Patents by Inventor Sadato Imai

Sadato Imai 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: 10825963
    Abstract: Provided is a light-emitting device and a method for manufacturing the same which avoid a distinct color unevenness during the light emission even if variations are present among the light-emitting elements in the concentration of the phosphor that precipitates in the resin for sealing the light-emitting elements. The light-emitting device includes a substrate, a plurality of light-emitting elements that are mounted on the substrate, a first resin layer that integrally seals the light-emitting elements and includes a first phosphor that is excited by light from the light-emitting elements at a concentration that is high as it goes to a lower end near the substrate from an upper end distant from the substrate, and a second resin layer that is provided at an upper side of the first resin layer and includes a second phosphor that is excited by light from the light-emitting elements at a uniform concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignees: CITIZEN ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sadato Imai, Tatsuya Katoh, Masahiro Watanabe, Kazuki Matsumura
  • Patent number: 10801710
    Abstract: An LED lighting device capable of discharging heat generated from a light emitting element to the outside the LED lighting device. An LED lighting device includes: a plurality of light emitting elements; a mounted substrate on which the light emitting elements are mounted; and an electrode portion configured to supply a current to the light emitting elements from outside the LED lighting device. On the mounted substrate, a wiring substrate is located. On the upper surface of the mounted substrate, the mounted substrate includes: a light emitting region in which the plurality of light emitting elements are mounted; an exposed region which is located on the outer side of the light emitting region and through which the upper surface of the mounted substrate is exposed; and a wiring region which is located on the outer side of the light emitting region and in which the wiring substrate is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignees: CITIZEN ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Iino, Sadato Imai
  • Publication number: 20200243733
    Abstract: It is made possible to use a lens array including common lenses as a lens array that collects beams of light from light-emitting units, regardless of the number of light-emitting elements included in each light-emitting unit, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of a light-emitting device. The light-emitting device includes a substrate, light-emitting units arranged on the substrate, and a lens array including lenses provided corresponding to the light-emitting units, respectively, to collect beams of emission light from the respective light-emitting units, the lens array being arranged on the light-emitting units. Each of the light-emitting units has light-emitting elements that are mounted on the substrate in a lattice pattern and are series-parallel connected to one another in a mount region whose shape is common in the light-emitting units so as to include a predetermined number of series connections and a predetermined number of parallel connections which are set for the light-emitting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Applicants: CITIZEN ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sadato Imai, Kohsuke Kashitani, Teruhiko Hodohara
  • Patent number: 10714460
    Abstract: A light-emitting device and a manufacturing method thereof are provided, which device yields light exhibiting an actual hue with a deviation reduced as much as possible from a designed hue value, the light being a mixture of light emitted from a plurality of light-emitting elements mounted densely and excited light from a phosphor contained in a resin sealing the light-emitting elements. The light-emitting device includes a board, a plurality of light-emitting elements mounted densely on the board, a first resin free from any phosphor, placed among the plurality of light-emitting elements, and a second resin containing a phosphor and covering an exposed part of the plurality of light-emitting elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignees: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd., Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sadato Imai, Masahide Watanabe, Hirohiko Ishii, Koki Hirasawa
  • Patent number: 10629786
    Abstract: A light-emitting device and a manufacturing method thereof are provided, which device yields light exhibiting an actual hue with a deviation reduced as much as possible from a designed hue value, wherein the light is a mixture of light emitted from densely-mounted light-emitting elements and excited light from a phosphor contained in a resin sealing the light-emitting elements. The light-emitting device includes a board, light-emitting elements mounted densely on the board so that light-emitting surfaces thereof face opposite to the board, and a seal resin containing a plurality of different phosphors and covering all of the light-emitting elements, wherein the phosphors are excited by light from the light-emitting elements and deposited on upper surfaces of the light-emitting elements. A space between adjacent light-emitting elements has a length of 5 ?m or more and 120% or less of a median diameter D50 of a phosphor which has the largest average particle size of the phosphors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignees: CITIZEN ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sadato Imai, Masahide Watanabe, Hirohiko Ishii, Koki Hirasawa
  • Patent number: 10559722
    Abstract: Provided is a light-emitting device of which a resin frame serving as a dam of a sealing resin is not readily deformed. The light-emitting device includes: a planar lead frame configured from first and second metal portions which are spaced apart from each other with an insulating resin interposed therebetween; light-emitting elements mounted on the first metal portion and electrically connected by wires to the first and second metal portions; a first resin frame disposed on the lead frame so as to enclose the light-emitting elements; a sealing resin containing a phosphor for converting the wavelength of light emitted from the light-emitting elements, the sealing resin being filled into a region on the lead frame enclosed by the first resin frame to seal the light-emitting elements; and a second resin frame being harder than the first resin frame and covering an outer surface of the first resin frame at an outer edge of the lead frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignees: CITIZEN ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Omori, Sadato Imai, Koki Hirasawa
  • Publication number: 20190371979
    Abstract: Provided is a light-emitting device and a method for manufacturing the same which avoid a distinct color unevenness during the light emission even if variations are present among the light-emitting elements in the concentration of the phosphor that precipitates in the resin for sealing the light-emitting elements. The light-emitting device includes a substrate, a plurality of light-emitting elements that are mounted on the substrate, a first resin layer that integrally seals the light-emitting elements and includes a first phosphor that is excited by light from the light-emitting elements at a concentration that is high as it goes to a lower end near the substrate from an upper end distant from the substrate, and a second resin layer that is provided at an upper side of the first resin layer and includes a second phosphor that is excited by light from the light-emitting elements at a uniform concentration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: Sadato IMAI, Tatsuya KATOH, Masahiro WATANABE, Kazuki MATSUMURA
  • Patent number: 10431721
    Abstract: Provided is a light-emitting device and a method for manufacturing the same which avoid a distinct color unevenness during the light emission even if variations are present among the light-emitting elements in the concentration of the phosphor that precipitates in the resin for sealing the light-emitting elements. The light-emitting device includes a substrate, a plurality of light-emitting elements that are mounted on the substrate, a first resin layer that integrally seals the light-emitting elements and includes a first phosphor that is excited by light from the light-emitting elements at a concentration that is high as it goes to a lower end near the substrate from an upper end distant from the substrate, and a second resin layer that is provided at an upper side of the first resin layer and includes a second phosphor that is excited by light from the light-emitting elements at a uniform concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignees: CITIZEN ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sadato Imai, Tatsuya Katoh, Masahiro Watanabe, Kazuki Matsumura
  • Publication number: 20190162398
    Abstract: An LED lighting device capable of discharging heat generated from a light emitting element to the outside the LED lighting device. An LED lighting device includes: a plurality of light emitting elements; a mounted substrate on which the light emitting elements are mounted; and an electrode portion configured to supply a current to the light emitting elements from outside the LED lighting device. On the mounted substrate, a wiring substrate is located. On the upper surface of the mounted substrate, the mounted substrate includes: a light emitting region in which the plurality of light emitting elements are mounted; an exposed region which is located on the outer side of the light emitting region and through which the upper surface of the mounted substrate is exposed; and a wiring region which is located on the outer side of the light emitting region and in which the wiring substrate is located.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: Takashi IINO, Sadato IMAI
  • Publication number: 20190140144
    Abstract: Provided is a light-emitting device of which a resin frame serving as a dam of a sealing resin is not readily deformed. The light-emitting device includes: a planar lead frame configured from first and second metal portions which are spaced apart from each other with an insulating resin interposed therebetween; light-emitting elements mounted on the first metal portion and electrically connected by wires to the first and second metal portions; a first resin frame disposed on the lead frame so as to enclose the light-emitting elements; a sealing resin containing a phosphor for converting the wavelength of light emitted from the light-emitting elements, the sealing resin being filled into a region on the lead frame enclosed by the first resin frame to seal the light-emitting elements; and a second resin frame being harder than the first resin frame and covering an outer surface of the first resin frame at an outer edge of the lead frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventors: Yuji OMORI, Sadato IMAI, Koki HIRASAWA
  • Patent number: 10158056
    Abstract: An LED package used in a light-emitting device is provided with a function of position correction in mounting by self-alignment, and mounting density of such LED packages is increased. The LED package includes an LED element including an element electrode on a bottom surface, a phosphor layer containing a phosphor and covering a top surface and a side surface of the LED element, and an auxiliary electrode having an upper face bonded to a lower face of the element electrode, wherein the auxiliary electrode is larger than the element electrode, the auxiliary electrode includes a step that makes a lower face smaller than the upper face, and an end portion of the auxiliary electrode on a side where the step is formed is located inside an outer peripheral side of the phosphor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignees: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd., Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sadato Imai, Masahide Watanabe, Hirohiko Ishii, Koki Hirasawa, Yuji Omori
  • Patent number: 10084122
    Abstract: A light-emitting apparatus is provided which can improve the reflectance of light in the emission wavelength region of the LED. The light-emitting apparatus includes a mount board constituted by a metal support, a circuit board provided with an opening and fixed onto the mount board, a multi-layered film containing silver as a light-reflecting material, the multi-layered film being stacked on the mount board exposed in the opening, exclusive of a portion of the mount board onto which the circuit board is fixed, and an LED element mounted on the multi-layered film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignees: CITIZEN ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Katoh, Sadato Imai
  • Publication number: 20180204986
    Abstract: Provided is a light-emitting device and a method for manufacturing the same which avoid a distinct color unevenness during the light emission even if variations are present among the light-emitting elements in the concentration of the phosphor that precipitates in the resin for sealing the light-emitting elements. The light-emitting device includes a substrate, a plurality of light-emitting elements that are mounted on the substrate, a first resin layer that integrally seals the light-emitting elements and includes a first phosphor that is excited by light from the light-emitting elements at a concentration that is high as it goes to a lower end near the substrate from an upper end distant from the substrate, and a second resin layer that is provided at an upper side of the first resin layer and includes a second phosphor that is excited by light from the light-emitting elements at a uniform concentration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventors: Sadato IMAI, Tatsuya KATOH, Masahiro WATANABE, Kazuki MATSUMURA
  • Publication number: 20180158998
    Abstract: A light-emitting device and a manufacturing method thereof are provided, which device yields light exhibiting an actual hue with a deviation reduced as much as possible from a designed hue value, wherein the light is a mixture of light emitted from densely-mounted light-emitting elements and excited light from a phosphor contained in a resin sealing the light-emitting elements. The light-emitting device includes a board, light-emitting elements mounted densely on the board so that light-emitting surfaces thereof face opposite to the board, and a seal resin containing a plurality of different phosphors and covering all of the light-emitting elements, wherein the phosphors are excited by light from the light-emitting elements and deposited on upper surfaces of the light-emitting elements. A space between adjacent light-emitting elements has a length of 5 ?m or more and 120% or less of a median diameter D50 of a phosphor which has the largest average particle size of the phosphors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2016
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Applicants: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd., Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sadato IMAI, Masahide WATANABE, Hirohiko ISHII, Koki HIRASAWA
  • Publication number: 20180138160
    Abstract: A light-emitting device and a manufacturing method thereof are provided, which device yields light exhibiting an actual hue with a deviation reduced as much as possible from a designed hue value, the light being a mixture of light emitted from a plurality of light-emitting elements mounted densely and excited light from a phosphor contained in a resin sealing the light-emitting elements. The light-emitting device includes a board, a plurality of light-emitting elements mounted densely on the board, a first resin free from any phosphor, placed among the plurality of light-emitting elements, and a second resin containing a phosphor and covering an exposed part of the plurality of light-emitting elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Applicants: CITIZEN ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sadato Imai, Masahide Watanabe, Hirohiko Ishii, Koki Hirasawa
  • Publication number: 20180123008
    Abstract: An LED package used in a light-emitting device is provided with a function of position correction in mounting by self-alignment, and mounting density of such LED packages is increased. The LED package includes an LED element including an element electrode on a bottom surface, a phosphor layer containing a phosphor and covering a top surface and a side surface of the LED element, and an auxiliary electrode having an upper face bonded to a lower face of the element electrode, wherein the auxiliary electrode is larger than the element electrode, the auxiliary electrode includes a step that makes a lower face smaller than the upper face, and an end portion of the auxiliary electrode on a side where the step is formed is located inside an outer peripheral side of the phosphor layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Applicants: CITIZEN ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sadato Imai, Masahide Watanabe, Hirohiko Ishii, Koki Hirasawa, Yuji Omori
  • Patent number: 9954148
    Abstract: A light-emitting apparatus that improves the use efficiency of emission light from light-emitting elements by an optical element for light collection and improves the light-emitting intensity in front of the apparatus without increasing the size of the apparatus, and its manufacturing method are provided. The light-emitting apparatus includes light-emitting elements, a substrate on which the light-emitting elements are mounted in a mounted region and a pair of electrodes for supplying power to the light-emitting elements is arranged around the mounted region, a sealing resin that contains a phosphor excited by emission light from the light-emitting elements and seals the light-emitting elements on the mounted region, and an optical element that is placed to cover the sealing resin with a lower end in contact with a flat region between the pair of electrodes and the sealing resin on the substrate and collects light emitted from the light-emitting elements through the sealing resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignees: CITIZEN ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Eguchi, Sadato Imai
  • Patent number: 9859482
    Abstract: To provide an LED lighting apparatus and a method for manufacturing the same that can improve the bonding strength between an aluminum substrate and a printed wiring substrate. An LED lighting apparatus and a method for manufacturing the same, the LED lighting apparatus includes an aluminum substrate, a plurality of reflectivity-enhanced layers formed on the aluminum substrate, an LED device bonded on said plurality of reflectivity-enhanced layers, a printed wiring substrate bonded onto a region on the aluminum substrate other than a region where the plurality of reflectivity-enhanced layers are formed, a wire for connecting between the printed wiring substrate and the LED device, a frame member formed so as to surround said LED device, and a phosphor resin deposited over a region inside the frame member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignees: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd., Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Katoh, Sadato Imai
  • Patent number: RE47530
    Abstract: An LED apparatus includes a base having thermal conductivity, an insulative substrate provided on one surface of the base and including electrodes provided on a surface of the substrate, at least one base-mounting area that is an exposed part of the base, exposed within a pass-through hole provided in the substrate, a plurality of LED elements mounted on the base in the base-mounting area and some of the LED elements in a unit electrically connected to the electrodes in series, a plurality of the units are electrically connected in parallel, and a frame disposed to surround the base-mounting area and configured to form a light-emitting area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignees: CITIZEN ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Norikazu Kadotani, Koichi Fukasawa, Sadato Imai
  • Patent number: D868299
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignees: CITIZEN ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Teruhiko Hodohara, Sadato Imai