Patents by Inventor Yuichi KAMI

Yuichi KAMI 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: 12644630
    Abstract: A heat pump cycle device includes: a compressor; a branch portion; a heating unit configured to heat a heating object using one refrigerant branched at the branch portion as a heat source; a decompression unit configured to decompress the refrigerant flowing out of the heating unit; a bypass passage through which an another refrigerant branched at the branch portion flows; a regulating unit; and a joining portion. When a length of a suction-side flow path from an outlet port of the joining portion to a suction port of the compressor is defined as a suction-side flow path length L1, the suction-side flow path length L1 is equal to or longer than a relaxation distance Lv. The relaxation distance Lv is a flow length that is necessary for the refrigerant mixed in the joining portion to be made in a homogeneous state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2026
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Haruyuki Nishijima, Yuichi Kami, Hiroshi Mieda
  • Patent number: 12624869
    Abstract: A heat pump cycle device includes a compressor, a branching unit, a heating unit, a heating-unit-side depressurizing unit, a bypass passage, a bypass flow-rate adjusting unit, a mixing unit, and a target pressure difference determining unit. The target pressure difference determining unit determines a target pressure difference as a target value of a pressure difference determined by subtracting a suctioned refrigerant pressure from a discharge refrigerant pressure. An operation of at least one of the compressor, the heating-unit-side depressurizing unit, or the bypass flow-rate adjusting unit is controlled so that the pressure difference comes close to the target pressure difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2026
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kota Takeichi, Atsushi Inaba, Yuichi Kami, Kengo Sugimura, Daiki Kato
  • Publication number: 20260124875
    Abstract: A heat pump cycle device includes a control unit that executes control switching between a first heating mode and a second heating mode. In the first heating mode, all refrigerant discharged from a compressor flows into a heating unit via a branch portion. In the second heating mode, a part of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows into a bypass passage via the branch portion to be merged with the refrigerant flowing from the heating unit. When switching from the first heating mode to the second heating mode, the control unit executes a limiting operation of limiting an amount of released heat in the heating unit in the first heating mode to a low level, and completes the switching to the second heating mode after executing the limiting operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2025
    Publication date: May 7, 2026
    Inventors: Kiyoshiro OTA, Kengo SUGIMURA, Yuichi KAMI
  • Publication number: 20260071765
    Abstract: An air conditioning device includes a circuit switching valve that switches to a circuit in which a refrigerant circulates in an order of a heater, a refrigerant-air heat exchanger, a pressure reducer, a refrigerant-outside air heat exchanger, and a suction port of the compressor in a desorption heating mode in which heating of an air-conditioning target space is performed and moisture is desorbed from an adsorber. The circuit switching valve switches to a circuit in which the refrigerant circulates in an order of the heater, the pressure reducer, the refrigerant-outside air heat exchanger, and the suction port of the compressor, bypassing the refrigerant-air heat exchanger, in an adsorption heating mode in which the heating of the air-conditioning target space is performed and moisture is adsorbed by the adsorber. The air blower blows inside air as the blown air toward the refrigerant-air heat exchanger in the adsorption heating mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2025
    Publication date: March 12, 2026
    Inventors: Haruyuki NISHIJIMA, Yuichi KAMI, Atsushi INABA, Tomohiro HIGASHI, Li ZHANG, Michiyuki SAIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20250262912
    Abstract: The configuration enables to suppress noise of a compressor while ensuring a necessary heating capacity. a compressor configured to draw, compress, and discharge refrigerant; a heating unit configured to heat an object to be heated using, as a heat source, refrigerant discharged from the compressor; a decompression unit configured to decompress refrigerant flowing out of the heating unit; and a heat absorbing unit configured to cause refrigerant, which is decompressed by the decompression unit, to absorb heat generated by a heat generating unit. The heat absorbing unit is configured to increase an amount of absorbed heat according to decrease in the allowable noise level of the compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2025
    Publication date: August 21, 2025
    Inventors: Hiroyuki KOBAYASHI, Atsushi Inaba, Yuichi Kami, Daiki Kato
  • Publication number: 20250251180
    Abstract: A heat pump cycle device includes a compressor, a branching portion, a heating unit, a first decompression valve, a bypass passage, a second decompression valve, a joining portion, a heat generating unit, and a heat exchanger. The heating unit is configured to heat an object to be heated using the refrigerant flowing out of one outflow port of the branching portion as a heat source. An another refrigerant branched at the branching portion flows into the bypass passage. The heat exchanger is configured to cause at least the refrigerant flowing out of the first decompression valve to absorb heat generated by the heat generating unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2025
    Publication date: August 7, 2025
    Inventors: Yuichi KAMI, Atsushi Inaba, Daiki Kato, Hiroyuki Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20250196583
    Abstract: In a series dehumidification heating mode, a refrigerant discharged from a compressor circulates in order of a heating portion, a first depressurization unit, an outdoor heat exchange portion, a second depressurization unit, an indoor evaporation portion, and a suction port of the compressor. In a hot gas dehumidification heating mode, (i) the refrigerant discharged from the compressor circulates in order of a branch portion, the heating portion, the second depressurization unit, the indoor evaporation portion, a merging portion, and the suction port of the compressor; (ii) the refrigerant discharged from the compressor circulates in order of the branch portion, the heating portion, a third depressurization unit, the merging portion, and the suction port of the compressor; and (iii) the refrigerant discharged from the compressor circulates in order of the branch portion, a bypass passage, the merging portion, and the suction port of the compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2025
    Publication date: June 19, 2025
    Inventors: Kengo SUGIMURA, Yuichi KAMI, Kota TAKEICHI
  • Publication number: 20250137699
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle device includes a decompression unit configured to decompress a refrigerant, an evaporator configured to evaporate the refrigerant decompressed by the decompression unit, a pressure detector configured to detect an outlet-side pressure of the refrigerant at a refrigerant outlet side of the evaporator, a temperature detector configured to detect an outlet-side temperature of the refrigerant at the refrigerant outlet side of the evaporator, and a controller configured to control an operation of the decompression unit. The controller is configured to calculate a delayed outlet-side temperature by performing a delay process on the outlet-side temperature, and to control the decompression unit by using the outlet-side pressure and the delayed outlet-side temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2024
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Inventors: Daiki KATO, Norihiko ENOMOTO, Yuichi KAMI, Atsushi YAMADA, Satoshi ITO
  • Publication number: 20250115094
    Abstract: A heat pump cycle apparatus includes a compressor, an upstream branch part, a heating unit, an outside air heat exchanger, an upstream decompression unit, a downstream decompression unit, a bypass passage, and a bypass-side flow rate adjusting unit. In a heating mode of heating a heating target, a refrigerant decompressed in the upstream decompression unit flows into the outside air heat exchanger, and the refrigerant is caused to absorb heat of outside air in the outside air heat exchanger. In a defrosting mode of removing frost on the outside air heat exchanger, one refrigerant branched at the upstream branch part is caused to flow into the outside air heat exchanger to dissipate heat, and the refrigerant decompressed at the downstream decompression unit and the refrigerant flowing out of the bypass-side flow rate adjusting unit are mixed and sucked into the compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2024
    Publication date: April 10, 2025
    Inventors: Tomoyuki NOMURA, Yuichi KAMI
  • Publication number: 20240401848
    Abstract: A heat pump cycle device includes: a compressor; a branch portion; a heating unit configured to heat a heating object using one refrigerant branched at the branch portion as a heat source; a decompression unit configured to decompress the refrigerant flowing out of the heating unit; a bypass passage through which an another refrigerant branched at the branch portion flows; a regulating unit; and a joining portion. When a length of a suction-side flow path from an outlet port of the joining portion to a suction port of the compressor is defined as a suction-side flow path length L1, the suction-side flow path length L1 is equal to or longer than a relaxation distance Lv. The relaxation distance Lv is a flow length that is necessary for the refrigerant mixed in the joining portion to be made in a homogeneous state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2024
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Inventors: Haruyuki NISHIJIMA, Yuichi KAMI, Hiroshi MIEDA
  • Publication number: 20240369265
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle device includes first and second evaporation units connected in parallel to a flow of a refrigerant, and an accumulator. When a path of an energy flow in which heat of a first object to be cooled moves to a suction refrigerant drawn into a compressor is defined as a first path, and when a path of an energy flow in which heat of a second object to be cooled moves to the suction refrigerant is defined as a second path, the accumulator is disposed in at least one of the first path and the second path. Furthermore, the refrigeration cycle device is provided with a first switching unit switched such that heat of the first object to be cooled is moved while bypassing the accumulator, and a second switching unit switched such that heat of the second object to be cooled is moved while bypassing the accumulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2024
    Publication date: November 7, 2024
    Inventors: Daiki KATO, Norihiko ENOMOTO, Yuichi KAMI
  • Publication number: 20240361050
    Abstract: A heat pump cycle device includes a compressor, a branch portion, a heating unit, a heating-unit side decompression unit, a bypass passage, a bypass-side flow-rate regulating unit, a mixing portion, and a target temperature determination unit. When a regulating performance determination unit determines that a flow rate regulating performance of one of the heating-unit side decompression unit or the bypass-side flow-rate regulating unit is equal to or less than the reference regulating performance, a throttle opening of the other of the heating-unit side decompression unit or the bypass-side flow-rate regulating unit is set to be equal to or less than an upper limit opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2024
    Publication date: October 31, 2024
    Inventors: Kengo SUGIMURA, Yuichi KAMI, Kota TAKEICHI
  • Publication number: 20240271844
    Abstract: A heat pump cycle device includes a compressor, a branch part, a heating unit, a heating-unit side decompression unit, a bypass passage, a bypass flow rate adjustment unit, a mixing part, a target temperature determination part configured to determine a target temperature that is a target value of an object temperature of the heating object heated by the heating unit, and a target low-pressure determination part configured to determine a target low pressure that is a target value of a sucked refrigerant pressure of the refrigerant to be sucked into the compressor. When the object temperature is lower than the target temperature during execution of a hot gas mode, a high-pressure rise control is performed to raise a discharged refrigerant pressure of the refrigerant flowing into the heating unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2024
    Publication date: August 15, 2024
    Inventors: Yuichi KAMI, Kota TAKEICHI
  • Patent number: 12038207
    Abstract: The refrigeration cycle device includes a compressor, an outside heat exchanger, a cooling pressure reducing unit, an evaporator, a branch portion, a cool down pressure reducing unit, a temperature adjusting unit, a merging portion, a bypass passage, and a first on-off valve. The temperature adjusting unit includes a temperature adjusting heat exchange unit and adjusts a temperature of a temperature adjustment target object. During a cooling and cool down mode, the outside heat exchanger functions as a radiator, and the evaporator and the temperature adjusting heat exchange unit function as heat absorbers. During a target object warm up mode, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor is guided to the temperature adjusting heat exchange unit via the bypass passage, and the heat of the discharged refrigerant is used as a heat source for heating the temperature adjustment target object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Tada, Kengo Sugimura, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Yuichi Kami, Satoshi Ito
  • Publication number: 20240219086
    Abstract: A heat pump cycle device includes a compressor, a branching unit, a heating unit, a heating-unit-side depressurizing unit, a bypass passage, a bypass flow-rate adjusting unit, a mixing unit, and a target pressure difference determining unit. The target pressure difference determining unit determines a target pressure difference as a target value of a pressure difference determined by subtracting a suctioned refrigerant pressure from a discharge refrigerant pressure. An operation of at least one of the compressor, the heating-unit-side depressurizing unit, or the bypass flow-rate adjusting unit is controlled so that the pressure difference comes close to the target pressure difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2024
    Publication date: July 4, 2024
    Inventors: Kota TAKEICHI, Atsushi INABA, Yuichi KAMI, Kengo SUGIMURA, Daiki KATO
  • Publication number: 20240190216
    Abstract: A compressor module for a heat pump cycle includes a compressor, a channel forming member configured to define therein a plurality of internal refrigerant channels through which refrigerant flows, and a cover member configured to define a housing space of a housing, which houses the compressor, together with the channel forming member. The housing is provided therein with a compressor-side inlet and a compressor-side outlet communicating to the internal refrigerant channels, and is provided with an outside connection port outside of the housing space and communicating to the internal refrigerant channels. The compressor has a refrigerant discharge port coupled to the compressor-side inlet, and a refrigerant suction port coupled to the compressor-side outlet. The outside connection port is connected to inflow and outflow sides of external component devices disposed outside the housing space, in component devices of the heat pump cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2024
    Publication date: June 13, 2024
    Inventors: Hiroshi MIEDA, Atsushi INABA, Yuichi KAMI, Norihiko ENOMOTO, Masahiro ITO
  • Patent number: 11718156
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle device includes a compressor, a radiator, an air-conditioning heat exchanger, a cooling heat exchanger, an air-conditioning decompression unit, a cooler-unit decompression unit, a refrigerant flow rate detector, and a controller. The radiator is configured to radiate heat of refrigerant discharged from the compressor. The air-conditioning heat exchanger absorbs heat from air to evaporate the refrigerant. The cooling heat exchanger is arranged in parallel with the air-conditioning heat exchanger in the flow of refrigerant. The air-conditioning decompression unit adjusts a decompression amount of the refrigerant flowing into the air-conditioning heat exchanger. The cooler-unit decompression unit adjusts a decompression amount of the refrigerant flowing into the cooling heat exchanger. The controller controls the operation of the cooler-unit decompression unit so that the flow rate of the refrigerant detected by the refrigerant flow rate detector exceeds a predetermined reference flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Yuichi Kami, Kengo Sugimura, Satoshi Ito
  • Patent number: 11525611
    Abstract: A refrigerant cycle device includes a compressor, a radiator, a first expansion valve, a second expansion valve, a first evaporator, a second evaporator, and a controller. The controller is configured to switch between a first evaporator priority control and a second evaporator priority control. During the first evaporator priority control, the controller controls a throttle opening of the second expansion valve based on at least one of a temperature of a first evaporator, a temperature of a refrigerant flowing through the first evaporator, and a temperature of an air having exchanged heat in the first evaporator. During the second evaporator priority mode, the controller controls the throttle opening based on a refrigerant state of the second evaporator. When the at least one of the temperatures is equal to or greater than a switching temperature, the second priority mode is switched to the first priority mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kengo Sugimura, Satoshi Ito, Yuichi Kami, Hiroyuki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11506404
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle device includes a heating unit, an air-heating expansion valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an air-cooling expansion valve, an indoor evaporator, and a cooler-unit expansion valve, a cooler unit, and a refrigerant circuit switching unit. In a heating series cooler-unit mode, refrigerant is circulated in order of the heating unit, the air-heating expansion valve, the outdoor heat exchanger, the cooler-unit expansion valve, and the cooler unit. In a heating parallel cooler-unit mode, refrigerant is circulated in order of the heating unit, the air-heating expansion valve, and the outdoor heat exchanger, and refrigerant is circulated in order of the heating unit, the cooler-unit expansion valve, and the cooler unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi Ito, Kengo Sugimura, Yuichi Kami, Hiroyuki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11378295
    Abstract: An air conditioner includes a heat medium circuit, a refrigerant cycle device, a discharge capacity controlling section, a heat generation amount controlling section, a target temperature determining section, and an upper limit determining section. The heat medium circuit includes a heating heat exchanger and an electric heater. The refrigerant cycle device exchanges heat between a heat medium in the heat medium circuit and a refrigerant discharged from an electric compressor. During a heater priority mode, the rotational speed of the compressor is increased to reach an upper limit and a heating amount of the heater is increased as a temperature difference increases. During a compressor priority mode, the heating amount of the heater is decreased and the rotational speed is increased to compensate for a decreasing amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuichi Kami, Kengo Sugimura, Mitsuo Ooura