Patents by Inventor Masashi Kitamura

Masashi 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).

  • Patent number: 12257030
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention can be a brush unit detachable from a main body unit of an electric toothbrush. The brush unit includes: a light transmitting part included on a front surface of the brush unit, a plurality of tooth cleaning elements extending from the front surface of the brush unit in a pressing direction, wherein the light transmitting part directs more light in a first direction, which intersects the pressing direction, than in the pressing direction; and a light receiving part included on the front surface for receiving light; wherein the light transmitting part and the light receiving part are arranged on opposing sides of the plurality of tooth cleaning elements; and wherein the first direction lies within a plane including both the light transmitting part and the light receiving part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignees: Colgate-Palmolive Company, Omron Healthcare Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Yoshida, Mamoru Katano, Masashi Kitamura, Toshifumi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 12241697
    Abstract: A heat exchanger for heat exchange between a first fluid and a second fluid is provided with: a body part which is an additive manufactured body and includes a first passage through which the first fluid flows and a second passage through which the second fluid flows; and a covering part attached to the body part. The body part has a first opening portion of the first passage and a second opening portion of the second passage, and the covering part is attached to the body part so as to cover exposure of the first opening portion and the second opening portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Masaya Hatanaka, Hiroyuki Nakaharai, Nobuhide Hara, Yoichi Uefuji, Shunsaku Eguchi, Takuo Oda, Koichi Tanimoto, Masashi Kitamura, Tanehiro Shinohara
  • Publication number: 20250025942
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing method according to one or more embodiments includes a step for feeding a raw-material powder and forming a layer of the raw-material powder and a step for irradiating the layer with a light beam to cause the raw-material powder in the layer to melt and solidify, and thereby molding a part of a molded object. In the molding step, the beam diameter of the light beam on the molding surface is changed partway through molding, within the same layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Publication date: January 23, 2025
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Ryuichi Narita, Masashi Kitamura, Shuji Tanigawa
  • Publication number: 20240261073
    Abstract: An electric toothbrush that detects plaque on the teeth, ensures accurate plaque detection, and performs cleaning of plaque. The electric toothbrush may include a drive module having a first drive for oscillating a brush unit in a first direction and a second drive for oscillating the brush unit in a second direction; a light emitting module; a reflected light detector; a plaque detector for detecting plaque based on reflected light detected by the reflected light detector; a liquid spray part for spraying liquid from the brush unit; and a liquid spray controller for controlling a spray timing of the liquid. The liquid spray controller may spray the liquid when the amount of plaque detected by the plaque detector exceeds a threshold. The drive module may stop the first drive and perform only the second drive while the liquid is being sprayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2024
    Publication date: August 8, 2024
    Applicants: Colgate-Palmolive Company, OMRON HEALTHCARE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideaki Yoshida, Mamoru KATANO, Masashi KITAMURA, Sakae MORIKAWA
  • Patent number: 12038235
    Abstract: A heat exchange core according to one embodiment includes: a header flow path that extends in a first direction; and a plurality of branching flow paths that are connected to the header flow path and extend in a second direction intersecting with the first direction. A first angle formed by the header flow path with respect to a virtual connection plane between the header flow path and the plurality of branching flow paths is less than a second angle formed by the branching flow paths with respect to the connection plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Kaneko, Koichi Tanimoto, Hiroyuki Nakaharai, Yoichi Uefuji, Koichiro Iida, Nobuhide Hara, Masaya Hatanaka, Masashi Kitamura, Shunsaku Eguchi
  • Patent number: 11980517
    Abstract: An electric toothbrush that detects plaque on the teeth, ensures accurate plaque detection, and performs cleaning of plaque. The electric toothbrush may include a body having a gripping part and a stem with a brush unit detachably coupled to the body. The electric toothbrush may include a light emitting element for emitting light onto the tooth and a light receiving element for receiving light that reflects off of the tooth. A controller may be included to determine an amount of plaque on the tooth based on the amount of reflected light detected. The electric toothbrush may also include a fluid dispensing system that dispenses fluid based on the amount of reflected light detected. In some aspects, the electric toothbrush may operate in multiple oscillation modes, and it may only dispense fluid in some of the modes but not all of the modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignees: Colgate-Palmolive Company, Omron Healthcare Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Yoshida, Mamoru Katano, Masashi Kitamura, Sakae Morikawa
  • Patent number: 11903481
    Abstract: The plaque detecting device of the present invention comprises a light emitting unit (450) which irradiates ultraviolet or blue excitation light (L) toward the tooth surface (99a), and a first and second light receiving units (402) which receive radiated light (L?) from the tooth surface (99a). The first light receiving unit extracts the spectral component of a first wavelength region including the wavelength range of fluorescent light specific to plaque from the radiated light (L?), and obtains a first output value corresponding to the intensity of that spectral component. The second light receiving unit extracts, from the radiated light (L?), the spectral component of a second wavelength region containing the wavelength range of the fluorescent light specific to enamel and having a predetermined lower limit wavelength below the lower limit wavelength of the first wavelength region, and obtains a second output value corresponding to the intensity of this spectral component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignees: Colgate-Palmolive Company, Omron Healthcare Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideyuki Yamashita, Kosuke Abe, Hideaki Yoshida, Yasuhiro Kawabata, Masashi Kitamura
  • Publication number: 20230349641
    Abstract: A heat exchanger core includes: a plurality of internal passages; and a header passage communicating with the plurality of internal passages. An inner wall of the header passage has greater surface roughness than passage walls of the plurality of internal passages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Masaya HATANAKA, Hiroyuki NAKAHARAI, Nobuhide HARA, Yoichi UEFUJI, Shunsaku EGUCHI, Takuo ODA, Koichi TANIMOTO, Masashi KITAMURA
  • Patent number: 11638957
    Abstract: An additive manufactured object according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first base portion made of a metal, and a plurality of wall portions each having a thickness thinner than the first base portion and provided upright on the first base portion so as to be aligned in a wall thickness direction. A first end portion of each of the wall portions is connected to the first base portion via a first connection portion having a width greater than the thickness of each of the wall portions in the wall thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Masaya Hatanaka, Masashi Kitamura, Hiroyuki Nakaharai, Koichi Tanimoto, Nobuhide Hara, Takuo Oda, Yoichi Uefuji, Shunsaku Eguchi
  • Publication number: 20230079473
    Abstract: A heat exchanger for heat exchange between a first fluid and a second fluid is provided with: a body part which is an additive manufactured body and includes a first passage through which the first fluid flows and a second passage through which the second fluid flows; and a covering part attached to the body part. The body part has a first opening portion of the first passage and a second opening portion of the second passage, and the covering part is attached to the body part so as to cover exposure of the first opening portion and the second opening portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Masaya HATANAKA, Hiroyuki NAKAHARAI, Nobuhide HARA, Yoichi UEFUJI, Shunsaku EGUCHI, Takuo ODA, Koichi TANIMOTO, Masashi KITAMURA, Tanehiro SHINOHARA
  • Patent number: 11590578
    Abstract: An internal defect detection system for a three-dimensional additive manufacturing device which performs additive molding by emitting a laser beam to a powder bed is provided. This system specifies a candidate position of an internal defect on the basis of a change amount of a local temperature measured in an irradiated part of a powder bed irradiated by a laser beam. The system calculates a cooling speed at the candidate position on the basis of a temperature distribution and determines whether an internal defect exists on the basis of the cooling speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Ryuichi Narita, Toshiya Watanabe, Akio Kondou, Masashi Kitamura, Hidetaka Haraguchi, Shuji Tanigawa, Claus Thomy, Henry Koehler
  • Publication number: 20220281001
    Abstract: An additive manufactured object according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first base portion made of a metal, and a plurality of wall portions each having a thickness thinner than the first base portion and provided upright on the first base portion so as to be aligned in a wall thickness direction. A first end portion of each of the wall portions is connected to the first base portion via a first connection portion having a width greater than the thickness of each of the wall portions in the wall thickness direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventors: Masaya HATANAKA, Masashi KITAMURA, Hiroyuki NAKAHARAI, Koichi TANIMOTO, Nobuhide HARA, Takuo ODA, Yoichi UEFUJI, Shunsaku EGUCHI
  • Patent number: 11420260
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a fabricated object includes forming the fabricated object by laminating metal powder, the fabricated object including an opening portion that communicates with a hollow internal space, mounting a plug in the opening portion, and welding the plug mounted in the opening portion to the fabricated object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiko Mega, Shuji Tanigawa, Masashi Kitamura, Masayuki Ota, Takahisa Hasegawa, Koji Tsukimoto, Hiroki Komuro
  • Publication number: 20220252350
    Abstract: A heat exchange core according to one embodiment includes: a header flow path that extends in a first direction; and a plurality of branching flow paths that are connected to the header flow path and extend in a second direction intersecting with the first direction. A first angle formed by the header flow path with respect to a virtual connection plane between the header flow path and the plurality of branching flow paths is less than a second angle formed by the branching flow paths with respect to the connection plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Inventors: Takeshi KANEKO, Koichi TANIMOTO, Hiroyuki NAKAHARAI, Yoichi UEFUJI, Koichiro IIDA, Nobuhide HARA, Masaya HATANAKA, Masashi KITAMURA, Shunsaku EGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20220183457
    Abstract: The plaque detecting device of the present invention comprises a light emitting unit (450) which irradiates ultraviolet or blue excitation light (L) toward the tooth surface (99a), and a first and second light receiving units (402) which receive radiated light (L?) from the tooth surface (99a). The first light receiving unit extracts the spectral component of a first wavelength region including the wavelength range of fluorescent light specific to plaque from the radiated light (L?), and obtains a first output value corresponding to the intensity of that spectral component. The second light receiving unit extracts, from the radiated light (L?), the spectral component of a second wavelength region containing the wavelength range of the fluorescent light specific to enamel and having a predetermined lower limit wavelength below the lower limit wavelength of the first wavelength region, and obtains a second output value corresponding to the intensity of this spectral component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2022
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Applicants: Colgate-Palmolive Company, Omron Healthcare Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideyuki YAMASHITA, Kosuke ABE, Hideaki YOSHIDA, Yasuhiro KAWABATA, Masashi KITAMURA
  • Patent number: 11344952
    Abstract: A three-dimensional additive manufacturing device is configured to emit a beam to a powder bed formed by laying a powder on a base plate to harden the powder bed selectively. A sensor is configured to detect the shape or the temperature of a surface of the powder bed or a modeling surface. A defect in laying of the powder or a defect in emission of the beam is corrected based on the detection result, before completion of forming of the next layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Ryuichi Narita, Toshiya Watanabe, Akio Kondou, Hidetaka Haraguchi, Shuji Tanigawa, Masashi Kitamura
  • Publication number: 20220078950
    Abstract: A honeycomb structure includes an incoming end having a concave shape; an outgoing end having a convex shape; and a plurality of cells each having a polygonal cross section and serving as a channel for a fluid, the channel extending from the incoming end to the outgoing end. The plurality of cells are separated from each other by separator walls. At least one of the plurality of cells has an area of a channel cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction, the area increasing from the incoming end toward the outgoing end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2021
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventors: Yoshiaki ARAKAWA, Takashi IKEDA, Akio IKEDA, Hisashi SHIMIZU, Jun KURODA, Syusaku YAMAMOTO, Masashi KITAMURA, Shuji TANIGAWA, Daishi SUMI
  • Publication number: 20220062994
    Abstract: A dissimilar material joining product according to at least one embodiment of the disclosure includes a base material, a cladding layer formed of a dissimilar material having a different main component element from that of the base material and formed to cover at least a part of the base material, and an additively manufactured layer formed of a dissimilar material having a different main component element from that of the base material and joined to the base material with the cladding layer interposed therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventors: Takahiro TACHIBANA, Noriyuki HIRAMATSU, Yohei KATO, Masashi KITAMURA, Shuji TANIGAWA
  • Patent number: 11246404
    Abstract: A plaque detecting device including a light emitting unit which irradiates light toward a tooth, and first and second light receiving units which receive radiated light from the tooth. The first light receiving unit extracts the spectral component of a first wavelength region containing fluorescent light specific to plaque and obtains a first output value corresponding to intensity of that spectral component. The second light receiving unit extracts the spectral component of a second wavelength region containing fluorescent light specific to enamel and obtains a second output value corresponding to the intensity of this spectral component. Determination of the relative magnitude of the ratio between the first output value and the second output value as compared to a first threshold value is performed. Determination of the relative magnitude of the difference between the first output value and the second output value as compared to a second threshold value is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Hideyuki Yamashita, Kosuke Abe, Hideaki Yoshida, Yasuhiro Kawabata, Masashi Kitamura
  • Publication number: 20210402475
    Abstract: An alloy powder for additive manufacturing according to an embodiment is composed of a nickel-based alloy and comprises: 0.0 mass % or more and less than 4.0 mass % of cobalt; 12 mass % or more and 25 mass % or less of chromium; 1.0 mass % or more and 5.5 mass % or less of aluminum; 0.0 mass % or more and 4.0 mass % or less of titanium; 0.0 mass % or more and 3.0 mass % or less of tantalum; and less than 1.5 mass % of niobium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Masaki TANEIKE, Daichi AKAMA, Shuji TANIGAWA, Masashi KITAMURA