Patents by Inventor Takafumi Hirata

Takafumi Hirata 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: 12326418
    Abstract: Provided are a standard sample film for use in laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, the standard sample film containing an organic substance and having a small variation in signal intensity of an ion of a metal element depending on a measurement position; a standard sample; a method for producing a standard sample film; a sample set; a quantitative analysis method; and a transfer film. The standard sample film of the present invention is a standard sample film for use in laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, the standard sample film containing a polymer and a metal element, and having a maximum height difference in film thickness of the standard sample film of 0.50 ?m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2025
    Assignees: FUJIFILM Corporation, THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO
    Inventors: Takuro Sugiyama, Yuko Terao, Yasuhiko Hirana, Tetsuro Otsuka, Akinori Sugishima, Yasuharu Shiraishi, Takafumi Hirata, Yoshiki Makino
  • Patent number: 12262905
    Abstract: Provided is a bending structure and a joint function part, capable of ensuring sufficient flexibility and rigidity in an axial direction. The bending structure is provided with an outer coiled part formed of a wire wound in a coiled shape and an inner coiled part formed of a wire wound in a coiled shape and arranged in the outer coiled part, wherein the outer coiled part has a plurality of gaps to distance adjacent coils, and coils of the inner coiled part are provided so as to correspond to the gaps of the outer coiled part and fit between the adjacent coils while being in contact with the adjacent coils of the outer coiled part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takafumi Hirata, Shimpei Kurokawa, Yuki Hotoda
  • Publication number: 20250033230
    Abstract: The present invention comprises: a first bending part and a second bending part which are capable of bending elastically; a connection part which connects the first bending part and the second bending part, and which has higher bending rigidity than the first bending part and the second bending part; and a plurality of first cord-like members which are attached to the first bending part, which are inserted through the first bending part, the connection part, and the second bending part, and which are capable of bending the first bending part via tension on the second bending part side. The first cord-like members each have a plurality of divided parts which are divided in the connection part and dispersed in the circumferential direction, and which are inserted through the second bending part in this dispersed state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Publication date: January 30, 2025
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takafumi HIRATA, Yuki HOTODA, Yuki HAYAKAWA
  • Publication number: 20250026032
    Abstract: A flexural structure, in which a multi-structured flexible body is capable of displacing from an extended state to a flexed state, includes: an outer coil spring, constituting the multi-structured flexible body; an inner coil spring, provided inside the outer coil spring and having a wire overlap a wire of the outer coil spring in a coil radial direction to constitute the multi-structured flexible body; a one-side receiving member, receiving one side of the multi-structured flexible body; and an other-side receiving member, receiving an other side of the multi-structured flexible body. A close-contact state between wires of the inner and outer coil springs and is set in accordance with a spacing between the one-side receiving member and the other-side receiving member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2022
    Publication date: January 23, 2025
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takafumi HIRATA, Yuki HOTODA, Yuki HAYAKAWA
  • Patent number: 12202134
    Abstract: A bending operation mechanism comprises: an elastically bendable driving part; an elastically bendable driven part that is provided separate from the driving part; and a linking part that connects the driving part and the driven part, and tensions and bends the driven part in accordance with bending of the driving part. The driving part and the driven part each comprise an inner coil part and an outer coil part that are bendable with respect to the axial direction, and wound parts corresponding to the inner coil part are respectively fitted to pitches between adjacent wound parts of the outer coil part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takafumi Hirata, Yuki Hotoda, Masahiro Inaba
  • Publication number: 20240351224
    Abstract: A flexible structure includes a first member, a second member, a recess, and a wire. The first member is capable of flexing and extending. The second member covers an outer circumference of the first member and is capable of flexing and extending in conjunction with the first member. The recess is provided at an inner circumference of the second member. The wire is held between the first member and the second member in a state in which at least a part of the wire is inserted into the recess in the radial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Publication date: October 24, 2024
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takafumi HIRATA, Yuki HOTODA, Yuki HAYAKAWA, Yuta ISHIYAMA
  • Patent number: 12098755
    Abstract: Provided is a flexible member that can exhibit excellent load resistance and flexibility while achieving a reduction in size. This flexible member includes: a main body part which has multiple wave washers stacked in an axial direction and joined to each other, and the main body part is able to be bent with respect to the axial direction due to elastic deformation of the wave washers; and a linking member that is elastically deformable, the linking member being provided at an end part of the main body part and being linked to other member. A deformation amount of the linking member is smaller than a deformation amount of the wave washer, when the main body part is bent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Motoyuki Otsuka, Takafumi Hirata, Shimpei Kurokawa, Soichi Nakayama, Masahiro Inaba
  • Publication number: 20240253251
    Abstract: A flexible structure with a multi-joint function is formed by connecting flexing parts in which wave washers are stacked and welded to each other. The flexible structure includes a first flexing part, a second flexing part, and a connection part. The first flexing part and the second flexing part are capable of flexing and extending. The connection part is welded in an axial direction between the first flexing part and the second flexing part and has a rigidity higher than the first flexing part and the second flexing part. The first flexing part and the second flexing part each include wave washers stacked in the axial direction and welded to each other. The connection part has a circulating shape in which an inner circumference and an outer circumference are each continuous in a circumferential direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Publication date: August 1, 2024
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takafumi HIRATA, Yuki HOTODA, Yuki HAYAKAWA
  • Publication number: 20240189981
    Abstract: Provided is a multi-joint bending structure body that makes it possible to obtain a structure capable of making a small-radius turn. The present invention comprises: a plurality of first bendable parts 9 and second bendable parts 11 that can elastically bend with respect to the axial direction; and an intermediate part 13 that is positioned between a first bendable part 9 and a second bendable part 11 which are adjacent to each other. The first bendable parts 9 and the second bendable parts 11 are provided with a flexible member 17 that is an integral body in the axial direction. The intermediate part 13 is attached to the flexible member 17 between the first bendable part 9 and the second bendable part 11 which are adjacent, and suppresses the bending of the flexible member 17 with respect to the axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Publication date: June 13, 2024
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takafumi HIRATA, Yuki HOTODA, Masahiro INABA, Yuki HAYAKAWA
  • Publication number: 20240181658
    Abstract: A bending structure includes a bending part that is elastically bendable with respect to the axial direction, a movable part serving as an end member that is attached to an end of the bending part in the axial direction, a thin part that is formed at the movable part and is thinner than the movable part in the axial direction, a notch that is provided at the movable part and exposes the thin part in the axial direction in a manner capable of being irradiated with a laser light of laser welding, and a welding part that is formed at the thin part by laser welding and joins the thin part to the bending part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Publication date: June 6, 2024
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takafumi HIRATA, Yuki HOTODA, Yuki HAYAKAWA
  • Publication number: 20240170272
    Abstract: Provided are a standard sample film or a standard sample for use in laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, the standard sample film or the standard sample containing an organic substance and having a small variation in signal intensity of an ion of a metal element depending on a measurement position; a method for producing a standard sample film; a sample set; a quantitative analysis method; and a transfer film. The standard sample film of the present invention is a standard sample film for use in laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, the standard sample film containing a polymer, a metal element, and an internal standard, and having a maximum height difference in film thickness of the standard sample film of 0.50 ?m or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2024
    Publication date: May 23, 2024
    Applicants: FUJIFILM Corporation, The University of Tokyo
    Inventors: Yasuhiko HIRANA, Takuro SUGIYAMA, Yuko TERAO, Kaoru IWATO, Takafumi HIRATA
  • Publication number: 20240116195
    Abstract: Provided is a bending structure that can be reduced in diameter. The present invention is provided with a bending part 9 which has an elastically bendable and expandable inner coil part 13 and outer coil part 15, and in which a corresponding winding section 13a of the inner coil part 13 is fit in the space between adjacent winding sections 15a of the outer coil part 15. At least one of the inner and outer coil parts 13 and 15 is conductive and forms a conductive path P1. The bending part 9, which is capable of suppressing compression in the axial direction, enables the formation of the conductive path P1 without the need of another conductive line or the like, thereby simplifying the structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takafumi HIRATA, Yuki HOTODA
  • Publication number: 20230405844
    Abstract: A bending operation mechanism comprises: an elastically bendable driving part; an elastically bendable driven part that is provided separate from the driving part; and a linking part that connects the driving part and the driven part, and tensions and bends the driven part in accordance with bending of the driving part. The driving part and the driven part each comprise an inner coil part and an outer coil part that are bendable with respect to the axial direction, and wound parts corresponding to the inner coil part are respectively fitted to pitches between adjacent wound parts of the outer coil part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takafumi HIRATA, Yuki HOTODA, Masahiro INABA
  • Publication number: 20230339124
    Abstract: Provided are a bending structure and a joint function part, capable of stabilizing bending operation and simplifying a structure. An inner coiled part is located into an outer coiled part. The outer coiled part and the inner coiled part have a plurality of gaps distancing adjacent coils in an axial direction, and the coils of the inner coiled part fit between the adjacent coils of the outer coiled part while being in contact with the adjacent coils. A dimension P is set in a range meeting ?R/4N?P<d??R/4N in which P is the dimension of the gap of the outer coiled part in the axial direction in a free state, N is the number of turns of the outer coiled part, R is a diameter of the outer coiled part, and d is a wire diameter of the wire of the inner coiled part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: Motoyuki OTSUKA, Takafumi HIRATA, Shimpei KUROKAWA, Yuki HOTODA
  • Publication number: 20230330871
    Abstract: The present invention provides a bending structural body with which a simplified structure can be achieved. The bending structural body comprises: an inner cylinder that is formed from a first inner coil part and a first outer coil part, and in which wound parts corresponding to the first inner coil part are respectively fitted to pitches between adjacent wound parts of the first outer coil part; an outer cylinder that covers at least some of the outer circumference of the inner cylinder with a space therebetween, that is formed from a second inner coil part and a second outer coil part, and in which wound parts corresponding to the second inner coil part are respectively fitted to pitches between adjacent wound parts of the second outer coil part; and drive wires and guide wires that are guided and axially inserted into the space between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takafumi HIRATA, Yuki HOTODA, Masahiro INABA, Yuki HAYAKAWA
  • Publication number: 20230256625
    Abstract: A joint function unit, in which a movable part is supported by a base partso as to be displaceable in an axial direction thereof, includes: a plurality of drive wireseach having a fixed partfixed to the movable parton one side in the axial direction and the a supported partsupported by the base parton the other side in the axial direction; and an elastic bodysupporting the supported partof each of the plurality of drive wireson the base part, energizing the supported partwith respect to the fixed partin the axial direction, and applying tension to the drive wires.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takafumi HIRATA, Yuki HOTODA, Masahiro INABA
  • Publication number: 20230001590
    Abstract: Provided is a bending structure and a joint function part, capable of ensuring sufficient flexibility and rigidity in an axial direction. The bending structure is provided with an outer coiled part formed of a wire wound in a coiled shape and an inner coiled part formed of a wire wound in a coiled shape and arranged in the outer coiled part, wherein the outer coiled part has a plurality of gaps to distance adjacent coils, and coils of the inner coiled part are provided so as to correspond to the gaps of the outer coiled part and fit between the adjacent coils while being in contact with the adjacent coils of the outer coiled part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Inventors: Takafumi HIRATA, Shimpei KUROKAWA, Yuki HOTODA
  • Publication number: 20220381737
    Abstract: Provided are a standard sample film for use in laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, the standard sample film containing an organic substance and having a small variation in signal intensity of an ion of a metal element depending on a measurement position; a standard sample; a method for producing a standard sample film; a sample set; a quantitative analysis method; and a transfer film. The standard sample film of the present invention is a standard sample film for use in laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, the standard sample film containing a polymer and a metal element, and having a maximum height difference in film thickness of the standard sample film of 0.50 ?m or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicants: FUJIFILM Corporation, THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO
    Inventors: Takuro SUGIYAMA, Yuko TERAO, Yasuhiko HIRANA, Tetsuro OTSUKA, Akinori SUGISHIMA, Yasuharu SHIRAISHI, Takafumi HIRATA, Yoshiki MAKINO
  • Publication number: 20220193932
    Abstract: Provided is a flexible member that can exhibit excellent load resistance and flexibility while achieving a reduction in size. This flexible member includes: a main body part which has multiple wave washers stacked in an axial direction and joined to each other, and the main body part is able to be bent with respect to the axial direction due to elastic deformation of the wave washers; and a linking member that is elastically deformable, the linking member being provided at an end part of the main body part and being linked to other member. A deformation amount of the linking member is smaller than a deformation amount of the wave washer, when the main body part is bent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Applicant: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Motoyuki OTSUKA, Takafumi HIRATA, Shimpei KUROKAWA, Soichi NAKAYAMA, Masahiro INABA
  • Publication number: 20210307773
    Abstract: An instrument for a surgical assistance robot is provided with a bending structure that enables a joint function part to be bent and is provided with an outer coiled part formed of a wire wound in a coiled shape and an inner coiled part formed of a wire wound in a coiled shape and arranged in the outer coiled part, wherein the outer coiled part has a plurality of gaps to distance adjacent coils, and coils of the inner coiled part are provided so as to correspond to the gaps of the outer coiled part and fit between the adjacent coils while being in contact with the adjacent coils of the outer coiled part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: Takafumi HIRATA, Shimpei KUROKAWA, Yuki HOTODA, Daisuke HARAGUCHI, Koki SHINDO, Kyohei TAKIKAWA