Patents by Inventor Shunichi Seki

Shunichi Seki 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: 20230399778
    Abstract: A heat insulating, heat storing, and heat generating material includes first fibers having a function of generating heat through moisture absorption, second fibers having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the first fibers, and a binding material binding together the first fibers, binding together the second fibers, and binding together the first fibers and the second fibers. The binding material contains a thermoplastic resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2023
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Inventors: Satomi YOSHIOKA, Satoru YANAGI, Kazuhiro ICHIKAWA, Satoru HOSONO, Jiro KATO, Tatsushi KATO, Shunichi SEKI
  • Patent number: 11802377
    Abstract: A fibrous body manufacturing method includes: a first supplying step of supplying a first raw material containing a first fiber group; a second supplying step of supplying a second raw material containing a second fiber group and a binder, the second fiber group having a length-average fiber length not less than a length-average fiber length of the first fiber group, the binder being configured to bond fibers together; a forming step of forming a first deposited material by depositing a first mixed material containing the first raw material and the second raw material; and a bonding step of bonding first fibers of the first fiber group and second fibers of the second fiber group that are contained in the first deposited material together using the binder to form a first fibrous body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiko Nakazawa, Shigemi Wakabayashi, Yoshihiro Ueno, Naotaka Higuchi, Hiroki Kurata, Shunichi Seki
  • Publication number: 20230320286
    Abstract: Provided is a mushroom cultivation medium that easily maintains its shape and that is easy to handle. The mushroom cultivation medium includes cellulose fibers, a binder binding the cellulose fibers to each other, and wood chips mixed with the cellulose fibers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventors: Hisashi KOIKE, Shunichi SEKI, Akio ITO, Toshiaki MIKOSHIBA, Satomi YOSHIOKA, Takuya MIYAKAWA
  • Patent number: 11566372
    Abstract: A method for defibrating a fiber body includes: a supply step of supplying a liquid to a fiber body containing fibers; and a defibrating step of defibrating the fiber body to which the liquid is supplied, and in the supply step, the liquid is supplied to the fiber body so that a rate in tensile strength of the fiber body immediately before defibrated in the defibrating step to the fiber body before the liquid is supplied thereto is 60.0% or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuya Aoyama, Shinichi Kato, Shigemi Wakabayashi, Yoshihiro Ueno, Shunichi Seki, Takumi Sago, Hiroki Kurata
  • Publication number: 20220293898
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a carbon fiber sheet includes a mixing section that mixes a plurality of carbon fibers with a binding material that binds the carbon fibers, a depositing section that deposits a mixture of the carbon fibers and the binding material, and a forming section that forms a fiber sheet by heating a deposit deposited by the depositing section. The forming section includes a heating portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Satomi YOSHIOKA, Naotaka HIGUCHI, Shunichi SEKI, Akio ITO
  • Patent number: 11408124
    Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a powder material supply portion that supplies a powder material containing a first particle group consisting of a plurality of first particles, and a second particle group consisting of a plurality of second particles and having an average particle diameter larger than that of the first particle group, to a fiber-containing material containing a fiber during or after defibrating, and a powder material removing portion that removes at least a portion of the powder material from the fiber-containing material supplied with the powder material. It is preferable that the processing apparatus include a defibrating portion that defibrates the fiber-containing material on an upstream side of the powder material supply portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Inventors: Satomi Yoshioka, Shunichi Seki
  • Publication number: 20220056642
    Abstract: A fibrous body manufacturing method includes: a first supplying step of supplying a first raw material containing a first fiber group; a second supplying step of supplying a second raw material containing a second fiber group and a binder, the second fiber group having a length-average fiber length not less than a length-average fiber length of the first fiber group, the binder being configured to bond fibers together; a forming step of forming a first deposited material by depositing a first mixed material containing the first raw material and the second raw material; and a bonding step of bonding first fibers of the first fiber group and second fibers of the second fiber group that are contained in the first deposited material together using the binder to form a first fibrous body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Masahiko NAKAZAWA, Shigemi WAKABAYASHI, Yoshihiro UENO, Naotaka HIGUCHI, Hiroki KURATA, Shunichi SEKI
  • Publication number: 20210361986
    Abstract: A sheet-like filter includes a first fiber that is mainly composed of polylactic acid, and a second fiber that is mainly composed of polylactic acid and has a core portion and a cover layer covering the core portion, in which the cover layer functions as a binder for fusing the first fiber and the second fiber. In addition, when a melting point of the core portion is denoted by Tm1 and a melting point of the cover layer is denoted by Tm2, it may be Tm2<Tm1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: Satomi YOSHIOKA, Naotaka HIGUCHI, Shigeo FUJITA, Shunichi SEKI, Kazuhiro ICHIKAWA, Akio ITO
  • Publication number: 20210363700
    Abstract: A starch composite for binding fibers includes starch particles which are first particles and second particles containing a hydrophobic material having an affinity for the starch particles, which are the first particles. The weight-average size of the second particles is less than the weight-average size of the first particles and the outer surfaces of the first particles are covered by the second particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: Satomi YOSHIOKA, Hideki TANAKA, Toshiaki YAMAGAMI, Shunichi SEKI, Yoshihiro UENO, Kaneo YODA, Nobutaka URANO
  • Publication number: 20210301107
    Abstract: A composite of the present disclosure, which is used as a raw material for dry molding, includes a cellulose fiber, and a starch, in which at least a part of the starch is fused to the cellulose fiber, and a content of the starch is 30.0% by mass or more and 50.0% by mass or less with respect to a total amount of the composite.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Hideki TANAKA, Yoko NAKAI, Shinobu YOKOKAWA, Naotaka HIGUCHI, Shunichi SEKI
  • Publication number: 20210301463
    Abstract: A fiber body manufacturing method includes: a dispersing step of dispersing a mixture containing a defibrated material which includes fibers and a binding agent which exhibits a binding property by moisture absorption, the mixture having a moisture content of 10 to 30 percent by weight; a depositing step of depositing the mixture dispersed in the dispersing step; a humidifying step of imparting moisture by water vapor or mist to the binding agent in a deposit deposited in the depositing step so as to exhibit the binding property; and a forming step of forming the deposit humidified in the humidifying step into a fiber body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Yoko NAKAI, Hideki TANAKA, Shinobu YOKOKAWA, Shunichi SEKI, Naotaka HIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20210301106
    Abstract: A composite of the present disclosure includes a fiber, and starch, in which at least a part of the starch is fused to the fiber, and a weight-average molecular weight of the starch is 40,000 or higher and 400,000 or lower. A method for producing a molded product of the present disclosure includes a molding raw material preparing step of preparing a molding raw material containing a fiber and a starch that has a weight-average molecular weight of 40,000 or higher and 400,000 or lower, a humidifying step of humidifying the molding raw material, and a molding step of molding the molding raw material into a predetermined shape by heating and pressurizing the molding raw material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Shinobu YOKOKAWA, Hideki TANAKA, Yoko NAKAI, Naotaka HIGUCHI, Shunichi SEKI
  • Publication number: 20210301465
    Abstract: A composite of the present disclosure contains a fiber and a thermoplastic starch fused to the fiber. A method for producing a molded product of the present disclosure includes a molding raw material preparing step of preparing a molding raw material containing a fiber and a thermoplastic starch, and a molding step of molding the molding raw material into a predetermined shape by heating and pressurizing the molding raw material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Shinobu YOKOKAWA, Hideki TANAKA, Naotaka HIGUCHI, Shunichi SEKI
  • Publication number: 20210301469
    Abstract: A fiber-formed body producing raw material contains fibers and a binder for binding the fibers, wherein the fiber-formed body producing raw material is nongranular, and 1.0?A/B?9.0, wherein A is a weight of the fibers in the fiber-formed body producing raw material and B is a weight of the binder in the fiber-formed body producing raw material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Shigemi WAKABAYASHI, Masahiko NAKAZAWA, Hiroki KURATA, Naotaka HIGUCHI, Yoshihiro UENO, Shunichi SEKI, Nobutaka URANO, Takehiko UEHARA
  • Publication number: 20210222336
    Abstract: A sheet manufacturing method includes a step of mixing fibers and a composite integrally including a resin and a coagulation inhibitor and a step of bonding the fibers and the composite. The composite is a powder whose volume average particle diameter is 1 ?m or more to 100 ?m or less, and at least a portion of the coagulation inhibitor is arranged in a surface of the composite.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventors: Yoshihiro UENO, Shunichi SEKI
  • Patent number: 11041259
    Abstract: A sheet fabrication apparatus includes: a fiber separation unit that micronizes an ingredient; a first sensor unit that measures a temperature in a first space including the fiber separation unit; a first air conditioning unit that adjusts the temperature in the first space; a fabrication unit that works the fiber separated articles obtained by micronizing the ingredient by the fiber separation unit; a second sensor unit that measures at least either a temperature or a humidity at a mounting position of the fabrication unit; and a control unit that controls the first air conditioning unit on the basis of at least any of measurement results of the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Inventors: Kaneo Yoda, Yoshihiro Ueno, Shunichi Seki, Seiichi Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 11001949
    Abstract: A composite integrally includes a resin and a coagulation inhibitor, and is used to be mixed with fibers. The composite is a powder whose volume average particle diameter is 1 ?m or more to 100 ?m or less, and at least a portion of the coagulation inhibitor is arranged in a surface of the composite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Ueno, Shunichi Seki
  • Patent number: 10953654
    Abstract: An ink absorber includes: an ink absorbing member that is capable of absorbing ink; an accommodation section that accommodates the ink absorbing member; and a detachment structure section that detaches the ink absorbing member from the accommodation section. In the ink absorber, it is preferable that the accommodation section have a bottom section and side wall sections standing up from the bottom section, that inclined surfaces inclined relative to the bottom section be formed inside the side wall sections, and that the detachment structure section be configured with the inclined surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Inventors: Yoichi Miyasaka, Kaneo Yoda, Nobutaka Urano, Seiichi Taniguchi, Akio Ito, Shunichi Seki
  • Patent number: 10828903
    Abstract: An ink absorbing member accommodation container includes: an accommodation container that has an accommodation space for accommodating an ink absorbing member containing water-absorbable resin capable of absorbing ink inside the accommodation container and that includes an inlet port through which the ink flows into the accommodation space; and a flying preventing mechanism that prevents a constituent material of the ink absorbing member from flying from the inlet port to an outside of the accommodation container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kaneo Yoda, Yoichi Miyasaka, Nobutaka Urano, Seiichi Taniguchi, Akio Ito, Shunichi Seki
  • Patent number: 10781554
    Abstract: A processing device, a sheet manufacturing apparatus, a processing method, and a sheet manufacturing method that suppress damage to a substrate when removing color material from the substrate, and are useful for recycling the substrate after color material is removed, are provided. A processing device has a color material removal device including at least one discharge nozzle configured to discharge particles containing cellulose to a substrate holding color material, and remove the color material from the substrate. The color material removal device preferably has a double-walled conduit construction having an internal conduit and an external conduit in which the internal conduit is inserted, at least one of an opening to the internal conduit and an opening to the external conduit functioning as the discharge nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shunichi Seki, Hiroki Kurata, Hiroshi Tanaka, Seiichi Taniguchi, Kaneo Yoda