Patents by Inventor Akira Sorimachi

Akira Sorimachi 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: 6178597
    Abstract: An operative hinge for use with an opening/closing body is provided which comprises a hinge case to be installed to a toilet bowl body for operating the opening/closing body; a shaft provided rotatably within the hinge case to support the opening/closing body; a stationary cam fixed within the hinge case and having formed therein a central through-hole through which the rotating shaft is axially penetrated; a cam provided within the hinge case and having formed therein a central through-hole through which the rotating shaft is axially penetrated to be slidable on, and rotatable with, the rotating shaft; and a resilient means for urging the rotatable sliding cam toward the stationary can, the hinge further comprising, to further positively control the rotation or the rotating means, a damping means consisting of a rubber ring fitted on the rotating shaft and interposed between the outer surface of the rotating shaft and the inner wall of the hinge case; and a viscous oil applied between the outer surface of th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Katoh Electrical Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naokazu Suzuki, Isao Nagashima, Akira Sorimachi, Oriya Fujita
  • Patent number: 6070298
    Abstract: According to the invention, in order to obtain hinges which, even if small-sized, can create a great rotational torque and, moreover, permit ready alignment of details with the rotational moment of an opening/closing body, such as a lavatory seat or lid or accentuation of any part of the action thereof, there is provided a pair of composite torque hinges each consisting of; a rotating cylinder disposed to be rotatable around a fixed shaft; a cam mechanism which is provided within the rotating cylinder and on which a compression spring is caused to work so as to control the rotational torque of the rotating cylinder; and a torsion spring which is also provided within said rotating cylinder and functions in a direction to cancel the rotational torque of the rotating cylinder in a specific rotational direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Ratoh Electrical Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Sorimachi
  • Patent number: 6000069
    Abstract: A compound torque hinge comprising a first rotating shaft to be mounted on the toilet bowl is rotatably mounted in the case body; the first rotation control mechanism comprising a cam mechanism with a compression spring on one side portion housed in the case body of the first rotating shaft is provided; a second rotation control mechanism comprising a rotation damper is juxtaposed in two stages within the case body in the upper or lower section of the first rotation control mechanism; a driving power transmitting means is mounted between the second rotation control mechanism and the first rotation control mechanism; and on the rotating shaft one of mounting sections of the toilet seat or seat cover is rotatably supported on a bearing, while the other is fixed so as to rotate together with the rotating shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Katoh Electrical Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Sorimachi
  • Patent number: 5996132
    Abstract: A compound torque hinge comprising a first rotating shaft rotatably mounted through a partition wall within a hinge case having the partition wall; a first rotation control working on the first rotating shaft and mounted on one side of the partition wall of the hinge case; and a second rotation control mean coaxially mounted on the other side of the partition wall of the hinge case. The first rotating shaft is connected to the second rotating shaft of the second rotation control. The first rotating is a cam mechanism provided with spring and the second rotation control is a fluid damper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Katoh Electrical Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Sorimachi
  • Patent number: 5991936
    Abstract: A Western style toilet seat and seat cover opening-closing device is disclosed, in which a rotating shaft is rotatably mounted in the axial direction of a case body designed to be mounted on the toilet bowl, and a first rotation control of the rotating shaft is provided in a part housed in the case body. In the case body above or below the first rotation control a second rotation control of the rotating shaft are vertically juxtaposed. Between the second rotation controls and the first rotation control mechanism, a driving power transmitting mechanism is disposed. On the rotating shaft, one of the seat or seat cover mounting sections is rotatably mounted through a bearing, while the other is so fixed as to rotate together with the rotating shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: Katoh Electrical Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Sorimachi
  • Patent number: 5946740
    Abstract: According to the invention, in order to make opening/closing devices for seats and lids of Western-styled lavatory tools readily detachable from the stool, a holder for such opening/closing devices is composed of a cylindrical case open at both ends, structured so as to allow insertion and engagement of a pair of opening/closing devices, of which one works on the seat and the other on the lid, with one inserted from one of the two ends of the case and the other from the other end in a detachable manner; a pair of legs hanging from this case each having at its lower end an engaging piece given elasticity; and holder receptacles structured to be to be fitted into fitting holes provided in the lavatory stool to allow detachable insertion and engagement of the pair of legs as well in a freely detachable manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Assignee: Katoh Electrical Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Sorimachi
  • Patent number: 5768718
    Abstract: A hinge mechanism capable of making fluidic damping action ineffective or reducing fluidic damping action to the least possible extent so that the seat or the seat lid of a toilet bowl can be lightly raised when raising the seat or the seat lid, holds in the seat or the seat lid in a self-supporting state. Fluidic damping action is so that the seat or the seat lid can be turned gently when turning the seat or the seat lid to its fully lowered position and prevent damaging a fluid damping mechanism by overloading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignee: Katoh Electrial Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Sorimachi
  • Patent number: 5724683
    Abstract: A hinge mechanism for a toilet bowl seat or seat lid has improved control of rotation due to torque exerted by a cam member working with a compression spring and slider, such that the torque varies depending on the angle of the seat or seat lid to the plane of the toilet bowl. The slider and cam member are mounted on a shaft having an axially directed oval hole in which a complementary shaped hinge pin is received to connect the seat and the seat lid to the mechanism. A stop mechanism prevents the shaft from turning beyond a predetermined angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Assignee: Katoh Electrical Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Sorimachi, Kanetsugu Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 5664286
    Abstract: A hinge mechanism has a damping mechanism and is capable of removing or reducing to the least extent the damping action of the damping mechanism when opening the seat or the seat lid of a toilet bowl, of securely holding the seat or the seat lid at the open position, of making the damping action effective so that the seat or the seat lid can turn gradually to its closed position and of avoiding the breakage of the damping mechanism due to jerky loading when the seat or the seat lid is turned with a jerk. The hinge mechanism comprises a case, a hinge shaft supporting the seat or the seat lid and supported in the case for rotation and axial movement, a fluidic damping mechanism formed between the case and the hinge shaft, and a resilient means biasing the hinge shaft in one direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Assignee: Katoh Electrical Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Sorimachi
  • Patent number: 4424606
    Abstract: This invention deals with a hinge for opening or closing a dust cover of record players, which, in order to keep the hinge body from being exposed, to prevent the opened dust cover from excessively projecting rearwardly and to stably sustain the dust cover at an intermediate opening angle, comprises: a cabinet; a dust cover; a slider disposed vertically slidable in the rear portion of the cabinet on each side; a spring urging the slider upward; a support member removably mounted to the dust cover and rotatably mounted on the cabinet by a hinge pin; and a follower provided to the support member and adapted to contact the head of the slider. The hinge of this invention may be provided, in addition to the above construction, with a means to stably sustain the dust cover at an intermediate opening angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1984
    Assignee: Katoh Electrical Machinery Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Sorimachi
  • Patent number: 4355887
    Abstract: A document hold-down cover for a copy machine comprises a lifting means, a hinge means, a deck plate of said copy machine, a hold-down-cover, the lifting means is arranged between said deck plate and said hold-down cover, said hinge means is attached between said lifting means and said hold-down cover. According to the invention, when copying thick material which is put on the contacting glass for copying the closed-hold-down cover comes into parallel with the material on the glass since the lifting means is lifted by leverage. When the material is taken off the glass cover, the lifting means comes down or returns back to the first position by gravity. The hold-down cover can be opened and closed in both the first position and the lifting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1980
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1982
    Assignee: Katoh Electrical Machinery Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Sorimachi
  • Patent number: 4227726
    Abstract: A door operating mechanism holds a door in a closed position and automatically opens the door of a console which contains an electric audio apparatus such as a stereo. When the door is first pushed to a close, the door operating mechanism which is inside a plate of the console and which has a front end portion which extends out from the plate holds the door magnetically and when the door is pushed again an operative member slidably mounted in a cylindrical casing of the door operating mechanism pushes the door with a pop to open it automatically. The door is thus held in a closed position but pops open when the door is pushed again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1979
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1980
    Assignee: Katoh Electrical Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Sorimachi
  • Patent number: D303077
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1989
    Assignee: Katoh Electrical Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Sorimachi
  • Patent number: D399295
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: Katoh Electrical Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Sorimachi
  • Patent number: D401681
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: Katoh Electrical Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Sorimachi
  • Patent number: D403058
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1998
    Assignee: Katoh Electrical Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Sorimachi