Patents Assigned to Citizen Electronics
  • Light-emitting diode light source apparatus
    Patent number: 8154037
    Abstract: An LED light source apparatus comprises a circular base having thermal conductivity, an insulative substrate concentric with the base and including a pass-through hole provided to pass through an upper surface and a lower surface of the substrate, at least one mounting area formed having a central portion of an upper surface of the base exposed from the pass-through hole of the substrate, and a plurality of LED elements mounted on the mounting area and electrically connected to electrodes provided on the upper surface of the substrate, the pass-through hole being formed in a circular shape concentric with the base and the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignees: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd., Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norikazu Kadotani, Koichi Fukasawa, Sadato Imai
  • Planar light-emitting device and liquid crystal display apparatus
    Patent number: 8154688
    Abstract: A planar light-emitting device has a plurality of light-emitting units each including a light source and a lightguide plate. The light-emitting units are arranged with the light-exiting surfaces of their respective lightguide plates being substantially flush with each other. Each lightguide plate has an upper surface as a light-exiting surface, a lower surface opposite to the light-exiting surface, and a peripheral side surface extending between the respective peripheral edges of the upper and lower surfaces. The lightguide plate emits light received from the light source from the light-exiting surface. At least a part of the peripheral side surface is an inclined surface inclined relative to the light-exiting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Shimura, Taku Kumasaka
  • Push button switch
    Patent number: 8124902
    Abstract: A push button switch includes a base part (22) provided with a snap dome (23b) and a fixed contact (23a), a cover member (24) disposed to cover the base part (22) and having at one side surface an opening (42), an operating controller (25) disposed to slide inside the opening (42) in a lateral direction and configured to press the snap dome (23b) downwardly. The cover member (24) includes side extended potions (36) provided to extend downwardly from the cover member (24) along side surfaces of the base part across the operating controller (25) in a direction perpendicular to a sliding direction of the operating controller (25). Lower end portions of the side plate portions (36) are provided with extensions (38) disposed adjacent to some of the solder pad portions (41) provided on a lower surface of the base part (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Masashi Watanabe
  • Light-emitting diode
    Patent number: 8097898
    Abstract: The outer peripheral portion of a substrate is provided with a first peripheral edge and a second peripheral edge. The first peripheral edge is provided on the edge portion of a first upper surface of the substrate on which a light-emitting diode element is mounted. The second peripheral edge is formed either on an extension of an imaginary line connecting an edge of the light-emitting facet of the light-emitting diode element and the first peripheral edge or inwardly of the extension. The second peripheral edge is located at a position where the first peripheral edge blocks direct light from the light-emitting diode element. This configuration prevents the second upper surface of the substrate provided between the first peripheral edge and the second peripheral edge from becoming deteriorated due to the direct light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nodoka Oishi
  • Magnetic sensor element and magnetic sensor using the same
    Patent number: 8098067
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fluxgate magnetic sensor element which includes: a substrate; an exciting pattern which is disposed on the substrate to generate a magnetic field; a magnetic thin film pattern for detection which is disposed adjacent to the exciting pattern; and a detection coil pattern which is disposed adjacent to the magnetic thin film pattern for detection. In the magnetic sensor element, the exciting pattern, the magnetic thin film pattern for detection, and the detection coil pattern are formed on the substrate. Therefore, the magnetic sensor element can be formed into a flat shape. Moreover, since the length of the generated magnetic field is short in a long-axis direction, the size and thickness of the element itself can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Hasunuma
  • Sheet-shaped lightguide member and electronic device using the same
    Patent number: 8092063
    Abstract: A sheet-shaped lightguide member includes a lightguide sheet having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a peripheral edge surface a part of which is defined as a light entrance surface. At least one of the first and second surfaces has microscopic irregularities over the whole area thereof. The lightguide member is provided with a lightguide layer on a region of the at least one of the first and second surfaces. The lightguide layer defines a lightguide region in the at least one of the first and second surfaces retaining an exposed region as a light-emitting region. The lightguide layer is configured to guide the light received through the light entrance surface toward the light-emitting region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroto Isoda
  • Planar light-emitting device and liquid crystal display apparatus
    Patent number: 8077272
    Abstract: A planar light-emitting device has a plurality of light-emitting units each having a lightguide plate having an upper surface as a light-exiting surface, a lower surface opposite to the light-exiting surface, a peripheral side surface extending between the respective peripheral edges of the upper surface and the lower surface, and a light entrance surface defined by a part of the peripheral side surface. Each light-emitting unit further has a light-emitting set adjacent to the light entrance surface to emit light into the lightguide plate through the light entrance surface, and a support member that fixedly supports the light source and the lightguide plate. The light-emitting units are arranged side by side so that the light-exiting or upper surfaces of their respective lightguide plates are substantially flush with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Shimura, Taku Kumasaka
  • Light guide plate for display device
    Patent number: 8042983
    Abstract: A light guide plate according to the present invention includes an incident plane into which a light flux from a light source is incident, and a plurality of prisms having reflection planes reflecting the light flux incident from the incident plane, wherein the reflection planes of the plurality of prisms are extended to cross in a direction in which the light flux from the light source incident into the incident plane travels, and of the reflection planes of the plurality of prisms, the reflection plane of at least one prism closest to the incident plane is formed in a recess shape with respect to the incident plane. Thereby nonuniformity of backlight illumination can be improved and a display device can be uniformly and efficiently illuminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Junji Miyashita
  • Method of manufacturing photo interrupter including a positioning member with at least one positioning pin integrally provided with a connecting part, and photo interrupter manufactured thereby
    Patent number: 8044378
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a photo interrupter includes forming a frame including a first frame part and a second frame part which are disposed at an interval to be facing each other, mounting at least one light-emitting element on a first board and attaching the first board to the first frame part of the frame, mounting a light-receiving element on a second board and attaching the second board to the second frame part of the frame, the light-receiving element being mounted on the second board to be facing the light-emitting element so that the light-receiving element receives light emitted from the light-emitting element, and providing a positioning member on the frame by integrally forming the positioning member with the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jo Kinoshita
  • Sheet switch, sheet switch module and panel switch
    Patent number: 7994445
    Abstract: A sheet switch module including a sheet switch (21) having a central contact (32) disposed on a circuit board (33), a circumferential contact (20) disposed circumferentially of the central contact (32), a spring (22) disposed above the central contact (32), and a transparent sheet member (23) configured to cover the spring (22), the sheet switch (21) forming a switching circuit such that the spring (22) provides electrical conduction between the central contact (32) and the circumferential contact (20) when the sheet member is pressed, the sheet member (23) being formed by a light guiding sheet (30) configured to guide light emitted from an LED (34) along an upper surface of the spring (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenshi Aihara, Isao Miyashita
  • Sheet-shaped lightguide member, operation panel-lighting device and electronic device
    Patent number: 7988310
    Abstract: A sheet-shaped lightguide member has a first surface (11A), which is divided into at least two areas. The sheet-shaped lightguide member has the first surface (11A) and a second surface (11B) that face each other and a peripheral edge surface (11C). The lightguide member receives light through at least a part of the peripheral edge surface, guides the light, and emits the guided light from the first surface (11A) serving as a light exit surface. The lightguide member is divided into the at least two light exit areas (14A, 14B) and has a light-blocking part (18) provided along a boundary between mutually adjacent light exit areas to block transmission of light between the adjacent light exit areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuro Yamada, Hiroto Isoda, Kenji Kusano
  • Light-emitting diode and method for manufacturing the same
    Patent number: 7969530
    Abstract: An LED which includes a substrate, at least one light-emitting element mounted on, and electrically connected to, the substrate, and a sealing member mounted to the substrate so as to seal the light-emitting element. The sealing member contains an inorganic material having a high contrast ratio and a high reflectivity in an amount which accords with the luminance of the light-emitting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nodoka Oishi
  • Lightguide plate and electronic device
    Patent number: 7932890
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a casing having a display part (2) provided with an image display panel (1), a operation part (4) provided with operation keys (3), and a joint part (5) that connects together the display part and the operation part, and a lightguide plate (6) disposed in the casing. The lightguide plate is an edge-light type lightguide plate having a display illuminating part (6a) illuminating the image display panel, a key illuminating part (6b) illuminating the operation keys, and a connecting part (6c) that connects together the display illuminating part and the key illuminating part and that guides light therebetween. The lightguide plate is deformable in accordance with the deformation of the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Onikiri, Daisaku Okuwaki, Yasuaki Kayanuma
  • Light-emitting diode
    Patent number: D640997
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sadato Imai, Kazuo Funakubo
  • Light-emitting diode
    Patent number: D645417
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignees: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd., Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sadato Imai, Kazuo Funakubo
  • Light-emitting diode
    Patent number: D647068
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaki Okuwaki
  • Light-emitting diode
    Patent number: D647492
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignees: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd., Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sadato Imai, Takakazu Yano, Akio Yoshimura
  • Light-emitting diode
    Patent number: D647865
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignees: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd., Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Junji Miyashita
  • Light-emitting diode
    Patent number: D653628
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignees: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd., Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Junji Miyashita
  • Light-emitting diode
    Patent number: D653629
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignees: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd., Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Junji Miyashita