Patents by Inventor Makoto Muranaka

Makoto Muranaka 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: 11415194
    Abstract: This damper comprises: a housing accommodating a damping medium; and a rotor rotatable relative to the housing, inside the housing. A unidirectional clutch which stipulates rotation in one direction and a rotating shaft can be connected to each other coaxially. The unidirectional clutch, when supporting the rotating shaft, constitutes a first input object, whereas the rotating shaft constitutes a second input object when not being supported by the unidirectional clutch. A connection object comprises a first connection part capable of connecting to the first input object coaxially, and a second connection part capable of connecting to the second input object coaxially. Two separate connection states are provided, namely a state in which the first connection part and the first input object are connected to each other, and a state in which the second connection part and the second input object are connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: NIFCO INC.
    Inventor: Makoto Muranaka
  • Patent number: 11376933
    Abstract: A sunroof panel for a vehicle includes a mounting surface at which a first roof element is mounted, a first frame including a first plate that includes a first mounting surface, the first frame including a first stepped plate that extends from a longitudinal end portion of the first plate to generate a step relative to the first plate, a second frame including a second plate that includes a second mounting surface, a joining portion joining the first frame and the second frame in a state where the first stepped plate and an end portion of the second plate overlap each other to cause the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface to be coplanar with each other, and a film attached to the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface to cover a gap formed between the first plate and the second plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Aisin Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotaka Yoshikawa, Makoto Muranaka, Tatsuya Matsui, Satoshi Kono
  • Publication number: 20200262277
    Abstract: A sunroof panel for a vehicle includes a mounting surface at which a first roof element is mounted, a first frame including a first plate that includes a first mounting surface, the first frame including a first stepped plate that extends from a longitudinal end portion of the first plate to generate a step relative to the first plate, a second frame including a second plate that includes a second mounting surface, a joining portion joining the first frame and the second frame in a state where the first stepped plate and an end portion of the second plate overlap each other to cause the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface to be coplanar with each other, and a film attached to the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface to cover a gap formed between the first plate and the second plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirotaka YOSHIKAWA, Makoto MURANAKA, Tatsuya MATSUI, Satoshi KONO
  • Publication number: 20200063826
    Abstract: This damper comprises: a housing accommodating a damping medium; and a rotor rotatable relative to the housing, inside the housing. A unidirectional clutch which stipulates rotation in one direction and a rotating shaft can be connected to each other coaxially. The unidirectional clutch, when supporting the rotating shaft, constitutes a first input object, whereas the rotating shaft constitutes a second input object when not being supported by the unidirectional clutch. A connection object comprises a first connection part capable of connecting to the first input object coaxially, and a second connection part capable of connecting to the second input object coaxially. Two separate connection states are provided, namely a state in which the first connection part and the first input object are connected to each other, and a state in which the second connection part and the second input object are connected to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Applicant: NIFCO INC.
    Inventor: Makoto MURANAKA
  • Patent number: 10267375
    Abstract: A damper (10) includes a housing (11) and a rotor (16) combined with the housing (11) so as to be capable of rotating relative to the housing (11). The damper (10) includes an attenuating medium (90) filled in a rotation area inside the housing (11) wherein the rotor (16) rotates, and added with viscoelasticity by a viscoelasticity treatment; and an enclosure portion (80) provided outside the rotation area of the rotor (16), and communicating with the rotation area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: NIFCO INC.
    Inventor: Makoto Muranaka
  • Patent number: 9931918
    Abstract: A vehicle roof structure including roof glass that includes an opaque coating section formed so as to shield a structural object disposed at a vehicle lower side from view from the vehicle cabin outer side, a shielding body, and an extension. The shielding body is provided at the vehicle lower side of the roof glass at a coating width direction inner end of the opaque coating section, includes an upper end on a vehicle upper side attached to the roof glass, and shields a location of the structural object facing the opaque coating section. The extension includes an extension direction leading end positioned further inward with respect to the glass surface than the coating width direction inner end, and shields a location of the structural object jutting out further inward with respect to the glass surface than the shielding body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryo Yasumoto, Makoto Muranaka
  • Patent number: 9909637
    Abstract: A damper device includes a stator, a rotor, and a viscous fluid imparting a resistance to a rotation or a relative rotation of the rotor, and forms a braking force by the resistance. In the rotor, an annular seal portion made of soft synthetic resin is provided by integral molding. The stator includes an annular space in which the viscous fluid is filled, and a main member portion of the rotor is housed in the annular space. The annular seal portion comprises an outside annular portion provided in an outer circumferential portion of the rotor; an inside annular portion provided in an inner circumferential portion of the rotor; and a connection portion therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: NIFCO INC.
    Inventor: Makoto Muranaka
  • Publication number: 20170343073
    Abstract: A damper includes a housing in which an opening is formed, a cap closing the opening of the housing, a movable member movably housed between the housing and the cap, and a gel-like attenuating medium filled in a movable area of the movable member inside the housing. The housing and the cap are physical objects, the attenuating medium is filled between the physical objects and the movable member, and the housing and the cap are formed by the same principal material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventor: Makoto MURANAKA
  • Publication number: 20170261059
    Abstract: A damper (10) includes a housing (11) and a rotor (16) combined with the housing (11) so as to be capable of rotating relative to the housing (11). The damper (10) includes an attenuating medium (90) filled in a rotation area inside the housing (11) wherein the rotor (16) rotates, and added with viscoelasticity by a viscoelasticity treatment; and an enclosure portion (80) provided outside the rotation area of the rotor (16), and communicating with the rotation area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventor: Makoto MURANAKA
  • Publication number: 20170217291
    Abstract: A vehicle roof structure including roof glass that includes an opaque coating section formed so as to shield a structural object disposed at a vehicle lower side from view from the vehicle cabin outer side, a shielding body, and an extension. The shielding body is provided at the vehicle lower side of the roof glass at a coating width direction inner end of the opaque coating section, includes an upper end on a vehicle upper side attached to the roof glass, and shields a location of the structural object facing the opaque coating section. The extension includes an extension direction leading end positioned further inward with respect to the glass surface than the coating width direction inner end, and shields a location of the structural object jutting out further inward with respect to the glass surface than the shielding body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryo YASUMOTO, Makoto MURANAKA
  • Patent number: 9556211
    Abstract: Provided is a catalyst for producing hydrogen, which catalyst has higher performance than conventional catalysts since, for example, it exhibits a certain high level of activity in an aqueous formic acid solution at high concentration even without addition of a solvent, amine and/or the like. The metal phosphine complex is a metal phosphine complex represented by General Formula (1): MHm(CO)Ln, wherein M represents an iridium, iron, rhodium or ruthenium atom; in cases where M is an iridium or rhodium atom, m=3 and n=2, and in cases where M is an iron or ruthenium atom, m=2 and n=3; and the number n of Ls each independently represent a tri-substituted phosphine represented by General Formula (2): PR1R2R3. The catalyst for producing hydrogen comprises the metal phosphine complex as a constituent component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: National University Corporation Okayama University
    Inventors: Makoto Muranaka, Toshiyuki Oshiki
  • Publication number: 20170009838
    Abstract: A damper device includes a stator, a rotor, and a viscous fluid imparting a resistance to a rotation or a relative rotation of the rotor, and forms a braking force by the resistance. In the rotor, an annular seal portion made of soft synthetic resin is provided by integral molding. The stator includes an annular space in which the viscous fluid is filled, and a main member portion of the rotor is housed in the annular space. The annular seal portion comprises an outside annular portion provided in an outer circumferential portion of the rotor; an inside annular portion provided in an inner circumferential portion of the rotor; and a connection portion therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventor: Makoto MURANAKA
  • Patent number: 8967706
    Abstract: A roof apparatus for a vehicle includes a movable panel configured to open and close an opening portion, a sunshade configured to be opened in association with an opening operation of the movable panel, a guide rail, a sliding member causing the movable panel in a fully-closed state to move to a tilt state and to perform the opening operation, an engaging member mounted on a front portion of the movable panel and including an engaging portion and a mounting portion at which the engaging member is mounted on the movable panel, the engaging portion is arranged at a vehicle front side relative to the mounting portion, and an engaged member provided at the sunshade, the engaged member is pressed by the engaging portion when the movable panel performs the opening operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Ide, Tatsuya Matsui, Ryuta Fukada, Makoto Muranaka
  • Patent number: 8722912
    Abstract: A catalyst contains a metal complex compound represented by the following general formula (I). In the formula (I), M is a metal ion such as ruthenium, L1 is a cyclic or acyclic, neutral or minus 1-valent unsaturated hydrocarbon group of 1 to 30 carbon atoms which may have a substituent, L2 and L3 are each independently chlorine or the like, and L4 is a compound bonded to M through phosphorus or arsenic and represented by the following general formula (IIa) or (IIb). In the formulas (IIa) and (IIb), E is phosphorus or arsenic, Y1 is oxygen or sulfur, Y2, Y3 and Y4 are each independently a hydrogen atom, an aryl group or the like, and H is a hydrogen atom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: National University Corporation Okayama University
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Oshiki, Makoto Muranaka
  • Publication number: 20130307292
    Abstract: A roof apparatus for a vehicle includes a movable panel configured to open and close an opening portion, a sunshade configured to be opened in association with an opening operation of the movable panel, a guide rail, a sliding member causing the movable panel in a fully-closed state to move to a tilt state and to perform the opening operation, an engaging member mounted on a front portion of the movable panel and including an engaging portion and a mounting portion at which the engaging member is mounted on the movable panel, the engaging portion is arranged at a vehicle front side relative to the mounting portion, and an engaged member provided at the sunshade, the engaged member is pressed by the engaging portion when the movable panel performs the opening operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshitaka IDE, Tatsuya MATSUI, Ryuta FUKADA, Makoto MURANAKA
  • Publication number: 20130244865
    Abstract: Provided is a catalyst for producing hydrogen, which catalyst has higher performance than conventional catalysts since, for example, it exhibits a certain high level of activity in an aqueous formic acid solution at high concentration even without addition of a solvent, amine and/or the like. The metal phosphine complex is a metal phosphine complex represented by General Formula (1): MHm(CO)Ln, wherein M represents an iridium, iron, rhodium or ruthenium atom; in cases where M is an iridium or rhodium atom, m=3 and n=2, and in cases where M is an iron or ruthenium atom, m=2 and n=3; and the number n of Ls each independently represent a tri-substituted phosphine represented by General Formula (2): PR1R2R3. The catalyst for producing hydrogen comprises the metal phosphine complex as a constituent component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2011
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION OKAYAMA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Makoto Muranaka, Toshiyuki Oshiki
  • Patent number: 8459730
    Abstract: A roof apparatus includes a functional bracket supporting a movable panel, a guide rail extending in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle, a drive shoe moving along the guide rail, a front link connected to the functional bracket to move in the longitudinal direction in conjunction with the movement of the drive shoe, a front guide portion guiding the functional bracket and the front link in the longitudinal direction, a check member engaged with the drive shoe to move rearward with the drive shoe when a distance of the rearward movement of the drive shoe is shorter than a predetermined distance, the check member disengaged from the drive shoe when the distance of the rearward movement of the drive shoe is equal to or longer than the predetermined distance, a rear link engaged with the check member, and a rear guide portion guiding the rear link in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuki Sawada, Makoto Muranaka, Shinichi Hiramatsu
  • Publication number: 20130131366
    Abstract: A catalyst contains a metal complex compound represented by the following general formula (I). In the formula (I), M is a metal ion such as ruthenium, L1 is a cyclic or acyclic, neutral or minus 1-valent unsaturated hydrocarbon group of 1 to 30 carbon atoms which may have a substituent, L2 and L3 are each independently chlorine or the like, and L4 is a compound bonded to M through phosphorus or arsenic and represented by the following general formula (IIa) or (IIb). In the formulas (IIa) and (IIb), E is phosphorus or arsenic, Y1 is oxygen or sulfur, Y2, Y3 and Y4 are each independently a hydrogen atom, an aryl group or the like, and H is a hydrogen atom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION OKAYAMA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Oshiki, Makoto Muranaka
  • Publication number: 20120193945
    Abstract: A roof apparatus includes a functional bracket supporting a movable panel, a guide rail extending in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle, a drive shoe moving along the guide rail, a front link connected to the functional bracket to move in the longitudinal direction in conjunction with the movement of the drive shoe, a front guide portion guiding the functional bracket and the front link in the longitudinal direction, a check member engaged with the drive shoe to move rearward with the drive shoe when a distance of the rearward movement of the drive shoe is shorter than a predetermined distance, the check member disengaged from the drive shoe when the distance of the rearward movement of the drive shoe is equal to or longer than the predetermined distance, a rear link engaged with the check member, and a rear guide portion guiding the rear link in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuki Sawada, Makoto Muranaka, Shinichi Hiramatsu
  • Patent number: 8167019
    Abstract: A shade apparatus for a vehicle includes a guide rail mechanism adapted to be arranged along a side portion of an inner periphery of an opening formed in an interior ceiling member of the vehicle, a shade panel mechanism slidably supported by the guide rail mechanism, configured to open and close the opening of the interior ceiling member, and including first and second shade panels, an engaging member arranged at one of the first and second shade panels, and an elastic member arranged at the other of the first and second shade panels and including a fixing portion and a deformable portion. The first and second shade panels move as a unit in the moving direction after one of the first and second shade panels moves relative to the other of the first and second shade panels in the moving direction and the engaging member engages with the elastic member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Muranaka, Shinji Sakai, Kazuki Sawada, Kazushige Kawamura