Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Uchihara

Hiroshi Uchihara 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: 20230221292
    Abstract: An elemental analysis device includes a first electrode and a second electrode between which a crucible MP containing a sample is nipped, and that heats the sample. The second electrode includes a second electrode main body that has a tip end having a substantially cylindrical shape, a second electrode tip, a cap that nips the second electrode tip between the cap and the second electrode main body such that a part of the second electrode tip is exposed to an outside, and a second screwing structure that includes a male thread and a female thread provided between the second electrode main body and the cap, and the second screwing structure further includes a purge groove that extends in a pitch direction and that is provided as a cutout provided to a part of crests of a thread of at least one of the male thread and the female thread.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Inventors: Takahito INOUE, Hiroshi UCHIHARA
  • Publication number: 20230221291
    Abstract: An element analysis method is capable of maintaining accuracy of zero-point correction equivalent to that in the related art while shortening the time required for element analysis. The method includes heating a sample placed in a crucible in a heating furnace, and measuring an amount of an element contained in a gas discharged from the heating furnace by an analysis mechanism to analyze the element contained in the sample. The method includes: a blank measurement step of measuring the amount of the element contained in the gas discharged from the heating furnace when only the crucible is heated; and a step of setting an amount of zero-point correction based on a measurement value in a transient state region where the measurement value rises in blank data obtained in the blank measurement step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Inventors: Takahito INOUE, Hiroshi UCHIHARA
  • Publication number: 20230213419
    Abstract: In order to provide an elemental analysis device that includes an electrode having a housing recess where a crucible is housed during an elemental analysis, and that is capable of making only the part of a consumed electrode tip replaceable, an elemental analysis device including a first electrode and a second electrode between which a crucible MP containing a sample is nipped, and that heats the sample by applying a current between the first electrode and the second electrode, the first electrode includes: a first electrode main body that is provided with a housing recess where the crucible MP is housed; and a first electrode tip that is provided removably to the first electrode main body in such a manner that a part thereof is exposed inside the housing recess.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Inventors: Takahito INOUE, Hiroshi UCHIHARA, Yasushi HIRATA
  • Publication number: 20230204550
    Abstract: A purging mechanism includes an injection channel through which a purge gas is injected into a heating furnace, a discharge channel that connects the heating furnace to outside air to discharge the purge gas having been injected into the heating furnace to the outside air, and a purge gas flow rate adjusting mechanism by which a flow rate of the purge gas is adjusted by changing a flow resistance of the discharge channel between a plurality of levels, or continuously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: Takahito INOUE, Hiroshi UCHIHARA
  • Publication number: 20230098544
    Abstract: An elemental analysis device includes a heating furnace in which a test sample that is placed in a crucible is heated so that a sample gas is generated from the test sample, an inflow path through which a carrier gas is introduced into the heating furnace, an outflow path through which a mixture gas made up of the carrier gas and the sample gas is led out from the heating furnace, a dust filter that is provided on the outflow path, an analysis mechanism that is provided on the outflow path on a downstream side from the dust filter, and that detects one or a plurality of predetermined components contained in the mixture gas, and a cleaning gas supply mechanism that supplies cleaning gas to the dust filter in an opposite direction from a direction in which the mixture gas is flowing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Takahito INOUE, Hiroshi UCHIHARA
  • Publication number: 20220244176
    Abstract: A sample analyzing apparatus analyzes a component to be measured securely while reducing a frequency of maintenance of the sample analyzing apparatus. The sample analyzing apparatus includes a heating furnace that heats a sample held by a sample holding body and a gas analysis section that analyzes a component to be measured contained in a gas generated by heating the sample, and the gas analysis section includes a laser light source that irradiates the gas with a laser light, and a photodetector that detects an intensity of a sample light as being the laser light that has transmitted through the gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Takahito INOUE, Hiroshi UCHIHARA, Kyoji SHIBUYA
  • Patent number: 11270878
    Abstract: A quadrupole mass spectrometer includes an ion source that ionizes a sample, a filter unit that includes a quadrupole and separates ions generated from the ion source according to mass, a detector that detects ions passing through the filter unit, a filter voltage controller that controls a filter voltage applied to the quadrupole to switch between a blocking mode in which ions entering the filter unit are not allowed to impinge on the detector and a passing mode in which ions entering the filter unit are allowed to impinge on the detector, the filter voltage including a radio-frequency voltage and a direct-current voltage, a baseline computing unit that computes a baseline based on outputs of the detector in the blocking mode, and an analyzing unit that outputs an analysis result of the sample based on outputs of the detector in the passing mode and the computed baseline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignees: HORIBA STEC, CO., LTD., HORIBA, LTD.
    Inventors: Kohei Sasai, Kazushi Sasakura, Toshihiro Ikeyama, Takahito Inoue, Hiroshi Uchihara
  • Publication number: 20210318267
    Abstract: An element analysis device is provided, which can quantitatively analyze an H element contained in a sample gas with high accuracy. The element analysis device is provided with a heating furnace for heating a crucible having a sample contained therein while a carrier gas is introduced into the heating furnace to vaporize at least a part of the sample to generate a sample gas containing the H element and then deriving the sample gas with the carrier gas as a mixed gas and a mass spectrometer for quantitatively analyzing at least one element contained in the sample gas in the mixed gas that has been derived from the heating furnace, wherein the mass spectrometer quantitatively analyzes the H element contained as an H2O component in the mixed gas as the H element contained in the sample gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Inventors: Takahito INOUE, Hiroshi UCHIHARA, Kohei SASAI, Toshihiro IKEYAMA, Hiroyuki SEKI
  • Publication number: 20210166932
    Abstract: A quadrupole mass spectrometer includes an ion source that ionizes a sample, a filter unit that includes a quadrupole and separates ions generated from the ion source according to mass, a detector that detects ions passing through the filter unit, a filter voltage controller that controls a filter voltage applied to the quadrupole to switch between a blocking mode in which ions entering the filter unit are not allowed to impinge on the detector and a passing mode in which ions entering the filter unit are allowed to impinge on the detector, the filter voltage including a radio-frequency voltage and a direct-current voltage, a baseline computing unit that computes a baseline based on outputs of the detector in the blocking mode, and an analyzing unit that outputs an analysis result of the sample based on outputs of the detector in the passing mode and the computed baseline.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Applicants: HORIBA STEC, Co., Ltd., HORIBA, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kohei SASAI, Kazushi SASAKURA, Toshihiro IKEYAMA, Takahito INOUE, Hiroshi UCHIHARA
  • Patent number: 10978285
    Abstract: An objective of this invention is to conduct an accurate quantitative analysis on the Ar element contained in a sample gas by an element analysis device comprising a heating furnace and a mass spectrometer for conducting a quantitative analysis on an element in a vacuum atmosphere. The element analysis device comprises: a heating furnace that heats a graphite crucible containing a sample while introducing a carrier gas into the heating furnace, thereby vaporizing the sample to generate a sample gas; a quadrupole mass spectrometer that conducts the quantitative analysis on the Ar element contained in the sample gas in a mixed gas comprising the carrier gas and the sample gas discharged from the heating furnace, a first pressure regulator that controls the pressure of the carrier gas to be introduced into the heating furnace, and a second pressure regulator that controls the pressure of the mixed gas discharged from the heating furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignees: HORIBA, LTD., HORIBA STEC, CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takahito Inoue, Hiroshi Uchihara, Kohei Sasai, Toshihiro Ikeyama
  • Publication number: 20190206667
    Abstract: An objective of this invention is to conduct an accurate quantitative analysis on the Ar element contained in a sample gas by an element analysis device comprising a heating furnace and a mass spectrometer for conducting a quantitative analysis on an element in a vacuum atmosphere. The element analysis device comprises: a heating furnace that heats a graphite crucible containing a sample while introducing a carrier gas into the heating furnace, thereby vaporizing the sample to generate a sample gas; a quadrupole mass spectrometer that conducts the quantitative analysis on the Ar element contained in the sample gas in a mixed gas comprising the carrier gas and the sample gas discharged from the heating furnace, a first pressure regulator that controls the pressure of the carrier gas to be introduced into the heating furnace, and a second pressure regulator that controls the pressure of the mixed gas discharged from the heating furnace.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Inventors: Takahito INOUE, Hiroshi UCHIHARA, Kohei SASAI, Toshihiro IKEYAMA
  • Patent number: 8102524
    Abstract: Laser light having an energy of 1.9±0.1 eV is projected onto a carbon nanotube-containing substance so that a Raman spectrum is acquired. On the basis of the intensity of a peak at Raman shift 221±5 cm?1 caused by aggregates of single-walled carbon nanotubes, the degree of dispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube-containing substance is determined. A lower intensity of the peak indicates a higher degree of dispersion in the carbon nanotube-containing substance. As such, when the intensity of a particular peak contained in a Raman spectrum is measured, the degree of dispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes in a carbon nanotube-containing substance can be evaluated easily and clearly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Horiba, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Nakata, Hiroshi Uchihara
  • Publication number: 20100110421
    Abstract: Laser light having an energy of 1.9±0.1 eV is projected onto a carbon nanotube-containing substance so that a Raman spectrum is acquired. On the basis of the intensity of a peak at Raman shift 221±5 cm?1 caused by aggregates of single-walled carbon nanotubes, the degree of dispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube-containing substance is determined. A lower intensity of the peak indicates a higher degree of dispersion in the carbon nanotube-containing substance. As such, when the intensity of a particular peak contained in a Raman spectrum is measured, the degree of dispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes in a carbon nanotube-containing substance can be evaluated easily and clearly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Inventors: Yasushi NAKATA, Hiroshi UCHIHARA
  • Patent number: 7387764
    Abstract: An apparatus for analyzing the amount of gas in a solid sample such as a contained oxygen analyzing apparatus and method utilizing a preliminary reducing furnace which can be connected to an analyzing furnace by a transfer unit. A sample such as steel can be reduced in the preliminary reducing furnace and transferred to the analyzing furnace, for example, by a magnetic force, a gripping unit or a transporting sample body holder. A controller can control the application of heat and the mixing of a metal flux to provide discharge gas to an analyzer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Horiba, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Uchihara, Masahiko Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20050239211
    Abstract: The present invention provides a concentration method and apparatus for preparing a liquid specimen for a trace element analysis system. A holder positions a thin film that is prepared to have a liquid repellency so that a liquid sample containing a specimen can be uniformly evaporated to be concentrated at one location. An irradiation source of energy can be applied to enable a detector to determine the trace element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2005
    Publication date: October 27, 2005
    Inventors: Hiroshi Uchihara, Masahiko Ikeda, Atsushi Bando
  • Publication number: 20040014234
    Abstract: An apparatus for analyzing the amount of gas in a solid sample such as a contained oxygen analyzing apparatus and method utilizing a preliminary reducing furnace which can be connected to an analyzing furnace by a transfer unit. A sample such as steel can be reduced in the preliminary reducing furnace and transferred to the analyzing furnace, for example, by a magnetic force, a gripping unit or a transporting sample body holder. A controller can control the application of heat and the mixing of a metal flux to provide discharge gas to an analyzer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Publication date: January 22, 2004
    Inventors: Hiroshi Uchihara, Masahiko Ikeda
  • Patent number: 6516654
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for analyzing particulate matter in a gas for analyzing simply and with high precision the particulate matter in an engine emission and an apparatus therefor by which dry soot, SOF and sulfate in PM contained in an engine emission can be fractionated individually even in a trifle amount. The present invention further provides a carbon differentiating and analyzing apparatus capable of differentiating and analyzing with precision the organic carbon and the elemental carbon contained in a sample and capable of performing a predetermined analysis with precision in a short time by reducing the period of time required for the analysis. The present invention is constituted such that a heating furnace is provided with a filter which has caught PM contained in engine emission. The filter is heated at a predetermined temperature while passing an inert gas into the heating furnace to evaporate the SOF and sulfate contained in PM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Horiba, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Uchihara, Junji Okayama, Atsushi Bando, Masahiko Ikeda, Masayuki Adachi, Ichiro Asano, Hirokazu Fukushima
  • Publication number: 20010029775
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for analyzing particulate matter in a gas for analyzing simply and with high precision the particulate matter in an engine emission and an apparatus therefor by which dry soot, SOF and sulfate in PM contained in an engine emission can be fractionated individually even in a trifle amount. The present invention further provides a carbon differentiating and analyzing apparatus capable of differentiating and analyzing with precision the organic carbon and the elemental carbon contained in a sample and capable of performing a predetermined analysis with precision in a short time by reducing the period of time required for the analysis. The present invention is constituted such that a heating furnace is provided with a filter which has caught PM contained in engine emission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2000
    Publication date: October 18, 2001
    Inventors: Hiroshi Uchihara, Junji Okayama, Atsushi Bando, Masahiko Ikeda, Masayuki Adachi, Ichiro Asano, Hirokazu Fukushima
  • Patent number: 4800747
    Abstract: A heat melting type gas extraction apparatus is employed to measure oxygen in a silicon sample. A double graphite crucible is first heated, in the absence of the sample or a flux metal, to extract oxygen therein. The flux metal is then added to the crucible and heated to extract oxygen therein. The sample is then added, melted, and heated to produce a sample gas for analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1989
    Assignee: Horiba, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuya Tsuji, Takeshi Yamada, Hiroshi Uchihara