Patents by Inventor Akinori Yamada

Akinori Yamada 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: 8089201
    Abstract: A contour resonator reducing fluctuation of resonance frequency due to variety of a film thickness of an excitation electrode is provided. A counter resonator includes a quartz substrate and excitation electrodes respectively formed on front and back surfaces of the quartz substrate. There is a range where a frequency sensitivity with respect to an electrode film thickness is smaller than that in related art when a ratio Fe/Fb between a contour vibration frequency Fe of the excitation electrodes and a contour vibration frequency Fb of the substrate is larger than 0.69. That is, fluctuation of the contour vibration frequency with respect to variety of the electrode film thickness can be made small substantially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akinori Yamada
  • Patent number: 8067880
    Abstract: A flexural vibration element includes: a plurality of vibrating arms provided in parallel with each other; a connecting part connecting the vibrating arms; and one central supporting arm extending between the vibrating arms from the connecting part in parallel with the vibrating arms at equal distance from the arms. In the flexural vibration element, the connecting part has a groove formed on each of front and rear surfaces thereof, and the groove is provided in an area of the connecting part in which compressive stress and tensile stress due to flexural vibration of the vibrating arms alternately occur at a vibrating arm side and an opposite side of the vibrating arm side, in a width direction of the vibrating arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akinori Yamada
  • Publication number: 20110248600
    Abstract: A resonator element includes: at least one resonating arm which performs flexural vibration; a base portion connected to an end of the resonating arm; and a tapered portion which is axisymmetrical with respect to a centerline which bisects the width of the resonating arm, and which has a width increasing toward a portion of the tapered portion connected to the base portion from a portion of the tapered portion connected to the resonating arm, wherein assuming that the length and width of the resonating arm are L and W and the length and width of the tapered portion are Lt and Wt, the shape of the tapered portion is controlled to satisfy a taper length occupancy ?=Lt/L and a taper width occupancy ?=2 Wt/W.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akinori YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20110248606
    Abstract: A resonator element includes: a laminate formed by laminating a plurality of piezoelectric substrates in which thickness-shear vibration occurs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akinori YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20110227672
    Abstract: A resonator element includes a base portion in which a pair of notches is formed, a pair of resonating arms which is extended in parallel from one end side of a first portion of the base portion. The resonating arm is provided with a bottomed elongated groove which has an opening along at least one principal surface of both principal surfaces and a weight portion which is formed at the tip end side of the resonating arm on the opposite side of a root of the resonating arm attached to the base portion and which has a larger width than on the root side. The weight portion is formed so that the proportion of the length of the weight portion to the length from the root to the tip end side in a longitudinal direction of the resonating arm is within a range of 35% to 41%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akinori YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20110227452
    Abstract: A resonator element includes at least one resonating arm that vibrates in a torsional mode, wherein the resonating arm includes a structural portion having a first portion disposed in a first direction in a sectional view in the width direction and a second portion connected to the first portion so that the center of gravity departs from the center of gravity of the first portion in the first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the first portion vibrates in a stretch mode in the length direction of the resonating arm with an application of a voltage, and wherein the second portion does not substantially vibrate in the stretch mode in the length direction of the resonating arm with the application of the voltage or vibrates in a stretch mode with a phase different from that of the first portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akinori YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20110215680
    Abstract: A resonator element includes: a base section; and at least one resonating arm formed so as to extend from the base section, and having a flexural vibrating section, wherein the flexural vibrating section includes a pair of principal surfaces formed along a direction in which the resonating arm performs a flexural vibration, and outer side surfaces intersecting with the principal surfaces of the resonating arm, the flexural vibrating section is provided with at least three groove sections, the groove sections are formed on both or either one of the principal surfaces in a direction intersecting with the principal surfaces, and at least a part or the whole of an outer wall formed of the outer side surface and the groove section and at least a part or the whole of an inner wall formed of the groove sections adjacent to each other are electrically vibrated in a flexural manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akinori YAMADA, Makoto FURUHATA
  • Publication number: 20110204985
    Abstract: A resonator element capable of improving impact resistance is provided. A quartz crystal resonator element is a resonator element formed by etching a Z plate which is cut at predetermined angles with respect to the crystal axes of a quartz crystal. The quartz crystal resonator element includes a base, a pair of resonating arms extending from the base in the Y-axis direction, and a positive X-axis notch and a negative X-axis notch formed by notching the base in the X-axis direction. The positive X-axis notch is formed by notching the base from the negative side of the X axis towards the positive side so that the width of the positive X-axis notch increases as it approaches the outer circumference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akinori YAMADA, Shuhei YOSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20110187470
    Abstract: A vibrating member includes a base portion, a plurality of vibrating arms which extend from one end portion of the base portion, are provided in parallel in a first direction, and extend in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a linking portion which is provided between the base end portions of two adjacent vibrating arms and extends from the other end portion of the base portion, and a support portion which is connected to the base portion through the linking portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2011
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akinori YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20110109205
    Abstract: A vibration device includes: a vibrating reed including a base having a notch, a plurality of vibrating arms extending from the base, and each including an arm section, a weight section, and a groove section, and a support section, wherein a mechanical resonant frequency f of the vibrating reed is higher than a thermal relaxation frequency f0 of the vibrating reed, and assuming that a closest approach distance between the notch and a crotch section formed between the vibrating arms is a base flexion width Wb, and an arm width of the vibrating arm in a case of replacing a cross-sectional shape of the vibrating arm having a thermoelastic loss equivalent to a thermoelastic loss of the cross-sectional shape and a thickness equal to a thickness of the cross-sectional shape is an effective arm width We, a relationship of Wb>We is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akinori YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20110084776
    Abstract: A vibrating reed includes: a base; and a vibrating arm which is extended from one end portion of the base, the vibrating arm having an arm portion which is disposed on the base side, a weight portion which is disposed on a tip side of the arm portion and has a larger width than the arm portion, main surfaces which are respectively disposed on front and back sides of the vibrating arm, side surfaces each of which extends in a longitudinal direction of the vibrating arm to connect the main surfaces on the front and back sides and which are formed so as to face each other, a first groove portion which is a bottomed groove formed at least one of the main surfaces along the longitudinal direction of the vibrating arm, a first excitation electrode which is formed on groove side surfaces each connecting a bottom of the first groove portion with the one main surface, a second excitation electrode which is formed on the both side surfaces, and a projection-in-groove which is disposed on the tip side of a bisector bise
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akinori YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20110068876
    Abstract: A vibrating reed includes: a base; at least one vibrating arm extending from the base; at least one support arm extending from the base, and at least a part of which extends in parallel to the vibrating arm; and at least one receiving section formed of a part of the support arm, the part extending to have a shape of a projection so that a distance from the vibrating arm is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akinori YAMADA, Shuhei YOSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20110063041
    Abstract: A resonator element includes: a base portion; and a resonating arm extending in a first direction from the base portion, wherein the resonating arm includes a first surface, a second surface facing the first surface, a first side surface extending in the first direction so as to connect the first and second surfaces, and a second side surface facing the first side surface, wherein the resonating arm includes a first width portion having a first width and a second width portion provided at a root of the resonating arm so as to have a second width larger than the first width, wherein the resonating arm includes a groove portion provided on at least one of the first and second surfaces so as to extend in the first direction, the groove portion in the second width portion having a width larger than a width of the groove portion in the first width portion, and wherein a sum of the width between the groove portion in the second width portion and the first side surface and the width between the groove portion in the
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akinori YAMADA, Makoto FURUHATA
  • Publication number: 20110057549
    Abstract: A flexural vibration piece includes a base, and a vibrating arms extending therefrom, each pair of vibrating arms has a first groove formed in the extension direction of the vibrating arm in one main surface following the direction in which the pair of vibrating arms are aligned, and a second groove formed side by side to the first groove in another main surface, the sum of the depths of the first and second groove portions is greater than the interval between the one main surface and the other main surface, and a mass portion is provided on each of the pair of vibrating arms, on the one main surface which is the opening side of the first grooves formed toward the outer sides opposite the inner sides on which the vibrating arms face each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicants: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION, EPSON TOYOCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki KAWAI, Makoto FURUHATA, Akinori YAMADA, Yuji HAMAYAMA
  • Patent number: 7834526
    Abstract: A contour resonator at least includes a first vibrating substrate and a second vibrating substrate having main surfaces that face each other and are bonded. The contour resonator includes a first excitation electrode provided on a front main surface of the first vibrating substrate, a second excitation electrode provided on a back main surface of the second vibrating substrate, and a common intermediate excitation electrode provided at an interface between the first vibrating substrate and the second vibrating substrate. The first excitation electrode and the second excitation electrode are electrically connected to constitute a first terminal. The intermediate excitation electrode constitutes a second terminal. The first vibrating substrate and the second vibrating substrate perform a contour vibration in accordance with an excitation signal applied between the first terminal and the second terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akinori Yamada
  • Publication number: 20100244989
    Abstract: A flexural vibration piece includes: a flexural vibrator that has a first region on which a compressive stress or a tensile stress acts due to vibration and a second region having a relationship in which a tensile stress acts thereon when a compressive stress acts on the first region and a compressive stress acts thereon when a tensile stress acts on the first region, and performs flexural vibration in a first plane; and a heat conduction path, between the first region and the second region, that is formed of a material having a thermal conductivity higher than that of the flexural vibrator and thermally connects between the first region and the second region, wherein when m is the number of heat conduction paths, ?th is the thermal resistivity of the heat conduction path, ?v is the thermal resistivity of the flexural vibrator, tv is the thickness of the flexural vibrator in, a direction orthogonal to the first plane, and tth is the thickness of the heat conduction path, a relationship of tth?(1/m)×tv×(?th/?v
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicants: EPSON TOYOCOM CORPORATION, SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto FURUHATA, Akinori YAMADA, Yuji HAMAYAMA
  • Publication number: 20100219898
    Abstract: A resonator element includes: a resonating body having a first region and a second region, the first region receiving a compression stress or an extension stress by a vibration, the second region receiving an extension stress responding to the compression stress in the first region, or a compression stress responding to the extension stress of the first region; and at least one film layer, on a surface of the resonating body between the first and the second regions, having thermal conductivity higher than thermal conductivity of the resonating body. In the element, the film layer includes a recessed section in which at least one film layer is removed between the first and the second regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Applicant: EPSON TOYOCOM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akinori YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20100207486
    Abstract: A vibrating element includes: a vibrating body having frequency temperature dependency; and a temperature characteristic correcting part provided on a surface of the vibrating body. The temperature characteristic correcting part has a temperature characteristic of at least one of a Young's modulus and a thermal expansion coefficient and is expressed by a temperature characteristic curve which has at least one of an inflection point and an extremal value. In the vibrating element, a temperature of at least one of the inflection point and the extremal value is within an operating temperature range of the vibrating body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: EPSON TOYOCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akinori YAMADA, Katsuo ISHIKAWA, Shuhei YOSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20100171397
    Abstract: A flexural vibration element includes: a vibration element body composed of a plurality of vibrating arms provided in parallel, a connecting part connecting the vibrating arms, and one central supporting arm extending between the vibrating arms from the connecting part in parallel with the vibrating arms at equal distance from the arms; and a frame body disposed outside the vibration element body. In the flexural vibration element, the vibration element body is supported by the frame body at an end part, which is opposite to the connecting part, of the central supporting arm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicant: EPSON TOYOCOM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akinori YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20100164331
    Abstract: A flexural vibration element includes: a plurality of vibrating arms provided in parallel with each other; a connecting part connecting the vibrating arms; and one central supporting arm extending between the vibrating arms from the connecting part in parallel with the vibrating arms at equal distance from the arms. In the flexural vibration element, the connecting part has a groove formed on each of front and rear surfaces thereof, and the groove is provided in an area of the connecting part in which compressive stress and tensile stress due to flexural vibration of the vibrating arms alternately occur at a vibrating arm side and an opposite side of the vibrating arm side, in a width direction of the vibrating arms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: EPSON TOYOCOM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akinori YAMADA