Patents by Inventor Makoto Kume

Makoto Kume 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: 10495350
    Abstract: An ejector-type refrigeration cycle has a compressor, an ejector module, a discharge capacity control section, and a pressure difference determining section. The ejector module has a body providing a gas-liquid separating space. The pressure difference determining section determines whether a low pressure difference operating condition is met. The low pressure difference operating condition is an operating condition in which a pressure difference obtained by subtracting a low-pressure side refrigerant pressure from a high-pressure side refrigerant pressure a predetermined reference pressure difference or lower. The body is provided with an oil return passage that guides a part of a liquid-phase refrigerant to flow from the gas-liquid separating space to a suction side of the compressor. The discharge capacity control section sets a refrigerant discharge capacity to be a predetermined reference discharge capacity or higher when the low pressure difference operating condition is determined to be met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto Kume, Masahiro Yamada, Toshiyuki Tashiro, Yoshinori Araki, Haruyuki Nishijima, Youhei Nagano, Yoshiyuki Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 10442274
    Abstract: An ejector refrigeration cycle device includes: a radiator that dissipates heat from a refrigerant discharged from a compressor; an ejector module that decompresses the refrigerant cooled by the radiator; and an evaporator that evaporates a liquid-phase refrigerant separated in a gas-liquid separation space of the ejector module. A grille shutter is disposed as an inflow-pressure increasing portion between the radiator and a cooling fan blowing the outside air toward the radiator. The grille shutter is operated to decrease the volume of the outside air to be blown toward the radiator when an outside air temperature is equal to or lower than a reference outside air temperature, thereby increasing the pressure of the inflow refrigerant to flow into a nozzle passage of the ejector module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Tashiro, Masahiro Yamada, Makoto Kume, Haruyuki Nishijima, Youhei Nagano, Yoshiyuki Yokoyama, Yoshinori Araki
  • Patent number: 10371680
    Abstract: A gas sensor is provided with a metal shell protecting member formed of a material superior in heat resistance to a metal shell, whereby a high-temperature measurement target (exhaust gas) is prevented from being in direct contact with a region, of a protector internal region of the metal shell, on the front side relative to a protector opposing surface. That is, in the gas sensor, it is possible to suppress corrosion, due to high temperature, of a region, of the protector internal region of the metal shell, on the front side relative to the protector opposing surface (an inner surface and a front end surface of a protector fixing portion), while the metal shell is formed of a material (SUS430) that can be subjected to working (crimping or the like) accompanied with deformation. Therefore, heat resistance of the entire sensor can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Kume, Shingo Ito, Takehiro Oba, Shinya Miyamoto, Suguru Kyoumoto
  • Publication number: 20170307259
    Abstract: When intended to increase a refrigerant discharge capacity of a compressor in an ejector refrigeration cycle device at start-up of the compressor, the refrigerant discharge capacity is increased in such a manner that an increase amount in the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor per predetermined time period is lower than a maximum capacity increase amount per predetermined time period enabled by the compressor. Thus, even if a gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flows into a refrigerant inflow passage forming a swirling-flow generating portion, the flow velocity of the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant is prevented from becoming high, so that it can reduce friction noise that would be caused when the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant inflow passage, further suppressing the generation of noise from the ejector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventors: Yoshinori ARAKI, Toshiyuki TASHIRO, Masahiro YAMADA, Makoto KUME, Haruyuki NISHIJIMA, Youhei NAGANO, Yoshiyuki YOKOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20170299227
    Abstract: An ejector-type refrigeration cycle has a compressor, an ejector module, a discharge capacity control section, and a pressure difference determining section. The ejector module has a body providing a gas-liquid separating space. The pressure difference determining section determines whether a low pressure difference operating condition is met. The low pressure difference operating condition is an operating condition in which a pressure difference obtained by subtracting a low-pressure side refrigerant pressure from a high-pressure side refrigerant pressure a predetermined reference pressure difference or lower. The body is provided with an oil return passage that guides a part of a liquid-phase refrigerant to flow from the gas-liquid separating space to a suction side of the compressor. The discharge capacity control section sets a refrigerant discharge capacity to be a predetermined reference discharge capacity or higher when the low pressure difference operating condition is determined to be met.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto KUME, Masahiro YAMADA, Toshiyuki TASHIRO, Yoshinori ARAKI, Haruyuki NISHIJIMA, Youhei NAGANO, Yoshiyuki YOKOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20170297416
    Abstract: An ejector refrigeration cycle device includes: a radiator that dissipates heat from a refrigerant discharged from a compressor; an ejector module that decompresses the refrigerant cooled by the radiator; and an evaporator that evaporates a liquid-phase refrigerant separated in a gas-liquid separation space of the ejector module. A grille shutter is disposed as an inflow-pressure increasing portion between the radiator and a cooling fan blowing the outside air toward the radiator. The grille shutter is operated to decrease the volume of the outside air to be blown toward the radiator when an outside air temperature is equal to or lower than a reference outside air temperature, thereby increasing the pressure of the inflow refrigerant to flow into a nozzle passage of the ejector module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiyuki TASHIRO, Masahiro YAMADA, Makoto KUME, Haruyuki NISHIJIMA, Youhei NAGANO, Yoshiyuki YOKOYAMA, Yoshinori ARAKI
  • Patent number: 9776474
    Abstract: A water discharge device that collects and drains condensed water generated in an air conditioning device includes: a drainage path along which condensed water is able to be drained in a draining state in which condensed water is expelled; and an opening and closing member that is able to block and open the drainage path. The opening and closing member blocks the drainage path so as to limit movement of air due to dynamic pressure when in a non-draining state other than the draining state. The opening and closing member drains condensed water through the drainage path when in the draining state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto Kume, Toshio Tsuboko, Seiji Kamei, Tomohiro Kamiya, Syun Omori, Hirokazu Yamadaki, Shinichirou Hirai
  • Publication number: 20170212090
    Abstract: A gas sensor is provided with a metal shell protecting member formed of a material superior in heat resistance to a metal shell, whereby a high-temperature measurement target (exhaust gas) is prevented from being in direct contact with a region, of a protector internal region of the metal shell, on the front side relative to a protector opposing surface. That is, in the gas sensor, it is possible to suppress corrosion, due to high temperature, of a region, of the protector internal region of the metal shell, on the front side relative to the protector opposing surface (an inner surface and a front end surface of a protector fixing portion), while the metal shell is formed of a material (SUS430) that can be subjected to working (crimping or the like) accompanied with deformation. Therefore, heat resistance of the entire sensor can be improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Applicant: NGK Spark Plug Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto KUME, Shingo ITO, Takehiro OBA, Shinya MIYAMOTO, Suguru KYOUMOTO
  • Patent number: 9645110
    Abstract: A gas sensor includes a sensor element having electrode take-out portions; a tubular separator having a flange portion, surrounding the electrode take-out portions, and spaced from a metallic shell; a tubular outer sleeve covering the separator, connected to the metallic shell, and having an inward convex portion that contacts the rearward-facing surface of the separator and restricts rearward movement of the separator; a seal member disposed on the rear of the separator and accommodated in a rear portion of the outer sleeve such that it is spaced from the separator; and an annular retainer fixed to the outer sleeve and in contact with a contact surface which forms at least a portion of the forward-facing surface of the flange portion. The separator has a rotation restriction surface for restricting its rotation in the circumferential direction, and the retainer has an engagement surface which contacts the rotation restriction surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takehiro Oba, Yuichi Yamada, Shingo Ito, Makoto Kume
  • Patent number: 9581565
    Abstract: Disclosed is a gas sensor having a metal shell, a holder placed in the metal shell and a sensor element inserted through an axial insertion hole of the holder. The holder has a recessed portion recessed toward the rear from a front end face of the holder. The sensor element has, at a front end part thereof, a detection portion covered with a porous protection layer such that a rear end of the porous protection layer is situated within the recessed portion of the holder and is located at the rear side with respect to the front end face of the holder while maintaining a space between an inner circumferential surface of the recessed portion and an outer circumferential surface of the porous protection layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Kume, Nobuhiro Inoue, Daisuke Tahira, Shingo Ito, Yuichi Yamada
  • Patent number: 9541533
    Abstract: A gas sensor (1) has a platelike detection element (5) extending in an axial direction and a ceramic member (67) having an element insertion hole (81) into which the detection element (5) is inserted. When the ceramic member (67) is viewed from the axial direction, the element insertion hole (81) has a main insertion hole (83) having a substantially quadrate shape surrounded by four sides, and relief holes (85), (86), (87) and (88), each of which is surrounded by an outline connecting ends of two adjacent sides of the four sides of the main insertion hole (83) and located radially outward of the main insertion hole (83) so as to communicate with the main insertion hole 83.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takehiro Oba, Shingo Ito, Makoto Kume, Daisuke Tahira
  • Patent number: 9513252
    Abstract: In a gas sensor (100), a base end portion (175b) of a second outer wall (175) of an outer protector (171) is connected airtightly to a forward end portion (164c) of a first inner wall (164) of an inner protector (161), and relations of A?B<C<D and (0.6×B)?A are satisfied, wherein A represents the total opening area of a second outer hole (176) of the outer protector (171), B represents the total opening area of a second inner hole (166) of the inner protector (161), C represents the total opening area of a first inner hole (167), and D represents the total opening area of a first outer hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohisa Fujita, Nobuhiro Inoue, Makoto Kume
  • Patent number: 9506899
    Abstract: A protector (160) is inserted into a metallic shell (110) such that at least a portion of each gas introduction hole (167) is located on the base end side with respect to the forward end (110b) of the metallic shell. The metallic shell has a gas introduction space S2 defined by a forward-end-side inner surface (113b) of the metallic shell and an outer surface (160d) of the protector and which guides a gas-to-be-detected (exhaust gas G) from a region on the forward end side of the metallic shell into the gas introduction holes of the protector. The base end of the forward end portion (121) of the detection element (120) is located on the base end side with respect to the forward end (167b) of each gas introduction hole, and the forward end of the forward end portion is located on the forward end side with respect to the base end (167c) of each gas introduction hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Kume, Shingo Ito, Daisuke Tahira, Takehiro Oba, Yuichi Yamada
  • Patent number: 9431731
    Abstract: A sensor includes a detection element; a plurality of terminal members, each of the terminal members including an elongated frame body portion extending along the axial direction, an element contact portion in elastic contact with an electrode terminal, and a folded portion connecting the frame body portion and the element contact portion; and a separator. The element contact portion of each of the terminal members has a turning portion which turns inward with respect to the width direction between the folded portion and a contact portion in contact with an electrode terminal. In those two of the terminal members which are adjacent to each other along the width direction, the distance along the width direction between the contact portions is smaller than the distance along the width direction between the frame body portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takehiro Oba, Yuichi Yamada, Shingo Ito, Takeshi Nanbu, Hironari Furuta, Makoto Kume
  • Patent number: 9354142
    Abstract: Disclosed is a gas sensor including a metal shell, a ceramic holder placed in an axial inner hole of the metal shell and a sensor element inserted through an insertion hole of the ceramic holder. The ceramic holder has a recessed hole recessed toward the rear from a front-facing surface of the ceramic holder. The sensor element has, at a front end part thereof, a detection portion covered with a porous protection layer such that a rear end part of the protection layer is accommodated in the recessed hole with a space left therebetween. Further, the ceramic holder has a front circumferential edge defined between an inner circumferential surface of the recessed hole and the front-facing surface of the ceramic holder such that the whole of the front circumferential edge is located radially inside of a radially innermost position of the axial hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Daisuke Tahira, Shingo Ito, Keiichi Noda, Yuichi Yamada, Makoto Kume
  • Publication number: 20160001637
    Abstract: A water discharge device that collects and drains condensed water generated in an air conditioning device includes: a drainage path along which condensed water is able to be drained in a draining state in which condensed water is expelled; and an opening and closing member that is able to block and open the drainage path. The opening and closing member blocks the drainage path so as to limit movement of air due to dynamic pressure when in a non-draining state other than the draining state. The opening and closing member drains condensed water through the drainage path when in the draining state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Inventors: Makoto KUME, Toshio TSUBOKO, Seiji KAMEI, Tomohiro KAMIYA, Syun OMORI, Hirokazu YAMADAKI, Shinichirou HIRAI
  • Patent number: 9201040
    Abstract: A gas sensor including coating layers (64) and (69) of fluorine or a fluorine compound formed on the surface of a separator (60), including a front separator (61) and a rear separator (66), disposed inside a sheath (30). The coating layers (64) and (69) have water impermeability and water repellency. Even in the case where moisture contained in the atmosphere within a sheath (30) forms dew on the surface of the separator (60), the coating layers (64) and (69) prevent soaking of moisture into the separator (60), to thereby secure the insulation property of the separator (60). Also, the coating layers (64) and (69) having water repellency prevent a water droplet from spreading on the surface of the separator (60) with resultant formation of a film of water, to thereby prevent flow of leakage current via a film of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuichi Yamada, Takahiro Akiyama, Takuya Saito, Makoto Kume, Satoshi Teramoto, Noboru Matsui, Hiroshi Inagaki, Takeshi Kawai, Shinichiro Iwama
  • Patent number: 9194724
    Abstract: In a gas sensor (100), a base end portion (175b) of a second outer wall (175) of an outer protector (171) is airtightly connected to a forward end portion (164c) of a first inner wall (164) of an inner protector (161). The outer protector (171) has a taper wall (172) which is located on the axially forward end side of the second outer wall (175). The taper wall (172) has the shape of a tapered tube whose diameter decreases toward the axially forward end side, and has a second outer hole (176), which is a forward end opening. The entire taper wall (172) is disposed on the axially forward end side in relation to the inner bottom wall (162) of the inner protector (161).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohisa Fujita, Nobuhiro Inoue, Makoto Kume
  • Publication number: 20150101394
    Abstract: In a gas sensor (100), a base end portion (175b) of a second outer wall (175) of an outer protector (171) is connected airtightly to a forward end portion (164c) of a first inner wall (164) of an inner protector (161), and relations of A?B<C<D and (0.6×B)?A are satisfied, wherein A represents the total opening area of a second outer hole (176) of the outer protector (171), B represents the total opening area of a second inner hole (166) of the inner protector (161), C represents the total opening area of a first inner hole (167), and D represents the total opening area of a first outer hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohisa FUJITA, Nobuhiro INOUE, Makoto KUME
  • Patent number: 8967002
    Abstract: A sensor (200) includes a sensor element (10), a tubular metallic shell (138), and a tubular mounting member (180) rotatable relative to the metallic shell. The metallic shell has a body (138a) and a flange (138f) provided forward of the mounting member and projecting radially outward beyond the radially inner surface of the mounting member. Further, the radially outer surface of the body and the rearward-oriented surface of the flange are connected by a slant surface (138t). The mounting member is such that a forward-oriented surface (180a) and a radially inner surface (180b) meet at a corner (180e). When a threaded portion (180s) of the mounting member is threadingly engaged with a mounting hole (300h) of a mount body (300), a forward-oriented surface (138f1) of the flange comes into contact with a mounting surface (300r) of the mount body, and the corner comes into contact with the slant surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Kume, Nobuhiro Inoue