Patents by Inventor Minami Okamoto
Minami Okamoto 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: 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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Patent number: 9108207Abstract: 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: February 18, 2011Date of Patent: August 18, 2015Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Kiyotake Ukigai, Minoru Sato, Takahiro Ohashi, Yutaka Aihara, Minami Okamoto, Katsuya Nagata
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Publication number: 20150108255Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2014Publication date: April 23, 2015Applicant: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Kiyotake UKIGAI, Minoru SATO, Takahiro OHASHI, Yutaka AIHARA, Minami OKAMOTO, Katsuya NAGATA
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Patent number: 8720795Abstract: Providing a flush bowl capable of discharging a planar shower-like water discharge flow in a wide range while changing the water discharge trajectory is directed. The shower device according to an embodiment of the invention is a shower device including: a water discharger including a plurality of water discharge ports; a rotator including a channel at its center; a coupling section coupling the inside of the water discharger to the channel of the rotator; a receiving section receiving the rotator; a driving mechanism configured to rotate and revolve the rotator in the receiving section; and a decelerating section provided inside the water discharger.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2008Date of Patent: May 13, 2014Assignee: Toto LtdInventors: Minoru Sato, Yutaka Aihara, Minami Okamoto, Kiyotake Ukigai
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Patent number: 8444065Abstract: An object is to provide a water discharge device in which a water sprinkling member having water discharge ports can simultaneously achieve both good rotation start-up ability and good rotation stability. A water discharge device FC is configured in such a manner that the center of gravity of a rotor constituted of a tubular body 20 and a head 40 (the water sprinkling member) is positioned near an opening 4 which is located near the center of swing at which a central axis C1 of the tubular body 20 tilted by swinging revolution and a central axis C2 of an inflow chamber 3 intersect in a state where any water is not supplied to a buffer chamber 43 of the head 40, whereas the center of gravity of the rotor is moved to a head 40 side in a state where the water is supplied to the buffer chamber 43 of the head 40.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2009Date of Patent: May 21, 2013Assignee: Toto Ltd.Inventors: Yutaka Aihara, Minoru Sato, Minami Okamoto, Kiyotake Ukigai
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Publication number: 20110284662Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2009Publication date: November 24, 2011Applicant: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Takahiro Ohashi, Minoru Sato, Yutaka Aihara, Minami Okamoto, Kiyotake Ukigai, Katsuya Nagata
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Publication number: 20110198416Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2011Publication date: August 18, 2011Applicant: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Kiyotake UKIGAI, Minoru SATO, Takahiro OHASHI, Yutaka AIHARA, Minami OKAMOTO, Katsuya NAGATA
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Publication number: 20110198415Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2011Publication date: August 18, 2011Applicant: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Kiyotake UKIGAI, Minoru SATO, Takahiro OHASHI, Yutaka AIHARA, Minami OKAMOTO, Katsuya NAGATA
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Publication number: 20110168810Abstract: An object is to provide a water discharge device in which a water sprinkling member having water discharge ports can simultaneously achieve both good rotation start-up ability and good rotation stability. A water discharge device FC is configured in such a manner that the center of gravity of a rotor constituted of a tubular body 20 and a head 40 (the water sprinkling member) is positioned near an opening 4 which is located near the center of swing at which a central axis C1 of the tubular body 20 tilted by swinging revolution and a central axis C2 of an inflow chamber 3 intersect in a state where any water is not supplied to a buffer chamber 43 of the head 40, whereas the center of gravity of the rotor is moved to a head 40 side in a state where the water is supplied to the buffer chamber 43 of the head 40.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2009Publication date: July 14, 2011Applicant: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Yutaka Aihara, Minoru Sato, Minami Okamoto, Kiyotake Ukigai
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Patent number: 7900293Abstract: A shower bathing apparatus includes: a concave seat; and a water discharger provided rearwardly and upwardly to the seat and configured to discharge water in a forward direction of the seat. A water discharge direction from the water discharger and positional relationship between the water discharger and the seat are adjusted so that at least part of the discharged water directly reaches the seat with no seat occupant seated on the seat.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2007Date of Patent: March 8, 2011Assignee: Toto, Ltd.Inventors: Minoru Sato, Yutaka Aihara, Tomohisa Kato, Hiroyoshi Matsushita, Minami Okamoto
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Publication number: 20100230512Abstract: Providing a flush bowl capable of discharging a planar shower-like water discharge flow in a wide range while changing the water discharge trajectory is directed. The shower device according to an embodiment of the invention is a shower device including: a water discharger including a plurality of water discharge ports; a rotator including a channel at its center; a coupling section coupling the inside of the water discharger to the channel of the rotator; a receiving section receiving the rotator; a driving mechanism configured to rotate and revolve the rotator in the receiving section; and a decelerating section provided inside the water discharger.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2008Publication date: September 16, 2010Applicant: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Minoru Sato, Yutaka Aihara, Minami Okamoto, Kiyotake Ukigai
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Publication number: 20070226895Abstract: A shower bathing apparatus includes: a concave seat; and a water discharger provided rearwardly and upwardly to the seat and configured to discharge water in a forward direction of the seat. A water discharge direction from the water discharger and positional relationship between the water discharger and the seat are adjusted so that at least part of the discharged water directly reaches the seat with no seat occupant seated on the seat.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2007Publication date: October 4, 2007Applicant: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Minoru SATO, Yutaka AIHARA, Tomohisa KATO, Hiroyoshi MATSUSHITA, Minami OKAMOTO