Patents by Inventor Masakazu Aoki

Masakazu Aoki 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: 20180294490
    Abstract: Disclosed is a high-temperature operating fuel cell system including: a fuel cell stack; a combustor that combusts a cathode off-gas and an anode off-gas; a heat insulator that covers at least part of the fuel cell stack and at least part of the combustor; a first preheater that covers at least part of the heat insulator and preheats an oxidant gas; an oxidant gas feeder that supplies the oxidant gas to the first preheater; a vacuum heat insulator that covers at least part of the first preheater; a sensor that detects information indicating stopping of a power generation operation; and a controller. When a determination is made that the power generation has stopped, the controller controls the oxidant gas feeder to supply the oxidant gas to the first preheater so that the temperature of the vacuum heat insulator is equal to or lower than a prescribed temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: HIDEKI NAKATA, KUNIHIRO UKAI, MASAKAZU AOKI
  • Patent number: 9991527
    Abstract: A heat exchanger, in which heat is exchanged between first and second mediums, includes a housing that includes a first inlet and a first outlet, an internal member that divides a space in the housing into first and second chambers, and first and second external channels, through which the first medium flows, in the respective first and second chambers. The internal member includes a diverging hole that divides the first medium into flows through the first and second external channels, a converging hole that allows the divided first medium to converge, a second inlet, a second outlet, and an internal channel through which the second medium flows. The first and second external channels each include a first bent portion bent inwardly at a peripheral portion of the first or second chamber. The internal channel includes a second bent portion bent inwardly at a peripheral portion of the internal member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideki Nakata, Kunihiro Ukai, Masakazu Aoki, Norio Katsushita
  • Publication number: 20180151904
    Abstract: A high-temperature operating fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell stack that generates electric power through an electrochemical reaction of an oxidant gas and a reformed gas; a combustor that combusts a cathode off-gas and an anode off-gas; a reformer that generates the reformed gas from a raw material by utilizing heat of an exhaust gas generated by the combustor; a first preheater; a second preheater that preheats the oxidant gas through heat exchange with the exhaust gas and supplies the preheated oxidant gas to the cathode of the fuel cell stack; a casing that contains these components; and a first heat insulator that covers at least part of the casing, wherein the first preheater covers the first heat insulator and preheats the oxidant gas by heat transferred from the casing through the first heat insulator before the oxidant gas is supplied to the second preheater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Inventors: HIDEKI NAKATA, KUNIHIRO UKAI, MASAKAZU AOKI
  • Publication number: 20180019488
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a plurality of reactor vessels containing a hydrogen storage material; a hydrogen tank storing a hydrogen gas; a fuel cell; a cooling device to dissipate exhaust heat from the reactor vessels or the fuel cell to the outside; a hydrogen gas line that can switch supply routes of the hydrogen gas among the reactor vessels, the hydrogen tank, and the fuel cell; a heat exchange line that can switch circulation routes of a heat exchange medium among the reactor vessels, the fuel cell, and the cooling device; and a control mechanism to switch the supply routes of the hydrogen gas and the circulation routes of the heat exchange medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2017
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA CHUO KENKYUSHO
    Inventors: Masakazu AOKI, Takafumi YAMAUCHI, Yasuki HIROTA, Ryuichi IWATA
  • Patent number: 9845918
    Abstract: A gas storage/supply system includes a gas storage material capable of reversibly absorbing and desorbing a gas, a gas storage tank having the gas storage material sealed therein, a chemical heat storage material capable of making a forward reaction and a reverse reaction with an operation medium, a chemical heat storage tank having the chemical heat storage material sealed therein, a heat exchange mechanism for transferring heat between the gas storage tank and the chemical heat storage tank, and a control mechanism for controlling the gas storage/supply system such that gas absorption heat released upon absorption of the gas to the gas storage material is stored in the chemical heat storage tank and gas desorption heat which is necessary for desorption of the gas from the gas storage material is supplied from the chemical heat storage tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho
    Inventors: Masakazu Aoki, Takafumi Yamauchi, Yasuki Hirota, Takashi Shimazu
  • Publication number: 20170309931
    Abstract: A fuel cell device includes: a reformer that generates a reformed gas; a fuel cell; a combustor that combusts off-gas of the reformed gas and air for power generation, and generates a combustion exhaust gas; a first air heat exchanger that has a combustion exhaust gas path and a first air supply path, and that performs heat exchange between the combustion exhaust gas and the air for power generation; a fuel cell storage which stores the fuel cell; a second air heat exchanger that has a second air supply path that supplies the air for power generation to the fuel cell, and that performs heat exchange between the off-gas of the air for power generation and the air for power generation; and a housing that stores members. The first air supply path and the second air supply path are disposed to cover whole members stored in the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventors: HIDEKI NAKATA, KUNIHIRO UKAI, MASAKAZU AOKI
  • Patent number: 9599373
    Abstract: A hydrogen storage heat pump, including: a hydrogen storage unit in which hydrogen gas is stored in a compressed state; a hydrogen flow tube through which the hydrogen gas, which is supplied from the hydrogen storage unit, flows; plural hydrogen absorbing materials that are provided at the hydrogen flow tube, that each have a different absorption pressure at which hydrogen is absorbed, and that are arranged in an order such that the absorption pressure decreases in a hydrogen gas flow direction from the hydrogen storage unit; and a switching valve that is disposed between the hydrogen absorbing materials in the hydrogen flow tube and that switches a flow rate of the hydrogen gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA CHUO KENKYUSHO
    Inventors: Takafumi Yamauchi, Yasuki Hirota, Masakazu Aoki, Takashi Shimazu
  • Publication number: 20160322652
    Abstract: A heat exchanger, in which heat is exchanged between first and second mediums, includes a housing that includes a first inlet and a first outlet, an internal member that divides a space in the housing into first and second chambers, and first and second external channels, through which the first medium flows, in the respective first and second chambers. The internal member includes a diverging hole that divides the first medium into flows through the first and second external channels, a converging hole that allows the divided first medium to converge, a second inlet, a second outlet, and an internal channel through which the second medium flows. The first and second external channels each include a first bent portion bent inwardly at a peripheral portion of the first or second chamber. The internal channel includes a second bent portion bent inwardly at a peripheral portion of the internal member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Inventors: HIDEKI NAKATA, KUNIHIRO UKAI, MASAKAZU AOKI, NORIO KATSUSHITA
  • Publication number: 20160214537
    Abstract: In a vehicle mirror, a heat generating body of a heater generates heat so as to heat a mirror body. A central side portion and an outer peripheral side portion of the heat generating body configure a thick portion and a thin portion, and the thin portion generates a smaller amount of heat than the thick portion, such that a heating density of the mirror body by the heat generating body is lower on an outer peripheral side portion of the mirror body than at a central side portion of the mirror body. Accordingly, the temperature of an outer peripheral portion of the mirror body can be suppressed from rising suddenly on progression from the outer peripheral side toward the central side of the mirror body, thereby enabling stress arising in the outer peripheral portion of the mirror body to be suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventors: Masakazu AOKI, Masashi KAJI
  • Publication number: 20150345836
    Abstract: A hydrogen storage heat pump, including: a hydrogen storage unit in which hydrogen gas is stored in a compressed state; a hydrogen flow tube through which the hydrogen gas, which is supplied from the hydrogen storage unit, flows; plural hydrogen absorbing materials that are provided at the hydrogen flow tube, that each have a different absorption pressure at which hydrogen is absorbed, and that are arranged in an order such that the absorption pressure decreases in a hydrogen gas flow direction from the hydrogen storage unit; and a switching valve that is disposed between the hydrogen absorbing materials in the hydrogen flow tube and that switches a flow rate of the hydrogen gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Inventors: Takafumi YAMAUCHI, Yasuki HIROTA, Masakazu AOKI, Takashi SHIMAZU
  • Publication number: 20150323134
    Abstract: A gas storage/supply system includes a gas storage material capable of reversibly absorbing and desorbing a gas, a gas storage tank having the gas storage material sealed therein, a chemical heat storage material capable of making a forward reaction and a reverse reaction with an operation medium, a chemical heat storage tank having the chemical heat storage material sealed therein, a heat exchange mechanism for transferring heat between the gas storage tank and the chemical heat storage tank, and a control mechanism for controlling the gas storage/supply system such that gas absorption heat released upon absorption of the gas to the gas storage material is stored in the chemical heat storage tank and gas desorption heat which is necessary for desorption of the gas from the gas storage material is supplied from the chemical heat storage tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: Masakazu AOKI, Takafumi YAMAUCHI, Yasuki HIROTA, Takashi SHIMAZU
  • Patent number: 9145892
    Abstract: A high reliability water injected scroll air compressor is provided with an orbiting scroll, a fixed scroll corresponding to the orbiting scroll, a motor that generates driving force for making the orbiting scroll orbit the fixed scroll, a compressing path from a suction port to a discharge port, and a portion for injecting water into the compressing path. The operation is controlled by a switching operation in which water is injected into the compressing path and then no water is injected. Corrosion, failure of activation, and concerns about wrap contact when water is injected into an air end are avoided by switching the operation with water injection and the operation without water injection so as to prevent water from remaining in the air end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Natsuki Kawabata, Kazuaki Shiinoki, Hirotaka Kameya, Masakazu Aoki
  • Patent number: 9017880
    Abstract: A magnesium battery 10 according to the present invention includes a positive electrode 12, a negative electrode 14 having a magnesium-containing negative electrode active material, and an inorganic magnesium solid electrolyte 16 that is interposed between the positive electrode 12 and the negative electrode 14, has a complex ion structure that contains magnesium and hydrogen, and conducts magnesium ions. The inorganic magnesium solid electrolyte 16 may contain a compound having at least one selected from boron and nitrogen. The inorganic magnesium solid electrolyte may be produced by a production method that includes a heat-treatment step of mixing and heating Mg(BH4)2 and Mg(NH2)2 to form a compound having a complex ion structure that contains magnesium and hydrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho
    Inventors: Shougo Higashi, Masakazu Aoki
  • Publication number: 20140147325
    Abstract: A high reliability water injected scroll air compressor is provided with an orbiting scroll, a fixed scroll corresponding to the orbiting scroll, a motor that generates driving force for making the orbiting scroll orbit the fixed scroll, a compressing path from a suction port to a discharge port, and a portion for injecting water into the compressing path. The operation is controlled by a switching operation in which water is injected into the compressing path and then no water is injected. Corrosion, failure of activation, and concerns about wrap contact when water is injected into an air end are avoided by switching the operation with water injection and the operation without water injection so as to prevent water from remaining in the air end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Natsuki KAWABATA, Kazuaki SHIINOKI, Hirotaka KAMEYA, Masakazu AOKI
  • Patent number: 8711064
    Abstract: A digital-signal processing apparatus for processing elementary-color data to be output to a liquid-crystal display apparatus having a color panel structure, the digital-signal processing apparatus including: a line-unit weight-coefficient sum computation section; a compensation-coefficient computation section; a partial-weight-coefficient-sum computation section; a first-compensation-quantity-component computation section; a second-compensation-quantity-component computation section; a compensation-quantity computation section; a line memory used for applying a 1-line period extension process to each elementary-color data; and a horizontal-cross-talk compensation section for successively compensating each elementary-color data, which has been subjected to the 1-line period extension process in the line memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Hirakawa, Masakazu Aoki, Naoki Ohashi
  • Patent number: 8672647
    Abstract: A high reliability water injected scroll air compressor is provided with an orbiting scroll, a fixed scroll corresponding to the orbiting scroll, a motor that generates driving force for making the orbiting scroll orbit the fixed scroll, a compressing path from a suction port to a discharge port, and a portion for injecting water into the compressing path. The operation is controlled by a switching operation in which water is injected into the compressing path and then no water is injected. Corrosion, failure of activation, and concerns about wrap contact when water is injected into an air end are avoided by switching the operation with water injection and the operation without water injection so as to prevent water from remaining in the air end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Natsuki Kawabata, Kazuaki Shiinoki, Hirotaka Kameya, Masakazu Aoki
  • Publication number: 20130316249
    Abstract: A magnesium battery 10 according to the present invention includes a positive electrode 12, a negative electrode 14 having a magnesium-containing negative electrode active material, and an inorganic magnesium solid electrolyte 16 that is interposed between the positive electrode 12 and the negative electrode 14, has a complex ion structure that contains magnesium and hydrogen, and conducts magnesium ions. The inorganic magnesium solid electrolyte 16 may contain a compound having at least one selected from boron and nitrogen. The inorganic magnesium solid electrolyte may be produced by a production method that includes a heat-treatment step of mixing and heating Mg(BH4)2 and Mg(NH2)2 to form a compound having a complex ion structure that contains magnesium and hydrogen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Inventors: Shougo HIGASHI, Masakazu AOKI
  • Patent number: 8459957
    Abstract: A water-injected compressor, which injects the water inside the separator 3 into the compressor and discharges the water along with compressed air into the separator and then gains condensed and separated water, has the compressor stopping and then, if staying at a stop for a predetermined duration of time without activating, becoming activated and operating for a set duration of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumio Takeda, Hitoshi Nishimura, Natsuki Kawabata, Masakazu Aoki
  • Patent number: 8152483
    Abstract: The variable capacity compressor has a rotor 21, as a rotating member, fixed to a drive shaft 10 and rotating integrally with the drive shaft 10, a swash plate 24, as a tilting member, tiltably and slidably attached to the drive shaft 10, a linkage mechanism 40 linking the rotor 21 and the swash plate 24 at a position corresponding to an upper dead center of the swash plate 24, transferring rotation of the rotor 21 to the swash plate 24, and guiding the tilting movement of the swash plate 24, and a tilting movement guide 60 provided between the rotor 21 and the swash plate 24 and anterior to the linkage mechanism 40 in the rotating direction and guiding changes of the inclination angle of the swash plate 24 with respect to the drive shaft 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Kawamura, Masakazu Aoki
  • Publication number: 20110194963
    Abstract: A high reliability water injected scroll air compressor is provided. In the scroll air compressor provided with: an orbiting scroll; a fixed scroll corresponding the orbiting scroll; a motor that generates driving force for making the orbiting scroll orbit the fixed scroll; a compressing path from a suction port to a discharge port; and a portion for injecting water into the compressing path, the operation is controlled by switching operation in which water is injected into the compressing path and operation in which no water is injected. Corrosion, the failure of activation and a touch to the wrap respectively worried when water is injected into an air end are avoided by switching the operation with water injection and the operation without water injection as described above so as to prevent water from remaining in the air end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Applicant: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Natsuki KAWABATA, Kazuaki SHIINOKI, Hirotaka KAMEYA, Masakazu AOKI