Patents by Inventor Toshihiko Hijikata

Toshihiko Hijikata 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: 7802421
    Abstract: A means capable of supplying exhaust gas sufficiently imitating exhaust gas from actual diesel engines is provided. A PM generating apparatus has a constitution in which combustion air supplied to the space between a chassis and an outer casing via an air inlet is introduced into the space between the outer casing and an inner casing via through-holes of the outer casing, and a fuel injected by an fuel-injection means into the space between the chassis and the outer casing is introduced into the space between the outer casing and the inner casing via the through-holes of the outer casing, wherein the fuel is combusted to generate PM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Hijikata, Satoru Yamada, Yukio Miyairi
  • Patent number: 7655195
    Abstract: An undulated-wall honeycomb structure (1) has multiple cell passages (2) with mutually parallel passage directions. With this undulated-wall honeycomb structure (1), intersections (4) between walls (3) partitioning the cell passages (2) are formed at cross-sections perpendicular to the cell passages (2) and positioned systematically maintaining a predetermined pitch, and also the wall face portions (5) of the walls (3) excluding the intersections (4) are formed with undulated shapes in both the cell passage direction and the cross-section direction perpendicular to the cell passage direction. According to this undulated-wall honeycomb structure, advantages such as improved exhaust gas purification capabilities and catalyst capabilities, improved mechanical strength for canning, and further improved heat-resistant shock properties can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihito Ichikawa, Toshihiko Hijikata, Makoto Miyazaki
  • Publication number: 20070144245
    Abstract: A means suitable for producing and supplying exhaust gas for evaluation to be supplied to an exhaust gas purifying apparatus in a safe and stable manner and a means for correctly and accurately evaluating performance and durability of the exhaust gas purifying apparatus are provided. The PM generating apparatus 10 which can generate PM in a gas by combusting a liquid and/or gaseous fuel in the combustion chamber 2. The PM generating apparatus 10 is provided with a combustion chamber 1, a combustion air supply means 4 supplying combustion air to the combustion chamber 1, and an intermittent fuel injection means 3 which can intermittently inject the fuel to the combustion air supplied to the combustion chamber 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshio Yamada, Toshihiko Hijikata, Satoru Yamada
  • Publication number: 20070111150
    Abstract: A means capable of supplying exhaust gas sufficiently imitating exhaust gas from actual diesel engines is provided. A PM generating apparatus has a constitution in which combustion air supplied to the space between a chassis and an outer casing via an air inlet is introduced into the space between the outer casing and an inner casing via through-holes of the outer casing, and a fuel injected by an fuel-injection means into the space between the chassis and the outer casing is introduced into the space between the outer casing and the inner casing via the through-holes of the outer casing, wherein the fuel is combusted to generate PM.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Hijikata, Satoru Yamada, Yukio Miyairi
  • Patent number: 7163662
    Abstract: A canning structure comprises a ceramic honeycomb structure before carrying a catalyst, fixed beforehand within a metal case by a holding material. An impermeable layer is provided on at least one edge plane in the longitudinal direction of the holding material. Thus, the holding material does not carry expensive catalyst at the time of carrying catalyst, and accordingly chipping and cracking of the ceramic honeycomb structure can be prevented at the time of transporting, the catalyst carrying process, the canning process, and handling in each of the processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Yamada, Toshihiko Hijikata
  • Patent number: 7087286
    Abstract: A honeycomb structure obtained by bonding, into one piece, a plurality of honeycomb segments (2) each having a plurality of passages (6) surrounded by cell walls and extending in the axial direction of the segment. In the honeycomb structure, a material A (3) having compressive elasticity is provided between a side surface (21) of at least one honeycomb segment [2(a)] not constituting the outermost peripheral surface (23) of the honeycomb structure (1) and a side surface of the honeycomb segment [(2(b)) adjacent thereto. A honeycomb structure assembly (8) obtained by providing a material B (5) having compressive elasticity on the outermost peripheral surface (23) of the honeycomb structure (1) in a compressed state and thereby compression-holding the resulting honeycomb structure in a metallic container (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshihiko Hijikata
  • Patent number: 7078086
    Abstract: A honeycomb structure obtained by bonding, into one piece, a plurality of honeycomb segments (2) each having a plurality of passages (6) surrounded by cell walls and extending in the axial direction of the segment. In the honeycomb structure, a material A (3) having compressive elasticity is provided at least at a portion of the gaps formed by each two faces of adjacent honeycomb segments (2). A honeycomb structure assembly (8) obtained by providing a material B (5) having compressive elasticity on the outer peripheral portion of the above honeycomb structure in a compressed state and thereby compression-holding the honeycomb structure in a metallic container (11). The honeycomb structure and the honeycomb structure assembly have good durability and resistance to heat or vibration, applied during their use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshihiko Hijikata
  • Patent number: 7052760
    Abstract: A honeycomb structural body (1) is obtained by bonding, into one piece, a plurality of honeycomb segments (2a, 2b) having a plurality of through-holes (6) surrounded by partition walls (10) and extending in the axial direction. An average wall thickness of at least one honeycomb segment (2a) not constituting the outermost peripheral surface (23) of the honeycomb structural body is larger than an average wall thickness of at least of each honeycomb segment (2b) constituting the outermost peripheral surface (23) of the honeycomb structural body. A honeycomb structural assembly is obtained by providing a material B having compressive elasticity on the outermost peripheral surface (23) of the honeycomb structural body (1) in a compressed state and thereby compression-holding the honeycomb structural body (1) in a metallic container. The honeycomb structural body and assembly have low reduction in the conversion rate, purification efficiency, regeneration efficiency, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshihiko Hijikata
  • Patent number: 7041359
    Abstract: There is disclosed a honeycomb structure (1) comprising: a plurality of honeycomb segments (2a, 2b), bonded into one piece, having a large number of cells (6) separated from one another by cell walls (10) and extending through an axial direction. At least one honeycomb segment (2a) not constituting an outermost peripheral surface (23) of the honeycomb structure (1) has a larger average cell wall thickness and a smaller or equal cell density compared with those of at least one honeycomb segment (2b) constituting the outermost peripheral surface (23). There is disclosed a honeycomb structure assembly in which a material B having compressive elasticity is disposed in a compressed state on the outermost peripheral surface (23) of the honeycomb structure (1) to compression-hold the honeycomb structure (1) in a metallic container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshihiko Hijikata
  • Publication number: 20060037297
    Abstract: The present invention provides a ceramic honeycomb filter, wherein a value obtained by dividing the cube of a porosity (%) in the partition walls having the catalyst (the porosity is a proportion of the volume of the total pores contained in the partition walls, to the total volume of the partition walls including the total pores) by a mean diameter (?m) of all pores, is 0.8×104 or less, and a porosity (%) of pores of 100 ?m or above in diameter in the partition walls (the porosity is a proportion of the volume of the pores of 100 ?m or above in diameter, to the total volume of the partition walls including the total pores) is 5% or less. With this ceramic honeycomb filter, particulate matter such as soot, deposited on the partition walls can be treated at low temperatures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2003
    Publication date: February 23, 2006
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventor: Toshihiko Hijikata
  • Patent number: 6840083
    Abstract: A method for detecting cracks in a honeycomb structure includes the steps of: placing the honeycomb structure on the upper face of a first plate with the two end faces of the honeycomb structure facing up and down, respectively; applying to the honeycomb structure impact load adequately heavy to make powdery substance fall off the cracked portions of the honeycomb structure; and detecting the powdery substance having fallen off the cracked portions. The method enables the detection of cracks in the honeycomb structure to be simpler and easier and the honeycomb structure to be hardly damaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshihiko Hijikata
  • Publication number: 20040101654
    Abstract: There is disclosed a honeycomb structure (1) comprising: a plurality of honeycomb segments (2a, 2b), bonded into one piece, having a large number of cells (6) separated from one another by cell walls (10) and extending through an axial direction. At least one honeycomb segment (2a) not constituting an outermost peripheral surface (23) of the honeycomb structure (1) has a larger average cell wall thickness and a smaller or equal cell density compared with those of at least one honeycomb segment (2b) constituting the outermost peripheral surface (23). There is disclosed a honeycomb structure assembly in which a material B having compressive elasticity is disposed in a compressed state on the outermost peripheral surface (23) of the honeycomb structure (1) to compression-hold the honeycomb structure (1) in a metallic container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventor: Toshihiko Hijikata
  • Publication number: 20040096625
    Abstract: A honeycomb structure obtained by bonding, into one piece, a plurality of honeycomb segments (2) each having a large number of passages (6) surrounded by cell walls and extending in the axial direction of the segment. In the honeycomb structure, a material A (3) having compressive elasticity (3) is provided at least at a portion of the gaps formed by each two faces of adjacent honeycomb segments (2), close to each other. A honeycomb structure assembly (8) obtained by providing a material B (5) having compressive elasticity on the outer peripheral portion of the above honeycomb structure in a compressed state and thereby compression-holding the honeycomb structure in a metallic container (11). The honeycomb structure and the honeycomb structure assembly have good durability to a heat or a vibration, applied during their use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2003
    Publication date: May 20, 2004
    Inventor: Toshihiko Hijikata
  • Publication number: 20040081848
    Abstract: A honeycomb structure obtained by bonding, into one piece, a plurality of honeycomb segments (2) each having a large number of passage (6) surrounded by cell walls and extending in the axial direction of the segment. In the honeycomb structure, a material A (3) having compressive elasticity is provided between a side surface (21) of at least one honeycomb segment [2(a)] not constituting the outermost peripheral surface (23) of the honeycomb structure (1) and a side surface of the honeycomb segment [(2(b)) adjacent thereto. A honeycomb structure assembly (8) obtained by providing a material B (5) having compressive elasticity on the outermost peripheral surface (23) of the honeycomb structure (1) in a compressed state and thereby compression-holding the resulting honeycomb structure in a metallic container (11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2003
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Inventor: Toshihiko Hijikata
  • Publication number: 20040076794
    Abstract: A honeycomb structural body (1) is obtained by bonding, into one piece, a plurality of honeycomb segments (2a, 2b) having a large number of through-holes (6) surrounded by partition walls (10) and extending in the axial direction. An average wall thickness of at least one honeycomb segment (2a) not constituting the outermost peripheral surface (23) of the honeycomb structural body is larger than an average wall thickness of at least one honeycomb segment (2b) constituting the outermost peripheral surface (23) of the honeycomb structural body. A honeycomb structural assembly is obtained by providing a material B having compressive elasticity on the outermost peripheral surface (23) of the honeycomb structural body (1) in a compressed state and thereby compression-holding the honeycomb structural body (1) in a metallic container. The honeycomb structural body and assembly are low in reductions in the conversion rate, purification efficiency, regeneration efficiency, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2003
    Publication date: April 22, 2004
    Inventor: Toshihiko Hijikata
  • Publication number: 20040007077
    Abstract: A method for detecting cracks in a honeycomb structure includes the steps of: placing the honeycomb structure on the upper face of a first plate with the two end faces of the honeycomb structure facing up and down, respectively; applying to the honeycomb structure impact load adequately heavy to make powdery substance fall off the cracked portions of the honeycomb structure; and detecting the powdery substance having fallen off the cracked portions. The method enables the detection of cracks in the honeycomb structure to be simpler and easier and the honeycomb structure to be hardly damaged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Publication date: January 15, 2004
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshihiko Hijikata
  • Patent number: 6521193
    Abstract: A gas duct includes a ceramic honeycomb structure includes a metal case, a ceramic honeycomb structure accommodated in the metal case, and a holding member placed between the outer surface of the ceramic honeycomb structure and the inner surface of the metal case. The holding member has, at the two ends, to-be-connected areas engageable to each other and is wound round the outer surface of the ceramic honeycomb structure in such a way that the to-be-connected areas of the two ends are engaged to each other and that the connected area and its vicinity face the partition wall of each cell constituting the honeycomb structure. In the gas duct, even when the ceramic honeycomb structure has thin partition walls, the honeycomb structure is not broken when it is accommodated in a metal case, i.e. during the canning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Hijikata, Yukiharu Morita
  • Patent number: 6338826
    Abstract: A gas duct having a honeycomb structure includes: a metal case, a honeycomb structure accommodated in the metal case, a holding member placed between the outer surface of the honeycomb structure and the inner surface of the metal case, and a cone fitted to the inner surface of the metal case at one or both openings of the metal case, wherein the circumference of one or both end faces of the honeycomb structure is allowed to abut on the cone. The gas duct having a honeycomb structure can effectively utilize the whole volume of the honeycomb structure, is low in pressure loss, and inexpensive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2002
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Yamada, Toshihiko Hijikata, Yukiharu Morita
  • Publication number: 20010036427
    Abstract: A cell structure mounting container comprises a cell structure stored within a metal container. The cell structure is held within the metal container by providing a compressed resilience material having cushioning characteristics between the cell structure and the metal container in a compressed state. The compressed resilience material is a heat-resistant and low-expansion material containing ceramic fibers or ceramic fibers and heat-resistant metal fibers. Accordingly, compression characteristics which do not greatly fluctuate within the usage temperature range are obtained, the compression force acting on the periphery portion of the cell structure does not change greatly, and further, the compression force acts essentially uniformly on the periphery portion of the cell structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2001
    Publication date: November 1, 2001
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshio Yamada, Toshihiko Hijikata, Yukihito Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 6242071
    Abstract: To provide a durable catalytic converter or heat exchanger to be used in an exhaust gas cleaning-up system for an internal combustion engine or the like. A durable catalytic converter, heat exchanger or the like is provided by use of a supporting member provided with a low-friction layer to smoothly assemble a ceramic honeycomb structure in a metallic can.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Yamada, Toshihiko Hijikata, Mikio Tanaka