Patents by Inventor Shunichi Hashimoto

Shunichi Hashimoto 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: 20080259258
    Abstract: A superior reflex type vertically-aligned liquid crystal display device wherein the refractive index anisotropy ?n of its liquid crystal material is controlled to be more than 0.1, and the transmissivity of the liquid crystal is saturated with facility at a low voltage below 5 to 6V despite a reduction of the thickness of the vertically-aligned liquid crystal layer to less than 2 ?m, hence achieving satisfactory driving at a practically low voltage while attaining another advantage of remarkable improvement in the transmissivity itself. Therefore, the display device indicates a sufficient transmissivity, an excellent low-voltage driving characteristic and a fast response. Further improvements are realizable in a display apparatus, a projection optical system and a projection display system by the use of such display device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunichi Hashimoto, Tadaaki Isozaki, Minako Sugiura
  • Patent number: 7440059
    Abstract: Provided are a reflective liquid crystal display device and a liquid crystal display unit capable of eliminating or minimizing the occurrence of misalignment specific to a vertically aligned liquid crystal due to the structure of a pixel groove and achieving higher contrast and superior image quality. In a reflective pixel electrode (42), a peripheral portion is inclined, and the reflective pixel electrode has a trapezoidal shape so that the width of the reflective pixel electrode (42) increases from the top side to the bottom side. When a side surface of the reflective pixel electrode (42) is inclined so as to eliminate verticality in a cross section of the reflective pixel electrode (42), liquid crystal molecules aligned in a horizontal direction to an extreme in a pixel groove portion can be eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Shunichi Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20080226311
    Abstract: A novel development device includes a developer roller, a developer reservoir, a rotatable conveyor, and a replenisher unit. The developer roller is configured to supply toner particles to the electrostatic latent image. The developer reservoir is configured to hold the developer therewithin for application to the developer roller. The rotatable conveyor is configured to rotate within the developer reservoir to convey the developer toward the developer roller. The replenisher unit has a tubular member terminating at a port opening in the developer reservoir. The replenisher unit is configured to direct a particulate material through the tubular member into the developer reservoir via the port. The particulate material is toner particles, carrier particles, or a mixture of toner particles and a given amount of carrier particles. The port is submerged in the developer within the developer reservoir as the rotatable conveyor rotates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2008
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Inventors: Tetsuya Senoh, Eisaku Murakami, Masahiko Satoh, Masanori Kawasumi, Hideki Zemba, Takeshi Uchitani, Kenichi Taguma, Shunichi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 7362388
    Abstract: A reflection type liquid crystal projector is provided which includes liquid crystal display panels (5R, 5G and 5B) to modulate color rays of light (R, G and B) corresponding to three primary colors (red, green and blue), respectively, on the basis of video data and a synthesizing prism (6) to synthesize the color rays of light (R, G and B) modulated by the liquid crystal display panels (5R, 5G and 5B) into one image. The liquid crystal display panel (5G) which provides an image inverted in relation to those provided by the liquid crystal display panels (5R and 5B) is aligned in a direction (X2) different from those (X1) in which the liquid crystal display panels (5R and 5B) are aligned, so that the alignment directions (X1 and X2) of the liquid crystal display panels (5R, 5G and 5B) will be coincident with each other in an image displayed on a screen (S).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Shunichi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 7336289
    Abstract: A projection type display apparatus that projects video onto a screen includes a liquid crystal panel using polymer-dispersed liquid crystal that disperses light when a voltage is applied and that transmits light when a voltage is not applied, being attached to an apparatus body 2 as a screen 1; and the video output from the apparatus body 2 is projected onto the screen 1 from the front side. Accordingly, there is provided the projection type display apparatus suitable for use in small space such as at home, in which a place for setting the apparatus is flexibly selected and the feeling of oppression is mitigated when the apparatus is not used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Hidenori Ishikawa, Yoshiaki Kumagai, Akihiko Tsurishima, Shunichi Hashimoto, Akira Masutani
  • Patent number: 7330230
    Abstract: A superior reflex type vertically-aligned liquid crystal display device wherein the refractive index anisotropy ?n of its liquid crystal material is controlled to be more than 0.1, and the transmissivity of the liquid crystal is saturated with facility at a low voltage below 5 to 6V despite a reduction of the thickness of the vertically-aligned liquid crystal layer to less than 2 ?m, hence achieving satisfactory driving at a practically low voltage while attaining another advantage of remarkable improvement in the transmissivity itself. Therefore, the display device indicates a sufficient transmissivity, an excellent low-voltage driving characteristic and a fast response. Further improvements are realizable in a display apparatus, a projection optical system and a projection display system by the use of such display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shunichi Hashimoto, Tadaaki Isozaki, Minako Sugiura
  • Publication number: 20080008499
    Abstract: A charging member, which can be provided in a process cartridge and/or in an image forming apparatus, includes a conductive supporting member, an electrical resistance control layer formed on an outer circumferential surface of the conductive supporting member, and a nonconductive gap retaining member configured to retain a gap between the conductive supporting member and an image carrying member closely disposed to each other to have a constant distance. At least a portion of the nonconductive gap retaining member is mounted on the electrical resistance control layer at both ends of the conductive supporting member, and a circumference of the nonconductive gap retaining member projects from the electrical resistance control layer. An amount of projection of the gap retaining member from the electrical resistance control layer decreases as the gap retaining member tapers in a direction toward a center of an image formation region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Inventors: Masahiko Satoh, Masanori Kawasumi, Yoshiyuki Kimura, Eisaku Murakami, Hideki Zemba, Takeshi Uchitani, Shin Kayahara, Shunichi Hashimoto, Eiji Shimojo
  • Publication number: 20070286628
    Abstract: A transfer device is provided for an image forming apparatus designed such that toner images formed on a plurality of image bearing members are transferred one over another on a transfer body disposed in contact with each of the image bearing members with predetermined pressure and thus a toner image in two or more colors is formed on the transfer body. The transfer device includes a pressure varying mechanism which is capable of separating the transfer body from at least some of the image bearing members, and capable of varying transfer pressure between the image bearing members and the transfer body in contact with said image bearing members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Publication date: December 13, 2007
    Inventors: Shin KAYAHARA, Yoshiyuki Kimura, Eisaku Murakami, Masahiko Satoh, Masanori Kawasumi, Hideki Zemba, Takeshi Uchitani, Eiji Shimojo, Shunichi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 7286785
    Abstract: A tandem image forming unit is provided with an adhering substance removal mode for performing a cleaning operation of a photoreceptor and an intermediate transfer body at the time other than the time of image formation. In the adhering substance removal mode, a photoreceptor cleaning unit removes excess toner from the photoreceptor. An intermediate transfer body cleaning unit removes excess toner from the intermediate transfer body. Therefore, the adhering substance removal mode can be performed simultaneously with respect to the photoreceptor and the intermediate transfer body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunichi Hashimoto, Shin Kayahara
  • Publication number: 20070125981
    Abstract: The invention refers to a composition comprising a liquid crystal material and an additive, preferably a dopant capable of forming a complex with said LC material, to a liquid crystal cell comprising this composition, uses thereof and to a method of improving the response time of a liquid crystal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2004
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Applicants: Sony Deutchland GmbH, Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony Roberts, Akira Masutani, Akio Yasuda, Bettina Schueller, Shunichi Hashimoto, Eriko Matsui
  • Patent number: 7227604
    Abstract: In a reflective liquid crystal display device according to the invention, burn-in in a long-term drive which occurs due to asymmetric structures of side surfaces of an inter-pixel groove can be prevented, and long-term drive reliability can be achieved. A first obliquely evaporated alignment film is formed on a first side surface of the inter-pixel groove in a sectional surface of a pixel electrode substrate in a thickness direction through evaporation, and a second obliquely evaporated alignment film is formed on a second side surface facing the first side surface through evaporation. Thereby, the film structures of both side surfaces of the inter-pixel groove in the sectional surface become symmetric, so burn-in in a long-term drive which occurs due to the asymmetric structures of the side surfaces of the inter-pixel groove can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Shunichi Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20070065178
    Abstract: A conductive member forming a charging roller having high durability which maintains a stable gap with respect to an abutting member, comprising a long conductive supporting body, an electrical resistance adjusting layer, and gap maintaining members, wherein, taking X2 to be the thickness of the portions of the gap maintaining members which oppose the end faces of the electrical resistance adjusting layer, the relationship 1 mm?X2?3 mm is satisfied, taking X3 to be the interval between the end faces of the electrical resistance adjusting layer and the gap maintaining members which oppose these end faces, the relationship 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Inventors: Eiji Shimojo, Masanori Kawasumi, Yoshiyuki Kimura, Masahiko Satoh, Takeshi Uchitani, Hideki Zemba, Yutaka Narita, Shunichi Hashimoto, Eisaku Murakami, Shin Kayahara
  • Patent number: 7193671
    Abstract: In a reflective liquid crystal display device according to the invention, while maintaining alignment characteristics by an obliquely evaporated alignment film, an electrical problem due to the film structure can be solved, and ions of the like can be prevented from passing through an alignment film, thereby long-term drive reliability can be achieved. Further, misalignment and nonuniform alignment due to the structure of an inter-pixel groove can be prevented so as to achieve superior image quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shunichi Hashimoto, Tadaaki Isozaki
  • Publication number: 20070023113
    Abstract: Disclosed is a dual-phase steel sheet having low yield ratio, excellent in the balance for strength-elongation and for strength-stretch flange formability, and also excellent in bake hardening property containing (on the mass % basis). C: 0.01-0.20%, Si: 0.5% or less, Mn: 0.5-3%, sol.Al: 0.06% or less (inclusive 0%), P: 0.15% or less (exclusive 0%), and S: 0.02% or less (inclusive 0?), and in which the matrix phase contains tempered martensite; tempered martensite and ferrite; tempered bainite; or tempered bainite and ferrite, and the second phase comprises 1 to 30% of martensite at an area ratio based on the entire structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2006
    Publication date: February 1, 2007
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd)
    Inventors: Shushi Ikeda, Hiroshi Akamizu, Shunichi Hashimoto, Takahiro Kashima, Tatsuya Asai
  • Publication number: 20070008474
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display which can secure long-time reliability of the display performance by stabilizing alignment characteristics of vertically aligned liquid crystal for a long time provided. The liquid crystal display device includes a semiconductor driver substrate and a transparent electrode substrate which are arranged appositely to each other; alignment films covering surfaces of the semiconductor driver substrate and the transparent electrode substrate, the surfaces facing each other, the alignment films containing silicon oxide and one or more moisture trap elements for trapping moisture; and vertically aligned liquid crystal enclosed between the semiconductor driver substrate and the transparent electrode substrate with the alignment film in between.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Inventor: Shunichi Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20060251438
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus of controlling a charge voltage including the steps of applying, charging, detecting, and determining. The applying step applies an application voltage having a direct-current voltage and an alternating-current voltage superimposed onto the direct-current voltage to a charge-applying member to charge a charge carrier. The changing step charges the alternating-current voltage of the application voltage. The detecting step detects an alternating current flowing through the charge carrier when the charge-applying member applies the application voltage to the charge carrier. The determining step determines a value of the alternating-current voltage of the application voltage based on at least two alternating currents detected by the alternating-current detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2006
    Publication date: November 9, 2006
    Inventors: Takeshi Uchitani, Eisaku Murakami, Yoshiyuki Kimura, Masahiko Satoh, Masanori Kawasumi, Hideki Zemba, Eiji Shimojo, Shunichi Hashimoto, Shin Kayahara
  • Publication number: 20060238817
    Abstract: A method and a system for printing management, with the intension of appropriate color management performed in a newspaper print site in which a number of newspaper rotary presses of two or more types are provided, obtain image data representing each page edited in multilevel image data along with associated data concerning the page and makes a printing plate based on the image data and concurrently select a newspaper rotary press and a print material used for printing the page based on the multilevel image data and the associated data; perform color correction of the multilevel image data in accordance with the types of the selected rotary press and print material based on the color management data previosuluy prepared, which multilevel image data is to be converted into binary image data and used for making a printing plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Publication date: October 26, 2006
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Norifumi Tasaka, Takahide Toshito, Yasuharu Suda, Shunichi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 7106401
    Abstract: A superior reflex type vertically-aligned liquid crystal display device wherein the refractive index anisotropy ?n of its liquid crystal material is controlled to be more than 0.1, and the transmissivity of the liquid crystal is saturated with facility at a low voltage below 5 to 6V despite a reduction of the thickness of the vertically-aligned liquid crystal layer to 2.5 ?m or less, hence achieving satisfactory driving at a practically low voltage while attaining another advantage of remarkable improvement in the transmissivity itself. Therefore, the display device indicates a sufficient transmissivity, an excellent low-voltage driving characteristic and a fast response. Further improvements are realizable in a display apparatus, a projection optical system and a projection display system by the use of such display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shunichi Hashimoto, Tadaaki Isozaki, Minako Sugiura
  • Publication number: 20060187398
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal device, first and second substrates are provided. A UV-curable adhesive is applied to a peripheral portion of at least one of the opposed surfaces the first and second substrates, the UV-curable adhesive having a glass transition point. The first substrate is adhered to the second substrate so as to define a predetermined spacing therebetween. The adhesive is cured by irradiation with UV rays and thereafter heated at a temperature higher than the glass transition point of the adhesive. A liquid crystal is then sealed in the predetermined spacing between the first and second substrates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Publication date: August 24, 2006
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tadaaki Isozaki, Shunichi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 7090731
    Abstract: A high strength steel sheet having (2-1) a base phase structure, the base phase structure being tempered martensite or tempered bainite and accounting for 50% or more in terms of a space factor relative to the whole structure, or the base phase structure comprising tempered martensite or tempered bainite which accounts for 15% or more in terms of a space factor relative to the whole structure and further comprising ferrite, the tempered martensite or the tempered bainite having a hardness which satisfies the relation of Vickers hardness (Hv)?500[C]+30[Si]+3[Mn]+50 where [ ] represents the content (mass %) of each element, and (2-2) a second phase structure comprising retained austenite which accounts for 3 to 30% in terms of a space factor relative to the whole structure and optionally further comprising bainite and/or martensite, the retained austenite having a C concentration (C?R) of 0.8% or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Takahiro Kashima, Shunichi Hashimoto, Shushi Ikeda, Hiroshi Akamizu, Koh-ichi Sugimoto, Akihiko Nagasaka, Akinobu Kanda, Ryo Kikuchi