Patents by Inventor Kazumasa Kitamura

Kazumasa Kitamura 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: 7402936
    Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive device is provided with a stationary portion, a thin-plate portion supported by the stationary portion, and piezoelectric/electrostrictive element formed by alternately laminating a plurality of electrodes and a plurality of piezoelectric/electrostrictive layers. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device is produced by cutting a thin-plate body that composes the thin-plate portion afterward and a laminated body comprising the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layers and thereafter applying prescribed specific processing (for example, heat treatment) to the cut plane (the lateral end surfaces).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Ikeda, Yuya Kikuta, Nobuchika Noguchi, Kazumasa Kitamura, Kazuyoshi Shibata
  • Publication number: 20080120821
    Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive device is provided with a stationary portion, a thin-plate portion supported by the stationary portion, and piezoelectric/electrostrictive element formed by alternately laminating a plurality of electrodes and a plurality of piezoelectric/electrostrictive layers. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device is produced by cutting a thin-plate body that composes the thin-plate portion afterward and a laminated body comprising the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layers and thereafter applying prescribed specific processing (for example, heat treatment) to the cut plane (the lateral end surfaces).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji IKEDA, Yuya Kikuta, Nobuchika Noguchi, Kazumasa Kitamura, Kazuyoshi Shibata
  • Patent number: 7374628
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a micro pump member, in which a plurality of cells formed in a base part are used as pressurizing chambers, and side walls forming the pressurizing chambers are constructed by piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements. The micro pump member is formed by using a punch and die to form slits through green sheets that are laminated to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihisa Takeuchi, Hiroyuki Tsuji, Kazumasa Kitamura, Nobuo Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20080084265
    Abstract: An inductor element comprises: a ceramic base member; and a coil composed of a conductor having a shape complementary to the ceramic base member. In the inductor element, a prescribed plural number of steps are formed on at least an inner wall surface of the ceramic base member facing to the coil in one direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Publication date: April 10, 2008
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazumasa KITAMURA, Yoshinori Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7355327
    Abstract: A laminated piezoelectric element is applicable as a driving source of opening and closing mechanism of an injection nozzle in a fuel injecting device. A laminated piezoelectric/electrostrictive element 1 has: a columnar laminate 10 constituted by alternately laminating a plurality of piezoelectric/electrostrictive layers 14 and inner electrode layers 18, 19; and outer electrodes connected to the inner electrode layers 18, 19 every other layer. This laminated piezoelectric/electrostrictive element 1 has stepped portions A formed periodically at every laminating cycle T in a side surface of the columnar laminate 10 of the element, the side surface being parallel to an axial direction (S-direction) of the columnar laminate 10. Due to the constitution mentioned above, the electrode is not easily worn even during an expanding and contracting operation during practical use, and the element can sufficiently circulate and cool a lubricant through the casing even during practical use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Kimura, Kazumasa Kitamura, Tatsuo Kawaguchi
  • Publication number: 20070227329
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an industrial component is provided which can highly accurately form through holes in a target object even with a narrow bar width and a long bar length. The method is for manufacturing an industrial component having through holes with a high aspect ratio by using a punch and a die. The punch has leading ends formed into punching cutters and serving as stacking axes of plural sheets of punch materials. The plural sheets of punch materials are punched by the punch and thereafter kept held by a side surface of the punch. When a given punch material is held by the side surface of the punch, a next punch material is punched and stacked, with the leading ends of the punch projecting farther than the lowest surface of the given punch material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazumasa Kitamura, Yoshinori Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20070216734
    Abstract: There is disclosed a small and thin ink jet head having an excellent productivity, in which Piezoelectric elements capable of developing a large displacement amount and a high displacement generation force can highly densely be arranged together with ink chambers and nozzles and in which generation of crosstalk is inhibited. A discharge device comprises a channel section in which a plurality of channels are formed, each channel having an introduction hole, a pressurizing chamber and a discharge hole; and an actuator section having a top plate, a pair of support walls arranged at opposite ends of the top plate and a plurality of piezoelectric elements hanging from the top plate, spread between the pair of support walls, arranged independently of one another and forming pairs with the channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazumasa KITAMURA, Kazuhiro Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20070188052
    Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive device is provided with a stationary portion, a thin-plate portion supported by the stationary portion, and piezoelectric/electrostrictive element formed by alternately laminating a plurality of electrodes and a plurality of piezoelectric/electrostrictive layers. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device is produced by cutting a thin-plate body that composes the thin-plate portion afterward and a laminated body comprising the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layers and thereafter applying prescribed specific processing (for example, heat treatment) to the cut plane (the lateral end surfaces).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji IKEDA, Yuya Kikuta, Nobuchika Noguchi, Kazumasa Kitamura, Kazuyoshi Shibata
  • Patent number: 7246420
    Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator is provided, including comb-shape piezoelectric actuators, each including a plurality of piezoelectric layers. The actuators are made by a process including the steps of (1) preparing a plurality of piezoelectric material green sheets on which electrode films are formed and forming slits on a first green sheet using a punch and a die, (2) pulling up the first green sheet using a stripper, (3) pulling up a top portion of the punch slightly from the lowest portion of the pulled up first green sheet, (4) forming second slits in a second green sheet by the punch, (5) pulling up the second green sheet jointly with the first green sheet, (6) pulling up the top portion of the punch slightly from the lowest portion of the pulled up second green sheet, and thereafter laminating green sheets by repeating steps (4) through (6). The layers are thereafter fired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihisa Takeuchi, Hiroyuki Tsuji, Kazumasa Kitamura, Nobuo Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20070087666
    Abstract: A method for grinding a number of objects includes a series of steps from arranging the objects to be ground on a grinding jig (a master plate) through removing the ground objects from the grinding jig after completion of the grinding process, smoothly and precisely without damaging a number of the objects to be ground and without altering the arrangement pattern of the objects to be ground from the start through the end of the series of steps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Publication date: April 19, 2007
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazumasa Kitamura, Katsuyuki Tsuneoka, Tomoki Nagae
  • Patent number: 7169020
    Abstract: A grinding jig set comprising a combination of several jig units and a method for grinding a number of objects are provided. The method comprises a series of steps from arranging the objects to be ground on a grinding jig (a master plate) through removing the ground objects from the grinding jig after completion of grinding process, smoothly and precisely without damaging a number of the objects to be ground and without altering the arrangement pattern of the objects to be ground from the start through the end of the series of steps. The jig set for grinding comprises a set of jig units used for a series of processing from allocation of objects to be ground on a grinding jig through removing the ground objects from the grinding jig after the grinding operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazumasa Kitamura, Katsuyuki Tsuneoka, Tomoki Nagae
  • Publication number: 20060289042
    Abstract: A cleaning tool has a tray 10 and a cover member 20. The tray has a space for individually accommodating a to-be-cleaned object D. The cover member has a frame 21, and thread-like members 22 and 23. The thread-like members 22 are tensioned to the frame along a first direction so as to form a first plane section that defines the top portion of the space. The thread-like members 23 are tensioned to the frame along a second direction so as to form a second plane section above the first plane section. When the thread-like members 22 are about to vibrate during the cleaning, the thread-like members 22 are about to vibrate during the cleaning, member can relatively freely move in each plane section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2006
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Applicants: SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd., NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Satoyoshi, Morihiro Ohno, Kazumasa Kitamura, Tomoki Nagae, Shinya Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20060279173
    Abstract: A laminated piezoelectric element is applicable as a driving source of opening and closing mechanism of an injection nozzle in a fuel injecting device. A laminated piezoelectric/electrostrictive element 1 has: a columnar laminate 10 constituted by alternately laminating a plurality of piezoelectric/electrostrictive layers 18 and inner electrode layers 18, 19; and outer electrodes connected to the inner electrode layers 18, 19 every other layer. This laminated piezoelectric/electrostrictive element 1 has stepped portions A formed periodically at every laminating cycle T in a side surface of the columnar laminate 10 of the element, the side surface being parallel to an axial direction (S-direction) of the columnar laminate 10. Due to the constitution mentioned above, the electrode is not easily worn even during an expanding and contracting operation during practical use, and the element can sufficiently circulate and cool a lubricant through the casing even during practical use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Publication date: December 14, 2006
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Kimura, Kazumasa Kitamura, Tatsuo Kawaguchi
  • Publication number: 20060263552
    Abstract: A tray for heat treatment includes a plate-shaped ceramic substrate which includes at least one pocket for placing a workpiece and a notch formed therein. The tray for heat treatment does not crack or undergo deformation such as warping during use and can be manufactured by a simplified process while achieving a higher yield.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2006
    Publication date: November 23, 2006
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tsuji, Kazumasa Kitamura, Koji Ikeda
  • Patent number: 7122091
    Abstract: A structure of retaining cut-processed components includes a first base (18A). The structure includes cut-processed components (1A) removably fixed to the first base, with the cut-components aligned with each other in a longitudinal direction of the first base. The cut-processed components have first and second cut surfaces (1Aa, 1Ab) parallel to each other. First cut surfaces are positioned flush with each other. Second cut surfaces are positioned flush with each other. The cut-processed components are fixed to the first base by a dissoluble adhesive (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tsuji, Kazumasa Kitamura
  • Patent number: 7082940
    Abstract: A wire sawing apparatus includes a wire, a wire feed roller, and two basic rollers. The three rollers have the same diameter and are arranged in such a manner that their axes of rotation are in parallel with one another. Cutting-positioning circumferential grooves are formed on the two basic rollers at axially paired same positions. Intermediate circumferential grooves are formed on the wire feed roller and arranged in the axial direction such that the axial position of each intermediate circumferential groove corresponds to an axially central position between two adjacent pairs of cutting-positioning circumferential grooves. The wire is spirally wound a plurality of turns on the three rollers while being fitted into the circumferential grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihisa Takeuchi, Hiroyuki Tsuji, Kazumasa Kitamura, Masashi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20060099887
    Abstract: A grinding jig set comprising a combination of several jig units and a method for grinding a number of objects are provided. The method comprises a series of steps from arranging the objects to be ground on a grinding jig (a master plate) through removing the ground objects from the grinding jig after completion of grinding process, smoothly and precisely without damaging a number of the objects to be ground and without altering the arrangement pattern of the objects to be ground from the start through the end of the series of steps. The jig set for grinding comprises a set of jig units used for a series of processing from allocation of objects to be ground on a grinding jig through removing the ground objects from the grinding jig after the grinding operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2005
    Publication date: May 11, 2006
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazumasa Kitamura, Katsuyuki Tsuneoka, Tomoki Nagae
  • Patent number: 7025444
    Abstract: A multislit type actuator including a plurality of piezoelectric actuators aligned and allocated like teeth of a comb formed on a substrate, wherein a condition of crystal grains in side surfaces of the piezoelectric actuators forming wall surfaces of a slit between the comb teeth is that the crystal grains under transgranular fracture are 1% or below.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihisa Takeuchi, Hiroyuki Tsuji, Kazumasa Kitamura, Nobuo Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6988301
    Abstract: A matrix type piezoelectric/electrostrictive (P/E) actuator includes a plurality of piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements, each including a piezoelectric/electrostrictive body and at least one pair of electrodes formed on a ceramic substrate. The matrix type P/E actuator is activated by the displacement of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive bodies. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements are joined to the ceramic substrate as respective unified bodies, and are two-dimensionally arranged independently from each other. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator provides a greater displacement with a lower voltage, a high responsive speed, and a greater generating force, as well as enhancing the mounting ability and the integration. A method for manufacturing such a matrix type P/E actuator is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihisa Takeuchi, Hiroyuki Tsuji, Kazumasa Kitamura, Nobuo Takahashi, Koji Kimura
  • Publication number: 20050273990
    Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator includes comb teeth-shaped piezoelectric actuators, each comprising plural piezoelectric layers. A side surface of each tooth is fired. Actuators are made by (1) preparing a plurality of piezoelectric material green sheets on which electrode films are formed and forming slits on a first green sheet using a punch and a die, (2) pulling up the first green sheet using a stripper, (3) pulling up a top portion of the punch slightly from the lowest portion of the pulled up first green sheet, (4) forming second slits in a second green sheet by the punch, (5) pulling up the second green sheet jointly with the first green sheet, and (6) pulling up the top portion of the punch slightly from the lowest portion of the pulled up second green sheet, and thereafter laminating green sheets by repeating steps (4) through (6). The layers can thereafter be fired.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2005
    Publication date: December 15, 2005
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihisa Takeuchi, Hiroyuki Tsuji, Kazumasa Kitamura, Nobuo Takahashi