Patents by Inventor Masaru Kakinohana

Masaru Kakinohana 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: 9421495
    Abstract: To provide a catalytic converter that reduces non-uniformity of temperature of a catalyst support and that can approach a uniform temperature distribution, and a structural body for supporting a catalyst that structures this catalytic converter. At a catalyst support, gradually decreasing width portions, at which a width thereof gradually decreases toward electrode centers, are formed at regions where electrodes, are contactingly disposed, as seen in a cross-section orthogonal to a direction in which exhaust flows. The width is shorter than a length of a center line at a given position. Heat generation and heat dissipation of the catalyst support are balanced overall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Keita Hashimoto, Masaru Kakinohana, Takeo Kobayashi, Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Yoshiyuki Kasai, Tadato Ito
  • Publication number: 20140004014
    Abstract: To provide a catalytic converter that reduces non-uniformity of temperature of a catalyst support and that can approach a uniform temperature distribution, and a structural body for supporting a catalyst that structures this catalytic converter. At a catalyst support, gradually decreasing width portions, at which a width thereof gradually decreases toward electrode centers, are formed at regions where electrodes, are contactingly disposed, as seen in a cross-section orthogonal to a direction in which exhaust flows. The width is shorter than a length of a center line at a given position. Heat generation and heat dissipation of the catalyst support are balanced overall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicants: NGK INSULATORS, LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keita Hashimoto, Masaru Kakinohana, Takeo Kobayashi, Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Yoshiyuki Kasai, Tadato Ito
  • Publication number: 20130315788
    Abstract: A catalytic converter has a carrier with a cell structure, and a precious metal catalyst carried on the carrier. The carrier includes a first carrier and a second carrier. The second carrier is provided downstream of the first carrier in a gas flow direction of gas that flows into the catalytic converter. The first carrier has a first peripheral region and a first center region that has a lower cell density than the first peripheral region. The second carrier has a second center region and a second peripheral region that has a lower cell density than the second center region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicants: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiromasa SUZUKI, Michiharu NAKANO, Masaru KAKINOHANA, Hiroyuki MATSUBARA, Masakazu MURATA, Naohiro HAYASHI
  • Patent number: 8484952
    Abstract: A device for purification of exhaust gas including: an exhaust gas passage 15 connected to an internal combustion engine 10; a particulate matter trapping device 30 which is disposed in the exhaust gas passage 15, and which traps particulate matters in exhaust gas; ozone supply means 40 which is connected to the exhaust gas passage 15 and on an upstream side of the particulate matter trapping device 30, and which can supply ozone to the particulate matter trapping device 30; and an NO oxidizing catalyst 20 which is disposed in the exhaust gas passage 15 and on an upstream of the ozone supply means 40, and which oxidizes NO in the exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Sakakibara, Yoshihiko Itoh, Koji Yokota, Kouzi Banno, Hirohito Hirata, Masaru Kakinohana, Masaya Ibe
  • Patent number: 8236094
    Abstract: The present invention provides an exhaust gas purifying device including an electrically insulated hollow cylindrical case, a cylindrical outer circumferential electrode arranged on an inner wall of the hollow cylindrical case, a bar-shaped center electrode held on a center axis of the outer circumferential electrode, and a metallic hollow cylindrical body arranged between the outer circumferential electrode and the center electrode, wherein the metallic hollow cylindrical body is electrically insulated and has a plurality of holes to permit particulate matter to pass therethrough without being accumulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaru Kakinohana, Hirohito Hirata, Akira Mizuno
  • Patent number: 8191353
    Abstract: A device for controlling an internal combustion engine comprises a device for trapping particulate matter (PM) in exhaust gas in an exhaust passage, means for supplying ozone to the particulate matter trapping device from the upstream thereof to oxidize and remove PM deposited in the device, and means for interrupting the fuel injection of the internal combustion engine upon the execution of ozone supply by the ozone supply means. It is possible to prevent components consuming ozone, such as NOx, from being contained in the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine, whereby ozone is effectively usable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaru Kakinohana, Hirohito Hirata, Masaya Ibe
  • Patent number: 8104272
    Abstract: There is provided an exhaust purifying system for an internal combustion engine which can achieve a function of a catalyst without deteriorating a function of ozone at the time of oxidizing and removing PM by using the ozone. The exhaust purifying system for the internal combustion engine comprises a wall-flow type particulate filter (30) for collecting particulate matter in an exhaust gas inside an exhaust passage, wherein the catalyst (38) is supported only in a part of a partition wall (37) of the particulate filter defining a passage (36) on the downstream side of the partition wall (37). In consequence, when ozone is supplied, since the ozone is introduced on the upstream side of the partition wall (37) in which the PM is collected, the ozone does not contact the catalyst supported only in the part of the partition wall defining the passage (36) on the downstream side of the partition wall. Therefore, it is prevented that the ozone is decomposed, and a PM oxidation function is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirohito Hirata, Masaru Kakinohana, Masaya Ibe
  • Publication number: 20110286890
    Abstract: An electrically heated exhaust gas control apparatus includes: a hollow base member that has electroconductivity; a first insulation member that is disposed within the base member and that divides a vertically upper space and a vertically lower space from each other; a honeycomb catalyst formed in each of the vertically upper space and the vertically lower space; a pair of upper electrodes that heat the honeycomb catalyst in the vertically upper space and a pair of lower electrodes that heat the honeycomb catalyst in the vertically lower space; and a control portion that is able to stop electrifying the lower electrodes while continuing to electrify the upper electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Inventors: Masaru KAKINOHANA, Takahiko Ido
  • Patent number: 7954313
    Abstract: An exhaust purifying system for an internal combustion engine is provided with a plurality of DPFs (30a and 30b) branched and connected to an exhaust passage (15) for collecting particulate matter in an exhaust gas and an ozone supplier for supplying ozone to the upstream side of each of the plurality of DPFs (30a and 30b). The system respectively changes a ratio of a supply amount of the exhaust gas and a ratio of a supply amount of the ozone between the plurality of DPFs (30a and 30b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirohito Hirata, Masaru Kakinohana, Masaya Ibe
  • Patent number: 7946111
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for PM purification, where good PM purification performance can be achieved. The PM purification apparatus includes (a) a honeycomb support having an outer periphery-side region and an inner-side region, which carries a PM oxidation catalyst and in which the PM oxidation catalyst loading per unit volume of support in the outer periphery-side region is greater than the PM oxidation catalyst loading per unit volume of support in the inner-side region, (b) a center electrode passing through the center part of the honeycomb support and extending to the exhaust gas flow upstream side, and (c) an outer peripheral electrode disposed on the outer periphery of the honeycomb support and electrically insulated from the center electrode by the honeycomb support. The PM purification method can be performed using the PM purification apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaru Kakinohana, Hirohito Hirata, Masaya Ibe
  • Publication number: 20100281856
    Abstract: A device for purification of exhaust gas including: an exhaust gas passage 15 connected to an internal combustion engine 10; a particulate matter trapping device 30 which is disposed in the exhaust gas passage 15, and which traps particulate matters in exhaust gas; ozone supply means 40 which is connected to the exhaust gas passage 15 and on an upstream side of the particulate matter trapping device 30, and which can supply ozone to the particulate matter trapping device 30; and an NO oxidizing catalyst 20 which is disposed in the exhaust gas passage 15 and on an upstream of the ozone supply means 40, and which oxidizes NO in the exhaust gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Inventors: Yuji Sakakibara, Yoshihiko Itoh, Koji Yokota, Kouzi Banno, Hirohito Hirata, Masaru Kakinohana, Masaya Ibe
  • Publication number: 20100275586
    Abstract: The device for cleaning exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine includes means provided in an exhaust gas passage (15) of the internal combustion engine (10), such as a NOx catalyst (20), a SOx trap catalyst (30) provided at a position upstream from the exhaust gas cleaning means, and means (40, 41) for feeding ozone to a position upstream from the SOx trap catalyst. SOx in the exhaust gas is absorbed by the SOx trap catalyst before reaching the NOx catalyst. Particularly, it is possible to oxidize SOx in the exhaust gas by ozone as oxidizing gas to be an easily decomposable state, whereby SOx is absorbable even at a low temperature. Preferably, the SOx trap catalyst has no active points consisting of precious metal. In such a case, the SOx trap catalyst is prevented from being sulfur-poisoned whereby the deterioration of the SOx absorbing ability is avoidable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2006
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Inventors: Hirohito Hirata, Masaru Kakinohana, Masaya Ibe
  • Publication number: 20100162688
    Abstract: A fuel injection apparatus (31) comprises an EHD atomizer (32). The EHD atomizer (32) comprises a cylindrical body (33) and a narrow pipe (34) attached to a tip of the cylindrical body (33). The cylindrical body (33) is connected through a fuel introducing pipe (35) to a fuel tank (36), and an electronically-controlled fuel pump (37) is arranged in the fuel introducing pipe (35). A voltage application device (38) is electrically connected to the narrow pipe (34). When the fuel is to be injected, the fuel pump (37) is operated to supply the fuel in the fuel tank (36) through the fuel introducing pipe (35) into the cylindrical body (33) of the EHD atomizer (32). The fuel is then flown through the narrow pipe (34) and is injected from the tip of the narrow pipe (34). At this time, the voltage application device (38) applies a pulse voltage or applies a pulse voltage and a direct-current voltage superimposingly to the narrow pipe (34).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventors: Jen-Shin Chang, Hirohito Hirata, Masaru Kakinohana, Masaya Ibe
  • Publication number: 20100101420
    Abstract: The present invention provides an exhaust gas purifying device comprising an electrically insulated hollow cylindrical case, a cylindrical outer circumferential electrode arranged on an inner wall of the hollow cylindrical case, a bar-shaped center electrode held on a center axis of the outer circumferential electrode, and a metallic hollow cylindrical body arranged between the outer circumferential electrode and the center electrode, wherein the metallic hollow cylindrical body is electrically insulated and has a plurality of holes to permit particulate matter to pass therethrough without being accumulated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaru Kakinohana, Hirohito Hirata, Akira Mizuno
  • Publication number: 20090235648
    Abstract: A device for controlling an internal combustion engine comprises a device for trapping particulate matter (PM) in exhaust gas in an exhaust passage, means for supplying ozone to the particulate matter trapping device from the upstream thereof to oxidize and remove PM deposited in the device, and means for interrupting the fuel injection of the internal combustion engine upon the execution of ozone supply by the ozone supply means. It is possible to prevent components consuming ozone, such as NOx, from being contained in the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine, whereby ozone is effectively usable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2007
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Inventors: Masaru Kakinohana, Hirohito Hirata, Masaya Ibe
  • Publication number: 20090205315
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for PM purification, where good PM purification performance can be achieved. The PM purification apparatus 10 of the present invention comprises (a) a honeycomb support 13 having an outer periphery-side region 13a and an inner-side region 13b, which carries a PM oxidation catalyst and in which the PM oxidation catalyst loading per unit volume of support in the outer periphery-side region 13a is greater than the PM oxidation catalyst loading per unit volume of support in the inner-side region 13b, (b) a center electrode 12 passing through the center part of the honeycomb support 13 and extending to the exhaust gas flow upstream side, and (c) an outer peripheral electrode 14 disposed on the outer periphery of the honeycomb support 13 and electrically insulated from the center electrode 12 by the honeycomb support 13. The PM purification method of the present invention can be performed using the PM purification apparatus 10 of the present invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2006
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaru Kakinohana, Hirohito Hirata, Masaya Ibe
  • Publication number: 20090120074
    Abstract: There is provided an exhaust purifying system for an internal combustion engine which can achieve a function of a catalyst without deteriorating a function of ozone at the time of oxidizing and removing PM by using the ozone. The exhaust purifying system for the internal combustion engine comprises a wall-flow type particulate filter (30) for collecting particulate matter in an exhaust gas inside an exhaust passage, wherein the catalyst (38) is supported only in a part of a partition wall (37) of the particulate filter defining a passage (36) on the downstream side of the partition wall (37). In consequence, when ozone is supplied, since the ozone is introduced on the upstream side of the partition wall (37) in which the PM is collected, the ozone does not contact the catalyst supported only in the part of the partition wall defining the passage (36) on the downstream side of the partition wall. Therefore, it is prevented that the ozone is decomposed, and a PM oxidation function is achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Inventors: Hirohito Hirata, Masaru Kakinohana, Masaya Ibe
  • Publication number: 20090120070
    Abstract: An exhaust purifying system for an internal combustion engine is provided with a plurality of DPFs (30a and 30b) branched and connected to an exhaust passage (15) for collecting particulate matter in an exhaust gas and an ozone supplier for supplying ozone to the upstream side of each of the plurality of DPFs (30a and 30b). The system respectively changes a ratio of a supply amount of the exhaust gas and a ratio of a supply amount of the ozone between the plurality of DPFs (30a and 30b).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2006
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Inventors: Hirohito Hirata, Masaru Kakinohana, Masaya Ibe
  • Patent number: 7514047
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an exhaust gas purifying apparatus, for trapping and burning PM, which comprises electrodes and an insulative honeycomb structure. The apparatus is characterized in that the electrodes make an electric field in the honeycomb structure, the electric field not being parallel with the cell passages of the honeycomb structure. Further the apparatus is characterized in that the electrodes make an electric field in the honeycomb structure, and that the honeycomb structure carries at least one metal selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal and an alkali earth metal; a material that generates oxygen radical by conducting an electric current therethrough; a manganese dioxide; and/or a material having a high dielectric constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirohito Hirata, Masaru Kakinohana, Hideo Yahagi
  • Patent number: 7510600
    Abstract: A gas purifying apparatus includes an adsorption member (e.g., a honeycomb structural body) that adsorbs particulate matter contained in the gas by the action of an electric field. The apparatus also includes a supply device (e.g., an ozone generator including a discharger, a pulsed power supply, a pump, and a discharge port) that supplies a pro-oxidant to the adsorption member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaya Ibe, Hirohito Hirata, Masaru Kakinohana