Patents by Inventor Mizuo Sakai

Mizuo Sakai 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: 20240133573
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes configured to, when a cooling operation mode is changed into one of multiple dehumidifying operation modes, select the one of the multiple dehumidifying operation modes on the basis of a value of a sensible heat ratio difference ?SHF that is a difference between a target sensible heat ratio acquired from an indoor temperature detected by an indoor temperature sensor, a target indoor temperature, and target indoor humidity and a theoretical minimum possible sensible heat ratio acquired from enthalpy of an indoor air, enthalpy of blown air from the indoor unit when relative humidity is 100%, and enthalpy of sensible heat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuya HONDA, Naofumi TAKENAKA, Jumpei TAKAGI, Masafumi TOMITA, Mizuo SAKAI
  • Patent number: 11879649
    Abstract: An outdoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus includes a casing, and grasp portions provided at corner portions of the casing in plan view. Each grasp portion includes an outer peripheral portion at an outer periphery, and a finger hook portion protruding downward from an upper part of the outer peripheral portion and extending in a lateral direction of the finger hook portion. The outer peripheral portion includes a first opening such that a lower end portion of the finger hook portion is exposed as seen in a horizontal direction and a direction perpendicular to the lateral direction, a second opening below the finger hook portion and continuous with the first opening, and a third opening behind the finger hook portion and continuous with the second opening, the second opening and the third opening are at one of the lateral end portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Mizuo Sakai, Noka Sakabe, Tetsuya Yamashita, Masafumi Tomita, Hirokazu Murakami, Yuya Hata
  • Publication number: 20230408122
    Abstract: An air-conditioning device includes: a main circuit in which a refrigerant circulates; a flow channel-switching unit configured to select a certain parallel heat exchanger as a defrosting target; a bypass pipe; a temperature-detecting unit; an operation control unit configured to operate the flow channel-switching unit such that an operation mode is switched between a normal heating operation mode in which the plurality of parallel heat exchangers serve as evaporators and a defrosting heating operation mode in which one parallel heat exchanger is selected as the defrosting target to cause part of the refrigerant to flow thereinto via the bypass pipe and the other parallel heat exchangers serves as an evaporator; and an erroneous installation-sensing unit configured to sense erroneous installation of an installed component based on a magnitude relationship between the detected temperatures in the plurality of parallel heat exchangers detected by the temperature-detecting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Kazuya WATANABE, Mizuo SAKAI, Ryosuke OKAZAWA
  • Publication number: 20230383980
    Abstract: An air-conditioning system includes an air-conditioning apparatus, a storage device, a deterioration estimation unit, a lifetime calculation circuitry, a control construction circuitry, and an air-conditioning control circuitry. The storage device stores the values of a plurality of contrast parameters indicating the operating status of a plurality of air-conditioning apparatuses including a contrast air-conditioning apparatus that is identical in condition to the air-conditioning apparatus and stores contrast deterioration information items indicating on a time-series basis the degree of deterioration. The deterioration estimation circuitry estimates, based on the values of an operation parameter and a contrast parameter, the degree of deterioration of the air-conditioning apparatus. The lifetime calculation circuitry extracts, based on the degree of deterioration, an extracted deterioration information item.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: Mizuo SAKAI, Satoshi AKITOMO, Tetsuya YAMASHITA, Takahiro NARUI, Kazuya WATANABE
  • Patent number: 11802726
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle device includes a compressor to compress refrigerant, a suction-side detector to detect a pressure of the refrigerant to be suctioned into the compressor, a discharge-side detector to detect a pressure of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor, and controlling circuitry that controls the compressor. When the ratio of a second pressure value detected by the discharge-side detector to a first pressure value detected by the suction-side detector is not between a predetermined upper limit and a predetermined lower limit, the controlling circuitry controls the compressor such that the ratio falls between the predetermined upper limit and the predetermined lower limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Matsuo, Masafumi Tomita, Mizuo Sakai
  • Patent number: 11761676
    Abstract: An outdoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus includes: a terminal unit that is provided on an outer peripheral surface of a compressor, and electrically connects components provided in the compressor and outside the compressor; a side soundproof cover that covers the outer peripheral surface of the compressor except for the terminal unit; and a terminal cover that covers the terminal unit exposed from the side soundproof cover to the outside of the side soundproof cover, and soundproofs the terminal unit. The terminal cover is attached to the side soundproof cover such that the state of the terminal cover can be changed between a state in which the terminal cover covers the terminal unit and a state in which the terminal cover does not cover the terminal unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Motoki Otsuka, Noka Sakabe, Mizuo Sakai, Tetsuya Yamashita, Masafumi Tomita
  • Publication number: 20230121703
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes a compressor, an outdoor fan, and a controller configured to perform a fan intermittent operation for causing the outdoor fan to run and stop repeatedly after the compressor stops. The controller is configured to, in the fan intermittent operation, in a case where the outdoor fan is running and there is no snow accumulation on the outdoor fan, change a stop upper limit time for the outdoor fan depending on a running time of the outdoor fan in the fan intermittent operation and cause the outdoor fan to stop running after changing the stop upper limit time for the outdoor fan. The controller is configured to, in a case where a stop time of the outdoor fan exceeds the changed stop upper limit time, cause the outdoor fan to run.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2020
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuya WATANABE, Shohei ISHIMURA, Mizuo SAKAI
  • Patent number: 11486590
    Abstract: A soundproof part that covers a compressor includes a side surface cover including two or more sound absorbing materials and two or more sound insulating materials, and configured to cover a side surface of the compressor. The two or more sound insulating materials include sound insulating materials having different specific gravities. The side surface cover is formed such that one sound absorbing material is disposed adjacent to the compressor, and a sound absorbing material and a sound insulating material are alternately arranged. The side surface cover is also formed such that as a distance from the compressor increases, the sound insulating materials having relatively lower specific gravities are disposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Mizuo Sakai, Noka Sakabe, Tetsuya Yamashita, Hirokazu Murakami, Yuya Hata, Motoki Otsuka
  • Publication number: 20210325097
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle device includes a compressor to compress refrigerant, a suction-side detector to detect a pressure of the refrigerant to be suctioned into the compressor, a discharge-side detector to detect a pressure of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor, and a control device having a function of controlling the compressor when the ratio of a second pressure value detected by the discharge-side detector to a first pressure value detected by the suction-side detector is not between a predetermined upper limit and a predetermined lower limit, such that the ratio falls between the upper limit and the lower limit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi MATSUO, Masafumi TOMITA, Mizuo SAKAI
  • Patent number: 11067304
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus enables a user to recognize both a leakage of refrigerant and an abnormal condition when a refrigerant leakage condition and the abnormal condition have occurred. When a condition in which a leakage of refrigerant is detected and a condition in which an abnormality is detected have occurred together, the refrigerant leakage condition and the abnormal condition are displayed together on a display part. Consequently, when the condition in which the leakage of refrigerant is detected and the condition in which the abnormality is detected have occurred, the user is allowed to recognize the leakage of refrigerant and the abnormal condition at once.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masafumi Tomita, Kazuki Okada, Mizuo Sakai
  • Publication number: 20210207820
    Abstract: A soundproof part that covers a compressor includes a side surface cover including two or more sound absorbing materials and two or more sound insulating materials, and configured to cover a side surface of the compressor. The two or more sound insulating materials include sound insulating materials having different specific gravities. The side surface cover is formed such that one sound absorbing material is disposed adjacent to the compressor, and a sound absorbing material and a sound insulating material are alternately arranged. The side surface cover is also formed such that as a distance from the compressor increases, the sound insulating materials having relatively lower specific gravities are disposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventors: Mizuo SAKAI, Noka SAKABE, Tetsuya YAMASHITA, Hirokazu MURAKAMI, Yuya HATA, Motoki OTSUKA
  • Publication number: 20210207822
    Abstract: An outdoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus includes a casing, and grasp portions provided at at least two respective positions at corner portions of the casing as seen in plan view. The grasp portions each include an outer peripheral portion forming an outer periphery of each grasp portion, and a finger hook portion protruding downward from an upper part of the outer peripheral portion and extending in a lateral direction of the finger hook portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventors: Mizuo SAKAI, Noka SAKABE, Tetsuya YAMASHITA, Masafumi TOMITA, Hirokazu MURAKAMI, Yuya HATA
  • Publication number: 20200333040
    Abstract: An outdoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus includes: a terminal unit that is provided on an outer peripheral surface of a compressor, and electrically connects components provided in the compressor and outside the compressor; a side soundproof cover that covers the outer peripheral surface of the compressor except for the terminal unit; and a terminal cover that covers the terminal unit exposed from the side soundproof cover to the outside of the side soundproof cover, and soundproofs the terminal unit. The terminal cover is attached to the side soundproof cover such that the state of the terminal cover can be changed between a state in which the terminal cover covers the terminal unit and a state in which the terminal cover does not cover the terminal unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventors: Motoki OTSUKA, Noka SAKABE, Mizuo SAKAI, Tetsuya YAMASHITA, Masafumi TOMITA
  • Patent number: 10753658
    Abstract: A control unit is configured to set a rotation speed of a compressor to be lower than that in a defrosting operation and set an opening degree of a pressure reducing device to be equal to or greater than that in the defrosting operation during a first control time after completion of the defrosting operation, stop the compressor and set the opening degree of the pressure reducing device to be less than that in the first control time during a second control time after lapse of the first control time, and control a refrigerant circuit switching device to resume a heating operation after lapse of the second control time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Kanaya, Masanori Aoki, Mizuo Sakai, Yasuhiro Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20190383511
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus enables a user to recognize both a leakage of refrigerant and an abnormal condition when a refrigerant leakage condition and the abnormal condition have occurred. When a condition in which a leakage of refrigerant is detected and a condition in which an abnormality is detected have occurred together, the refrigerant leakage condition and the abnormal condition are displayed together on a display part. Consequently, when the condition in which the leakage of refrigerant is detected and the condition in which the abnormality is detected have occurred, the user is allowed to recognize the leakage of refrigerant and the abnormal condition at once.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2017
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: Masafumi TOMITA, Kazuki OKADA, Mizuo SAKAI
  • Patent number: 10429109
    Abstract: A refrigerant circuit includes: plural gas/liquid separators adapted to separate a two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant into refrigerant vapor and refrigerant liquid; a channel switching valve connected upstream of the gas/liquid separators and adapted to switch channels for the two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant by opening and closing; an evaporating heat exchanger adapted to accept inflow of the refrigerant liquid or the two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant, the refrigerant liquid produced by separation by the gas/liquid separators; a header installed upstream of the evaporating heat exchanger perpendicularly or at angles to the evaporating heat exchanger; a compressor installed downstream of the evaporating heat exchanger; and plural bypass routes connected to the respective gas/liquid separators and adapted to allow passage of the refrigerant vapor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoji Onaka, Takashi Matsumoto, Mizuo Sakai, Hiroaki Nakamune, Hiroki Murakami
  • Patent number: 10240837
    Abstract: An outdoor unit includes at least a compressor, a gas-liquid separator, and an outdoor heat exchanger of a refrigerant circuit, the refrigerant circuit being formed by connecting, by pipes, the compressor, a condenser, a pressure reducing device, the gas-liquid separator, and the outdoor heat exchanger that acts as an evaporator including at least a plurality of heat transfer tubes and an inlet header that distributes incoming refrigerant to the heat transfer tubes. The outdoor unit further includes a gas-liquid-separator bypass pipe, a gas-liquid-separator-side flow control valve, a header bypass pipe, a header-side flow control valve, and a determination device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yoji Onaka, Takashi Matsumoto, Mizuo Sakai, Hiroki Murakami, Hiroaki Nakamune
  • Patent number: 10228171
    Abstract: An accumulator includes a container, a low pressure refrigerant inlet tube, and a low pressure refrigerant outlet body including an upstream-side tubular section, a low pressure refrigerant turning back section and a downstream-side tubular section in the container. At least a part of the upstream-side tubular section is covered by a first outer tube with a gap between the upstream-side tubular section and the first outer tube, at least a part of the downstream-side tubular section is covered by a second outer tube with a gap between the downstream-side tubular section and the second outer tube, the first outer tube and the second outer tube communicate with each other via a bridging tube, and high pressure refrigerant passes through the gap between the upstream-side tubular section and the first outer tube, the bridging tube, and the gap between the downstream-side tubular section and the second outer tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Jumpei Kudo, Mizuo Sakai, Yusuke Shimazu, Masanori Aoki, Motoki Otsuka
  • Publication number: 20180356138
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a flow switching device, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an indoor heat exchanger are connected by pipes and through which refrigerant flows, and a control device controlling an operation of the refrigerant circuit to perform switching between a heating operation and a defrosting operation. The control device includes a determination unit that determines, based on operation information regarding the refrigerant circuit, during the heating operation, whether to change a requirement for starting the defrosting operation, a changing unit that changes the requirement for starting the defrosting operation in accordance with a result of determination by the determination unit, and a switching unit that, when the requirement for starting the defrosting operation is satisfied, causes the flow switching device to perform switching to start the defrosting operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventors: Masahiro TAKAMURA, Masafumi TOMITA, Kazuki OKADA, Mizuo SAKAI
  • Patent number: 10088206
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus controls a decrease in efficiency of a refrigeration cycle, and includes a suction pipe having one end connected to a suction side of a compressor and an other end connected to an evaporator, a receiver connected to a refrigerant pipe connecting the evaporator and a condenser to each other, a first bypass pipe having one end connected to the receiver and an other end connected to the suction pipe and configured to supply refrigerant from the receiver to the suction pipe, a flow control valve provided to the first bypass pipe, a heat recovery portion disposed downstream of a portion of the suction pipe connected to the first bypass pipe, and a control device configured to control an opening degree of the flow control valve based on a degree of superheat of refrigerant in the heat recovery portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Mizuo Sakai, Masanori Aoki, Hirokuni Shiba, Hiroaki Nakamune, Hiroki Murakami