Patents by Inventor Toshihiro Matsumoto

Toshihiro Matsumoto 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: 7405019
    Abstract: A highly reliable polymer electrolyte fuel cell includes an anode-side separator plate and a cathode-side separator plate that are provided with an anode-side sealing member and a cathode-side sealing member, respectively. The anode-side and cathode-side sealing members seal the cell in cooperation with a polymer electrolyte membrane at sealing parts where the anode-side and cathode-side sealing members are opposed to each other, thereby preventing gas from leaking out of gas flow channels. One of the anode-side and cathode-side sealing members has a pointed rib that comes in contact with the sealing parts in a linear manner, and the other sealing member comes in contact with the sealing parts surface to surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Ohara, Hiroki Kusakabe, Kazuhito Hatoh, Nobuhiro Hase, Shinsuke Takeguchi, Takayuki Urata, Soichi Shibata, Takeshi Tomizawa, Eiichi Yasumoto, Hideo Kasahara, Toshihiro Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20080171250
    Abstract: Even if reaction gas flows into a substantially rectangular anode-side and cathode-side gaps formed between an annular main body portion and a membrane electrode assembly in an anode side and a cathode side of a fuel cell, the reaction gas is prevented from flowing out from an outlet without passing through an electrode to cause degradation of power generation efficiency. At least one of anode-side gasket and cathode-side gasket in the fuel cell is provided with an extra sealing portion connected to an annular main body portion in such a manner that, among two pairs of gap portions opposing to each other in the anode-side gap and the cathode-side gap, the extra sealing portion intersects with one pair of gap portions having a larger pressure gradient of fuel gas and oxidant gas in a direction from an upstream side to a downstream side of a fuel gas flow channel and an oxidant gas flow channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Publication date: July 17, 2008
    Inventors: Shinsuke TAKEGUCHI, Kazuhito HATOH, Hiroki KUSAKABE, Toshihiro MATSUMOTO
  • Patent number: 7351453
    Abstract: Liquid crystal (LC) media based on a mixture of polar compounds having negative dielectric anisotropy, their use in electro-optical displays, especially those having active matrix addressing based on the ECB (electrically controlled birefringence) or VA (vertically aligned) mode or similar modes, and LC displays of these types, are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Hideo Ichinose, Shinji Nakajima, Takanori Takeda, Masako Nakamura, Yoshito Hashimoto, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Tsuyoshi Okazaki
  • Publication number: 20080030053
    Abstract: A chair-type massage machine is provided which comprises a seat, backrest and leg portion having a plurality of preset reclining angles for giving an effective massage to the user in various postures. The massage machine comprises a seat pivotally movably supported by a base, a backrest pivotally movably supported by the seat at the rear end thereof, a leg portion pivotally movably supported by the seat at the front end thereof, control means for controlling seat moving means, backrest moving means and the leg portion moving means and a manual controller. The control means has stored therein a plurality of preset reclining angles with respect to the angle of the seat, backrest and the leg portion. The manual controller has reclining selection buttons for selecting one of the reclining angles and an initial position button.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Publication date: February 7, 2008
    Inventors: Kazushi Kamba, Toshihiro Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7318974
    Abstract: A polymer electrolyte fuel cell of the present invention includes a hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode and a cathode sandwiching the hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode-side conductive separator plate having a gas flow channel for supplying a fuel gas to the anode, and a cathode-side conductive separator plate having a gas flow channel for supplying an oxidant gas to the cathode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Ohara, Hiroki Kusakabe, Masayo Sugou, legal representative, Nobuhiro Hase, Shinsuke Takeguchi, Yoshiaki Yamamoto, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Satoru Fujii, Kazuhito Hatoh, Masato Hosaka, Junji Niikura, Kazufumi Nishida, Teruhisa Kanbara, Tatsuto Yamazaki, deceased
  • Patent number: 7288295
    Abstract: Liquid crystal media based on a mixture of polar compounds of formulae I-VIII, their use for electro-optical purposes, and displays containing this medium, are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignees: Merck Patent GmbH, Sharp Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Ichinose, Yasushi Sugiyama, Takanori Takeda, Jeong-Hee Sung, Masako Nakamura, Yoshito Hashimoto, Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Toshihiro Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7276310
    Abstract: A configuration of an electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell is provided, which can be sealed reliably and easily between the separators. The sealing configuration is between the separators and between a peripheral portion of the electrolyte membrane and the respective separators. The sealing configuration includes a frame having an elastic modulus of greater than about 2,000 MPa and less than about 2,000,000 MPa and an elastic body having an elastic modulus of greater than 0 MPa and less than about 200 MPa. In one embodiment, the separators or portions thereof may themselves constitute the at least one elastic body. In another embodiment, the electrolyte membrane may be held by two frames lying on opposite sides of the electrolyte membrane, with the at least one elastic body arranged between the first and second frames sandwiching the membrane and also between the frames and the respective separators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Kobayashi, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Takeshi Tomizawa, Katsuzou Kokawa, Teruhisa Kanbara
  • Patent number: 7220512
    Abstract: A separator plate for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell having excellent conductivity and moldability is provided. The separator plate is injection molded, using different compounds for molding the portion that requires conductivity and the portion that does not require conductivity. The separator plate comprises: an electronic conductor portion containing conductive carbon; and an insulating portion surrounding the electronic conductor portion. The electronic conductor portion has a first flow channel of a gas or cooling water on one side and has a second flow channel of a gas or cooling water on the other side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Ohara, Kazuhito Hatoh, Nobuhiro Hase, Hiroki Kusakabe, Katsuzou Kokawa, Takayuki Urata, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Shinsuke Takeguchi, Soichi Shibata
  • Patent number: 7205061
    Abstract: A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising: a plurality of conductive separator plates, each comprising a corrugated metal plate; an electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly inserted between the separator plates, the electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly including a hydrogen-ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane having its periphery covered with a gasket, an anode attached to one side of the electrolyte membrane, and a cathode attached to the other side of the electrolyte membrane; and gas charge and discharge device for charging and discharging a fuel gas and an oxidant gas to and from the anode and the cathode, respectively, wherein the gas charge and discharge device charges and discharges the fuel gas to and from the anode through the grooves on one side of the corrugated metal plate and charges and discharges the oxidant gas to and from the cathode through the grooves on the other side of the corrugated metal plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Ohara, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Yasushi Sugawara, Masayo Sugou, legal representative, Junji Niikura, Kazuhito Hatoh, Teruhisa Kanbara, Tatsuto Yamazaki, deceased
  • Publication number: 20060284972
    Abstract: An active matrix type display panel, used as a display-use panel, has pixel patterns each having aperture sections. The aperture sections are set to have a width satisfying the following inequality, 0<(minimum width of the aperture sections in the pixel)/(maximum width of the aperture sections in the pixel)?0.037, or 0.130?(minimum width of the aperture sections in the pixel)/(maximum width of the aperture sections in the pixel)<1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2004
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Sunao Aoki, Tatsuji Saitoh, Kenji Fujita, Toshihiro Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7144645
    Abstract: An operation method is provided for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell in an optimum operating condition by regulating the cell by a function represented by a gas flow rate and the difference between a saturated steam pressure and an actual steam pressure, by regulating an in-plane temperature distribution obtained by a cooling water flow direction and by the regulation of a cooling water inlet temperature and a cooling water flow amount; a gas supply amount; a supplied moisture amount; and a current density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhito Hatoh, Osamu Sakai, Hideo Ohara, Junji Niikura, Hisaaki Gyoten, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Teruhisa Kanbara
  • Publication number: 20060250550
    Abstract: A transflective type liquid crystal display panel used as a displaying liquid crystal panel in a 2D/3D switching type liquid crystal panel, wherein a color filter having a colored layer and a transparent layer is provided on an opposing substrate. The transparent layer is formed to face only the reflective region of an active matrix substrate (region where a reflective electrode is formed), and serves as a diffuser processed layer. Accordingly, a liquid crystal display panel having a 2D/3D switching function and a transflective function can prevent moire in 2D display and at the same time provide good 3D display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Publication date: November 9, 2006
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Tanaka, Kanae Suenaga, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Ikuji Konishi
  • Patent number: 7101596
    Abstract: A liquid crystal sealant comprising an epoxy resin represented by the following formula (1): [Formula 1] (in the formula, n denotes an average polymerization degree and is a positive number of 0–5) as a resin component, a curing agent, a curing accelerator and an inorganic filler is excellent in screen printability as a liquid crystal sealant in making a liquid crystal display device and can provide excellent reliability in moisture resistance for the liquid crystal display device obtained).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignees: Nippon Kayaku Kabushiki Kaisha, Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsunetoshi Sakano, Syouichi Hayasibara, Yasumasa Akatuka, Masahiro Hirano, Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Nobuhiro Waka, Shogo Nishiwaki
  • Patent number: 7084849
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes: pixel electrodes arranged in columns and rows, each including a reflective electrode region; scanning lines; and signal lines. The device sequentially supplies a scanning signal voltage to one of the scanning lines after another to select one group of pixel electrodes, connected to the same one of the scanning lines, after another, and then supplies display signal voltages to the selected group of pixel electrodes by way of the signal lines, thereby displaying an image thereon. The pixel electrodes are arranged such that the polarity of a voltage to be applied to a liquid crystal layer is inverted for every predetermined number of pixel electrodes in each of the rows and in each of the columns. The display signal voltage to be supplied to each pixel electrode is updated at a frequency of 45 Hz or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noboru Noguchi, Hisashi Nagata, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Kazuhiko Tsuda, Makoto Kanbe, Akihiko Kojima
  • Publication number: 20060164578
    Abstract: First rubbing is performed on an entire surface of an alignment film (22) provided on a substrate (21), and then a mask part (51a) for masking a first region and a region of an alignment mark is formed on the alignment film (22) by using a resist layer (51). After performing second rubbing on the alignment film (22) through the mask part (51a), the mask part (51a) is removed, and a liquid crystal layer (23) is formed on the alignment film (22). In this way, the alignment mark is formed as a region having an optical function different from an optical function of a region surrounding the alignment mark. Thus, it is possible to produce a substrate (21) having an alignment mark formed without increasing processing steps at such a position as to contact the liquid crystal layer (23).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Publication date: July 27, 2006
    Inventors: Toshihiro Matsumoto, Akihiko Kojima
  • Publication number: 20060125755
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes: pixel electrodes arranged in columns and rows, each including a reflective electrode region; scanning lines; and signal lines. The device sequentially supplies a scanning signal voltage to one of the scanning lines after another to select one group of pixel electrodes, connected to the same one of the scanning lines, after another, and then supplies display signal voltages to the selected group of pixel electrodes by way of the signal lines, thereby displaying an image thereon. The pixel electrodes are arranged such that the polarity of a voltage to be applied to a liquid crystal layer is inverted for every predetermined number of pixel electrodes in each of the rows and in each of the columns. The display signal voltage to be supplied to each pixel electrode is updated at a frequency of 45 Hz or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2006
    Publication date: June 15, 2006
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noboru Noguchi, Hisashi Nagata, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Kazuhiko Tsuda, Makoto Kanbe, Akihiko Kojima
  • Publication number: 20060127724
    Abstract: The polymer electrolyte fuel cell of the present invention is equipped with a cell having an MEA having a hydrogen ion-conducting polymer electrolyte membrane and an anode and a cathode sandwiching the polymer electrolyte membrane; a platelike anode-side separator positioned on one side of the MEA so that the front surface thereof contacts the anode, with fuel gas passages through which fuel gas flows being formed in the front surface; and a platelike cathode-side separator positioned on the other side of the MEA so that the front surface thereof contacts the cathode, with oxidizing gas passages through which oxidizing gas flows being formed in the front surface; a cell stack in which a plurality of said cells is stacked; and a cooling water flow passage, through which cooling water flows, formed on at least the rear surface of one from among the anode-side separator and the cathode-side separator of at least a prescribed cell in said cell stack; where said fuel gas, oxidizing gas, and cooling water flow thro
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2006
    Publication date: June 15, 2006
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki Kusakabe, Kazuhito Hatoh, Hideo Ohara, Shinsuke Takeguchi, Soichi Shibata, Takeshi Tomizawa, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Eiichi Yasumoto
  • Publication number: 20060115710
    Abstract: In a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, at least one of the anode side separator plate and cathode side separator plate is formed with a main surface having a convex shape protruding toward a gas diffusion layer, and a peripheral edge portion surrounding the main surface. An average thickness of the main surface is made to be thicker than an average thickness of the peripheral edge portion. And a difference ?t between the thickest part of the main surface and an average thickness of the peripheral edge portion is made to be 5-30 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2005
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Inventors: Hiroki Kusakabe, Kazuhito Hatoh, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Norihiko Kawabata, Yoshiki Nagao, Shinsuke Takeguchi
  • Publication number: 20060115606
    Abstract: Liquid crystal (LC) media based on a mixture of polar compounds having negative dielectric anisotropy, their use in electro-optical displays, especially those having active matrix addressing based on the ECB (electrically controlled birefringence) or VA (vertically aligned) mode or similar modes, and LC displays of these types, are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2005
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Inventors: Hideo Ichinose, Shinji Nakajima, Takanori Takeda, Masako Nakamura, Yoshito Hashimoto, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Tsuyoshi Okazaki
  • Publication number: 20060115605
    Abstract: Liquid crystal media based on a mixture of polar compounds of formulae I-VIII, their use for electro-optical purposes, and displays containing this medium, are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2005
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Inventors: Hideo Ichinose, Yasushi Sugiyama, Takanori Takeda, Jeong-Hee Sung, Masako Nakamura, Yoshito Hashimoto, Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Toshihiro Matsumoto