Patents by Inventor Makoto Okawa

Makoto Okawa 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: 10738733
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes: a cylinder block including a bulkhead formed so as to separate adjacent cylinders; a crankshaft including a counterweight; and a gas-vent hole which is formed in the bulkhead within a radius of rotation of the counterweight when seen from below a piston bottom-dead-center position and an axial direction of the crankshaft, and which communicates between the adjacent cylinders. The counterweight includes at least one of a concave portion and a through-hole formed at at least a part of a region of the counterweight opposed to the gas-vent hole during rotation of the crankshaft. The concave portion hollows in a direction away from the gas-vent hole, the through-hole penetrating through the counterweight in a direction away from the gas-vent hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoya Ikeda, Makoto Okawa
  • Patent number: 10520060
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes: three or more cylinders including cylinders A, B and C according to the present disclosure arranged in a row in the cylinder row direction; and a balancer device for reducing engine vibration. The balancer device includes a balancer shaft arranged so as to extend from the cylinder A to the cylinder C along the cylinder row direction in a crank chamber. The balancer shaft includes: a first opening formed on the outer surface of the balancer shaft at a first location associated with the cylinder A in the cylinder row direction; a second opening formed on the outer surface at a second location associated with the cylinder C in the cylinder row direction; and a communication passage formed inside the balancer shaft so as to connect the first opening with the second opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Makoto Okawa, Naoya Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20190249619
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes: a cylinder block including a bulkhead formed so as to separate adjacent cylinders; a crankshaft including a counterweight; and a gas-vent hole which is formed in the bulkhead within a radius of rotation of the counterweight when seen from below a piston bottom-dead-center position and an axial direction of the crankshaft, and which communicates between the adjacent cylinders. The counterweight includes at least one of a concave portion and a through-hole formed at at least a part of a region of the counterweight opposed to the gas-vent hole during rotation of the crankshaft. The concave portion hollows in a direction away from the gas-vent hole, the through-hole penetrating through the counterweight in a direction away from the gas-vent hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Inventors: Naoya IKEDA, Makoto OKAWA
  • Publication number: 20190219131
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes: three or more cylinders including cylinders A, B and C according to the present disclosure arranged in a row in the cylinder row direction; and a balancer device for reducing engine vibration. The balancer device includes a balancer shaft arranged so as to extend from the cylinder A to the cylinder C along the cylinder row direction in a crank chamber. The balancer shaft includes: a first opening formed on the outer surface of the balancer shaft at a first location associated with the cylinder A in the cylinder row direction; a second opening formed on the outer surface at a second location associated with the cylinder C in the cylinder row direction; and a communication passage formed inside the balancer shaft so as to connect the first opening with the second opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2018
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Makoto OKAWA, Naoya IKEDA
  • Patent number: 9976495
    Abstract: In the present invention, an internal combustion engine is provided with a variable-compression-ratio mechanism with a variable mechanical compression ratio and the variable-compression-ratio mechanism comprises a drive device for changing the volume of a combustion chamber when a piston reaches top dead center. The drive device comprises a reverse input blocking clutch disposed in a drive power transmission path for transmitting the rotational force of a rotator. A control device estimates the reverse input torque applied to an output shaft of the reverse input blocking clutch and sets a gradient for torque output by the rotator and a continuation duration for continuing the torque increase on the basis of the reverse input torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Makoto Okawa, Kazuhito Sakai
  • Patent number: 9926888
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine is provided. The internal combustion engine includes a supercharger that is arranged in an intake passage; an intercooler that is arranged downstream of the supercharger in a direction of intake air flow, in the intake passage; and a blow-by gas returning apparatus. The blow-by gas returning apparatus includes a bypass passage, an ejector, and a blow-by gas passage. The bypass passage connects a first position that is arranged between the supercharger and the intercooler, and a second position that is arranged downstream of the intercooler of the intake passage together. The ejector is arranged in the bypass passage, and configured to draw in blow-by gas from the crankcase through the blow-by gas passage when air flows through the bypass passage from the first position toward the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Makoto Okawa, Kazuhito Sakai
  • Patent number: 9845724
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine comprises a variable compression ratio mechanism that changes the relative position of a cylinder block with respect to a crankcase and a controlling device that controls the variable compression ratio mechanism. The variable compression ratio mechanism contains a driving device that rotates a shaft that includes an eccentric axis, and the drive device includes a clutch that blocks reverse input and is disposed in a drive power transmission route that transmits the rotational power of a motor to the shaft. The control device fixes the mechanical compression ratio to a predetermined low mechanical compression ratio when the amplitude of the rotational power vibration applied to an output shaft of the clutch is less than a predetermined determination value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Makoto Okawa, Kazuhito Sakai
  • Patent number: 9784637
    Abstract: An adsorption characteristic measuring apparatus is configured to: acquire a unit-time leak pressure value from a pressure increase value of an internal pressure value of a sample tube caused by an non-adsorption gas leaking from the outside of a fitting portion into an inner space of the sample tube; acquire a pressure value at which a temporal change of the internal pressure value of the sample tube assumes an equilibrium state when an adsorption gas present in the reference volume portion is supplied into the sample tube and the sample tube is in a closed state; calculate a pressure value after correction of a real leak pressure value is performed on a measured equilibrium pressure value, as a true equilibrium pressure value, the real leak pressure value being obtained in such a manner that the unit-time leak pressure value is multiplied by a leak time; and calculate an adsorption isotherm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignees: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, MicrotracBEL Corp.
    Inventors: Akira Endo, Marie Shimomura, Satoshi Taniguchi, Kazuyuki Nakai, Masayuki Yoshida, Makoto Okawa
  • Publication number: 20170211488
    Abstract: In the present invention, an internal combustion engine is provided with a variable-compression-ratio mechanism with a variable mechanical compression ratio and the variable-compression-ratio mechanism comprises a drive device for changing the volume of a combustion chamber when a piston reaches top dead center. The drive device comprises a reverse input blocking clutch disposed in a drive power transmission path for transmitting the rotational force of a rotator. A control device estimates the reverse input torque applied to an output shaft of the reverse input blocking clutch and sets a gradient for torque output by the rotator and a continuation duration for continuing the torque increase on the basis of the reverse input torque.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Makoto OKAWA, Kazuhito SAKAI
  • Publication number: 20160341154
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine is provided. The internal combustion engine includes a supercharger that is arranged in an intake passage; an intercooler that is arranged downstream of the supercharger in a direction of intake air flow, in the intake passage; and a blow-by gas returning apparatus. The blow-by gas returning apparatus includes a bypass passage, an ejector, and a blow-by gas passage. The bypass passage connects a first position that is arranged between the supercharger and the intercooler, and a second position that is arranged downstream of the intercooler of the intake passage together. The ejector is arranged in the bypass passage, and configured to draw in blow-by gas from the crankcase through the blow-by gas passage when air flows through the bypass passage from the first position toward the second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Makoto OKAWA, Kazuhito SAKAI
  • Publication number: 20160319736
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine comprises a variable compression ratio mechanism that changes the relative position of a cylinder block with respect to a crankcase and a controlling device that controls the variable compression ratio mechanism. The variable compression ratio mechanism contains a driving device that rotates a shaft that includes an eccentric axis, and the drive device includes a clutch that blocks reverse input and is disposed in a drive power transmission route that transmits the rotational power of a motor to the shaft. The control device fixes the mechanical compression ratio to a predetermined low mechanical compression ratio when the amplitude of the rotational power vibration applied to an output shaft of the clutch is less than a predetermined determination value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Makoto OKAWA, Kazuhito SAKAI
  • Publication number: 20160109321
    Abstract: An adsorption characteristic measuring apparatus is configured to: acquire a unit-time leak pressure value from a pressure increase value of an internal pressure value of a sample tube caused by an non-adsorption gas leaking from the outside of a fitting portion into an inner space of the sample tube; acquire a pressure value at which a temporal change of the internal pressure value of the sample tube assumes an equilibrium state when an adsorption gas present in the reference volume portion is supplied into the sample tube and the sample tube is in a closed state; calculate a pressure value after correction of a real leak pressure value is performed on a measured equilibrium pressure value, as a true equilibrium pressure value, the real leak pressure value being obtained in such a manner that the unit-time leak pressure value is multiplied by a leak time; and calculate an adsorption isotherm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Akira ENDO, Marie SHIMOMURA, Satoshi Taniguchi, Kazuyuki NAKAI, Masayuki YOSHIDA, Makoto OKAWA
  • Publication number: 20080217236
    Abstract: The present invention provides a cartridge type oil filter including a case having a container section and a cover section that are integrated with each other; a filter element housed in the case; and ceramics bodies disposed at a position separated from an oil filtration surface of the filter element in the case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2007
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Applicant: JAPAN CERAMIC DEVICE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Shimizu, Makoto Okawa, Masaru Takechi