Patents by Inventor Masanori Hirai

Masanori Hirai 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: 20240152015
    Abstract: The present invention provides a technology of switching the appearance of a product. A decorative film according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a light control layer including a first transparent conductive film, a polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer containing a polymer matrix and droplets dispersed in the polymer matrix, the droplets each containing a liquid crystal compound and a dichroic dye, and a second transparent conductive film in the stated order from a viewer side thereof; and a reflective layer arranged on a side of the light control layer opposite to the viewer side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Applicant: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mariko HIRAI, Masanori OTSUKA, Akihiro SHIBUYA
  • Publication number: 20240142816
    Abstract: The present invention provides a technology of switching the appearance of a product. A decorative film according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a light control layer including a first transparent conductive film, a polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer containing a polymer matrix and droplets dispersed in the polymer matrix, the droplets each containing a liquid crystal compound and a dichroic dye, and a second transparent conductive film in the stated order from a viewer side thereof; and a decorative layer arranged on at least one side of the light control layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Applicant: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mariko HIRAI, Masanori OTSUKA, Akihiro SHIBUYA
  • Patent number: 11158851
    Abstract: An electrode for an electrochemical device has a coated portion in which an active material layer is formed on a current collector; a non-coated portion in which the active material layer is not formed; and a resin layer that is laminated such that the coated portion and a portion of the non-coated portion are covered; wherein: the resin layer has a high-permeability portion having high ion permeability and positioned on the coated portion; a low-permeability portion having low ion permeability and positioned on a portion of the non-coated portion; and a transition portion in which ion permeability decreases from the high-permeability portion side toward the low-permeability portion side and positioned between the high-permeability portion and the low-permeability portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Envision AESC Energy Devices Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori Hirai, Kazuya Mimura
  • Patent number: 10906060
    Abstract: A coating device has: a die head that is provided with a supply port into which a coating slurry is supplied, a manifold that stores the coating slurry, and a slit that dispenses the coating slurry; a supply pipe that is connected to the supply port of the die head; and a cover plate that is provided in the supply port or the supply pipe and that reduces the flow rate of the coating slurry at the center of a cross-section that is orthogonal to the direction in which the coating slurry in the supply port or the supply pipe flows into the die head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Envision AESC Enerev Devices Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanori Hirai
  • Publication number: 20200295345
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing electrodes for an electrochemical device in which each of electrodes comprises a current collector 9, 11 and active material layers 10, 12 using four die heads 15a-15d is described. The active material layers 10, 12 each contains a lower active material layer 10a, 12a and an upper active material layer 10b, 12b. While the current collector 9, 11 is being conveyed, a slurry is ejected from the die head 15a that is on the most upstream side in the direction of conveyance S and the die head 15b located on the second from the upstream side to form the lower active material layers 10a, 12a of two electrodes, and a slurry is ejected from the die head 15c located on the third from the upstream side and the die head 15d located on the fourth from the upstream side to form the upper active material layers 10b, 12b of two electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2016
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Applicant: NEC ENERGY DEVICES, LTD.
    Inventors: Masanori HIRAI, Kenji SATO
  • Publication number: 20200067081
    Abstract: An electrode for an electrochemical device has a coated portion in which an active material layer is formed on a current collector; a non-coated portion in which the active material layer is not formed; and a resin layer that is laminated such that the coated portion and a portion of the non-coated portion are covered; wherein: the resin layer has a high-permeability portion having high ion permeability and positioned on the coated portion; a low-permeability portion having low ion permeability and positioned on a portion of the non-coated portion; and a transition portion in which ion permeability decreases from the high-permeability portion side toward the low-permeability portion side and positioned between the high-permeability portion and the low-permeability portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Applicant: Envision AESC Energy Devices Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori HIRAI, Kazuya MIMURA
  • Publication number: 20200030840
    Abstract: A coating device has: a die head that is provided with a supply port into which a coating slurry is supplied, a manifold that stores the coating slurry, and a slit that dispenses the coating slurry; a supply pipe that is connected to the supply port of the die head; and a cover plate that is provided in the supply port or the supply pipe and that reduces the flow rate of the coating slurry at the center of a cross-section that is orthogonal to the direction in which the coating slurry in the supply port or the supply pipe flows into the die head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Applicant: Envision AESC Energy Devices Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanori HIRAI
  • Patent number: 10493485
    Abstract: A coating device has: a die head that is provided with a supply port into which a coating slurry is supplied, a manifold that stores the coating slurry, and a slit that dispenses the coating slurry; a supply pipe that is connected to the supply port of the die head; and a cover plate that is provided in the supply port or the supply pipe and that reduces the flow rate of the coating slurry at the center of a cross-section that is orthogonal to the direction in which the coating slurry in the supply port or the supply pipe flows into the die head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Envision AESC Energy Devices, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanori Hirai
  • Patent number: 10468662
    Abstract: An electrode for a secondary battery including an electrode laminated assembly that has a configuration in which electrodes and a separator are laminated, includes current collector 3 and active material layer 2 formed on a surface of current collector 3. Active material layer 2 includes a thick-layer portion and a thin-layer portion that is positioned at an edge portion of the active material layer and that is smaller in thickness than the thick-layer portion, and is formed by discharging slurry containing an active material from discharge port 12a of die head 12 toward the surface of current collector 3, the slurry being supplied to die head 12 through coating valve 13.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Envision AESC Energy Devices Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori Hirai, Takashi Nakajima, Tetsuya Sato
  • Publication number: 20190074509
    Abstract: In electrode (2) for an electrochemical device comprising current collector (9) and active material layer (10) made up from active material coated on current collector (9), active material layer (10) comprises lower active material layer (10a) which adheres to current collector (9) and upper active material layer (10b) formed on lower active material layer (10a). Lower active material layer (10a) is thinner than upper active material layer (10b). The termination portion of upper active material layer (10b) in the longitudinal direction of current collector (9) either coincides with the termination portion of lower active material layer (10a) or is positioned nearer side from the starting portion than the termination portion of lower active material layer (10a).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2016
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Applicant: NEC ENERGY DEVICES, LTD.
    Inventors: Masanori HIRAI, Kenji SATO
  • Patent number: 10217988
    Abstract: Provided is a secondary battery with a high electric characteristic and reliability that prevents the short circuit between a positive electrode and a negative electrode by an insulating member and that prevents or reduces the volume increase and deformation of a battery electrode assembly. A secondary battery includes a battery electrode assembly in which positive electrode 1 and negative electrode 6 are alternately laminated while separator 20 is interposed therebetween. Positive electrode 1 and negative electrode 6 include current collectors 3, 8 and active materials 2, 7, each surface of current collectors 3, 8 is provided with an application portion and a non-application portion of active materials 2, 8, and the active materials 2, 7 include a thin portion whose thickness is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: NEC ENERGY DEVICES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kouzou Takeda, Masaaki Matsuu, Hiroo Takahashi, Yoshimasa Yamamoto, Masanori Hirai
  • Publication number: 20180250700
    Abstract: A coating device has: a die head that is provided with a supply port into which a coating slurry is supplied, a manifold that stores the coating slurry, and a slit that dispenses the coating slurry; a supply pipe that is connected to the supply port of the die head; and a cover plate that is provided in the supply port or the supply pipe and that reduces the flow rate of the coating slurry at the center of a cross-section that is orthogonal to the direction in which the coating slurry in the supply port or the supply pipe flows into the die head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Applicant: NEC ENERGY DEVICES, LTD.
    Inventor: Masanori HIRAI
  • Publication number: 20180175365
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a secondary battery electrode having a coated portion at which an active material layer is formed, comprises a step of forming the coated portion which comprises a step of forming a thin portion of the active material layer which has a small thickness by discharging slurry containing an active material at a position where the die head is located close to the current collector, and a step of forming a thick portion of the active material layer which has a large thickness by discharging the slurry at a discharge pressure P2 larger than that in the step of forming the thin portion at a position where the die head is farther away from the current collector as compared with the step of forming the thin portion. The discharge pressure is changed in accordance with change of an interval between the die head and the current collector at a transition time between the step of forming the thin portion and the step of forming the thick portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Applicant: NEC ENERGY DEVICES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi UEDA, Masanori HIRAI
  • Publication number: 20170373299
    Abstract: Provided is a secondary battery with a high electric characteristic and reliability that prevents the short circuit between a positive electrode and a negative electrode by an insulating member and that prevents or reduces the volume increase and deformation of a battery electrode assembly. A secondary battery includes a battery electrode assembly in which positive electrode 1 and negative electrode 6 are alternately laminated while separator 20 is interposed therebetween. Positive electrode 1 and negative electrode 6 include current collectors 3, 8 and active materials 2, 7, each surface of current collectors 3, 8 is provided with an application portion and a non-application portion of active materials 2, 8, and the active materials 2, 7 include a thin portion whose thickness is small.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Applicant: NEC ENERGY DEVICES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kouzou TAKEDA, Masaaki MATSUU, Hiroo TAKAHASHI, Yoshimasa YAMAMOTO, Masanori HIRAI
  • Publication number: 20170309887
    Abstract: An electrode for a secondary battery including an electrode laminated assembly that has a configuration in which electrodes and a separator are laminated, includes current collector 3 and active material layer 2 formed on a surface of current collector 3. Active material layer 2 includes a thick-layer portion and a thin-layer portion that is positioned at an edge portion of the active material layer and that is smaller in thickness than the thick-layer portion, and is formed by discharging slurry containing an active material from discharge port 12a of die head 12 toward the surface of current collector 3, the slurry being supplied to die head 12 through coating valve 13.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Applicant: NEC Energy Devices, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori HIRAI, Takashi NAKAJIMA, Tetsuya SATO
  • Patent number: 9765867
    Abstract: An electromechanical actuator includes a first electric motor, a first motion conversion mechanism, a second motion conversion mechanism, and a rotation restriction mechanism for the second motion conversion mechanism. The first motion conversion mechanism includes a first member that is rotated by an output of the first electric motor and a second member that is fastened to the first member. The second motion conversion mechanism includes a third member that is movable integrally with the first member and a fourth member that is fastened to the third member. The rotation restriction mechanism is configured to be capable of selectively restricting and allowing rotation of the fourth member in accordance with movement of the third member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: NABTESCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masanori Hirai, Masayoshi Ueyama
  • Patent number: 9618102
    Abstract: An actuator is driven even if a jammed state, a motor stop, or the like occurs. An electromechanical actuator includes: an electric motor attached to a housing; a conversion mechanism portion having a drive portion that is driven to rotate by the electric motor and a driven portion that is driven by the drive portion and advances and withdraws in a predetermined advancing and withdrawing direction, the conversion mechanism portion being accommodated in the housing; a sliding support mechanism that transmits rotational force of the electric motor to the drive portion and allows the drive portion to slide in the advancing and withdrawing direction with respect to the electric motor; and a piston portion controlled so as to be at a predetermined position in the advancing and withdrawing direction with respect to the housing by means of pressure of a fluid supplied to and discharged from the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: NABTESCO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masanori Hirai
  • Patent number: 9353774
    Abstract: A fluid is supplied and discharged to and from a cylinder. A body portion is fixed to a fixed-side structure, and the cylinder is provided integrally with the body portion. A piston defines a cylinder chamber inside the cylinder and slides on an inner wall of the cylinder. A rod is provided integrally with the piston and is displaced so as to extend from and contract into the cylinder. A link member is installed parallel to the axial direction of the cylinder or installed so as to extend obliquely to a direction parallel to the axial direction of the cylinder, and a first end of the link member is pivotably connected to a movable-side structure. A connecting member is fixed to the rod, and a second end of the link member is pivotably connected to the connecting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: NABTESCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Ito, Masanori Hirai
  • Publication number: 20150308549
    Abstract: An electromechanical actuator includes a first electric motor, a first motion conversion mechanism, a second motion conversion mechanism, and a rotation restriction mechanism for the second motion conversion mechanism. The first motion conversion mechanism includes a first member that is rotated by an output of the first electric motor and a second member that is fastened to the first member. The second motion conversion mechanism includes a third member that is movable integrally with the first member and a fourth member that is fastened to the third member. The rotation restriction mechanism is configured to be capable of selectively restricting and allowing rotation of the fourth member in accordance with movement of the third member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: Masanori HIRAI, Masayoshi UEYAMA
  • Publication number: 20150114151
    Abstract: An actuator is driven even if a jammed state, a motor stop, or the like occurs. An electromechanical actuator includes: an electric motor attached to a housing; a conversion mechanism portion having a drive portion that is driven to rotate by the electric motor and a driven portion that is driven by the drive portion and advances and withdraws in a predetermined advancing and withdrawing direction, the conversion mechanism portion being accommodated in the housing; a sliding support mechanism that transmits rotational force of the electric motor to the drive portion and allows the drive portion to slide in the advancing and withdrawing direction with respect to the electric motor; and a piston portion controlled so as to be at a predetermined position in the advancing and withdrawing direction with respect to the housing by means of pressure of a fluid supplied to and discharged from the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Applicant: NABTESCO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masanori HIRAI