Patents by Inventor Tetsuro Kihara

Tetsuro Kihara 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: 5951956
    Abstract: A catalyst for purifying an exhaust gas for simultaneously removing carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides contained in the exhaust gas under an oxygen rich atmosphere, comprising a carrier composed of a porous material, and barium oxide, lanthanum oxide and platinum supported on the carrier, and a method for purifying an exhaust gas by bringing the exhaust gas under an oxygen rich atmosphere into contact with the above-mentioned catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Cataler Industrial Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Muraki, Motohisa Saiki, Mariko Adachi, Shinichi Matsumoto, Takaaki Kanazawa, Kenji Katoh, Satoshi Iguchi, Tetsuro Kihara, Syuji Tateishi, Koichi Kasahara
  • Patent number: 5735119
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purification device of an engine providing a NO.sub.x absorbent arranged in the exhaust passage. An O.sub.2 sensor is arranged in the engine exhaust passage downstream of the NO.sub.x absorbent. The degree of deterioration of the NO.sub.x absorbent is detected from the output signal of the O.sub.2 sensor. The cycle for making the air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture rich for causing the release of the NO.sub.x from the NO.sub.x absorbent and the rich time at that time are shortened the greater the deterioration of the NO.sub.x absorbent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takamitsu Asanuma, Tetsuro Kihara, Kenji Katoh, Satoshi Iguchi
  • Patent number: 5715679
    Abstract: An exhaust purification device of an engine providing a NO.sub.x absorbent arranged in the exhaust passage. An O.sub.2 sensor generating a current proportional to the air-fuel ratio is arranged in the engine exhaust passage downstream of the NO.sub.x absorbent. The amount of NO.sub.x actually absorbed in the NO.sub.x absorbent at the time of release of the NO.sub.x is calculated on the basis of the output signal of this O.sub.2 sensor. On the basis of this calculated amount of NO.sub.x, correction is made so that the estimated amount of NO.sub.x represents the actual amount of absorption of NO.sub.x. When this corrected estimated amount of NO.sub.x reaches a set value, the action of releasing the NO.sub.x from the NO.sub.x absorbent is carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1998
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takamitsu Asanuma, Tetsuro Kihara, Shinichi Takeshima, Toshiaki Tanaka, Kenji Katoh, Satoshi Iguchi
  • Patent number: 5713199
    Abstract: A device for detecting deterioration of a NO.sub.x absorbent arranged in the exhaust passage of an engine. An O.sub.2 sensor generating a current proportional to the air-fuel ratio is arranged in the exhaust passage downstream of the NO.sub.x absorbent. When the amount of NO.sub.x absorbed in the NO.sub.x absorbent is almost zero or after the amount of NO.sub.x absorbed in the NO.sub.x absorbent is made almost zero, the air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture is changed from lean to rich, and the amount of oxygen stored in the NO.sub.x absorbent is detected from the output signal of the O.sub.2 sensor at this time. Further, the NO.sub.x absorbing capability is found by using this detected oxygen amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1998
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Takeshima, Tetsuro Kihara, Takamitsu Asanuma, Toshiaki Tanaka, Kenji Katoh, Satoshi Iguchi
  • Patent number: 5577382
    Abstract: An exhaust purification device which is capable of detecting the degree of deterioration of the NOx absorbent or the three-way catalyst arranged in the exhaust passage of an engine. An O.sub.2 sensor whose output current or output voltage is proportional to the air-fuel ratio is arranged inside the exhaust passage downstream of the NOx absorbent or three-way catalyst. The air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture is temporarily changed from lean to rich or from rich to lean to enable the degree of deterioration of the NOx absorbent or three-way catalyst to be detected from the peak value of the output current or voltage of the O.sub.2 sensor during the time when the air-fuel ratio is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuro Kihara, Kenji Katoh, Takamitsu Asanuma, Satoshi Iguchi
  • Patent number: 5483795
    Abstract: An NO.sub.x absorber (18) is arranged in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine. The NO.sub.x absorber (18) absorbs the NO.sub.x when the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the NO.sub.x absorber (18) is lean while releases the absorbed NO.sub.x when the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the NO.sub.x absorber (18) becomes the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio or rich. An air-fuel ratio sensor (22) is arranged in the exhaust passage downstream of the NO.sub.x absorber (18). When the air-fuel ratio detected by the air-fuel ratio sensor (22) is switched from lean to rich after the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into NO.sub.x absorber (18) is switched from lean to rich, it is decided that the releasing action of NO.sub.x from the NO.sub.x absorber (18) is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1996
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Katoh, Tokuta Inoue, Hidetaka Nohira, Kiyoshi Nakanishi, Satoshi Iguchi, Tetsuro Kihara, Masato Gotoh, Takamitsu Asanuma, Hiroshi Okano, Jun Harada, Shinichi Takeshima, Masahiko Sugiyama, Shigenori Sakurai, Kenji Ohkubo, Mikio Murachi
  • Patent number: 5472673
    Abstract: An engine comprising an exhaust passage having therein a NO.sub.x absorbent which absorbs the NO.sub.x when the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the NO.sub.x absorbent is lean and releases the absorbed NO.sub.x when the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the NO.sub.x absorbent becomes the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio or rich. A sulphur trapping device for trapping SO.sub.x contained in the exhaust gas is arranged in the exhaust passage upstream of the NO.sub.x absorbent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1995
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Goto, Satoshi Iguchi, Kenji Katoh, Tetsuro Kihara
  • Patent number: 5450722
    Abstract: A NO.sub.x absorbent (17) is disposed in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine. This NO.sub.x absorbent (17) absorbs the NO.sub.x when the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the NO.sub.x absorbent (17) is lean and releases the absorbed NO.sub.x when the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the NO.sub.x absorbent (17) becomes rich. When making the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the NO.sub.x absorbent (17) rich to release the NO.sub.x from the NO.sub.x absorbent (17), the degree of richness is made larger and the time the ratio is made rich is made shorter the higher the temperature of the NO.sub.x absorbent (17).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1995
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Takeshima, Toshiaki Tanaka, Satoshi Iguchi, Kenji Katoh, Tetsuro Kihara
  • Patent number: 5423181
    Abstract: An engine comprising an exhaust passage having therein a NO.sub.x absorbent which absorbs the NO.sub.x when the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the NO.sub.x absorbent is lean and releases the absorbed NO.sub.x when the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the NO.sub.x absorbent becomes the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio or rich. When the air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture should be changed over from lean to the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, the air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture is temporarily made rich and is then made the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1995
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Katoh, Satoshi Iguchi, Tetsuro Kihara, Masato Gotoh, Shinichi Takeshima, Takamitsu Asanuma, Fumitada Murakami
  • Patent number: 5412945
    Abstract: A NO.sub.x absorbent (18) which absorbs the NO.sub.x when the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the NO.sub.x absorbent (18) is lean and releases the absorbed NO.sub.x when the oxygen concentration of the exhaust gas flowing into the NO.sub.x absorbent (18) is lowered, is arranged in the exhaust passage of the engine. The amount of alkali metals, alkali-earth metals or rare-earth metals contained in the NO.sub.x absorbent (18) positioned on the downstream side, is made lower than the amount of alkali metals, alkali-earth metals or rare-earth metals contained in the NO.sub.x absorbent (18) positioned on the upstream side, to increase a reducing ability of the NO.sub.x absorbent (18) positioned on the downstream side as compared to the reducing ability of the NO.sub.x absorbent (18) positioned on the upstream side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Cho Kenkusho, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Katoh, Tokuta Inoue, Hidetaka Nohira, Kiyoshi Nakanishi, Satoshi Iguchi, Tetsuro Kihara, Hideaki Muraki
  • Patent number: 5402641
    Abstract: An NOx absorbent is installed in an exhaust conduit of an internal combustion engine capable of fuel combustion at lean air-fuel ratios. An oxygen concentration is repeatedly or continuously decreased by, for example, switching the air-fuel from the lean air-fuel ratio to a stoichiometric or rich air fuel ratio when the exhaust gas temperature is higher than 550.degree. C. or when NOx absorbent temperature is higher than 500.degree. C. As a result, the SOx absorbed in the NOx absorbent during lean air-fuel ratio, low temperature operation is released from the NOx absorbent, and the SOx-poisoned NOx absorbent is recovered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1995
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Katoh, Shinichi Takeshima, Toshiaki Tanaka, Satoshi Iguchi, Masato Goto, Tetsuro Kihara, Takamitsu Asanuma, Fumitada Murakami
  • Patent number: 5313792
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purification system includes a transition metal/zeolite first catalyst, a three-way second catalyst, and a noble metal-type third catalyst arranged in that order in the direction of exhaust gas flow in an exhaust conduit of an internal combustion engine capable of fuel combustion at lean air-fuel ratios. NOx which has not been purified by the transition metal/zeolite first catalyst is oxidized by the three-way second catalyst into NO.sub.2, which the noble metal-type third catalyst can easily decompose into N.sub.2 and O.sub.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1994
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Katoh, Satoshi Iguchi, Tetsuro Kihara