Patents by Inventor Nobuhiro Higaki
Nobuhiro Higaki 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: 9733650Abstract: A water supply apparatus is provided to meet demands for energy saving by controlling the rotational speed of a pump (1), for example, so as to lower the rotational speed in the time zone when water is not used much while avoiding the time zone when water is used in large quantities. The water supply apparatus includes the pump (1) configured to pressurize and deliver water, a frequency converter configured to supply electric power to the pump (1) to operate the pump (1) at a variable speed, and a controller (15) configured to send operating signals to the frequency converter so as to operate the pump (1) either at a first operation or at a second operation with less power consumption than the first operation. The controller (15) is configured to judge whether the operation of the pump (1) should be shifted from the first operation to the second operation based on an operational state of the pump (1).Type: GrantFiled: December 25, 2012Date of Patent: August 15, 2017Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Ryotaro Karaki, Sachiko Miyauchi, Yasutaka Konishi, Kazuhiro Kaneda, Tomoharu Tejima, Nobuhiro Higaki
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Patent number: 9249562Abstract: The present invention provides a water supply apparatus capable of performing a backup operation, without lowering water supply capability, when a failure has occurred in one control substrate due to surge or noise caused by lightning or due to lifetimes of various sensors, by switching to the other control substrate, and capable of reliably performing the backup operation by means of devices that prevent failure of the control substrates. The water supply apparatus (1) includes: a plurality of pumps (3); a plurality of inverters (INV) each configured to change and control a rotational frequency of a corresponding one of the plurality of pumps (3); and a plurality of control substrates (CN) configured to control the plurality of inverters (INV). When an abnormality occurs in one control substrate, other control substrate backs up the one control substrate to thereby allow the water supply apparatus to continue its operations.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2014Date of Patent: February 2, 2016Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Takahide Komatsu, Kazuhiro Kaneda, Tomoharu Tejima, Nobuhiro Higaki, Sachiko Miyauchi
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Patent number: 9206590Abstract: The present invention provides a water supply apparatus capable of performing a backup operation, without lowering water supply capability, when a failure has occurred in one control substrate due to surge or noise caused by lightning or due to lifetimes of various sensors, by switching to the other control substrate, and capable of reliably performing the backup operation by means of devices that prevent failure of the control substrates. The water supply apparatus (1) includes: a plurality of pumps (3); a plurality of inverters (INV) each configured to change and control a rotational frequency of a corresponding one of the plurality of pumps (3); and a plurality of control substrates (CN) configured to control the plurality of inverters (INV). When an abnormality occurs in one control substrate, other control substrate backs up the one control substrate to thereby allow the water supply apparatus to continue its operations.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2014Date of Patent: December 8, 2015Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Takahide Komatsu, Kazuhiro Kaneda, Tomoharu Tejima, Nobuhiro Higaki, Sachiko Miyauchi
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Publication number: 20140316591Abstract: A water supply apparatus is provided to meet demands for energy saving by controlling the rotational speed of a pump (1), for example, so as to lower the rotational speed in the time zone when water is not used much while avoiding the time zone when water is used in large quantities. The water supply apparatus includes the pump (1) configured to pressurize and deliver water, a frequency converter configured to supply electric power to the pump (1) to operate the pump (1) at a variable speed, and a controller (15) configured to send operating signals to the frequency converter so as to operate the pump (1) either at a first operation or at a second operation with less power consumption than the first operation. The controller (15) is configured to judge whether the operation of the pump (1) should be shifted from the first operation to the second operation based on an operational state of the pump (1).Type: ApplicationFiled: December 25, 2012Publication date: October 23, 2014Inventors: Ryotaro Karaki, Sachiko Miyauchi, Yasutaka Konishi, Kazuhiro Kaneda, Tomoharu Tejima, Nobuhiro Higaki
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Publication number: 20140203041Abstract: The present invention provides a water supply apparatus capable of performing a backup operation, without lowering water supply capability, when a failure has occurred in one control substrate due to surge or noise caused by lightning or due to lifetimes of various sensors, by switching to the other control substrate, and capable of reliably performing the backup operation by means of devices that prevent failure of the control substrates. The water supply apparatus (1) includes: a plurality of pumps (3); a plurality of inverters (INV) each configured to change and control a rotational frequency of a corresponding one of the plurality of pumps (3); and a plurality of control substrates (CN) configured to control the plurality of inverters (INV). When an abnormality occurs in one control substrate, other control substrate backs up the one control substrate to thereby allow the water supply apparatus to continue its operations.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2014Publication date: July 24, 2014Applicant: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Takahide Komatsu, Kazuhiro Kaneda, Tomoharu Tejima, Nobuhiro Higaki, Sachiko Miyauchi
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Publication number: 20140202567Abstract: The present invention provides a water supply apparatus capable of performing a backup operation, without lowering water supply capability, when a failure has occurred in one control substrate due to surge or noise caused by lightning or due to lifetimes of various sensors, by switching to the other control substrate, and capable of reliably performing the backup operation by means of devices that prevent failure of the control substrates. The water supply apparatus (1) includes: a plurality of pumps (3); a plurality of inverters (INV) each configured to change and control a rotational frequency of a corresponding one of the plurality of pumps (3); and a plurality of control substrates (CN) configured to control the plurality of inverters (INV). When an abnormality occurs in one control substrate, other control substrate backs up the one control substrate to thereby allow the water supply apparatus to continue its operations.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2014Publication date: July 24, 2014Applicant: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Takahide Komatsu, Kazuhiro Kaneda, Tomoharu Tejima, Nobuhiro Higaki, Sachiko Miyauchi
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Patent number: 8714933Abstract: A water supply apparatus is capable of performing a backup operation, without lowering water supply capability, when a failure has occurred in one control substrate due to surge or noise caused by lightning or sensor wear, by switching to the other control substrate, and capable of reliably performing the backup operation. The water supply apparatus includes: a plurality of pumps; a plurality of inverters each configured to change and control a rotational frequency of a corresponding one of the plurality of pumps; and a plurality of control substrates configured to control the plurality of inverters. When an abnormality occurs in one control substrate, other control substrate backs up the one control substrate to thereby allow the water supply apparatus to continue its operations. The one control substrate, the plurality of inverters, and the other control substrate are connected in series by communication lines.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2009Date of Patent: May 6, 2014Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Takahide Komatsu, Kazuhiro Kaneda, Tomoharu Tejima, Nobuhiro Higaki, Sachiko Miyauchi
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Publication number: 20100307619Abstract: The present invention provides a water supply apparatus capable of performing a backup operation, without lowering water supply capability, when a failure has occurred in one control substrate due to surge or noise caused by lightning or due to lifetimes of various sensors, by switching to the other control substrate, and capable of reliably performing the backup operation by means of devices that prevent failure of the control substrates. The water supply apparatus (1) includes: a plurality of pumps (3); a plurality of inverters (INV) each configured to change and control a rotational frequency of a corresponding one of the plurality of pumps (3); and a plurality of control substrates (CN) configured to control the plurality of inverters (INV). When an abnormality occurs in one control substrate, other control substrate backs up the one control substrate to thereby allow the water supply apparatus to continue its operations.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2009Publication date: December 9, 2010Applicant: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Takahide Komatsu, Kazuhiro Kaneda, Tomoharu Tejima, Nobuhiro Higaki, Sachiko Miyauchi
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Patent number: 6922348Abstract: According to the present invention, in a water supply apparatus which converts output power of a solar cell with an inverter to drive a motor pump for pumping up water, a DC brushless motor having no sensor for detecting a position of a rotatable shaft is used as a motor for driving the pump.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2001Date of Patent: July 26, 2005Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Kaoru Nakajima, Kenichi Kajiwara, Masahito Kawai, Masahiko Kishi, Nobuhiro Higaki, Yukio Murai
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Publication number: 20030174450Abstract: According to the present invention, in a water supply apparatus which converts output power of a solar cell with an inverter to drive a motor pump for pumping up water, a DC brushless motor having no sensor for detecting a position of a rotatable shaft is used as a motor for driving the pump.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 19, 2003Publication date: September 18, 2003Inventors: Kaoru Nakajima, Kenichi Kajiwara, Masahito Kawai, Masahiko Kishi, Nobuhiro Higaki, Yukio Murai