Patents by Inventor Akinori Kojima
Akinori Kojima 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).
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Patent number: 11940405Abstract: A sensor element (10) having a laminate structure, and extending in an axial direction AX, the sensor element including a first and second ceramic layers (118B, 115) disposed apart from each other in a laminating direction; a third ceramic layer (118) intervening between the first and second ceramic layers in the laminating direction and having a hollow space (10G) formed therein; and an internal space which is the hollow space surrounded by the first ceramic layer, the second ceramic layer, and the third ceramic layer, wherein, at a periphery (10f) of the internal space, a fourth ceramic layer (181) containing as a main component a ceramic material different from that contained as a main component in the first and third ceramic layers intervenes between the first ceramic layer and the third ceramic layer which are exposed to the internal space. Also disclosed is a method for manufacturing the gas sensor element.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2020Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: NITERRA CO., LTD.Inventors: Hitoshi Furuta, Akinori Kojima
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Patent number: 11927742Abstract: An illumination device includes a light source, a pair of wedge prisms, and a driving portion. The pair of wedge prisms deflect incident light. The driving portion includes a gear and a gear, and causes the pair of wedge prisms to rotate about a rotation axis by using the gear and the gear. The pair of wedge prisms include a wedge prism held by a barrel and a wedge prism held by a barrel. The barrel is disposed inside the barrel. A gear whose center axis is the rotation axis is provided on an outer periphery of the barrel. A gear whose center axis is the rotation axis is provided on an inner periphery of the barrel. The gear is disposed on an outer peripheral side of the gear and meshes with the gear. The gear is disposed on an inner peripheral side of the gear and meshes with the gear.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2018Date of Patent: March 12, 2024Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATIONInventors: Ritsuya Oshima, Masashige Suwa, Akinori Heishi, Muneharu Kuwata, Kuniko Kojima
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Patent number: 11867659Abstract: A sensor element (10) including: a measurement chamber (150); a pump cell (110) including a solid electrolyte (111), an inner electrode (113) exposed to the measurement chamber, and an outer electrode (112), the pump cell being configured to adjust an oxygen concentration in the measurement chamber; a diffusion resistance portion (151); and a detection cell (120) configured to measure a concentration of a specific gas in the measurement target gas after the adjustment of the oxygen concentration. The outer electrode is covered by a porous layer (114) and is disposed in a hollow space (10G) surrounded by a gas non-permeable dense layer 115, 118. The hollow space is in communication with an air introduction hole (10h) that is open on a rear side relative to the diffusion resistance portion. The outer electrode is exposed via the porous layer to air introduced through the air introduction hole.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2020Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: NITERRA CO., LTD.Inventors: Hitoshi Furuta, Kentaro Kamada, Akinori Kojima, Satoshi Yamahara, Akihiro Hara
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Publication number: 20230204535Abstract: A gas sensor element (10) which includes an element body portion (100); a pump cell (110) which is configured to adjust a concentration of oxygen in a gas to be measured which is introduced into the element body portion (100); a detection chamber (160) which is formed inside the element body portion (100) and into which the gas to be measured in which the concentration of oxygen has been adjusted is introduced; and a layer-shaped cathode electrode (133) which is housed in the detection chamber (160) and configured to decompose NO. A relationship between a volume V1 of the detection chamber (160) and a volume V2 of the cathode electrode (133) in the gas sensor element (10) satisfies either one of conditions (A) and (B) as defined herein.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2022Publication date: June 29, 2023Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventors: Hitoshi FURUTA, Akinori KOJIMA, Kentaro KAMADA, Yosuke SUZUKI
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Publication number: 20230068377Abstract: A gas sensor element includes: a first ceramic structure (100A) having a detection cell (120); a second ceramic structure (100B) having a pump cell (110) disposed apart from the first ceramic structure in a lamination direction; and a third ceramic structure (100C) having a frame-shaped body (200) surrounding a space (150a) formed between the first and second ceramic structures, the frame-shaped body including a gas introduction portion (151) and a peripheral wall portion (141). A gap (150b) connected to the space (150a) is formed between an opposed surface (151b1) and the second ceramic structure. A ceramic buffer layer (300) having a lower shrinkage start temperature than a material for forming the gas introduction portion is formed on the opposed surface so as to overlap a boundary portion X between an edge (150b1) on the external side of the gap and the second ceramic structure when viewed in the lamination direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2022Publication date: March 2, 2023Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventors: Hitoshi FURUTA, Akinori KOJIMA, Kentaro KAMADA, Yosuke SUZUKI
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Patent number: 11385198Abstract: A sensor element includes: three electrode pads provided on the first main surface, and electrically connected to a connection terminal, the three electrode pads including; a pad group including two electrode pads which are arranged in a widthwise direction of the sensor element, and a single pad which is not overlapped with the pad group when viewed in a widthwise direction, the single pad including a main body portion which has a width greater than a clearance between the two electrode pads of the pad group, which is electrically connected to the connection terminal, and a connection portion which is connected to a conductor formed within a through hole extending within the sensor element in a thickness direction, and which is adjacent to a side surface of the main body portion.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2019Date of Patent: July 12, 2022Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventors: Hitoshi Furuta, Akinori Kojima
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Publication number: 20220187237Abstract: A sensor element including a first ceramic layer (105), and a measurement electrode (110a) and a reference electrode (108a) disposed thereon, further comprising a through hole (105a) formed in the first ceramic layer, a through hole conductor (121c), a reference lead (108b) connected to the reference electrode and connected to the through hole conductor, and a second ceramic layer (103) disposed to face the first ceramic layer, the sensor element further including a gas flow chamber (130) provided between the first and second ceramic layers, and facing the through hole and being in communication with the reference lead, and a gas flow passage (170) open to a second region (100s) of an outer surface of the sensor element, thereby establishing communication between the gas flow chamber and an outside atmosphere. Also disclosed is gas sensor including the gas sensor element and a method for manufacturing the gas sensor element.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2020Publication date: June 16, 2022Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventors: Hitoshi FURUTA, Akinori KOJIMA
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Patent number: 11195651Abstract: An inductance element includes a magnetic core and a coil having a portion embedded in the magnetic core. This portion includes a wound portion formed by winging a wire-shaped coil material including a wire-shaped conductive material and an insulating coating. The insulating coating includes a thin-walled portion reduced in thickness. A biting ratio R is defined by formula: R=ds/B, which is from 0.4 to 0.85 inclusive, where B is the average thickness of inter-coil insulating coatings, and ds is an upper biting limit obtained by measuring a biting depth, approximating a frequency distribution of the results by a normal distribution, and computing, as the upper biting limit, the sum of the mean da of the normal distribution and the product of 3.99 and the standard deviation ?. The biting depth is obtained by subtracting, from the average thickness B, the thickness of the thin-walled portion.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2019Date of Patent: December 7, 2021Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.Inventors: Akinori Kojima, Seisaku Imai, Akira Sato, Keiichiro Sato
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Publication number: 20210233690Abstract: A compression molded core contains a plurality of soft magnetic material powders. A first powder and a second powder in the plurality of powders satisfy D1>D2, 0.23?(D1?D2)/D1<0.6, D1?7 ?m, and 3 ?m?DT?5.7 ?m. D1 is the median diameter, which is a particle size at which the integrated particle diameter distribution from the small particle size side is 50% in a volume-based particle size distribution measured by a laser diffraction/scattering method, of the first powder and is maximum among median diameters; D2 is the median diameter D2 of the second powder and is minimum among median diameters; and DT is determined using the weight rate R1 of the first powder and the weight rate R2 of the second powder by R1×D1+R2×D2.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 9, 2021Publication date: July 29, 2021Inventors: Akinori KOJIMA, Ryo NAKABAYASHI, Keiichiro SATO
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Publication number: 20210080423Abstract: A sensor element (10) having a laminate structure, and extending in an axial direction AX, the sensor element including a first and second ceramic layers (118B, 115) disposed apart from each other in a laminating direction; a third ceramic layer (118) intervening between the first and second ceramic layers in the laminating direction and having a hollow space (10G) formed therein; and an internal space which is the hollow space surrounded by the first ceramic layer, the second ceramic layer, and the third ceramic layer, wherein, at a periphery (10f) of the internal space, a fourth ceramic layer (181) containing as a main component a ceramic material different from that contained as a main component in the first and third ceramic layers intervenes between the first ceramic layer and the third ceramic layer which are exposed to the internal space. Also disclosed is a method for manufacturing the gas sensor element.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2020Publication date: March 18, 2021Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventors: Hitoshi Furuta, Akinori Kojima
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Publication number: 20210074464Abstract: In a coil-embedded dust core constituting an inductance element, a winding body of a coil disposed inside a coil-embedded dust core and a dust core have a relationship that the inner core volume ratio RV defined below is 3 or more and 5 or less: RV=(V1/V2)/(1?V/Vp), where V1 represents a volume of a region in the dust core located on an inner side of the winding body of the coil when the coil-embedded dust core is viewed in a first direction, which is a direction along a winding axis of the coil, V2 represents a volume of a region in the dust core located on an outer side of the winding body of the coil when the coil-embedded dust core is viewed in the first direction, V represents a volume of the dust core, and Vp represents a volume of the coil-embedded dust core.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 27, 2020Publication date: March 11, 2021Inventors: Ryo NAKABAYASHI, Akinori KOJIMA, Akira SATO, Keiichiro SATO, Masahiro IIZUKA
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Patent number: 10921281Abstract: A gas sensor element configured to detect a first component and a second component of a measurement target gas comprises an element body portion, a first detection portion, a second detection portion with a porous region, and an element protection portion. The element protection portion covers the porous region and a region at the front side with respect to the porous region in a normal side face, and covers a part of a region at the front side with respect to the second detection portion without covering the second detection portion in a second detection side face. The element protection portion is formed so as not to cover the second detection portion but to cover the porous portion of the first detection portion.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2019Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., LTD.Inventors: Hitoshi Furuta, Tetsuo Yamada, Akinori Kojima
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Publication number: 20200340940Abstract: A sensor element (10) including: a measurement chamber (150); a pump cell (110) including a solid electrolyte (111), an inner electrode (113) exposed to the measurement chamber, and an outer electrode (112), the pump cell being configured to adjust an oxygen concentration in the measurement chamber; a diffusion resistance portion (151); and a detection cell (120) configured to measure a concentration of a specific gas in the measurement target gas after the adjustment of the oxygen concentration. The outer electrode is covered by a porous layer (114) and is disposed in a hollow space (10G) surrounded by a gas non-permeable dense layer 115, 118. The hollow space is in communication with an air introduction hole (10h) that is open on a rear side relative to the diffusion resistance portion. The outer electrode is exposed via the porous layer to air introduced through the air introduction hole.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 20, 2020Publication date: October 29, 2020Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventors: Hitoshi FURUTA, Kentaro Kamada, Akinori Kojima, Satoshi Yamahara, Akihiro Hara
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Patent number: 10705045Abstract: A gas sensor element including a lead portion (79a) formed on a lower surface of an insulating member (76) and extending through a through hole (176) to an upper surface thereof, and a lead portion (79b) extending from the upper surface of the insulating member (76) through the through hole (176) to the lower surface of the insulating member (76) so as to cover the lead portion (79a) along the inner circumferential wall and a portion of the lower surface around the through hole. The lead portion (79a) has a section exposed to a space (230) on the lower surface side of the insulating member (76). The lead portion (79b) is disposed so as to face the insulating member (76) with the space (230) therebetween. The lead portion (79a) communicates with the outside through the space (230). Also disclosed is a method for producing the gas sensor element.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2017Date of Patent: July 7, 2020Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventors: Akinori Kojima, Hitoshi Furuta
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Patent number: 10634639Abstract: A method for producing a gas sensor element (10), the gas sensor element including a diffusive porous layer (113) disposed in a measurement chamber (111) and exposed to the outside and a ceramic insulating layer (115) forming sidewalls of the measurement chamber. The method includes transferring green diffusive porous layer pieces (113x) cut in advance so as to have prescribed dimensions onto a first ceramic green sheet (110x); applying an insulating paste which later becomes the ceramic insulating layer to the first ceramic green sheet; laminating the first ceramic green sheet onto a second ceramic green sheet (120x) to form a ceramic laminate (200x); cutting the ceramic laminate along prescribed cutting lines C to obtain a plurality of gas sensor element pieces 10x; and firing the gas sensor element pieces.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2018Date of Patent: April 28, 2020Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventors: Ai Igarashi, Kouji Toida, Akinori Kojima, Akihiro Hara, Hitoshi Furuta
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Publication number: 20190353611Abstract: A sensor element includes: three electrode pads provided on the first main surface, and electrically connected to a connection terminal, the three electrode pads including; a pad group including two electrode pads which are arranged in a widthwise direction of the sensor element, and a single pad which is not overlapped with the pad group when viewed in a widthwise direction, the single pad including a main body portion which has a width greater than a clearance between the two electrode pads of the pad group, which is electrically connected to the connection terminal, and a connection portion which is connected to a conductor formed within a through hole extending within the sensor element in a thickness direction, and which is adjacent to a side surface of the main body portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 2, 2019Publication date: November 21, 2019Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventors: Hitoshi FURUTA, Akinori Kojima
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Publication number: 20190257783Abstract: A gas sensor element configured to detect a first component and a second component of a measurement target gas comprises an element body portion, a first detection portion, a second detection portion with a porous region, and an element protection portion. The element protection portion covers the porous region and a region at the front side with respect to the porous region in a normal side face, and covers a part of a region at the front side with respect to the second detection portion without covering the second detection portion in a second detection side face. The element protection portion is formed so as not to cover the second detection portion but to cover the porous portion of the first detection portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2019Publication date: August 22, 2019Applicant: NGK Spark Plug Co., LTD.Inventors: Hitoshi FURUTA, Tetsuo YAMADA, Akinori KOJIMA
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Publication number: 20190244745Abstract: An inductance element includes a magnetic core and a coil having a portion embedded in the magnetic core. This portion includes a wound portion formed by winging a wire-shaped coil material including a wire-shaped conductive material and an insulating coating. The insulating coating includes a thin-walled portion reduced in thickness. A biting ratio R is defined by formula: R=ds/B, which is from 0.4 to 0.85 inclusive, where B is the average thickness of inter-coil insulating coatings, and ds is an upper biting limit obtained by measuring a biting depth, approximating a frequency distribution of the results by a normal distribution, and computing, as the upper biting limit, the sum of the mean da of the normal distribution and the product of 3.99 and the standard deviation ?. The biting depth is obtained by subtracting, from the average thickness B, the thickness of the thin-walled portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 9, 2019Publication date: August 8, 2019Inventors: Akinori KOJIMA, Seisaku IMAI, Akira SATO, Keiichiro SATO
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Patent number: 10283266Abstract: A powder core includes: a powder of a crystalline magnetic material; and a powder of an amorphous magnetic material, in which a median diameter D50A of the powder of the amorphous magnetic material is 15 ?m or less, and satisfies the expression: 1?D50A/D50C?3.5 with respect to a median diameter D50C of the powder of the crystalline magnetic material.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2017Date of Patent: May 7, 2019Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.Inventors: Ryo Nakabayashi, Akinori Kojima, Seiichi Abiko, Keiichiro Sato, Akira Sato, Takao Mizushima
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Publication number: 20180328879Abstract: A method for producing a gas sensor element (10), the gas sensor element including a diffusive porous layer (113) disposed in a measurement chamber (111) and exposed to the outside and a ceramic insulating layer (115) forming sidewalls of the measurement chamber. The method includes transferring green diffusive porous layer pieces (113x) cut in advance so as to have prescribed dimensions onto a first ceramic green sheet (110x); applying an insulating paste which later becomes the ceramic insulating layer to the first ceramic green sheet; laminating the first ceramic green sheet onto a second ceramic green sheet (120x) to form a ceramic laminate (200x); cutting the ceramic laminate along prescribed cutting lines C to obtain a plurality of gas sensor element pieces 10x; and firing the gas sensor element pieces.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 8, 2018Publication date: November 15, 2018Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventors: Ai IGARASHI, Kouji TOIDA, Akinori KOJIMA, Akihiro HARA, Hitoshi FURUTA