Patents by Inventor Naofumi Kanei

Naofumi Kanei 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: 20230250812
    Abstract: Provided is a reciprocating compressor including a third-stage compression unit, a fifth-stage compression unit, a drive unit, a discharge mechanism, a pressure sensor, and a discharge control unit. The discharge mechanism is capable of discharging hydrogen gas from a second connection pipe that allows hydrogen gas to flow to be suctioned into the third-stage compression unit. The discharge control unit controls the discharge mechanism to discharge the hydrogen gas from the second connection pipe when pressure of the hydrogen gas detected by the pressure sensor is higher than a set value preset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2022
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Daisuke WADA, Naofumi KANEI
  • Publication number: 20220314938
    Abstract: A compressor unit includes: a reciprocating compressor main body having a drive portion and a compression portion driven by the drive portion to compress a hydrogen gas; an electric motor that is a power source of the drive portion; a hydrogen supply flow path which is connected to a suction side flow path and to the compressor main body and through which a hydrogen gas flows; a fuel cell module that is disposed in the hydrogen station, generates electric power using a hydrogen gas guided through the hydrogen supply flow path, and supplies the generated electric power to the electric motor; and an inverter that adjusts a rotation speed of the electric motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Daisuke WADA, Naofumi KANEI
  • Patent number: 11441682
    Abstract: A piston ring is used for a reciprocating compressor. In the piston ring, polytetrafluoroethylene and polyetheretherketone or polyimide account for 50% or more by mass in total. The piston ring does not contain polyphenylene sulfide. The piston ring has a tensile strength within a range of more than 15 MPa and less than 100 MPa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: KOBE STEEL, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Ootsuka, Naofumi Kanei
  • Patent number: 11346332
    Abstract: A piston ring includes a first ring portion which is fitted onto an outer circumferential portion of a piston and which is capable of sliding relative to an inner wall surface of a cylinder, and a second ring portion which is fitted onto the outer circumferential portion of the piston, arranged side-by-side with the first ring portion in the axial direction, and which is capable of sliding relative to the inner wall surface of the cylinder. The second ring portion is fitted onto the outer circumferential portion of the piston in such a way as to be positioned on a side opposite to a compression chamber inside the cylinder, relative to the first ring portion, and has a greater hardness than the first ring portion has.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naofumi Kanei, Tomohiro Otsuka, Hirotaka Ito, Hiroaki Nii
  • Publication number: 20220154709
    Abstract: A compressor includes: a cylinder main body; a valve block; a cylinder head; a first seal group composed of a plurality of seal parts; and a second seal group composed of a plurality of seal parts. The valve block includes a guide-out flow passage which opens between the seal parts composing the first seal group and opens between the seal parts composing the second seal group. The guide-out flow passage is linked to an outer pipe for conveying a leaked gas from a compression chamber to a predetermined place.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Tomohiro OTSUKA, Naofumi KANEI
  • Publication number: 20220120263
    Abstract: A compression stage includes a cylinder, a piston, a first piston ring group, and a second piston ring group. The cylinder includes a first cooling channel through which a cooling fluid for absorbing heat generated between the cylinder and the first piston ring group flows, a second cooling channel through which a cooling fluid for absorbing heat generated between the cylinder and the second piston ring group flows, and an intermediate part disposed between the first cooling channel and the second cooling channel. A communication channel is connected to the intermediate part and a connection pipe, and guides a hydrogen gas leaking from a compression chamber through the first piston ring group to the intermediate part, to the outside of the cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Tomohiro OTSUKA, Naofumi KANEI
  • Publication number: 20220120264
    Abstract: A cylinder in a compression stage is provided with a first cooling channel through which a cooling fluid for absorbing heat generated between the cylinder and a first piston ring group flows, a second cooling channel through which a cooling fluid for absorbing heat generated between the cylinder and a second piston ring group flows, and a through hole penetrating a side wall of the cylinder in an intermediate part between the first cooling channel and the second cooling channel A hydrogen gas leaking from a compression chamber to the intermediate part through between the cylinder and a piston and then guided to a leak line. The leak line includes a piping part and a volume expansion unit in which volume in a predetermined distance range is larger than volume of the piping part at the same distance range as the predetermined distance range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Tomohiro OTSUKA, Naofumi KANEI
  • Patent number: 11267162
    Abstract: In kneading rotors, a twist angle of long wing constituting kneading wings is between 38 degrees and 53 degrees inclusive. The long wing includes, between the long wings and an inner surface of a casing, wing tops configured to form, along a wing longitudinal direction, a first tip clearance, and a second tip clearance narrower than the first tip clearance in width. A central angle of the long wing forming the second tip clearance is between 5 degrees and 10 degrees inclusive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Konishi, Yasuaki Yamane, Naofumi Kanei
  • Publication number: 20220042650
    Abstract: The gas supply apparatus is installed in a site of a facility for replenishing hydrogen gas. The gas supply apparatus includes: a gas treatment unit for treating the hydrogen gas; a housing including a gas unit accommodation part fix accommodating the gas treatment unit; and a duct part for allowing the air to flow out of or into the gas unit accommodation part. The housing includes a side section and a top section each having a barrier member. The duct part includes an inner opening section opened horizontally to the gas unit accommodation part, a passage section joining the inner opening section, and an outer opening section causing the passage section to open to an outside of the housing. The duct part has a barrier member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Daisuke WADA, Akira MATSUOKA, Naofumi KANEI
  • Publication number: 20210370222
    Abstract: To provide a hydrogen gas supply device with which pressure resistance of a filter that catches sulfur components contained in a hydrogen gas is improved. A hydrogen gas supply device for a hydrogen station includes a compression portion that compresses a hydrogen gas by reciprocating motion of a piston, in which a piston ring containing sulfur components is mounted on the piston, a filter arranged on the downstream side of the compression portion, the filter that catches sulfur components contained in the hydrogen gas, and a first pipe connecting the compression portion and the filter. The filter includes an element portion having activated carbon onto which the sulfur components contained in the hydrogen gas are absorbable, and a steel housing portion that houses the element portion, in which a gas introduction passage that communicates with the first pipe and guides the hydrogen gas to the element portion is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Naofumi KANEI, Daisuke WADA, Koichiro HASHIMOTO
  • Patent number: 11168620
    Abstract: A gas supply system includes a first tank, a first path into which a first gas generated by vaporization of a first low-temperature liquefied gas flows, a gas boosting mechanism being disposed in the first path, a second path that is a path configured to extract the first low-temperature liquefied gas from the first tank, a pump and a vaporization mechanism being disposed in the second path and a reliquefaction path that is a path configured to liquefy at least part of the first gas extracted from an upstream side of the gas boosting mechanism in the first path and to cause the liquefied first gas to flow into an upstream side of the pump in the second path, a cooling heat exchanger configured to cool the first gas by a second low-temperature liquefied gas or a second gas being disposed in the reliquefaction path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naofumi Kanei, Kenji Nagura
  • Patent number: 11148325
    Abstract: Provided is a dust stop device for a sealed kneader, the device being capable of excellent supply of lubricating oil. The sealed kneader includes a pair of rotors and a supporting member. The dust stop device includes a rotating ring attached to each rotor and a stationary ring attached to the supporting member. Both the rings have respective contact surfaces which make surface contact with each other. The stationary ring has a lubricating-oil supply portion with a through-hole. A part of the through-hole, the part including a part opened in the contact surface, is a long hole extending along a circumferential direction of rotation of the rotating ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naofumi Kanei, Koichi Miyake, Hikaru Hamada
  • Patent number: 11085429
    Abstract: A compression device (1) includes compression portions, a suction line, connection lines, a discharge line, and display portions (d) configured to display pressure values, pressure gauges (PG1 to PG6) provided for at least one of the suction line, the connection lines, and the discharge line and a housing (40). The housing (40) includes a peripheral wall (42) and a door (44). The pressure gauges (PG1 to PG6) are situated at positions to face the door (44).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichiro Hashimoto, Naofumi Kanei, Takuya Washio, Daisuke Wada, Ryosuke Mori
  • Publication number: 20210156371
    Abstract: A piston ring includes a first ring portion which is fitted onto an outer circumferential portion of a piston and which is capable of sliding relative to an inner wall surface of a cylinder, and a second ring portion which is fitted onto the outer circumferential portion of the piston, arranged side-by-side with the first ring portion in the axial direction, and which is capable of sliding relative to the inner wall surface of the cylinder. The second ring portion is fitted onto the outer circumferential portion of the piston in such a way as to be positioned on a side opposite to a compression chamber inside the cylinder, relative to the first ring portion, and has a greater hardness than the first ring portion has.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Naofumi KANEI, Tomohiro OTSUKA, Hirotaka ITO, Hiroaki NII
  • Publication number: 20210154886
    Abstract: In kneading rotors, a twist angle of long wing constituting kneading wings is between 38 degrees and 53 degrees inclusive. The long wing includes, between the long wings and an inner surface of a casing, wing tops configured to form, along a wing longitudinal direction, a first tip clearance, and a second tip clearance narrower than the first tip clearance in width. A central angle of the long wing forming the second tip clearance is between 5 degrees and 10 degrees inclusive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Akira KONISHI, Yasuaki YAMANE, Naofumi KANEI
  • Publication number: 20200408302
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a compressor configured to compress gas. The compressor includes: a cylinder part; a piston disposed in the cylinder part to form in the cylinder part a compression chamber in which the gas is compressed, the piston being configured to compress the gas in the compression chamber; a first sealing part located adjacent to the compression chamber and attached to an outer circumference of the piston, and formed mainly containing at least one type of component that is selected from a group of polyetheretherketone, polyimide, and polybenzimidazole; and a second sealing part located more separated from the compression chamber than the first sealing part is from the compression chamber and attached to the outer circumference of the piston, the second sealing part having a hardness equal to or smaller than that of the first sealing part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Naofumi KANEI, Tomohiro OTSUKA
  • Publication number: 20200340582
    Abstract: A piston ring is used for a reciprocating compressor. In the piston ring, polytetrafluoroethylene and polyetheretherketone or polyimide account for 50% or more by mass in total. The piston ring does not contain polyphenylene sulfide. The piston ring has a tensile strength within a range of more than 15 MPa and less than 100 MPa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Tomohiro OOTSUKA, Naofumi KANEI
  • Publication number: 20190376862
    Abstract: A compression device (1) includes compression portions, a suction line, connection lines, a discharge line, and display portions (d) configured to display pressure values, pressure gauges (PG1 to PG6) provided for at least one of the suction line, the connection lines, and the discharge line and a housing (40). The housing (40) includes a peripheral wall (42) and a door (44). The pressure gauges (PG1 to PG6) are situated at positions to face the door (44).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Koichiro HASHIMOTO, Naofumi KANEI, Takuya WASHIO, Daisuke WADA, Ryosuke MORI
  • Publication number: 20190368426
    Abstract: A gas supply system includes a first tank, a first path into which a first gas generated by vaporization of a first low-temperature liquefied gas flows, a gas boosting mechanism being disposed in the first path, a second path that is a path configured to extract the first low-temperature liquefied gas from the first tank, a pump and a vaporization mechanism being disposed in the second path and a reliquefaction path that is a path configured to liquefy at least part of the first gas extracted from an upstream side of the gas boosting mechanism in the first path and to cause the liquefied first gas to flow into an upstream side of the pump in the second path, a cooling heat exchanger configured to cool the first gas by a second low-temperature liquefied gas or a second gas being disposed in the reliquefaction path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Naofumi KANEI, Kenji NAGURA
  • Patent number: 10495118
    Abstract: Provided is a hydraulic drive device, wherein the hydraulic drive device is provided with: a cylinder (101); a rod (103); a piston (102); a hydraulic pump (107); a tank (113); a valve (106) that can be switched between a positive state of connecting the hydraulic pump (107) and a head chamber (101h) and connecting a rod chamber (101r) and the tank (113), and a negative state of connecting the hydraulic pump (107) and the rod chamber (101r) and connecting the head chamber (101h) and the tank (113); and a confluence channel (114) at which, when the valve (106) is in the positive state, at least a portion of hydraulic oil going from the rod chamber (101r) to the tank (113) is merged into hydraulic oil going from the hydraulic pump (107) to the head chamber (101h).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Eguchi, Yoshiharu Nishida, Naofumi Kanei, Hideto Fujiwara