Patents by Inventor Kazuma Ichikawa

Kazuma Ichikawa 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: 9879890
    Abstract: When a dehumidifying heating operation is performed by a heat-radiating operation of the interior condenser and a heat-absorbing operation of the exterior heat-exchanger and the evaporator, a control device of an air conditioner for vehicle decreases the valve opening degree of the electronic expansion valve to be equal to or less than a predetermined opening degree before opening the solenoid valve for dehumidification in a closed state, opens the solenoid valve for dehumidification after decreasing the valve opening degree of the electronic expansion valve to be equal to or less than the predetermined opening degree, and then increasing the valve opening degree of the electronic expansion valve to be greater than the predetermined opening degree after opening the solenoid valve for dehumidification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Isao Tsunoda, Kazuma Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 9707930
    Abstract: An air conditioner for a vehicle includes: a compressor that compresses a heat exchange medium; an internal heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the heat exchange medium expelled from the compressor and air for air conditioning introduced inside a vehicle compartment; and an external heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the heat exchange medium expelled from the internal heat exchanger and external air, wherein the air conditioner for a vehicle calculates a temperature difference between an external air temperature and a discharge port temperature of the external heat exchanger, calculates an average value of the temperature difference, and performs a defrosting operation which melts frost adhered to the external heat exchanger when an amount of change of the average value is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Isao Tsunoda, Kazuma Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 9494360
    Abstract: An air conditioner for a vehicle is provided with: a compressor that compresses a heat exchange medium; an external heat exchanger that receives the heat exchange medium and that exchanges heat with the outside of a vehicle compartment; and an evaporator that receives the heat exchange medium and exchanges heat with the inside of a vehicle compartment, and the air conditioner for a vehicle is able to perform: a defrosting cooling operation in which the heat exchange medium that has been compressed by the compressor is made to flow into the evaporator and absorb heat, and to then flow into the external heat exchanger and release heat; and a hot gas operation in which the heat exchange medium that has been compressed by the compressor is made to flow into the external heat exchanger and release heat without being made to absorb heat in the evaporator, and, by switching between performing the defrosting cooling operation and performing the hot gas operation, the air conditioner for a vehicle performs a defrostin
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Isao Tsunoda, Kazuma Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 9261296
    Abstract: A boiler-equipped absorption heat pump unit in which a regenerator, a boiler, and other high-temperature devices are separated from an evaporator, an absorber, and other low-temperature devices are separated by an insulated dividing wall. The dividing wall reduces heat loss by impeding the transfer of heat from the high-temperature devices to the low-temperature devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hidetaka Kayanuma, Hideyuki Akaba, Kazuma Ichikawa, Mitsuru Ishikawa, Yoshiyuki Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20140041404
    Abstract: An air conditioner for a vehicle includes: a compressor that compresses a heat exchange medium; an internal heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the heat exchange medium expelled from the compressor and air for air conditioning introduced inside a vehicle compartment; and an external heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the heat exchange medium expelled from the internal heat exchanger and external air, wherein the air conditioner for a vehicle calculates a temperature difference between an external air temperature and a discharge port temperature of the external heat exchanger, calculates an average value of the temperature difference, and performs a defrosting operation which melts frost adhered to the external heat exchanger when an amount of change of the average value is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Isao TSUNODA, Kazuma ICHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20130305759
    Abstract: An air conditioner for a vehicle is provided with: a compressor that compresses a heat exchange medium; an external heat exchanger that receives the heat exchange medium and that exchanges heat with the outside of a vehicle compartment; and an evaporator that receives the heat exchange medium and exchanges heat with the inside of a vehicle compartment, and the air conditioner for a vehicle is able to perform: a defrosting cooling operation in which the heat exchange medium that has been compressed by the compressor is made to flow into the evaporator and absorb heat, and to then flow into the external heat exchanger and release heat; and a hot gas operation in which the heat exchange medium that has been compressed by the compressor is made to flow into the external heat exchanger and release heat without being made to absorb heat in the evaporator, and, by switching between performing the defrosting cooling operation and performing the hot gas operation, the air conditioner for a vehicle performs a defrostin
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Isao TSUNODA, Kazuma ICHIKAWA
  • Patent number: 8579335
    Abstract: A coupling structure for an absorption refrigeration circuit includes a gasket held between two coupling members. The gasket has a protruding part that elastically deforms when clamped between adjoining faces of the two coupling members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidetaka Kayanuma, Hideyuki Akaba, Kazuma Ichikawa, Mitsuru Ishikawa
  • Publication number: 20130227984
    Abstract: When a dehumidifying heating operation is performed by a heat-radiating operation of the interior condenser and a heat-absorbing operation of the exterior heat-exchanger and the evaporator, a control device of an air conditioner for vehicle decreases the valve opening degree of the electronic expansion valve to be equal to or less than a predetermined opening degree before opening the solenoid valve for dehumidification in a closed state, opens the solenoid valve for dehumidification after decreasing the valve opening degree of the electronic expansion valve to be equal to or less than the predetermined opening degree, and then increasing the valve opening degree of the electronic expansion valve to be greater than the predetermined opening degree after opening the solenoid valve for dehumidification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Isao TSUNODA, Kazuma ICHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20110005253
    Abstract: A boiler-equipped absorption heat pump unit (10) having reduced heat loss is disclosed. A regenerator (23), a boiler (14), and other high-temperature devices, as well as an evaporator (11), an absorber (12), and other low-temperature devices are separated from each other by a dividing wall (62). The dividing wall impedes the transfer of heat from the high-temperature devices to the low-temperature devices, and heat loss is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hidetaka Kayanuma, Hideyuki Akaba, Kazuma Ichikawa, Mitsuru Ishikawa, Yoshiyuki Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20100327578
    Abstract: An inexpensively manufactured coupling structure (21) for an absorption refrigeration circuit includes a gasket (27) held between two coupling members (23, 26). The gasket has a protruding part (32) that elastically de-forms when clamped between adjoining faces (22, 25) of the two coupling members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hidetaka Kayanuma, Hideyuki Akaba, Kazuma Ichikawa, Mitsuru Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 6598415
    Abstract: There are provided a conduit 9b for transferring a refrigerant to the evaporator 9, a conduit 7b for transferring an absorbent solution to the regenerator 3, and a branch conduit 9a. A check valve 17 is provided for communicating the branch conduit 9a to the conduit 7b. A check valve V3 is provided for allowing the flow from the absorber 2 to the regenerator 3. The valve 17 and the valve V3 are communicated at downstream side to each other. Those check valves maybe assembled in a single unit where a valve is arranged of a (free) ball shape and can be shifted by a pressure difference to switches each valve port, acting as a three-way valve. At the start-up or full condensation mode, the check valve 17 remains open while the check valve V3 is closed. This permits the refrigerant to flow from the condenser 9 via the branch conduit 9a to the regenerator 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuma Ichikawa, Gou Mutou
  • Publication number: 20020108390
    Abstract: There are provided a conduit 9b for transferring a refrigerant to the evaporator 9, a conduit 7b for transferring an absorbent solution to the regenerator 3, and a branch conduit 9a. A check valve 17 is provided for communicating the branch conduit 9a to the conduit 7b. A check valve V3 is provided for allowing the flow from the absorber 2 to the regenerator 3. The valve 17 and the valve V3 are communicated at downstream side to each other. Those check valves maybe assembled in a single unit where a valve is arranged of a (free) ball shape and can be shifted by a pressure difference to switches each valve port, acting as a three-way valve. At the start-up or full condensation mode, the check valve 17 remains open while the check valve V3 is closed. This permits the refrigerant to flow from the condenser 9 via the branch conduit 9a to the regenerator 3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2002
    Publication date: August 15, 2002
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuma Ichikawa, Gou Mutou
  • Patent number: 5941089
    Abstract: An absorption refrigerating/heating apparatus which performs in any of three modes; refrigerating, thermodynamic heating, and direct flame heating and improves the thermal efficiency during the operation of a direct flame heating mode to decrease the running cost. In the direct flame heating mode, the refrigerant and/or the absorbent is passed to the regenerator to decrease the concentration of the absorbent in the solution in the regenerator. Consequently, the temperature of the solution required for maintaining the vapor pressure in the regenerator at a desired rate can be lowered thus saving the heat needed for heating the solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshimitsu Takaishi, Kazuma Ichikawa, Hidetaka Kayanuma