Patents by Inventor Hidetaka Yabuuchi
Hidetaka Yabuuchi 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).
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Patent number: 7263861Abstract: A washing and drying machine of the present invention includes a water tub elastically supported in a housing; a rotary drum being rotatably mounted in the water tub; a heat pump having a compressor, a heat radiator, a throttle valve, a heat absorber, a pipework, and an air guide duct for guiding air to the heat absorber and the heat radiator; an air passageway provided to the water tub for allowing the air to flow into the rotary drum; a blower for forcing the air heated by the heat radiator to flow through the air passageway into the rotary drum; and a flexible connection member. The flexible connection member connects the air passageway to the air guide duct.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2003Date of Patent: September 4, 2007Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hidetaka Yabuuchi, Shigeharu Nakamoto, Mikio Tahara
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Patent number: 7194823Abstract: A clothes drying apparatus includes a heat pump mechanism, an air path for guiding drying air into a drying drum accommodating therein clothes, a blower for supplying drying air to the air path, and a controller for controlling a driving of a compressor, wherein the controller operates the blower and the compressor during a drying operation; stops the compressor in case the drying operation is suspended; and operates, in case the drying operation is resumed, the compressor after a certain time period has elapsed since the compressor had stopped. In case employing the heat pump mechanism having the compressor as a heat source, it is possible to reduce a load on the compressor and allow temperature of warm air to rapidly return by using the heat pump mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2004Date of Patent: March 27, 2007Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shigeharu Nakamoto, Hidetaka Yabuuchi, Hajime Nojima, Masayuki Tanaka
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Publication number: 20050246920Abstract: A clothes dryer includes a drying chamber, a heat pump mechanism, and an air circulation path. The heat pump mechanism includes a compressor, a heat radiator for radiating the heat of compressed coolant, a throttle unit for reducing the pressure of the high-pressure coolant, and a heat absorber for absorbing heat using the low-pressure coolant. An air circulation path circulates drying air from the drying chamber through the heat absorber and the heat radiator back to the drying chamber. The air circulation path is provided with an air discharge port at a position between the drying chamber and the heat absorber so that a part of the drying air flowing through the air circulation path from the drying chamber to the heat absorber is discharged through the air discharge port to outside of the air circulation path.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2004Publication date: November 10, 2005Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hidetaka Yabuuchi, Shigeharu Nakamoto, Mikio Tahara
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Publication number: 20050120577Abstract: A clothes drying apparatus includes a heat pump mechanism, an air path for guiding drying air into a drying drum accommodating therein clothes, a blower for supplying drying air to the air path, and a controller for controlling a driving of a compressor, wherein the controller operates the blower and the compressor during a drying operation; stops the compressor in case the drying operation is suspended; and operates, in case the drying operation is resumed, the compressor after a certain time period has elapsed since the compressor had stopped. In case employing the heat pump mechanism having the compressor as a heat source, it is possible to reduce a load on the compressor and allow temperature of warm air to rapidly return by using the heat pump mechanism.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2004Publication date: June 9, 2005Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shigeharu Nakamoto, Hidetaka Yabuuchi, Hajime Nojima, Masayuki Tanaka
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Patent number: 6901624Abstract: A self-moving cleaner has a main body and comprises an intake opening for suctioning dust, an electric blower for generating airflow to suction dust, a dust receiver for collecting the dust suctioned by the electric blower, rollers driven by drive motors, a power source for supplying electric power to the electric blower and the drive motors, and sensors for optically detecting a distance to an obstacle. An enclosure surrounds the main body, the electric blower, the dust receiver, the power source, and the sensors, wherein the enclosure is transparent or semi-transparent, and the sensors transmit and receive light through the enclosure.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2002Date of Patent: June 7, 2005Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroshi Mori, Kiminori Kato, Naoyuki Ohara, Toru Odachi, Hidetaka Yabuuchi, Hiroyuki Kayama, Miki Yasuno, Masayo Haji, Tadashi Matsuyo, Hidetoshi Imai, Yasuo Oshima, Masaichi Fukushima, Atsushi Nakayama
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Publication number: 20040079121Abstract: A washing and drying machine of the present invention includes a water tub elastically supported in a housing; a rotary drum being rotatably mounted in the water tub; a heat pump having a compressor, a heat radiator, a throttle valve, a heat absorber, a pipework, and an air guide duct for guiding air to the heat absorber and the heat radiator; an air passageway provided to the water tub for allowing the air to flow into the rotary drum; a blower for forcing the air heated by the heat radiator to flow through the air passageway into the rotary drum; and a flexible connection member. The flexible connection member connects the air passageway to the air guide duct.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2003Publication date: April 29, 2004Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hidetaka Yabuuchi, Shigeharu Nakamoto, Mikio Tahara
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Publication number: 20020189045Abstract: A self-moving cleaner has main body 1 comprising intake opening 9 for suctioning dust, electric blower 7 for generating airflow to suction the dust, dust receiver 10 for collecting the dust suctioned by the electric blower 7, rollers 11 driven by drive motors (3 and 4), power source 8 for supplying electric power to the electric blower 7 and the drive motors (3 and 4), sensors (2 and 12) for optically detecting a distance to an obstacle, and enclosure 16 containing therein the electric blower 7, the dust receiver 9, the power source 8, and the sensors (2 and 12), wherein the enclosure 16 is constructed transparent or semitransparent, and the sensors (2 and 12) transmit and receive light through the enclosure 16. Thus provided is the self-moving cleaner that can accurately detect a position of its own main body even with a reduced cost.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 4, 2002Publication date: December 19, 2002Inventors: Hiroshi Mori, Kiminori Kato, Naoyuki Ohara, Toru Odachi, Hidetaka Yabuuchi, Hiroyuki Kayama, Miki Yasuno, Masayo Haji, Tadashi Matsuyo, Hidetoshi Imai, Yasuo Oshima, Masaichi Fukushima, Atsushi Nakayama
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Patent number: 6394789Abstract: A catalytic combustion apparatus comprises a combustor 11, a fuel tank 12, a valve 13, and an ignition device 14. The combustor 11 further comprises a gas nozzle 16, an air intake/ejector 17, a mixing chamber 18, a firing chamber 19, an ignition plug 20, a combustion chamber 21, a catalyst for combustion 22 housed inside the combustion chamber 21, and an exhaust port 23. The mixing chamber 18 is made into a straight cylindrical passage, a cylindrical firing chamber 19 is provided in parallel to the mixing chamber 18 so that an opening 24 on the side of the firing chamber 19 communicates with the combustion chamber 21, a burner port 25 is disposed on the boundary between the mixing chamber 18 and the firing chamber 19, and the burner 25 is configured with a catalytic net 25a.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2000Date of Patent: May 28, 2002Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hidetaka Yabuuchi, Toshinari Matsumoto, Shinichi Nakajima, Tomoaki Kitano
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Patent number: 6335572Abstract: A portable heat transfer apparatus including a combustion device, a thermoelectric convertor for receiving the heat of the combustion device at its high temperature side, transferring the heat from its low temperature side to a heat exchanger, and generating electric power depending on the temperature difference between the high temperature side and low temperature side. A heat medium forced circulating device is driven by the power generated from the thermoelectric converter for transferring heat medium to the heat exchanger. Also provided is a heat releasing device for circulating and releasing the heat medium exchanged of heat in the heat exchanger. Therefore, the heat exchanger can be heated through the thermoelectric converter while heating the thermoelectric converter with the combustion device, and by heating with the heat exchanger. The temperature difference between the high temperature side and low temperature side of the thermoelectric converter can be obtained rationally and sufficiently.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 1999Date of Patent: January 1, 2002Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroshi Uno, Yutaka Takahashi, Shinichi Nakajima, Hidetaka Yabuuchi, Takaaki Kusaka, Masaru Kikukawa
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Patent number: 6206909Abstract: A fuel tank stores fuel gas. A catalytic burning section is connected to the fuel tank for generating heat based on an oxidative reaction between the fuel supplied from the fuel tank and air. The fuel tank and the catalytic burning section are assembled as a catalytic heat generating apparatus. The catalytic heat generating apparatus is detachably installed in a housing of a heater section. The heater section has both ends provided with a pair of belt portions wound around a user's body.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 1998Date of Patent: March 27, 2001Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Col Ltd.Inventors: Touru Hanada, Kiyonobu Yoshida, Kouji Nakai, Shigehiro Kimura, Hidetaka Yabuuchi, Takaaki Kusaka
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Patent number: 6138664Abstract: A catalytic combustion heating device 3 for generating heat by oxidation reaction of fuel gas stored in a fuel tank 24 and air in a combustion unit 29 is installed in a mount 4 provided in a jacket 1. The mount 4 is fastened to the waist of the body wearing the jacket 1 by a holding band 9, and the load applied on the shoulders through the jacket is lessened and comfort is improved. Thus, a warming jacket capable of warming the body comfortably is obtained.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 1999Date of Patent: October 31, 2000Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Toru Hanada, Kiyonobu Yoshida, Tomoaki Kitano, Koji Nakai, Shinichi Ito, Kenjiro Tomita, Tadashi Ando, Hidetaka Yabuuchi, Takaaki Kusaka
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Patent number: 5284522Abstract: A zone of a floor to be cleaned is subdivided into a plurality of blocks, the position of each block is memorized in a memory of a self-running cleaning apparatus, and the status of each block such that a wall or an obstacle is placed on the block or the block is passed by the cleaning apparatus thereon is also memorized in the memory. The cleaning apparatus moves across the blocks having neither wall nor obstacle thereon and which have not been passed by the cleaning apparatus on the basis of a predetermined priority order in running direction.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 1992Date of Patent: February 8, 1994Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yasumichi Kobayashi, Hidetaka Yabuuchi, Osamu Eguchi, Shinji Kondoh, Haruo Terai
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Patent number: 5109566Abstract: A zone of a floor to be cleaned is subdivided into a plurality of blocks, the position of each block is memorized in a memory of a self-running cleaning apparatus, and the status of each block such that a wall or an obstacle is placed on the block or the block is passed by the cleaning apparatus thereon is also memorized in the memory. The cleaning apparatus moves across the blocks having neither wall nor obstacle thereon and which have not been passed by the cleaning apparatus on the basis of a predetermined priority order in running direction.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 1990Date of Patent: May 5, 1992Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yasumichi Kobayashi, Hidetaka Yabuuchi, Osamu Eguchi, Shinji Kondoh, Haruo Terai
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Patent number: 4774395Abstract: An electric heat storage apparatus, such as a steam iron, hot plate, pan, etc., includes a metal body defining a hollow housing enclosing a heat storage device containing a thermally decomposable heat storage substance comprising 30-99% by weight pentaerythritol. The heat storage substance is completely confined in a fluororesin enclosure which isolates the substance from the metal body and prevents contact of ambient air therewith so that the thermal stability of the pentaerythritol is enchanced. The metal body is heated by an electric heating element to a selected temperature for storing heat in the heat storage substance. In the case of use as a cordless electric steam iron, the metal body forms the sole plate of the iron and is provided with a vaporization chamber in heat exchange relationship with the heat storage substance for the generation of steam.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 1985Date of Patent: September 27, 1988Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hidetaka Yabuuchi, Yoshiyasu Endo, Akira Kataoka, Tsuneo Shibata