Patents by Inventor Masanori Hirano

Masanori Hirano 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).

  • Publication number: 20240128440
    Abstract: This negative electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery is characterized by comprising a negative electrode mixture layer containing a carbon-based negative electrode active material, a Si-based negative electrode active material, and carbon nanotubes, wherein when 100 is the ratio at which the carbon nanotubes coat the surface of the Si-based negative electrode active material, the ratio at which the carbon nanotubes coat the surface of the carbon-based negative electrode active material is at least 20 but no higher than 50.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Hirano, Yusuke Fukumoto, Masanori Sugimori, Yuji Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 11949097
    Abstract: In a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery a separator includes a porous substrate, a first filler layer, and a second filler layer. The first filler layer comprises phosphate particles having a BET specific surface area of 5 to 100 m2/g and polyvinylidene fluoride and is formed on a first surface that faces the positive electrode side of the substrate and contacts the positive electrode. The second filler comprises inorganic particles which have a melting point higher than that of the phosphate particles and is formed on at least one of a second surface that faces the negative electrode side of the substrate and the area between the substrate and the first filler layer. The content of the polyvinylidene fluoride in the first filler layer is 10 to 50 mass % and is higher in a region on the positive electrode side than in a region on the substrate side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasunori Baba, Masanori Sugimori, Katsunori Yanagida, Nobuhiro Hirano
  • Publication number: 20240105958
    Abstract: Provided is a carbon nanotube dispersion liquid for an electrode slurry such that it is possible to inhibit a decrease in a charge-discharge cycle characteristic. A carbon nanotube dispersion liquid for an electrode slurry according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes carbon nanotubes having a diameter of 0.4 to 2 nm, a dispersant, and a dispersion medium. In a Raman spectroscopy spectrum, the carbon nanotubes have a G/D ratio, which is the ratio of the peak intensities of the G-band (1560 to 1600 cm?1) and the D-band (1310 to 1350 cm?1), within the range of 50 to 200, and in a volume-based particle size distribution via a laser diffraction method, the carbon nanotubes have 3 to 5 peaks, and if the peaks are, from the small particle diameter side, P1, P2, . . . , Pn, the greatest frequency peak is in the range pf P2 to Pn-1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori Sugimori, Yusuke Fukumoto, Yuji Yokoyama, Nobuhiro Hirano
  • Patent number: 11942645
    Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The separator has a multilayer structure in which a first filler layer containing phosphate particles, a porous resin substrate, and a second filler layer containing inorganic particles having higher heat resistance than the phosphate particles are stacked in this order from the negative electrode side. The first filler layer is disposed on the porous resin substrate in such a manner that the surface of the first filler layer faces the surface of the negative electrode. The phosphate particles have a BET specific surface area in the range of 5 m2/g or more and 100 m2/g or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiko Takada, Masanori Sugimori, Nobuhiro Hirano, Yuki Morikawa, Yasunori Baba, Katsunori Yanagida
  • Patent number: 11794818
    Abstract: A cowl cover apparatus includes a cowl cover that covers a cowl portion, a vertical wall body detachably attached to the cowl cover and being positioned while rising with respect to the cowl cover in a state of being attached thereto. The vertical wall body includes an insertion portion in an end portion in a vehicle width direction. The cowl cover includes a regulation portion into which the insertion portion is partly inserted in the vehicle width direction. The insertion portion is formed to be elastically deformable in the vehicle width direction due to a reaction force from the cowl cover against a load onto the vertical wall body in a predetermined direction intersecting the vehicle width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: NIHON PLAST CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masanori Hirano
  • Patent number: 11667749
    Abstract: An epoxy resin composition for fiber-reinforced composite materials which contains 70% by mass or more of a crystalline epoxy resin as component (A) and 10% by mass or more of a crystalline amine curing agent as component (B) based on 100% by mass of the epoxy resin composition. The difference between the melting points of component (A) and component (B) is in a range of 0 to 60° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Masanori Hirano, Nobuyuki Tomioka
  • Patent number: 11661484
    Abstract: An epoxy resin composition for fiber reinforced composite materials comprising components (A) to (E): component (A), an epoxy resin; component (B), a dicyandiamide or a derivative thereof; component (C), a polyisocyanate compound; component (D), a urea compound as represented by formula (1): (wherein R1 and R2 are each independently H, CH3, OCH3, OC2H5, NO2, halogen, or NH—CO NR3R4; and R3 and R4 are each independently a hydrocarbon group, allyl group, alkoxy group, alkenyl group, aralkyl group, or an alicyclic compound containing both R3 and R4, all containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms); and component (E), at least one compound selected from the group consisting of quaternary ammonium salts, phosphonium salts, imidazole compounds, and phosphine compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Kazunori Hondo, Norikazu Ishikawa, Masanori Hirano, Nobuyuki Tomioka
  • Patent number: 11623455
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a color component divided data generation unit, a dot data generation processing unit, and a dot data segmentation processing unit. The color component divided data generation unit generates color component divided data from image data. The dot data generation processing unit applies a dot data generation mask to the color component divided data to generate dot data. The dot data segmentation processing unit applies a segmentation mask to the dot data to generate scan data. A width of the segmentation mask in a main scanning direction is different from a width of the dot data generation mask in the main scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimito Abe, Shotaro Takeuchi, Masanori Hirano, Takayuki Ito, Takahiko Sugiura, Daiki Marumo, Kyohei Hamada
  • Publication number: 20230027417
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a molding material from which a carbon fiber reinforced composite material having excellent impact resistance and tensile strength is obtained; and a molding material from which a glass fiber reinforced composite material, that has high bending strength and impact resistance, has excellent weather resistance, and can suppress a decrease in bending strength after water absorption, is obtained. In order to achieve the purpose, the molding material according to the present invention is a molding material formed of an epoxy resin composition and a carbon fiber and/or a glass fiber, wherein the epoxy resin composition includes all of [A] to [C], the carbon fiber satisfies conditions [a] and [b], and the glass fiber has a surface functional group capable of forming a covalent bond with an isocyanate group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Ko MATSUKAWA, Shizue KOYANAGI, Masanori HIRANO, Nobuyuki TOMIOKA
  • Publication number: 20220396696
    Abstract: The present invention aims to provide an epoxy resin composition for a fiber-reinforced composite material that maintains low viscosity during injection into reinforcing fibers to realize good impregnating and also has high toughness and high heat resistance and also aims to provide a fiber-reinforced composite material produced therefrom. Also provided is a molding method for a fiber-reinforced composite material including at least a reinforcing fiber [A] and a cured product of an epoxy resin composition [B], wherein the epoxy resin composition [B] includes the components [a], [b], and [c] specified below, and the epoxy resin composition [B] is cured in such a manner that the absorbance ratio Da/(Da+Db) is in the range of 0.4 to 1 in producing the fiber-reinforced composite material: [a] an epoxy resin having at least two oxirane groups in the molecule, [b] an epoxy resin curing agent having at least two isocyanate groups in the molecule, and [c] a catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Applicant: TORAY Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Ko MATSUKAWA, Masanori HIRANO, Maki NAGANO, Nobuyuki TOMIOKA
  • Publication number: 20220250689
    Abstract: A cowl cover apparatus includes a cowl cover that covers a cowl portion, a vertical wall body detachably attached to the cowl cover and being positioned while rising with respect to the cowl cover in a state of being attached thereto. The vertical wall body includes an insertion portion in an end portion in a vehicle width direction. The cowl cover includes a regulation portion into which the insertion portion is partly inserted in the vehicle width direction. The insertion portion is formed to be elastically deformable in the vehicle width direction due to a reaction force from the cowl cover against a load onto the vertical wall body in a predetermined direction intersecting the vehicle width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Inventor: Masanori Hirano
  • Patent number: 11390719
    Abstract: A sheet molding compound includes an epoxy resin composition meeting (I) and/or (II): (I) a component has a hydroxy group equivalent weight of 20 to 120, and (II) carbon fibers are bundle-shaped aggregates of discontinuous carbon fibers such that in a plane that has a largest width perpendicular to an alignment direction of the carbon fibers, two acute angles, referred to as angle a and angle b, formed between the alignment direction of the carbon fibers and sides formed by arrays of both ends of the carbon fibers in the bundle-shaped aggregates are 2° or more and 30° or less, the epoxy resin composition has a viscosity at 30° C. of 3.0×104 Pa·s or more and 1.0×106 Pa·s or less, and the epoxy resin composition has a viscosity at 120° C. of 1.0×102 Pa·s or more and 5.0×103 Pa·s or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Kazunori Hondo, Norikazu Ishikawa, Masanori Hirano, Nobuyuki Tomioko
  • Publication number: 20220111659
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a color component divided data generation unit, a dot data generation processing unit, and a dot data segmentation processing unit. The color component divided data generation unit generates color component divided data from image data. The dot data generation processing unit applies a dot data generation mask to the color component divided data to generate dot data. The dot data segmentation processing unit applies a segmentation mask to the dot data to generate scan data. A width of the segmentation mask in a main scanning direction is different from a width of the dot data generation mask in the main scanning direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2021
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimito Abe, Shotaro Takeuchi, Masanori Hirano, Takayuki Ito, Takahiko Sugiura, Daiki Marumo, Kyohei Hamada
  • Patent number: 11225560
    Abstract: A preform for fiber rein-forced composite material producing includes a thermosetting resin composition and a dry reinforcing fiber base, the thermosetting resin composition characterized in that when subjected to dynamic viscoelasticity measurement at a traction period of 0.5 Hz while heating at a rate of 1.5° C./min, a temperature change ?T is 45° C. or less as complex viscosity ?* decreases from 1×107 Pa·s to 1×101 Pa·s.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Masanori Hirano, Nobuyuki Tomioka
  • Publication number: 20210347982
    Abstract: The present invention addresses the problem of providing: an epoxy resin composition for fiber-reinforced composite materials, which has excellent handling properties at room temperature, while achieving a good balance between high heat resistance and high toughness, and which exhibits excellent resin impregnation ability during the formation of a fiber-reinforced composite material; and an epoxy resin cured product, a preform and a fiber-reinforced composite material, each of which uses this epoxy resin composition for fiber-reinforced composite materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Masanori HIRANO, Nobuyuki TOMIOKA
  • Patent number: 11167562
    Abstract: A liquid discharging device discharges a liquid onto a recording medium for image formation, and includes head modules each including a nozzle array that discharges a liquid of at least one color, the head modules being connected in a direction of the nozzle array from one of the head modules, the one supported by a guide extending in a main-scanning direction; and processing circuitry functioning as an acquirer that acquires image data based on which the image is formed, and an allocator that allocates, to dots of the image data, a row of liquid droplets discharged from one of the head modules closest to the guide in a sub-scanning direction, such that the liquid droplets discharged from the head module closest to the guide are equal to or higher in ratio than the liquid droplets discharged from each head module other than the head module closest to the guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Masanori Hirano
  • Patent number: 10792869
    Abstract: A preform includes a plurality of reinforcement fiber layers connected to each other by binder resin, the binder resin containing spacer particles insoluble in the binder resin, the spacer particles accounting for a volume proportion of 10% to 80% in the binder resin present in interlaminar gaps between the reinforcement fiber layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Masanori Hirano, Kazunori Hondo, Nobuyuki Tomioka
  • Publication number: 20200269598
    Abstract: A liquid discharging device discharges a liquid onto a recording medium for image formation, and includes head modules each including a nozzle array that discharges a liquid of at least one color, the head modules being connected in a direction of the nozzle array from one of the head modules, the one supported by a guide extending in a main-scanning direction; and processing circuitry functioning as an acquirer that acquires image data based on which the image is formed, and an allocator that allocates, to dots of the image data, a row of liquid droplets discharged from one of the head modules closest to the guide in a sub-scanning direction, such that the liquid droplets discharged from the head module closest to the guide are equal to or higher in ratio than the liquid droplets discharged from each head module other than the head module closest to the guide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanori HIRANO
  • Publication number: 20200207936
    Abstract: A sheet molding compound includes an epoxy resin composition meeting (I) and/or (II): (I) a component has a hydroxy group equivalent weight of 20 to 120, and (II) carbon fibers are bundle-shaped aggregates of discontinuous carbon fibers such that in a plane that has a largest width perpendicular to an alignment direction of the carbon fibers, two acute angles, referred to as angle a and angle b, formed between the alignment direction of the carbon fibers and sides formed by arrays of both ends of the carbon fibers in the bundle-shaped aggregates are 2° or more and 30° or less, the epoxy resin composition has a viscosity at 30° C. of 3.0×104 Pa·s or more and 1.0×106 Pa·s or less, and the epoxy resin composition has a viscosity at 120° C. of 1.0×102 Pa·s or more and 5.0×103 Pa·s or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Kazunori Hondo, Norikazu Ishikawa, Masanori Hirano, Nobuyuki Tomioko
  • Patent number: 10675868
    Abstract: A liquid discharging device includes: a recording head that has nozzles discharging liquid, and forms an image on a target surface with the liquid while performing scanning of the target surface for multiple times; a moving unit that moves the recording head in main-scanning direction while making the head discharge liquid, and moves the head in sub-scanning direction after the head has discharged liquid; a drive waveform applying unit that applies a drive waveform to the respective nozzles; a temperature detecting unit that detects temperature about the head; a correcting unit that corrects drive waveform based on detected temperature; and a control unit that, when temperature about the head changes from first temperature to second temperature, performs control in such a way that, during the multiple scans, use of second-type drive waveform corresponding to the second temperature gradually increases against use of first-type drive waveform corresponding to the first temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Nonoyama, Yoshiyuki Ishiyama, Masanori Hirano, Shinichi Hatanaka