Patents by Inventor Shimpei Yano

Shimpei Yano 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: 11011760
    Abstract: A fuel cell separator conveying device that ensures reducing dirt adhesion on a sealing surface of a stacked fuel cell separator using a protection sheet and reducing the protection sheet being left adhered when the fuel cell separator is conveyed is provided. The fuel cell separator conveying device that lifts up and conveys the fuel cell separator placed on the protection sheet includes a grasping portion that grasps the fuel cell separator by a suction force, a moving unit that moves the grasping portion in a lift-up direction of the fuel cell separator, and an air blowing portion that applies a downward force in an opposite direction of the lift-up direction of the fuel cell separator to the protection sheet through an opening of the fuel cell separator when the moving unit moves the grasping portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shimpei Yano
  • Publication number: 20190260040
    Abstract: A fuel cell separator conveying device that ensures reducing dirt adhesion on a sealing surface of a stacked fuel cell separator using a protection sheet and reducing the protection sheet being left adhered when the fuel cell separator is conveyed is provided. The fuel cell separator conveying device that lifts up and conveys the fuel cell separator placed on the protection sheet includes a grasping portion that grasps the fuel cell separator by a suction force, a moving unit that moves the grasping portion in a lift-up direction of the fuel cell separator, and an air blowing portion that applies a downward force in an opposite direction of the lift-up direction of the fuel cell separator to the protection sheet through an opening of the fuel cell separator when the moving unit moves the grasping portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shimpei YANO
  • Patent number: 9673442
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a membrane electrode assembly in which an electrode catalyst layer is formed on a surface of an electrolyte membrane. This method includes: a drying of drying a substrate sheet to which a catalyst ink is applied, the catalyst ink containing catalyst support particles on which a catalytic metal is supported, a solvent, and an ionomer; and a heat treatment of performing a heat treatment on the substrate sheet, on which the catalyst ink is dried, after the drying at a heat treatment temperature which is equal to or higher than a glass transition temperature of the ionomer to prepare the electrode catalyst layer. The heat treatment is performed after a concentration of a solvent gas obtained by gasification of the solvent, which remains in a chamber of a heating device for performing the heat treatment, is a predetermined concentration threshold or lower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shimpei Yano
  • Publication number: 20160164068
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a membrane electrode assembly in which an electrode catalyst layer is formed on a surface of an electrolyte membrane. This method includes: a drying of drying a substrate sheet to which a catalyst ink is applied, the catalyst ink containing catalyst support particles on which a catalytic metal is supported, a solvent, and an ionomer; and a heat treatment of performing a heat treatment on the substrate sheet, on which the catalyst ink is dried, after the drying at a heat treatment temperature which is equal to or higher than a glass transition temperature of the ionomer to prepare the electrode catalyst layer. The heat treatment is performed after a concentration of a solvent gas obtained by gasification of the solvent, which remains in a chamber of a heating device for performing the heat treatment, is a predetermined concentration threshold or lower.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shimpei Yano