Patents by Inventor Masahiro Misu

Masahiro Misu 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).

  • Publication number: 20230291057
    Abstract: A battery case includes L-shaped plates. One L-shaped plate is composed of a bottom part and a wall part. The bottom part is located between base ends of support pillar members and a bottom plate and joined to the bottom plate. The wall part is placed against outer lateral surfaces of the support pillar members and mechanically joined to these outer lateral surfaces. Another L-shaped plate is composed of a bottom part and a wall part. The bottom part is located between base ends of support pillar members and the bottom plate and joined to the bottom plate. The wall part is placed against outer lateral surfaces of the support pillar members and mechanically joined to these outer lateral surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2022
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshio UCHIYAMA, Kazuo EBATA, Takashi MURATA, Yo YAMAMOTO, Masahiro MISU
  • Patent number: 8701810
    Abstract: A battery pack to be mounted on a vehicle. The battery pack has a battery stack. A cooling fan, a fan relay, and a main relay (?) are disposed on one side of the battery stack. A control module, a register, a main relay (+), and a pre-charge relay are disposed on the other side of the same. As a result of devices being disposed on both sides of the battery stack, the weight of the battery pack is adjusted to the neighborhood of the center of the battery pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuhei Marukawa, Toyohiko Eto, Masahiro Misu
  • Patent number: 8338016
    Abstract: A battery pack to be mounted in a vehicle incorporates a battery stack and a cooling fan. An air intake is formed in a side face located in the vicinity of the cooling fan. In consideration of passengers entering and exiting the vehicle, the air intake is formed as well in a plane generated as a result of removal of a corner. A louver for preventing intrusion of extraneous matter is disposed at the front of the air intake. A decrease in the amount of cooling air induced by the louver is lessened by means of forming the air intake in the plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuhei Marukawa, Toyohiko Eto, Masahiro Misu
  • Patent number: 8178229
    Abstract: Noise generated from some air leaking from a water drain hole formed in an exhaust duct is reduced. A first water drain hole for exhausting liquid that has collected within the exhaust duct to outside the exhaust duct is formed in a bottom face of the exhaust duct for exhausting air after cooling a battery stack and a second water drain hole for exhausting liquid, which was exhausted from the first water drain hole, to outside a lower case is formed in the lower case housing the battery stack and the exhaust duct, with the second water drain hole formed at a position not on a line extending from the direction of outflow of air leaking out from the first water drain hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuhei Marukawa, Masahiro Misu, Toyohiko Eto
  • Patent number: 8173286
    Abstract: In a battery pack where a fan is housed within a case housing a battery stack, the noise generated from turbulence of a medium that is supplied and exhausted between a fan opening of the fan and the battery stack is reduced. The battery pack has a battery stack, a cooling fan installed adjacent to the battery stack and having a fan opening formed in a top surface for taking in cooling air after cooling the battery stack, an upper case for covering the upper part of the battery stack and the cooling fan, and a junction duct for guiding the cooling air after cooling the battery stack to the fan opening. The junction duct is formed from the duct lower unit having an opening formed at a location facing the fan opening and one wall of the upper case in contact with a lower end and periphery of the duct lower unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuhei Marukawa, Naoki Fukusako, Masahiro Misu, Syogo Yoneda, Toyohiko Eto
  • Patent number: 7989102
    Abstract: A battery pack structure with heater including a plurality of secondary batteries, a housing case housing them, and a heater is arranged to prevent uneven heating among the secondary batteries, reducing temperature variations among the secondary batteries. Specifically, the battery pack structure with heater of the present invention includes: a battery pack including a plurality of secondary batteries and a housing case housing them; a first heater; and a second heater. The housing case includes a metal spaced part separated with a space S from each of the secondary batteries. The first heater and the second heater are placed on at least part of an outer surface of the spaced part of the housing case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Fukusako, Shuhei Marukawa, Masahiro Misu, Toyohiko Eto
  • Patent number: 7807284
    Abstract: A fan structure is provided, which includes: a fan case having an inlet and an outlet; a bladed wheel provided inside the fan case; a motor for rotating the bladed wheel; a circuit substrate for controlling the motor; and a scroll housing formed between the fan case and the bladed wheel. Rotation of the bladed wheel causes a fluid to enter the scroll housing from the inlet and to exit from the outlet. The circuit substrate and the motor are arranged inside the fan case. The fan structure further includes a waterproof member for dividing the motor and the circuit substrate from the scroll housing, and a cylindrical seal for sealing a hole formed in the waterproof member through which an output shaft of the motor extends. The fan structure is compact and prevents adhesion of salt, water, or dust to the built-in circuit substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuhei Marukawa, Masahiro Misu, Toyohiko Eto
  • Patent number: 7508164
    Abstract: A battery pack including a compact controller for controlling a battery group. The battery pack includes a battery group, a controller for controlling the battery group, and a case for accommodating the controller. The controller includes a plurality of control devices, and an installation member for fixing the control devices in the case. The installation member includes a plurality of mounts for fixing the plurality of control devices. The control devices each have a widest portion, and the mounts have different heights so that the widest portions of at least adjacent ones of the control devices are located at different heights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Miyagi, Masahiro Misu, Toyohiko Eto
  • Patent number: 7438988
    Abstract: Secondary battery structure 100 has secondary batteries 110 equipped with metallic battery cases 111 , temperature detectors 120 for detecting temperature of the secondary batteries 110 , and supporting members 130 for supporting the temperature detectors 120 . Each of the temperature detectors 120 has a detector body 121 which detects surface temperature of the battery case 111 by contacting with a bottom surface 111c (temperature-detected surface) on the battery case 111, and a fixing portion 122 which engages with the supporting member 130 and fixes the temperature detector 120 to the secondary battery 110 while keeping the detector body 121 contact with the bottom surface 111c on the battery case 111.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiro Misu, Toyohiko Eto
  • Publication number: 20080213653
    Abstract: In a battery pack where a fan is housed within a case housing a battery stack, the noise generated from turbulence of a medium that is supplied and exhausted between a fan opening of the fan and the battery stack is reduced. The battery pack has a battery stack, a cooling fan installed adjacent to the battery stack and having a fan opening formed in a top surface for taking in cooling air after cooling the battery stack, an upper case for covering the upper part of the battery stack and the cooling fan, and a junction duct for guiding the cooling air after cooling the battery stack to the fan opening. The junction duct is formed from the duct lower unit having an opening formed at a location facing the fan opening and one wall of the upper case in contact with a lower end and periphery of the duct lower unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Applicant: PANASONIC EV ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shuhei Marukawa, Naoki Fukusako, Masahiro Misu, Syogo Yoneda, Toyohiko Eto
  • Patent number: 7417521
    Abstract: Noise generated by driving a relay provided on a battery pack is suppressed. A negative relay is fixed onto top of a bottom face and an inner side surface of a lower case of the battery pack via multiple mounting points formed on an L-shaped fixture. The center of gravity of the negative relay is located within a polygon having the mounting points as vertices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuhei Marukawa, Makoto Umeda, Masahiro Misu, Kunio Kanamaru
  • Publication number: 20080096072
    Abstract: A battery pack structure with heater including a plurality of secondary batteries, a housing case housing them, and a heater is arranged to prevent uneven heating among the secondary batteries, reducing temperature variations among the secondary batteries. Specifically, the battery pack structure with heater of the present invention includes: a battery pack including a plurality of secondary batteries and a housing case housing them; a first heater; and a second heater. The housing case includes a metal spaced part separated with a space S from each of the secondary batteries. The first heater and the second heater are placed on at least part of an outer surface of the spaced part of the housing case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2007
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Applicant: PANASONIC EV ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki FUKUSAKO, Shuhei MARUKAWA, Masahiro MISU, Toyohiko ETO
  • Publication number: 20080085445
    Abstract: Noise generated from some air leaking from a water drain hole formed in an exhaust duct is reduced. A first water drain hole for exhausting liquid that has collected within the exhaust duct to outside the exhaust duct is formed in a bottom face of the exhaust duct for exhausting air after cooling a battery stack and a second water drain hole for exhausting liquid, which was exhausted from the first water drain hole, to outside a lower case is formed in the lower case housing the battery stack and the exhaust duct, with the second water drain hole formed at a position not on a line extending from the direction of outflow of air leaking out from the first water drain hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2007
    Publication date: April 10, 2008
    Applicant: PANASONIC EV ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shuhei Marukawa, Masahiro Misu, Toyohiko Eto
  • Publication number: 20080068116
    Abstract: Noise generated by driving a relay provided on a battery pack is suppressed. A negative relay is fixed onto top of a bottom face and an inner side surface of a lower case of the battery pack via multiple mounting points formed on an L-shaped fixture. The center of gravity of the negative relay is located within a polygon having the mounting points as vertices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2007
    Publication date: March 20, 2008
    Applicant: PANASONIC EV ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shuhei Marukawa, Makoto Umeda, Masahiro Misu, Kunio Kanamaru
  • Publication number: 20070141454
    Abstract: A battery pack to be mounted on a vehicle. The battery pack has a battery stack. A cooling fan, a fan relay, and a main relay (?) are disposed on one side of the battery stack. A control module, a register, a main relay (+), and a pre-charge relay are disposed on the other side of the same. As a result of devices being disposed on both sides of the battery stack, the weight of the battery pack is adjusted to the neighborhood of the center of the battery pack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Applicant: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuhei Marukawa, Toyohiko Eto, Masahiro Misu
  • Publication number: 20070141455
    Abstract: A battery pack to be mounted in a vehicle incorporates a battery stack and a cooling fan. An air intake is formed in a side face located in the vicinity of the cooling fan. In consideration of passengers entering and exiting the vehicle, the air intake is formed as well in a plane generated as a result of removal of a corner. A louver for preventing intrusion of extraneous matter is disposed at the front of the air intake. A decrease in the amount of cooling air induced by the louver is lessened by means of forming the air intake in the plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Applicant: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuhei Marukawa, Toyohiko Eto, Masahiro Misu
  • Publication number: 20070141451
    Abstract: A battery pack has a battery stack built therein. A case for the battery pack includes an upper case and a lower case. The upper case is not flat, but forms an arch shape having a curved surface. The upper case has a chamber space formed above the built-in battery stack, and cooling air taken in through an air intake port is supplied to the chamber space. The upper case formed in the shape of an arch prevents deformation of the chamber space against a load applied from above, and adjusts the cooling properties of the battery stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Applicant: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuhei Marukawa, Toyohiko Eto, Masahiro Misu
  • Publication number: 20070108939
    Abstract: A battery pack including a compact controller for controlling a battery group. The battery pack includes a battery group, a controller for controlling the battery group, and a case for accommodating the controller. The controller includes a plurality of control devices, and an installation member for fixing the control devices in the case. The installation member includes a plurality of mounts for fixing the plurality of control devices. The control devices each have a widest portion, and the mounts have different heights so that the widest portions of at least adjacent ones of the control devices are located at different heights.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Applicant: PANASONIC EV ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu MIYAGI, Masahiro MISU, Toyohiko ETO
  • Patent number: 7125268
    Abstract: In a power source device including a battery pack, a safety switch is provided between a given pair of battery modules connected to each other. The safety switch connects and disconnects those battery modules by insertion and removal of a safety plug to/form a switch body. The power source device also includes an insertion prevention unit, such as a lock, for preventing the insertion of the safety plug to the switch body in such a manner that prevention of the insertion of the safety plug is releasable. A release operation unit is kept by a worker who removes the safety plug, so that safety of the worker against electric shock is ensured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuhei Marukawa, Masahiro Misu, Toyohiko Eto
  • Publication number: 20060228919
    Abstract: In a power source device including a battery pack, a safety switch is provided between a given pair of battery modules connected to each other. The safety switch connects and disconnects those battery modules by insertion and removal of a safety plug to/form a switch body. The power source device also includes an insertion prevention unit, such as a lock, for preventing the insertion of the safety plug to the switch body in such a manner that prevention of the insertion of the safety plug is releasable. A release operation unit is kept by a worker who removes the safety plug, so that safety of the worker against electric shock is ensured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2006
    Publication date: October 12, 2006
    Applicant: PANASONIC EV ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shuhei Marukawa, Masahiro Misu, Toyohiko Eto