Patents by Inventor Mituo Imamoto

Mituo Imamoto 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).

  • Method of reducing elution of lead in lead-containing copper alloy, and drinking water service fittings made of lead-containing copper alloy
    Patent number: 6656294
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a processing method for preventing elution of lead in a lead-containing copper alloy to prevent lead from eluting from a faucet metal, etc. made of a lead-containing copper alloy, and a drinking water service fitting made of a lead-containing copper alloy in which elution of lead has been prevented. By forming a chromate film on the surface of a lead-containing copper alloy material, it is possible to reduce elution of the lead left in a limited amount on the surface. A drinking water service fitting made of a lead-containing copper alloy is immersed in an alkaline etching solution in a pre-processing step for a nickel chromium plating step to selectively remove lead on the surface of the lead-containing copper alloy material and is then activated in a solution such as sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Kawamoto, Akira Gotou, Mituo Imamoto
  • Method of reducing elution of lead in lead-containing copper alloy, and drinking water service fittings made of lead-containing copper alloy
    Publication number: 20020170632
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a processing method for preventing elution of lead in a lead-containing copper alloy to prevent lead from eluting from a faucet metal, etc. made of a lead-containing copper alloy, and a drinking water service fitting made of a lead-containing copper alloy in which elution of lead has been prevented. By forming a chromate film on the surface of a lead-containing copper alloy material, it is possible to reduce elution of the lead left in a limited amount on the surface. A drinking water service fitting made of a lead-containing copper alloy is immersed in an alkaline etching solution in a pre-processing step for a nickel chromium plating step to selectively remove lead on the surface of the lead-containing copper alloy material and is then activated in a solution such as sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2002
    Publication date: November 21, 2002
    Inventors: Masashi Kawamoto, Akira Gotou, Mituo Imamoto