Patents by Inventor Yasuhiko Niimi

Yasuhiko Niimi 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: 11945285
    Abstract: The air discharge device includes a duct defining: a main flow path through which an air flow passes; and a main hole opened in a flat shape to discharge the air flow as a working air flow toward a downstream from the main flow path. A throttle portion is provided in the duct to reduce a flow path height of the main flow path from an upstream of the air flow toward a downstream of the air flow. A plurality of partitions are arranged to divide the main flow path in a major direction into a pair of side flow paths and at least one center flow path. The plurality of partitions are disposed in the duct such that a flow path width of the center flow path is reduced from the upstream of the air flow toward the downstream of the air flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Takeuchi, Etsuro Yoshino, Yuuji Okamura, Jun Yamaoka, Masaharu Sakai, Yusuke Komatsubara, Yasuhiko Niimi, Tatsuya Yoshida, Hidetaka Nomoto
  • Patent number: 11718157
    Abstract: An air discharge device is configured to discharge an air flow. The air discharge device includes a main hole for discharging an air flow as a working air flow, an auxiliary hole provided around the main hole to discharge a support air flow, and a vortex suppression structure configured to suppress development of vortices generated in a velocity boundary layer of the working air flow at a downstream side of an outlet of the main hole. This vortex suppression structure is configured to make a central portion of the thickness of the velocity boundary layer of the working air flow at the downstream side of the outlet of the main hole to be closer to a mainstream of the support air flow, at the downstream side of the outlet of the main hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun Yamaoka, Masaharu Sakai, Yasuhiko Niimi, Takahito Nakamura, Yusuke Komatsubara, Marie Nagahama, Yasuki Omori, Shogo Hayakawa, Satoshi Takotani, Yuuji Okamura, Tatsuya Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11535082
    Abstract: A vehicle air-conditioning control system includes a controller that controls a blow outlet drive device and a plate member drive device based on a sensed result of a seat back state sensing device. When a reclined state of the seat back is sensed, the controller controls the blow outlet drive device and thereby places an air-flow direction change mechanism in a predetermined position to direct conditioning air, which is blown from the blow outlet, such that the conditioning air collides to a plate surface of a plate member. At this time, the controller also controls the plate member drive device to place the plate member in a predetermined position, so that the conditioning air, which collides to the plate surface of the plate member, reaches a specific part of an occupant who is on the seat having the seat back placed in the reclined state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Marie Nagahama, Yasuhiko Niimi
  • Patent number: 11292318
    Abstract: A vehicle air-conditioning apparatus includes: a duct disposed in a seat of a vehicle, air flowing through the duct from an air conditioning unit; a rear seat outlet formed on a back face of a backrest portion of the seat to blow out the air from the duct toward a rear seat of the vehicle; and an air flow deflection member that partitions the rear seat outlet into a first region and a second region to define a first passage through which the air flows from the duct through the first region in a first direction in a vehicle cabin and a second passage through which the air flows from the duct through the second region in a second direction more downward than the first direction in the vehicle cabin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Niimi, Yuuka Tashima
  • Publication number: 20210291630
    Abstract: The air discharge device includes a duct defining: a main flow path through which an air flow passes; and a main hole opened in a flat shape to discharge the air flow as a working air flow toward a downstream from the main flow path. A throttle portion is provided in the duct to reduce a flow path height of the main flow path from an upstream of the air flow toward a downstream of the air flow. A plurality of partitions are arranged to divide the main flow path in a major direction into a pair of side flow paths and at least one center flow path. The plurality of partitions are disposed in the duct such that a flow path width of the center flow path is reduced from the upstream of the air flow toward the downstream of the air flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Yasuhiro TAKEUCHI, Etsuro YOSHINO, Yuuji OKAMURA, Jun YAMAOKA, Masaharu SAKAI, Yusuke KOMATSUBARA, Yasuhiko NIIMI, Tatsuya YOSHIDA, Hidetaka NOMOTO
  • Publication number: 20210276400
    Abstract: A vehicle air-conditioning apparatus includes: a duct disposed in a seat of a vehicle, air flowing through the duct from an air conditioning unit; a rear seat outlet formed on a back face of a backrest portion of the seat to blow out the air from the duct toward a rear seat of the vehicle; and an air flow deflection member that partitions the rear seat outlet into a first region and a second region to define a first passage through which the air flows from the duct through the first region in a first direction in a vehicle cabin and a second passage through which the air flows from the duct through the second region in a second direction more downward than the first direction in the vehicle cabin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhiko NIIMI, Yuuka TASHIMA
  • Publication number: 20210245575
    Abstract: An airflow generating device includes an airflow generating portion, a duct, and a controller. The airflow generating portion is configured to generate an airflow. The duct is configured to guide the airflow to a blowing outlet through which the airflow is blown out toward a passenger in a vehicle cabin. The controller is configured to cause the airflow to be intermittently blown out through the blowing outlet by controlling a frequency of a pulse voltage applied to the air flow generating portion and a duty ratio of a pulse width to a pulse period of the pulse voltage. The controller is configured to control the duty ratio and the frequency of the voltage such that the airflow is blown out through the blowing outlet at a speed between a predetermined lower limit, inclusive, and a maximum lower limit, non-inclusive, which is greater than the lower limit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventors: Etsuro YOSHINO, Yasuhiro TAKEUCHI, Yuuji OKAMURA, Jun YAMAOKA, Masaharu SAKAI, Yusuke KOMATSUBARA, Kazushi SHIKATA, Yasuhiko NIIMI
  • Publication number: 20210129624
    Abstract: A vehicle air-conditioning control system includes a controller that controls a blow outlet drive device and a plate member drive device based on a sensed result of a seat back state sensing device. When a reclined state of the seat back is sensed, the controller controls the blow outlet drive device and thereby places an air-flow direction change mechanism in a predetermined position to direct conditioning air, which is blown from the blow outlet, such that the conditioning air collides to a plate surface of a plate member. At this time, the controller also controls the plate member drive device to place the plate member in a predetermined position, so that the conditioning air, which collides to the plate surface of the plate member, reaches a specific part of an occupant who is on the seat having the seat back placed in the reclined state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Inventors: Marie NAGAHAMA, Yasuhiko NIIMI
  • Patent number: 10913324
    Abstract: A blower has a centrifugal multi-blade fan that has blades around a rotation axis and a casing that houses the centrifugal multi-blade fan. The centrifugal multi-blade fan satisfies a relation of d1/h1?5, in which d1 is a diameter of a part having the blades, and h1 is a height of the blades in an axial direction of the rotation axis. A part of the casing on one side in an axial direction of the centrifugal multi-blade fan has an air suction port. A part of the casing on the radial outer side of the centrifugal multi-blade fan has an air passage through which air blown from the centrifugal multi-blade fan flows. The casing has an enlargement portion that enlarges the air passage on at least one of the one side and an other side in the axial direction as the casing extends toward the radial outer side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuusuke Tanaka, Yasuhiko Niimi, Masafumi Kawashima
  • Publication number: 20210031596
    Abstract: An air discharge device includes an air discharge unit for discharging an air flow. The air discharge unit includes at least one main hole from which an air flow is blown out as a working air flow, and a separation structure configured to separate a central portion of a thickness of a velocity boundary layer of the working air flow from a center line of the main hole at a downstream side of the main hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Jun YAMAOKA, Masaharu SAKAI, Yuuji OKAMURA, Yasuhiko NIIMI, Takahito NAKAMURA, Yusuke KOMATSUBARA, Marie NAGAHAMA, Yasuki OMORI, Shogo HAYAKAWA, Satoshi TAKOTANI
  • Publication number: 20210016635
    Abstract: An air discharge device is configured to discharge an air flow. The air discharge device includes a main hole for discharging an air flow as a working air flow, an auxiliary hole provided around the main hole to discharge a support air flow, and a vortex suppression structure configured to suppress development of vortices generated in a velocity boundary layer of the working air flow at a downstream side of an outlet of the main hole. This vortex suppression structure is configured to make a central portion of the thickness of the velocity boundary layer of the working air flow at the downstream side of the outlet of the main hole to be closer to a mainstream of the support air flow, at the downstream side of the outlet of the main hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Jun YAMAOKA, Masaharu SAKAI, Yasuhiko NIIMI, Takahito NAKAMURA, Yusuke KOMATSUBARA, Marie NAGAHAMA, Yasuki OMORI, Shogo HAYAKAWA, Satoshi TAKOTANI, Yuuji OKAMURA, Tatsuya YOSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20210016634
    Abstract: An air discharge device includes a duct that defines a flow passage through which a working air flow to be discharged passes, and a hole forming member defining an air discharge hole as an outlet of the working air flow. The hole forming member has a vortex generation structure configured to generate an auxiliary vortex having a vortex characteristic including a vortex rotation direction and a vortex axis direction. The vortex characteristic of the auxiliary vortex is different from that of a lateral vortex generated by the working air flow at a downstream side of the air discharge hole. The vortex generation structure is configured in the hole forming member so that the auxiliary vortex collides with the lateral vortex in a state where at least one of the vortex rotation direction and the vortex axial direction of the vortex characteristic is different from that of the lateral vortex.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Jun YAMAOKA, Masaharu SAKAI, Yuuji OKAMURA, Shogo HAYAKAWA, Yasuki OMORI, Satoshi TAKOTANI, Takashi KANEKO, Marie NAGAHAMA, Yasuhiko NIIMI, Yusuke KOMATSUBARA, Takahito NAKAMURA
  • Patent number: 10696125
    Abstract: A vehicle air conditioner includes a casing, a heater core that heats an air flow by heat exchange between the air flow and a heat medium, an electric heater that heats an air flow by an electric power, and a determiner that determines whether a temperature of the heat medium is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature. When the determiner determines that the temperature of the heat medium is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature, an air flow introduced into a casing is heated by the electric heater and flows toward the vehicle interior without passing through the heater core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Koji Ito, Yasuhiko Niimi, Jun Yamaoka, Takashi Saitou
  • Patent number: 10675947
    Abstract: An air blower device includes: a blow-out portion A having an outlet A opening in a meter peripheral region to blow out air from an air sending device to the vehicle rear side through an inner side of a steering wheel provided between the meter panel and the driver's seat in a vehicle front-rear direction, wherein the meter peripheral region includes: a portion, which is other than a meter in a meter panel provided on a vehicle front side of a driver's seat in a compartment; and a meter hood provided to spread in a vehicle width direction above the meter panel and protruding to a vehicle rear side farther than the meter panel; and a blowing direction regulation device provided to the blow-out portion A, having an air guiding surface A along which air blown out from the outlet A flows, and regulating a blowing direction of air blown out from the outlet A by changing an angle of the air guiding surface A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirohisa Motomura, Yasuhiko Niimi, Takeyuki Otsuki
  • Publication number: 20200171912
    Abstract: A head-up display is applied for a moving body that includes a windshield, an air-conditioning unit having a blow-out opening, and a blow-out outlet. The head-up display includes a light source that emits display light and an optical path housing that defines therein an optical path for the display light. The display light reaches the windshield and the information is displayed on the windshield. The head-up display further includes an air-conditioning duct that defines an air flow path. The light source is exposed to the air flow path and radiates heat in the air flow path. The optical path housing and the air-conditioning duct commonly includes a separation wall that separates the air flow path and the optical path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: Hirohisa MOTOMURA, Keisei HARA, Taizo MIYATO, Yasuhiko NIIMI
  • Patent number: 10569616
    Abstract: A seat air-conditioning device is provided with an air blowout portion which is open so as to blow out air toward a seated occupant seated on a vehicle seat, the air being blown from a ventilator. A control device of the seat air-conditioning device causes a blowing direction changing device to change a blowing direction of the air blown our from the air blowout portion based on passenger information including a build and a sitting position of a passenger which is the seated occupant. Accordingly, air can be blown in a direction according to the build or the sitting position of the seated occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuusuke Tanaka, Yasuhiko Niimi, Takahisa Fujii
  • Patent number: 10471801
    Abstract: An air-conditioning device for a vehicle seat has a seat, an air conditioning duct, a floor-side connection part, a seat-side connection part, and a connection duct. A position of the seat is adjusted in a front-rear direction. The air conditioning duct guides air, which is supplied from an interior air-conditioning unit, to a lower side of the seat. The floor-side connection part is provided in a vehicle-compartment floor on the lower side of the seat and connects to a downstream side of the air conditioning duct in an air flow direction. The seat-side connection part is provided in a seat bottom surface. The connection duct has one end portion connecting to the floor-side connection part and an other end portion connecting to the seat-side connection part. The seat-side connection part transfers across the floor-side connection part in the front-rear direction when a position of the seat is adjusted in the front-rear direction. The connection duct is deformable and stretchable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahisa Fujii, Yasuhiko Niimi
  • Patent number: 10414248
    Abstract: A humidification device is used in a vehicle air conditioner having a cooler disposed in an air conditioning case. The air conditioning case has a ventilation path leading air into a vehicle compartment. The humidification device has an adsorber that absorbs and desorbs moisture, a blower, a door that opens or closes an air flow path, and a controller. The controller switches the air flow path by controlling the door to set (i) a dehumidification mode in which air cooled by the cooler is led to the adsorber, and moisture in the air is adsorbed by the adsorber or (ii) a humidification mode in which air is led to the adsorber, the moisture is moved from the adsorber to the air to humidify the air, and the humidified air is blown toward an occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Ito, Yasuhiko Niimi, Jun Yamaoka
  • Patent number: 10293719
    Abstract: An air conditioner for a vehicle seat has: a centrifugal fan; a first case housing the fan and including a fan inlet and a fan outlet; and a second case providing an inlet-side air passage and an outlet-side air passage. The second case has; an inside-air inlet introducing air from a surface of the vehicle seat into the inlet-side air passage; a conditioned-air inlet introducing conditioned air from an air conditioning unit for a passenger compartment into the inlet-side air passage; a conditioned-air outlet through which air in the outlet-side air passage flows to the surface of the vehicle seat; and an exhaust-air outlet through which air in the outlet-side air passage flows out of the second case. The second case includes: an inlet-side switching door that selectively opens or closes the inside-air inlet and the conditioned-air inlet; and an outlet-side switching door that selectively opens or closes the conditioned-air outlet and the exhaust-air outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahisa Fujii, Yasuhiko Niimi
  • Publication number: 20190070936
    Abstract: An air discharge device includes a blowout port, a flow path forming portion that forms therein an air flow path, and an air flow deflecting member. The flow path forming portion includes a first wall, a second wall that faces the first wall, and a third wall and a fourth wall that connect the first wall with the second wall. A part of the first wall on the side of the blowout port forms a guide wall shaped such that a distance between the first wall and the second wall increases along a direction toward an air flow downstream side. At least one of the third wall or the fourth wall includes a separation shape portion configured to cause an air flow on the air flow downstream side of the air flow deflecting member to separate from at least one of the third wall or the fourth wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2016
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Inventors: Takeyuki OTSUKI, Yasuhiko NIIMI