Patents by Inventor Hitoshi OKUNO

Hitoshi OKUNO 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).

  • Publication number: 20240150910
    Abstract: Provided is a surface-coated metal porous body having a three-dimensional network structure, the surface-coated metal porous body including: a framework forming the three-dimensional network structure; and a coating film provided on a surface of the framework, wherein the framework has a body including a metal element as a constituent element, the coating film includes a scale-like carbon material and a fine-grained conductive material, a distance D between two points that are farthest from each other on an outer perimeter of a main surface of the scale-like carbon material is 5% or more and 120% or less relative to a thickness of the framework, and the scale-like carbon material is deposited on the surface of the framework.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Applicants: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC TOYAMA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki OKUNO, Masatoshi MAJIMA, Hitoshi TSUCHIDA
  • Publication number: 20240133109
    Abstract: A disclosed drum-type washing machine having a softening apparatus comprises: a cylindrical water tank accommodating laundry and having a rotating drum; a case for accommodating the water tank; and a softening apparatus having a hardness component remover for removing hardness components from washing water, and a regeneration agent accommodation unit spaced apart from the hardness component remover on opposite sides from a center of the tub, and for accommodating a regeneration agent that regenerates a function of the hardness component remover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Atsushi OHYAGI, Hitoshi MINAI, Takashi ANDO, Tomoyuki OKUNO, Yasushi URAI
  • Patent number: 11637297
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a cathode off-gas discharge channel, a gas-liquid separator, and a cover member. The gas-liquid separator includes a body, a first discharge channel including a first valve seat at an end, and a first valve device including a first valve element and a first driver. The cover member covers at least the first discharge channel and the first valve seat in the gas-liquid separator, and includes a gas channel defining portion that defines a gas channel communicating with the cathode off-gas discharge channel between the cover member and the gas-liquid separator. The gas channel is configured such that a cathode off-gas flowing into the cover member comes into contact with the first discharge channel and the first valve seat and does not come into contact with the first driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, ASIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takami Hosoi, Hiroaki Nishiumi, Takashi Mishima, Hitoshi Okuno, Toshihide Yamada
  • Publication number: 20220226753
    Abstract: A gas-liquid separator includes a housing, an inlet in the housing, a flow passage which is in communication with the inlet and through which a water-containing gas supplied through the inlet flows in a vertical direction, a gas-flow director configured to change a flow direction of the water-containing gas flowing through the flow passage from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction, and a gas-liquid separating portion configured to bring the water-containing gas, supplied from the gas-flow director into the housing, into contact with a plurality of separation blades in sequence to separate water from the water-containing gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Applicants: AISIN CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hitoshi OKUNO, Takami HOSOI, Hiroaki NISHIUMI
  • Publication number: 20220115679
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a cathode off-gas discharge channel, a gas-liquid separator, and a cover member. The gas-liquid separator includes a body, a first discharge channel including a first valve seat at an end, and a first valve device including a first valve element and a first driver. The cover member covers at least the first discharge channel and the first valve seat in the gas-liquid separator, and includes a gas channel defining portion that defines a gas channel communicating with the cathode off-gas discharge channel between the cover member and the gas-liquid separator. The gas channel is configured such that a cathode off-gas flowing into the cover member comes into contact with the first discharge channel and the first valve seat and does not come into contact with the first driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takami HOSOI, Hiroaki NISHIUMI, Takashi MISHIMA, Hitoshi OKUNO, Toshihide YAMADA
  • Patent number: 10991958
    Abstract: A gas and water discharge unit for a fuel cell system that can be prevented from freezing even when it is formed using resin material. The unit includes a gas-liquid separator for separating produced water from fuel off-gas discharged from a fuel cell device, a gas and water discharge valve disposed downstream of the gas-liquid separator, and a resin unit body integrally formed with the gas-liquid separator and the gas and water discharge valve, in which the inside of the unit body includes a first channel with a valve seal at an end thereof on the gas and water discharge valve side, the first channel allowing communication between the gas-liquid separator and the gas and water discharge valve, a second channel communicating with the first channel via the gas and water discharge valve, and a heated water channel surrounding at least one of the first or second channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takami Hosoi, Hiroaki Nishiumi, Takashi Mishima, Koichi Kashiwagi, Hitoshi Okuno
  • Publication number: 20190363375
    Abstract: A gas and water discharge unit for a fuel cell system that can be prevented from freezing even when it is formed using resin material The unit includes a gas-liquid separator for separating produced water from fuel off-gas discharged from a fuel cell device, a gas and water discharge valve disposed downstream of the gas-liquid separator, and a resin unit body integrally formed with the gas-liquid separator and the gas and water discharge valve, in which the inside of the unit body includes a first channel with a valve seal at an end thereof on the gas and water discharge valve side, the first channel allowing communication between the gas-liquid separator and the gas and water discharge valve, a second channel communicating With the first channel via the gas and water discharge valve, and a heated water channel surrounding at least one of the first or second channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takami HOSOI, Hiroaki NISHIUMI, Takashi MISHIMA, Koichi KASHIWAGI, Hitoshi OKUNO