Patents by Inventor Masayo Sugou, legal representative

Masayo Sugou, legal representative 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: 7635532
    Abstract: A decrease in voltage in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising stack of unit cells caused by the temperature difference between the cells located at the ends and the other cells due to a differential in heat dissipation from end plates is prevented by controlling the cooling temperature of the cells closest to the end plates of the fuel cell without affecting the output voltage of the cells in the middle by not including a coolant flow channel in the conductive separator plate between at least one of the end plates and the unit cell located closest to the one of the end plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Hase, Hiroki Kusakabe, Hideo Ohara, Shinsuke Takeguchi, Yoshiaki Yamamoto, Tatsuto Yamazaki, Masayo Sugou, legal representative
  • Patent number: 7452624
    Abstract: A polymer electrolyte fuel cell of the present invention includes conductive separator plates comprising molded plates of a composition comprising a binder, conductive carbon particles whose average particle diameter is not less than 50 ?m and not more than ? of the thickness of the thinnest portion of the conductive separator plate, and at least one of conductive carbon fine particles and micro-diameter carbon fibers. The separator plates do not require conventional cutting processes for gas flow channels, etc., and can be easily mass produced by injection molding and achieve a reduction in the cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhito Hatoh, Junji Niikura, Teruhisa Kanbara, Hideo Ohara, Hiroki Kusakabe, Nobuhiro Hase, Shinsuke Takeguchi, Susumu Kobayashi, Masayo Sugou, legal representative, Tatsuto Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 7378169
    Abstract: A decrease in voltage in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising stack of unit cells caused by the temperature difference between the cells located at the ends and the other cells due to a differential in heat dissipation from end plates is prevented by controlling the cooling temperature of the cells closest to the end plates of the fuel cell without affecting the output voltage of the cells in the middle by not including a coolant flow channel in the conductive separator plate between at least one of the end plates and the unit cell located closest to the one of the end plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Hase, Hiroki Kusakabe, Hideo Ohara, Shinsuke Takeguchi, Yoshiaki Yamamoto, Masayo Sugou, legal representative, Tatsuto Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 7318974
    Abstract: A polymer electrolyte fuel cell of the present invention includes a hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode and a cathode sandwiching the hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode-side conductive separator plate having a gas flow channel for supplying a fuel gas to the anode, and a cathode-side conductive separator plate having a gas flow channel for supplying an oxidant gas to the cathode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Ohara, Hiroki Kusakabe, Masayo Sugou, legal representative, Nobuhiro Hase, Shinsuke Takeguchi, Yoshiaki Yamamoto, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Satoru Fujii, Kazuhito Hatoh, Masato Hosaka, Junji Niikura, Kazufumi Nishida, Teruhisa Kanbara, Tatsuto Yamazaki, deceased
  • Patent number: 7205061
    Abstract: A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising: a plurality of conductive separator plates, each comprising a corrugated metal plate; an electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly inserted between the separator plates, the electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly including a hydrogen-ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane having its periphery covered with a gasket, an anode attached to one side of the electrolyte membrane, and a cathode attached to the other side of the electrolyte membrane; and gas charge and discharge device for charging and discharging a fuel gas and an oxidant gas to and from the anode and the cathode, respectively, wherein the gas charge and discharge device charges and discharges the fuel gas to and from the anode through the grooves on one side of the corrugated metal plate and charges and discharges the oxidant gas to and from the cathode through the grooves on the other side of the corrugated metal plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Ohara, Toshihiro Matsumoto, Yasushi Sugawara, Masayo Sugou, legal representative, Junji Niikura, Kazuhito Hatoh, Teruhisa Kanbara, Tatsuto Yamazaki, deceased
  • Patent number: 7014940
    Abstract: A fuel cell including a cell stack including plural electrically conductive separator plates and MEAs (electrolyte membrane-electrode assemblies) inserted among the separator plates. The fuel cell further includes gas communication grooves, where the gas communication grooves on one main surface of each separator plate are positioned to correspond to the ribs on the other main surface thereof, whereby thin wall portions in the separator plate can be avoided as much as possible, thereby to solve above described problems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Hase, Hiroki Kusakabe, Hideo Ohara, Shinsuke Takeguchi, Yoshiaki Yamamoto, Masayo Sugou, legal representative, Tatsuto Yamazaki, deceased