Patents by Inventor Fumihiro Tanigawa

Fumihiro Tanigawa 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: 6489552
    Abstract: A photovoltaic cell module tile that includes a tile body, a recess, a fitting section, and a pressure member. The recess is provided in a top surface of the tile body, which stores a photovoltaic cell module. The fitting section is provided in the recess on an eaves side of the tile body. An eaves-side end portion of the photovoltaic cell module is inserted and fitted in the fitting section. The pressure member is provided on a ridge side of the tile body and presses a ridge-side end portion of the photovoltaic cell module against the tile body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: Kaneka Corporation
    Inventors: Takeharu Yamawaki, Teruki Hatsukaiwa, Fumihiro Tanigawa, Isao Yoshida
  • Patent number: 6453629
    Abstract: A roofing tile for performing solar-light power generation includes a roofing tile main body set tilted on a roof, and a photovoltaic module fixed to the main body. The roofing tile main body has a recess open upward. The photovoltaic module is stored and fixed in the recess. The roofing tile main body has an eaves-side edge portion. This edge portion has a plurality of drain ditches. Each drain ditch crosses the upper portion of the eaves-side edge portion and communicates with the recess. The level of the bottom surface of each drain ditch is equal to or lower than that of the bottom surface of the recess. With this construction, rainwater that has entered the recess is discharged through the drain ditches. Rainwater is drained by running the rainwater downward on the upper surface side of the eaves-side edge portion along the tilt direction of the roofing tile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Kaneka Corporation
    Inventors: Ichiro Nakazima, Teruki Hatsukaiwa, Fumihiro Tanigawa, Takuji Nomura, Isao Yoshida, Kazuhito Hirai
  • Patent number: 6365824
    Abstract: A tile for attaching a solar battery module to the roof of a house comprises a substantially rectangular plate-like tile body. The upper surface of the tile body has a plurality of projecting portions and depressed portions alternately extending over the entire length of the tile in a direction of inclination of the roof. The upper surface of the tile body also has a recess for receiving the solar battery module. The recess has a bottom portion to be brought into contact with the reverse surface of the solar battery module. The recess also has a plurality of stop portions to be brought into contact with edge portions of the solar battery module to hold them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Kaneka Corporation
    Inventors: Ichiro Nakazima, Teruki Hatsukaiwa, Fumihiro Tanigawa
  • Publication number: 20020036010
    Abstract: A recess which stores a photovoltaic cell module is provided on the top surface of a tile body arranged on a roof or the like of a house. A fitting section having a groove is formed by undercutting at least one side of the recess. An end portion of the photovoltaic cell module is inserted and fitted into the fitting section. The photovoltaic cell module is therefore detachably fixed in the recess of the tile body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2001
    Publication date: March 28, 2002
    Applicant: KENEKA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeharu Yamawaki, Teruki Hatsukaiwa, Fumihiro Tanigawa, Isao Yoshida
  • Patent number: 6360497
    Abstract: The upper surface of a tile body for use as a roofing material for a building is provided with a depression that holds therein a photovoltaic cell module having a function to convert solar energy into electrical energy. An adhesive is applied to the whole or part of the base of the depression, and the photovoltaic cell module, which has a terminal box on its lower surface, is fixed to the base of the depression by adhesive bonding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Kaneka Corporation
    Inventors: Ichiro Nakazima, Teruki Hatsukaiwa, Fumihiro Tanigawa, Takuji Nomura, Isao Yoshida, Kazuhito Hirai