Patents by Inventor Atsushi Minamino

Atsushi Minamino 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: 11413582
    Abstract: A filtration device includes a continuous first unit including a first membrane that separates a liquid into first permeated and non-permeated liquids, a first adjuster that adjusts a flow rate of the first permeated liquid to be substantially constant, and a first liquid scale that detects a liquid amount, a second unit including a second membrane that separates another liquid into second permeated and non-permeated liquids, a second adjuster that adjusts a flow rate of the second permeated liquid to be substantially constant, and a second liquid scale that detects another liquid amount, a first controller that controls the liquid amount in the first storage tank based on measurement values from continuous two first units or from the continuous first and second units, and a second controller that controls the another liquid amount based on a measurement value from the second unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuka Asahi, Atsushi Minamino, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Katsushige Yamada
  • Publication number: 20210069647
    Abstract: A filtration device includes a continuous first unit including a first membrane that separates a liquid into first permeated and non-permeated liquids, a first adjuster that adjusts a flow rate of the first permeated liquid to be substantially constant, and a first liquid scale that detects a liquid amount, a second unit including a second membrane that separates another liquid into second permeated and non-permeated liquids, a second adjuster that adjusts a flow rate of the second permeated liquid to be substantially constant, and a second liquid scale that detects another liquid amount, a first controller that controls the liquid amount in the first storage tank based on measurement values from continuous two first units or from the continuous first and second units, and a second controller that controls the another liquid amount based on a measurement value from the second unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Inventors: Yuka Asahi, Atsushi Minamino, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Katsushige Yamada
  • Patent number: 10844444
    Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid derived from a cellulose-containing biomass includes (a) saccharifying a pretreated product having alignin content of not more than 8.5% obtained by pretreatment of a cellulose-containing biomass, to obtain a saccharified liquid; (b) filtering the saccharified liquid obtained in Step (a) through a microfiltration membrane to allow formation of a cake on a membrane surface in a feed side while obtaining a sugar liquid from a permeate side; and (c) collecting the cake formed on the membrane surface in Step (b) by peeling from the membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuka Asahi, Atsushi Minamino, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Masashi Higasa, Katsushige Yamada
  • Patent number: 10781466
    Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid includes: (A) reacting mannanase with a liquid component obtained by hydrolysis treatment of woody biomass to obtain a saccharified liquid; and (B) filtering the saccharified liquid in Step (A) through a microfiltration membrane and/or ultrafiltration membrane to collect a sugar liquid from a permeate side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Atsushi Minamino, Yuka Asahi, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Jumpei Kishimoto, Masashi Higasa, Katsushige Yamada
  • Patent number: 10767236
    Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid includes a step of filtering a saccharified liquid derived from cellulose-containing biomass, through a nanofiltration membrane and/or reverse osmosis membrane; and a two-step washing step of washing the nanofiltration membrane and/or reverse osmosis membrane after the filtration, with an acid washing liquid and then with an alkali washing liquid; is provided. The method of producing a sugar liquid in which a cellulose-derived sugar liquid is processed through a nanofiltration membrane and/or reverse osmosis membrane is/are effectively washed in a contaminated separation membrane(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuka Asahi, Atsushi Minamino, Jumpei Kishimoto, Masashi Higasa
  • Patent number: 10519476
    Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid from cellulose-containing biomass includes (1) to (3): (1): subjecting a cellulose-containing biomass to hydrothermal treatment and thereafter separating the treated cellulose-containing biomass into a hydrothermally-treated liquid and a cellulose-containing solid content; (2): adding a filamentous fungus-derived cellulase to the cellulose-containing solid content obtained in (1) to hydrolyze the cellulose and thereafter separating the hydrolysate into a saccharification residue and a sugar liquid; and (3): washing the saccharification residue obtained in (2) with the hydrothermally-treated liquid obtained in (1) to elute the filamentous fungus-derived cellulase adsorbed to the saccharification residue into the hydrothermally-treated liquid and thereafter obtaining a solution component comprising the filamentous fungus-derived cellulase by solid-liquid separation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kurihara, Hiroko Ishizuka, Atsushi Minamino, Katsushige Yamada
  • Patent number: 10519093
    Abstract: A method efficiently produces hydroxycinnamic acids having a high quality, from a cellulose-containing biomass. More specifically, the method includes the steps of: obtaining an alkaline filtrate by allowing an alkaline aqueous medium to pass through a cellulose-containing biomass; obtaining a hydroxycinnamic acid extraction liquid by allowing the alkaline filtrate to repeatedly pass through the cellulose-containing biomass; and separating the hydroxycinnamic acid from the hydroxycinnamic acid extraction liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Atsushi Minamino, Shigeyuki Funada, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Yuka Asahi, Takuya Kasahara, Katsushige Yamada
  • Patent number: 10385302
    Abstract: A device that produces a sugar solution from cellulose-containing biomass includes: a horizontal reaction tank that includes a stirring shaft provided along a horizontal direction in the horizontal reaction tank and a stirring blade provided to the stirring shaft, the horizontal reaction tank being configured to obtain a saccharified slurry by reacting the cellulose-containing biomass with a saccharification enzyme by stirring the cellulose-containing biomass and the saccharification enzyme; a vertical reaction tank configured to obtain a saccharified liquid by saccharifying the saccharified slurry; a saccharified slurry feed line that connects the horizontal reaction tank and the vertical reaction tank; and a warming part provided around the horizontal reaction tank or on a wall surface of the horizontal reaction tank and heats the horizontal reaction tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc
    Inventors: Atsushi Minamino, Jumpei Kishimoto, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Katsushige Yamada
  • Patent number: 10266860
    Abstract: An apparatus that produces a sugar liquid by a method including hydrolyzing cellulose includes a hydrolysis tank to which a recovered enzyme feed pipe and a fresh enzyme feed pipe are connected; a device for solid-liquid separation of a hydrolysate; a sugar liquid-retaining tank having a water supply pipe that washes an ultrafiltration membrane and/or removes recovered enzyme retained in a circulation pipe; and an ultrafiltration membrane device that separates enzyme and a sugar liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kurihara, Atsushi Minamino, Yuki Yamamoto, Katsushige Yamada
  • Publication number: 20190112254
    Abstract: A method efficiently produces hydroxycinnamic acids having a high quality, from a cellulose-containing biomass. More specifically, the method includes the steps of: obtaining an alkaline filtrate by allowing an alkaline aqueous medium to pass through a cellulose-containing biomass; obtaining a hydroxycinnamic acid extraction liquid by allowing the alkaline filtrate to repeatedly pass through the cellulose-containing biomass; and separating the hydroxycinnamic acid from the hydroxycinnamic acid extraction liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Inventors: Atsushi Minamino, Shigeyuki Funada, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Yuka Asahi, Takuya Kasahara, Katsushige Yamada
  • Publication number: 20190112624
    Abstract: A method efficiently produces a sugar liquid having a high quality from a cellulose-containing biomass. More specifically, the method includes: the step of obtaining an alkaline filtrate by allowing an alkaline aqueous medium to pass through a cellulose-containing biomass; the recirculation filtration step of allowing the alkaline filtrate to repeatedly pass through the cellulose-containing biomass to produce a cellulose-containing solid component; and the step of hydrolyzing the cellulose-containing solid component to obtain the sugar liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Inventors: Atsushi Minamino, Shigeyuki Funada, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Yuka Asahi, Takuya Kasahara, Katsushige Yamada
  • Patent number: 10093747
    Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid using a cellulose-containing biomass as a raw material includes (a) hydrolyzing a cellulose-containing biomass to produce an aqueous sugar solution and (b) filtering the obtained aqueous sugar solution through a reverse osmosis membrane to collect a purified sugar liquid from a feed side, while removing fermentation-inhibiting substances from a permeate side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kurihara, Atsushi Minamino, Masateru Ito, Hideki Sawai, Masayuki Hanakawa, Shin-ichi Minegishi, Katsushige Yamada
  • Patent number: 10087469
    Abstract: A method of producing a sugar solution includes a pretreatment step of treating cellulosic biomass with a treatment agent containing ammonia to obtain an ammonia-treated product, an ammonia-treated sugar solution preparation step of enzymatically saccharifying the ammonia-treated product to obtain an ammonia-treated sugar solution, and a purified sugar solution preparation step of removing coumaramide and/or ferulamide in the ammonia-treated sugar solution by purification to obtain a purified sugar solution having a concentration of coumaramide and/or ferulamide of 10 to 1,100 ppm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Masahiro Niwa, Sho Shindo, Takanori Nishida, Junpei Kishimoto, Atsushi Minamino, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Katsushige Yamada
  • Patent number: 9963728
    Abstract: A method of producing a filter aid includes: (A) obtaining a pretreated biomass by pulverization treatment and/or thermochemical treatment of a cellulose-containing biomass; (B) treating the pretreated biomass obtained in (A) with cellulase to obtain a cellulase-treated product; and (C) obtaining a solid content of the cellulase-treated product of (B).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Atsushi Minamino, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Katsushige Yamada, Junpei Kishimoto
  • Patent number: 9951393
    Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid includes filtering a cellulose-derived sugar liquid through one or more separation membranes selected from the group consisting of an ultrafiltration membrane, a nanofiltration membrane and a reverse osmosis membrane and washing the separation membrane(s) after filtration with washing water containing an alkaline substance and an aromatic compound at 10° C. or more and less than 50° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Jumpei Kishimoto, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Atsushi Minamino, Katsushige Yamada
  • Patent number: 9926613
    Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid includes filtering a sugar liquid through a nanofiltration membrane and collecting a sugar liquid from the feed side, wherein a sugar liquid containing an organic liquid compound having a relative dielectric constant of not less than 17 at 25° C. is filtered through the nanofiltration membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Junpei Kishimoto, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Atsushi Minamino, Katsushige Yamada
  • Publication number: 20180051350
    Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid derived from a cellulose-containing biomass includes (a) saccharifying a pretreated product having alignin content of not more than 8.5% obtained by pretreatment of a cellulose-containing biomass, to obtain a saccharified liquid; (b) filtering the saccharified liquid obtained in Step (a) through a microfiltration membrane to allow formation of a cake on a membrane surface in a feed side while obtaining a sugar liquid from a permeate side; and (c) collecting the cake formed on the membrane surface in Step (b) by peeling from the membrane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventors: Yuka Asahi, Atsushi Minamino, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Masashi Higasa, Katsushige Yamada
  • Patent number: 9863011
    Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid includes filtering a cellulose-derived sugar liquid through one or more separation membranes selected from the group consisting of an ultrafiltration membrane, a nanofiltration membrane and a reverse osmosis membrane, and washing the separation membrane(s) after filtration with washing water containing an acidic substance and an aromatic compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Jumpei Kishimoto, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Atsushi Minamino, Katsushige Yamada
  • Publication number: 20170275663
    Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid includes: (A) reacting mannanase with a liquid component obtained by hydrolysis treatment of woody biomass to obtain a saccharified liquid; and (B) filtering the saccharified liquid in Step (A) through a microfiltration membrane and/or ultrafiltration membrane to collect a sugar liquid from a permeate side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Atsushi Minamino, Yuka Asahi, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Jumpei Kishimoto, Masashi Higasa, Katsushige Yamada
  • Publication number: 20170175065
    Abstract: An apparatus that produces a sugar liquid by a method including hydrolyzing cellulose includes a hydrolysis tank to which a recovered enzyme feed pipe and a fresh enzyme feed pipe are connected; a device for solid-liquid separation of a hydrolysate; a sugar liquid-retaining tank having a water supply pipe that washes an ultrafiltration membrane and/or removes recovered enzyme retained in a circulation pipe; and an ultrafiltration membrane device that separates enzyme and a sugar liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kurihara, Atsushi Minamino, Yuki Yamamoto, Katsushige Yamada