Patents by Inventor Minoru Myojo

Minoru Myojo 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: 8393779
    Abstract: Generally, existing LED lamps often use robust metallic cases since each of the cases functions as a heat sink. Various shapes for increasing the heat dissipation properties of the case have been employed; there is no unified shape. Existing LED lamps therefore have a problem that they cannot be easily disassembled at the time of recycling. Thus, an object is to provide a lamp which can be easily disassembled at the time of recycling. A lamp includes: a case having a certain shape; an LED module including a semiconductor light-emitting device; and a power supply circuit provided inside the case, for driving the semiconductor light-emitting device to emit light, wherein on an outer side of the case, a step for splitting the case is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Minoru Myojo
  • Publication number: 20120313522
    Abstract: Generally, existing LED lamps often use robust metallic cases since each of the cases functions as a heat sink. Various shapes for increasing the heat dissipation properties of the case have been employed; there is no unified shape. Existing LED lamps therefore have a problem that they cannot be easily disassembled at the time of recycling. Thus, an object is to provide a lamp which can be easily disassembled at the time of recycling. A lamp includes: a case having a certain shape; an LED module including a semiconductor light-emitting device; and a power supply circuit provided inside the case, for driving the semiconductor light-emitting device to emit light, wherein on an outer side of the case, a step for splitting the case is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2011
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Minoru Myojo
  • Patent number: 7161302
    Abstract: A lighting system includes a fluorescent lamp 4 and a main body 1 for attaching the fluorescent lamp 4 thereto. The main body 1 is provided with a socket assembly 6 for the attachment of the fluorescent lamp 4, and an electronic ballast 7 for operating the fluorescent lamp 4 at dimmed levels (as well as at the full light level). The fluorescent lamp 4 is composed of a discharge tube formed of four U-shaped glass tubes that are connected together to form a square in plan view. Each glass tube has an inner diameter of 13.5 mm, and the discharge tube is filled with a rare gas containing neon and argon (at 50:50 ratio by volume).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Myojo, Akio Kitada, Tadashi Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20040245931
    Abstract: A lighting system includes a fluorescent lamp 4 and a main body 1 for attaching the fluorescent lamp 4 thereto. The main body 1 is provided with a socket assembly 6 for the attachment of the fluorescent lamp 4, and an electronic ballast 7 for operating the fluorescent lamp 4 at dimmed levels (as well as at the full light level). The fluorescent lamp 4 is composed of a discharge tube formed of four U-shaped glass tubes that are connected together to form a square in plan view. Each glass tube has an inner diameter of 13.5 mm, and the discharge tube is filled with a rare gas containing neon and argon (at 50:50 ratio by volume).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2004
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Inventors: Minoru Myojo, Akio Kitada, Tadashi Shimizu
  • Patent number: 6794818
    Abstract: A fluorescent lamp (10) includes a bulb (2) provided with a pair of electrode coils (3) at both ends thereof. Each of the electrode coils (3) is mounted between two lead wires (4a, 4b) held by a bulb-end glass (5). A means for preventing overheating (20) of the bulb-end glass is mounted between the lead wires (4a, 4b) located between the electrode coil (3) and the bulb-end glass (5). The means for preventing overheating (20) includes a glass member (20) and a first and a second metallic pin (22a, 22b) for supporting the glass member (20). One end of each of the metallic pins (22a, 22b) is connected to the lead wires (4a, 4b), respectively. Both metallic pins (22a, 22b) are provided not in contact with each other. Before the electrode coil (3) in the last period of the life, in which an emissive coating has been dissipated, is disconnected, the glass member (20) is heated by a conductive heat, a radiant heat, and intermittent pulse discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Myojo, Kouichi Kitagawa, Takashi Ueda
  • Patent number: 6750613
    Abstract: A lighting system includes a fluorescent lamp 4 and a main body 1 for attaching the fluorescent lamp 4 thereto. The main body 1 is provided with a socket assembly 6 for the attachment of the fluorescent lamp 4, and an electronic ballast 7 for operating the fluorescent lamp 4 at dimmed levels (as well as at the full light level). The fluorescent lamp 4 is composed of a discharge tube formed of four U-shaped glass tubes that are connected together to form a square in plan view. Each glass tube has an inner diameter of 13.5 mm, and the discharge tube is filled with a rare gas containing neon and argon (at 50:50 ratio by volume). When operating the fluorescent lamp 4 at the full light level, the electronic ballast 7 applies the nominal lamp current of 0.43 A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Myojo, Akio Kitada, Tadashi Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20030184239
    Abstract: A lighting system includes a fluorescent lamp 4 and a main body 1 for attaching the fluorescent lamp 4 thereto. The main body 1 is provided with a socket assembly 6 for the attachment of the fluorescent lamp 4, and an electronic ballast 7 for operating the fluorescent lamp 4 at dimmed levels (as well as at the full light level) . The fluorescent lamp 4 is composed of a discharge tube formed of four U-shaped glass tubes that are connected together to form a square in plan view. Each glass tube has an inner diameter of 13.5 mm, and the discharge tube is filled with a rare gas containing neon and argon (at 50:50 ratio by volume). When operating the fluorescent lamp 4 at the full light level, the electronic ballast 7 applies the nominal lamp current of 0.43 A.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Inventors: Minoru Myojo, Akio Kitada, Tadashi Shimizu
  • Patent number: 6621209
    Abstract: In a fluorescent lamp having a plurality of glass tubes that are connected with each other to form a discharge path, spacers that do not drop off even with insufficient accuracy of a gap between the glass tube are provided in a gap between the connected glass tubes, so as to improve the gap compression resistance and the torsion resistance. Each spacer is composed of a plurality of tonguelets and a bridge. The tonguelets are in contact with surfaces of the glass tubes and are connected by the bridge that is directed in an axial direction of the glass tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Myojo, Hideki Yamauchi, Tsutomu Takemura, Akio Kitada
  • Publication number: 20020024301
    Abstract: In a fluorescent lamp having a plurality of glass tubes that are connected with each other to form a discharge path, spacers that do not drop off even with insufficient accuracy of a gap between the glass tube are provided in a gap between the connected glass tubes, so as to improve the gap compression resistance and the torsion resistance. Each spacer is composed of a plurality of tonguelets and a bridge. The tonguelets are in contact with surfaces of the glass tubes and are connected by the bridge that is directed in an axial direction of the glass tubes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2001
    Publication date: February 28, 2002
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Myojo, Hideki Yamauchi, Tsutomu Takemura, Akio Kitada
  • Patent number: 5828169
    Abstract: In a fluorescent lamp with amalgam, a surface of the amalgam is covered by a barrier having at least one opening through which mercury atoms can move to a discharge space of the lamp from the amalgam while the lamp is being lighted. When the lamp is switched off, the barrier restricts the return of the mercury atoms from the discharge space to the amalgam. The amalgam solidifies faster than all the mercury atoms return to the amalgam, so that a lot of mercury atoms remain in the discharge space. When the lamp is re-lighted, an initial mercury vapor pressure can be maintained. Thus, the lamp illuminates at a predetermined intensity of the luminance from the beginning of the re-lighting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1998
    Assignee: Matsushita Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Myojo, Toshiyuki Namura
  • Patent number: 5646483
    Abstract: A discharge lamp or an electrodeless discharge lamp including a discharge gas filled inside a bulb, an electrode part present inside the bulb for emitting thermoelectrons into the discharge gas, and a cesium compound placed in a position other than the electrode part inside the bulb. According to this configuration, this discharge lamp has a short starting delay time even at a low temperature including room temperature, without using any starting auxiliary light source or a radioactive material. The cesium compound is contained on the surface of a metal mesh which is fixed via a supporting arm in a position avoiding the electrode part inside the bulb. It is preferable that the cesium oxide is in contact with the discharge space. In this way, starting property can be improved without using any starting auxiliary light source or a radioactive material. The electrodeless discharge lamp has the cesium compound at an optional position in the discharge space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1997
    Assignee: Matsushita Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Myojo, Haruo Yamazaki, Toshiyuki Namura