Patents by Inventor Akira Yokoe

Akira Yokoe 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).

  • Defrosting heater, and refrigerator having the defrosting heater
    Patent number: 7308804
    Abstract: A defrosting heater in a refrigerator with a flammable refrigerant sealed therein, including a first glass tube (53) having a heater wire (52) inside thereof, a plug (58) covering both end opening parts of the first glass tube (53) and a second glass tube (54), a lead wire (55) piercing the plug (58) and connected to an end of the heater wire (52), and a positioning plate (57) disposed on a connection part of the lead wire (55) with the heater wire (52). Flame propagation can be prevented by setting the size of a space (58b) formed by the plug (58) and the positioning plate (59) according to the sealing quantity of the flammable refrigerant and the surface temperature of the heater wire (52), and an unstable state in a defrosting mode is prevented even when the flammable refrigerant leaks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Refrigeration Company
    Inventors: Ichiro Onishi, Toshiki Maeda, Akira Yokoe, Kazuyoshi Takeuchi
  • Defrosting heater, and refrigerator having the defrosting heater
    Publication number: 20040237560
    Abstract: A defrosting heater in a refrigerator with a flammable refrigerant sealed therein, including a first glass tube (53) having a heater wire (52) inside thereof, a plug (58) covering both end opening parts of the first glass tube (53) and a second glass tube (54), a lead wire (55) piercing the plug (58) and connected to an end of the heater wire (52), and a positioning plate (57) disposed on a connection part of the lead wire (55) with the heater wire (52). Flame propagation can be prevented by setting the size of a space (58b) formed by the plug (58) and the positioning plate (59) according to the sealing quantity of the flammable refrigerant and the surface temperature of the heater wire (52), and an unstable state in a defrosting mode is prevented even when the flammable refrigerant leaks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2004
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Inventors: Ichiro Onishi, Toshiki Maeda, Akira Yokoe, Kazuyoshi Takeuchi