Patents by Inventor Takashi Ojiro

Takashi Ojiro 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: 11923572
    Abstract: A fuel cell module includes a container and a plurality of cell members radially arranged inside the container. Inside the container, a first fluid flow path through which a first fluid that exchanges heat with an inner portion of the plurality of cell members flows is formed, and a second fluid flow path through which a second fluid that exchanges heat with an outer portion of the plurality of cell members flows is formed. A first heat exchange portion that forms the first fluid flow path and exchanges heat with the cell member has a smaller heat transfer area with the cell member than a second heat exchange portion that forms the second fluid flow path and exchanges heat with the cell member. The first fluid having a larger temperature difference with the cell member than the second fluid flows in the first fluid flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Hayasaka, Yuuki Mukoubara, Takashi Ojiro, Yasuhiro Osada
  • Publication number: 20230238549
    Abstract: A fuel cell module includes: a cell stack in which fuel cells are stacked; and a stack temperature controller through which the oxidant gas before being supplied to the cell stack flows. The fuel cell module includes a warm-up burner that produces combustion gas for warming the cell stack. The warm-up burner is arranged outside a housing space in which the cell stack is housed. The stack temperature controller is arranged to face the cell stack with a predetermined gap therebetween so as to exchange heat with the cell stack. The stack temperature controller is located adjacent to a combustion gas passage through which the combustion gas generated by the warm-up burner flows so as to allow heat exchange between the oxidant gas flowing through the stack temperature controller and the combustion gas generated by the warm-up burner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Yasuhiro OSADA, Takashi OJIRO, Atsushi HAYASAKA, Reona INAGAKI
  • Publication number: 20220246954
    Abstract: A fuel cell module includes a container and a plurality of cell members radially arranged inside the container. Inside the container, a first fluid flow path through which a first fluid that exchanges heat with an inner portion of the plurality of cell members flows is formed, and a second fluid flow path through which a second fluid that exchanges heat with an outer portion of the plurality of cell members flows is formed. A first heat exchange portion that forms the first fluid flow path and exchanges heat with the cell member has a smaller heat transfer area with the cell member than a second heat exchange portion that forms the second fluid flow path and exchanges heat with the cell member. The first fluid having a larger temperature difference with the cell member than the second fluid flows in the first fluid flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Atsushi HAYASAKA, Yuuki MUKOUBARA, Takashi OJIRO, Yasuhiro OSADA
  • Patent number: 11365940
    Abstract: The plate-type heat exchanger includes blocks stacked on each other, each of the blocks including a heat exchanger body configured to exchange heat between a first fluid and a second fluid. A connection passage for the first fluid is formed between blocks adjacent to each other of the plurality of blocks, the connection passage allowing the outlet of one of the blocks adjacent to each other and the inlet of the other of the blocks adjacent to each other to communicate with each other, the first fluid in the blocks adjacent to each other having different flow directions between the blocks adjacent to each other, and a second connection passage is provided between at least one pair of blocks adjacent to each other among the plurality of blocks, the second connection passage being configured to cause the first fluid to flow to a position different from the connection passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Rinnai Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Ojiro, Takahiro Ono
  • Patent number: 11118842
    Abstract: The heat exchanger (1) has a plurality of heat exchange units (10) stacked in a direction of a gas flow passage of combustion exhaust gas, each of the heat exchange units (10) includes an internal space (14) through which a fluid to be heated flows, a plurality of gas vents (13) penetrating the internal space (14) in a non-communicating state and through which the combustion exhaust gas passes, and an inwardly directed step portion (17) reducing a height of the internal space (14) between adjacent gas vents (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: RINNAI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Ojiro
  • Patent number: 11118811
    Abstract: A heat source device comprising: a combustion chamber (2) provided between a burner (31) and a heat exchanger (1); an inlet pipe (20) for allowing a fluid to be heated to flow in the heat exchanger (1); an outlet pipe (21) for allowing the fluid to be heated to flow out from the heat exchanger (1); and a winding pipe (27) wound around an outer surface of a peripheral wall of the combustion chamber (2), wherein either the inlet pipe (20) or the outlet pipe (21) has an orifice (91) for throttling a fluid flow path of the fluid to be heated flowing in the inlet pipe (20) or the outlet pipe (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: RINNAI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahiro Ono, Takashi Ojiro
  • Patent number: 10969178
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat exchange units. Each of the plurality of heat exchange units includes: an internal space in which a fluid to be heated flows, a plurality of gas vents penetrating the internal space in a non-communicating state and through which combustion exhaust gas flows, at least one inlet port, and at least one outlet port. At least the one inlet port and at least the one outlet port in each of the heat exchange units are disposed at both ends in a longitudinal direction of the heat exchange unit and are shifted (offset) in a lateral direction of the heat exchange unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Rinnai Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Ojiro
  • Patent number: 10928063
    Abstract: A fixing plate for the thermal insulation material is attached to the combustion plate flange part. Provided that a direction leaving away from the air-fuel mixture ejection part of the combustion plate is defined as an outward side direction, there are disposed: on the side edge in the outward side direction of the fixing plate, bent edge parts, which come into contact with the side edge in the outward side direction of the thermal insulation materials; and a plurality of tongue-shaped pressing claws which are elongated from the bent edge part so as to press and prevent the thermal insulation materials from getting released away from the fixing plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: RINNAI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahiro Ono, Takashi Ojiro, Masaru Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 10876795
    Abstract: A heat exchanger disposed on a downstream side of a gas flow passage of combustion exhaust gas ejected from a burner comprising a plurality of heat exchange units stacked in a gas flow passage direction of the combustion exhaust gas, an inlet pipe, and an outlet pipe, wherein the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are provided so as to protrude from a most downstream heat exchange unit located on a most downstream side of the gas flow passage of the combustion exhaust gas toward the downstream side of the gas flow passage of the combustion exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: RINNAI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Ojiro
  • Patent number: 10767862
    Abstract: A flame rod (1) including: a rod portion (11) made of a metal material containing aluminum; and a protective cover layer (21) containing a cover material having high conductivity and high heat resistance, wherein the protective cover layer (21) covers a surface of an insertion portion (11A) of the flame rod (11), and the protective cover layer (11) has a thickness of 0.002 mm or more and less than 0.1 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Rinnai Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Ojiro, Kazuyuki Akagi, Masaru Takeuchi, Yoshinari Iwata, Yoshiaki Miyajima
  • Patent number: 10718513
    Abstract: A burner has: a combustion plate part for ejecting air-fuel mixture; and a flame rod which lies opposite to a portion of the combustion plate part which has a picture-frame-like burner frame; a metal-fiber knit which covers an opening enclosed by the burner frame; and a distribution plate which has formed therein distribution holes and which sandwiches the metal-fiber knit between the burner frame and the distribution plate through the distribution holes and the metal-fiber knit. The flame rod has: a rod base part which lies opposite to a portion of opening peripheral part of the burner frame which is positioned on the same surface level as the opening; and a rod main body part which lies opposite to a portion of the metal-fiber knit. The distance between the rod base part and the opening peripheral part is made smaller than the distance between the rod main body part and the metal-fiber knit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Rinnai Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Takeuchi, Takashi Ojiro
  • Publication number: 20200191436
    Abstract: A heat source device comprising: a combustion chamber (2) provided between a burner (31) and a heat exchanger (1); an inlet pipe (20) for allowing a fluid to be heated to flow in the heat exchanger (1); an outlet pipe (21) for allowing the fluid to be heated to flow out from the heat exchanger (1); and a winding pipe (27) wound around an outer surface of a peripheral wall of the combustion chamber (2), wherein either the inlet pipe (20) or the outlet pipe (21) has an orifice (91) for throttling a fluid flow path of the fluid to be heated flowing in the inlet pipe (20) or the outlet pipe (21).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Takahiro ONO, Takashi OJIRO
  • Publication number: 20200166282
    Abstract: The plate-type heat exchanger includes blocks stacked on each other, each of the blocks including a heat exchanger body configured to exchange heat between a first fluid and a second fluid. A connection passage for the first fluid is formed between blocks adjacent to each other of the plurality of blocks, the connection passage allowing the outlet of one of the blocks adjacent to each other and the inlet of the other of the blocks adjacent to each other to communicate with each other, the first fluid in the blocks adjacent to each other having different flow directions between the blocks adjacent to each other, and a second connection passage is provided between at least one pair of blocks adjacent to each other among the plurality of blocks, the second connection passage being configured to cause the first fluid to flow to a position different from the connection passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: Takashi Ojiro, Takahiro Ono
  • Patent number: 10612774
    Abstract: A totally primary air combustion type of burner has a combustion plate with a plurality of slit-shaped flame holes for ejecting therethrough air-fuel mixture for combustion. The combustion plate has a plurality of flame-hole rows having flame holes arranged in an X-axis (longitudinal) direction at a predetermined pitch in a Y-axis (lateral or shorter) direction. First flame-hole rows with position of flame holes and second flame-hole rows with position of flame holes with deviation by half a pitch in the Y-axis direction, are alternately arrayed in parallel with one another in the X-axis direction. A plurality of positions in the Y-axis direction of one of the first and the second flame-hole rows are provided with thinned portions (portions where no flame holes are formed) so that the pitch between the flame holes becomes two times the predetermined pitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: RINNAI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaru Takeuchi, Takashi Ojiro, Takahiro Ono
  • Patent number: 10612776
    Abstract: In a combustion apparatus including: a burner made up of a burner body and a sheet-metal combustion plate; and a combustion box which has a connection flange part to be coupled to a body flange part in a circumference of the burner body, the combustion box has disposed therein water passages as a cooling means, and a thermal insulation material which overlaps that portion of the combustion plate flange part which faces an inner space of the combustion box. A fixing plate for the thermal insulation material is attached to the combustion plate flange part. The fixing plate is provided with pressing claws for pressing in position the thermal insulation material so as to press and prevent the thermal insulation material from getting released away from the fixing plate. And water passages are disposed in a manner to contact the pressing claws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: RINNAI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahiro Ono, Takashi Ojiro, Hideo Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10605485
    Abstract: A water heater having a casing (100) in which a burner body (1) and a fan case (2) are accommodated, wherein the burner body (1) includes a main burner body unit (12) having a flat burner (3) on a lower surface thereof, and an introducing unit (11) projected from an upper surface of the main burner body unit (12), wherein the introducing unit (11) has an inlet port (10) communicated with the fan case (2), and an fan installation surface (13) having the inlet port (10) is provided so as to face to a front direction or a diagonally front direction as viewed from a frontward direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Rinnai Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Ojiro, Yasuo Niwa
  • Publication number: 20200049413
    Abstract: The heat exchanger (1) has a plurality of heat exchange units (10) stacked in a direction of a gas flow passage of combustion exhaust gas, each of the heat exchange units (10) includes an internal space (14) through which a fluid to be heated flows, a plurality of gas vents (13) penetrating the internal space (14) in a non-communicating state and through which the combustion exhaust gas passes, and an inwardly directed step portion (17) reducing a height of the internal space (14) between adjacent gas vents (13).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventor: Takashi OJIRO
  • Patent number: 10527279
    Abstract: A combustion apparatus includes a burner having a sheet-metal combustion plate which covers an open surface of a burner body; and a combustion box having a connection flange part to be coupled to a body flange part enclosing the open surface of the burner body, and is equipped with a cooling means for cooling the combustion box, an arrangement is made that overheating of the burner body due to heat transmission from the combustion plate can be prevented, even without enhancing thermal insulation performance of a packing to be interposed between a combustion plate flange part and the body flange part. The connection flange part is kept in direct contact with the combustion plate flange part and, coupled to the body flange part. The packing is provided with: a combustion plate seal part to be pressed under pressure against the combustion plate flange part; and a combustion box seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: RINNAI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Ojiro
  • Patent number: 10508829
    Abstract: A water heater including a burner body (1) and a fan case (2) accommodated in casing (100), wherein the burner body (1) has a main burner body unit having a flat burner (3) on a lower surface side thereof and an introducing unit (11) protruding upward from the upper surface of the main burner body unit (12), wherein a discharging portion (53) of the ignition electrode (50) is disposed within a projection plane (180) when wall sections (13) (14) (15) (16) of the introducing unit (11) is projected downwardly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Rinnai Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Ojiro
  • Patent number: 10480821
    Abstract: A water heater includes a vessel (20) provided with a burner (3) having a downward combustion surface, a fan casing (10) accommodating a fan (10a) for supplying a mixture gas of primary combustion air and fuel gas to the burner, an annular packing connecting a first connection end surface at a downstream end of a first passage forming a downstream-side passage of the fan casing with a second connection end surface at an upstream end of a second passage forming an upstream-side passage of the vessel in airtight state, and a check valve (5) disposed near the upstream end in the second passage (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Rinnai Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Ojiro