Patents by Inventor Fuminori Mizuno

Fuminori Mizuno 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: 8518583
    Abstract: A main object of the present invention is to provide an air cathode capable of achieving both high initial discharge capacity and high capacity retention. In the present invention, the problem is solved by providing an air cathode used in a metal-air battery, comprising: an air cathode layer containing a conductive material, a particulate catalyst and a fibrous catalyst; and an air cathode current collector for collecting current of the air cathode layer, wherein the ratio of the fibrous catalyst to the total weight of the particulate catalyst and the fibrous catalyst is 10% by weight or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, The University Court of the University of St Andrews
    Inventors: Fuminori Mizuno, Peter George Bruce
  • Publication number: 20130202974
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a metal-air battery having excellent durability and capacity by facilitating a reaction of oxygen radicals and metal ions at an air cathode. Disclosed are an air cathode used for a metal-air battery comprising an air cathode, an anode and an electrolyte layer which is present between the air cathode and the anode and which conducts metal ions between the air cathode and the anode, wherein the air cathode comprises an air cathode layer comprising at least an electroconductive material and a supporting electrolyte salt, a metal-air battery comprising the air cathode, and a method for producing the air cathode for the metal-air battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Inventor: Fuminori Mizuno
  • Publication number: 20130143132
    Abstract: An air electrode for a metal-air battery includes an air electrode catalyst and an electrically conductive material, and the air electrode catalyst contains a layered double hydroxide. Discharge capacity can be improved by incorporating the air electrode of this invention in a metal-air battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Fuminori Mizuno
  • Publication number: 20130143134
    Abstract: Provided are a liquid air electrode for a metal-air battery that has superior discharge capacity and includes an electrolyte solution and an electrically conductive material, the electrically conductive material being dispersed in the electrolyte solution, and a metal-air battery that includes the liquid air electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Fuminori Mizuno, Yukinari Kotani, Kenichi Hamamoto
  • Publication number: 20130084491
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an ambient temperature molten salt having excellent electron conductivity in addition to ion conductivity. The present invention attains the object by providing an ambient temperature molten salt including a first imidazolium salt having a cationic segment represented by the general formula (1) and an anionic segment represented by MX4 (where M is a transition metal and X is a halogen); and a second salt having a cationic segment as a monovalent cation and an anionic segment as a halogen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirofumi Nakamoto, Fuminori Mizuno
  • Publication number: 20130040210
    Abstract: The main object of the present invention is to provide a nonaqueous electrolyte having favorable radical resistance. The present invention attains the object by providing a nonaqueous electrolyte comprising an ionic liquid having a cation portion and an anion portion, an organic solvent, and a metal salt, characterized in that the maximum electric charge calculated by the first-principle calculation in the cation portion of the ionic liquid and the organic solvent is 0.3 or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Fuminori Mizuno, Hidetaka Nishikori, Hirofumi Nakamoto
  • Publication number: 20120315553
    Abstract: A non-aqueous liquid electrolyte secondary battery, including a cathode, an anode and a non-aqueous liquid electrolyte present between the cathode and the anode. The non-aqueous liquid electrolyte secondary battery has a closed structure in which the cathode, the anode and the non-aqueous liquid electrolyte are insulated from at least carbon dioxide and water. The non-aqueous liquid electrolyte secondary battery has a discharge voltage of 3V or less relative to a Li/Li+ reference electrode. The non-aqueous liquid electrolyte includes two or more kinds of anions, and a non-aqueous liquid electrolyte for the non-aqueous liquid electrolyte secondary battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Fuminori Mizuno, Hirofumi Nakamoto, Kenichi Hamamoto
  • Publication number: 20120308902
    Abstract: An air electrode for an air battery with high rate characteristics, and an air battery comprising the air electrode. Disclosed is an air electrode for an air battery, including at least an air electrode layer, wherein the air electrode layer includes a carbon material in which graphene layers are unidirectionally oriented, and a Basal plane of the carbon material is exposed on a surface of the carbon material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Fuminori Mizuno, Hidetaka Nishikori, Shougo Higashi
  • Publication number: 20120290224
    Abstract: A method for determining a cation which is stable to oxygen radical. Specifically, a lithium air cell which includes at least an air electrode, a negative electrode and a non-aqueous electrolyte that is interposed between the air electrode and the negative electrode. The lithium air cell is characterized in that the nonaqueous electrolyte contains an ionic liquid that does not contain atoms having a positive charge larger than that of a hydrogen atom and is composed of cations, which have an average of the charges carried by atoms other that hydrogen atoms of 0 or less, and counter anions of the cations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2010
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidetaka Nishikoori, Noriaki Nishino, Atsushi Shirasawa, Iwao Nitta, Fuminori Mizuno
  • Patent number: 8273497
    Abstract: An air battery which is capable of improving operating voltage. The air battery includes: an air electrode containing a carbonaceous matter; an anode; and an electrolyte layer containing an electrolyte which conducts ions between the air electrode and the anode, the D/G band ratio X of the carbonaceous matter being 0.058?X?0.18.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Fuminori Mizuno
  • Publication number: 20120218523
    Abstract: A projecting unit projects a focus adjustment pattern onto a screen. An image capturing unit captures an image of the focus adjustment pattern and obtains the image as a captured image. A captured image analyzing unit calculates contrast data serving as an evaluation value indicating a degree of achievement in focusing the captured image. Based on the calculated contrast data, a control unit adjusts focus of the projecting unit so as to bring projected image light into a focus on the projection surface. The focus adjustment pattern has a first region and a second region different from each other in brightness. The control unit adjusts configurations of the first region and the second region in the focus adjustment pattern such that at least one of resolution of brightness and contrast becomes uniform in the captured image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fuminori MIZUNO, Naoyuki NIMURA, Masutaka INOUE
  • Publication number: 20120218294
    Abstract: A projection-type image display apparatus projects an image on a projection plane, and includes a projection unit, an image capture unit, an ambient light detection unit, and a superimposed image generation unit. The projection unit projects an image on the projection plane through a lens. The image capture unit captures the image projected on the projection plane by the projection unit. The ambient light detection unit detects ambient light cast on the projection plane, from the image captured by the image capture unit. The superimposed image generation unit generates information about detection of ambient light detected by the ambient light detection unit, in the form of a superimposed image to be superimposed on the image projected on the projection plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoyuki NIMURA, Fuminori MIZUNO, Masutaka INOUE
  • Patent number: 8252451
    Abstract: The invention provides a battery electrode manufacturing method that includes a composition adjusting process of adjusting an electrode layer forming composition that includes a first electrode material having a particle size that is larger than an opening size of a porous collector, and a second electrode material having a particle size that is smaller than the opening size of the porous collector; and an application process of applying the electrode layer forming composition to the porous collector. The invention also provides a battery electrode having an inner electrode layer and an outer electrode layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fuminori Mizuno, Shinji Nakanishi, Sanae Okazaki
  • Publication number: 20120176304
    Abstract: A projection display apparatus includes: an element controller that controls an imager to display a maximum light amount image and a minimum light amount image; a setting unit that sets a light amount threshold value used to detect pointing light emitted from a pointing device; and a specifying unit that specifies a light amount of the pointing light overlapping the minimum light amount image, based on a picked-up image, and to specify a light amount of the maximum light amount image, based on the picked-up image, wherein the setting unit sets the light amount threshold value, based on the specified light amount of the pointing light and the specified light amount of the maximum light amount image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fuminori MIZUNO, Masutaka Inoue, Makoto Maeda, Naoyuki Nimura
  • Publication number: 20120171594
    Abstract: A main object of the present invention is to provide an air cathode capable of achieving both high initial discharge capacity and high capacity retention. In the present invention, the problem is solved by providing an air cathode used in a metal-air battery, comprising: an air cathode layer containing a conductive material, a particulate catalyst and a fibrous catalyst; and an air cathode current collector for collecting current of the air cathode layer, wherein the ratio of the fibrous catalyst to the total weight of the particulate catalyst and the fibrous catalyst is 10% by weight or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2009
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicants: University of St. Andrews, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fuminori Mizuno, Peter George
  • Publication number: 20110310014
    Abstract: In an image pickup apparatus, a visible light cut filter allows infrared components to pass through, and blocks visible light components. A plurality of image pickup devices receive the light transmitted through the visible light cut filter such that a plurality of color components are received separately from each other. The visible light cut filter allows part of the visible light components to transmit such that the visible light component enters at least one of the plurality of image pickup devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fuminori MIZUNO, Kazuo Ishimoto, Toru Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20110300456
    Abstract: An air battery which is capable of detecting entering of water quickly. The air battery includes: a power section which includes an air electrode, an anode containing an alkali metal, and an electrolyte layer containing an electrolyte for conducting ion between the air electrode and the anode; and a housing configured to receive the power section, a pH-detecting means being provided inside the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoki Kodama, Fuminori Mizuno, Yutaka Hirose
  • Publication number: 20110287329
    Abstract: The present invention provides an air battery which is capable of detecting entering of water at an early point. The air battery comprising: a power section which comprises an air electrode to which an oxygen-containing gas is supplied, an anode containing an alkali metal, and an electrolyte layer containing an electrolyte for conducting ion between the air electrode and the anode; and a housing incorporating the power section, a hydrogen-detecting means being provided in the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Fuminori Mizuno, Shinji Nakanishi
  • Publication number: 20110269056
    Abstract: An air battery which is capable of improving operating voltage. The air battery includes: an air electrode containing a carbonaceous matter; an anode; and an electrolyte layer containing an electrolyte which conducts ions between the air electrode and the anode, the DIG band ratio X of the carbonaceous matter being 0.058?X?0.18.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2009
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Fuminori Mizuno
  • Publication number: 20110200892
    Abstract: A main objective of the present invention is to provide an air secondary battery which can suppress the deterioration in charge-discharge properties caused by the oxygen generated in an air cathode layer at the time of charge. The present invention solves the problems by providing an air secondary battery which comprises: an air cathode which has an air cathode layer containing a conductive material and an air cathode current collector which collects current of the air cathode layer; an anode which has an anode layer containing an anode active material and an anode current collector which collects current of the anode layer; and a permeation preventing layer which is formed on the surface of the side of the anode layer of the air cathode layer, made of a nonaqueous polymer electrolyte, and which prevents the permeation of the oxygen generated in the air cathode layer at the time of charge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2008
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinji Nakanishi, Fuminori Mizuno