Patents by Inventor Mieko Niki

Mieko Niki 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: 6349676
    Abstract: A small animal rearing apparatus (1) has a frame (2) of a rectangular shape, a rearing unit having a plurality of rearing sections (4) formed in vertical arrangement and provided respectively with floor boards (15) sloping down toward the front. Spray nozzles (18) are disposed respectively above the high rear ends of the floor boards (15) to spray washing water from the high rear ends of the floor boards (15) toward the low front ends of the same along the upper surfaces of the same, respectively. The high rear end of the floor board (15) of each rearing division (4) underlying the spray nozzle (18) does not have any raised part. The spray nozzle (18) can be disposed with its axis extended substantially in parallel to the upper surface of the floor board (15). A downward rear rim (15a) is formed by bending downward a rear edge portion of each floor board (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Inventors: Motohiro Niki, Atsushi Kidachi, Mieko Niki, Etuko Niki, Misako Kidachi
  • Patent number: 6092487
    Abstract: An air supply/exhaust device to be joined to a box-shaped rearing cage included in an experimental animal rearing apparatus to supply or exhaust air into or from the rearing cage. The air supply/exhaust device comprises an air supply pipe having a front end section provided with air supply/exhaust holes, and a stop ring mounted on a section of the air supply pipe behind the front end section provided with the air supply/exhaust holes. An elastic plug is mounted on a section of the air supply pipe extending behind the stop ring so as to be in contact with a back surface of the stop ring. The elastic plug has the shape of a truncated cone tapered toward an extremity of the air supply/exhaust pipe, and a spring holder is provided on the air supply pipe, and an elastic pressing member is mounted on a section of the air supply pipe between the elastic plug and the spring holder to press the elastic plug continuously toward the stop ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Inventors: Motohiro Niki, Atsushi Kidachi, Mieko Niki, Etuko Niki, Misako Kidachi
  • Patent number: 5048459
    Abstract: In an apparatus for raising experimental animals, a cage for confining animals is placed in a received position within a cage rack. The cage includes a casing and a lid separate from the casing, for closing an open top of the casing. Slide rails are mounted to the cage rack for sliding the casing of the cage in a guiding direction to the received position within the cage rack. Downwardly concave leaf springs are mounted to the cage rack for resiliently depressing the upper surface of the lid of the cage toward the slide rails for positively holding the lid and the casing against movement when the cage is in the received position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1991
    Inventors: Motohiro Niki, Mieko Niki, Etsuko Niki, Misako Niki, Kap J. Lee
  • Patent number: 5003922
    Abstract: A cage well suited for confining and rearing mice, rats and like relatively small animals in a germ free, hygienic atmosphere for experimentation purposes. Included is a boxlike casing with its open top closed by a horizontal lid. There are provided an air supply conduit for supplying germ free air into the casing, and an exhaust conduit for drawing air from within the casing, both extending into the casing through a side wall of the casing. The air supply conduit extends in parallel relation to the inner or lower surface of the lid and is formed with a series of air supply holes directed upwardly, so that supplied air flows upwardly against the lower surface of the lid and is then turned downwardly, whereby the supplied air does not impinge directly upon the animals, thus providing conditions favorable for the rearing of the animals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 2, 1991
    Inventors: Motohiro Niki, Etsuko Niki, Misako Kidachi, Atsushi Kidachi, Mieko Niki, Kap J. Lee, Yun Lee
  • Patent number: 4940017
    Abstract: A cage well suited for confining and rearing mice, rats and like relatively small animals in a germ free, hygienic atmosphere for experimentation purposes. Included is a boxlike casing with its open top closed by a wirework inner lid and further hermetically closed by a solid outer lid. A water dispenser for feeding the confined animal has a spout extending into the casing through a clearance hole in its wall. For connecting the spout to the casing and for hermetically closing the clearance hole, an elastic connector cup is fitted over the spout and held against the outer surface of the casing wall. An air supply conduit for supplying germ free air into the casing, and an exhaust conduit for drawing air from within the casing, both extending into the casing through additional clearance holes defined therein, also have similar connector cups mounted thereon. All the clearance holes can be hermetically sealed simply as the connector cups are relatively pressed against the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1990
    Inventors: Etsuko Niki, Motohiro Niki, Kap J. Lee, Misako Niki, Mieko Niki