Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Niimi

Hiroshi Niimi 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: 9515322
    Abstract: Disclosed is a durable solid oxide fuel cell that is less likely to have a problem of a conventional solid oxide fuel cell that an air electrode containing a peroviskite oxide, when exposed to a reducing atmosphere, is separated at the stop of operation, especially shutdown. The solid oxide fuel cell includes an air electrode that is obtained by firing a compact containing a perovskite oxide and sulfur element. The content of the sulfur element in the air electrode as fresh after firing or before the start of power generation is in the range of 50 ppm to 3,000 ppm. The separation of the air electrode is effectively suppressed at the shutdown operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Niimi, Akira Ishiguro, Shigeru Ando, Akira Kawakami, Megumi Shimazu, Yuya Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9150276
    Abstract: A saddle-ride type vehicle includes a frame, an engine, a wheel support device, a wheel, upstream and downstream brake hoses, a brake device, a master cylinder, and a fluid pressure control device. The brake device is mounted to the wheel support device. The brake device is configured to brake the wheel by brake fluid being fed thereto from the downstream brake hose. The master cylinder is configured to feed the brake fluid to the upstream brake hose. The fluid pressure control device includes a brake hose connecting portion to which the upstream and downstream brake hoses are connected. The frame includes a head pipe, a main frame, a first down frame, and a second down frame. The fluid pressure control device is disposed either between the main frame and the first down frame, or between the main frame and the second down frame in the vehicle top view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Niimi
  • Publication number: 20150114742
    Abstract: A saddle-ride type vehicle includes a frame, an engine, a wheel support device, a wheel, upstream and downstream brake hoses, a brake device, a master cylinder, and a fluid pressure control device. The brake device is mounted to the wheel support device. The brake device is configured to brake the wheel by brake fluid being fed thereto from the downstream brake hose. The master cylinder is configured to feed the brake fluid to the upstream brake hose. The fluid pressure control device includes a brake hose connecting portion to which the upstream and downstream brake hoses are connected. The frame includes a head pipe, a main frame, a first down frame, and a second down frame. The fluid pressure control device is disposed either between the main frame and the first down frame, or between the main frame and the second down frame in the vehicle top view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventor: Hiroshi NIIMI
  • Publication number: 20140162149
    Abstract: Disclosed is a durable solid oxide fuel cell that is less likely to have a problem of a conventional solid oxide fuel cell that an air electrode containing a peroviskite oxide, when exposed to a reducing atmosphere, is separated at the stop of operation, especially shutdown. The solid oxide fuel cell includes an air electrode that is obtained by firing a compact containing a perovskite oxide and sulfur element. The content of the sulfur element in the air electrode as fresh after firing or before the start of power generation is in the range of 50 ppm to 3,000 ppm. The separation of the air electrode is effectively suppressed at the shutdown operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi NIIMI, Akira ISHIGURO, Shigeru ANDO, Akira KAWAKAMI, Megumi SHIMAZU, Yuya TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 8722278
    Abstract: Disclosed is a solid oxide fuel cell that has a high initial power generation performance and a good power generation durability. The fuel cell comprises at least a fuel electrode, an electrolyte, an air electrode, and a current collecting part disposed on the air electrode, wherein the current collecting part comprises an electroconductive metal and an oxide, the electroconductive metal is silver and palladium, the oxide is a perovskite oxide, and the content of the oxide is more than 0 (zero) and less than 0.111 in terms of weight ratio to the electroconductive metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Niimi, Akira Kawakami, Yutaka Momiyama, Shuichiro Saigan
  • Publication number: 20100098999
    Abstract: Disclosed is a solid oxide fuel cell that has a high initial power generation performance and a good power generation durability. The fuel cell comprises at least a fuel electrode, an electrolyte, an air electrode, and a current collecting part disposed on the air electrode, wherein the current collecting part comprises an electroconductive metal and an oxide, the electroconductive metal is silver and palladium, the oxide is a perovskite oxide, and the content of the oxide is more than 0 (zero) and less than 0.111 in terms of weight ratio to the electroconductive metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2009
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Applicant: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: HIROSHI NIIMI, AKIRA KAWAKAMI, YUTAKA MOMIYAMA, SHUICHIRO SAIGAN
  • Patent number: 7400592
    Abstract: A plurality of distribution devices accommodate one or more respective cameras. Respective picture monitors are connected to a plurality of receiving devices. The plurality of distribution devices and the plurality of receiving devices are connected by a transmission line. This transmission line is in a ring shape, and transmits picture data by a time division multiplex method. On receipt of a request related to picture display from a user terminal, a central device transmits an instruction to the plurality of distribution devices and to the plurality of receiving devices, according to a usage condition of the transmission line and the number of simultaneously distributed pictures. The plurality of distribution devices distribute picture data according to the instruction, and the plurality of receiving devices receive the picture data according to the instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Hiroshi Niimi, Nobuyuki Kaneko, Takehiko Fujiyama
  • Patent number: 6267072
    Abstract: An indicating instrument includes a generally straight illumination lamp or cold cathode fluorescent lamp and a light conducting plate which are disposed on the back of a dial plate. The dial plate has plurality of trans-illuminous gauge or meter patterns. The cold cathode fluorescent lamp is disposed longitudinally at an upper side of the light conducting plate to guide the light of the lamp to the trans-illuminous gauge or meter patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Seto, Hirofumi Ikeuchi, Ryouichi Nishikawa, Masaaki Muraki, Hiroshi Niimi, Naoyuki Aoki, Kozo Ono
  • Patent number: 5880431
    Abstract: A preheating device for an illuminating unit comprises a cold cathode fluorescent tube, a heater for heating the cold cathode fluorescent tube at the time of low temperature and ensuring the brightness, a temperature sensor, a door-unlocking detector, and a CPU controlling the heater. When a driver of a vehicle unlocks a door of a vehicle with a key to get it in, the door-unlocking detector detects unlocking of the door and sends the detected signal to the CPU. The CPU starts electric supply to the heater to preheat the cold cathode fluorescent tube when a detected signal of the unlocking of the door is input by the door-unlocking detector and a cold temperature signal is input by the temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Niimi, Yukihide Shibata
  • Patent number: 5825335
    Abstract: A sheet antenna apparatus capable of favorably receiving vertically polarized electromagnetic waves is provided which includes an antenna element 11 comprising a main antenna portion 15 having a vertical segment 19, a pair of upper and lower lateral segments 20 and 21 respectively extending laterally from opposite ends of the vertical segment 19 and a pair of feeder segments 22 respectively extending inwardly from the terminating ends of the lateral segments 20 and 21, and a parasitic antenna element comprising an inner loop portion 16 and an outer loop portion 17 which form a double loop and are disposed as adjoining to one of the lateral segments 20 and 21. The vertical segment 19 of the antenna element 11 substantially coincides with the direction of vertically polarized electromagnetic waves and hence receives vertically polarized electromagnetic waves favorably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Arai, Hiroshi Mura, Hideo Sakata, Takahiro Mizoguchi, Kensuke Ishida, Hiroshi Niimi
  • Patent number: 5675738
    Abstract: A video information server system which makes it possible for a party to remotely control any of a plurality of video information server apparatuses holding a plurality of types of video information different in type from each other through a communication network and thereby easily obtained desired video information, the system being provided with a video information server center including a plurality of video information server apparatuses and a center control equipment for selecting one of these apparatuses in accordance with a request from a request terminal and sending the video information of the request and the central control equipment being provided with a common management file for recording various data for converting requests from terminals compatible with all of the plurality of video information server apparatuses into requests corresponding to the individual apparatuses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Youko Suzuki, Hiroyuki Hatta, Mamoru Udagawa, Hiroshi Niimi, Masayuki Ozawa, Kenji Tanaka
  • Patent number: 4879873
    Abstract: A spinning unit of an open-end spinning machine is disclosed which comprises a rotor having an inner wall, a bottom portion and an open end opposite to said bottom portion and arranged to rotate about a center axis perpendicular to said bottom portion; and a stationary closing member projecting into a spinning chamber of said rotor to thereby close the open end of said rotor and provided with a fiber supply duct which opens toward the inner wall of the rotor, and a yarn guide hole which opens in an end surface thereof opposite to the bottom portion of the rotor. The fiber supply duct is arranged in the closing member so that an inner wall of the fiber supply duct located on a side of the rotational center of the rotor is extended to be near to the rotational center of the rotor or to be over the rotational center of the rotor. The width of the fiber supply duct is established to be not larger than 90 percent of the diameter of the closing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1989
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho
    Inventors: Susumu Kawabata, Tetsuzo Inoue, Hiroshi Niimi
  • Patent number: 4621490
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for producing a fasciated yarn, utilizing an air nozzle for false-twisting a fiber bundle. The apparatus is provided with a fiber passage comprising an inlet portion, a small channel, and a large channel, and is provided also with a contact area on an inner wall of the small channel, this contact area being formed by the intersection at an angle of the small channel and the large channel.During the spinning operation, the fiber bundle is forced against the contact area, effectively suppressing a twist imparted by a vortex such that it does not ascend toward the upstream region.Also, since ballooning can be suppressed by the contact area, the size of the small channel can be increased, resulting in the intake by suction of a sufficient amount of air in the inlet portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1986
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho, Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho
    Inventors: Susumu Kawabata, Hiroshi Niimi, Meiji Anahara, Hiroshi Omori
  • Patent number: 4542560
    Abstract: In the present invention, a plurality of fixed flats are disposed in juxtaposition to one another, and an opening 5 to 33 mm wide is formed between each pair of adjoining fixed flats, in such a manner that the dust is entrained in the discharge air current produced at the upstream side of the opening and extracted out of the opened fiber mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1985
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Takuzo Tooka, Choji Nozaki, Junzo Hasegawa, Susumu Kawabata, Hiroshi Niimi, Yoshiaki Yamaoka, Hiroaki Goto, Yasuhiro Miura
  • Patent number: 4450678
    Abstract: An air nozzle, suitable for producing a fasciated yarn, having at least one jet in each of narrow and wide passages along the traveling direction of the fiber bundle. Each jet is directed to generate a vortex whirling reversely from that of the other passage. The twist imparted to the fiber bundle by the vortex generated in the wide passage is restrained by the vortex whirling reversely thereto in the narrow passage. As a result, circumferential fibers of the fiber bundle are less twisted relative to the core portion thereof. During the untwisting operation of the vortex of the wide passage, the circumferential fibers are entangled around the core portion with a twist corresponding to the difference from the core portion, thereby obtaining a well-fasciated yarn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 29, 1984
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho, Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho
    Inventors: Susumu Kawabata, Hiroshi Niimi, Meiji Anahara, Yoshihisa Suzuki, Hiroshi Omori
  • Patent number: 4434611
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a pneumatic twisting spinning apparatus comprising a drafting device for forming a fleece, a deflection roller, a pneumatic twisting nozzle for injecting air into a twisting tube to form a swirling air stream, so that the fleece can be twisted into a yarn, a take-up roller for withdrawing the yarn, and a winding roller. The deflection roller is disposed adjacent to the front roller, for varying the direction of fleece travel and supplying the fleece along an outer peripheral wall of said front roller, and separating ends of peripheral fibers from the fleece as free fibers, which will be twisted by the pneumatic twisting nozzle so as to be wound around central main fibers, thereby forming a bundled yarn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1982
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1984
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho
    Inventors: Junzo Hasegawa, Susumu Kawabata, Hiroshi Niimi
  • Patent number: 4266324
    Abstract: Sliver weight unevenness correcting apparatus of a feed-forward type has: a sliver weight measuring section for detecting the variations in weight of a bundle of slivers; a correcting draft device having front rollers disposed downstream of the sliver weight measuring section relative to the direction of advancement of slivers, the front rollers being rotated at a constant speed, and back rollers disposed between the sliver weight measuring section and the front rollers, the back rollers being rotated at a variable speed; a rotation detector for detecting the number of revolutions of the front rollers; an unevenness correcting circuit having a ratio circuit for operating a ratio (E.sub.0 /E.sub.1) between a reference sliver weight (E.sub.0) and the detected weight (E.sub.1) thereof, a delay circuit for delaying the speed control of the back rollers of the correcting draft device for a predetermined period of time, and a contrasting operational circuit for multiplying the ratio (E.sub.0 /E.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1979
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1981
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho, Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Junzo Hasegawa, Susumu Kawabata, Hiroshi Niimi, Yasuhiko Suzuki, Masaki Akatsuka, Takahiko Tsunekawa
  • Patent number: 4246000
    Abstract: The invention provides: a fuel composition comprising 100 parts by weight of a coal-liquid fuel mixture and 0.02 to 1.0 part by weight of at least one additive selected from the group consisting of dibenzylidene sorbitol, ditoluylidene sorbitol, tribenzylidene sorbitol, tritoluylidene sorbitol and hydrogenated castor oil; and a fuel composition comprising 100 parts by weight of a coal-liquid fuel mixture, 0.02 to 1.0 part by weight of at least one additive selected from the group consisting of dibenzylidene sorbitol, ditoluylidene sorbitol, tribenzylidene sorbitol, tritoluylidene sorbitol and hydrogenated castor oil, and 1 to 10 parts by weight of water. The composition shows high stability over a prolonged period of time, preventing the separation into layers of the components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1979
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1981
    Assignees: New Japan Chemical Co., Ltd., Mitsui Coke Co., Ltd., Mitsui Miike Machinery Co., Ltd., Toko Kasei Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kobayashi, Tomio Nobe, Hiroshi Niimi, Tetsuo Wada