Patents by Inventor Saori Okada

Saori Okada 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: 9843051
    Abstract: Catalyst particles includes a catalyst material and carbon particles supporting the catalyst material. The catalyst particles has a water content of 4.8 mass % or more and 20 mass % or less. A manufacturing method of catalyst particles includes exposing catalyst particles, which are carbon particles supporting a catalyst material, to a humidified atmosphere, prior to dispersing the carbon particles and a polymer electrolyte in a solvent for a catalyst ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: TOPPAN PRINTING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Saori Okada
  • Patent number: 9570759
    Abstract: The present invention provides a manufacturing method of an electrode catalyst layer which contains a catalyst, carbon particles and a polymer electrolyte, wherein an oxide type of non-platinum catalyst is used as the catalyst and a fuel cell employing the electrode catalyst layer achieves a high level of power generation performance. The manufacturing method of the electrode catalyst layer of the present invention includes at least: preparing a first catalyst ink, in which a catalyst, first carbon particles and a first polymer electrolyte are dispersed in a first solvent, drying the first catalyst ink to form complex particles, preparing a second catalyst ink, in which the complex particles, second carbon particles and a second polymer electrolyte are dispersed in a second solvent, and coating the second catalyst ink on a substrate to form the electrode catalyst layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Haruna Kurata, Hiroyuki Morioka, Saori Okada, Kenichiro Oota
  • Patent number: 9160008
    Abstract: According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the use ratio of active sites in a catalyst having oxygen reduction activity so as to provide a cathode catalyst layer and MEA for a fuel cell with high a level of power generation performance. The present invention includes a process of introducing a functional group into a surface of the catalyst 13 which has oxygen reduction activity and a process of blending the catalyst 13 with the functional group on the surface together with an electron conductive material and a proton conductive polymer electrolyte to prepare a catalyst ink for forming the cathode catalyst layer for the fuel cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: TOPPAN PRINTING CO., LTD
    Inventors: Saori Okada, Haruna Kurata, Hiroyuki Morioka, Kenichiro Oota
  • Publication number: 20140220474
    Abstract: Catalyst particles includes a catalyst material and carbon particles supporting the catalyst material. The catalyst particles has a water content of 4.8 mass % or more and 20 mass % or less. A manufacturing method of catalyst particles includes exposing catalyst particles, which are carbon particles supporting a catalyst material, to a humidified atmosphere, prior to dispersing the carbon particles and a polymer electrolyte in a solvent for a catalyst ink.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: TOPPAN PRINTING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Saori Okada
  • Patent number: 8614028
    Abstract: [Problem] To provide a membrane and electrode assembly comprising a catalyst layer that improves water holding properties and exhibits high power generation characteristics even in low humidified conditions without inhibiting removal of the water generated by the electrode reaction, etc. and its manufacturing method. [Solution] The membrane and electrode assembly produced by sandwiching a polymer electrolyte membrane between a pair of catalyst layers is provided, in which the catalyst layer comprises a polymer electrolyte and particles carrying a catalyst material, and in which the proportion of the polymer electrolyte expressed by {(mass of polymer electrolyte)/(mass of particles in particles carrying catalyst material)} in the catalyst layer is decreased toward the polymer electrolyte membrane (the inside) from the surface of the catalyst layer (the outside).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Morioka, Yasuhiro Haba, Saori Okada, Keiichi Iio
  • Patent number: 8354137
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an electrode catalyst layer for a fuel cell which includes a polymer electrolyte, a catalyst material and carbon particles, wherein the electrode catalyst layer employs a non-precious metal catalyst and has a high level of power generation performance. The electrode catalyst layer is used as a pair of electrode catalyst layers in a fuel cell in which a polymer electrolyte membrane is interposed between the pair of the electrode catalyst layers which are further interposed between a pair of gas diffusion layers. The method of the present invention has such a feature that the catalyst material or the carbon particles are preliminarily embedded in the polymer electrolyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Morioka, Haruna Kurata, Saori Okada, Kenichiro Oota
  • Publication number: 20130011764
    Abstract: According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the use ratio of active sites in a catalyst having oxygen reduction activity so as to provide a cathode catalyst layer and MEA for a fuel cell with high a level of power generation performance. The present invention includes a process of introducing a functional group into a surface of the catalyst 13 which has oxygen reduction activity and a process of blending the catalyst 13 with the functional group on the surface together with an electron conductive material and a proton conductive polymer electrolyte to prepare a catalyst ink for forming the cathode catalyst layer for the fuel cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Saori Okada, Haruna Kurata, Hiroyuki Morioka, Kenichiro Oota
  • Publication number: 20120189941
    Abstract: The present invention provides a manufacturing method of an electrode catalyst layer which contains a catalyst, carbon particles and a polymer electrolyte, wherein an oxide type of non-platinum catalyst is used as the catalyst and a fuel cell employing the electrode catalyst layer achieves a high level of power generation performance. The manufacturing method of the electrode catalyst layer of the present invention includes at least: preparing a first catalyst ink, in which a catalyst, first carbon particles and a first polymer electrolyte are dispersed in a first solvent, drying the first catalyst ink to form complex particles, preparing a second catalyst ink, in which the complex particles, second carbon particles and a second polymer electrolyte are dispersed in a second solvent, and coating the second catalyst ink on a substrate to form the electrode catalyst layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Inventors: Haruna KURATA, Hiroyuki MORIOKA, Saori OKADA, Kenichiro OOTA
  • Publication number: 20120183879
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel cell and a membrane electrode assembly thereof employing an electrode catalyst layer which contains an oxide type of non-platinum catalyst as the catalyst and enables the fuel cell to achieve a high level of power generation performance. One aspect of the present invention is the electrode catalyst layer containing a polymer electrolyte, a catalyst and an electron conductive material, wherein a content ratio by weight of the catalyst is in the range of 0.1-3.0 with respect to 1.0 of the electron conductive material and a content ratio by weight of the polymer electrolyte is in the range of 0.5-3.0 with respect to 1.0 of the electron conductive material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Inventors: Saori OKADA, Haruna KURATA, Hiroyuki MORIOKA, Kenichiro OOTA
  • Publication number: 20120183878
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electrode catalyst layer and a manufacturing method thereof, wherein the electrode catalyst layer contains an oxide type of non-platinum catalyst as the catalyst and enables a fuel cell employing the electrode catalyst layer to achieve a high level of power generation performance, as well as an MEA and the fuel cell which employ the electrode catalyst layer. The manufacturing method of the electrode catalyst layer of the present invention includes preparing a “catalyst provided with electrical conductivity on the surface”. In addition, the manufacturing method may further include preparing a catalyst ink, in which the “catalyst provided with electrical conductivity on the surface”, carbon particles and a polymer electrolyte are dispersed in a solvent, and coating the catalyst ink to form the electrode catalyst layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Inventors: Saori Okada, Haruna Kurata, Hiroyuki Morioka, Kenichiro Oota
  • Publication number: 20120035566
    Abstract: An absorbent article includes a pair of grooves in which each of the grooves has a central region in the longitudinal direction has a first section which is formed so as to be curved in a convex manner at an inside of a widthwise direction of the absorption layer; a second section and a third section which is linked with each end of the first section and is formed so as to be curved in a convex manner at an outside of the widthwise direction. A radius of curvature of the first section is smaller than the radius of curvature of either the second section or the third section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Applicant: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Minako Sagisaka, Saori Okada, Kazuya Nishitani, Toshihisa Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20110318482
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an electrode catalyst layer for a fuel cell which includes a polymer electrolyte, a catalyst material and carbon particles, wherein the electrode catalyst layer employs a non-precious metal catalyst and has a high level of power generation performance. The electrode catalyst layer is used as a pair of electrode catalyst layers in a fuel cell in which a polymer electrolyte membrane is interposed between the pair of the electrode catalyst layers which are further interposed between a pair of gas diffusion layers. The method of the present invention has such a feature that the catalyst material or the carbon particles are preliminarily embedded in the polymer electrolyte.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Morioka, Haruna Kurata, Saori Okada, Kenichiro Oota
  • Patent number: 7947411
    Abstract: To provide a membrane and electrode assembly comprising a catalyst layer that improves water holding properties and exhibits high power generation characteristics even in low humidified conditions without inhibiting the diffusibility of reaction gas, the removal of the water generated by the electrode reaction, and its manufacturing method. There is provided a membrane and electrode assembly produced by sandwiching a polymer electrolyte membrane between a pair of catalyst layers, in which the catalyst layer comprises a polymer electrolyte and particles carrying a catalyst material, and in which the volume of fine pores having a diameter of 1.0 ?m or smaller is increased toward the polymer electrolyte membrane from the surface of the catalyst layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Morioka, Yasuhiro Haba, Saori Okada, Keiichi Iio
  • Publication number: 20100312209
    Abstract: The present invention aims to provide an absorbent article adapted to maintain a desired flexibility of the topsheet and to prevent the article from becoming glossy. A sanitary napkin 1 comprises a topsheet 2 defining an inner side facing the wearer's skin, an outer side facing the wearer's garment, a liquid-absorbent structure 4 interposed between these top- and backsheets 2, 3, and a cushion sheet 5 interposed between the liquid-absorbent structure 4 and the topsheet 2. The topsheet 2 is formed with a plurality of pores 6 assuring liquid-pervious property thereof. The pores 6 are distributed over an entire area of the topsheet 2 and extending through the topsheet 2 in its thickness direction. The topsheet 2 is debossed to form a plurality of concavities 13 directed toward the side of the cushion sheet 5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Applicant: UNI-CHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Kashiwagi, Saori Okada
  • Publication number: 20100261089
    Abstract: [Problem] To provide a membrane and electrode assembly comprising a catalyst layer that improves water holding properties and exhibits high power generation characteristics even in low humidified conditions without inhibiting removal of the water generated by the electrode reaction, etc. and its manufacturing method. [Solution] The membrane and electrode assembly produced by sandwiching a polymer electrolyte membrane between a pair of catalyst layers is provided, in which the catalyst layer comprises a polymer electrolyte and particles carrying a catalyst material, and in which the proportion of the polymer electrolyte expressed by {(mass of polymer electrolyte)/(mass of particles in particles carrying catalyst material)} in the catalyst layer is decreased toward the polymer electrolyte membrane (the inside) from the surface of the catalyst layer (the outside).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Morioka, Yasuhiro Haba, Saori Okada, Keiichi Iio