Patents by Inventor Chikara Kojima

Chikara Kojima 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).

  • Publication number: 20240147866
    Abstract: A mounting structure includes: a first substrate that has a first surface on which a functional element is provided; a wiring portion that is provided at a position, which is different from a position of the functional element on the first surface, and is conductively connected to the functional element; a second substrate that has a second surface that is opposite to the first surface; and a conduction portion that is provided on the second surface, is connected to the wiring portion, and is conductively connected the functional element. The shortest distance between the functional element and the second substrate is longer than the longest distance between the second substrate and a position where the wiring portion is connected to the conduction portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2024
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventors: Koji OHASHI, Chikara KOJIMA, Hiroshi MATSUDA, Hironori SUZUKI, Shuichi TANAKA
  • Patent number: 11917922
    Abstract: A mounting structure includes: a first substrate that has a first surface on which a functional element is provided; a wiring portion that is provided at a position, which is different from a position of the functional element on the first surface, and is conductively connected to the functional element; a second substrate that has a second surface that is opposite to the first surface; and a conduction portion that is provided on the second surface, is connected to the wiring portion, and is conductively connected the functional element. The shortest distance between the functional element and the second substrate is longer than the longest distance between the second substrate and a position where the wiring portion is connected to the conduction portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Ohashi, Chikara Kojima, Hiroshi Matsuda, Hironori Suzuki, Shuichi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11884558
    Abstract: A fluid device includes: a flow main body including a side wall along a first axis and configured to flow a fluid from an inflow portion provided at one side of the first axis toward an outflow portion provided at the other side of the first axis; a plate provided at the other side of the first axis of the flow main body and having a first surface intersecting the first axis; a standing wall extending along the first axis from the first surface toward the one side of the first axis and having a length along the first axis shorter than the side wall; and an ultrasonic element disposed at an outer side of a collection region of the plate and configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave along the first axis when the standing wall and a region surrounded by the standing wall on the first surface are defined as the collection region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chikara Kojima, Tomohide Onogi, Kanechika Kiyose, Mitsuru Miyasaka
  • Patent number: 11872592
    Abstract: An ultrasonic device includes a base material that has an opening, a vibration plate that is provided on the base material and closes the opening, and a piezoelectric element that is provided on the vibration plate, in which the vibration plate has a first layer provided on the base material, and a second layer that is disposed between the first layer and the piezoelectric element and that suppresses diffusion of a component contained in the piezoelectric element, and a bending rigidity of the second layer is equal to or larger than a bending rigidity of the first layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Inventors: Chikara Kojima, Koji Ohashi, Eiji Osawa
  • Publication number: 20240003932
    Abstract: A fluid device 10 includes: a flow path 20 through which a fluid containing a fine particle flows; an ultrasonic transmitter 60 configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave to the fluid in the flow path 20 in response to an input of a drive signal; a flow velocity measurement unit 40 configured to measure a flow velocity of the fluid in the flow path 20; and a controller 70 configured to control the ultrasonic transmitter 60. The controller 70 sets an amplitude of the drive signal according to a measured flow velocity that is a flow velocity measured by the flow velocity measurement unit 40, and inputs the drive signal having the set amplitude to the ultrasonic transmitter 60.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Inventors: Keita KUBO, Chikara KOJIMA, Mitsuru MIYASAKA, Yoshio ARAI, Hiroto TOMIOKA
  • Publication number: 20240000423
    Abstract: An ultrasonic probe is attached to a target to perform ultrasonic measurement. The ultrasonic probe includes: a first substrate including an ultrasonic element array in which a plurality of ultrasonic elements performing at least one of transmission of ultrasonic waves and reception of ultrasonic waves are arranged in an array, the ultrasonic element array being arranged on a first surface of the first substrate; a second substrate facing a second surface opposite to the first surface of the first substrate; and a housing that houses the first substrate and the second substrate therein and is provided with an opening through which the ultrasonic waves pass at a position corresponding to the ultrasonic element array. The second substrate includes a communication unit coupled to the plurality of ultrasonic elements and capable of wirelessly communicating with another terminal device. A weight of the ultrasonic probe is 150 g or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Inventors: Yoshio ARAI, Chikara KOJIMA, Hiroto TOMIOKA, Keita KUBO
  • Patent number: 11858000
    Abstract: Provided is an ultrasonic device including a substrate and a vibration plate provided on the substrate and having one or more vibrators configured to generate an ultrasonic wave by vibration. The vibration plate has a movable portion provided with the vibrator and configured to vibrate accompanying with the vibration of the vibrator, and a fixed portion fixed to the substrate. A vibration frequency of a reflected wave based on a wave transmitted from the movable portion and received by the movable portion is outside a vibration frequency band region of the vibrator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chikara Kojima, Koji Ohashi, Tomohiro Sayama, Seiji Izuo, Kanechika Kiyose
  • Publication number: 20230314208
    Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor includes: a substrate having a first surface and a second surface at an opposite side from the first surface, the substrate having an opening penetrating the substrate from the first surface to the second surface; a vibration plate covering a first surface side of the opening; piezoelectric elements provided at a surface of the vibration plate at an opposite side from the opening and each including a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode; and an elastic layer in contact with the vibration plate in the opening, in which a portion in which the first electrode, the piezoelectric layer, and the second electrode overlap is defined as an active portion, and a plurality of the active portions face the one opening, and a thickness of the elastic layer is equal to or larger than half a thickness of the substrate and less than the thickness of the substrate, and the thickness of the elastic layer in each of the active portions is uniform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Mio SASAKI, Chikara KOJIMA, Seiji IZUO
  • Patent number: 11754531
    Abstract: An ultrasonic device including: an element substrate including a diaphragm, a vibrator provided at the diaphragm, and a first electrode electrically coupled to the vibrator; a protective substrate that is provided at a position facing the element substrate and that includes a second electrode coupled to the first electrode at a position facing the first electrode; a through hole substrate that has a through hole and that faces the element substrate; and a container including a mounting surface on which the protective substrate is disposed, in which the vibrator is provided at a position overlapping the through hole when viewed from a facing direction in which the element substrate and the protective substrate face each other, and is surrounded by the element substrate, the protective substrate, and a jointing member, and the second electrode is provided at an opposite-side surface of the protective substrate from a jointing surface jointed with the mounting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chikara Kojima, Kanechika Kiyose
  • Patent number: 11712718
    Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor includes a substrate in which an opening is formed; a vibration plate that is provided on the substrate so as to block the opening; and a piezoelectric element including a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode that are stacked on an opposite side of the opening of the vibration plate, in which when a direction in which the first electrode, the piezoelectric layer, and the second electrode are stacked is a Z direction, and a portion that is completely overlapped by the first electrode, the piezoelectric layer, and the second electrode in the Z direction is an active portion, a plurality of active portions are provided so as to face the each opening, and a columnar member is provided between the adjacent active portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Inventor: Chikara Kojima
  • Publication number: 20230228604
    Abstract: A fluidic device 10 includes: a channel 20 that extends along an X axis and through which a fluid S flows; a standing wave generation part 30 that generates a standing wave SW transmitting along a Y axis in the fluid S in the channel 20; a transmission and reception part 40 that transmits an ultrasonic wave to the fluid S in the channel 20 and receives the ultrasonic wave transmitted through the fluid S; a time-of-flight measurement unit 55 that measures a time of flight that is a period of time from when the transmission and reception part 40 transmits the ultrasonic wave to when the transmission and reception part 40 receives the ultrasonic wave; and a drive control unit 582 that controls driving of the standing wave generation part 30 based on the time of flight of the ultrasonic wave.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2023
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventors: Tomohide ONOGI, Chikara KOJIMA
  • Publication number: 20230226466
    Abstract: A fluidic device includes: a channel that extends along a first axis and through which a fluid flows; an ultrasonic transmission part that is disposed at the channel and transmits an ultrasonic wave into the channel along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis in response to an input of a drive signal; and a controller that controls the ultrasonic transmission part. The controller measures impedance of the ultrasonic transmission part at a time when the ultrasonic transmission part is driven while changing a drive frequency of the drive signal within a predetermined range, specifies a drive frequency at which the impedance is a local maximum and sets the drive frequency at which the impedance is a local maximum as a first drive frequency, and inputs the drive signal of the first drive frequency to the ultrasonic transmission part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2023
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventors: Tomohide ONOGI, Chikara KOJIMA
  • Patent number: 11690594
    Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator includes: a vibrating plate including a first surface configured to close an opening provided in a substrate and also including a second surface including a plurality of piezoelectric elements; a suppressing portion configured to suppress vibration of the vibrating plate; and a plurality of walls sticking out into the opening from the first surface, in which, when an active portion of a piezoelectric element is set as a portion where a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode overlap, the walls are provided between adjacent active portions in plan view from a direction in which the first electrode, the piezoelectric layer, and the second electrode are stacked, and a distance between adjacent walls is longer than a distance between adjacent active portions in a plane perpendicular to the stacking direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Inventors: Chikara Kojima, Koji Ohashi, Makoto Furuhata
  • Publication number: 20230203739
    Abstract: A fluid device includes: a first flow path that extends along a first axis and through which a fluid flows in a positive side of the first axis; a first ultrasonic element configured to generate a first standing wave along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis in the first flow path; and a second flow path connected to the first flow path such that the fluid flows therethrough and extending along a third axis intersecting a plane including the first axis and the second axis. A first connection port for connecting the first flow path and the second flow path is formed corresponding to a position of either an antinode of the first standing wave or a node of a first standing wave.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2022
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: Chikara KOJIMA, Tomohide ONOGI
  • Publication number: 20230111845
    Abstract: A fluid device includes: a flow path through which a fluid flows; and an ultrasonic wave application device including an ultrasonic element that transmits an ultrasonic wave, in which the flow path has, as flow path wall surfaces, an ultrasonic wave application surface that applies, to the fluid, the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic element, and a reflection surface that reflects the ultrasonic wave applied to the fluid from the ultrasonic wave application surface, and the reflection surface has a concave curved surface shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Inventors: Keita KUBO, Chikara KOJIMA, Tomohide ONOGI, Mitsuru MIYASAKA
  • Publication number: 20230076028
    Abstract: A fluidic device includes a channel in which a fluid flows, and an ultrasonic element generating standing wave in the fluid within the channel by applying ultrasonic wave to the fluid, wherein the channel has a first portion formed using a resin material having a first reflectance of ultrasonic wave propagating in the fluid less than a predetermined value and a second portion having a second reflectance of ultrasonic wave propagating in the fluid equal to or more than the predetermined value, and the second portion is placed on two different surfaces along a flow direction of the fluid within the channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Keita KUBO, Chikara KOJIMA, Tomohide ONOGI, Mitsuru MIYASAKA
  • Patent number: 11590534
    Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor includes a vibration plate that includes a vibration portion and is formed of a resin; a wall portion that is provided on the vibration plate, surrounds the vibration portion and is formed of a resin; and a piezoelectric element that is provided in the vibration portion of the vibration plate. Accordingly, the wall portion surrounding the vibration portion can suppress a frequency variation of an ultrasonic wave output from the ultrasonic sensor and can deform the ultrasonic sensor into a shape corresponding to a surface of an object having various shapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Inventors: Chikara Kojima, Hironori Suzuki, Kanechika Kiyose
  • Patent number: 11594671
    Abstract: An ultrasonic device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a substrate in which an opening section piercing through the substrate in a thickness direction is provided, a vibration plate provided on the substrate to close the opening section, a piezoelectric element provided in a position corresponding to the opening section on a first surface at the opposite side of the substrate side of the vibration plate, and an elastic layer provided in contact with a second surface at the substrate side of the vibration plate at the inner side of the opening section of the substrate. The elastic layer includes a curved surface recessed to the vibration plate side at the opposite side of the vibration plate side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Ohashi, Hironori Suzuki, Chikara Kojima
  • Patent number: 11594670
    Abstract: An MEMS device includes: a first member; a second member forming a sealed space with the first member therebetween; and a third member disposed between the first member and the second member and joined to the first member and the second member, in which the third member has lower rigidity than rigidity of the first member and the second member, and the third member is provided with a communication portion that establishes communication between the sealed space and an external space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chikara Kojima, Eiji Osawa, Koji Ohashi, Kanechika Kiyose, Tomohiro Sayama, Hironori Suzuki, Katsuhiro Imai, Yasuyuki Matsumoto, Takahiro Kamijo
  • Patent number: 11581478
    Abstract: A mounting structure includes: a first substrate that has a first surface on which a functional element is provided; a wiring portion that is provided at a position, which is different from a position of the functional element on the first surface, and is conductively connected to the functional element; a second substrate that has a second surface that is opposite to the first surface; and a conduction portion that is provided on the second surface, is connected to the wiring portion, and is conductively connected the functional element. The shortest distance between the functional element and the second substrate is longer than the longest distance between the second substrate and a position where the wiring portion is connected to the conduction portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Inventors: Koji Ohashi, Chikara Kojima, Hiroshi Matsuda, Hironori Suzuki, Shuichi Tanaka