Patents by Inventor Yoshinobu Uchimura

Yoshinobu Uchimura 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: 8166997
    Abstract: A toilet flush water supply device for supplying flush water to a flush water tank of a flush toilet is disclosed. The toilet flush water supply device comprises a water supply pipe connected to an external water supply source, a water supply valve for switching between spouting and stopping of flush water supplied from the water supply pipe into the flush water tank, a float for switching between the spouting and stopping of the above water supply valve by a vertical movement thereof linked to fluctuations in the flush water level within the flush water tank, and a float guide disposed on the outer surface of the water supply pipe for guiding the vertical motion of the float.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Toto, Ltd
    Inventors: Eiji Fukuzawa, Yoshinobu Uchimura, Qing Zhang, Shan Lin, Fu Shan Chen
  • Publication number: 20090083902
    Abstract: A toilet flush water supply device for supplying flush water to a flush water tank of a flush toilet is disclosed. The toilet flush water supply device comprises a water supply pipe connected to an external water supply source, a water supply valve for switching between spouting and stopping of flush water supplied from the water supply pipe into the flush water tank, a float for switching between the spouting and stopping of the above water supply valve by a vertical movement thereof linked to fluctuations in the flush water level within the flush water tank, and a float guide disposed on the outer surface of the water supply pipe for guiding the vertical motion of the float.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicants: TOTO LTD., VORETO (XIAMEN) PLUMBING TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eiji Fukuzawa, Yoshinobu Uchimura, Qing Zhang, Shan Lin, Fu Shan Chen
  • Patent number: 5853562
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for electrolyzing water in which electrolysis of water can be carried out while effectively removing scales such as calcium carbonate and by which the service life of electrode can be extended on the order of several years. Repeated in sequence are a step wherein water is subjected to electrolysis while using an electrolytic cell of the membraneless type and a step wherein feed of water through the cell is stopped and an electric potential of reverse polarity is applied between electrodes while water stays stagnant in the cell whereby precipitate deposited on the electrodes during the electrolyzing step is removed by dissolving into stagnant water. Since application of the reverse potential is effected while water stays stagnant in the cell, the surface of the electrodes is free from the influence of turbulence and there is no risk that a layer of strongly acidic water generated at the surface of the electrodes is washed away by water flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1998
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Eki, Akemi Kuroda, Toshiharu Otsuka, Yoshinobu Uchimura
  • Patent number: 5400961
    Abstract: An electromechanically controlled thermostatic mixing valve (10) comprises a movable mixing valve member (114) resiliently held between a temperature responsive coiled spring (132) and a bias spring (134). The temperature responsive spring is made of a material such as a shape memory alloy (SMA) having a modulus of elasticity that varies with temperature. The bias spring is supported by an electric drive (46) controlled by an electric control circuit (32) to adjust the preload on the bias spring. In contrast to the bias spring which is subjected to deformation from its free state to its fully compressed state, the SMA spring is held in such a manner that it is subjected to a limited strain throughout the stroke of the valve member. As a result, premature fatigue of the SMA spring is avoided. Transient fluctuation in water temperature is primarily compensated for by a mechanical feedback control performed by the SMA spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Tsutsui, Kinya Arita, Yoshinobu Uchimura, Yasuhide Kimura
  • Patent number: 5111539
    Abstract: A toilet device with a system for inspecting the health condition of the toilet user includes a toilet having a bowl surface with a urine reservoir for holding a urine sample, a box having at least a water tank disposed rearwardly and upwardly of the toilet, the box having an outlet opening in a bottom thereof, a slider for holding a urine test paper piece, the slider being movable from within the box toward the urine reservoir to immerse the urine test paper piece in the urine sample in the urine reservoir, a urine analyzing device disposed in the box, for analyzing constituents of the urine sample attached to the urine test paper piece, a lifting and lowering mechanism for reciprocally lifting and lowering the slider through the outlet opening along a substantially vertical inclined path between the urine analyzing device and the urine reservoir, and a display panel for controlling the lifting and lowering mechanism and the urine analyzing device and for displaying results of a urine analysis effected by th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1992
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiki Hiruta, Naoki Tsukamura, Yoshinobu Uchimura, Toshifumi Shigematsu, Hironori Yamasaki, Toshio Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 4980933
    Abstract: A washing device for parts of human body comprises a thermostatic mixing valve which is disposed at a junction of a cold water supply passage and a heated water supply passage, a latching solenoid valve which is mounted on a heated water drainage passage branched out from said heated water supply passage and a latching solenoid valve which is mounted on a mixed hot water supply passage. Due to such construction, electric power for heating water is no longer necessary in the toilet bowl and electric power for mixing heated water and cold water to produce mixed hot water to be ejected from an ejecting nozzle also becomes unnecessary. Furthermore, electric power for operating the solenoid valve is minimized by means of a latching solenoid. Accordingly, the overall consumption of electric power necessary for operating and controlling the washing device can be minimized thus enabling the use of a small dry cell or battery as an electric power source of the washing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1991
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Tsutsui, Hisato Haraga, Kiyoshi Fujino, Yoshinobu Uchimura, Yoshiki Kawamura