Patents by Inventor Shigeki Iwanami

Shigeki Iwanami 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: 7263828
    Abstract: An expansion-and-compressor device of a fluid machine has a pump mode operation in which the expansion-and-compressor device is rotated by a driving force from a driving source to compress working fluid, and a motor mode operation in which the fluid pressure is converted into energy of movement to output kinetic energy. The fluid machine further has a transmission device for transmitting the driving force from the driving source with increased rotational speed, when the expansion-and-compressor device is operated in the pump mode operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignees: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigeki Iwanami, Hironori Asa, Keiichi Uno, Yasuhiro Takeuchi, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 7260952
    Abstract: A fluid machine has a compressor device for compressing refrigerant of a refrigerating cycle for an automotive vehicle, an electric rotating device operating as an electric motor for generating a rotational driving force to drive the compressor device or operating as an electric power generator, an expansion device for collecting waste heat from an engine and generating a rotational driving force to drive the electric rotating device and/or the compressor device, and a switching device for connecting or disconnecting the compressor device with or from the expansion device. In the fluid machine, the waste heat from the engine can be always collected by the expansion device, irrespectively whether or not the compressor device is operating for an air conditioning operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignees: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Takeuchi, Shigeki Iwanami, Hironori Asa, Yasushi Yamanaka, Atsushi Inaba, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 7250017
    Abstract: An auxiliary machine driven by an engine comprises: an operating section operated by a rotary motion and having a drive shaft; an input shaft, one side of which is connected to the engine and the other side of which is connected to the operating section; a clutch for connecting the engine to the input shaft and for disconnecting the engine from the input shaft; an electric motor; a planetary gear mechanism arranged between the input shaft and the output shaft; a first rotary direction regulating means for inhibiting a rotary direction of the input shaft in one-direction; and a second rotary direction regulating means for inhibiting a rotary direction of the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignees: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Hironori Asa, Shigeki Iwanami, Keiichi Uno, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 7178358
    Abstract: A vapor-compression refrigerant cycle system with a refrigeration cycle and a Rankine cycle includes a compressor, a radiator, a gas-liquid separator, a decompression device and an evaporator. In the vapor-compression refrigerant cycle system, a liquid pump is disposed for supplying the liquid refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator to a heater for heating the refrigerant, a cooling means is provided for cooling the liquid refrigerant to be sucked into the liquid pump, and an energy recovery unit for expanding the refrigerant flowing out of the heater is disposed to recover thermal energy in the refrigerant from the heater. When the Rankine cycle is set so that the energy recovery unit recovers the thermal energy, the cooling means cools the liquid refrigerant to be sucked into the liquid pump. Therefore, pumping efficiency of the liquid pump can be effectively improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Atsushi Inaba, Yasushi Yamanaka, Shigeki Iwanami, Koichi Ban, Shigeru Hisanaga, Tadashi Hotta, Yukikatsu Ozaki, Kazuhide Uchida
  • Patent number: 7121190
    Abstract: A fluid machine for a gas compression refrigerating system comprises a first and a second working for performing a pump mode operation, in which working fluid of low pressure is sucked into and compressed by the working chambers. The fluid machine further comprises valve mechanism for selectively forming a motor mode passage in combination with a fluid passage change-over device, so that super heated working fluid of high pressure is introduced into at least one of the working chambers to perform a motor mode operation, in which the high pressure working fluid is expanded in the working chamber to obtain mechanical energy. The fluid machine according to the invention, therefore, performs the pump mode operation at one of the working chambers and at the same time the motor mode operation at the other working chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignees: Nippon Soken, Inc., Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ogawa, Mikio Matsuda, Kazuhide Uchida, Shigeki Iwanami, Keiichi Uno, Hironori Asa
  • Publication number: 20060107681
    Abstract: A complex fluid machine has an expansion-compressor device, a pump, and a motor generator, wherein the expansion-compressor device, the pump, and the motor generator are operatively connected and arranged in series, and a power transmitting device for disconnecting the pump from the motor generator, when the expansion-compressor device is driven by the motor generator so as to be operated as a compressor device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2005
    Publication date: May 25, 2006
    Applicants: DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Keiichi Uno, Hironori Asa, Yasuhiro Takeuchi, Hideji Yoshida, Akihiro Imura, Atsushi Inaba, Koichi Ban, Takashi Yamanaka, Shigeki Iwanami, Hiroshi Kishita, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 7028475
    Abstract: A fluid machine according to the present invention has an expansion-and-compressor device selectively operating as an expansion device for collecting waste heat from an internal combustion engine and converting the collected heat energy into mechanical rotational force, and as a compressor device for compressing refrigerant for a refrigerating cycle for air conditioner. The fluid machine further comprises an electric rotating device selectively operating as an electric power generator and as an electric motor. A power transmission device is further provided between the expansion-and-compressor device and the electric rotating device for selectively transmitting the rotational force from the expansion-and-compressor device to the electric rotating device and vice versa. The power transmission device is composed of a planetary gear train so that it can change rotational speed to be transmitted to the expansion-and-compressor device or to the electric rotating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Iwanami, Yasushi Suzuki, Keiichi Uno, Kazuhide Uchida, Tadashi Hotta, Hironori Asa, Yasuhiro Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20060073050
    Abstract: A complex fluid machine (100) comprises a compressor device (110) for a refrigerating cycle (20) and an expansion device (120) for Rankine cycle (30) to collect waste heat from an engine (10) and convert into a rotational force, wherein the compressor device (110) and the expansion device (120) are arranged in a fluid machine housing (111, 101c, 121), but those devices (110, 120) are operatively independent from each other. The compressor and expansion devices (110, 120) are formed as scroll type devices, and each of the fixed scroll wraps (112b, 122b) are formed at a common base plate (101) and extend in opposite directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Publication date: April 6, 2006
    Applicants: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigeki Iwanami, Keiichi Uno, Hironori Asa, Tomohiro Kishimoto, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 6993910
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to minimize energy loss to be generated at a driving shaft and a shaft seal device, when an electric rotating device is driven by an expansion-and-compressor device. According to a feature of the invention, a first driving shaft is rotationally supported by a housing and transmits a driving force from an engine to a second shaft of the expansion-and-compressor device, wherein a shaft seal device is provided on the first driving shaft for air-tightly sealing the inside of the housing from the outside of the housing. A power transmission control device (electromagnetic clutch or one way clutch) is operatively provided in a path between the first driving shaft and the second shaft, so that power transmission from the second shaft to the first driving shaft is cut off, to suppress any energy loss to be generated between the first driving shaft and the shaft seal device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigeki Iwanami, Yasushi Suzuki, Keiichi Uno, Kazuhide Uchida, Tadashi Hotta
  • Publication number: 20060019786
    Abstract: An auxiliary machine driven by an engine comprises: an operating section operated by a rotary motion and having a drive shaft; an input shaft, one side of which is connected to the engine and the other side of which is connected to the operating section; a clutch for connecting the engine to the input shaft and for disconnecting the engine from the input shaft; an electric motor; a planetary gear mechanism arranged between the input shaft and the output shaft; a first rotary direction regulating means for inhibiting a rotary direction of the input shaft in one-direction; and a second rotary direction regulating means for inhibiting a rotary direction of the drive shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2005
    Publication date: January 26, 2006
    Applicants: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Hironori Asa, Shigeki Iwanami, Keiichi Uno, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 6986645
    Abstract: A hybrid compressor system affords maximum cooling capability by making full use of an additional motor to improve the fuel consumption efficiency of a vehicle while ensuring passenger compartment cooling when the engine is stopped. The hybrid compressor system includes a compression unit for compressing a refrigerant, a motor for driving the compression unit, and disconnection means for disconnecting the drive force of a vehicle engine. In the hybrid compressor system, when the thermal load of the refrigeration cycle system lies within a predetermined range in a higher load region, the control means connects the disconnection means to allow the vehicle engine to drive the compression unit. When the thermal load of the refrigeration cycle system lies within a lower load region of the predetermined range, the control means disconnects the disconnection means to allow the motor to drive the compression unit even while the vehicle engine is running.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Iwanami, Keiichi Uno, Yasushi Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20060001002
    Abstract: A refrigerating cycle comprising a compressor 1 which compresses and discharges a refrigerant containing a refrigerating machine oil in a refrigerant circulating passage for lubricating the compressor 1, wherein fine particles 17 having a nearly circular shape in cross section are put into the refrigerant circulating passage. The fine particles 17 present between the sliding surfaces of the compressor prevent direct contact between the sliding surfaces. Besides, the fine particles 17 having a nearly circular shape in cross section roll when the opposing side surfaces move relative to each other creating rolling friction. Therefore, the coefficient of friction decreases on the sliding portions of the compressor 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Publication date: January 5, 2006
    Inventors: Shigeki Iwanami, Shigeru Kawano, Teruhiko Kameoka, Shozo Ikejima, Takashi Honda
  • Patent number: 6981544
    Abstract: A vehicle air-conditioning apparatus for idle-stop vehicles is capable of performing both cooling and heating operations throughout the year. The air-conditioning apparatus includes an engine-driven compressor and engine-driven pump for a heating unit. The air-conditioning apparatus includes a motor-driven compressor and pump. A control unit drives the motor such that the motor-driven compressor is operated when there is a need for cooling and the motor-driven pump is operated when there is a need for heating when the engine is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Iwanami, Yasushi Suzuki, Yasushi Yamanaka
  • Publication number: 20050235670
    Abstract: A fluid machine has a compressor device for compressing refrigerant of a refrigerating cycle for an automotive vehicle, an electric rotating device operating as an electric motor for generating a rotational driving force to drive the compressor device or operating as an electric power generator, an expansion device for collecting waste heat from an engine and generating a rotational driving force to drive the electric rotating device and/or the compressor device, and a switching device for connecting or disconnecting the compressor device with or from the expansion device. In the fluid machine, the waste heat from the engine can be always collected by the expansion device, irrespectively whether or not the compressor device is operating for an air conditioning operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Publication date: October 27, 2005
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Takeuchi, Shigeki Iwanami, Hironori Asa, Yasushi Yamanaka, Atsushi Inaba, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20050220642
    Abstract: A switch valve structure of a fluid machine (10) having a pump mode to operate as a compressor and a motor mode to operate as an expander is disclosed. In pump mode, a communication path (106) between a working chamber (V) and a high-pressure chamber (104) is closed, while in motor mode, the communication path (106) is opened by a valve unit (107d). The valve unit (107d) is includes a spool portion (117) sliding in the direction substantially perpendicular to the surface to which the communication path (106) opens and a valve portion (127) arranged at the forward end of the spool portion (127) and sliding with the spool portion (117) thereby to open/close the communication path (106). A swivel mechanism (137) is interposed between the spool portion (117) and the valve portion (127) to tilt the sliding axis of the valve portion (127) at an arbitrary angle with respect to the sliding axis of the spool portion (117).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Publication date: October 6, 2005
    Inventors: Keiichi Uno, Shigeki Iwanami, Mikio Matsuda, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20050220646
    Abstract: After the tooth portion 102b of the stationary scroll 102 and the tooth portion 103b of the revolving scroll 103 have contacted each other on one contact face 121 in the central portion of the scroll (shown in FIG. 5A), when this contact face 121 is shifted to two sliding contact portions 122, 123, the operating chamber V is formed between the two sliding contact portions 122, 123 (shown in FIG. 5B), and the refrigerant introducing port 105a is open to the region on the contact face 121. Accordingly, the operating chamber can be instantaneously changed over while the sealing property is ensured. Due to the above structure, the sealing property for suppressing leakage from the high pressure side at the time of the expansion mode can be compatible with the smoothing property for smoothing a change-over of the scroll operating chamber successively formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Publication date: October 6, 2005
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ogawa, Tadashi Hotta, Shigeki Iwanami, Keiichi Uno
  • Publication number: 20050214148
    Abstract: An outer end of a seal element for a fixed scroll is extended to a position close to an end of an inside spiral wall of the fixed scroll, and an outwardly extended portion is formed at an outer periphery of a disc-shaped base plate of a movable scroll, so that a bottom surface of the movable scroll is always kept in a sliding contact entirely with the seal element during the orbital movement of the movable scroll. A thickness of the outwardly extended portion formed at the outer periphery of the disc-shaped base plate is made smaller than that of the disc-shaped base plate, so that the weight of the fluid machine can be smaller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2005
    Publication date: September 29, 2005
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ogawa, Tadashi Hotta, Shigeki Iwanami, Keiichi Uno
  • Publication number: 20050193734
    Abstract: An expansion-and-compressor device of a fluid machine has a pump mode operation in which the expansion-and-compressor device is rotated by a driving force from a driving source to compress working fluid, and a motor mode operation in which the fluid pressure is converted into energy of movement to output kinetic energy. The fluid machine further has a transmission device for transmitting the driving force from the driving source with increased rotational speed, when the expansion-and-compressor device is operated in the pump mode operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2005
    Publication date: September 8, 2005
    Inventors: Shigeki Iwanami, Hironori Asa, Keiichi Uno, Yasuhiro Takeuchi, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 6939114
    Abstract: A dynamotor capable of operating as either a motor or a generator is used with both the armature portion and the field portion thereof capable of being rotated. In the case where a pulley operatively interlocked with the output shaft of the prime mover is mounted on the rotary shaft of the armature portion, the drive shaft of the compressor is mounted on the rotating field portion. Once the dynamotor is operated in motor mode, the rotational speed of the compressor is increased to the sum of the input rotational speed and the rotational speed of the dynamotor. The compressor is stopped by disconnecting a power feed circuit. When the input rotational speed is too high, the dynamotor is operated in generator mode. In this way, the rotational speed is reduced in accordance with the generated electric energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigeki Iwanami, Yukio Ogawa, Takashi Inoue, Hironori Asa
  • Publication number: 20050188713
    Abstract: A fluid machine for a gas compression refrigerating system comprises a first and a second working for performing a pump mode operation, in which working fluid of low pressure is sucked into and compressed by the working chambers. The fluid machine further comprises valve mechanism for selectively forming a motor mode passage in combination with a fluid passage change-over device, so that super heated working fluid of high pressure is introduced into at least one of the working chambers to perform a motor mode operation, in which the high pressure working fluid is expanded in the working chamber to obtain mechanical energy. The fluid machine according to the invention, therefore, performs the pump mode operation at one of the working chambers and at the same time the motor mode operation at the other working chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Publication date: September 1, 2005
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ogawa, Mikio Matsuda, Kazuhide Uchida, Shigeki Iwanami, Keiichi Uno, Hironori Asa