Patents by Inventor Hideo Mifune

Hideo Mifune 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: 5462044
    Abstract: A portable heater includes a burner 10 disposed on the bottom of a combustion cylinder 2, a container to be heated 6 which is disposed in an upper part of the combustion cylinder for storing contents which are heated when the heater is in use, a fuel tank 12 for storing fuel gas to be supplied to the burner, and an ignition means 8 having an ignition lever 21 which causes the ignition of the burner. For use with such a portable heater, a safety device for preventing the container from being heated while it is sealed, a safety device which prevents the emission of gas when flames are unexpectedly extinguished, and an overturn safety device for automatically extinguishing flames when the heater is overturned are obtained in a simple structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1995
    Assignee: Tokai Corporation
    Inventors: Tomio Nitta, Hideo Mifune, Masato Seki, Yosimitu Kaga, Noriyuki Serizawa
  • Patent number: 5456929
    Abstract: Liquid contents such as water are stored in a heat-resisting can body having an openable section formed on an upper part thereof. Other material is stored within the can body while being separated from the liquid contents and, when the can body is heated above a predetermined temperature with the openable section opened, the separation between the stored material and the liquid is removed and the liquid can come in contact with the stored material. When the openable section is closed while the can body is heated, the stored material is kept separate from the liquid even during a sterilizing process but, when the can body is heated with the openable section opened, the separation between the stored material and the liquid is removed, and consequently the contents are mixed together. This permits the stored material to be preserved from the liquid until the contents of the can body are ready for use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1995
    Assignee: Tokai Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Mifune, Tomio Nitta, Tsutomu Shike
  • Patent number: 5408987
    Abstract: A portable heater is made up of a cylindrical outer case 2 with at least one end thereof opened; a container to be heated 6 fixedly housed in the outer case 2 with a gap between the container and said outer case for the updraft of a combustion gas, the container being made of a cylindrical heat resisting container body 6c having a top 6b provided with an opening tab 6a; a burner 3 which is equipped with an ignition means 8, and is fixedly housed in the outer case 2 at a lower inside thereof so as to heat the container 6; and a fuel tank 4 fixed in a lower inside of the outer case 2 for supplying fuel to the burner 3. The container 6 holds contents to be heated when the heater is in use, and the outer case 2 has vent holes for supplying air from the outside to the burner 3. Thereby, contents of the container can be heated at any desired time and place without drawing the contents of the container by opening the top of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Assignee: Tokai Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Mifune, Tomio Nitta, Masato Seki, Shinichi Okawa, Yosimitu Kaga, Noriyuki Serizawa, Tatsuya Tashiro, Tsutomu Inada
  • Patent number: 5373836
    Abstract: A portable water heater for use in outdoor activities improved in thermal efficiency. The heater has a double-layered structure, i.e., is constituted of an outer housing, an inner heated vessel, and a gas burner at the bottom thereof. A thermal insulation layer is formed between the housing and the heated vessel sufficient to permit therebetween an upward flow of a combustion gas from the burner to an air outlet located at the top of the heater, thereby heating the vessel. Instead of the thermal insulation layer, a thermal insulation plate in a crimped shape may be interposed between the housing and the heated vessel, so that the thermal efficiency in heating the vessel is further enhanced. The internal heated vessel may be integrally fabricated with the outer housing, or may be arranged to be removable from the housing or the internally disposed crimped plate. The crimped insulation plate may also be shaped either triangularly or sinusoidally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1994
    Assignee: Tokai Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Mifune, Serizawa Noriyuki, Shike Tsutomu
  • Patent number: 5298207
    Abstract: A method for producing a filter for use in a fuel flow rate regulating mechanism has a first step of providing a sheet of microcellular polymer material having upper and lower surfaces, each of the surfaces being fused to prevent fuel flow through the surfaces. The sheet of microcellular polymer material also has formations of continuous air bubbles between the upper and lower surfaces. The method for producing a filter has a second step of heat pressing in the direction of thickness to rearrange certain of the air bubbles, redefining same as independent, nonconnected air bubbles. The method for producing a filter has a third step of transversely punching from the sheet a filter element of prescribed configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1994
    Assignee: Tokai Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Mifune, Masato Seki, Tsutomu Shike
  • Patent number: 5186619
    Abstract: A flow regulating mechanism for a gas emitting device featuring a microcellular polymer filter having connected, continuous bubbles through which fuel passes and independent air bubbles which expand with increases in temperature compressing and thereby restricting the flow of fuel through the connected, continuous bubbles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1993
    Assignee: Tokai Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Mifune, Masato Seki, Tsutomu Shike
  • Patent number: 4662353
    Abstract: A gas heater for heating a mat 12 soaked with an insecticide or the like, is heated by a catalyst reaction of a combustion gas, e.g. butane comprises a gas container 1, a gas burner 5 surrounded by a catalyst 6 which are contained in a burner 3 with apertures 3a, through which a pilot flame 81 from a pilot nozzle 8 ignited by a high voltage generator 9 is blown; a main valve 41 for the gas burner 5 and a pilot valve 82 for the pilot nozzle 8 and a high voltage generator 9 are controlled in a interlinked fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1987
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideo Mifune
  • Patent number: 4403166
    Abstract: The invention relates to a piezoelectric relay in which a bimorph is used as a flexible element. First, second and third relay contacts (14), (14') and (14") are disposed coplanar with the third relay contact sandwiched between the first and second relay contacts. First and second flexible members (11) and (11'), each of which is supported as a cantilever, are displaced in directions opposite to each other when an electric field is applied to one. The first flexible member (11) displaces the first and second relay contacts (14) and (14'), and the second flexible member (11') displaces the third relay contact (14"). Thus, the first and third relay contacts (14) and (14") and the second and the third relay contacts (14') and (14") are turned on or off in response to the different polarities of the applied electric field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1982
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1983
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumio Tanaka, Kenroku Tani, Hideo Mifune
  • Patent number: 4112420
    Abstract: A piezoelectric transducer is secured to the surface of a glass sheet to translate mechanical vibrations generated in the glass sheet into an electrical signal when a crack is produced. A detection circuit is connected to the transducer to determine whether the frequency of the signal is above or below a predetermined value. If the frequency is higher than the predetermined value, a warning signal is derived to indicate a crack and therefore probably a burglary. Alternatively, the piezoelectric transducer in the transmit mode is excited electrically by an impulse to introduce an elastic wave into the glass sheet. A gate circuit is connected to the transducer to pass signals resulting from reflection of the elastic wave from discontinuities in the glass sheet which result from a crack. The reflected crack indicating signals are passed through the gate to the transducer when it is in the receive mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1976
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1978
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited
    Inventors: Hideo Mifune, Kenroku Tani, Toyota Noguchi
  • Patent number: 4054936
    Abstract: A small-sized gas ignition device comprising a self-oscillation circuit, a piezo-electric transformer which steps up the output of the self-oscillation circuit, a capacitor which accumulates the output voltage of the piezo-electric transformer, and a discharging gap which is connected in parallel with the capacitor and is adapted to discharge the accumulated voltage for performing gas ignition. With this device gas ignition is obtained with certainty by single operation requiring only a light touch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1976
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1977
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Ansai, Hideo Mifune, Kenroku Tani
  • Patent number: 4019072
    Abstract: A piezoelectric pressure sensor for detecting the amount of oil in an engine oil pan of an automobile, and liquid level or the amount of liquid such as water level in a water bath, makes use of the phenomenon that an impedance of an excited piezoelectric element varies between in a gas and in a liquid. The pressure sensor is insensitive to surrounding temperature, and has high response and is of simple construction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1975
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1977
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Mifune, Kenroku Tani, Tomohiko Niikawa
  • Patent number: 3976854
    Abstract: A constant temperature heater includes a thermistor having a positive temperature coefficient and a varistor stacked upon one another in an electrically insulating casing in such a manner that the thermistor and varistor are electrically connected in series with each other and the thermistor is in heat exchange relationship with a radiator plate on the casing. A spring in the casing presses the varistor and thermistor into firm engagement with each other and biases the thermistor into good heat conductive relation with the radiator plate. The varistor serves to reduce the transient currents in the thermistor and reduces the heat dissipation power of the thermistor, thereby providing a longer service life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1974
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1976
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Ishikawa, Yoshio Irie, Hideo Mifune