Patents by Inventor Minoru Tani

Minoru Tani 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: 9988803
    Abstract: A urinal having the bowl surface formed by only the front face portion in an upper region which does not have any forwardly projecting plate-like side walls at opposite sides thereof as in the conventional urinal. Flush water cleans a wider part of the bowl surface than in the prior art as well as reduce an area of the bowl surface that is not cleaned and provide an improved cleanliness and sanitation of the bowl surface. The urinal includes: a bowl surface being arranged so as to situate between a line segment connecting the left and right side edges and an arcuate segment of a circle having a diameter corresponding to the line segment, as viewed in the horizontal section through the flush water discharging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Minoru Tani, Yusuke Takiguchi, Yuichi Furuta, Tomohiro Kai, Hironori Yamasaki
  • Publication number: 20180049608
    Abstract: The toilet apparatus includes a main part and a toilet seat. The main part includes a function part, and a case cover covering the function part. The main part is attached on a toilet bowl. The toilet seat is attached rotatably to the case cover. The toilet seat has a closed state and an open state. The case cover includes an extending portion, a height of the extending portion becoming low toward forward, and a toilet seat pivot support portion provided backward the extending portion, and pivotally supporting the toilet seat. The toilet seat includes a first portion positioned forward the case cover in the closed state, and a second portion rising backward from the first portion in the closed state, overlapping the extending portion, and being pivotally supported to the toilet seat pivot support portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventors: Megumi Takeshita, Mihoko Sato, Tomomi Rokuta, Akihiro Ashihara, Ayaka Shigeta, Minoru Tani, Hirotaka Nakabayashi
  • Publication number: 20180049605
    Abstract: There is provided a toilet apparatus. The toilet apparatus includes a main part, a toilet seat, and a toilet lid. The main part includes a function part, and a case cover covering the function part. The toilet seat is attached rotatably to the case cover. The toilet lid is attached rotatably to the case cover. The toilet lid shifts between a closed state covering the toilet seat and an open state exposing the toilet seat. The toilet lid includes a lid main body covering upward the toilet seat in the closed state, and a hanging portion hanging from an outer edge of the lid main body, and covering a side of the toilet seat in the closed state. A lower end portion of an inside surface of the hanging portion changes to spread outside toward downward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventors: Megumi Takeshita, Mihoko Sato, Tomofumi Onishi, Akihiro Ashihara, Ayaka Shigeta, Minoru Tani, Hirotaka Nakabayashi
  • Publication number: 20180049607
    Abstract: The toilet apparatus includes a main part and a toilet seat. The main part includes a case cover covering a function part and is attached on a toilet bowl. The toilet seat is attached rotatably to the case cover, and shifts between a closed state and an open state. The case cover includes an extending portion. A height becomes low toward forward. The toilet seat includes a toilet seat main body and a heating part. The toilet seat main body includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is positioned in front of the case cover in the closed state. The second portion rises backward from the first portion in the closed state, and overlaps the extending portion. An upper end surface of the extending portion changes to lower a height toward forward and to lower a height toward a side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventors: Megumi Takeshita, Mihoko Sato, Tomomi Rokuta, Akihiro Ashihara, Ayaka Shigeta, Minoru Tani, Hirotaka Nakabayashi, Tomohiro Miyazaki
  • Publication number: 20150275495
    Abstract: A urinal having the bowl surface formed by only the front face portion in an upper region which does not have any forwardly projecting plate-like side walls at opposite sides thereof as in the conventional urinal. Flush water cleans a wider part of the bowl surface than in the prior art as well as reduce an area of the bowl surface that is not cleaned and provide an improved cleanliness and sanitation of the bowl surface. The urinal includes: a bowl surface being arranged so as to situate between a line segment connecting the left and right side edges and an arcuate segment of a circle having a diameter corresponding to the line segment, as viewed in the horizontal section through the flush water discharging device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventors: Minoru TANI, Yusuke TAKIGUCHI, Yuichi FURUTA, Tomohiro KAI, Hironori YAMASAKI
  • Patent number: D618304
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Rie Yokoyama, Hajime Kakihana, Minoru Tani, James Piatt
  • Patent number: D618762
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Rie Yokoyama, Hajime Kakihana, Minoru Tani, James Piatt
  • Patent number: D620564
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Rie Yokoyama, Hajime Kakihana, Minoru Tani, James Piatt
  • Patent number: D624155
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Rie Yokoyama, Hajime Kakihana, Minoru Tani, James Piatt
  • Patent number: D624165
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Rie Yokoyama, Hajime Kakihana, Minoru Tani, James Piatt
  • Patent number: D626194
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: ToTo Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Kakihana, Minoru Tani, Rie Yokoyama, James Piatt
  • Patent number: D627445
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Rie Yokoyama, Hajime Kakihana, Minoru Tani, James Piatt
  • Patent number: D627446
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Rie Yokoyama, Hajime Kakihana, Minoru Tani, James Piatt
  • Patent number: D631138
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Rie Yokoyama, Hajime Kakihana, Minoru Tani, James Piatt
  • Patent number: D633602
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Miura, Hajime Kakihana, Minoru Tani, James Piatt
  • Patent number: D764643
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: TOTO, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nakabayashi, Yuji Yoshioka, Minoru Tani
  • Patent number: D796017
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: TOTO, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Yoshioka, Hirotaka Nakabayashi, Minoru Tani
  • Patent number: D810250
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: TOTO, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Yoshioka, Hirotaka Nakabayashi, Minoru Tani
  • Patent number: D811564
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: TOTO, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Yoshioka, Hirotaka Nakabayashi, Minoru Tani
  • Patent number: D831799
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: TOTO, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuya Obara, Minoru Tani, James Kaoru Bury