Patents by Inventor Minoru Kowada
Minoru Kowada 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).
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Patent number: 12097782Abstract: A battery management device includes: a first switch state acquisition unit configured to acquire the state of an ignition switch; a determination unit configured to determine to perform correction control for correcting an error in the state of charge (SOC) of the battery when the ignition switch is operated from ON to OFF; a correction control unit configured to perform the correction control of the SOC of the battery when it is determined that the correction control is to be performed; and a second switch state acquisition unit configured to acquire the state of a cancel switch for canceling the execution of the correction control. When the ignition switch is operated from ON to OFF while the cancel switch is ON, the determination unit determines that the correction control is not to be performed.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2022Date of Patent: September 24, 2024Assignees: Hino Motors, Ltd., TOYOTA .JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI. KAISHAInventors: Koichiro Taniguchi, Minoru Kowada, Jun Namima, Yu Yaguchi, Shin Mizoroki
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Publication number: 20240227625Abstract: A start control device for a fuel cell vehicle includes: a request determination unit configured to determine whether there is a request for starting the fuel cell vehicle in a second traveling mode after a power supply of the fuel cell vehicle is turned ON; and a start control unit configured to perform control to start the fuel cell vehicle in the second traveling mode when the request determination unit determines that there is a request for starting the fuel cell vehicle in the second traveling mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2024Publication date: July 11, 2024Applicants: Hino Motors, Ltd., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Koichiro TANIGUCHI, Minoru KOWADA, Jun NAMIMA
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Publication number: 20240227626Abstract: A travel control device includes: a switching determination unit configured to determine whether a traveling mode of the fuel cell vehicle is switched from a first traveling mode in which the fuel cell vehicle travels mainly using power generated by a fuel cell to a second traveling mode in which the fuel cell vehicle travels using discharge power of a battery; and a permission determination unit configured to determine whether to permit traveling in the second traveling mode based on a charging rate of the battery when the switching determination unit determines that the traveling mode has been switched from the first traveling mode to the second traveling mode, in which the permission determination unit is configured to permit traveling in the second traveling mode when the charging rate of the battery is greater than or equal to a predetermined charging rate threshold for permission.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2024Publication date: July 11, 2024Applicants: Hino Motors, Ltd., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Koichiro TANIGUCHI, Minoru KOWADA, Jun NAMIMA
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Publication number: 20230356598Abstract: A vehicle power supply control device includes an interlock circuit configured to detect opening of a case of an electronic device, an interlock detecting unit configured to detect the opening based on an input signal from the interlock circuit, a vehicle speed detecting unit, and a power supply control unit configured to cut off supply of electric power from an onboard battery to the electronic device when a duration of a state in which a vehicle speed is 0 exceeds a predetermined stoppage time after the opening of the case has been detected.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2021Publication date: November 9, 2023Applicant: Hino Motors, Ltd.Inventors: Koichiro TANIGUCHI, Minoru KOWADA, Jun NAMIMA, Yuta OKAZOE
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Publication number: 20220402400Abstract: A battery management device includes: a first switch state acquisition unit configured to acquire the state of an ignition switch; a determination unit configured to determine to perform correction control for correcting an error in the state of charge (SOC) of the battery when the ignition switch is operated from ON to OFF; a correction control unit configured to perform the correction control of the SOC of the battery when it is determined that the correction control is to be performed; and a second switch state acquisition unit configured to acquire the state of a cancel switch for canceling the execution of the correction control. When the ignition switch is operated from ON to OFF while the cancel switch is ON, the determination unit determines that the correction control is not to be performed.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 14, 2022Publication date: December 22, 2022Applicants: Hino Motors, Ltd., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Koichiro TANIGUCHI, Minoru KOWADA, Jun NAMIMA, Yu YAGUCHI, Shin MIZOROKI
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Publication number: 20220402371Abstract: An operating mode control device includes a travel driving force information acquisition unit configured to acquire a time-series travel driving force when traveling on a travel route; a vehicle speed information acquisition unit configured to acquire a time-series vehicle speed when traveling on the travel route; a motor operation estimation unit configured to estimate a time-series torque and rotation speed of the motor on the basis of a time-series travel driving force and vehicle speed; an efficiency calculation unit configured to acquire a time-series efficiency value of each operating mode on the basis of the time-series torque and rotation speed and calculate a total efficiency value; an operating mode determination unit configured to determine the operating mode having the highest total efficiency value as a default operating mode; and an operation control unit configured to control an operation by the default operating mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 14, 2022Publication date: December 22, 2022Applicants: Hino Motors, Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Jun NAMIMA, Minoru KOWADA
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Patent number: 9649595Abstract: In a mixing structure with an injector 3 arranged 2 immediately after a bend 1a of an exhaust pipe 1, urea water 5 being injected by the injector 3 into the exhaust pipe 1 for mixing, a pipe diameter Dp downstream of the bend 1a of the exhaust pipe 1 is large relative to a pipe diameter De upstream of the bend.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2013Date of Patent: May 16, 2017Assignee: HINO MOTORS, LTD.Inventors: Minoru Kowada, Hideki Endo, Koji Maruyama, Tetsuichi Kominami
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Patent number: 9650938Abstract: Arranged are a selective reduction catalyst for reacting NOx in exhaust gas 2 with ammonia, an exhaust passage 5 for guiding the exhaust gas 2 to the selective reduction catalyst, and a urea water addition unit 4 incorporated in the exhaust passage 5 for adding urea water 3 into the exhaust gas 2. A portion of the exhaust passage 5 adjacent to an added position of the urea water 3 is constituted by a divisional piece 5a made of material having higher corrosive resistance to a substance produced by addition of the urea water 3 than that of a material constituting the remaining portion of the exhaust passage 5 other than the adjacent portion.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2011Date of Patent: May 16, 2017Assignees: HINO MOTORS, LTD., ISUZU MOTORS LIMITEDInventors: Minoru Kowada, Toshiaki Kuroki, Ryoji Suzuki, Hiroshi Uchigata, Toshiyuki Yamada
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Patent number: 9541335Abstract: In a cooling water circulation device for use in a NOx reduction system where a urea injector 3 is positioned higher than an engine 1, a three-way branching device 10 is arranged at a highest position in a passage of passing cooling water 2 from the engine 1 to the urea injector 3 and returning the same to the engine 1 to add an upward air vent 10a. The air vent 10a is connected through an air-venting connecting pipe 11 to a header tank 9 (water pouring tank) for the cooling water 2 arranged higher than the urea injector 3.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2013Date of Patent: January 10, 2017Assignee: HINO MOTORS, LTD.Inventor: Minoru Kowada
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Publication number: 20150144305Abstract: In a cooling water circulation device for use in a NOx reduction system where a urea injector 3 is positioned higher than an engine 1, a three-way branching device 10 is arranged at a highest position in a passage of passing cooling water 2 from the engine 1 to the urea injector 3 and returning the same to the engine 1 to add an upward air vent 10a. The air vent 10a is connected through an air-venting connecting pipe 11 to a header tank 9 (water pouring tank) for the cooling water 2 arranged higher than the urea injector 3.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 21, 2013Publication date: May 28, 2015Applicant: HINO MOTORS, LTD.Inventor: Minoru Kowada
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Publication number: 20150041996Abstract: In a mixing structure with an injector 3 arranged 2 immediately after a bend 1a of an exhaust pipe 1, urea water 5 being injected by the injector 3 into the exhaust pipe 1 for mixing, a pipe diameter Dp downstream of the bend 1a of the exhaust pipe 1 is large relative to a pipe diameter De upstream of the bend.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2013Publication date: February 12, 2015Applicant: HINO MOTORS, LTD.Inventors: Minoru Kowada, Hideki Endo, Koji Maruyama, Tetsuichi Kominami
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Patent number: 8813481Abstract: An exhaust emission control device comprises a selective reduction catalyst for reacting NOx in an exhaust gas with ammonia, means for adding a urea water into the exhaust gas upstream of the catalyst and a cylindrical mixing pipe as a connection between the adding means and the catalyst, an entry end of the mixing pipe being formed with circumferential opening sections and provided with guide fins for guiding the exhaust gas to the opening sections tangentially of the entry end to provide a mixer structure, the adding means being arranged centrally on the entry end of the mixing pipe and directed toward an exit end of the mixing pipe for addition of the urea water into a swirling flow of the exhaust gas caused by the mixer structure. The opening sections are formed along the swirling flow.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2010Date of Patent: August 26, 2014Assignees: Hino Motors, Ltd., Isuzu Motors LimitedInventor: Minoru Kowada
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Patent number: 8402752Abstract: The present invention has its object to suppress heat transfer from an adapter 19 to an injector 11 so as to ensure a high level of reliability of the injector 11 over a long time. In a mounting structure for an injector 11 fitted at a mixing pipe 9B (exhaust passage) via an adapter 19 for addition of urea water into exhaust gas 3, an inner surface of the adapter 19 to be exposed to the flow of the exhaust gas 3 is shielded by a heat-resisting plate 22 to interpose a heat insulating layer 23 between the plate 22 and the inner surface.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2008Date of Patent: March 26, 2013Assignee: Hino Motors, Ltd.Inventor: Minoru Kowada
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Patent number: 8397492Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an exhaust emission control device capable of favorably dispersing urea water for improved mixing with exhaust gas even if a flow rate of the exhaust gas is increased. An entry end of a mixing pipe is formed with a first opening at a position near an exit side of a particulate filter and is formed with a second opening at a position away from the exit side of the particulate filter and diametrically opposite to the first opening. Arranged in a downstream end of a gas gathering chamber are a first partition which guides all of the flow of exhaust gas from the particulate filter into a one-way swirling flow around the entry end of the mixing pipe, a second partition which divides the flow of the exhaust gas guided by the first partition into two to cause an inner one of the divided swirling flows to tangentially enter into the first opening and a third partition which causes the remaining outer swirling flow to tangentially enter into the second opening.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2008Date of Patent: March 19, 2013Assignee: Hino Motors, Ltd.Inventor: Minoru Kowada
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Patent number: 8393146Abstract: An exhaust emission control device is provided which is compact in size and has favorable dispersibility of exhaust gas from a muffling structure 2 to an oxidation catalyst 3. The muffling structure 2 arranged upstream of the oxidation catalyst in a direction D of gas flow has a dispersion plate 6 for dividing the interior of the casing 5 into dispersion chambers 7a and 7b upstream and downstream in the direction D of gas flow, respectively, and an inner pipe 8 inserted from outside of and into the chamber 7a and with a tip end fixed to the dispersion plate 6 and circumferentially formed with pores 9a, 9b, 9c and 9d having diameters gradually reduced in the order in the direction D of gas flow from upstream to downstream. The dispersion plate 6 facing the dispersion chambers 7a and 7b is formed with a plurality of radially-outward-larger-diametered and radially-inward-smaller-diametered pores 14, 15 and 16.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2008Date of Patent: March 12, 2013Assignees: Hino Motors, Ltd., AVL List GmbHInventors: Minoru Kowada, Hisaki Torisaka, Heimo Schreier, Harald Grantner, Thomas Obenaus
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Patent number: 8353152Abstract: An exhaust emission control device, which can absorb thermal expansion difference between a particulate filter and a selective reduction catalyst without causing urea deposition, has the filter and the catalyst arranged in parallel with each other with their entry ends facing the same direction. An S-shaped communication passage is provided to introduce the exhaust gas from a discharge end of the filter into an entry end of the catalyst through turndown, urea water being added upstream of the communication passage. A mixing pipe providing a straight section of the communication passage at an intermediate portion thereof, with a double-pipe portion constituted by overlapped stretchable/retractable inner and outer pipes, the outer pipe having a terminal end secured to an outer periphery of the inner pipe and being provided with an axially expansible and contractible bellows, a sealing ring fitted over an outer periphery of a terminal end of the inner pipe.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2008Date of Patent: January 15, 2013Assignees: Hino Motors, Ltd., Tokyo Roki Co., Ltd.Inventors: Minoru Kowada, Tsutomu Shimizu
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Patent number: 8347610Abstract: An exhaust emission control device has a particulate filter 5 and a selective reduction catalyst 6 arranged side by side. An S-shaped communication passage 9 is arranged for introduction of exhaust gas 3 from a rear end of the filter 5 to a front end of the adjacent catalyst 6 in a forward fold-back manner and with a urea water addition injector 11 arranged midway of the passage 9. In order to satisfactorily disperse the urea water with enhanced mixing with the exhaust gas 3 even if the flow rate is increased, slits 12 are formed in circumferentially spaced positions on a rear end of a mixing pipe 9B constituting an upstream portion of the communication passage 9 so as to introduce the exhaust gas 3. A downstream end 9a of a gas gathering chamber 9A is connected to the rear end of the mixing pipe 9B such that the slits 12 are encased and the rear end of the mixing pipe 9B is closed.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2008Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: Hino Motors, Ltd.Inventor: Minoru Kowada
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Publication number: 20120328479Abstract: Arranged are a selective reduction catalyst for reacting NOx in exhaust gas 2 with ammonia, an exhaust passage 5 for guiding the exhaust gas 2 to the selective reduction catalyst, and a urea water addition unit 4 incorporated in the exhaust passage 5 for adding urea water 3 into the exhaust gas 2. A portion of the exhaust passage 5 adjacent to an added position of the urea water 3 is constituted by a divisional piece 5a made of material having higher corrosive resistance to a substance produced by addition of the urea water 3 than that of a material constituting the remaining portion of the exhaust passage 5 other than the adjacent portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2011Publication date: December 27, 2012Applicants: HINO MOTORS, LTD., ISUZU MOTORS LIMITEDInventors: Minoru Kowada, Toshiaki Kuroki, Ryoji Suzuki, Hiroshi Uchigata, Toshiyuki Yamada
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Patent number: 8327627Abstract: Provided is an exhaust emission control device in which only a casing for a particulate filter can be easily taken out of position with a casing for a selective reduction catalyst being left on a vehicle body in a reliably supported state. The exhaust emission control device has a particulate filter 5 and a selective reduction catalyst 6 housed in casings 7 and 8, respectively, and arranged side by side with entry ends of them are directed in one and the same direction, and an S-shaped communication passage 9 which interconnects the casings 7 and 8 and is intermediately provided with urea water addition means 10. The communication passage 9 is intermediately provided with a separable portion for suitable separate-off, and the casing 8 for the selective reduction catalyst 6 is supported by a frame 15 on a vehicle body independently of the casing 7 for the particulate filter 5.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2008Date of Patent: December 11, 2012Assignee: Hino Motors, Ltd.Inventor: Minoru Kowada
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Patent number: 8327630Abstract: An exhaust system including an exhaust emission control device with a post treatment unit (e.g., a selective reduction catalyst) for depuration of exhaust gas flowing therethrough is disclosed. The exhaust system includes a layout that introduces the exhaust gas into the post-treatment unit through a turnabout. An introductory part encircles an inlet end of the post-treatment unit and receives the exhaust gas through an exhaust inlet port from a direction substantially perpendicular to an axis of the selective reduction catalyst. The introduction part is formed with a first depression cambered away from the inlet end of the selective reduction catalyst and approaching toward the inlet end of the selective reduction catalyst as the first depression extends away from the exhaust inlet port and toward an introduction direction of the exhaust gas, thereby promoting uniformity of the exhaust gas flow entering the post-treatment unit.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2008Date of Patent: December 11, 2012Assignees: Hino Motors, Ltd., AVL List GmbHInventors: Minoru Kowada, Hisaki Torisaka, Heimo Schreier, Harald Grantner, Thomas Obenaus