Patents by Inventor TAKAFUMI SHINGAI

TAKAFUMI SHINGAI 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: 20200130346
    Abstract: A roller device includes a cylindrical body, a thermoelectric converter, a first heatsink and a second heatsink that are disposed adjacent to each other, and a press-fitting member. The thermoelectric converter is disposed on an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body. The first heatsink and the second heatsink each dissipate heat of the thermoelectric converter. The press-fitting member is disposed between the first heatsink and the second heatsink. The press-fitting member makes the thermoelectric converter be held between the cylindrical body and at least one of the first heatsink and the second heatsink.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventor: TAKAFUMI SHINGAI
  • Patent number: 10600949
    Abstract: A thermoelectric converter includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements, and a group of electrodes. The plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements are disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The group of electrodes electrically interconnect the plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements. The plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements are arranged in a plurality of rows including a first row and a second row. The first row is adjacent to the second row. The group of electrodes includes a first electrode and a second electrode having a different shape from the first electrode. The second electrode includes a first notch and a second notch each of which is disposed on an edge of the second electrode. The first notch is disposed to separate one of the plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements in the first row and one of the plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements in the second row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takafumi Shingai, Tetsuya Nishio
  • Publication number: 20200047486
    Abstract: A cooling device includes a cylindrical body having thermal conductivity, a plurality of thermoelectric converters, and a feeder cable. The plurality of thermoelectric converters are arranged along a periphery of the cylindrical body and disposed dispersedly along an axis of the cylindrical body. The feeder cable connects two or more thermoelectric converters arranged along the periphery of the cylindrical body in series among the plurality of thermoelectric converters to form each of a plurality of sets of thermoelectric converters. And the feeder cable forms a circuit for power feeding of the each of the plurality of sets of thermoelectric converters. A voltage is applied individually to each of circuits that includes the circuit so that thermoelectric converters of the each of the circuits in the plurality of thermoelectric converters are driven.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: TAKAFUMI SHINGAI, ETSUO KATOU, TETSUYA NISHIO, EIJI OKUZONO
  • Publication number: 20190351672
    Abstract: A roller device includes a roller, an electronic device, a slip ring, a hood member, and a duct. The electronic device is disposed in an interior of the roller. The slip ring supplies electric power to the electronic device. The hood member covers a region between a rotating shaft of the slip ring and an end portion of the roller. The duct covers the slip ring, and extends in a direction away from the roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Etsuo KATOU, Takafumi SHINGAI, Eiji OKUZONO, Tetsuya NISHIO
  • Publication number: 20190337288
    Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion unit includes a cylindrical body made of a thermally conductive material, a plurality of thermoelectric converters disposed on an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body, a heat transfer member, and a heat pipe installed in the heat transfer member. Each of the plurality of thermoelectric converters has an operating surface facing the inner peripheral surface and an inversely operating surface positioned at a side opposite to the operating surface. The heat transfer member is disposed on the inversely operating surface. Heat transfers between each of the plurality of thermoelectric converters and the heat transfer member via the inversely operating surface. The plurality of thermoelectric converters are divided into a plurality of sets of thermoelectric converters, and the heat transfer member and the heat pipe are provided for each of the plurality of sets of the thermoelectric converters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventor: TAKAFUMI SHINGAI
  • Publication number: 20190131507
    Abstract: A thermoelectric converter includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements, and a group of electrodes. The plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements are disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The group of electrodes electrically interconnect the plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements. The plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements are arranged in a plurality of rows including a first row and a second row. The first row is adjacent to the second row. The group of electrodes includes a first electrode and a second electrode having a different shape from the first electrode. The second electrode includes a first notch and a second notch each of which is disposed on an edge of the second electrode. The first notch is disposed to separate one of the plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements in the first row and one of the plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements in the second row.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Takafumi SHINGAI, Tetsuya NISHIO
  • Patent number: 10134971
    Abstract: A thermoelectric converter includes a first substrate that is deformable, a second substrate that is deformable, a plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements, and a group of electrodes. The plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements are disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The group of electrodes electrically interconnect the plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements. The plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements are arranged in a plurality of rows. The group of electrodes include a bridge electrode disposed across a first row and a second row among the plurality of rows. The first row is adjacent to the second row. The bridge electrode has a first part whose thickness is smaller than a thickness of each of remaining electrodes other than the bridge electrode among the group of electrodes and whose surface area is larger than a surface area of each of the remaining electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takafumi Shingai, Tetsuya Nishio
  • Publication number: 20170365764
    Abstract: A thermoelectric converter includes a first substrate that is deformable, a second substrate that is deformable, a plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements, and a group of electrodes. The plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements are disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The group of electrodes electrically interconnect the plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements. The plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements are arranged in a plurality of rows. The group of electrodes include a bridge electrode disposed across a first row and a second row among the plurality of rows. The first row is adjacent to the second row. The bridge electrode has a first part whose thickness is smaller than a thickness of each of remaining electrodes other than the bridge electrode among the group of electrodes and whose surface area is larger than a surface area of each of the remaining electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Inventors: TAKAFUMI SHINGAI, TETSUYA NISHIO
  • Publication number: 20170261240
    Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion device for cooling an object includes a thermoelectric converter and a structure. The thermoelectric converter has a cooling surface and a heat generating surface. The cooling surface is for cooling the object. The heat generating surface is on a side opposite to the cooling surface. The structure removes heat from the heat generating surface. The structure includes a heat transfer member, a pipe through which water flows, and a heat radiation member. The heat transfer member is joined to the heat generating surface. The pipe is disposed on the heat transfer member. The heat radiation member extends inside the pipe from the heat transfer member. A kitchen unit includes a thermoelectric conversion device, a main body, and a cooling plate. The cooling plate is disposed on an upper surface of the main body, and is cooled by the thermoelectric converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventors: EIJI OKUZONO, TETSUYA NISHIO, TAKAFUMI SHINGAI, MASANARI ESAKI
  • Patent number: 9498992
    Abstract: A sheet material cooling device includes a cylindrical body having an outer circumferential surface to be in contact with a sheet material, a cooling unit having a cooling surface in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical body, and a first fastening member inserted from an outside of the cylindrical body toward an inside to attach the cooling unit to the cylindrical body in a state that the cooling surface is in contact with the inner circumferential surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Nishio, Takafumi Shingai, Katsushi Nakao, Eiji Okuzono
  • Publication number: 20160159122
    Abstract: A sheet material cooling device includes a cylindrical body having an outer circumferential surface to be in contact with a sheet material, a cooling unit having a cooling surface in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical body, and, a first fastening member inserted from an outside of the cylindrical body toward an inside to attach the cooling unit to the cylindrical body in a state that the cooling surface is in contact with the inner circumferential surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Inventors: TETSUYA NISHIO, TAKAFUMI SHINGAI, KATSUSHI NAKAO, EIJI OKUZONO