Patents by Inventor Yoshihiro Nakano

Yoshihiro Nakano 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: 10604899
    Abstract: A rail inspection device comprises a carriage having wheels, a first roller in contact with a side surface of a first rail, a second roller in contact with a side surface of a second rail, a first position sensor configured to detect a position of a side surface of the first rail or an outer surface of the first roller, a second position sensor configured to detect a position of a side surface of the second rail or an outer surface of the second roller, and at least one rotation sensor each configured to detect a rotation angle of a wheel, the first roller, or the second roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Horii, Yoshihiro Nakano
  • Patent number: 10562107
    Abstract: A power tool includes: a motor; a fan driven by the motor and defining an axis and a radial direction; and a housing for accommodating the motor and the fan therein, the housing including: a peripheral wall formed with a ventilation hole; and a grid partly covering the ventilation hole, the ventilation hole being positioned adjacent to the fan and having a shape defined by a circumferential surface, the grid including at least one elongated portion extending in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the radial direction, and a distance from the axis of the fan to the circumferential surface is different from a distance from the axis of the fan to one elongated portion in the radial direction of the fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Koki Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuhiro Harada, Tomomasa Nishikawa, Yoshihiro Nakano, Hiroki Uchida
  • Patent number: 10539225
    Abstract: A power system includes: a rotating body; a housing accommodating the rotating body; and a storage portion provided at a bottom of the housing. A part of the rotating body is located in the storage portion. The housing includes: a supply target portion; and a direction changing portion. The direction changing portion includes: a collecting portion that is gradually inclined toward a downstream side in a rotation direction of the rotating body so as to be separated from an outer periphery of the rotating body and that receives the liquid medium scattered by the rotating body; and a guiding portion that is provided so as to cross a lower end of the collecting portion and that is gradually inclined downward toward the supply target portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Nakano, Koji Ono, Noriyasu Hakuta
  • Patent number: 10532316
    Abstract: A microcomputer acquires first and second NH3 electromotive forces from a first NH3 detection section and a second NH3 detection section, and computes a NH3 concentration, which is the concentration of NH3 contained in exhaust gas. The first and second NH3 detection sections output the first and second NH3 electromotive forces which vary with both the concentrations of NH3 and a flammable gas contained in the exhaust gas. The microcomputer acquires a second pumping current from an NOx detection section and computes an NOx concentration, which is the concentration of NOx contained in the exhaust gas. The NOx detection section outputs the second pumping current which varies with the concentration of NOx and the concentration of NH3. The microcomputer determines whether or not the exhaust gas contains the flammable gas based on at least the first and second NH3 electromotive forces and the second pumping current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Nakano
  • Patent number: 10502114
    Abstract: A concentration calculation apparatus, system and method which can compute a correction value for correcting an ammonia sensor output at a timing other than the time of fuel cut. A multi-gas sensor control apparatus (9) of a urea SCR system (1) begins recording (storing) a downstream NOx output value Sn and downstream ammonia output value Sa detected by a multi-gas sensor (8) (S120) when the control apparatus determines that a DPF regeneration process is currently being performed (an affirmative determination in S110). The apparatus (9) computes a downstream ammonia converted value Ca using a peak value of the downstream NOx output value Sn (S170), and calculates a Gain correction coefficient based on a comparison of the downstream converted value Ca and the output value Sa (S180). As a result, the Gain correction coefficient can be computed in accordance with the state of the ammonia detection section (202).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Nakano, Yoshinori Hibino
  • Publication number: 20190359046
    Abstract: A vehicle body structure includes a battery pack provided below a floor panel, a floor tunnel provided on the floor panel and protruding upward, and a reinforcement member fixed to a lower surface of the floor panel below an apex section of the floor tunnel and extending in a vehicle width direction, wherein a routing member is provided between the reinforcement member and the floor tunnel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Inventors: Takumi Tsuyuzaki, Takashi Nitta, Yoshihiro Nakano, Toshinobu Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 10473617
    Abstract: A multi-gas detection apparatus is configured such that electric power supplied from a power supply to a heater is controlled by pulse width modulation so as to control the temperature of a first solid electrolyte body. The multi-gas detection apparatus detects the concentration of ammonia by using a first ammonia detection section in which an electromotive force is generated between a first reference electrode and a first detection electrode in accordance with the concentration of ammonia in the exhaust gas. The multi-gas detection apparatus calculates the amount of a change (i.e., offset voltage) in the ammonia electromotive force caused by change in the output voltage of the power supply. The multi-gas detection apparatus corrects the ammonia electromotive force generated in the first ammonia detection section through use of the calculated change amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Nakano
  • Publication number: 20190302077
    Abstract: Disclosed is an ammonia sensor element for detecting ammonia in a gas under measurement, including two mixed-potential-type ammonia detection cells that respectively include first and second ammonia detection electrodes. The first ammonia detection electrode has a metal composition containing Au as a predominant component. The second ammonia detection electrode has a metal composition containing Au as a predominant component. The metal compositions of the first and second ammonia detection electrodes are different from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro NAKANO, Tetsuo YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20190302050
    Abstract: Disclosed is a gas sensor element having an electrode containing a first metal as a predominant component and a lead containing a second metal as a predominant component. The electrode and the lead are connected directly at a connection boundary thereof, or connected indirectly via a connection joint. The connection boundary or joint includes a component region where either one of the first and second metals lower in specific gravity than the other of the first and second metals is contained in an amount ranging between those in the electrode and the lead.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hitoshi FURUTA, Tetsuo YAMADA, Yoshihiro NAKANO
  • Patent number: 10378641
    Abstract: A power system includes: an electric motor that drives wheels of a vehicle; a transmission that is disposed on power transmission paths between the electric motor and the wheels; and a differential gear system that distributes output power shifted by the transmission to the wheels. The transmission includes: a first gear mechanically connected to the electric motor; a second gear that has a rotation axis in common with the first gear and is mechanically connected to a differential gear casing of the differential gear system; a pinion gear that meshes with the first gear and the second gear; and a pinion holder that rotatably supports the pillion gear. The pinion holder has a pinion gear supporting portion which is disposed on a side of the differential gear casing to support the pinion gear, relative to a meshing portion between the second gear and the pinion gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Nakano, Megumi Maruyama, Jun Ohmura
  • Publication number: 20190187114
    Abstract: A control apparatus mounted on a diesel vehicle including an oxidation catalyst, a selective reduction catalyst, and a gas sensor includes an activation determination section, a concentration computation section, and a deterioration determination section. The concentration computation section computes the concentration of flammable gas from a sensor output in a period during which the activation determination section determines that the oxidation catalyst is not in the activated state and computes the concentration of ammonia gas from the sensor output in a period during which the activation determination section determines that the oxidation catalyst is in the activated state. The deterioration determination section determines whether or not the oxidation catalyst has deteriorated, on the basis of the concentration of the flammable gas computed by the concentration computation section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Applicant: NGK Spark Plug Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshihiro NAKANO
  • Patent number: 10288579
    Abstract: An ammonia detection section is disposed on an electrically insulating layer and includes a reference electrode, a solid electrolyte body for ammonia, and a detection electrode that are stacked in this order on the electrically insulating layer. In the ammonia detection section, a three-phase boundary is formed at the interface between the reference electrode and the solid electrolyte body for ammonia, and another three-phase boundary is formed at the interface between the detection electrode and the solid electrolyte body for ammonia. The concentration of ammonia in exhaust gas is thereby detected. The ammonia detection section includes a porous layer formed of an electrically insulating porous material and disposed between the insulating layer and the reference electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Nakano, Tetsuo Yamada
  • Publication number: 20190107071
    Abstract: A sensor control apparatus supplies a constant current to an oxygen concentration detection cell when it judges that oxygen concentration is greater than 15% (the concentration of oxygen contained in a measurement chamber is high). The sensor control apparatus detects a first difference voltage generated in the oxygen concentration detection cell as a result of the flow of the constant current to the oxygen concentration detection cell after a predetermined first detection time following the supply of the constant current. The sensor control apparatus detects a second difference voltage generated in the oxygen concentration detection cell as a result of the flow of the constant current to the oxygen concentration detection cell after a second detection time, which is previously set to be longer than the first detection time, following the supply of the constant current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Applicant: NGK Spark Plug Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshihiro NAKANO
  • Publication number: 20190011395
    Abstract: A microcomputer calculates the concentration of ammonia contained in exhaust gas. The microcomputer repeatedly obtains from a first ammonia detection section a first ammonia electromotive force EMF1 whose value changes with both the concentrations of ammonia and a flammable gas contained in the exhaust gas. The microcomputer outputs, as ammonia concentration information at the present point in time, ammonia concentration information representing the ammonia concentration at the point 0.5 sec prior to the present point in time. The microcomputer sets a rich spike flag Fs when a first ammonia electromotive force change amount ?EMF1 is smaller than a value obtained by multiplying a start determination value by ?1. When the rich spike flag Fs is set, the microcomputer sets the ammonia concentration information at the present point in time to the value of the ammonia concentration information at the point immediately before the rich spike flag Fs is set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Applicant: NGK Spark Plug Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinya Miyamoto, Yoshihiro Nakano
  • Publication number: 20180328480
    Abstract: A power system includes: a rotating body; a housing accommodating the rotating body; and a storage portion provided at a bottom of the housing. A part of the rotating body is located in the storage portion. The housing includes: a supply target portion; and a direction changing portion. The direction changing portion includes: a collecting portion that is gradually inclined toward a downstream side in a rotation direction of the rotating body so as to be separated from an outer periphery of the rotating body and that receives the liquid medium scattered by the rotating body; and a guiding portion that is provided so as to cross a lower end of the collecting portion and that is gradually inclined downward toward the supply target portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro NAKANO, Koji ONO, Noriyasu HAKUTA
  • Patent number: 10094262
    Abstract: A multi-gas sensor controller 9 is provided in an urea SCR system 1 with an SCR catalyst 4, an aqueous urea injector 5 and a multi-gas sensor 8 (ammonia sensor unit and NOx sensor unit). The multi-gas sensor controller 9 determines the concentration of ammonia in exhaust gas flowing out of the SCR catalyst 4, as a downstream ammonia concentration value, based on a detection result of the ammonia detection unit. The multi-gas sensor controller 9 controls the aqueous urea injector 5 to supply urea to the SCR catalyst 4 in a fuel-cut state. Further, the multi-gas sensor controller 9 correct the determined downstream ammonia concentration value based on a detection result of the NOx detection unit and an oxygen concentration of the exhaust gas after the supply of urea to the SCR catalyst with the control of the aqueous urea injector 5 by the controller 9.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Nakano, Shiro Kakimoto
  • Patent number: 10046276
    Abstract: In a multi-gas sensor control apparatus 1, the concentrations of ammonia, NO2, and NO contained in a gas under measurement are computed as a result of execution of gas concentration computation processing by a CPU 61 of a microcomputer 60. In the gas concentration computation processing, depending on whether or not a correction permission condition is satisfied (S200), the CPU 61 switches its operation between an operation of storing the latest corrected ammonia concentration as a value of “NH3 concentration (this time)” (S170) and an operation of storing a value of “NH3 concentration (reference)” as a value of “NH3 concentration (this time)” (S210). The multi-gas sensor control apparatus 1 can suppress a decrease in the accuracy of detection of the ammonia concentration performed through use of a multi-gas sensor 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Nakano, Shiro Kakimoto
  • Publication number: 20180217027
    Abstract: A multi-gas detection apparatus includes a multi-gas sensor and a control section. A microcomputer of the control section calculates the concentration of NOx by using a correction expression; i.e., by multiplying an NOx concentration output (?C) by a correction coefficient a and adding a correction addition value b. As shown in an expression, the value of the correction coefficient a is changed in accordance with the concentration of ammonia. As shown in an expression, the value of the correction addition value b is changed in accordance with the concentration of ammonia and the concentration of nitrogen dioxide. Even when a second pumping current Ip2 (in other words, the NOx concentration output) changes due to the influence of ammonia contained in the exhaust gas, the control section can compute the concentration of nitrogen oxide while mitigating the influence of ammonia.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2018
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Applicant: NGK Spark Plug Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshihiro NAKANO
  • Publication number: 20180172138
    Abstract: A power system includes: an electric motor that drives wheels of a vehicle; a transmission that is disposed on power transmission paths between the electric motor and the wheels; and a differential gear system that distributes output power shifted by the transmission to the wheels. The transmission includes: a first gear mechanically connected to the electric motor; a second gear that has a rotation axis in common with the first gear and is mechanically connected to a differential gear casing of the differential gear system; a pinion gear that meshes with the first gear and the second gear; and a pinion holder that rotatably supports the pillion gear. The pinion holder has a pinion gear supporting portion which is disposed on a side of the differential gear casing to support the pinion gear, relative to a meshing portion between the second gear and the pinion gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro NAKANO, Megumi MARUYAMA, Jun OHMURA
  • Publication number: 20180128775
    Abstract: A sensor controller includes a signal reception determination section and a use suspension section. The signal reception determination section determines whether or not the sensor controller has received a specific state signal that indicates a specific state in which exhaust gas may contain a specific gas that differs from ammonia and reacts with an ammonia sensor. When the signal reception determination section determines that the sensor controller has received the specific state signal, the use suspension section suspends at least temporarily use of a detection result detected by the ammonia sensor after the determination. Specifically, upon reception of the specific state signal, the sensor controller suspends at least temporarily the use of the detection result detected by the ammonia sensor after the reception of the specific state signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2017
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Applicant: NGK Spark Plug Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshihiro NAKANO