Patents by Inventor Hikaru Murakami

Hikaru Murakami 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: 7704623
    Abstract: A mold for a use of making a fuel cell separator comprises: a first flow path forming portion to form a cooling medium flowing path, or to form an oxidizing gas flowing path, or to form a fuel gas flowing path; and an injection gate to shoot out a forming material settled on the first flow path, and/or disposed at near place with the first flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Ohara, Hikaru Murakami, Masaaki Miyoshi, Kazuhito Hatoh, Takeshi Tomizawa
  • Publication number: 20090068526
    Abstract: A mold for a use of making a fuel cell separator comprises: a first flow path forming portion to form a cooling medium flowing path, or to form an oxidizing gas flowing path, or to form a fuel gas flowing path; and an injection gate to shoot out a forming material settled on the first flow path, and/or disposed at near place with the first flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideo Ohara, Hikaru Murakami, Masaaki Miyoshi, Kazuhito Hatoh, Takeshi Tomizawa
  • Patent number: 7501199
    Abstract: A mold for a use of making a fuel cell separator comprises: a first flow path forming portion to form a cooling medium flowing path, or to form an oxidizing gas flowing path, or to form a fuel gas flowing path; and an injection gate to shoot out a forming material settled on the first flow path, and/or disposed at near place with the first flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Ohara, Hikaru Murakami, Masaaki Miyoshi, Kazuhito Hatoh, Takeshi Tomizawa
  • Publication number: 20050089598
    Abstract: A mold for a use of making a fuel cell separator comprises: a first flow path forming portion to form a cooling medium flowing path, or to form an oxidizing gas flowing path, or to form a fuel gas flowing path; and an injection gate to shoot out a forming material settled on the first flow path, and/or disposed at near place with the first flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2004
    Publication date: April 28, 2005
    Inventors: Hideo Ohara, Hikaru Murakami, Masaaki Miyoshi, Kazuhito Hatoh, Takeshi Tomizawa
  • Patent number: 6840969
    Abstract: An electrolyte membrane-gasket assembly for a fuel cell, including a polymer electrolyte membrane and a gasket, made of a seal material, covering the peripheral portion of the electrolyte membrane, in which the electrolyte membrane has a sequence of a plurality of through-holes in the peripheral portion, and a portion of the gasket covering one surface of the electrolyte membrane and a portion covering the other surface are connected to each other through the through-holes of the electrolyte membrane. This assembly provides a polymer electrolyte fuel cell free from gas cross leakage caused by a detachment of the gasket from the polymer electrolyte membrane. It is preferable to further include catalyst layers carried on both surfaces of the polymer electrolyte membrane, respectively, and protective films covering, respectively, sections spanning from the peripheral portion of each of the catalyst layers to the peripheral portion of the polymer electrolyte membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Kobayashi, Masato Hosaka, Kazuhito Hatoh, Hikaru Murakami, Mikio Takezawa, Takayuki Onishi
  • Patent number: 6790552
    Abstract: A polymer electrolyte fuel cell in which neither cross leakage nor outward leakage occurs with the application of low clamping pressures. The polymer electrolyte fuel cell a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) including a polymer electrolyte membrane, a gasket covering the periphery of the electrolyte membrane, and an anode and cathode attached to the electrolyte membrane; and conductive separator plates sandwiching the MEA therebetween. The gasket has seal ribs surrounding each of the manifold apertures, the anode and the cathode, as well as seal ribs formed on both sides of each of gas passages connecting the fuel gas manifold apertures with the anode and gas passages connecting the oxidant gas manifold apertures with the cathode. These seal ribs, except for in the gas passages, are pressed against the separator plates by clamping pressure of the cell stack to form gas sealing sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Kobayashi, Masato Hosaka, Kazuhito Hatoh, Hikaru Murakami, Mikio Takezawa, Takayuki Onishi
  • Publication number: 20030091885
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electrolyte membrane-gasket assembly for a fuel cell, including a polymer electrolyte membrane and a gasket, made of a seal material, covering the peripheral portion of the electrolyte membrane, in which the electrolyte membrane has a sequence of a plurality of through-holes in the peripheral portion, and a portion of the gasket covering one surface of the electrolyte membrane and a portion covering the other surface are connected to each other through the through-holes of the electrolyte membrane. This assembly provides a polymer electrolyte fuel cell that is free from gas cross leakage caused by a detachment of the gasket from the polymer electrolyte membrane. It is preferable to further include catalyst layers carried on both surfaces of the polymer electrolyte membrane, respectively, and protective films covering, respectively, sections spanning from the peripheral portion of each of the catalyst layers to the peripheral portion of the polymer electrolyte membrane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2002
    Publication date: May 15, 2003
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Kobayashi, Masato Hosaka, Kazuhito Hatoh, Hikaru Murakami, Mikio Takezawa, Takayuki Onishi
  • Publication number: 20030087142
    Abstract: The present invention provides a polymer electrolyte fuel cell in which neither cross leakage nor outward leakage occurs with the application of low clamping pressures. The polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprises a unit cell, the unit cell comprising: a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) comprising a polymer electrolyte membrane, a gasket covering the periphery of the electrolyte membrane, an anode and a cathode attached to the electrolyte membrane; and conductive separator plates sandwiching the MEA therebetween. The gasket and the separator plates have a pair of manifold apertures for each of fuel gas, oxidant gas and cooling water. The gasket comprises dummy ribs surrounding each of the manifold apertures, and the separator plates have grooves into which each of the dummy ribs is fitted loosely such that there is a clearance therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Publication date: May 8, 2003
    Inventors: Susumu Kobayashi, Masato Hosaka, Kazuhito Hatoh, Hikaru Murakami, Mikio Takezawa, Takayuki Onishi
  • Publication number: 20020197523
    Abstract: A method of producing a fuel cell comprising the steps of: (A) molding a separator having a gas flow channel or a cooling water flow channel by injection molding process having a step of injecting a mixture comprising one or more conductive inorganic materials and one or more resins into a mold; (B) producing an assembly comprising an electrolyte and a pair of electrodes sandwiching the electrolyte; and (C) combining the separator with the assembly to produce a fuel cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2002
    Publication date: December 26, 2002
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Hideo Ohara, Kazuhito Hatoh, Katsumi Tomita, Nobuhiro Hase, Hiroki Kusakabe, Tatsuto Yamazaki, Masayo Sugou, Shinsuke Takeguchi, Susumu Kobayashi, Hikaru Murakami, Mikio Takezawa, Hiroshi Kobayashi, Takayuki Onishi, Hiroaki Matsuoka
  • Patent number: D585826
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Ohara, Masaaki Miyoshi, Hikaru Murakami, Kazuhito Hatoh
  • Patent number: D605593
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Ohara, Masaaki Miyoshi, Hikaru Murakami, Kazuhito Hatoh
  • Patent number: D605594
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Ohara, Masaaki Miyoshi, Hikaru Murakami, Kazuhito Hatoh
  • Patent number: D616819
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Ohara, Masaaki Miyoshi, Hikaru Murakami, Kazuhito Hatoh