Patents by Inventor Hiroaki Niino

Hiroaki Niino 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: 20020008424
    Abstract: The invention relates to a brake system including a brake booster. A pneumatic pressure operated brake booster VBB or a liquid pressure operated brake booster includes a valve mechanism which is urged by a force of depression applied to a brake pedal BP to switch a flow path to cause the brake booster to develop an output which depends on the magnitude of the force of depression. A solenoid SOL urges the valve mechanism in the same direction as or in the opposite direction from the force of depression. A controller ECU is responsive to a braking effort increase/decrease demand signal to increase or decrease the urging force which is applied by the solenoid to the valve mechanism, thus increasing or decreasing the output from the brake booster. An output from the brake booster can be freely controlled independently from the force of depression applied to the brake pedal in response to a, braking effort increase/decrease demand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2001
    Publication date: January 24, 2002
    Inventors: Osamu Kanazawa, Yoshiyasu Takasaki, Michio Kobayashi, Hiroshi Ohasaki, Masahiro Ikeda, Hiroyuki Oka, Hiroaki Niino, Kazuya Maki, Mamoru Sawada
  • Publication number: 20010055721
    Abstract: An electrophotographic light-receiving member comprising a conductive support and provided thereon a photoconductive layer formed of a non-single-crystal material mainly composed of silicon atom and containing hydrogen atom and an element belonging to Group IIIb of the periodic table; wherein the photoconductive layer has hydrogen atom content, an optical band gap and a characteristic energy obtained from the exponential tail of light absorption spectra, all in specific ranges, and has on the surface side thereof a second layer region that absorbs a prescribed amount of light incident on the photoconductive layer and on the support side thereof the other first layer region; the element belonging to Group IIIb of the periodic table being contained in the second layer region in an amount made smaller than that in the first layer region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 1997
    Publication date: December 27, 2001
    Inventors: SHINJI TSUCHIDA, HIROAKI NIINO, SATOSHI KOJIMA
  • Patent number: 6294299
    Abstract: An electrophotographic light-receiving member has a conductive support and a photoconductive layer composed of a non-monocrystalline material comprising silicon atoms as a matrix, hydrogen and/or halogen atoms, and an element belonging to Group IIIb of the periodic table. The photoconductive layer has from the surface side toward the conductive support side, a third layer region that absorbs 50-90% of incident image exposure light and a second layer region that absorbs 60-90% of pre-exposure light incident on the photoconductive layer. The Group IIIb element is present such that its content decreases from the conductive support side to the surface side. In three embodiments the photoconductive layer has, respectively: 10-30 at. % H; 10-20 at. % H and 25-40 at % H; an optical band gap of 1.75-1.85 eV, 1.65-1.75 eV and 1.80-1.90 eV and a characteristic energy of each of 50-55 meV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Tsuchida, Hiroaki Niino, Satoshi Kojima, Daisuke Tazawa
  • Publication number: 20010009747
    Abstract: An electrophotographic light-receiving member is disclosed which comprises a conductive support; and a light-receiving layer provided on the conductive support and having a photoconductive layer composed of a non-monocrystalline material comprising silicon atoms as a matrix, hydrogen and/or halogen atoms, and an element belonging to Group IIIb of the periodic table, wherein the photoconductive layer has from the surface side toward the conductive support side, a third layer region that absorbs a specified range of amount of image exposure light incident on the photoconductive layer, a second layer region that is other than the third layer region of a layer region that absorbs a specified range of amount of pre-exposure light incident on the photoconductive layer, and a first layer region that is other than the third and the second layer regions of the photoconductive layer, and wherein the element belonging to Group IIIb of the periodic table is contained in the photoconductive layer such that the content of
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 1998
    Publication date: July 26, 2001
    Inventors: SHINJI TSUCHIDA, HIROAKI NIINO, SATOSHI KOJIMA, DAISUKE TAZAWA
  • Patent number: 6090513
    Abstract: An electrophotographic light-receiving member comprising a conductive support and a light-receiving layer having a photoconductive layer showing a photoconductivity, formed on the conductive support and formed of a non-monocrystalline material mainly composed of a silicon atom and containing at least one of a hydrogen atom and a halogen atom, wherein said photoconductive layer contains from 10 atomic % to 30 atomic % of hydrogen, the characteristic energy of exponential tail obtained from light absorption spectra at light-incident portions at least of the photoconductive layer is from 50 meV to 60 meV, and the density of states of localization in the photoconductive layer is from 1.times.10.sup.14 cm.sup.-3 to 1.times.10.sup.16 cm.sup.-3. Since the in-gap levels of the photoconductive layer has been controlled, the light-receiving member can be improved in environmental stability and exposure memory at the same time and have superior potential characteristics and image characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroaki Niino, Koji Hitsuishi, Satoshi Kojima
  • Patent number: 6079799
    Abstract: A brake system has wheel cylinders for producing a braking force in wheels using pressurized brake fluid transmitted through a main conduit from a master cylinder, a reservoir for storing brake fluid, a sideslip preventing device for when a sideslip state of the vehicle is detected supplying brake fluid to the wheel cylinder corresponding to a sideslip controlled wheel and producing a braking force in the sideslip controlled wheel, a first conduit used for supplying brake fluid from the reservoir to the wheel cylinders by the pump and a first valve for switching this first conduit between an open state and a closed state. The sideslip preventing device, when the sideslip state is detected during non-braking of the vehicle, makes the first valve open-state and thereby conducts supply of brake fluid through the first conduit from the reservoir to the wheel cylinder by a pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Mamoru Sawada, Kazuya Maki, Hiroaki Niino, Masaki Tate, Yuzo Imoto
  • Patent number: 5945241
    Abstract: For providing a light receiving member for electrophotography improved in chargeability, temperature characteristic of sensitivity, and optical memory characteristic and presenting excellent quality of image, the light receiving member for electrophotography comprises an electrically conductive substrate and a photoconductive layer of a non-monocrystal material containing hydrogen atoms in the matrix of silicon atoms, wherein the photoconductive layer has regions formed under such conditions as to obtain a first layer region and a second layer region both having characteristic energy (Eu) of not more than 55 meV obtained from a linear portion (an exponential tail) of a function expressed by Equation (I) defined below with photon energy (h.nu.) as an independent variable and absorption coefficient (.alpha.) of photoabsorption spectrum as a dependent variable:ln.alpha.=(1/Eu).multidot.h.nu.+.alpha..sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroaki Niino, Satoshi Kojima, Shinji Tsuchida
  • Patent number: 5939230
    Abstract: A light receiving member comprising a photoconductive layer disposed on an electrically conductive surface of a substrate, said photoconductive layer being constituted by a non-single crystal material containing silicon atoms as a matrix and at least one kind of atoms selected from hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms, wherein said photoconductive layer contains a plurality of layer regions which are different from each other with respect to characteristic energy at an exponential tail obtained from a light absorption spectrum, hydrogen content and optical band gap. The light receiving member exhibits excellent potential characteristics and image-forming performance for visible laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Kojima, Hiroaki Niino, Shinji Tsuchida
  • Patent number: 5738963
    Abstract: To improve photoconductive and photoelectric-conversionary properties, e.g., to improve charging performance and at the same time make its temperature dependence lower, and to prevent exposure memory to achieve good image quality, a light-receiving member comprises a support and a photoconductive layer formed of a non-single-crystal (e.g., amorphous) material mainly composed of silicon atoms and containing at least one kind of hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms, wherein the photoconductive layer has a first layer region and a second layer region which have values different from each other in specific ranges in respect of optical bandgap (Eg) and characteristic energy (Eu) obtained from the linear relationship portion or exponential tail of a function represented by Expression (I):ln .alpha.=(1/Eu).multidot.h.nu.+.alpha..sub.1 (I)where photon energy h.nu. is set as an independent variable, and absorptivity coefficient .alpha. of light absorption spectrum as a dependent variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroaki Niino
  • Patent number: 5656404
    Abstract: A light receiving member having a light receiving layer comprising a photoconductive layer and a surface layer disposed on a conductive substrate, wherein the photoconductive layer comprises, from the side of the substrate, a first photoconductive layer constituted by an amorphous material containing silicon atoms as a matrix, carbon atoms, hydrogen atoms and fluorine atoms, and a second photoconductive layer constituted by an amorphous material containing silicon atoms as a matrix, and at least one kind of atoms selected from hydrogen atoms and fluorine atoms, wherein the content of said fluorine atoms in the first photoconductive layer is from 1 to 95 atomic ppm based on the content of said silicon atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroaki Niino, Tetsuya Takei, Ryuji Okamura, Toshiyasu Shirasuna, Shigeru Shirai
  • Patent number: 5561021
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising a substrate, a light receiving layer having a photoconductive layer composed of a non-single crystal material containing silicon atoms as a matrix and having photoconductivity disposed on said substrate, and a surface protective layer disposed on said light receiving layer, characterized in that said surface protective layer comprises a metal oxide film formed by adjusting the surface of said light receiving layer to have a contact angle against water of 80.degree. or more, applying a sol liquid comprising an organometallic compound admixed with water, an alcohol and an acid onto the surface of said light receiving layer, and subjecting the resultant to heat treatment. An electrophotographic apparatus provided with said electrophotographic photosensitive member. A process for the production of said electrophotographic photosensitive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1996
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Yamazaki, Shigenori Ueda, Toshiyuki Ehara, Hiroaki Niino, Masaya Kawada
  • Patent number: 5514217
    Abstract: An apparatus for continuously forming a functional deposited film on a continuously moving web member by microwave plasma CVD process, said apparatus comprises: a substantially enclosed columnar film-forming chamber having a curved circumferential wall formed by curving and projecting said web member as said web member is moving in the longitudinal direction by curved portion-forming means, said film-forming chamber having a film-forming space defined by a curved moving web member constituting said circumferential in which plasma is generated; at least a microwave applicator means capable of radiating a microwave energy in the direction of microwave to propagate, said microwave applicator means being mounted to said film forming chamber through one of the two side faces thereof such that part of said microwave applicator means is plunged into said film-forming space, at least said part of microwave applicator means having a dielectric exterior constituted by a dielectric material having a value of 2.times.10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1996
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroaki Niino, Tetsuya Takei, Masahiro Kanai, Ryuji Okamura
  • Patent number: 5480750
    Abstract: There are provided an electrophotographic apparatus and an electrophotographic process featured by control satisfying a condition 1n(n).times.1n(S)/1n(E).ltoreq.19.0 among the localized energy level density n in the photoconductive layer of an amorphous silicon photosensitive member employed in the electrophotographic apparatus, the electric field E applied to the photosensitive member, and the surfacial moving speed S thereof. Such control reduces the photocarriers remaining in the photoconductive layer and inducing the photomemory effect, thereby suppressing the influence of a remaining latent image on the latent image generated in a next step, and providing an image of high quality without the photomemory effect, within resulting in a loss in the charging efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1996
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaya Kawada, Koji Yamazaki, Shigenori Ueda, Toshiyuki Ehara, Hiroaki Niino
  • Patent number: 5433790
    Abstract: A deposit film forming apparatus is disclosed. Cylindrical substrates are disposed within a reaction vessel to be substantially sealed so as to surround a discharge space, and microwave introducing means is provided to form a microwave discharge plasma containing a reactant arising from a source gas and contributing to the formation of film, apply the voltage to an electrode provided on said discharge space, and form a deposit film on a surface of said substrate, characterized in that said microwave introducing means except for at least a microwave introducing dielectric window is constituted of two areas made of mutually different materials, a first area for transmitting the microwave is composed of a metal, and a second area in contact with the plasma is composed of a dielectric of which the product of a dielectric constant (.epsilon.) and a dielectric loss tangent (tan .delta.) at a frequency of used microwave is equal to or less than 2.times.10.sup.-2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1995
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroaki Niino, Tetsuya Takei, Ryuji Okamura
  • Patent number: 4998979
    Abstract: A method for washing a deposition film-forming device for forming deposition films comprises removing the reaction product attached on the interior of the reaction vessel during formation of the deposition film with ClF.sub.3 gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1991
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroaki Niino
  • Patent number: 4981766
    Abstract: A light receiving member for electrophotography made up of an aluminum support and a multilayered light receiving layer exhibiting photoconductivity formed on the aluminum support, wherein the multilayered light receiving layer consists of a lower layer in contact with the support and an upper layer, the lower layer being made of an inorganic material containing at least aluminum atom (Al), silicon atoms (Si) and hydrogen atoms (H), and having portion in which the aluminum atoms (Al), silicon atoms (Si), and hydrogen atoms (H) are unevenly distributed across the layer thickness, the upper layer being made of a non-single-crystal material composed of silicon atoms (Si) as the matrix and at least either of hydrogen atoms (H) or halogen atoms (X) and containing at least one of carbon atoms, nitrogen atoms (N) and oxygen atoms (O) in the layer region in adjacent with the lower layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1991
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuyuki Aoike, Masafumi Sano, Takehito Yoshino, Toshimitsu Kariya, Hiroaki Niino
  • Patent number: 4906542
    Abstract: A light receiving member for electrophotography made up of an aluminum support and a multilayered light receiving layer exhibiting photoconductivity formed on the aluminum support, wherein the multilayered light receiving layer consists of a lower layer in contact with the support and an upper layer, the lower layer being made of an inorganic material containing at least aluminum atom (Al), silicon atoms (Si) and hydrogen atoms (H), and having portion in which the aluminum atoms (Al), silicon atoms (Si), and hydrogen atoms (H) are unevenly distributed across the layer thickness, the upper layer being made of a non-single-crystal material composed of silicon atoms (Si) as the matrix and at least either of hydrogen atoms (H) or halogen atoms (X) and containing at least one of carbon atoms, nitrogen atoms (N) and oxygen atoms (O) in the layer region in adjacent with the lower layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1990
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuyuki Aoike, Masafumi Sano, Takehito Yoshino, Toshimitsu Kariya, Hiroaki Niino
  • Patent number: 4906543
    Abstract: There is provided an improved light receiving member for electrophotography which is made up of an aluminum support and a multilayered light receiving layer exhibiting photoconductivity formed on said aluminum support, wherein said multilayered light receiving layer consists of a lower layer in contact with said support and an upper layer, said lower layer being made of an inorganic material containing at least aluminum atoms (Al), silicon atoms (Si), and hydrogen atoms (H), and having a part in which said aluminum atoms (Al), silicon atoms (Si), and hydrogen atoms (H) are unevenly distributed across the layer thickness, said upper layer being made of a non-single-crystal material composed of silicon atoms (Si) as the matrix and at least either of hydrogen atoms (H) or halogen atoms (X), and containing at least either of germanium atoms or tin atoms in a layer region in contact with said lower layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1990
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuyuki Aoike, Masafumi Sano, Takehito Yoshino, Toshimitsu Kariya, Hiroaki Niino
  • Patent number: 4886723
    Abstract: There is provided an improved light receiving member for electrophotography which is made up of an aluminum support and a multilayered light receiving layer exhibiting photoconductivity formed on said aluminum support, wherein said multilayered light receiving layer consists of a lower layer in contact with said support and an upper layer, said lower layer being made of an inorganic material containing at least aluminum atoms (Al), silicon atoms (Si), and hydrogen atoms (H), and having a part in which said aluminum atoms (Al), silicon atoms (Si), and hydrogen atoms (H) are unevenly distributed across the layer thickness, said upper layer being made of a non-single material composed of silicon atoms (Si) as the matrix and at least either of hydrogen atoms (H) or halogen atoms (X). The light receiving member for electrophotography exhibits outstanding electric characteristics, optical characteristics, photoconductive characteristics, durability, image characteristics, and adaptability to use environments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1989
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuyuki Aoike, Masafumi Sano, Takehito Yoshino, Toshimitsu Kariya, Hiroaki Niino
  • Patent number: 4882251
    Abstract: A light receiving member for electrophotography made up of an aluminum support and a multilayered light receiving layer exhibiting photoconductivity formed on the aluminum support, wherein the multilayered light receiving layer consists of a lower layer in contact with the support and an upper layer, the lower layer being made of an inorganic material containing at least aluminum atom (Al), silicon atoms (Si) and hydrogen atoms (H), and having portion in which the aluminum atoms (Al), silicon atoms (Si), and hydrogen atoms (H) are unevenly distributed across the layer thickness, the upper layer being made of a non-single-crystal material composed of silicon atoms (Si) as the matrix and at least either of hydrogen atoms (H) or halogen atoms (X) and containing atoms to control conductivity in the layer region in adjacent with the lower layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1989
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuyuki Aoike, Masafumi Sano, Takehito Yoshino, Toshimitsu Kariya, Hiroaki Niino