Patents by Inventor Noboru Nishinaka

Noboru Nishinaka 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: 7647671
    Abstract: A suction cleaner that sucks in dust, from a suction mouth of a suction mouth body, with airflow generated through operation of an electric air blower and introduces the sucked airflow into a dust collection device to collect the dust. The suction mouth body is provided with a first suction mouth and a second suction mouth. An agitator is arranged at the first suction mouth. The first suction mouth is selected by a suction mouth-switching device, and the agitator is driven when the suction is carried out from the first suction mouth. A mechanism for transmitting power to the agitator includes a driving pulley that co-rotates with the agitator, an idler that can be rotated independently of the agitator, and a belt that is shifted between the driving pulley and the idler by a belt-switching device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yoshimura, Noboru Nishinaka, Susumu Hamada
  • Patent number: 7451519
    Abstract: There is provided a sheet holding structure in which a sheet holding force can be increased, and a cleaner having the structure. The sheet holding structure includes a base material made of a flexible material and having main surfaces, and a slit formed in the main surfaces of the base material. The slit includes a curved slit, and a plurality of protruding slits spaced from each other in a direction along the curved slit, connected to a protruding portion-side forming edge of the curved slit, and protruding and extending from the protruding portion-side forming edge of the curved slit. A part of the base material surrounded by the curved slit is bent and a part of the sheet placed on one of the main surfaces of the base material is inserted into the curved slit and the protruding slits and locked to thereby hold the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noboru Nishinaka, Kiyoshi Ishii
  • Publication number: 20060090279
    Abstract: There is provided a sheet holding structure in which a sheet holding force can be increased, and a cleaner having the structure. The sheet holding structure includes a base material made of a flexible material and having main surfaces, and a slit formed in the main surfaces of the base material. The slit includes a curved slit, and a plurality of protruding slits spaced from each other in a direction along the curved slit, connected to a protruding portion-side forming edge of the curved slit, and protruding and extending from the protruding portion-side forming edge of the curved slit. A part of the base material surrounded by the curved slit is bent and a part of the sheet placed on one of the main surfaces of the base material is inserted into the curved slit and the protruding slits and locked to thereby hold the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2005
    Publication date: May 4, 2006
    Inventors: Noboru Nishinaka, Kiyoshi Ishii
  • Publication number: 20050060839
    Abstract: A suction cleaner that sucks in dust, from a suction mouth, with airflow generated through operation of an electric air blower and introduces the sucked airflow into a dust collection device to collect the dust. The suction mouth is provided with a first suction mouth and a second suction mouth, and, when in use, one of the suction mouths are selected by a suction mouth-switching device. The second suction mouth has a smaller opening area than the first suction mouth and a high-speed suction airflow is generated. A suction passage is provided between the first suction mouth and the suction mouth-switching device, a suction passage is also provided between the second suction mouth and the suction mouth switching-device, the latter suction mouth being arranged on top of the former suction mouth. Part of the latter suction mouth is structured by a detachable cap formed of a transparent or semitransparent material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2002
    Publication date: March 24, 2005
    Inventors: Noboru Nishinaka, Yasuhiro Oka, Hiroshi Ohta, Hiroshi Yoshimura, Kohji Ninomiya, Masahiro Satoh
  • Publication number: 20050039296
    Abstract: A suction cleaner that sucks in dust, from a suction mouth of a suction mouth body, with airflow generated through operation of an electric air blower and introduces the sucked airflow into a dust collection device to collect the dust. The suction mouth body is provided with a first suction mouth and a second suction mouth. An agitator is arranged at the first suction mouth. The first suction mouth is selected by a suction mouth-switching device, and the agitator is driven when the suction is carried out from the first suction mouth. A mechanism for transmitting power to the agitator includes a driving pulley that co-rotates with the agitator, an idler that can be rotated independently of the agitator, and a belt that is shifted between the driving pulley and the idler by a belt-switching device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Publication date: February 24, 2005
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yoshimura, Noboru Nishinaka, Susumu Hamada
  • Patent number: 6079077
    Abstract: A dust collecting direction switching portion is provided at a wall at the back of the main body of an upright type vacuum cleaner. The dust collecting switching portion having a switch valve is branched into three directions. The branch in the first direction forms a duct for allowing a coupling hose to be fitted to a suction opening directed toward a floor surface, the branch in the second direction forms a rib communicating with a dust collecting portion inside the vacuum cleaner, and the branch in the third direction forms a rib allowing a hose to collect dust at a relatively narrow space between pieces of furniture. In operation, in response to an operation of a knob related to the switch valve, the switch valve switches one of the first and third direction ducts in association with the operation to communicate with the rib in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichiro Kajihara, Noboru Nishinaka, Kazuo Kito
  • Patent number: 6018845
    Abstract: In order to adjust a degree of tight contact between a floor surface and a suction member of a vacuum cleaner, and to facilitate operation of the vacuum cleaner, an air flow adjusting valve is provided at a left end of an upper plate of the suction member. When a negative pressure in an inner chamber reaches to a certain valve, the air flow adjusting valve is opened and air is introduced through an air inlet. This facilitates movement of the suction member over the floor surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenzo Sueki, Noboru Nishinaka