Patents by Inventor Takahiro Tokunaga

Takahiro Tokunaga 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: 7311593
    Abstract: An air passage switching device includes a film member for opening and closing an opening portion of an air passage, and the film member has a first end portion fixed to a peripheral portion of the opening portion and a second end portion fixed to a winding shaft. The winding shaft is capable of moving in a first direction separated from the first end portion of the film member and in a second direction approaching the first end portion of the first member while rotating. In the air passage switching device, an actuator for operating the winding shaft is disposed in an interior of the winding shaft and is fixed by a fixing member, the winding shaft is disposed rotatably relative to the fixing member, and the fixing member is moved in the first direction or the second direction together with the winding shaft by a guide unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Tokunaga, Tokuhisa Takeuchi, Masahiro Ito, Koji Ito
  • Publication number: 20070181773
    Abstract: A sealing structure of a rotation unit has a first member defining a first axis, a second member defining a second axis and an O-ring disposed between them. The first member and the second member are substantially coaxial, and at least one of the first member and the second member rotates about its respective axis. The first member and the second member have a first surface and a second surface extending in a direction perpendicular to the first and second axes, respectively. The O-ring is disposed between and in contact with the first surface and the second surface. The sealing structure further has a movable range regulating part that maintains the first and second axes in substantially alignment by reducing relative displacement of at least one of the first and second members away from alignment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2007
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Applicants: DENSO Corporation, Tokai Riki Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Tokunaga, Koichi Ito, Yoshio Miyata, Nobuyuki Hashimura, Akihisa Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 7228895
    Abstract: A vehicle air conditioning system secures an appropriate temperature difference in the air blown through vertically arranged air ducts when the system is in a bi-level mode. A hot air inlet is disposed above a cool air inlet. A face opening is disposed at an upper location while foot openings are disposed at a lower location. A blow mode-changing door for opening and closing both the openings is a butterfly type door. The blow mode-changing door is pivotally disposed in a door housing. In the bi-level mode in which the blow mode-changing door opens both the foot openings and the face opening, a bi-level mode bypass passageway for introducing cool air from the cool air inlet into the face opening is defined between an extremity of the blow mode-changing door and the inner wall surface of the door-housing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Takuya Natsume, Takahiro Tokunaga
  • Patent number: 7201220
    Abstract: An air conditioner for automotive vehicles is disclosed. The flow rates of air supplied to an evaporator (4) and a heater (5) are adjusted by rotationally displacing a scroll casing (2b) and thus changing an air flow from a blower (2) to a predetermined direction. The air-mix door can thus be eliminated to allow a smaller size of an air-conditioner casing (3) (air-conditioning unit (1)). Also, the ratio between cool air flow rate and hot air flow rate is adjusted by rotationally displacing the scroll casing (2b) with a spur gear (2c) and, therefore, the size and the production cost of the air conditioner can be reduced as compared with a conventional system in which an air-mix door is swung by a link mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Tokunaga, Koji Ito, Masakazu Nagaya
  • Patent number: 7159651
    Abstract: An upper opening portion (74, 75) and lower opening portion (76, 77) are arranged in a door body (13b, 14b) located below a side window (13a, 14a), and an air conditioning unit (15, 16) is arranged inside the door body (13b, 14b), and a rotary position of a scroll casing (62, 63) of a blower (56, 57) is selected so that air can flow from the lower opening portion (76, 77) to the upper opening portion (74, 75) at the time of air-cooling and air can flow from the upper opening portion (74, 75) to the lower opening portion (76, 77) at the time of heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Ito, Yasushi Yamanaka, Kazushi Shikata, Takahiro Tokunaga, Tomohiro Kamiya, Masakazu Nagaya, Shinichiro Hirai
  • Patent number: 7029391
    Abstract: A blower unit of an air conditioning unit including a scroll casing including a first engaging portion, a fan casing including a first engaging portion, and a controller for controlling an electric motor to move at least one of the scroll casing and the fan casing such that the movement of at least one of the scroll casing and the fan casing stops when the first engaging portion of the scroll casing abuts the first engaging portion of the fan casing. The precision of the position of the scroll casing with respect to the fan casing, the precision of the temperature of air discharged into the compartment, and/or the volume of the blower unit may be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Masakazu Nagaya, Koji Ito, Takahiro Tokunaga
  • Patent number: 6981690
    Abstract: An air passage opening/closing device includes a film member for opening and closing an opening of an air passage of a case. One end of the film member is fixed to a fixing portion on an outer periphery of the opening of the air passage, and the other end thereof is connected to a film winding shaft. A moving member movable by rotation of a drive shaft is provided on the opening, and the film winding shaft is moved while being rotated by the movement of the moving member, so that the film member at the other end side is wound around and unwound from the film winding shaft. Accordingly, when the air passage is opened and closed by the film member, sliding friction can be prevented from being generated between the film member and the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Okumura, Katsumi Nishikawa, Takahiro Tokunaga, Koji Ito
  • Publication number: 20050287943
    Abstract: An air passage switching device includes a film member for opening and closing an opening portion of an air passage, and the film member has a first end portion fixed to a peripheral portion of the opening portion and a second end portion fixed to a winding shaft. The winding shaft is capable of moving in a first direction separated from the first end portion of the film member and in a second direction approaching the first end portion of the first member while rotating. In the air passage switching device, an actuator for operating the winding shaft is disposed in an interior of the winding shaft and is fixed by a fixing member, the winding shaft is disposed rotatably relative to the fixing member, and the fixing member is moved in the first direction or the second direction together with the winding shaft by a guide unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2005
    Publication date: December 29, 2005
    Applicant: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Tokunaga, Tokuhisa Takeuchi, Masahiro Ito, Koji Ito
  • Patent number: 6955338
    Abstract: An air passage opening/closing device includes a film member for opening and closing an opening of an air passage of a case. One end of the film member is fixed to a fixing portion on an outer periphery of the opening of the air passage, and the other end thereof is connected to a film winding shaft. A moving member movable by rotation of a drive shaft is provided on the opening, and the film winding shaft is moved while being rotated by the movement of the moving member, so that the film member at the other end side is wound around and unwound from the film winding shaft. Accordingly, when the air passage is opened and closed by the film member, sliding friction can be prevented from being generated between the film member and the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Okumura, Katsumi Nishikawa, Takahiro Tokunaga, Koji Ito, Yasuhiro Sekito
  • Publication number: 20050215190
    Abstract: An air passage opening/closing device includes a film member for opening and closing an opening of an air passage of a case. One end of the film member is fixed to a fixing portion on an outer periphery of the opening of the air passage, and the other end thereof is connected to a film winding shaft. A moving member movable by rotation of a drive shaft is provided on the opening, and the film winding shaft is moved while being rotated by the movement of the moving member, so that the film member at the other end side is wound around and unwound from the film winding shaft. Accordingly, when the air passage is opened and closed by the film member, sliding friction can be prevented from being generated between the film member and the case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2005
    Publication date: September 29, 2005
    Applicant: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Okumura, Katsumi Nishikawa, Takahiro Tokunaga, Koji Ito
  • Patent number: 6926253
    Abstract: An air passage in an air-conditioner such as an automotive air-conditioner is selectively opened or closed by moving a position of an opening formed on a film screen relative to the air passage. The film screen is coupled to a pair of rollers, forming a curved path between the pair of rollers guided by a guiding surface. The film screen is formed by laminating a first film made of resin and a second film made of woven fabric having a higher elongation rate for a temperature rise than the first film. The second film is positioned inside of the curved path to prevent a shape of the roller or the guiding surface from being easily transferred to the film screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Tokunaga, Koji Ito, Atsushi Kosaka
  • Patent number: 6915650
    Abstract: A vehicle air conditioner includes a main blower and a sub-blower for blowing air into a passenger compartment. The main blower is disposed to blow conditioned air in a front air passage toward a front seat area in the passenger compartment, and the sub-blower is disposed in a rear air passage having an air flow resistance larger than that in the front air passage so that a part of air blown by the main blower is blown by the sub-blower toward a rear seat area in the passenger compartment through the rear air passage. In the air conditioner, an air amount blown by the sub-blower is controlled to be increased in accordance with a decrease of an air amount blown by the main blower. Therefore, automatic control of the air amount blown by the sub-blower can be accurately performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Ito, Takahiro Tokunaga, Tomohide Shindo, Yoshihiko Okumura
  • Patent number: 6904766
    Abstract: A heater for an air conditioner includes plural water tubes and plural refrigerant tubes which are arranged in parallel in an air flow direction. Therefore, the heater can heat air by using at least one of the heating sources while a pressure loss in the heater can be effectively reduced. For example, in a quick-heating mode, high-temperature refrigerant from a refrigerant cycle flows into the heater to heat the blown air, and low-temperature engine-cooling water from an engine bypasses the heater. In this case, thermal leakage from the refrigerant to the engine-cooling water is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Ito, Tomohide Shindo, Yoshihiko Okumura, Takahiro Tokunaga, Yoshiyuki Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20050098311
    Abstract: The air-conditioning unit includes an air-conditioning case, a heater, a bypass path bypassing the heater, an air-mixing chamber, an air-mixing door, and an air opening. The air-conditioning unit also includes an auxiliary door arranged in series with the air-mixing door in the bypass path. The auxiliary door is operated between at a first position and at a second position. The auxiliary door in the first position closes the bypass path more than in the second position. The auxiliary door is operated at the first position at least when the air-mixing door opens the bypass path slightly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2004
    Publication date: May 12, 2005
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Okumura, Takahiro Tokunaga
  • Publication number: 20050072554
    Abstract: An air-blowing unit includes a blower unit including an irreversible fan, a first blower-side duct connected to an inlet port of the blower unit, a second blower-side duct connected to an air discharge port of the blower unit, a first air opening-side duct including a first air opening, a second air opening-side duct including a second air opening, and an air passage switching device disposed between the blower-side ducts and the air opening-side ducts. The air passage switching device switches air passage connection between the blower-side ducts and the air opening-side ducts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2004
    Publication date: April 7, 2005
    Inventors: Tomohide Shindo, Takahiro Tokunaga
  • Publication number: 20050067158
    Abstract: An upper opening portion (74, 75) and lower opening portion (76, 77) are arranged in a door body (13b, 14b) located below a side window (13a, 14a), and an air conditioning unit (15, 16) is arranged inside the door body (13b, 14b), and a rotary position of a scroll casing (62, 63) of a blower (56, 57) is selected so that air can flow from the lower opening portion (76, 77) to the upper opening portion (74, 75) at the time of air-cooling and air can flow from the upper opening portion (74, 75) to the lower opening portion (76, 77) at the time of heating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2004
    Publication date: March 31, 2005
    Inventors: Koji Ito, Yasushi Yamanaka, Kazushi Shikata, Takahiro Tokunaga, Tomohiro Kamiya, Masakazu Nagaya, Shinichiro Hirai
  • Publication number: 20050070220
    Abstract: A blower unit of an air conditioning unit including a scroll casing including a first engaging portion, a fan casing including a first engaging portion, and a controller for controlling an electric motor to move at least one of the scroll casing and the fan casing such that the movement of at least one of the scroll casing and the fan casing stops when the first engaging portion of the scroll casing abuts the first engaging portion of the fan casing. The precision of the position of the scroll casing with respect to the fan casing, the precision of the temperature of air discharged into the compartment, and/or the volume of the blower unit may be improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2004
    Publication date: March 31, 2005
    Inventors: Masakazu Nagaya, Koji Ito, Takahiro Tokunaga
  • Publication number: 20040244962
    Abstract: An air conditioner for automotive vehicles is disclosed. The flow rates of air supplied to an evaporator (4) and a heater (5) are adjusted by rotationally displacing a scroll casing (2b) and thus changing an air flow from a blower (2) to a predetermined direction. The air-mix door can thus be eliminated to allow a smaller size of an air-conditioner casing (3) (air-conditioning unit (1)). Also, the ratio between cool air flow rate and hot air flow rate is adjusted by rotationally displacing the scroll casing (2b) with a spur gear (2c) and, therefore, the size and the production cost of the air conditioner can be reduced as compared with a conventional system in which an air-mix door is swung by a link mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2004
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Inventors: Takahiro Tokunaga, Koji Ito, Masakazu Nagaya
  • Publication number: 20040206100
    Abstract: The temperature of air discharged from first and second passages are adjusted by adjusting the proportion of a flow rate of cold air with respect to that of hot air by means of a first cold air door 26 and a first hot air door 24, and by means of a second cold air door 27 and a second hot air door 25. Discharged air flow rates are controlled by changing the areas of the first and second passages while the proportion of the flow rate of cold air with respect to that of hot air is maintained to be constant by means of the first cold air door 26 and the first hot air door 24, and by means of the second cold air door 27 and the second hot air door 25.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2004
    Publication date: October 21, 2004
    Inventors: Takahiro Tokunaga, Koji Ito, Yoshihiko Okumura
  • Publication number: 20040194947
    Abstract: Both an air mixing door (9) for the cold air for adjusting a passage area of the cold air passage (6); and an air mixing door (10) for the hot air for adjusting a passage area of the hot air passage (7) are composed of a sliding door for adjusting the passage area when the air mixing door (9) for the cold air and the air mixing door (10) for the hot air are slid in a direction perpendicular to the flow of air in both the passages (6, 7), and while one of the air mixing door (9) for the cold air and the air mixing door (10) for the hot air is maintaining one of the passages (6, 7) in a fully opened state, an operating position of the other door is adjusted so that a passage area of the other passage is adjusted and a temperature of the air blowing out into a vehicle compartment is adjusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Inventors: Koji Ito, Takahiro Tokunaga, Yoshihiko Okumura