Patents by Inventor Kenichirou Takahashi

Kenichirou Takahashi 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: 6870327
    Abstract: An electrode-less discharge lamp lighting apparatus which is electrically connected to a dimming unit (2) is provided with: an electrode-less fluorescent lamp (3); and a lighting circuit (4) operable to apply a high-frequency voltage to the electrode-less fluorescent lamp (3), wherein the lighting circuit (4) includes: an AC/DC converting unit (5) operable to convert a phase-controlled AC voltage outputted from the dimming unit (2) into a DC voltage; a DC/AC converting unit (6) operable to convert the DC voltage into a high-frequency voltage; and a dimming controlling unit (7) that includes a resistor (29), a switching element (28), and a timer circuit (27) so as to detect a timing of a turn-on of the phase-controlled AC voltage and to, based on the detected timing, allow a current whose value is at least a threshold to flow across output terminals of the AC/DC converting unit (5) for at least a duration of a time lag between the turn-on of the phase-controlled AC voltage and the generation of the high-freque
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichirou Takahashi, Satoshi Kominami, Kouji Miyazaki, Toshiaki Kurachi, Mamoru Takeda, Nobuyoshi Nagagata
  • Publication number: 20040100205
    Abstract: An electrode-less discharge lamp lighting apparatus which is electrically connected to a dimming unit (2) is provided with: an electrode-less fluorescent lamp (3); and a lighting circuit (4) operable to apply a high-frequency voltage to the electrode-less fluorescent lamp (3), wherein the lighting circuit (4) includes: an AC/DC converting unit (5) operable to convert a phase-controlled AC voltage outputted from the dimming unit (2) into a DC voltage; a DC/AC converting unit (6) operable to convert the DC voltage into a high-frequency voltage; and a dimming controlling unit (7) that includes a resistor (29), a switching element (28), and a timer circuit (27) so as to detect a timing of a turn-on of the phase-controlled AC voltage and to, based on the detected timing, allow a current whose value is at least a threshold to flow across output terminals of the AC/DC converting unit (5) for at least a duration of a time lag between the turn-on of the phase-controlled AC voltage and the generation of the high-freque
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2003
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventors: Kenichirou Takahashi, Satoshi Kominami, Kouji Miyazaki, Toshiaki Kurachi, Mamoru Takeda, Nobuyoshi Nagagata
  • Patent number: 6657401
    Abstract: A ballast for a discharge lamp includes a fluorescent lamp, an AC/DC conversion portion, a dimming control portion, and a DC/AC conversion portion. The AC/DC conversion portion converts a phase-controlled input AC voltage to a DC voltage. The dimming control portion calculates a dimming control signal from the input AC voltage. The DC/AC conversion portion converts the DC voltage from the AC/DC conversion portion to a high frequency AC voltage to be applied to the fluorescent lamp and lights and dims the lamp in response to the dimming control signal. The DC/AC conversion portion has a first operation mode for maintaining the lighting of the fluorescent lamp and for lighting and dimming the same and a second operation mode for supplying the fluorescent lamp with a voltage lower than the starting voltage of the lamp in its non-operating state. The conducting period of the phase-controlled AC voltage can be detected even in the non-operating state of the fluorescent lamp so as to restart the lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Kominami, Kenichirou Takahashi, Masayoshi Gyoten, Koji Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 6642671
    Abstract: An electrodeless discharge lamp includes: a bulb filled with discharge gas; an induction coil; a power supply circuit including a plurality of electric components; a case for accommodating the plurality of electric components; a stick-shaped heat conducting member; a first planar heat conducting member thermally connected to the stick-shaped heat conducting member; a second heat conducting member thermally connected to the first heat conducting member; and a third heat conducting member for thermally connecting at least two of the plurality of electric components, wherein the second heat conducting member is thermally connected to the case, and the thermal conductivity of the first heat conducting member is lower than the thermal conductivity of the stick-shaped heat conducting member and the thermal conductivity of the second heat conducting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kurachi, Satoshi Kominami, Kouji Miyazaki, Kenichirou Takahashi, Kenichi Sasaki
  • Patent number: 6630625
    Abstract: A wire harness includes a flat cable having a trunk portion formed by covering a plurality of parallel electric wires with an insulating coating by integral molding, a plurality of branch portions formed by branching the trunk portion, and a joint device for connecting not less than two electric wires of the plurality of electric wires constituting the trunk portion to electrically short-circuit the branch portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: Fujikura Limited
    Inventors: Kazuya Akashi, Kazuo Enomoto, Naoki Goshima, Kenichirou Takahashi, Hideki Kawamura, Takeshi Hasegawa, Yasuo Takemura, Hidetaka Yamazaki, Atsushi Hamada
  • Publication number: 20030057877
    Abstract: An electrodeless discharge lamp includes: a bulb filled with discharge gas; an induction coil; a power supply circuit including a plurality of electric components; a case for accommodating the plurality of electric components; a stick-shaped heat conducting member; a first planar heat conducting member thermally connected to the stick-shaped heat conducting member; a second heat conducting member thermally connected to the first heat conducting member; and a third heat conducting member for thermally connecting at least two of the plurality of electric components, wherein the second heat conducting member is thermally connected to the case, and the thermal conductivity of the first heat conducting member is lower than the thermal conductivity of the stick-shaped heat conducting member and the thermal conductivity of the second heat conducting member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2002
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kurachi, Satoshi Kominami, Kouji Miyazaki, Kenichirou Takahashi, Kenichi Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20020047645
    Abstract: A ballast for a discharge lamp includes a fluorescent lamp, an AC/DC conversion portion, a dimming control portion, and a DC/AC conversion portion. The AC/DC conversion portion converts a phase-controlled input AC voltage to a DC voltage. The dimming control portion calculates a dimming control signal from the input AC voltage. The DC/AC conversion portion converts the DC voltage from the AC/DC conversion portion to a high frequency AC voltage to be applied to the fluorescent lamp and lights and dims the lamp in response to the dimming control signal. The DC/AC conversion portion has a first operation mode for maintaining the lighting of the fluorescent lamp and for lighting and dimming the same and a second operation mode for supplying the fluorescent lamp with a voltage lower than the starting voltage of the lamp in its non-operating state. The conducting period of the phase-controlled AC voltage can be detected even in the non-operating state of the fluorescent lamp so as to restart the lamp.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2001
    Publication date: April 25, 2002
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Kominami, Kenichirou Takahashi, Masayoshi Gyoten, Koji Miyazaki