Patents by Inventor Manabu MITANI

Manabu MITANI 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: 11942817
    Abstract: A power supply circuit includes PCU switches provided in respective positive wires of a first power source conduction path and a second power source conduction path which connect a first generator respectively to a first power transmission bus and a second power transmission bus, and further includes power transmission bus switches provided in respective negative wires of a first load conduction path and a second load conduction path which connect respectively the first power transmission bus and the second power transmission bus to a first load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Sadao Shinohara, Akinori Kita
  • Patent number: 11909253
    Abstract: A power supply circuit supplies power from a first battery to a first load. The first load includes a capacitor that needs to be charged before activation. The power supply circuit includes: a main circuit that supplies power from the first battery to the first load; and a backup circuit having a precharge circuit for charging the capacitor and that supplies power from the first battery to the first load. When charging the capacitor, power is supplied from the first battery to the first load by using the backup circuit. After charging of the capacitor is completed, power is supplied from the first battery to the first load by using the main circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Akinori Kita, Sadao Shinohara
  • Patent number: 11855467
    Abstract: A power supply circuit includes a load cable connecting a first battery and a first load; a load cable connecting a second battery and a second load; a transistor provided between a first generator and the load cable; and a transistor provided between the first generator and the load cable, wherein the transistors are turned OFF in a case where power is to be supplied from the first generator to the first load and second load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Sadao Shinohara, Akinori Kita
  • Publication number: 20230327432
    Abstract: An abnormality determining section disconnects both a positive wire and a negative wire between a load module and a second ground circuit, connects one of a positive wire or a negative wire between a main power source apparatus and the second ground circuit, and determines whether there is an abnormality in a second main power source circuit based on an amount of power supplied to the second ground circuit in a state where one of the positive wire or the negative wire of the second main power source circuit is connected to a reference potential by the second ground circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Masataka Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20230318337
    Abstract: A power supply system includes: a main power source device for supplying electric power to a load device; an auxiliary power source device for supplying electric power to the load device; current sensors for detecting current flowing through a main power source circuit; a current sensor for detecting current flowing through an auxiliary power source circuit; and a load current sensor for detecting current flowing through a load circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Masataka Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20230318303
    Abstract: A power transmission device that transmits electric power from a PCU to drive modules includes: a power-source-side positive terminal and a power-source-side negative terminal that are connected to the PCU and receive DC power; and load-side positive terminals and load-side negative terminals each connected to corresponding one of the drive modules and output DC power. The load-side positive terminals and the load-side negative terminals are arranged in a line in the order of the load-side positive terminal, the load-side negative terminal, the load-side negative terminal, and the load-side positive terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Masataka Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20230318505
    Abstract: An aircraft includes: rotors each driven by an electric motor; a PCU that converts AC power output from a generator into DC power; an inverter that converts DC power supplied from the PCU into AC power and outputs the AC power to the electric motor; a DC wire that connects the PCU and the inverter; and an AC wire that connects the inverter and the electric motor. The AC wire is disposed in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which rotation shafts of the generator and a gas turbine extend.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Tomohiro Fukazu, Yuichi Fukuchi, Masashi Eto
  • Publication number: 20230271518
    Abstract: A power supply circuit of an aircraft includes: a first power transmission path and a second power transmission path each configured to supply electric power from power generation units to one or more drive modules; and a third power transmission path configured to supply electric power from a charging device to the first power transmission path. When one or more batteries are charged with the electric power supplied from the charging device, the electric power is supplied from the charging device to the batteries via the first power transmission path, and the electric power is supplied from the charging device to the batteries via the second power transmission path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Sadao Shinohara, Masataka Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20230271711
    Abstract: In a power supply system of an aircraft, when electric power is supplied from a power generation unit to a drive unit, the electric power is supplied from the power generation unit to the drive unit via a first power transmission path, and a voltage is applied to a second power transmission path by a fault detection circuit in a state in which the power generation unit and the drive unit are disconnected from the second power transmission path, and when the power generation unit is started, electric power of the fault detection circuit is supplied to the power generation unit in a state in which the power generation unit is connected to the second power transmission path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Masataka Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20230257097
    Abstract: An aircraft includes: a bulkhead for partitioning the interior of a fuselage into a front compartment including a cabin in which an occupant rides, and a rear compartment; a battery disposed in the rear compartment and storing electric power for driving an electric motor; and an opening provided in the bulkhead and allowing access to the battery from the front compartment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventor: Manabu Mitani
  • Publication number: 20230257129
    Abstract: A power supply circuit of an aircraft includes: a first contactor that is provided on a first power transmission path for transmitting electric power from a first power source to a load and switches between a conduction state and an interruption state between the first power source and the load; and a second contactor that is provided on a second power transmission path for transmitting electric power from a second power source to the load and switches between the conduction state and the interruption state between the second power source and the load. The first contactor includes a first fixed contact and a first movable contact, and the second contactor includes a second fixed contact and a second movable contact. The moving direction of the first movable contact intersects with the moving direction of the second movable contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Sadao Shinohara, Masataka Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20230253820
    Abstract: A power supply circuit of an aircraft includes: a first power transmission path for transmitting electric power from each of a first main power source device and a second main power source device to a first load device and a second load device; a first current sensor; a second current sensor; a third current sensor; and a fourth current sensor, and determines whether an abnormality has occurred based on currents detected by the first current sensor, the second current sensor, the third current sensor and the fourth current sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Sadao Shinohara, Masataka Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11716019
    Abstract: A power supply circuit sets a precharge current flowing through a first load device and a precharge current flowing through a second load device during charging to a first allowable current or less, thereafter sets the precharge current flowing through the first load device to the first allowable current or less, sets the precharge current flowing through the second load device to the second allowable current or less, and sets a maximum value of the precharge current flowing through the second load device to be larger than the first allowable current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Sadao Shinohara, Akinori Kita
  • Patent number: 11626600
    Abstract: A reactant gas channel part provided outside an auxiliary machinery case of a fuel cell system is connected to a case through hole. A plurality of channel seal members are provided between the auxiliary machinery case and the reactant gas channel part, where the channel seal members are arranged side by side in the radial direction of the case through hole and surround the case through hole. The reactant gas channel part has an opposing surface that faces a surrounding portion of the auxiliary machinery case that surrounds the case through hole. The channel seal members include an inner seal member abutting on the opposing surface and an outer seal member disposed radially outside of it. A connection channel communicating with an internal space of the auxiliary machinery case is formed between the inner seal member and the outer seal member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Ryoichi Yoshitomi, Hiroyasu Ozaki, Toshinobu Mito
  • Publication number: 20220315214
    Abstract: A power supply system includes a rotor for generating at least one of lift or thrust of an aircraft, a component group formed of a plurality of electrical components for rotating the rotor, and a battery for supplying power to the component group. The rotor includes a VTOL rotor and a cruise rotor, and the component group includes a VTOL component group and a cruise component group. The VTOL component group and the cruise component group are supplied with power from the same battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Akinori Kita, Daiko Tsutsumi
  • Publication number: 20220311334
    Abstract: A power supply circuit sets a precharge current flowing through a first load device and a precharge current flowing through a second load device during charging to a first allowable current or less, thereafter sets the precharge current flowing through the first load device to the first allowable current or less, sets the precharge current flowing through the second load device to the second allowable current or less, and sets a maximum value of the precharge current flowing through the second load device to be larger than the first allowable current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Sadao Shinohara, Akinori Kita
  • Publication number: 20220285964
    Abstract: A power supply circuit includes a load cable connecting a first battery and a first load; a load cable connecting a second battery and a second load; a transistor provided between a first generator and the load cable; and a transistor provided between the first generator and the load cable, wherein the transistors are turned OFF in a case where power is to be supplied from the first generator to the first load and second load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Sadao Shinohara, Akinori Kita
  • Publication number: 20220271560
    Abstract: A power supply circuit includes PCU switches provided in respective positive wires of a first power source conduction path and a second power source conduction path which connect a first generator respectively to a first power transmission bus and a second power transmission bus, and further includes power transmission bus switches provided in respective negative wires of a first load conduction path and a second load conduction path which connect respectively the first power transmission bus and the second power transmission bus to a first load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Sadao Shinohara, Akinori Kita
  • Publication number: 20220263337
    Abstract: A power supply circuit supplies power from a first battery to a first load. The first load includes a capacitor that needs to be charged before activation. The power supply circuit includes: a main circuit that supplies power from the first battery to the first load; and a backup circuit having a precharge circuit for charging the capacitor and that supplies power from the first battery to the first load. When charging the capacitor, power is supplied from the first battery to the first load by using the backup circuit. After charging of the capacitor is completed, power is supplied from the first battery to the first load by using the main circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Akinori Kita, Sadao Shinohara
  • Patent number: 11296348
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes a stack body including a plurality of power generation cells stacked together, a stack case storing the stack body, and an auxiliary device case storing a fuel cell auxiliary device. Two exhaust gas openings are provided in an upper part of the stack case. One exhaust gas opening is provided in an upper part of the auxiliary device case. An exhaust duct is connected to the only three exhaust gas openings in total.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideharu Naito, Masahiro Sato, Manabu Mitani