Patents by Inventor Kenji Ando

Kenji Ando 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: 8784972
    Abstract: Disclosed is a composite sheet 1 composed of a substantially flat lower fibrous sheet 3 and an upper fibrous sheet 2 bonded to the lower fibrous sheet 3. The upper fibrous sheet 2 is three-dimensionally textured with a number of projections 5 and a number of depression 6 each of which is located between every adjacent two of the projections 5. The projections 5 and the depressions 6 alternate in both a first direction of the composite sheet 1 and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Each projection 5 has a pair of opposing first walls 51 parallel to the first direction and a pair of opposing second walls 52 parallel to the second direction. The basis weight of the first walls 51 is different from that of the second walls 52.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Kao Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Sato, Kenji Ando, Takuaki Harada, Yasuhiro Nakano
  • Patent number: 8574211
    Abstract: A stretchable composite sheet having a number of ridges in a neat and orderly arrangement is disclosed. The stretchable composite sheet is easily produced by the process of the invention. The stretchable composite sheet is a laminate of a stretch sheet 10 and a nonstretch sheet 2. The stretch sheet 10 has first zones 14 having elastic stretchability and second zones 15 having less stretchability than the first zones 14. The first zones 14 and the second zones 15 extend in the same direction and alternate with each other. The stretch sheet 10 and the nonstretch sheet 2 are bonded over substantially the entire area of their facing sides. The stretchable composite sheet has a large number of ridges 3 on the side of the nonstretch sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Kao Corporation
    Inventors: Shinnosuke Morita, Kenji Ando, Kenji Ishiguro, Manabu Matsui
  • Publication number: 20130178349
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for continuously manufacturing a stretchable sheet (3) with a thread-shaped elastic body (7) fixed between a pair of belt-shaped sheets (50, 60) in a stretched state, the method including a supply process of introducing the fed thread-shaped elastic body (7) to elastic body winding means (14) in a stretched state, a conveyance process of continuously winding the thread-shaped elastic body (7) to a thread-conveying longitudinal structure (12, 13) using the elastic body winding means (14) and conveying the wound thread-shaped elastic body in a longitudinal direction of the structure (12, 14), and an integration process of fixing the thread-shaped elastic body (7) as sandwiching between the sheets (50, 60).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: KAO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuo Yanashima, Akio Morita, Makoto Kokubo, Kenji Ando
  • Publication number: 20120181722
    Abstract: A method for producing a flexible sheet includes a stretching step in which a base sheet (10) is fed from between a pair of first drive rollers (42, 43) into the bite of a pair of intermeshing corrugated rollers (2, 3) and stretched in the machine direction between the corrugated rollers (2, 3). In the method, the peripheral velocity V1 of the first drive rollers (42, 43) and the peripheral velocity V2 of the corrugated rollers (2, 3) have a relation of V1>V2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Inventors: Shinnosuke Morita, Kenji Ando
  • Publication number: 20120095429
    Abstract: A pull-on absorbent article including a front outer cover to be worn around a wearer's front side, a rear outer cover to be worn around the wearer's rear side, and an absorbent assembly fixed to the front and the rear outer cover so as to bridge them and having a pair of side seals. The length of each of the front and the outer cover in the longitudinal direction of the article is uniform in the lateral direction and larger than that of the side seals so that the front and the outer cover have extension portions that extend downward from the side seals. The extension portions of the front and/or the rear outer cover have an elasticized region extensible in the lateral direction in a region located laterally outward of each side edge of the absorbent assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Inventors: Kenji Kobayashi, Ryoichi Yamamoto, Kenji Ando, Takuo Yanashima, Akio Morita
  • Publication number: 20120078212
    Abstract: A pull-on absorbent article includes an outer cover and an absorbent assembly fixed on an inner side of the outer cover. The outer cover has a front portion to be worn around a wearer's front, a crotch portion to be worn around a wearer's crotch, and a rear portion to be worn around a wearer's rear. Opposite front side edges and opposite rear side edges of the outer cover are joined together to form a pair of side seals. The outer cover has non-bonded edges located along the front and rear side edges. The front side edge and the rear side edge are not joined to each other at the non-bonded edges. The non-bonded edges are located closer to the crotch portion than a part of the front and rear side edges where the side seals are formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Inventors: Kenji Kobayashi, Kenji Ando, Takuo Yanashima, Akio Morita
  • Patent number: 8128771
    Abstract: A method of producing a clothing article including the steps of (a) joining first continuous webs 120a and 120b having stretchability in the longitudinal direction thereof both in a longitudinally stretched state along an edge portion thereof to a longitudinally substantially inextensible second continuous web 120c to make a continuous composite sheet 120, (b) joining the composite sheet 120 obtained in step (a) on its side to a member 130 of the clothing article to make a web assembly 110, and (c) cutting the web assembly 110 obtained in step (b) to length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Kao Corporation
    Inventors: Masanori Endo, Kenji Ando, Shinnosuke Morita, Takuo Yanashima
  • Publication number: 20120012294
    Abstract: A heat sink which is mounted in a movable body and which is to be exposed to a traveling air stream generated while the movable body moves includes a base and a heat dissipating portion having a plurality of fins. At least in a front end portion of the heat dissipating portion, the heat dissipating portion includes a rectifying portion provided so as to extend across a predetermined area in a longitudinal direction in front portions of slit-shaped flow paths at an upstanding end (i.e., an end apart from the base).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Applicant: SUMITOMO PRECISION PRODUCTS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keiji Miki, Kenji Ando
  • Publication number: 20110251576
    Abstract: A wearing article (1) of the invention has edge sections (leg edge sections and waist edge section) configured including sheets. On the sheets in the edge sections, elastic members (6, 7, 8) are disposed in their stretched state along the edge sections. Draw-processed sections (P1, P2) are formed by performing draw processing, in the stretching direction of the elastic members (6, 7, 8), on the disposition sections of the sheets where the elastic members (6, 7, 8) have been disposed. Furthermore, a draw-processed section (P3) is formed by performing draw processing, in the stretching direction of an elastic member (5), on the disposition section of a band-shaped sheet (15), which configures three-dimensional gathers (18), where the elastic member (5) has been disposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2009
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: KAO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Ando, Yasuhiro Umeki, Toshiaki Ichimata
  • Patent number: 7970536
    Abstract: A navigation system includes: a search unit that executes a search for a route from a start point to a destination; a display unit at which the route determined through the search is displayed together with a roadmap; and a specification unit that specifies a range on the roadmap. If an entrance interchange into an express highway, present on the route determined through the search executed by the search unit and the start point are contained within the range specified via the specification unit, the search unit executes a search within the range to determine a first route from the start point to the entrance interchange present within the range and also executes a search for a second route from the entrance interchange to the destination; and the first route and the second route having been searched by the search unit are displayed at the display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Xanavi Informatics Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Ando
  • Publication number: 20100234823
    Abstract: A stretchable composite sheet having a number of ridges in a neat and orderly arrangement is disclosed. The stretchable composite sheet is easily produced by the process of the invention. The stretchable composite sheet is a laminate of a stretch sheet 10 and a nonstretch sheet 2. The stretch sheet 10 has first zones 14 having elastic stretchability and second zones 15 having less stretchability than the first zones 14. The first zones 14 and the second zones 15 extend in the same direction and alternate with each other. The stretch sheet 10 and the nonstretch sheet 2 are bonded over substantially the entire area of their facing sides. The stretchable composite sheet has a large number of ridges 3 on the side of the nonstretch sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Inventors: Shinnosuke Morita, Kenji Ando, Kenji Ishiguro, Manabu Matsui
  • Publication number: 20100209664
    Abstract: Disclosed is a composite sheet 1 composed of a substantially flat lower fibrous sheet 3 and an upper fibrous sheet 2 bonded to the lower fibrous sheet 3. The upper fibrous sheet 2 is three-dimensionally textured with a number of projections 5 and a number of depression 6 each of which is located between every adjacent two of the projections 5. The projections 5 and the depressions 6 alternate in both a first direction of the composite sheet 1 and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Each projection 5 has a pair of opposing first walls 51 parallel to the first direction and a pair of opposing second walls 52 parallel to the second direction. The basis weight of the first walls 51 is different from that of the second walls 52.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: Kao Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Sato, Kenji Ando, Takuaki Harada, Yasuhiro Nakano
  • Publication number: 20100059168
    Abstract: A method of producing a clothing article including the steps of (a) joining first continuous webs 120a and 120b having stretchability in the longitudinal direction thereof both in a longitudinally stretched state along an edge portion thereof to a longitudinally substantially inextensible second continuous web 120c to make a continuous composite sheet 120, (b) joining the composite sheet 120 obtained in step (a) on its side to a member 130 of the clothing article to make a web assembly 110, and (c) cutting the web assembly 110 obtained in step (b) to length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Applicant: Kao Corporation
    Inventors: Masanori Endo, Kenji Ando, Shinnosuke Morita, Takuo Yanashima
  • Publication number: 20090252977
    Abstract: A stress distribution resulting from variation in in-plane film quality of a stress relaxation layer and a reflective layer is eliminated. A reflective layer is stacked on a substrate via a stress relaxation layer. The stress relaxation layer has a stress relaxation portion having a uniform film thickness distribution to cancel the internal stress of the reflective layer, and a stress distribution eliminating portion with a film thickness distribution approximated to a second order even function. The stress is substantially proportional to the film thickness. Thus, formation of a given film thickness distribution allows the stress distribution to be controlled. However, changing the film thickness distribution based on a design value may degrade the optical characteristics. Thus, the film thickness distribution of the stress distribution eliminating portion, which serves to eliminate the stress distribution, is approximated to the second order even function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2009
    Publication date: October 8, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiken Matsumoto, Kenji Ando, Hidehiro Kanazawa, Koji Teranishi, Takayuki Miura, Kyoko Nagata
  • Patent number: 7582348
    Abstract: An extensible composite member (1) including an extensible portion (10) having two sheet materials (2, 3) and elastic members (4) intermediate between the sheet materials. The two sheet materials (2, 3) are discontinuously bonded to each other in the extending direction of the extensible portion (10) (X direction) and a direction perpendicular thereto (Y direction). The elastic members (4) are arranged in the extensible portion (10) avoiding joints (5) between the sheet materials and have both ends thereof fixed to the sheet materials. Each of the two sheet materials (2, 3) forms folds (6) continuously running across a plurality of the elastic members (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Kao Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Ando, Kenji Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20090148695
    Abstract: An optical element for X-ray includes a substrate, a first multilayer film having a reflection property with respect to light in a soft X-ray wavelength range, and a second multilayer film, disposed between the substrate and the first multilayer film, for reducing film stress of the first multilayer film. The second multilayer film has a periodic structure having a unit period film thickness which is 90% or more and less than 110% of a two or more integral multiple of 7 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki Miura, Kenji Ando, Hidehiro Kanazawa, Koji Teranishi, Seiken Matsumoto, Kyoko Nagata, Shumpei Tatsumi, Shinji Fukui
  • Publication number: 20090133180
    Abstract: Disclosed is a sheet processing apparatus 1 having a pair of rolls 2 and 3 with teeth on their periphery in engagement with each other. The rolls are adapted to have a sheet 10 introduced into the nip thereof while rotating to process the sheet 10. The teeth 20 (30) of the roll 2 (3) have a pitch of 1.0 to 5.0 mm, a tooth thickness of less than a half the pitch, and a tooth height equal to or more than the pitch. The depth of engagement between the teeth 20 of the roll 2 and the teeth 30 of the roll 3 is preferably 1.0 mm up to the tooth height.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Inventors: Shinnosuke Morita, Kenji Ando
  • Patent number: 7530972
    Abstract: The absorbent article has an outer sheet that provides an outer surface of the absorbent article, an inner sheet disposed on the inner side of the outer sheet, and elastic members for making below-waist gathers disposed between the two sheets. A patterned sheet is disposed between the outer and inner sheets such that the pattern of the patterned sheet may be seen through the outer sheet from the outside of the diaper. The elastic members for below-waist gathers each have a portion contributory to elastic extensibility and contractibility in the regions outside the lateral sides of the patterned sheet and a portion substantially non-contributory to elastic extensibility and contractibility in the region inside the lateral sides of the patterned sheet. The latter portion of the elastic member is disposed between the patterned sheet and the inner sheet and preferably is kept out of sight from the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: KAO Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Ando, Takuo Yanashima
  • Publication number: 20080249493
    Abstract: An absorbent article 10 having an absorbent body 17 including a liquid permeable topsheet 15, a liquid impermeable leak-preventive sheet, and a liquid retentive absorbent member 16 and an exterior material 14 including a rear portion B, a front portion A, and a crotch portion C. The absorbent article 10 has both side edge portions 18b of the rear portion B and both side edge portions 18a of the front portion A joined via respective mechanical fasteners 13 to take on the shape of pants. The male member 19 is attached to the inner side of the side edge portion 18b of the rear portion B. The female member 20 is a strip-shaped sheet attached by its outer edge portion 20a to the inner side of the side edge portion 18a of the front portion A, with the portion inward of the outer edge portion 20a left free as a flap 20b. The male member 19 engages the flap 20b of the female member 20 to join each side edge portion 18b of the rear portion B and each side edge portion 18a of the front portion A.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2005
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicant: KAO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Kobayashi, Kenji Ando, Takuo Yanashima, Masanori Endo
  • Patent number: 7342715
    Abstract: A multilayer film reflector for X-rays has alternately stacked layers formed on a substrate and comprising a layer (high refractive index layer) comprising a material having a large difference between a refractive index to soft X-ray and a refractive index in vacuum, and a layer (low refractive index layer) comprising a material having a small difference between a refractive index to soft X-ray and a refractive index in vacuum, wherein at least one intermediate layer having a crystalline structure is provided between the low refractive index layer and the high refractive index layer. Thereby, the crystallization of the low refractive index layer is promoted, the refractive index of the low refractive index layer is lowered, so that the reflectance of the multilayer film reflector is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kyoko Imai, Kenji Ando, Hidehiro Kanazawa, Koji Teranishi, Takayuki Miura, Kazue Takata