Patents by Inventor Nobukatsu Arai

Nobukatsu Arai 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).

  • Patent number: 6615805
    Abstract: A fuel injection apparatus including a controller to output an injection time command signal and an opening movement time command signal to command an opening movement time from a closed state to an open state of an electromagnetic fuel injection valve and a control circuit, coupled to the controller, to change an electric current flowing in a coil of the electromagnetic fuel injection valve between when the electromagnetic fuel injection valve is closed and opened. The controller sends both the injection time command signal and the opening movement time command signal through the same signal line to the control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Yamakado, Yoshio Okamoto, Nobukatsu Arai, Yuzo Kadomukai, Yoshiyuki Tanabe, Yasunaga Hamada, Yasuo Namaizawa, Hiromasa Kubo, Kenji Tabuchi
  • Publication number: 20020166541
    Abstract: An electromagnetic fuel injection valve in an engine injects fuel by opening/closing a fuel flowing path with a valve element. A controller controls opening/closing of the fuel flowing path and changes magnetic force generated by a control coil driving the valve element so that the magnetic force is less during a valve open state-holding period than at an initial valve-opening time. The controller detects the voltage of a battery and applies the voltage fed from the battery to the control coil, while changing a time interval (Tc), for which current is passed through the control coil, based on the detected voltage, in order to change the magnetic force, without raising the voltage from the battery. The controller also detects increase/decrease of a pressing force on the valve element caused by fuel pressure and changes the time interval (Tc) accordingly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2002
    Publication date: November 14, 2002
    Inventors: Makoto Yamakado, Yoshio Okamoto, Nobukatsu Arai, Yuzo Kadomukai, Yoshiyuki Tanabe, Yasunaga Hamada, Yasuo Namaizawa, Hiromasa Kubo, Kenji Tabuchi
  • Patent number: 6431155
    Abstract: An electromagnetic fuel injection valve in an engine injects fuel by opening/closing a fuel flowing path with a valve element. A controller controls opening/closing of the fuel flowing path and changes magnetic force generated by a control coil driving the valve element so that the magnetic force is less during a valve open state-holding period than at an initial valve-opening time. The controller detects the voltage of a battery and applies the voltage fed from the battery to the control coil, while changing a time interval (Tc), for which current is passed through the control coil, based on the detected voltage, in order to change the magnetic force, without raising the voltage from the battery. The controller also detects increase/decrease of a pressing force on the valve element caused by fuel pressure and changes the time interval (Tc) accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Yamakado, Yoshio Okamoto, Nobukatsu Arai, Yuzo Kadomukai, Yoshiyuki Tanabe, Yasunaga Hamada, Yasuo Namaizawa, Hiromasa Kubo, Kenji Tabuchi
  • Patent number: 6189379
    Abstract: A thermal type air flow measuring instrument is mounted to a main passage forming an intake air passage of an internal combustion engine and is provided. with an auxiliary passage which includes a heating resistor and a temperature sensing resistor therein and an electronic circuit which is electrically connected to the heating resistor and the temperature sensing resistor. The auxiliary passage is a passage including at least one bent portion composed of a first path substantially parallel to the main passage and a second path having a path different in flow direction from the first path. A member forming the auxiliary passage is fixed in a united form to only a case member for interiorly protecting the electronic circuit, and the case member is fixed to the outer wall surface of the intake air passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Igarashi, Chihiro Kobayashi, Hiroshi Hirayama, Takayuki Saito, Nobukatsu Arai
  • Patent number: 6129073
    Abstract: In an electromagnetic fuel injection valve for injecting fuel by opening/closing a fuel flowing path, including a valve seat, a valve element for opening/closing the fuel flowing path formed between the valve seat and the valve element, and a drive unit having at least one coil, for driving the valve element. The drive unit includes a first magnetomotive force generating device using the at least one coil and a second magnetomotive force generating device, the first magnetomotive force generating device and the second magnetomotive force generating device being composed so that the first magnetomotive force generating device generates and raises magnetomotive force at a larger rate of change in time in comparison with the second magnetomotive force generating device. A valve opening hold state is held by the second magnetomotive force generating device which uses a smaller current flow in comparison with the first magnetomotive force generating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Yamakado, Yoshio Okamoto, Nobukatsu Arai, Yuzo Kadomukai, Yoshiyuki Tanabe, Yasunaga Hamada, Yasuo Namaizawa, Hiromasa Kubo, Kenji Tabuchi
  • Patent number: 6082341
    Abstract: There is disclosed a supercharger for an engine in which intake air is increased in pressure by the use of exhaust gas flowed into the supercharger from the engine, and is fed to the engine. An impeller 2, having a plurality of blades formed on an outer peripheral portion thereof, is received within a casing 1, and a ring-like fluid passage is formed around the plurality of blades, and a first partition 3 and a second partition 4 are provided in the fluid passage to divide this fluid passage into two fluid passages, that is, an exhaust gas passage 6 and an intake air passage 9. There is provided a fluid machine construction for causing the exhaust gas of the engine to flow into and out of the exhaust gas passage, and for causing the intake air to flow into and out of the intake air passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobukatsu Arai, Seiji Sakagami, Tsutomu Okazaki, Tetsuo Udagawa
  • Patent number: 5992391
    Abstract: An electromagnetic fuel injection valve for injecting fuel by opening/closing a fuel flow path, includes a valve seat, a valve element for opening/closing the fuel flow path formed between the valve seat and the valve element, and a drive unit having at least one coil for driving the valve element. The drive unit includes a first magnetomotive force generating device using the at least one coil and a second magnetomotive force generating device, the first magnetomotive force generating device and the second magnetomotive force generating device being composed so that the first magnetomotive force generating device generates and raises its magnetomotive force at a larger rate of change in time in comparison with the second magnetomotive force generating device. A valve open state is held by the second magnetomotive force generating device which uses a smaller current flow in comparison with the first magnetomotive force generating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Yamakado, Yoshio Okamoto, Nobukatsu Arai, Yuzo Kadomukai, Yoshiyuki Tanabe, Yasunaga Hamada, Yasuo Namaizawa, Hiromasa Kubo, Kenji Tabuchi
  • Patent number: 5952571
    Abstract: In a thermal type flow meter having a temperature compensating bridge circuit, the temperature compensating bridge circuit includes a heating resistor, a temperature compensating resistor and a plurality of resistors each having a fixed resistance. The heating resistor and the temperature compensating resistor are supported by a support member in an air flow passage, and the support member is formed by a material having a small temperature coefficient .DELTA..lambda. of thermal conductivity between -0.06 and 0.06 w/m.multidot.k.sup.2. The absolute value of the output error of the flow meter is reduced as a result of variation of the flow quantity or flow velocity of intake air and the intake air temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobukatsu Arai, Takehiko Kowatari, Kaoru Uchiyama, Izumi Watanabe, Shinya Igarashi
  • Patent number: 5939628
    Abstract: A thermal type air flow measuring instrument is mounted to a main passage forming an intake air passage of an internal combustion engine and is provided with an auxiliary passage which includes a heating resistor and a temperature sensing resistor therein and an electronic circuit which is electrically connected to the heating resistor and the temperature sensing resistor. The auxiliary passage is a passage including at least one bent portion composed of a first path substantially parallel to the main passage and a second path having a path different in flow direction from the first path. A member forming the auxiliary passage is fixed in a united form to only a case member for interiorly protecting the electronic circuit, and the case member is fixed to the outer wall surface of the intake air passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Igarashi, Chihiro Kobayashi, Hiroshi Hirayama, Takayuki Saito, Nobukatsu Arai
  • Patent number: 5832403
    Abstract: A digital signal obtained by A/D converting an output of a thermal type air flow meter is supplied along two paths. After a time constant is obtained in one path, inverse-transformation is performed to obtain an error together with an output of the other path. The inverse-transformed signal is linearized on the basis of the characteristic of the thermal type air flow meter, and a direction of flow is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiko Kowatari, Nobukatsu Arai, Kaoru Uchiyama, Chihiro Kobayashi, Shinya Igarashi
  • Patent number: 5789673
    Abstract: A thermal type air flow measuring instrument is mounted to a main passage forming an intake air passage of an internal combustion engine and is provided with an auxiliary passage which includes a heating resistor and a temperature sensing resistor therein and an electronic circuit which is electrically connected to the heating resistor and the temperature sensing resistor. The auxiliary passage is a passage including at least one bent portion composed of a first path substantially parallel to the main passage and a second path having a path different in flow direction from the first path. A member forming the auxiliary passage is fixed in a united form to only a case member for interiorly protecting the electronic circuit, and the case member is fixed to the outer wall surface of the intake air passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Igarashi, Chihiro Kobayashi, Hiroshi Hirayama, Takayuki Saito, Nobukatsu Arai
  • Patent number: 5750889
    Abstract: An air flow rate measuring apparatus for measuring an intake air amount of an internal combustion engine by use of a thermal air flow meter comprises means inputted with the output of the thermal air flow meter for correcting a response delay of the output and outputting the corrected output, and means inputted with the output of the correcting means for transforming it to a value corresponding to an air flow rate on the basis of the characteristic of the thermal air flow meter stored beforehand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiko Kowatari, Nobukatsu Arai, Chihiro Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 5381691
    Abstract: An air flow meter comprises a main passage for an axial main air flow; an axial subpassage for air flow, disposed in the main passage and formed so that part of the air in the main passage is taken in at an upstream side thereof and flows in the same direction as the axial main air flow; a radial subpassage for air flow, intersecting the axial subpassage at a downstream side of the axial subpassage so that air from the axial subpassage flows into the radial subpassage and is divided into two radial air flows running in different radial directions; the air having passed through the radial subpassage joining the axial main air flow. An air flow sensing means is disposed in the radial subpassage for sensing a flow rate of air therein, and a projection is disposed in the radial subpassage around the intersection of the axial and radial subpassages, for suppressing turbulence of air flow around the intersection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1995
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co.
    Inventors: Atsushi Miyazaki, Chihiro Kobayashi, Shinya Igarashi, Tetsuo Matsukura, Haruhiko Maeda, Nobukatsu Arai, Yoshihito Sekine
  • Patent number: 5243859
    Abstract: An axial flow thermo-type air flow meter for internal combustion engines has a spider disposed in a main air passage formed in a body and having formed therein an auxiliary air flow passage including an axial auxiliary air flow passage portion accommodating a heat-generating resistor element for detecting a rate of engine intake air flow. The auxiliary air flow passage also includes more than one radial air flow passage portions which are connected to the axial air flow passage portion and curved and turned at their radially outer ends and then extend radially inwardly to outlet ends open to the main air passage, whereby the total length of the auxiliary air flow passage is increased to decrease the influence of pulsation of engine intake air flow on the air flow meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1993
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chihiro Kobayashi, Atsushi Miyazaki, Nobukatsu Arai
  • Patent number: 5231871
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a hot-electrical-resistance type gas flow meter wherein a deterioration of a gas-cooled hot-electrical-resistance is prevented at the maximum flow rate, a decrease of sensitivity is prevented at the minimum flow rate and a wide dynamic range is achieve, and a structural feature of such gas flow meter is that the gas flow meter includes auxiliary path flow resistance changing means for changing a flow resistance of the auxiliary path so that the larger the flow rate of the flow is, the larger the flow resistance of the auxiliary path is.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1993
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobukatsu Arai, Kaoru Uchiyama, Toshifumi Usui, Shinya Igarashi
  • Patent number: 5201216
    Abstract: A detecting module for an air flow meter for internal combustion engines has an arm provided with a heat wire sensor at one end thereof and with a signal processing unit at the other end, and is provided with a predetermined constant length. A body member assembled with the detecting module is selected from among several varieties of body members produced for engines with different stroke volumes, each of which has an main air path formed by an axial bore having a diameter commensurate with the stroke volume. A bridging member formed across the axial bore which forms the main air path is provided therein with a by-pass path for by-passing a part of the airflow within the main air path and a communicating hollow portion for accommodating the arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1993
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Miyazaki, Chihiro Kobayashi, Yoshihito Sekine, Nobukatsu Arai
  • Patent number: 4991560
    Abstract: A hot-wire air flow meter for detecting air flow intake has a main passage (21) and a generally parallel sub-passage (31) for bypassing said main passage, and located in the sub-passage is a hot-wire element (2a) for detecting air flow intake. A dished member (34) is located upstream from an inlet (31a) of the sub-passage, the dished member having a base portion adjacent the sub-passage inlet and an upstream projecting edge (30a) extending from said base portion. The upstream extending edge (30a) at least partially surrounds the inlet (31a) and is located between the sub-passage inlet and the main passage, the effect of the dished member tending to stabilize air flow entering the sub-passage so that the air flow is less affected by bends in pipework upstream from the air flow meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1991
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobukatsu Arai, Toshifumi Usui, Tetsuo Matsukura, Shinya Igarashi, Youichi Furuhashi
  • Patent number: 4986115
    Abstract: A hot-wire air flow meter for providing an air flow meter capable of accurately detecting the quantity of air drawn into the internal combustion engine and stabilizing the air flow distribution. The hotwire air flow meter includes a main passage forming an air horn for the internal combustion engine, a hot-wire element for measuring the quantity of air drawn in, a bypass passage installed in the main passage and containing the hot-wire element, the bypass passage consisting of a first passage formed along the main passage axis and a second passage formed in the radial direction of the main passage, and a throttled portion formed between the bypass passage and a throttle valve located downstream of the bypass passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 22, 1991
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihito Sekine, Nobukatsu Arai, Tadao Osawa, Hiroatsu Tokuda, Toshifumi Usui, Mitsukuni Tsutsui
  • Patent number: 4974445
    Abstract: The present invention whose object is to provide a hot wire type of flow meter capable of accurately detecting a flow rate under various conditions required for satisfying a desire for low fuel consumption of an engine system and space saving in an engine room, the present invention being characterized in a hot wire type of air flow meter including a main flow passage forming an air intake flow passage of an internal combustion engine, a hot wire element measuring intake air, and a bypass having the hot wire element therein and disposed in the main flow passage, the hot wire type of air flow meter comprising: a flow passage forming the bypass, and formed in the axial direction of the main flow passage; and a flow passage forming the bypass and formed in the radial direction of the main flow passage, the flow passage having a structure designed in such a manner that the upper stream portion of an outlet portion thereof projects over the lower stream portion of the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1990
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobukatsu Arai, Yoshihito Sekine, Tetsuo Matsukura, Mitsukuni Tsutsui, Hiroatsu Tokuda, Tadao Osawa, Toshifumi Usui
  • Patent number: RE34403
    Abstract: A compact hot-wire type air flow meter for an internal combustion engine with a high measuring accuracy is provided with a primary flow path forming an intake air passage and an auxiliary flow path incorporating therein a hot-wire element for measuring the intake air. The auxiliary flow path is defined by a flow path in an axial direction of the primary flow path and a flow path in a radial direction of the primary flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1993
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobukatsu Arai, Yoshihito Sekine, Tadao Osawa, Hiroatsu Tokuda, Toshifumi Usui, Mitsukuni Tsutsui