAMURA, Masayuki RYUFUKU
  • Publication number: 20050257547
    Abstract: A vehicular air conditioner includes a reversible heat pump having an air distribution fan positioned upstream of an indoor heat exchanger, a coolant heat exchanger positioned downstream of the indoor heat exchanger, and a damper arranged adjacent to a coolant heat exchanger. An engine cooling water system is connected to the coolant heat exchanger. A subassembly is used for positioning the damper in the fully opened condition such that the coolant heat exchanger is made an air intake flow path in addition to an air flow path of an air bypass space during a cooling operation. The engine cooling water system includes a coolant bypass valve connected between a primary side flow path and a secondary side flow path for engine cooling water to bypass the coolant heat exchanger. When the damper fully opens a full quantity of the engine cooling water flows to the secondary side flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2003
    Publication date: November 24, 2005
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Toyotaka Hirao, Kazuki Niwa, Ryosaku Akimoto, Gregory Major, Xin Zeng
  • Publication number: 20030182955
    Abstract: The aim of the invention is to shorten heating start up time at the time of a heating operation and to improve capacity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 1999
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Inventors: TOYOTAKA HIRAO, KAZUKI NIWA, RYOSAKU AKIMOTO, GREGORY A. MAJOR, XIN ZENG
  • Patent number: 6332497
    Abstract: An air conditioner for a vehicle having an engine that serves as a drive source for a compressor arranged in a rear part of the vehicle. The air conditioner includes the compressor, and further includes an air intake unit having an inside air intake, an outside air intake, an inside air/outside air changeover damper, and a blower disposed on a downstream side of the inside air/outside air changeover damper. The air conditioner includes an air conditioning unit into which air is introduced from the air intake unit, provided along an introduced air distribution path with a cooling apparatus heat exchanger fluidly connected to the compressor and configured to exchange heat between the introduced air and air outside the cabin interior, where the cooling apparatus heat exchanger is located in the rear part of the vehicle. The air conditioning unit also include an engine heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the introduced air and an engine of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuki Niwa, Ryosaku Akimoto, Kenji Matsuda, Gregory A. Major, Xin Zeng