Patents Assigned to Toto Ltd.
  • Patent number: 11805949
    Abstract: A toilet device includes an electric opening/closing unit configured to open and close at least one of a toilet seat or a toilet lid. The electric opening/closing unit includes a case, a motor, an output shaft, a transmission mechanism and a spring. The output shaft outputs a rotation of the motor to one of the toilet seat or the toilet lid. The transmission mechanism transmits the rotation of the motor to the output shaft. The spring is connected to the transmission mechanism and the output shaft. The spring urges the output shaft in a rotational direction of the output shaft. The transmission mechanism includes an engaging part engaging the spring. The engaging part engages an end part of the spring at the transmission mechanism side and restricts the end part from moving in a circumferential direction of the spring and from moving in a radial direction of the spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignees: TOTO LTD., DAIICHI KASEI CO., LTD., YOKO INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki Hata, Yuji Maruyama, Maya Teraoka, Haruki Suzuki, Toshihiko Shimizu
  • Patent number: 11802085
    Abstract: Disclosed is to provide a composite structure used as a member for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus with which low-particle generation can be improved, as well as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including the same. A composite structure including a base material and a structure that is provided on the base material and has a surface, in which the structure comprises Y3Al5O12 as a main component, and has an indentation hardness being larger than 8.5 GPa features excellent low-particle generation and is suitably used as a member for a semiconductor apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Ashizawa, Ryoto Takizawa
  • Patent number: 11802830
    Abstract: A toilet seat apparatus according to an embodiment is a toilet seat apparatus to be placed on an upper part of a toilet bowl having a bowl unit that receives excrement, the toilet seat apparatus including: a toilet seat on which a user sits; a light emitting unit including one or more light emitting elements that emit light in a front direction; a light receiving unit including a light receiving element that receives light; and a housing in which the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are arranged, in which the one or more light emitting elements are arranged in parallel with the light receiving unit or in front of the light receiving unit in a side view or a top view of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Ryo Oi, Takeshi Takaki, Naoya Takeuchi, Hitoaki Higuchi, Masamichi Tosaki, Masayuki Nagaishi, Yuta Sakai, Satoko Kizuka
  • Patent number: 11795677
    Abstract: A flush toilet includes a bowl part that receives waste, a drainage water trap that is connected to a bottom of the bowl part, a jet water spout port that spouts washing water toward the drainage water trap, and a discharge port that is connected to the drainage water trap and discharges waste, wherein the drainage water trap includes a rising pipe line that is connected to the bowl part, a curved pipe line that includes a rising curved part that is connected to the rising pipe line and rises backward and a falling curved part that falls backward, a falling pipe line that is connected to the curved pipe line, and a swelled part that forms a space that is swelled toward a back side thereof and is continuous with the discharge port, on a downstream side of a curved top part of the curved pipe line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoaki Morita, Takehiro Minami, Keita Yoshisaka
  • Patent number: 11795671
    Abstract: Provided is a faucet fixture to which antifouling functionality is imparted without causing localized corrosion. The present invention is a faucet fixture comprising a metal base material and a plating layer partially formed on the surface of the metal base material. The metal base material contains at least one metal element species selected from the group consisting of copper, zinc, and tin. The plating layer contains at least one metal element species selected from the group consisting of chromium and nickel. An organic layer is further provided on the plating layer, with a passive layer present on the surface of the plating layer being interposed therebetween. The organic layer is bonded to the passive layer via the bonding of a metal element (M), which constitutes the passive layer, and a phosphorus atom (P) in at least one type of group (X) selected from the group consisting of phosphonate groups, phosphate groups, and phosphinate groups, with an oxygen atom (O) interposed therebetween (M-O—P bond).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Saori Ukigai, Ryojiro Hijikata, Ryo Koga
  • Patent number: 11788268
    Abstract: A flush toilet which is capable of suppressing reduction in the force of water and disturbance in the flow curved by a pressure loss caused by a flow curved separating from a surface on an inner side portion side of an intermediate part. A rim water passage of the flush toilet includes a curved portion that is curved inward from a downstream end of an outer side portion. The curved portion includes a top portion that is at a position farthest from the intermediate part in the top view, in a direction extending the intermediate part. The top portion is formed in more the outer side portion side than a virtual center line that extends along a center of the intermediate part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Wataru Ishimi, Seiya Nakashima
  • Patent number: 11776836
    Abstract: An electrostatic chuck includes a ceramic dielectric substrate; a base plate; and a heater unit which heats the ceramic dielectric substrate. The heater unit includes a first heater element. The first heater element has a plurality of sub-zones. The sub-zones include a first sub-zone. The first sub-zone includes a sub-heater line generating heat by allowing a current to flow, a first sub-power feeding portion feeding a power to the sub-heater line, and a second sub-power feeding portion feeding a power to the sub-heater line. The first sub-zone has a central region located centrally in the first sub-zone and an outer peripheral region located outside the central region when viewed along a Z-direction perpendicular to the first major surface. At least one of the first sub-power feeding portion and the second sub-power feeding portion is provided in the central region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihito Ono, Jumpei Uefuji
  • Patent number: 11761188
    Abstract: According to the embodiment, a toilet device includes a toilet, a flow channel, a wash water supply unit a sensing unit and a controller. The sensing unit is configured to sense whether or not the wash water is at a position lower than a full water level and higher than a sealing water level on a surface of a bowl of the toilet. The controller is configured to determine a clogging state of the toilet based on a sensing result of the sensing unit following the closing of the wash water supply unit. A sensing region of the sensing unit is a position on the surface of the bowl through which the wash water flowing in a vertical direction from a water discharge port of the flow channel to a bottom portion of the bowl passes after the wash water supply unit is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Motoki Kobayashi, Yuya Masahira, Yuichi Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 11761551
    Abstract: A faucet device includes: a base member; an outer shell member; a metallic casing member that is inserted in a columnar section of the outer shell member and whose one end is fixed to the base member; a hot-water supply pipe and a cold-water supply pipe that supply hot water and cold water, respectively; a single lever cartridge provided at the other end of the casing member; connecting members provided inside the casing member, connecting the hot-water supply pipe and the cold-water supply pipe to the single lever cartridge; a fixing member fixing the single lever cartridge to the connecting members; and mechanical engagement pins. The casing member is formed of a metallic plate or pipe with a size that allows the casing member to be insertable into the columnar section of the outer shell member, and capable of retaining the connecting member in accordance with the mechanical engagement means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Yukito Tsuruda, Kenji Kido, Takafumi Inoue, Masanobu Kanashiro, Makoto Hatakeyama, Daisuke Kazaoka, Yoshihiro Kiyofuji
  • Publication number: 20230284845
    Abstract: A toilet apparatus includes: a toilet seat disposed above a toilet bowl; an image sensor photographing an inside of a bowl of the toilet bowl; and a control unit controlling the image sensor to execute an automatic photographing mode of automatically photographing the inside of the bowl. When acquiring a user’s photographing intention information indicating whether or not the user has an intention to photograph the inside of the bowl, the control unit switches between executing and stopping of the automatic photographing mode based on the acquired photographing intention information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Applicant: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro SHIMADA, Hinako KURASHIMA, Daisuke SUZAWA, Katsumi YAMANAKA
  • Patent number: 11753809
    Abstract: A flush toilet according to an embodiment includes a bowl part, a rim part, a water spout port, a bottom surface wall, and an extension part. The bowl part receives waste. The rim part is formed on a top of the bowl part. The water spout port spouts a washing water along the rim part. The bottom surface wall is formed in such a manner that a height thereof increases from a side of the water spout port toward a front end of the rim part, and forms a passing water channel where the washing water flows. The extension part extends a water spout region for the washing water that is spouted from the water spout port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Jing Chen, Kenichi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11756820
    Abstract: An electrostatic chuck includes a ceramic dielectric substrate; a base plate; and a heater unit which heats the ceramic dielectric substrate. The heater unit includes first and second heater elements. The second heater element has a plurality of main zones separated from each other in a radial direction. The first heater element has a plurality of sub-zones separated from each other. A number of the sub-zones is larger than a number of the main zones. The main zones include a first main zone. The first main zone has a main heater line and a first main power feeding portion. The sub-zones include a first sub-zone overlapping the first main zone. The first sub-zone has a central region and an outer peripheral region. The first main power feeding portion is provided at a position where the first main power feeding portion overlaps the central region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihito Ono, Jumpei Uefuji
  • Patent number: 11749507
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus member is used inside a chamber of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. The member includes a base material and a ceramic layer. The base material includes a first surface, a second surface, and at least one hole. The at least one hole extends through the first and second surfaces. The ceramic layer is located on the first surface. The at least one hole includes an oblique surface and a perpendicular surface. The oblique surface is continuous with the first surface and is oblique to a first direction from the first surface toward the second surface. The perpendicular surface is positioned between the second surface and the oblique surface in the first direction and extends along the first direction. An angle between the first surface and the oblique surface is greater than an angle between the perpendicular surface and the oblique surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryunosuke Nakagawa, Tatsuya Koga
  • Publication number: 20230272608
    Abstract: A flush toilet according to the present invention includes a bowl including a bowl-shaped waste receiving surface, a rim, a spouting port formed in the rim and a pooled water portion having a front region and a rear region, and includes a configuration where a ratio of an inflow flow rate of flush water into the front region of the pooled water portion in a second half of flushing period in a flushing period to “a total inflow flow rate of flush water into the pooled water portion” is larger than a ratio of an inflow flow rate of flush water into the front region of the pooled water portion in a first half of flushing period to “the total inflow flow rate of flush water into the pooled water portion”.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Applicant: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Shoko KOBAYASHI, Makoto BEKKI, Daiki OKABE
  • Publication number: 20230272607
    Abstract: A flush toilet of the present invention includes a bowl including a waste receiving surface that receives waste, a rim formed on an upper part of the waste receiving surface and a well portion that is formed below the waste receiving surface and in which a pooled water surface is formed, one or more spouting ports that spout flush water along the rim, and a discharge conduit connected to a bottom portion of the bowl, the flush toilet including a configuration where a forward main flow F1 and a rearward main flow F2 of flush water spouted from the spouting ports circulate around a waste receiving surface 16 of a bowl 6 and flow, in the beginning of flushing start, into three or more regions of the pooled water surface divided into four regions S1, S2, S3 and S4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Applicant: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Shoko KOBAYASHI, Makoto BEKKI, Daiki OKABE
  • Patent number: 11739518
    Abstract: A flush toilet includes a toilet body that includes a bowl part that receives waste, a functional part that is provided on a back side of the toilet body, a panel member that covers a side surface of the functional part, a first holding part that adsorbs and holds the toilet body and a side surface of the panel member by magnetic force, and a second holding part that adsorbs and holds the functional part and a side surface of the panel member by magnetic force. The panel member is capable of being slid frontward, backward, upward, and downward in a state where the panel member is adsorbed and held by the first holding part and the second holding part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Eiji Shiohara, Yusuke Tone, Masaaki Momoe, Kazuya Esaki, Masaki Mori
  • Patent number: 11724415
    Abstract: The present invention is a sintering method of a ceramic for sintering characterized by forming a layer containing a carbon powder on a surface of an article consisting of a ceramic for sintering, and then irradiating with laser a surface of the carbon powder-containing layer of a lamination obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignees: Japan Fine Ceramics Center, NORITAKE CO., LIMITED, TOTO LTD., NGK INSULATORS, LTD., NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Teiichi Kimura, Satoshi Suehiro
  • Patent number: 11718981
    Abstract: Provided is a tank device capable of restraining splashing of flush water during water supply to suppress a water slapping sound. A tank device for supplying flush water stored therein to a flush toilet comprises: a tank main unit for storing flush water in an internal space 24C thereof defined by an inner wall surface which comprises a transverse surface 27B extending in a transverse direction and a standing surface 27A extending in an up-down direction; and a water supply member 26 for supplying flush water from a water supply port 26A to the internal space of the tank main unit, the water supply member 26 being configured to spout flush water toward the inner wall surface defining the internal space 24C, wherein the tank main unit comprises a flow rectifying portion 46 provided in a region of the inner wall surface to which flush water is spouted, the flow rectifying portion 46 having a convex part 46A and a concave part 46B each formed on the inner wall surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Tone, Shu Kashirajima, Yuuki Shinohara, Koji Shibuya
  • Publication number: 20230247278
    Abstract: A photography system includes: an authentication unit executing personal authentication of a user using a toilet bowl; and a control unit controlling an image sensor 44 to automatically photograph an inside of a bowl of the toilet bowl. The control unit 312 conducts the automatic photographing of the inside of the bowl if the personal authentication is successful and does not conduct the automatic photographing of the inside of the bowl if the personal authentication fails.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Applicant: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro SHIMADA, Hinako KURASHIMA, Daisuke SUZAWA, Katsumi YAMANAKA, Tetsuya FUKUNAGA
  • Patent number: D999349
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: TOTO Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuki Otsuka, Hiroshi Shimoda