Patents by Inventor Hironobu Minowa

Hironobu Minowa 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: 12191504
    Abstract: The performance of a bipolar type metal air battery is improved while a low environmental load is maintained. The bipolar type metal air battery includes a plurality of cells including air electrodes composed of a co-continuous component having a 3D network structure in which a plurality of nanostructures are integrated by non-covalent bonds, negative electrodes, and an electrolyte disposed between the air electrode and the negative electrode, and a current collector disposed between the plurality of cells, and the plurality of cells are electrically connected in series, and the current collector is in close contact with the negative electrode using a biodegradable material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
    Inventors: Mikayo Iwata, Masaya Nohara, Hironobu Minowa, Shuhei Sakamoto, Takeshi Komatsu
  • Patent number: 12107218
    Abstract: A lithium secondary battery is provided with a higher capacity and a longer life. The lithium secondary battery includes: a cathode containing a material that is capable of inserting and desorbing lithium ions; a lithium ion conductive electrolyte; and an anode containing a material that is capable of occluding and releasing lithium metal or lithium ions, wherein the electrolyte contains indigo or indigo carmine, which is an organic compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
    Inventors: Shuhei Sakamoto, Yoko Ono, Hironobu Minowa, Takeshi Komatsu
  • Patent number: 12074288
    Abstract: A lithium secondary battery is provided with a higher capacity and a longer life. The lithium secondary battery includes: a cathode containing a material that is capable of inserting and desorbing lithium ions; a lithium ion conductive electrolyte; and an anode containing a material that is capable of occluding and releasing lithium metal or lithium ions, wherein the electrolyte contains a metal 6,6?-bis(benzoylamino)-2,2?-bipyridine (babp) complex, which is a metal complex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuhei Sakamoto, Yoko Ono, Hironobu Minowa, Takeshi Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20240194933
    Abstract: A positive electrode capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions, a negative electrode capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions, and a solid electrolyte having lithium ion conductivity are provided. In addition, the solid electrolyte includes an inorganic compound and a polymer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2021
    Publication date: June 13, 2024
    Inventors: Hironobu Minowa, Akihiro Kono, Takeshi Komatsu
  • Patent number: 11978877
    Abstract: A battery performance of a metal-air battery is improved while still maintaining a low environmental burden. A metal-air battery includes an air electrode formed from a co-continuous substance having a three-dimensional network structure in which a plurality of nanostructures are integrated by noncovalent bonds; an anode; and an electrolyte disposed between the air electrode and the anode, in which the electrolyte is a gel electrolyte obtained by gelling an aqueous solution containing an ion conductor with a gelling agent, and the gelling agent is constituted of at least one of a plant-derived polysaccharide, a seaweed-derived polysaccharide, a microbial polysaccharide, an animal-derived polysaccharide, and a group of acetic acid bacteria that produce the polysaccharides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mikayo Iwata, Masaya Nohara, Hironobu Minowa, Shuhei Sakamoto, Takeshi Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20240097130
    Abstract: A lithium secondary battery includes: a positive electrode film formed on a transparent substrate having flexible electron conductivity and containing a substance capable of performing a redox reaction with lithium ions; a transparent electrolyte having lithium ion conductivity; and a negative electrode film formed on a transparent substrate having flexible electron conductivity and containing an organic radical species capable of performing a redox reaction with lithium ions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Hironobu Minowa, Akihiro Kono, Takeshi Komatsu
  • Patent number: 11851786
    Abstract: A method includes a freezing process in which a solution or gel containing cellulose nanofibers is frozen to obtain a frozen component, a drying process in which the frozen component is dried in a vacuum to obtain a dry component, and a carbonizing process in which the dry component is heated and carbonized in a non-combustible atmosphere, and in the carbonizing process, the dry component is heated together with a reducing catalyst and also a material that generates a reducing gas by thermal decomposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hironobu Minowa, Masaya Nohara, Mikayo Iwata, Shuhei Sakamoto, Hiroaki Taguchi, Takeshi Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20230352730
    Abstract: The present invention provides a lithium secondary battery comprising: a cathode that is capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions; an anode that is capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions; and a transparent electrolyte having lithium ion conductivity, wherein the cathode and the anode are each formed on a transparent substrate having a transparent conductive film formed thereon, and the electrolyte contains a solid electrolyte.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Hironobu Minowa, Akihiro Kono, Takeshi Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20230178732
    Abstract: A lithium ion secondary battery has, as a positive electrode active material into and from which lithium ions can be intercalated and deintercalated, a lithium oxide represented by Formula Li(1+y)CoPO4X(y) (in the formula, X is selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, Br and I, and y lies in the range of 1<y?2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Akihiro Kono, Hironobu Minowa, Yoko Ono, Takeshi Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20230011844
    Abstract: A method for producing cellulose nanofiber carbon includes a freezing step of freezing a solution or gel containing cellulose nanofibers to obtain a frozen product, a drying step of drying the frozen product in a vacuum to obtain a dried product, and a carbonizing step of heating and carbonizing the dried product in an atmosphere in which the dried product does not burn to obtain cellulose nanofiber carbon, in which, in the carbonizing step, the dried product is heated together with a sacrificial agent that is carbonized before the dried product is carbonized to generate a reducing gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Inventors: Hironobu Minowa, Masaya Nohara, Mikayo Iwata, Hiroaki Taguchi, Takeshi Komatsu
  • Patent number: 11441748
    Abstract: To improve design of a lighting device. A lighting device includes optically transparent glass plates provided on side faces and placed on an optical path of light emitted from a light source, where some or all of the optically transparent glass plates contain an optically transparent battery adapted to drive the light source; and an optically transparent glass plate that contains a transparent conductive film by being provided on a bottom face, wherein the optically transparent battery is placed in contact with a pair of transparent conductive film layers, which are connected to the light source. The pair of transparent conductive film layers are formed in a pair of parallel linear grooves formed in a surface of the optically transparent glass plate on the bottom face, and a tabular positive tab and negative tab of the optically transparent battery fit in respective ones of the pair of grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoko Ono, Hironobu Minowa, Shuhei Sakamoto, Takeshi Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20220205143
    Abstract: A method includes a freezing process in which a solution or gel containing cellulose nanofibers is frozen to obtain a frozen component, a drying process in which the frozen component is dried in a vacuum to obtain a dry component, and a carbonizing process in which the dry component is heated and carbonized in a non-combustible atmosphere, and in the carbonizing process, the dry component is heated together with a reducing catalyst and also a material that generates a reducing gas by thermal decomposition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Hironobu Minowa, Masaya Nohara, Mikayo Iwata, Shuhei Sakamoto, Hiroaki Taguchi, Takeshi Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20220195229
    Abstract: Provided is a technique for a conductive paste having high conductivity and low cost. The conductive paste includes a conductive filler, a polymer, and a solvent, wherein the conductive filler includes co-continuous fibrous carbon having a three-dimensional network structure in which carbon is branched.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventors: Masaya Nohara, Hironobu Minowa, Mikayo Iwata, Hiroaki Taguchi, Takeshi Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20220098040
    Abstract: Provided are cellulose nanofiber carbon having elasticity, high mechanical strength, and capable of increasing its specific surface area, and a method for producing the same. A method for producing cellulose nanofiber carbon by carbonizing cellulose nanofibers, includes a semi-carbonization step S2 of semi-carbonizing a dispersion liquid or gel containing cellulose nanofibers with a heat medium to obtain a semi-carbonized body, and a carbonization step S3 of heating and carbonizing the semi-carbonized body in an atmosphere that does not burn the semi-carbonized body to obtain cellulose nanofiber carbon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Masaya Nohara, Mikayo Iwata, Hironobu Minowa, Shuhei Sakamoto, Takeshi Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20220093936
    Abstract: The performance of a bipolar type metal air battery is improved while a low environmental load is maintained. The bipolar type metal air battery includes a plurality of cells including air electrodes composed of a co-continuous component having a 3D network structure in which a plurality of nanostructures are integrated by non-covalent bonds, negative electrodes, and an electrolyte disposed between the air electrode and the negative electrode, and a current collector disposed between the plurality of cells, and the plurality of cells are electrically connected in series, and the current collector is in close contact with the negative electrode using a biodegradable material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Inventors: Mikayo Iwata, Masaya Nohara, Hironobu Minowa, Shuhei Sakamoto, Takeshi Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20220059888
    Abstract: A battery performance of a metal-air battery is improved while still maintaining a low environmental burden. A metal-air battery includes an air electrode formed from a co-continuous substance having a three-dimensional network structure in which a plurality of nanostructures are integrated by noncovalent bonds; an anode; and an electrolyte disposed between the air electrode and the anode, in which the electrolyte is a gel electrolyte obtained by gelling an aqueous solution containing an ion conductor with a gelling agent, and the gelling agent is constituted of at least one of a plant-derived polysaccharide, a seaweed-derived polysaccharide, a microbial polysaccharide, an animal-derived polysaccharide, and a group of acetic acid bacteria that produce the polysaccharides.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Mikayo Iwata, Masaya Nohara, Hironobu Minowa, Shuhei Sakamoto, Takeshi Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20210408588
    Abstract: A lithium secondary battery is provided with a higher capacity and a longer life. The lithium secondary battery includes: a cathode containing a material that is capable of inserting and desorbing lithium ions; a lithium ion conductive electrolyte; and an anode containing a material that is capable of occluding and releasing lithium metal or lithium ions, wherein the electrolyte contains indigo or indigo carmine, which is an organic compound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Shuhei Sakamoto, Yoko Ono, Hironobu Minowa, Takeshi Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20210399295
    Abstract: Provided is a lithium secondary battery having both visible light transparency and flexibility. A lithium secondary battery includes: a positive electrode film formed on a flexible transparent film substrate and capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions; a transparent electrolyte having lithium ion conductivity; and a negative electrode film formed on a flexible transparent film substrate, the negative electrode film being a metal capable of forming an alloy with lithium or capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions. When the positive electrode film contains a lithium source, the negative electrode film is made to have a thickness of 50 nm to 300 nm by using, as a negative electrode material, any of tin oxide, silicon oxide, titanium oxide, tungsten oxide, niobium oxide, molybdenum oxide, metal phosphide, metal sulfide, metal nitride, metal fluoride, or metal titanium composite oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: Hironobu Minowa, Yoko Ono, Shuhei Sakamoto, Takeshi Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20210399342
    Abstract: A lithium secondary battery is provided with a higher capacity and a longer life. The lithium secondary battery includes: a cathode containing a material that is capable of inserting and desorbing lithium ions; a lithium ion conductive electrolyte; and an anode containing a material that is capable of occluding and releasing lithium metal or lithium ions, wherein the electrolyte contains a metal 6,6?-bis(benzoylamino)-2,2?-bipyridine (babp) complex, which is a metal complex.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: Shuhei Sakamoto, Yoko Ono, Hironobu Minowa, Takeshi Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20210396366
    Abstract: To improve design of a lighting device. A lighting device includes optically transparent glass plates provided on side faces and placed on an optical path of light emitted from a light source, where some or all of the optically transparent glass plates contain an optically transparent battery adapted to drive the light source; and an optically transparent glass plate that contains a transparent conductive film by being provided on a bottom face, wherein the optically transparent battery is placed in contact with a pair of transparent conductive film layers, which are connected to the light source. The pair of transparent conductive film layers are formed in a pair of parallel linear grooves formed in a surface of the optically transparent glass plate on the bottom face, and a tabular positive tab and negative tab of the optically transparent battery fit in respective ones of the pair of grooves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: Yoko Ono, Hironobu Minowa, Shuhei Sakamoto, Takeshi Komatsu