Patents by Inventor Toshiaki Yamagami

Toshiaki Yamagami 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: 11814762
    Abstract: A fiber structure manufacturing apparatus includes: a defibration unit that pulverizes and defibrates a fiber raw material that contains fibers; a transportation unit that transports a defibrated material after defibration by the defibration unit; a melting-material mixing unit that mixes a melting material into the defibrated material transported by the transportation unit; a fibrous web forming unit that forms a fibrous web by causing a mixture of the defibrated material and the melting material to accumulate; a sheet supplying unit that supplies a shape retainer sheet to the fibrous web; and a heating-and-pressing mechanism that forms a fiber structure by heating and pressing the fibrous web after the shape retainer sheet is supplied; wherein the sheet supplying unit supplies the shape retainer sheet in such a state that nap is raised on a surface, of the shape retainer sheet, that is to be in contact with the fibrous web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiaki Yamagami, Yoichi Miyasaka
  • Patent number: 11338471
    Abstract: A sheet manufacturing apparatus includes a coarse crushing portion that crushes a raw material containing a fiber into coarse crushed pieces, a defibrating portion that defibrates the coarse crushed pieces into a defibrated material, a sieve portion that includes a plurality of openings, a sheet forming portion that uses the defibrated material passing through the opening of the sieve portion to form a sheet, and a transport passage that transports the defibrated material, which has not passed through the opening of the sieve portion, between the coarse crushing portion and the defibrating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuma Miyazawa, Toshiaki Yamagami, Masahide Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20220098793
    Abstract: A fibrous body manufacturing apparatus includes a putting-out unit, a transportation unit, a deposition unit, and a pressing and heating unit. The putting-out unit puts a ground sheet out, with a functional member arranged on one side of a sheet. The transportation unit transports the ground sheet put out onto itself. The deposition unit lets fibers and a binder deposit on one side of the transported ground sheet, thereby forming a web thereon. The pressing and heating unit applies pressure and heat to the web.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Toshiaki YAMAGAMI, Sotaro OANA, Makoto OMURA
  • Publication number: 20220101677
    Abstract: A magnetic sheet includes a sheet, line-shaped N first magnetic members arranged on the sheet and having magnetic properties, and line-shaped N second magnetic members arranged on the sheet and having magnetic properties, where N denotes the number of the first magnetic members and denotes the number of the second magnetic members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Sotaro OANA, Makoto OMURA, Toshiaki YAMAGAMI
  • Publication number: 20210381144
    Abstract: A fiber structure manufacturing apparatus includes: a defibration unit that pulverizes and defibrates a fiber raw material that contains fibers; a transportation unit that transports a defibrated material after defibration by the defibration unit; a melting-material mixing unit that mixes a melting material into the defibrated material transported by the transportation unit; a fibrous web forming unit that forms a fibrous web by causing a mixture of the defibrated material and the melting material to accumulate; a sheet supplying unit that supplies a shape retainer sheet to the fibrous web; and a heating-and-pressing mechanism that forms a fiber structure by heating and pressing the fibrous web after the shape retainer sheet is supplied; wherein the sheet supplying unit supplies the shape retainer sheet in such a state that nap is raised on a surface, of the shape retainer sheet, that is to be in contact with the fibrous web.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Toshiaki YAMAGAMI, Yoichi MIYASAKA
  • Publication number: 20210363700
    Abstract: A starch composite for binding fibers includes starch particles which are first particles and second particles containing a hydrophobic material having an affinity for the starch particles, which are the first particles. The weight-average size of the second particles is less than the weight-average size of the first particles and the outer surfaces of the first particles are covered by the second particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: Satomi YOSHIOKA, Hideki TANAKA, Toshiaki YAMAGAMI, Shunichi SEKI, Yoshihiro UENO, Kaneo YODA, Nobutaka URANO
  • Patent number: 11173627
    Abstract: A transport device includes a transport pipe for transporting a material to be transported having at least one of a sheet piece, a fiber, and a powder, and a blower for generating an air flow in the transport pipe, the transport device transports the material to be transported by the air flow, in which the transport pipe has an introduction port into which the material to be transported is introduced, the air flow has a velocity difference in a direction orthogonal to a direction of the air flow in the transport pipe, and the introduction port is provided on a side where a velocity of the air flow is lower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Naoko Omagari, Toshiaki Yamagami
  • Publication number: 20210230802
    Abstract: Equipment for manufacturing a fiber structure in the present disclosure includes: a defibrator configured to pulverize and defibrate a fiber material containing fibers; a transport pipe through which a defibrated material defibrated by the defibrator is transported; a melting-material mixing section configured to mix a melting material into the defibrated material transported through the transport pipe; a fibrous-web forming machine configured to accumulate the defibrated material in which the melting material is mixed and form a fibrous web; a sheet supply section configured to supply a shape-maintaining sheet to the fibrous web; and a heating-and-compression mechanism configured to compress the shape-maintaining sheet and the fibrous web between planar plates and heat the shape-maintaining sheet and the fibrous web to a temperature equal to or higher than a temperature at which the melting material softens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventors: Toshiaki YAMAGAMI, Hidehiro TAKANO, Kazuhiro ICHIKAWA, Nobumasa ABE, Yoichi MIYASAKA
  • Patent number: 11059199
    Abstract: A raw material supply device includes a housing that stores an aggregate of small pieces, a discharge port through which the small pieces are discharged from an inside of the housing, a rotor provided in the housing and including a protruding portion, and a magnet provided on the discharge port or on a downstream side of the discharge port. In addition, it is preferable that the raw material supply device further include a passage route that communicates with the discharge port and through which the small pieces pass, in which at least one pair of the magnets is disposed on one side and the other side via the passage route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yutaka Watarai, Toshiaki Yamagami
  • Publication number: 20210206019
    Abstract: A sheet manufacturing apparatus includes a coarse crushing portion that crushes a raw material containing a fiber into coarse crushed pieces, a defibrating portion that defibrates the coarse crushed pieces into a defibrated material, a sieve portion that includes a plurality of openings, a sheet forming portion that uses the defibrated material passing through the opening of the sieve portion to form a sheet, and a transport passage that transports the defibrated material, which has not passed through the opening of the sieve portion, between the coarse crushing portion and the defibrating portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventors: Kazuma MIYAZAWA, Toshiaki YAMAGAMI, Masahide NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20210101311
    Abstract: A transport device includes a transport pipe for transporting a material to be transported having at least one of a sheet piece, a fiber, and a powder, and a blower for generating an air flow in the transport pipe, the transport device transports the material to be transported by the air flow, in which the transport pipe has an introduction port into which the material to be transported is introduced, the air flow has a velocity difference in a direction orthogonal to a direction of the air flow in the transport pipe, and the introduction port is provided on a side where a velocity of the air flow is lower.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Inventors: Naoko OMAGARI, Toshiaki YAMAGAMI
  • Patent number: 10920347
    Abstract: A sheet comprising fibers, resin, and a marking. The resin is a fusion bonding resin, and the fibers are bound to each other by melting the fusion bonding resin. The fibers include defiberated recycled sheet(s). The marking is formed on a surface of the sheet and readable by a reading unit of a supply unit for supplying feedstock to a recycled sheet manufacturing apparatus. When the marking is read by the reading unit, the reading unit is caused to determine that the sheet is made from defibrated recycled sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiaki Yamagami, Yoichi Miyasaka, Nobuhito Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20200190743
    Abstract: A sheet manufacturing apparatus includes a web forming section that accumulates a feedstock containing fibers in a gas to form a second web, an arranging section that arranges a magnetic body on the second web while the second web is transported, and a processing section that processes the second web on which the magnetic body is arranged into a sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventor: Toshiaki YAMAGAMI
  • Patent number: 10563351
    Abstract: An apparatus reduces material left between a shredding unit and a defibrating unit. A sheet manufacturing apparatus including a shredder that separates feedstock containing at least fiber into shreds in air; a defibrating unit that defibrates at least the shreds in air; and a forming unit that forms a sheet using defibrated material defibrated by the defibrating unit; wherein the defibration capacity, which is the amount defibrated per unit time by the defibrating unit, is greater than or equal to the shredding capacity, which is the amount shredded per unit time by the shredder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Murayama, Nobumasa Abe, Toshiaki Yamagami
  • Publication number: 20190263018
    Abstract: A raw material supply device includes a housing that stores an aggregate of small pieces, a discharge port through which the small pieces are discharged from an inside of the housing, a rotor provided in the housing and including a protruding portion, and a magnet provided on the discharge port or on a downstream side of the discharge port. In addition, it is preferable that the raw material supply device further include a passage route that communicates with the discharge port and through which the small pieces pass, in which at least one pair of the magnets is disposed on one side and the other side via the passage route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yutaka WATARAI, Toshiaki YAMAGAMI
  • Patent number: 10345742
    Abstract: In a sheet manufacturing apparatus which includes an installation unit on which a container that stores a powder is installed and which manufactures sheets including the powder and fibers, the installation unit includes an inlet for receiving the powder from the container, and a first shutter for opening and closing the inlet, the first shutter is capable of moving between an open position at which the inlet is opened and a closed position at which the inlet is closed in accordance with attachment and detachment of the container with respect to the installation unit, and the first shutter is provided with a plurality of shutter members and, at the open position, the plurality of shutter members are stored overlapping one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeo Fujita, Masayuki Kobayashi, Kaneo Yoda, Toshiaki Yamagami
  • Patent number: 10253456
    Abstract: A recycled sheet in which fibers are bonded via an additive agent includes a history including information that is related to characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shunichi Seki, Yoshiaki Murayama, Katsuhito Gomi, Toshiaki Yamagami
  • Publication number: 20180334765
    Abstract: A sheet manufacturing apparatus can determine if the sheets supplied as feedstock have already been recycled. The sheet manufacturing apparatus has a supply unit configured to supply feedstock; a defibrating unit configured to defibrate the feedstock; an depositing unit configured to deposit defibrated material defibrated by the defibrating unit; a forming unit configured to form a sheet from a web laid by the depositing unit; a marking unit configured to apply a mark to at least one of the web and the sheet; and a reading unit configured to read the mark imparted to the feedstock when a sheet having mark imparted thereto is supplied as the feedstock.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventors: Toshiaki YAMAGAMI, Yoichi MIYASAKA, Nobuhito TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 10134065
    Abstract: A billing charge calculation method for use in a sheet manufacturing apparatus that manufactures a sheet using a material including a fiber, includes: acquiring a quantity of output of the manufactured sheets; and calculating a billing charge according to the quantity of the output of the sheets, in which, in the calculating of the billing charge, a charge that includes a quantity-based charge which is obtained by multiplying the quantity of the output of the sheets by a charge per unit quantity is calculated as the billing charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiaki Yamagami, Seiichi Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20180299805
    Abstract: In a sheet manufacturing apparatus which includes an installation unit on which a container that stores a powder is installed and which manufactures sheets including the powder and fibers, the installation unit includes an inlet for receiving the powder from the container, and a first shutter for opening and closing the inlet, the first shutter is capable of moving between an open position at which the inlet is opened and a closed position at which the inlet is closed in accordance with attachment and detachment of the container with respect to the installation unit, and the first shutter is provided with a plurality of shutter members and, at the open position, the plurality of shutter members are stored overlapping one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventors: Shigeo FUJITA, Masayuki KOBAYASHI, Kaneo YODA, Toshiaki YAMAGAMI