Patents by Inventor Atsushi Kikuchi

Atsushi Kikuchi 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: 20240343571
    Abstract: An active oxygen supply device equipped with a cylindrical housing having a first opening and a second opening opposite to the first opening, a plasma actuator arranged in the housing, and an ozone decomposition device, in which the plasma actuator causes dielectric barrier discharge to blow out an induction flow, the plasma actuator is arranged such that the blow direction of the induction flow faces the second opening, an air flow that flows from the first opening to the second opening is generated in the housing by the action of the induction flow, the ozone decomposition device decomposes the ozone contained in the air flow to generate active oxygen in the air flow, and the plasma actuator and the ozone decomposition device are arranged such that the air flow containing the active oxygen can flow out to the exterior of the active oxygen supply device through the second opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2024
    Publication date: October 17, 2024
    Inventors: YUICHI KIKUCHI, MASATSUGU HONGO, ATSUSHI UEMATSU, MASAKI OZAWA, TAKUMI FURUKAWA, KAZUHIRO YAMAUCHI
  • Publication number: 20240342337
    Abstract: This gas treatment device is provided with a cylindrical casing having a first opening and a second opening on the opposite side from the first opening, a specific plasma actuator disposed in the casing, and an ozone decomposition device, wherein the plasma actuator is disposed so that the direction in which the induced current is emitted is oriented towards the second opening, and produces, by means of the induced current, an airflow in the casing such that the airflow is directed from the first opening towards the second opening, the ozone decomposition device causes ozone included in the airflow to decompose, generating active oxygen in the airflow and causing the airflow to contain the active oxygen, and a gas flowing in from the first opening is treated by the active oxygen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2024
    Publication date: October 17, 2024
    Inventors: YUICHI KIKUCHI, MASATSUGU HONGO, ATSUSHI UEMATSU, MASAKI OZAWA, TAKUMI FURUKAWA, KAZUHIRO YAMAUCHI
  • Publication number: 20240343572
    Abstract: A treatment apparatus and a treatment method using reactive oxygen, wherein, the treatment apparatus comprising: the reactive oxygen supply device comprises a plasma actuator and an ozone decomposing device inside a housing having at least one opening portion, the plasma actuator comprises a first electrode and a second electrode across a dielectric material and generates an induced flow containing ozone when a voltage is applied between the both electrodes, the plasma actuator and the ozone decomposing device are arranged such that the induced flow flows out from the opening portion and the induced flow is supplied to a surface of the object which is conveyed by the conveying means, and an outflow direction vector of the induced flow has a vector component x which is parallel to and oriented in the same direction as specific direction A.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2024
    Publication date: October 17, 2024
    Inventors: MASATSUGU HONGO, ATSUSHI UEMATSU, YUICHI KIKUCHI, TAKUMI FURUKAWA, KAZUHIRO YAMAUCHI, NAOYA ASANUMA, JUNKO HIRATA, TORU OGUMA
  • Publication number: 20240349416
    Abstract: A treatment apparatus and a treatment method using reactive oxygen, wherein, the treatment apparatus comprising: the reactive oxygen supply device comprises a plasma actuator and an ozone decomposing device inside a housing having at least one opening portion, the plasma actuator comprises a first electrode and a second electrode across a dielectric material and generates an induced flow containing ozone when a voltage is applied between the both electrodes, the plasma actuator and the ozone decomposing device are arranged such that the induced flow flows out from the opening portion and the induced flow is supplied to a surface of the object which is conveyed by the conveying means, and an outflow direction vector of the induced flow has a vector component x which is parallel to and oriented in the same direction as specific direction B.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2024
    Publication date: October 17, 2024
    Inventors: ATSUSHI UEMATSU, YUICHI KIKUCHI, MASATSUGU HONGO, KAZUHIRO YAMAUCHI, TAKUMI FURUKAWA, NAOYA ASANUMA, JUNKO HIRATA, TORU OGUMA
  • Patent number: 12111460
    Abstract: This lens driving device is configured separately from a lens unit including a liquid lens, and is provided with: a fixed part; a movable part; a support part that supports the movable part with respect to the fixed part; a driving unit that is formed from a voice coil motor comprising a coil and a magnet and that moves the movable part in an optical axis direction with respect to the fixed part; and a lens deformation unit that is connected to the movable part and that applies, in association with the movement of the movable part, a force to the liquid lens in the optical axis direction. The movable part has a plurality of movable units, and the driving unit drives the movable units independently so as to change the curvature of the liquid lens or to change the optical axis of the liquid lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiko Osaka, Ichiro Hayashi, Atsushi Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20240326728
    Abstract: A power supply device includes an electrical storage device and a bidirectional buck-boost converter having a charging function of starting charging of the electrical storage device based on input power from a power system of a vehicle, upon occurrence of a condition in which a voltage of the electrical storage device decreases to a first threshold and of stopping the charging of the electrical storage device, upon occurrence of a condition in which the voltage of the electrical storage device increases to a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold. The bidirectional buck-boost converter has a boost function of stepping up the voltage of the electrical storage device. The power supply device includes a control circuit configured to cause the boost circuit to perform a boost operation such that a boosted voltage that is higher than the voltage of the electrical storage device is supplied to a load device, and such that the boosted voltage is a constant voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Publication date: October 3, 2024
    Inventors: Shinji TANAKA, Atsushi KIKUCHI
  • Patent number: 11831270
    Abstract: A motor drive control device includes a control unit monitoring a rotational state of a rotor of a two-phase stepping motor, setting an energization angle ? representing a magnitude of an electric angle for continuously energizing, of coils of two phases of the two-phase stepping motor, a coil of one phase in one direction based on the rotational state of the rotor, and generating a control signal Sd for controlling driving of the two-phase stepping motor based on the set energization angle ?, and a drive unit driving the coils of two phases based on the control signal Sd.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: MINEBEA MITSUMI Inc.
    Inventors: Naoyuki Wada, Atsushi Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20230288776
    Abstract: An optical actuator is an optical actuator configured to move an optical element by a driving part, and includes a movable-side member configured to hold the optical element, a fixed-side member configured to support the movable-side member such that the movable-side member is movable, and a cushioning member disposed on the movable-side member, in which the cushioning member includes a first cushioning surface and a second cushioning surface that face the fixed-side member at respective different distances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Applicant: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihiro TAKIMOTO, Atsushi KIKUCHI, Ichiro HAYASHI, Yoshihiro KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20230288720
    Abstract: An optical actuator is an optical actuator configured to move an optical element by a driving part, and includes a movable-side member including a base portion configured to hold the optical element, and a fixed-side member configured to support the movable-side member such that the movable-side member is movable, in which the movable-side member includes a cushioning member that is engaged with the base portion to be prevented from coming off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Applicant: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihiro TAKIMOTO, Atsushi KIKUCHI, Ichiro HAYASHI, Yoshihiro KIMURA
  • Patent number: 11750125
    Abstract: A motor drive control device includes a control unit generating a control signal Sd such that one-phase excitation of exciting, of coils and of two phases of a two-phase stepping motor, a coil for one phase and two-phase excitation of exciting the coils for two phases are alternately repeated, and a drive unit driving the coils of two phases based on the control signal Sd. An energization angle ? representing a magnitude of an electric angle for continuously energizing the coil of one phase in one direction is capable of being set in the control unit. Specifically, the control unit determines a period T1n for performing the one-phase excitation based on a back electromotive voltage generated in the coil non-excited in the one-phase excitation, and determines a period T2n for performing the two-phase excitation based on an elapsed time per unit angle while the two-phase stepping motor is being excited and the energization angle ?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: MINEBEA MITSUMI Inc.
    Inventors: Naoyuki Wada, Atsushi Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20230219667
    Abstract: A buoyancy adjuster includes: a buoyant portion detachably attached to a target object including a housing portion having a positive buoyancy, the buoyant portion having a neutral or negative buoyancy; and an orientation adjuster detachably attachable to the buoyant portion, the orientation adjuster configured to adjust orientation of the target object in a fluid. The orientation adjuster includes a weight portion detachably attached to a prescribed position of the buoyant portion, the weight portion having a negative buoyancy exceeding the positive buoyancy of the housing portion. A first height position of the housing portion relative to a second height position of the buoyant portion attaching the weight portion is lower than the first height position relative to the second height position of the buoyant portion without the weight portion in the fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2023
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Inventors: Atsushi KIKUCHI, Kazuhiro KOSEKI
  • Patent number: 11597982
    Abstract: A process of producing a fine-grained austenitic stainless steel, the process comprising a step of subjecting a fine-grained austenitic stainless steel comprising: C: 0.15 wt % or less, Si: 1.00 wt % or less, Mn: 2.0 wt % or less, Ni: 6.0 to 14.0 wt %, Cr: 16.0 to 22.0 wt %, and Mo: 3.0 wt % or less, with the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities, and having an average grain size of 10 ?m or lower, to an annealing treatment at a temperature from 600° C. to 700° C. for 48 hours or longer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: JAPAN ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY
    Inventors: Noriaki Hirota, Tomoaki Takeuchi, Hiroko Nakano, Atsushi Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20230068899
    Abstract: An optical actuator is configured to include: a movable part on which a lens part is mountable, the movable part being configured to move by driving of a driving part; a fixing part accommodating the movable part; and a first shaft and a second shaft that are spaced apart from each other in a width direction of the movable part, and are fixed to the fixing part, in which the movable part is configured to slide on the first shaft and the second shaft while making contact with the first shaft at two places in an axial direction and with the second shaft at one place in the axial direction. Thus, the optical actuator capable of stably supporting the movable part with respect to the fixing part is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Applicant: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi KIKUCHI, Yukihiro TAKIMOTO, Tomoyuki MURAKAMI
  • Publication number: 20220385216
    Abstract: A motor drive control device includes a control unit generating a control signal Sd such that one-phase excitation of exciting, of coils and of two phases of a two-phase stepping motor, a coil for one phase and two-phase excitation of exciting the coils for two phases are alternately repeated, and a drive unit driving the coils of two phases based on the control signal Sd. An energization angle ? representing a magnitude of an electric angle for continuously energizing the coil of one phase in one direction is capable of being set in the control unit. Specifically, the control unit determines a period T1n for performing the one-phase excitation based on a back electromotive voltage generated in the coil non-excited in the one-phase excitation, and determines a period T2n for performing the two-phase excitation based on an elapsed time per unit angle while the two-phase stepping motor is being excited and the energization angle ?.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: Naoyuki WADA, Atsushi KIKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20220385215
    Abstract: A motor drive control device includes a control unit monitoring a rotational state of a rotor of a two-phase stepping motor, setting an energization angle ? representing a magnitude of an electric angle for continuously energizing, of coils of two phases of the two-phase stepping motor, a coil of one phase in one direction based on the rotational state of the rotor, and generating a control signal Sd for controlling driving of the two-phase stepping motor based on the set energization angle ?, and a drive unit driving the coils of two phases based on the control signal Sd.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: Naoyuki WADA, Atsushi KIKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20220372602
    Abstract: This austenitic stainless steel sheet contains, as a chemical composition, by mass %, C: 0.030% or less, Si: 1.0% or less, Mn: 1.5% or less, Cr: 15.0% or more and 20.0% or less, Ni: 6.5% or more and 9.0% or less, N: 0.030% or more and 0.150% or less, any one of Nb, V, and Ti or two or more thereof in total: 0.030% or more and 0.300% or less, Mo: 0% or more and 2.0% or less, Cu: 0% or more and 1.5% or less, Co: 0% or more and 1.0% or less, P: 0.10% or less, S: 0.010% or less, and Al: 0.10% or less, in which a remainder includes Fe and impurities, the average grain size is 5.0 ?m or less, and the non-recrystallization rate is more than 3% and 20% or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masayoshi SAWADA, Hiroshi KAMIO, Masayuki SHIBUYA, Atsushi KIKUCHI
  • Patent number: 11427008
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a head configured to discharge a liquid, and a discharge receptacle configured to receive the liquid discharged from the head at an installation position. The discharge receptacle includes a liquid holder configured to receive the liquid discharged from the head, and a support configured to detachably support the liquid holder. At least a part of the support is displaceable to a detachment position at which the liquid holder is detachable from the support, and the detachment position is lower than the installation position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Kikuchi, Kazuhisa Yoda
  • Publication number: 20220206287
    Abstract: This lens driving device is configured separately from a lens unit including a liquid lens, and is provided with: a fixed part; a movable part; a support part that supports the movable part with respect to the fixed part; a driving unit that is formed from a voice coil motor comprising a coil and a magnet and that moves the movable part in an optical axis direction with respect to the fixed part; and a lens deformation unit that is connected to the movable part and that applies, in association with the movement of the movable part, a force to the liquid lens in the optical axis direction. The movable part has a plurality of movable units, and the driving unit drives the movable units independently so as to change the curvature of the liquid lens or to change the optical axis of the liquid lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Applicant: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiko OSAKA, Ichiro HAYASHI, Atsushi KIKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20210155003
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a head configured to discharge a liquid, and a discharge receptacle configured to receive the liquid discharged from the head at an installation position. The discharge receptacle includes a liquid holder configured to receive the liquid discharged from the head, and a support configured to detachably support the liquid holder. At least a part of the support is displaceable to a detachment position at which the liquid holder is detachable from the support, and the detachment position is lower than the installation position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Kikuchi, Kazuhisa Yoda
  • Patent number: 10880461
    Abstract: Provided are a lens driving device, a camera module, and a camera-mounted device for which the miniaturization and weight reduction can be achieved and the reliability can also be improved. The lens driving device includes auto-focusing and shake-correcting driving parts utilizing a voice coil motor. An autofocus movable part includes a lens holder adapted to hold a lens part and an auto-focusing coil part, an autofocus fixing part includes a magnet holder adapted to hold an auto-focusing magnet part, and a shake-correcting fixing part includes a base to which a shake-correcting coil part is disposed. At least one of the lens holder, magnet holder, and base is formed from a molding material consisting of polyarylate (PAR) or a PAR alloy which is a mixture of multiple resin materials including polyarylate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiko Osaka, Takashi Ishizawa, Atsushi Kikuchi, Minoru Katagiri