Patents by Inventor Hiroko Kimura

Hiroko Kimura 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: 11239474
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a method for producing a catalyst for fuel cells with excellent durability, and a fuel cell comprising a catalyst for fuel cells produced by the production method. Disclosed is a method for producing a catalyst for fuel cells, the catalyst comprising fine catalyst particles, each of which comprises a palladium-containing core particle and a platinum-containing outermost layer covering the core particle, and carbon supports on which the fine catalyst particles are supported, wherein the method comprises the steps of: preparing carbon supports on which palladium-containing particles are supported; fining the carbon supports; and covering the palladium-containing particles with a platinum-containing outermost layer after the fining step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AUDI AG
    Inventors: Hiroko Kimura, Naoki Takehiro
  • Patent number: 10406083
    Abstract: A cosmetic having excellent properties in transparency, spreadability, smoothness, skin compatibility and safety is prepared using a synthetic talc that is flake-like particles containing 2:1-type laminar crystals of silicate which have a basic structure of an octahedron sheet sandwiched between two tetrahedron sheets. The flake-like particle has a mean volume particle diameter of 0.5 to 100 ?m, and 0.3° or less of half width at half maximum of peak present at 2? equal to 9.4°±1° when measured by unoriented powder X-ray diffractometry (XRD) using CuK? rays, and the cosmetic is substantially free of Mg3Si2O5(OH)4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: JO Cosmetics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroko Kimura
  • Patent number: 10263259
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a method for producing core-shell catalyst particles with high catalytic activity per unit mass of platinum. Disclosed is a method for producing core-shell catalyst particles including a core containing palladium and a shell containing platinum and covering the shell, wherein the method includes: a step of depositing copper on the surface of the palladium-containing particles by applying a potential that is nobler than the oxidation-reduction potential of copper to the palladium-containing particles in a copper ion-containing electrolyte, and a step of forming the shell by, after the copper deposition step and inside the reaction system kept at ?3° C. or more and 10° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keiichi Kaneko, Hiroko Kimura, Makoto Adachi
  • Patent number: 9972848
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide fine catalyst particles with better catalytic performance than ever before and a carbon-supported catalyst with better catalytic performance than ever before.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noriyuki Kitao, Hiroko Kimura, Makoto Adachi, Keiichi Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20180000702
    Abstract: A cosmetic having excellent properties in transparency, spreadability, smoothness, skin compatibility and safety is prepared using a synthetic talc that is flake-like particles containing 2:1-type laminar crystals of silicate which have a basic structure of an octahedron sheet sandwiched between two tetrahedron sheets. The flake-like particle has a mean volume particle diameter of 0.5 to 100 ?m, and 0.3° or less of half width at half maximum of peak present at 2? equal to 9.4°±1° when measured by unoriented powder X-ray diffractometry (XRD) using CuK? rays, and the cosmetic is substantially free of Mg3Si2O5(OH)4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Applicant: JO Cosmetics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroko KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20170117554
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide fine catalyst particles with better catalytic performance than ever before and a carbon-supported catalyst with better catalytic performance than ever before.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noriyuki KITAO, Hiroko KIMURA, Makoto ADACHI, Keiichi KANEKO
  • Publication number: 20160359173
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a method for producing core-shell catalyst particles with high catalytic activity per unit mass of platinum. Disclosed is a method for producing core-shell catalyst particles including a core containing palladium and a shell containing platinum and covering the shell, wherein the method includes: a step of depositing copper on the surface of the palladium-containing particles by applying a potential that is nobler than the oxidation-reduction potential of copper to the palladium-containing particles in a copper ion-containing electrolyte, and a step of forming the shell by, after the copper deposition step and inside the reaction system kept at ?3° C. or more and 10° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keiichi KANEKO, Hiroko KIMURA, Makoto ADACHI
  • Patent number: 9385377
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a production method which can increase the activity of a catalyst particle comprising a core particle and an outermost layer, the core particle comprising at least one of palladium and a palladium alloy, and the outermost layer comprising at least one of platinum and a platinum alloy and covering the core particle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AUDI AG
    Inventors: Keiichi Kaneko, Naoki Takehiro, Takumi Taniguchi, Tatsuya Arai, Noriyuki Kitao, Makoto Adachi, Hiroko Kimura
  • Publication number: 20150318560
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a production method which can increase the activity of a catalyst particle comprising a core particle and an outermost layer, the core particle comprising at least one of palladium and a palladium alloy, and the outermost layer comprising at least one of platinum and a platinum alloy and covering the core particle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, BALLARD POWER SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Keiichi KANEKO, Naoki TAKEHIRO, Takumi TANIGUCHI, Tatsuya ARAI, Noriyuki KITAO, Makoto ADACHI, Hiroko KIMURA
  • Patent number: 9002689
    Abstract: A particle size distribution creating method includes a particle size range determining step, an integrating step of integrating the frequency of appearance of particles within the particle size range determined in the particle size range determining step, a division point determining step of determining particle sizes that provide division points, using the integral of the frequency of appearance obtained in the integrating step, and a typical point determining step of determining the minimum particle size, maximum particle size and the particle sizes of the division points as typical points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroko Kimura, Naoki Takehiro, Manabu Kato, Kazutaka Kimura
  • Publication number: 20150093682
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a method for producing a catalyst for fuel cells with excellent durability, and a fuel cell comprising a catalyst for fuel cells produced by the production method. Disclosed is a method for producing a catalyst for fuel cells, the catalyst comprising fine catalyst particles, each of which comprises a palladium-containing core particle and a platinum-containing outermost layer covering the core particle, and carbon supports on which the fine catalyst particles are supported, wherein the method comprises the steps of: preparing carbon supports on which palladium-containing particles are supported; fining the carbon supports; and covering the palladium-containing particles with a platinum-containing outermost layer after the fining step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2013
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroko Kimura, Naoki Takehiro
  • Patent number: 8843355
    Abstract: A particle size distribution creating method includes a particle size range determining step, an integrating step of integrating the frequency of appearance of particles within the particle size range determined in the particle size range determining step, a division point determining step of determining particle sizes that provide division points, using the integral of the frequency of appearance obtained in the integrating step, and a typical point determining step of determining the minimum particle size, maximum particle size and the particle sizes of the division points as typical points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroko Kimura, Naoki Takehiro, Manabu Kato, Kazutaka Kimura
  • Patent number: 8785078
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel cell which is capable of improving electric power generation efficiency at a time of high-temperature operation. The fuel cell 10 comprising: a membrane electrode assembly 4; and a pair of gas separators 7, 8 sandwiching the membrane electrode assembly 4 therebetween, wherein at least one of the gas separator(s) 7 and/or 8 comprises a compact layer(s) 7c and/or 8c which is capable of preventing permeation of fluid and a porous layer (s) 7d and/or 8d which allows permeation of fluid, and the porous layer(s) 7d and/or 8d is impregnated with a water-soluble liquid having higher boiling point than that of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroko Kimura, Naoki Takehiro
  • Publication number: 20140200133
    Abstract: The present invention provides core-shell type metal nanoparticles having a high surface coverage of the core portion with the shell portion, and a method for producing the same. Disclosed is core-shell type metal nanoparticles comprising a core portion comprising a core metal material and a shell portion covering the core portion, wherein the core portion substantially has no {100} plane of the core metal material on the surface thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroko KIMURA, Naoki TAKEHIRO, Koshi SEKIZAWA, Atsuo IIO, Tatsuya ARAI
  • Patent number: 8735019
    Abstract: A fuel cell including a single fuel cell which includes a membrane electrode including a polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode electrode on one surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane, and a cathode electrode on another surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane, the anode electrode including an anode catalyst layer and a gas diffusion layer and the cathode electrode including a cathode catalyst layer and a gas diffusion layer. At least one of the anode cathode catalyst layers includes core-shell type catalyst particles, each having a core and a shell covering the core and including a shell metallic material. At least one of the polymer electrolyte membrane, anode catalyst layer, gas diffusion layer at the anode side, cathode catalyst layer and gas diffusion layer at the cathode side includes metallic nanoparticles having an average particle diameter different from that of the core-shell type catalyst particles and including the shell metallic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuya Arai, Naoki Takehiro, Atsuo Iio, Koshi Sekizawa, Hiroko Kimura
  • Publication number: 20140120435
    Abstract: A particle size distribution creating method includes a particle size range determining step, an integrating step of integrating the frequency of appearance of particles within the particle size range determined in the particle size range determining step, a division point determining step of determining particle sizes that provide division points, using the integral of the frequency of appearance obtained in the integrating step, and a typical point determining step of determining the minimum particle size, maximum particle size and the particle sizes of the division points as typical points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroko Kimura, Naoki Takehiro, Manabu Kato, Kazutaka Kimura
  • Publication number: 20140114628
    Abstract: A particle size distribution creating method includes a particle size range determining step, an integrating step of integrating the frequency of appearance of particles within the particle size range determined in the particle size range determining step, a division point determining step of determining particle sizes that provide division points, using the integral of the frequency of appearance obtained in the integrating step, and a typical point determining step of determining the minimum particle size, maximum particle size and the particle sizes of the division points as typical points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroko Kimura, Naoki Takehiro, Manabu Kato, Kazutaka Kimura
  • Patent number: 8660827
    Abstract: A particle size distribution creating method includes a particle size range determining step, an integrating step of integrating the frequency of appearance of particles within the particle size range determined in the particle size range determining step, a division point determining step of determining particle sizes that provide division points, using the integral of the frequency of appearance obtained in the integrating step, and a typical point determining step of determining the minimum particle size, maximum particle size and the particle sizes of the division points as typical points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroko Kimura, Naoki Takehiro, Manabu Kato, Kazutaka Kimura
  • Patent number: 8652421
    Abstract: The invention is directed to an apparatus useful in conducting detection of compounds on blotting membranes. The device is comprised of several layers including a porous support layer below the blotting membrane(s), a flow distributor above the blotting membrane(s) and optionally a well on the flow distributor to contain the liquid to the desired area and to allow for lower starting volumes of such liquid. Preferably, the flow distributor is a non-binding or low binding hydrophilic porous membrane such as a 0.22 micron membrane and the support layer is a grid or sintered porous material. The distributor and support are held together to form an envelope around the membrane(s). The use of a hinge, clips and other such devices is preferred in doing so.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: EMD Millipore Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu Mabuchi, Hiroko Kimura, Marc Emerick, Phillip Clark, Kurt Greenizen
  • Patent number: 8652422
    Abstract: The invention is directed to an apparatus useful in conducting detection of compounds on blotting membranes. The device is comprised of several layers including a porous support layer below the blotting membrane(s), a flow distributor above the blotting membrane(s) and optionally a well on the flow distributor to contain the liquid to the desired area and to allow for lower starting volumes of such liquid. Preferably, the flow distributor is a non-binding or low binding hydrophilic porous membrane such as a 0.22 micron membrane and the support layer is a grid or sintered porous material. The distributor and support are held together to form an envelope around the membrane(s). The use of a hinge, clips and other such devices is preferred in doing so.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: EMD Mllipore Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu Mabuchi, Hiroko Kimura, Marc Emerick, Phillip Clark, Kurt Greenizen