Patents by Inventor Takeo Funakawa

Takeo Funakawa 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: 11868088
    Abstract: An escape wheel (an example of a timepiece component) has a silicon-made substrate having an insertion portion into which an axle is inserted, and a coating film formed in a contact portion which comes into contact with at least the axle, at a surface of the substrate. The coating film contains metal alkoxide having a fluorine atom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Inventors: Munehiro Shibuya, Takeo Funakawa
  • Patent number: 11868089
    Abstract: An escape wheel serving as a watch component that constitutes a drive mechanism of a watch includes a tooth portion, and a base mainly composed of silicon. A contact surface where the tooth portion makes contact with another component includes a recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Inventors: Takeo Funakawa, Katsuo Takano
  • Publication number: 20230305497
    Abstract: A timepiece component includes a base material including silicon as a main component, and a light reflecting layer formed on the base material and including a first silicon oxide layer, a silicon layer, and a second silicon oxide layer stacked in this order, when the light reflecting layer is viewed in plan view, the light reflecting layer includes a first region and a second region, and at least one of the thicknesses of the first silicon oxide layer in the first region and the second region and the thicknesses of the second silicon oxide layer in the first region and the second region is set such that the thicknesses are different from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventor: Takeo FUNAKAWA
  • Patent number: 11693365
    Abstract: Provided is a watch component made of silicon and including a front surface, a back surface, and a side surface intersecting with the front surface and the back surface, the watch component including a first recessed portion formed at the front surface side, a second recessed portion formed at the back surface side, and a communicating groove causing one of the first recessed portion and the second recessed portion to communicate with the side surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Inventors: Takeo Funakawa, Munehiro Shibuya
  • Patent number: 11467538
    Abstract: A watch component includes a shaft member including a shaft and a flange portion formed to protrude in a direction intersecting with an axial direction of the shaft, a body portion made of silicon and provided with an insertion hole through which the shaft is inserted, and a fixing member mounted on the shaft at a side of the body portion opposite from the flange portion. The body portion includes an accommodating recessed portion configured to accommodate the flange portion, and is fixed to the shaft member by being interposed between the flange portion and the fixing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Inventors: Takeo Funakawa, Munehiro Shibuya
  • Publication number: 20210149343
    Abstract: An escape wheel serving as a watch component that constitutes a drive mechanism of a watch includes a tooth portion, and a base mainly composed of silicon. A contact surface where the tooth portion makes contact with another component includes a recess.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2020
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Inventors: Takeo FUNAKAWA, Katsuo TAKANO
  • Publication number: 20210018875
    Abstract: For example, an escape gear portion as a watch component includes a substrate containing silicon as a main component, and a light reflecting layer including a first silicon oxide layer, a silicon layer, and a second silicon oxide layer that are stacked, in this order, at the substrate, wherein, when the light reflecting layer is viewed in plan view, the light reflecting layer includes a first region and a second region, and a thickness of the silicon layer in the first region is different from a thickness of the silicon layer in the second region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventor: Takeo FUNAKAWA
  • Patent number: 10761483
    Abstract: Provided are a mechanical part, a timepiece having the mechanical part, and a method of manufacturing a mechanical part that suppresses separation and rotation of a rotating member to a staff member, and can be manufactured at a competitive cost. A escape wheel and pinion 35 as an example of a mechanical part has a staff member 102; an escape wheel 101 with a hole 115 to which the staff member 102 is inserted, and ribs 112 that extend toward the staff member 102; and an annular fastening member 130 that affixes the escape wheel 101 to the staff member 102. The fastening member 130 is disposed touching the ribs 112 and deforming to protrude into the hole 115.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Munehiro Shibuya, Takeo Funakawa
  • Patent number: 10747178
    Abstract: An escape wheel and pinion includes an escape wheel that has an axle, a web arm which holds the axle, and a rim which has a plurality of teeth. The web arm has a spoke which radially extends from the rim, and a comb including a radial spine and cross beams branching from the spoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Munehiro Shibuya, Takeo Funakawa, Eiichi Nagasaka
  • Patent number: 10747177
    Abstract: An escape wheel & pinion serving as a mechanical component includes an axle and an escape wheel serving as a rotary member having a holder for holding the axle. The axle has a recessed portion into which the holder is fitted. A tapered portion inclined in an axial direction of the axle is disposed in a portion where the recessed portion is in contact with the holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Munehiro Shibuya, Takeo Funakawa
  • Publication number: 20200057412
    Abstract: A watch component includes a shaft member including a shaft and a flange portion formed to protrude in a direction intersecting with an axial direction of the shaft, a body portion made of silicon and provided with an insertion hole through which the shaft is inserted, and a fixing member mounted on the shaft at a side of the body portion opposite from the flange portion. The body portion includes an accommodating recessed portion configured to accommodate the flange portion, and is fixed to the shaft member by being interposed between the flange portion and the fixing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Inventors: Takeo FUNAKAWA, Munehiro SHIBUYA
  • Publication number: 20200041959
    Abstract: Provided is a watch component made of silicon and including a front surface, a back surface, and a side surface intersecting with the front surface and the back surface, the watch component including a first recessed portion formed at the front surface side, a second recessed portion formed at the back surface side, and a communicating groove causing one of the first recessed portion and the second recessed portion to communicate with the side surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Takeo FUNAKAWA, Munehiro SHIBUYA
  • Publication number: 20190076876
    Abstract: An escape wheel (an example of a timepiece component) has a silicon-made substrate having an insertion portion into which an axle is inserted, and a coating film formed in a contact portion which comes into contact with at least the axle, at a surface of the substrate. The coating film contains metal alkoxide having a fluorine atom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Inventors: Munehiro SHIBUYA, Takeo FUNAKAWA
  • Publication number: 20180356768
    Abstract: An escape wheel & pinion serving as a mechanical component includes an axle and an escape wheel serving as a rotary member having a holder for holding the axle. The axle has a recessed portion into which the holder is fitted. A tapered portion inclined in an axial direction of the axle is disposed in a portion where the recessed portion is in contact with the holder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2018
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventors: Munehiro SHIBUYA, Takeo FUNAKAWA
  • Publication number: 20180335754
    Abstract: Provided are a mechanical part, a timepiece having the mechanical part, and a method of manufacturing a mechanical part that suppresses separation and rotation of a rotating member to a staff member, and can be manufactured at a competitive cost. A escape wheel and pinion 35 as an example of a mechanical part has a staff member 102; an escape wheel 101 with a hole 115 to which the staff member 102 is inserted, and ribs 112 that extend toward the staff member 102; and an annular fastening member 130 that affixes the escape wheel 101 to the staff member 102. The fastening member 130 is disposed touching the ribs 112 and deforming to protrude into the hole 115.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventors: Munehiro SHIBUYA, Takeo FUNAKAWA
  • Publication number: 20180314208
    Abstract: An escape wheel and pinion includes an escape wheel that has an axle, a web arm which holds the axle, and a rim which has a plurality of teeth. The web arm has a spoke which radially extends from the rim, and a comb including a radial spine and cross beams branching from the spoke.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Inventors: Munehiro SHIBUYA, Takeo FUNAKAWA, Eiichi NAGASAKA
  • Publication number: 20180150029
    Abstract: An escape wheel serving as a mechanical component includes an axle member, and an escape gear portion serving as a rotation member which has a holding portion for holding the axle member, and a rim portion having a plurality of tooth portions. The holding portion has a plurality of projection portions formed to project into a through-hole into which the axle member is inserted. An elastic portion extending from between the projection portions adjacent to each other is provided between the holding portion and the rim portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Inventors: Munehiro SHIBUYA, Takeo FUNAKAWA
  • Patent number: 9195047
    Abstract: An optical filter includes a first substrate, a first mirror formed on the first substrate, a second substrate coupled to the first substrate, the second substrate including a concave portion, a second mirror formed on the concave portion and facing the first mirror, and an electrode formed on the second substrate and around the second mirror. The first substrate includes a plurality of first hinge portions and a plurality of second hinge portions inside the plurality of first hinge portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yuki Hanamura, Takeo Funakawa, Tsukasa Funasaka
  • Patent number: 8766515
    Abstract: Deterioration of the Q value caused by the thermoelastic effect is suppressed. Since a first depth of a first groove and a second depth of a second groove are smaller than a distance between a surface including a third surface and a surface including a fourth surface, the first and second grooves do not penetrate between the surface including the third surface and the surface including the fourth surface. In addition, the sum of the first depth of the first groove and the second depth of the second groove is greater than the distance between the third and fourth surfaces, a heat transfer path between a first expandable portion (the first surface) and a second expandable portion (the second surface) cannot be formed as a straight line. As such, the heat transfer path between the first expandable portion (the first surface) and a second expandable portion (the second surface) is made to detour to the first and second grooves and and thus be lengthened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Furuhata, Takeo Funakawa, Takashi Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20140153098
    Abstract: An optical filter includes a first substrate, a first mirror formed on the first substrate, a second substrate coupled to the first substrate, the second substrate including a concave portion, a second mirror formed on the concave portion and facing the first mirror, and an electrode formed on the second substrate and around the second mirror. The first substrate includes a plurality of first hinge portions and a plurality of second hinge portions inside the plurality of first hinge portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2014
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki HANAMURA, Takeo FUNAKAWA, Tsukasa FUNASAKA