Patents by Inventor Soshi Ikeda

Soshi Ikeda 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: 20250180245
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit having a compressor, a heat-source-side heat exchanger, a refrigerant flow switching device, a load-side heat exchanger, and a load-side expansion device. The air-conditioning apparatus includes a bypass pipe, a first opening and closing device provided in the bypass pipe, and a controller. The compressor, the heat-source-side heat exchanger, the refrigerant flow switching device, the bypass pipe, and the first opening and closing device are mounted in an outdoor unit. In defrosting the heat-source-side heat exchanger, the controller causes a flow passage of the refrigerant flow switching device to be a flow passage through which the refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows into the load-side heat exchanger, changes the first opening and closing device to an open state, changes the load-side expansion device to a closed state, and causes the refrigerant to flow into the heat-source-side heat exchanger from the bypass pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Publication date: June 5, 2025
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi HATOMURA, Yuki MIZUNO, Soshi IKEDA, Naofumi TAKENAKA, Jun NISHIO
  • Publication number: 20250104213
    Abstract: A method of determining the hydrophilicity of a wafer includes capturing an image of the entire upper surface of the wafer with a camera, forming a water film on the entire upper surface of the wafer, capturing a second image of the entire upper surface of the wafer with the camera after forming the water film, forming a differential image based on a difference between lightness of the first image and the lightness of the second image, and determining that the entire upper surface of the wafer is hydrophilic if the differential image is blank and that the entire upper surface of the wafer is not hydrophilic if otherwise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2024
    Publication date: March 27, 2025
    Inventors: Ryosuke KUROSAWA, Soshi IKEDA
  • Publication number: 20250102205
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes: a heat medium cycle circuit; and a heat source side refrigerant cycle circuit in which a compressor, a heat source side heat exchanger, an expansion device, and a heat medium heat exchanger are connected by pipes, wherein the heat source side refrigerant cycle circuit has a bypass pipe, a bypass valve, and a merging portion, the heat medium heat exchanger side pipe having one end connected to the heat medium heat exchanger, the compressor side pipe having one end connected to a heat source side refrigerant suction side of the compressor, and the heat medium heat exchanger side pipe in the merging portion is connected to the compressor side pipe and the bypass pipe with a pipe axis thereof being upwardly inclined relative to a horizontal direction or being oriented upward in a vertical direction when viewed from the merging portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Publication date: March 27, 2025
    Inventors: Hiroki WASHIYAMA, Soshi IKEDA
  • Publication number: 20250003615
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes: a first heat load apparatus; a second heat load apparatus; a heat source apparatus; a solenoid valve configured to adjust a flow rate of the refrigerant that is to flow into the first heat load apparatus or the refrigerant that has flowed out from the first heat load apparatus; and a controller. The controller is configured to close the first load-side expansion valve and the solenoid valve and increase an opening degree of the second load-side expansion valve from a present opening degree thereof, when a refrigerant leak in the first heat load apparatus is detected and no refrigerant leak in the second heat load apparatus is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2022
    Publication date: January 2, 2025
    Inventors: Ryosuke MATSUI, Soshi IKEDA
  • Patent number: 12104818
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes: a heat source unit that generates a heating energy or a cooling energy that is transferred to refrigerant; a heat-use unit that causes the refrigerant to transfer the heating energy or the cooling energy to a heat load through heat exchange between the refrigerant and the heat load; a plurality of return pipes arranged parallel to each other and connecting the heat source unit and the heat-use unit to allow the refrigerant to flow therein from the heat-use unit to the heat source unit; an opening and closing device provided at at least one of the return pipes to control a flow rate of refrigerant; and a controller that opens the opening and closing device in a cooling operation, and closes the opening and closing device in a heating operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuya Honda, Soshi Ikeda, Jun Nishio, Yuki Mizuno, Katsuhiro Ishimura, Yuji Motomura, Kosuke Tanaka
  • Patent number: 12061019
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes: a heat source-side system having an intermediate heat exchanger that causes heat exchange to be performed between a heat source-side heat medium and a use-side heat medium, causes the heat source-side heat medium to receive or transfer heat, and causes the use-side heat medium to undergo a phase change; and a use-side cycle circuit formed of pipes connecting, to one another, the intermediate heat exchanger, a pump that sucks and delivers the use-side heat medium in a liquid state, a use-side heat exchanger that heats or cools air in an air-conditioning target space due to heat exchange causing a change in phase of the use-side heat medium, and a pressure-reducing device that reduces a pressure of the use-side heat medium that passes through the use-side heat exchanger, the use-side cycle circuit causing the use-side heat medium to circulate through the use-side cycle circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Soshi Ikeda, Jun Nishio, Naofumi Takenaka, Katsuhiro Ishimura, Yuji Motomura
  • Publication number: 20240230167
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a main circuit and a bypass circuit. The main circuit includes: a compressor; a first condenser; a first refrigerant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger; a first expansion device; a first branching portion; a first evaporator; a third branching; and a fourth branching portion. The bypass includes: a second expansion device; the first refrigerant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger; and a second branching portion. The second branching portion includes a liquid outflow pipe and a gas outflow pipe. The liquid outflow pipe defines one outlet for the refrigerant and is located below the gas outflow pipe. The gas outflow pipe defines another outlet for the refrigerant and is located above the liquid outflow pipe. The one outlet of the second branching portion communicates with the third branching portion. The other outlet of the second branching portion communicates with the fourth branching portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kosuke MIYAWAKI, Yuki MIZUNO, Soshi IKEDA, Jun NISHIO, Yuji MOTOMURA, Koji FURUYA, Hiroki WASHIYAMA
  • Publication number: 20240133592
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a main circuit and a bypass circuit. The main circuit includes: a compressor; a first condenser; a first refrigerant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger; a first expansion device; a first branching portion; a first evaporator; a third branching; and a fourth branching portion. The bypass includes: a second expansion device; the first refrigerant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger; and a second branching portion. The second branching portion includes a liquid outflow pipe and a gas outflow pipe. The liquid outflow pipe defines one outlet for the refrigerant and is located below the gas outflow pipe. The gas outflow pipe defines another outlet for the refrigerant and is located above the liquid outflow pipe. The one outlet of the second branching portion communicates with the third branching portion. The other outlet of the second branching portion communicates with the fourth branching portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kosuke MIYAWAKI, Yuki MIZUNO, Soshi IKEDA, Jun NISHIO, Yuji MOTOMURA, Koji FURUYA, Hiroki WASHIYAMA
  • Publication number: 20240077238
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle device with a main circuit, a bypass circuit and a supercooling heat exchanger further includes: a controller to control an opening degree of the bypass expansion valve; a first sensor to detect a temperature at the refrigerant inflow side of the evaporator; and a second sensor to detect a pressure of the non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant flowing from the evaporator, wherein the controller controls the opening degree of the bypass expansion valve using temperatures of the evaporator, that is, the temperature at the refrigerant inflow side and a saturated gas temperature of the non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant calculated from the pressure so as to adjust a flow rate of the non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant flowing into the evaporator, to eliminate the temperature difference in the evaporator for suppressing uneven frost formation on the evaporator, and thus to prevent heat exchange performance from degrading.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yuki MIZUNO, Soshi IKEDA, Kosuke MIYAWAKI, Jun NISHIO, Yuji MOTOMURA, Hiroki WASHIYAMA
  • Patent number: 11920841
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes a main circuit in which a compressor, a flow switching device, an indoor heat exchanger, a pressure reducing device, and a plurality of parallel heat exchangers connected in parallel with each other are connected by pipes, a bypass pipe, a flow control device provided to the bypass pipe and configured to adjust a flow rate of refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe, an evaporating pressure sensor configured to measure an evaporating pressure of the refrigerant, and a controller. The air-conditioning apparatus is configured to operate in a normal heating operation mode and a heating-defrosting operation mode. When an operation associated with the normal heating operation mode is switched to an operation associated with the heating-defrosting operation mode, the controller adjusts an opening degree of the flow control device using the evaporating pressure in the parallel heat exchanger and a driving frequency of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shohei Ishimura, Soshi Ikeda, Kazuya Watanabe, Hideto Nakao, Masakazu Kondo, Yasuhide Hayamaru, Yusuke Tashiro, Masakazu Sato, Atsushi Kawashima
  • Patent number: 11906191
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes a primary-side circuit in which a compressor, a first flow switching device, an outdoor heat exchanger, a second flow switching device, a first expansion device, and a relay heat exchanger are connected by pipes and in which refrigerant circulates; a secondary-side circuit in which the relay heat exchanger, a pump, a plurality of indoor heat exchangers, and heat medium flow control devices are connected by pipes and in which a heat medium circulates; and a controller configured to control the first and second flow switching devices such that in cooling and heating operations, the refrigerant and a heat-source-side fluid flow through the outdoor heat exchanger in opposite directions and the refrigerant flows through the relay heat exchanger in a constant direction. The pump is installed such that the heat medium, the refrigerant flow, and air for an air-conditioning target space flow in particular directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Soshi Ikeda, Kazuya Honda, Jun Nishio, Yuki Mizuno, Katsuhiro Ishimura, Yuji Motomura, Kosuke Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11892218
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes: a heat-source-side device that heats or cools a heat medium; a pump that sucks and transfers the heat medium; use-side heat exchangers; a heat medium circuit; flow rate control devices; indoor-side pressure sensors; a pump inlet-side pressure sensor and/or a pump outlet-side pressure sensor; a flow rate detection device that detects a pump flow rate; and a controller that performs a first operation in which the flow rate control devices are individually opened or closed and data regarding a flow passage resistance at a path related to each of the heat exchangers is obtained, and a second operation in which heat is supplied to indoor air, and calculates calculate flow rates of the heat medium that flows through the heat exchangers in the second operation, from pump flow rates and pressures detected by the pressure sensors in the first and second operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun Nishio, Soshi Ikeda, Naofumi Takenaka, Yuji Motomura, Katsuhiro Ishimura
  • Publication number: 20220373233
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes: a heat source-side system having an intermediate heat exchanger that causes heat exchange to be performed between a heat source-side heat medium and a use-side heat medium, causes the heat source-side heat medium to receive or transfer heat, and causes the use-side heat medium to undergo a phase change; and a use-side cycle circuit formed of pipes connecting, to one another, the intermediate heat exchanger, a pump that sucks and delivers the use-side heat medium in a liquid state, a use-side heat exchanger that heats or cools air in an air-conditioning target space due to heat exchange causing a change in phase of the use-side heat medium, and a pressure-reducing device that reduces a pressure of the use-side heat medium that passes through the use-side heat exchanger, the use-side cycle circuit causing the use-side heat medium to circulate through the use-side cycle circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Soshi IKEDA, Jun NISHIO, Naofumi TAKENAKA, Katsuhiro ISHIMURA, Yuji MOTOMURA
  • Publication number: 20220163239
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes: a heat-source-side device that heats or cools a heat medium; a pump that sucks and transfers the heat medium; use-side heat exchangers; a heat medium circuit; flow rate control devices; indoor-side pressure sensors; a pump inlet-side pressure sensor and/or a pump outlet-side pressure sensor; a flow rate detection device that detects a pump flow rate; and a controller that performs a first operation in which the flow rate control devices are individually opened or closed and data regarding a flow passage resistance at a path related to each of the heat exchangers is obtained, and a second operation in which heat is supplied to indoor air, and calculates calculate flow rates of the heat medium that flows through the heat exchangers in the second operation, from pump flow rates and pressures detected by the pressure sensors in the first and second operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Jun NISHIO, Soshi IKEDA, Naofumi TAKENAKA, Yuji MOTOMURA, Katsuhiro ISHIMURA
  • Publication number: 20220107123
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes a main circuit in which a compressor, a flow switching device, an indoor heat exchanger, a pressure reducing device, and a plurality of parallel heat exchangers connected in parallel with each other are connected by pipes, a bypass pipe, a flow control device provided to the bypass pipe and configured to adjust a flow rate of refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe, an evaporating pressure sensor configured to measure an evaporating pressure of the refrigerant, and a controller. The air-conditioning apparatus is configured to operate in a normal heating operation mode and a heating-defrosting operation mode. When an operation associated with the normal heating operation mode is switched to an operation associated with the heating-defrosting operation mode, the controller adjusts an opening degree of the flow control device using the evaporating pressure in the parallel heat exchanger and a driving frequency of the compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Publication date: April 7, 2022
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shohei ISHIMURA, Soshi IKEDA, Kazuya WATANABE, Hideto NAKAO, Masakazu KONDO, Yasuhide HAYAMARU, Yusuke TASHIRO, Masakazu SATO, Atsushi KAWASHIMA
  • Publication number: 20220090815
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes: a heat source unit that generates a heating energy or a cooling energy that is transferred to refrigerant; a heat-use unit that causes the refrigerant to transfer the heating energy or the cooling energy to a heat load through heat exchange between the refrigerant and the heat load; a plurality of return pipes arranged parallel to each other and connecting the heat source unit and the heat-use unit to allow the refrigerant to flow therein from the heat-use unit to the heat source unit; an opening and closing device provided at at least one of the return pipes to control a flow rate of refrigerant; and a controller that opens the opening and closing device in a cooling operation, and closes the opening and closing device in a heating operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuya HONDA, Soshi IKEDA, Jun NISHIO, Yuki MIZUNO, Katsuhiro ISHIMURA, Yuji MOTOMURA, Kosuke TANAKA
  • Patent number: 11274864
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes a refrigeration circuit, a first shut-off device, a leakage detection device, and a controller configured to perform a refrigerant recovery operation in a case where refrigerant leakage is detected. At the time of the refrigerant recovery operation, the controller performs control to perform a first operation of recovering refrigerant from a load-side heat exchanger into an accumulator and a heat-source-side heat exchanger, and a second operation of moving refrigerant in the heat-source-side heat exchanger to the accumulator. In the first operation, the first shut-off device is closed, a flow passage switching device is brought into a first connection state, and a compressor is driven. The second operation is performed after the first operation, and in the second operation, the connection state of the flow passage switching device is switched to a second connection state in a state where the compressor is being operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Nishio, Soshi Ikeda, Katsuhiro Ishimura, Kohei Ogura, Koji Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11268743
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes a main circuit in which a compressor, a load side heat exchanger, a first pressure reducing device, and a plurality of parallel heat exchangers connected in parallel with each other are connected by pipes, a bypass pipe diverting a portion of refrigerant discharged by the compressor, a flow switching unit connecting a parallel heat exchanger to be defrosted to the bypass pipe, a plurality of flow rate control devices controlling flow rates of refrigerant flowing through the plurality of parallel heat exchangers, and a controller which controls, in the heating-defrosting operation mode or in the heating operation mode after execution of the heating-defrosting operation mode, the flow rate control devices to control, in accordance with a frost state of a parallel heat exchanger functioning as an evaporator among the plurality of parallel heat exchangers, the flow rate of refrigerant flowing through the parallel heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuya Watanabe, Soshi Ikeda, Shohei Ishimura, Hideto Nakao
  • Publication number: 20220057100
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes a primary-side circuit in which a compressor, a first flow switching device, an outdoor heat exchanger, a second flow switching device, a first expansion device, and a relay heat exchanger are connected by pipes and in which refrigerant circulates; a secondary-side circuit in which the relay heat exchanger, a pump, a plurality of indoor heat exchangers, and heat medium flow control devices are connected by pipes and in which a heat medium circulates; and a controller configured to control the first and second flow switching devices such that in cooling and heating operations, the refrigerant and a heat-source-side fluid flow through the outdoor heat exchanger in opposite directions and the refrigerant flows through the relay heat exchanger in a constant direction. The pump is installed such that the heat medium, the refrigerant flow, and air for an air-conditioning target space flow in particular directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Soshi IKEDA, Kazuya HONDA, Jun NISHIO, Yuki MIZUNO, Katsuhiro ISHIMURA, Yuji MOTOMURA, Kosuke TANAKA
  • Patent number: 11231199
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes a refrigeration circuit, a first shut-off device provided at a pipe connecting a heat-source-side heat exchanger and an expansion device, a refrigerant leak detection device, and a controller. The controller controls a flow switching device to switch a connection state between a first connection state in which a discharge side of a compressor is connected to the heat-source-side heat exchanger, and a second connection state in which a suction side of the compressor is connected to the heat-source-side heat exchanger via an accumulator. When a refrigerant leak is detected, the controller performs a refrigerant retrieval operation and a refrigerant transfer operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Soshi Ikeda, Jun Nishio, Katsuhiro Ishimura, Kohei Ogura, Koji Yamashita