Patents by Inventor Takafumi Kotani

Takafumi Kotani 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: 11750049
    Abstract: A rotor has an opposing surface opposed to a stator, the opposing surface has flat surfaces extending in a tangential direction of a circle centered on an axial center of the rotor at a predetermined angular interval centered on the axial center, and a magnet is disposed on this flat surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroya Takahashi, Takafumi Kotani, Kana Miyagi, Wataru Matsuyama
  • Publication number: 20230097819
    Abstract: In a generator including an engine, a rotating electric machine, and a cooling fan that rotates integrally with a rotor of the rotating electric machine, the cooling fan includes a plurality of fans disposed at an interval in an axial direction of the fan, and a cylindrical body that extends in the axial direction of the cooling fan with a cylindrical cross section in an inner peripheral space of an upstream fan and is disposed more on the upstream side than a downstream fan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Takafumi Kotani, Kana Miyagi, Wataru Matsuyama, Masahiro Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20220131432
    Abstract: A rotor has an opposing surface opposed to a stator, the opposing surface has flat surfaces extending in a tangential direction of a circle centered on an axial center of the rotor at a predetermined angular interval centered on the axial center, and a magnet is disposed on this flat surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Hiroya Takahashi, Takafumi Kotani, Kana Miyagi, Wataru Matsuyama
  • Patent number: 9046034
    Abstract: In an engine-driven power generation apparatus, where an engine and a power generator driven by the engine are accommodated in a hermetically sealed housing and where an external air take-in pipe takes air into the housing, an air discharge pipe discharges the taken-in air to outside of the housing and an engine exhaust pipe discharges exhaust gas to outside of the housing, an ejector chamber is provided outside of the housing for causing the air, flowing in the air discharge pipe, to be compulsorily sucked to outside of the housing through a sucking action of the exhaust gas flowing in the engine exhaust pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takafumi Kotani, Masanori Takeishi
  • Patent number: 9022094
    Abstract: A casting core resulting from alkaline earth metal oxide particles having an average particle size of 0.8-4 mm being dispersed in a water-soluble alkali metal salt matrix. The casting core can be efficiently produced using a method of dispersing alkaline earth metal hydroxide particles having favorable disintegration properties and a particle size in the range of 1-5 mm in a molten water-soluble alkali metal salt, converting to alkaline earth metal oxide particles by means of dehydration, and casting in a mold, cooling, and hardening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takafumi Kotani, Yuichi Mizumura, Hikotaro Suzuki, Masaya Nomura
  • Patent number: 8951692
    Abstract: A separator of a fuel cell includes sandwiching sections that sandwich electrolyte electrode assemblies therebetween, bridge sections, and a reactant gas supply section. The electrolyte electrode assemblies are sandwiched between the sandwiching sections. A fuel gas channel and an oxygen-containing gas channel are formed in each of the sandwiching sections. A fuel gas supply channel, a fuel gas return channel, and an oxygen-containing gas supply channel are formed in each of the bridge sections. A fuel gas supply passage, a fuel gas discharge passage, and an oxygen-containing gas supply passage extend through the reactant gas supply section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takafumi Kotani
  • Publication number: 20140251571
    Abstract: A casting core resulting from alkaline earth metal oxide particles having an average particle size of 0.8-4 mm being dispersed in a water-soluble alkali metal salt matrix. The casting core can be efficiently produced using a method of dispersing alkaline earth metal hydroxide particles having favorable disintegration properties and a particle size in the range of 1-5 mm in a molten water-soluble alkali metal salt, converting to alkaline earth metal oxide particles by means of dehydration, and casting in a mold, cooling, and hardening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2012
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Inventors: Takafumi Kotani, Yuichi Mizumura, Hikotaro Suzuki, Masaya Nomura
  • Publication number: 20130177828
    Abstract: A separator of a fuel cell includes sandwiching sections that sandwich electrolyte electrode assemblies therebetween, bridge sections, and a reactant gas supply section. The electrolyte electrode assemblies are sandwiched between the sandwiching sections. A fuel gas channel and an oxygen-containing gas channel are formed in each of the sandwiching sections. A fuel gas supply channel, a fuel gas return channel, and an oxygen-containing gas supply channel are formed in each of the bridge sections. A fuel gas supply passage, a fuel gas discharge passage, and an oxygen-containing gas supply passage extend through the reactant gas supply section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takafumi Kotani
  • Patent number: 8338047
    Abstract: The present invention is a solid oxide fuel cell configuration which equalizes gas volume distributed into each power generation cell to stabilize fuel cell output and improve the output efficiency. In the present invention, a flat plate laminating type solid oxide fuel cell has a reactant gas supply manifold extending through a fuel cell stack in the laminating direction, for supplying reactant gas to each of power generation cells through gas passages of separators which are communicated with the manifold. The manifold and the passages of the separators are in communication with each other through a gas-flow throttle mechanisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, Tha Kansai Electrical Power Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Takafumi Kotani, Naoya Murakami
  • Publication number: 20110151348
    Abstract: A flat plate laminated type high-temperature fuel cell, with internal manifold structure, has a laminated body constructed by alternately laminating power generation cells (5) and separators (8), and by applying a load to the laminated body in the laminating direction to compress elements of the laminated body. Each separator (8) has a connecting section (8b) for connecting a manifold section (8a) of the separator (8) and a section (8c) at which the power generation cell (5) is located, and the connecting section (8b) has flexibility to the load. Thus, it is possible to improve adhesiveness in the power generating section of the fuel cell stack and gas seal performance in the manifold section. Further, each of separators (108) has through-holes (122) extending in the laminating direction, and a fixing rod (123) is inserted into each of the through-holes (122) for restricting movements of the separators (108) in a plane direction due to thermal strain in operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2006
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Inventors: Naoya Murakami, Takafumi Kotani, Norikazu Komada
  • Patent number: 7825563
    Abstract: In an insulator to be inserted into each slot to be attached to adjacent teeth formed at a rotor or a stator of an electric rotating machine, the insulator is composed of insulator segments that are made divisible in a longitudinal direction parallel to a rotational axis of the rotor at a position corresponding to 2 slots and are made divisible in a lateral direction perpendicular to the rotational axis of the rotor, the insulator segments have surfaces to be coupled to each other of a same shape in the lateral direction, and the insulator segments have a creepage distance that is made longer than a distance in the lateral direction, thereby enabling to elongate the creepage distance and to improve work efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takafumi Kotani, Kazuhiro Togawa, Yasuhiro Shinkawa
  • Publication number: 20100244458
    Abstract: In an engine-driven power generation apparatus, where an engine and a power generator driven by the engine are accommodated in a hermetically sealed housing and where an external air take-in pipe takes air into the housing, an air discharge pipe discharges the taken-in air to outside of the housing and an engine exhaust pipe discharges exhaust gas to outside of the housing, an ejector chamber is provided outside of the housing for causing the air, flowing in the air discharge pipe, to be compulsorily sucked to outside of the housing through a sucking action of the exhaust gas flowing in the engine exhaust pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takafumi Kotani, Masanori Takeishi
  • Patent number: 7776484
    Abstract: Gas discharge ports are provided in almost the entire area of a layer surface of a separator, and a gas for reaction is discharged like a shower from the separator toward a power generation cell. The separator is constructed by layering plate-shaped members containing iron-base alloy, nickel-base alloy, or chrome-base alloy as the base material. Silver, silver alloy, copper, or copper alloy is plated on both sides or one side of the base material of the plate-shaped member. The construction above can increase durability of a separator and enables the separator and a solid oxide fuel cell to be stably used for a long period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Yamada, Masaharu Yamada, Taner Akbay, Koji Hoshino, Takashi Miyazawa, Takafumi Kotani, Norikazu Komada, Naoya Murakami
  • Publication number: 20100104916
    Abstract: Gas discharge ports are provided in almost the entire area of a layer surface of a separator, and a gas for reaction is discharged like a shower from the separator toward a power generation cell. The separator is constructed by layering plate-shaped members containing iron-base alloy, nickel-base alloy, or chrome-base alloy as the base material. Silver, silver alloy, copper, or copper alloy is plated on both sides or one side of the base material of the plate-shaped member. The construction above can increase durability of a separator and enables the separator and a solid oxide fuel cell to be stably used for a long period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Inventors: Takashi Yamada, Masaharu Yamada, Taner Akbay, Koji Hoshino, Takashi Miyazawa, Takafumi Kotani, Norikazu Komada, Naoya Murakami
  • Publication number: 20090102311
    Abstract: In an insulator to be inserted into each slot to be attached to adjacent teeth formed at a rotor or a stator of an electric rotating machine, the insulator is composed of insulator segments that are made divisible in a longitudinal direction parallel to a rotational axis of the rotor at a position corresponding to 2 slots and are made divisible in a lateral direction perpendicular to the rotational axis of the rotor, the insulator segments have surfaces to be coupled to each other of a same shape in the lateral direction, and the insulator segments have a creepage distance that is made longer than a distance in the lateral direction, thereby enabling to elongate the creepage distance and to improve work efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2008
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takafumi Kotani, Kazuhiro Togawa, Yasuhiro Shinkawa
  • Publication number: 20090042081
    Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to equalize gas volume distributed into each power generation cell to stabilize fuel cell output and improve the output efficiency. In the present invention, a flat plate laminating type solid oxide fuel cell has a reactant gas supply manifold 17 extending through a fuel cell stack 1 in the laminating direction, for supplying reactant gas to each of power generation cells through gas passages 11 of separators 8 which are communicated with the manifold 17. The manifold 17 and the passages 11 of the separators 8 are in communication with each other through a gas-flow throttle mechanism 19.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2006
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Inventors: Takafumi Kotani, Naoya Murakami
  • Publication number: 20080274388
    Abstract: It is possible to improve the power generation efficiency by uniformalizing the temperature distribution of a fuel cell stack in lamination direction. In a solid oxide type fuel cell, a power generation cell and a separator are alternately laminated so as to constitute a fuel cell stack. On the middle stage of the fuel cell stack in the lamination direction, a radiator (20) is arranged between the separators. The radiator (20) is formed by a columnar support portion (22) serving as a cell current path and supporting the weight in the lamination direction, flange portions (21) arranged at both ends of the support portion (22) so as to be in contact with the adjacent separators, and a plate member (23) for radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2006
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Inventors: Takafumi Kotani, Takashi Miyazawa, Naoya Murakami, Taner Akbay
  • Publication number: 20070284670
    Abstract: A semiconductor device has a transistor of a first conductivity type formed on a semiconductor substrate and having a first gate insulating film and a first gate electrode and a transistor of a second conductivity type having a second gate insulating film and a second gate electrode. The first gate electrode is a metal gate electrode having a metal film and the second gate electrode is a fully-silicided gate electrode made of a silicide film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2007
    Publication date: December 13, 2007
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Yamamoto, Hiromasa Fujimoto, Takafumi Kotani
  • Publication number: 20070160892
    Abstract: Gas discharge ports are provided in almost the entire area of a layer surface of a separator, and a gas for reaction is discharged like a shower from the separator toward a power generation cell. The separator is constructed by layering plate-shaped members containing iron-base alloy, nickel-base alloy, or chrome-base alloy as the base material. Silver, silver alloy, copper, or copper alloy is plated on both sides or one side of the base material of the plate-shaped member. The construction above can increase durability of a separator and enables the separator and a solid oxide fuel cell to be stably used for a long period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2005
    Publication date: July 12, 2007
    Inventors: Takashi Yamada, Masaharu Yamada, Taner Akbay, Koji Hoshino, Takashi Miyazawa, Takafumi Kotani, Norikazu Komada