Patents Assigned to Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute
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Patent number: 9107399Abstract: A method for controlling an insect pest with vibrations, including a step of determining a frequency range and an amplitude range of vibrations in a habitat medium of an insect pest that induce or suppress a specific behavior of the insect pest, and a step of controlling the insect pest behavior by applying vibrations in the frequency range and amplitude range once or two or more times in the insect pest habitat medium.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2010Date of Patent: August 18, 2015Assignees: Forestry And Forest Products Research Institute, The University Of Electro-Communications, National University Corporation Hokkaido UniversityInventors: Takuma Takanashi, Wakako Ohmura, Eiji Ohya, Yoshitaka Kubojima, Teruo Mori, Takuji Koike, Hiroshi Nishino
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Patent number: 8911976Abstract: The invention relates to an enzyme stabilizer comprising a lignin derivative produced by reaction between lignin and a hydrophilic compound, and to a method of saccharifying lignocellulosic biomass which employs the enzyme stabilizer. According to the invention it is possible to accomplish effective saccharification of cellulosic biomass with saccharifying enzymes, by enhancing saccharifying enzyme activity and preventing nonspecific adsorption of saccharifying enzyme onto substrate.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2011Date of Patent: December 16, 2014Assignee: Forestry and Forest Products Research InstituteInventors: Yasumitsu Uraki, Harumi Honma, Tatsuhiko Yamada, Satoshi Kubo, Masanobu Nojiri
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Patent number: 8715451Abstract: [Problem to be Solved] When a wood raw material is heat-pressed in order to produce a woody material or woody board, steam is generated in an interior of the wood raw material. The heat-pressed wood raw material is then decompressed with the steam staying in the interior of the wood raw material. This causes a puncture or a rupture of the woody material. The puncture occurs in the last phase of the production process, thus spoiling the entire production process. In order to avoid the puncture, the wood raw material needs to be dried completely. This requires a large amount of energy.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2009Date of Patent: May 6, 2014Assignees: Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Swood Company LimitedInventors: Hideaki Korai, Atsushi Sumida, Takayoshi Osada, Osamu Yasuda, Keishi Tanaka
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Publication number: 20120329100Abstract: The invention relates to an enzyme stabilizer comprising a lignin derivative produced by reaction between lignin and a hydrophilic compound, and to a method of saccharifying lignocellulosic biomass which employs the enzyme stabilizer. According to the invention it is possible to accomplish effective saccharification of cellulosic biomass with saccharifying enzymes, by enhancing saccharifying enzyme activity and preventing nonspecific adsorption of saccharifying enzyme onto substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2011Publication date: December 27, 2012Applicant: FORESTRY AND FOREST PRODUCTS RESEARCH INSTITUTEInventors: Yasumitsu Uraki, Harumi Honma, Tatsuhiko Yamada, Satoshi Kubo, Masanobu Nojiri
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Patent number: 8318435Abstract: To extract and detect Bursaphelenchus xylophilus DNA without isolating Bursaphelenchus xylophilus from a piece of wood taken from a tree belonging to the genus Pinus and the like, provided are a method for extracting Bursaphelenchus xylophilus DNA from a collected piece of wood that includes Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, a LAMP primer set including primers that anneal to a specific region of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus DNA, and a method for detecting Bursaphelenchus xylophilus from a piece of wood by amplifying a DNA by a LAMP method using this primer set.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2008Date of Patent: November 27, 2012Assignee: Forestry and Forest Products Research InstituteInventors: Takuya Aikawa, Taisei Kikuchi, Natsumi Kanzaki
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Patent number: 8211683Abstract: There is provided a process for industrial production of simple 3-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid and/or 3-carboxymuconolactone from low molecular mixtures derived from plant components such as vanillin, vanillic acid and protocatechuic acid, via a multistage enzyme reaction. A recombinant plasmid containing a vanillate demethylase gene (vanAB genes), benzaldehyde dehydrogenase gene (ligV gene) and protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase gene (pcaHG genes); transformants incorporating the plasmid; and a process for production of 3-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid and/or 3-carboxymuconolactone characterized by culturing the transformants in the presence of vanillin, vanillic acid, protocatechuic acid or a mixture of two or more thereof.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2007Date of Patent: July 3, 2012Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki, National University Corporation, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Nagoya University of Technology, Forestry and Forest Products Research InstituteInventors: Kohei Mase, Toshihisa Shimo, Naoki Ohara, Yoshihiro Katayama, Kiyotaka Shigehara, Eiji Masai, Masao Fukuda, Seiji Ohara, Masaya Nakamura, Yuichiro Otsuka
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Patent number: 8096064Abstract: A method for drying lumber in a short time with less use of energy. The method of drying lumber includes: enclosing lumber in a batch container having a pressure release valve; filling fluid into the batch container under pressure; maintaining a temperature and a pressure at or above a critical point of the fluid for a certain period of time; and then opening the pressure release valve of the batch container to reduce the internal pressure to atmospheric pressure.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2007Date of Patent: January 17, 2012Assignee: Forestry and Forest Products Research InstituteInventors: Masahiro Matsunaga, Koichi Setoyama, Yutaka Kataoka, Hiroaki Matsui, Hiroshi Matsunaga, Takeshi Fujiwara
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Publication number: 20110166301Abstract: The invention provides biodegradable polyesters, polyurethanes, comprising 3-carboxymuconolactone as a structural unit, 3-carboxymuconolactone esters and a process for their production. Polyesters comprising a repeating unit represented by the following formula (I): [wherein R represents a hydrocarbon-based divalent residue which, in the structure, optionally contains a heteroatom without an active hydrogen], polyurethanes comprising the polyester structure; 3-carboxymuconolactone esters; and a process for their production.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2009Publication date: July 7, 2011Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI, NAGAOKA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, FORESTRY AND FOREST PRODUCTS RESEARCH INSTITUTEInventors: Hiroaki Takashima, Yusuke Yamamoto, Kohei Mase, Toshihisa Shimo, Tomokuni Abe, Kiyotaka Shigehara, Yoshihiro Katayama, Eiji Masai, Masaya Nakamura, Yuichiro Otsuka, Seiji Ohara
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Publication number: 20100326583Abstract: Improved adhesives with significantly-enhanced bond strength is provided in accordance with the present invention, in particular by adding a bond-strength enhancing agent comprising particles to a binder. Such adhesives can be used in a process of producing a woody board, which results in a substantial reduction in amount of the adhesive used, thus leading to a reduction in overall woody board production costs. Methods for producing a woody board are also provided. The method includes the steps of: coating or spraying an adhesive composition on a wood raw material that is an aggregate composed of wood chips; forming the wood raw material coated or sprayed with the adhesive composition into a specified shape; and heat-pressing the wood raw material formed into the specified shape and again forming the heat-pressed wood raw material into the specified shape. The adhesive composition is obtained by adding a bond-strength enhancing agent composed of particles to an adhesive.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2010Publication date: December 30, 2010Applicant: Forestry and Forest Products Research InstituteInventor: Hideaki Korai
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Patent number: 7815951Abstract: The invention is related to a method for producing a steamed, exploded, and fermented dietary fiber, comprising the steps of: subjecting a hemicellulose-containing plant resource to a steam treatment followed by an explosion treatment (2.5 Mpa, 70 seconds); mixing wheat bran into this steamed and exploded material; adjusting water content of this mixture to about 50%; subsequently preparing koji with the use of a koji fungus; adding water to the koji thus obtained; mixing the steamed and exploded material into a koji dispersion wherein koji is dispersed into water; adjusting water content of this mixture to about 50%; subsequently fermenting the mixture. This method produces a useful material as a food material and a health supplement, by a simple process, with efficiency, and at a low cost.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2006Date of Patent: October 19, 2010Assignees: Ryukyu Bio-Resource Development Co., Ltd., Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Japan Science and Technology AgencyInventors: Naoshi Inafuku, Tetsuya Fujino, Yutaka Kashiwagi, Seiji Ohara, Seiyu Inafuku
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Publication number: 20100209978Abstract: Industrial-scale fermentative production of 3-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid from terephthalic acid. Also, a protocatechuate 4,5-ring-cleaving enzyme gene-disrupted strain in which the gene coding for (a) the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1 or 3, or (b) the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1 or 3 which has a deletion, substitution, addition and/or insertion of one or more amino acids and exhibits protocatechuate 4,5-ring cleavage activity, present in the chromosomal DNA of microbial cells, has been disrupted; recombinant plasmids comprising the Tph gene and protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase gene; transformants obtained by introducing the recombinant plasmids into the disrupted strain; and a process for production of 3-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid and/or 3-carboxymuconolactone characterized by culturing the transformants in the presence of terephthalic acid.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2008Publication date: August 19, 2010Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI, NAGAOKA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, FORESTRY AND FOREST PRODUCTS RESEARCH INSTITUTEInventors: Toshihisa Shimo, Kohei Mase, Yoshihiro Katayama, Eiji Masai, Masao Fukuda, Kiyotaka Shigehara, Seiji Ohara, Masaya Nakamura, Yuichiro Otsuka
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Publication number: 20100101721Abstract: [Problem to be Solved] When a wood raw material is heat-pressed in order to produce a woody material or woody board, steam is generated in an interior of the wood raw material. The heat-pressed wood raw material is then decompressed with the steam staying in the interior of the wood raw material. This causes a puncture or a rupture of the woody material. The puncture occurs in the last phase of the production process, thus spoiling the entire production process. In order to avoid the puncture, the wood raw material needs to be dried completely. This requires a large amount of energy.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2009Publication date: April 29, 2010Applicants: Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Shinwa Wood Industrial Co. Ltd.Inventors: Hideaki Korai, Atsushi Sumida, Takayoshi Osada, Osamu Yasuda, Keishi Tanaka
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Patent number: 7374938Abstract: A method for producing non-cellulosic callose fiber by using plant protoplast, which imposes less burden to the environment with reduced energy consumption compared to conventional natural fibers is provided; it comprises the addition of an inorganic ion to a plant protoplast cultivation system, which leads the plant protoplast to produce non-cellulosic callose fiber.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2001Date of Patent: May 20, 2008Assignees: Japan Science and Technology Corporation, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Forestry and Forest Products Research InstituteInventors: Tetsuo Kondou, Jun Magoshi, Hisashi Abe, Hamako Sasamoto
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Patent number: 7241905Abstract: The present invention provides a novel dioxin analogue for use in the search for organisms capable of degrading dioxin.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2001Date of Patent: July 10, 2007Assignee: Forestry and Forest Products Research InstituteInventors: Masaya Nakamura, Shojiro Hishiyama
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Patent number: 6660165Abstract: The present invention is to provide a method for regenerating inorganic porous particles, a method for purifying water and a continuous water purification device, which can be easily applied as a recycling system of water in special environments such as space environment, by safely removing impurities contained in water and water vapor with a usage of a compact facility without using any chemicals. The method for regenerating inorganic porous particles is characterized in that adsorbed products such as ammonia and/or amines, are reduced by heating to 100-200° C. under a reduced pressure of 10 Pa or less. The method for purifying water and the continuous water purification device are characterized in that a dense membrane having cationic groups and/or a composite membrane in which a hydrophilic membrane is layered on a surface of a hydrophobic porous membrane is used as a permeable membrane are used as a permeable membrane.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2000Date of Patent: December 9, 2003Assignees: Japan, represented by Director General of Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute Forestry Agency, Ministry of Argriculture Forestry and Fisheries, The National Space Development Agency of Japan, The Japan Space ForumInventors: Yasuhiko Hirabayashi, Nobukazu Onishi
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Patent number: 6602451Abstract: A wooden material is made by bonding together with a binder resin, ozonized wood elements obtained by acetylating wood elements and then ozonizing the acetylated wood elements.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 1999Date of Patent: August 5, 2003Assignees: Forestry and Forest Product Research Institute, Yamaha CorporationInventors: Hideaki Korai, Makoto Kiguchi, Ritsuo Iwata, Yoshihiro Hirano, Satoshi Suzuki
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Patent number: 6461472Abstract: In order to inexpensive construction materials effectively utilizing timber resources and realizing any desired properties by using so-called low-quality materials including slim timbers, old timbers, wood cuttings produced by lumbering, bamboo, and so forth, wood, bamboo and other wooden source materials are split into fragments along their fibers by water vapor explosion, and such explosive-split fragments are shaped and hardened by adding an adhesive, mortar or expandable resin into a new wooden material such as multi-layered board, cement board or foamed resin board of explosive-split fragments. The explosive-split fragments are also usable in various fields other than fabrication of the new material.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2001Date of Patent: October 8, 2002Assignee: The Forestry and Forest Products Research InstituteInventor: Tsuyoshi Fujii
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Publication number: 20020011307Abstract: In order to inexpensive construction materials effectively utilizing timber resources and realizing any desired properties by using so-called low-quality materials including slim timbers, old timbers, wood cuttings produced by lumbering, bamboo, and so forth, wood, bamboo and other wooden source materials are split into fragments along their fibers by water vapor explosion, and such explosive-split fragments are shaped and hardened by adding an adhesive, mortar or expandable resin into a new wooden material such as multi-layered board, cement board or foamed resin board of explosive-split fragments. The explosive-split fragments are also usable in various fields other than fabrication of the new material.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2001Publication date: January 31, 2002Applicant: The Forestry and Forest Products Research InstituteInventor: Tsuyoshi Fujii
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Patent number: 6010585Abstract: A manufacturing apparatus for a woody strand cement board, in which a woody group material and cement are combined to form a construction material. The construction material is fire resistant and has a strength comparable to a lumbered raw wood product. The apparatus includes means for finely splitting a fibrous woody material such as wood, bamboo, and reed in a direction parallel to the fiber of the material to obtain pieces of finely split material; a molding frame; and feeders, such as a forming conveyor and swing conveyor, for feeding the pieces to the molding frame to form first and second layers. Mortar is poured on the first and second layers, and pressure is applied to mold and solidify the layers to a semi-hardened state. Two feeders may provide the first and second layers in cross-wise directions.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 1997Date of Patent: January 4, 2000Assignee: The Forestry and Forest Products Research InstituteInventors: Tsuyoshi Fujii, Atsushi Miyatake
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Patent number: 5840226Abstract: A woody group material and cement are combined to form a construction material. The material has an aggregate of finely split pieces formed by splitting wood, bamboo or the like in a fiber direction. The split pieces are formed in one or more layers and are surrounded by, and buried in, a mortar. A construction material can be provided which is fire resistant and has a strength comparable to a lumbered product such as wood material obtained by cutting raw wood. The finely split pieces of wood, bamboo or the like are very strong and tough because they closely adhere to the mortar. Moreover, it is possible to use a fiber structure of raw material. Since the finely split pieces can use a small diameter wood, lumbering byproducts, and other waste material, it is possible to achieve effective use of forest resources and low manufacturing costs.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 1997Date of Patent: November 24, 1998Assignee: The Forestry and Forest Products Research InstituteInventors: Tsuyoshi Fujii, Atsushi Miyatake