Patents by Inventor Satoru Sakae

Satoru Sakae 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: 11614264
    Abstract: An icemaking system includes: a refrigerant circuit that executes a vapor compression refrigeration cycle; a circulation circuit that circulates solution as a cooling target of the refrigerant circuit; and a control device that controls refrigerant evaporation temperature at the refrigerant circuit. The circulation circuit includes a solution flow path of: an ice generator; a solution tank that stores the solution; and a pump that pressure feeds the solution to the solution flow path. The refrigerant circuit includes: an evaporator of the ice generator; a compressor; a condenser; and an expansion valve. The control device includes a central processing unit (CPU) that adjusts to lower evaporation temperature at the evaporator as the solution has higher solute concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Azuma Kondou, Takeo Ueno, Shouhei Yasuda, Takahito Nakayama, Satoru Sakae
  • Patent number: 11280523
    Abstract: Provided is a refrigeration apparatus with improved safety. A refrigeration apparatus includes: a compressor; a heat source-side expansion valve to be controlled to have a minimum opening degree and brought into a closed state in which the heat source-side expansion valve maximizes prevention of a flow of a refrigerant toward a usage-side refrigerant circuit; a fusible plug; a controller; and a refrigerant leak detector configured to detect a refrigerant leak at the usage-side refrigerant circuit. The fusible plug is disposed in a refrigerant circuit, and is brought into an open state to allow the refrigerant circuit to communicate with an external space. When the refrigerant leak detector detects a refrigerant leak at the usage-side refrigerant circuit, the controller performs refrigerant leak first control to bring the heat source-side expansion valve into the closed state, and performs refrigerant leak second control to bring the fusible plug into the open state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru Sakae, Takenori Mezaki
  • Patent number: 11274871
    Abstract: Provided is a refrigeration apparatus capable of reducing the leakage of a refrigerant even when a refrigerant leak occurs in a defrosting operation of a usage-side heat exchanger. When a refrigerant leak situation around a usage-side heat exchanger satisfies a predetermined leak condition in performing a defrosting operation with a connection state of a four-way switching valve brought into a defrosting connection state in which a heat source-side heat exchanger functions as an evaporator for a refrigerant and a usage-side heat exchanger functions as a radiator for the refrigerant, a controller performs density lowering control to lower a refrigerant density in the usage-side heat exchanger while maintaining the four-way switching valve at the defrosting connection state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Sakae, Azuma Kondou, Masaaki Takegami, Kazuyoshi Nomura
  • Patent number: 11041666
    Abstract: Provided is a refrigeration apparatus that secures safety while suppressing an increase in cost. A refrigeration apparatus performs a refrigeration cycle in a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, a heat source-side heat exchanger, and a usage-side heat exchanger. The refrigeration apparatus comprises a usage-side fan providing an air flow, and a controller. The usage-side fan is disposed in a target space where inside air is cooled. The controller performs a refrigerant leak determination process to determine whether a refrigerant leak occurs, based on a state of a refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit. When the controller performs the refrigerant leak determination process to determine that a refrigerant leak occurs, then the controller performs leakage refrigerant agitation control to operate the usage-side fan so as to suppress local emergence of a region where the refrigerant leaks at a high concentration in the target space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru Sakae, Takahito Nakayama, Takenori Mezaki
  • Patent number: 11015852
    Abstract: Provided is a refrigeration apparatus capable of, even in occurrence of a refrigerant leak, suppressing the extent of the refrigerant leak in continuously operating a usage unit other than a usage unit at which the refrigerant leak occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru Sakae, Azuma Kondou, Masaaki Takegami, Kazuyoshi Nomura
  • Patent number: 11015828
    Abstract: A refrigeration system includes a plurality of utilization units provided for one air conditioning target space, a refrigerant leakage sensor that detects a leakage of the refrigerant in a lower part of the air conditioning target space, and a control unit. In a case where the refrigerant leakage sensor detects the refrigerant leakage, the control unit performs detection standby control on the utilization units such that the supply of the refrigerant to utilization-side heat exchangers is temporarily stopped. In a case where the refrigerant leakage is detected based on the state quantity of the refrigerant corresponding to the utilization units under the detection standby control, the control unit stops the use of the utilization unit in which the refrigerant leakage has been detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru Sakae, Azuma Kondou
  • Publication number: 20200386462
    Abstract: An icemaking system includes: a refrigerant circuit that executes a vapor compression refrigeration cycle; a circulation circuit that circulates solution as a cooling target of the refrigerant circuit; and a control device that controls refrigerant evaporation temperature at the refrigerant circuit. The circulation circuit includes a solution flow path of: an ice generator; a solution tank that stores the solution; and a pump that pressure feeds the solution to the solution flow path. The refrigerant circuit includes: an evaporator of the ice generator; a compressor; a condenser; and an expansion valve. The control device includes a central processing unit (CPU) that adjusts to lower evaporation temperature at the evaporator as the solution has higher solute concentration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Azuma Kondou, Takeo Ueno, Shouhei Yasuda, Takahito Nakayama, Satoru Sakae
  • Publication number: 20190390877
    Abstract: Provided is a refrigeration apparatus with improved safety. A refrigeration apparatus includes: a compressor; a heat source-side expansion valve to be controlled to have a minimum opening degree and brought into a closed state in which the heat source-side expansion valve maximizes prevention of a flow of a refrigerant toward a usage-side refrigerant circuit; a fusible plug; a controller; and a refrigerant leak detector configured to detect a refrigerant leak at the usage-side refrigerant circuit. The fusible plug is disposed in a refrigerant circuit, and is brought into an open state to allow the refrigerant circuit to communicate with an external space. When the refrigerant leak detector detects a refrigerant leak at the usage-side refrigerant circuit, the controller performs refrigerant leak first control to bring the heat source-side expansion valve into the closed state, and performs refrigerant leak second control to bring the fusible plug into the open state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Applicant: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru SAKAE, Takenori MEZAKI
  • Publication number: 20190376730
    Abstract: A refrigeration apparatus includes: a usage-side expansion valve whose opening degree is changed in response to a change in a flow rate or a pressure of a refrigerant on the upstream side; a first expansion valve; and a controller. The controller exerts, in an oil recovery operation, an oil recovery first control on the first expansion valve to attain a first opening degree (an opening degree of increasing an opening degree of the usage-side expansion valve in relation to a reduction in the flow rate or the pressure of the refrigerant passing through the first expansion valve), to reduce the flow rate or the pressure of the refrigerant passing through the first expansion valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Applicant: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru SAKAE, Azuma KONDOU
  • Publication number: 20190242632
    Abstract: Provided is a refrigeration apparatus that secures safety while suppressing an increase in cost. A refrigeration apparatus performs a refrigeration cycle in a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, a heat source-side heat exchanger, and a usage-side heat exchanger. The refrigeration apparatus comprises a usage-side fan providing an air flow, and a controller. The usage-side fan is disposed in a target space where inside air is cooled. The controller performs a refrigerant leak determination process to determine whether a refrigerant leak occurs, based on a state of a refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit. When the controller performs the refrigerant leak determination process to determine that a refrigerant leak occurs, then the controller performs leakage refrigerant agitation control to operate the usage-side fan so as to suppress local emergence of a region where the refrigerant leaks at a high concentration in the target space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Applicant: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru SAKAE, Takahito NAKAYAMA, Takenori MEZAKI
  • Publication number: 20190226705
    Abstract: A refrigeration system includes a plurality of utilization units provided for one air conditioning target space, a refrigerant leakage sensor that detects a leakage of the refrigerant in a lower part of the air conditioning target space, and a control unit. In a case where the refrigerant leakage sensor detects the refrigerant leakage, the control unit performs detection standby control on the utilization units such that the supply of the refrigerant to utilization-side heat exchangers is temporarily stopped. In a case where the refrigerant leakage is detected based on the state quantity of the refrigerant corresponding to the utilization units under the detection standby control, the control unit stops the use of the utilization unit in which the refrigerant leakage has been detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Applicant: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru SAKAE, Azuma KONDOU
  • Publication number: 20190203997
    Abstract: Provided is a refrigeration apparatus capable of, even in occurrence of a refrigerant leak, suppressing the extent of the refrigerant leak in continuously operating a usage unit other than a usage unit at which the refrigerant leak occurs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Applicant: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru SAKAE, Azuma KONDOU, Masaaki TAKEGAMI, Kazuyoshi NOMURA
  • Publication number: 20190195550
    Abstract: Provided is a refrigeration apparatus capable of reducing the leakage of a refrigerant even when a refrigerant leak occurs in a defrosting operation of a usage-side heat exchanger. When a refrigerant leak situation around a usage-side heat exchanger satisfies a predetermined leak condition in performing a defrosting operation with a connection state of a four-way switching valve brought into a defrosting connection state in which a heat source-side heat exchanger functions as an evaporator for a refrigerant and a usage-side heat exchanger functions as a radiator for the refrigerant, a controller performs density lowering control to lower a refrigerant density in the usage-side heat exchanger while maintaining the four-way switching valve at the defrosting connection state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Applicant: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru SAKAE, Azuma KONDOU, Masaaki TAKEGAMI, Kazuyoshi NOMURA
  • Patent number: 9163632
    Abstract: A scroll compressor includes a compression mechanism having fixed and orbiting scrolls engaged with each other to form a compression chamber. Each of the fixed and orbiting scrolls includes an end plate and a spiral wall-shaped wrap extending from the end plate. The fixed scroll has an injection port configured to communicate with the compression chamber through a communication passageway located in the fixed-side end plate. The orbiting-side wrap has a thick portion located at a position corresponding to the injection port and having an increasing tooth thickness portion. A tooth thickness of the increasing tooth thickness portion increases from a start of winding to an end of winding of the orbiting-side wrap. The thick portion has a thickness greater than or equal to a dimension of an opening of the injection port measured along a tooth thickness of the orbiting-side wrap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsumi Katou, Satoru Sakae
  • Publication number: 20150004040
    Abstract: A scroll compressor includes a compression mechanism having fixed and orbiting scrolls engaged with each other to form a compression chamber. Each of the fixed and orbiting scrolls includes an end plate and a spiral wall-shaped wrap extending from the end plate. The fixed scroll has an injection port configured to communicate with the compression chamber through a communication passageway located in the fixed-side end plate. The orbiting-side wrap has a thick portion located at a position corresponding to the injection port and having an increasing tooth thickness portion. A tooth thickness of the increasing tooth thickness portion increases from a start of winding to an end of winding of the orbiting-side wrap. The thick portion has a thickness greater than or equal to a dimension of an opening of the injection port measured along a tooth thickness of the orbiting-side wrap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Katsumi Katou, Satoru Sakae
  • Patent number: 8408018
    Abstract: A refrigeration device includes a switching valve control section for outputting a switching signal for controlling a four-way switching valve to a predetermined switching state when starting a compression mechanism; and a switching determination section which, when starting only a first compressor as a start-up of the compression mechanism, outputs a low differential pressure signal if a differential pressure between a high-pressure port and a low-pressure port in the four-way switching valve falls below a determination value in a determination operation after the switching signal being outputted by the switching valve control section. After the switching determination section outputs the low differential pressure signal, a capacity control section starts a second compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaaki Takegami, Satoru Sakae
  • Patent number: 8276400
    Abstract: For the supply of refrigeration oil accumulated in an oil return compressor (90a) into a higher stage compression mechanism (11), an oil sump in a discharge pressure space defined in the casing of the oil return compressor (90a) and the downstream side of an oil separator (94) are connected together through an oil return passageway (97). And, a pressure reducing means (93) for the reduction in pressure of refrigerant flowing towards the oil separator (94) from the oil return compression mechanism (90a) is disposed in place between the oil return compressor (90a) and the oil separator (94) in a discharge pipe (85) of a lower stage compression mechanism (90).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Sakae, Kouichi Kita, Hiroto Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20110174005
    Abstract: A refrigerating apparatus having a plurality of compressors includes an injection circuit (40) which includes a first injection pipe (37) branched from a first refrigerant pipe (32) of a refrigerant circuit (10) and branch injection pipes (37a, 37b, 37c) branched from the first injection pipe (37), a subcooling pressure-reducing valve (29) provided to the first injection pipe (37), and flow rate adjusting valves (30a, 30b, 30c) provided to the branch injection pipes (37a, 37b, 37c), respectively, thereby providing an appropriate refrigerant injection to each of the compressors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Inventors: Masaaki Takegami, Satoru Sakae, Ryuuji Takeuchi, Azuma Kondou
  • Publication number: 20100326125
    Abstract: In a refrigeration system in which a compressor mechanism including a plurality of compressors, oil separators (37a, 37b) are provided at a discharge pipe (56a) of a first compressor (14a) and a discharge pipe (56b) of a second compressor (14b), respectively. An oil return passageway (32) for returning refrigerating machine oil from the oil separators (37a, 37b) to a compressor mechanism (40) is configured to combine streams of refrigerating machine oil separated in the oil separators (37a, 37b) and distribute the combined refrigerating machine oil to the first compressor (14a) and the second compressor (14b).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventors: Satoru Sakae, Masaaki Takegami
  • Publication number: 20100251738
    Abstract: A refrigeration device includes a switching valve control section for outputting a switching signal for controlling a four-way switching valve to a predetermined switching state when starting a compression mechanism; and a switching determination section which, when starting only a first compressor as a start-up of the compression mechanism, outputs a low differential pressure signal if a differential pressure between a high-pressure port and a low-pressure port in the four-way switching valve falls below a determination value in a determination operation after the switching signal being outputted by the switching valve control section. After the switching determination section outputs the low differential pressure signal, a capacity control section starts a second compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Inventors: Masaaki Takegami, Satoru Sakae