Patents by Inventor Mitsunori Matsumoto

Mitsunori Matsumoto 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: 20240071734
    Abstract: There is provided a lower electrode mechanism for plasma processing, the lower electrode mechanism including: a base portion to which radio-frequency power is applied during the plasma processing; a dielectric portion disposed at an upper surface of the base portion; and an induction heating mechanism, in which the induction heating mechanism includes an induction heating element heated by an induction magnetic field, and a magnetic field generator that is disposed inside the base portion and generates the induction magnetic field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Naoki MATSUMOTO, Mitsunori OHATA, Masataka MASUYAMA, Naoki MIHARA
  • Patent number: 10879543
    Abstract: A stack case includes a lower surface and at least one through hole. The lower surface is at a bottom of the stack case in a vehicle height direction of the vehicle. The at least one through hole opens to an inside of the stack case. An outer opening opens to an outside of a vehicle. The at least one vent pipe has one end and another end opposite to the one end along a length of the at least one vent pipe. The one end is connected to the at least one through hole provided in the stack case. The another end is connected to the outer opening in the vehicle body. The drain hole is provided in the lower surface of the stack case to be open to an inside of a motor compartment. The drain hole is located below the outer opening in the vehicle height direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Imamura, Choichi Ishikawa, Norihisa Kobayashi, Toshinobu Mito, Mitsunori Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9725010
    Abstract: A fuel cell vehicle includes a fuel cell, a fuel storage container, a container installation space, a fill lid box, and a fuel gas detector. The fuel cell is to generate power through an electrochemical reaction between a fuel gas and an oxidant gas. At least part of the fuel storage container is disposed in the container installation space. The fill lid box includes a gas fill port inside the fill lid box and has a communication hole to connect an inside of the fill lid box with the container installation space. The fuel gas is to be supplied through the gas fill port into the fuel storage container from an outside of the fuel cell vehicle. The fuel gas detector is disposed inside the fill lid box to detect a fuel gas leakage and to detect a fuel gas density in the container installation space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro Suzuki, Mitsunori Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9701192
    Abstract: In a fuel cell vehicle, a stack case containing a fuel cell stack is mounted in a front box. Exhaust ducts are connected to openings formed in an upper panel of the stack case. A right exhaust duct connected to the exhaust ducts is opened to a right fender part, and a left exhaust duct connected to the exhaust ducts is opened to a left fender part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakagawa, Manabu Tanaka, Mitsunori Matsumoto, Shuichiro Iwatsuki, Momoka Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 9653744
    Abstract: A method of starting a fuel cell system for a vehicle includes determining whether or not an activation signal of a fuel cell provided in the fuel cell system has been inputted, operating, if it is determined that the activation signal has been inputted, a cooling medium circulation pump to supply a cooling medium to an impurity removal mechanism for reducing a conductivity of the cooling medium, and driving an oxidant gas supply device and a fuel gas supply device in the fuel cell system to start activation of the fuel cell if it is determined that the conductivity of the cooling medium is less than or equal to a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsunori Matsumoto, Kazuyoshi Miyajima
  • Publication number: 20170113531
    Abstract: A stack case includes a lower surface and at least one through hole. The lower surface is at a bottom of the stack case in a vehicle height direction of the vehicle. The at least one through hole opens to an inside of the stack case. An outer opening opens to an outside of a vehicle. The at least one vent pipe has one end and another end opposite to the one end along a length of the at least one vent pipe. The one end is connected to the at least one through hole provided in the stack case. The another end is connected to the outer opening in the vehicle body. The drain hole is provided in the lower surface of the stack case to be open to an inside of a motor compartment. The drain hole is located below the outer opening in the vehicle height direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki IMAMURA, Choichi ISHIKAWA, Norihisa KOBAYASHI, Toshinobu MITO, Mitsunori MATSUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20170057339
    Abstract: In a fuel cell vehicle, a stack case containing a fuel cell stack is mounted in a front box. Exhaust ducts are connected to openings formed in an upper panel of the stack case. A right exhaust duct connected to the exhaust ducts is opened to a right fender part, and a left exhaust duct connected to the exhaust ducts is opened to a left fender part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Satoshi NAKAGAWA, Manabu TANAKA, Mitsunori MATSUMOTO, Shuichiro IWATSUKI, Momoka HORIUCHI
  • Patent number: 9423446
    Abstract: An insulation state detecting device includes a positive side input terminal connected to a positive side power line of a high voltage DC power supply, a negative side input terminal connected to a negative side power line of the high voltage DC power supply, a ground electrode, a controller that detects insulation states between the positive side power line and the negative side power line and the ground electrode based on a charge voltage of a flying capacitor, and an equilibrium state forming circuit that promotes an operation of transiting a charge state of a positive side electrostatic capacitance between the positive side power line and the ground electrode and a charge state of a negative side electrostatic capacitance between the negative side power line and the ground electrode from non-equilibrium states to equilibrium states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignees: YAZAKI CORPORATION, HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Kawamura, Mitsunori Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9368813
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes a laminated body in which a plurality of electricity generation cells are laminated and is provided with a reaction gas discharge through hole which discharges a reaction gas used in an electricity generation reaction. An end plate is arranged at one end in the lamination direction of the laminated body and is provided with a reaction gas outlet which communicates with the reaction gas discharge through hole. A drainage structure has an outlet pipe coupled to the reaction gas outlet. A tip end portion of the outlet pipe on the downstream side in the reaction gas discharge flow direction opens downward. Umbrella-shaped protrusion portions are provided within the outlet pipe. These protrusion portions have a shape which tapers toward the upstream side with respect to the reaction gas discharge flow direction, dividing the continuous flow of the discharged liquid and the reaction gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Kuwayama, Kazuya Sasamoto, Mitsunori Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20160059734
    Abstract: A fuel cell vehicle includes a fuel cell, a fuel storage container, a container installation space, a fill lid box, and a fuel gas detector. The fuel cell is to generate power through an electrochemical reaction between a fuel gas and an oxidant gas. At least part of the fuel storage container is disposed in the container installation space. The fill lid box includes a gas fill port inside the fill lid box and has a communication hole to connect an inside of the fill lid box with the container installation space. The fuel gas is to be supplied through the gas fill port into the fuel storage container from an outside of the fuel cell vehicle. The fuel gas detector is disposed inside the fill lid box to detect a fuel gas leakage and to detect a fuel gas density in the container installation space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro SUZUKI, Mitsunori MATSUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20150270562
    Abstract: A stack case of a fuel cell vehicle contains a fuel cell stack, and the stack case is mounted in a front room. Openings are formed at one pair of diagonal positions of an upper panel forming an upper surface of the stack case. The inner space of the stack case is connected to the outside through the openings. Exhaust gas ducts connected to the openings are opened to the outside of the front room.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Publication date: September 24, 2015
    Inventors: Hideharu NAITO, Takayuki NISHIYAMA, Mitsunori MATSUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20150125775
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes a laminated body in which a plurality of electricity generation cells are laminated and is provided with a reaction gas discharge through hole which discharges a reaction gas used in an electricity generation reaction. An end plate is arranged at one end in the lamination direction of the laminated body and is provided with a reaction gas outlet which communicates with the reaction gas discharge through hole. A drainage structure has an outlet pipe coupled to the reaction gas outlet. A tip end portion of the outlet pipe on the downstream side in the reaction gas discharge flow direction opens downward. Umbrella-shaped protrusion portions are provided within the outlet pipe. These protrusion portions have a shape which tapers toward the upstream side with respect to the reaction gas discharge flow direction, dividing the continuous flow of the discharged liquid and the reaction gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Inventors: Takashi Kuwayama, Kazuya Sasamoto, Mitsunori Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9017896
    Abstract: An fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a fuel cell box, a ventilation device, an air intake duct, and a gas outlet pipe. The fuel cell is disposed in the fuel cell box. The ventilation device is provided to supply air to the fuel cell box. The air intake duct connects the ventilation device to the fuel cell box to supply air from the ventilation device into the fuel cell box. The gas outlet pipe is connected to the air intake duct and connects an inside space of the fuel cell box to an outside space of the fuel cell box through the air intake duct. The gas outlet pipe has an opening cross-sectional area smaller than an opening cross-sectional area of the air intake duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsunori Matsumoto, Kazunori Fukuma
  • Patent number: 8936885
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell formed by stacking a plurality of power generation cells, and an oxygen-containing gas supply apparatus for supplying an oxygen-containing gas to the fuel cell. The oxygen-containing gas supply apparatus includes an oxygen-containing gas supply channel connected to an oxygen-containing gas inlet of the fuel cell for allowing the oxygen-containing gas to flow from an air pump into the oxygen-containing gas inlet, a branch supply channel branched from the oxygen-containing gas supply channel and which is opened to the inside of a fuel cell chamber, an oxygen-containing gas discharge channel for discharging an oxygen-containing off gas from the fuel cell, and an oxygen-containing off gas circulation channel one end of which is connected to the oxygen-containing gas discharge channel, and another end of which is connected to the oxygen-containing gas supply channel at a position upstream from the air pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsunori Matsumoto, Takatsugu Koyama
  • Publication number: 20140333321
    Abstract: An insulation state detecting device includes a positive side input terminal connected to a positive side power line of a high voltage DC power supply, a negative side input terminal connected to a negative side power line of the high voltage DC power supply, a ground electrode, a controller that detects insulation states between the positive side power line and the negative side power line and the ground electrode based on a charge voltage of a flying capacitor, and an equilibrium state forming circuit that promotes an operation of transiting a charge state of a positive side electrostatic capacitance between the positive side power line and the ground electrode and a charge state of a negative side electrostatic capacitance between the negative side power line and the ground electrode from non-equilibrium states to equilibrium states.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Kawamura, Mitsunori Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8663860
    Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel cell system which includes a fuel cell having an anode and a cathode and for producing electricity through reaction between the fuel gas and the oxidant gas, a fuel gas supply path through which the fuel gas passes, an oxidant gas supply path through which the oxidant gas passes, a voltage sensing device for detecting voltage produced by the fuel cell during power generation, and a decision device for determining whether or not cross leakage occurs between the anode and the cathode of the fuel cell, based on voltage information sent from the voltage sensing device. Moreover, the decision device determines that the cross leakage occurs between the anode and the cathode, if the voltage produced by the fuel cell is less than a predetermined value during the power generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takatsugu Koyama, Mitsunori Matsumoto, Akio Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Seiji Tonegawa, Nobutaka Nakajima, Shinjiro Morita
  • Publication number: 20130034795
    Abstract: An fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a fuel cell box, a ventilation device, an air intake duct, and a gas outlet pipe. The fuel cell is disposed in the fuel cell box. The ventilation device is provided to supply air to the fuel cell box. The air intake duct connects the ventilation device to the fuel cell box to supply air from the ventilation device into the fuel cell box. The gas outlet pipe is connected to the air intake duct and connects an inside space of the fuel cell box to an outside space of the fuel cell box through the air intake duct. The gas outlet pipe has an opening cross-sectional area smaller than an opening cross-sectional area of the air intake duct.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsunori MATSUMOTO, Kazunori FUKUMA
  • Publication number: 20130034786
    Abstract: A method of starting a fuel cell system for a vehicle includes determining whether or not an activation signal of a fuel cell provided in the fuel cell system has been inputted, operating, if it is determined that the activation signal has been inputted, a cooling medium circulation pump to supply a cooling medium to an impurity removal mechanism for reducing a conductivity of the cooling medium, and driving an oxidant gas supply device and a fuel gas supply device in the fuel cell system to start activation of the fuel cell if it is determined that the conductivity of the cooling medium is less than or equal to a predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsunori MATSUMOTO, Kazuyoshi MIYAJIMA
  • Publication number: 20120301798
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell formed by stacking a plurality of power generation cells, and an oxygen-containing gas supply apparatus for supplying an oxygen-containing gas to the fuel cell. The oxygen-containing gas supply apparatus includes an oxygen-containing gas supply channel connected to an oxygen-containing gas inlet of the fuel cell for allowing the oxygen-containing gas to flow from an air pump into the oxygen-containing gas inlet, a branch supply channel branched from the oxygen-containing gas supply channel and which is opened to the inside of a fuel cell chamber, an oxygen-containing gas discharge channel for discharging an oxygen-containing off gas from the fuel cell, and an oxygen-containing off gas circulation channel one end of which is connected to the oxygen-containing gas discharge channel, and another end of which is connected to the oxygen-containing gas supply channel at a position upstream from the air pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsunori MATSUMOTO, Takatsugu KOYAMA
  • Patent number: 8268470
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a ventilator of fuel-cell vehicles for ventilating hydrogen in the hydrogen-system unit area arranging a hydrogen circulating device in the fuel-cell vehicles boarding the fuel cell. The ventilator of fuel-cell vehicle includes a first ventilating device for taking ventilating air in from a front side of the fuel-cell vehicle to hydrogen-system unit area arranging the fuel cell, the hydrogen supply device, and the hydrogen exhaust device in the center of front and rear direction of the fuel-cell vehicle; and a second ventilating device for sucking the ventilating air taken in from the rear end of vehicle body of the fuel-cell vehicle to the hydrogen-system unit area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsunori Matsumoto, Masahiro Matsutani