Patents by Inventor Masakazu Kitamoto

Masakazu Kitamoto 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: 9534565
    Abstract: An evaporated-fuel processing apparatus including: a sealing valve which is arranged in a communication path between the atmosphere and a fuel tank mounted on a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, and shuts an internal space of the fuel tank off from the atmosphere; an open/close member which covers a fuel filling port of the fuel tank; a refueling-intention-information acquisition unit which acquires information indicating an intention of refueling; and a control unit which issues an opening command for opening the sealing valve when the refueling-intention-information acquisition unit acquires the information indicating an intention of refueling, and allows the open/close member to open when a time elapsed from the moment at which the opening command is issued exceeds a first predetermined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ayumu Horiba, Hiroshi Kitamura, Masakazu Kitamoto, Koichi Hidano, Mahito Shikama, Hiroaki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8840712
    Abstract: An evaporative emission control system includes a fuel tank, a canister, a normally-closed control valve, a filler pipe, and a breather pipe. The fuel tank is to store fuel. The canister is to adsorb evaporative fuel generated in the fuel tank. The normally-closed control valve is provided in a vapor passage connecting the fuel tank to the canister. The fuel is delivered to the fuel tank through the filler pipe. The breather pipe includes a communicating passage, an opening, and at least one hole. The communicating passage connects the fuel tank to the filler pipe. The opening is provided at a first end of the breather pipe in the fuel tank. The opening is located below a predetermined fuel level in the fuel tank. The at least one hole is located above the predetermined fuel level in the fuel tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kitamura, Koichi Hidano, Ayumu Horiba, Masakazu Kitamoto, Yoshikazu Kaneyasu
  • Patent number: 8770175
    Abstract: An evaporation fuel processing system is equipped with a vapor passage, a canister, a purging passage, a purge control valve, a filling amount detector, and an ECU. The ECU comprises an adsorption amount detecting circuit that detects the adsorption amount of an evaporation fuel, which is adsorbed by the canister upon filling of the fuel at a time when a fuel is filled into a fuel tank, a breakthrough time calculating circuit that calculates a time, based on the detected adsorption amount, at which the canister would experience breakthrough in the event that the evaporation fuel were not purged into an engine from the canister, and a control circuit that carries out purge processing by the purge control valve based on the calculated time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kitamura, Masakazu Kitamoto, Masaru Oku, Yoshikazu Kaneyasu, Mitsunobu Yamamoto, Kentaro Ito
  • Patent number: 8739767
    Abstract: A vapor processing apparatus includes a tank-inner-pressure detector, an atmospheric-pressure detector, a canister, a control valve and a controller. The tank-inner-pressure detector is configured to detect tank inner pressure of a fuel tank retaining fuel to be supplied to an engine. The atmospheric-pressure detector is configured to detect atmospheric pressure. The canister is configured to adsorb and collect vapor generated in the fuel tank. The control valve is disposed in a vapor channel connected to the fuel tank. The controller is configured to control opening and closing of the control valve based on a value detected by the tank-inner-pressure detector, a value detected by the atmospheric-pressure detector, and a correction value learned in advance, when in a predetermined state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ayumu Horiba, Masakazu Kitamoto
  • Publication number: 20140116402
    Abstract: An evaporated-fuel processing apparatus including: a sealing valve which is arranged in a communication path between the atmosphere and a fuel tank mounted on a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, and shuts an internal space of the fuel tank off from the atmosphere; an open/close member which covers a fuel filling port of the fuel tank; a refueling-intention-information acquisition unit which acquires information indicating an intention of refueling; and a control unit which issues an opening command for opening the sealing valve when the refueling-intention-information acquisition unit acquires the information indicating an intention of refueling, and allows the open/close member to open when a time elapsed from the moment at which the opening command is issued exceeds a first predetermined time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ayumu HORIBA, Hiroshi KITAMURA, Masakazu KITAMOTO, Koichi HIDANO, Mahito SHIKAMA, Hiroaki WATANABE
  • Patent number: 8640676
    Abstract: An evaporated fuel treatment apparatus includes a control valve having a dead zone range in which an evaporated fuel is blocked even if the opening angle is increased from a close position in opening direction and a communicating range in which the evaporated fuel is allowed to flow therethrough when opening angle is increased from the dead zone range. A control unit determines whether the opening angle is switched between the dead zone range and the communicating range. The switching is determined on the basis of a pressure inside the fuel tank detected with a pressure sensor and an air-fuel ratio detected by an air-fuel ratio sensor. A control valve installed in a communication path between a fuel tank and a canister is prevented from being seized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ayumu Horiba, Masakazu Kitamoto, Junji Saiga, Yoshikazu Kaneyasu
  • Patent number: 8627802
    Abstract: An evaporated fuel treatment apparatus including a canister for adsorbing an evaporated fuel in a fuel tank, a control valve at a vapor path communicating with a fuel tank and a canister, has a dead-zone range where a flow of the evaporated fuel is blocked even if an opening angle of the control valve is increased in an open direction from zero opening angle, and allows the evaporated fuel to flow through over the dead-zone range. The control unit increases the opening angle from substantially zero to a predetermined angle in the dead-zone range and stands by prior to the opening control, and increases the opening angle from the predetermined angle upon the opening control. An output value by control unit set in the dead-zone range is compared with a detected value to detect a failure of the control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ayumu Horiba, Masakazu Kitamoto, Koichi Hidano, Junji Saiga
  • Patent number: 8596251
    Abstract: An evaporated fuel treatment apparatus including a canister for adsorbing an evaporated fuel in a fuel tank, a control valve at a vapor path communicating with a fuel tank and a canister, has a dead-zone range where a flow of the evaporated fuel is blocked even if an opening angle of the control valve is increased in an open direction from zero opening angle, and allows the evaporated fuel to flow through over the dead-zone range. The control unit increases the opening angle from substantially zero to a predetermined angle in the dead-zone range and stands by prior to the opening control, and increases the opening angle from the predetermined angle upon the opening control. An output value by control unit set in the dead-zone range is compared with a detected value to detect a failure of the control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ayumu Horiba, Masakazu Kitamoto, Koichi Hidano, Junji Saiga
  • Patent number: 8235028
    Abstract: A hermetically sealed fuel tank apparatus includes a pressure-resistant fuel tank for storing a fuel therein, the pressure-resistant fuel tank being capable of holding an internal pressure equal to or higher than the atmospheric pressure, a fuel vapor inlet pipe for introducing a fuel vapor produced in the pressure-resistant fuel tank, a canister contained in the pressure-resistant fuel tank and connected to the fuel vapor inlet pipe for adsorbing the fuel vapor, a drain passage through which the canister communicates with external air, and a shutoff valve connected to the drain passage and normally closed to hermetically seal the pressure-resistant fuel tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Hidano, Masakazu Kitamoto, Mitsunobu Yamamoto, Hiroshi Kitamura, Yoshikazu Kaneyasu
  • Publication number: 20120118159
    Abstract: An evaporative emission control system includes a fuel tank, a canister, a normally-closed control valve, a filler pipe, and a breather pipe. The fuel tank is to store fuel. The canister is to adsorb evaporative fuel generated in the fuel tank. The normally-closed control valve is provided in a vapor passage connecting the fuel tank to the canister. The fuel is delivered to the fuel tank through the filler pipe. The breather pipe includes a communicating passage, an opening, and at least one hole. The communicating passage connects the fuel tank to the filler pipe. The opening is provided at a first end of the breather pipe in the fuel tank. The opening is located below a predetermined fuel level in the fuel tank. The at least one hole is located above the predetermined fuel level in the fuel tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi KITAMURA, Koichi Hidano, Ayumu Horiba, Masakazu Kitamoto, Yoshikazu Kaneyasu
  • Publication number: 20120097269
    Abstract: A vapor processing apparatus includes a tank-inner-pressure detector, an atmospheric-pressure detector, a canister, a control valve and a controller. The tank-inner-pressure detector is configured to detect tank inner pressure of a fuel tank retaining fuel to be supplied to an engine. The atmospheric-pressure detector is configured to detect atmospheric pressure. The canister is configured to adsorb and collect vapor generated in the fuel tank. The control valve is disposed in a vapor channel connected to the fuel tank. The controller is configured to control opening and closing of the control valve based on a value detected by the tank-inner-pressure detector, a value detected by the atmospheric-pressure detector, and a correction value learned in advance, when in a predetermined state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ayumu HORIBA, Masakazu Kitamoto
  • Publication number: 20110220071
    Abstract: An evaporated fuel treatment apparatus includes a control valve having a dead zone range in which an evaporated fuel is blocked even if the opening angle is increased from a close position in opening direction and a communicating range in which the evaporated fuel is allowed to flow therethrough when opening angle is increased from the dead zone range. A control unit determines whether the opening angle is switched between the dead zone range and the communicating range. The switching is determined on the basis of a pressure inside the fuel tank detected with a pressure sensor and an air-fuel ratio detected by an air-fuel ratio sensor. A control valve installed in a communication path between a fuel tank and a canister is prevented from being seized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ayumu HORIBA, Masakazu KITAMOTO, Junji SAIGA, Yoshikazu KANEYASU
  • Publication number: 20110203554
    Abstract: An evaporated fuel treatment apparatus including a canister for adsorbing an evaporated fuel in a fuel tank, a control valve at a vapor path communicating with a fuel tank and a canister, has a dead-zone range where a flow of the evaporated fuel is blocked even if an opening angle of the control valve is increased in an open direction from zero opening angle, and allows the evaporated fuel to flow through over the dead-zone range. The control unit increases the opening angle from substantially zero to a predetermined angle in the dead-zone range and stands by prior to the opening control, and increases the opening angle from the predetermined angle upon the opening control. An output value by control unit set in the dead-zone range is compared with a detected value to detect a failure of the control valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ayumu HORIBA, Masakazu KITAMOTO, Koichi HIDANO, Junji SAIGA
  • Publication number: 20100252005
    Abstract: An evaporative fuel treatment apparatus for a motor vehicle of the present invention treats an evaporative fuel produced in a fuel tank mounted in a motor vehicle or an evaporative fuel in an evaporative fuel reservoir for temporarily storing the evaporative fuel produced in the fuel tank and returns the evaporative fuel to the fuel tank. The evaporative fuel treatment apparatus is activated, while the motor vehicle is parked, by use of electric power supplied from an outside of the motor vehicle or electric power supplied from a natural-energy power generator mounted in the motor vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2008
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masakazu Kitamoto, Koichi Hidano, Masaru Oku
  • Publication number: 20100132676
    Abstract: An evaporation fuel processing system is equipped with a vapor passage, a canister, a purging passage, a purge control valve, a filling amount detector, and an ECU. The ECU comprises an adsorption amount detecting circuit that detects the adsorption amount of an evaporation fuel, which is adsorbed by the canister upon filling of the fuel at a time when a fuel is filled into a fuel tank, a breakthrough time calculating circuit that calculates a time, based on the detected adsorption amount, at which the canister would experience breakthrough in the event that the evaporation fuel were not purged into an engine from the canister, and a control circuit that carries out purge processing by the purge control valve based on the calculated time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2009
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi KITAMURA, Masakazu KITAMOTO, Masaru OKU, Yoshikazu KANEYASU, Mitsunobu YAMAMOTO, Kentaro ITO
  • Publication number: 20100126476
    Abstract: A hermetically sealed fuel tank apparatus includes a pressure-resistant fuel tank for storing a fuel therein, the pressure-resistant fuel tank being capable of holding an internal pressure equal to or higher than the atmospheric pressure, a fuel vapor inlet pipe for introducing a fuel vapor produced in the pressure-resistant fuel tank, a canister contained in the pressure-resistant fuel tank and connected to the fuel vapor inlet pipe for adsorbing the fuel vapor, a drain passage through which the canister communicates with external air, and a shutoff valve connected to the drain passage and normally closed to hermetically seal the pressure-resistant fuel tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Hidano, Masakazu Kitamoto, Mitsunobu Yamamoto, Hiroshi Kitamura, Yoshikazu Kaneyasu
  • Patent number: 7717476
    Abstract: An end structure for a pipe is provided, through which air is drawn from a lower position to an upper position relative to a vertical direction of a vehicle. An area of an opening at an end of the pipe is adapted to be greater than a cross section area of the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyofumi Shida, Junji Saiga, Yasunobu Endo, Masakazu Kitamoto
  • Patent number: 7380543
    Abstract: In a fuel vapor release suppression system for a fuel tank, a main tank and a sub tank communicate with each other, and the sub tank and a canister communicate with each other. When the main tank has a higher temperature, fuel vapor of the main tank is supplied to the sub tank where the fuel vapor is liquefied. When the main tank has a lower temperature, fuel vapor of the sub tank is supplied to the main tank. At this time, low concentration fuel vapor is supplied from the canister to the main tank, thereby accelerating generation of fuel vapor corresponding to sub tank fuel vapor pressure, so that the sub tank fuel vapor pressure decreases. Therefore, liquefaction is accelerated in the sub tank when the main tank temperature increases. Thus, fuel vapor generated in a fuel tank is effectively liquified irrespective of ambient air temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gaku Hatano, Koichi Hidano, Masakazu Kitamoto, Shigeo Hidai, Shoji Uhara, Hiroshi Kitamura, Takahiro Imamura
  • Patent number: 7261092
    Abstract: A system for processing fuel vapor includes a fuel tank having a pressure gauge, a gas separation membrane module having a gas separation membrane for separating fuel vapor into condensed fuel vapor and fuel lean vapor, a fuel-vapor dissolution device for introducing condensed fuel vapor discharged into the fuel tank and dissolving this condensed fuel vapor in fuel, a canister having an adsorption part adsorbing fuel vapor in fuel lean vapor and a desorption device desorbing fuel vapor from the adsorption part, and an ECU programmed to, when the internal pressure of the fuel tank detected by the pressure gauge is at least a predetermined value, drive the pump to actuate the system so as to process fuel vapor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaru Oku, Jun Iwamoto, Hitoshi Mikami, Shigeki Muroga, Gaku Hatano, Masakazu Kitamoto
  • Publication number: 20070163659
    Abstract: A fuel tank includes a component, a reservoir unit having a fuel pump, a tank body formed with an opening through which the reservoir unit and the component are inserted, a flange operable to close the opening, and an extensible connecting unit which connects a lower face of the flange and the reservoir unit. The extensible connecting unit includes a first sliding member which is slidable with respect to the reservoir unit in a vertical direction, and a second sliding member which is slidable with respect to the first sliding member, and is attached to the lower face of the flange.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoji Uhara, Masakazu Kitamoto, Gaku Hatano, Koichi Hidano, Masaaki Horiuchi