Patents by Inventor Kimihide Horio
Kimihide Horio 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).
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Patent number: 8574777Abstract: There is disclosed a fuel cell system capable of stably operating auxiliary devices driven at a high voltage and the like, even in a case where a poisoned electrode catalyst is recovered or a fuel cell is warmed up. On detecting that the electrode catalyst is poisoned, a controller derives a target operation point which is sufficient for recovering an activity of the poisoned electrode catalyst. Then, shift of the operation point from a usual operation point to a low-efficiency operation point is realized so that an output power is held to be constant.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2006Date of Patent: November 5, 2013Assignee: Toyota Jodosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kota Manabe, Kimihide Horio
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Patent number: 8343675Abstract: There is disclosed a fuel cell system capable of stably operating auxiliary devices driven at a high voltage and the like, even in a case where a poisoned electrode catalyst is recovered or a fuel cell is warmed up. On detecting that the electrode catalyst is poisoned, a controller derives a target operation point which is sufficient for recovering an activity of the poisoned electrode catalyst. Then, shift of the operation point from a usual operation point to a low-efficiency operation point is realized so that an output power is held to be constant.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2011Date of Patent: January 1, 2013Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kota Manabe, Kimihide Horio
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Patent number: 8318378Abstract: A fuel cell (10) includes a fuel cell stack (50) in which a plurality of fuel cell units are stacked on one another, a pair of end plates (61, 61b, 63, 63b) respectively contact both ends of the fuel cell stack in a direction (Ds) in which the plurality of fuel cell units are stacked, and a side member (62, 62b, 62g) that extends in the stacking direction and is disposed between the end plates. The fuel cell further includes a connecting bolt portion, having a bolt shank (644, 624g) that penetrates one of the end plates substantially along the stacking direction. The connecting bolt portion connects the one of the end plates and the side member. The fuel cell further includes a cushion joint (66, 66a, 66b, 66c, 66d, 66e, 66f) disposed between the side member and one of the end plates, and through which the bolt shank passes.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2008Date of Patent: November 27, 2012Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Norihiko Saito, Kimihide Horio
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Patent number: 8288043Abstract: There is disclosed a fuel cell system or the like capable of stably operating an auxiliary machine and the like, even when recovering a poisoned electrode catalyst and warming up a fuel cell. A controller derives a target operation point sufficient for recovering activity of the poisoned electrode catalyst, and realizes shift of an operation point to a target operation point in a state in which an output power is held to be constant. The operation is switched to a low-efficiency operation point, whereby an output voltage of the fuel cell lowers, but the voltage is raised to an allowable input voltage of a high-voltage auxiliary machine by a DC/DC converter.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2006Date of Patent: October 16, 2012Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kota Manabe, Kimihide Horio
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Patent number: 8263285Abstract: A membrane-electrode assembly (10) is characterized by including an electrolytic membrane (11) having proton conductivity and a first electrode (12) jointed on the electrolytic membrane. The first electrode has a catalyst (121, 122) and a first ionomer (123) covering the catalyst and acting as a proton exchange group. A ratio of water-generation amount (mol/min) at rated output point of the membrane-electrode assembly/volume (cm3) of the first ionomer in the first electrode is 1350 or larger.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2008Date of Patent: September 11, 2012Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yasushi Araki, Kimihide Horio
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Patent number: 8114553Abstract: A fuel cell, which employs power generation units that have an electrolyte membrane and electrodes respectively disposed to either side of the electrolyte membrane, comprises a stack that includes a stacked plurality of the power generation units, a clamping member, and a shear elastic member. The clamping member is used for clamping the stack in the stacking direction. The shear elastic member is interposed between the clamping member and an end face of the stack in the stacking direction, and elastically deform in a shearing direction which lies orthogonal to the stacking direction.Type: GrantFiled: December 25, 2007Date of Patent: February 14, 2012Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yutaka Hotta, Kimihide Horio
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Patent number: 8110311Abstract: There is provided a fuel cell system capable of warming up a fuel cell while inhibiting generation of a rush current. A control device switches the connection/disconnection between a fuel cell and a short circuit by a shorting relay. The control device spends, before switching the shorting relay from disconnection to connection during starting at a low temperature, an oxidizing gas remaining in the cathode of the fuel cell by driving auxiliary devices to generate an oxidizing gas-deficient state. Then, the control device switches FC relays from ON to OFF and the shorting relay from OFF to ON to thereby complete the preparation for supplying a short-circuit current.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2006Date of Patent: February 7, 2012Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kota Manabe, Kimihide Horio, Hideaki Mizuno, Hironori Noto, Takashi Yamamoto, Tomoya Ogawa
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Publication number: 20110207011Abstract: There is disclosed a fuel cell system capable of stably operating auxiliary devices driven at a high voltage and the like, even in a case where a poisoned electrode catalyst is recovered or a fuel cell is warmed up. On detecting that the electrode catalyst is poisoned, a controller derives a target operation point which is sufficient for recovering an activity of the poisoned electrode catalyst. Then, shift of the operation point from a usual operation point to a low-efficiency operation point is realized so that an output power is held to be constant.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2011Publication date: August 25, 2011Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kota MANABE, Kimihide HORIO
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Patent number: 7976999Abstract: The fuel cell system is provided which detects a freeze among specific components and portions thereof by evaluating various conditions upon starting operation of the fuel cell system. If a freeze is detected through those evaluations, the start of the system is prohibited in order to prevent some deterioration in the fuel cell system.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2007Date of Patent: July 12, 2011Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso CorporationInventors: Nobuo Fujita, Kimihide Horio, Tadaichi Matsumoto, Naohiro Yoshida, Kenji Kurita, Shinya Sakaguchi, Hiroaki Mori
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Publication number: 20100323271Abstract: A membrane-electrode assembly (10) is characterized by including an electrolytic membrane (11) having proton conductivity and a first electrode (12) jointed on the electrolytic membrane. The first electrode has a catalyst (121, 122) and a first ionomer (123) covering the catalyst and acting as a proton exchange group. A ratio of water-generation amount (mol/min) at rated output point of the membrane-electrode assembly/volume (cm3) of the first ionomer in the first electrode is 1350 or larger.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2008Publication date: December 23, 2010Inventors: Yasushi Araki, Kimihide Horio
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Publication number: 20100092836Abstract: A fuel cell (10) includes a fuel cell stack (50) in which a plurality of fuel cell units are stacked on one another, a pair of end plates (61, 61b, 63, 63b) respectively contact both ends of the fuel cell stack in a direction (Ds) in which the plurality of fuel cell units are stacked, and a side member (62, 62b, 62g) that extends in the stacking direction and is disposed between the end plates. The fuel cell further includes a connecting bolt portion, having a bolt shank (644, 624g) that penetrates one of the end plates substantially along the stacking direction. The connecting bolt portion connects the one of the end plates and the side member. The fuel cell further includes a cushion joint (66, 66a, 66b, 66c, 66d, 66e, 66f) disposed between the side member and one of the end plates, and through which the bolt shank passes.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2009Publication date: April 15, 2010Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Norihiko Saito, Kimihide Horio
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Publication number: 20100040925Abstract: A fuel cell, which employs power generation units that have an electrolyte membrane and electrodes respectively disposed to either side of the electrolyte membrane, comprises a stack that includes a stacked plurality of the power generation units, a clamping member, and a shear elastic member. The clamping member is used for clamping the stack in the stacking direction. The shear elastic member is interposed between the clamping member and an end face of the stack in the stacking direction, and elastically deform in a shearing direction which lies orthogonal to the stacking direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 25, 2007Publication date: February 18, 2010Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yutaka Hotta, Kimihide Horio
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Publication number: 20090148735Abstract: There is disclosed a fuel cell system capable of stably operating auxiliary devices driven at a high voltage and the like, even in a case where a poisoned electrode catalyst is recovered or a fuel cell is warmed up. On detecting that the electrode catalyst is poisoned, a controller derives a target operation point which is sufficient for recovering an activity of the poisoned electrode catalyst. Then, shift of the operation point from a usual operation point to a low-efficiency operation point is realized so that an output power is held to be constant.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2006Publication date: June 11, 2009Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kota Manabe, Kimihide Horio
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Publication number: 20090148736Abstract: There is disclosed a fuel cell system or the like capable of stably operating an auxiliary machine and the like, even when recovering a poisoned electrode catalyst and warming up a fuel cell. A controller derives a target operation point sufficient for recovering activity of the poisoned electrode catalyst, and realizes shift of an operation point to a target operation point in a state in which an output power is held to be constant. The operation is switched to a low-efficiency operation point, whereby an output voltage of the fuel cell lowers, but the voltage is raised to an allowable input voltage of a high-voltage auxiliary machine by a DC/DC converter.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2006Publication date: June 11, 2009Inventors: Kota Manabe, Kimihide Horio
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Publication number: 20090130520Abstract: A fuel cell that can prevent local accumulation of a reaction-irrelevant gas in the fuel cell. A gas diffusion layer is stacked on a membrane electrode assembly, which is a stack of an electrolyte membrane and electrode catalyst layers. A separator including gas flow channels is attached to the gas diffusion layer such that the gas flow channels are adjacent to the gas diffusion layer. A gas distribution channel through which gas supplied to the membrane electrode assembly flows is formed in the separator. The gas flow channels communicate with the gas distribution channel at upstream ends thereof and are substantially closed at downstream ends thereof. The gas flow channels are configured so that downstream parts of the gas flow channels and upstream parts of the gas flow channels are adjacent to each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 18, 2007Publication date: May 21, 2009Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.Inventors: Tomohiro Ogawa, Kimihide Horio, Masaru Tsunokawa, Ikuyasu Kato
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Patent number: 7354673Abstract: The fuel cell system is provided which detects a freeze among specific components and portions thereof by evaluating various conditions upon starting operation of the fuel cell system. If a freeze is detected through those evaluations, the start of the system is prohibited in order to prevent some deterioration in the fuel cell system.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2003Date of Patent: April 8, 2008Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation, Toyota Technical Development CorporationInventors: Nobuo Fujita, Kimihide Horio, Tadaichi Matsumoto, Naohiro Yoshida, Kenji Kurita, Shinya Sakaguchi, Hiroaki Mori
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Publication number: 20080075992Abstract: The fuel cell system is provided which detects a freeze among specific components and portions thereof by evaluating various conditions upon starting operation of the fuel cell system. If a freeze is detected through those evaluations, the start of the system is prohibited in order to prevent some deterioration in the fuel cell system.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2007Publication date: March 27, 2008Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Nobuo Fujita, Kimihide Horio, Tadaichi Matsumoto, Naohiro Yoshida, Kenji Kurita, Shinya Sakaguchi, Hiroaki Mori
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Publication number: 20040106026Abstract: The fuel cell system is provided which detects a freeze among specific components and portions thereof by evaluating various conditions upon starting operation of the fuel cell system. If a freeze is detected through those evaluations, the start of the system is prohibited in order to prevent some deterioration in the fuel cell system.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2003Publication date: June 3, 2004Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA MACS INC.Inventors: Nobuo Fujita, Kimihide Horio, Tadaichi Matsumoto, Naohiro Yoshida, Kenji Kurita, Shinya Sakaguchi, Hiroaki Mori
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Patent number: 5350154Abstract: A ceramic valve assembly is housed in a recess formed in a metal pipe and is supported via gaskets by the metal pipes. Each gasket has a larger coefficient of linear expansion than that of the metal pipe. A clearance generated due to the thermal expansion difference between the metal pipe and the ceramic housing is absorbed by the large thermal expansion of the gasket so that no play is generated between the ceramic valve assembly and the metal pipe and the sealing force is maintained. Each gasket has beads constructed of spring material. An excessively large load does not act on the ceramic assembly because the beads are deformed to absorb the load.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 1993Date of Patent: September 27, 1994Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kenichiro Takama, Kimihide Horio, Michihiko Miyasaka, Takafumi Tsurumaru, Shinsuke Takenishi
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Patent number: 4738229Abstract: An air intake system for internal combustion engine comprises a surge tank the inside of which is divided by a partition wall into two elongated parallel volumetric chambers. The surge tank has a portion extending beyond the branch tube that is located most remote from an air inlet in the tank. The partition wall of the surge tank extension is provided with an aperture for communicating the volumetric chambers with each other. The aperture is opened and closed by a butterfly valve operated by an actuator in response to engine operating conditions, to match the effective length of the intake system with an engine speed. In a preferred embodiment, the surge tank extension provided with the butterfly valve and the actuator forms a valve assembly which is separate from the remainder of the surge tank.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 1985Date of Patent: April 19, 1988Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroki Wada, Kimihide Horio, Kei Abe