Patents by Inventor Noboru Taniguchi
Noboru Taniguchi 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: 10461341Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a hydrodesulfurizer that removes a sulfur compound from raw material and that is heated with heat of exhaust gas flowing in the fuel cell system; a fuel cell that generates power through an electrochemical reaction using fuel and oxidant gas, the fuel being obtained by reforming raw material from which the sulfur compound has been removed by the hydrodesulfurizer; an introduction passage through which the exhaust gas that is to heat the hydrodesulfurizer passes; a first heat exchanger disposed in the introduction passage and that preheats, with heat of the exhaust gas passing through the introduction passage, the oxidant gas to be supplied to the fuel cell; and a second heat exchanger that preheat, with heat of exhaust gas passing through a passage other than the introduction passage, the oxidant gas to be preheated by the first heat exchanger.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2014Date of Patent: October 29, 2019Assignee: PANASONIC CORPORATIONInventors: Takashi Kakuwa, Hideki Nakata, Noboru Taniguchi
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Patent number: 10014536Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a reformer generating a reformed gas using a raw material; a fuel cell generating electric power; a raw material supply passage; a hydro-desulfurizer operative to remove sulfur component in the raw material; a recycle passage through which the reformed gas is supplied to the raw material supply passage provided upstream of the hydro-desulfurizer; a temperature detector detecting a temperature of the hydro-desulfurizer; and a controller, wherein: when the temperature of the hydro-desulfurizer reaches a predetermined temperature, the controller increases a flow rate of the raw material from a predetermined flow rate by a flow rate corresponding to a flow rate of the recycled gas, and then, the controller starts supplying the recycled gas to the recycle passage; and after the recycled gas reaches an upstream end of the recycle passage, the controller returns the flow rate of the raw material to the predetermined flow rate.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2015Date of Patent: July 3, 2018Assignees: Panasonic Corporation, TOTO LTD.Inventors: Shigenori Onuma, Noboru Taniguchi, Yasushi Kaneko, Toru Sukawa, Osamu Sakai, Yuichi Mikami, Hiroshi Shirahama, Toshiharu Otsuka
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Publication number: 20160333485Abstract: A photoelectrode (100) of the present invention includes a conductive layer (12) and a photocatalytic layer (13) provided on the conductive layer (12). The conductive layer (12) is made of a metal nitride. The photocatalytic layer (13) is made of at least one selected from the group consisting of a nitride semiconductor and an oxynitride semiconductor. When the photocatalytic layer (13) is made of a n-type semiconductor, the energy difference between the vacuum level and the Fermi level of the conductive layer (12) is smaller than the energy difference between the vacuum level and the Fermi level of the photocatalytic layer (13). When the photocatalytic layer (13) is made of a p-type semiconductor, the energy difference between the vacuum level and the Fermi level of the conductive layer (12) is larger than the energy difference between the vacuum level and the Fermi level of the photocatalytic layer (13).Type: ApplicationFiled: July 27, 2016Publication date: November 17, 2016Inventors: Satoru TAMURA, Takaiki NOMURA, Takahiro SUZUKI, Kenichi TOKUHIRO, Noboru TANIGUCHI, Kazuhito HATO, Nobuhiro MIYATA
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Publication number: 20160329580Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a hydrodesulfurizer that removes a sulfur compound from raw material and that is heated with heat of exhaust gas flowing in the fuel cell system; a fuel cell that generates power through an electrochemical reaction using fuel and oxidant gas, the fuel being obtained by reforming raw material from which the sulfur compound has been removed by the hydrodesulfurizer; an introduction passage through which the exhaust gas that is to heat the hydrodesulfurizer passes; a first heat exchanger disposed in the introduction passage and that preheats, with heat of the exhaust gas passing through the introduction passage, the oxidant gas to be supplied to the fuel cell; and a second heat exchanger that preheat, with heat of exhaust gas passing through a passage other than the introduction passage, the oxidant gas to be preheated by the first heat exchanger.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2014Publication date: November 10, 2016Inventors: TAKASHI KAKUWA, HIDEKI NAKATA, NOBORU TANIGUCHI
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Publication number: 20160329584Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a reformer generating a reformed gas using a raw material; a fuel cell generating electric power; a raw material supply passage; a hydro-desulfurizer operative to remove sulfur component in the raw material; a recycle passage through which the reformed gas is supplied to the raw material supply passage provided upstream of the hydro-desulfurizer; a temperature detector detecting a temperature of the hydro-desulfurizer; and a controller, wherein: when the temperature of the hydro-desulfurizer reaches a predetermined temperature, the controller increases a flow rate of the raw material from a predetermined flow rate by a flow rate corresponding to a flow rate of the recycled gas, and then, the controller starts supplying the recycled gas to the recycle passage; and after the recycled gas reaches an upstream end of the recycle passage, the controller returns the flow rate of the raw material to the predetermined flow rate.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 13, 2015Publication date: November 10, 2016Inventors: Shigenori ONUMA, Noboru TANIGUCHI, Yasushi KANEKO, Toru SUKAWA, Osamu SAKAI, Yuichi MIKAMI, Hiroshi SHIRAHAMA, Toshiharu OTSUKA
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Patent number: 9478817Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a reformer operative to generate a reformed gas by using a raw material gas; a fuel cell operative to generate electric power by using the reformed gas from the reformer and air; a desulfurizer operative to perform hydrodesulfurization of the raw material gas; a recycled gas passage through which a part of the reformed gas is supplied as a recycled gas to a raw material gas passage provided upstream of the desulfurizer; and a heat exchanger operative to cause the recycled gas flowing through the recycled gas passage to perform heat exchange with one of the raw material gas and the air.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2013Date of Patent: October 25, 2016Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.Inventors: Toru Sukawa, Noboru Taniguchi
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Patent number: 9209659Abstract: An armature for a rotating electric machine includes an armature core and an armature coil. The armature core includes a substantially annular main body disposed in radial opposition to a field of the machine and teeth extending from the main body radially toward the field. The armature coil is arranged between the teeth of the armature core. For each of the teeth, there are formed a protrusion and a pair of claws at a distal end of the tooth. The protrusion protrudes from a circumferentially central part of the distal end of the tooth radially toward the field. The claws extend, respectively on opposite circumferential sides of the protrusion, from the distal end of the tooth toward the field. Each of the claws has a smaller width at its distal end than at its proximal end and is arcuate-shaped so as to engage with and thereby retain the armature coil.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2014Date of Patent: December 8, 2015Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Akio Mori, Kazuhiro Nobata, Masayoshi Yamamoto, Yoshiyasu Kozaki, Noboru Taniguchi, Masayuki Takiguchi
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Publication number: 20150311552Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a reformer operative to generate a reformed gas by using a raw material gas; a fuel cell operative to generate electric power by using the reformed gas from the reformer and air; a desulfurizer operative to perform hydrodesulfurization of the raw material gas; a recycled gas passage through which a part of the reformed gas is supplied as a recycled gas to a raw material gas passage provided upstream of the desulfurizer; and a heat exchanger operative to cause the recycled gas flowing through the recycled gas passage to perform heat exchange with one of the raw material gas and the air.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2013Publication date: October 29, 2015Inventors: Toru SUKAWA, Noboru TANIGUCHI
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Patent number: 9157155Abstract: A photoelectrochemical cell (100) includes: a semiconductor electrode (120) including a conductor (121) and semiconductor layers (122, 123) disposed on the conductor (121); a counter electrode (130) connected electrically to the conductor (121); an electrolyte (140) in contact with surfaces of the semiconductor layer (123) and the counter electrode (130); and a container (110) accommodating the semiconductor electrode (120), the counter electrode (130) and the electrolyte (140). A band edge level ECS of a conduction band, a band edge level EVS of a valence band, and a Fermi level EFS in a surface near-field region of the semiconductor layer, and a band edge level ECJ of a conduction band, a band edge level EVJ of a valence band, and a Fermi level EFJ in a junction plane near-field region of the semiconductor layer with the conductor satisfy, relative to a vacuum level, ECS?EFS>ECJ?EFJ, EFS?EVS<EFJ?EVJ, ECJ>?4.44 eV, and EVS<?5.67 eV.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2011Date of Patent: October 13, 2015Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.Inventors: Noboru Taniguchi, Kenichi Tokuhiro, Takahiro Suzuki, Tomohiro Kuroha, Takaiki Nomura, Kazuhito Hato, Satoru Tamura
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Patent number: 8999119Abstract: The hydrogen production device of the present invention includes: a first electrode including a conductive substrate and a photocatalytic semiconductor layer; a second electrode that is electrically connected to the first electrode and disposed in a second region opposite to a first region relative to the first electrode; the first region is defined as a region on a side of a surface of the first electrode in which the photocatalytic semiconductor layer is provided; a water-containing electrolyte solution; and a housing containing these. The first electrode is provided with first through-holes and the second electrode is provided with second through-holes; and the first through-holes and second through-holes form a communicating hole for allowing the first region and the second region to communicate with each other. An ion exchange membrane having substantially the same shape as the communicating hole is disposed in the communicating hole to close the communicating hole.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2011Date of Patent: April 7, 2015Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kenichi Tokuhiro, Takaiki Nomura, Kazuhito Hato, Noboru Taniguchi, Takahiro Suzuki, Satoru Tamura
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Patent number: 8951447Abstract: The optically pumped semiconductor according to the present invention is an optically pumped semiconductor that is a semiconductor of a perovskite oxide. The optically pumped semiconductor has a composition represented by a general formula: BaZr1-xMxO3-?, where M denotes at least one element selected from trivalent elements, x denotes a numerical value more than 0 but less than 0.8, and ? denotes an amount of oxygen deficiency that is a numerical value more than 0 but less than 1.5. The optically pumped semiconductor has a crystal system of a cubic, tetragonal, or orthorhombic crystal. When lattice constants of the crystal system are referred to as a, b, and c, provided that a?b?c, conditions that 0.41727 nm?a, b, c?0.42716 nm and a/c?0.98 are satisfied.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2010Date of Patent: February 10, 2015Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.Inventors: Noboru Taniguchi, Kenichi Tokuhiro, Takahiro Suzuki, Tomohiro Kuroha, Takaiki Nomura, Kazuhito Hatoh
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Publication number: 20150008785Abstract: An armature for a rotating electric machine includes an armature core and an armature coil. The armature core includes a substantially annular main body disposed in radial opposition to a field of the machine and teeth extending from the main body radially toward the field. The armature coil is arranged between the teeth of the armature core. For each of the teeth, there are formed a protrusion and a pair of claws at a distal end of the tooth. The protrusion protrudes from a circumferentially central part of the distal end of the tooth radially toward the field. The claws extend, respectively on opposite circumferential sides of the protrusion, from the distal end of the tooth toward the field. Each of the claws has a smaller width at its distal end than at its proximal end and is arcuate-shaped so as to engage with and thereby retain the armature coil.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 3, 2014Publication date: January 8, 2015Inventors: Akio MORI, Kazuhiro NOBATA, Masayoshi YAMAMOTO, Yoshiyasu KOZAKI, Noboru TANIGUCHI, Masayuki TAKIGUCHI
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Patent number: 8850862Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for rolling a substantially planar electric wire by more than one turn into a spiral shape. The apparatus includes an inner pressing member having an outer surface, an intermediate pressing member having radially inner and outer surfaces, and an outer pressing member having an inner surface. The inner and intermediate pressing members together press a first part of the electric wire between the outer surface of the inner pressing member and the inner surface of the intermediate pressing member, thereby plastically deforming the first part to extend along the outer surface of the inner pressing member. The intermediate and outer pressing members together press a second part of the electric wire between the outer surface of the intermediate pressing member and the inner surface of the outer pressing member, thereby plastically deforming the second part to extend along the outer surface of the intermediate pressing member.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2011Date of Patent: October 7, 2014Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Akito Akimoto, Noboru Taniguchi, Atsuo Ishizuka, Seiji Tachibana, Masaomi Dobashi, Mitsuyuki Hayashi, Takeshi Kurosawa
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Patent number: 8821700Abstract: A photoelectrochemical cell (100) includes: a semiconductor electrode (120) including a conductor (121), a first n-type semiconductor layer (122) having a nanotube array structure, and a second n-type semiconductor layer (123); a counter electrode (130) connected to the conductor (121); an electrolyte (140) in contact with the second n-type semiconductor layer (123) and the counter electrode (130); and a container (110) accommodating the semiconductor electrode (120), the counter electrode (130) and the electrolyte (140).Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2010Date of Patent: September 2, 2014Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Tomohiro Kuroha, Takaiki Nomura, Kazuhito Hato, Noboru Taniguchi, Takahiro Suzuki, Kenichi Tokuhiro
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Patent number: 8734625Abstract: A hydrogen generation device (100) of the present invention includes: a transparent substrate (1); a photocatalytic electrode (4) formed of a transparent conductive layer (2) and a photocatalytic layer (3) disposed on the transparent substrate (1); a counter electrode (8) connected electrically to the transparent conductive layer (2); a water-containing electrolyte solution layer provided between the photocatalytic electrode (3) and the counter electrode (8); a separator (6) that separates the electrolyte solution layer into a first electrolyte solution layer (5) in contact with the photocatalytic electrode (4) and a second electrolyte solution layer (7) in contact with the counter electrode (8); a first gas outlet (14) for discharging a gas generated in the first electrolyte solution layer (5); and a second gas outlet (15) for discharging a gas generated in the second electrolyte solution layer (7).Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2011Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Takahiro Suzuki, Takaiki Nomura, Kazuhito Hatoh, Noboru Taniguchi, Tomohiro Kuroha, Kenichi Tokuhiro
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Patent number: 8663435Abstract: The method for producing the optical semiconductor of the present disclosure includes a mixing step of producing a mixture containing a reduction inhibitor and a niobium compound that contains at least oxygen in its composition; a nitriding step of nitriding the mixture by the reaction between the mixture and a nitrogen compound gas; and a washing step of isolating niobium oxynitride from the material obtained through the nitriding step by dissolving chemical species other than niobium oxynitride with a washing liquid. The optical semiconductor of the present disclosure substantially consists of niobium oxynitride having a crystal structure of baddeleyite and having a composition represented by the composition formula, NbON.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2012Date of Patent: March 4, 2014Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Takahiro Suzuki, Takaiki Nomura, Satoru Tamura, Kazuhito Hato, Noboru Taniguchi, Kenichi Tokuhiro, Nobuhiro Miyata
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Publication number: 20140004435Abstract: A photoelectrode (100) of the present invention includes a conductive layer (12) and a photocatalytic layer (13) provided on the conductive layer (12). The conductive layer (12) is made of a metal nitride. The photocatalytic layer (13) is made of at least one selected from the group consisting of a nitride semiconductor and an oxynitride semiconductor. When the photocatalytic layer (13) is made of a n-type semiconductor, the energy difference between the vacuum level and the Fermi level of the conductive layer (12) is smaller than the energy difference between the vacuum level and the Fermi level of the photocatalytic layer (13). When the photocatalytic layer (13) is made of a p-type semiconductor, the energy difference between the vacuum level and the Fermi level of the conductive layer (12) is larger than the energy difference between the vacuum level and the Fermi level of the photocatalytic layer (13).Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2012Publication date: January 2, 2014Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATIONInventors: Satoru Tamura, Takaiki Nomura, Takahiro Suzuki, Kenichi Tokuhiro, Noboru Taniguchi, Kazuhito Hato, Nobuhiro Miyata
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Publication number: 20130316254Abstract: An energy system includes an solar hydrogen producing unit (101) that produces hydrogen through decomposition of water by a photocatalytic effect, a fuel cell (103) that generates electricity by a reaction between the hydrogen produced by the solar hydrogen producing unit (101) and an oxidizing gas and discharges water as a reaction product, and a water distribution mechanism (104) that returns the water serving as the reaction product discharged from the fuel cell (103) to the solar hydrogen producing unit (101). With the configuration, an energy system that suppresses an amount of external water supply to a low level to achieve good water balance can be provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 29, 2012Publication date: November 28, 2013Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATIONInventors: Kenichi Tokuhiro, Takaiki Nomura, Takahiro Suzuki, Satoru Tamura, Nobuhiro Miyata, Noboru Taniguchi, Kazuhito Hato
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Patent number: 8518848Abstract: A titanium oxide photocatalyst that is capable of improving a decomposition rate, and a method for producing the same are provided. The titanium oxide photocatalyst of the present invention is a titanium oxide photocatalyst containing at least an anatase-type titanium oxide and fluorine, wherein a content of the fluorine is 2.5 wt % to 3.5 wt %, and 90 wt % or more of the fluorine is chemically bonded to the anatase-type titanium oxide.Type: GrantFiled: February 29, 2012Date of Patent: August 27, 2013Assignees: Panasonic Corporation, Sakai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.Inventors: Noboru Taniguchi, Shuzo Tokumitsu, Tomohiro Kuroha, Kenichi Tokuhiro, Akio Nakashima, Keita Kobayashi, Shinji Nakahara
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Patent number: 8454807Abstract: A photoelectrochemical cell (1) is a photoelectrochemical cell for decomposing water by irradiation with light so as to produce hydrogen.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2011Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Takaiki Nomura, Takahiro Suzuki, Kenichi Tokuhiro, Tomohiro Kuroha, Noboru Taniguchi, Kazuhito Hatoh, Shuzo Tokumitsu