Patents by Inventor Hitoshi Hirakawa

Hitoshi Hirakawa 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: 20230258315
    Abstract: The present invention provides a deep ultraviolet radiation apparatus that is safe and has a high bacteria eliminating effect. The ultraviolet radiation apparatus comprises an optical filter that prevents the transmission of ultraviolet light of 240 nm or more emitted from a phosphor, wherein the optical filter is arranged facing light emitting surfaces of a gas-discharging tube array-type surface-emitting ultraviolet light source device comprising phosphor layer having a broad emission spectrum with a wavelength width of at least 210 nm to 250 nm with a peak wavelength of 228 nm. Light irradiated from the light source device is incident on a filter membrane with an incident angle thereof being altered by a transparent substrate of the optical filter. An ozone generation space may be formed between the surface-emitting ultraviolet light source device and the optical filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Tsutae SHINODA, Hitoshi HIRAKAWA, Kenji AWAMOTO, Takefumi HIDAKA, Junichiro TAKAHASHI, Tetsuya MAKINO, Masayuki WAKITANI, Yoko SHINODA
  • Patent number: 11011367
    Abstract: A light-emitting tube array-type light source device includes: a plurality of light-emitting gas discharge tubes 11; and an electrode substrate 30 supporting the light-emitting gas discharge tubes in parallel on an upper surface thereof, the electrode substrate having a plurality of slits partially exposes a bottom surface of each light-emitting tube, thereby the light-emitting gas discharge tubes can be cooled through the slits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: SHIKOH TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tsutae Shinoda, Hitoshi Hirakawa, Kenji Awamoto, Takefumi Hidaka, Junichiro Takahashi, Tetsuya Makino
  • Publication number: 20200152442
    Abstract: A light-emitting tube array-type light source device includes: a plurality of light-emitting gas discharge tubes 11; and an electrode substrate 30 supporting the light-emitting gas discharge tubes in parallel on an upper surface thereof, the electrode substrate having a plurality of slits partially exposes a bottom surface of each light-emitting tube, thereby the light-emitting gas discharge tubes can be cooled through the slits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Tsutae SHINODA, Hitoshi HIRAKAWA, Kenji AWAMOTO, Takefumi HIDAKA, Junichiro TAKAHASHI, Tetsuya MAKINO
  • Patent number: 10128100
    Abstract: During a normal operation, alternating drive voltage to be applied between a pair of electrodes provided to face an outer surface of a bottom part of a gas discharge light emitting tube is switched to a voltage value V2 lower than a voltage value V1 at the time of starting lighting. Further, the alternating drive voltage to be applied during the normal discharge operation is intermittently applied in a predetermined cycle and duty ratio to enable adjustment of light emission intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: SHIKOH TECH LLC
    Inventors: Tsutae Shinoda, Hitoshi Hirakawa, Kenji Awamoto, Junichiro Takahashi, Takefumi Hidaka
  • Publication number: 20180144925
    Abstract: During a normal operation,alternating drive voltage to be applied between a pair of electrodes provided to face an outer surface of a bottom part of a gas discharge light emitting tube is switched to a voltage value V2 lower than a voltage value V1 at the time of starting lighting. Further, the alternating drive voltage to be applied during the normal discharge operation is intermittently applied in a predetermined cycle and duty ratio to enable adjustment of light emission intensity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Inventors: Tsutae SHINODA, Hitoshi HIRAKAWA, Kenji AWAMOTO, Junichiro TAKAHASHI, Takefumi HIDAKA
  • Patent number: 9947526
    Abstract: A gas discharge device includes a thin glass tube filled with a discharge gas; a pair of first and second long electrodes extending toward either side along a longitudinal direction with a discharge gap interposed therebetween are provided outside of a back side flat surface of a thin glass tube; and a ultraviolet phosphor layer formed on an inner surface at the back side flat surface, the thin glass tube filled with a discharge gas having a front side flat surface and the back side flat surface facing each other on a transverse section, wherein, starting with trigger discharge that is initially generated in the discharge gap as a result of a voltage increase when a voltage with a sine waveform or an inclined waveform is applied between both electrodes, the discharge gradually extends so as to move in the longitudinal direction of the electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: SHIKOH TECH LLC
    Inventors: Tsutae Shinoda, Hitoshi Hirakawa, Kenji Awamoto, Bingang Guo, Takefumi Hidaka, Junichiro Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20170186596
    Abstract: The object of this invention is to provide a gas discharge device which has a simple configuration, inexpensive, and has excellent luminous efficiency, for an ultraviolet or visible light source. The invention provides a gas discharge device in which first and second long electrodes extending toward either side along a longitudinal direction with a discharge gap interposed therebetween are provided outside of a back side flat surface of a thin glass tube, the thin glass tube filled with a discharge gas having a front side flat surface and the back side flat surface facing each other on a transverse section, wherein, starting with trigger discharge that is initially generated in the discharge gap as a result of a voltage increase when a voltage with a sine waveform or an inclined waveform is applied between both electrodes, the discharge gradually extends so as to move in the longitudinal direction of the electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Tsutae SHINODA, Hitoshi HIRAKAWA, Kenji AWAMOTO, Bingang GUO, Takefumi HIDAKA, Junichiro TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 8816938
    Abstract: A large-scale display device having a plurality of display units which each include a plurality of elongated plasma tubes each filled with a discharge gas, and at least one pair of display electrodes disposed outside the plasma tubes, voltage applying means which applies a drive voltage to the display electrodes to cause electric discharge in the plasma tubes for display. Vertically adjoining ones of the display units respectively have adjoining portions which are offset thicknesswise from each other for prevention of contact between the plasma tubes of the vertically adjoining display units. The voltage applying means is disposed away from the adjoining portions of the vertically adjoining display units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Shinoda Plasma Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Tamura, Hitoshi Hirakawa, Koji Shinohe, Yoshio Shibukawa, Takamitsu Bunno, Kenji Awamoto, Yoko Shinoda, Tetsuya Makino
  • Publication number: 20130307408
    Abstract: A luminous array film-type display device having a multi-curved screen comprises, a luminous array film such as plasma tube array (PTA) and a support member supporting the luminous array film. The support member having a support surface that is curved continuously in one direction with at least two curvature radii supports the luminous array film along the curved surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: Shinoda Plasma Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi HIRAKAWA, Koji Shinohe, Yukihoto Namekawa, Tetsuya Makino, Katsuhiko Itamasu
  • Patent number: 8330676
    Abstract: This invention provides a plasma tube array-type display device and a luminance correcting method realizing reduced variations in luminance values of a plasma tube array. A gradient of the luminance value in the longitudinal direction of one plasma tube is calculated on the basis of the obtained luminance value at a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction of at least one plasma tube. A difference of the luminance value of each plasma tube obtained at the same relative position. On the basis of the gradient of the luminance value and the difference of the luminance value of each plasma tube at the same relative position, a correction luminance value in each discharge cell in the longitudinal direction of each of the plurality of plasma tubes is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Shinoda Plasma Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Shinohe, Koji Kishimoto, Tetsuya Makino, Hitoshi Hirakawa, Kenji Awamoto
  • Patent number: 8310606
    Abstract: This invention provides a display device capable of maintaining a high image quality of a display image even when a plurality of plasma tube array-type display sub-modules is joined horizontally to one another. A display device comprises a plasma tube array-type display sub-module in which a plurality of plasma tubes 31, 31, . . . , are arranged in parallel being held between an address electrode support sheet where address electrodes are formed and a display electrode support sheet 35 where display electrodes are formed, wherein the plurality of plasma tube array-type display sub-modules 30, 30, . . . , are joined horizontally to one another so that an interval between the adjacent plasma tube array-type display sub-modules 30, 30, . . . , and a clearance between the adjacent plasma tubes 31, 31 are substantially equal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Shinoda Plasma Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Itamasu, Koji Kishimoto, Koji Shinohe, Manabu Ishimoto, Hitoshi Hirakawa, Kenji Awamoto
  • Patent number: 8305292
    Abstract: A large-scale display device having a plurality of display units which each include a plurality of elongated plasma tubes each filled with a discharge gas, and at least one pair of display electrodes disposed outside the plasma tubes, voltage applying means which applies a drive voltage to the display electrodes to cause electric discharge in the plasma tubes for display. Vertically adjoining ones of the display units respectively have adjoining portions which are offset thicknesswise from each other for prevention of contact between the plasma tubes of the vertically adjoining display units. The voltage applying means is disposed away from the adjoining portions of the vertically adjoining display units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Shinoda Plasma Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Tamura, Hitoshi Hirakawa, Koji Shinohe, Yoshio Shibukawa, Takamitsu Bunno, Tetsuya Makino, Kenji Awamoto, Yoko Shinoda
  • Patent number: 8207911
    Abstract: A display device includes two or more plasma tube array units to provide a large sized screen. Each plasma tube array unit includes pairs of scan and sustain electrodes. The plasma tube array units are disposed adjacent to each other in a longitudinal direction of the scan and sustain electrodes. One scan driver which selectively applies a scan signal to the scan electrodes is coupled to the two adjacent plasma tube array units at a position between the two adjacent plasma tube array units. Two sustain voltage drivers which apply respective sustain voltage to the sustain electrodes are coupled to the sustain electrodes of the two respective adjacent plasma tube array units on two respective outermost sides of the two respective adjacent plasma tube array units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Shinoda Plasma Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Manabu Ishimoto, Hitoshi Hirakawa, Kenji Awamoto
  • Patent number: 8093812
    Abstract: This invention provides a plasma tube array-type display sub-module that realizes one seamless large screen of a display device and prevents degradation in quality of an image to be displayed on the large screen. The electromagnetic wave shield layer is formed so as to extend beyond an effective display region over, where the plurality of plasma tubes is arranged on one side of the front-side supporting sheet. Moreover, at least one further function layer is formed only over the effective display region. The front-side supporting sheet with display electrodes and the electromagnetic wave shield layer is bent toward the back direction along a side end of the effective display region in order to join plasma tube array-type display sub-modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Shinoda Plasma Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Makino, Koji Shinohe, Hitoshi Hirakawa, Kenji Awamoto
  • Patent number: 8089210
    Abstract: This invention provides a plasma tube array-type display sub-module capable of reducing a possibility of occurrence of troubles on a plasma tube array during a manufacturing process even in a case where irregularities are formed on the back side of the plasma tube array, and a display device. The plasma tube array-type display sub-module comprises a plasma tube array including a plurality of plasma tubes arranged in parallel, the plasma tube array being held between an address electrode support sheet having address electrodes formed thereon and a display electrode support sheet having display electrodes formed thereon, wherein the plasma tube array is fixed to a sub-module frame through an intermediate layer that is made of a material more flexible than that of the plasma tube array and can deform along the irregularities on the address electrode support sheet of the plasma tube array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Shinoda Plasma Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Shinohe, Takamitsu Bunno, Yoshio Shibukawa, Bingang Guo, Naganori Tsutsui, Hitoshi Hirakawa, Kenji Awamoto
  • Patent number: 8076850
    Abstract: A light emitting tube array is provided which includes: front and rear plates; and a plurality of elongated light emitting tubes each filled with a discharge gas and disposed parallel to each other between the front and rear plates, the front plate being transparent and having an enough rigidity to support the light emitting tubes, the front plate including at least one pair of display electrodes provided thereon in contact with the light emitting tubes as extending perpendicularly to the light emitting tube, the rear plate having an enough flexibility to adapt to variation in sectional dimensions of the light emitting tubes, the rear plate including address electrodes provided thereon in contact with the respective light emitting tubes as extending longitudinally of the light emitting tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Shinoda Plasma Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshio Shibukawa, Koji Shinohe, Hitoshi Hirakawa, Kenji Awamoto
  • Patent number: 7902735
    Abstract: A gas discharge tube includes: a elongated tube within which an electron-emissive film is formed, and which is filled with a discharge gas and sealed; a plurality of pairs of display electrodes disposed on a display side of the elongated tube; a signal electrode disposed on a rear side of the elongated tube; and an elongated support member inserted into the elongated tube and extending in the length direction of the elongated tube. The support member has a curved shape so that a curved inner surface thereof forms a discharge space, has longitudinally extending opposite edges, and has a phosphor layer formed on the inner surface of the support member. The support member further has an end wall at each of longitudinally opposite ends thereof. The end walls and the curved inner surface form an elongated depression in the support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Shinoda Plasma Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bingang Guo, Hitoshi Hirakawa, Manabu Ishimoto, Yosuke Yamazaki, Kenji Awamoto
  • Patent number: 7880374
    Abstract: A display device (10) includes a plurality of gas discharge tubes (11R, 11G, 11B, . . . ) sandwiched between a front support plate (31) and a plurality of rear support plates (321, 322, . . . 328). The display device further includes: a plurality of display electrodes (2) formed on a surface of the front support plate facing the plurality of gas discharge tubes to extend across tube axes of the plurality of gas discharge tubes; a plurality of signal electrodes (3) formed on surfaces of the plurality of rear support plates facing the plurality of gas discharge tubes to extend along the longitudinal direction of the plurality of gas discharge tubes. Another rear support plate (330) for supporting the plurality of rear support plates is disposed on surfaces of the plurality of rear support plates opposite to the surfaces facing the plurality of gas discharge tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Shinoda Plasma Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Tokai, Manabu Ishimoto, Hitoshi Hirakawa, Yosuke Yamazaki, Koji Shinohe, Kenji Awamoto
  • Patent number: 7816850
    Abstract: A display device includes a plurality of gas discharge tubes sandwiched between a front support plate and a rear support plate. A plurality of signal electrodes are formed on the rear support plate to extend along the longitudinal direction of the gas discharge tubes. The signal electrodes are divided into a plurality of groups. The distance between adjacent ones of the signal electrodes in each group has a first distance. The distance between adjacent ones of the signal electrodes between adjacent groups has a second distance that is larger than the first distance. Thus, a space may be provided between the two adjacent gas discharge tubes of the respective adjacent groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Shinoda Plasma Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Manabu Ishimoto, Hitoshi Hirakawa, Kenji Awamoto
  • Publication number: 20100237759
    Abstract: A plasma tube array-type display sub-module commonized to allow a universal design, and a large-screen display device configured with the plural PTA sub-modules are easily provided. A front-side supporting sheet is provided, on front face of a plasma tube array with a plurality of display electrode pairs in which X and Y electrodes extend in the direction intersecting the plasma tubes. At both ends of the front-side supporting sheet, connection boards are provided in which an X connector connected to the X electrode and a Y connector connected to the Y electrode are provided separately in the direction in which the display electrode pairs extend. A flexible cable connects between the same type of connectors of the adjacent PTA sub-modules and thereby the PTA sub-modules are joined together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: SHINODA PLASMA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshio Shibukawa, Koji Shinohe, Tetsuya Makino, Hitoshi Hirakawa, Kenji Awamoto