Patents by Inventor Kenichi Oba

Kenichi Oba 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: 20180154558
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a substrate-integrated gasket using screen printing. The method includes: a step for forming, on a surface of a substrate by means of screen printing, a coating layer of a paste for forming a gasket; and a step for hardening the coating layer by pressing, at a predetermined height, a coating layer correction member to the coating layer. The cross-sectional shape of the coating layer formed on the surface of the substrate is corrected by means of the coating layer correction member, and in such state, the coating layer hardens to be a gasket, thereby forming a gasket having a highly accurate cross-sectional shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Inventors: Hajime YUI, Tetsuya URAKAWA, Kenichi OBA
  • Publication number: 20180099439
    Abstract: The purpose of this invention is to make it easy to handle all-rubber gaskets. To achieve this purpose, a gasket is characterized in that a gasket body of only rubber is combined with a carrier film that is made from a resin film to hold the gasket body in a non-adhesive state. A three-dimensional portion having a shape that is deformed along the external shape of the gasket body is provided at a position where the gasket body and a plane of the carrier film overlap, and a portion of the gasket body is contained in the three-dimensional section. The gasket body is used as a gasket for fuel cells incorporated into a fuel cell stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Publication date: April 12, 2018
    Inventors: Hidetoshi SASO, Yoshihiro KURANO, Takayuki HORIMOTO, Tetsuya URAKAWA, Kenichi OBA, Takuro NISHIMURA, Hajime YUI, Takahiro HAYASHI
  • Patent number: 9350034
    Abstract: To improve assembly precision of a fuel cell by improving a sealing property. A first gasket 12 is integrally formed with a first gas diffusion layer 11 and a second gasket 14 is integrally formed with a second gas diffusion layer 13, and a hinge portion 15 connects the first gasket 12 to the second gasket 14. The gas diffusion layer incorporated gasket sandwiches a membrane-electrode from both sides in the thickness direction. A seal protrusion 12c is formed in a surface of the first gasket 12 or the second gasket 14 and comes into close contact with the membrane-electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: NOK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hajime Yui, Shigeru Watanabe, Kenichi Oba
  • Patent number: 9196911
    Abstract: A gas diffusion layer-integrated gasket 1 includes a first gasket 12 which is integrally molded to a periphery of a first gas diffusion layer 11 and a second gasket 14 which is integrally molded to a periphery of a second gas diffusion layer 13, and a hinge part 15 which connects the first gasket 12 and second gasket 14 to each other. The first and second gas diffusion layers sandwich a membrane-electrode assembly 2 in which catalytic electrode layers are provided on both surfaces of an electrolytic membrane from both sides, wherein a seal protrusion 12c is formed on a surface which is in tight contact with the membrane-electrode assembly 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: NOK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hajime Yui, Shigeru Watanabe, Kenichi Oba
  • Patent number: 8609299
    Abstract: A fuel cell seal structure includes a GDL which is formed by a porous body and a gasket which is integrally formed with a peripheral edge of a GDL. The GDL includes a rubber impregnation portion and an impregnation stopping portion. The gasket is integrally formed with a gasket body portion having a thickness dimension larger than a thickness dimension of the GDL and an overlap portion overlapping with the GDL in a plane other than a portion impregnated by the GDL. The rubber impregnation portion of the GDL includes an inner portion which is provided between the impregnation stopping portion and an outer portion overlapping with the overlap portion of the gasket in a plane so as not to overlap with the gasket in a plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: NOK Corporation
    Inventors: Morihiro Iju, Shigeru Watanabe, Kenichi Oba
  • Patent number: 8329355
    Abstract: In a fuel cell, an elastic body provides first protrusion T10 that encompasses the perimeter of the passage hole at plate member 40 and the leading edge of which spans the entire region and tightly adheres to plate member 40, provides second protrusion S20 that is disposed within the placement region of reaction membrane 10 so as to encompass the perimeter of the gas diffusion layer, and provides third protrusion S30 that is disposed to encompass the region at which first protrusion T10 is disposed and the region at which second protrusion S20 is disposed, and is disposed outside the placement region for the reaction membrane, and the leading edge of which spans the entire region and tightly adheres to a separator 30.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: NOK Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeru Watanabe, Kenichi Oba
  • Publication number: 20110097647
    Abstract: A fuel cell seal structure includes a GDL which is formed by a porous body and a gasket which is integrally formed with a peripheral edge of a GDL. The GDL includes a rubber impregnation portion and an impregnation stopping portion. The gasket is integrally formed with a gasket body portion having a thickness dimension larger than a thickness dimension of the GDL and an overlap portion overlapping with the GDL in a plane other than a portion impregnated by the GDL. The rubber impregnation portion of the GDL includes an inner portion which is provided between the impregnation stopping portion and an outer portion overlapping with the overlap portion of the gasket in a plane so as not to overlap with the gasket in a plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicant: NOK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Morihiro Iju, Shigeru Watanabe, Kenichi Oba
  • Publication number: 20110014540
    Abstract: To improve assembly precision of a fuel cell by improving a sealing property. A first gasket 12 is integrally formed with a first gas diffusion layer 11 and a second gasket 14 is integrally formed with a second gas diffusion layer 13, and a hinge portion 15 connects the first gasket 12 to the second gasket 14. The gas diffusion layer incorporated gasket sandwiches a membrane-electrode from both sides in the thickness direction. A seal protrusion 12c is formed in a surface of the first gasket 12 or the second gasket 14 and comes into close contact with the membrane-electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: NOK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hajime Yui, Shigeru Watanabe, Kenichi Oba
  • Publication number: 20110014541
    Abstract: A gas diffusion layer-integrated gasket 1 includes a first gasket 12 which is integrally molded to a periphery of a first gas diffusion layer 11 and a second gasket 14 which is integrally molded to a periphery of a second gas diffusion layer 13, and a hinge part 15 which connects the first gasket 12 and second gasket 14 to each other. The first and second gas diffusion layers sandwich a membrane-electrode assembly 2 in which catalytic electrode layers are provided on both surfaces of an electrolytic membrane from both sides, wherein a seal protrusion 12c is formed on a surface which is in tight contact with the membrane-electrode assembly 2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: NOK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hajime Yui, Shigeru Watanabe, Kenichi Oba
  • Publication number: 20100330461
    Abstract: In a fuel cell, an elastic body provides first protrusion T10 that encompasses the perimeter of the passage hole at plate member 40 and the leading edge of which spans the entire region and tightly adheres to plate member 40, provides second protrusion S20 that is disposed within the placement region of reaction membrane 10 so as to encompass the perimeter of the gas diffusion layer, and provides third protrusion S30 that is disposed to encompass the region at which first protrusion T10 is disposed and the region at which second protrusion S20 is disposed, and is disposed outside the placement region for the reaction membrane, and the leading edge of which spans the entire region and tightly adheres to a separator 30.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: NOK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeru Watanabe, Kenichi Oba
  • Publication number: 20080208058
    Abstract: The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus of the present invention includes: an ultrasound transmitting/receiving unit for receiving an echo signal; dynamic blood flow detection unit for calculating a predetermined detection value based on dynamic blood flow in a test subject based on the echo signal; a luminance value conversion unit for converting the predetermined detection value into a luminance value; a luminance value replacement unit retaining luminance value conversion information; and a comparison unit for comparing a first luminance value in one frame with a second luminance value in the frame immediately preceding the one frame, out of the luminance values outputted from the luminance value conversion unit, wherein the comparison unit is adapted to output either the first luminance value or a third luminance value which is not larger than the absolute value of the second luminance value, based on the comparison result and the luminance value replacement information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventors: Tomohiro SABATA, Kenichi OBA, Tadaaki KANBARA