Patents by Inventor Kuniyuki Takao

Kuniyuki Takao 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: 7869151
    Abstract: A color wheel comprises sectorial color filter segments and a support member. Protrusions are disposed at the support member and engaged with either through-holes or cavities as segment fixing mechanisms formed at the color filter segments, whereby the color filter segments are fixedly positioned with respect to the support member in the radial direction. Consequently, the color filter segments can be surely prevented from getting scattered off when the color wheel spins at high speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Mineba Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Niwa, Toshiaki Asakawa, Shigeyuki Adachi, Kuniyuki Takao
  • Patent number: 7486455
    Abstract: A color wheel comprises sectorial color filter segments and a support member. Protrusions are disposed at the support member and engaged with either through-holes or cavities as segment fixing mechanisms formed at the color filter segments, whereby the color filter segments are fixedly positioned with respect to the support member in the radial direction. Consequently, the color filter segments can be surely prevented from getting scattered off when the color wheel spins at high speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Niwa, Toshiaki Asakawa, Shigeyuki Adachi, Kuniyuki Takao
  • Publication number: 20080247071
    Abstract: A color wheel comprises sectorial color filter segments and a support member. Protrusions are disposed at the support member and engaged with either through-holes or cavities as segment fixing mechanisms formed at the color filter segments, whereby the color filter segments are fixedly positioned with respect to the support member in the radial direction. Consequently, the color filter segments can be surely prevented from getting scattered off when the color wheel spins at high speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2008
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Niwa, Toshiaki Asakawa, Shigeyuki Adachi, Kuniyuki Takao
  • Patent number: 7399087
    Abstract: A color wheel includes a plurality of color filter segments disposed so as to form a disk configuration, and a support member to fixedly set the plurality of color filter segments in place. Each of the color filter segments has a circular outer circumference, an inner circumference measuring shorter than the outer circumference, and two sides each connecting between the outer circumference and the inner circumference. In the color wheel described above, a chamfer is provided at the innermost portion of at least one of the two sides. The chamfer provides a clearance between opposing sides of any two adjacent color filter segments, so as to house burrs that are often formed at the sides, and therefore the opposing sides are fitted closely to each other even when burrs are formed at the sides. Consequently, spokes generated between two adjacent color filter segments can be minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Niwa, Kuniyuki Takao
  • Patent number: 7333278
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a color wheel with filter sectors. A resist film formed on a disk-like substrate of the color wheel is shaped into a mask pattern by photo processing, a metal mask which has openings configured similar to the filter sectors but having a slightly larger area than those is set on the substrate, and optical interference filters of a dielectric multi-layer film are formed by an evaporation method or a sputtering method, whereby the optical interference filters are formed so as to cover very limited portions of the mask pattern so that at lift-off process, resist remover can penetrate into the mask pattern from most portions of the mask pattern thus enabling the mask pattern to be removed easily and quickly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kuniyuki Takao
  • Patent number: 7268961
    Abstract: In a color wheel comprising a plurality of color filter segments arranged so as to form a disk and a support member fixed to the color filter segments, the color filter segments are each outlined only by a circular arc and two straight lines passing through the center of the disk. Consequently, each of the color filter segments is prepared by cutting the material only to the circular arc and the two straight lines, thereby simplifying the production process. And, the support member can be duly and surely positioned such that the center of the support member is set to coincide with the intersecting point of the two straight lines. Thus, the positional accuracy, the component cost reduction, and the production cost reduction can be achieved at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Niwa, Toshiaki Asakawa, Shigeyuki Adachi, Kuniyuki Takao
  • Patent number: 7199952
    Abstract: There is provided a color wheel including a plurality of color filters arranged so as to form a disk, and a retainer member disposed at a center of the disk and formed into a C-ring defining an open mouth portion through which an area of one color filter is exposed. Also, there is provided a color wheel assembly which incorporates the color wheel described above, and which further includes a motor to rotate the color wheel, and a rotational position detector to optically detect a rotational position of the color wheel. Detection light emitted from the detector is set to fall incident on the C-ringed retainer member while the color wheel is rotated thus intermittently impinging on the open mouth portion, namely on the one color filter, which causes the detection light reflected thereby to come out with two different intensities that are sensed by the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Niwa, Toshiaki Asakawa, Shigeyuki Adachi, Kuniyuki Takao
  • Patent number: 7187509
    Abstract: There is provided a color wheel which includes: a color filter disk having a side surface; and a rotary member having a circumferential surface and adhesively attached to the center portion of the color filter disk. In the color wheel described above, a portion of an adhesive for fixing the rotary member to the color filter disk sticks out on the side surface of the color filter disk along the circumferential surface of the rotary member, and the portion of the adhesive sticking out, when hardened, functions as a barrier to prevent uncured portions, if any, of the adhesive present between the two components from getting scattered out in the radial direction on the side surface of the color filter disk when the color wheel is rotated at a high speed during the inspection process, thus improving the production yield rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Niwa, Toshinori Chino, Jiro Omori, Kuniyuki Takao
  • Patent number: 7113353
    Abstract: A color wheel is attached to a hub of a motor before the hub is built in the motor. In this process, portions of the hub which do not impact the rotation accuracy of the motor are held by appropriate clamping means and attaching means so that excessive stress and heat are not applied to bearings of the motor. Then, the hub with the color wheel attached thereto is assembled to the rest of components of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Niwa, Toshiaki Asakawa, Shigeyuki Adachi, Kuniyuki Takao
  • Publication number: 20060176593
    Abstract: There is provided a color wheel which includes: a color filter disk having a side surface; and a rotary member having a circumferential surface and adhesively attached to the center portion of the color filter disk. In the color wheel described above, a portion of an adhesive for fixing the rotary member to the color filter disk sticks out on the side surface of the color filter disk along the circumferential surface of the rotary member, and the portion of the adhesive sticking out, when hardened, functions as a barrier to prevent uncured portions, if any, of the adhesive present between the two components from getting scattered out in the radial direction on the side surface of the color filter disk when the color wheel is rotated at a high speed during the inspection process, thus improving the production yield rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2006
    Publication date: August 10, 2006
    Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Niwa, Toshinori Chino, Jiro Omori, Kuniyuki Takao
  • Publication number: 20060126198
    Abstract: There is provided a color wheel including a plurality of color filters arranged so as to form a disk, and a retainer member disposed at a center of the disk and formed into a C-ring defining an open mouth portion through which an area of one color filter is exposed. Also, there is provided a color wheel assembly which incorporates the color wheel described above, and which further includes a motor to rotate the color wheel, and a rotational position detector to optically detect a rotational position of the color wheel. Detection light emitted from the detector is set to fall incident on the C-ringed retainer member while the color wheel is rotated thus intermittently impinging on the open mouth portion, namely on the one color filter, which causes the detection light reflected thereby to come out with two different intensities that are sensed by the detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2005
    Publication date: June 15, 2006
    Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Niwa, Toshiaki Asakawa, Shigeyuki Adachi, Kuniyuki Takao
  • Publication number: 20060119801
    Abstract: A color wheel includes a plurality of color filter segments disposed so as to form a disk configuration, and a support member to fixedly set the plurality of color filter segments in place. Each of the color filter segments has a circular outer circumference, an inner circumference measuring shorter than the outer circumference, and two sides each connecting between the outer circumference and the inner circumference. In the color wheel described above, a chamfer is provided at the innermost portion of at least one of the two sides. The chamfer provides a clearance between opposing sides of any two adjacent color filter segments, so as to house burrs that are often formed at the sides, and therefore the opposing sides are fitted closely to each other even when burrs are formed at the sides. Consequently, spokes generated between two adjacent color filter segments can be minimized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2005
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Niwa, Kuniyuki Takao
  • Publication number: 20060103813
    Abstract: In a color wheel comprising a plurality of color filter segments arranged so as to form a disk and a support member fixed to the color filter segments, the color filter segments are each outlined only by a circular arc and two straight lines passing through the center of the disk. Consequently, each of the color filter segments is prepared by cutting the material only to the circular arc and the two straight lines, thereby simplifying the production process. And, the support member can be duly and surely positioned such that the center of the support member is set to coincide with the intersecting point of the two straight lines. Thus, the positional accuracy, the component cost reduction, and the production cost reduction can be achieved at the same time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2005
    Publication date: May 18, 2006
    Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Niwa, Toshiaki Asakawa, Shigeyuki Adachi, Kuniyuki Takao
  • Publication number: 20060044526
    Abstract: A color wheel is attached to a hub of a motor before the hub is built in the motor. In this process, portions of the hub which do not impact the rotation accuracy of the motor are held by appropriate clamping means and attaching means so that excessive stress and heat are not applied to bearings of the motor. Then, the hub with the color wheel attached thereto is assembled to the rest of components of the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2004
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Niwa, Toshiaki Asakawa, Shigeyuki Adachi, Kuniyuki Takao
  • Publication number: 20060044656
    Abstract: A color wheel assembly includes a color wheel and a driving motor. The color wheel is attached directly to a hub of the driving motor. Consequently, no additional components are required to fix the color wheel to the driving motor, thereby reducing the number of components and the number of manufacturing processes. Thus, the color wheel assembly as a time-share light dispersing device can be inexpensively manufactured with a high degree of precision.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2004
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Niwa, Toshiaki Asakawa, Shigeyuki Adachi, Kuniyuki Takao
  • Patent number: 6999253
    Abstract: A color wheel assembly includes a color wheel and a driving motor. The color wheel is attached directly to a hub of the driving motor. Consequently, no additional components are required to fix the color wheel to the driving motor, thereby reducing the number of components and the number of manufacturing processes. Thus, the color wheel assembly as a time-share light dispersing device can be inexpensively manufactured with a high degree of precision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Niwa, Toshiaki Asakawa, Shigeyuki Adachi, Kuniyuki Takao
  • Publication number: 20060028746
    Abstract: A color wheel comprises sectorial color filter segments and a support member. Protrusions are disposed at the support member and engaged with either through-holes or cavities as segment fixing mechanisms formed at the color filter segments, whereby the color filter segments are fixedly positioned with respect to the support member in the radial direction. Consequently, the color filter segments can be surely prevented from getting scattered off when the color wheel spins at high speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Niwa, Toshiaki Asakawa, Shigeyuki Adachi, Kuniyuki Takao
  • Patent number: 6963457
    Abstract: In a color wheel comprising plurality of color filter segments, one of the filter segments consists of a sector portion, and a circular core portion which is formed intergrally at the inner circumferential area of the sector portion, and which is located at the center of the wheel assembled. The inner circumferences of the remaining filter segments are fitted directly to the outer perimeter of the circular core portion of the one segment, whereby the geometric accuracy of the color wheel can be achieved. Also, the alignment process of the filter segments for preventing the color wheel from generating vibrations and noises at the time of spinning at high speed can be simplified or even eliminated thus preventing the number of manufacturing processes from increasing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Niwa, Toshiaki Asakawa, Shigeyuki Adachi, Kuniyuki Takao
  • Publication number: 20040246218
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a color wheel with filter sectors is disclosed. A resist film formed on a disk-like substrate of the color wheel is shaped into a mask pattern by photo processing, a metal mask which has openings configured similar to the filter sectors but having a slightly larger area than those is set on the substrate, and optical interference filters of a dielectric multi-layer film are formed by an evaporation method or a sputtering method, whereby the optical interference filters are formed so as to cover very limited portions of the mask pattern so that at lift-off process, resist remover can penetrate into the mask pattern from most portions of the mask pattern thus enabling the mask pattern to be removed easily and quickly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2004
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kuniyuki Takao
  • Patent number: 5901017
    Abstract: The pattern of wiring 11 itself has an elasticity. That is, the pattern of wiring 11 as an electric signal exchanging means functions also as a load giving means. Accordingly, comparing the case where the electric signal exchanging means and the load giving means are separated, the number of the parts can be reduced. And, since the process of assembling conventional every part can be reduced, deletion of the number of processes can be carried out.In addition, a snapping of a wire during assembling is avoided and prevented a product from being deteriorated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akinobu Sano, Kuniyuki Takao, Kozo Bun