Patents by Inventor Jiro Kitamura

Jiro Kitamura 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: 20230371742
    Abstract: A technique for reducing stagnation of food at a specific location on a drum when food is stirred using the drum is disclosed. The disclosed food stirring device includes: a drum that extends in an axial direction, has a hollow shape, and includes: an inlet part through which a food to be fed to an inside of the drum passes; and an outlet part that is provided at a position different from the inlet part and through which the food to be discharged from the inside of the drum passes; a drum drive device that rotates the drum around a rotation axis; a stirrer that is at least partially located inside the drum; and a support member that is attached to the drum and supports the stirrer, wherein there is a gap between an inner wall surface of the drum and the stirrer, and wherein a ratio of a shortest diameter to a longest diameter of a cross sectional surface, in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, of a part of the stirrer that is located inside the drum is 1/3 or greater and 1 or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Applicant: NICHIREI FOODS INC.
    Inventors: Hiroaki MURATA, Tsukasa SHIDA, Teiko KOBAYASHI, Minoru MAMIYA, Jiro KITAMURA
  • Patent number: 11589605
    Abstract: To provide a food product molding device and a food product manufacturing method capable of molding foodstuffs into a food product having stacked plural layers with a simple structure. A mold unit in which a first mold plate and a second mold plate are stacked slidingly moves by a drive unit. Through holes respectively provided in the first mold plate and the second mold plate are linked to form molding hole portions. The molding hole portions move to a first filling position in which upper ends of the molding hole portions are connected to first filling openings, a second filling position in which upper ends of the molding hole portions are connected to second filling openings, and a discharge position in which upper ends of the molding hole portions are connected to pusher ports by the slide movement of the mold unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: NICHIREI FOODS INC.
    Inventors: Yoshito Fujimori, Hirokazu Chukyo, Jiro Kitamura, Shunichi Watanabe, Nawo Sato
  • Publication number: 20210137150
    Abstract: The invention provides a food coating apparatus and a food production method in which an impact applied when a food material is put can be reduced, misalignment or deformation of a food material can be suppressed, and even a soft food material, an easily-crumbled food material, or the like can be efficiently coated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Applicant: Nichirei Foods Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshito FUJIMORI, Hirokazu CHUKYO, Jiro KITAMURA, Shunichi WATANABE, Nao SATOU
  • Publication number: 20210030049
    Abstract: To provide a food product molding device and a food product manufacturing method capable of molding foodstuffs into a food product having stacked plural layers with a simple structure. A mold unit in which a first mold plate and a second mold plate are stacked slidingly moves by a drive unit. Through holes respectively provided in the first mold plate and the second mold plate are linked to form molding hole portions. The molding hole portions move to a first filling position in which upper ends of the molding hole portions are connected to first filling openings, a second filling position in which upper ends of the molding hole portions are connected to second filling openings, and a discharge position in which upper ends of the molding hole portions are connected to pusher ports by the slide movement of the mold unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Applicant: NICHIREI FOODS INC.
    Inventors: Yoshito FUJIMORI, Hirokazu CHUKYO, Jiro KITAMURA, Shunichi WATANABE, Nawo SATO
  • Publication number: 20190274348
    Abstract: A food forming device includes a mold plate and pushers. The mold plate includes n first forming holes and n second forming holes provided alternately in a circumferential direction of the mold plate, n being an integer of two or more. The mold plate intermittently rotates to a first rotation position and to a second rotation position. In the first rotation position, the first forming holes are respectively connected with the discharge holes while lower openings of the second forming holes are obstructed by the bottom plate. In the second rotation position, the second forming holes are respectively connected with the discharge holes while lower openings of the first forming holes are obstructed by the bottom plate. The pushers push out the foodstuffs from the first forming holes or the second forming holes to discharge the foodstuffs as formed food products every time the mold plate intermittently rotates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Applicant: NICHIREI FOODS INC.
    Inventors: Yoshito FUJIMORI, Jiro KITAMURA, Hirokazu CHUKYO
  • Patent number: 10302358
    Abstract: A food heating device includes a conveying unit, a heating unit, and a suction unit. The conveying unit has an endless belt member which allows hot air to pass therethrough. The belt member has an outgoing side on which the food is placed, and a return side, wherein the outgoing side passes through a space between the heating unit and the suction unit, and the return side is disposed to face the outgoing side and avoid the space between the heating unit and the suction unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: NICHIREI FOODS INC.
    Inventors: Yoshito Fujimori, Hiroaki Murata, Kengo Uno, Jiro Kitamura, Kimihiro Mori, Yu Nakanishi
  • Publication number: 20170176101
    Abstract: A food heating device includes a conveying unit, a heating unit, and a suction unit. The conveying unit has an endless belt member which allows hot air to pass therethrough. The belt member has an outgoing side on which the food is placed, and a return side, wherein the outgoing side passes through a space between the heating unit and the suction unit, and the return side is disposed to face the outgoing side and avoid the space between the heating unit and the suction unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Applicant: NICHIREI FOODS INC.
    Inventors: Yoshito FUJIMORI, Hiroaki MURATA, Kengo UNO, Jiro KITAMURA, Kimihiro MORI, Yu NAKANISHI
  • Patent number: 9668512
    Abstract: A continuous food frying device includes a first heating unit, a conveyance unit, a uniformizing unit, and a second heating unit. The first heating unit stirs and heats a food charged therein from a charging port of a drum member. The conveyance unit conveys a food discharged from a discharging port of the drum member. The uniformizing unit makes the thickness of the food substantially uniform. The second heating unit blows hot air onto the food from injection ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: NICHIREI FOODS INC.
    Inventors: Jiro Kitamura, Kimihiro Mori, Yoshito Fujimori, Kengo Uno
  • Publication number: 20160120365
    Abstract: A continuous food frying device includes a first heating unit, a conveyance unit, a uniformizing unit, and a second heating unit. The first heating unit stirs and heats a food charged therein from a charging port of a drum member. The conveyance unit conveys a food discharged from a discharging port of the drum member. The uniformizing unit makes the thickness of the food substantially uniform. The second heating unit blows hot air onto the food from injection ports.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2014
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Jiro KITAMURA, Kimihiro MORI, Yoshito FUJIMORI, Kengo UNO
  • Patent number: 4703061
    Abstract: A compound which is 4-(3,5-dihydroxy-3-methylpentylamide)butyric acid or its pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester; this compound being produced by reacting a salt or an ester of gamma-aminobutyric acid with beta-hydroxy-beta-methyl-delta-valerolactone, and as required, converting the resulting compound in the form of a salt or ester to a free acid, or as required, converting the resulting compound in the form of a free acid to its pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester; and useful as a medicament for preventing or treating an impediment in cerebral function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1987
    Assignee: Kuraray Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Kameyama, Jiro Kitamura, Tetsuo Takigawa, Masao Mizuno