Patents by Inventor Masaki Ota

Masaki Ota 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: 20090041594
    Abstract: In a variable displacement type gear pump, each of a main gear pump portion and a sub gear pump portion has a drive gear, a driven gear engaging with the drive gear, and an urging portion applying radial load to the drive and driven gears. A bypass passage returns fluid in a discharge-side space of the sub gear pump portion to a suction passage. An opening and closing valve opens the bypass passage in a small displacement operational state. A drive shaft supports the main drive gear and the sub drive gear. A driven shaft supports the main driven gear and the sub driven gear. The drive gears and the driven gears are rotated in accordance with a rotation of the drive shaft. The drive and driven shafts transmit the radial load in the main gear pump portion to the sub gear pump portion in the small displacement operational state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventors: Hironao Yokoi, Shigeru Suzuki, Katsumi Yamashita, Toshiro Fujii, Masaki Ota, Kazuo Murakami
  • Publication number: 20090022604
    Abstract: A suction structure is provided for allowing refrigerant from a suction pressure region in a piston type compressor. The compressor includes a rotary valve. The suction structure includes a shifting device which shifts between a connecting state and a disconnecting state. In the connecting state an outlet of a supply passage of the rotary valve is connected to a suction pressure region and in the disconnecting state the outlet of the supply passage is disconnected from the suction pressure region. The shifting device includes a valve body, a return spring, and a permanent magnet. The valve body is movable between a connecting position and a disconnecting position. The return spring urges the valve body from the connecting position toward the disconnecting position. The permanent magnet attracts the valve body by magnetic force from the connecting position toward the disconnecting position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Inventors: Nobuaki Hoshino, Masaki Ota
  • 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: 20080240928
    Abstract: An introduction passage of rotary valve has outlets for feeding out refrigerant in a suction pressure zone toward each of compression chambers. A switch portion in a shutoff state shuts off a portion of the suction pressure zone within a compressor from the outlets of the introduction passage. The switch portion includes a valve body, a working pressure chamber, and a working pressure applying portion. The working pressure chamber introduces a working pressure that is applied to the valve body so as to arrange the valve body at a communication position. The pressure in the suction pressure zone acts against the pressure in the working pressure chamber through the valve body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventors: Xiaoliang Wang, Nobuaki Hoshino, Masaki Ota
  • Publication number: 20080193304
    Abstract: Each suction port 43 of a cylinder block 11 has a narrow passage 50 located at a top dead center side and a wide passage 51 located at a bottom dead center side. A suction communication passage 45 of a rotary valve 41 passes by a first succeeding end 50b of the narrow passage 50 before passing by a second succeeding end 51b of the wide passage 51. A high-pressure groove 47 of a residual gas bypass groove 46 faces only a narrow passage 50 of a suction port 43A that corresponds to a high-pressure side compression chamber 26 when in communication with the suction port 43A. A width Tc between the first succeeding end 50b and a second preceding end 51a of the wide passage 51 in the rotation direction of the rotary valve 41 is smaller than a seal width W of a seal region S between the high-pressure groove 47 and the outlet 45b of the suction communication passage 45.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Inventors: Akinobu Kanai, Masaki Ota, Akihito Yamanouchi, Osamu Nakayama, Yoshio Taneda, Masaya Sakamoto
  • Publication number: 20080138213
    Abstract: A capacity control valve of the present invention includes a valve body (40) integrally having a first valve portion (41) for opening/closing a discharge-side path for having a discharge chamber (11) communicate with a control chamber (12) and a second valve portion (42) for opening/closing a suction-side path for having a suction chamber (13) communicate with the control chamber (12), a pressure sensitive body (50) arranged in a third valve chamber (38) in the middle of the suction-side path, a valve seat body (53) provided at the pressure sensitive body (50), a third valve portion (43) connected to the valve body (40) for opening/closing the suction-side path by engagement and disengagement with the valve seat body (53) and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2006
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Inventors: Satoshi Umemura, Masaki Ota, Masahiro Kawaguchi, Ryosuki Cho, Keigo Shirafuji, Toshiaki Iwa
  • Publication number: 20080131297
    Abstract: A compressor has a suction throttle valve, which includes a suction passage, a suction port, a valve body, an urging member, a valve chamber, a first communication hole, a closing valve and a valve seat. The closing valve closes the hole of the valve body by pressure difference between the valve chamber and the suction port. The valve seat limits movement of the closing valve toward the suction port. The hole of the valve body is closed when the closing valve is in contact with the valve body, and open when the closing valve is in contact with the valve seat. A communication passage is formed in the closing valve or the valve seat, which enables communication between the hole of the valve body and the suction port when the closing valve is in contact with the valve seat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Inventors: Sokichi Hibino, Shiro Hayashi, Masaki Ota
  • 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: 20080107544
    Abstract: A suction throttle valve of a compressor has a compressor housing having a suction chamber and a crank chamber. The suction throttle valve includes a suction passage formed in the housing, a suction port provided at an inlet of the suction passage, a valve body movably arranged in the suction passage for adjusting opening of the suction passage, an urging member for urging the valve body toward the suction port, and a valve chamber provided in the suction passage. Refrigerant is drawn into the suction passage through the suction port and then received in the suction chamber. A first communication hole is formed through the housing, through which the valve chamber and the suction chamber are in constant communication with each other. A second communication hole is formed through the housing, through which the valve chamber and the crank chamber are in constant communication with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2007
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Inventors: Sokichi Hibino, Shiro Hayashi, Masaki Ota, Masahiro Kawaguchi
  • Publication number: 20080107543
    Abstract: A compressor has a compression chamber formed in a cylinder block, a suction passage formed upstream of the compression chamber and a suction throttle valve formed in the suction passage for adjusting opening of the suction passage. The suction throttle valve has a valve hole and a valve seat formed around the valve hole, a valve body for opening and closing the valve hole and an urging member for urging the valve body in the direction which causes the valve hole to be closed. The urging member is a disk spring. The spring characteristics of the disk spring includes a range where the increasing rate of the load required for displacement of the disk spring is reduced with an increase of displacement of the disk spring. The displacement range of the valve body includes a range where the increasing rate of the load of the disk spring is reduced with an increase of the displacement of the disk spring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2007
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Inventors: Masaki Ota, Hajime Kurita
  • Publication number: 20080041686
    Abstract: A power transmission mechanism that permits power to be transmitted from an external driving source to a rotary shaft of a rotating machine includes a first rotating body, a second rotating body, an armature, and a spring clutch. The first rotating body rotates integrally with the rotary shaft of the rotating machine. The second rotating body is rotatably supported by the housing of the rotating machine and is coaxially arranged with the first rotating body. The second rotating body receives power from the external driving source. The second rotating body accommodates an electromagnetic coil and has a cylindrical extended portion. The armature is arranged to face the second rotating body. The spring clutch is wound about an outer circumference of the first rotating body. An outer circumference of the spring clutch is surrounded by the extended portion of the second rotating body. The spring clutch has a first end and a second end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Nobuaki Hoshino, Masaki Ota, Xiaoliang Wang
  • Publication number: 20080031749
    Abstract: A first rotor is rotatably supported by a housing. A second rotor rotates integrally with a rotary shaft. A power transmission mechanism is capable of transmitting power from the first rotor to the second rotor. When supplied with a current, an electromagnetic coil is capable of causing the armature plate to adhere to the first rotor. In a state where the armature plate adheres to the first rotor, the spring clutch couples the second rotor to the first rotor. An urging member is accommodated in the second rotor. The urging member is located between the rotary shaft and the armature plate. Therefore, the power transmission mechanism is compact and achieves a high performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Publication date: February 7, 2008
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Nobuaki Hoshino, Masaki Ota, Xiaoliang Wang
  • Publication number: 20080017170
    Abstract: A feed pump of a fuel supply system for a DME engine rotates in a normal direction to supply DME fuel in a fuel tank to a high-pressure supply pump through a low-pressure fuel supply passage. The high-pressure supply pump pressurizes the DME fuel and discharges the DME fuel therefrom. The discharged DME fuel is distributed by a high-pressure fuel supply passage and injected by a fuel injector. A first fuel recovery passage connects the high-pressure fuel supply passage to the low-pressure fuel supply passage. When the engine is operated, a first solenoid valve closes the first fuel recovery passage. When the engine is stopped, the first solenoid valve opens the first fuel recovery passage and the feed pump rotates in a reverse direction, thereby the DME fuel in the low-pressure fuel supply passage and in the high-pressure fuel supply passage is recovered into the fuel tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Inventors: Takahiro Moroi, Shigeru Suzuki, Masaki Ota
  • Publication number: 20070289831
    Abstract: A power transmission mechanism for transmitting power of an external drive source to a rotary shaft which is rotatably supported by a housing of a rotary machine comprises a first rotor fixed to the rotary shaft for rotation therewith, a second rotor rotatably supported by the housing for receiving the power of the external drive source, and a spring clutch disposed over first and second outer peripheral surfaces of the first and second rotors which are aligned with each other along an axial direction of the rotary shaft. The spring clutch is mounted at one end to the first rotor and at the other end to an armature. The spring clutch tightens the first and second outer peripheral surfaces thereby to connect the first and second rotors when the armature is attracted to the second rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Inventors: Masaki Ota, Masahiro Kawaguchi
  • Publication number: 20070264131
    Abstract: A variable displacement compressor comprises a flange, a movable body, and a detection sensor. The flange is joined to a housing and forms a flange passage for connecting a refrigerant passage and an external refrigerant circuit. The movable body is movably disposed in the flange, is movable according to a flow rate of refrigerant gas in the flange passage, and has a magnet. The detection sensor is fixed to or in the flange for detecting magnetic flux density of the magnet. The flow rate of the refrigerant gas is detected based on the magnetic flux density detected by the detection sensor. The flange is attachable to and detachable from the housing in a state where the flange is provided with the movable body and the detection sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2007
    Publication date: November 15, 2007
    Inventors: Masaki Ota, Tomoji Tarutani, Masanori Sonobe, Yoshinori Inoue
  • Publication number: 20070214814
    Abstract: A displacement control valve includes an electromagnetic solenoid and a drive force transmitting body. A pressure sensing chamber communicates with a suction chamber and a pressure sensing body is located in the pressure sensing chamber. An internal passage is provided in the transmitting body and an external passage is provided about the transmitting body. The first to third valve bodies are provided at the transmitting body. The first valve body adjusts a cross-sectional area of a passage between the external passage and the internal passage. The second valve body adjusts a cross-sectional area of a passage between the internal passage and the pressure sensing chamber. The third valve body adjusts a cross-sectional area of a passage between the external passage and a discharge chamber. The transmitting body is switched among first, second, and third arrangement states by the electromagnetic solenoid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2007
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Inventors: Satoshi Umemura, Masahiro Kawaguchi, Masaki Ota
  • Publication number: 20070177987
    Abstract: A displacement detection device for a variable displacement compressor in which a swash plate which is connected to a piston through shoes in a housing slides relative to the shoes and rotates synchronously with a drive shaft with a wobbling motion in an axial direction of the drive shaft as the drive shaft is rotated, and an inclination angle of the swash plate is controlled thereby changing a stroke of the piston, includes a detection object provided in a first portion of an outer periphery of the swash plate where an imaginary plane passing through a point of intersection between a line connecting top and bottom dead center positions of the swash plate and an axial line of the drive shaft in perpendicular relation to the line intersects with the outer periphery of the swash plate and a detector provided in the housing so as to face the detection object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Inventors: Masaki Ota, Masanori Sonobe, Atsuhiro Suzuki, Satoshi Umemura, Tomoji Tarutani
  • 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
  • Patent number: 7207185
    Abstract: A vehicle air conditioning apparatus includes a refrigerant circulation circuit. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus has a variable displacement type compressor, a first pressure monitoring point, a second pressure monitoring point and an oil separator in the refrigerant circulation circuit. Also, the vehicle air conditioning apparatus has a control valve in the compressor. The compressor compresses refrigerant gas. Displacement of the compressor is variable. The refrigerant gas includes oil. The second pressure monitoring point is located more downstream than the first pressure monitoring point. The control valve controls the displacement based on differential pressure between the first and second pressure monitoring points. The oil separator is located between the first and second pressure monitoring points in order to separate the oil from the compressed refrigerant gas, thereby the oil separator serves as means for manifesting the differential pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Masaki Ota, Tomoji Tarutani, Hisato Kawamura, Yoshinori Inoue, Masahiro Kawaguchi
  • 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