Patents by Inventor Akira Matsuo

Akira Matsuo 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).

  • Publication number: 20170059982
    Abstract: Provided is a film for a transparent screen which can clearly display merchandise information, advertisement, or the like on a transparent partition or the like by projection without compromising the transmission visibility. A film for a transparent screen according to the present invention includes: a resin layer; and inorganic particles at least a portion of which is contained in an aggregated state in the resin layer, wherein primary particles of the inorganic particles have a median diameter of 0.1 to 50 nm and a maximum particle size of 10 to 500 nm, and the content of the inorganic particles is 0.015 to 1.2% by mass with respect to the resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2015
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Applicants: Tokyo Institute of Technology, JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation
    Inventors: Junji WATANABE, Koichi SAKAJIRI, Kousuke YAMAKI, Suzushi NISHIMURA, Akira MATSUO
  • Publication number: 20160369023
    Abstract: [Objects] Provided is an ionomer resin composition that, when molded into a film shape, is small in both of orientational birefringence and photoelastic birefringence and excellent in transparency, heat resistance, flexibility, and size stability. Additionally, provided are an optical film including the ionomer resin composition, a polarizing plate including the optical film, and a liquid crystal display apparatus including the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2015
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Applicant: JX NIPPON OIL & ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira MATSUO, Sayako UCHIZAWA
  • Publication number: 20160282519
    Abstract: There are provided an optical film having both low orientation birefringence and low photoelastic birefringence and, at the same time, having excellent transparency and heat resistance, and a polarizing plate including the optical film and a liquid crystal display device. An acrylic copolymer according to the present invention includes as constituent units 0.5 to 35% by mass of N-aromatic substituted maleimide units and 60 to 85% by mass of alkyl (meth)acrylate units having a negative intrinsic birefringence in terms of a homopolymer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Inventors: Yasuhiro KOIKE, Akihiro TAGAYA, Sayako UCHIZAWA, Akira MATSUO, Yasuo MATSUMURA
  • Patent number: 9437702
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic component manufacturing method, capable of suppressing reduction in a trench opening and suppressing diffusion of a metal film embedded in a trench. An embodiment of the present invention is an electronic component manufacturing method, including the steps of: forming a first electrode constituting layer (e.g., a TiAl film) in a recess (e.g., a trench) formed in a workpiece; forming an ultrathin barrier layer (e.g., a TiAlN film) by forming a nitride layer by plasma-nitriding a surface of the first electrode constituting layer; and forming a second electrode constituting layer (e.g., an Al wiring layer) on the ultrathin barrier layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: CANON ANELVA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Matsuo, Yohsuke Shibuya, Naomu Kitano, Eitaroh Morimoto, Koji Yamazaki, Yu Sato, Takuya Seino
  • Publication number: 20160195654
    Abstract: To provide an optical film that can transmit one of orthogonal polarized components and scatter the other one thereof and a process for producing the optical film. An optical film includes an optically isotropic continuous phase and an optically anisotropic dispersed phase, in which the optically isotropic continuous phase has a birefringence of below 1.5×10?4; a ratio: L1/L2 of a mean Feret diameter L1 of the optically anisotropic dispersed phase in one direction D1 of in-plane directions of the optical film to a mean Feret diameter L2 of the optically anisotropic dispersed phase in a direction D2 orthogonal to the direction D1 is 2.5 or more; and the mean Feret diameter L2 is 0.5 ?m or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Applicant: JX NIPPON OIL & ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gorou SUZAKI, Suzushi NISHIMURA, Akira MATSUO
  • Publication number: 20150369963
    Abstract: There are provided an optical film having both low orientation birefringence and low photoelastic birefringence and, at the same time, having excellent transparency and heat resistance, and a polarizing plate including the optical film and a liquid crystal display device. An acrylic copolymer according to the present invention includes as constituent units 0.5 to 35% by mass of N-aromatic substituted maleimide units and 60 to 85% by mass of alkyl (meth)acrylate units having a negative intrinsic birefringence in terms of a homopolymer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2013
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Yasuhiro KOIKE, Akihiko TAGAYA, Sayako UCHIZAWA, Akira MATSUO, Yasuo MATSUMURA
  • Patent number: 9097836
    Abstract: The present invention can provide a methacrylic resin which has excellent transparency and color and less defects such as fish eyes and thus suitable for optical films by adding (A) a polymeric dispersant represented by formula (1) below and (B) an inorganic salt and/or organic salt selected from alkali metal salts, alkaline earth metal salts and ammonium salts when methyl methacrylate alone or a monomer mixture containing methyl methacrylate as one component is subjected to suspension-polymerization: (n=10 to 60 mol %, m=40 to 90 mol %, R1 is hydrogen or a methyl group, R2 is an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and M is an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal or NH4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignees: JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation, KEIO UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Sayako Uchizawa, Akira Matsuo, Yasuo Matsumura, Ayumu Komata
  • Patent number: 9074308
    Abstract: Disclosed is a highly safe battery separator, in particular a separator for a lithium ion secondary battery, which reduces internal resistance, achieves good ionic conductivity, prevents passing of electrode active materials, and also prevents electrical short circuit by controlling deposition of lithium metal (dendrite). Also disclosed is a means for stably producing the battery separator with high productivity. Specifically disclosed are: a battery separator which is composed of a porous polyolefin sheet that is formed from a group of polyolefin nanofilaments that have an average filament diameter of less than 1 ?m and a filament size distribution of 0.2 or less; and a means for producing the battery separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignees: University of Yamanashi, JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro Suzuki, Takehiro Toyooka, Akira Matsuo, Takeshi Nishizawa, Atsuo Omaru
  • Publication number: 20140319676
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic component manufacturing method, capable of suppressing reduction in a trench opening and suppressing diffusion of a metal film embedded in a trench. An embodiment of the present invention is an electronic component manufacturing method, including the steps of: forming a first electrode constituting layer (e.g., a TiAl film) in a recess (e.g., a trench) formed in a workpiece; forming an ultrathin barrier layer (e.g., a TiAlN film) by forming a nitride layer by plasma-nitriding a surface of the first electrode constituting layer; and forming a second electrode constituting layer (e.g., an Al wiring layer) on the ultrathin barrier layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventors: Akira MATSUO, Yohsuke SHIBUYA, Naomu KITANO, Eitaroh MORIMOTO, Koji YAMAZAKI, Yu SATO, Takuya SEINO
  • Publication number: 20140316090
    Abstract: The present invention can provide a methacrylic resin which has excellent transparency and color and less defects such as fish eyes and thus suitable for optical films by adding (A) a polymeric dispersant represented by formula (1) below and (B) an inorganic salt and/or organic salt selected from alkali metal salts, alkaline earth metal salts and ammonium salts when methyl methacrylate alone or a monomer mixture containing methyl methacrylate as one component is subjected to suspension-polymerization: (n=10 to 60 mol %, m=40 to 90 mol %, R1 is hydrogen or a methyl group, R2 is an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and M is an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal or NH4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Inventors: Sayako Uchizawa, Akira Matsuo, Yasuo Matsumura, Ayumu Komata
  • Publication number: 20140309373
    Abstract: A phase difference film obtained by stretching a resin film formed of a resin composition containing a copolymer having a first structural unit represented by the following formula (1) and a second structural unit represented by the following formula (2), in at least a uniaxial direction, in which the content of the first structural unit in the above-described copolymer is 3 to 50 mol % on the basis of the total of the first structural unit and the second structural unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: JX NIPPON OIL & ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Matsuo, Yuji Takahashi, Akira Takagi, Hisashi Sone
  • Publication number: 20140309395
    Abstract: Disclosed is an optical film comprising a resin material containing a copolymer of 20 to 90% by weight of methyl methacrylate, 10 to 70% by weight of tert-butylcyclohexyl methacrylate represented by formula (I): and 0 to 20% by weight of a monomer other than methyl methacrylate and tert-butylcyclohexyl methacrylate, the optical film having been produced by drawing an undrawn film formed by melt-extruding the resin material by a factor of 1.4 to 6.0 in terms of area ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Koike, Akihiro Tagaya, Akira Matsuo, Sayako Uchizawa, Yasuo Matsumura
  • Publication number: 20140293202
    Abstract: Disclosed is an optical film produced by a method comprising continuously discharging a molten resin on a casting roll through a die lip of an extruder, wherein the molten resin contains a copolymer of (A) 75 to 99% by weight of an (meth)acrylate monomer that, when homopolymerized, has a negative intrinsic birefringence, and (B) 1 to 25% by weight of an (meth)acrylate monomer that, when homopolymerized, has a positive intrinsic birefringence, and a velocity ratio V2/V1 of 1.2 to 15 is satisfied wherein V1 represents a discharge velocity of the molten resin from the die lip, m/min; and V2 represents a surface velocity of the casting roll, m/min.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Koike, Akihiro Tagaya, Yasuo Matsumura, Akira Matsuo, Sayako Uchizawa
  • Patent number: 8835296
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electronic component manufacturing method including a step of embedding a metal film. An embodiment of the present invention includes a first step of depositing a barrier layer containing titanium nitride on an object to be processed on which a concave part is formed and a second step of filling a low-melting-point metal directly on the barrier layer under a temperature condition allowing the low-melting-point metal to flow, by a PCM sputtering method while forming a magnetic field by a magnet unit including plural magnets which are arranged at grid points of a polygonal grid so as to have different polarities between the neighboring magnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Anelva Corporation
    Inventors: Shunichi Wakayanagi, Takayuki Saito, Takuya Seino, Akira Matsuo, Koji Yamazaki, Eitaro Morimoto, Yohsuke Shibuya, Yu Sato, Naomu Kitano
  • Patent number: 8765938
    Abstract: The object is to produce a polysaccharide and/or a monosaccharide efficiently by hydrolyzing a different polysaccharide efficiently. The hydrolysis of a polysaccharide is an important means for producing a monosaccharide that can be used as a starting material for the production of ethanol, the solubilization of a water-insoluble polysaccharide, and the production of a useful water-soluble low-polymeric saccharide or the like. For achieving the object, a polysaccharide to be hydrolyzed is reacted with water in the presence of a carbonaceous material having sulfonic acid group therein to cause the hydrolysis of the polysaccharide to be hydrolyzed, thereby producing a other polysaccharide and/or a monosaccharide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignees: Tokyo Institute of Technology, Nippon Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Michikazu Hara, Shinichiro Yanagawa, Akira Matsuo, Hidesato Kondo
  • Patent number: 8758652
    Abstract: A tungsten cathode material to be used for TIG welding, plasma spraying, plasma cutting, electro-discharge machining, discharge lamps, and the like is improved; use of the radioactive element thorium is reduced; and a long life and a high performance are realized. In a tungsten cathode material, oxide particles containing an oxide or oxides of at least one selected from the group consisting of Sm, Nd, Gd, and La in a total amount of 50 vol % or more are dispersed, the oxide particles having an average particle diameter d satisfying the relationship 0<d?2.5 ?m. Given a volume fraction f (vol %) of the total amount of the oxide particles in the tungsten cathode material, 0.083?f/I holds when a current I(A) such that 0<I?40 A is applied to an electrode being made of the tungsten cathode material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Nippon Tungsten Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Matsuo, Yasutsugu Ueno, Keiji Hara, Keiichi Ozuka, Shuichi Teramoto
  • Publication number: 20140120423
    Abstract: This invention related to an electrode for lithium secondary batteries, which enables high-rate charging and discharging and is capable of maintaining high battery capacity retention ratio even under large charge and discharge current conditions; a lithium secondary battery; and a method for producing an electrode for lithium secondary batteries. The electrode for lithium secondary batteries includes a metal foil, a coating layer that is provided on the surface of the metal foil and an electrode mixture laminated on the surface of the coating layer, and wherein the coating layer contains a binder and conductive particles; and the electrode mixture contains an electrode active material and 0 to 1.4 mass % of a conductive additive with respect to the electrode mixture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Akira Matsuo, Masahiro Ohmori, Masatoshi Kunisawa
  • Publication number: 20140017114
    Abstract: Provided is a cathode material which becomes an alternative material of a cathode material formed of a W—ThO2 alloy and is formed of a tungsten alloy that does not include thorium which is a radioactive element. When particles of a rare earth oxide and tungsten carbide are finely dispersed in a tungsten cathode material used as a discharge cathode material used in TIG, plasma spraying, plasma cutting, electrical discharge machining, discharge lamps and the like, reduction and diffusion of the rare earth oxide are accelerated, and supply of rare earth elements to a cathode surface is ensured, thereby improving discharge characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: NIPPON TUNGSTEN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Matsuo, Yasutsugu Ueno, Yusuke Kai
  • Publication number: 20130302388
    Abstract: The present invention is a skin cosmetic comprising agar hydrogel particles having an average particle size of 0.2-5 mm obtained by stirring and cooling, in an oil based solvent, an agar aqueous solution prepared such that the breaking stress after the cooling/solidification is 0.005-0.1 MPa and an oil based gel prepared by mixing fine particles of silicone that are three-dimensionally cross-linked chemically and silicone oil and/or hydrocarbon oil. The object of the present invention is to provide a cosmetic that gives a moderate massaging sensation at the time of use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2013
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: SHISEIDO COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Akira MATSUO, Tomomi FURUKAWARA
  • Patent number: D753591
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidetaka Noda, Takehiko Hasegawa, Akira Matsuo