Patents by Inventor Rintarou Minamitani

Rintarou Minamitani 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: 20230333003
    Abstract: Prepared is a layered body comprising: an insulation plate; a base metal thin film formed on the insulation plate; and a sensing metal thin film which is formed on at least a partial area of the base metal thin film, is more easily corroded by a corrosive substance than the base metal thin film, and has a lower resistance value than the base metal thin film. A corrosive environment monitoring sensor includes this layered body, and has an opening unit in a side surface direction, and a case having a gas passage of a corrosive substance therein. The present invention detects electric resistance between two positions on the base thin film of this sensor, and determines the type of the corrosive substance from a temporal change of the electric resistance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventor: Rintarou MINAMITANI
  • Publication number: 20230134944
    Abstract: A corrosive environment monitoring device that suppresses a decline in measurement precision in an initial period of monitoring the corrosivity of an environment and measures the corrosivity of the environment continuously and with high precision over a long period of time. The corrosive environment monitoring device includes: a layered body having an insulating plate, a base metal thin film that is formed on the insulating plate and is corrosion resistant with respect to a corrosive substance, and a sensing metal thin film that is formed on the base metal thin film and is corrosion susceptible with respect to the corrosive substance; and a housing that encloses the layered body, has an opening oriented in a side face direction, and forms a gas passage inside for the corrosive substance, wherein the sensing metal thin film is formed in a limited region on the base metal thin film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventor: Rintarou MINAMITANI
  • Patent number: 11460394
    Abstract: The present invention provides a corrosive environment monitoring method capable of short-term to long-term identification of the type of corrosive gas, without requiring a power source such as a commercial power source or a storage battery, in a narrow place inside an equipment housing of an electric or electronic device to be evaluated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Rintarou Minamitani
  • Publication number: 20210325296
    Abstract: The present invention provides a corrosive environment monitoring method capable of short-term to long-term identification of the type of corrosive gas, without requiring a power source such as a commercial power source or a storage battery, in a narrow place inside an equipment housing of an electric or electronic device to be evaluated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Rintarou MINAMITANI
  • Patent number: 11029273
    Abstract: A corrosion monitoring device includes: a sensor unit that includes an insulating substrate, a stainless steel plate disposed on the insulating substrate and is configured of stainless steel, an aluminum piece joined to the stainless steel plate and configured of aluminum having a lower corrosion potential than the stainless steel and smaller electrical resistivity than the stainless steel, and extraction electrodes coupled to the stainless steel plate; and an ohm meter that measures an electrical resistance of the sensor unit when a current flows in the sensor unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventor: Rintarou Minamitani
  • Patent number: 10712256
    Abstract: Provided are a device and a method for corrosive environment monitoring that have high measurement precision and enable visual observation. The corrosive environment monitoring device includes a housing, a first thin metal film, a second thin metal film, and terminals. The housing has an opening in one side thereof. The other sides of the housing than the one side are sealed to form space inside the housing. The first thin metal film extends in a direction from the bottom of the space toward the opening. The first thin metal film is resistant to corrosion by a corrosive substance and serves as a supporting member. The second thin metal film extends in the space in a direction from the bottom of the space toward the opening and is supported by the first thin metal film. The second thin metal film is susceptible to corrosion by the corrosive substance and serves as a measuring member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Rintarou Minamitani
  • Publication number: 20190353608
    Abstract: A corrosion monitoring device includes: a sensor unit that includes an insulating substrate, a stainless steel plate disposed on the insulating substrate and is configured of stainless steel, an aluminum piece joined to the stainless steel plate and configured of aluminum having a lower corrosion potential than the stainless steel and smaller electrical resistivity than the stainless steel, and extraction electrodes coupled to the stainless steel plate; and an ohm meter that measures an electrical resistance of the sensor unit when a current flows in the sensor unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventor: Rintarou MINAMITANI
  • Patent number: 10436701
    Abstract: The present invention is a corrosion environment diagnosis system including: an environment measuring device that includes a temperature sensor that measures temperature in an electronic part serving as a diagnosis target or an indoor space in which an electronic device including the electronic part is installed, a humidity sensor that measures relative humidity in the indoor space or the electronic device, a corrosion sensor that measures a corrosion thickness of the diagnosis target, and a database in which indoor environment data including the temperature and the relative humidity measured by the temperature sensor and the humidity sensor and corrosion thickness data including the corrosion thickness measured by the corrosion sensor are accumulated; an outside air environment database in which outside air environment data including previous temperature and humidity of outside air is recorded; and a diagnostic processing device capable of receiving data of the outside air environment database and the enviro
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventor: Rintarou Minamitani
  • Publication number: 20180259442
    Abstract: Provided are a device and a method for corrosive environment monitoring that have high measurement precision and enable visual observation. The corrosive environment monitoring device includes a housing, a first thin metal film, a second thin metal film, and terminals. The housing has an opening in one side thereof. The other sides of the housing than the one side are sealed to form space inside the housing. The first thin metal film extends in a direction from the bottom of the space toward the opening. The first thin metal film is resistant to corrosion by a corrosive substance and serves as a supporting member. The second thin metal film extends in the space in a direction from the bottom of the space toward the opening and is supported by the first thin metal film. The second thin metal film is susceptible to corrosion by the corrosive substance and serves as a measuring member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Inventor: Rintarou MINAMITANI
  • Publication number: 20170350807
    Abstract: The present invention is a corrosion environment diagnosis system including: an environment measuring device that includes a temperature sensor that measures temperature in an electronic part serving as a diagnosis target or an indoor space in which an electronic device including the electronic part is installed, a humidity sensor that measures relative humidity in the indoor space or the electronic device, a corrosion sensor that measures a corrosion thickness of the diagnosis target, and a database in which indoor environment data including the temperature and the relative humidity measured by the temperature sensor and the humidity sensor and corrosion thickness data including the corrosion thickness measured by the corrosion sensor are accumulated; an outside air environment database in which outside air environment data including previous temperature and humidity of outside air is recorded; and a diagnostic processing device capable of receiving data of the outside air environment database and the enviro
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2014
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Rintarou MINAMITANI
  • Patent number: 9804077
    Abstract: Provided is a device for monitoring corrosive environment including at least one passage structure having an opening and configured to control intrusion of a corrosive substance present in an atmosphere; and a sensor unit having a metal film that is disposed inside the passage structure. The metal film inside the passage structure corrodes by the corrosive substance intruding from the opening to the passage structure. During the monitoring, an electric resistance value of the metal film varies depending on expansion of the corroded region of the metal film. Thus, the device for monitoring corrosive environment measures the electric resistance value of the metal film with suppressing fluctuation of the measured values. This allows a corrosion level of the environment installed with electric and electronic apparatuses to be evaluated for a long term and in an accurate manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Rintarou Minamitani, Noriyuki Kushida, Tetsuya Ideno
  • Publication number: 20150330889
    Abstract: Provided is a device for monitoring corrosive environment including at least one passage structure having an opening and configured to control intrusion of a corrosive substance present in an atmosphere; and a sensor unit having a metal film that is disposed inside the passage structure. The metal film inside the passage structure corrodes by the corrosive substance intruding from the opening to the passage structure. During the monitoring, an electric resistance value of the metal film varies depending on expansion of the corroded region of the metal film. Thus, the device for monitoring corrosive environment measures the electric resistance value of the metal film with suppressing fluctuation of the measured values. This allows a corrosion level of the environment installed with electric and electronic apparatuses to be evaluated for a long term and in an accurate manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: Rintarou MINAMITANI, Noriyuki KUSHIDA, Tetsuya IDENO
  • Patent number: 6860149
    Abstract: To offer a mass airflow measuring apparatus in which the effect of the adhesion onto the heating resistor caused while the engine is off is reduced and the measuring accuracy is improved. The apparatus measures the mass airflow of the air sucked into the internal combustion engine, using the heating resistor 1. The power control circuit 4 maintains the heating resistor 1 temperature equal to or higher than the temperature during the operation of the internal combustion engine after the internal combustion engine has stopped and until the temperature of the internal combustion engine and its apparatuses installed in the suction system has lowered below the generation temperature of volatile gas such as oil vapor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Igarashi, Atsushi Kanke, Rintarou Minamitani, Keiichi Nakada, Izumi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20040035195
    Abstract: To offer a mass airflow measuring apparatus in which the effect of the adhesion onto the heating resistor caused while the engine is off is reduced and the measuring accuracy is improved. The apparatus measures the mass airflow of the air sucked into the internal combustion engine, using the heating resistor 1. The power control circuit 4 maintains the heating resistor 1 temperature equal to or higher than the temperature during the operation of the internal combustion engine after the internal combustion engine has stopped and until the temperature of the internal combustion engine and its apparatuses installed in the suction system has lowered below the generation temperature of volatile gas such as oil vapor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2003
    Publication date: February 26, 2004
    Applicants: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Igarashi, Atsushi Kanke, Rintarou Minamitani, Keiichi Nakada, Izumi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6672153
    Abstract: To offer a mass airflow measuring apparatus in which the effect of the adhesion onto the heating resistor caused while the engine is off is reduced and the measuring accuracy is improved. The apparatus measures the mass airflow of the air sucked into the internal combustion engine, using the heating resistor 1. The power control circuit 4 maintains the heating resistor 1 temperature equal to or higher than the temperature during the operation of the internal combustion engine after the internal combustion engine has stopped and until the temperature of the internal combustion engine and its apparatuses installed in the suction system has lowered below the generation temperature of volatile gas such as oil vapor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Igarashi, Atsushi Kanke, Rintarou Minamitani, Keiichi Nakada, Izumi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20030101807
    Abstract: To offer a mass airflow measuring apparatus in which the effect of the adhesion onto the heating resistor caused while the engine is off is reduced and the measuring accuracy is improved. The apparatus measures the mass airflow of the air sucked into the internal combustion engine, using the heating resistor 1. The power control circuit 4 maintains the heating resistor 1 temperature equal to or higher than the temperature during the operation of the internal combustion engine after the internal combustion engine has stopped and until the temperature of the internal combustion engine and its apparatuses installed in the suction system has lowered below the generation temperature of volatile gas such as oil vapor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Publication date: June 5, 2003
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd. and Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Igarashi, Atsushi Kanke, Rintarou Minamitani, Keiichi Nakada, Izumi Watanabe