Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm David G. Conlin, Esq.
  • Patent number: 6829446
    Abstract: An image forming device includes a development section which has a blade for applying electrons generated in its photoelectric surface due to a photoelectric effect to a toner so as to charge the toner; an ultraviolet irradiator for irradiating the photoelectric surface with light; a development roller for holding the toner thus charged, and performing carriage of the toner to a photoconductive drum having an electrostatic latent image on a surface; wherein the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive drum is developed by the charged toner. The development section further includes a control section for performing control of application of a voltage to the ultraviolet irradiator, application of a voltage to the photoelectric surface, application of a voltage to the development roller, and beginning of the carriage of the toner by the development roller, at predetermined timings, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Toizumi, Taisuke Kamimura, Toshimitsu Gotoh
  • Patent number: 6818681
    Abstract: There is provided an ultraviolet curing resin composition for an optical disk such as to improve the light resistance of reflective thin films made of silver or silver alloy and protect them against corroding and perform a high adhesive strength, in the optical disks. The composition comprises (1) a (meth)acrylate compound having a number average molecular weight of 700 to 3000 derived from epoxy resin, (2) a (meth)acrylate monomer having one or more of unsaturated ethylene groups, and (3) a polymerization initiator, such as 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone, benzoylethyl ether and benzoylisobutyl ether, represented in the following general formula (I). Also, a tetrazole derivative may be additionally mixed into the composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Nagase Chemtex Corporation
    Inventor: Tatsuya Obori
  • Patent number: 6819394
    Abstract: A time-varying image editing device is provided on a recording medium (101) and used for editing time-varying image data reproduced from a time-varying image file containing time-varying image data body (111) the items of which are arranged together with time management information in temporal order and outputted. The device includes a file-to-be-reproduced extracting section (12) for extracting a desired reproduction part of a time-varying image file. The desired part contains a predetermined reproduction time. The device further includes a file creating section (17) for storing edit information (112) for managing the extracted reproduction part and the reproduction time in an area other than the one where the time-varying image data body is stored on the recording medium (101).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshio Nomura, Keiichi Hibi, Masahiro Shioi, Shuichi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6817266
    Abstract: Several embodiments of a stiff, metallic hub for an energy storage devices are disclosed in the present invention. The stiff hub produces a critical velocity that is significantly greater than the design operating speed of the flywheel assembly so that resonant frequency is never reached during normal operation of the energy storage device's flywheel assembly. The stiff hub comprises a central core section that maintains a tight interference fit with the rotating shaft; an outer rim section that maintains a tight interference with the high-strength, low-density composite fiber rim, in which energy primarily is stored; and a web section that is situated therebetween, extending radially from the rotary shaft. At high operating speeds, the outer rim of the hub expands radially commensurate with expansion of the composite fiber rim so that enough of the outer rim remains in tight interference fit with the composite fiber rim to substantially minimize vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Beacon Power Corporation
    Inventor: Norman C. Brackett
  • Patent number: 6816279
    Abstract: A network system includes a plurality of printers and a digital copying machine interconnected through a data transmission line, detects a free space in an image memory of each printer, adds a user identification code to image data of a document read in an image reading section of the digital copying machine, and then sends the image data to a printer with the image memory having a sufficient free space so as to store the image data. With this structure, even if the digital copying machine does not have an image memory, it is possible to store the image data subjected to an image formation within the network and omit an image reading process when performing an image formation according to the same image data later. Moreover, with this structure, various processing can be executed on the image data by effectively using the functions of the respective apparatuses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirokazu Izumi, Harumi Tomota, Masashi Tanimoto
  • Patent number: 6797982
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes base substrate, gate lines, data lines, thin-film transistors and pixel electrodes. The gate lines are formed on the base substrate. The data lines are formed over the gate lines. Each of the data lines crosses all of the gate lines with an insulating film interposed therebetween. The thin-film transistors are formed over the base substrate. Each of the thin-film transistors is associated with one of the gate lines and operates responsive to a signal on the associated gate line. Each of the pixel electrodes is associated with one of the data lines and one of the thin-film transistors and is electrically connectable to the associated data line by way of the associated thin-film transistor. Each of the pixel electrodes and the associated thin-film transistor are connected together by way of a conductive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Okada, Yuichi Saito, Shinya Yamakawa, Atsushi Ban, Masaya Okamoto, Hiroyuki Ohgami
  • Patent number: 6779482
    Abstract: A plasma deposition device 1 comprises electrodes 13 mounted on an electrode substrate 11, gas introducing holes 12 provided between said electrodes 13 for introducing material gas G to the interior, a deposition substrate 30 provided to oppose to said electrodes 13 from a predetermined distance d, and a power source 60 generating plasma from said material gas by providing energy thereto, wherein material gas G is resolved to active species R deposited on said deposition substrate 30, characterized in applying voltage to adjacent electrodes 13 so as to generate discharge DC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Osamu Sakai, Satoshi Okamoto, Toshio Akai
  • Patent number: 6780290
    Abstract: The prevent invention improves the film thickness distribution in the direction of revolution of substrates by a simple manner in a method for forming coating films, wherein a evaporating source 3 is disposed at a predetermined distance from substrates 2, and when a coating film material is applied from the evaporating source 3 onto the substrate surfaces while revolving the substrates 2, coating films are formed on the substrate surfaces in a condition where the radius of curvature of the substrates 2 obtained by bending the substrates 2 within the elasticity range is made equal to the radius of revolution of the substrates 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Ikadai, Etsuo Ogino
  • Patent number: 6776879
    Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide a backing plate used for the sputtering apparatus and a sputtering method which can improve film deposition rate and film quality without increasing the size of the target with respect to the substrate. High sputtering power is applied to a target portion opposite to a location where a thin film is formed on a surface of a substrate, thereby a thin film having even film thickness and film quality can be formed without increasing the size of the target. Further, a cooling medium flow passage can eliminate temperature unevenness caused by different sputtering powers to be applied to a target surface. The problem caused by the temperature rise can be solved and the film deposition speed can be enhanced by increasing the sputtering power which can be applied to the target. Consequently, it is possible to improve productivity of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsushi Yamamoto, Takamitsu Tadera
  • Patent number: 6730725
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a polycarbonate which can be obtained by a melting method and has a viscosity-average molecular weight of 16000 to 27000, and whose loss angle &dgr; and complex viscosity &eegr;* (Pa·s) measured under the conditions of 250° C. and an angular velocity of 10 rad/s satisfy the following relation (1): 4,700≦Tan &dgr;/(&eegr;*)−0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Engineering-Plastics Corp.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Masuki, Hiroshi Yoshioka, Takao Tayama, Masaaki Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 6720211
    Abstract: An oxide film is formed on an insulating substrate by means of a wet type film forming technique such as a sol-gel method, a chemical deposition method or a liquid phase deposition method. Next, the oxide film is patterned according to the shape of interconnections. Then, a metal film made of Ni is formed on an oxide film pattern by such a wet type film forming technique as a wet type plating method. Further, a metal film made of Au that has a low resistance is laminated on the metal film made of Ni by electroless plating, and a metal film made of Cu that has a low resistance and is low cost is laminated on the Au film by electroplating. Thus, by the above method for manufacturing electric interconnections, a large-area interconnection substrate for a display device and an image detector is able to be fabricated at low cost without using a vacuum film forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Izumi, Yoshimasa Chikama, Hisao Ochi
  • Patent number: 6645629
    Abstract: There are disclosed a conductive antioxidant paint suitably used as an antioxidant material for a graphite electrode used in arc furnaces such as electric steel-making furnaces, and a graphite electrode coated with the conductive antioxidant paint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Mikuni Color, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideyuki Hisashi, Issei Kawabata, Tatsuo Fukushima
  • Patent number: 6629009
    Abstract: A management system for semiconductor fabrication devices is provided with a sensor for always collecting management information from a fabrication device provided in a semiconductor fabrication process line, and a determiner for monitoring the management information collected by the sensor as a time-sequential measured value pattern, and for comparing the measured value pattern with a set value pattern registered beforehand in accordance with the management information. This enables to presume causes or the like of failures based on data, and hence, to immediately identify the causes of even sudden failures, thereby allowing measures to be immediately taken. Consequently, the process line can be stably operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Tamaki
  • Patent number: 6617097
    Abstract: The present invention aims at reducing the number of scanning exposure and at enhancing throughput. the above-mentioned objective is achieved by allowing a substrate 14 to be placed in sideways with respect to a substrate holder 15a (placing the longer sides of the substrate in parallel to the shorter sides of the substrate holder) depending on the size of the apparatus and the size of the substrate 14. It is acceptable even when areas other than an effective exposure area of the substrate 14 should project out from the substrate holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasunori Nishimura, Taimi Oketani, Tsuyoshi Naraki
  • Patent number: 6606143
    Abstract: A liquid crystal device with a phase plate wherein three principal refractive indices na, nb, and nc of an index ellipsoid of the optical phase element have the relationship of na=nc>nb, a direction of the principal refractive index nb is tilted clockwise or counterclockwise from the normal of a surface of the optical phase element with respect to a direction of one of the principal refractive indices na and nc which is substantially parallel to the surface of the optical phase element as an axis, and a direction of the other principal refractive index nc or na is tilted clockwise or counterclockwise from a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the optical phase element, and at least one of rates of variation of an ordinary refractive index no and an extraordinary refractive index ne of a liquid crystal material of the liquid crystal layer with respect to a wavelength is set in a range in which viewing angle dependent coloring does not occur on a screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Motohiro Yamahara, Iichiro Inoue
  • Patent number: 6602637
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a secondary battery case being molded by a thermoplastic resin composition comprising: (A) a polyphenylene ether-based resin, (B) a crystalline polypropylene resin which is a homopolymer or a copolymer of polypropylene, and (C) a hydrogenated block copolymer comprising an aromatic vinyl compound polymer block and a conjugated diene compound polymer block, the (A)/(B) ratio by weight being 7/93 to 70/30, the amount of (C) being 2 to 40 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of (A) and (B) combined, the melt flow rate of said crystalline polypropylene resin (B) being 0.1 to 10 g/10 min as measured according to JIS K-7210 at 230° C. and 21.17 N, the density of the propylene polymer moiety in said crystalline polypropylene resin being not less than 0.906 g/cm3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Engineering-Plastics Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Kurasawa, Naoto Obayashi
  • Patent number: 6593014
    Abstract: A thermomagnetic recording medium includes a thermal change layer whose thermal conductivity is induced to change by a metal-to-insulator transition, is greater on a lower temperature side of a transition temperature and is smaller on a higher temperature side thereof. A thermomagnetic recording method includes setting a recording or reproducing temperature higher than the temperature of the recording medium at the circumference of a light spot and higher than a threshold temperature for change of the thermal conductivity of the thermal change layer. A thermomagnetic recording and reproducing device is provided with the above-mentioned thermomagnetic recording medium, an optical pickup and a magnetic head and conducts recording and reproduction by the above-mentioned thermomagnetic recording and reproducing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasushi Ogimoto, Kenji Nakanishi, Masaki Hamamoto, Kunio Kojima, Hiroyuki Katayama
  • Patent number: 6586055
    Abstract: A method for depositing a functionally gradient thin film of the present invention includes the steps of: introducing two or more types of material gases into a process chamber which includes a cylindrical rotary electrode provided so as to be opposed to a substrate on which a thin film is deposited, the cylindrical rotary electrode being rotated by applying a high-frequency power thereto; and sliding the substrate into the process chamber while maintaining the rotation of the cylindrical rotary electrode so as to create plasma between the cylindrical rotary electrode arid the substrate for depositing the thin film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuji Nakahama, Tatsushi Yamamoto, Yuzo Mori
  • Patent number: 6584222
    Abstract: The present invention is intended to exactly extract a feature-region along its contour line without erroneously extracting any moving object other than the feature-region. An extraction signal from a feature-region main-portion extracting circuit is sent to a small region eliminating circuit whereby an erroneously extracted small region is detected and eliminated as an erroneously extracted noisy portion. The small region eliminating circuit compares a small region with four detection patterns, discriminates it as a region other than the feature (face)-region if no match is found and causes a center pixel of a window of 3×3 pixels to have a logical value of zero. An output of the small region eliminating circuit is sent to a blank filling circuit which compares its input with four detection patterns, discriminates it as a face-region if a match is found and makes a central pixel of a window of 13×13 pixels have a logical value of 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigeo Yoshida
  • Patent number: 6576344
    Abstract: A photocatalyst article exhibits high photocatalytic activity even in environments illuminated by weak ultraviolet light or visible light, expresses excellent anti-fogging and anti-soiling properties, and retains good anti-fogging and anti-soiling performance over long periods and therefore has a high utilization value as an anti-fogging, anti-soiling article. The photocatalyst article contains an oxide semiconductor and a compound which contains at least one type of element selected from the group comprised of Mg, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Y, Nb, Mo, Ru, W, and Re, at a content such that the ratio (A/B) of the number of metal atoms of the abovementioned element (A) to the number of atoms of metal that comprise the abovementioned oxide semiconductor (B) will be about 0.20 to 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Doushita, Hiroyuki Inomata