Patents Represented by Attorney Cermak Nakajima LLP
  • Patent number: 8157926
    Abstract: There is provided a method of manufacturing a permanent magnet in which Dy and/or Tb adhered to the surface of a sintered magnet containing a lubricant can be efficiently diffused and in which the permanent magnet having high magnetic properties can be manufactured at good productivity. The permanent magnet is manufactured by executing a first step of adhering at least one of Dy and Tb to at least a part of a surface of a sintered magnet made by sintering iron-boron-rare earth based alloy raw meal powder containing a lubricant; and a second step of heat-treating the sintered magnet at a predetermined temperature to thereby disperse at least one of Dy and Tb adhered to the surface of the sintered magnet into grain boundary phase of the sintered magnet. At this time, as the sintered magnet, there is used one manufactured in an average grain size within a range of 4 ?m˜8 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Ulvac, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nagata, Yoshinori Shingaki
  • Patent number: 8147748
    Abstract: A creep-resistant steel is characterized by the following chemical composition (values in % by weight): 9.0 to 12.0 Cr, 0.1 to 0.5 Mn, 2.3 to 3 Ni, 1.5 to 2.0 Mo, 0.1 to 0.4 V, 0.01 to 0.06 Nb, 0.08 to 0.16 C, 0.02 to 0.08 N, 0.004 to 0.012 B, 0.001 to 2 Ta, 0.001 to 0.5 La, 0.0001 to 1 Pd, maximum 0.005 P, maximum 0.005 S, maximum 0.05 Si, maximum 0.005 Sn, the remainder iron and unavoidable impurities. This steel is distinguished, as compared with commercial steels, by a greatly improved creep behavior at temperatures of 550° C. and above. Moreover, it has an improved resistance to embrittlement during long-term aging and comparatively high toughness. The steel is advantageously used as a material for gas turbine rotors which are exposed to high inlet temperatures in order to increase the efficiency of the gas turbine, but is also used for steam turbines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Mohamed Nazmy, Markus Staubli, Andreas Kuenzler
  • Patent number: 8146366
    Abstract: A method involved operating a combined-cycle power plant (10), which has a gas turbine (11) with a compressor (12) and a turbine (13), a heat recovery steam generator (17) which is connected downstream to the gas turbine (11) and is for producing steam in a water/steam cycle, and also at least one once-through cooler (21), through which flows compressed air which is compressed in the compressor (12) and intended for cooling the gas turbine (11), and, cooling down, converts feed-water (24) which is fed from the heat recovery steam generator (17) into steam, and discharges the steam to the heat recovery steam generator (17). Making the operation more flexible is achieved, without lowering the load of the gas turbine (11), by the combined-cycle power plant (10) being switched between a first operating mode, in which only the gas turbine cycle is used for power generation, and a second operating mode, in which the gas turbine cycle and the water/steam cycle are used for power generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Gijsbertus Oomens, Christoph Ruchti, François Droux
  • Patent number: 8141926
    Abstract: There is provided a robot hand for substrate transfer in which the robot hand is so arranged that, even in case a substrate (S) gives rise to warping, the substrate (S) can be stably supported. On an upper surface of the robot hand there is formed a first seating surface on which is seated a lower-surface peripheral portion of the substrate (S) and, on a periphery thereof, there is formed an upwardly extended step. The step is provided with a plurality of stair-shaped stages. On an upper surface of the robot hand inwardly away from the first seating surface there is provided a second seating surface which is inclined downward toward the center of the substrate (S) such that a lower surface of the substrate (S) is seated on the second seating surface when the substrate (S) is warped downward into a concave shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Ulvac, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Fujii, Shinya Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8141420
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus including: a container that receives urine; and a urine amount measuring device that measures the weight of the urine received by the container; wherein the urine amount measuring device has: a mounting plate, which is a plate on which the container is mounted; a measuring portion that measures the weight of the container mounted on the mounting plate multiple times at given time intervals; and an output portion that outputs a result of the measurement performed by the measuring portion, and the apparatus has a fixing structure that is situated in at least a bottom portion of the container and a mounting face of the mounting plate and that detachably fixes the container on the mounting plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Inventor: Yoshihiko Hirao
  • Patent number: 8137938
    Abstract: An L-amino acid is produced by culturing a bacterium belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae, which is able to produce the L-amino acid, and is modified so that the activity of ribonuclease G is decreased in a medium containing glycerol as the carbon source, and collecting the L-amino acid from the culture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Yuri Nagai, Yoshihiro Usuda
  • Patent number: 8132417
    Abstract: A gas turbine system includes a combustion chamber (2), a turbine (3), a radially inward and/or radially outward axial gap (4; 16, 17) between the combustion chamber (2) and the turbine (3), at which gap inner and/or outer combustion chamber walls (7, 8) and inner and/or outer turbine walls (11, 12) end, and a cooling gas supply (5), which via the gap (4; 16, 17) introduces a cooling gas into the turbine gas path (13) and/or into the combustion chamber gas path (9). An end section (21, 22, 23, 24) of the respective turbine wall (11, 12) and/or of the respective chamber wall (7, 8) adjoining the gap (4; 16, 17) is radially inwardly and/or radially outwardly, alternatingly formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Ulrich Steiger, Willy Heinz Hofmann
  • Patent number: 8128760
    Abstract: By eliminating the necessity of a prior step for cleaning a sintered magnet before adhering Dy and/or Tb to the surface of the sintered magnet S, the productivity of a permanent magnet having diffused Dy and/or Tb into grain boundary phase is improved. Iron-boron-rare earth based sintered magnet (S) disposed in a processing chamber (20) is heated to a predetermined temperature. An evaporating material (V) which is made of a hydride containing at least one of Dy and Tb is disposed in the same or in another processing chamber and is evaporated to cause the evaporated evaporating material to the surface of the sintered magnet. Metal atoms of Dy and/or Tb are diffused into grain boundary phase of the sintered magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Ulvac, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nagata, Kyuzo Nakamura, Takeo Katou, Atsushi Nakatsuka, Ichirou Mukae, Masami Itou, Ryou Yoshiizumi, Yoshinori Shingaki
  • Patent number: 8128757
    Abstract: There is provided a method of manufacturing a permanent magnet having extremely high orientation by arranging such that the crystal fractures of alloy raw meal powder having more equal crystal orientational relationship are combined in magnetic field. In this invention, alloy raw meal powder is filled into a cavity and, while agitating the alloy raw meal powder inside the cavity, is oriented in the magnetic field. This oriented body is then compression molded in the magnetic field into a predetermined shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Ulvac, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nagata, Yoshinori Shingaki
  • Patent number: 8128759
    Abstract: By causing at least one of Dy and Tb to be adhered to the surface of an iron-boron-rare earth based sintered magnet of a predetermined shape, and is then to be diffused into grain boundary phase, a permanent magnet can be manufactured at high workability and low cost. An iron-boron-rare earth based sintered magnet is disposed in a processing chamber and is heated to a predetermined temperature. Also, an evaporating material made up of a fluoride containing at least one of Dy and Tb disposed in the same or another processing chamber is evaporated, and the evaporated evaporating material is caused to be adhered to the surface of the sintered magnet. The Dy and/or Tb metal atoms of the adhered evaporating material are diffused into the grain particle phase of the sintered magnet before a thin film made of the evaporated material is formed on the surface of the sintered magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Ulvac, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nagata, Kyuzo Nakamura, Takeo Katou, Atsushi Nakatsuka, Ichirou Mukae, Masami Itou, Ryou Yoshiizumi, Yoshinori Shingaki
  • Patent number: 8128398
    Abstract: A burner for a heat generator comprises a swirl generator (1) for a combustion-air flow and means for injecting fuel for producing a main flow (6). A combustion chamber (2) is arranged downstream of the burner. A cavity (3) is arranged between the swirl generator (1) and the combustion chamber (2), in which cavity (3) a secondary flow (10) can be produced, and this secondary flow (10) encloses the main flow (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Peter Flohr, Ephraim Gutmark, Christian Oliver Paschereit
  • Patent number: 8117825
    Abstract: A gas turbine installation (1), in particular in a power plant for generating electricity, includes a turboset (2) having a turbine (4), a compressor (5) and a combustion chamber (6) arranged in a gas path (9) connecting the compressor (5) to the turbine (4), and a flue gas recirculation device (3), which passes combustion flue gas from the turbine (4) from a flue gas path (14) connected to the turbine (4) via a recirculation path (16) to a fresh gas path (13) connected to the compressor (5). To improve the efficiency of the gas turbine installation (1), a control device (17) controls a volumetric flow and/or a temperature of the recirculated combustion flue gases in such a way that a fresh gas/flue gas mixture which enters the compressor (5) is at a predetermined desired temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Timothy Griffin, Gianfranco Guidati, Hans Wettstein, Majed Toqan
  • Patent number: 8114649
    Abstract: L-cysteine is produced by culturing an Escherichia bacterium having L-cysteine producing ability and containing a gene encoding an O-acetylserine sulphydrylase B or MalY regulatory protein that is modified so that cysteine desulfhydrase activity is reduced or eliminated. The bacterium is cultured in a medium to produce and cause accumulation of L-cysteine in the medium, and collecting L-cysteine from the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Takagi, Shigeru Nakamori, Masaru Wada, Hirotada Mori
  • Patent number: 8113787
    Abstract: A turbomachine blade (1) includes a blade body (2) and a corrosion and erosion protective multilayered coating (11) bonded thereto, the multilayered coating (11) including an erosion resistant first layer (3) at least covering a corrosion and erosion critical area (5) of the blade body (2) and a sacrificial second layer (4) provided over the first layer (3) at least covering the first layer (3), preferably covering the blade totally. A method of manufacturing such a turbomachine blade includes the steps of providing a blade and depositing the erosion resistant first layer on the blade body so as to cover at least the corrosion and erosion critical area, followed by depositing the sacrificial second layer over the first layer at least covering the first layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Marie-Gilles Barril, Piero-Daniele Grasso, Alexander Stankowski
  • Patent number: 8114639
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing an L-amino acid using a bacterium of the Enterobacteriaceae family, particularly a bacterium belonging to genus Escherichia or Pantoea, which has been modified to attenuate expression of the sfmACDFH-fimZ cluster and/or the fimZ gene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Dmitriy Vladimirovich Filippov, Vera Georgievna Doroshenko, Aleksandra Yurievna Skorokhodova, Elvira Borisovna Voroshilova, Mikhail Markovich Gusyatiner
  • Patent number: 8109171
    Abstract: An end effecter is positioned with high precision by stabilizing its attitude. Included are arms each having a pair of rods arranged in parallel, a bracket having the end effecter attached thereto and retained by the pair of rods, ball joints and each including a first joint element having a ball and displaceably connecting the bracket with the arm and a second joint element having a socket for retaining the ball, a connecting member for connecting the pair of parallel rods together and restricting rotation of the rods about an axis that is parallel to the longitudinal direction thereof, and a biasing member for providing a biasing force for retaining the ball in the socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Murata Machinery Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Nakao, Tatsuhiko Nishida, Hideaki Nakanishi, Daigoro Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8110381
    Abstract: A method for producing L-glutamic acid by culturing a coryneform bacterium in which the gluX is inactivated in a medium to produce L-glutamic acid in the medium or cells, and collecting L-glutamic acid from the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Seiko Hirano, Jun Nakamura, Hisao Ito
  • Patent number: 8105802
    Abstract: The present invention provides a neutral metalloprotease from actinomycetes which selectively cleaves a pro-structure part of a microbial protransglutaminase and a gene encoding said neutral metalloprotease. An active microbial transglutaminase having the pro-structure part cleaved can be obtained by culturing a microorganism into which a gene encoding the neutral metalloprotease from actinomycetes according to the present invention has been introduced, where by producing the neutral metalloprotease from actinomycetes, and reacting it on a microbial protransglutaminase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Yukiko Umezawa, Keiichi Yokoyama, Yoshimi Kikuchi, Masayo Date, Norimasa Onishi
  • Patent number: 8105304
    Abstract: Folded disposable pants which include an outer wear sheet of pants shape and an absorbent main body adhered to a skin-contacting surface side in the outer wear sheet, wherein elastic members are added at least to circumferences of a waist opening and a leg opening. The folded disposable pants are formed by folding back a crotch part of the disposable pants over a center pants part on the upside of the crotch part, folding back a left lateral part and a right lateral part of the pants over the center pants part, and then folding back an upper pants part in which the left and the right lateral parts of the pants are overlapped with each other, over a downside part thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Livedo Corporation
    Inventor: Masashi Uda
  • Patent number: 8106320
    Abstract: Provided are a decorative sheet which is enhanced in durability of an edge portion of a soft feel layer thereof and which is unlikely to suffer breakage, a method of manufacturing such a decorative sheet, a decorative molded body, and a decorative key sheet. A compressed portion formed by crushing a foam layer in a thickness direction is provided at a side surface of an edge portion of a decorative sheet with a soft touch feeling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Polymatech Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tedi Kunthady, Masami Arai