Patents by Inventor Hirofumi Okui

Hirofumi Okui 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: 7056423
    Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for producing hydrogen and a method for producing hydrogen which effectively produce hydrogen in the low humidity atmosphere without humidifier or dehumidifier, and an electrochemistry device and a method for generating electrochemistry energy which generate electrochemistry energy by an oxidation-reduction reaction using hydrogen. A fullerene derivative where a proton (H+) dissociating group is introduced into a fullerene, is used as a composition material of a proton conductor 3, water is supplied to an anode 1 in a vapor or gas state and is electrolyzed, and produced protons (H+) are conducted to a cathode 2 through the proton conductor 3 and converted into hydrogen here. Moreover, hydrogen produced in such a way is decomposed into protons (H+) at the cathode 2, the protons are conducted to the anode 1 through the proton conductor 3 and converted into water there, and then, electrochemistry energy is extracted between the cathode 2 and the anode 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuichiro Maruyama, Hiroshi Miyazawa, Hirofumi Okui, Koichiro Hinokuma
  • Publication number: 20030116443
    Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for producing hydrogen and a method for producing hydrogen which effectively produce hydrogen in the low humidity atmosphere without humidifier or dehumidifier, and an electrochemistry device and a method for generating electrochemistry energy which generate electrochemistry energy by an oxidation-reduction reaction using hydrogen. A fullerene derivative where a proton (H+) dissociating group is introduced into a fullerene, is used as a composition material of a proton conductor 3, water is supplied to an anode 1 in a vapor or gas state and is electrolyzed, and produced protons (H+) are conducted to a cathode 2 through the proton conductor 3 and converted into hydrogen here. Moreover, hydrogen produced in such a way is decomposed into protons (H+) at the cathode 2, the protons are conducted to the anode 1 through the proton conductor 3 and converted into water there, and then, electrochemistry energy is extracted between the cathode 2 and the anode 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2002
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Inventors: Ryuichiro Maruyama, Hiroshi Miyazawa, Hirofumi Okui, Koichiro Hinokuma