Patents by Inventor Atsushi Fukui

Atsushi Fukui 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: 20190295780
    Abstract: A dye-sensitized solar cell includes: a first light-transmitting substrate and a second substrate; an electrolytic solution; a transparent conductive layer; a porous semiconductor layer; a photosensitizer supported on the porous semiconductor layer; a first sealing member that forms a space between the first light-transmitting substrate and the second substrate, the space being filled with the electrolytic solution, the space including an injection hole that has an opening for injecting the electrolytic solution; and a second sealing member that seals the injection hole to thereby hermetically seal the space. In a cross section parallel to a principal surface of the first light-transmitting substrate and including the injection hole, a distance H is larger than a width h of the opening of the injection hole, where the distance H is the distance between two contact points at which the first sealing member, the second sealing member, and the electrolytic solution are in contact with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohisa YOSHIE, Atsushi FUKUI, Kei KASAHARA, Naoto NISHIMURA, Daisuke TOYOSHIMA
  • Patent number: 10408198
    Abstract: A fluid pressure pump and a fluid pressure system in which leakage of fluid and ablation of a cylinder block and a port plate can be prevented by pressing the cylinder block to the port plate with an appropriate pressing force. A hydraulic pump includes a cylinder block that has a cylinder chamber that may be in communication with an oil passage of a port plate and in which a piston is housed; and a cylinder block pressing means imparting, to the cylinder block, a pressing force that presses the cylinder block to the port plate. The cylinder block pressing mechanism has a changing means that changes the force that presses the cylinder block to the port plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: NABTESCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiko Maruoka, Atsushi Fukui
  • Patent number: 10388945
    Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a positive electrode including a positive electrode mix layer, a negative electrode, and a nonaqueous electrolyte. The positive electrode mix layer contains a lithium transition metal oxide containing zirconium (Zr) and also contains a phosphate compound. The nonaqueous electrolyte contains a linear carboxylate. According to this configuration, the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery, which has excellent low-temperature output characteristics, can be provided. Thus, the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is, for example, a power supply for driving a mobile data terminal such as a mobile phone, a notebook personal computer, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal and is particularly suitable for applications needing high energy density. Furthermore, the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is conceivably used for high-output applications such as electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and electric tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Nishide, Atsushi Fukui
  • Patent number: 10374205
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to improve the low-temperature output characteristics of a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery. A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to an embodiment includes an electrode assembly having a structure in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are stacked with a porous separator provided therebetween. The positive electrode contains tungsten and a phosphate compound. The separator contains a material having higher oxidation resistance than a polyethylene and has a pore distribution peak sharpness index of 40 or more in the range of 0.01 ?m to 10 ?m as calculated using formula 1: formula 1: pore distribution peak sharpness index=(peak value of Log differential pore volume)/(difference between maximum pore size and minimum pore size at position corresponding to ½ peak value of Log differential pore volume).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumiharu Niina, Daisuke Nishide, Atsushi Fukui
  • Patent number: 10366842
    Abstract: A dye-sensitized solar cell formed by layering a conductive layer; a photoelectric conversion layer in which a dye is adsorbed in a porous semiconductor layer and the layer is filled with a carrier transporting material; and a counter electrode including only a counter electrode conductive layer or including a catalyst layer and a counter electrode conductive layer on a support made of a light transmitting material, in which the photoelectric conversion layer is brought into contact with the counter electrode; the porous semiconductor layer forming the photoelectric conversion layer has two or more layers with different light scattering properties; and the two or more porous semiconductor layers are layered in an order of from a layer with lower light scattering property to a layer with higher light scattering property from a light receiving face side of the dye-sensitized solar cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryohsuke Yamanaka, Nobuhiro Fuke, Atsushi Fukui
  • Publication number: 20190221889
    Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte includes a lithium salt, a trifluoropropionate ester of the formula (1), and a fluorinated carboxylate ester of the formula (2). The amount of (1) is not less than 10 mass % of the nonaqueous electrolyte. In the formulae, R1 is a C1-3 alkyl group, one or two of X1 to X4 are fluorine atoms, R2 is a hydrogen atom, a C1-3 alkyl group or a fluorinated C1-3 alkyl group, and R3 is a C1-3 alkyl group or a fluorinated C1-3 alkyl group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takanobu Chiga, Naoya Morisawa, Kazuhiro Iida, Atsushi Fukui
  • Patent number: 10352169
    Abstract: A rotary actuator includes an output shaft, a housing, a piston, and a friction reducer. The housing includes an arcuate bore that extends around the output shaft. The piston is coupled to the output shaft and moved in the arcuate bore. Pressure fluid acts to move the piston. The friction reducer is configured to reduce friction between a peripheral surface of the piston and an inner circumferential surface of the housing forming the arcuate bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: NABTESCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Ito, Atsushi Fukui
  • Publication number: 20190214630
    Abstract: A negative electrode for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a negative electrode current collector, a negative electrode active material layer provided on the surface of the negative electrode current collector, and a first film which has lithium ion permeability and which coats at least a portion of the surface of the negative electrode active material layer and partially coats the surface of the negative electrode current collector. The first film preferably contains a first lithium compound containing an element M1, an element A1, and lithium. Herein, M1 is at least one selected from the group consisting of P, Si, B, V, Nb, W, Ti, Zr, Al, Ba, La, and Ta; and A1 is at least one selected from the group consisting of F, S, O, N, and Br.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kawada, Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Atsushi Fukui
  • Patent number: 10340525
    Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery positive electrode capable of suppressing a decomposition reaction of an electrolyte solution in an overcharged state is provided. A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery positive electrode according to this embodiment includes a positive electrode active material layer which includes a positive electrode active material (54) containing a lithium transition metal oxide, a tungsten compound (56), a phosphoric acid compound (58) not in contact with the positive electrode active material (54), and an electrically conductive agent (52) in contact with the tungsten compound (56) and the phosphoric acid compound (58).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuu Takanashi, Fumiharu Niina, Atsushi Fukui, Takahiro Isono
  • Patent number: 10338521
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main frame, a plurality of process cartridges, a cartridge-supporting body, a belt, a waste toner cartridge, a contact-separation mechanism, and a collective conveying unit. Each process cartridge includes a photosensitive drum and a drum cleaning unit collecting waste toner on the drum. The cartridge-supporting body is movable between an internal position inside the frame and an external position outside the frame. The belt confronts the process cartridges in the internal position. The waste toner cartridge accommodates the waste toner collected from the drums. The contact-separation mechanism moves the cartridge-supporting body between a contact position where the drums are in contact with the belt and a separated position where the drums are out of contact with the belt. The collective conveying unit aggregates waste toner collected from drums and conveys collectively the aggregated waste toner to the waste toner cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shougo Sato, Atsushi Fukui, Isao Fukuchi
  • Patent number: 10338515
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a main body, a belt unit configured to accommodate a belt, a belt cleaning member and an accommodating unit. The belt cleaning unit is configured to remove waste toner adhered on the belt. The accommodating unit is configured to accommodate the toner removed by the belt cleaning unit. The apparatus further includes a drum unit having a drum cleaning member, and a waste toner conveying mechanism configured to convey the waste toner to the collecting unit. The conveying mechanism has a drum-side conveying unit configured to be connected with the drum cleaning member. Communication between the drum-side conveying unit and the collecting unit is enabled in association with movement of the drum unit from the outside position to the inside position, and disabled in association with movement of the drum unit from the inside position to the outside position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Isao Fukuchi, Atsushi Fukui
  • Patent number: 10324246
    Abstract: There is provided a light guide body, containing: a first end region; a second end region located on an opposite side of the first end region; first dots; and second dots having a dot in the first end region being smaller than a dot in the second end region, wherein a size difference between the first dots and the second dots in the first end region is smaller than a size difference between the first dots and the second dots in the second end region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Fukui, Tomohisa Sakaguchi, Kenichiro Mase
  • Patent number: 10319986
    Abstract: A positive electrode for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries includes a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode mix layer, formed on the current collector, containing a positive electrode active material. The positive electrode active material mainly contains a lithium transition metal oxide in which the molar ratio of nickel (Ni) to a transition metal component is 20% or more. The positive electrode mix layer contains a plurality of pores and has a first peak of a logarithmic differential pore volume distribution (dV/dlogD) that appears in the range where the pore diameter D is less than 1 ?m and a second peak of the logarithmic differential pore volume distribution (dV/dlogD) that appears in the range where the pore diameter D is 1 ?m or more in a pore distribution determined by mercury intrusion porosimetry. According to this configuration, a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery having excellent output characteristics can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouhei Tuduki, Atsushi Fukui
  • Publication number: 20190173012
    Abstract: The dye-sensitized solar cell comprises a first electrode including a porous semiconductor layer supporting a dye, a second electrode serving as the counter electrode of the first electrode, and an electrolytic solution filled between the first electrode and the second electrode. The second electrode includes a counter electrode conductive layer containing carbon microparticles and supporting a dye that is the same as that supported by the porous semiconductor layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: ATSUSHI FUKUI, TOMOHISA YOSHIE, KEI KASAHARA, NAOTO NISHIMURA, DAISUKE TOYOSHIMA
  • Patent number: 10297826
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery with improved output characteristics. An example of an embodiment of the present invention provides a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising an electrode assembly having a structure in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate are stacked with a separator therebetween. The positive electrode plate contains a lithium transition metal oxide containing tungsten as a positive electrode active material and also contains a phosphate compound. The negative electrode plate contains a graphitic carbon material and an amorphous/noncrystalline carbon material as negative electrode active materials and includes a coating of tungsten or a tungsten compound on the surface of the amorphous/noncrystalline carbon material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouhei Tuduki, Atsushi Fukui
  • Publication number: 20190121154
    Abstract: A laser projection device includes a laser light source, a diffusion plate, and a housing. The diffusion plate has an incidence surface and an emission surface and emitted light from the laser light source is incident thereon. A plurality of linear grooves are arranged in at least one of the incidence surface and the emission surface. The housing has an opening through which light diffused by the grooves is emitted in an emitting direction of the laser light source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Inventors: Atsushi Fukui, Masaru Fujita
  • Publication number: 20190107804
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main frame, a plurality of process cartridges, a cartridge-supporting body, a belt, a waste toner cartridge, a contact-separation mechanism, and a collective conveying unit. Each process cartridge includes a photosensitive drum and a drum cleaning unit collecting waste toner on the drum. The cartridge-supporting body is movable between an internal position inside the frame and an external position outside the frame. The belt confronts the process cartridges in the internal position. The waste toner cartridge accommodates the waste toner collected from the drums. The contact-separation mechanism moves the cartridge-supporting body between a contact position where the drums are in contact with the belt and a separated position where the drums are out of contact with the belt. The collective conveying unit aggregates waste toner collected from drums and conveys collectively the aggregated waste toner to the waste toner cartridge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: Shougo Sato, Atsushi Fukui, Isao Fukuchi
  • Patent number: 10256469
    Abstract: A high-capacity nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery having good load characteristics is provided. The nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a positive electrode containing a positive electrode active material, a negative electrode, and a nonaqueous electrolyte. The positive electrode contains the active material composed of a lithium transition metal oxide and a positive electrode additive composed of an oxide that contains Li and at least two elements other than Li and oxygen and has an antifluorite structure. The nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery obtained is charged until the potential of the positive electrode is 4.0 V or higher and 4.65 V or lower (vs. Li/Li+).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Kawamura, Kazuhiro Hasegawa, Sho Tsuruta, Atsushi Fukui
  • Patent number: 10256048
    Abstract: Provided are a photoelectric conversion element and a dye sensitized solar cell having a supporting substrate, a conductive layer, a power generating layer having a porous semiconductor layer onto which a metal complex dye represented by Formula (1) is adsorbed, a porous insulating layer, and a counter electrode conductive layer, in which the layers are laminated in this order on the supporting substrate, and voids that each of the power generating layer, the porous insulating layer, and the counter electrode conductive layer has are filled with an electrolyte. R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, or an aryl group. G represents a group represented by any one of Formulae (G-1) to (G-4). A1 to A3 each represent a hydrogen atom, a carboxyl group, or a salt thereof. At least one of A1 to A3 is a carboxyl group or a salt thereof. X1 and X2 each represent —O—, —S—, and others. Ra represents an alkyl group and the like. Rb to Re each represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent. na represents 1 to 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignees: FUJIFILM Corporation, SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yukio Tani, Katsumi Kobayashi, Ryohsuke Yamanaka, Atsushi Fukui, Norio Murofushi
  • Patent number: 10236506
    Abstract: A tranition metal composite hydroxide can be used as a precursor to allow a lithium transition metal composite oxide having a small and highly uniform particle diameter to be obtained. A method also is provided for producing a transition metal composite hydroxide represented by a general formula (1) MxWsAt(OH)2+?, coated with a compound containing the additive element, and serving as a precursor of a positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries. The method includes producing a composite hydroxide particle, forming nuclei, growing a formed nucleus; and forming a coating material containing a metal oxide or hydroxide on the surfaces of composite hydroxide particles obtained through the upstream step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Toya, Atsushi Fukui