Patents by Inventor Kenjiro Shiba

Kenjiro Shiba 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: 20140015313
    Abstract: A power control unit is mounted on a hybrid vehicle, and controls the electric power used for driving the vehicle. The power control unit includes a PCU case having a top cover where an opening is formed, a terminal block placed in the PCU case, and arranged opposite to the opening, and a substrate placed in the PCU case, and on which an electronic component is mounted. The terminal block includes a wall. The wall is arranged between the substrate and opening, and extends towards the top cover at a circumference of the aperture of the opening. By such a configuration, there is provided a power control unit having an intrusion of a foreign object suppressed while accomplishing reduction in size and cost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenjiro Shiba
  • Patent number: 8467924
    Abstract: In a hybrid vehicle including: a first battery; a first boost converter for converting an output voltage of the first battery and outputting the output voltage to a motor generator; a second battery; and a second boost converter for converting an output voltage of the second battery and outputting the output voltage to the motor generator, an ECU performs HV drive control for driving the hybrid vehicle by using driving power of both an engine and the motor generator, and stops the second boost converter, when an SOC(1) that is a value indicating a state of charge of the first battery is smaller than a threshold value ? or when an SOC(2) that is a value indicating a state of charge of the second battery is smaller than a threshold value ?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenjiro Shiba
  • Publication number: 20130008903
    Abstract: Provided is a casing cover able to conform to the dimensional tolerance in a difference between levels of the casing. The casing cover has an upper level cover which covers two openings in the upper level of the casing and a lower level cover which covers an opening in a lower level of the casing. Furthermore, among the upper level cover and the lower level cover: one is formed with an insertion opening passing therethrough in the direction of the height of the difference in levels; and the other is provided with a guide fitting formed to a length in the direction of the height of the difference in levels, which is longer than the maximum allowable dimension of the height of the difference between levels plus a value, and inserted into the insertion opening. In addition, for purposes of preventing the guide fitting, which connects the upper level cover and the lower level cover, from slipping out of the insertion opening, a connection fitting is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2010
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Sakamoto, Kenjiro Shiba
  • Patent number: 8045301
    Abstract: When an upper arm of U-phase has failed because of short-circuit, lower arms of V-phase and W-phase as the opposite arms are switching-operated. When only the lower arm of V-phase is turned on, a route of motor current passing through an IGBT element from a V-phase coil is formed, and therefore, the motor current returning to the short-circuited phase decreases. Further, by the switching operation of the arm opposite to the short-circuited arm, an AC current is induced in a motor generator. Therefore, it is possible to continuously drive the motor generator while preventing increase in the current passing through the short-circuited phase, without adding a new device structure. This ensures running of the vehicle in the limp mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenjiro Shiba, Takashi Tanaka, Nobutaka Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20110082611
    Abstract: In a hybrid vehicle including: a first battery; a first boost converter for converting an output voltage of the first battery and outputting the output voltage to a motor generator; a second battery; and a second boost converter for converting an output voltage of the second battery and outputting the output voltage to the motor generator, an ECU performs HV drive control for driving the hybrid vehicle by using driving power of both an engine and the motor generator, and stops the second boost converter, when an SOC(1) that is a value indicating a state of charge of the first battery is smaller than a threshold value ? or when an SOC(2) that is a value indicating a state of charge of the second battery is smaller than a threshold value ?.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenjiro Shiba
  • Patent number: 7876563
    Abstract: A cooling structure of a power semiconductor device includes a cooling water passage and a plurality of fins. The cooling water for cooling the power semiconductor device flows through the cooling water passage. The plurality of fins are provided on a path of the cooling water passage and set up with a spacing therebetween in a direction orthogonal to a flow direction of the cooling water. The plurality of fins promote heat exchange between the power semiconductor device and the cooling water. The plurality of fins have ends facing the upstream side of a cooling water flow. The end of at least one fin among the plurality of fins is arranged so as to be displaced to a more upstream side of the cooling water flow than the ends of the fins adjacent to both sides of the at least one fin. By such a configuration, there is provided a cooling structure of a power semiconductor device and an inverter with excellent cooling efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenjiro Shiba
  • Publication number: 20100238629
    Abstract: A cooling structure of a power semiconductor device includes a cooling water passage and a plurality of fins. The cooling water for cooling the power semiconductor device flows through the cooling water passage. The plurality of fins are provided on a path of the cooling water passage and set up with a spacing therebetween in a direction orthogonal to a flow direction of the cooling water. The plurality of fins promote heat exchange between the power semiconductor device and the cooling water. The plurality of fins have ends facing the upstream side of a cooling water flow. The end of at least one fin among the plurality of fins is arranged so as to be displaced to a more upstream side of the cooling water flow than the ends of the fins adjacent to both sides of the at least one fin. By such a configuration, there is provided a cooling structure of a power semiconductor device and an inverter with excellent cooling efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenjiro Shiba
  • Patent number: 7722372
    Abstract: A direct mounting connector includes: six independent busbars for connecting the apparatus to two auxiliary machines for three-phase alternating current; two U-pole first terminal parts, two V-pole first terminal parts and two W-pole first terminal parts The six first terminal parts are connected to the apparatus at first ends of the respective six busbars, the two first terminal parts of the same pole are arranged adjacently to each other; and two sets, each set of which consists of a second U-pole terminal part, a second V-pole terminal part and a second W-pole terminal part The six second terminal parts are connected to the two auxiliary machines at second ends of the respective six busbars, the two sets arranged adjacently to each other having a distance therebetween. Busbar parts extend between the two sets of the second terminal parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignees: Yazaki Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Matsumoto, Hirotaka Fukushima, Takashi Tsukamoto, Kenjiro Shiba, Tomoyuki Watanabe, Takashi Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20090251831
    Abstract: When an upper arm of U-phase has failed because of short-circuit, lower arms of V-phase phase and W-phase as the opposite arms are switching-operated. When only the lower arm of V-phase is turned on, a route of motor current passing through an IGBT element from a V-phase coil is formed, and therefore, the motor current returning to the short-circuited phase decreases. Further, by the switching operation of the arm opposite to the short-circuited arm, an AC current is induced in a motor generator. Therefore, it is possible to continuously drive the motor generator while preventing increase in the current passing through the short-circuited phase, without adding a new device structure. This ensures running of the vehicle in the limp mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Publication date: October 8, 2009
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenjiro Shiba, Takashi Tanaka, Nobutaka Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20090023345
    Abstract: An inverter (apparatus), to which two motors are connected, or a connecting structure of the inverter and the motors is made compact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2005
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Applicants: YAZAKI CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Matsumoto, Hirotaka Fukushima, Takashi Tsukamoto, Kenjiro Shiba, Tomoyuki Watanabe, Takashi Okamoto