Patents by Inventor Chikara Kojima

Chikara Kojima 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: 20200168784
    Abstract: A piezoelectric device includes a substrate having opening portions, a vibrating plate provided to overlap with the substrate and having a plurality of vibrating regions overlapping with the opening portions in a plan view as seen from a thickness direction of the substrate, piezoelectric elements provided in the vibrating regions, and bypass wires provided outside of the vibrating regions of the vibrating plate and electrically coupled to the plurality of piezoelectric elements, wherein slits penetrating the bypass wires in the thickness direction are provided in the bypass wires.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chikara KOJIMA, Koji OHASHI, Hironori SUZUKI, Kanechika KIYOSE, Katsuhiro IMAI, Yasuyuki MATSUMOTO, Takahiro KAMIJO
  • Publication number: 20200166618
    Abstract: An ultrasonic device includes nine ultrasonic array units arranged in a grid pattern of three rows and three columns, nine drive bypass wires that input and output drive signals to and from the respective ultrasonic array units, a first common bypass wire to which a common potential is applied, coupled to the eight ultrasonic array units, a second common bypass wire coupled to the ultrasonic array unit to which the first common bypass wire is not coupled, and a third common bypass wire coupling the first and the second common bypass wires. One of the drive bypass wires, the first common bypass wire, and the second common bypass wire is placed between the ultrasonic array units placed adjacent to each other. The third common bypass wire is placed inside of the ultrasonic array unit placed adjacent to the ultrasonic array unit coupled to the second common bypass wire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chikara KOJIMA, Koji OHASHI, Hironori SUZUKI, Tomohide ONOGI
  • Publication number: 20200166638
    Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor includes an element substrate having a first and a second surface at an opposite side of the first surface, including an opening section piercing through the element substrate in a Z direction from the first to second surface, a vibrating plate on the first surface of the element substrate to close the opening section, a plurality of vibration regions extending along an X direction orthogonal to the Z direction on the vibration plate in positions overlapping the opening section, and a plurality of piezoelectric elements to correspond to the plurality of vibration regions of the vibration plate. The opening section includes, on the first surface, a first and second side parallel to the X direction and a third and fourth side coupling end portions in the X direction of the first and second sides at an acute or obtuse angle to the first and the second side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chikara KOJIMA, Koji OHASHI, Hironori SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20200164407
    Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor includes an opening portion, vibrating plate covering the opening portion, piezoelectric element overlapping with the opening portion, and a coupling electrode coupled to the piezoelectric element, extended from a position overlapping the opening portion to a position not overlapping the opening portion, and having a line width smaller than a width of the piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric has a first and second line portion, and a corner portion coupling the first and second line portions, when an intersection point connects a center of gravity of the piezoelectric and the corner portion with a virtual circle inscribed in the outline of the piezoelectric is a first intersection point of a tangent line. The first intersection point with the first and second line portions are a second and third intersection points, the coupling electrode coupled to a corner portion from the second intersection point to the third intersection point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chikara KOJIMA, Koji OHASHI, Hironori SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 10656003
    Abstract: A liquid surface sensor includes a hollow member having a first opening end and a second opening end, and a sensor unit provided so as to close the first opening end of the hollow member. The sensor unit includes a vibration plate, and a piezoelectric element which is provided on the vibration plate and is formed by laminating a first electrode film, a piezoelectric film, and a second electrode film in a thickness direction of the vibration plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Chikara Kojima
  • Patent number: 10654071
    Abstract: An ultrasonic element array includes a first piezoelectric element, a second piezoelectric element, a third piezoelectric element, and a fourth piezoelectric element each having a piezoelectric material sandwiched by a first electrode and a second electrode, a first wire connecting the second electrode of the first piezoelectric element and the second electrode of the second piezoelectric element, a second wire connecting the second electrode of the third piezoelectric element and the second electrode of the fourth piezoelectric element, a third wire connecting to the second wire over the first wire, and an insulating film located between the first wire and the third wire, wherein the insulating film has an inorganic insulating film made of an inorganic material and an organic insulating film made of an organic material, and the inorganic insulating film covers the piezoelectric elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Chikara Kojima
  • Publication number: 20200152857
    Abstract: An ultrasonic device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a substrate in which an opening section piercing through the substrate in a thickness direction is provided, a vibration plate provided on the substrate to close the opening section, a piezoelectric element provided in a position corresponding to the opening section on a first surface at the opposite side of the substrate side of the vibration plate, and an elastic layer provided in contact with a second surface at the substrate side of the vibration plate at the inner side of the opening section of the substrate. The elastic layer includes a curved surface recessed to the vibration plate side at the opposite side of the vibration plate side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji OHASHI, Hironori SUZUKI, Chikara KOJIMA
  • Publication number: 20200130014
    Abstract: An ultrasonic element includes an element substrate including a first surface, a second surface having a front-back relation with the first surface, an opening section piercing through the element substrate from the first surface to the second surface, and a partition wall section surrounding the opening section, a supporting film provided on the first surface of the element substrate to cover the opening section and including a third surface facing the opening section and a fourth surface having a front-back relation with the third surface, a piezoelectric element provided on the fourth surface of the supporting film and disposed in a region overlapping the opening section of the supporting film in a plan view from a film thickness direction extending from the third surface to the fourth surface, a sealing plate provided to be opposed to the fourth surface of the supporting film and joined to the supporting film by an adhesive member via a beam section projecting toward the supporting film, and a wall sectio
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Hironori SUZUKI, Chikara KOJIMA, Koji OHASHI, Yasuyuki MATSUMOTO, Katsuhiro IMAI
  • Publication number: 20190376932
    Abstract: An ultrasonic device has a substrate in which ultrasonic elements transmitting an ultrasonic wave in a first direction are arrayed. A reverberation reduction film which reduces reverberant vibration of the substrate is arranged on a side of the first direction in the ultrasonic element. In the reverberation reduction film, a groove is arranged between the ultrasonic elements next to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Inventors: Hironori SUZUKI, Chikara KOJIMA
  • Patent number: 10488370
    Abstract: An ultrasound sensor includes a substrate having an opening portion, a diaphragm that blocks the opening portion, and an ultrasound element including a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode that is laminated on the substrate. The first electrode, piezoelectric layer, and the second electrode are laminated onto the substrate on a side opposite of the opening portion of the diaphragm and overlap to form an active portion. A movable portion of the diaphragm is oscillatable by the active portion and a resonance frequency adjustment portion for adjusting a resonance frequency of the movable portion is provided on a lateral side of the active portion opposing the movable portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Chikara Kojima
  • Patent number: 10454018
    Abstract: An ultrasound sensor includes a substrate in which a space is formed, a diaphragm provided on the substrate so as to block the space, a piezoelectric element which is provided on the diaphragm and includes a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode, and an acoustic matching layer provided on a periphery of the piezoelectric element or in the space, in which the diaphragm has a bend in which a region corresponding to the space becomes convex (upwardly convex) to the opposite side to the space in a state where a voltage is not applied to the piezoelectric element, and a relaxation time of the polarization of the piezoelectric layer in the piezoelectric element is a repeating transmission period of the ultrasound sensor or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Chikara Kojima
  • Publication number: 20190305208
    Abstract: An ultrasonic wave sensor includes an oscillating plate including a plurality of oscillators, a wall portion provided on the oscillating plate and surrounding the oscillator, a first piezoelectric element provided in the predetermined number of oscillators among the plurality of oscillators, and a second piezoelectric element provided in the oscillator where the first piezoelectric element is not provided. An input and an output of a drive signal are possible to the first piezoelectric element, and the first piezoelectric element is connected to at least another first piezoelectric element in parallel. The second piezoelectric element is electrically insulated from the first piezoelectric element. The second piezoelectric element is disposed between the first piezoelectric elements adjacent in one direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Koji OHASHI, Chikara KOJIMA
  • Publication number: 20190301926
    Abstract: An ultrasonic wave sensor includes an oscillating plate including a plurality of oscillators, a wall portion provided on the oscillating plate and surrounding the oscillator, and a piezoelectric element provided on each of the plurality of oscillators. In the oscillating plate, a plurality of piezoelectric elements are electrically connected in plan view as viewed from a thickness direction, and a first area where an input and an output of a drive signal to the piezoelectric element are possible and a second area which is provided on an outer side of the first area and where the piezoelectric element is electrically insulated from the piezoelectric element disposed in the first area are included. In the second area, a distance between the adjacent oscillators is reduced as separated from the first area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Koji OHASHI, Chikara KOJIMA
  • Publication number: 20190255568
    Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor includes a vibration plate that includes a vibration portion and is formed of a resin; a wall portion that is provided on the vibration plate, surrounds the vibration portion and is formed of a resin; and a piezoelectric element that is provided in the vibration portion of the vibration plate. Accordingly, the wall portion surrounding the vibration portion can suppress a frequency variation of an ultrasonic wave output from the ultrasonic sensor and can deform the ultrasonic sensor into a shape corresponding to a surface of an object having various shapes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventors: Chikara KOJIMA, Hironori SUZUKI, Kanechika KIYOSE
  • Patent number: 10374140
    Abstract: A piezoelectric device includes a substrate with a cavity, a vibrating plate which is provided on the substrate so as to block an opening surface of the cavity, and a piezoelectric element which is provided on a surface of the vibrating plate opposite to the cavity, including a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode, in which the second electrode has a laminated structure including a Pt layer (lower layer side electrode) and an Ir layer (upper layer side electrode), in which the Pt layer is in contact with the piezoelectric layer, and in which, if it is assumed that two directions which are parallel to a surface of the substrate and mutually perpendicular are defined as an X direction and a Y direction, the Ir layer is extended to an outside of the cavity at least in the X direction on an X-Y plane view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Yonemura, Tomohide Onogi, Chikara Kojima
  • Publication number: 20190184426
    Abstract: A piezoelectric film includes a substrate having flexibility, and at least two piezoelectric elements provided to the substrate so as to be arranged at intervals of a first dimension along a first direction, the piezoelectric elements are each configured by stacking a first electrode film, a piezoelectric film made of an inorganic material, and a second electrode film along a thickness direction of the substrate, and an area between the piezoelectric elements adjacent to each other along the first direction forms a vibrational region which can be displaced in the thickness direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Chikara KOJIMA, Hironori SUZUKI, Eiji OSAWA, Koji OHASHI
  • Publication number: 20190184427
    Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor includes a substrate in which an opening is formed; a vibration plate that is provided on the substrate so as to block the opening; and a piezoelectric element including a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode that are stacked on an opposite side of the opening of the vibration plate, in which when a direction in which the first electrode, the piezoelectric layer, and the second electrode are stacked is a Z direction, and a portion that is completely overlapped by the first electrode, the piezoelectric layer, and the second electrode in the Z direction is an active portion, a plurality of active portions are provided so as to face the each opening, and a columnar member is provided between the adjacent active portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventor: Chikara KOJIMA
  • Patent number: 10317371
    Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor includes: a substrate in which an opening is formed; a vibration film that is provided on the substrate so as to close the opening; a plurality of vibration elements that are disposed at positions where the vibration film and the opening overlap each other in a plan view along a thickness direction of the vibration film; a sealing plate that is disposed so as to face the vibration film, supports the vibration film, and has a surface facing the vibration film as a flat surface; and a suppressing portion that is provided between the adjacent vibration elements in the plan view, is bonded to both the vibration film and the sealing plate, and is formed of a resin material for suppressing transmission of vibration of the vibration film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Chikara Kojima, Koji Ohashi
  • Publication number: 20190162577
    Abstract: A liquid surface sensor includes a hollow member having a first opening end and a second opening end, and a sensor unit provided so as to close the first opening end of the hollow member. The sensor unit includes a vibration plate, and a piezoelectric element which is provided on the vibration plate and is formed by laminating a first electrode film, a piezoelectric film, and a second electrode film in a thickness direction of the vibration plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventor: Chikara KOJIMA
  • Publication number: 20190131515
    Abstract: A mounting structure includes: a first substrate that has a first surface on which a functional element is provided; a wiring portion that is provided at a position, which is different from a position of the functional element on the first surface, and is conductively connected to the functional element; a second substrate that has a second surface that is opposite to the first surface; and a conduction portion that is provided on the second surface, is connected to the wiring portion, and is conductively connected the functional element. The shortest distance between the functional element and the second substrate is longer than the longest distance between the second substrate and a position where the wiring portion is connected to the conduction portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Koji OHASHI, Chikara KOJIMA, Hiroshi MATSUDA, Hironori SUZUKI, Shuichi TANAKA