Patents by Inventor Yoji ONAKA

Yoji ONAKA 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: 10976085
    Abstract: In an air-conditioning apparatus in which air sucked into a casing of an outdoor unit by a fan is discharged from an upper portion of the casing, each of liquid header portions is configured to be connected with each of heat transfer tubes of a plurality of divided regions formed by dividing the outdoor heat exchangers in an up and down direction. Further, a shunt is configured to supply two-phase refrigerant, in which quality is adjusted by a gas-liquid separator, to each of the liquid header portions. To each of the liquid header portions, the shunt supplies the two-phase refrigerant of the amount corresponding to the air quantity of the divided region connected to each of the liquid header portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoji Onaka, Takashi Matsumoto, Hiroyuki Okano, Eito Saito, Hirofumi Koge, Osamu Morimoto, Hiroki Murakami, Hiroaki Nakamune
  • Publication number: 20200309407
    Abstract: A heat exchange unit includes a housing having an inflow air passage communicating with an air inlet, and an outflow air passage communicating with an air outlet, a first partition plate that partitions an inside of the housing into the inflow air passage and the outflow air passage, a bellmouth disposed around an opening formed in the first partition plate, a centrifugal fan disposed on the first partition plate via the bellmouth, and a heat exchanger disposed on a downstream side of the centrifugal fan in the housing. The air inlet is open at any surface of the housing having the inflow air passage. The air outlet is open at any side surface of the housing having the outflow air passage. The inflow air passage is formed between a fan inlet and a main plate closest to the fan inlet to reach a rear surface. The fan inlet is an air inlet of the centrifugal fan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yoji ONAKA, Makoto TANISHIMA, Takashi MATSUMOTO, Takamasa UEMURA, Hiroki FUKUOKA, Rihito ADACHI
  • Publication number: 20200309151
    Abstract: An air-sending device includes a housing including an inlet air passage communicating with an air inlet and an outlet air passage communicating with an air outlet, a first partition plate partitioning an interior of the housing into the inlet air passage and the outlet air passage, a bell mouth disposed around an opening defined in the first partition plate, and an impeller disposed over the first partition plate across the bell mouth and having a rotation axis that extends in a direction that intersects the first partition plate. The impeller suctions air into the inlet air passage from the air inlet, and blows out air from the air outlet through the outlet air passage. The inlet air passage guides air from the air inlet to the opening along the first partition plate, and has an air-passage wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto TANISHIMA, Takashi MATSUMOTO, Yoji ONAKA, Takamasa UEMURA, Hiroki FUKUOKA, Rihito ADACHI
  • Publication number: 20200300515
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat transfer tubes arranged at predetermined intervals in a vertical direction, a tubular header that has a plurality of connection portions where the heat transfer tubes are connected to a side portion of the header and that communicates with each of the heat transfer tubes, a refrigerant pipe that communicates with the header at a middle portion of the header in the vertical direction, and a first bypass pipe having ends one of which communicates with a lower portion of the header and the other of which communicates with a middle portion of the refrigerant pipe. A distance between a communication position at which the first bypass pipe and the refrigerant pipe communicate with each other and an inner wall of the header is not more than double an inside diameter of the refrigerant pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Faming SUN, Yoji ONAKA, Shigeyoshi MATSUI, Takamasa UEMURA
  • Publication number: 20200284468
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes: a housing having an intake air passage communicating with an air inlet and a blowout air passage communicating with an air outlet that allows air to be blown out in a single direction; a fan; a front heat exchanger facing the air outlet of the housing and including first and second heat exchangers; and at least one of rear and side heat exchangers that face rear and side surfaces of the housing, respectively. When the front heat exchanger operates as a condenser, the first heat exchanger operates as a condenser, and condensed and liquified refrigerant flows in the second heat exchanger. The second heat exchanger is located downstream of the first heat exchanger and the at least one of the rear and side heat exchangers in the flow direction of refrigerant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Rihito ADACHI, Yoji ONAKA, Makoto TANISHIMA, Hiroki FUKUOKA
  • Patent number: 10760832
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes a main circuit in which a compressor, a refrigerant flow switching device, a load side heat exchanger, a load side expansion device, and a plurality of heat source side heat exchangers are sequentially connected. When the plurality of heat source side heat exchangers are used as condensers, the first heat source side heat exchanger and the second heat source side heat exchanger are connected in series. When the plurality of heat source side heat exchangers are used as evaporators, the first heat source side heat exchanger and the second heat source side heat exchanger are connected in parallel. A distribution adjustment header on an inlet side of at least either the first heat source side heat exchanger or the second heat source side heat exchanger when the plurality of heat source side heat exchangers are used as evaporators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Hatomura, Keisuke Hokazono, Yutaka Aoyama, Shuhei Mizutani, Takuya Matsuda, Ryota Akaiwa, Yoji Onaka
  • Publication number: 20200271333
    Abstract: A refrigerant distributor branches refrigerant flowing in a refrigerant circuit into three, and includes a first bifurcate flow divider including a first pipe portion forming one inflow port, a second pipe portion and a third pipe portion forming two outflow ports communicating with the inflow port of the first pipe portion, and a second bifurcate flow divider including a fourth pipe portion forming one inflow port, and a fifth pipe portion and a sixth pipe portion forming two outflow ports communicating with the inflow port of the fourth pipe portion. The outflow port of the third pipe portion and the inflow port of the fourth pipe portion communicate with each other, and an angle ? formed by a first plane passing through the first bifurcate flow divider and a second plane passing through the second bifurcate flow divider is between 60 and 120 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kosuke MIYAWAKI, Yoji ONAKA, Osamu MORIMOTO, Hiroyuki OKANO, Takanori KOIKE, Hiroki MARUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20200271357
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a main circuit through which refrigerant circulates and in which a compressor, a condenser, a first expansion device, a centrifugal gas-liquid separator that separates refrigerant into gas refrigerant and liquid refrigerant by using centrifugal force, and an evaporator are connected by refrigerant pipes; and a bypass that returns the gas refrigerant obtained through the separation by the gas-liquid separator to a suction side of the compressor. The gas-liquid separator includes a cylindrical container, an inflow pipe, a gas outflow pipe, and a liquid outflow pipe. The main circuit includes a second expansion device provided between the liquid outflow pipe of the gas-liquid separator and the evaporator. The gas refrigerant discharged from the gas outflow pipe of the gas-liquid separator flows into the bypass, and the bypass is provided with a third expansion device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kosuke MIYAWAKI, Yoji ONAKA, Osamu MORIMOTO, Hiroyuki OKANO, Takanori KOIKE, Hiroki MARUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20200200449
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes multiple heat exchanger cores and a distributor that distributes refrigerant. The heat exchanger core includes multiple fins and multiple heat transfer tubes arranged vertically. The multiple heat transfer tubes are connected to the distributor. The inside of the distributor is divided into multiple refrigerant flow paths. The distributor allows the refrigerant flowing into one of the multiple refrigerant flow paths to flow from the one of the refrigerant flow paths to another one of the refrigerant flow paths. The multiple heat transfer tubes of one of the multiple heat exchanger cores disposed on a windward side of a flow of the air fed to the heat exchanger are connected to at least one of the refrigerant flow paths disposed in the distributor on an upstream side of a flow of the refrigerant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichiro MINAMI, Yoji ONAKA
  • Publication number: 20200182564
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat transfer tubes, a first header, a second header, and a plurality of fins. The heat exchanger constitutes a portion of a refrigeration cycle circuit in which refrigerant circulates. The second header includes a header pipe. The header pipe has an entrance portion. A bypass pipe is disposed between the entrance portion and the first header and configured to bypass refrigerant. The bypass pipe protrudes into the header pipe to be connected to the header pipe. The bypass pipe is provided with a flow control mechanism configured to control a flow rate of refrigerant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yoji ONAKA, Takashi MATSUMOTO, Kosuke MIYAWAKI, Hiroyuki OKANO, Takanori KOIKE, Takeshi HATOMURA, Osamu MORIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20200041178
    Abstract: The air-conditioning apparatus includes a heat exchanger including a plurality of heat transfer tubes and a header manifold an axial fan and a refrigerant circuit. When the distance from the center of the flow space in the horizontal plane is represented on a scale of 0 to 100%, where 0% represents the center of the flow space and 100% is the position of the wall surface of the header manifold, among the plurality of branch tubes located within a height range that allows the blade to rotate, the majority of the branch tubes located at or below the height of the boss are connected to the header manifold such that their distal ends are positioned at 0 to 50% of the distance from the center, and the majority of the branch tubes located above the height of the boss are connected to the header manifold such that their distal ends are positioned at more than 50% of the distance from the center.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yoji ONAKA, Takashi MATSUMOTO, Kosuke MIYAWAKI, Hiroyuki OKANO, Takanori KOIKE, Osamu MORIMOTO
  • Patent number: 10480869
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a first heat exchanging portion including first and second flat tubes stacked in parallel with each other and spaced from each other to allow fluid to pass between the first and second flat tubes, and a second heat exchanging portion including third and fourth flat tubes stacked in parallel with each other, spaced from each other to allow fluid to pass between the third and fourth flat tubes, and oriented crosswise to a direction in which the first and second flat tubes are oriented. The second heat exchanging portion is arranged downstream of the first heat exchanging portion with respect to flow of the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Ishibashi, Yuki Ugajin, Daisuke Ito, Shin Nakamura, Satoshi Ueyama, Aya Kawashima, Susumu Yoshimura, Takashi Matsumoto, Ryota Akaiwa, Yoji Onaka
  • Patent number: 10429109
    Abstract: A refrigerant circuit includes: plural gas/liquid separators adapted to separate a two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant into refrigerant vapor and refrigerant liquid; a channel switching valve connected upstream of the gas/liquid separators and adapted to switch channels for the two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant by opening and closing; an evaporating heat exchanger adapted to accept inflow of the refrigerant liquid or the two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant, the refrigerant liquid produced by separation by the gas/liquid separators; a header installed upstream of the evaporating heat exchanger perpendicularly or at angles to the evaporating heat exchanger; a compressor installed downstream of the evaporating heat exchanger; and plural bypass routes connected to the respective gas/liquid separators and adapted to allow passage of the refrigerant vapor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoji Onaka, Takashi Matsumoto, Mizuo Sakai, Hiroaki Nakamune, Hiroki Murakami
  • Publication number: 20190234626
    Abstract: A header includes a plurality of branch tubes and a header manifold. If refrigerant flowing into the header manifold forms a pattern of annular flow or churn flow, tips of the branch tubes inserted into the header manifold pass through a liquid-phase portion having a thickness ? [m] and reach a gas-phase portion. The thickness ? [m] of the liquid-phase portion is defined as ?=G×(1?x)×D/(4?L×ULS), where G is a flow speed [kg/(m2s)] of the refrigerant, x is a quality of the refrigerant, D is an inside diameter [m] of the header manifold, ?L is a liquid density [kg/m3] of the refrigerant, ULS is a reference apparent liquid speed [m/s] that is a maximum value within a range of variation in an apparent gas speed of the refrigerant flowing into a flow space of the header manifold. The reference apparent liquid speed ULS [m/s] is defined as G(1?x)/?L.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yoji ONAKA, Takashi MATSUMOTO, Kosuke MIYAWAKI, Hiroyuki OKANO, Takanori KOIKE, Takeshi HATOMURA, Osamu MORIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20190162454
    Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes a main circuit in which a compressor, a refrigerant flow switching device, a load side heat exchanger, a load side expansion device, and a plurality of heat source side heat exchangers are sequentially connected. When the plurality of heat source side heat exchangers are used as condensers, the first heat source side heat exchanger and the second heat source side heat exchanger are connected in series. When the plurality of heat source side heat exchangers are used as evaporators, the first heat source side heat exchanger and the second heat source side heat exchanger are connected in parallel. A distribution adjustment header on an inlet side of at least either the first heat source side heat exchanger or the second heat source side heat exchanger when the plurality of heat source side heat exchangers are used as evaporators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi HATOMURA, Keisuke HOKAZONO, Yutaka AOYAMA, Shuhei MIZUTANI, Takuya MATSUDA, Ryota AKAIWA, Yoji ONAKA
  • Patent number: 10240837
    Abstract: An outdoor unit includes at least a compressor, a gas-liquid separator, and an outdoor heat exchanger of a refrigerant circuit, the refrigerant circuit being formed by connecting, by pipes, the compressor, a condenser, a pressure reducing device, the gas-liquid separator, and the outdoor heat exchanger that acts as an evaporator including at least a plurality of heat transfer tubes and an inlet header that distributes incoming refrigerant to the heat transfer tubes. The outdoor unit further includes a gas-liquid-separator bypass pipe, a gas-liquid-separator-side flow control valve, a header bypass pipe, a header-side flow control valve, and a determination device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yoji Onaka, Takashi Matsumoto, Mizuo Sakai, Hiroki Murakami, Hiroaki Nakamune
  • Publication number: 20180292096
    Abstract: An outdoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus including a casing forming an outer shell, a fan inside the casing, configured to suck outside air from an air inlet and exhaust outside air from an air outlet, and a heat exchanger inside the casing. The heat exchanger includes a first heat exchanger main body including plural fins arranged in parallel at an interval and plural flat pipes passing through the plural fins in a direction of parallel arrangement of the plural fins, refrigerant flowing inside the plural flat pipes, and a second heat exchanger main body including plural fins arranged in parallel at an interval and plural circular pipes passing through the plural fins in a direction of parallel arrangement of the plural fins, refrigerant flowing inside the plural circular pipes, the first heat exchanger main body arranged closer to the fan than the second heat exchanger main body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yoji ONAKA, Takashi MATSUMOTO, Naofumi TAKENAKA, Shigeyoshi MATSUI, Hiroyuki OKANO
  • Publication number: 20180238637
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a first heat exchanging portion including first and second flat tubes stacked in parallel with each other and spaced from each other to allow fluid to pass between the first and second flat tubes, and a second heat exchanging portion including third and fourth flat tubes stacked in parallel with each other, spaced from each other to allow fluid to pass between the third and fourth flat tubes, and oriented crosswise to a direction in which the first and second flat tubes are oriented. The second heat exchanging portion is arranged downstream of the first heat exchanging portion with respect to flow of the fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: Akira ISHIBASHI, Yuki UGAJIN, Daisuke ITO, Shin NAKAMURA, Satoshi UEYAMA, Aya KAWASHIMA, Susumu YOSHIMURA, Takashi MATSUMOTO, Ryota AKAIWA, Yoji ONAKA
  • Publication number: 20180164005
    Abstract: A heat exchanger and an air-conditioning apparatus that exhibit high performance, and also provide reliability in strength and corrosion resistance. The heat exchanger includes a plurality of fins each including a fin collar formed in a short cylindrical shape by perforating a flat base plate, the plurality of fins being stacked by serially connecting fin collars of the respective fins, the serially connected fin collars being bonded to form a conduit line and a fin core, the conduit line including a resin layer formed on an inner surface thereof. The heat exchanger also includes a reinforcing member having a length corresponding to a length of the conduit line from one end to the other end thereof, to improve rigidity of the conduit line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kosuke MIYAWAKI, Takahiro HORI, Norihiro YONEDA, Susumu YOSHIMURA, Yoji ONAKA, Takashi MATSUMOTO, Ryota AKAIWA, Yasuhiro YOSHIDA, Kazuhiro MIYA
  • Publication number: 20180156498
    Abstract: In a refrigerant circuit of an air conditioning device 10, an upper heat source side heat exchanger 2a having a large heat load and a lower heat source side heat exchanger 2b having a small heat load are connected in parallel between an expansion device 15 and a suction side of a compressor 4. Additionally, the refrigerant circuit of the air conditioning device 10 is provided with a branch circuit 9 configured to distribute refrigerant to each of the upper heat source side heat exchanger 2a and the lower heat source side heat exchanger 2b, and the branch circuit 9 is configured to supply the upper heat source side heat exchanger 2a with refrigerant of lower quality than that of the refrigerant supplied to the lower heat source side heat exchanger 2b.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Applicant: Mitsibishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi MATSUMOTO, Yoji ONAKA, Hiroyuki OKANO