Patents by Inventor Shigeru Kikuchi

Shigeru Kikuchi 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: 20040141271
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an electrical contact of a low surge type which is easily manufactured, has a small environmental influence, and has a small chopping current value, a manufacturing method of the same, a vacuum interrupter using the same, and a vacuum circuit-breaker using the same. The invention provides an electrical contact having a high conductive metal, and a refractory element constituted by a metal nitrogen or a metal oxide. The high conductive metal can employ Ag or Cu or alloys mainly containing either Ag or Cu, the metal nitride can employ one or mixture of two or more of Mg3N2, AlN, TiN, ZrN, CrN, Cr2N, NbN, BN and Si3N4, and the metal oxide can employ one or mixture of two or more of MgO, Al2O3, TiO2, Ti2O3, ZrO2, ThO2, Cr2O3, Nb2O5, Y2O3 and ZnO. Accordingly, it is possible to secure an improved resistance welding performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2004
    Publication date: July 22, 2004
    Inventors: Shigeru Kikuchi, Takashi Mashiko, Masato Kobayashi, Kenji Tsuchiya, Noboru Baba, Takashi Sato, Yoshio Koguchi
  • Patent number: 6765167
    Abstract: An electric contact member has a texture wherein fire proof metal powder having the form of a flat plate is diffused in a matrix of a highly conductive metal. The flat surface is oriented in one direction and the surface in parallel with the flat surface of the fire proof metal powder is used as a contact point face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Kikuchi, Masaya Takahashi, Noboru Baba, Masato Kobayashi, Yoshitomo Goto, Yasuaki Suzuki, Takashi Sato
  • Patent number: 6753494
    Abstract: An electrode comprises an electrode main body having a porosity, and the conductivity of the electrode main body at its part ranging from the arc running face to a stated depth is made higher than the conductivity at the section or the conductivity at the part ranging from the back surface to a stated depth. This brings about an improvement in circuit-break performance of a circuit breaker and also prevents the arc running face of the electrode main body from deteriorating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yohei Asakawa, Hideaki Onozuka, Motohiro Kikuchi, Yoshio Koguchi, Masato Kobayashi, Masaya Takahashi, Shigeru Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20030015500
    Abstract: An electrode comprises an electrode main body having a porosity, and the conductivity of the electrode main body at its part ranging from the arc running face to a stated depth is made higher than the conductivity at the section or the conductivity at the part ranging from the back surface to a stated depth. This brings about an improvement in circuit-break performance of a circuit breaker and also prevents the arc running face of the electrode main body from deteriorating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2002
    Publication date: January 23, 2003
    Inventors: Yohei Asakawa, Hideaki Onozuka, Motohiro Kikuchi, Yoshio Koguchi, Masato Kobayashi, Masaya Takahashi, Shigeru Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20030010752
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide an electric contact member characterized by excellent current breaking capacity as well as a high degree of dielectric strength and welding resistance, and the method for manufacturing this electric contact member at a low production cost with high productivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2001
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Inventors: Shigeru Kikuchi, Masaya Takahashi, Noboru Baba, Masato Kobayashi, Yoshitomo Goto, Yasuaki Suzuki, Takashi Sato
  • Publication number: 20020144977
    Abstract: The inventive electric contact point of a vacuum valve is made of a sintered alloy containing a heat-resistant metal and a high-conductivity metal. The contact point has at least three slit grooves which extend from the central region to the peripheral region of the contact point, and is soldered to an electrode rod which is connected to the contact point. The contact point includes at least three radially extending vane type contact point members each made of a sintered alloy containing a heat-resistant metal and a high-conductivity metal, and soldered to the electrode rod.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2001
    Publication date: October 10, 2002
    Inventors: Shigeru Kikuchi, Masaya Takahashi, Noboru Baba, Masato Kobayashi, Yoshitomo Goto, Yasuaki Suzuki, Takashi Sato
  • Publication number: 20020117476
    Abstract: The invention aims at providing a vacuum circuit-breaker, a vacuum bulb used therein and electrodes for the vacuum bulb, which can reduce the manufacturing cost while being of high performance and compact in size. The invention resides in a vacuum circuit-breaker, a vacuum bulb and electrodes for the vacuum bulb, which are characterized in that fixed and movable electrodes each comprise arc electrodes, whose entire surfaces, mutually facing each other, are made of an alloy containing a refractory metal and a highly conductive metal, and electrode rods of a highly conductive metal supporting the respective arc electrodes, and that each arc electrode and the mating electrode rod are integrally formed by means of solid-phase diffusion bonding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Publication date: August 29, 2002
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Kikuchi, Masato Kobayashi, Katsuhiro Komuro, Toru Tanimizu, Yoshimi Hakamata, Kathumi Kuroda, Hitoshi Okabe, Noboru Baba
  • Patent number: 6437275
    Abstract: The invention aims at providing a vacuum circuit-breaker, a vacuum valve used therein and electrodes for the vacuum valve, which can reduce the manufacturing cost while being of high performance and compact in size. The invention resides in a vacuum circuit-breaker, a vacuum valve and electrodes for the vacuum valve, which are characterized in that fixed and movable electrodes each comprise arc electrodes, whose entire surfaces, mutually facing each other, are made of an alloy containing a refractory metal and a highly conductive metal, and electrode rods of a highly conductive metal supporting the respective arc electrodes, and that each arc electrode and the mating electrode rod are integrally formed by means of solid-phase diffusion bonding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Kikuchi, Masato Kobayashi, Katsuhiro Komuro, Toru Tanimizu, Yoshimi Hakamata, Kathumi Kuroda, Hitoshi Okabe, Noboru Baba
  • Patent number: 6248969
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vacuum circuit breaker including a small-sized electrode structure capable of reducing deformation with age thereby enhancing the reliability and a vacuum bulb and a vacuum bulb electrode used for the breaker. In the vacuum circuit breaker, each of a fixed electrode and a movable side electrode includes an arc electrode made from particles of a refractory metal material, a high conductive metal material and a low melting point metal; an electrode supporting portion, made from the high conductive metal material, for supporting the arc electrode; a back conductor having a diameter smaller than the electrode supporting portion; and an external side connecting portion having a diameter larger than that of the back conductor. The arc electrode is integrated with the electrode supporting portion, back conductor, and external side connecting portion by the high conductive metal material, preferably, by melting of the highly conductive metal material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Komuro, Yoshitaka Kojima, Noboru Baba, Ryo Hiraga, Toru Tanimizu, Yoshimi Hakamata, Katsumi Kuroda, Hitoshi Okabe, Shigeru Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 5971609
    Abstract: A method of determining the dew point or frost point of a gas containing a very small amount of water uses an optical dew point meter having a reflector mirror the temperature of which can be varied from room temperature to any point of -80.degree. C. or below, a device for contacting the reflector mirror with the gas to be measured, a light source for irradiating the reflector mirror with focused rays of light, and a detector for detecting the change in scattered light and/or reflected light due to the dew and/or frost condensed on the reflector mirror. The method gradually reduces the temperature of the reflector mirror, either before or while the reflector mirror and the gas contact, thereby condensing dew and/or frost on the reflector mirror. Following formation of dew and/or frost on the reflector mirror, the intensity of scattered light or reflected light is adjusted from a maximum value to a constant level, at a controlled temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: Osaka Sanso Kogyo Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiko Kijima, Akira Makihara, Hiroshi Nakamura, Shigeru Kikuchi, Shigeki Hayashi
  • Patent number: 5876659
    Abstract: Fiber bundle reinforced composite material useful for various high temperature structural members having excellent strength, toughness and resistance to oxidation and a process for producing the same. The fiber bundle reinforced composite material is reinforced with fiber bundles each having a plurality of continuous inorganic fibers bundled with medium such as carbon, being oriented in one, two or three directions, or randomly in the matrix which is reinforced with nano-sized particles precipitated. The fiber bundle reinforced composite material has a desired orientation of fibers and enables production of fiber bundle reinforced composite members having excellent strength and toughness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yasutomi, Shigeru Kikuchi, Yukio Saito, Kunihiro Maeda
  • Patent number: 5736198
    Abstract: The surface of a member formed of at least one kind of ceramics, metals and C/C composites, is covered with an outermost surface oxide covering layer having a stability against the environment in the atmospheric air at 1500.degree. C.; and a self-recoverable layer as an intermediate layer formed between the outermost surface oxide covering layer and the surface of the member. The self-recoverable layer has an oxidizing rate greater than that of the outermost surface covering layer for recovering cracks generated on the outermost surface covering layer, and a compound produced by the self-recoverable layer has the same phase as in the outermost surface covering layer. To achieve the optimum self-recovering function at high temperatures, the outermost surface oxide covering layer may be made of a stable oxide having a vapor pressure of 1.times.10.sup.-4 /m.sup.2 or less in the atmospheric air at 1500.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yasutomi, Shigeru Kikuchi, Yukio Saito, Mitsuo Nakagawa, Motoyuki Miyata
  • Patent number: 5581039
    Abstract: To provide diagnosis of service life and maintenance requirements, a sintered ceramic body which in use is subjected to stress and undergoes change with time as a result of the stress is provided with an electrically conductive element in contact with the sintered ceramic material The element has a measurable electrical resistance which increases in dependence on the change of the ceramic body. This permits information to be obtained about said change of said body. Measuring means for the electrical resistance is connected to the conductive element. The electrically conductive element as seen in cross-section, may comprise a bundle of elongate members such as fibers or whiskers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1996
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yasutomi, Motoyuki Miyata, Shigeru Kikuchi, Yukio Saito
  • Patent number: 5182075
    Abstract: A structure of a nuclear fusion reactor having a vacuum vessel in which hydrogen isotope plasma is enclosed and a confining magnetic field generating coil for confining said plasma at a predetermined position in said vacuum vessel. It comprises a low tritium-permeable layer having lower tritium-permeability than that of a cooling metal base for forming a refrigerant passage for cooling the vacuum vessel on at least the surface adjacent to said plasma enclosed and a heat resistant and insulating fire member of the level higher than that of said cooling metal base for thermally shielding said low tritium-permeable layer from said plasma or corpuscular rays is formed on the low tritium-permeable layer. The similar processings are applied to the cooling metal base for forming the refrigerant passage for cooling a divertor disposed in the vacuum vessel and for neutralizing ionized corpuscles so as to exhaust them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1993
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Gotoh, Shigeru Kikuchi, Tetsuo Nakazawa, Tadahiko Miyoshi, Tetsuo Oyama, Yoshihiro Ozawa, Shin-ichi Itoh
  • Patent number: 4307067
    Abstract: A process for deodorizing an exhaust gas containing at least one smelly material selected from the group consisting of acidic smelly materials, such as hydrogen sulfide, mecaptans, dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide and the like; basic smelly materials, such as ammonia, amines and the like; and smelly organic material, such as ketones, alcohols, aldehydes, carboxylic acids and the like is disclosed. Vapor-liquid contact of the exhaust gas with a sodium hypochlorite solution is caused in the presence of a catalyst which is a mixture of nickel peroxide and at least one carrier. In the presence of the catalyst, placed in a column, sodium hypochlorite solution falling from the upper portion of the column contacts exhaust gas rising from the lower portion of the column to promote catalyst oxidation reaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1979
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1981
    Assignee: Osaka Oxygen Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Taichi Tagawa, Jinji Tani, Shingo Tominaga, Shigeru Suzuki, Shigeru Kikuchi