Patents by Inventor Kunio Fukai

Kunio Fukai 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: 10337688
    Abstract: A planar light emitting body 6 configured to emit a first illumination light, and a semiconductor light emitting element 7 configured to emit light toward the planar light emitting body 6 are disposed in a lamp chamber 5 defined by a lamp housing 2 having an opening and a cover 3 that covers the opening. The planar light emitting body 6 includes a transmitting layer through which light is caused to pass, and a control layer configured to irradiate light as a second illumination light by controlling a travelling direction of the light that is emitted from the semiconductor light emitting element 7 and passes through the transmitting layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryujiro Ikuta, Yukihiro Onoda, Kunio Fukai, Masaya Shido, Hironori Tsukamoto
  • Patent number: 9776555
    Abstract: A vehicular lamp includes a planar light emitting member having an organic EL light emitting portion at part of a substrate, and a reflecting member and a half mirror that are disposed so as to face each other so that light emitted from the organic EL light emitting portion is reflected repeatedly while allowing part of the light to be transmitted to the front.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunio Fukai, Yukihiro Onoda, Masaya Shido, Haruhiko Iyoda, Asami Nakada
  • Publication number: 20160040847
    Abstract: A planar light emitting body 6 configured to emit a first illumination light, and a semiconductor light emitting element 7 configured to emit light toward the planar light emitting body 6 are disposed in a lamp chamber 5 defined by a lamp housing 2 having an opening and a cover 3 that covers the opening. The planar light emitting body 6 includes a transmitting layer through which light is caused to pass, and a control layer configured to irradiate light as a second illumination light by controlling a travelling direction of the light that is emitted from the semiconductor light emitting element 7 and passes through the transmitting layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryujiro IKUTA, Yukihiro ONODA, Kunio FUKAI, Masaya SHIDO, Hironori TSUKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20150062946
    Abstract: A vehicular lamp includes a planar light emitting member having an organic EL light emitting portion at part of a substrate, and a reflecting member and a half mirror that are disposed so as to face each other so that light emitted from the organic EL light emitting portion is reflected repeatedly while allowing part of the light to be transmitted to the front.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunio FUKAI, Yukihiro ONODA, Masaya SHIDO, Haruhiko IYODA, Asami NAKADA
  • Patent number: 8773008
    Abstract: A discharge lamp bulb includes an arc tube having: a pair of electrodes that are opposed to each other inside a luminous tube; an outer tube having the luminous tube therein; a pair of lead wires connected to the electrodes; and a metal band mounted on an outer periphery of the outer tube, a support plug having: a plug body having a hollow, inner cylindrical section therein that opens at a front end; an arc-tube support portion mounted on a front-end edge of the inner cylindrical section; and a flange, and a lead support wire extending outside the outer tube in the longitudinal direction and connecting one of the lead wires with the support plug, wherein a front-end face of the inner cylindrical section is substantially flush with a front-end face of the flange or positioned on a back-end side with respect to the front-end face of the flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiro Ito, Toshiaki Tsuda, Kunio Fukai, Masaya Shido
  • Publication number: 20120235563
    Abstract: A discharge lamp bulb includes an arc tube having: a pair of electrodes that are opposed to each other inside a luminous tube; an outer tube having the luminous tube therein; a pair of lead wires connected to the electrodes; and a metal band mounted on an outer periphery of the outer tube, a support plug having: a plug body having a hollow, inner cylindrical section therein that opens at a front end; an arc-tube support portion mounted on a front-end edge of the inner cylindrical section; and a flange, and a lead support wire extending outside the outer tube in the longitudinal direction and connecting one of the lead wires with the support plug, wherein a front-end face of the inner cylindrical section is substantially flush with a front-end face of the flange or positioned on a back-end side with respect to the front-end face of the flange.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiro ITO, Toshiaki TSUDA, Kunio FUKAI, Masaya SHIDO
  • Publication number: 20120206040
    Abstract: A discharge lamp bulb has: an outer tube formed by sealing two ends of an arc tube-surrounding portion by first seal portions, the outer tube being made of quartz glass; a ceramic arc tube mounted inside the arc tube-surrounding portion; electrodes that are supported so as to be opposed to each other inside the arc tube by the second seal portion; lead wire assemblies connected to the electrodes and fixed to the first seal portions; and an electrically insulating plug that includes a metal terminal and that holds the outer tube. One of the inside lead wires is provided with a stress-relieving portion. A hollow cylindrical portion that houses the stress-relieving portion therein and that holds a periphery of the stress-relieving portion is provided integrally with the outer tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunio FUKAI, Yoshiro ITO
  • Patent number: 6974360
    Abstract: A method of producing an arc tube including inserting an electrode assembly in which a bent portion is formed in a lead wire into a glass tube to self-hold the electrode assembly to a predetermined position of the glass tube. After the electrode has been inserted to the predetermined position, pinch-sealing is conducted on a portion of the glass tube where the assembly is inserted. In the method, the electrode assembly is inserted into a metal guide pipe which is coaxially disposed with respect to the glass tube, to be once held into the pipe. Thereafter, the assembly may be pushed by a thin rod-like pushing member to be inserted to the predetermined position in the glass tube. One or more vertical grooves which are to be axially engaged with the bent portion of the assembly to circumferentially lock the bent portion may be formed in the inner side of the guide pipe. Using the one or more grooves, the assembly may be guided to the glass tube W without being in sliding contact with the guide pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunio Fukai, Hiroshi Goto, Yoshihiro Mochizuki, Yukihiro Yoshida, Shinichi Irisawa, Takeshi Fukuyo
  • Patent number: 6843698
    Abstract: Before an electrode assembly is inserted into a quartz glass tube, a reinforcement bending process is applied to a metal foil. Even when a vibration load acts on the electrode assembly during the insertion of the electrode assembly into the quartz glass tube, the metal foil is not easily deformed, so that a rod electrode can be prevented from largely swinging together with the metal foil. Consequently, the position of a tip end portion of the rod electrode can be easily recognized by using a camera, whereby the degree of the insertion of the electrode assembly into the quartz glass tube can be correctly adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Mochizuki, Hiroshi Goto, Masayuki Umehara, Kunio Fukai, Ario Kawaguthi
  • Patent number: 6790115
    Abstract: An arc tube and method of fabricating the arc tube for a discharge lamp. The arc tube includes an arc tube main body 10 at which a sealed glass bulb 12 serving as a discharge portion sandwiched by pinch seal portions is formed at a portion of a glass tube W along the longitudinal direction thereof, and a cylindrical shroud glass 20 which is welded on and integrated with the arc tube main body 10 so as to cover the sealed glass bulb 12, the front and rear end portions of the shroud glass 20 may be joined, for example, by welding on shroud glass welded portions with circular cross sections provided at the front and rear end sides of the arc tube main body 10, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunio Fukai, Akihiro Nagata
  • Publication number: 20040009733
    Abstract: A method of producing an arc tube including inserting an electrode assembly in which a bent portion is formed in a lead wire into a glass tube to self-hold the electrode assembly to a predetermined position of the glass tube. After the electrode has been inserted to the predetermined position, pinch-sealing is conducted on a portion of the glass tube where the assembly is inserted. In the method, the electrode assembly is inserted into a metal guide pipe which is coaxially disposed with respect to the glass tube, to be once held into the pipe. Thereafter, the assembly may be pushed by a thin rod-like pushing member to be inserted to the predetermined position in the glass tube. One or more vertical grooves which are to be axially engaged with the bent portion of the assembly to circumferentially lock the bent portion may be formed in the inner side of the guide pipe. Using the one or more grooves, the assembly may be guided to the glass tube W without being in sliding contact with the guide pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Publication date: January 15, 2004
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunio Fukai, Hiroshi Goto, Yoshihiro Mochizuki, Yukihiro Yoshida, Shinichi Irisawa, Takeshi Fukuyo
  • Publication number: 20030232564
    Abstract: Before an electrode assembly is inserted into a quartz glass tube, a reinforcement bending process is applied to a metal foil. Even when a vibration load acts on the electrode assembly during the insertion of the electrode assembly into the quartz glass tube, the metal foil is not easily deformed, so that a rod electrode can be prevented from largely swinging together with the metal foil. Consequently, the position of a tip end portion of the rod electrode can be easily recognized by using a camera, whereby the degree of the insertion of the electrode assembly into the quartz glass tube can be correctly adjusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2003
    Publication date: December 18, 2003
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Mochizuki, Hiroshi Goto, Masayuki Umehara, Kunio Fukai, Ario Kawaguthi
  • Patent number: 6616494
    Abstract: Supplying pellets without the risk of enlarging the apparatus size or moisture absorption of the pellets by disposing a rotation drum provided with a pellet storage room in a sealed case with an inert gas supply. The apparatus according to the present invention has a main body case with a rotation drum storage part formed therein, a lid mounted on the front surface opening part of the main body case, a rotation drum disposed rotatably in the rotation drum storage part, and a pellet supply nozzle elongating from the main body. Through holes having a size capable of inserting a pellet are provided on the circumferential wall of the rotation drum with an equal interval in the circumferential direction as well as the side wall of the main body case to be contacted slidably with the circumferential wall of the rotation drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Nagata, Kunio Fukai, Masakazu Nagasawa, Takeshi Fukuyo
  • Publication number: 20020063529
    Abstract: An arc tube and method of fabricating the arc tube for a discharge lamp. The arc tube includes an arc tube main body 10 at which a sealed glass bulb 12 serving as a discharge portion sandwiched by pinch seal portions is formed at a portion of a glass tube W along the longitudinal direction thereof, and a cylindrical shroud glass 20 which is welded on and integrated with the arc tube main body 10 so as to cover the sealed glass bulb 12, the front and rear end portions of the shroud glass 20 may be joined, for example, by welding on shroud glass welded portions with circular cross sections provided at the front and rear end sides of the arc tube main body 10, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2001
    Publication date: May 30, 2002
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD
    Inventors: Kunio Fukai, Akihiro Nagata
  • Patent number: 6321799
    Abstract: A mercury supplying method capable of always supplying a constant amount of mercury into a chamber part easily by executing measurement and ejection of the mercury at the same time. A small diameter pipe as a mercury supply path, is inserted through a glass tube elongating from a chamber part of an arc tube from above so as to have the tip part thereof substantially reaching into the chamber part, and connecting the upstream side of the sealed mercury supply path (mercury barrel) with a gas pressure adjuster. The gas pressure adjuster keeps the inside of the mercury supply path (mercury barrel) at a predetermined pressure so as to maintain the inside of the small diameter pipe in the state filled with mercury as well as applying a predetermined pressure to the mercury in the small diameter pipe for a predetermined time and thus ejecting a predetermined amount of mercury from the small diameter pipe tip part so as to be dropped and supplied to the chamber part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunio Fukai, Takeshi Fukuyo, Akihiro Nagata, Masakazu Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 5936349
    Abstract: The invention is directed to preventing occurrence of molybdenum foil breakage during a pinch sealing operation in a method of fabricating an arc tube having a pair of molybdenum foils pinch-sealed on both sides of a spherical portion of a glass tube by sequentially pinch-sealing the respective molybdenum foils. A first molybdenum foil is not pinch-sealed (first pinch seal) with an inert gas introduced into a glass tube as in a conventional embodiment, but is pinch-sealed with the internal pressure of the glass tube maintained at a vacuum of 0.5 torr or less. As a result, oxidation of the molybdenum foils causing breakage of the molybdenum foils during a pinch sealing operation is minimized. Hence, an arc tube having each of a pair of molybdenum foils made of molybdenum whose purity is 99.95% or more and with a thickness of 20 .mu.m or less can be fabricated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunio Fukai, Nobuo Ohkawai, Masakazu Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 5505648
    Abstract: In the manufacture of arc tubes for use as light sources of vehicle headlamps, there is first prepared a semifinished arc tube by inserting one electrode assembly into a tubular glass envelope through one end thereof and by sealing this end. The semifinished arc tube is then placed in communication with a hermetically enclosed space filled with argon under pressure, with the consequent introduction of the inert gas into the glass envelope through a second end thereof. Another electrode assembly and chemicals such as a metal halide and mercury are then introduced from the enclosed space into the semifinished arc tube through the second end, totally without contact with the atmospheric air. Then, with the glass envelope placed out of communication with the enclosed space, the argon is exhausted from within the envelope, and xenon is charged instead into the envelope through the second end, which is closed subsequently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1996
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masakazu Nagasawa, Kunio Fukai, Shinichi Irisawa
  • Patent number: 5286227
    Abstract: An arc tube having a closed glass bulb having no broken-off portion, and a method of manufacturing the arc tube. A glass bulb is formed on a glass tube substantially at the middle. An electrode assembly is inserted into one end portion of the glass tube, and the one end portion is closed by pinch-sealing. A light emitting material is supplied into the glass bulb through the other end portion of the glass tube, another electrode assembly is inserted into the other end portion, and the latter is closed by pinch-sealing. Since the closed glass bulb has no broken-off portion, the arc tube is free from the difficulty that the distribution of light is adversely affected. Moreover, in manufacturing the arc tube of the invention, it is unnecessary to connect an exhaust tube to the glass tube. Therefore, the number of manufacturing steps is small, and the arc tube can be manufactured with ease.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 15, 1994
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuyoshi Numajiri, Shinichi Irisawa, Kunio Fukai, Masakazu Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 5277639
    Abstract: An electrode assembly for an arc tube which is free from the difficulty that tearing of a foil occurs in pinch-sealing the arc tube. One end portion of an electrode bar is overlapped with a molybdenum foil, and the electrode bar is connected to the molybdenum foil by spot-welding the overlapped portions of the two members, except for the tip end part of the end portion of the electrode bar, whereby the molybdenum foil is prevented from being damaged by the rectangular corner of the end portion of the electrode bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 11, 1994
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Nagata, Kunio Fukai
  • Patent number: 5186671
    Abstract: A discharge lamp electrode having a spherical end portion which serves as a discharge part and has a diameter larger than the remaining base part is formed by simultaneously applying a plurality of laser beams to one end portion of a rod-shaped material of tungsten or tungsten alloy in different directions. Preferably, the rod-shaped material is held vertically while the laser beams are applied to its lower end portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1993
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masakazu Nagasawa, Masami Handa, Kunio Fukai, Yasuo Hirozumi