Patents by Inventor Akira Iwamoto

Akira Iwamoto 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: 8243443
    Abstract: A filter 101 of the present application has flexibility. The filter 101 includes a left protruding portion 102, a right protruding portion 103, a lower protruding portion 104a, a lower protruding portion 104b, and an upper protruding portion 105. The electronic equipment of the present application includes a main portion 2 and a display portion 3. The display portion 3 includes a left groove 11a, a right groove 11b, a lower groove 12a, and a lower groove 12b. The left protruding portion 102 can be inserted in the left groove 11a. The right protruding portion 103 can be inserted in the right groove 11b. The lower protruding portion 104a can be inserted in the lower groove 12a. The lower protruding portion 104b can be inserted in the lower groove 12b. When the filter 101 is mounted on the display portion 3, the upper protruding portion 105 is positioned on the display frame 9.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shintaro Tanaka, Akira Iwamoto
  • Publication number: 20120187810
    Abstract: The orientation of an electronic apparatus can be stabilized. At least one foot section among the foot sections provided on a laptop computer is provided with an orientation adjustment mechanism made up of a supporting member, a height adjustment member, and a screw, which makes it possible to eliminate loose play in the first enclosure by adjusting the height of the foot sections to any given height even if loose play occurs in the first enclosure due to disproportions in the height dimensions of the foot sections, deformation etc. of the first enclosure 1, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira IWAMOTO, Masaru FURUJIKU, Yoshinari MATSUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20120181155
    Abstract: Key impact noise produced during data entry operations is abated with a configuration in which the deformable portion of the resilient member can abut the bottom surface of the key top and a gap is formed between the key top and the membrane sheet when the key top is displaced to the lowered position. This allows for the key top to be prevented from abutting the membrane sheet when the key top is displaced by the user from the raised position to the lowered position. As a result, the noise of collision between the key top and the membrane sheet is no longer produced and the key impact noise of the keyboard can be diminished.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira IWAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20120162885
    Abstract: When a peripheral device is connected to an information processing apparatus, the peripheral device is contained without protruding from the information processing apparatus, and therefore, the peripheral device and the information processing apparatus are protected. A recess is provided in a side surface of a first housing and a USB port is disposed within the recess, and thus, the USB device connected to the USB port can be prevented from significantly protruding from the first housing. Moreover, in the case of a USB device with a reduced-size main body portion, the main body portion can be contained in the recess without protruding from the first housing. Accordingly, a situation in which a user snags his/her clothing or the like on the USB device can be avoided, and thus, damage to the USB device or a notebook computer can be avoided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira IWAMOTO, Masaru FURUJIKU, Yoshinari MATSUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20120155000
    Abstract: The position of an electronic apparatus can be stabilized. At least one of foot portions of a notebook computer includes a height adjustment mechanism consisting of a ground contact member, a height adjustment member, and a screw. Thus, even if a variation in height dimension among the foot portions, deformation of a first housing, or the like causes the first housing to become unsteady, the unsteadiness of the first housing can be cancelled by adjusting the height of the foot portion to any height.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira IWAMOTO, Masaru FURUJIKU, Yoshinari MATSUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20120154274
    Abstract: An input device with improved operability is provided. A first button and a second button are provided so as to extend to an area between a keyboard and a pad portion. With this configuration, when a user operates the first button and the second button while placing his/her both hands on the home positions of the keyboard, only a small amount of movement of fingers (for example, first fingers) is required, and therefore the user can operate the first button and the second button without significantly moving his/her both hands from the home positions. In other words, the user can operate the first button and the second button without stopping an input operation with the keyboard.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira IWAMOTO, Masaru FURUJIKU, Yoshinari MATSUYAMA
  • Patent number: 8040671
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes a battery unit 4 detachable from a first casing 1 and capable of supplying electric power to the apparatus, an HDD 8 detachable from the first casing 1 and capable of recording and reproducing data to and from an information medium, and a cover plate 5 capable of covering the HDD 8, wherein the cover plate 5 is movable between an covering position in which the HDD 8 is covered and a releasable position in which the HDD 8 can be released, and the battery unit 4 holds the cover plate 5 in place so as to be located in the covering position when the battery unit is attached to the first casing 1. With this configuration, since the HDD cannot be detached unless the battery unit is detached beforehand, the HDD can be prevented from being damaged when it is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Iwamoto, Hitoshi Nakatani
  • Publication number: 20110249410
    Abstract: Due to the presence of a regulating part in the vicinity of a protrusion of a guide member, a card holding apparatus can prevent large deformation of the protrusion even when an excess pressure force in an insertion direction is applied to the expansion card mounted on the card holding apparatus. Thus, when the subsequent expansion cards are mounted, a guide member can be displaced normally in the insertion direction, and a heart-shaped cam mechanism can be operated normally. Therefore, the expansion card can be removed from the card holding apparatus, using the elastic restoring force of a spring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinji FUJITA, Tetsuya KAWAMOTO, Akira IWAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20110214136
    Abstract: There is provided an information-processing equipment including an optical disc drive 40 within a chassis 31 thereof, the optical disc drive comprising: a turntable 41 for rotatably supporting an optical disc; an optical pickup 42 for recording an information signal onto the optical disc and/or reproducing an information signal recorded on the optical disc, and a movement mechanism 43 for moving the optical pickup in a radial direction of the optical disc; wherein a step part 37 extending in a predetermined direction Ls is formed on an inner surface of the chassis in an area where the optical disc drive is to be fixed, and wherein the optical disc drive is fixed in the area on the inner surface of the chassis at three portions 46A, 46B, 46C positioned straddling the step part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Inventors: Akira Iwamoto, Hitoshi Nakatani, Masaru Furujiku
  • Publication number: 20110076523
    Abstract: There is provided an information-processing equipment including a chassis having a housing section for detachably housing a battery pack therein, wherein the housing section is formed to include an opening portion for enabling inserting the battery pack from a side of the chassis, a back wall which opposes to a mounting end surface of the battery pack, a pair of side walls which oppose to a pair of side surfaces of the battery pack, and a ceiling wall which opposes to a mounting flat surface of the battery pack. The side wall of the housing section is provided with guide rails adapted to engage with slot portions provided on the side surface of the battery pack and to guide operations for inserting the battery pack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Inventors: Akira IWAMOTO, Masaru Furujiku
  • Publication number: 20110075378
    Abstract: There is provided a laptop personal computer comprising: a first chassis 11 accommodating a display section and having a basic shape of substantially rectangle in a planar view; a second chassis 31 accommodating an operation control section and having a basic shape of substantially rectangle in a planar view; and a hinge mechanism 20 for coupling one side 31r of the second chassis and one side 11r of the first chassis and supporting both chassis in a relatively openable and closable manner, wherein the hinge mechanism includes a hinge bracket 22 of which a base end 22b side is coupled with a hinge axle 21, the hinge bracket, being disposed inside an escutcheon part 14 of the first chassis and supports the first chassis: an extension part 14a which extends at a slant from a flat portion 14f of the escutcheon part is provided to a side edge portion of the escutcheon part from a side corresponding to a tip 22a of the hinge bracket to a side corresponding to the base end of the hinge bracket, and a slanted part 3
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Inventors: Shintaro TANAKA, Akira Iwamoto
  • Publication number: 20110075356
    Abstract: There is provided a laptop personal computer comprising: a first chassis 11 accommodating a display section and having a basic shape of substantially rectangle in a planar view; a second chassis 31 accommodating an operation control section and having a basic shape of substantially rectangle in a planar view; and a hinge mechanism 20 for coupling one side 31r of the second chassis and one side 11r of the first chassis and supporting both chassis in a relatively openable and closable manner, wherein the first chassis is provided with a projection part 19 at an edge portion of an other side 11f opposing to the one side 11r, the projection part is formed along the other side and projects to the second chassis side in a state where the first chassis is closed together with the second chassis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Inventors: Shintaro TANAKA, Akira Iwamoto
  • Publication number: 20110075343
    Abstract: There is provided a laptop personal computer comprising: a first chassis accommodating a display section and having a basic shape of substantially rectangle in a planar view; a second chassis accommodating an operation control section and having a basic shape of substantially rectangle in a planar view; and a hinge mechanism for coupling one side of the second chassis and one side of the first chassis and supporting both chassis in a relatively openable and closable manner; wherein an other side parallel to the one side of the first chassis is configured so that only its central portion in a widthwise direction parallel to the one side lays side-by-side to form substantially flat face with an other side of the second chassis in a state where the first chassis is closed together with the second chassis, and wherein the other side of the first chassis is configured, in a planar view, so that the more it departs from the central portion toward an edge portion in the widthwise direction, the more it comes closer
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Inventors: Tetsuya KAWAMOTO, Akira Iwamoto, Masaru Furujiku, Hitoshi Nakatani, Shintaro Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20110075357
    Abstract: A filter 101 of the present application has flexibility. The filter 101 includes a left protruding portion 102, a right protruding portion 103, a lower protruding portion 104a, a lower protruding portion 104b, and an upper protruding portion 105. The electronic equipment of the present application includes a main portion 2 and a display portion 3. The display portion 3 includes a left groove 11a, a right groove 11b, a lower groove 12a, and a lower groove 12b. The left protruding portion 102 can be inserted in the left groove 11a. The right protruding portion 103 can be inserted in the right groove 11b. The lower protruding portion 104a can be inserted in the lower groove 12a. The lower protruding portion 104b can be inserted in the lower groove 12b. When the filter 101 is mounted on the display portion 3, the upper protruding portion 105 is positioned on the display frame 9.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shintaro TANAKA, Akira IWAMOTO
  • Patent number: 7901764
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a multi-layered polylactic acid resin foamed body of a crystalline polylactic acid resin which has good appearance and excellent mechanical strength such as bending strength and compressive strength and which is capable of being imparted with excellent heat resistance, and to provide a multi-layered polylactic acid resin foamed molded article having excellent appearance, heat resistance and mechanical strengh. The multi-layered polylactic acid resien foamed body of the present invention is a laminate having a polylactic acid resin foamed layer and a thermoplastic resin layer provided at least one side of the foamed layer, wherein the foamed layer has a cell shape satisfying specific conditions, wherein the difference (?Hendo:2° C./min??Hexo:2° C./min) between an endothermic calorific value (?Hendo:2° C./min) and an exothermic calorific value (?Hexo:2° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: JSP Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Takase, Takashi Kawada, Akira Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 7894181
    Abstract: The rear housing composing the display portion includes a raised portion and a non-raised portion with a level difference therebetween. The rear housing of the display portion is formed in such a manner that the non-raised portion has a cylindrically curved surface and that the level difference has an edge line at right angles with the lateral line of the cylindrically curved surface. The rear housing has such an automobile hood structure with a partially raised surface, thereby being prevented from being deformed due to external pressure not only in its width direction but also in its longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Iwamoto, Jun Sato, Isao Shimada, Atsushi Murase
  • Patent number: 7701698
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus of the present invention includes an upper casing 11, a lower casing 12 coupled to the upper casing 11 and forming a space for housing at least an electrical element, and a keyboard 3 disposed on the upper casing 11. The lower casing 12 includes a wall portion 13d arranged to stand from the inner bottom 12d, and a supporting face 13a formed integrally with the wall portion 13d from the wall portion 13d in a direction substantially parallel to the inner bottom 12d. The supporting face 13a is disposed at a position where the rear side of the operational side of the keyboard 13 can be supported. With such a configuration, key touch feeling of the keyboard can be prevented from declining, and an excellently robust information processing apparatus can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Iwamoto, Isao Shimada, Jun Satoh, Hitoshi Nakatani
  • Publication number: 20100086758
    Abstract: A foamed sheet of a base resin containing 50 to 100% by weight of a polylactic acid resin and having an apparent density of 63 to 630 kg/m3, a thickness of 0.5 to 7 mm and endothermic and exothermic calorific values of ?Hendo:2 and ?Hexo:2, respectively, as measured by heat flux differential scanning calorimetry at a heating rate of 2° C./min. The endothermic calorific value ?Hendo:2 is at least 10 J/g and the difference (?Hendo:2-?Hexo:2) between the endothermic calorific value ?Hendo:2 and the exothermic calorific value ?Hexo:2 is more than 20 J/g and less than 40 J/g. A foam molding such as a receptacle is prepared by thermoforming the foamed sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Applicant: JSP Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Takase, Takashi Kawada, Akira Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 7676794
    Abstract: To efficiently decide input data of an API to be executed and indicate a candidate for an API to be executed, a tool for testing a scenario which sequentially executes a plurality of APIs includes an API test control unit that stores, with the execution of the API, sequence data indicating an execution sequence of the APIs and input and output data in a test information database via an API sequence registering unit. Association data indicating association of input and output data between the APIs is also stored in the test information database via an association registering unit. Responsively, the API test control unit displays a candidate API list indicating one or more candidates for an API to be executed next based on the sequence data, and decides the input data of the API to be executed next based on the association data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Akiyama, Yohichi Hattori, Akira Iwamoto
  • Publication number: 20100028654
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a multi-layered polylactic acid resin foamed body of a crystalline polylactic acid resin which has good appearance and excellent mechanical strength such as bending strength and compressive strength and which is capable of being imparted with excellent heat resistance, and to provide a multi-layered polylactic acid resin foamed molded article having excellent appearance, heat resistance and mechanical strength. The multi-layered polylactic acid resin foamed body of the present invention is a laminate having a polylactic acid resin foamed layer and a thermoplastic resin layer provided at least one side of the foamed layer, wherein the foamed layer has a cell shape satisfying specific conditions, wherein the difference (?Hendo:2° C./min??Hexo:2° C./min) between an endothermic calorific value (?Hendo:2° C./min) and an exothermic calorific value (?Hexo:2° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2005
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: JSP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichi Takase, Takashi Kawada, Akira Iwamoto