Patents by Inventor Noboru Hiramoto

Noboru Hiramoto 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: 9636716
    Abstract: This vacuum cleaning device is provided with: a vapor chamber in which vapor of a hydrocarbon-based cleaning agent is generated; a condensation chamber; a first heat exchanger in which heat exchange between the vapor and a heating medium is carried out; a cleaning chamber in which a workpiece can be cleaned under vacuum by the condensed cleaning agent that has been generated in the condensation chamber; a compressor that adiabatically compresses and further heats the heating medium that was heated by the first heat exchanger; a second heat exchanger that carries out heat exchange between the heating medium heated by the compressor and the hydrocarbon-based cleaning agent in the vapor chamber; and a vacuum unit that further cools the heating medium that has been cooled by the second heat exchanger by forcing vacuum expansion of the heating medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignees: IHI CORPORATION, IHI MACHINERY AND FURNACE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Hirata, Yasuhiro Shigegaki, Tetsuya Hirata, Kazuo Miyoshi, Yoshiyasu Matsuda, Noboru Hiramoto
  • Patent number: 9605330
    Abstract: The vacuum heat treatment device includes: a guide plate used to guide a cooling medium supplied by a cooling unit, into a heat-insulating container through one of at least two openings of the heat-insulating container in a state where the two openings of the heat-insulating container are opened; and a movement mechanism used to move the guide plate so that at least part of the guide plate is inserted into a movement area of a cover portion in a state where the two openings of the heat-insulating container are opened and so that the guide plate is retracted from the movement area of the cover portion before the cover portion is moved in order to close the two openings of the heat-insulating container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignees: IHI CORPORATION, IHI MACHINERY AND FURNANCE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Katsumata, Noboru Kiya, Noriaki Nagai, Noboru Hiramoto
  • Patent number: 9555450
    Abstract: Vacuum cleaning apparatus (1, 51) includes a vapor generating member (8, 8a, 53, 53a) for generating vapor of a petroleum-based solvent, a cleaning chamber (2) allowing a workpiece to be cleaned under reduced pressure by the vapor fed from the vapor generating member, a condensing chamber (21) that is connected to the cleaning chamber and is maintained in a depressurized state, a temperature maintaining member (22) that maintains the condensing chamber at a lower temperature than the cleaning chamber, and an opening/closing member (20) that provides or cuts off communication between the condensing chamber and the cleaning chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignees: IHI CORPORATION, IHI MACHINERY AND FURNACE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Noboru Hiramoto, Masatoshi Mitsuzuka, Hiroyuki Konishi
  • Publication number: 20140352100
    Abstract: This vacuum cleaning device is provided with: a vapor chamber in which vapor of a hydrocarbon-based cleaning agent is generated; a condensation chamber; a first heat exchanger in which heat exchange between the vapor and a heating medium is carried out; a cleaning chamber in which a workpiece can be cleaned under vacuum by the condensed cleaning agent that has been generated in the condensation chamber; a compressor that adiabatically compresses and further heats the heating medium that was heated by the first heat exchanger; a second heat exchanger that carries out heat exchange between the heating medium heated by the compressor and the hydrocarbon-based cleaning agent in the vapor chamber; and a vacuum unit that further cools the heating medium that has been cooled by the second heat exchanger by forcing vacuum expansion of the heating medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Atsushi HIRATA, Yasuhiro SHIGEGAKI, Tetsuya HIRATA, Kazuo MIYOSHI, Yoshiyasu MATSUDA, Noboru HIRAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20140291903
    Abstract: The vacuum heat treatment device includes: a guide plate used to guide a cooling medium supplied by a cooling unit, into a heat-insulating container through one of at least two openings of the heat-insulating container in a state where the two openings of the heat-insulating container are opened; and a movement mechanism used to move the guide plate so that at least part of the guide plate is inserted into a movement area of a cover portion in a state where the two openings of the heat-insulating container are opened and so that the guide plate is retracted from the movement area of the cover portion before the cover portion is moved in order to close the two openings of the heat-insulating container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Inventors: Kazuhiko KATSUMATA, Noboru KIYA, Noriaki NAGAI, Noboru HIRAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20140246056
    Abstract: Vacuum cleaning apparatus (1, 51) includes a vapor generating member (8, 8a, 53, 53a) for generating vapor of a petroleum-based solvent, a cleaning chamber (2) allowing a workpiece to be cleaned under reduced pressure by the vapor fed from the vapor generating member, a condensing chamber (21) that is connected to the cleaning chamber and is maintained in a depressurized state, a temperature maintaining member (22) that maintains the condensing chamber at a lower temperature than the cleaning chamber, and an opening/closing member (20) that provides or cuts off communication between the condensing chamber and the cleaning chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicants: IHI Corporation, IHI Machinery and Furnance Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Noboru HIRAMOTO, Masatoshi MITSUZUKA, Hiroyuki KONISHI
  • Patent number: 6814573
    Abstract: A vacuum heat-treatment apparatus for heat-treating a workpiece in a treating cell includes a hermetic chamber disposed at the center. A plurality of treating cells are disposed along the periphery of the hermetic chamber, and a workpiece transfer mechanism is disposed inside the hermetic chamber and transfers the workpiece from one of the treating cells to the hermetic chamber and from the hermetic chamber to one of the treating cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: JH Corporation
    Inventor: Noboru Hiramoto
  • Publication number: 20030113186
    Abstract: A vacuum heat-treatment apparatus for heat-treating a workpiece in a treating cell includes a hermetic chamber disposed at the center. A plurality of treating cells are disposed along the periphery of the hermetic chamber, and a workpiece transfer mechanism is disposed inside the hermetic chamber and transfers the workpiece from one of the treating cells to the hermetic chamber and from the hermetic chamber to one of the treating cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2002
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Applicant: JH CORPORATION
    Inventor: Noboru Hiramoto
  • Patent number: 5647143
    Abstract: Herein disclosed are a vacuum-degreasing cleaning method for degreasing a work by cleaning it with a solvent vapor under reduced pressure, and a vacuum-cleaning machine for practicing the method. This method comprises the vapor-cleaning step of cleaning the work under reduced pressure with a vapor of a petroleum solvent, and the drying step of drying the surface of the work under reduced pressure. This cleaning method can clean the work while preventing the deterioration of the working atmosphere and the air pollution and can reduce the initial cost and the running cost for the work cleaning operation. Moreover, the cleaning efficiency can be safely enhanced with neither any thermal influence upon nor any rust upon the work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1997
    Assignee: Japan Hayes Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken Kubota, Kunihiko Ishikawa, Noboru Hiramoto