Patents Assigned to Nifco Inc.
  • Patent number: 11642997
    Abstract: A cup holder that can prevent malfunction and generation of abnormal noise due to adhesion of liquid or other foreign matter is provided. The cup holder (1) includes a holder main body (2) for accommodating a container therein, and arms (3) each including an upper arm piece (10), a lower arm piece (11), and a hinge joint (12) connecting a lower end of the upper arm piece (10) to an upper end of the lower arm piece (11). The arm is an integrally molded product made of a resin material, and the hinge joint (12) is a thin-walled hinge formed by a thin-walled portion thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: NIFCO INC.
    Inventor: Koji Kondo
  • Patent number: 11617233
    Abstract: A thermal insulation structure for a vehicle window device is provided with a heater is disposed on a vehicle interior side, a heat-receiving component that is provided between the window and the heater, and that, by receiving heat from the heater, imparts radiant heat to the window, and a thermal insulation layer that is provided at a surface of the heater on an opposite side from the heat-receiving component, wherein the thermal insulation layer is formed by mutually superimposing a plurality of thermal insulation materials, and of the plurality of thermal insulation materials, a thermal insulation material on a closest side to the heater has greater heat resistance than a thermal insulation material on a furthest side from the heater, and the thermal insulation material on the furthest side from the heater has a lower thermal conductivity than the thermal insulation material on the closest side to the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignees: NIFCO INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KURABE INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuki Kasetani, Ryuichi Shinkai, Toshikazu Nagai, Tatsunori Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11598462
    Abstract: A locking member is mounted to the housing to be able to move in the outer diameter direction by a tapered portion of the tubular body, when the tubular body is inserted. The housing is equipped with slits formed to pass a curved portion bent in the inner diameter direction disposed at a leading-end side of the locking member and to lock with the engagement portion of the tubular body mounted on the housing. A gap is disposed between the curved portion, and the end portion of the slit positioned at a side in an opposite direction to the leading-end side of the locking member, so that there is no contact while at least the locking member is moving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: NIFCO INC.
    Inventor: Mikio Nezu
  • Patent number: 11585440
    Abstract: A hole plug attachment structure includes: a first attachment-target member is formed with a first attachment hole; a second attachment-target member is formed with a second attachment hole; and a hole plug that includes a tube-shaped outer peripheral wall, a blocking portion, a ring shaped flange jutting out toward a radial direction outer side of the outer peripheral wall from an end portion of the outer peripheral wall on an opposite side from an insertion direction so as to cover a location surrounding the second attachment hole, and a hook portion, a location of the flange that abuts an edge of the second attachment hole being thicker than a location of the flange that abuts the edge of the first attachment hole, in a state in which a back face of the flange abuts both the edge of the first attachment hole and the edge of the second attachment hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Nifco Inc.
    Inventors: Satoshi Kabeya, Takehiro Sato
  • Patent number: 11542973
    Abstract: A purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a clip including a grommet and a pin, which does not degrade design quality and allows the clip to be removed easily from members to be attached without causing damage. The grommet is configured to be inserted into attachment holes of the members to be attached, and includes a grommet hole into which a pin is to be inserted. Depending on an insertion position of the pin relative to the grommet, the grommet undergoes elastic deformation to allow the members to be attached to each other or detached from each other. A flange portion of the grommet has an engagement hole so that the clip can be removed from the members by engaging a tool with the engagement hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignees: NIFCO, Inc., Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shohei Takahashi, Kota Shimosato
  • Patent number: 11495423
    Abstract: The resin molded article is molded by using an electrode sheet as an insert in a state where one surface of the electrode sheet is closely attached to an inner surface which serves as the inner side of the operation surface. The electrode sheet is formed by using, as a base material, a thermoplastic synthetic resin sheet which outputs an electrical signal according to the amount of change of electrostatic capacitance generated by a contact operation with respect to the operation surface. At least a whole or a part of the inner surface is formed in a three-dimensionally curved surface, and a passage is formed in the electrode sheet so as to allow a molten resin following in through a gate formed in a die which comes into contact with the other surface of the electrode sheet during molding to pass toward one surface side of the electrode sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: NIFCO INC.
    Inventor: Atsushi Doi
  • Patent number: 11493130
    Abstract: A hole plug includes: a tube-shaped outer peripheral wall configured to be inserted into an attachment hole formed in an attachment-target member; a blocking portion-close off the inside of the outer peripheral wall; a ring-shaped flange that juts out toward a radial direction outer side of the outer peripheral wall from an end portion of the outer peripheral wall on an opposite side from an insertion direction so as to cover a location surrounding the attachment hole; a hook portion engage with an edge of the attachment hole; and a plurality of recess portions that are formed at a front face of a base end portion of the flange at intervals around a circumferential direction of the flange, each of the recess portions including a bottom portion with a planar face profile or a curved face profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Nifco Inc.
    Inventors: Satoshi Kabeya, Takehiro Sato
  • Patent number: 11454054
    Abstract: A lock device includes a base attached to a lid, a knob having a grip portion movably supported on a front side of the base and an arm portion projecting rearward with respect to the grip portion, a slider slidably supported in a rear part of the base so as to move slidingly by being pushed by the arm portion in response to a movement of the knob, a first rod and a second rod slidably supported by a part of the base located in front of the slider in a vertically arranged manner so as to be engaged by and disengaged from a pair of corresponding engaging holes, and a power transmission mechanism provided between the slider and the first rod and the second rod so that the first rod and the second rod are slidingly moved in response to a movement of the slider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: NIFCO INC.
    Inventor: Kouji Kondo
  • Patent number: 11432376
    Abstract: A heating device for off-vehicle information acquisition means, which has high heating efficiency, which is thin, and which has a high degree of freedom for layout of a heating element is provided. A heating device (100), which is arranged inside a vehicle, heats a window glass portion (Wa) located in an information acquisition path (5) of an off-vehicle information acquisition means (50) for acquiring information outside the vehicle. The heating device (100) comprises a hood (10) provided inside the vehicle below the information acquisition path (5) of the off-vehicle information acquisition means (50) and a heating element (20) provided on the surface of the hood (10) or inside the hood (10) and having a PTC heater layer (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: NIFCO INC.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Ochiai
  • Patent number: 11420410
    Abstract: A sound absorbing body includes a cup-shaped main body and a porous sheet. The cup-shaped main body includes an opening portion and a bottom portion. The porous sheet covers the opening portion. The main body includes, between the opening portion and the bottom portion, at least one hole that is larger than pores of the porous sheet and extends through the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: NIFCO INC.
    Inventor: Taeko Ueno
  • Patent number: 11415194
    Abstract: This damper comprises: a housing accommodating a damping medium; and a rotor rotatable relative to the housing, inside the housing. A unidirectional clutch which stipulates rotation in one direction and a rotating shaft can be connected to each other coaxially. The unidirectional clutch, when supporting the rotating shaft, constitutes a first input object, whereas the rotating shaft constitutes a second input object when not being supported by the unidirectional clutch. A connection object comprises a first connection part capable of connecting to the first input object coaxially, and a second connection part capable of connecting to the second input object coaxially. Two separate connection states are provided, namely a state in which the first connection part and the first input object are connected to each other, and a state in which the second connection part and the second input object are connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: NIFCO INC.
    Inventor: Makoto Muranaka
  • Patent number: 11415259
    Abstract: A hole plug for waste water includes a protruding portion having a flange with a dish shape, and a drain hole therein; and a cylindrical portion projecting from the protruding portion and formed at an inner face side of the flange, the cylindrical portion being configured to be inserted into and pass through an attachment hole of a panel. The cylindrical portion includes an engagement leg provided in a circumference configured to detachably engage the attachment hole, a cylinder inside, and a shielding wall which is positioned above the drain hole, is larger than a horizontal cross-sectional surface of the drain hole, and is provided such that the cylinder inside and the drain hole can communicate with each other for allowing a liquid entering into an inside of a vehicle to flow into the cylinder inside and flow out to an outside of a vehicle from the drain hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: NIFCO INC.
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Yamada
  • Publication number: 20220227320
    Abstract: A bumper attachment retainer including: a support portion configured to support, from a back face of a bumper, an upper face section of the bumper at which an upper face of the bumper is formed; a first upper restricting portion configured to make contact with the upper face section of the bumper, which is disposed at a reference position with the upper face section supported by the support portion, to restrict a position of the bumper in an attachment direction, and to release positional restriction of the bumper in a case in which a motive force in the attachment direction acting on the bumper disposed at the reference position is a predetermined force or greater; and a second upper restricting portion configured to make contact with the upper face section of the bumper disposed at the reference position and to restrict a position of the bumper in a detachment direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Applicant: Nifco Inc.
    Inventor: Kota SAWANO
  • Patent number: 11383648
    Abstract: A shielding member comprises a generally rectangular and flexible sheet member including a first part and a second part, a first wire surrounding at least a portion of the first part, and a second wire surrounding at least a portion of the second part. The shielding member is foldable in two about a portion between the first wire and the second wire such that the first part with the first wire and the second part with the second wire overlap each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignees: HAYASHI TELEMPU CORPORATION, NIFCO INC.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Asai, Atsuko Inukai, Jun Fujimatsu, Yuto Aoki
  • Patent number: 11377158
    Abstract: A hole plug includes: a tubular outer periphery wall portion for insertion into a burring hole formed in an attachment member; an annular flange portion that protrudes toward a radial direction outer side of the outer periphery wall portion, from an end portion side of the outer periphery wall portion at an opposite side from an insertion direction side of the outer periphery wall portion; a pawl portion that projects toward the radial direction outer side from the outer periphery wall portion; a closure portion that extends between inner sides of the outer periphery wall portion; and an abutting portion provided at at least one of the flange portion or the outer periphery wall portion, the abutting portion overlapping with a periphery edge portion of the burring hole as seen in the insertion direction, and the abutting portion configured to abut the periphery edge portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: NIFCO INC.
    Inventor: Takehiro Sato
  • Patent number: 11364849
    Abstract: A one-way damper mechanism, which can properly operate a damper by appropriately engaging a gear and a rotary damper so as to reduce wobbling, is provided. A one-way damper mechanism includes a gear-holding member provided with a gear engaging with a rack, which relatively moves to the rack; and a damper-holding member provided with a rotary damper, which relatively moves to the rack, and the one-way damper mechanism changes between a braking state wherein the gear and a damper gear are engaged, and a release state wherein the gear and the damper gear are separated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: NIFCO INC.
    Inventor: Naoto Jinbo
  • Patent number: 11351843
    Abstract: An air vent unit includes a vent portion communicating with an outlet of an air conditioning device; and a container holding portion communicating with the vent portion to hold a container. In a vent-portion attachment state wherein the vent portion is attached to an outlet by facing the vent portion toward an interior side, the container holding portion is stored inside the outlet. In a container-holding-portion attachment state wherein the air vent unit is removed from the outlet from the vent-portion attachment state and the vent portion is attached by facing toward the outlet, the container holding portion projects toward the interior side, and at that time, the container holding portion is held not to be pushed toward an inside of the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: NIFCO INC.
    Inventor: Takehiko Nemoto
  • Patent number: 11351857
    Abstract: In a sleeve member for a filler pipe, the filler pipe passes through the sleeve member internally and is positioned with an upper end thereof on a fuel supply portion formed on an outside panel forming an outside of an automobile through a through hole formed in an inside panel forming a wheel house of the automobile. The sleeve member includes an attachment portion relative to the outside panel; a main seal portion elastically deformed and pressed against an inner face facing a space formed between the inside panel and the outside panel in such a way so as to surround the through hole by an insertion into the through hole; and an engagement portion which becomes engageable with a hole edge portion of the through hole positioned on an outer-face side of the inside panel by the insertion into the through hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: NIFCO INC.
    Inventors: Jumpei Horikawa, Yasuhiro Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11345319
    Abstract: A device for spraying a fluid on a vehicle camera includes a flow passage for connecting a suction portion with a discharge portion; a cylinder for communicating a pressure chamber in front of a piston with the flow passage; a drive mechanism for the piston including a motor; a first valve located between the suction portion and the pressure chamber, and functioning such that the first valve opens when the piston moves backward and closes when the piston moves forward; a second valve located between the pressure chamber and the discharge portion, and functioning such that the second valve opens when a pressure in the pressure chamber reaches a predetermined value by a forward movement of the piston; and a casing for housing the flow passage, the cylinder, the drive mechanism, the first valve, and the second valve to be combined with the vehicle camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: NIFCO INC.
    Inventor: Mikio Nezu
  • Patent number: 11338742
    Abstract: A bracket for holding an in-vehicle device inside a window glass includes a base configured to be fixed to an inside surface of the window glass; right and left side portions protruding downward from the base; a locking member assembled so as to be movable between a first position and a second position; and at least one support portion configured to receive a supported portion provided in the in-vehicle device and inserted between the right and left side portions from a lateral direction while the locking member is located at the first position. When the locking member is moved to the second position while the supported portion is received by the support portion, the locking member is pressed against the supported portion so that the in-vehicle device is held in any of the front to rear direction and the up to down direction without rattling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: NIFCO INC.
    Inventor: Yuichiro Inayoshi