Patents by Inventor Naoki Shirakawa

Naoki Shirakawa 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: 20220278267
    Abstract: Provided is a sheet-shape electrostatic sound pressure-electrical signal conversion device that is three-dimensionally deformable and has a low drive voltage. The sound pressure-electrical signal conversion device includes a polymer sheet sandwiched between a pair of electrodes facing each other, the polymer sheet is a dielectric film, at least one of the electrodes includes an insulating flexible substrate having a plurality of through-holes and a plurality of conductive fibers having one end fixed to the flexible substrate with a pressure sensitive adhesive, electrical conduction in an in-plane direction is formed by contact between the conductive fibers, the conductive fibers are vibrated by giving an electrical signal to the pair of electrodes or the conductive fibers are vibrated by receiving sound pressure to cause the pair of electrodes to output an electrical signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Applicant: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
    Inventors: Manabu Yoshida, Naoki Shirakawa, Nobuko Fukuda
  • Patent number: 10189311
    Abstract: An airless tire includes multiple tire pieces including a first tire piece and a second tire piece such that the first and second tire pieces are integrated in alignment in tire axial direction. The first tire piece includes a first tread ring, a first inner periphery portion and first spokes such that the first ring has a cylindrical form and a ground contact surface, the first periphery portion is formed on radial direction inner side of the first ring, and the first spokes are connecting the first ring and periphery portion, and the second tire piece includes a second tread ring, a second inner periphery portion, and second spokes such that the second ring has a cylindrical form and a ground contact surface, the second periphery portion is formed on radial direction inner side of the second ring, and the second spokes are connecting the second ring and periphery portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Wako Iwamura, Makoto Sugiya, Naoki Shirakawa, Hitoshi Takeuchi, Shoushuu Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 10005441
    Abstract: An electric motor is controlled according to the back and forth movement of an input rod, which is caused by brake pedal operation; a primary piston is propelled to generate hydraulic brake pressure in a master cylinder; and the hydraulic brake pressure is fed back to the input rod through an input piston. The input piston is resiliently held by springs with respect to the primary piston. A jump-in clearance is created between the input piston and the input rod by a rearward spring. At the initial stage of braking, hydraulic brake pressure is not transmitted to the input rod due to the jump-in clearance, which provides jump-in characteristics. The jump-in clearance can be set, regardless of the amount of a relative displacement between the primary piston and the input piston, so that the range of adjustment for regenerative braking can be set larger than the jump-in clearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Kunihiro Matsunaga, Mitsuhiro Endo, Satohiro Koi, Naoki Shirakawa, Atsushi Odaira, Takuya Usui, Hiroshi Shigeta
  • Publication number: 20170239730
    Abstract: A processing device for a metal material, containing: an airtight container for housing a specimen thereinside; an oxygen pump for extracting oxygen molecules from a gas discharged from the airtight container; a circulation means for returning the gas into the airtight container; and a plasma generation means present inside the airtight container for converting the gas returned from the circulation means into plasma and exposing the specimen thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Applicant: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Naoki SHIRAKAWA, Kazuhiro MURATA
  • Publication number: 20170113489
    Abstract: An airless tire includes multiple tire pieces including a first tire piece and a second tire piece such that the first and second tire pieces are integrated in alignment in tire axial direction. The first tire piece includes a first tread ring, a first inner periphery portion and first spokes such that the first ring has a cylindrical form and a ground contact surface, the first periphery portion is formed on radial direction inner side of the first ring, and the first spokes are connecting the first ring and periphery portion, and the second tire piece includes a second tread ring, a second inner periphery portion, and second spokes such that the second ring has a cylindrical form and a ground contact surface, the second periphery portion is formed on radial direction inner side of the second ring, and the second spokes are connecting the second ring and periphery portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Wako IWAMURA, Makoto Sugiya, Naoki Shirakawa, Hitoshi Takeuchi, Shoushuu Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9568026
    Abstract: In an electric motor-driven booster, a sharp change of reaction force to an operation of a brake pedal is reduced to improve the brake pedal operation feeling. Operation of the brake pedal causes an input rod (34) and an input piston (32) to advance, and an electric motor (40) is driven according to the movement of the input piston to propel a primary piston (10) through a ball-screw mechanism, thereby generating a desired brake hydraulic pressure in a master cylinder. At this time, the input piston receives the hydraulic pressure in the master cylinder to feed back a part of reaction force during braking to the brake pedal. When the brake pedal is further depressed after the output of the electric motor has reached a maximum output and the primary piston 10 has stopped, a lock nut abuts against a movable spring retainer and compresses a reaction force spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignees: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Masayuki Yoshimoto, Ryozo Ikeuchi, Ryo Sekiya, Hideaki Ishii, Kazumoto Sano, Hiroshi Shigeta, Naoki Shirakawa, Ryoichi Yagi, Masami Abe
  • Publication number: 20160068146
    Abstract: An electric motor is controlled according to the back and forth movement of an input rod, which is caused by brake pedal operation; a primary piston is propelled to generate hydraulic brake pressure in a master cylinder; and the hydraulic brake pressure is fed back to the input rod through an input piston. The input piston is resiliency held by springs with respect to the primary piston. A jump-in clearance is created between the input piston and the input rod by a rearward spring. At the initial stage of braking, hydraulic brake pressure is not transmitted to the input rod due to the jump-in clearance, which provides jump-in characteristics. The jump-in clearance can be set, regardless of the amount of a relative displacement between the primary piston and the input piston, so that the range of adjustment for regenerative braking can be set larger than the jump-in clearance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: Kunihiro MATSUNAGA, Mitsuhiro ENDO, Satohiro KOI, Naoki SHIRAKAWA, Atsushi ODAIRA, Takuya USUI, Hiroshi SHIGETA
  • Patent number: 9278259
    Abstract: The invention provides a golf ball having a core encased by a cover of one or more layer, which cover is formed of a material composed primarily of a thermoplastic polyurethane material and containing also a lubricant composed primarily of a montanic acid ester. Paint film adhesion is not adversely affected even when the mold temperature during injection-molding of the golf ball is raised to 60° C. or above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignees: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd., DIC COVESTRO PPOLYMER LTD
    Inventors: Katsunobu Mochizuki, Hiroyuki Nagasawa, Takashi Akutagawa, Naoki Shirakawa
  • Publication number: 20140274466
    Abstract: The invention provides a golf ball having a core encased by a cover of one or more layer, which cover is formed of a material composed primarily of a thermoplastic polyurethane material and containing also a lubricant composed primarily of a montanic acid ester. Paint film adhesion is not adversely affected even when the mold temperature during injection-molding of the golf ball is raised to 60° C. or above.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicants: DIC BAYER POLYMER LTD., BRIDGESTONE SPORTS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Katsunobu MOCHIZUKI, Hiroyuki NAGASAWA, Takashi AKUTAGAWA, Naoki SHIRAKAWA
  • Patent number: 8597732
    Abstract: A method comprising: supplying a gas whose water concentration has been controlled to become smaller than 1 PPB, whose oxygen partial pressure has been controlled to become lower than 10?21 atm by a water/oxygen molecule discharging apparatus into the interior of a reaction chamber and carrying out a dehydration/deoxidation process in the interior of said reaction chamber so as to control water vapor partial pressure to become lower than 10?10 atm; depositing a metal film on a substrate by supplying a carrier gas or a plasma excitation gas whose water concentration has been controlled to become smaller than 1 PPB, whose oxygen partial pressure has been controlled to become lower than 10?21 atm into the interior of said reaction chamber; forming an insulating film on the wafer by oxidizing the metal film in a low-oxygen atmosphere whose oxygen partial pressure has been controlled to become lower than 10?20 atm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
    Inventors: Naoki Shirakawa, Yoshiyuki Yoshida, Kazuhiko Endo, Tetsuya Mino
  • Publication number: 20130263588
    Abstract: In an electric motor-driven booster, a sharp change of reaction force to an operation of a brake pedal is reduced to improve the brake pedal operation feeling. Operation of the brake pedal causes an input rod (34) and an input piston (32) to advance, and an electric motor (40) is driven according to the movement of the input piston to propel a primary piston (10) through a ball-screw mechanism, thereby generating a desired brake hydraulic pressure in a master cylinder. At this time, the input piston receives the hydraulic pressure in the master cylinder to feed back a part of reaction force during braking to the brake pedal. When the brake pedal is further depressed after the output of the electric motor has reached a maximum output and the primary piston 10 has stopped, a lock nut abuts against a movable spring retainer and compresses a reaction force spring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Inventors: Masayuki Yoshimoto, Ryozo Ikeuchi, Ryo Sekiya, Hideaki Ishii, Kazumoto Sano, Hiroshi Shigeta, Naoki Shirakawa, Ryoichi Yagi, Masami Abe
  • Patent number: 8459045
    Abstract: In a helium 3 refrigerator-utilizing magnetic property measurement system (MPMS) which enables magnetization measurement to be effected until 0.3 K, a main pipe, to enable magnetization measurement to be infallibly effected even when the upper limit of a magnetic field the MPMS can induce is applied, includes an upper supporting tube positioned in the uppermost part and allowing a bellows to be connected to the lateral part thereof, a condensing tube supported in the lower part of the upper supporting tube, an outer tube fixed in the lower part of the condensing tube and adapted to form an outer wall of an insulated vacuum chamber, and a lower inner tube forming an inner wall of the insulated vacuum chamber. In each of the tubes, the lower inner tube is formed of titanium. As a result, a background signal can be decreased and the measurement can be infallibly effected until the upper limit of the magnetic field of the MPMS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
    Inventor: Naoki Shirakawa
  • Patent number: 8097138
    Abstract: The present invention provides oxygen partial pressure control apparatuses that can control the partial pressure of oxygen in atmospheric gases in processing apparatuses or the like to within the range of 0.2 to 10?30 atm, while maintaining low material and operational cost conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences
    Inventors: Naoki Shirakawa, Shinichi Ikeda, Katsuhide Uchida
  • Patent number: 8011184
    Abstract: An electric booster which drives an electric motor (40) in response to a movement of an input member (9) moving together with a brake pedal (B), and generates a brake hydraulic pressure in a master cylinder (10) through a ball screw mechanism (50). The electric motor (40) includes a stator (41) having a coil therein, a rotor (42) which rotates by applying current to the stator (41), and an annular motor casing (2) containing the stator (41) and the rotor (42). The ball screw mechanism (50) is fittedly disposed in the rotor (42). An opening (3b) on one axial end side of the motor casing (2) has a larger diameter than an outer diameter of the ball screw mechanism (50). In manufacturing, after the electric motor (40) alone is tested, the ball screw mechanism (50) is inserted through the opening (3b) and installed without the need of disassembling the motor casing (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukio Ohtani, Takuya Obata, Takayuki Ohno, Naoki Shirakawa
  • Publication number: 20110152027
    Abstract: In an electric booster according to one embodiment of the present invention, a brake pedal is connected to a sun gear of a differential transmission mechanism corresponding to a planetary gear mechanism. An electric motor is connected to a ring gear, and an output rod is connected to a planetary carrier, and the output rod is connected to a piston of a master cylinder. When the brake pedal is operated to rotate the sun gear, planetary pinions rotate and revolve around the sun gear. As a result, the planetary carrier rotates to move the output rod forward to push the piston. As a result, a hydraulic pressure is generated in the master cylinder. At this time, the electric motor is controlled according to the rotation of the sun gear to rotate the ring gear so that the ring gear follows the sun gear. In this manner, a servo force of the electric motor is applied to the rotation of the planetary carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Inventors: Takayuki Ohno, Naoki Shirakawa, Yukio Ohtani, Takuya Usui
  • Publication number: 20100178437
    Abstract: A gas, which has extremely low oxygen and water content without particles for industrial use and is effective in processes including an oxidation preventing step, can be supplied in a large quantity. An apparatus for generating such gas having extremely low oxygen/water content is provided with an oxygen molecule discharging apparatus (26) comprising a hollow ceramic solid electrolyte body (21), through which a gas passes, and metal tube bodies (20), all of which are adhered to each other in a leak-tight manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Inventors: Naoki Shirakawa, Yoshida Yoshiyuki, Endo Kazuhiko, Mino Tetsuya
  • Publication number: 20090014881
    Abstract: For the purpose of removing an oxide film on the surface of a varying metal electroconductive material used for wiring in a semiconductor device without inflicting damage on a peripheral structure, the oxide film formed on the surface of a metal electroconductive region 12 is subjected to a reducing treatment that is effected by placing the metal electroconductive region 12 in a reducing treatment chamber 22, causing an oxygen pump 30 to introduce into the reducing treatment chamber 22 an inert gas having at least an oxygen partial pressure thereof suppressed to 1×10?13 atmosphere or less and heating the metal electroconductive region 12 with a heating device 25.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2006
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Endo, Naoki Shirakawa, Eishi Gofuku, Shinichi Ikeda, Yoshiyuki Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20080302100
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an electric booster and a manufacturing method thereof in which it becomes possible to conduct a test of an electric motor alone without disassembling a motor casing, thereby facilitating the manufacturing process and reducing manufacturing cost. In an electric booster which drives an electric motor 40 in response to a movement of an input member 9 moving together with a brake pedal B, and generates a brake hydraulic pressure in a master cylinder 10 through a ball screw mechanism 50, the electric motor 40 comprises a stator 41 including a coil therein, a rotor 42 which rotates by applying current to the stator 41, and an annular motor casing 2 containing the stator 41 and the rotor 42. The ball screw mechanism 50 is fittedly disposed in the rotor 42. An opening 3b on one axial end side of the motor casing 2 has a larger diameter than an outer diameter of the ball screw mechanism 50.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2008
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Inventors: Yukio Ohtani, Takuya Obata, Takayuki Ohno, Naoki Shirakawa
  • Publication number: 20080229761
    Abstract: In a helium 3 refrigerator-utilizing magnetic property measurement system which enables magnetization measurement to be effected till 0.3 K by utilizing the formerly proposed magnetic property measurement system (MPMS), a main pipe 23, for the object of enabling magnetization measurement to be infallibly effected even when the upper limit of magnetic field the MPMS can induce is applied, includes an upper supporting tube 41 positioned in the uppermost part and allowing a bellows 28 to be connected to the lateral part thereof, a condensing tube 42 supported first in the lower part of the upper supporting tube, an outer tube 44 fixed in the lower part of the condensing tube and adapted to form an outer wall of an insulated vacuum chamber 43 formed between the outer tube and a lower inner tube 45 forming an inner wall of the insulated vacuum chamber 43. In each of the tubes, the lower inner tube 45 is formed of titanium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2005
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Applicant: National Inst. of Adv Industrial Science and Tech
    Inventor: Naoki Shirakawa
  • Publication number: 20080217187
    Abstract: The present invention provides oxygen partial pressure control apparatuses that can control the partial pressure of oxygen in atmospheric gases in processing apparatuses or the like to within the range of 0.2 to 10?30 atm, while maintaining low material and operational cost conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Applicants: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, STLAB, Incorporated
    Inventors: Naoki Shirakawa, Shinichi Ikeda, Katsuhide Uchida