Patents by Inventor Kentaro KOURA
Kentaro KOURA 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: 11666191Abstract: A rotary brush is easily attachable to and detachable from a body with less separation from the body during cleaning. A rotary brush attachable to a driving shaft rotatable about a rotation axis and including a protrusion includes a brush, a base to which the brush is attached, and a locking member that comes in contact with the base and the driving shaft to lock the base to the driving shaft.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2020Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATIONInventors: Kentaro Koura, Hirotaka Sumiyoshi
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Patent number: 11576542Abstract: A robotic dust collector includes: a cover plate that closes an opening of a housing; a first hinge member connected to the cover plate and having an insertion space; an elastic member disposed in the insertion space; and a second hinge member. The second hinge member includes a shaft part that is inserted in the insertion space and supports the elastic member. The second hinge member further includes a fixture part fixed to at least a part of the housing. The second hinge member supports the first hinge member in a manner that allows the first hinge member to rotate about a rotation axis.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2019Date of Patent: February 14, 2023Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATIONInventors: Kentaro Koura, Hirotaka Sumiyoshi
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Patent number: 11564545Abstract: A self-propelled, dust-collecting robot includes a main-body part including a dust collection box, and a first battery pack, which has a case, at least one battery cell in the case, a control circuit board having a controller mounted in the case, and a discharge terminal. The main body part includes a first battery pack mount having a connector to which the first battery pack is removably connectable. The first battery pack is configured for use in an electric power tool.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2019Date of Patent: January 31, 2023Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATIONInventors: Kentaro Koura, Yasutoshi Shinma
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Patent number: 11517167Abstract: An autonomous cleaning device (1), such as a robotic vacuum (1), has an optical sensor (50) that includes: a rotary body (51) configured to rotate relative to a main body (2) about a rotational axis (CX); a light-emitting device (61) provided on the rotary body; a light-receiving device (62) provided on the rotary body; a cover (52) disposed upward of the rotary body; and legs (70) disposed around the rotary body and supporting the cover. In a cross section orthogonal to the rotational axis, at least a portion of a surface of each of the legs is inclined with respect to a virtual radial line (RL) extending in the radial direction of the rotational axis.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2020Date of Patent: December 6, 2022Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATIONInventors: Kentaro Koura, Takuro Konishi
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Publication number: 20220167815Abstract: The present disclosure provides a robot cleaner comprising: a cleaner body including a control unit for controlling autonomous travelling; a sensing unit arranged to be inclined to the side surfaces and the upper surface of an upper corner portion of the cleaner body and photographing both the side direction and the upper direction of the cleaner body; and a bumper arranged to cover a first half area of the cleaner body and configured, at the time of coming into contact with an obstacle, to be pressed and absorb impact, wherein the sensing unit is arranged behind the bumper.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 6, 2020Publication date: June 2, 2022Applicants: LG ELECTRONICS INC., MAKITA CORPORATIONInventors: Byungkon SOHN, Kentaro KOURA, Youngkouk SONG
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Patent number: 11116377Abstract: A robot polisher has, in a box-shaped body part having a round shape in a plan view, right and left batteries, right and left wheel motors (not shown), and a pair of right and left wheels. The right and left wheel motors are rotationally driven by using the batteries as power supplies. The pair of right and left wheels can be individually rotated forward/backward by the respective wheel motors. On a lower housing, at the front-side lower part of the body part, a pair of right and left brushes are downwardly attached, which rotate in directions opposite to each other during traveling while being in sliding contact with a floor surface.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2017Date of Patent: September 14, 2021Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATIONInventors: Masahiko Goto, Kentaro Koura
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Patent number: 11096535Abstract: A robotic vacuum (1) includes a main body (2) having a suction port (15) in a bottom surface (2B) thereof; a storage unit (6) housed in the main body and configured to store dust and debris suctioned in via the suction port (15); and at least one wheel (9) that supports the main body (2). The main body (2) has a width Wb in a first direction that is parallel to a rotational axis (AX) of the wheel (9), the storage unit (6) has a width Ws in the first direction, the main body (2) has a height Hb in a second direction that is perpendicular to the rotational axis (AX) and perpendicular to the first direction, and the storage unit (6) has a height Hs in the second direction. The width Wb is 470-600 mm, and the condition 0.5×Wb?Ws?0.7×Wb is satisfied.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2019Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATIONInventors: Kentaro Koura, Yudai Sugino, Hirotaka Sumiyoshi
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Patent number: 11083356Abstract: A robotic dust collector includes a body, a wheel, a wheel motor, and a suspension device. The body accommodates a storage unit to store therein dust and dirt sucked in from a suction inlet. The wheel supports the body. The wheel motor generates motive power to rotate the wheel. The suspension device includes a support member, a motive-force generating mechanism, and an adjustment mechanism. The wheel is supported rotatably about a center axis by the support member. The motive-force generating mechanism gives a motive force to the support member to generate a biasing force to cause the wheel to protrude from a bottom face of the body. The adjustment mechanism adjusts the biasing force based on a protrusion amount of the wheel from the bottom face. The suspension device gives the biasing force adjusted by the adjustment mechanism to the wheel.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2018Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATIONInventor: Kentaro Koura
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Publication number: 20210093136Abstract: A rotary brush is easily attachable to and detachable from a body with less separation from the body during cleaning. A rotary brush attachable to a driving shaft rotatable about a rotation axis and including a protrusion includes a brush, a base to which the brush is attached, and a locking member that comes in contact with the base and the driving shaft to lock the base to the driving shaft.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2020Publication date: April 1, 2021Applicant: MAKITA CORPORATIONInventors: Kentaro KOURA, Hirotaka SUMIYOSHI
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Publication number: 20200405111Abstract: An autonomous cleaning device (1), such as a robotic vacuum (1), has an optical sensor (50) that includes: a rotary body (51) configured to rotate relative to a main body (2) about a rotational axis (CX); a light-emitting device (61) provided on the rotary body; a light-receiving device (62) provided on the rotary body; a cover (52) disposed upward of the rotary body; and legs (70) disposed around the rotary body and supporting the cover. In a cross section orthogonal to the rotational axis, at least a portion of a surface of each of the legs is inclined with respect to a virtual radial line (RL) extending in the radial direction of the rotational axis.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2020Publication date: December 31, 2020Inventors: Kentaro KOURA, Takuro KONISHI
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Publication number: 20200138257Abstract: A robotic dust collector includes: a cover plate that closes an opening of a housing; a first hinge member connected to the cover plate and having an insertion space; an elastic member disposed in the insertion space; and a second hinge member. The second hinge member includes a shaft part that is inserted in the insertion space and supports the elastic member. The second hinge member further includes a fixture part fixed to at least a part of the housing. The second hinge member supports the first hinge member in a manner that allows the first hinge member to rotate about a rotation axis.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2019Publication date: May 7, 2020Applicant: MAKITA CORPORATIONInventors: Kentaro KOURA, Hirotaka SUMIYOSHI
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Patent number: 10588475Abstract: A self-propelled dust-collecting robot includes a main body having wheels, a dust-collecting unit collecting dust on a floor surface, infrared sensors each including an infrared transmission element that emits infrared light toward the floor surface and an infrared reception element that receives the infrared light reflected at the floor surface, and a controller controlling the wheels on the basis of a reflectance of the infrared light obtained from each infrared sensor. The controller, during running, determines whether the reflectance is higher than or equal to a predetermined threshold value. Upon determining that the reflectance is higher than or equal to the threshold value, the controller controls the wheels to perform an avoidance action with the position where the reflectance is detected being a virtual wall, thereby to control the self-propelled dust-collecting robot to perform cleaning within a cleaning range defined by a reflection member.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2016Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATIONInventors: Kentaro Koura, Yasutoshi Shinma
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Publication number: 20190357743Abstract: A robotic vacuum (1) includes a main body (2) having a suction port (15) in a bottom surface (2B) thereof; a storage unit (6) housed in the main body and configured to store dust and debris suctioned in via the suction port (15); and at least one wheel (9) that supports the main body (2). The main body (2) has a width Wb in a first direction that is parallel to a rotational axis (AX) of the wheel (9), the storage unit (6) has a width Ws in the first direction, the main body (2) has a height Hb in a second direction that is perpendicular to the rotational axis (AX) and perpendicular to the first direction, and the storage unit (6) has a height Hs in the second direction. The width Wb is 470-600 mm, and the condition 0.5×Wb?Ws?0.7×Wb is satisfied.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2019Publication date: November 28, 2019Inventors: Kentaro KOURA, Yudai SUGINO, Hirotaka SUMIYOSHI
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Patent number: 10463219Abstract: A self-propelled, dust-collecting robot includes a chassis, an electric motor supported by the chassis, and first and second rechargeable battery packs disposed inside the chassis for supplying current to the electric motor. First and second castors are respectively disposed immediately underneath the first and second battery packs. Each of the battery packs has a pair of rails that respectively slide into and engage with complementary guide rails coupled to the chassis. A dust-collection box is removably disposed within the chassis. A dust-collection motor rotates a suction fan that is in fluid communication with the dust-collection box. At least one rotatable brush sweeps dust towards a suction port in fluid communication with the dust-collection box.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2015Date of Patent: November 5, 2019Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATIONInventors: Kentaro Koura, Yasutoshi Shinma
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Publication number: 20190290088Abstract: A robot polisher has, in a box-shaped body part having a round shape in a plan view, right and left batteries, right and left wheel motors (not shown), and a pair of right and left wheels. The right and left wheel motors are rotationally driven by using the batteries as power supplies. The pair of right and left wheels can be individually rotated forward/backward by the respective wheel motors. On a lower housing, at the front-side lower part of the body part, a pair of right and left brushes are downwardly attached, which rotate in directions opposite to each other during traveling while being in sliding contact with a floor surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 20, 2017Publication date: September 26, 2019Applicant: MAKITA CORPORATIONInventors: Masahiko GOTO, Kentaro KOURA
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Publication number: 20190274507Abstract: A self-propelled, dust-collecting robot includes a main-body part including a dust collection box, and a first battery pack, which has a case, at least one battery cell in the case, a control circuit board having a controller mounted in the case, and a discharge terminal. The main body part includes a first battery pack mount having a connector to which the first battery pack is removably connectable. The first battery pack is configured for use in an electric power tool.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 28, 2019Publication date: September 12, 2019Applicant: Makita CorporationInventors: Kentaro KOURA, Yasutoshi SHINMA
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Publication number: 20190166928Abstract: A ventilation apparatus is mountable on a garment, such as a jacket. The ventilation apparatus includes a fan that is rotationally driven by a motor and is housed in a main body that includes intake ports and exhaust ports. The motor may be a brushless motor. In addition or in the alternative, a main body of the motor may be shorter than blades of a fan mounted on a drive shaft of the motor.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 28, 2017Publication date: June 6, 2019Inventors: Masao MIWA, Yasutoshi SHINMA, Kentaro KOURA, Yasushi OGURA
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Publication number: 20190059674Abstract: A robotic dust collector includes a body, a wheel, a wheel motor, and a suspension device. The body accommodates a storage unit to store therein dust and dirt sucked in from a suction inlet. The wheel supports the body. The wheel motor generates motive power to rotate the wheel. The suspension device includes a support member, a motive-force generating mechanism, and an adjustment mechanism. The wheel is supported rotatably about a center axis by the support member. The motive-force generating mechanism gives a motive force to the support member to generate a biasing force to cause the wheel to protrude from a bottom face of the body. The adjustment mechanism adjusts the biasing force based on a protrusion amount of the wheel from the bottom face. The suspension device gives the biasing force adjusted by the adjustment mechanism to the wheel.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2018Publication date: February 28, 2019Applicant: MAKITA CORPORATIONInventor: Kentaro KOURA
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Patent number: 9980618Abstract: A dust collecting device includes a tank and a main body housing a motor and detachably attachable to an upper part of the tank. A handle and a cover are both provided in an upper part of the main body. The handle is capable of being raised and turned down around a handle rotation shaft. The cover is capable of being opened and closed around a cover rotation shaft and covers a housing portion provided in the main body in a closed position. The cover rotation shaft is provided in parallel to the handle rotation shaft. The cover rotation shaft is positioned closer to a grip portion of the handle than the handle rotation shaft so as to overlap with a part of the handle. The handle rotation shaft is positioned closer to the cover than the cover rotation shaft so as to overlap with a part of cover.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2015Date of Patent: May 29, 2018Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATIONInventors: Kentaro Koura, Hiroshi Yamaguchi
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Patent number: D938676Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2019Date of Patent: December 14, 2021Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATIONInventors: Koji Takahashi, Kentaro Koura