Patents by Inventor Masahide Yokoyama

Masahide Yokoyama 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: 8524140
    Abstract: A container having a plurality of orifices in an outer peripheral wall and having a space communicating with the orifices is rotated to extrude an electrically charged raw material liquid containing a polymer material from the space through the orifices by centrifugal force. This allows the electrically charged raw material liquid to form a fibrous material. At this time, the raw material liquid is supplied to the space in which the raw material liquid is filled by a raw material liquid pump so that the raw material liquid is extruded from the orifices at a predetermined pressure. That is, the raw material liquid in the space is pressurized. Also, the shape of the space in the container is set so that the centrifugal force exerted on the raw material liquid is constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Kurokawa, Hiroto Sumida, Kazunori Ishikawa, Masahide Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 8475692
    Abstract: Nanofibers are manufactured while preventing explosions from occurring due to solvent evaporation. An effusing unit (201) which effuses solution (300) into a space, a first charging unit (202) which electrically charges the solution (300) by applying an electric charge to the solution (300), a guiding unit (206) which forms an air channel for guiding the manufactured nanofibers (301), a gas flow generating unit (203) which generates, inside the guiding unit (206), gas flow for transporting the nanofibers, a diffusing unit (240) which diffusing the nanofibers (301) guided by the guiding unit (206), a collecting apparatus which electrically attracts and collects the nanofibers (301), and a drawing unit (102) which draws the gas flow together with the evaporated component evaporated from the solution (300) are included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroto Sumida, Takahiro Kurokawa, Kazunori Ishikawa, Yoshiaki Tominaga, Mikio Takezawa, Mitsuhiro Takahashi, Masahide Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 8425810
    Abstract: A nanofiber production device produces nanofibers by stretching, in a space, a solution. The nanofiber production device includes: an effusing body which effuses the solution into the space by centrifugal force; a driving source which rotates the effusing body; a supplying electrode which is placed at a predetermined distance from the effusing body and supplies charge to the solution via the effusing body; a charging electrode to which a potential of reverse polarity to a polarity of the effusing body is applied, with the charging electrode being placed at a predetermined distance from the effusing body; and a charging power source which applies a predetermined voltage between the supplying electrode and the charging electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kazunori Ishikawa, Takahiro Kurokawa, Hiroto Sumida, Masahide Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20120098150
    Abstract: In a nanofiber manufacturing apparatus (1) which produces nanofibers by electrically stretching a solution in space, a hollow supporting unit (32) which is rotated around an axial line AL by a motor (41) supports a cartridge (33) which supplies a solution (20) stored therein, a pressurizing member (38) is pressurized by air introduced through a rotary joint (43) so that the solution (20) flows into an interior space (34a) of an effusing body (34) which is rotated together with the supporting body (32), and the solution (20) is radially effused from effusing holes (34c) by the pressure of the air and centrifugal force due to the rotation of the effusing body (34).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Inventors: Takahiro Kurokawa, Hiroto Sumida, Masahide Yokoyama, Kazunori Ishikawa
  • Publication number: 20110278751
    Abstract: A nanofiber production device (100) produces nanofibers (301) by stretching, in space, a solution (300). The nanofiber production device (100) includes: an effusing body (115) which effuses the solution (300) into the space by centrifugal force; a driving source (117) which rotates the effusing body (115); a supplying electrode (124) which is placed at a predetermined distance from the effusing body (115) and supplies charge to the solution (300) via the effusing body (115); a charging electrode (121) to which a potential of reverse polarity to a polarity of the effusing body (115) is applied, the charging electrode (121) is placed at a predetermined distance from the effusing body (115); and a charging power source (122) which applies a predetermined voltage between the supplying electrode (124) and the charging electrode (121).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2010
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Inventors: Kazunori Ishikawa, Takahiro Kurokawa, Hiroto Sumida, Masahide Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20110156319
    Abstract: A container having a plurality of orifices in an outer peripheral wall and having a space communicating with the orifices is rotated to extrude an electrically charged raw material liquid containing a polymer material from the space through the orifices by centrifugal force. This allows the electrically charged raw material liquid to form a fibrous material. At this time, the raw material liquid is supplied to the space in which the raw material liquid is filled by a raw material liquid pump so that the raw material liquid is extruded from the orifices at a predetermined pressure. That is, the raw material liquid in the space is pressurized. Also, the shape of the space in the container is set so that the centrifugal force exerted on the raw material liquid is constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Inventors: Takahiro Kurokawa, Hiroto Sumida, Kazunori Ishikawa, Masahide Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20110059261
    Abstract: Nanofibers are manufactured while preventing explosions from occurring due to solvent evaporation. An effusing unit (201) which effuses solution (300) into a space, a first charging unit (202) which electrically charges the solution (300) by applying an electric charge to the solution (300), a guiding unit (206) which forms an air channel for guiding the manufactured nanofibers (301), a gas flow generating unit (203) which generates, inside the guiding unit (206), gas flow for transporting the nanofibers, a diffusing unit (240) which diffusing the nanofibers (301) guided by the guiding unit (206), a collecting apparatus which electrically attracts and collects the nanofibers (301), and a drawing unit (102) which draws the gas flow together with the evaporated component evaporated from the solution (300) are included.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Inventors: Hiroto Sumida, Takahiro Kurokawa, Kazunori Ishikawa, Yoshiaki Tominaga, Mikio Takezawa, Mitsuhiro Takahashi, Masahide Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 6726816
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for forming thin films, wherein thin films with a uniform thickness can be formed on substrates as objects such as spheroids, even when the films are formed by conventional film-formation methods using an incident particle beam coming from a specific direction (e.g., evaporation and sputtering). In the method, thin films are formed on substrates such as spheroids with an incident particle beam coming from a particle source located in a specific direction by performing a spin motion together with a swing motion. The spin motion is a rotation of the substrate at a constant angular velocity about the spheroidal axis. The swing motion is a rotational oscillation of the same substrate for rotationally oscillating the axis at a constant cycle in one surface, where the center of the rotational oscillation is in the vicinity of the midpoint between two focal points on the axis of the spheroid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuji Omata, Naotaka Hashimoto, Masahide Yokoyama, Toshiyuki Suemitsu, Takahiro Kitai
  • Patent number: 6635330
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for forming thin films, wherein thin films with a uniform thickness can be formed on substrates as objects such as spheroids, even when the films are formed by conventional film-formation methods using an incident particle beam coming from a specific direction (e.g., evaporation and sputtering). In the method, thin films are formed on substrates such as spheroids with an incident particle beam coming from a particle source located in a specific direction by performing a spin motion together with a swing motion. The spin motion is a rotation of the substrate at a constant angular velocity about the spheroidal axis. The swing motion is a rotational oscillation of the same substrate for rotationally oscillating the axis at a constant cycle in one surface, where the center of the rotational oscillation is in the vicinity of the midpoint between two focal points on the axis of the spheroid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuji Omata, Naotaka Hashimoto, Masahide Yokoyama, Toshiyuki Suemitsu, Takahiro Kitai
  • Publication number: 20030012886
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for forming thin films, wherein thin films with a uniform thickness can be formed on substrates as objects such as spheroids, even when the films are formed by conventional film-formation methods using an incident particle beam coming from a specific direction (e.g., evaporation and sputtering). In the method, thin films are formed on substrates such as spheroids with an incident particle beam coming from a particle source located in a specific direction by performing a spin motion together with a swing motion. The spin motion is a rotation of the substrate at a constant angular velocity about the spheroidal axis. The swing motion is a rotational oscillation of the same substrate for rotationally oscillating the axis at a constant cycle in one surface, where the center of the rotational oscillation is in the vicinity of the midpoint between two focal points on the axis of the spheroid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuji Omata, Naotaka Hashimoto, Masahide Yokoyama, Toshiyuki Suemitsu, Takahiro Kitai
  • Publication number: 20030008146
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for forming thin films, wherein thin films with a uniform thickness can be formed on substrates as objects such as spheroids, even when the films are formed by conventional film-formation methods using an incident particle beam coming from a specific direction (e.g., evaporation and sputtering). In the method, thin films are formed on substrates such as spheroids with an incident particle beam coming from a particle source located in a specific direction by performing a spin motion together with a swing motion. The spin motion is a rotation of the substrate at a constant angular velocity about the spheroidal axis. The swing motion is a rotational oscillation of the same substrate for rotationally oscillating the axis at a constant cycle in one surface, where the center of the rotational oscillation is in the vicinity of the midpoint between two focal points on the axis of the spheroid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Publication date: January 9, 2003
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuji Omata, Naotaka Hashimoto, Masahide Yokoyama, Toshiyuki Suemitsu, Takahiro Kitai
  • Patent number: 6472022
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for forming thin films, wherein thin films with a uniform thickness can be formed on substrates as objects such as spheroids, even when the films are formed by conventional film-formation methods using an incident particle beam coming from a specific direction (e.g., evaporation and sputtering). In the method, thin films are formed on substrates such as spheroids with an incident particle beam coming from a particle source located in a specific direction by performing a spin motion together with a swing motion. The spin motion is a rotation of the substrate at a constant angular velocity about the spheroidal axis. The swing motion is a rotational oscillation of the same substrate for rotationally oscillating the axis at a constant cycle in one surface, where the center of the rotational oscillation is in the vicinity of the midpoint between two focal points on the axis of the spheroid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuji Omata, Naotaka Hashimoto, Masahide Yokoyama, Toshiyuki Suemitsu, Takahiro Kitai
  • Patent number: 6231726
    Abstract: The plasma processing apparatus includes a substrate table 10 that extends from a wall of the vacuum chamber 1 toward the inside of the vacuum chamber 1. A rotary holder 8, to which the substrate 5 is mounted, is arranged in a concave portion 10a that is provided in the substrate table 10. The rotary holder 8 is rotatably supported with its periphery being sealed with a sealing member 10b. Blades 9 are provided inside the rotary holder 8. A supply port 11 and a drainage port 12, for supplying and draining a fluid such that a rotation force is exerted on the blades 9, are formed in the substrate table 10. Supplying a fluid through the supply port 11 cools the substrate 5 while causing it to rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Suemitsu, Nobuyuki Mori, Masahide Yokoyama, Masahiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6146734
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing the PCE optical information recording disk under control of not only the crystallization velocity but also the complex index of refraction and thus the reflectance on the disk surface.The PCE optical information recording disk is suitable to be used under the constant angular velocity (the constant rotational numbers wherein the disk has a characteristic that the crystallization velocity is designed to become faster from inside area of the disk to outside area in the radical direction thereof under control of not only the crystallization velocity but also the complex index of refraction and thus the reflectance on the disk surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2000
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.
    Inventors: Eiji Ohno, Yoshitaka Sakaue, Kenichi Nagata, Nobuo Akahira, Masahide Yokoyama, Hiroshi Hayata, Noboru Yamada
  • Patent number: 6080286
    Abstract: A trigger gas feed system is normally kept opened before a discharge is started. The trigger gas feed system is shut instantaneously, for example, when the discharge is generated, thereby to set a vacuum chamber at a sputtering pressure. The trigger gas feed system is opened again after the discharge is finished. The opened state is continued until another discharge is started. Accordingly, the pressure in the vacuum chamber before the discharge is maintained always constant, and the vacuum chamber is returned to the sputtering pressure in a short time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.
    Inventors: Akira Okuda, Masahide Yokoyama, Hiroshi Hayata
  • Patent number: 6033535
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing the PCE optical information recording disk under control of not only the crystallization velocity but also the complex index of refraction and thus the reflectance on the disk surface.The PCE optical information recording disk is suitable to be used under the constant angular velocity (the constant rotational numbers wherein the disk has a characteristic that the crystallization velocity is designed to become faster from inside area of the disk to outside area in the radical direction thereof under control of not only the crystallization velocity but also the complex index of refraction and thus the reflectance on the disk surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiji Ohno, Yoshitaka Sakaue, Kenichi Nagata, Nobuo Akahira, Masahide Yokoyama, Hiroshi Hayata, Noboru Yamada
  • Patent number: 5865961
    Abstract: A magnetron sputtering apparatus has a plurality of ring-shaped flat targets with different diameters disposed about one center axis. The apparatus includes magnets having the same polarity as each other and placed on both front surface side and rear surface side of each of the targets along an inner circumferential edge thereof, and magnets having the same polarity as each other and placed on both front surface side and rear surface side of each of the targets along an outer circumferential edge thereof. The magnets placed along the inner and outer circumferential edges are placed in such a way that the magnets along the inner circumferential edge and the magnets along the outer circumferential edge become opposite in polarity to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1999
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahide Yokoyama, Hiroshi Hayata, Seiichiro Mori, Toshiyuki Suemitsu, Eiji Ohno
  • Patent number: 5626727
    Abstract: A sputtering apparatus uses a plurality of rectangular targets to form a thin film on a substrate, and includes a plurality of magnets disposed along both side edges of each target in such a manner that the polarities of adjacent magnets along the side edges of the targets are opposite, and polarities of the magnets confronting each other across the targets are opposite. The surfaces of at least two targets are inclined to a surface of the substrate at an angle not smaller than 30.degree. and not larger than 60.degree..
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1997
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Yamanishi, Isamu Aokura, Masahide Yokoyama, Takahiro Takisawa
  • Patent number: 5558749
    Abstract: A magnetron sputtering apparatus has a ring-shaped flat target and includes magnets of the same polarity respectively arranged at a front side and a rear side of the target extending along an inner peripheral edge of the target, and magnets of the same polarity respectively arranged at the front side and the rear side of the target extending along an outer peripheral edge of the target. The magnets extending along the inner peripheral edge of the target are inverted in polarity relative to the other magnets extending along the outer peripheral edge of the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1996
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahide Yokoyama, Hiroshi Hayata
  • Patent number: 5554222
    Abstract: An ionization deposition apparatus includes an ion source which is located in a vacuum chamber and which is provided with gas introduction ports for supplying a gaseous film material into the vacuum chamber, a filament unit, which is separated into a plurality of independently controllable filaments, for generating thermoelectrons when the filaments are heated by filament currents, and an anode electrode for accelerating and colliding the thermoelectrons against molecules of the gaseous film material to thereby turn the molecules to plasma. A holder for holding a to-be-deposited object, the holder being placed confronting the anode electrode of the ion source in the vacuum chamber, and connected to a bias source to attract ions in the plasma to a surface of the holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1996
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Munekazu Nishihara, Masahide Yokoyama, Hatsuhiko Shibasaki, Youichi Ohnishi