Patents by Inventor Kazuhiko Kurihara

Kazuhiko Kurihara 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: 6984350
    Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a transversely aligned web has a spinning device provided with a plurality of nozzles for extruding molten polymer as filaments, and a conveyor on which the filaments spun by the spinning device are piled and traveling in a direction cross to the direction of array of the nozzles. The spinning device is provided with a high-speed fluid blowing unit for blowing a high-speed fluid in a direction parallel with a direction in which the filaments are extruded from the nozzles so as to attenuate the filaments. Further, the apparatus for manufacturing the transversely aligned web has at least one air stream vibrating mechanism for cyclically changing the flowing direction of the high-speed fluid blown from the high-speed fluid blowing unit in a direction cross to the machine direction of the conveyor. The filaments are vibrated in a direction cross to the machine direction of the conveyor, owing to the high-speed fluid by the air stream vibrating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignees: Nippon Petrochemicals Co., Ltd., Polymer Processing Research Institute Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuki Kuroiwa, Kazuhiko Kurihara, Kazuhiro Yabe, Shin-ichi Umejima, Yoshiro Morino
  • Patent number: 6877971
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing a transversely aligned web having filaments aligned in the transverse direction, comprising conveyor running in one direction, spinning nozzle disposed above the conveyor, an annular primary airflow nozzle, and at least one pair of secondary airflow nozzles disposed on the upstream side and the downstream side of the running direction of the conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignees: Nippon Petrochemicals Co. Ltd., Polymer Processing Research Institute, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kurihara, Yoichi Mazawa, Yoshiro Morino
  • Publication number: 20040166756
    Abstract: A composite sheet comprises a nonwoven fabric and a rubber elastic material bonded onto the nonwoven fabric. The nonwoven fabric has nonelastic fibers aligned in one direction and has elongation of 100% or higher in a direction perpendicular to the aligned direction of the nonelastic fibers. The rubber elastic material is bonded to the nonwoven fabric in a pattern having orientation perpendicular to the aligned direction of the nonelastic fibers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2004
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Applicants: NIPPON PETROCHEMICALS CO., LTD., POLYMER PROCESSING RESEARCH INSTITUTE LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kurihara, Hiroshi Yazawa, Kenichi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 6637128
    Abstract: A transversely stretched nonwoven fabric is manufactured by transversely stretching a nonwoven fabric. First, an original web comprising a plurality of un-oriented filaments is heated to a temperature higher than its stretch suitable temperature by 5° C. or more. Next, the heated original web is stretched at a rate of 1.2 to 3 in its transverse direction to stretch the filaments of the original web with almost no molecular orientation involved. Then, the original web stretched transversely at a rate of 1.2 to 3 is heated to the stretch suitable temperature and the original web is further stretched transversely at the stretch suitable temperature. With these steps, a transversely stretched nonwoven fabric in which the original web is stretched transversely at a rate of 7 times or more in total as compared with the state of the stretch thereof is manufactured with a high tensile strength of 132.5 mN/tex (1.5 g/d) in the transverse direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignees: Nippon Petrochemicals Co., Ltd., Polymer Processing Research Institute Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuki Kuroiwa, Yoshiro Morino, Kazuhiko Kurihara, Shuichi Murakami
  • Patent number: 6605553
    Abstract: A multiaxial laminated non-woven fabric is formed with tows overlaid and bonded with one another. The starting material tow is crimped and has a total tex of not more than 300,000 and filaments in the tow have an average fineness of not more than 3 tex. A three-dimensional molded product made from the multiaxial non-woven fabric is also provided. The non-woven tow fabric of ensured quality is produced by bonding tows multiaxially and obliquely overlaid with one another, for example by needle punching or heat treatment, while the tows are held by pins of an overlaying machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: Polymer Processing Research Institute, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuki Kuroiwa, Kazuhiko Kurihara, Yasuo Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20030082976
    Abstract: A transversely stretched nonwoven fabric is manufactured by transversely stretching a nonwoven fabric. First, an original web comprising a plurality of un-oriented filaments is heated to a temperature higher than its stretch suitable temperature by 5° C. or more. Next, the heated original web is stretched at a rate of 1.2 to 3 in its transverse direction to stretch the filaments of the original web with almost no molecular orientation involved. Then, the original web stretched transversely at a rate of 1.2 to 3 is heated to the stretch suitable temperature and the original web is further stretched transversely at the stretch suitable temperature. With these steps, a transversely stretched nonwoven fabric in which the original web is stretched transversely at a rate of 7 times or more in total as compared with the state of the stretch thereof is manufactured with a high tensile strength of 132.5 mN/tex (1.5 g/d) in the transverse direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2002
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Inventors: Yuki Kuroiwa, Yoshiro Morino, Kazuhiko Kurihara, Shuichi Murakami
  • Publication number: 20030082977
    Abstract: A transversely stretched nonwoven fabric is manufactured by transversely stretching a nonwoven fabric. First, an original web comprising a plurality of unoriented filaments is heated to a temperature higher than its stretch suitable temperature by 5° C. or more. Next, the heated original web is stretched at a rate of 1.2 to 3 in its transverse direction to stretch the filaments of the original web with almost no molecular orientation involved. Then, the original web stretched transversely at a rate of 1.2 to 3 is heated to the stretch suitable temperature and the original web is further stretched transversely at the stretch suitable temperature. With these steps, a transversely stretched nonwoven fabric in which the original web is stretched transversely at a rate of 7 times or more in total as compared with the state of the stretch thereof is manufactured with a high tensile strength of 132.5 mN/tex (1.5 g/d) in the transverse direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2002
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Inventors: Yuki Kuroiwa, Yoshiro Morino, Kazuhiko Kurihara, Shuichi Murakami
  • Publication number: 20030077968
    Abstract: A transversely stretched nonwoven fabric is manufactured by transversely stretching a nonwoven fabric. First, an original web comprising a plurality of un-oriented filaments is heated to a temperature higher than its stretch suitable temperature by 5° C. or more. Next, the heated original web is stretched at a rate of 1.2 to 3 in its transverse direction to stretch the filaments of the original web with almost no molecular orientation involved. Then, the original web stretched transversely at a rate of 1.2 to 3 is heated to the stretch suitable temperature and the original web is further stretched transversely at the stretch suitable temperature. With these steps, a transversely stretched nonwoven fabric in which the original web is stretched transversely at a rate of 7 times or more in total as compared with the state of the stretch thereof is manufactured with a high tensile strength of 132.5 mN/tex (1.5 g/d) in the transverse direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2002
    Publication date: April 24, 2003
    Inventors: Yuki Kuroiwa, Yoshiro Morino, Kazuhiko Kurihara, Shuichi Murakami
  • Publication number: 20030056335
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing a transversely aligned web having filaments aligned in the transverse direction, comprising conveyor running in one direction, spinning nozzle disposed above the conveyor, an annular primary airflow nozzle, and at least one pair of secondary airflow nozzles disposed on the upstream side and the downstream side of the running direction of the conveyor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2002
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kurihara, Yoichi Mazawa, Yoshiro Morino
  • Patent number: 6524521
    Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric has a spinning mechanism having a plurality of nozzles for extruding filaments, and a conveyor for collecting and delivering the extruded filaments. Between the spinning mechanism and the conveyor, there are disposed a high-speed air stream generating mechanism for generating a high-speed air stream to carry the filaments extruded from the nozzles to attenuate the filaments, and an air stream vibrating mechanism for periodically changing the direction of the high-speed air stream in the machine direction of the conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignees: Nippon Petrochemicals Co., Ltd., Polymer Processing Research Institute Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuki Kuroiwa, Kazuhiko Kurihara, Kazuhiro Yabe, Akira Nii, Shin-ichi Umejima
  • Patent number: 6511625
    Abstract: A transversely stretched nonwoven fabric is manufactured by transversely stretching a nonwoven fabric. First, an original web comprising a plurality of un-oriented filaments is heated to a temperature higher than its stretch suitable temperature by 5° C. or more. Next, the heated original web is stretched at a rate of 1.2 to 3 in its transverse direction to stretch the filaments of the original web with almost no molecular orientation involved. Then, the original web stretched transversely at a rate of 1.2 to 3 is heated to the stretch suitable temperature and the original web is further stretched transversely at the stretch suitable temperature. With these steps, a transversely stretched nonwoven fabric in which the original web is stretched transversely at a rate of 7 times or more in total as compared with the state of the stretch thereof is manufactured with a high tensile strength of 132.5 mN/tex (1.5 g/d) in the transverse direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignees: Nippon Petrochemicals Co., Ltd., Polymer Processing Research Institute Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuki Kuroiwa, Yoshiro Morino, Kazuhiko Kurihara, Shuichi Murakami
  • Publication number: 20030003833
    Abstract: An elastic composite sheet of the present invention has an extensible nonwoven fabric, and a thermoplastic elastomer layer bonded to one face of this extensible nonwoven fabric. The extensible nonwoven fabric is one acquired by applying extensibility giving work such as pleating work to a nonwoven fabric including non-elastic fibers, and has elongation of equal to or larger than 100% in at least one direction. The thermoplastic elastomer layer is bonded to the extensible nonwoven fabric in a pattern having a directional property in a direction in which the extensible nonwoven fabric has the elongation of equal to or larger than 100%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2002
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kurihara, Hiroshi Yazawa, Takashi Ishida
  • Publication number: 20020197343
    Abstract: The present invention relates to transversely aligned web having filaments aligned in a transverse direction, where the filaments are spun at a rate of at 30,000 m/min or more, the filaments extend continuously from one edge to the other edge in the width direction of transversely aligned web, and the width thereof is 300 mm or more. The present invention also relates to an apparatus for producing a transversely aligned web having filaments aligned in the transverse direction, comprising conveyor running in one direction, spinning nozzle disposed above the conveyor, an annular primary airflow nozzle, and at least one pair of secondary airflow nozzles disposed on the upstream side and the downstream side of the running direction of the conveyor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2002
    Publication date: December 26, 2002
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kurihara, Yoichi Mazawa, Yoshiro Morino
  • Patent number: 6495078
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing a transversely aligned web comprising the steps of extruding melted resin from a spinning nozzle to direct the metal resin downward, blowing off a primary airflow at a high temperature and at high velocity from an annular primary airflow nozzle, blowing off a pair of secondary airflows at a high temperature from a pair of secondary airflow nozzles, colliding with the pair of airflow blown off from the pair of secondary airflow nozzles each other below the spinning nozzle, spreading the colliding secondary airflow at least partly in the width direction of the conveyor, and piling on the conveyor the spun filaments so that transversely aligned web is formed of the filaments which are aligned in the width direction of the conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignees: Nippon Petrochemicals Co., Ltd., Polymer Processing Research Institute, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kurihara, Yoichi Mazawa, Yoshiro Morino
  • Publication number: 20020158362
    Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a transversely aligned web has a spinning device provided with a plurality of nozzles for extruding molten polymer as filaments, and a conveyor on which the filaments spun by the spinning device are piled and traveling in a direction cross to the direction of array of the nozzles. The spinning device is provided with a high-speed fluid blowing unit for blowing a high-speed fluid in a direction parallel with a direction in which the filaments are extruded from the nozzles so as to attenuate the filaments. Further, the apparatus for manufacturing the transversely aligned web has at least one air stream vibrating mechanism for cyclically changing the flowing direction of the high-speed fluid blown from the high-speed fluid blowing unit in a direction cross to the machine direction of the conveyor. The filaments are vibrated in a direction cross to the machine direction of the conveyor, owing to the high-speed fluid by the air stream vibrating unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2002
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Applicant: NIPPON PETROCHEMICALS , CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Kuroiwa, Kazuhiko Kurihara, Kazuhiro Yabe, Shin-ichi Umejima, Yoshiro Morino
  • Publication number: 20010006866
    Abstract: A multiaxial laminated non-woven fabric is comprised of tows used as a constituent material and overlaid and bonded with one another. The starting material tow has crimps and has total tex of not more than 300,000 and tow-constituting filaments have an average fineness of not more than 3 tex. A three-dimensional moulded products from the multiaxial non-woven fabric is also provided, and a method for stably producing the non-woven tow fabric while ensuring quality comprises subjecting tows multiaxially and obliquely overlaid with one another to bonding treatment, such as needle punching, or heat treatment while they are held by pins of an overlaying machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2000
    Publication date: July 5, 2001
    Applicant: POLYMER PROCESSING RESEARCH INSTITUTE, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Kuroiwa, Kazuhiko Kurihara, Yasuo Sasaki
  • Patent number: 6207273
    Abstract: A process for producing a filament assembly composed of a thermotropic liquid crystal polymer, which comprises melt extruding a thermotropic liquid crystal polymer through an orifice nozzle into a high-speed fluid to thereby hold filaments spun right under the spinning nozzle at a high temperature, so that the filaments are taken up at a high draft ratio by the frictional force of the high-speed fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Polymer Processing Research Institute Limited
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kurihara, Hiroshi Yazawa, Toshikazu Oishi, Yoichi Mazawa
  • Patent number: 6132661
    Abstract: A longitudinally stretched nonwoven fabric and a method for producing the same, which nonwoven fabric is a web mainly composed of long fiber filaments of 3 .mu.m to 15 .mu.m in diameter and made by short distance stretching in one direction at a stretching ratio of at least 5, and which production method is characterized in the steps of: maintaining the spun filaments in a draftable state; cooling the filaments with a cooling fluid, then guiding the filaments onto a conveyer with inclining the flow of filaments toward the transferring direction, and sucking by a reduced pressure from the back side of said conveyer, and further subjecting the web of filaments to short distance stretching in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignees: Nippon Petrochemical Company, Limited, Polymer Processing Research Inst., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kurihara, Hiroshi Yazawa, Shuichi Murakami, Yoichi Mazawa, Yuki Kuroiwa, Yukio Matsumura, Kazuhiro Yabe, Shin'ichi Umejima
  • Patent number: 6063492
    Abstract: A base fabric used for producing an adhesive tape and the adhesive tape with the same, which adhesive tape has good transversely tearable property and small in thickness, said base fabric being composed of at least one longitudinal base material of stretched unidirectionally aligned nonwoven fabric which is made by spinning a thermoplastic resin into a long filament nonwoven fabric and stretching it in one direction so as to aligne its filaments almost in one direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignees: Nippon Petrochemicals Company, Ltd, Polymer Processing Research Inst., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kurihara, Hiroshi Yazawa, Masato Kimura, Jun Yamada
  • Patent number: 6054086
    Abstract: An ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin having a viscosity average molecular weight of at least 500,000 is subjected to melt forming into a film, the thus obtained molten film or solid state film is transversely stretched while holding both the side edges of the film, the stretched film is longitudinally slitted into tapes, and then the thus obtained tapes are longitudinally stretched thereby to produce high-strength yarns easily. A number of slits are longitudinally or transversely made in films made of an ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin having a viscosity average molecular weight of at least 500,000 so that the films each take a meshy form when spread in the direction perpendicular to the slits, and the meshy form structures are stretched in the direction of the slits to prepare meshy webs having a high strength unidirectionally. At least one member selected from the thus prepared meshy webs is used as one nonwoven web, thereby producing a high-strength, web-crossed laminated nonwoven easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignees: Nippon Petrochemicals Co., Ltd., Polymer Processing Research Inst., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kurihara, Hiroshi Yazawa