Patents by Inventor Shinichi HIKITANI

Shinichi HIKITANI 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: 20240254911
    Abstract: A cooling device of a vehicle is provided, which includes a transmission, a first coolant circuit where a first coolant which cools the internal combustion engine circulates, a second coolant circuit independent from the first coolant circuit, where a second coolant which cools the electric drive system circulates, and a fluid circuit where fluid which lubricates and cools friction engagement elements in the transmission circulates. The fluid circuit includes a first heat exchanger which exchanges heat between the fluid and the first coolant, a second heat exchanger in-series with the first heat exchanger which exchanges heat between the fluid and the second coolant, a first adjuster which changes a flow rate of the fluid passing through the first heat exchanger, and a second adjuster which changes a flow rate of the fluid passing through the second heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2024
    Publication date: August 1, 2024
    Inventors: Keitaro Kageyama, Shinichi Hikitani, Tomohiro Koguchi, Yukio Jo, Daisuke Shimo, Masahiro Miyazaki, Daisuke Fukuda, Akira Tsuda, Kenji Tanaka, Kazufumi Kumakura, Hiroaki Gotan, Takahiro Okazaki, Kenta Honda, Yoshie Kakuda, Toshiaki Tohoda, Kenta Kobayashi, Aki Murai, Michiyuki Miura, Yusaku Takahashi, Masaki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11365671
    Abstract: A cooling device for a vehicle is provided, which includes a first coolant channel through which a first coolant for cooling an engine flows, a second coolant channel through which a second coolant for cooling a motor drive flows, and an oil channel through which oil for lubricating inside a transmission flows. The oil channel includes a first heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the first coolant and the oil, a second heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the second coolant and the oil, and a valve configured to adjust a first flow rate of the oil circulating through the first heat exchanger and a second flow rate of the oil circulating through the second heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Hikitani, Naoki Nagano, Yoshiyuki Yamashita, Yukio Jo, Yuma Yamaga, Sakumi Haseto, Shunsuke Fukuda, Tatsuhiko Iwasaki, Michiyuki Miura, Aoi Oizumi
  • Patent number: 11181054
    Abstract: An intake-air temperature controlling device for an engine is provided, which includes an engine body, an intake passage, an air intake part, an intake air temperature adjuster configured to adjust air temperature taken in through the air intake part to the passage, and a controller. An operating range in which the CI combustion is performed has a lean operating range in which A/F of mixture gas formed inside the cylinder, or G/F that is a relationship between the total weight G of gas inside the cylinder and a weight F of fuel fed to the cylinder is relatively low, and a rich operating range in which the A/F or G/F is relatively high. When the engine is in the lean operating range, the controller outputs a control signal to the intake air temperature adjuster so that the air temperature is increased, as compared in the rich operating range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Hikitani, Hajime Umehara, Naoki Nagano, Kenji Sugasaki, Shin Kodama, Hiromasa Nakagawa, Tomokuni Kusunoki, Taiga Kamiji, Masanobu Koutoku, Toshinori Ueno, Katsuya Murakami
  • Publication number: 20210301768
    Abstract: A cooling device for a vehicle is provided, which includes an engine having an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system, a supercharger, and an intercooler configured to cool intake gas containing EGR gas. The device includes a coolant channel through which coolant for cooling a motor drive flows, the coolant channel having a first channel through which a first coolant for cooling a high-voltage component of the motor drive flows and a second channel through which a second coolant for cooling the intercooler flows, the second channel being branched from the first channel. The device includes a valve provided to the second channel of the coolant channel and configured to adjust a flow rate of the second coolant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Shinichi Hikitani, Naoki Nagano, Yoshiyuki Yamashita, Yukio Jo, Yuma Yamaga
  • Publication number: 20210301712
    Abstract: A cooling device for a vehicle is provided, which includes a first coolant channel through which a first coolant for cooling an engine flows, a second coolant channel through which a second coolant for cooling a motor drive flows, and an oil channel through which oil for lubricating inside a transmission flows. The oil channel includes a first heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the first coolant and the oil, a second heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the second coolant and the oil, and a valve configured to adjust a first flow rate of the oil circulating through the first heat exchanger and a second flow rate of the oil circulating through the second heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Shinichi Hikitani, Naoki Nagano, Yoshiyuki Yamashita, Yukio Jo, Yuma Yamaga, Sakumi Haseto, Shunsuke Fukuda, Tatsuhiko Iwasaki, Michiyuki Miura, Aoi Oizumi
  • Patent number: 11111865
    Abstract: A compression ignition engine with a supercharger is provided, which includes one or more valves configured to switch a state between a first state where intake air is boosted by the supercharger and a second state where it is not boosted, a fluid temperature adjuster configured to adjust a temperature of engine coolant to be supplied to a radiator from an engine body, and a controller. When the engine operates in a high-load range, the controller controls the combustion mode to be in a compression ignition combustion mode, and causes the valve(s) to be in the first state, and in a low-load range, the controller causes the valve(s) to be in the second state. In the high-load range, the controller outputs a control signal to the fluid temperature adjuster so that a target temperature of the engine coolant is lowered than that in the low-load range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Hikitani, Hajime Umehara, Naoki Nagano, Tomokuni Kusunoki, Tatsuya Takahata, Shinji Watanabe, Masanobu Koutoku, Toshinori Ueno, Katsuya Murakami, Nobuhiko Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 10876465
    Abstract: An intake-air temperature controlling device is provided, which includes an engine body, an intake passage, a supercharger, a first passage, a second passage, an intake air flow rate adjuster, an intercooler, a pump, and a controller. The controller outputs a control signal to the pump so that coolant is supplied to the intercooler in a first operating range in which the intake air flow rate adjuster at least partially opens the first passage to supply intake air boosted by the supercharger to the engine body, and outputs a control signal to the pump so that the coolant is supplied to the intercooler also in a second operating range in which an engine load is below a given load, and the intake air flow rate adjuster opens the second passage and closes the first passage to supply the intake air to the engine body in a non-boosted state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Hikitani, Hajime Umehara, Naoki Nagano, Tomokuni Kusunoki, Shinji Takayama, Masanobu Koutoku, Toshinori Ueno, Katsuya Murakami
  • Publication number: 20200208567
    Abstract: An intake-air temperature controlling device is provided, which includes an engine body, an intake passage, a supercharger, a first passage, a second passage, an intake air flow rate adjuster, an intercooler, a pump, and a controller. The controller outputs a control signal to the pump so that coolant is supplied to the intercooler in a first operating range in which the intake air flow rate adjuster at least partially opens the first passage to supply intake air boosted by the supercharger to the engine body, and outputs a control signal to the pump so that the coolant is supplied to the intercooler also in a second operating range in which an engine load is below a given load, and the intake air flow rate adjuster opens the second passage and closes the first passage to supply the intake air to the engine body in a non-boosted state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Shinichi Hikitani, Hajime Umehara, Naoki Nagano, Tomokuni Kusunoki, Shinji Takayama, Masanobu Koutoku, Toshinori Ueno, Katsuya Murakami
  • Publication number: 20200208579
    Abstract: An intake-air temperature controlling device for an engine is provided, which includes an engine body, an intake passage, an air intake part, an intake air temperature adjuster configured to adjust air temperature taken in through the air intake part to the passage, and a controller. An operating range in which the CI combustion is performed has a lean operating range in which A/F of mixture gas formed inside the cylinder, or G/F that is a relationship between the total weight G of gas inside the cylinder and a weight F of fuel fed to the cylinder is relatively low, and a rich operating range in which the A/F or G/F is relatively high. When the engine is in the lean operating range, the controller outputs a control signal to the intake air temperature adjuster so that the air temperature is increased, as compared in the rich operating range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Shinichi Hikitani, Hajime Umehara, Naoki Nagano, Kenji Sugasaki, Shin Kodama, Hiromasa Nakagawa, Tomokuni Kusunoki, Taiga Kamiji, Masanobu Koutoku, Toshinori Ueno, Katsuya Murakami
  • Publication number: 20200208582
    Abstract: A compression ignition engine with a supercharger is provided, which includes one or more valves configured to switch a state between a first state where intake air is boosted by the supercharger and a second state where it is not boosted, a fluid temperature adjuster configured to adjust a temperature of engine coolant to be supplied to a radiator from an engine body, and a controller. When the engine operates in a high-load range, the controller controls the combustion mode to be in a compression ignition combustion mode, and causes the valve(s) to be in the first state, and in a low-load range, the controller causes the valve(s) to be in the second state. In the high-load range, the controller outputs a control signal to the fluid temperature adjuster so that a target temperature of the engine coolant is lowered than that in the low-load range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Shinichi Hikitani, Hajime Umehara, Naoki Nagano, Tomokuni Kusunoki, Tatsuya Takahata, Shinji Watanabe, Masanobu Koutoku, Toshinori Ueno, Katsuya Murakami, Nobuhiko Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 10611235
    Abstract: A grille shutter control device of a vehicle includes an encapsulation structure covering an engine, a grille shutter provided at an opening formed at a front wall portion of the encapsulation structure, an actuator configured to move the grille shutter to open/close the opening, and a controller configured to control the actuator. The controller determines whether or not heat damage occurs on a related component relating to the engine upon key OFF, closes the grille shutter upon key OFF in the case of determining that the heat damage will not occur, and opens the grille shutter upon key OFF in the case of determining that the heat damage will occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hironobu Sakashita, Kentaro Ota, Masahiro Nagoshi, Keisuke Tanaka, Shinichi Hikitani, Junki Yoshizako, Masanobu Koutoku, Toshinori Ueno
  • Publication number: 20190126741
    Abstract: A grille shutter control device of a vehicle includes an encapsulation structure covering an engine, a grille shutter provided at an opening formed at a front wall portion of the encapsulation structure, an actuator configured to move the grille shutter to open/close the opening, and a controller configured to control the actuator. The controller determines whether or not heat damage occurs on a related component relating to the engine upon key OFF, closes the grille shutter upon key OFF in the case of determining that the heat damage will not occur, and opens the grille shutter upon key OFF in the case of determining that the heat damage will occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hironobu SAKASHITA, Kentaro OTA, Masahiro NAGOSHI, Keisuke TANAKA, Shinichi HIKITANI, Junki YOSHIZAKO, Masanobu KOUTOKU, Toshinori UENO