Patents by Inventor Tohru Sonoda

Tohru Sonoda 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: 9653702
    Abstract: In an organic EL display device (electroluminescent device) including an organic EL element (electroluminescent element), a sealing film is provided to seal the organic EL element, and a projection (preventing portion) is configured to prevent the sealing film from peeling off and to have an inclined plane forming an obtuse angle with a light emitting surface of the organic EL element. The projection is provided only in a non-light emitting region of the organic EL element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Takeshi Hirase, Tetsuya Okamoto, Tohru Senoo, Seiji Fujiwara
  • Publication number: 20170133626
    Abstract: The present invention includes a frame-shaped sealing material, a filling layer, and a support. The frame-shaped sealing material is provided between a TFT substrate and a counter substrate, and is configured to seal an organic EL element (electroluminescent element) along with the TFT substrate and the counter substrate. The filling layer is composed of a liquid filler, and is filled in the space between the counter substrate, a sealing film, and the sealing material. The support is located inside the sealing material and between the TFT substrate and the counter substrate, and also supports the TFT substrate and the counter substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru SENOO, Tetsuya OKAMOTO, Tohru SONODA, Seiji FUJIWARA, Takeshi HIRASE
  • Patent number: 9622319
    Abstract: A film formation substrate is arranged such that (i) a base end, in a y-axis direction, of a film-thickness-gradually-diminishing part of a first film overlaps a first film formation region, and (ii) a film-thickness-gradually-diminishing part of a second film is disposed on an outside, in the y-axis direction, of a second film formation region and overlaps the film-thickness-gradually-diminishing part of the first film so as to compensate for a gradually diminished thickness of the film-thickness-gradually-diminishing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue, Satoshi Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20170084866
    Abstract: Provided is a TFT substrate (substrate); a second electrode (vapor-deposited membrane) that is formed on the TFT substrate and includes a protruding portion; and a sealing membrane provided so as to cover the second electrode, wherein, when a represents an absolute value of a stress of the sealing membrane, t represents a thickness of the sealing membrane, and P represents a sum of a product of an oblique side length and an oblique side slope in a minute region on an oblique side of the protruding portion, a value of an index N expressed by the expression (N=?·t·P) is less than or equal to 935 MPa·?m2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: Tohru SONODA, Takeshi HIRASE, Tetsuya OKAMOTO, Tohru SENOO, Seiji FUJIWARA
  • Patent number: 9580791
    Abstract: A vapor deposition mask (70) includes a first layer (71), a second layer (72) and a third layer (73) in this order. A plurality of first openings (71h), a plurality of second openings (72h) and a plurality of third openings (73h) are formed respectively in the first layer, the second layer and the third layer. The first openings, the second openings and the third openings communicate with each other, thereby constituting mask openings (75). The opening dimension of the second openings is larger than the opening dimension of the first openings and is larger than the opening dimension of the third openings. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent reduction of the opening dimension of the mask openings or clogging of the mask openings due to the vapor deposition particles adhering to the mask openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Inoue, Shinichi Kawato, Nobuhiro Hayashi, Tohru Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20170040399
    Abstract: Provided is an organic EL display device (electroluminescence device) including a TFT substrate (substrate) and an organic EL element (electroluminescence element) provided on the TFT substrate, wherein the organic EL display device includes a sealing layer that seals the organic EL element. The sealing layer is provided with a first, a second, and a third sealing film that are sequentially stacked from the organic EL element side, the first and third sealing films and are each formed of an inorganic film, and the second sealing film is formed of an octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi HIRASE, Tetsuya OKAMOTO, Tohru SENOO, Tohru SONODA, Seiji FUJIWARA
  • Patent number: 9530984
    Abstract: A barrier film configured to reduce degradation of an organic EL element includes a first inorganic film, a second inorganic film, and a third inorganic film which are provided in order from a base substrate, a first organic film between the first inorganic film and the second inorganic film, and a second organic film between the second inorganic film and the third inorganic film. The first organic film has a plurality of first through holes formed therein so that the first inorganic film is in contact with the second inorganic film through the first through holes. The second organic film has a plurality of second through holes formed therein so that the second inorganic film is in contact with the third inorganic film through the second through holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Takeshi Hirase, Tetsuya Okamoto, Tohru Senoo, Yuki Yasuda
  • Publication number: 20160343981
    Abstract: In an organic EL display device (electroluminescent device) including an organic EL element (electroluminescent element), a sealing film is provided to seal the organic EL element, and a projection (preventing portion) is configured to prevent the sealing film from peeling off and to have an inclined plane forming an obtuse angle with a light emitting surface of the organic EL element. The projection is provided only in a non-light emitting region of the organic EL element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventors: Tohru SONODA, Takeshi HIRASE, Tetsuya OKAMOTO, Tohru SENOO, Seiji FUJIWARA
  • Publication number: 20160336544
    Abstract: The present invention (i) uses a mask unit (80) including: a shadow mask (81) that has an opening (82) and that is smaller in area than a vapor deposition region (210) of a film formation substrate (200) and; a vapor deposition source (85) that has a emission hole (86) for emitting a vapor deposition particle, the emission hole (86) being provided so as to face the shadow mask (81), the shadow mask (81) and the vapor deposition source (85) being fixed in position relative to each other, (ii) adjusts an amount of a void between the shadow mask (81) and the film formation substrate (200), (iii) moves at least a first one of the mask unit (80) and the film formation substrate (200) relative to a second one thereof while uniformly maintaining the amount of the void between the mask unit (80) and the film formation substrate (200), and (iv) sequentially deposit the vapor deposition particle onto the vapor deposition region (210) through the opening (82) of the shadow mask (81).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Inventors: Tohru SONODA, Nobuhiro HAYASHI, Shinichi KAWATO
  • Patent number: 9458532
    Abstract: The present invention (i) uses a mask unit (80) including: a shadow mask (81) that has an opening (82) and that is smaller in area than a vapor deposition region (210) of a film formation substrate (200) and; a vapor deposition source (85) that has a emission hole (86) for emitting a vapor deposition particle, the emission hole (86) being provided so as to face the shadow mask (81), the shadow mask (81) and the vapor deposition source (85) being fixed in position relative to each other, (ii) adjusts an amount of a void between the shadow mask (81) and the film formation substrate (200), (iii) moves at least a first one of the mask unit (80) and the film formation substrate (200) relative to a second one thereof while uniformly maintaining the amount of the void between the mask unit (80) and the film formation substrate (200), and (iv) sequentially deposit the vapor deposition particle onto the vapor deposition region (210) through the opening (82) of the shadow mask (81).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Nobuhiro Hayashi, Shinichi Kawato
  • Publication number: 20160260902
    Abstract: A vapor deposition device (50) disclosed, a partition wall (26) standing between film formation regions on a film formation substrate (200), includes: a mask unit (80) including a shadow mask (81) and a vapor deposition source (85) fixed in position relative to each other; contacting means for bringing the film formation substrate (200) and the shadow mask (81) into contact with each other at the partition wall (26); and moving means for moving at least a first one of the mask unit (80) and the film formation substrate (200) relative to a second one thereof in a state in which the contact caused by the contacting means is kept.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Inventors: Tohru SONODA, Shinichi KAWATO, Satoshi INOUE
  • Publication number: 20160240809
    Abstract: An organic EL display device (electroluminescent device) equipped with an organic EL element (electroluminescent element) includes an opposing substrate that is provided on an organic EL element side and that opposes a TFT substrate (substrate), a desiccant that is provided between the TFT substrate and the opposing substrate in such a manner as to cover the organic EL element, a frame-shaped seal material that seals the organic EL element between the TFT substrate and the opposing substrate, and a holding member for holding the desiccant, the holding member being provided on the opposing substrate side inside the seal material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru SENOO, Takeshi HIRASE, Tetsuya OKAMOTO, Tohru SONODA
  • Publication number: 20160204374
    Abstract: In an organic EL display device (electroluminescent device) including an organic EL element (electroluminescent element), a sealing film is provided to seal the organic EL element. The sealing film includes a first inorganic layer, a first organic layer, a second inorganic layer, a second organic layer, and a third inorganic layer (uppermost inorganic layer), which are arranged in this order. The first and second organic layers are formed so that the thickness of the end portions gradually decreases from the thickness of the central portions. The third inorganic layer is provided to cover the end portions of each of the first inorganic layer, the first organic layer, the second inorganic layer, and the second organic layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventors: Tohru SONODA, Takeshi HIRASE, Tetsuya OKAMOTO, Tohru SENOO
  • Patent number: 9391275
    Abstract: A vapor deposition source (60), a plurality of control plates (80) and a vapor deposition mask (70) are disposed in this order. A substrate (10) is moved relative to the vapor deposition mask in a state in which the substrate and the vapor deposition mask are spaced apart at a fixed interval. Vapor deposition particles (91) discharged from a vapor deposition source opening (61) of the vapor deposition source pass through neighboring inter-control plate spaces (81) and mask openings (71) formed in the vapor deposition mask, and then adhere to the substrate to form a coating film (90). At least a part of the coating film is formed by the vapor deposition particles that have passed through two or more different inter-control plate spaces. It is thereby possible to form a coating film in which edge blur and variations in the thickness are suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Nobuhiro Hayashi, Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue
  • Patent number: 9365927
    Abstract: Techniques for producing an organic electroluminescent element while collecting a vapor deposition material that is vapor-deposited on a vapor deposition device, collecting a vapor-deposited film by use of a collection device, and producing an organic electroluminescent element by use of a collection device. In one example, a film is provided on at least a part of a surface of each of a vapor deposition preventing plate and a shutter of a vacuum chamber on which surface vapor deposition particles are vapor-deposited, the film being provided so as to be peeled off from the each of the vapor deposition preventing plate and the shutter, and the film being made of a material differing in at least one of a melting point, a sublimation point, solubility in a given solvent, microbial biodegradability, and photodegradability from a material of which a vapor-deposited film that is formed on the film is made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue, Satoshi Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20160149135
    Abstract: The vapor deposition particle injecting device (20) includes a crucible (22), a holder (21) having at least one injection hole (21a), and plate members (23 through 25) provided in the holder (21). The plate members (23 through 25) have respective openings (23a through 25a) corresponding to the injection hole (21a), and the plate members (23 through 25) are arranged away from each other in a direction perpendicular to the opening planes of the openings. The injection hole (21a) and the openings (23a through 25a) overlap each other in the plan view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Inventors: Tohru SONODA, Shinichi KAWATO, Satoshi INOUE, Satoshi HASHIMOTO
  • Patent number: 9299946
    Abstract: TFT substrate (10) includes a plurality of pixel regions each including light emitting regions of at least three colors, which light emitting regions include light emitting layers (23R(1), 23G, 23R(2), and 23B), respectively, and two adjacent ones of the light emitting regions are a combination other than a combination of (i) a light emitting region included in a light emitting layer (23G) of a color having a highest current efficiency in a case where the light emitting layers of the light emitting regions of the at least three colors emit light having an identical luminance and (ii) a light emitting region included in a light emitting layer (23B) of a color having a lowest current efficiency in a case where the light emitting layers of the light emitting regions of the at least three colors emit light having an identical luminance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue, Satoshi Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20160087243
    Abstract: In an organic EL display device (electroluminescence device) including an organic EL element (electroluminescence element), the organic EL element is covered with a desiccant layer. Between a TFT substrate (substrate) and an opposite substrate, a frame-shaped moisture high-permeable layer and a frame-shaped sealing member are disposed in a state successively surrounding the desiccant layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Inventors: Tohru SENOO, Tohru SONODA, Takeshi HIRASE, Tetsuya OKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20160072099
    Abstract: In an organic EL display device (electroluminescent device) including an organic EL element (electroluminescent element), a first sealing film covers the organic El element, a second sealing film is formed on the first sealing film, and a third sealing film covers the first sealing film and the second sealing film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: Tetsuya OKAMOTO, Takeshi HIRASE, Tohru SENOO, Tohru SONODA, Wataru NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20160036008
    Abstract: A vapor deposition device (50) in accordance with the present invention includes: a vapor deposition source (80) which has a plurality of injection holes (81) from which vapor deposition particles are to be injected towards a film formation substrate (60); a plurality of pipes (83a and 83b); a vapor deposition source crucible (82) for supplying the vapor deposition particles to the vapor deposition source (80); and moving means for moving the film formation substrate (60) relative to the vapor deposition source (80). The pipes (83a and 83b) are connected to first and second sides of the vapor deposition source (80) on one end side and the other end side, respectively, of a line of the injection holes (81).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: Tohru SONODA, Shinichi KAWATO, Satoshi INOUE, Satoshi HASHIMOTO