Patents by Inventor Toshimitsu Hirai

Toshimitsu 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).

  • Patent number: 7678697
    Abstract: A substrate on which a pattern is formed by a discharged functional liquid, includes a coating region coated with the functional liquid, and banks formed to enclose the coating region, wherein a difference between a contact angle of the functional liquid with respect to the coating region and a contact angle of the functional liquid with respect to the bank is above 40°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshimitsu Hirai
  • Publication number: 20100055559
    Abstract: A battery includes a base member and a plurality of films arranged adjacent to each other on a same surface of the base member, at least a part of one of the films being overlapped with an adjacent one of the films.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshimitsu Hirai, Yasushi Takano, Kohei Ishida
  • Patent number: 7667232
    Abstract: A bank structure in which a recess corresponding to a pattern formed of a functional liquid is provided includes first recess provided corresponding to a first pattern, and a second recess provided on part of the first recess and corresponding to a second pattern. The second recess has a shape that has a width larger than a width of the first recess and has a circular arc in at least part of an outer circumference of the second recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshimitsu Hirai, Shinri Sakai
  • Publication number: 20100028780
    Abstract: A battery electrode includes a current collector and an active material layer formed on a surface of the current collector. The active material layer includes an active material and a conductive material including a metal material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshimitsu HIRAI, Yasushi TAKANO
  • Patent number: 7622385
    Abstract: A wiring pattern forming method which is a method of forming a wiring pattern by using a liquid droplet ejection method on a preset area on a substrate, includes: forming a bank on the preset area on the substrate; ejecting a functional liquid including a wiring pattern material on an area surrounded by the bank and drying the functional liquid to form the wiring pattern; and removing part of the bank so as to make a height of the bank and a thickness of the wiring pattern approximately the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Moriya, Toshimitsu Hirai
  • Patent number: 7604922
    Abstract: A process of providing a hydrophobic property to the surface of a plate, and a process of providing a hydrophilic property to the surface by irradiating energy light (radiation) on the surface of the plate, which is provided with the hydrophobic property are provided Variations in the accumulated illumination intensity of radiation on the surface of the plate are controlled to 20% or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshimitsu Hirai, Hironori Hasei
  • Patent number: 7595137
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a color filter substrate having a transparent conductive film and colorant material on a substrate includes: forming a bank on the substrate; disposing a liquid material including transparent conductive micro particles in an area defined by the bank; forming the transparent conductive film by baking the transparent conductive micro particles; impregnating gaps among the transparent conductive micro particles in the transparent conductive film with the colorant material, and baking the colorant material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Denda, Toshimitsu Hirai
  • Patent number: 7582545
    Abstract: A forming method for a film pattern, includes: forming a first bank layer on a substrate; forming a second bank layer on the first bank layer; patterning the first bank layer and the second bank layer thereby forming a bank having a pattern formation region including a first pattern formation region and a second pattern formation region which is connected to the first pattern formation region and has a width which is wider than that of the first pattern formation region; and forming the film pattern by depositing a functional liquid onto the pattern formation region which has been demarcated by the bank, wherein a first bank formation material and a second bank formation material are both materials including a siloxane bonds as a main chain, and the second bank formation material is a material including a fluorine bonds as a side chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshimitsu Hirai, Katsuyuki Moriya
  • Patent number: 7582333
    Abstract: A pattern forming method is provided which discharges droplets of a liquid material on a substrate and forms a film pattern W. The method comprises a first step of forming a central pattern W1 of the film pattern W on the substrate, a second step of forming a first side pattern W2 with respect to the central pattern W1, and a third step of forming a second side pattern W3 with respect to the central part W1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshimitsu Hirai, Hironori Hasei
  • Publication number: 20090176009
    Abstract: A coloring structure manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a coloring structure having a prescribed coloring characteristic, includes a film forming device which forms a transparent thin film with a thickness determined according to the coloring characteristic by coating a substrate with a liquid material, and a reflectance measuring device which measures a reflectance by irradiating the transparent thin film with detection light. The transparent thin film is formed such that two or more kinds of liquid materials having different refraction indexes are alternately applied to be laminated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshimitsu HIRAI, Yasushi TAKANO
  • Publication number: 20090174849
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device, includes: a liquid crystal layer; and a color developing section that has a multilayered interference film in which first transparent thin films and second transparent thin films are alternatively stacked in layers, and causes light passed through the liquid crystal layer to have predetermined color developing characteristics and to be emitted from the color developing section, each of the first transparent thin films being formed with a first formation material and having a first refractive index so that each of the first transparent thin films has a thickness determined based on the predetermined color developing characteristics, and each of the second transparent thin films being formed with a second formation material and having a second refractive index so that each of the second transparent thin films has a thickness determined based on the predetermined color developing characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushi TAKANO, Toshimitsu HIRAI
  • Patent number: 7556991
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a thin film transistor which includes forming precursors of a first and second bank corresponding to a region to form gate, source, and drain electrodes on the substrate with one of a polysilazane liquid, a polysilane liquid, and a polysiloxane liquid by using a droplet discharge method; firing the precursor of the first and second banks to form the first and banks an inorganic layer having polysiloxane as a skeleton; providing a functional liquid to a region partitioned by the first bank to form the gate electrode; forming a semiconductor layer immediately above the gate electrode in a region partitioned by the second bank with an insulation film between; and providing a functional liquid to a region partitioned by the second bank to form the source electrode and the drain electrode, which are coupled to the semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Moriya, Toshimitsu Hirai
  • Publication number: 20090161218
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a color developing structure, includes: defining a first region and a second region adjacent to the first region on a base body; forming, onto the first region, a first transparent thin film having a first refractive index by a liquid droplet ejection method with a first liquid material; forming, onto the first transparent thin film, a second transparent thin film having a second refractive index by a liquid droplet ejection method with a second liquid material; and stacking the first transparent thin films and the second transparent thin films in layers by alternately repeating the forming of the first transparent thin film and the forming of the second transparent thin film multiple times so that a first film body having the first color developing characteristics is formed onto the first region and the color developing structure is thereby obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi TAKANO, Toshimitsu HIRAI
  • Publication number: 20090162536
    Abstract: A method for forming a film pattern disposed adjacent to a pattern non-forming region by coating a pattern forming region with a functional liquid, includes (a) forming a liquid repellent film by coating the pattern non-forming region with a droplet containing a liquid repellent material having repellency to the functional liquid, and (b) forming the film pattern by coating the pattern forming region adjacent to the liquid repellent film with the functional liquid. The step (a) of forming of the liquid repellent film and the step (b) of forming of the film pattern are alternately repeated at least two times, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshimitsu HIRAI, Jun YAMADA, Tsuyoshi SHINTATE
  • Publication number: 20090162627
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a color developing structure, includes: forming a first transparent thin film having a first refractive index with a first liquid material so that the first transparent thin film has a thickness determined based on predetermined color developing characteristics; forming a second transparent thin film having a second refractive index with a second liquid material so that the second transparent thin film has a thickness determined based on the predetermined color developing characteristics; and stacking the first transparent thin films and the second transparent thin films in layers by alternately repeating the forming of the first transparent thin film and the forming of the second transparent thin film multiple times so that the color developing structure having the predetermined color developing characteristics is obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshimitsu HIRAI, Yasushi TAKANO
  • Patent number: 7547567
    Abstract: A method of forming a film pattern by disposing functional liquid on a substrate includes: forming banks on the substrate; disposing the functional liquid in regions partitioned by the banks; and drying the functional liquid disposed on the substrate. The forming of the banks includes forming a thin film on the substrate, the thin film being made of a material for forming the banks, performing lyophobic treatment on a surface of the thin film, and patterning the thin film into the shapes of the banks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Moriya, Toshimitsu Hirai
  • Publication number: 20090123841
    Abstract: A secondary battery electrode ink is adapted to be discharged from a droplet discharge device to make an electrode layer of a secondary battery. The secondary battery electrode ink includes an active substance including at least one of a positive electrode active substance and a negative electrode active substance, and a liquid medium. The liquid medium dissolves and/or disperses the active substance. The liquid medium has a characteristic in which, when a cured epoxy adhesive material is put into the liquid medium under a sealed condition at an atmospheric pressure and a temperature of approximately 50° C. and left for ten days, a weight increase rate of the cured epoxy adhesive material is 130% or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshimitsu HIRAI, Hiroshi TAKIGUCHI, Yasushi TAKANO
  • Patent number: 7524764
    Abstract: A method of forming a film pattern by disposing a functional liquid on a substrate, includes: forming banks on the substrate; disposing the functional liquid in areas partitioned by the banks; and drying the functional liquid disposed on the substrate, wherein the forming of the banks including: forming a plurality of layers made of inorganic materials; patterning a plurality of the layers by using an organic mask; and removing the organic mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshimitsu Hirai
  • Publication number: 20090102369
    Abstract: An electro-optical device includes an effective display region including a pixel, the pixel including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a light-emitting layer between the first electrode and the second electrode; and a wiring line connected to the second electrode at a position to the periphery of the effective display region, the wiring line including a first wiring layer and a second wiring layer that are electrically connected to each other and that overlap each other, the first wiring layer and the second wiring layer both extending in a direction in which an edge of the effective display region extends, the first wiring layer and the second wiring layer extending in the direction a distance that is longer than a distance in which the edge of the effective display region extends in the direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hayato NAKANISHI, Masahiro FURUSAWA, Mitsuru KURIBAYASHI, Toshimitsu HIRAI
  • Patent number: 7517735
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an active matrix substrate includes forming wiring lines each having a matrix pattern on a substrate such that a wiring line extending in any one of a first direction and a second direction is separated from another wiring line at an intersection; forming a laminated portion composed of an insulating layer and a semiconductor layer on a portion of the wiring line and the intersection; and forming a conductive layer electrically connecting the separated wiring line, and a pixel electrode electrically connected to the wiring line via the semiconductor layer on the laminated portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Future Vision, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Yoshimoto, Yoichi Noda, Atsushi Denda, Toshimitsu Hirai, Shinri Sakai