Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Sohma

Hiroshi Sohma 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: 20060216566
    Abstract: Disclosed is a polymer electrolyte having a protonic acid group that is excellent in thermal stability and dimensional stability. The polymer electrolyte includes copolymers having a sulfonic acid group which has a structure represented by the following formula: wherein X is a divalent electron-withdrawing group; Y is an oxygen or a sulfur; Z and Q are each a direct bond, —O—, —S—, —CO—, —SO2—, —[C(R?)2]g— (g: integer of from 1 to 8), etc.; R, R? and R1 to R16 are each a hydrogen, a fluorine, an alkyl, a fluorine-substituted alkyl, an aryl or a nitrile; m, n, p, q, r, s, t and u are each an integer of from 0 to 4 (with the proviso that p+q?1); and A is a group represented by Formula (5a) or (5b) below: wherein W is a divalent electron-withdrawing group; S is a protonic acid group; i is an integer of from 1 to 5; and j is an integer of from 1 to 7.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2006
    Publication date: September 28, 2006
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Yamakawa, Toshihiro Ohtsuki, Kohei Goto, Toshiaki Kadota, Teruhiko Umehara, Nagayuki Kanaoka, Masaru Iguchi, Hiroshi Sohma
  • Publication number: 20060188768
    Abstract: The present invention provides a membrane-electrode assembly excellent in electric power generation performance and durability for use in a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell and a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell formed therefrom. The membrane-electrode assembly for use in a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell has a solid polymer electrolyte membrane 1 sandwiched between a pair of electrodes 2 and 2 each containing a catalyst. The solid polymer electrolyte membrane 1 is formed of a polyarylene polymer including a repeating unit represented by the general formula (1), or a polyarylene copolymer including the repeating unit represented by the general formula (1) and a repeating unit represented by the general formula (2). The solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell includes the membrane-electrode assembly for use in a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2006
    Publication date: August 24, 2006
    Inventors: Nagayuki Kanaoka, Masaru Iguchi, Hiroshi Sohma
  • Patent number: 7030206
    Abstract: To provide a sulfonic acid group-containing polymer having improved hot water resistance and radical resistance (durability), a solid polymer electrolyte including the polymer, and a proton-conducting membrane including the electrolyte, the polymer electrolyte includes a sulfonated product of a polymer shown by the following general formula (I): wherein X, Y, and Z are bonded randomly, alternately, or in blocks, y represents an integer of two or more, and each of x and z represents an integer of zero or more, where x+z>2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd., JSR Corporation
    Inventors: Nagayuki Kanaoka, Masaru Iguchi, Naoki Mitsuta, Hiroshi Sohma, Toshihiro Ohtsuki
  • Publication number: 20050260475
    Abstract: A polymer electrolyte membrane obtained by subjecting a sulfonated polyarylene membrane having an initial water content of 80-300 weight % to a hot-water treatment. A composite polymer electrolyte membrane comprising a matrix made of a first sulfonated aromatic polymer having a high ion exchange capacity, and a reinforcing material constituted by a second sulfonated aromatic polymer having a low ion exchange capacity in the form of fibers or a porous membrane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Publication date: November 24, 2005
    Inventors: Yoichi Asano, Masaaki Nanaumi, Hiroshi Sohma, Nagayuki Kanaoka, Nobuhiro Saito
  • Publication number: 20050260474
    Abstract: A polymer electrolyte membrane obtained by subjecting a sulfonated polyarylene membrane having an initial water content of 80-300 weight % to a hot-water treatment. A composite polymer electrolyte membrane comprising a matrix made of a first sulfonated aromatic polymer having a high ion exchange capacity, and a reinforcing material constituted by a second sulfonated aromatic polymer having a low ion exchange capacity in the form of fibers or a porous membrane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Publication date: November 24, 2005
    Inventors: Yoichi Asano, Masaaki Nanaumi, Hiroshi Sohma, Nagayuki Kanaoka, Nobuhiro Saito
  • Patent number: 6933068
    Abstract: A composite polymer electrolyte membrane is formed from a first polymer electrolyte comprising a sulfonated polyarytene polymer and a second polymer electrolyte comprising another hydrocarbon polymer electrolyte. In the first polymer electrolyte, 2-70 mol % constitutes an aromatic compound unit with an electron-attractive group in its principal chain, while 30-98 mol % constitutes an aromatic compound unit without an electron-attractive group in its principal chain. The second polymer electrolyte is a sulfonated polyether or sulfonated polysulfide polymer electrolyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignees: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, JSR Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichi Asano, Masaaki Nanaumi, Nagayuki Kanaoka, Hiroshi Sohma, Nobuhiro Saito, Junji Matsuo, Kohei Goto, Masayuki Takahashi, Yuji Naito, Fusazumi Masaka
  • Patent number: 6926984
    Abstract: A polymer electrolyte membrane obtained by subjecting a sulfonated polyarylene membrane having an initial water content of 80-300 weight % to a hot-water treatment. A composite polymer electrolyte membrane comprising a matrix made of a first sulfonated aromatic polymer having a high ion exchange capacity, and a reinforcing material constituted by a second sulfonated aromatic polymer having a low ion exchange capacity in the form of fibers or a porous membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoichi Asano, Masaaki Nanaumi, Hiroshi Sohma, Nagayuki Kanaoka, Nobuhiro Saito
  • Publication number: 20040214065
    Abstract: To provide a sulfonic acid group-containing polymer having improved hot water resistance and radical resistance (durability), a solid polymer electrolyte including the polymer, and a proton-conducting membrane including the electrolyte, the polymer electrolyte includes a sulfonated product of a polymer shown by the following general formula (I): 1
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2004
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Inventors: Nagayuki Kanaoka, Masaru Iguchi, Naoki Mitsuta, Hiroshi Sohma, Toshihiro Ohtsuki
  • Publication number: 20040197631
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electrode structure for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising a pair of electrode catalyst layers 1, 1 and a polymer electrolyte membrane 2 held between the electrode catalyst layers 1, 1. The polymer electrolyte membrane 2 is a sulfonation product of a polymer, which comprises a main chain, wherein two or more divalent aromatic residues are bound to one another directly or through oxy groups or divalent groups other than aromatic residues, and side chains comprising aromatic groups to be sulfonated. Provided that the number of divalent aromatic residues comprised in the main chain of the above polymer is denoted by X, and the number of oxy groups comprised in the main chain of the above polymer is denoted by Y, the value X/Y is within the range of from 2.0 to 9.0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Inventors: Naoki Mitsuta, Nagayuki Kanaoka, Yoichi Asano, Hiroshi Sohma
  • Publication number: 20040197632
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electrode structure for polymer electrolyte fuel cells, inexpensive, and exhibiting excellent power production capacity and durability even under high temperature/low humidity conditions, and also provides a polymer electrolyte fuel cell which incorporates the same electrode structure. The present invention also provides an electrical device and transportation device, each incorporating the same polymer electrolyte fuel cell. The electrode structure comprises a pair of electrode catalyst layers 1,1, each containing a catalyst supported by carbon particles, and polymer electrolyte membrane 2 placed between these electrode catalyst layers 1,1. The polymer electrolyte membrane 2 is of a sulfonated polyarylene composed of 0.5 to 100% by mol of the first repeating unit represented by the general formula (1) and 0 to 99.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2003
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sohma, Masaru Iguchi, Nagayuki Kanaoka, Hayato Kaji, Hiroshi Morikawa, Naoki Mitsuta
  • Publication number: 20040180250
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electrode structure having a pair of electrode catalyst layers and a polymer electrolyte membrane held between both the electrode catalyst layers. The polymer electrolyte membrane contains 5% or more by weight of the water coordinated to protons of sulfonic acid groups. The polymer electrolyte membrane comprises a fluorine-containing ion conducting polymer. The ratio of the fluorine content in the above polymer electrolyte membrane to the fluorine content in the above electrode catalyst layer is within the range of from 0.2 to 2.0. The polymer electrolyte membrane is a sulfonate of a copolymer general formulas (1) and (2). The electrode catalyst layer contains platinum within the range of from 0.01 to 0.8 mg/cm2, and the average particle diameter of a carbon particle as a carrier is within the range of from 10 to 100 nm. The polymer electrolyte membrane is produced by forming a membrane from the above sulfonate solution and drying the obtained membrane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2003
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Inventors: Masaaki Nanaumi, Yoichi Asano, Nagayuki Kanaoka, Hiroshi Sohma, Naoki Mitsuta
  • Publication number: 20040121211
    Abstract: The present invention provides a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, which is inexpensive and has an excellent efficiency of generating electric power, by using a material alternative to a perfluoroalkylene sulfonic acid polymer. The polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprises a pair of electrodes (2, 3) consisting of an oxygen electrode (2) and a fuel electrode (3) both having a catalyst layer (5) containing a catalyst and an ion conducting material; and a polymer electrolyte membrane (1) sandwiched between the two catalyst layers (5) of the both electrodes (2, 3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Publication date: June 24, 2004
    Inventors: Yoichi Asano, Masaaki Nanaumi, Hiroshi Sohma, Nagayuki Kanaoka, Nobuhiro Saito, Keisuke Andou, Kaoru Fukuda, Junji Matsuo
  • Publication number: 20040096717
    Abstract: The present invention provides a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, which comprises: a pair of electrodes 2 and 3 both having a catalyst layer 5, where catalyst particles consisting of a catalyst carrier and a catalyst supported by the carrier are integrated by an ion-conductive polymer binder; and a polymer electrolyte membrane 1 sandwiched between the electrodes 2 and 3 on their sides having the catalyst layer 5. The polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprises: the polymer electrolyte membrane 1 having a coefficient of dynamic viscoelasticity at 110° C. in a range of 1×109 to 1×1011 Pa; and the catalyst layer 5 made of the ion-conductive polymer binder having a coefficient of dynamic viscoelasticity at 110° C. smaller than the polymer electrolyte membrane 1. The polymer electrolyte fuel cell further comprises a buffer layer 6, comprising an ion-conductive material having a coefficient of dynamic viscoelasticity at 110° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Publication date: May 20, 2004
    Inventors: Yoichi Asano, Masaaki Nanaumi, Hiroshi Sohma, Nagayuki Kanaoka, Nobuhiro Saito
  • Publication number: 20020172850
    Abstract: A composite polymer electrolyte membrane is formed from a first polymer electrolyte comprising a sulfonated polyarylene polymer and a second polymer electrolyte comprising another hydrocarbon polymer electrolyte. In the first polymer electrolyte, 2-70 mol % constitutes an aromatic compound unit with an electron-attractive group in its principal chain, while 30-98 mol % constitutes an aromatic compound unit without an electron-attractive group in its principal chain. The second polymer electrolyte is a sulfonated polyether or sulfonated polysulfide polymer electrolyte. The composite polymer electrolyte membrane is formed from a matrix comprising the first polymer electrolyte selected from among sulfonated polyarylene polymers and having an ion exchange capacity in excess of 1.5 meq/g but less than 3.0 meq/g, which is supported on a reinforcement comprising the second polymer electrolyte having an ion exchange capacity in excess of 0.5 meq/g but less than 1.5 meq/g.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Publication date: November 21, 2002
    Applicant: HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, JSR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoichi Asano, Masaaki Nanaumi, Nagayuki Kanaoka, Hiroshi Sohma, Nobuhiro Saito, Junji Matsuo, Kohei Goto, Masayuki Takahashi, Yuji Naito, Fusazumi Masaka
  • Publication number: 20020164513
    Abstract: A polymer electrolyte membrane obtained by subjecting a sulfonated polyarylene membrane having an initial water content of 80-300 weight % to a hot-water treatment. A composite polymer electrolyte membrane comprising a matrix made of a first sulfonated aromatic polymer having a high ion exchange capacity, and a reinforcing material constituted by a second sulfonated aromatic polymer having a low ion exchange capacity in the form of fibers or a porous membrane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Publication date: November 7, 2002
    Applicant: HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoichi Asano, Masaaki Nanaumi, Hiroshi Sohma, Nagayuki Kanaoka, Nobuhiro Saito
  • Publication number: 20020155340
    Abstract: The membrane electrode assembly comprising a pair of opposing electrodes each having a catalytic layer, and a polymer electrolyte membrane sandwiched by the electrodes, part of the catalytic layers being projecting into the polymer electrolyte membrane is produced by (1) coating a catalytic layer of one electrode with a solution of a polymer electrolyte in an organic solvent, (2) coating the resultant polymer electrolyte membrane with a catalyst slurry for the other electrode, while the amount of the organic solvent remaining in the polymer electrolyte membrane is 5-20 weight % based on the polymer electrolyte membrane, and (3) after drying, hot-pressing the polymer electrolyte membrane and the electrodes formed on both sides of the membrane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Applicant: HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaaki Nanaumi, Hiroshi Sohma, Junji Matsuo, Nobuhiro Saito, Keisuke Andou, Yuichiro Sugiyama, Kaoru Fukuda
  • Patent number: 6064835
    Abstract: A field frame for use with a finder which provides arbitrary or stepwise switches of an aspect ratio of the finder. The field frame is made up of a standard field frame, a first L-shaped field switch frame having a dowel pin and two elongated holes, and a second L-shaped field switch frame having a dowel pin and two elongated holes. These two L-shaped field switch frames are piled up one on top of the other in such a manner that dowel pins standing on the main body of the standard field frame fit into the laminated elongated holes of the L-shaped field switch frames. A driving wheel having engaging cutouts is also laminated on the L-shaped field switch frames so that the engaging cutouts can engage with the dowel pins of the field switch frames. The driving wheel is also provided with a lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Kobayashi, Toshihiko Izaki, Hiroshi Sohma, Yukitaka Takeshita
  • Patent number: 5890024
    Abstract: A camera having a sprocket with a pair of cogs formed on a periphery for engaging a filmstrip having a row of perforations separated at alternate short and long intervals. The periphery is divided by the cogs into a frictional engaging section which provides frictional engagement of the periphery with the filmstrip and a mechanical engaging section which provides mechanical engagement of the cogs with the perforations. A shutter charging mechanism is operated by rotation of the sprocket driven by the filmstrip through the mechanical engagement between the filmstrip and at least part of the mechanically engaging section of the sprocket. A switch over mechanism disconnects the sprocket and the shutter mechanism in response to rewinding the filmstrip and a locking mechanism prevents reverse rotation of the sprocket in a specific position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignees: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd., Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoji Naka, Masashi Takamura, Hiroshi Sohma, Kazuhiko Onda
  • Patent number: 5749009
    Abstract: A camera for use with a filmstrip having a row of perforations separated at alternate short and long intervals has a film winding mechanism which includes a sprocket and a locking mechanism for locking the sprocket in a specific position when an exposure counter returns its start point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignees: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd., Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoji Naka, Masashi Takamura, Hiroshi Sohma, Kazuhiko Onda
  • Patent number: 5592252
    Abstract: A field frame for use with a finder which provides arbitrary or stepwise switches of an aspect ratio of the finder. The field frame is made up of a standard field frame, a first L-shaped field switch frame having a dowel pin and two elongated holes, and a second L-shaped field switch frame having a dowel pin and two elongated holes. These two L-shaped field switch frames are piled up one on top of the other in such a manner that dowel pins standing on the main body of the standard field frame fit into the superposed elongated holes of the L-shaped field switch frames. A driving wheel having engaging cutouts is also superposed on the L-shaped field switch frames so that the engaging cutouts can engage with the dowel pins of the field switch frames. The driving wheel is also provided with a lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1997
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Kobayashi, Toshihiko Izaki, Hiroshi Sohma, Yukitaka Takeshita