Patents by Inventor Takano Nakai

Takano Nakai 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: 12012906
    Abstract: A stop control device for an internal combustion engine is structured that stops the engine in a state suitable for starting and that does not cause a crank angle to change after the engine is stopped. A four-cycle internal combustion engine includes an electric valve opening and closing timing control device that sets an opening and closing timing of either or both of an intake valve and an exhaust valve. Stop control of stopping the internal combustion engine is performed when a stop signal for stopping the internal combustion engine is acquired, and post-stop phase control of displacing the opening and closing timing of the valve opening and closing timing control device in either an advancing direction or a retarding direction is performed after the internal combustion engine is stopped by the stop control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignees: AISIN CORPORATION, MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshinari Tokunaga, Yuki Kasuya, Takano Nakai, Kenichiro Suzuki, Yoshiyuki Kamoyama, Toru Hirota
  • Publication number: 20230243313
    Abstract: A stop control device for an internal combustion engine is structured that stops the engine in a state suitable for starting and that does not cause a crank angle to change after the engine is stopped. A four-cycle internal combustion engine includes an electric valve opening and closing timing control device that sets an opening and closing timing of either or both of an intake valve and an exhaust valve. Stop control of stopping the internal combustion engine is performed when a stop signal for stopping the internal combustion engine is acquired, and post-stop phase control of displacing the opening and closing timing of the valve opening and closing timing control device in either an advancing direction or a retarding direction is performed after the internal combustion engine is stopped by the stop control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Applicants: AISIN CORPORATION, Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshinari TOKUNAGA, Yuki KASUYA, Takano NAKAI, Kenichiro SUZUKI, Yoshiyuki KAMOYAMA, Toru HIROTA
  • Patent number: 11549407
    Abstract: The valve timing control unit includes a valve timing control mechanism that includes a driving rotary body, a driven rotary body, an electric motor and a deceleration gear each for setting the relative rotational phase of the driving rotary body and the driven rotary body, and a phase sensor unit that detects the actual phase of the driving rotary body and the driven rotary body. The valve timing control unit includes a controller that controls the electric motor to reduce a phase difference between the actual phase and a target phase, and the controller includes a swing controller that swings the target phase in vicinity of the target phase when the target phase is maintained and the actual phase having a fluctuation amount is held in a holding region, in which the fluctuation amount is less than a preset value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignees: AISIN CORPORATION, MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenya Fujimoto, Yoshinari Tokunaga, Shigehiro Tanabe, Takano Nakai, Yoshiyuki Kamoyama, Hiroshi Takahashi, Toru Hirota
  • Publication number: 20220325643
    Abstract: The valve timing control unit includes a valve timing control mechanism that includes a driving rotary body, a driven rotary body, an electric motor and a deceleration gear each for setting the relative rotational phase of the driving rotary body and the driven rotary body, and a phase sensor unit that detects the actual phase of the driving rotary body and the driven rotary body. The valve timing control unit includes a controller that controls the electric motor to reduce a phase difference between the actual phase and a target phase, and the controller includes a swing controller that swings the target phase in vicinity of the target phase when the target phase is maintained and the actual phase having a fluctuation amount is held in a holding region, in which the fluctuation amount is less than a preset value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Applicants: AISIN CORPORATION, MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenya FUJIMOTO, Yoshinari TOKUNAGA, Shigehiro TANABE, Takano NAKAI, Yoshiyuki KAMOYAMA, Hiroshi TAKAHASHI, Toru HIROTA
  • Patent number: 11428172
    Abstract: A valve opening and closing timing control device includes: a driving-side rotating body that rotates synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine around a rotating shaft core; a driven-side rotating body that rotates integrally with a valve opening and closing camshaft of the internal combustion engine around the same shaft core as the rotating shaft core; a gear mechanism that sets a relative rotation phase between the driving-side rotating body and the driven-side rotating body by displacement of a meshing position; a motor that enables displacement of the meshing position of the gear mechanism by rotating a rotating shaft; and a control unit that controls the drive of the motor. The control unit intermittently performs control to energize the motor for one phase for a predetermined time after the internal combustion engine is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: AISIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki Kasuya, Shugo Ito, Takano Nakai, Kenichiro Suzuki, Yoshiyuki Kamoyama, Toru Hirota
  • Patent number: 11300016
    Abstract: A valve opening and closing timing control device includes a drive-side rotating body that rotates synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, a driven-side rotating body that rotates with a camshaft of the internal combustion engine, an electric motor that controls a relative rotation phase of the drive-side rotating body and the driven-side rotating body, a motor control unit that controls a current supplied to the electric motor, a current sensor that detects the current flowing into the electric motor, a regulation unit that determines a regulation phase in which the relative rotation phase is mechanically limited in an advanced angle direction and in a delayed angle direction, and a regulation phase detection unit that detects the regulation phase based on when the relative rotation phase in which a change is stopped by the regulation unit is reached and a current value detected by the current sensor increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: AISIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Amano, Shogo Katsuki, Takano Nakai, Kenichiro Suzuki, Yoshiyuki Kamoyama, Toru Hirota
  • Patent number: 11242776
    Abstract: A valve open-close timing control device includes a driving rotator, a driven rotator, a phase adjusting mechanism, a sensor unit, a storage configured to store the plurality of divided regions consecutively provided, as a plurality of divided length information pieces corresponding to divided lengths of the divided regions, and an actual phase acquisition unit configured to start acquisition of the crank angle signal and the cam angle signal along with start of actuation control of actuating the internal combustion engine, specify one of the divided regions by referring to the divided length information pieces stored in the storage in accordance with the crank angle signal at timing set in accordance with the cam angle signal, and acquire the relative rotation phase as an actual phase in accordance with the crank angle signal corresponding to the boundary of the divided region thus specified and the reference crank angle signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: AISIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Iwaya, Masahiro Okado, Toi Suzuki, Toshiki Miyake, Takano Nakai, Kenichiro Suzuki, Yoshiyuki Kamoyama, Toru Hirota
  • Publication number: 20220003174
    Abstract: A valve opening and closing timing control device includes: a driving-side rotating body that rotates synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine around a rotating shaft core; a driven-side rotating body that rotates integrally with a valve opening and closing camshaft of the internal combustion engine around the same shaft core as the rotating shaft core; a gear mechanism that sets a relative rotation phase between the driving-side rotating body and the driven-side rotating body by displacement of a meshing position; a motor that enables displacement of the meshing position of the gear mechanism by rotating a rotating shaft; and a control unit that controls the drive of the motor. The control unit intermittently performs control to energize the motor for one phase for a predetermined time after the internal combustion engine is stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki KASUYA, Shugo ITO, Takano NAKAI, Kenichiro SUZUKI, Yoshiyuki KAMOYAMA, Toru HIROTA
  • Publication number: 20220003132
    Abstract: A valve opening and closing timing control device includes a drive-side rotating body that rotates synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, a driven-side rotating body that rotates with a camshaft of the internal combustion engine, an electric motor that controls a relative rotation phase of the drive-side rotating body and the driven-side rotating body, a motor control unit that controls a current supplied to the electric motor, a current sensor that detects the current flowing into the electric motor, a regulation unit that determines a regulation phase in which the relative rotation phase is mechanically limited in an advanced angle direction and in a delayed angle direction, and a regulation phase detection unit that detects the regulation phase based on when the relative rotation phase in which a change is stopped by the regulation unit is reached and a current value detected by the current sensor increases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki AMANO, Shogo KATSUKI, Takano NAKAI, Kenichiro SUZUKI, Yoshiyuki KAMOYAMA, Toru HIROTA
  • Publication number: 20220003133
    Abstract: A valve open-close timing control device includes a driving rotator, a driven rotator, a phase adjusting mechanism, a sensor unit, a storage configured to store the plurality of divided regions consecutively provided, as a plurality of divided length information pieces corresponding to divided lengths of the divided regions, and an actual phase acquisition unit configured to start acquisition of the crank angle signal and the cam angle signal along with start of actuation control of actuating the internal combustion engine, specify one of the divided regions by referring to the divided length information pieces stored in the storage in accordance with the crank angle signal at timing set in accordance with the cam angle signal, and acquire the relative rotation phase as an actual phase in accordance with the crank angle signal corresponding to the boundary of the divided region thus specified and the reference crank angle signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi IWAYA, Masahiro OKADO, Toi SUZUKI, Toshiki MIYAKE, Takano NAKAI, Kenichiro SUZUKI, Yoshiyuki KAMOYAMA, Toru HIROTA
  • Patent number: 10934947
    Abstract: A control device for an engine includes a valve-stopping mechanism 14b which holds intake and exhaust valves 41, 51 of the first and the fourth cylinders (idle cylinders) of four cylinders in closed states, a throttle valve control unit 115, an ignition period control unit 113, and an ECU 110 which controls the valve-stopping mechanism 14b, the throttle valve control unit 115, and the ignition period control unit 113. The ECU 110 sets a retard amount of the ignition period of the idle cylinder behind the basic ignition period at least in starting the all-cylinder operation in accordance with an amount of burned gas existing in the idle cylinder in switching to the all-cylinder operation from the reduced-cylinder operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takano Nakai, Takaya Okugawa, Souichirou Chabata, Takafumi Nishio
  • Publication number: 20200011253
    Abstract: A control device for an engine includes a valve-stopping mechanism 14b which holds intake and exhaust valves 41, 51 of the first and the fourth cylinders (idle cylinders) of four cylinders in closed states, a throttle valve control unit 115, an ignition period control unit 113, and an ECU 110 which controls the valve-stopping mechanism 14b, the throttle valve control unit 115, and the ignition period control unit 113. The ECU 110 sets a retard amount of the ignition period of the idle cylinder behind the basic ignition period at least in starting the all-cylinder operation in accordance with an amount of burned gas existing in the idle cylinder in switching to the all-cylinder operation from the reduced-cylinder operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takano NAKAI, Takaya OKUGAWA, Souichirou CHABATA, Takafumi NISHIO
  • Patent number: 9644546
    Abstract: This internal combustion engine is provided with a variable compression ratio mechanism capable of changing a mechanical compression ratio by changing the volume of the combustion chamber at the top dead center. The pressure and temperature of remaining combusted gas within the combustion chamber at the time when the exhaust valve is closed in the intake stroke is measured or estimated, the pressure and temperature of intake air supplied into the combustion chamber after the exhaust valve is closed in the intake stroke is measured or estimated, and based on the assumption that the pressure and temperature of the remaining combusted gas which saturates the volume of the combustion chamber at the time when the exhaust valve is closed in the air intake stroke become, when the intake air is supplied to the combustion chamber, equal to the pressure and temperature of the intake air, the volume of the remaining combusted gas after the change is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Sakayanagi, Takashi Kawasaki, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Takano Nakai
  • Publication number: 20150128911
    Abstract: This internal combustion engine is provided with a variable compression ratio mechanism capable of changing a mechanical compression ratio by changing the volume of the combustion chamber at the top dead center. The pressure and temperature of remaining combusted gas within the combustion chamber at the time when the exhaust valve is closed in the intake stroke is measured or estimated, the pressure and temperature of intake air supplied into the combustion chamber after the exhaust valve is closed in the intake stroke is measured or estimated, and based on the assumption that the pressure and temperature of the remaining combusted gas which saturates the volume of the combustion chamber at the time when the exhaust valve is closed in the air intake stroke become, when the intake air is supplied to the combustion chamber, equal to the pressure and temperature of the intake air, the volume of the remaining combusted gas after the change is calculated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Sakayanagi, Takashi Kawasaki, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Takano Nakai