Patents by Inventor Makoto Furuhata

Makoto Furuhata 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: 7253552
    Abstract: A rectangular vibrating plate 10 in which a piezoelectric element and a reinforcing plate are stacked is supported on a main plate by a support member 11, and is urged toward the rotor 100 by an elastic force of the support member 11. This brings a projection 36 provided on the vibrating plate 10 into abutment with an outer peripheral surface of the rotor 100. In this construction, when the vibrating plate 10 vibrates in the horizontal direction in the figure by an applied voltage from a driving circuit (not shown), the rotor 100 is rotated in a clockwise direction in accordance with the displacement of the projection 36 due to the vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Miyazawa, Yasuharu Hashimoto, Tsukasa Funasaka, Makoto Furuhata
  • Patent number: 7215061
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of the invention provide a micromechanical electrostatic resonator which designs high frequency, increases a ratio of output voltage to input voltage, and designs low drive voltage or reduced power consumption. A micromechanical electrostatic resonator of exemplary embodiments includes a plate-shaped vibration body, a pair of electrodes arranged oppositely to each other at both sides of the vibration body with a gap from an outer circumferential portion of the vibration body, a feeding device to apply in-phase alternating-current power to the pair of electrodes, and a detecting device to obtain an output corresponding to a change in capacitance between the vibration body and the electrodes. The planar shape of the vibration body takes a shape having a curved outline which comprises a neck portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuji Kihara, Takuya Nakajima, Makoto Furuhata
  • Publication number: 20060226737
    Abstract: A rectangular vibrating plate 10 in which a piezoelectric element and a reinforcing plate are stacked is supported on a main plate by a support member 11, and is urged toward the rotor 100 by an elastic force of the support member 11. This brings a projection 36 provided on the vibrating plate 10 into abutment with an outer peripheral surface of the rotor 100. In this construction, when the vibrating plate 10 vibrates in the horizontal direction in the figure by an applied voltage from a driving circuit (not shown), the rotor 100 is rotated in a clockwise direction in accordance with the displacement of the projection 36 due to the vibration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2006
    Publication date: October 12, 2006
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Miyazawa, Yasuharu Hashimoto, Tsukasa Funasaka, Makoto Furuhata
  • Patent number: 7078847
    Abstract: A rectangular vibrating plate 10 in which a piezoelectric element and a reinforcing plate are stacked is supported on a main plate by a support member 11, and is urged toward the rotor 100 by an elastic force of the support member 11. This brings a projection 36 provided on the vibrating plate 10 into abutment with an outer peripheral surface of the rotor 100. In this construction, when the vibrating plate 10 vibrates in the horizontal direction in the figure by an applied voltage from a driving circuit (not shown), the rotor 100 is rotated in a clockwise direction in accordance with the displacement of the projection 36 due to the vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Miyazawa, Yasuharu Hashimoto, Tsukasa Funasaka, Makoto Furuhata
  • Publication number: 20060131993
    Abstract: A surface acoustic wave device including at least an IC region and a surface acoustic wave element region in a semiconductor substrate and formed as a single chip, including, in the IC region, a semiconductor element layer having a semiconductor element and an element insulating film formed to cover the semiconductor element and extending to the surface acoustic wave element region, a wiring layer formed by stacking, on the semiconductor element layer, wiring for establishing connection with the semiconductor element and a wiring insulating film extending to the surface acoustic wave element region and for insulating the wiring, and a piezoelectric thin film formed above the wiring insulating film, and in the surface acoustic wave element region, a surface acoustic wave element formed on the piezoelectric thin film and equipped with an IDT electrode provided with a plurality of electrode fingers, and at least one layer of layer thickness adjusting films having linear shapes and arranged in parallel to and wit
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2005
    Publication date: June 22, 2006
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto Furuhata, Hisakatsu Sato
  • Publication number: 20060114081
    Abstract: A surface acoustic wave (SAW) element including a semiconductor substrate on which a semiconductor wiring region and a SAW region are formed alongside in a same plane, a metal wiring formed in the semiconductor wiring region, an insulating layer including the metal wiring and formed throughout on surfaces of the semiconductor wiring region and the SAW region, a most upper layer of the insulating layer formed so as to have a one flat surface throughout the semiconductor wiring region and the SAW region and a uniform thickness from an upper face of the semiconductor substrate, a piezoelectric layer formed on the most upper layer of the insulating layer and an inter digital transducer (IDT) formed on the piezoelectric layer in the SAW region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2005
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Furuhata, Kenji Goto, Hisakatsu Sato
  • Publication number: 20050151442
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of the invention provide a micromechanical electrostatic resonator which designs high frequency, increases a ratio of output voltage to input voltage, and designs low drive voltage or reduced power consumption. A micromechanical electrostatic resonator of exemplary embodiments includes a plate-shaped vibration body, a pair of electrodes arranged oppositely to each other at both sides of the vibration body with a gap from an outer circumferential portion of the vibration body, a feeding device to apply in-phase alternating-current power to the pair of electrodes, and a detecting device to obtain an output corresponding to a change in capacitance between the vibration body and the electrodes. The planar shape of the vibration body takes a shape having a curved outline which comprises a neck portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2004
    Publication date: July 14, 2005
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuji Kihara, Takuya Nakajima, Makoto Furuhata
  • Patent number: 6885615
    Abstract: A rectangular vibrating plate 10 in which a piezoelectric element and a reinforcing plate are stacked is supported on a main plate by a support member 11, and is urged toward the rotor 100 by an elastic force of the support member 11. This brings a projection 36 provided on the vibrating plate 10 into abutment with an outer peripheral surface of the rotor 100. In this construction, when the vibrating plate 10 vibrates in the horizontal direction in the figure by an applied voltage from a driving circuit (not shown), the rotor 100 is rotated in a clockwise direction in accordance with the displacement of the projection 36 due to the vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Miyazawa, Yasuharu Hashimoto, Tsukasa Funasaka, Makoto Furuhata
  • Patent number: 6841919
    Abstract: A piezoactuator has a diaphragm, and the diaphragm has flat piezoelectric elements that oscillate in a longitudinal oscillation mode and a sinusoidal oscillation mode. A first electrode for detecting oscillation in the longitudinal oscillation mode, and a second electrode for detecting the amplitude of oscillation in the sinusoidal oscillation mode, are disposed on the surface of the diaphragm. When the piezoactuator is driven with a drive signal, the phase difference of a first detection signal output from the first electrode and a second detection signal output from the second electrode is detected. The frequency at which the detected phase difference becomes the maximum phase difference is then obtained, and a drive signal of a matching frequency is applied to the piezoelectric elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hidehiro Akahane, Akihiro Sawada, Makoto Furuhata
  • Publication number: 20040156274
    Abstract: A rectangular vibrating plate 10 in which a piezoelectric element and a reinforcing plate are stacked is supported on a main plate by a support member 11, and is urged toward the rotor 100 by an elastic force of the support member 11. This brings a projection 36 provided on the vibrating plate 10 into abutment with an outer peripheral surface of the rotor 100. In this construction, when the vibrating plate 10 vibrates in the horizontal direction in the figure by an applied voltage from a driving circuit (not shown), the rotor 100 is rotated in a clockwise direction in accordance with the displacement of the projection 36 due to the vibration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2004
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Inventors: Osamu Miyazawa, Yasuharu Hashimoto, Tsukasa Funasaka, Makoto Furuhata
  • Publication number: 20020171410
    Abstract: A piezoactuator has a diaphragm, and the diaphragm has flat piezoelectric elements that oscillate in a longitudinal oscillation mode and a sinusoidal oscillation mode. A first electrode for detecting oscillation in the longitudinal oscillation mode, and a second electrode for detecting the amplitude of oscillation in the sinusoidal oscillation mode, are disposed on the surface of the diaphragm. When the piezoactuator is driven with a drive signal, the phase difference of a first detection signal output from the first electrode and a second detection signal output from the second electrode is detected. The frequency at which the detected phase difference becomes the maximum phase difference is then obtained, and a drive signal of a matching frequency is applied to the piezoelectric elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2002
    Publication date: November 21, 2002
    Inventors: Hidehiro Akahane, Akihiro Sawada, Makoto Furuhata
  • Patent number: 5835996
    Abstract: A power generator using a piezoelectric element is provided which generates electric power at a high efficiency. It has been determined that the efficiency of power generation varies as a function of the ratio of an initial unloaded value of the power generator to a prescribed voltage of the input of an electric power system. A high power generation efficiency can be obtained when the voltage ratio is in the range of approximately two to twenty. In particular, when the voltage ratio is in the range of approximately four to six, a maximum power generation efficiency can be obtained. The invention provides a small-sized, high performance power generator which can be used in practice in portable electronic devices or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: Seiko Epscon Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuharu Hashimoto, Osamu Takahashi, Hajime Miyazaki, Tsukasa Funasaka, Makoto Furuhata