Patents by Inventor Nobuki Matsui

Nobuki Matsui 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: 20110192182
    Abstract: A humidity control apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit (50) which has a compressor (53), a main electric-operated expansion valve (55), and a first adsorption heat exchanger (51) and a second adsorption heat exchanger (52) on which adsorbent for adsorbing moisture in air is supported, and in which refrigerant reversibly circulates to perform a vapor compression refrigeration cycle. In the humidity control apparatus, refrigerant circulation in the refrigerant circuit (50) is reversibly switched to alternately perform an adsorption process and a recovery process with the adsorbent in the adsorption heat exchangers (51, 52), and the humidity of air passing through the adsorption heat exchangers (51, 52) is adjusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Inventors: Hiroshi Noda, Nobuki Matsui, Masahiro Oka
  • Patent number: 7984619
    Abstract: Heat exchangers of a refrigerant circuit 50 are constructed of a first adsorption heat exchanger 51 and a second adsorption heat exchanger 52, both of which have an adsorbent supported thereon, and are constructed so as to be switched into an evaporator and a condenser. An air passage 60 is constructed so as to be switched into states in which air flowing from the outside of a room to the inside of the room and air flowing from the inside of the room to the outside of the room flow through either of the first adsorption heat exchanger 51 and the second adsorption heat exchanger 52.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuki Matsui
  • Patent number: 7937960
    Abstract: A humidity controller includes a differential pressure detection means (93, 97) for detecting a difference between high voltage and low voltage in a refrigeration cycle of a refrigerant circuit (50) and a control means (30) for controlling the capacity of the compressor (53). The control means (30) reduces the capacity of the compressor (53) when a detected value of the differential pressure detection means (93, 97) exceeds a reduction threshold. Further, the control means (30) stops the compressor (53) when the detected value of the differential pressure detection means (93, 97) exceeds a stop threshold higher than the reduction threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuki Matsui
  • Patent number: 7930896
    Abstract: A refrigerant circuit (40) is provided with an outdoor heat exchanger (54), an indoor heat exchanger (55) and two adsorption heat exchangers (56, 57). The indoor heat exchanger (55) is disposed in an indoor unit (11), while the outdoor heat exchanger (54) and the two adsorption heat exchangers (56, 57) are disposed in an outdoor unit (12). Moisture in outdoor air taken in the outdoor unit (12) is adsorbed by the adsorbent in the adsorption heat exchanger (56, 57) serving as an evaporator and the air is dehumidified. The dehumidified air is cooled by the indoor heat exchanger (55) serving as an evaporator and the air is supplied to the room space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuki Matsui, Shuji Ikegami, Tomohiro Yabu
  • Patent number: 7926297
    Abstract: In an input section (30), a set temperature Ts which becomes a control target temperature of a humidity controller (10), and a set relative humidity Rs which becomes a control target humidity of the humidity controller (10) are set. An air conditioning control section (42) adjusts the temperature adjusting capacity of the humidity controller (10) such that the room temperature may come very close to the set temperature Ts. Further, an arithmetic section (33) calculates, as the target absolute humidity As, the absolute humidity which becomes the relative humidity set value Rs at the set temperature Ts. A humidity adjustment section (41) adjusts the humidity adjusting capacity of the humidity controller (10) such that the absolute humidity of the room may come very close to the target absolute humidity As.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuki Matsui, Tetsuyuki Kondo
  • Patent number: 7905108
    Abstract: An air conditioning apparatus is provided which includes a plurality of heat exchangers (11, 12, 13) for effecting heat exchange between a heating medium (such as refrigerant, cold and hot water et cetera) and air and which is adapted to separately perform sensible heat processing and latent heat processing of room air (RA). In the air conditioning apparatus, at least one heat exchanger (13) is made up of an adsorption heat exchanger (13) that supports on its surface an adsorbent, thereby preventing the increase in apparatus size and making it possible to perform operations at high COP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuji Ikegami, Nobuki Matsui, Tomohiro Yabu, Junichi Teraki
  • Patent number: 7895856
    Abstract: In a casing (11) of a humidity controller (10), a first heat exchanger chamber (37) which accommodates a first adsorption heat exchanger (51), and a second heat exchanger chamber (38) which accommodates a second adsorption heat exchanger (52) are arranged next to each other in the left-to-right direction. An indoor air side passage (32) and an outdoor air side passage (34) are provided on the rear panel portion (13) side of the heat exchanger chambers (37, 38), and a supply side passage (31) and exhaust side passage (33) are provided on the front panel portion (12) side of the heat exchanger chambers (37, 38). The rear panel portion (13) is provided with an outdoor air intake opening (24) and an indoor air intake opening (23) at locations close to a center of the rear panel portion (13) in the left-to-right direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Narikawa, Shuji Ikegami, Nobuki Matsui
  • Patent number: 7886551
    Abstract: A humidity control system (10) includes a refrigerant circuit (50) including a compressor (53), a first adsorption heat exchanger (51) carrying an adsorbent thereon, an expansion valve (55) adjustable in opening and a second adsorption heat exchanger (52) carrying an adsorbent thereon, supplies humidity-controlled air to a room by operating alternately in a first batch mode in which the second adsorption heat exchanger (52) adsorbs moisture in air and the first adsorption heat exchanger (51) releases moisture to air and a second batch mode in which the first adsorption heat exchanger (51) adsorbs moisture in air and the second adsorption heat exchanger (52) releases moisture to air, and controls the opening of the expansion valve (55), when a valve control start time has come a predetermined time after the start of each batch mode, so that the degree of superheat of refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit (50) reaches a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuki Matsui, Yoshinori Narikawa
  • Patent number: 7857235
    Abstract: In the air conditioning system (1), switching is selectively made between a normal operation where air is dehumidified by the humidity controller (10) alone according to operating conditions and a simultaneous dehumidifying operation where air is dehumidified by the humidity controller (10), while at the same time air is dehumidified by the air conditioner (20) by condensing moisture in the air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuki Matsui, Tetsuyuki Kondo
  • Patent number: 7841194
    Abstract: The invention provides an air conditioner that is capable of performing optimal control in accordance with the environment of an indoor space at startup, and a method of controlling such. The air conditioner forms a refrigerant circuit having a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, thermistors, humidity sensors, a temperature sensor, ventilation fans, a compressor, a casing, a control unit, and the like. The control unit is connected to the temperature sensor, the humidity sensors, a storage unit, a timer, a manual input unit, air passageway switching mechanisms, a four-way switching valve, and an expansion valve. In the stage before the air conditioner starts normal operation after startup, the control unit performs a priority control operation that prioritizes either the sensible heat process or the latent heat process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Ishida, Nobuki Matsui, Tomohiro Yabu
  • Publication number: 20100257885
    Abstract: A humidity control apparatus (10) alternately performs first and second operations at predetermined switching intervals. In the first operation, a first adsorption heat exchanger (51) serves as a condenser, and a second adsorption heat exchanger (52) serves as an evaporator, thereby humidifying second air by the first adsorption heat exchanger (51), and dehumidifying first air by the second adsorption heat exchanger (52). In the second operation, the second adsorption heat exchanger (52) serves as the condenser, and the first adsorption heat exchanger (51) serves as the evaporator, thereby humidifying the second air by the second adsorption heat exchanger (52), and dehumidifying the first air by the first adsorption heat exchanger (51). The switching intervals between the first and second operations are shorter in dehumidification operation of supplying the dehumidified first air to the inside of a room than in humidification operation of supplying the humidified second air to the inside of the room.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Inventors: Nobuki Matsui, Kikuji Hori
  • Publication number: 20100257884
    Abstract: A first adsorption heat exchanger (51) and a second adsorption heat exchanger (52) are provided in a refrigerant circuit (50) of a humidity control apparatus (10). In the refrigerant circuit (50), a refrigerant circulation direction can be reversed. In a purge operation of the humidity control apparatus (10), each of actions is performed, which are a purge action in which the first adsorption heat exchanger (51) serves as an evaporator, and a purge action in which the second adsorption heat exchanger (52) serves as the evaporator. During the purge operation, outdoor air is sent to the adsorption heat exchanger (51, 52) serving as the evaporator, and moisture in the outdoor air adsorbs to the adsorption heat exchanger (51, 52).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Inventor: Nobuki Matsui
  • Patent number: 7810339
    Abstract: An air conditioner has a heat exchanger, an absorbing agent, and a controller. The absorbing agent performs an absorbing operation for absorbing moisture in passing air flowing through the heat exchanger functioning as an evaporator and a regenerating operation for desorbing moisture from passing air heated by the heat exchanger functioning as a condenser. The controller performs control such that the absorbing operation and the regenerating operation are switched at a predetermined switching time interval. The controller also performs control of a capacity of a compressor and control for changing the predetermined switching time interval such that a predetermined load out of a total heat load, which is the sum of the latent heat load and the sensible heat load, is preferentially processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Ishida, Nobuki Matsui, Tomohiro Yabu
  • Patent number: 7810342
    Abstract: A refrigerant circuit (10) is provided with two adsorption heat exchangers (31, 32) in addition to an outdoor heat exchanger (21) and an indoor heat exchanger (22). An adsorbent is carried on the surface of each of the adsorption heat exchangers (31, 32). In the adsorption heat exchanger (31, 32) serving as an evaporator, moisture in the air is adsorbed by the adsorbent. In the adsorption heat exchanger (31, 32) serving as a condenser, moisture is desorbed from the adsorbent and then applied to the air. Then, the air dehumidified or humidified by the adsorption heat exchanger (31, 32) is supplied to a room to cope with latent heat load in the room. On the other hand, in the indoor heat exchanger (22), air is cooled or heated. Then, the air cooled or heated by the indoor heat exchanger (22) is supplied to the room to cope with sensible heat load in the room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuki Matsui, Shuji Ikegami, Tomohiro Yabu, Satoshi Ishida, Junichi Teraki
  • Publication number: 20100252642
    Abstract: A humidity control apparatus (10) includes: a casing (11); exhaust and air-supplying fans (25, 26) and dampers (41-48, 83, 84) for exchanging the outside air and the room air with each other via air passageways (31-34, 37, 38, 81, 82) of the casing (11); and a refrigerant circuit (50) for controlling the humidity of the air passing through the air passageways. The humidity control apparatus (10) further includes a controller (60) for monitoring an abnormality inside the apparatus and determining the type of the detected abnormality. When the detected abnormality is an abnormality related to the refrigerant circuit (50) and is not an abnormality related to the exhaust and air-supplying fans (25, 26) and the dampers (41-48, 83, 84), the controller (60) stops the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerant circuit (50) to shut down the humidity-controlling mode, and keeps the ventilation mode available.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Inventors: Nobuki Matsui, Kikuji Hori
  • Publication number: 20100243749
    Abstract: During a simple ventilation operation, in an outdoor-air conditioner (10) which is a humidity control apparatus, a first bypass damper (83) is opened to supply outdoor air to a room in unchanged form. When the outdoor temperature exceeds 35° C. during the simple ventilation operation, an operation of the outdoor-air conditioner (10) is forcibly switched to a dehumidification/ventilation operation, and then outdoor air passing through an adsorption heat exchanger (51, 52) operating as an evaporator is supplied to the room. When the outdoor temperature falls below 5° C. during the simple ventilation operation, the operation of the outdoor-air conditioner (10) is forcibly switched to a humidification/ventilation operation, and then outdoor air passing through the adsorption heat exchanger (51, 52) operating as a condenser is supplied to the room.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Inventors: Nobuki Matsui, Kikuji Hori
  • Publication number: 20100181690
    Abstract: According to a humidity controller (10), a first heat exchanger chamber (37) and a second heat exchanger chamber (38) are arranged next to each other in the left-to-right direction in the casing (11). A first adsorption heat exchanger (51) is accommodated in the first heat exchanger chamber (37), and a second adsorption heat exchanger (52) is accommodated in the second heat exchanger chamber (38). The humidity controller (10) alternately performs an operation in which outdoor air passes through the first adsorption heat exchanger (51) and room air passes through the second adsorption heat exchanger (52), and an operation in which outdoor air passes through the second adsorption heat exchanger (52) and room air passes through the first adsorption heat exchanger (51).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2008
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Inventors: Yoshinori Narikawa, Shuji Ikegami, Nobuki Matsui
  • Patent number: 7757961
    Abstract: The control means (41 and 42) cause the air conditioner to start air temperature control when temperature To of the outdoor air is in a pre-set range at the time of starting the air conditioning system (1), after the lapse of a pre-set time since the humidity controller (10) started adjusting air humidity. The room temperature nears the humidity set value Rs during the time air temperature control is started in the air conditioner (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuki Matsui
  • Publication number: 20100170281
    Abstract: A closed space forming unit (41-48) forms a closed space (37, 38) around an adsorption member (51, 52) supporting thereon an adsorbent for desorbing and adsorbing moisture. An active species generating unit (101, 102) supplies active species, for decomposing odorous components, into the closed space (37, 38).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2008
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Inventors: Akira Kamino, Nobuki Matsui
  • Publication number: 20100170280
    Abstract: In the casing (11) of a humidity controller (10), a first bypass passage (81) is provided along one of side plates facing each other, and a second bypass passage (82) is provided along the other side plate. In the casing (11), a first heat exchanger chamber (37) and a second heat exchanger chamber (38) are arranged next to each other in the left-to-right direction in a space between the two bypass passages (81, 82). A first adsorption heat exchanger (51) is accommodated in the first heat exchanger chamber (37), and a second adsorption heat exchanger (52) is accommodated in the second heat exchanger chamber (38). Adsorbents are carried on the adsorption heat exchangers (51, 52). During the operation in which humidity of the air is not controlled, a first bypass damper (83) and a second bypass damper (84) are opened, and the air flows through the bypass passages (81, 82) to be drawn into a supply fan (26) or a exhaust fan (25).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2008
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Inventors: Yoshinori Narikawa, Nobuki Matsui