Patents by Inventor Akira Hirota
Akira Hirota 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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Publication number: 20250037964Abstract: A jig includes a support portion, a sample fixing portion, and a stopper. The support portion includes a wall portion extending in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The sample fixing portion is rotatable, and has a sample holding surface configured to allow a sample to be placed thereon and a sample holding mechanism. The stopper is provided on an upper surface of the wall portion and movable to a position where the sample fixing portion can come into contact therewith when the sample fixing portion is rotated.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2024Publication date: January 30, 2025Inventors: Takafumi INAMORI, Ken HOSHINO, Akira KURAMOTO, Jun HIROTA
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Patent number: 11530628Abstract: A denitration device comprising a duct (22) that leads and distributes exhaust gas from a turbine (56) of a gas turbine (50) including a compressor (52) and the turbine (56), an ammonia injection grid (24) that sprays, into the duct (22), an mixed gas in which ammonia gas and dilution air are mixed with each other, and a denitration catalyst (26) that is installed on a downstream side of flow of the exhaust gas of the ammonia injection grid in the duct (22), and there is provided an air bleeding line (76) that is connected to a low compression portion of the compressor (52) of the gas turbine (50) and supplies air bled of the compressor (52) into the ammonia injection grid (24) as the dilution air.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2019Date of Patent: December 20, 2022Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Akira Hirota, Kanji Ishikawa
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Patent number: 11441774Abstract: A method for operating a flue gas purification system, comprising, in the flue gas purification system, equipped with a boiler which can burn oil fuel and coal fuel either simultaneously or switching therebetween, a denitration equipment having a reducing agent injector and a catalytic reactor, an inlet flue to guide flue gas discharged from the boiler to the denitration equipment, an outlet flue to guide flue gas discharged from the denitration equipment, a bypass flue which can guide flue gas from the inlet flue to the outlet flue so as to bypass the denitration equipment, and a bypass damper, opening the bypass damper and burning oil fuel in the boiler being in condition not yet suitable for coal combustion to allow the flue gas discharged from the boiler to dividedly flow to the denitration equipment and the bypass flue, switching the oil fuel to coal fuel when the boiler is in condition suitable for coal combustion to burn the coal fuel in the boiler, closing the bypass damper after switching the oil fueType: GrantFiled: May 11, 2017Date of Patent: September 13, 2022Assignee: MITSUBISHI POWER, LTD.Inventors: Shinya Ii, Akira Hirota, Satoru Shishido, Katsuhiro Yashiro, Hiroyuki Yoshimura, Nobuaki Shimizu
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Publication number: 20210033005Abstract: A denitration device comprising a duct (22) that leads and distributes exhaust gas from a turbine (56) of a gas turbine (50) including a compressor (52) and the turbine (56), an ammonia injection grid (24) that sprays, into the duct (22), an mixed gas in which ammonia gas and dilution air are mixed with each other, and a denitration catalyst (26) that is installed on a downstream side of flow of the exhaust gas of the ammonia injection grid in the duct (22), and there is provided an air bleeding line (76) that is connected to a low compression portion of the compressor (52) of the gas turbine (50) and supplies air bled of the compressor (52) into the ammonia injection grid (24) as the dilution air.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2019Publication date: February 4, 2021Applicant: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS, LTD.Inventors: Akira Hirota, Kanji Ishikawa
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Publication number: 20200149741Abstract: A method for operating a flue gas purification system, comprising, in the flue gas purification system, equipped with a boiler which can burn oil fuel and coal fuel either simultaneously or switching therebetween, a denitration equipment having a reducing agent injector and a catalytic reactor, an inlet flue to guide flue gas discharged from the boiler to the denitration equipment, an outlet flue to guide flue gas discharged from the denitration equipment, a bypass flue which can guide flue gas from the inlet flue to the outlet flue so as to bypass the denitration equipment, and a bypass damper, opening the bypass damper and burning oil fuel in the boiler being in condition not yet suitable for coal combustion to allow the flue gas discharged from the boiler to dividedly flow to the denitration equipment and the bypass flue, switching the oil fuel to coal fuel when the boiler is in condition suitable for coal combustion to burn the coal fuel in the boiler, closing the bypass damper after switching the oil fueType: ApplicationFiled: May 11, 2017Publication date: May 14, 2020Applicant: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS, LTD.Inventors: Shinya Ii, Akira Hirota, Satoru Shishido, Katsuhiro Yashiro, Hiroyuki Yoshimura, Nobuaki Shimizu
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Patent number: 7738815Abstract: The level of toner color mixture in a developing device is maintained within the range not affecting the color shade of a final color image. In an image forming apparatus including four imaging units and placed along a moving intermediate transfer body, the imaging units having developing devices for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoconductor to create a toner image and for collecting toner remaining on the photoconductor after transfer of the toner image, the developing device in the imaging unit performs forcible toner discharge operation when a toner mixture amount in the developing device of the imaging unit, which was computed from toner consumption of the imaging unit located on an upstream side, exceeds a predetermined value.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2008Date of Patent: June 15, 2010Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Akira Hirota
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Publication number: 20080212988Abstract: The level of toner color mixture in a developing device is maintained within the range not affecting the color shade of a final color image. In an image forming apparatus including four imaging units and placed along a moving intermediate transfer body, the imaging units having developing devices for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoconductor to create a toner image and for collecting toner remaining on the photoconductor after transfer of the toner image, the developing device in the imaging unit performs forcible toner discharge operation when a toner mixture amount in the developing device of the imaging unit, which was computed from toner consumption of the imaging unit located on an upstream side, exceeds a predetermined value.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2008Publication date: September 4, 2008Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Akira HIROTA
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Patent number: 7347579Abstract: A buckle apparatus and a seat belt apparatus are provided that are capable of improving the attachment strength of the reflector. In one form, the buckle apparatus includes an upper cover having an insertion inlet at one side, a buckle portion provided in the upper cover and engaged with a tongue of a seat belt inserted through the insertion inlet, a light source provided in the vicinity of the insertion inlet in the upper cover, a reflector for diffusing and leading illuminating light flux eradiated from the light source, which is provided in inner wall faces, that form the insertion inlet by using the reflector as a mold piece.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2006Date of Patent: March 25, 2008Assignee: Takata CorporationInventors: Shigeru Kohama, Yoshihiro Kawamura, Akira Hirota
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Patent number: 7324776Abstract: A color printer including, a conductive brush roller to contact a photosensitive drum at a position downstream of a transferring apparatus and upstream of a charging apparatus, wherein at least part of residual toner is collected after temporarily transferring on the photosensitive drum, and the collected toner is expelled onto the photosensitive drum, a charge electrode facing the brush roller at a position other than the contact position of the photosensitive drum and the brush roller, and a power source to apply voltage to the charge electrode, wherein the polarity of the voltage applied from the power source to the charge electrode with respect to the average voltage of the surface of the photosensitive drum after transferring is the same as a charging polarity of the toner at developing.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2005Date of Patent: January 29, 2008Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Akira Hirota, Hiroaki Umemoto, Noritoshi Hagimoto, Kuniya Matsuura, Naotoshi Kawai, Kentaro Katori
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Patent number: 7197264Abstract: It is intended to provide an image forming apparatus capable of conducting charge adjustment of post-transfer residual toner appropriately by securing a contact area of a temporarily-collecting member and an electrode, without applying excessive deformation load to the temporarily-collecting member. There are arranged a brush roller for temporarily collecting post-transfer residual toner, and an electrode of which inwardly-curved face being in contact with the brush roller in a toner charge apparatus. Thereby, charged-in-opposite-polarity toner, out of post-transfer residual toner, is collected by the brush roller, polarity of the toner is reversed to original polarity, and then, returned to a photosensitive drum. The inner face of the electrode, i.e., a contact face of the electrode and the brush roller is formed in an inwardly-curved face. Thereby, a large contact area and light pushing force of the electrode to the brush roller can go together.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2004Date of Patent: March 27, 2007Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Hiroaki Umemoto, Noritoshi Hagimoto, Kuniya Matsuura, Akira Hirota, Naotoshi Kawai, Kentaro Katori
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Publication number: 20060285344Abstract: A buckle apparatus and a seat belt apparatus are provided that are capable of improving the attachment strength of the reflector. In one form, the buckle apparatus includes an upper cover having an insertion inlet at one side, a buckle portion provided in the upper cover and engaged with a tongue of a seat belt inserted through the insertion inlet, a light source provided in the vicinity of the insertion inlet in the upper cover, a reflector for diffusing and leading illuminating light flux eradiated from the light source, which is provided in inner wall faces, that form the insertion inlet by using the reflector as a mold piece.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2006Publication date: December 21, 2006Applicant: TAKATA CORPORATIONInventors: Shigeru KOHAMA, Yoshihiro KAWAMURA, Akira HIROTA
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Patent number: 7092649Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a charging member opposed to an outer circumferential surface of a rotating object to be charged. The image forming apparatus has a voltage applying section for applying a pulsating voltage Vsp between the charging member and the object to be charged. The pulsating voltage Vsp is obtained by superimposing a voltage component of a direct current on a voltage component that periodically changes. The image forming apparatus is made to satisfy a relation of Vpp?|Vth|, where Vpp is a peak-to-peak voltage value of the pulsating voltage Vsp and Vth is a charging start voltage value of the object to be charged. The relation prevents opposite charge from being imparted to residual toner on the object to be charged.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2004Date of Patent: August 15, 2006Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Akira Hirota, Kentaro Katori, Masahiko Matsuura
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Publication number: 20060083548Abstract: The color printer of the invention comprises a conductive brush roller contacting with a photosensitive drum at a position downstream of a transferring apparatus and upstream of a charging apparatus, collecting at least part of residual toner after transferring on the photosensitive drum temporarily, and expelling the collected toner onto the photosensitive drum, a charge electrode facing the brush roller at a position other than the contact position of the photosensitive drum and brush roller, and a power source for applying voltage to the charge electrode. The polarity of the voltage applied from the power source to the charge electrode with respect to the average voltage of the surface of the photosensitive drum after transferring is the same as a charging polarity of the toner at developing.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 5, 2005Publication date: April 20, 2006Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Akira Hirota, Hiroaki Umemoto, Noritoshi Hagimoto, Kuniya Matsuura, Naotoshi Kawai, Kentaro Katori
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Publication number: 20060083549Abstract: It is intended to provide an image forming apparatus capable of conducting charge adjustment of post-transfer residual toner appropriately by securing a contact area of a temporarily-collecting member and an electrode, without applying excessive deformation load to the temporarily-collecting member. There are arranged a brush roller for temporarily collecting post-transfer residual toner, and an electrode of which inwardly-curved face being in contact with the brush roller in a toner charge apparatus. Thereby, charged-in-opposite-polarity toner, out of post-transfer residual toner, is collected by the brush roller, polarity of the toner is reversed to original polarity, and then, returned to a photosensitive drum. The inner face of the electrode, i.e., a contact face of the electrode and the brush roller is formed in an inwardly-curved face. Thereby, a large contact area and light pushing force of the electrode to the brush roller can go together.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 27, 2004Publication date: April 20, 2006Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Hiroaki Umemoto, Noritoshi Hagimoto, Kuniya Matsuura, Akira Hirota, Naotoshi Kawai, Kentaro Katori
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Publication number: 20050220470Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a charging member opposed to an outer circumferential surface of a rotating object to be charged. The image forming apparatus has a voltage applying section for applying a pulsating voltage Vsp between the charging member and the object to be charged. The pulsating voltage Vsp is obtained by superimposing a voltage component of a direct current on a voltage component that periodically changes. The image forming apparatus is made to satisfy a relation of Vpp?|Vth|, where Vpp is a peak-to-peak voltage value of the pulsating voltage Vsp and Vth is a charging start voltage value of the object to be charged. The relation prevents opposite charge from being imparted to residual toner on the object to be charged.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 24, 2004Publication date: October 6, 2005Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Akira Hirota, Kentaro Katori, Masahiko Matsuura
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Patent number: 6316032Abstract: The present invention has for its object to provide a method for obtaining a barley malt oil abundantly containing ceramide derivatives of plant origin which is highly safe and gives a good image as a material in an efficient, simple and easy manner as well as to provide a barley malt oil which is obtained by such method above and is enriched in highly safe ceramide derivatives. The present invention provides a method for producing barley malt oil containing ceramide derivatives, comprising the steps of: dipping spent grains obtained in a process of beer production in a polar organic solvent as a dipping solution, separating an extract liquid from the dipping solution, and concentrating the extract liquid and also provides a barley malt oil containing ceramide derivatives obtainable by dipping spent grains obtained in a process of beer production in a polar organic solvent, separating an extract liquid from the resulting solution, and concentrating the extract liquid.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 1999Date of Patent: November 13, 2001Assignee: Sapporo Breweries LimitedInventors: Hisao Kado, Fujio Kobayashi, Akira Hirota, Naoki Abe
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Patent number: 5940661Abstract: An image forming apparatus with a charging member that allows easy removal of smears from an image forming drum. The apparatus removes smears from the image forming drum by placing a different portion of the charging member in contact with the drum. The apparatus uses a cam or a solenoid to press on the charging member to cause a different portion of the charging member to come into contact with the image forming drum.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 1998Date of Patent: August 17, 1999Inventors: Masataka Yagi, Tamotsu Sakuraba, Tetsumaru Fujita, Narutaka Yoshida, Akira Hirota, Tsugihito Yoshiyama, Masami Matsuura, Yasuhiro Nakagami, Masayasu Haga
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Patent number: 5911097Abstract: Applied voltage to the contact charging sheet 71 has been controlled in the following various ways: a) the voltage at the photosensitive layer 10 at a point of time whereat it has passed the contact charging sheet 71 is caused to interlock with grid voltage so as not to exceed predetermined voltage to be electrified by the Scorotron charger 2; b) the applied voltage is caused to interlock with the output from the transfer unit 5 so that there is no portion which reaches the Scorotron charger 2 while the potential polarity has been reversed at the transfer unit 5; c) reduction in the film thickness of the photosensitive layer 10 is corrected in consideration of the cumulative number of sheets for image formation; d) the size of printing sheet is added; e) at the time of termination, a portion of the photosensitive layer 10, into which current has flowed at the transfer unit 5, is caused to stop always after passing the contact charging sheet 71; f) the contact charging sheet 71 is cleaned by means of AC componType: GrantFiled: March 17, 1998Date of Patent: June 8, 1999Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masayasu Haga, Tsugihito Yoshiyama, Yasuhiro Nakagami, Masami Matsuura, Akira Hirota
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Patent number: 5062008Abstract: An apparatus for producing a frequency-multiplex signal on the basis of a plurality of signals so as to record the produced frequency-multiplex signal on a recording medium, second signal having a frequency lower than that of the first signal. The apparatus includes a multiplying circuit for multiplying the frequency of the second signal by 2 and an amplitude-modulator for multiplying the first signal by the output signal of the multiplying circuit. Also included in the apparatus is an adder for adding the second signal to the output signal of the amplitude-modulator, the output signal of the adder being recorded as the frequency-multiplexing signal on the recording medium.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 1990Date of Patent: October 29, 1991Assignee: Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.Inventors: Yutaka Ichinoi, Akira Hirota, Noboru Watanabe
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Patent number: 5051846Abstract: A magnetic tape is wound on a rotary drum through a predetermined angular range greater than a standard tape winding angle. The predetermined angular range has a first portion corresponding to the standard tape winding angle and a second portion extending outward of the first portion. A main information signal is recorded into a main information recording track on the magnetic tape which extends in a region corresponding to the first portion of the predetermined angular range. A sub information signal is recorded into a sub information recording track on the magnetic tape which extends along an extension line of the main information recording track and which extnds in a region corresponding to the second portion of the predetermined angular range. A plurality of magnetic heads have different track widths respectively and are mounted on the rotary drum. The magnetic heads form respective different tracks which together constitute the sub information recording track.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 1988Date of Patent: September 24, 1991Assignee: Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.Inventors: Takuya Tsushima, Akira Hirota, Naomichi Nishimoto, Takashi Uchimi