Patents by Inventor Mikihiro Yamashita

Mikihiro Yamashita 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: 8689569
    Abstract: A Peltier element cooling control circuit that accurately controls a small number of elements with a simple structure. First and second amplification circuits are connected between a current detection resistor detecting current of a Peltier element and a current control circuit performing current control on the Peltier element based on voltage proportional to the current. One of two resistors determines the amplification rate of the first amplification circuit includes a thermistor. When the ambient temperature is equal to a predetermined temperature or greater, the output voltage of the second amplification circuit is supplied to the current control circuit to control the current of the Peltier element so as to be constant. When the ambient temperature is less than the predetermined temperature, the output voltage of the first amplification circuit is supplied to the current control circuit to control the current of the Peltier element in accordance with the temperature characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yutaka Uratani, Mikihiro Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20120151940
    Abstract: A Peltier element cooling control circuit that accurately controls a small number of elements with a simple structure. First and second amplification circuits are connected between a current detection resistor detecting current of a Peltier element and a current control circuit performing current control on the Peltier element based on voltage proportional to the current. One of two resistors determines the amplification rate of the first amplification circuit includes a thermistor. When the ambient temperature is equal to a predetermined temperature or greater, the output voltage of the second amplification circuit is supplied to the current control circuit to control the current of the Peltier element so as to be constant. When the ambient temperature is less than the predetermined temperature, the output voltage of the first amplification circuit is supplied to the current control circuit to control the current of the Peltier element in accordance with the temperature characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2010
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yutaka Uratani, Mikihiro Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20120151939
    Abstract: A cooling control circuit for a Peltier device comprises: a switching device 3; an LC filter 4, 13 connecting between the switching device 3 and the Peltier device 1, the LC filter 4, 13 smoothing an output from the switching device 3; an amplifier circuit 6 amplifying an output from the LC filter 4, 13; and a switching device control circuit IC configured to control an on-state and off-state of the switching device 3 based on a level of an output from the amplifier circuit 6. The amplifier circuit 6 delays and amplifies the output from the LC filter 4, 13 so that a maximum level of the output from the LC filter 4, 13 reaches a level at which the switching device control circuit IC brings a switching device 3 into the off-state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2010
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yutaka Uratani, Mikihiro Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20120153055
    Abstract: An electrostatic atomization device provided with a transformer including primary and secondary coils. A switching element is connected in series to the primary coil. A switching element drive circuit provides the switching element with a pulse signal to perform a switching operation and generate high voltage from the secondary coil. A discharge unit including a discharge electrode performs electrostatic atomization on liquid supplied to the discharge electrode to generate charged fine liquid droplets when high voltage generated by the secondary coil is applied to the discharge electrode. The switching element drive circuit generates a pulse signal having an oscillation frequency set so that the transformer has drooping characteristics that prevent air discharge from occurring between the discharge electrode and ground even when load on the discharge unit varies and prevents the generation of ozone having a predetermined concentration or greater when the liquid undergoes electrostatic atomization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Bungo Imai, Hiroyasu Kitamura, Mikihiro Yamashita
  • Patent number: 8031490
    Abstract: To provide a power supply circuit which can be applied worldwide without using a high withstand voltage switching element and can supply a load device with stable power. A charging section is arranged between a turn-off capacitor and a load coil. The charging section has the anode connected to the positive terminal of a feedback coil and the cathode connected to the cathode of a zener diode. Thus, when a voltage of a commercial power supply is high, the charging section operates, the turn-off capacitor is quickly charged, an on-period of a transistor is shortened, and an excessive voltage is prevented from being applied between the drain and the source of the transistor. At the same time, an output characteristic indicating relationship between the voltage of the commercial power supply and a current flowing in the load device is permitted to be flat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Kitamura, Mikihiro Yamashita, Seiichi Iwao
  • Publication number: 20100327804
    Abstract: A chargeable electric device includes a rechargeable battery. A secondary coil is arranged to be coupled by electromagnetic induction to a primary coil of a non-contact charger when charging the rechargeable battery. A resonance capacitor is connected to the secondary coil. A rectification unit is connected to the secondary coil. A charging current control unit arranged between the rectification unit and the rechargeable battery control charging current supplied from the rectification unit to the rechargeable battery. A resonance obstruction element obstructs normal resonance produced by the secondary coil and the resonance capacitor in synchronism with the control performed by the charging current control unit to suppress the charging current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: PANASONIC ELECTRIC WORKS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Takahashi, Mikihiro Yamashita, Koji Asakawa, Yoshinori Katsura
  • Publication number: 20100177537
    Abstract: To provide a power supply circuit which can be applied worldwide without using a high withstand voltage switching element and can supply a load device with stable power. A charging section is arranged between a turn-off capacitor and a load coil. The charging section has the anode connected to the positive terminal of a feedback coil and the cathode connected to the cathode of a zener diode. Thus, when a voltage of a commercial power supply is high, the charging section operates, the turn-off capacitor is quickly charged, an on-period of a transistor is shortened, and an excessive voltage is prevented from being applied between the drain and the source of the transistor. At the same time, an output characteristic indicating relationship between the voltage of the commercial power supply and a current flowing in the load device is permitted to be flat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2007
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Applicant: PANASONIC ELECTRIC WORKS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Kitamura, Mikihiro Yamashita, Seiichi Iwao
  • Patent number: 7525282
    Abstract: A battery-operated equipment comprises a battery; a constant voltage power source that derives a constant voltage from a battery voltage across the battery; and a microcomputer that incorporates an A/D converter(s) and has terminals for the A/D converter and a power input terminal. The microcomputer is connected with the battery via the power input terminal to use the battery voltage as its power source voltage. The converter is connected with the constant voltage power source via a specific terminal of the terminals for the converter to use the constant voltage as a voltage for the converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd
    Inventors: Takafumi Oba, Mikihiro Yamashita
  • Patent number: 7514818
    Abstract: A power supply system is capable of feeding electric power from a power adapter to a plurality of load devices. The power adapter includes a primary core; and a primary coil wound around the primary core for serving as a output port of the power adapter to output an alternating current. The load devices include secondary cores for simultaneously forming magnetic circuits between the primary core and the load devices; and secondary coils wound around the secondary cores for feeding output power to the load devices. The primary core has two pairs of protrusions, and the secondary cores are arranged on opposite sides of the primary core in such a manner that the primary core lies between the secondary cores to feed electric power simultaneously to the load devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Abe, Hiroyasu Kitamura, Mikihiro Yamashita
  • Patent number: 7307397
    Abstract: A driving unit of the present invention comprises a moving element, an elastic body configured to support the moving element, a permanent magnet fixed on said moving element, an electromagnet disposed to be opposed to said permanent magnet, and a controller. The moving element and the elastic body constitute a resonance system. The electromagnet includes a magnetic material and a coil wounded around the magnetic material. The controller magnetizes the magnetic material by feeding a current through the coil and gives a vibration force to the moving element by magnetic force acting between the magnetic material and the permanent magnet. The feature of the present invention resides in that the controller determines a current waveform necessary for an intended motion of the moving element, and applies a voltage to the coil intermittently so that a current in the form of the current waveform flows through said coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Izumi, Yasuo Ibuki, Mikihiro Yamashita, Hideaki Abe
  • Publication number: 20070091519
    Abstract: A power supply system is capable of feeding electric power from a power adapter to a plurality of load devices. The power adapter includes a primary core; and a primary coil wound around the primary core for serving as a output port of the power adapter to output an alternating current. The load devices include secondary cores for simultaneously forming magnetic circuits between the primary core and the load devices; and secondary coils wound around the secondary cores for feeding output power to the load devices. The primary core has two pairs of protrusions, and the secondary cores are arranged on opposite sides of the primary core in such a manner that the primary core lies between the secondary cores to feed electric power simultaneously to the load devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2006
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Abe, Hiroyasu Kitamura, Mikihiro Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20060244398
    Abstract: A transformer is provided in which leakage inductance and electromagnetic noise can be reduced without making the transformer larger. This transformer includes a primary winding, a secondary winding and a feedback winding, in which: each winding is wound onto a bobbin so that four winding layers are separately piled in the radius directions of the bobbin's shaft portion; the primary winding is formed by the innermost winding layer and the forth winding layer from the inside; the secondary winding is formed by the second winding layer from the inside; the feedback winding is formed by the third winding layer from the inside; and the feedback winding is wound substantially with no clearance from a position adjacent to one flange portion of the bobbin to a position adjacent to the other flange portion of the bobbin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2006
    Publication date: November 2, 2006
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Kitamura, Mikihiro Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20060192532
    Abstract: A battery-operated equipment comprises a battery; a constant voltage power source that derives a constant voltage from a battery voltage across the battery; and a microcomputer that incorporates an A/D converter(s) and has terminals for the A/D converter and a power input terminal. The microcomputer is connected with the battery via the power input terminal to use the battery voltage as its power source voltage. The converter is connected with the constant voltage power source via a specific terminal of the terminals for the converter to use the constant voltage as a voltage for the converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2006
    Publication date: August 31, 2006
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC WORKS, LTD.
    Inventors: Takafumi Oba, Mikihiro Yamashita
  • Patent number: 7088596
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a switching power supply device for preventing the change of characteristic of the line filter due to filler such as resin which covers the circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mikihiro Yamashita, Yoshinori Katsura, Seiichi Iwao
  • Publication number: 20060011225
    Abstract: A cleaning system for cleaning an operator head of a hair removing apparatus such as a dry shaver. The system includes a cleaning device having a housing configured to hold the shaver upside down to place the operator head in a basin for cleaning the same with a liquid supplied from a tank. The apparatus incorporates an externally controllable electric circuit for driving the operator head in accordance with an external electric signal generated by a controller within the device. The device's housing has a signal transmitting means for transmitting the electric signal, while the apparatus has a signal receiving means which comes into electrical interconnection with the signal transmitting means. The signal receiving means is disposed intermediate the height of the apparatus such that the electrical interconnection can be made within the height of the apparatus, requiring no extra height dimension to the system for the electrical interconnection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2004
    Publication date: January 19, 2006
    Inventors: Atsuhiro Saito, Mikihiro Yamashita, Jyuzaemon Iwasaki, Hiroyuki Kameoka, Yasuo Ibuki, Fumio Taniguchi, Kotaro Yanagi, Hiroshi Shigeta
  • Publication number: 20050275294
    Abstract: A driving unit of the present invention comprises a moving element, an elastic body configured to support the moving element, a permanent magnet fixed on said moving element, an electromagnet disposed to be opposed to said permanent magnet, and a controller. The moving element and the elastic body constitute a resonance system. The electromagnet includes a magnetic material and a coil wounded around the magnetic material. The controller magnetizes the magnetic material by feeding a current through the coil and gives a vibration force to the moving element by magnetic force acting between the magnetic material and the permanent magnet. The feature of the present invention resides in that the controller determines a current waveform necessary for an intended motion of the moving element, and applies a voltage to the coil intermittently so that a current in the form of the current waveform flows through said coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2005
    Publication date: December 15, 2005
    Inventors: Tomohiro Izumi, Yasuo Ibuki, Mikihiro Yamashita, Hideaki Abe
  • Publication number: 20050144784
    Abstract: An electric razor has a normal drive mode and a cleaning drive mode. The electric razor has a non-latch main switch, a driving unit for driving a blade of the razor, an indicator for notifying a user that the razor is operated in the cleaning drive mode, an indicator for prompting the user to perform cleaning, a timer for measuring a predetermined time, an integration timer for integrating a time during which the razor is operated in the normal drive mode, and a controller for controlling the operation of the driving unit, and for causing the indicators to emit light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2003
    Publication date: July 7, 2005
    Inventors: Yasuo Ibuki, Mikihiro Yamashita
  • Patent number: 6859126
    Abstract: A non-contact transformer includes a transformer component provided on the floor of a housing, a printed circuit board on the transformer component, and an empty core space is formed within the transformer component wherein deformation of the housing is prevented through a construction that evacuates residual air from the core space when the core space is filled with resin even though both ends of the core space are covered by lid-like parts. A cylindrical end face at one extremity of the primary transformer component is positioned on the bottom plate of the primary housing opposed to the secondary housing, and the printed circuit board is provided on an opposite cylindrical end face which is at the other extremity of the primary transformer component. A passage is formed between the printed circuit board and the primary transformer component to provide a connecting orifice between a core space of primary transformer component and the space external to the primary transformer component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichi Iwao, Yoshinori Katsura, Mikihiro Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20040218407
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a switching power supply device for preventing the change of characteristic of the line filter due to filler such as resin which covers the circuits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2004
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC WORKS, LTD.
    Inventors: Mikihiro Yamashita, Yoshinori Katsura, Seiichi Iwao
  • Patent number: 6794975
    Abstract: A non-contact transformer includes a transformer component provided on the floor of a housing, a printed circuit board on the transformer component, and an empty core space is formed within the transformer component wherein deformation of the housing is prevented through a construction that evacuates residual air from the core space when the core space is filled with resin even though both ends of the core space are covered by lid-like parts. A cylindrical end face at one extremity of the primary transformer component is positioned on the bottom plate of the primary housing opposed to the secondary housing, and the printed circuit board is provided on an opposite cylindrical end face which is at the other extremity of the primary transformer component. A passage is formed between the printed circuit board and the primary transformer component to provide a connecting orifice between a core space of primary transformer component and the space external to the primary transformer component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichi Iwao, Yoshinori Katsura, Mikihiro Yamashita