Patents by Inventor Naofumi Takenaka

Naofumi Takenaka 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
  • Publication number: 20240053049
    Abstract: Provided is an air-conditioning apparatus having a low-outside-air-temperature cooling operation mode including: a refrigerant circuit; an outdoor fan; an outdoor air temperature sensor; an indoor heat exchanger intermediate temperature sensor; an indoor heat exchanger outlet temperature sensor; and a controller configured to, when a measured value from the outdoor air temperature sensor is equal to or less than a predetermined value, perform the low-outside-air-temperature cooling operation mode, wherein in the low-outside-air-temperature cooling operation mode, the controller is configured to reduce a rotation speed of the outdoor fan, and to, when a difference between a measured value from the indoor heat exchanger outlet temperature sensor and a measured value from the indoor heat exchanger intermediate temperature sensor is equal to or greater than a first threshold, increase an opening degree of the pressure reducing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shohei ISHIMURA, Naofumi TAKENAKA, Masakazu KONDO, Yoshiyuki TADA, Atsushi KAWASHIMA
  • Patent number: 11892218
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes: a heat-source-side device that heats or cools a heat medium; a pump that sucks and transfers the heat medium; use-side heat exchangers; a heat medium circuit; flow rate control devices; indoor-side pressure sensors; a pump inlet-side pressure sensor and/or a pump outlet-side pressure sensor; a flow rate detection device that detects a pump flow rate; and a controller that performs a first operation in which the flow rate control devices are individually opened or closed and data regarding a flow passage resistance at a path related to each of the heat exchangers is obtained, and a second operation in which heat is supplied to indoor air, and calculates calculate flow rates of the heat medium that flows through the heat exchangers in the second operation, from pump flow rates and pressures detected by the pressure sensors in the first and second operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun Nishio, Soshi Ikeda, Naofumi Takenaka, Yuji Motomura, Katsuhiro Ishimura
  • Patent number: 11815281
    Abstract: An air-conditioning device includes: a heat medium cycle circuit including: a pump, a plurality of indoor heat exchangers, and a plurality of flow control devices configured to control a flow rate of the heat medium through the heat medium cycle circuit; a heat-source-side device configured to heat or cool the heat medium; and a controller that includes a determination processing unit to determine whether the heat medium is caused to pass through the plurality of indoor heat exchangers where heat exchange is stopped, a selection processing unit to select, based on a determination from the determination processing unit, an indoor heat exchanger through which the heat medium is caused to pass from the plurality of indoor heat exchangers where heat exchange is stopped, and an instruction processing unit to instruct a release of a flow control device that corresponds to the indoor heat exchanger selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kimitaka Kadowaki, Naofumi Takenaka
  • Patent number: 11802702
    Abstract: An air conditioning apparatus includes: a second heat exchanger; a plurality of third heat exchangers; and a plurality of flow rate control valves. In a defrosting mode, when a heat exchanger that is not being requested to perform air conditioning includes a first device having a set temperature lower than or equal to a current room temperature and a second device which is set so as not to perform air conditioning, a controller is configured to control a first flow rate control valve corresponding to the first device and a second flow rate control valve corresponding to the second device such that a degree of opening of the first flow rate control valve is higher than or equal to a degree of opening of the second flow rate control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Kato, Yuji Motomura, Naofumi Takenaka, Kimitaka Kadowaki
  • Patent number: 11802724
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes outdoor units each including a compressor and outdoor heat exchanger, refrigerant flowing through the outdoor units; an indoor unit including an indoor heat exchanger, a heat medium flowing through the indoor unit; relay devices to which the outdoor units are connected, and to which the indoor unit is connected, each relay device includes a heat medium heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the heat medium; and a controller. The controller controls action of the outdoor units, the indoor unit, and the relay devices. The controller determines necessity for a defrosting operation; responsive the defrosting operation being necessary, compares an indoor unit total load with an outdoor unit total capacity; and controls an operating frequency of the compressor of an outdoor unit other than the outdoor unit on which the defrosting operation is to be performed to increase the outdoor unit total capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Washiyama, Yuji Motomura, Kimitaka Kadowaki, Koji Azuma, Naofumi Takenaka
  • Publication number: 20230250992
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes an outdoor unit, multiple indoor units, and an intermediate unit. The indoor units each include a flow control device and an indoor controller. The intermediate unit includes an intermediate heat exchanger, a circulation device, and an intermediate controller. When at least one indoor unit starts operating, the intermediate controller determines whether a flow rate of a heat medium flowing into the intermediate heat exchanger is greater than or equal to a minimum flow rate. In response to determining that the flow rate is less than the minimum flow rate, the intermediate controller transmits an open instruction signal, representing an instruction to increase the opening degree of the flow control device, to the indoor controller of the indoor unit that is in a non-operation state. The indoor controller increases the opening degree of the flow control device in response to the received open instruction signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2020
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Koji FURUYA, Naofumi TAKENAKA, Yuji MOTOMURA, Hiroki WASHIYAMA
  • Publication number: 20230175723
    Abstract: An air-conditioning system comprising: a heat source side unit; a use side unit; a relay unit; a refrigerant circuit; a water circuit; a controller configured to operate in a trial operation mode, and configured to operate in a normal operation mode; a first setting unit; a second setting unit; and a third setting unit, wherein the controller is configured to invalidate an error that occurs in the water circuit when the trial operation mode is set, a target for the trial operation in the trial operation mode is set to the refrigerant circuit, and invalidation of an error is set to be active, and invalidate an error that occurs in the refrigerant circuit when the trial operation mode is set, a target for the trial operation in the trial operation mode is set to the water circuit, and invalidation of an error is set to be active.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Nobuhiro WADA, Naofumi TAKENAKA, Yuji MOTOMURA, Takuya ITO
  • Publication number: 20220404061
    Abstract: The heat-medium cycle circuit includes a discharge mechanism including a discharge valve, the discharge mechanism being configured to, when the discharge valve is open, discharge air present inside the heat-medium cycle circuit to the outside of the heat-medium cycle circuit. The air-conditioning apparatus is configured to execute an air discharge operation mode in which the air present inside the heat-medium cycle circuit is discharged to the outside of the heat-medium cycle circuit. The air discharge operation mode includes a first operation mode, and a second operation mode performed after the first operation mode. The first operation mode is an operation mode in which, with the discharge valve being closed, an operation similar to a cooling operation is performed. The second operation mode is an operation mode in which, with the discharge valve being open, an operation similar to a heating operation is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuya HONDA, Naofumi TAKENAKA, Yuji MOTOMURA, Kimitaka KADOWAKI, Koji FURUYA, Hiroki WASHIYAMA
  • Patent number: 11525599
    Abstract: When heating is being performed, and a temperature detected by a temperature sensor is lower than a first determination value, a controller opens the flow rate control valve corresponding to a heat exchanger, of the third heat exchangers, to which a request for air conditioning has not been made, and closes the flow rate control valve corresponding to a heat exchanger, of the third heat exchangers, to which the request for air conditioning has been made. When heating is being performed, and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is higher than a second determination value, the controller opens the flow rate control valve corresponding to the heat exchanger to which the request for air conditioning has been made, and closes the flow rate control valve corresponding to the heat exchanger to which the request for air conditioning has not been made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Kato, Yuji Motomura, Naofumi Takenaka, Kimitaka Kadowaki
  • Patent number: 11525598
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes: a heat-medium transfer device including a pump provided to transfer a heat medium that contains water or brine and transfers heat; a plurality of indoor units each of which includes an indoor heat exchanger provided to cause heat exchange to be performed between indoor air and the heat medium, and a flow control valve provided to adjust a flow rate of the heat medium that flows through the indoor heat exchanger, the plurality of indoor units being connected to the heat-medium transfer device by respective heat medium pipes; and a controller provided to control an opening degree of the flow control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Naofumi Takenaka, Kimitaka Kadowaki, Hiroki Washiyama, Yuji Motomura, Koji Furuya, Jun Nishio, Koji Azuma
  • Publication number: 20220373233
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes: a heat source-side system having an intermediate heat exchanger that causes heat exchange to be performed between a heat source-side heat medium and a use-side heat medium, causes the heat source-side heat medium to receive or transfer heat, and causes the use-side heat medium to undergo a phase change; and a use-side cycle circuit formed of pipes connecting, to one another, the intermediate heat exchanger, a pump that sucks and delivers the use-side heat medium in a liquid state, a use-side heat exchanger that heats or cools air in an air-conditioning target space due to heat exchange causing a change in phase of the use-side heat medium, and a pressure-reducing device that reduces a pressure of the use-side heat medium that passes through the use-side heat exchanger, the use-side cycle circuit causing the use-side heat medium to circulate through the use-side cycle circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Soshi IKEDA, Jun NISHIO, Naofumi TAKENAKA, Katsuhiro ISHIMURA, Yuji MOTOMURA
  • Patent number: 11421907
    Abstract: An air conditioning apparatus has a first mode and a second mode as operation modes. In the first mode, a degree of opening of a first flow rate adjustment valve is fixed to a first degree of opening smaller than 100% and greater than 0%, and an operation frequency of a compressor is varied in accordance with air conditioning performance required of a third heat exchanger. In the second mode, the degree of opening of the first flow rate adjustment valve is varied in accordance with air conditioning performance required of the third heat exchanger. When a difference between the air conditioning performance required of the third heat exchanger and air conditioning performance offered by the third heat exchanger becomes greater than a determination value, the operation mode is changed from the first mode to the second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Kato, Yuji Motomura, Naofumi Takenaka, Kimitaka Kadowaki
  • Patent number: 11397035
    Abstract: An air conditioning apparatus includes, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between a first heat medium and a second heat medium, flow rate control valves, and a pump. In a heating mode, a controller is configured to open the flow rate control valve corresponding to a heat exchanger, of the third heat exchangers, to which a request for air conditioning has been made, and to close the flow rate control valve(s) corresponding to a heat exchanger(s), of the third heat exchangers, to which the request for air conditioning has not been made. In a defrosting mode, when a temperature of the second heat medium is lower than a first determination temperature, the controller is configured to open at least one of the flow rate control valve(s) corresponding to the heat exchanger(s) to which the request for air conditioning has not been made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Kato, Yuji Motomura, Naofumi Takenaka, Kimitaka Kadowaki
  • Publication number: 20220205662
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a refrigerant flow switching device, a heat source side heat exchanger, an expansion device, a heat medium heat exchanger, and an accumulator are connected, a heat medium circuit in which a pump, the heat medium heat exchanger, a heat medium flow control device, and a load side heat exchanger are connected, at least one or more bypass pipes provided in the refrigerant circuit so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor bypasses at least either one of the heat source side heat exchanger and the heat medium heat exchanger, a bypass opening and closing device provided at the bypass pipe, and a controller configured to control the bypass opening and closing device to carry out a start-up control function of causing low-pressure gas refrigerant with a high degree of superheat to flow into the accumulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Katsuhiro ISHIMURA, Naofumi TAKENAKA, Yuji MOTOMURA, Hiroyuki OKANO, Naomichi TAMURA
  • Patent number: 11371755
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus that includes a compressor, a flow switching device, an outdoor heat exchange unit, an expansion section and an indoor heat exchanger, which are connected by pipes, in which the outdoor heat exchange unit includes a first outdoor heat exchanger, a first flow rate control device, a second outdoor heat exchanger, a second flow rate control device, a bypass pipe, the second outdoor heat exchanger, the second flow rate control device, a third flow rate control device, and a flow control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Maruyama, Osamu Morimoto, Hiroyuki Okano, Naofumi Takenaka
  • Publication number: 20220163239
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes: a heat-source-side device that heats or cools a heat medium; a pump that sucks and transfers the heat medium; use-side heat exchangers; a heat medium circuit; flow rate control devices; indoor-side pressure sensors; a pump inlet-side pressure sensor and/or a pump outlet-side pressure sensor; a flow rate detection device that detects a pump flow rate; and a controller that performs a first operation in which the flow rate control devices are individually opened or closed and data regarding a flow passage resistance at a path related to each of the heat exchangers is obtained, and a second operation in which heat is supplied to indoor air, and calculates calculate flow rates of the heat medium that flows through the heat exchangers in the second operation, from pump flow rates and pressures detected by the pressure sensors in the first and second operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Jun NISHIO, Soshi IKEDA, Naofumi TAKENAKA, Yuji MOTOMURA, Katsuhiro ISHIMURA
  • Patent number: 11333388
    Abstract: When a state in which a driving voltage of a pump is set to an upper limit voltage and an opening degree of at least one of a plurality of flow rate control valves is set to a maximum opening degree continues for a first determination time period, an operation frequency of a compressor is raised at a first time so as to increase an amount of heat exchange by a second heat exchanger. When an operation stop request is input, or an indoor temperature reaches a set temperature, in at least one of a plurality of third heat exchangers after the first time, the operation frequency of the compressor is lowered or the driving voltage of the pump is lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Kato, Yuji Motomura, Naofumi Takenaka, Kimitaka Kadowaki
  • Patent number: 11326804
    Abstract: An air-conditioning system includes a plurality of indoor units; a relay unit including an intermediate heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between refrigerant and a heat medium; and a heat source unit configured to supply cooling energy or heating energy to each of the plurality of indoor units via the relay unit. The heat source unit and the relay unit are connected by a heat-source connection pipe through which the refrigerant flows, and the relay unit and the plurality of indoor units are connected by a load connection pipe through which the heat medium flows. The load connection pipe comprises a main pipe connecting between the relay unit and one of the indoor units provided at an end of the load connection pipe opposite to the relay unit. The main pipe has branch parts associated with the indoor units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Naofumi Takenaka, Hiroki Washiyama, Yuji Motomura, Kimitaka Kadowaki
  • Patent number: 11326799
    Abstract: A controller has a timer operation mode in which the operation of a refrigeration cycle that operates as a heat source or a cold source is started before a set operation start time of an indoor fan by a preliminary operation time period. In the timer operation mode, the controller calculates a heat capacity of water or brine, calculates a heat storage amount of a second heat medium from a temperature detected by a temperature sensor and the heat capacity, and determines the preliminary operation time period from the heat storage amount. By determining the preliminary operation time period in this manner, timer operation can be performed such that air at an appropriate temperature is blown from an indoor unit at the operation start time of the indoor fan, from the initial time at which an air conditioning apparatus is installed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takuya Matsuda, Naofumi Takenaka, Kimitaka Kadowaki, Yuji Motomura