Patents by Inventor Akira Tomioka

Akira Tomioka 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: 7777602
    Abstract: Tape-shaped superconducting wires, and a superconducting coil formed from said wires, wherein a plurality of electrically separated superconducting film parts, each having a rectangular cross section and arranged in parallel, form parallel conductors, providing superconducting wires capable of containing losses incurred in the presence of alternating current (A/C). A superconducting coil is made by winding the superconducting wires, wherein the coil structure contains at least a part wherein perpendicular interlinkage magnetic fluxes acting among conductor elements of the parallel conductors by the distribution of magnetic fields generated by the superconducting coils cancel mutually in order to contain circulating current within the wires and to make shunt current uniform, thereby providing a low-loss A/C superconducting coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignees: International Superconductivity Technology Center, Juridical Foundation, Fuji Electric Systems Co., Ltd., Fujikura Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Funaki, Masataka Iwakuma, Takanobu Kisu, Akira Tomioka, Toshio Uede, Hiroshi Fuji, Teruo Izumi, Yuh Shiohara
  • Publication number: 20090170708
    Abstract: Tape-shaped superconducting wires, and a superconducting coil formed from said wires, wherein a plurality of electrically separated superconducting film parts, each having a rectangular cross section and arranged in parallel, form parallel conductors, providing superconducting wires capable of containing losses incurred in the presence of alternating current (A/C). A superconducting coil is made by winding the superconducting wires, wherein the coil structure contains at least a part wherein perpendicular interlinkage magnetic fluxes acting among conductor elements of the parallel conductors by the distribution of magnetic fields generated by the superconducting coils cancel mutually in order to contain circulating current within the wires and to make shunt current uniform, thereby providing a low-loss A/C superconducting coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicants: INTERNATIONAL SUPERCONDUCTIVITY TECHNOLOGY CENTER, THE JURIDICIAL FOUNDATION, FUJI ELECTRIC SYSTEMS CO., LTD., FUJIKURA LTD., KAZUO FUNAKI, MASATAKA IWAKUMA, TAKANOBU KISU
    Inventors: Kazuo Funaki, Masataka Iwakuma, Takanobu Kisu, Akira Tomioka, Toshio Uede, Hiroshi Fuji, Teruo Izumi, Yuh Shiohara
  • Patent number: 7453340
    Abstract: Tape-shaped superconducting wires, and a superconducting coil formed from said wires, wherein a plurality of electrically separated superconducting film parts, each having a rectangular cross section and arranged in parallel, form parallel conductors, providing superconducting wires capable of containing losses incurred in the presence of alternating current (A/C). A superconducting coil is made by winding the superconducting wires, wherein the coil structure contains at least a part wherein perpendicular interlinkage magnetic fluxes acting among conductor elements of the parallel conductors by the distribution of magnetic fields generated by the superconducting coils cancel mutually in order to contain circulating current within the wires and to make shunt current uniform, thereby providing a low-loss A/C superconducting coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignees: International Superconductivity Technology Center, The Juridical Foundation, Fuji Electric Systems Co., Ltd., Fujikura Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Funaki, Masataka Iwakuma, Takanobu Kisu, Akira Tomioka, Toshio Uede, Hiroshi Fuji, Teruo Izumi, Yuh Shiohara
  • Patent number: 7394338
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a superconducting coil includes a tertiary parallel superconductor unit (60) composed of superposed in parallel a plurality of layers of secondary parallel superconductor units (50). The layers of secondary parallel superconductor units include a plurality of superconductor elements (40) arranged in parallel along the axial direction of the coil, forming a superconducting conductor unit. The tertiary parallel superconductor unit is wound on a bobbin (55). In another embodiment, the superconducting coil includes one or more layers of the secondary parallel superconductor unit wound on the bobbin. In both embodiments, the secondary parallel superconductor unit can include at least one non-superconducting conductor element (70). The layer of the secondary parallel superconductor unit forming an outer side of the tertiary parallel superconductor unit can include at least one non-superconducting conductor element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignees: Fuji Electric Systems Co., Ltd., Fujikura Ltd., Railway Technical Research Institute, Superconductivity Research Laboratory, International Superconductivity Technology Center, The Juridical Foundation, Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Masataka Iwakuma, Akira Tomioka, Masayuki Konno, Hiroshi Fuji, Kenji Suzuki, Teruo Izumi, Yuh Shiohara, Hidemi Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20060238928
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a superconducting coil includes a tertiary parallel superconductor unit (60) composed of superposed in parallel a plurality of layers of secondary parallel superconductor units (50). The layers of secondary parallel superconductor units include a plurality of superconductor elements (40) arranged in parallel along the axial direction of the coil, forming a superconducting conductor unit. The tertiary parallel superconductor unit is wound on a bobbin (55). In another embodiment, the superconducting coil includes one or more layers of the secondary parallel superconductor unit wound on the bobbin. In both embodiments, the secondary parallel superconductor unit can include at least one non-superconducting conductor element (70). The layer of the secondary parallel superconductor unit forming an outer side of the tertiary parallel superconductor unit can include at least one non-superconducting conductor element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2006
    Publication date: October 26, 2006
    Applicants: Fuji Electric Systems Co., Ltd., Fujikura Ltd., Railway Technical Research Institute, The Juridical Foundation, Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Masataka Iwakuma, Akira Tomioka, Masayuki Konno, Hiroshi Fuji, Kenji Suzuki, Teruo Izumi, Yuh Shiohara, Hidemi Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20060077025
    Abstract: Tape-shaped superconducting wires are made by forming a superconducting film on the substrate. At least the superconducting film is slit, electrically separated into a plurality of superconducting film parts each having a rectangular cross section and arranged in parallel to form parallel conductors. This provides superconducting wires capable of containing AC loss. A superconducting coil is made by winding the superconducting wires described above, wherein the provision of a coil structure containing at least partially a part wherein the perpendicular interlinkage magnetic flux acting among various conductor elements of the parallel conductors by the distribution of the magnetic field generated by the superconducting coils cancel mutually enables a simple structure without transposition to cancel mutually the interlinkage magnetic flux by the perpendicular magnetic field against wires, to contain circulating current within the wires by the perpendicular magnetic field and to make shunt current uniform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2004
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Inventors: Kazuo Funaki, Masataka Iwakuma, Takanobu Kisu, Akira Tomioka, Toshio Uede, Hiroshi Fuji, Teruo Izumi, Yuh Shiohara
  • Patent number: 6557725
    Abstract: An article discharging device having a main body (1) with an opening (1a) which is provided in a front side, comprising: a container (2) for containing and holding an article therein, which comprises a front wall (2b) at least a portion of which is transparent and an article entrance (8) formed in an upper side, wherein the container (2) is able to close the opening and the article held in the container can be viewed through the transparent portion of the front wall in a closed state, and the container can be rotated reciprocally around a predetermined axis (2a), to take the closed state or an article entrance exposed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Tomy Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Tomioka
  • Patent number: 6547056
    Abstract: A coin counting device which comprises: a coin temporary reserve member (3) for temporarily reserving coins therein in a standing condition, the coin temporary reserve member (3) being able to move reciprocally and laterally between a temporary reserve position and a transfer position; and an engaging member (32) which inhibits the coin temporary reserve member (3) to move from the temporary reserve position to the transfer position when the number of coins reserved in the temporary reserve member is smaller than a predetermined number, and which permits the temporary reserve member to move from the temporary reserve position to the transfer position when the number of coins reserved therein is equal to the predetermined number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Tomy Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Tomioka
  • Publication number: 20010010315
    Abstract: An article discharging device having a main body (1) with an opening (1a) which is provided in a front side, comprising: a container (2) for containing and holding an article therein, which comprises a front wall (2b) at least a portion of which is transparent and an article entrance (8) formed in an upper side, wherein the container (2) is able to close the opening and the article held in the container can be viewed through the transparent portion of the front wall in a closed state, and the container can be rotated reciprocally around a predetermined axis (2a), to take the closed state or an article entrance exposed state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2001
    Publication date: August 2, 2001
    Inventor: Akira Tomioka
  • Publication number: 20010011006
    Abstract: A coin counting device which comprises: a coin temporary reserve member (3) for temporarily reserving coins therein in a standing condition, the coin temporary reserve member (3) being able to move reciprocally and laterally between a temporary reserve position and a transfer position; and an engaging member (32) which inhibits the coin temporary reserve member (3) to move from the temporary reserve position to the transfer position when the number of coins reserved in the temporary reserve member is smaller than a predetermined number, and which permits the temporary reserve member to move from the temporary reserve position to the transfer position when the number of coins reserved therein is equal to the predetermined number.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Publication date: August 2, 2001
    Inventor: Akira Tomioka
  • Patent number: 6186309
    Abstract: A coin discriminating device for discriminating put-in coins into a normal coin and a smaller coin, in which the maximum number of normal coins to be put-in can be easily changed. The coin discriminating device includes a turn plate having a cut-out portion and a coin discriminating pawl portion on a periphery thereof. A plurality of coin discriminating levers, each of which has an engaging portion able to engage with the coin discriminating pawl portion, abut against a periphery of corresponding received put-in coins in the cut-out portion, respectively. A biasing member biases a free end of the coin discriminating levers to a side of the turn plate, and a handle is provided for rotating the turn plate. A regulating member regulates a number of normal coins to be put in the cut-out portion of the turn plate, and a setting member is provided for setting the number of normal coins to be put-in.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Tomy Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Tomioka
  • Patent number: 5738245
    Abstract: A commodity discharging device in an automatic vending machine, which can easily change the area of the commodity discharging opening, is disclosed. The commodity discharging device comprises: a drum which is rotatable with respect to a shaft extending in a vertical direction and is provided with a commodity discharging opening penetrating in a vertical direction, so as to discharge a commodity via said commodity discharging opening by rotating said drum through a predetermined angle; and an opening regulating member provided on the drum, which can change the effective opening area of said commodity discharging opening by overlapping said commodity discharging opening due to rotation thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: Tomy Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Tomioka
  • Patent number: 5715925
    Abstract: A coin sorting device of an automatic vending machine which can easily change a price without changing the automatic vending machine or the coin sorting device, is disclosed. In the coin sorting device, each of a pair of coin sorting levers prevents rotation of the turn plate due to engagement of the engaging portion with the coin sorting pawl portion when a put-in coin is smaller than a normal coin. On the other hand, when a put-in coin is the normal coin, the engaging portion is arranged to ride over the coin sorting pawl portion due to a sliding contact of the normal coin following rotation of the turn plate. One of the pair of coin sorting levers is provided with a coupling pin which can couple or coupling-release the coin sorting levers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1998
    Assignee: Tomy Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Tomioka
  • Patent number: D445458
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Tomy Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Tomioka