Patents by Inventor Takayoshi Konishi

Takayoshi Konishi 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: 20170305037
    Abstract: The present invention addresses the problem of efficiently manufacturing a recycled pulp from a used sanitary article, said recycled pulp being reusable for sanitary articles and having an ash content and antibacterial properties both meeting the standards for sanitary articles. A method for manufacturing a recycled pulp reusable for sanitary articles by recovering a pulp fiber from a used sanitary article that contains the pulp fiber and a high water-absorbing polymer, said method comprising an ozone treatment step for immersing the used sanitary article or pulp fiber in an ozone-containing aqueous solution and thus disintegrating the high water-absorbing polymer contained in the used sanitary article or sticking to the pulp fiber, characterized in that the used sanitary article or pulp fiber is treated with a cationic antibacterial agent before, after or together with the ozone treatment step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Applicant: Unicharm Corporation
    Inventors: Takayoshi KONISHI, Toshio HIRAOKA
  • Publication number: 20170284021
    Abstract: Pulp fiber containing little ash is effectively recovered from a used sanitary product containing the pulp fiber and a polymer absorbent. The method according to the present invention comprises: a step for treating the used sanitary product with an ozone-containing gas and thus decomposing and removing at least a portion of the polymer absorbent in the used sanitary product; and a step for stirring the used sanitary product, that has been treated with the ozone-containing gas, in water or an aqueous solution containing an antiseptic and thus decomposing the used sanitary product into constituents. If required, the method may further comprise a step for separating the pulp fiber from the decomposition product obtained by the decomposition step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Takayoshi KONISHI, Toshio HIRAOKA, Noritomo KAMEDA, Hideaki ICHIURA, Hiroko NAKAOKA
  • Patent number: 9777131
    Abstract: A method enabling a used superabsorbent polymer recovered from used absorbent, etc., to be readily and inexpensively recovered without using acids or alkalies. The used superabsorbent polymer is treated with an aqueous solution of a multivalent metal salt such as calcium chloride, etc., the superabsorbent polymer treated with the aqueous solution of a multivalent metal salt is treated with an aqueous solution of an alkali metal salt such as sodium chloride, etc., the superabsorbent polymer treated with the aqueous solution of an alkali metal salt is washed with water, and the superabsorbent polymer washed with water is then dried.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
    Inventors: Naoyuki Funamizu, Ken Ushijima, Nowaki Hijikata, Hiroki Yoshikawa, Takayoshi Konishi, Toru Oba
  • Publication number: 20170130400
    Abstract: The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a wet wipe which achieves both wet-strength and water-dissolvability. The wet wipe comprises the following configuration. This water-dissolving wet wipe comprises a multi-layer sheet provided with a first sheet and a second sheet, said wet wipe being characterized in that: the first sheet comprises a first hydrophilic fiber-containing layer and a first hydrophobic fiber-containing layer, and the second sheet comprises a second hydrophilic fiber-containing layer and a second hydrophobic fiber-containing layer; the multi-layer sheet has a plurality of junction parts at predetermined intervals; the plurality of junction parts occupy 0.5% to 12.0% of the surface area; the first sheet and the second sheet each have a separability of less than or equal to 100 seconds; the multi-layer sheet has a bending resistance of less than or equal to 150 mm; and the wet wipe has a tensile strength of greater than or equal to 1.0 N/25 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Inventors: Takayoshi KONISHI, Toshio HIRAOKA
  • Publication number: 20170114503
    Abstract: A water-dissolving wet wipe includes a multi-layer sheet with first and second sheets each having hydrophilic fibers and hydrophobic fibers. The multi-layer sheet has junction parts. Intervals between the junction parts are greater than or equal to 0.6 times the average fiber length of the hydrophobic fibers of the first sheet and greater than or equal to 0.6 times the average fiber length of the hydrophobic fibers of the second sheet. The junction parts occupy 0.5% to 12.0% of the surface area of the multi-layer sheet. Each of the first and second sheets when separated from the multi-layer sheet has, in a separability test, has a separability of less than or equal to 100 seconds. The multi-layer sheet has a bending resistance of less than or equal to 150 mm. The wet wipe has a tensile strength of greater than or equal to 1.0 N per width of 25 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2015
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Applicant: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayoshi KONISHI, Toshio HIRAOKA
  • Publication number: 20170107667
    Abstract: A recycled pulp that is reusable sanitary products is efficiently manufactured by recovering pulp fiber from used sanitary products containing the pulp fiber and a polymer absorbent. The method of the present invention comprises: a step applying a mechanical force to the used sanitary products in an aqueous solution containing a polyvalent metal ion or an acidic aqueous solution with a pH of 2.5 or lower and thus degrading the used sanitary products into the pulp fiber and other materials; a step separating the pulp fiber from the mixture of the pulp fiber and other materials that has been formed in the degradation step; and a step treating the pulp fiber thus separated with an ozone-containing aqueous solution with a pH of 2.5 or lower.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Publication date: April 20, 2017
    Inventors: Takayoshi KONISHI, Toshio HIRAOKA
  • Patent number: 9487894
    Abstract: A nonwoven fabric comprising heat-expanding particles, having bulk and high strength, and a method for producing the nonwoven fabric. The method includes a step of supplying a first sheet-forming material comprising fiber and water onto a belt, spraying a high-pressure water jet onto the first sheet layer to form grooves, forming a second sheet-forming material comprising fibers, heat-expanding particles and water into a second sheet layer, layering the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer to form a third sheet layer, drying the third sheet layer, and spraying high-pressure steam onto the third sheet layer to expand the heat-expanding particles. The nonwoven fabric is provided with a first layer having a plurality of grooves extending in the longitudinal direction and aligned in the transverse direction, on the first surface, and is provided with a second layer comprising expanded heat-expanding particles and fibers, on the second surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
    Inventors: Takayoshi Konishi, Toshio Hiraoka
  • Publication number: 20160237617
    Abstract: Provided is a process for recovering pulp fiber from used sanitary goods which contain both pulp fiber and a superabsorbent polymer and producing a recycled pulp which contains little ash and which is reusable for sanitary goods. This process comprises: a calcium treatment step for treating used sanitary goods with a water-soluble calcium compound and thereby conducting the dehydration of a superabsorbent polymer contained in the used sanitary goods; a disintegration step for applying a physical force to the used sanitary goods to disintegrate the used sanitary goods into pulp fiber and other materials; a separation step for separating the pulp fiber from a pulp fiber/other materials mixture which has been formed in the disintegration step; a disinfecting step using a disinfectant; and a citric acid treatment step for subjecting the separated pulp fiber to treatment with an aqueous citric acid solution at an acidic pH.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Inventors: Masashi YAMAGUCHI, Takayoshi KONISHI
  • Patent number: 9375508
    Abstract: An absorber and an absorbent article which have excellent leak proof property during use and water disintegratability after disposal. The water disintegratable absorber includes a water disintegratable absorber layer and a water insoluble resin layer. The amount of water absorption of the water disintegratable absorber layer is 300 g/m2 or more and tear strength in the plan view direction of the water insoluble resin layer is 0.15 N/40 mm or less in a first direction as well as a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
    Inventors: Takayoshi Konishi, Toshiyuki Tanio, Kiyoko Nishimura
  • Patent number: 9375506
    Abstract: There is provided an absorbent article with excellent absorption performance. The absorbent article 1 of the invention comprises two or more absorbers 4, 5 that absorb body fluids of a user and are stacked in the thickness direction, a liquid-permeable sheet 2 covering one side of the two or more absorbers, through which body fluid of a user permeates, and a liquid-impermeable sheet 3 covering the other side of the two or more absorbers, through which body fluid of the user does not permeate, wherein the absorber 5 on the liquid-impermeable sheet 3 side of the two or more absorbers 4, 5 contains non-wood pulp and SAP, and the settling velocity of the non-wood pulp in water is between 2 seconds and 5 seconds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayoshi Konishi, Masaki Yoshida, Noritomo Kameda
  • Patent number: 9339582
    Abstract: In order to provide an absorbent, which contains no wood pulp and wood pulp and has improved liquid absorbability and improved liquid retention ability, and an absorptive article provided with the absorbent, no wood pulp having a settling time in water of 2-5 sec is used in an absorbent that contains no wood pulp and wood pulp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Norihiro Tokita, Takayoshi Konishi
  • Patent number: 9295589
    Abstract: A water disintegratable leak-proof sheet for an absorbent article that has an excellent leak-proof property during wear and excellent water disintegrating property after disposal. The water disintegratable leak-proof sheet of the present disclosure has the following construction. A water disintegratable leak-proof sheet for an absorbent article comprising a water disintegratable base material layer and a water-insoluble and biodegradable resin layer on the water disintegratable base material layer, wherein the tearing strength in the planar direction of the water disintegratable leak-proof sheet is no greater than 0.15 N/40 mm in both a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
    Inventors: Takayoshi Konishi, Koichi Yamaki, Azusa Matsushima
  • Patent number: 9287577
    Abstract: The biofuel cell has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, an external circuit electrically connecting the positive electrode and the negative electrode, a positive electrode region where the positive electrode is disposed, a negative electrode region where the negative electrode is disposed, and a proton permeable membrane disposed between the positive electrode region and the negative electrode region, and the negative electrode region houses a biocatalyst together with the crushed material. The negative electrode region is separated by a mesh into an electrode region and a crushed material region, the negative electrode is housed in the electrode region, and the crushed material is housed in the crushed material region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignees: Unicharm Corporation, Hiroshima University
    Inventors: Takayoshi Konishi, Toshio Hiraoka, Toshihide Kakizono
  • Patent number: 9254607
    Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide a moisture-permeable and waterproof film that is biodegradable, has high biomass and exhibits high flexibility. The moisture-permeable and waterproof film comprises polylactic acid and an inorganic filler, wherein the film has high-stretch regions (H1) and low-stretch regions (L1) each parallel to a first direction and alternating in the direction perpendicular to the first direction, the film has bending resistance in the range of 15-30 mm, and the film has moisture permeability in the range of 2,000-4,000 g/m2/24 hours.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaki Yoshida, Satoshi Mizutani, Takayoshi Konishi, Hiroko Nozumi
  • Patent number: 9238087
    Abstract: An absorber containing non-wood pulp with the settling velocity in water between 2 and 5 seconds, the mean fiber size of 8 to 25 ?m, the apparent bulk density of 0.04 to 0.07 g/cm3, and the absorption for 0.9% physiological saline of at least 20-fold with respect to the pulp mass. The absorber has a thickness change of at least 600%, as the thickness after having absorbed 0.9% physiological saline with respect to the thickness before absorbing 0.9% physiological saline. When addition of 80 mL of 0.9% physiological saline to the absorbent article over a period of 10 seconds is performed three times every 10 minutes and the absorption rate of the absorbent article for each of the three times is evaluated as the time from addition of the 0.9% physiological saline until complete absorption, the absorption rate for each of the three times is not greater than 20 seconds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayoshi Konishi, Masaki Yoshida, Noritomo Kameda
  • Publication number: 20150265737
    Abstract: Provided is a method for treating a used absorbent article, this method being hygienic and capable of recovering recyclable material with a high degree of safety. This method for treating a used absorbent article is characterized by including (a) an acidic electrolyzed water treatment step that treats the used absorbent article in a treatment tank that has acidic electrolyzed water serve as a treatment fluid. This method preferably further includes (b) an alkaline electrolyzed water treatment step that treats the used absorbent article in a treatment tank that has alkaline electrolyzed water as a treatment fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Publication date: September 24, 2015
    Inventors: Masashi Yamaguchi, Takayoshi Konishi, Toru Oba
  • Patent number: 9101911
    Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a functional material, including the steps of: bringing a polyvalent metal cation aqueous solution into contact with a base material; bringing a polyanion aqueous solution containing a functional component into contact with the base material previously in contact with the polyvalent metal cation aqueous solution to bond the polyvalent metal cations and the polyanions to each other, and thereby forming an insoluble compound containing the functional component; and drying the base material including the insoluble compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignees: Unicharm Corporation, Ehime Prefectural Government
    Inventors: Hideaki Ichiura, Masaaki Morikawa, Masaki Takahashi, Noriyoshi Nishida, Takamitsu Igaue, Takayoshi Konishi
  • Patent number: 9074323
    Abstract: A wet wipe includes a nonwoven fabric impregnated with a liquid. A surface layer in a first surface of the nonwoven fabric has an apparent density of 0.030-0.10 g/cm3 in a dry state. A surface layer in a second surface of the nonwoven fabric has an apparent density of 0.12-0.20 g/cm3 in a dry state. Fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric are raised on at least the first surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayoshi Konishi, Toshio Hiraoka, Takahiro Ueda, Ayami Suga, Hiromi Yamada
  • Publication number: 20150057630
    Abstract: Provided is nonwoven fabric for absorbents which has excellent diffusing properties. This nonwoven fabric is for absorbents that comprise cellulosic fibers, which are hydrophilic fibers, and is characterized by having an upper surface and a lower surface which is on the reverse side therefrom and by having, in the upper surface, ridges and grooves which extend in the lengthwise direction and are arranged alternately along the width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Satoru Tange, Kengo Ochi, Takayoshi Konishi
  • Publication number: 20150050567
    Abstract: The biofuel cell has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, an external circuit electrically connecting the positive electrode and the negative electrode, a positive electrode region where the positive electrode is disposed, a negative electrode region where the negative electrode is disposed, and a proton permeable membrane disposed between the positive electrode region and the negative electrode region, and the negative electrode region houses a biocatalyst together with the crushed material. The negative electrode region is separated by a mesh into an electrode region and a crushed material region, the negative electrode is housed in the electrode region, and the crushed material is housed in the crushed material region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Inventors: Takayoshi Konishi, Toshio Hiraoka, Toshihide Kakizono