Patents by Inventor Mitsuo Matsushima
Mitsuo Matsushima 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).
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Patent number: 7834562Abstract: To provide a discharge lamp lighting device in which the initial state of discharge in a wiring of a circuit on the secondary side of a transformer in the discharge lamp lighting device is accurately detected and the operation thereof stops and which can be applied to a large-scaled liquid crystal display device. The discharge lamp lighting device according to the present invention includes a transformer 5, a transformer drive circuit 4, and a control circuit 3 for controlling the transformer drive circuit 4. The transformer drive circuit 4 drives the primary side of the transformer 5, and a discharge lamp 6 is lit on by being connected to the secondary side of the transformer 5.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2006Date of Patent: November 16, 2010Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.Inventor: Mitsuo Matsushima
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Publication number: 20100213863Abstract: To provide a discharge lamp lighting device in which the initial state of discharge in a wiring of a circuit on the secondary side of a transformer in the discharge lamp lighting device is accurately detected and the operation thereof stops and which can be applied to a large-scaled liquid crystal display device. The discharge lamp lighting device according to the present invention includes a transformer 5, a transformer drive circuit 4, and a control circuit 3 for controlling the transformer drive circuit 4. The transformer drive circuit 4 drives the primary side of the transformer 5, and a discharge lamp 6 is lit on by being connected to the secondary side of the transformer 5.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2006Publication date: August 26, 2010Applicant: Minebea Co., Ltd.Inventor: Mitsuo Matsushima
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Patent number: 7530742Abstract: The present invention provides a foil bearing (1), comprising: a stationary mount member (2) surrounding an outer circumferential surface of a journal (13) of a rotating member via an annular gap (G); and a plurality of centripetal force producing foils (e.g., middle foils 12) arranged in a circumferential direction in the annular gap, where each of the centripetal force producing foils has one end fixed to the stationary mount member, wherein portions of the stationary mount member located between fixed ends of adjoining ones of the centripetal force producing foils are formed with an axially extending slit (4).Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2008Date of Patent: May 12, 2009Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Ichiro Ishii, Mitsuo Matsushima
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Patent number: 7525260Abstract: There is provided a discharge lamp lighting apparatus including common lines to which the low voltage side outputs of step-up transformers having a plurality of discharge lamps connected thereto are connected, wherein the low voltage side outputs connected to the common lines include two kinds of outputs in an equal number at which respective lam currents are phase-shifted by 180 degrees from each other. The discharge lamp lighting apparatus further includes: malfunction detecting circuits which is composed of sense resistors to sense the lamp currents synthesized on the common lines and comparators to compare with a sense voltage with a predetermined reference voltage, and which outputs a malfunction detecting signal when the sense voltage exceeds the reference voltage; and a protection circuit to stop driving of bridge circuits according to the malfunction detecting signal.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2007Date of Patent: April 28, 2009Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.Inventor: Mitsuo Matsushima
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Patent number: 7521877Abstract: There is provided a discharge lamp lighting apparatus including a dimmer circuit which is provided with a control means to dynamically adjust screen brightness according to an input signal, and a control means to adjust screen brightness based on a user's operation. The dimmer circuit includes: an amplitude adjusting circuit to superpose a first dimming control signal composed of a DC voltage onto a second dimming control signal composed of a pulse width modulation signal; an integration circuit to integrate an output of the amplitude adjusting circuit; and a comparison circuit to compare an output of the integration circuit with a triangular wave having a predetermined frequency thereby generating a dimming signal, wherein a burst dimming mode is performed according to the dimming signal.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2007Date of Patent: April 21, 2009Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shinichi Suzuki, Mitsuo Matsushima
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Publication number: 20090091262Abstract: There is provided a discharge clamp lighting apparatus including: a transformer, a transformer driving circuit, a control circuit, in which a primary side of the transformer is driven by the transformer driving circuit lighting a discharge lamp connected at a secondary side of the transformer, a discharge sensing circuit, a signal detecting circuit detecting a voltage signal induced in the discharge sensing circuit, and a protection means stopping supply of electric power to the secondary side of the transformer according to the voltage signal detected at the signal detecting circuit, wherein the signal detecting circuit includes a signal discriminating circuit attenuating a component of a voltage signal inputted from the discharge sensing circuit, the component having a frequency equal to or lower than a predetermined value, to be equal to or greater than a secondary high-frequency pass filter, passing only a high-frequency signal caused by an abnormal discharge.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 2, 2008Publication date: April 9, 2009Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTD.Inventors: Shingo Takatsuka, Mitsuo Matsushima
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Publication number: 20080284550Abstract: A variable inductor according to the present invention includes a control winding, two windings constituting a primary winding, and a magnetic core. The magnetic core includes a center leg and two outer legs disposed so as to sandwich the center leg, wherein the control winding is disposed around the center leg, and the two winding as the primary winding are disposed around the two outer legs, respectively. The control winding is shifted in location with respect to the two winding as the primary winding in the longitudinal direction of the legs thereby providing a sufficient spatial isolation therefrom, thus ensuring a sufficient withstand voltage between the control winding and the primary winding.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2005Publication date: November 20, 2008Inventors: Hiroshi Shinmen, Mitsuo Matsushima
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Patent number: 7413346Abstract: The present invention provides a foil bearing (1), comprising: a stationary mount member (2) surrounding an outer circumferential surface of a journal (13) of a rotating member via an annular gap (G); and a plurality of centripetal force producing foils (e.g., middle foils 12) arranged in a circumferential direction in the annular gap, where each of the centripetal force producing foils has one end fixed to the stationary mount member, wherein portions of the stationary mount member located between fixed ends of adjoining ones of the centripetal force producing foils are formed with an axially extending slit (4).Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2004Date of Patent: August 19, 2008Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Ichiro Ishii, Mitsuo Matsushima
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Publication number: 20080181543Abstract: The present invention provides a foil bearing (1), comprising: a stationary mount member (2) surrounding an outer circumferential surface of a journal (13) of a rotating member via an annular gap (G); and a plurality of centripetal force producing foils (e.g., middle foils 12) arranged in a circumferential direction in the annular gap, where each of the centripetal force producing foils has one end fixed to the stationary mount member, wherein portions of the stationary mount member located between fixed ends of adjoining ones of the centripetal force producing foils are formed with an axially extending slit (4).Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2008Publication date: July 31, 2008Inventors: Ichiro Ishii, Mitsuo Matsushima
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Patent number: 7358682Abstract: A discharge lamp lighting apparatus includes a transformer defining primary and secondary sides; a transformer driving circuit to drive the primary side of the transformer thereby lighting a discharge lamp connected at the secondary side of the transformer; a control circuit to control the transformer driving circuit; a high voltage capacitor formed of a pattern capacitor and disposed between one terminal of the secondary side of the transformer and the discharge lamp; and a discharge detecting pattern disposed close to the high voltage capacitor. In the discharge lamp lighting apparatus, a voltage induced in the discharge detecting pattern is duly detected, and power supply to the secondary side of the transformer is stopped.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2006Date of Patent: April 15, 2008Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.Inventor: Mitsuo Matsushima
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Publication number: 20070290626Abstract: There is provided a discharge lamp lighting apparatus including common lines to which the low voltage side outputs of step-up transformers having a plurality of discharge lamps connected thereto are connected, wherein the low voltage side outputs connected to the common lines include two kinds of outputs in an equal number at which respective lamp currents are phase-shifted by 180 degrees from each other. The discharge lamp lighting apparatus further includes: malfunction detecting circuits which is composed of sense resistors to sense the lamp currents synthesized on the common lines and comparators to compare with a sense voltage with a predetermined reference voltage, and which outputs a malfunction detecting signal when the sense voltage exceeds the reference voltage; and a protection circuit to stop driving of bridge circuits according to the malfunction detecting signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 4, 2007Publication date: December 20, 2007Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTD.Inventor: Mitsuo Matsushima
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Publication number: 20070205728Abstract: There is provided a discharge lamp lighting apparatus including a dimmer circuit which is provided with a control means to dynamically adjust screen brightness according to an input signal, and a control means to adjust screen brightness based on a user's operation. The dimmer circuit includes: an amplitude adjusting circuit to superpose a first dimming control signal composed of a DC voltage onto a second dimming control signal composed of a pulse width modulation signal; an integration circuit to integrate an output of the amplitude adjusting circuit; and a comparison circuit to compare an output of the integration circuit with a triangular wave having a predetermined frequency thereby generating a dimming signal, wherein a burst dimming mode is performed according to the dimming signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 3, 2007Publication date: September 6, 2007Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTD.Inventors: Shinichi Suzuki, Mitsuo Matsushima
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Patent number: 7239091Abstract: A discharge lamp lighting apparatus is provided for lighting a plurality of discharge lamps including one reference lamp and at least one controllable lamp. First variable inductance element and lamp current detecting unit are connected to the reference lamp, second variable inductance and lamp current unit are connected to the controllable lamp, and a lamp current controlling circuit is connected to each of the first and second variable inductance elements. An output signal from the second lamp current detecting unit and also an output signal as a reference signal from the first lamp current detecting unit are connected to the lamp current controlling circuit for the controllable lamp, whereby the lamp current of the controllable lamp is controlled. The reference output signal is also connected to a control circuit, and the lamp currents of the reference and controllable lamps are controlled further by the on/off operation of the switching elements.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2005Date of Patent: July 3, 2007Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroshi Shinmen, Mitsuo Matsushima, Kohei Nishibori
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Patent number: 7235931Abstract: In a discharge lamp lighting apparatus to light two discharge lamps, one terminal of the secondary side of a step-up transformer is connected to one terminal of each of the two discharge lamps, the other terminal of each of the two discharge lamps is connected, via each of two variable inductance elements, to one lamp current detecting unit, a signal of each lamp current detecting unit is connected to a lamp current control circuit, and an output signal from each lamp current control circuit is connected to each variable inductance element so as to vary the inductance of each variable inductance element, whereby the lamp current flowing through each discharge lamp is controlled.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2005Date of Patent: June 26, 2007Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.Inventors: Mitsuo Matsushima, Kohei Nishibori, Hiroshi Shinmen
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Publication number: 20070108921Abstract: There is provided a discharge lamp lighting apparatus, which includes: a transformer defining primary and secondary sides; a transformer driving circuit to drive the primary side of the transformer thereby lighting a discharge lamp connected at the secondary side of the transformer; a control circuit to control the transformer driving circuit; a high voltage capacitor formed of a pattern capacitor and disposed between one terminal of the secondary side of the transformer and the discharge lamp; and a discharge detecting pattern disposed close to the high voltage capacitor. In the discharge lamp lighting apparatus, a voltage induced in the discharge detecting pattern is duly detected, and power supply to the secondary side of the transformer is stopped.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2006Publication date: May 17, 2007Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTD.Inventor: Mitsuo Matsushima
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Patent number: 7215087Abstract: In a discharge lamp lighting apparatus to light two discharge lamps, one terminal of the secondary side of a step-up transformer is connected, via each of two variable inductance elements, to one terminal of each of the two discharge lamps, the other terminal of each of the two discharge lamp is connected to one lamp current detecting unit connected to a lamp current control circuit, a switch is provided at the previous step of the lamp current control circuit, an output signal from one phase adjusting circuit is connected, via the switch, to the connection portion of the lamp current detecting unit and the lamp current control circuit, and the inductance of each variable inductance element is varied by an output signal which is sent from the lamp current control circuit, and which has a phase shifted from others, whereby the lamp current flowing through each discharge lamp is controlled.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2005Date of Patent: May 8, 2007Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.Inventor: Mitsuo Matsushima
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Patent number: 7109667Abstract: A discharge lamp driving apparatus comprises a DC power supply, a control circuit, switching elements, a step-up transformer, and a lamp current controlling circuit. In the discharge lamp driving apparatus, the secondary side of the step-up transformer is connected to multiple discharge lamps respectively via variable inductance elements, a series resonant circuit is constituted by a capacitor provided between the variable inductance element and the discharge lamp, leakage inductance of the step-up transformer, and inductance of the variable inductance element, and an output of the lamp current controlling circuit is connected to the variable inductance element, wherein the inductance of the variable inductance element is varied thereby controlling the lamp current of the discharge lamp.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2005Date of Patent: September 19, 2006Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.Inventors: Mitsuo Matsushima, Kohei Nishibori
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Publication number: 20060028147Abstract: A discharge lamp lighting apparatus is provided for lighting a plurality of discharge lamps including one reference lamp and at least one controllable lamp. First variable inductance element and lamp current detecting unit are connected to the reference lamp, second variable inductance and lamp current unit are connected to the controllable lamp, and a lamp current controlling circuit is connected to each of the first and second variable inductance elements. An output signal from the second lamp current detecting unit and also an output signal as a reference signal from the first lamp current detecting unit are connected to the lamp current controlling circuit for the controllable lamp, whereby the lamp current of the controllable lamp is controlled. The reference output signal is also connected to a control circuit, and the lamp currents of the reference and controllable lamps are controlled further by the on/off operation of the switching elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 28, 2005Publication date: February 9, 2006Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTDInventors: Hiroshi Shinmen, Mitsuo Matsushima, Kohei Nishibori
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Publication number: 20060017403Abstract: In a discharge lamp lighting apparatus to light two discharge lamps, one terminal of the secondary side of a step-up transformer is connected, via each of two variable inductance elements, to one terminal of each of the two discharge lamps, the other terminal of each of the two discharge lamp is connected to one lamp current detecting unit connected to a lamp current control circuit, a switch is provided at the previous step of the lamp current control circuit, an output signal from one phase adjusting circuit is connected, via the switch, to the connection portion of the lamp current detecting unit and the lamp current control circuit, and the inductance of each variable inductance element is varied by an output signal which is sent from the lamp current control circuit, and which has a phase shifted from others, whereby the lamp current flowing through each discharge lamp is controlled.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2005Publication date: January 26, 2006Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTD.Inventor: Mitsuo Matsushima
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Publication number: 20060017399Abstract: In a discharge lamp lighting apparatus to light two discharge lamps, one terminal of the secondary side of a step-up transformer is connected to one terminal of each of the two discharge lamps, the other terminal of each of the two discharge lamps is connected, via each of two variable inductance elements, to one lamp current detecting unit, a signal of each lamp current detecting unit is connected to a lamp current control circuit, and an output signal from each lamp current control circuit is connected to each variable inductance element so as to vary the inductance of each variable inductance element, whereby the lamp current flowing through each discharge lamp is controlled.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 19, 2005Publication date: January 26, 2006Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTD.Inventors: Mitsuo Matsushima, Kohei Nishibori, Hiroshi Shinmen