Patents by Inventor Nobuyuki Kojima

Nobuyuki Kojima 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: 11711032
    Abstract: A vibration-type actuator includes a vibrator, a contact body, a pressure member, a holding member, and a base. The vibrator has an elastic member and an electro-mechanical energy conversion element fixed to the elastic member. The contact body contacts the vibrator. The pressure member presses the contact body and the vibrator in a first direction. The holding member holds the vibrator and includes a support portion and at least one fitting hole portion extending in the first direction. The support portion supports the vibrator movably in the first direction. The base holds the holding member. The contact body moves relative to the vibrator in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The base includes at least one fitting protrusion portion extending in the first direction and fits in the at least one fitting hole portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Kojima
  • Patent number: 11473805
    Abstract: The indoor unit includes a plurality of outlet openings. In airflow rotation of the indoor unit, a full blowout mode and a partial blowout mode are executed. In the full blowout mode, all the outlet openings blow conditioned air. In the partial blowout mode, the flow of the blowing air of part of the outlet openings are blocked by the air current blocking mechanism, and thus the blowing wind speeds of the remaining outlet openings increases. As a result, an air temperature difference among parts of the indoor space decreases, and the comfort of the indoor space is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Komatsu, Nobuyuki Kojima, Ryouta Suhara, Masaaki Murata, Natsumi Furo
  • Publication number: 20220190745
    Abstract: A vibration-type actuator includes a vibrator, a contact body, a pressure member, a holding member, and a base. The vibrator has an elastic member and an electro-mechanical energy conversion element fixed to the elastic member. The contact body contacts the vibrator. The pressure member presses the contact body and the vibrator in a first direction. The holding member holds the vibrator and includes a support portion and at least one fitting hole portion extending in the first direction. The support portion supports the vibrator movably in the first direction. The base holds the holding member. The contact body moves relative to the vibrator in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The base includes at least one fitting protrusion portion extending in the first direction and fits in the at least one fitting hole portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2021
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Kojima
  • Patent number: 11060753
    Abstract: A draft perceived by a user under an indoor unit is reduced. A controller makes each of a plurality of indoor units perform a partial supply operation. In the partial supply operation, the controller controls an airflow blocking mechanism such that, regarding the indoor units adjacent to each other with a predetermined distance ? interposed therebetween, no air current is blown from one of the outlet openings which face each other with the predetermined distance ? interposed therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kojima, Ryouta Suhara
  • Patent number: 10979588
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus acquires an input image generated by reading an image of an original document to be copied, and determination information of whether or not the input image corresponds to a blank. The image forming apparatus controls a printer to print the input image together with a page number on a sheet and output the sheet, according to a determination result indicated by the determination information. At that time, the image forming apparatus controls the printer so as to output a sheet on which the page number is not printed, with respect to the input image determined to correspond to a blank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Kojima
  • Publication number: 20210102725
    Abstract: The indoor unit includes a plurality of outlet openings. In airflow rotation of the indoor unit, a full blowout mode and a partial blowout mode are executed. In the full blowout mode, all the outlet openings blow conditioned air. In the partial blowout mode, the flow of the blowing air of part of the outlet openings are blocked by the air current blocking mechanism, and thus the blowing wind speeds of the remaining outlet openings increases. As a result, an air temperature difference among parts of the indoor space decreases, and the comfort of the indoor space is improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Applicant: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Akira KOMATSU, Nobuyuki KOJIMA, Ryouta SUHARA, Masaaki MURATA, Natsumi FURO
  • Patent number: 10941954
    Abstract: Occurrence of a phenomenon in which an air current that has just been blown from any indoor unit is drawn into an adjacent indoor unit is reduced. A controller makes each of a plurality of indoor units perform a partial supply operation. In the partial supply operation, the controller controls an airflow direction adjusting flap such that, regarding the indoor units adjacent to each other with a predetermined distance ? interposed therebetween, air currents are blown from both outlet openings which face each other with the predetermined distance ? interposed therebetween, and that the air currents collide with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kojima, Akira Komatsu, Ryouta Suhara
  • Patent number: 10900688
    Abstract: The indoor unit includes a plurality of outlet openings. In airflow rotation of the indoor unit, a full blowout mode and a partial blowout mode are executed. In the full blowout mode, all the outlet openings blow conditioned air. In the partial blowout mode, the flow of the blowing air of part of the outlet openings are blocked by the air current blocking mechanism, and thus the blowing wind speeds of the remaining outlet openings increases. As a result, an air temperature difference among parts of the indoor space decreases, and the comfort of the indoor space is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Komatsu, Nobuyuki Kojima, Ryouta Suhara, Masaaki Murata, Natsumi Furo
  • Publication number: 20200370780
    Abstract: An air-conditioning light-emitting system includes: air conditioners; light emitters; a first communication means that connects the air conditioners and that causes the air conditioners to communicate with each other; a plurality of second communication means that each connects one of the air conditioners to one of the light emitters and that causes the one of the air conditioners to communicate with the one of the light emitters; and a controller that controls the light emitters by using the first communication means and the second communication means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Applicant: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kousuke Shiohama, Nobuyuki Kojima, Tatsuya Toyofuku, Masaaki Murata
  • Patent number: 10760812
    Abstract: In order to carry out, in a heating operation, an airflow rate adjusting operation in which a reduced amount of conditioned air is blown in one or more of a plurality of blowing directions to increase a blowing speed in the rest of the blowing directions, an operation control section is configured to control the flow of the conditioned air such that the conditioned air is blown out in a horizontal blow mode in the blowing direction in which the blowing speed is increased by the airflow rate adjusting operation, and periodically change the blowing direction in which a reduced amount of the conditioned air is blown. As a result, temperature variations in the air-conditioning target space in the heating operation are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Komatsu, Nobuyuki Kojima, Takahiro Wasaka, Masaaki Murata
  • Patent number: 10655885
    Abstract: Entrance of cold air from near a wall of an indoor space is avoided. An airflow direction adjusting flap is provided at a main outlet opening, and changes the direction of airflow coming from the main outlet opening in a vertical direction. A load detector detects a load of an indoor space. When the load of the indoor space is higher than a predetermined value in a heating operation, the airflow direction adjusting flap guides the air coming from the main outlet opening in a horizontal direction or in an upward direction with respect to the horizontal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kojima, Akira Komatsu, Ryouta Suhara, Masaaki Murata, Natsumi Furo
  • Patent number: 10498261
    Abstract: A vibration-type actuator can downsizes a pressing mechanism for bringing a vibrating body and a driven body into press contact with each other and generates required pressing force. The vibrating body has an elastic body, an electro-mechanical energy conversion element, and at least one projecting portion. The driven body has a driven base material that is brought into press contact with the vibrating body, and a permanent magnet joined to the driven base material. The driven base material and the elastic body face each other across the permanent magnet in a thickness direction of the elastic body. The permanent magnet is magnetized in the thickness direction of the elastic body. A magnetic action of the permanent magnet on the elastic body and the driven base material brings the projecting portion and the driven base material into press contact with each other in the thickness direction of the elastic body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Kojima
  • Patent number: 10458674
    Abstract: A decorative panel includes a panel body with a suction port and an outlet port, and a suction grill attached to the suction port of the panel body. The suction grill includes a grill body positioned over the suction port, and an extension extending outward from the entire periphery of the grill body to overlap with a lower surface of the panel body. The extension is configured such that an end of a portion of the extension extending toward the outlet port is located closer to the suction port than an edge of the lower surface of the panel body facing the outlet port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Kojima
  • Patent number: 10461667
    Abstract: A vibration actuator capable of determining positional relationship between a vibration body and driven body with high accuracy while keeping a pressurized contact state therebetween. The driven body contacts with the vibration body in a first direction and moves in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. A holding member that holds the vibration body has two holes. A support member that supports the holding member has two projections that fit in the holes to form first and second fitting parts. The projection contacts with the hole in the second direction and in a third direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions in the first fitting part. The projection contacts with the hole in the third direction in the second fitting part. A contact range of the projection and hole in the third direction in the first fitting part differs from that in the second fitting part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki kaisha
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Kojima
  • Patent number: 10422546
    Abstract: Entrance of cold air from near a wall of an indoor space is avoided. An airflow direction adjusting flap is provided at a main outlet opening of the casing, and changes a direction of air supplied from the main outlet opening in a vertical direction. The heat exchange temperature sensor detects a temperature of the indoor heat exchanger. A motor controller controls the airflow direction adjusting flap to operate in an airflow mode, in which air is supplied from the main outlet opening at least horizontally, when a value detected by the heat exchange temperature sensor is greater than a first predetermined value in the heating operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryouta Suhara, Nobuyuki Kojima, Natsumi Furo
  • Patent number: 10352582
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a decorative panel for a ceiling-mounted indoor unit of an air conditioning device, and the panel is configured to improve the design of a suction grill without increasing the number of manufacturing process steps. The decorative panel includes: a panel body having a suction port; and a suction grill attached to the suction port of the panel body. The suction grill has a grill body which is formed in the shape of a grid to have a large number of suction holes and is positioned over the suction port. A large number of recesses are formed in a lower surface of the decorative panel so as to be arranged along, and to surround, the grill body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kojima, Yoshiteru Nouchi
  • Publication number: 20190182396
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus acquires an input image generated by reading an image of an original document to be copied, and determination information of whether or not the input image corresponds to a blank. The image forming apparatus controls a printer to print the input image together with a page number on a sheet and output the sheet, according to a determination result indicated by the determination information. At that time, the image forming apparatus controls the printer so as to output a sheet on which the page number is not printed, with respect to the input image determined to correspond to a blank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Kojima
  • Patent number: 10274220
    Abstract: If a load of an indoor space is higher than a predetermined value in a cooling operation, a controller performs a swing control operation to swing a wind direction adjusting slat so that a direction of blown air shifts in a limited possible range. The angle of a lowermost wind direction relative to a horizontal plane in the limited possible range is smaller than the angle of a lowermost wind direction relative to the horizontal plane in the normal possible range. The normal possible range is previously determined to be a range where if the load of the indoor space is lower than the predetermined value, the direction of the blown air can shift upward and downward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kojima, Akira Komatsu, Ryouta Suhara, Masaaki Murata, Natsumi Furo
  • Patent number: 10240805
    Abstract: A grille is provided at a lower end portion of an air inlet, and covers a central portion of the air inlet to form an inlet opening between an outer peripheral edge of the grille and an opening edge of the air inlet in plan view. A plate member extends along an inner surface of the air inlet, and provided inside the air inlet such that an upper edge of the plate member is located more inward than a lower edge of the plate member. The upper edge of the plate member is located above the lower end of the air inlet. The lower edge of the plate member surrounds an outer periphery of the grille in plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiteru Nouchi, Nobuyuki Kojima
  • Publication number: 20190056137
    Abstract: The indoor unit includes a plurality of outlet openings. In airflow rotation of the indoor unit, a full blowout mode and a partial blowout mode are executed. In the full blowout mode, all the outlet openings blow conditioned air. In the partial blowout mode, the flow of the blowing air of part of the outlet openings are blocked by the air current blocking mechanism, and thus the blowing wind speeds of the remaining outlet openings increases. As a result, an air temperature difference among parts of the indoor space decreases, and the comfort of the indoor space is improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2016
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Applicant: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Akira KOMATSU, Nobuyuki KOJIMA, Ryouta SUHARA, Masaaki MURATA, Natsumi FURO