Patents by Inventor Masakazu Murase

Masakazu Murase 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: 20090220355
    Abstract: The invention has its object to provide a swash plate compressor capable of realizing demonstration of an excellent sliding characteristic when a drive shaft is rotated at high speed, and of a high refrigerating capacity when the drive shaft is rotated at low speed. With the swash plate compressor of the invention, an oil guide groove, an oil guide hole, a first hole, an outflow hole, a valve hole, a communication port, a receiving chamber, a throttle hole, and a second hole constitute a release passage. The oil guide groove, the oil guide hole, the first hole, the outflow hole, the valve hole, the communication port, the receiving chamber, and the throttle hole constitute a first passage. Also, the second hole constitute a second passage. A valve mechanism increases a ratio, at which the first passage occupies the release passage, as a drive shaft is increased in rotating speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Inventors: Takeshi Ogi, Hideki Mizutani, Sokichi Hibino, Kenji Yamamoto, Masahiro Kawaguchi, Masaki Ota, Masakazu Murase, Naoya Yokomachi
  • Patent number: 7540720
    Abstract: A heat-insulating mechanism in a compressor which introduces refrigerant gas from a suction pressure region to a compression chamber and discharges the refrigerant gas from the compression chamber to a discharge pressure region has a circular passage, a communication passage, a cylindrical member and a passage heat-insulating member. The circular passage, which is a portion of the suction pressure region, has a circular cross-section, and is in communication with an external refrigerant circuit. The communication passage, which is a portion of the suction pressure region, intersects the circular passage for connection therewith, and is communicable with the compression chamber. The cylindrical member is fitted into the circular passage. The passage heat-insulating member made of an insulating material covers at least a portion of a passage wall surface which forms the communication passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Fuminobu Enokijima, Masaki Ota, Tetsuhiko Fukanuma, Masakazu Murase, Tatsuya Koide, Masahiro Kawaguchi
  • Publication number: 20080317584
    Abstract: A compressor includes a housing, a rotary shaft, a bearing, a seal, a shaft seal chamber, a lug plate, a thrust bearing, a first passage for connecting the crank chamber to the shaft seal chamber, a second passage provided in the housing for connecting the crank chamber to the shaft seal chamber, a third passage provided in the rotary shaft for connecting the shaft seal chamber to a discharge pressure region of the compressor, a partition provided in the shaft seal chamber for dividing the shaft seal chamber into a seal-side chamber and a bearing-side chamber and a clearance formed through the partition for drawing the refrigerant gas from the seal-side chamber of the shaft seal chamber to the bearing-side chamber of the shaft seal chamber, the clearance being formed radially inward of the inner circumferential surface of the shaft seal chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Inventors: Masakazu Murase, Takayuki Imai, Masaaki Matsushita, Hiroki Nagano, Tetsuhiko Fukanuma
  • Patent number: 7455008
    Abstract: A first swash plate 18 is coupled to a drive shaft 16 to be rotatable integrally with the drive shaft 16. Single head pistons 23 are coupled to the first swash plate 18 via shoes 25A, 25B. Rotation of the drive shaft 16 rotates the first swash plate 18, which causes the pistons 23 to reciprocate and compress refrigerant gas. The first swash plate 18 supports an annular second swash plate 51 to be rotatable relative to the first swash plate 18 via a ball bearing 52. The second swash plate 51 is arranged between the first swash plate 18and the shoes 25B that receive a compressive load to be slidable with respect to the first swash plate 18 and the shoes 25B. Therefore, the first swash plate reliably slides with respect to the second swash plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Hajime Kurita, Takayuki Imai, Masakazu Murase, Masaki Ota, Tetsuhiko Fukanuma, Takeshi Yamada
  • Publication number: 20080145239
    Abstract: A variable displacement compressor includes a compressor housing, a rotary shaft, a lug plate, a swash plate, a hinge mechanism, a supply passage and a bleed passage. The compressor housing includes a pressure control chamber having a front region which extends between the swash plate and the lug plate, and a rear region on the opposite side of the swash plate as viewed from the lug plate. The rotary shaft has an axial bleed passage which forms part of the bleed passage and an inlet which is in communication with the axial bleed passage and opened to the front region of the pressure control chamber. At least one of the swash plate and the rotary shaft has a communication passage. The front region and the rear region of the pressure control chamber are in communication with each other through the communication passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Masakazu Murase, Hiroki Nagano, Tetsuhiko Fukanuma
  • Patent number: 7374407
    Abstract: A power transmission mechanism for transmitting driving power between a shaft and a rotor connected to the shaft includes a cylindrical adapter located between the shaft and the rotor and a screw seat arranged on the shaft. The adapter has a first internally threaded portion in its inner peripheral surface and a first externally threaded portion in its outer peripheral surface. The first internally threaded portion is engaged with a second externally threaded portion of the shaft, and the first externally threaded portion is engaged with a second internally threaded portion of the rotor. The screw seat has a screw seat surface. The adapter is screwed onto the shaft such that the adapter is pressed against the screw seat surface, and the rotor is screwed onto the adapter such that the rotor is pressed against the screw seat surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Fuminobu Enokijima, Masakazu Murase, Masaki Ota, Masaki Inoue
  • Publication number: 20080078621
    Abstract: Lubricating oil feeding mechanism has an oil-collecting recess and an oil-supplying groove formed on the wall of the housing. The oil-collecting recess connects a gap defined between the through hole and the bolt to the oil-supplying groove, the gap being in the upper position with respect to a sliding part to be lubricated in the housing in an operating state of the mounted compressor. The oil-collecting recess extends from the gap in the circumferential direction of the drive shaft, and the oil-supplying groove upwardly extends toward the oil-collecting recess. The oil-supplying groove is arranged so as to guide lubricating oil to the sliding part. Lubricating oil adhered on the bolt can be collected to the oil-collecting recess via the gap, and is fed to the sliding part through the oil-supplying groove. Therefore, a large amount of lubricating oil in a swash plate chamber can be utilized to lubricate the sliding part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Publication date: April 3, 2008
    Inventors: Takayuki Imai, Masakazu Murase, Hiroki Nagano, Naoya Yokomachi, Tetsuhiko Fukanuma
  • Patent number: 7243502
    Abstract: In a control system of a variable displacement compressor, a pressure sensing means mechanically detects at least one pressure in the refrigerant circuit. A varying means varies a reference value for positioning a valve body. A pressure detector electrically detects the pressure detected by the pressure sensing means in the refrigerant circuit and/or physical quantity which correlates with the detected pressure. A calculator calculates a maximum value of urging force applied to the valve body by the varying means toward an increasing side of the displacement of the compressor. The urging force applied to the valve body is controlled not to exceed the maximum value toward the increasing side of the displacement. The displacement of the compressor is maximized by the pressure sensing means under the pressure for calculating the maximum value when the varying means applies urging force of the maximum value to the valve body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Satoshi Umemura, Yuji Hashimoto, Ryo Matsubara, Masakazu Murase, Tatsuya Koide
  • Publication number: 20070140870
    Abstract: A refrigerant compressor includes a compression mechanism, a discharge passage, and an oil separator. The compression mechanism compresses a refrigerant gas containing a lubricant oil. The refrigerant gas that has been compressed by the compression mechanism flows through the discharge passage. The oil separator is arranged in the discharge passage and separates the lubricant oil from the refrigerant gas flowing in the discharge passage. The oil separator has a rotator that causes the refrigerant gas to flow around the axis of the rotator and a circumferential wall that encompasses the rotator and extends along the axis of the rotator. The rotator and the circumferential wall define a separation zone in between. The lubricant oil is separated from the refrigerant gas by the flow of the refrigerant gas around the rotator in the separation zone. The circumferential wall has an oil outlet that allows the separated lubricant oil to flow to the exterior of the oil separator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Inventors: Tetsuhiko Fukanuma, Naoya Yokomachi, Norihiko Nakamura, Takayuki Imai, Masakazu Murase
  • Patent number: 7210911
    Abstract: A controller for a variable displacement compressor that maintains high displacement while preventing excessive increase in discharge pressure. The controller includes a pressure sensing mechanism for detecting pressure of a suction pressure region in the compressor. A suction pressure controlling means controls the displacement of the compressor so that the pressure detected by the pressure sensing mechanism is converged to a predetermined suction pressure setting. A sensor detects pressure of a discharge pressure region in the compressor. A discharge pressure controlling means controls the displacement of the compressor so that the pressure detected by the sensor is converged to a predetermined discharge pressure setting. When the pressure detected by the sensor is greater than a threshold pressure, an ECU switches the control of the compressor from control with the suction pressure controlling means to control with the discharge pressure controlling means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Masaki Ota, Masakazu Murase, Satoshi Umemura, Tatsuya Hirose
  • Publication number: 20070081904
    Abstract: A first swash plate 18 is coupled to a drive shaft 16 to be rotatable integrally with the drive shaft 16. Single head pistons 23 are coupled to the first swash plate 18 via shoes 25A, 25B. Rotation of the drive shaft 16 rotates the first swash plate 18, which causes the pistons 23 to reciprocate and compress refrigerant gas. The first swash plate 18 supports an annular second swash plate 51 to be rotatable relative to the first swash plate 18 via a ball bearing 52. The second swash plate 51 is arranged between the first swash plate 18 and the shoes 25B that receive a compressive load to be slidable with respect to the first swash plate 18 and the shoes 25B. Inclined surfaces (chamfers) are provided on salient corners 18b, 18c of the first swash plate 18. Therefore, the durability of the swash plates and the shoes are improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2004
    Publication date: April 12, 2007
    Inventors: Hajime Kurita, Takayuki Imai, Masakazu Murase, Tetsuhiko Furanuma, Masaki Ota, Fuminobu Enokijima
  • Publication number: 20070039459
    Abstract: A first swash plate 18 is coupled to a drive shaft 16 to be rotatable integrally with the drive shaft 16. Single head pistons 23 are coupled to the first swash plate 18 via shoes 25A, 25B. Rotation of the drive shaft 16 rotates the first swash plate 18, which causes the pistons 23 to reciprocate and compress refrigerant gas. The first swash plate 18 supports an annular second swash plate 51 to be rotatable relative to the first swash plate 18 via a ball bearing 52. The second swash plate 51 is arranged between the first swash plate 18 and the shoes 25B that receive a compressive load to be slidable with respect to the first swash plate 18 and the shoes 25B. Therefore, the first swash plate reliably slides with respect to the second swash plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2004
    Publication date: February 22, 2007
    Inventors: Hajime Kurita, Takayuki Imai, Masakazu Murase, Masaki Ota, Tetsuhiko Fukanuma, Takeshi Yamada
  • Patent number: 7168359
    Abstract: A swash plate compressor that prevents a slide plate from being separated from a swash plate. The compressor includes a drive shaft. A slide plate is rotatable relative to the swash plate. Two shoes is arranged on the swash plate and the slide plate. A bearing arranged between the swash plate and the slide plate and in between the shoes. A piston is connected to the swash plate and the slide plate by the shoes and is reciprocated to compress gas. The swash plate includes a swash plate support surface, and the slide plate includes a slide plate support surface, in which each surface is for contacting the bearing. The swash plate is formed so that a clearance between the swash plate support surface and the slide plate support surface increases radially inwardly of the swash plate and the slide plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Masaki Ota, Hajime Kurita, Yuji Kaneshige, Masakazu Murase, Tetsuhiko Fukanuma
  • Patent number: 7137267
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a variable displacement compressor has an information detector and a controller. The information detector detects information about the thermal load on the refrigeration circuit. The controller determines a target value that reflects the displacement of the compressor based on the information about the thermal load detected by the information detector, and outputs the target value as a command value. When determining that the compressor is in a heavy load state based on information about a load on the compressor, the controller changes the command value to a value that causes the displacement of the compressor to become smaller than a displacement that corresponds to the determined target value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Masakazu Murase, Masahiro Kawaguchi, Hiroaki Kayukawa, Satoshi Umemura
  • Publication number: 20060245939
    Abstract: A compressor includes a housing, a rotary shaft, a bearing, a seal, a shaft seal chamber, a first passage, a second passage and the fluid passage. The first passage connects a crank chamber to the shaft seal chamber The second passage is formed between a lug plate fixed to the rotary shaft and the housing so as to connect the bearing to the crank chamber. The partition is provided in the shaft seal chamber for dividing the shaft seal chamber into a seal-side chamber and a bearing-side chamber. The first passage is in communication with the seal-side chamber of the shaft seal chamber. The fluid passage for accumulating the lubricating oil and for communicating the first passage and the second passage is formed radially inward of an inner circumferential surface of the shaft seal chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2006
    Publication date: November 2, 2006
    Inventors: Tetsuhiko Fukanuma, Naoya Yokomachi, Shingo Enami, Masakazu Murase
  • Patent number: 7125191
    Abstract: A torque limiter to be operatively coupled to an engine is secured to the outer periphery of a driving shaft through screwing-engagement. The driving shaft and the torque limiter are screw-engaged and fixed to each other so that the torque limiter is pushed or urged against a seating face formed at the outer periphery of the driving shaft. The seating face abuts against the torque limiter restricting the screwing-movement of the driving shaft. Rotation force is transmitted between the driving shaft and the torque limiter via the seating face. A cylindrical member is disposed between the torque limiter and the seating face of the driving shaft. The cylindrical member is press-fitted and fixed to the outer periphery of the driving shaft, so that the power transmission between the driving shaft and the torque limiter is also performed through the press-fit portion between the cylindrical member and the driving shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Masakazu Murase, Fuminobu Enokijima, Naoya Yokomachi, Tatsuya Koide
  • Publication number: 20060165536
    Abstract: In a swash plate type compressor, refrigerant in a discharge pressure region is introduced into a crank chamber through a supply passage while the refrigerant in the crank chamber is drawn out to a suction pressure region through a bleed passage for controlling pressure in the crank chamber, whereby inclination angle of a swash plate is changed. A heat-generating sliding portion is provided in the crank chamber. The supply passage includes a communication port that communicates with the crank chamber and a first throttle portion for throttling the refrigerant. At least parts of the supply passage and the bleed passage are formed in a drive shaft. A part of the bleed passage formed in the drive shaft is located between a part of the supply passage formed in the drive shaft and an outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2006
    Publication date: July 27, 2006
    Inventors: Tetsuhiko Fukanuma, Naoya Yokomachi, Masakazu Murase, Shingo Enami, Hajime Kurita, Seiji Katayama
  • Publication number: 20060037647
    Abstract: The check valve includes a valve housing, a valve body and an urging member. The valve housing has a peripheral wall and a valve seat. The peripheral wall has an opening therethrough for fluid communication. The opening is located more downstream than the valve seat. The end of the opening on the side of the valve seat is spaced at a predetermined length in a direction in which the valve body is spaced away from the valve seat. A first throttle is formed in a space between an inner peripheral surface of the valve housing and an outer peripheral surface of the valve body until the valve body is slid in the direction for the predetermined length from the state in which the valve body is seated on the valve seat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2005
    Publication date: February 23, 2006
    Inventors: Motoaki Okuda, Hajime Kurita, Masakazu Murase
  • Publication number: 20050186087
    Abstract: A compressor includes a suction chamber, a working chamber, a discharge chamber, a discharge valve and a thermal insulating member. A low-pressure compressible fluid resides in the suction chamber. The low-pressure compressible fluid in the suction chamber is introduced into the working chamber and is compressed to a predetermined pressure. The compressed compressible fluid in the working chamber is discharged into the discharge chamber. The discharge valve is interposed between the working chamber and the discharge chamber. The thermal insulating member is disposed in the discharge chamber. The thermal insulating member has an opening restricting portion for restricting the maximum opening degree of the discharge valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Publication date: August 25, 2005
    Inventors: Tatsuya Koide, Masakazu Murase, Fuminobu Enokijima, Masaki Ota
  • Publication number: 20050156386
    Abstract: A compressor including a housing, a rotary shaft extending through the housing, and a sealing device arranged about the rotary shaft to seal the housing. A shaft bore extends through the housing for insertion of the rotary shaft. An elastomer lip ring seals the housing in cooperation with the rotary shaft, while contacting the peripheral surface of the rotary shaft in a slidable manner. A pressure resistant reinforcement arranged in the shaft includes a backup ring, which is arranged between the elastomer lip ring and the rotary shaft, and a stopper, which is fixed in the shaft bore. The backup ring contacts the elastomer lip ring. The stopper restricts movement of the backup ring in the axial direction relative to the rotary shaft and enables movement of the backup ring in a radial direction relative to the rotary shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2005
    Publication date: July 21, 2005
    Inventors: Masaki Ota, Seiji Katayama, Tetsuhiko Fukanuma, Masakazu Murase