Patents by Inventor Mamoru Houfuku

Mamoru Houfuku 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: 11402161
    Abstract: A distributor distributing refrigerant to multiple pipes including a tubular member including, at a side surface thereof, multiple insertion ports into which the multiple pipes are inserted and a supply port through which the refrigerant is supplied, a first closing member and a second closing member configured to close the tubular member at two spots positioned along a longitudinal direction of the tubular member, and a partition member extending from the first closing member to the second closing member and configured to divide an internal space of the tubular member into a space on an insertion port side and a space on a supply port side. The partition member includes two protruding portions contacting tip ends of the multiple pipes, and includes a refrigerant flow path between the two protruding portions on a first closing member side of one of the insertion ports closest to the first closing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI-JOHNSON CONTROLS AIR CONDITIONING, INC.
    Inventor: Mamoru Houfuku
  • Patent number: 11274838
    Abstract: An air-conditioner outdoor heat exchanger has a fin, multiple heat transfer pipes thermally connected to the fin, having a flat sectional shape, and configured such that refrigerant flows through header pipes connected to inlet and outlet sides of the heat transfer pipes. The refrigerant flows through the heat transfer pipes in parallel, and when the refrigerant returns from the outlet-side header pipe to the inlet-side header pipe through the heat transfer pipes, the refrigerant returns to the inlet-side header pipe through one of the heat transfer pipes adjacent to another one of the heat transfer pipes through which the refrigerant has flowed when flowing from the inlet-side header pipe to the outlet-side header pipe. At least two systems of refrigerant paths are formed, and the refrigerant flows back and forth in each system between the inlet-side header pipe and the outlet-side header pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI-JOHNSON CONTROLS AIR CONDITIONING, INC.
    Inventors: Takumi Hirata, Ryoichi Takafuji, Mamoru Houfuku, Naoki Yamamoto, Ryou Karino
  • Patent number: 11035623
    Abstract: Provided is a heat exchanger which includes: multiple heat transfer pipes in which refrigerant flows; and a corrugated fin joined to the heat transfer pipes; and multiple plate-shaped fins. The plate-shaped fins are joined to at least one of each heat transfer pipe or the corrugated fin, and are arranged on a windward side in an air blowing direction with respect to the corrugated fin such that a plate width direction of each plate-shaped fin is substantially coincident with a plate width direction of the corrugated fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI-JOHNSON CONROLS AIR CONDITIONING, INC.
    Inventors: Takumi Hirata, Mamoru Houfuku, Ryoichi Takafuji, Kosuke Kumamoto, Naoki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11022372
    Abstract: An air conditioner that includes a heat exchanger including: heat-transfer pipes extending in a horizontal direction and spaced apart at predetermined intervals in a vertical direction and configured to allow a thermal medium to flow therein. A part of the heat transfer pipes are used for at least one inflow path into which the thermal medium flows from the outside of the heat exchanger and the other part of the heat transfer pipes are used for at least one outflow path from which the thermal medium flows out to the outside. At least one connection pipe through which an outlet side of one of the at least one inflow path communicates with an inlet side of one of the at least one outflow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI-JOHNSON CONTROLS AIR CONDITIONING, INC.
    Inventors: Shuuhei Tada, Kenji Matsumura, Nagatoshi Ooki, Mamoru Houfuku, Takeshi Endo
  • Patent number: 11009295
    Abstract: An extruded aluminum flat multi-hole tube manufactured by extrusion molding includes therein a plurality of refrigerant passages extending in a tube length direction and including an upper wall surface and a lower wall surface opposed to each other and a pair of opposed sidewall surfaces. A ridge extending in the tube length direction is formed only on the upper wall surface of the refrigerant passage. The height of the ridge is 5 to 25% of the vertical width of the refrigerant passage. The ratio of the horizontal width at ½ the height of the ridge with respect to the horizontal width of the refrigerant passage is 0.05 to 0.30. The ratio of the horizontal width per inter-ridge flat portion of the upper wall surface with respect to the horizontal width of the refrigerant passage is 0.20 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: UACJ Corporation
    Inventors: Sayo Fukada, Mamoru Houfuku
  • Publication number: 20200333090
    Abstract: A distributor distributing refrigerant to multiple pipes including a tubular member including, at a side surface thereof, multiple insertion ports into which the multiple pipes are inserted and a supply port through which the refrigerant is supplied, a first closing member and a second closing member configured to close the tubular member at two spots positioned along a longitudinal direction of the tubular member, and a partition member extending from the first closing member to the second closing member and configured to divide an internal space of the tubular member into a space on an insertion port side and a space on a supply port side. The partition member includes two protruding portions contacting tip ends of the multiple pipes, and includes a refrigerant flow path between the two protruding portions on a first closing member side of one of the insertion ports closest to the first closing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventor: Mamoru HOUFUKU
  • Publication number: 20200088470
    Abstract: Provided is a heat exchanger comprising a flat perforated heat transfer pipe having multiple refrigerant flow paths substantially parallel to each other, a fin provided with an insertion hole into which the flat perforated heat transfer pipe is to be inserted, and headers connected to ones of the refrigerant flow paths at both end portions in a width direction of the flat perforated heat transfer pipe, wherein the refrigerant flow paths are separated by at least four partition walls in the flat perforated heat transfer pipe, and are arranged in the width direction, the flat perforated heat transfer pipe is expanded and joined to the insertion hole, and ones of the refrigerant flow paths arranged at both end portions in the width direction have a greater width than those of other refrigerant flow paths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Inventors: Naoki YAMAMOTO, Mamoru HOUFUKU, Takato KUSANO
  • Publication number: 20200072478
    Abstract: An air-conditioner outdoor heat exchanger has a fin, multiple heat transfer pipes thermally connected to the fin, having a flat sectional shape, and configured such that refrigerant flows through header pipes connected to inlet and outlet sides of the heat transfer pipes. The refrigerant flows through the heat transfer pipes in parallel, and when the refrigerant returns from the outlet-side header pipe to the inlet-side header pipe through the heat transfer pipes, the refrigerant returns to the inlet-side header pipe through one of the heat transfer pipes adjacent to another one of the heat transfer pipes through which the refrigerant has flowed when flowing from the inlet-side header pipe to the outlet-side header pipe. At least two systems of refrigerant paths are formed, and the refrigerant flows back and forth in each system between the inlet-side header pipe and the outlet-side header pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventors: Takumi HIRATA, Ryoichi TAKAFUJI, Mamoru HOUFUKU, Naoki YAMAMOTO, Ryou KARINO
  • Publication number: 20200011605
    Abstract: Manufacturing a heat exchanger by brazing of multiple heat transfer pipes, multiple fins, and headers. The multiple heat transfer pipes joined to each fin with the heat transfer pipes each being inserted into cutout recessed portions as cutouts of side portions of the fins on one side. The headers each joined to both end portions of each heat transfer pipe to couple the multiple heat transfer pipes and having internal spaces for collecting or distributing fluid flowing in the multiple heat transfer pipes. A protruding length Tf of each fin from a corresponding one of the heat transfer pipes and a distance Th from each heat transfer pipe to an outer surface of a corresponding one of the headers on the same side as a protrusion are substantially equal to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Inventors: Takeshi ENDO, Mamoru Houfuku, Nagatoshi Oki, Shuuhei Tada
  • Publication number: 20190271512
    Abstract: Provided is a heat exchanger which includes: multiple heat transfer pipes in which refrigerant flows; and a corrugated fin joined to the heat transfer pipes; and multiple plate-shaped fins. The plate-shaped fins are joined to at least one of each heat transfer pipe or the corrugated fin, and are arranged on a windward side in an air blowing direction with respect to the corrugated fin such that a plate width direction of each plate-shaped fin is substantially coincident with a plate width direction of the corrugated fin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Inventors: Takumi HIRATA, Mamoru HOUFUKU, Ryoichi TAKAFUJI, Kosuke KUMAMOTO, Naoki YAMAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20190120556
    Abstract: An outdoor device is provided which has: a heat exchanger including a heat exchange portion having multiple heat transfer pipes and multiple heat transfer fins joined to the heat transfer pipes, and a pair of header pipe assemblies arranged substantially in parallel along the upper-to-lower direction to face each other and configured to bundle end portions of the heat transfer pipes extending from the heat exchange portion; and a housing configured to support the heat exchanger via a support bracket. The support bracket includes a heat exchange side holding portion, a housing side holding portion, and a fin contact portion provided integrally with the heat exchange side holding portion or the housing side holding portion and arranged in contact with or in proximity to an edge portion of the heat exchange portion adjacent to one of the header pipe assemblies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Inventors: Nagatoshi OOKI, Shuuhei TADA, Mamoru HOUFUKU, Takeshi ENDO
  • Publication number: 20180313610
    Abstract: An extruded aluminum flat multi-hole tube manufactured by extrusion molding includes therein a plurality of refrigerant passages extending in a tube length direction and including an upper wall surface and a lower wall surface opposed to each other and a pair of opposed sidewall surfaces. A ridge extending in the tube length direction is formed only on the upper wall surface of the refrigerant passage. The height of the ridge is 5 to 25% of the vertical width of the refrigerant passage. The ratio of the horizontal width at ½ the height of the ridge with respect to the horizontal width of the refrigerant passage is 0.05 to 0.30. The ratio of the horizontal width per inter-ridge flat portion of the upper wall surface with respect to the horizontal width of the refrigerant passage is 0.20 or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Applicants: UACJ Corporation, UACJ Extrusion Corporation
    Inventors: Sayo Fukada, Mamoru Houfuku
  • Publication number: 20180306515
    Abstract: An air conditioner that includes a heat exchanger including: heat-transfer pipes extending in a horizontal direction and spaced apart at predetermined intervals in a vertical direction and configured to allow a thermal medium to flow therein. A part of the heat transfer pipes are used for at least one inflow path into which the thermal medium flows from the outside of the heat exchanger and the other part of the heat transfer pipes are used for at least one outflow path from which the thermal medium flows out to the outside. At least one connection pipe through which an outlet side of one of the at least one inflow path communicates with an inlet side of one of the at least one outflow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventors: Shuuhei TADA, Kenji MATSUMURA, Nagatoshi OOKI, Mamoru HOUFUKU, Takeshi ENDO
  • Patent number: 8091615
    Abstract: A heat transfer pipe 21 with grooved inner surface is provided with a pipe body 22 having a pipe axis line ? as a center axis line, a plurality of first fins 23 each having a fin height Hf, formed by providing a plurality of spiral grooves 200 at an inner surface of the pipe body 22 along the pipe axis line ? and at least a second fin 24 having a fin height hf, provided at a groove bottom of at least one of the spiral groove 200. The fin height hf and a torsion angle ? of the second fin 24 are determined respectively to satisfy the following conditions: Hf/15?hf?Hf/3 and ?=?, when P=W×di×sin ? and P?0.86 wherein a bottom width of the spiral groove 200 is W, a torsion angle of the spiral groove 200 is ?, and an inner diameter of the pipe body 22 is di.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Cable, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mamoru Houfuku, Ken Horiguchi, Kenichi Inui
  • Patent number: 7594621
    Abstract: A level wound coil (LWC) having a plurality of coil layers each of which has a pipe wound in alignment winding and in traverse winding. The LWC has a shift section where the pipe is shifted from the m-th coil layer to the (m+1)-th coil layer on a bottom surface thereof when the LWC is disposed on a mount surface. The shift section has the k-th shift section on inner layer side and the (k+1)-th shift section on outer layer side, where a start point of the (k+1)-th shift section does not transit, relative to a start point of the k-th shift section, to a direction reverse to a winding direction of the pipe. A length of the shift section that does not transit to the reverse direction is controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi Cable, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Inui, Yusuke Takenaga, Tomo Kawano, Katsumi Nomura, Mamoru Houfuku, Ken Horiguchi
  • Publication number: 20070175035
    Abstract: A level wound coil (LWC) having a plurality of coil layers each of which has a pipe wound in alignment winding and in traverse winding. The LWC has a shift section where the pipe is shifted from the m-th coil layer to the (m+1)-th coil layer on a bottom surface thereof when the LWC is disposed on a mount surface. The shift section has the k-th shift section on inner layer side and the (k+1)-th shift section on outer layer side, where a start point of the (k+1)-th shift section does not transit, relative to a start point of the k-th shift section, to a direction reverse to a winding direction of the pipe. A length of the shift section that does not transit to the reverse direction is controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Inventors: Kenichi Inui, Yusuke Takenaga, Tomo Kawano, Katsumi Nomura, Mamoru Houfuku, Ken Horiguchi
  • Publication number: 20070089868
    Abstract: A heat transfer pipe 21 with grooved inner surface is provided with a pipe body 22 having a pipe axis line ? as a center axis line, a plurality of first fins 23 each having a fin height Hf, formed by providing a plurality of spiral grooves 200 at an inner surface of the pipe body 22 along the pipe axis line ? and at least a second fin 24 having a fin height hf, provided at a groove bottom of at least one of the spiral groove 200. The fin height hf and a torsion angle ? of the second fin 24 are determined respectively to satisfy the following conditions: Hf/15?hf?Hf/3 and ?=?, when P=W×di×sin ? and P?0.86 wherein a bottom width of the spiral groove 200 is W, a torsion angle of the spiral groove 200 is ?, and an inner diameter of the pipe body 22 is di.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2006
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Inventors: Mamoru Houfuku, Ken Horiguchi, Kenichi Inui