Patents by Inventor Youichi Nagai

Youichi Nagai 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: 11894804
    Abstract: This photovoltaic module includes: a power generating element configured to receive sunlight to generate power; and a housing which is closed, the housing having: a concentrating portion provided with a lens configured to concentrate sunlight; a bottom portion in which the power generating element is disposed; and a side wall serving as an outer frame for the bottom portion and supporting the concentrating portion. The side wall is a resin molded body including a resin and glass fibers dispersed in the resin, the resin is one of PET (Polyethylene terephthalate), PBT (Polybutylene Terephthalate), and PP (Polypropylene), and the glass fibers are orientated, in the resin, along a crossing direction that crosses a direction of an optical axis of the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Inagaki, Youichi Nagai, Kenji Saito, Takashi Iwasaki, Rui Mikami, Tomohiro Nemoto
  • Publication number: 20220029580
    Abstract: A bent portion is bent to rise from each of four sides of a quadrangular shape of a main plate toward a first surface. The main plate is provided with a plurality of transmission holes that pass through from the first surface to a second surface, solar rays being transmitted through the plurality of transmission holes toward a plurality of power generation elements. The main plate is provided with a first insertion hole that passes through from the first surface to the second surface, the first insertion hole being larger in dimension than the plurality of transmission holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Ryusuke IMAI, Kenji SAITO, Youichi NAGAI, Munetsugu UEYAMA
  • Patent number: 11201255
    Abstract: A concentrator photovoltaic module includes: a concentrating portion configured by arranging a plurality of Fresnel lenses that concentrate sunlight; a plurality of power generating elements arranged at positions corresponding respectively to the plurality of Fresnel lenses; a plurality of ball lenses corresponding respectively to the plurality of power generating elements and guide the sunlight concentrated by the plurality of Fresnel lenses to the plurality of power generating elements; and a housing that contains the plurality of ball lenses and the plurality of power generating elements. The housing includes a resin frame body, and a metal bottom plate that is fixed to the frame body, and on the inner surface of which the plurality of ball lenses and the plurality of power generating elements are arranged. The groove portion for reducing thermal expansion of the inner surface side of the bottom plate is on the inner surface of the bottom plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Youichi Nagai, Kenji Saito, Kazushi Iyatani, Makoto Inagaki, Rui Mikami, Yoshiya Abiko
  • Publication number: 20210367554
    Abstract: A Fresnel lens for a concentrator photovoltaic apparatus includes: a glass substrate portion having a circular first corner portion; and a synthetic resin portion overlaid on one surface of the glass substrate portion and having a circular second corner portion having a radius equal to that of the first corner portion and coaxially overlapping the first corner portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto INAGAKI, Youichi NAGAI, Takashi IWASAKI
  • Patent number: 11139409
    Abstract: When upper-lower positional relationship on an optical path is defined such that the primary concentrating portion is at an upper position than the secondary concentrating portion, the secondary concentrating portion includes: a secondary lens provided above the power generating element; a lens supporting portion configured to support the secondary lens; and a shielding plate being a flat-plate-shaped member preventing sunlight to pass therethrough whereas allowing an upper portion of the secondary lens to be exposed from a hole formed in the flat-plate-shaped member, the shielding plate being fixed in a state of being mounted to the lens supporting portion, the shielding plate being configured to block light converging at a position outside the secondary lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Youichi Nagai, Takashi Iwasaki, Kenji Saito, Kazumasa Toya
  • Patent number: 11101395
    Abstract: This wiring module includes: a wiring substrate; a base portion at which the wiring substrate is placed; and an adhesive layer configured to adhere the wiring substrate to the base portion, wherein the wiring substrate includes: a land portion configured to have a power generating element mounted thereto; and a wire portion configured to be electrically connected to the power generating element, the adhesive layer has: a land adhesion region configured to adhere the land portion to the base portion; and a wire adhesion region configured to adhere the wire portion to the base portion, and a width of the wire adhesion region is smaller than a width of the land adhesion region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazumasa Toya, Takashi Iwasaki, Youichi Nagai, Koji Mori, Kenji Saito, Rui Mikami, Takeshi Yamana
  • Publication number: 20210243881
    Abstract: A precursor body, of a flexible printed circuit, which is developed and provided on a bottom surface of a housing of a concentrator photovoltaic module for concentrating sunlight and generating power, includes: a plurality of strip-shaped flexible substrates extending in an X direction when one direction is defined as the X direction; a printed circuit unit including a plurality of cells mounted on the flexible substrates at equal intervals in the X direction and an electric circuit related to the cells; and a plurality of connection bands connecting the plurality of flexible substrates to each other in a state where the plurality of flexible substrates are aligned so as to be close to each other in a Y direction orthogonal to the X direction, the plurality of connection bands extending in the Y direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji SAITO, Yukio KOIKE, Youichi NAGAI, Kazumasa TOYA
  • Publication number: 20210126579
    Abstract: This photovoltaic module includes: a power generating element configured to receive sunlight to generate power; and a housing which is closed, the housing having: a concentrating portion provided with a lens configured to concentrate sunlight; a bottom portion in which the power generating element is disposed; and a side wall serving as an outer frame for the bottom portion and supporting the concentrating portion. The side wall is a resin molded body including a resin and glass fibers dispersed in the resin, the resin is one of PET (Polyethylene terephthalate), PBT (Polybutylene Terephthalate), and PP (Polypropylene), and the glass fibers are orientated, in the resin, along a crossing direction that crosses a direction of an optical axis of the lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Applicant: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto INAGAKI, Youichi Nagai, Kenji Saito, Takashi Iwasaki, Rui Mikami, Tomohiro Nemoto
  • Patent number: 10985286
    Abstract: This power generation module includes: a power generating portion (30) including a power generating element (19); and a wiring substrate. The wiring substrate includes: a reinforcement plate; and a flexible printed circuit (79) provided above the reinforcement plate. The flexible printed circuit (79) has: an FPC land portion (70) configured to have the power generating portion (30) mounted thereto; and a FPC wire portion (73) connected to the FPC land portion (70). The width of the FPC wire portion (73) is smaller than the width of the FPC land portion (70).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazumasa Toya, Takashi Iwasaki, Youichi Nagai, Koji Mori, Kenji Saito, Rui Mikami, Takeshi Yamana
  • Patent number: 10937918
    Abstract: Provided is a flexible printed circuit including: a film-shaped insulating base material having flexibility and having a withstand voltage value of at least 2000 V; and an electric conductor layer formed on the insulating base material and forming a circuit pattern, wherein with respect to the insulating base material, a principal component thereof is a polyimide and a filler content thereof is 0%. Thus, a flexible printed circuit can be obtained that has an insulating base material which suppresses decrease in withstand voltage performance even in a high humidity environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Saito, Youichi Nagai, Kenichi Hirotsu, Takashi Iwasaki, Shougo Asai, Hiroyuki Matsuyama
  • Patent number: 10879837
    Abstract: This photovoltaic module includes: a power generating element configured to receive light to generate power; and a housing which is closed, the housing having: a concentrating portion provided with a lens configured to concentrate sunlight; a bottom portion in which the power generating element is disposed; and a side wall serving as an outer frame for the bottom portion and supporting the concentrating portion. The side wall is formed from a resin and has at least one vent hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Inagaki, Youichi Nagai, Kenji Saito, Takashi Iwasaki, Rui Mikami, Tomohiro Nemoto
  • Publication number: 20200373449
    Abstract: A concentrator photovoltaic module includes: a concentrating portion configured by arranging a plurality of Fresnel lenses that concentrate sunlight; a plurality of power generating elements arranged at positions corresponding respectively to the plurality of Fresnel lenses; a plurality of ball lenses corresponding respectively to the plurality of power generating elements and guide the sunlight concentrated by the plurality of Fresnel lenses to the plurality of power generating elements; and a housing that contains the plurality of ball lenses and the plurality of power generating elements. The housing includes a resin frame body, and a metal bottom plate that is fixed to the frame body, and on the inner surface of which the plurality of ball lenses and the plurality of power generating elements are arranged. The groove portion for reducing thermal expansion of the inner surface side of the bottom plate is on the inner surface of the bottom plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2018
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Youichi NAGAI, Kenji SAITO, Kazushi IYATANI, Makoto INAGAKI, Rui MIKAMI, Yoshiya ABIKO
  • Patent number: 10825943
    Abstract: A concentrator photovoltaic module including: a concentrating portion formed by arranging a plurality of lens elements each configured to concentrate sunlight; and a housing configured to accommodate a plurality of power generating elements disposed at positions respectively corresponding to the lens elements, wherein the housing includes: a frame body formed from resin; and a bottom plate formed from metal, the bottom plate being mounted to the frame body and having the power generating elements mounted thereto, and the frame body includes: a frame body portion forming an outer frame; and a liner portion extending along an upper surface of the bottom plate at an inner side of the frame body portion, the liner portion having both end portions thereof formed integrally with the frame body portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Saito, Youichi Nagai, Rui Mikami, Akihiko Kojima
  • Patent number: 10818810
    Abstract: A concentrator photovoltaic module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a case; a substrate disposed on a bottom surface of the case and having a plurality of stacked wiring layers; and concentrator photovoltaic elements disposed on the substrate and connected to the wiring layers. The concentrator photovoltaic elements connected to different wiring layers are connected to each other in parallel. According to the concentrator photovoltaic module according to the one embodiment of the present disclosure, output voltage can be decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazumasa Toya, Makoto Inagaki, Youichi Nagai, Takashi Iwasaki, Kenji Saito, Rui Mikami
  • Publication number: 20200252027
    Abstract: A concentrator photovoltaic module includes: a concentrating portion configured by arranging multiple Fresnel lenses that concentrate sunlight; multiple power generating elements arranged at positions corresponding respectively to the Fresnel lenses; multiple ball lenses corresponding respectively to the power generating elements and guide the sunlight concentrated by the Fresnel lenses to the power generating elements; and a housing that contains the ball lenses and the power generating elements. The housing includes a resin frame body, and a metal bottom plate that is fixed to the frame body, and on an inner surface of which the ball lenses and the power generating elements are arranged. Multiple columnar heat-dissipating members, extending along an outer surface of the bottom plate and dissipating the heat of the bottom plate outward, are attached to the outside surface of the bottom plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2018
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Youichi NAGAI, Kazushi IYATANI, Munetsugu UEYAMA, Makoto INAGAKI, Yoshiya ABIKO
  • Patent number: 10680127
    Abstract: This power generation circuit unit includes a wiring substrate and a plurality of power generating elements mounted to the wiring substrate. The wiring substrate includes: a first substrate (32E) and a second substrate (32F) to each of which the power generating element is mounted; and a coupling portion (33L) configured to couple the first substrate (32E) and the second substrate (32F) together. The first substrate (32E) can be disposed at least two positions of: a first position separated from the second substrate (32F) by a first distance; and a second position separated from the second substrate (32F) by a second distance being greater than the first distance. The coupling portion (33L) has an FPC (flexible printed circuits). In a state where the first substrate is disposed at the second position, at least a part of the coupling portion (33L) is twisted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazumasa Toya, Takashi Iwasaki, Youichi Nagai, Koji Mori, Kenji Saito, Rui Mikami, Takeshi Yamana
  • Patent number: 10608580
    Abstract: In a concentrator photovoltaic unit configured to guide sunlight concentrated by a primary concentrating portion to a power generating element by means of a secondary concentrating portion, the secondary concentrating portion includes: a secondary lens having a three-dimensional shape; and a cover portion being translucent and having a refractive index higher than that of air and lower than that of the secondary lens, the cover portion covering at least a surface on which the sunlight is incident in a surface of the secondary lens, in a thin film shape extending along the surface on which the sunlight is incident. By arranging a large number of the units, a concentrator photovoltaic module can be configured. By arranging a large number of the concentrator photovoltaic modules, a concentrator photovoltaic panel can be configured. By further providing a driving device for tracking the sun, a concentrator photovoltaic apparatus can be configured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazumasa Toya, Takashi Iwasaki, Youichi Nagai, Yoshiya Abiko, Kenji Saito, Makoto Inagaki
  • Patent number: D877100
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazumasa Toya, Kenji Saito, Youichi Nagai, Takashi Iwasaki, Makoto Inagaki, Kazushi Iyatani
  • Patent number: D899353
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryusuke Imai, Kenji Saito, Youichi Nagai
  • Patent number: D910538
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Saito, Makoto Inagaki, Ryusuke Imai, Youichi Nagai, Kazumasa Toya