Patents by Inventor Hideki Kojima

Hideki 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).

  • Patent number: 9662135
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device includes a fluid chamber, a volume varying unit, a fluid supplying unit, and an ejection pipe. The volume varying unit generates pulsation in the pressure of a fluid in the fluid chamber. The fluid supplying unit supplies the fluid to the fluid chamber through a first channel. The ejection pipe receives the supply of the fluid, in which the pulsation is generated, from the fluid chamber through a second channel and ejects the supplied fluid from an ejection port. In a connecting part to the fluid chamber, the cross-sectional area of the second channel is five times or more as large as the cross-sectional area of the first channel. In the connecting part to the fluid chamber, the first channel and the second channel are arranged to be opposed to each other via the vicinity of the center of the fluid chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki Kojima, Kazuaki Uchida
  • Patent number: 9662136
    Abstract: An incision is formed at a site where a cellular tissue is to be dissected. A liquid is ejected to the incision. The incision is expanded. The cellular tissue is dissected. The liquid is ejected in the form of a pulse flow. The liquid is ejected in such a way as to advance obliquely to a tangential direction to a surface of the cellular tissue. A site where the liquid is applied to the surface is moved in a direction in which an angle formed by the surface and the direction of advancement of the liquid is greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki Kojima, Toshiki Endo, Atsuhiro Nakagawa, Tominaga Teiji
  • Publication number: 20170135745
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes an ejection tube, a gripping tube, a liquid chamber, a connection channel, and a pulsed-flow generating section. The ejection tube is a tube for ejecting liquid. The gripping section is an instrument attached to the ejection tube and gripped by a user. The liquid chamber is provided on the outside of the gripping section. The connection channel connects the liquid chamber and the ejection tube. The pulsed-flow generating section is provided on the outside of the gripping section and generates a pulsed flow in the liquid in the liquid chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Inventors: Hideki Kojima, Hirokazu Sekino
  • Patent number: 9637159
    Abstract: A steering device which slides when an impulse load is applied. A steering device includes an inner column having a cylindrical shape and a first hole opened therein, an outer column having a cylindrical shape into which at least a part of the inner column is inserted and having a slit at one end thereof where the inner column is inserted, an outer column bracket to tighten the outer column along with a telescopic friction plate, an inner column bracket having a second hole opened therein and supported by the telescopic friction plate, a connection member that is a resinous member provided at a position straddling the first hole and the second hole and detachably connecting the inner column and the inner column bracket, and an inner plate that covers the inside of the first hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventors: Masaya Johta, Hideki Kojima, Wataru Hagiwara, Ryoichi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9610090
    Abstract: A liquid injection device that injects a liquid includes a liquid chamber, a first channel connected to the liquid chamber and feeding a liquid to the liquid chamber, a second channel connected to the liquid chamber, to which the liquid is fed from the liquid chamber, and an injection tube that communicates with the second channel and injects the liquid, and the second channel has a curved shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki Kojima, Hirokazu Sekino
  • Patent number: 9603617
    Abstract: Liquid is ejected in a pulse-like manner from a nozzle provided at the distal end of a liquid ejection pipe. When the liquid is ejected, moving speed of the nozzle is detected. A driving frequency of a piezoelectric element is increased when the moving speed increase. The driving frequency is reduced when the moving speed decreases. Consequently, it is possible to prevent the number of times the liquid is ejected per unit length from changing according to the moving speed of the nozzle. Therefore, it is possible to excise a biological tissue at stable excision depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Seto, Kazuaki Uchida, Hideki Kojima, Hirokazu Sekino
  • Patent number: 9592073
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device includes: a fluid chamber; a volume varying unit configured to vary the volume of the fluid chamber; a fluid supplying unit configured to supply fluid to the fluid chamber at a predetermined pressure; and an ejection command switching unit configured to switch a fluid ejection between a pulsed flow ejection which ejects the fluid in a pulsed manner by activating the volume varying unit and varying the volume of the fluid chamber and a continuous flow ejection which ejects the fluid with a fluid supply pressure from the fluid supplying unit higher than that in the case of the pulsed flow ejection in a state in which the volume varying unit is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki Kojima, Shigeo Sugimura, Kunio Tabata
  • Publication number: 20170014149
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device that suppresses scatter of the living tissue, such as cells excised, fragmentated, or otherwise separated by ejected pulsed flow is provided. The liquid ejection device ejects, through a nozzle 4, first liquid 12 in the form of pulses supplied through an ejection tube 3 and includes a supply tube 23, through which second liquid 31 is supplied to a region in the vicinity of the nozzle 4. The liquid ejection device further includes a suction port 15, which is located in the vicinity of the nozzle 4, and a suction pump 18, which is connected to the suction port 15 via a suction tube 14 and sucks the first liquid 12 and the second liquid 31.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Atsushi Nakayashiki, Motohiko Sato, Atsuhiro Nakagawa, Teiji Tominaga, Hideki Kojima
  • Patent number: 9528511
    Abstract: A liquid injection device includes: a chamber to which the liquid to be injected is supplied and the injection nozzle is connected; a pump that pumps the liquid into the chamber; a volume varying unit that varies the volume of the chamber by being deformed according to a drive voltage applied thereto; and a drive voltage applying unit that applies the drive voltage having a predetermined voltage waveform to the volume varying unit in a state in which the liquid is supplied to the chamber, wherein the pump is a unit that pumps the liquid to the chamber in a state involving the pressure variations, and the drive voltage applying unit is a unit that applies the drive voltage to the volume varying unit while compensating the influence applied by the pressure variations of the pumped to the chamber on injection by varying the voltage waveform of the drive voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki Kojima
  • Publication number: 20160297464
    Abstract: A steering device which slides when an impulse load is applied. A steering device includes an inner column having a cylindrical shape and a first hole opened therein, an outer column having a cylindrical shape into which at least a part of the inner column is inserted and having a slit at one end thereof where the inner column is inserted, an outer column bracket to tighten the outer column along with a telescopic friction plate, an inner column bracket having a second hole opened therein and supported by the telescopic friction plate, a connection member that is a resinous member provided at a position straddling the first hole and the second hole and detachably connecting the inner column and the inner column bracket, and an inner plate that covers the inside of the first hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Applicant: NSK LTD.
    Inventors: Masaya JOHTA, Hideki KOJIMA, Wataru HAGIWARA, Ryoichi SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 9434403
    Abstract: A steering device which contracts by an impulse load. The steering device includes a cylindrical inner column having a first hole opened therein, an outer column having a cylindrical shape into which at least a part of the inner column is inserted and having a slit at one insertion side end of the inner column, an outer column bracket fixed to a vehicle body side member to support the outer column and to tighten the outer column along with a telescopic friction plate, an inner column bracket having a second hole opened therein and supported by the telescopic friction plate, and a shear pin provided at a position straddling the first hole and the second hole and detachably connecting the inner column and the inner column bracket to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventors: Masaya Johta, Hideki Kojima, Wataru Hagiwara, Daiki Orihara, Hiroshi Kakita, Osamu Kurihara
  • Patent number: 9433434
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device includes a pulsation generator which converts a fluid into a pulsed fluid, a fluid supply unit (supply pump) which supplies the fluid to the pulsation generator, an ejection tube which has an ejection opening communicating with the pulsation generator, a suction tube into which the ejection tube is inserted with play, a suction channel provided between the suction tube and the ejection tube, a suction opening provided at an end of the suction channel in a vicinity of the ejection opening, and a suction unit (suction pump) which sucks fluid in such a manner that the fluid introduced from the suction opening passes through the suction channel. The ejection opening is held by an inner circumferential part of the suction opening. According to this structure, vibration of the ejection tube in the vicinity of the ejection opening can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Kojima, Atsuya Hirabayashi
  • Publication number: 20160242802
    Abstract: A fluid injection device includes a pulse generator which converts fluid into pulse flow, a suction pipe projecting from the pulse generator, an injection pipe which is eccentrically inserted into the suction pipe such that the outer circumferential surface of the injection pipe contacts the inner circumferential surface of the suction pipe, and has an injection opening communicating with the pulse generator, and a suction channel and a suction opening formed between the inner circumferential surface of the suction pipe and the outer circumferential surface of the injection pipe. The injection pipe is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the suction pipe in the vicinity of the injection opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventor: Hideki KOJIMA
  • Patent number: 9421995
    Abstract: A steering device which contracts by an impulse load. A steering device includes an inner column having a cylindrical shape, a base plate having a first hole opened therein, an outer column having a cylindrical shape into which at least a part of the inner column is inserted, and having a slit formed by notching one insertion side end of the inner column, an outer column bracket to tighten the outer column along with a telescopic friction plate, and a connection member provided at a position straddling the first hole and a second hole, and detachably connecting the base plate and the inner column bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventors: Masaya Johta, Hideki Kojima, Wataru Hagiwara, Daiki Orihara, Ryoichi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9415795
    Abstract: A steering apparatus is disclosed, the apparatus including friction plates 23, 24a, 24b clamped by a clamping bolt 10 together with a clamp portion and a vehicle-sided bracket 6 to extend toward a rear side of a vehicle in an axial direction; and a holding member 20 fitted on an inner column 3 and connected to portions, on the rear side of the vehicle, of the friction plates 23, 24a, 24b, the holding member 20 and the inner column 3 being connected together via shearing pins 21a, 21b, the shearing pins being sheared into fracture upon receiving a predetermined level of impact force to enable a more stable and lower separating load to be acquired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Wataru Hagiwara, Masaya Jouta, Hideki Kojima
  • Patent number: 9409591
    Abstract: A steering device which slides when an impulse load is applied. A steering device includes an inner column having a cylindrical shape, an outer column into which at least a part of the inner column is inserted, a column bracket tightening the outer column, a pressed portion provided on the outer periphery of the inner column, a first tightening mechanism tightening the outer column in response to a rotation of a manipulation lever, a second tightening mechanism biasing a lock member to the pressed portion in a tilt direction in response to the rotation of the manipulation lever, and a separation mechanism. The separation mechanism causes the inner column detachable by changing a relative position between the inner column and the pressing bracket, when the impulse load is applied in a state where the first tightening mechanism and the second tightening mechanism are in work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventors: Masaya Johta, Hideki Kojima, Wataru Hagiwara, Daiki Orihara
  • Patent number: 9409590
    Abstract: A steering device which slides when an impulse load is applied. The steering device includes an inner column having a cylindrical shape and a first hole opened therein, an outer column having a slit, an outer column bracket to tighten the outer column, an inner column bracket having a second hole opened therein, and a connection member provided at a position straddling the first hole and the second hole and detachably connecting the inner column and the inner column bracket. The telescopic friction plates are disposed at both sides of the outer column. The inner column bracket includes an arm portion connecting the telescopic friction plates disposed at both sides of the outer column, a neck portion projected from the arm portion, and a leg portion provided at an end opposite to the arm portion of the neck portion and contacting the inner column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventors: Masaya Johta, Hideki Kojima, Wataru Hagiwara, Daiki Orihara, Ryoichi Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20160167694
    Abstract: A steering apparatus is disclosed, the apparatus including friction plates 23, 24a, 24b clamped by a clamping bolt 10 together with a clamp portion and a vehicle-sided bracket 6 to extend toward a rear side of a vehicle in an axial direction; and a holding member 20 fitted on an inner column 3 and connected to portions, on the rear side of the vehicle, of the friction plates 23, 24a, 24b, the holding member 20 and the inner column 3 being connected together via shearing pins 21a, 21b, the shearing pins being sheared into fracture upon receiving a predetermined level of impact force to enable a more stable and lower separating load to be acquired.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: Wataru Hagiwara, Masaya Jouta, Hideki Kojima
  • Patent number: 9358035
    Abstract: A fluid injection device includes a pulse generator which converts fluid into pulse flow, a suction pipe projecting from the pulse generator, an injection pipe which is eccentrically inserted into the suction pipe such that the outer circumferential surface of the injection pipe contacts the inner circumferential surface of the suction pipe, and has an injection opening communicating with the pulse generator, and a suction channel and a suction opening formed between the inner circumferential surface of the suction pipe and the outer circumferential surface of the injection pipe. The injection pipe is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the suction pipe in the vicinity of the injection opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki Kojima
  • Patent number: 9277934
    Abstract: Liquid to be injected from an injection nozzle is supplied through a liquid supply channel toward the injection nozzle. Negative pressure for sucking the liquid injected from the injection nozzle through a suction port is produced by a suction unit and guided through a suction channel toward the suction port. A bypass channel which bypasses the liquid supply channel on the upstream side with respect to the injection nozzle and connects with the suction channel is provided. The bypass channel is opened and closed by an opening and closing unit. According to this structure, flow of unnecessary liquid from the injection nozzle can be reduced by opening the opening and closing unit while injection of liquid is stopping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Kojima, Hideyuki Takahashi