Patents by Inventor Mitsuru KAWASHIMA
Mitsuru KAWASHIMA 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: 11460206Abstract: A refrigerant detection apparatus that is able to detect refrigerant having leaked in a plurality of rooms using sensors the number of which is smaller than the number of rooms serving as detection targets includes a sensor configured to be able to detect refrigerant being filled in a refrigerant pipe of an air conditioner, and a casing that houses the sensor. The casing has a first opening configured to be able to connect to the inside of a room, and a second opening configured to be able to connect to the inside of a room different from the room being able to be connected to the first opening.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2017Date of Patent: October 4, 2022Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventor: Mitsuru Kawashima
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Patent number: 11262097Abstract: An indoor unit includes an air-sending fan, an air inlet through which air of an indoor space is sucked in, and an air outlet located above the air inlet and through which the air sucked in through the air inlet is blown out to the indoor space. A control unit activates the air-sending fan when leakage of the refrigerant is detected. When M [kg] represents an amount of charge of the refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle, LFL [kg/m3] represents a lower flammable limit of the refrigerant, A [m2] represents a floor area of the indoor space, and Ho [m] represents a height of the air outlet above a floor surface of the indoor space, the amount of charge M, the lower flammable limit LFL, the floor area A, and the height Ho satisfy a relationship of M<LFL×A×Ho.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2019Date of Patent: March 1, 2022Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Yasuhiro Suzuki, Takao Komai, Akira Maeda, Mitsuru Kawashima
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Patent number: 11199337Abstract: An air conditioner that includes a refrigerant circuit connecting a plurality of indoor heat exchangers in parallel and is able to complete collection of refrigerant to the side of an outdoor heat exchanger in a shorter time when the refrigerant has leaked at any indoor heat exchanger is provided. Thus, in the air conditioner according to the present invention, when refrigerant leak is detected by a refrigerant leak sensor provided in an indoor unit and refrigerant leak is not detected by a refrigerant leak sensor provided in an indoor unit, an indoor LEV and a cutoff valve are closed to isolate an indoor heat exchanger of the indoor unit from the refrigerant circuit in a refrigerant pump-down operation. When refrigerant leak is detected by the refrigerant leak sensor and refrigerant leak is not detected by the refrigerant leak sensor, an indoor LEV and a cutoff valve are closed.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2018Date of Patent: December 14, 2021Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Mitsuru Kawashima, Katsuhiro Ishimura
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Patent number: 11175080Abstract: A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a refrigeration circuit in which non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture circulates. The refrigeration circuit includes a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and a four-way valve. The four-way valve is configured to assume a first state and a second state. The outdoor heat exchanger includes a plurality of refrigerant flow paths and a linear flow path switching valve configured to switch connections of the plurality of refrigerant flow paths between a series state in which the non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture flows through the plurality of refrigerant flow paths in series and a parallel state in which the non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture flows through the plurality of refrigerant flow paths in parallel. A controller switches the linear flow path switching valve between the series state and the parallel state when a multi-way valve is in the second state.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2016Date of Patent: November 16, 2021Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Takumi Nishiyama, Kosuke Tanaka, Mitsuru Kawashima
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Publication number: 20210010704Abstract: An air conditioner that includes a refrigerant circuit connecting a plurality of indoor heat exchangers in parallel and is able to complete collection of refrigerant to the side of an outdoor heat exchanger in a shorter time when the refrigerant has leaked at any indoor heat exchanger is provided. Thus, in the air conditioner according to the present invention, when refrigerant leak is detected by a refrigerant leak sensor provided in an indoor unit and refrigerant leak is not detected by a refrigerant leak sensor provided in an indoor unit, an indoor LEV and a cutoff valve are closed to isolate an indoor heat exchanger of the indoor unit from the refrigerant circuit in a refrigerant pump-down operation. When refrigerant leak is detected by the refrigerant leak sensor and refrigerant leak is not detected by the refrigerant leak sensor, an indoor LEV and a cutoff valve are closed.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 9, 2018Publication date: January 14, 2021Inventors: Mitsuru KAWASHIMA, Katsuhiro ISHIMURA
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Patent number: 10852007Abstract: A heat pump device can discharge air in a heat medium circuit regardless of the height positions of two bodies of the heat pump device and prevents refrigerant outflow when the refrigerant enters the heat medium circuit in the liquid heat exchanger. A pump causes the liquid heat medium to flow in a predetermined circulatory direction in a heat medium pipe, and a liquid heat exchanger, a first air vent valve and a second air vent valve are arranged in this order along a circulatory direction.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2016Date of Patent: December 1, 2020Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventor: Mitsuru Kawashima
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Publication number: 20200056802Abstract: An indoor unit includes an air-sending fan, an air inlet through which air of an indoor space is sucked in, and an air outlet located above the air inlet and through which the air sucked in through the air inlet is blown out to the indoor space. A control unit activates the air-sending fan when leakage of the refrigerant is detected. When M [kg] represents an amount of charge of the refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle, LFL [kg/m3] represents a lower flammable limit of the refrigerant, A [m2] represents a floor area of the indoor space, and Ho [m] represents a height of the air outlet above a floor surface of the indoor space, the amount of charge M, the lower flammable limit LFL, the floor area A, and the height Ho satisfy a relationship of M<LFL×A×Ho.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2019Publication date: February 20, 2020Inventors: Yasuhiro SUZUKI, Takao KOMAI, Akira MAEDA, Mitsuru KAWASHIMA
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Publication number: 20190383508Abstract: A refrigerant detection apparatus that is able to detect refrigerant having leaked in a plurality of rooms using sensors the number of which is smaller than the number of rooms serving as detection targets includes a sensor configured to be able to detect refrigerant being filled in a refrigerant pipe of an air conditioner, and a casing that houses the sensor. The casing has a first opening configured to be able to connect to the inside of a room, and a second opening configured to be able to connect to the inside of a room different from the room being able to be connected to the first opening.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2017Publication date: December 19, 2019Inventor: Mitsuru KAWASHIMA
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Publication number: 20190331346Abstract: Provided is a heat pump device capable of discharging air in a heat medium circuit regardless of the height of the positions of two bodies, and capable of preventing a refrigerant from flowing out into a body not housing a liquid heat exchanger when the refrigerant enters the heat medium circuit in the liquid heat exchanger. To achieve this, the heat pump device includes: a refrigerant pipe connecting a compressor, a decompressor, an air heat exchanger, and a liquid heat exchanger circularly; a heat medium pipe connecting the liquid heat exchanger and a pump circularly; first and second air vent valves capable of discharging gas in the heat medium pipe to the outside; a first body housing the compressor, the decompressor, the air heat exchanger, the liquid heat exchanger, the refrigerant pipe, and the first air vent valve; and a second body housing the second air vent valve.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2016Publication date: October 31, 2019Inventor: Mitsuru KAWASHIMA
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Publication number: 20190277549Abstract: A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a refrigeration circuit in which non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture circulates. The refrigeration circuit includes a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and a four-way valve. The four-way valve is configured to assume a first state and a second state. The outdoor heat exchanger includes a plurality of refrigerant flow paths and a linear flow path switching valve configured to switch connections of the plurality of refrigerant flow paths between a series state in which the non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture flows through the plurality of refrigerant flow paths in series and a parallel state in which the non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture flows through the plurality of refrigerant flow paths in parallel. A controller switches the linear flow path switching valve between the series state and the parallel state when a multi-way valve is in the second state.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2016Publication date: September 12, 2019Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Takumi NISHIYAMA, Kosuke TANAKA, Mitsuru KAWASHIMA
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Patent number: 10393413Abstract: A load unit includes a water circuit chamber configured to accommodate at least a part of a water circuit configured to allow water to flow therethrough, a fan, an air inlet formed at a height positioned different from that of the air inlet and configured to suck indoor air therethrough, an air outlet configured to blow indoors the air sucked through the air inlet, and an air passage formed between the air inlet and the air outlet so as to be isolated from the water circuit chamber. A load-side heat exchanger is provided in the air passage.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2015Date of Patent: August 27, 2019Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Yasuhiro Suzuki, Yoshihiro Takahashi, Takao Komai, Akira Maeda, Mitsuru Kawashima
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Patent number: 10254030Abstract: A refrigeration cycle device uses a refrigerant having a higher concentration than air under atmospheric pressure, and is capable of preventing a region having a certain refrigerant concentration or higher from being formed even if the refrigerant leaks in a casing of the refrigeration cycle device in a nonenergized state. The refrigeration cycle device includes: a casing having a first opening and a second opening, one of which is an inlet and the other of which is an outlet, and having therein an air course providing communication between the first opening and the second opening; and a refrigerant circuit provided in the air course in the casing and filled with a refrigerant having a higher concentration than air under atmospheric pressure, the casing having a third opening providing communication between the air course and outside of the casing.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2014Date of Patent: April 9, 2019Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Mitsuru Kawashima, Akira Maeda, Takao Komai, Yasuhiro Suzuki
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Publication number: 20180292118Abstract: A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit in which refrigerant circulates, a temperature sensor provided at a position on the refrigerant circuit, the position being adjacent to a brazed portion or adjacent to a joint portion in which refrigerant pipes are joined to each other, and a controller configured to determine whether or not the refrigerant has leaked based on a detected temperature detected by the temperature sensor. The temperature sensor is covered with a heat insulating material together with the brazed portion or the joint portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 17, 2016Publication date: October 11, 2018Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Yasuhiro SUZUKI, Takao KOMAI, Akira MAEDA, Mitsuru KAWASHIMA, Masahiko TAKAGI, Kenyu TANAKA, Kazuki WATANABE
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Publication number: 20170284718Abstract: An indoor unit includes an air-sending fan, an air inlet through which air of an indoor space is sucked in, and an air outlet located above the air inlet and through which the air sucked in through the air inlet is blown out to the indoor space. A control unit activates the air-sending fan when leakage of the refrigerant is detected. When M [kg] represents an amount of charge of the refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle, LFL [kg/m3] represents a lower flammable limit of the refrigerant, A [m2] represents a floor area of the indoor space, and Ho [m] represents a height of the air outlet above a floor surface of the indoor space, the amount of charge M, the lower flammable limit LFL, the floor area A, and the height Ho satisfy a relationship of M<LFL×A×Ho.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 2, 2015Publication date: October 5, 2017Inventors: Yasuhiro SUZUKI, Takao KOMAI, Akira MAEDA, Mitsuru KAWASHIMA
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Publication number: 20170234592Abstract: A refrigeration cycle device uses a refrigerant having a higher concentration than air under atmospheric pressure, and is capable of preventing a region having a certain refrigerant concentration or higher from being formed even if the refrigerant leaks in a casing of the refrigeration cycle device in a nonenergized state. The refrigeration cycle device includes: a casing having a first opening and a second opening, one of which is an inlet and the other of which is an outlet, and having therein an air course providing communication between the first opening and the second opening; and a refrigerant circuit provided in the air course in the casing and filled with a refrigerant having a higher concentration than air under atmospheric pressure, the casing having a third opening providing communication between the air course and outside of the casing.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2014Publication date: August 17, 2017Inventors: Mitsuru KAWASHIMA, Akira MAEDA, Takao KOMAI, Yasuhiro SUZUKI
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Publication number: 20170227262Abstract: A load unit includes a water circuit chamber configured to accommodate at least a part of a water circuit configured to allow water to flow therethrough, a fan, an air inlet formed at a height positioned different from that of the air inlet and configured to suck indoor air therethrough, an air outlet configured to blow indoors the air sucked through the air inlet, and an air passage formed between the air inlet and the air outlet so as to be isolated from the water circuit chamber. A load-side heat exchanger is provided in the air passage.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 4, 2015Publication date: August 10, 2017Inventors: Yasuhiro SUZUKI, Yoshihiro TAKAHASHI, Takao KOMAI, Akira MAEDA, Mitsuru KAWASHIMA