Patents by Inventor Katsuya NAGATA
Katsuya NAGATA 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: 11821193Abstract: A sanitary washing device includes a casing, a nozzle, and a nozzle drive unit. The nozzle drive unit advances and retracts the nozzle between a storage position and an advanced position. The nozzle drive unit includes a supporter, a gear, and a cable rack. The supporter includes a rail allowing the nozzle to slide. The gear applies a drive force to advance and retract the nozzle. The cable rack is connected with the nozzle and meshes with the gear. The cable rack includes a nozzle connection part connected with the nozzle. The gear and the cable rack mesh at a meshing part. The meshing part is positioned at a same position in a longitudinal direction as the nozzle connection part or further frontward than the nozzle connection part when the nozzle is at the storage position.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2022Date of Patent: November 21, 2023Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Katsuya Nagata, Yuki Ko, Junki Hamada
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Publication number: 20220396944Abstract: According to the embodiment, a sanitary washing device includes a casing, a nozzle, and a nozzle drive unit. The nozzle drive unit advances and retracts the nozzle between a storage position and an advanced position. The nozzle drive unit includes a supporter, a gear, and a cable rack. The supporter includes a rail allowing the nozzle to slide. The gear applies a drive force to advance and retract the nozzle. The cable rack is connected with the nozzle and meshes with the gear. The cable rack includes a nozzle connection part connected with the nozzle. The gear and the cable rack mesh at a meshing part. The meshing part is positioned at a same position in a longitudinal direction as the nozzle connection part or further frontward than the nozzle connection part when the nozzle is at the storage position.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2022Publication date: December 15, 2022Inventors: Katsuya NAGATA, Yuki KO, Junki HAMADA
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Patent number: 10427175Abstract: The present invention is a spout apparatus (1), including: a shower head main body (2), and an oscillation inducing element (4) for discharging water while allowing it to oscillate reciprocally, wherein the oscillation inducing element includes: a water supply passageway (10a), a water collision portion (14) for generating vortexes of alternately mutually opposing circulations; a vortex street passageway (10b) for guiding and growing vortexes formed by the water collision portion; a discharge passageway (10c) for causing water guided by the vortex street passageway to be discharged; a bypass passageway (6b) for allowing water to detour the water collision portion and flow into the vortex street passageway; and a flow volume ratio adjusting member (8), capable of varying the flow volume ratio of water flowing into the vortex street passageway through the water collision portion to water flowing into the vortex street passageway through the bypass passageway.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2016Date of Patent: October 1, 2019Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Katsuya Nagata, Kiyotake Ukigai
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Patent number: 10358803Abstract: The present invention is a spout apparatus including: a spout forming member configured to form a spout; a flow-guiding member provided inside the spout forming member, configured to guide water on an upstream side of the spout; an exposed flow-guiding member provided inside the spout forming member and on a spout side of the flow-guiding member, and exposed on a spout side of the exposed flow-guiding member; and a water channel configured to supply the water to an upstream side of the flow-guiding member. The exposed flow-guiding member and/or the spout forming member are configured to spout water from an outer periphery as an annular stream, among the water spouted from the spout. According to the above spout apparatus, the flow-guiding member can be effectively protected, and high guiding characteristics can be achieved in particular at an outer periphery of the spout.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2017Date of Patent: July 23, 2019Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Katsuya Nagata, Kiyotake Ukigai
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Patent number: 10272450Abstract: The present invention is a spout apparatus (1) for discharging water, including a spouting apparatus main body (2) and an oscillation inducing element (4) for discharging water with reciprocating motion; wherein the oscillation inducing element has: a water supply passageway (10a); a water colliding portion (14) for generating vortexes of mutually opposing circulations at the downstream side thereof by the collision of hot or cold water; a vortex street passageway (10b) having a tapered part, placed on the downstream side of the water supply passageway, which narrows in flow path cross section toward the downstream side; a separating portion (12) for suppressing the Coanda effect acting on the flow of water along the wall surface of a vortex street passageway; and a flow-aligning passageway (10c) having an essentially fixed flow path cross section which aligns the flow of hot or cold water which has passed through the separating portion.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2016Date of Patent: April 30, 2019Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Katsuya Nagata, Kiyotake Ukigai
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Patent number: 10272451Abstract: To provide a spout apparatus which is easily maintainable by a user even when, in a fluid device utilizing Karman vortices, scale adheres to the Karman vortex generating portion. A spout apparatus for discharging hot or cold water while causing it to reciprocally oscillate, having a spout apparatus body and an oscillating element; whereby the oscillating element has a water supply passage, a vortex generating passage, and a spout port passage; the spout port passage is formed of an elastically deformable soft member and is attached to the spout apparatus body so that a user can manipulate the spout port passage to deform it; and the vortex generating passage is formed of an elastically deformable soft member, and is integrally formed with the spout port passage so that deformations of the spout port passage can be transmitted to this vortex generating passage.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2016Date of Patent: April 30, 2019Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Kiyotake Ukigai, Katsuya Nagata, Masateru Miyazaki, Yutaka Aihara, Shuhei Hayata, Kei Watanabe, Nao Tanizaki, Hiroshi Nishijima
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Patent number: 10071386Abstract: To provide a spout apparatus whereby expansion and deformation of the inner wall surface of the vortex generating portion such that a desired Karman vortex cannot be generated are prevented, even when the port portion is formed of an elastically deformable soft member. A spout apparatus for discharging hot or cold water with reciprocal motion, having a spout apparatus body and a vortex generating passage; whereby the oscillating element has a supply passage, a vortex generating passage, and a spout port passage, and the spout port passage is formed by an elastically deformable soft member, and is attached to the spout apparatus body so that a user can manipulate and deform the spout port passage, and the vortex generating passage is formed so as not to expand and deform even if internal pressure rises due to the supply of hot or cold water from the supply passage.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2016Date of Patent: September 11, 2018Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Kiyotake Ukigai, Katsuya Nagata, Masateru Miyazaki, Yutaka Aihara, Shuhei Hayata, Kei Watanabe, Nao Tanizaki, Hiroshi Nishijima
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Publication number: 20180094414Abstract: The present invention is a spout apparatus including: a spout forming member configured to form a spout; a flow-guiding member provided inside the spout forming member, configured to guide water on an upstream side of the spout; an exposed flow-guiding member provided inside the spout forming member and on a spout side of the flow-guiding member, and exposed on a spout side of the exposed flow-guiding member; and a water channel configured to supply the water to an upstream side of the flow-guiding member. The exposed flow-guiding member and/or the spout forming member are configured to spout water from an outer periphery as an annular stream, among the water spouted from the spout. According to the above spout apparatus, the flow-guiding member can be effectively protected, and high guiding characteristics can be achieved in particular at an outer periphery of the spout.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2017Publication date: April 5, 2018Inventors: Katsuya NAGATA, Kiyotake UKIGAI
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Publication number: 20170165687Abstract: To provide a spout apparatus which is easily maintainable by a user even when, in a fluid device utilizing Karman vortices, scale adheres to the Karman vortex generating portion. A spout apparatus for discharging hot or cold water while causing it to reciprocally oscillate, having a spout apparatus body and an oscillating element; whereby the oscillating element has a water supply passage, a vortex generating passage, and a spout port passage; the spout port passage is formed of an elastically deformable soft member and is attached to the spout apparatus body so that a user can manipulate the spout port passage to deform it; and the vortex generating passage is formed of an elastically deformable soft member, and is integrally formed with the spout port passage so that deformations of the spout port passage can be transmitted to this vortex generating passage.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2016Publication date: June 15, 2017Inventors: Kiyotake UKIGAI, Katsuya NAGATA, Masateru MIYAZAKI, Yutaka AIHARA, Shuhei HAYATA, Kei WATANABE, Nao TANIZAKI, Hiroshi NISHIJIMA
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Publication number: 20170165688Abstract: To provide a spout apparatus whereby expansion and deformation of the inner wall surface of the vortex generating portion such that a desired Karman vortex cannot be generated are prevented, even when the port portion is formed of an elastically deformable soft member. A spout apparatus for discharging hot or cold water with reciprocal motion, having a spout apparatus body and a vortex generating passage; whereby the oscillating element has a supply passage, a vortex generating passage, and a spout port passage, and the spout port passage is formed by an elastically deformable soft member, and is attached to the spout apparatus body so that a user can manipulate and deform the spout port passage, and the vortex generating passage is formed so as not to expand and deform even if internal pressure rises due to the supply of hot or cold water from the supply passage.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2016Publication date: June 15, 2017Inventors: Kiyotake UKIGAI, Katsuya NAGATA, Masateru MIYAZAKI, Yutaka AIHARA, Shuhei HAYATA, Kei WATANABE, Nao TANIZAKI, Hiroshi NISHIJIMA
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Patent number: 9616433Abstract: In this shower apparatus, a part of an internal space thereof closer to the outer circumference thereof than an aeration unit is defined as a plurality of small spaces, and all of the small spaces have a uniform channel resistance.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2015Date of Patent: April 11, 2017Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Shuhei Hayata, Koji Takeda, Yasufumi Uemura, Kiyotake Ukigai, Katsuya Nagata
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Patent number: 9616432Abstract: In this shower apparatus, a part of an internal space thereof closer to the outer circumference thereof than an aeration unit is defined as a plurality of small spaces, and all of the small spaces have a uniform channel resistance, and all of the small spaces have a uniform ratio between a channel cross-sectional area at an inlet portion of each of the small spaces and a total opening area of nozzle holes that communicate the small space with an external space such that backflow water CF that returns from the respective small spaces consistently has a uniform flow rate at any point in time among the streams of the backflow water CF.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2015Date of Patent: April 11, 2017Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Shuhei Hayata, Koji Takeda, Yasufumi Uemura, Kiyotake Ukigai, Katsuya Nagata
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Publication number: 20170087570Abstract: The present invention is a spout apparatus (1) for spouting water, including: a spout apparatus main body (2) and an oscillation inducing element wherein the oscillation inducing element (4) has: a water supply conduit (10a), a water collision portion (14) disposed on the downstream end portion of the water supply passageway, for alternately generating oppositely circulating vortexes on that downstream side; a vortex street passageway (10b) for guiding vortexes formed by the water collision portion while causing them to grow; and a flow aligning pathway (10c) for aligning water including vortexes guided by the vortex street passageway, and causing it to be discharged; wherein a pair of opposing wall surfaces in the vortex street passageway is constituted so that the downstream side thereof is tapered over a longer area than the flow-aligning passageway, such that the flow path cross section thereof narrows toward the downstream side.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2016Publication date: March 30, 2017Inventors: Kiyotake UKIGAI, Katsuya NAGATA
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Publication number: 20170087568Abstract: The present invention is a spout apparatus (1) for spouting water, including: a spout apparatus main body (2) and an oscillation inducing element wherein the oscillation inducing element (4) has: a water supply conduit (10a), a water collision portion (14) disposed on the downstream end portion of the water supply passageway, for alternately generating oppositely circulating vortexes on that downstream side; a vortex street passageway (10b) for guiding vortexes formed by the water collision portion while causing them to grow; and a flow aligning pathway (10c) for aligning water including vortexes guided by the vortex street passageway, and causing it to be discharged; wherein a pair of opposing wall surfaces of the vortex street passageway are fully tapered so that a cross sectional area of flow path is narrowed towered a downstream side.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2016Publication date: March 30, 2017Inventors: Katsuya NAGATA, Kiyotake UKIGAI
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Publication number: 20170087567Abstract: The present invention is a spout apparatus (1) for discharging water, including a spouting apparatus main body (2) and an oscillation inducing element (4) for discharging water with reciprocating motion; wherein the oscillation inducing element has: a water supply passageway (10a); a water colliding portion (14) for generating vortexes of mutually opposing circulations at the downstream side thereof by the collision of hot or cold water; a vortex street passageway (10b) having a tapered part, placed on the downstream side of the water supply passageway, which narrows in flow path cross section toward the downstream side; a separating portion (12) for suppressing the Coanda effect acting on the flow of water along the wall surface of a vortex street passageway; and a flow-aligning passageway (10c) having an essentially fixed flow path cross section which aligns the flow of hot or cold water which has passed through the separating portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2016Publication date: March 30, 2017Inventors: Katsuya NAGATA, Kiyotake UKIGAI
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Publication number: 20170087569Abstract: The present invention is a spout apparatus (1), including: a shower head main body (2), and an oscillation inducing element (4) for discharging water while allowing it to oscillate reciprocally, wherein the oscillation inducing element includes: a water supply passageway (10a), a water collision portion (14) for generating vortexes of alternately mutually opposing circulations; a vortex street passageway (10b) for guiding and growing vortexes formed by the water collision portion; a discharge passageway (10c) for causing water guided by the vortex street passageway to be discharged; a bypass passageway (6b) for allowing water to detour the water collision portion and flow into the vortex street passageway; and a flow volume ratio adjusting member (8), capable of varying the flow volume ratio of water flowing into the vortex street passageway through the water collision portion to water flowing into the vortex street passageway through the bypass passageway.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2016Publication date: March 30, 2017Inventors: Katsuya NAGATA, Kiyotake UKIGAI
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Patent number: 9370785Abstract: Provided is a shower apparatus which can stably supply bubbly water through all nozzle holes and can cause water droplets of large, uniform size to land continuously on the user so as to allow the user to enjoy a shower with a voluminous feel as if the user were being showered by large drops of rain. The shower apparatus includes a water supply unit, a throttle unit adapted to eject passing water downstream, an aeration unit adapted to produce bubbly water by aerating the water ejected through the throttle unit, and a nozzle unit provided with a plurality of nozzle holes used to discharge the bubbly water, wherein the throttle unit has a flat-shaped throttle channel and water ejected through the throttle channel plunges into an air-liquid interface as a sheet-like stream, thereby producing bubbly water, which is then discharged through the nozzle hole.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2014Date of Patent: June 21, 2016Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Kiyotake Ukigai, Minoru Sato, Takahiro Ohashi, Yutaka Aihara, Minami Okamoto, Katsuya Nagata
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Patent number: 9220376Abstract: A shower apparatus F1 includes a water supply unit 21; a throttle unit 22 installed downstream of the water supply unit 21 and adapted to eject passing water downstream; an aeration unit 23 provided with an opening 231 adapted to produce bubbly water by aerating the water ejected through the throttle unit 22; and a nozzle unit 24 provided with a plurality of nozzle holes 243 adapted to discharge the bubbly water, wherein a virtual water ejection straight line obtained by extending an ejection direction of the water ejected through the throttle unit 22 reaches a location where the nozzle holes 243 are formed, without interfering with inner walls of the aeration unit 23 and the nozzle unit 24.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2009Date of Patent: December 29, 2015Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Takahiro Ohashi, Minoru Sato, Yutaka Aihara, Minami Okamoto, Kiyotake Ukigai, Katsuya Nagata
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Patent number: 9175460Abstract: Provided is a shower apparatus which can stably produce and supply bubbly water to nozzle holes, causing finely divided water droplets of relatively large, uniform size to land continuously on a user so as to allow the user to enjoy a shower with a voluminous feel as if the user were being showered by large drops of rain. The shower apparatus includes a water supply unit, a throttle unit adapted to eject passing water downstream, an aeration unit adapted to produce bubbly water by aerating the water ejected through the throttle unit, and a nozzle unit provided with a plurality of nozzle holes used to discharge the bubbly water, wherein an ejection speed changing means is installed in the water supply unit to at least partially vary ejection speeds of the water ejected from respective throttle channels of the plurality of throttle channels of the throttle unit.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2011Date of Patent: November 3, 2015Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Kiyotake Ukigai, Minoru Sato, Takahiro Ohashi, Yutaka Aihara, Minami Okamoto, Katsuya Nagata
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Publication number: 20150273488Abstract: In this shower apparatus, a part of an internal space thereof closer to the outer circumference thereof than an aeration unit is defined as a plurality of small spaces, and all of the small spaces have a uniform channel resistance.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2015Publication date: October 1, 2015Applicant: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Shuhei HAYATA, Koji TAKEDA, Yasufumi UEMURA, Kiyotake UKIGAI, Katsuya NAGATA