Patents by Inventor Norio Inami

Norio Inami 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: 11437009
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for producing a metal structure having holes dispersed in a matrix and having inorganic particles disposed inside the holes, that are capable of moving in the holes independently of the matrix, the method making it possible to increase the proportion of inorganic particles in the metal structure that are capable of moving in the holes independently of the matrix. In the method for producing a metal structure whereby inorganic particles are disposed inside holes dispersed in a matrix so as to be capable of moving independently of the matrix, the hollow particles covering the inorganic particles which are distributed in the matrix of the metal structure are fragmented so that the inorganic particles are disposed inside the holes formed by fragmenting the hollow particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Norio Inami, Go Murasawa
  • Publication number: 20210231394
    Abstract: The invention provides metal members having liquid-repellent and corrosion-resistant surfaces, without the need for SAM surface treatment. A metal member of the disclosure has a porous surface, having the porous surface directly covered by a hydrocarbon-based oil comprising zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZnDTP). The porous surface may be an oxidized surface, and especially an anodized surface. The metal member may be a member of Al, Ti, Fe or Mg, or an alloy of any of these metals, or stainless steel. The concentration of the zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZnDTP) may be 0.1 mass % to 30.0 mass % with respect to the hydrocarbon-based oil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventors: Norio INAMI, Kenichi KOHASHI, Hiroki HABAZAKI, Akira KOYAMA
  • Patent number: 10912164
    Abstract: A heating device for an exhaust catalyst includes a first antenna and a second antenna. The heating device executes a specific radiation control for controlling operation of an electromagnetic wave generator to set a radiation state of an electromagnetic wave from the first antenna to be a different state from a radiation state of an electromagnetic wave from the second antenna. In such a case, the heating device acquires an intensity of an electromagnetic wave, of electromagnetic waves incident on the first antenna, and acquires an intensity of an electromagnetic wave, of electromagnetic waves incident on the second antenna. The heating device acquires a first temperature-correlated value for the first part based on the first electromagnetic wave intensity, and acquires a second temperature-correlated value for the second part based on the second electromagnetic wave intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Otsuki, Norio Inami, Shinji Ikeda, Hikaru Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20200232430
    Abstract: A fuel supply apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes: a fuel tank that stores a liquid fuel; a mixed gas space defining portion provided outside the fuel tank and defining a mixed gas space that is filled with a mixed gas containing an evaporated fuel and air; a fine bubble fuel generator including a liquid fuel inlet that communicates with a liquid region of the fuel tank and a mixed gas inlet that communicates with the mixed gas space defining portion and configured to generate a fine bubble fuel containing fine bubbles of the mixed gas from the liquid fuel supplied from the fuel tank and the mixed gas supplied from the mixed gas space defining portion; and a fuel supply unit that supplies the fine bubble fuel generated by the fine bubble fuel generator to the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Norio INAMI
  • Publication number: 20200143783
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for producing a metal structure having holes dispersed in a matrix and having inorganic particles disposed inside the holes, that are capable of moving in the holes independently of the matrix, the method making it possible to increase the proportion of inorganic particles in the metal structure that are capable of moving in the holes independently of the matrix. In the method for producing a metal structure whereby inorganic particles are disposed inside holes dispersed in a matrix so as to be capable of moving independently of the matrix, the hollow particles covering the inorganic particles which are distributed in the matrix of the metal structure are fragmented so that the inorganic particles are disposed inside the holes formed by fragmenting the hollow particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Norio INAMI, Go MURASAWA
  • Patent number: 10626829
    Abstract: Provided is a fuel reformer for a vehicle. The vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, a fuel tank in which fuel of the internal combustion engine is stored, and a fuel supply device configured to supply the fuel in the fuel tank to the internal combustion engine. The fuel reformer includes an irradiator configured to emit light from an irradiation portion. The irradiation portion is disposed at a position where the fuel stored in the fuel tank is irradiated with the light without the light passing through a gas phase region in the fuel tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Norio Inami
  • Publication number: 20200053843
    Abstract: A heating device for an exhaust catalyst includes a first antenna and a second antenna. The heating device executes a specific radiation control for controlling operation of an electromagnetic wave generator to set a radiation state of an electromagnetic wave from the first antenna to be a different state from a radiation state of an electromagnetic wave from the second antenna. In such a case, the heating device acquires an intensity of an electromagnetic wave, of electromagnetic waves incident on the first antenna, and acquires an intensity of an electromagnetic wave, of electromagnetic waves incident on the second antenna. The heating device acquires a first temperature-correlated value for the first part based on the first electromagnetic wave intensity, and acquires a second temperature-correlated value for the second part based on the second electromagnetic wave intensity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Hiroshi OTSUKI, Norio INAMI, Shinji Dwayne IKEDA, Hikaru IKEDA
  • Publication number: 20190381455
    Abstract: The catalyst heating device includes: an irradiation unit; and a control unit. The irradiation unit includes an antenna and is configured to radiate a microwave through the antenna to a catalyst device which has microwave absorbability and is configured to purify gas, to heat the catalyst device. The control unit has a function of allowing the irradiation unit to make irradiation with the microwave under an irradiation condition including at least any of a frequency of the microwave and a position of the antenna, and has a function of changing the irradiation condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Applicants: PANASONIC CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hikaru IKEDA, Hiroshi OTSUKI, Shinji IKEDA, Norio INAMI
  • Patent number: 10493435
    Abstract: A micro coil includes a micro coil body having heat resistance sufficient to keep the micro coil body from thermal decomposition and melting in a high-temperature environment, and a coating layer that is provided on a surface of the micro coil body, and has heat resistance and electrical conductivity under the high-temperature environment and an oxidizing atmosphere. The coating layer has a shape that causes induced current to be produced according to a magnetic-field component of radio waves, when the micro coil receives the radio waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Otsuki, Shinji Ikeda, Norio Inami
  • Patent number: 10316724
    Abstract: A structure of a metal fiber constituting a filter is set to a structure in which a cross-sectional shape of the metal fiber is a curved or bent shape and an outer member and an inner member having a linear expansion coefficient greater than that of the outer member are bonded to each other. Accordingly, the metal fiber is deformed to warp to the outer member side in the length direction thereof when the temperature of the metal fiber increases. When a amount of deformation per unit temperature of the metal fiber is defined as a deformation rate, a amount of change of the deformation rate per unit time changes at a predetermined deformation temperature with the increase in temperature. The deformation temperature is set to a temperature higher than a target temperature of a filter regenerating process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Otsuki, Norio Inami, Kenichi Kohashi
  • Publication number: 20180333700
    Abstract: A micro coil includes a micro coil body having heat resistance sufficient to keep the micro coil body from thermal decomposition and melting in a high-temperature environment, and a coating layer that is provided on a surface of the micro coil body, and has heat resistance and electrical conductivity under the high-temperature environment and an oxidizing atmosphere. The coating layer has a shape that causes induced current to be produced according to a magnetic-field component of radio waves, when the micro coil receives the radio waves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Otsuki, Shinji Ikeda, Norio Inami
  • Publication number: 20180306145
    Abstract: Provided is a fuel reformer for a vehicle. The vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, a fuel tank in which fuel of the internal combustion engine is stored, and a fuel supply device configured to supply the fuel in the fuel tank to the internal combustion engine. The fuel reformer includes an irradiator configured to emit light from an irradiation portion. The irradiation portion is disposed at a position where the fuel stored in the fuel tank is irradiated with the light without the light passing through a gas phase region in the fuel tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2018
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Norio Inami
  • Patent number: 9957858
    Abstract: An oil deterioration suppressing apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprises a first oil filter and a second oil filter, wherein the first oil filter comprises a first filter member for filtering oil from an oil pan in which oil is stored, and the second oil filter comprises a second filter member for filtering oil from the oil pan, and wherein the second filter member is made of a ceramic material and has a mean pore size smaller than the mean pore size of the first filter member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ippei Fukutomi, Motoichi Murakami, Norio Inami
  • Patent number: 9891623
    Abstract: A driving plan of the vehicle is generated based on the map information and the information on the surroundings of the vehicle detected by a detection sensor, and an automated driving operation of the vehicle is controlled based on this driving plan. When a change in the operating state of the engine is predicted from the driving plan, an advanced control of the control command value of the engine operation control device where the control command value of the engine operation control device is made to change is started in advance of the predicted change of the operating state of the engine. When there is a demand for sudden stop of the vehicle contrary to the driving plan of the vehicle, this advanced control is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Norio Inami, Yusuke Hoki
  • Publication number: 20170314445
    Abstract: A structure of a metal fiber constituting a filter is set to a structure in which a cross-sectional shape of the metal fiber is a curved or bent shape and an outer member and an inner member having a linear expansion coefficient greater than that of the outer member are bonded to each other. Accordingly, the metal fiber is deformed to warp to the outer member side in the length direction thereof when the temperature of the metal fiber increases. When a amount of deformation per unit temperature of the metal fiber is defined as a deformation rate, a amount of change of the deformation rate per unit time changes at a predetermined deformation temperature with the increase in temperature. The deformation temperature is set to a temperature higher than a target temperature of a filter regenerating process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi OTSUKI, Norio INAMI, Kenichi KOHASHI
  • Publication number: 20160320776
    Abstract: A driving plan of the vehicle is generated based on the map information and the information on the surroundings of the vehicle detected by a detection sensor, and an automated driving operation of the vehicle is controlled based on this driving plan. When a change in the operating state of the engine is predicted from the driving plan, an advanced control of the control command value of the engine operation control device where the control command value of the engine operation control device is made to change is started in advance of the predicted change of the operating state of the engine. When there is a demand for sudden stop of the vehicle contrary to the driving plan of the vehicle, this advanced control is stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Norio INAMI, Yusuke HOKI
  • Publication number: 20160024982
    Abstract: An oil deterioration suppressing apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprises a first oil filter and a second oil filter, wherein the first oil filter comprises a first filter member for filtering oil from an oil pan in which oil is stored, and the second oil filter comprises a second filter member for filtering oil from the oil pan, and wherein the second filter member is made of a ceramic material and has a mean pore size smaller than the mean pore size of the first filter member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ippei FUKUTOMI, Motoichi MURAKAMI, Norio INAMI
  • Publication number: 20160001259
    Abstract: A material for trapping a target substance, which is capable of selectively trapping a target substance such as a sludge or a sludge precursor contained in a liquid organic compound such as an engine oil or in a gas such as a blow-by gas (combustion gas). A material for trapping a target substance, which traps a target substance contained in a liquid organic compound or a gas, the material comprising a mesoporous inorganic material having a plurality of pores.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Inventors: Yasuhiro OHMIYA, Mamoru TOHYAMA, Hiroshi MORITANI, Narihito TATSUDA, Kazuhisa YANO, Kenichi HARADA, Ippei FUKUTOMI, Motoichi MURAKAMI, Norio INAMI, Ryuji KOIKE
  • Patent number: 8783223
    Abstract: The present invention is provided with a configuration which makes it possible to inhibit contact between an oil (L) and a gas in an oil pan (10a) properly. The oil pan (10a) according to the present invention contains a film (S1) which covers an oil surface (F) of the oil (L) to separate the stored oil (L) and the gas above the oil (L). The film (S1) can float by receiving buoyancy in the oil (L). The film (S1) may be formed of a liquid. The film also may be configured by a film member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukio Koseki, Motoichi Murakami, Norio Inami, Ryuji Koike
  • Patent number: 8772208
    Abstract: The present invention provides an additive agent to be added to oil and comprising weak basic hydrotalcite. At the time of adding a mixture of hydrotalcite of 1 weight % and water by 3 weight % to the oil where a hydrogen ion exponent is within a range of 6 to 7 for stirring, the weak basic hydrotalcite is hydrotalcite where the obtained oil indicates the hydrogen ion exponent within a range of 6 to 7. Such an additive agent can be accommodated in an oil filter (36) for use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ippei Fukutomi, Norio Inami, Kenichi Harada, Motoichi Murakami, Koji Morita, Takahiko Fujiwara