Patents by Inventor Kenji Kawamura

Kenji Kawamura 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: 10072275
    Abstract: A method of producing 2,3-butanediol includes the steps of: culturing a microorganism belonging to the genus Zymobacter in a fermentation feedstock containing a carbon source (Step A); and purifying 2,3-butanediol from culture liquid obtained in this step (Step B). In this method, the carbon source contains pentose, and the microorganism belonging to the genus Zymobacter has a capacity to metabolize pentose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Kyohei Isobe, Kenji Sawai, Kenji Kawamura, Katsushige Yamada, Hideshi Yanase
  • Publication number: 20180230569
    Abstract: Provided are a cold-rolled steel sheet which can preferably be used for manufacturing a high-strength galvanized steel sheet and methods for manufacturing the steel sheets. The cold-rolled steel sheet has a specified chemical composition, in which the Mn concentration in a surface layer of the steel sheet satisfies relational expression (1) and relational expression (2) below. 8?(Cp/Cc)×Mn??(1) (Cmin/Cc)×Mn?2.5??(2) where Cp: maximum Mn concentration in a region within 0.5 ?m of the surface of a steel sheet in the thickness direction; Cc: average Mn concentration in a region from a position located 5 ?m from a surface of a steel sheet in the thickness direction to a position located 5 ?m from an opposite surface in the thickness direction; Cmin: minimum Mn concentration in a region from 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Kawamura, Noriaki Kohsaka, Yoshimasa Funakawa, Mai Aoyama, Yoshitsugu Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20180223318
    Abstract: A method of producing ?-hydromuconic acid using a metabolic pathway of a microorganism is disclosed. The method of producing ?-hydromuconic acid includes the step of culturing at least one type of microorganism having a capacity to produce ?-hydromuconic acid, selected from the group consisting of microorganisms belonging to the genus Escherichia, microorganisms belonging to the genus Pseudomonas, microorganisms belonging to the genus Hafnia, microorganisms belonging to the genus Bacillus, microorganisms belonging to the genus Cupriavidus, microorganisms belonging to the genus Acinetobacter, microorganisms belonging to the genus Alcaligenes, microorganisms belonging to the genus Delftia, and microorganisms belonging to the genus Shimwellia.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Kyohei ISOBE, Kenji KAWAMURA, Masateru ITO, Katsushige YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20180201204
    Abstract: A display apparatus includes: a housing including a pair of opposed side plate portions; a moving mechanism provided on at least one of the side plate portions, the moving mechanism including a first cam structure and a second cam structure extending along the at least one side plate portion; and a display member including a first pin engaged with the first cam structure and a second pin engaged with the second cam structure, wherein the first cam structure includes a first region parallel to the second cam structure, and a second region bent away from the second cam structure in a bottom end portion of the first cam structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventors: Kazuhiro SAITOU, Kenji KAWAMURA, Toru SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20180180142
    Abstract: The present invention is a display apparatus including a housing, a display member, a support member that supports the display member, a driving unit, and a transmission member that is moved along a side surface of the housing by driving of the driving unit and transmits driving force of the driving unit to the support member, wherein the support member moves the display member into and out of the housing by moving of the transmission member, the support member includes a rotation axis, a first fulcrum that is located a first distance away from the rotation axis, and a second fulcrum that is located a second distance away from the rotation axis, the second distance being greater than the first distance, and the transmission member moves either one of the first fulcrum and the second fulcrum and then moves the other of the first fulcrum and the second fulcrum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Inventors: Hiroaki WATANABE, Ryosuke CHONAN, Masanori SHOJI, Kenji KAWAMURA
  • Publication number: 20180180881
    Abstract: A display apparatus includes: a housing including a top plate having an opening and two opposed side plate units; a display member capable of moving through the opening; a shutter configured to open and close the opening; and a moving mechanism provided on at least one of the two side plate units, the moving mechanism including a first slide member and a second slide member each moving along the at least one side plate unit and a transmission member transmitting an amount of movement of the first slide member to the second slide member while increasing the amount of movement, wherein the shutter moves according to movement of the second slide member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Inventors: Kazuhiro SAITOU, Kenji KAWAMURA, Shinji SATO, Tomohiro ADACHI, Toru SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20180142271
    Abstract: A novel method of producing 3-hydroxyadipic acid using a metabolic pathway of a microorganism is disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Kyohei ISOBE, Kenji KAWAMURA, Masateru ITO, Katsushige YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20180118105
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle lighting device intended to improve convenience and safety. A vehicle lighting device includes a light disposed in a vehicle interior, a controller controlling the light, and a detecting unit detecting position or motion of a detecting object by detecting a detection object at a plurality of positions, and the controller controls the light when the position or motion of the detection object is detected by the detecting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Inventors: Makoto ABE, Satoshi SUZUKI, Kenji KAWAMURA, Shingo TSUJI
  • Patent number: 9947436
    Abstract: An insulated electric wire and a method of producing the electric wire are provided. The insulated electric wire includes: a copper wire; and an insulating coating formed on a surface of the copper wire by an electrodeposition method. A cross section shape of the insulated electric wire including the insulating coating is in a hexagonal shape, a chamfered part that suppresses swelling of the insulating coating is formed on each corner part of a hexagonal cross section of the copper wire, a length of the chamfered part is ? to 1/20 of a length of a flat part of the hexagonal cross section, and a void ratio in a wound state is 5% or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignees: MITSUBISHI MATERIALS CORPORATION, MITSUBISHI CABLE INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hideaki Sakurai, Kenji Kawamura, Tsuyoshi Takubo
  • Publication number: 20180080100
    Abstract: A high-strength steel sheet having a tensile strength of at least 780 MPa and excellent punchability comprises a ferrite phase, a martensite phase, and a bainite phase. The area ratio of the martensite phase is 20%-50%; the area ratio of crystal grains having an average crystal grain diameter of less than 1.0 ?m in the martensite phase is 5%-30%; the area ratio of crystal grains having an average crystal grain diameter of 1.0-4.0 ?m is 70%-95%; and the area ratio of crystal grains having an average crystal grain diameter of more than 4.0 ?m is less than 5%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Kawamura, Noriaki Kohsaka, Yasuhiro Nishimura
  • Patent number: 9920882
    Abstract: In a method and apparatus for filling a gas in a gas compartment portion of a bag, a bag-conveying gripper (41) including a pair of gripping elements (45 and 46), and the inner surface (gripping surface) of the gripping element (45) being formed with a shallow groove (47). The bag-conveying gripper (41) grips the sealed portion (12) of the bag, and a neck section (16a) of the gas compartment portion (16) in the sealed portion is held at a groove formed in the gripping elements of the bag-conveying gripper. Compressed gas is ejected into the gas compartment portion through incision (17) formed in the neck section, inflating the gas compartment portion 16. The inflated shape of the neck section held by the bag-conveying gripper is restricted to a flat configuration by the inner surfaces of the bag-conveying gripper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Toyo Jidoki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Kawamura, Tohru Yoshikane
  • Patent number: 9919822
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for charging the gas compartment portion of a bag (1) in which incisions (9) are formed in gas introduction section (6a) of the gas compartment portion (6). A pair of gas injection nozzles (23, 24) are disposed so as to be on the opposite sides of the bag and reciprocate between its standby and advanced positions, so that in the advanced position, the discharge outlets (23a, 24a) of the gas injection nozzles are aligned with the gas introduction section on both sides, and compressed gas is injected into the gas introduction section through the incisions. A small gap (L) is provided between the discharge outlets of the gas injection nozzles when they are in the advanced position. As the gas is injected, film sheets of the expanded gas introduction section closely adhere to the discharge outlets, so that the gas injection state becomes stable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Toyo Jidoki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tohru Yoshikane, Kenji Kawamura, Norikazu Sunouchi
  • Publication number: 20180057907
    Abstract: A high-strength steel sheet having excellent punchability and a tensile strength of at least 780 MPa has a steel structure containing, by area ratio, 70%-90% ferrite phase and 10%-30% martensite phase. The non-recrystallized ferrite content in the ferrite phase is 30%-50% and the ratio of crystal grains having an aspect ratio of 1.0-1.5 in the martensite phase is 40%-100%, by area ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Kawamura, Noriaki Kohsaka, Yasuhiro Nishimura
  • Patent number: 9884586
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle lighting device intended to improve convenience and safety. A vehicle lighting device includes a light disposed in a vehicle interior, a controller controlling the light, and a detecting unit detecting position or motion of a detecting object by detecting a detection object at a plurality of positions, and the controller controls the light when the position or motion of the detection object is detected by the detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignees: PIONEER CORPORATION, TOHOKU PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto Abe, Satoshi Suzuki, Kenji Kawamura, Shingo Tsuji
  • Publication number: 20180002777
    Abstract: Provided are a high-strength steel sheet and a method for manufacturing the steel sheet. The high-strength steel sheet has a specified chemical composition with the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities, a microstructure including, in terms of area ratio, 30% or more of a ferrite phase, 40% to 65% of a bainite phase and/or a martensite phase, and 5% or less of cementite, in which, in a surface layer that is a region within 50 ?m from the surface in the thickness direction, the area ratio of a ferrite phase is 40% to 55% and the total area ratio of a bainite phase having a grain diameter of more than 5 ?m and/or a martensite phase having a grain diameter of more than 5 ?m is 20% or less, and a tensile strength is 980 MPa or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobusuke Kariya, Yoshihiko Ono, Yoshimasa Funakawa, Kazuma Mori, Reiko Sugihara, Kenji Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20180002778
    Abstract: Provided are a high-strength steel sheet and a method for manufacturing the steel sheet. The high-strength steel sheet has a specified chemical composition with the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities, a microstructure including, in terms of area ratio, 25% or less of a ferrite phase, 75% or more of a bainite phase and/or a martensite phase, and 5% or less of cementite, in which, in a surface layer that is a region within 50 ?m from the surface in the thickness direction, the area ratio of a ferrite phase is 5% to 20%, and a tensile strength is 1180 MPa or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobusuke Kariya, Yoshihiko Ono, Yoshimasa Funakawa, Kazuma Mori, Reiko Sugihara, Kenji Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20170373298
    Abstract: The present invention provides a sequential and efficient method of assembling a battery with a desired number of layers while reliably separating positive and negative electrode sides from each other with one or more separator structures. According to the invention, the method of assembling a battery includes stacking one or multiple combinations each comprising a frame and a positive electrode plate to be disposed in a region defined by the frame and one or multiple combinations each comprising a frame and a negative electrode plate to be disposed in a region defined by the frame, once or alternately, such that the positive and adjacent negative electrode plates are separated from each other by a separator structure and the periphery of the separator structure is held between the adjacent frames. The separator structure includes a separator exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2017
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventors: Kenshin KITOH, Naohito YAMADA, Kenji KAWAMURA, Yuichi GONDA
  • Publication number: 20170320819
    Abstract: A method for selective production of ?-caprolactam, wherein a substance inducible from a biomass resource is used as a material; the reaction process is short; ammonium sulfate is not produced as a by-product; and production of by-products is suppressed; is disclosed. The method for producing ?-caprolactam comprises the step of reacting a particular compound inducible from a biomass resource, such as ?-hydromuconic acid, 3-hydroxyadipic acid, or 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone, or a salt thereof with hydrogen or ammonia.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Masateru ITO, Daijiro TSUKAMOTO, Kenji KAWAMURA, Kohei YAMASHITA, Masato AKAHIRA, Katsushige YAMADA, Koji YAMAUCHI
  • Publication number: 20170316848
    Abstract: An insulated electric wire and a method of producing the electric wire are provided. The insulated electric wire includes: a copper wire; and an insulating coating formed on a surface of the copper wire by an electrodeposition method. A cross section shape of the insulated electric wire including the insulating coating is in a hexagonal shape, a chamfered part that suppresses swelling of the insulating coating is formed on each corner part of a hexagonal cross section of the copper wire, a length of the chamfered part is 1/3 to 1/20 of a length of a flat part of the hexagonal cross section, and a void ratio in a wound state is 5% or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Hideaki Sakurai, Kenji Kawamura, Tsuyoshi Takubo
  • Patent number: 9790140
    Abstract: A method for producing butadiene from 2,3-butanediol with high selectivity without using a radioactive substance is disclosed. The method for producing butadiene comprises the step of dehydrating 2,3-butanediol in the presence of a catalyst containing an alkali metal salt of phosphoric acid such as an alkali metal dihydrogen phosphate supported on silica. Preferred examples of the alkali metal herein include K, Rb, and Cs. The catalyst is preferably a catalyst prepared by calcination of the silica to which the alkali metal of phosphoric acid is attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Daijiro Tsukamoto, Satoshi Sakami, Kenji Kawamura, Katsushige Yamada