Patents by Inventor Katsuya Kitanaka

Katsuya Kitanaka 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: 7174594
    Abstract: A car washing machine (1) is composed of a front body (1A) provided with a rocker brush (11), a top brush (12), side brushes (13) and so forth as washing means for washing a vehicle (2), and a rear body (1B) provided with a top nozzle (21), side nozzles (22) and so forth as drying means for drying the vehicle (2). The front and rear bodies (1A and 1B) are capable of separately traveling. According to this arrangement, the washing operation of the vehicle (2) using the washing means provided on the front body (1A) and the drying operation using the drying means provided on the rear body (1B) can be executed in a spaced apart relationship, thus preventing the drying finish from being deteriorated by water splashes produced during the washing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Ikari, Nobuhiro Ishida, Nobuhiko Kawai, Katsuya Kitanaka, Takehiro Yamada
  • Publication number: 20020144366
    Abstract: A car washing machine (1) is composed of a front body (1A) provided with a rocker brush (11), a top brush (12), side brushes (13) and so forth as washing means for washing a vehicle (2), and a rear body (1B) provided with a top nozzle (21), side nozzles (22) and so forth as drying means for drying the vehicle (2). The front and rear bodies (1A and 1B) are capable of separately traveling. According to this arrangement, the washing operation of the vehicle (2) using the washing means provided on the front body (1A) and the drying operation using the drying means provided on the rear body (1B) can be executed in a spaced apart relationship, thus preventing the drying finish from being deteriorated by water splashes produced during the washing operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Publication date: October 10, 2002
    Applicant: DAIFUKU CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Ikari, Nobuhiro Ishida, Nobuhiko Kawai, Katsuya Kitanaka, Takehiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 5901398
    Abstract: According to a conventional continuous car washing machine in which one of the right and left side brushes is stationary, a roller conveyor which transports a vehicle to be washed is provided with wheel guides to maintain a spacing between a lateral surface of the vehicle and one side brush at a given value. Thus, there has been a problem that it is difficult to drive the vehicle to move itself onto the required position on the roller conveyor. The present invention which is intended to solve the problem provides a car washing machine comprising a stationary car washing machine body in which a pair of side brushes (8a, 8b) are disposed to be retractable in the transverse direction at a right angle with the direction of transport of a vehicle in order for washing at least the lateral surfaces of the vehicle (2), and a conveyor device (3) for transporting the vehicle (2) which is free of wheel guides and has a sufficient width to accommodate a plurality of different car widths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junzo Ishikawa, Akira Ikari, Masamoto Ueda, Mitsuru Nishimura, Katsuya Kitanaka