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).
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Patent number: 5462044Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 28, 1993Date of Patent: October 31, 1995Assignee: Tokai CorporationInventors: Tomio Nitta, Hideo Mifune, Masato Seki, Yosimitu Kaga, Noriyuki Serizawa
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Patent number: 5456929Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 12, 1993Date of Patent: October 10, 1995Assignee: Tokai CorporationInventors: Hideo Mifune, Tomio Nitta, Tsutomu Shike
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Patent number: 5408987Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 7, 1994Date of Patent: April 25, 1995Assignee: Tokai CorporationInventors: Hideo Mifune, Tomio Nitta, Masato Seki, Shinichi Okawa, Yosimitu Kaga, Noriyuki Serizawa, Tatsuya Tashiro, Tsutomu Inada
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Patent number: 5373836Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 29, 1992Date of Patent: December 20, 1994Assignee: Tokai CorporationInventors: Hideo Mifune, Serizawa Noriyuki, Shike Tsutomu
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Patent number: 5298207Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 19, 1992Date of Patent: March 29, 1994Assignee: Tokai CorporationInventors: Hideo Mifune, Masato Seki, Tsutomu Shike
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Patent number: 5186619Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 16, 1991Date of Patent: February 16, 1993Assignee: Tokai CorporationInventors: Hideo Mifune, Masato Seki, Tsutomu Shike
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Patent number: 4662353Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 8, 1985Date of Patent: May 5, 1987Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventor: Hideo Mifune
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Patent number: 4403166Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 19, 1982Date of Patent: September 6, 1983Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Fumio Tanaka, Kenroku Tani, Hideo Mifune
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Patent number: 4112420Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 7, 1976Date of Patent: September 5, 1978Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company LimitedInventors: Hideo Mifune, Kenroku Tani, Toyota Noguchi
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Patent number: 4054936Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 16, 1976Date of Patent: October 18, 1977Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yasuhiro Ansai, Hideo Mifune, Kenroku Tani
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Patent number: 4019072Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 17, 1975Date of Patent: April 19, 1977Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hideo Mifune, Kenroku Tani, Tomohiko Niikawa
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Patent number: 3976854Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 31, 1974Date of Patent: August 24, 1976Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kazuo Ishikawa, Yoshio Irie, Hideo Mifune