Patents by Inventor Kiyoshi Kurihara

Kiyoshi 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).

  • Publication number: 20170152845
    Abstract: A piezoelectric blower includes a housing, a vibrating body, and a piezoelectric element. The vibrating body includes a vibration plate, a reinforcing plate, and a restraining plate. The vibrating body forms a columnar blower chamber with the housing while holding the blower chamber therebetween from a thickness direction of the vibration plate. The vibrating body includes an outer peripheral region in contact with an area from the outermost node of pressure vibration in the blower chamber, of nodes of the pressure vibration formed by the bending vibration of the vibrating body, to an outer periphery of the blower chamber, and a center region located in an inner side portion of the outer peripheral region. The restraining plate that restrains the bending vibration of the outer peripheral region is provided in the outer peripheral region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Inventors: Masahiro Sasaki, Kiyoshi Kurihara, Hiroaki Wada, Nobuhira Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20170138357
    Abstract: A fluid control device (10) having a flow passage passing through a pump chamber (45) and a valve chamber (40) includes a vibration unit (37) that vibrates to cause fluctuation of an internal pressure in the pump chamber (45), a valve bottom plate (23) facing the valve chamber (40) and having a communication hole (43) communicating with the pump chamber (45) at one end and communicating with the valve chamber (40) at the other end, and a valve top plate (21) facing the valve chamber (40) to be opposed to the valve bottom plate (23) and having a discharge hole (41) communicating with the valve chamber (40). The communication hole (43) and the discharge hole (41) are not opposed to each other, and the valve bottom plate (23) is elastically deformed by transmission of vibration of the vibration unit (37) thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Inventors: Daisuke Kondo, Kiyoshi Kurihara, Hiroyuki Yokoi, Hiroaki Wada
  • Publication number: 20170072117
    Abstract: A fluid control device includes a piezoelectric pump, a suction unit, and a valve. The piezoelectric pump has a suction hole for a gas and a discharge hole for the gas. The suction unit includes a container, a suction port, and a connection hole. The valve includes a first ventilation hole, a second ventilation hole, a third ventilation hole, a first valve housing, a second valve housing, and a diaphragm. The first ventilation hole of the valve is connected to the connection hole of the suction unit. The second ventilation hole of the valve is connected to the suction hole of the piezoelectric pump. The third ventilation hole of the valve is opened under atmospheric pressure. The diaphragm is clamped between the first valve housing and the second valve housing and forms a first region and a second region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Inventors: Kiyoshi KURIHARA, Susumu TAKEUCHI
  • Publication number: 20170058884
    Abstract: A piezoelectric blower includes a first valve, a first housing, a vibrating plate, a piezoelectric element, a second housing, and a second valve. The first housing forms, together with the vibrating plate, a first blower chamber. A first top plate portion includes a first vent hole that allows an inside of the first blower chamber to communicate with an outside of the first blower chamber. The second housing forms, together with an actuator, a second blower chamber. A second top plate portion includes a second vent hole that allows an inside of the second blower chamber to communicate with an outside of the second blower chamber. The vibrating plate includes an opening portion and a third vent hole, the opening portion allowing an outer periphery of the first blower chamber and an outer periphery of the second blower chamber to communicate with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Nobuhira TANAKA, Kiyoshi KURIHARA
  • Publication number: 20160377073
    Abstract: A piezoelectric blower (100) includes a housing (17), a vibrating plate (41), and a piezoelectric element (42). The vibrating plate (41) forms a column-shaped blower chamber (31) together with the housing (17). The vibrating plate (41) and the housing (17) are formed so that the blower chamber (31) has a radius a. The piezoelectric element (42) causes the vibrating plate (41) to concentrically bend and vibrate at a resonance frequency f. A recessed portion (26) is formed in the housing (17) on the side facing the vibrating plate (41). The recessed portion (26) defines a cavity (25), which constitutes the blower chamber (31) and communicates with the vent hole (24). The radius a of the blower chamber (31) and the resonance frequency f of the vibrating plate (41) satisfy a relationship of 0.8×(k0c)/(2?)?af?1.2×(k0c)/(2?).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Inventors: Nobuhira TANAKA, Hiroyuki YOKOI, Masahiro SASAKI, Kiyoshi KURIHARA
  • Patent number: 9512857
    Abstract: A liquid lifting device includes: a liquid supply section storing liquid, a tank provided at a position higher than the liquid supply section; a liquid lifting pipe of which one end is inserted into the liquid in the liquid supply section and the other end is connected to the tank; an air pump configured to depressurize the interior of the tank; an air supply pipe in which one end portion of the air supply pipe is connected to the liquid lifting pipe via a branching section at a position halfway in the liquid lifting pipe, and an upright section is provided in the other end portion of the air supply pipe while standing upright from the one end portion; and an air valve provided in the other end portion of the air supply pipe and capable of being opened/closed with respect to the outside air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuhira Tanaka, Kiyoshi Kurihara
  • Publication number: 20160271305
    Abstract: Provided is a suction device that can suppress sound and vibration during use. A suction device includes a flow-passage forming section (1) having a suction port (20) from which fluid is sucked, a discharge port (29) from which the fluid is discharged, and a flow passage (2) which is sealed from an outside except at the suction port (20) and the discharge port (29) and through which the fluid flows, and a piezoelectric driving part (33) that generates a flow of the fluid in the flow passage (2). The piezoelectric driving part (33) includes a diaphragm (37) and a piezoelectric element (34) as a moving part that transmits driving force to the fluid. The moving part is entirely disposed inside the flow passage (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Inventors: Kiyoshi KURIHARA, Daisuke KONDO, Hiroshi TAKEMURA, Yoshinori ANDO
  • Publication number: 20160264011
    Abstract: PROBLEM: In management system of electric vehicle charging stands, to provide added-value services such as addressing emergency charging needs of the drivers, without overly increasing the complexity of the charging controllers. SOLUTION: Charging controllers equipped with an identification tag, mobile phones with an identification tag reader, and a management server of the charging controllers are connected via the network as the system to provided various added-value services without overly increasing the complexity of the charging controllers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: Hiroshi YASUKAWA, Daisuke ITO, Kiyoshi KURIHARA
  • Patent number: 9276194
    Abstract: A bonding method that provides excellent conductivity and bonding between a piezoelectric body and a metal plate includes a metal plate and an electrode of a piezoelectric body bonded to one another with an electrically conductive adhesive so as to provide electrical conductivity, the electrically conductive adhesive includes carbon black with a nano-level average particle size, and has a paste form included in a solventless or solvent-based resin so that the carbon black forms an aggregate with an average particle size of about 1 ?m to about 50 ?m. The electrically conductive adhesive is applied between the metal plate and the electrode of the piezoelectric body, and the metal plate and the piezoelectric body are subjected to heating and pressurization so that the carbon black aggregate is deformed, thereby hardening the electrically conductive adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki Kitayama, Hideo Nakagoshi, Kiyoshi Kurihara
  • Publication number: 20160010636
    Abstract: A piezoelectric blower includes an outer casing and a blower main body. The outer casing houses the blower main body. The blower main body includes a top plate, side plate, first vibrating plate, piezoelectric element, intermediate plate, second vibrating plate, side plate, and bottom plate and has a structure in which they are laminated in sequence. The top plate, side plate, and first vibrating plate define a columnar first blower space. The second vibrating plate, side plate, bottom plate define a columnar second blower space. The distance from a neutral plane of the piezoelectric element in the thickness direction to a surface of the second vibrating plate, the surface being near the piezoelectric element, is longer than the distance from the neutral plane to a surface of the first vibrating plate, the surface being near the piezoelectric element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Inventors: Nobuhira TANAKA, Daisuke KONDO, Kiyoshi KURIHARA
  • Publication number: 20150322969
    Abstract: A liquid lifting device includes: a liquid supply section storing liquid, a tank provided at a position higher than the liquid supply section; a liquid lifting pipe of which one end is inserted into the liquid in the liquid supply section and the other end is connected to the tank; an air pump configured to depressurize the interior of the tank; an air supply pipe in which one end portion of the air supply pipe is connected to the liquid lifting pipe via a branching section at a position halfway in the liquid lifting pipe, and an upright section is provided in the other end portion of the air supply pipe while standing upright from the one end portion; and an air valve provided in the other end portion of the air supply pipe and capable of being opened/closed with respect to the outside air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: Nobuhira Tanaka, Kiyoshi Kurihara
  • Patent number: 9109592
    Abstract: A piezoelectric micro-blower includes an inner case to which a peripheral portion of a vibrating plate including a piezoelectric element is fixed such that a blower chamber is defined between the inner case and the vibrating plate and an outer case arranged to cover an outer periphery of the inner case with a gap therebetween. The inner case is elastically retained in the outer case by a plurality of connecting portions. A first opening is provided in a top plate portion of the inner case that faces a central portion of the vibrating plate, and a second opening is provided in a top plate portion of the outer case that faces the first opening. A central space is provided between the top plate portions, and fluid introduced from the outside is guided to the central space through the gap between the inner and outer cases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaaki Fujisaki, Kiyoshi Kurihara, Daisuke Kondo
  • Publication number: 20140178220
    Abstract: A piezoelectric micro-blower includes an inner case to which a peripheral portion of a vibrating plate including a piezoelectric element is fixed such that a blower chamber is defined between the inner case and the vibrating plate and an outer case arranged to cover an outer periphery of the inner case with a gap therebetween. The inner case is elastically retained in the outer case by a plurality of connecting portions. A first opening is provided in a top plate portion of the inner case that faces a central portion of the vibrating plate, and a second opening is provided in a top plate portion of the outer case that faces the first opening. A central space is provided between the top plate portions, and fluid introduced from the outside is guided to the central space through the gap between the inner and outer cases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaaki FUJISAKI, Kiyoshi KURIHARA, Daisuke KONDO
  • Patent number: 8721303
    Abstract: A piezoelectric micro-blower includes a blower chamber located between a blower body and a vibrating plate, a first wall portion of the blower body arranged to face the vibrating plate across the blower chamber so as to vibrate with vibrations of the vibrating plate, a first opening in the first wall portion, a second wall portion on the opposite side of the first wall portion with respect to the blower chamber, a second opening in a portion of the second wall portion which faces the first opening, and an inflow passage located between the first wall portion and the second wall portion. Each of the first and second openings includes a plurality of holes, and each hole of the first opening and each hole of the second opening are arranged to face each other. Thus, noise is significantly reduced while the flow characteristic is maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaaki Fujisaki, Atsuhiko Hirata, Kiyoshi Kurihara
  • Patent number: 8596998
    Abstract: A piezoelectric micro-blower includes an inner case to which a peripheral portion of a vibrating plate including a piezoelectric element is fixed such that a blower chamber is defined between the inner case and the vibrating plate and an outer case arranged to cover an outer periphery of the inner case with a gap therebetween. The inner case is elastically retained in the outer case by a plurality of connecting portions. A first opening is provided in a top plate portion of the inner case that faces a central portion of the vibrating plate, and a second opening is provided in a top plate portion of the outer case that faces the first opening. A central space is provided between the top plate portions, and fluid introduced from the outside is guided to the central space through the gap between the inner and outer cases. The vibrating plate is driven in a bending mode so that air is sucked into the central space and is discharged through the second opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaaki Fujisaki, Kiyoshi Kurihara, Daisuke Kondo
  • Publication number: 20130276977
    Abstract: A bonding structure that provides excellent conductivity and bonding between a piezoelectric body and a metal plate includes a metal plate and an electrode of a piezoelectric body bonded to one another with an electrically conductive adhesive so as to provide electrical conductivity, the electrically conductive adhesive includes carbon black with a nano-level average particle size, and has a paste form included in a solventless or solvent-based resin so that the carbon black forms an aggregate with an average particle size of about 1 ?m to about 50 ?m. The electrically conductive adhesive is applied between the metal plate and the electrode of the piezoelectric body, and the metal plate and the piezoelectric body are subjected to heating and pressurization so that the carbon black aggregate is deformed, thereby hardening the electrically conductive adhesive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2013
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Inventors: Hiroki KITAYAMA, Hideo NAKAGOSHI, Kiyoshi KURIHARA
  • Patent number: 8492959
    Abstract: A bonding structure that provides excellent conductivity and bonding between a piezoelectric body and a metal plate includes a metal plate and an electrode of a piezoelectric body bonded to one another with an electrically conductive adhesive so as to provide electrical conductivity, the electrically conductive adhesive includes carbon black with a nano-level average particle size, and has a paste form included in a solventless or solvent-based resin so that the carbon black forms an aggregate with an average particle size of about 1 ?m to about 50 ?m. The electrically conductive adhesive is applied between the metal plate and the electrode of the piezoelectric body, and the metal plate and the piezoelectric body are subjected to heating and pressurization so that the carbon black aggregate is deformed, thereby hardening the electrically conductive adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki Kitayama, Hideo Nakagoshi, Kiyoshi Kurihara
  • Publication number: 20130071269
    Abstract: A piezoelectric micro-blower includes a blower chamber located between a blower body and a vibrating plate, a first wall portion of the blower body arranged to face the vibrating plate across the blower chamber so as to vibrate with vibrations of the vibrating plate, a first opening in the first wall portion, a second wall portion on the opposite side of the first wall portion with respect to the blower chamber, a second opening in a portion of the second wall portion which faces the first opening, and an inflow passage located between the first wall portion and the second wall portion. Each of the first and second openings includes a plurality of holes, and each hole of the first opening and each hole of the second opening are arranged to face each other. Thus, noise is significantly reduced while the flow characteristic is maintained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaaki FUJISAKI, Atsuhiko HIRATA, Kiyoshi KURIHARA
  • Publication number: 20120091863
    Abstract: A bonding structure that provides excellent conductivity and bonding between a piezoelectric body and a metal plate includes a metal plate and an electrode of a piezoelectric body bonded to one another with an electrically conductive adhesive so as to provide electrical conductivity, the electrically conductive adhesive includes carbon black with a nano-level average particle size, and has a paste form included in a solventless or solvent-based resin so that the carbon black forms an aggregate with an average particle size of about 1 ?m to about 50 ?m. The electrically conductive adhesive is applied between the metal plate and the electrode of the piezoelectric body, and the metal plate and the piezoelectric body are subjected to heating and pressurization so that the carbon black aggregate is deformed, thereby hardening the electrically conductive adhesive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki Kitayama, Hideo Nakagoshi, Kiyoshi Kurihara
  • Publication number: 20110076170
    Abstract: A piezoelectric micro-blower includes an inner case to which a peripheral portion of a vibrating plate including a piezoelectric element is fixed such that a blower chamber is defined between the inner case and the vibrating plate and an outer case arranged to cover an outer periphery of the inner case with a gap therebetween. The inner case is elastically retained in the outer case by a plurality of connecting portions. A first opening is provided in a top plate portion of the inner case that faces a central portion of the vibrating plate, and a second opening is provided in a top plate portion of the outer case that faces the first opening. A central space is provided between the top plate portions, and fluid introduced from the outside is guided to the central space through the gap between the inner and outer cases. The vibrating plate is driven in a bending mode so that air is sucked into the central space and is discharged through the second opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaaki FUJISAKI, Kiyoshi KURIHARA, Daisuke KONDO