Patents by Inventor Toshio Hiraoka

Toshio Hiraoka 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: 10773421
    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: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
    Inventors: Takayoshi Konishi, Toshio Hiraoka
  • Publication number: 20200238574
    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: January 30, 2019
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: Takayoshi KONISHI, Toshio HIRAOKA, Noritomo KAMEDA, Hideaki ICHIURA, Hiroko NAKAOKA
  • Publication number: 20200217013
    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 13, 2020
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventors: Takayoshi KONISHI, Toshio HIRAOKA
  • Publication number: 20200173104
    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: February 10, 2020
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: Takayoshi KONISHI, Toshio HIRAOKA
  • Patent number: 10672555
    Abstract: One object is to provide a new type of coil element capable of reducing leakage magnetic flux. A coil element according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided with an insulator body made of a magnetic material and having a mounting surface and an upper surface opposed to said mounting surface, a coil conductor embedded in the insulator body, an external electrode electrically connected to the coil conductor, a shield layer provided on the upper surface of the insulator body and having a larger magnetic permeability than the insulator body, and a plating layer formed to cover the mounting surface of the external electrode and having a larger magnetic permeability than the insulator body. The plating layer is formed to be thicker than the shield layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: TAIYO YUDEN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kentaro Fukuda, Toshio Hiraoka
  • Publication number: 20200146903
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for producing recycled pulp fibers such that articles using the recycled pulp fibers can easily achieve a uniform whiteness and users are not prone to feel psychological resistance to articles using the recycled pulp fibers. This method is described below.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Takayoshi Konishi, Toshio Hiraoka, Noritomo Kurita
  • Publication number: 20200149220
    Abstract: In this method of producing recycled fibers by removing superabsorbent polymers from fibers containing superabsorbent polymers, recycled fibers are efficiently produced while the superabsorbent polymers are suitably removed from the fibers. This method produces recycled fibers from a mixture of fibers and superabsorbent polymers. This method involves a continuous treatment step (S36) in which, in a treatment tank (31) having a treatment solution that can dissolve superabsorbent polymers, superabsorbent polymers are dissolved while a mixed solution (51) that contains water and fibers containing superabsorbent polymers is continuously supplied at a first flow rate, and the treatment solution (52) containing the removed fibers is continuously discharged to outside of the treatment tank at a second flow rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Takayoshi Konishi, Toshio Hiraoka, Noritomo Kurita
  • Patent number: 10646386
    Abstract: Provided is a method for efficiently recovering pulp fiber from used hygiene products that include pulp fiber and a polymer absorbent. This method is characterized by including a step for introducing the used hygiene product into a treatment tank in which an aqueous solution with ozone dissolved therein has been introduced, and a step for treating the used hygiene product while infusing water into the treatment tank at a first flow rate, extracting the aqueous solution from the treatment tank at a second flow rate and introducing a gas containing ozone into the aqueous solution in the treatment tank, thereby decomposing the polymer absorbent, lowering the molecular weight thereof, and making the same dissolvable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayoshi Konishi, Toshio Hiraoka, Noritomo Kameda, Hideaki Ichiura
  • Publication number: 20200141055
    Abstract: The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a method for producing pulp fibres for saccharification from the pulp fibres of used sanitary items, said pulp fibres for saccharification having low lignin contents distributed within a narrow range, and enabling the production of pulp fibres for saccharification having superior saccharification properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Applicant: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kouichi Yamaki, Takayoshi Konishi, Naoto Ohashi, Toshio Hiraoka, Noritomo Kurita
  • Publication number: 20200131702
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method which is for producing pulp fibers for cellulose nanofiberization from pulp fibers of used sanitary products, and which can produce pulp fibers for cellulose nanofiberization that have low lignin content and a low distribution thereof and that have excellent cellulose nanofiberization properties. This method is described below.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Takayoshi Konishi, Toshio Hiraoka, Noritomo Kurita
  • Patent number: 10626554
    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: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayoshi Konishi, Toshio Hiraoka
  • Patent number: 10538878
    Abstract: A method is provided for recovering pulp fibers having little damage from a used absorbent article which includes a water permeable front sheet, a water impermeable back sheet and an absorbent body that contains pulp fibers and a superabsorbent polymer. At least one opening with a circle equivalent diameter of 5-45 mm, or 10-45 mm cut, is made in the front sheet and/or the back sheet of the used absorbent article, which is then agitated in an organic acid aqueous solution with a pH of less than or equal to 2.5, and the superabsorbent polymer is deactivated and the pulp fibers and superabsorbent polymer are discharged from the used absorbent article through the opening or cut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayoshi Konishi, Toshio Hiraoka, Koichi Yamaki, Noritomo Kameda
  • Publication number: 20200016794
    Abstract: A method of recovering structural members from a used absorbent article comprising a front sheet, a back sheet and an absorbent body between the front sheet and the back sheet, wherein at least one of the front sheet and the back sheet includes a film, and wherein the absorbent body includes an absorbent body material, may include swelling the used absorbent article with water, applying a physical shock to and disintegrating the swelled used absorbent article into at least the film and the absorbent body material, and separating the film and the absorbent body material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Applicant: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayoshi Konishi, Toshio Hiraoka, Noritomo Kameda
  • Patent number: 10533282
    Abstract: A method is provided which, by a simple process, separates and recovers pulp fibers from a used absorbent article that contains pulp fibers and a superabsorbent polymer. A used absorbent article is treated with an aqueous solution that contains greater than or equal to 0.05 mass % of at least one kind of terpene selected from the group comprising terpene hydrocarbons, terpene aldehydes, and terpene ketones and that contains a deactivating agent that can deactivate the superabsorbent polymer; the superabsorbent polymer is deactivated, the adhesive that bonds together the constituent materials of the absorbent article is dissolved with the terpene to decompose the absorbent article, the pulp fibers are discharged to outside of the absorbent article, and the pulp fibers are separated from the absorbent article and recovered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayoshi Konishi, Toshio Hiraoka, Koichi Yamaki, Noritomo Kameda
  • Publication number: 20200001506
    Abstract: A method includes producing recycled products from a plurality of used absorbent articles, each including a top sheet, a back sheet and an absorbent body including absorbent body materials, by recovering a plurality of structural members from the plurality of used absorbent articles. At least one of the top sheet and the back sheet includes a film. The method includes: separating the plurality of used absorbent articles into a plurality of the films and the absorbent body materials; sorting the plurality of films into a plurality of types of recyclable films according to the filler contents of the plurality of films; and forming a plurality of types of recycled resin pellets from the plurality of types of recyclable films.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Applicant: UNICHARM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayoshi Konishi, Toshio Hiraoka, Noritomo Kameda
  • Publication number: 20190381543
    Abstract: A method of recycling a used absorbent article having human waste includes: a first step of separating pulp fiber from the used absorbent article to obtain regenerated pulp fiber; a second step of conversion to solid fuel from constituent materials of the used absorbent article remaining after separation of the pulp fiber to obtain solid fuel, and a third step of supplying waste water containing organic material generated from the first step to a microbial fuel cell to obtain electric power while purifying the waste water. The processing rate for the used absorbent article containing human waste is 90 mass % or greater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Applicant: Unicharm Corporation
    Inventors: Takayoshi Konishi, Koichi Yamaki, Toshio Hiraoka, Noritomo Kameda
  • Publication number: 20190338463
    Abstract: A method is provided which, by a simple process, separates and recovers pulp fibers from a used absorbent article that contains pulp fibers and a superabsorbent polymer. A used absorbent article is treated with an aqueous solution that contains greater than or equal to 0.05 mass % of at least one kind of terpene selected from the group comprising terpene hydrocarbons, terpene aldehydes, and terpene ketones and that contains a deactivating agent that can deactivate the superabsorbent polymer; the superabsorbent polymer is deactivated, the adhesive that bonds together the constituent materials of the absorbent article is dissolved with the terpene to decompose the absorbent article, the pulp fibers are discharged to outside of the absorbent article, and the pulp fibers are separated from the absorbent article and recovered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventors: Takayoshi KONISHI, Toshio HIRAOKA, Koichi YAMAKI, Noritomo KAMEDA
  • Publication number: 20190291303
    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: June 4, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Takayoshi KONISHI, Toshio HIRAOKA, Noritomo KAMEDA, Hideaki ICHIURA, Hiroko NAKAOKA
  • Publication number: 20190271018
    Abstract: A simple method is provided for producing a saccharified solution from a used absorbent article such as a used diaper. In order to produce a saccharified solution from a used absorbent article comprising a non-cellulosic liquid permeable surface material and an absorbent body that contains pulp fibers, the used absorbent article is immersed, without first being decomposed, in a saccharifying enzyme solution containing cellulase. The pulp fibers in the used absorbent article are saccharified by the cellulase, producing a saccharified solution. The produced saccharified solution is exuded out of the used absorbent article through the liquid permeable surface material, so it is possible to easily separate and recover the saccharified solution from the used absorbent article while maintaining the outer shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Inventors: Takayoshi KONISHI, Toshio HIRAOKA, Koichi YAMAKI, Noritomo KAMEDA
  • Publication number: 20190186074
    Abstract: A method is provided for recovering pulp fibers having little damage from a used absorbent article which includes a water permeable front sheet, a water impermeable back sheet and an absorbent body that contains pulp fibers and a superabsorbent polymer. At least one opening with a circle equivalent diameter of 5-45 mm, or 10-45 mm cut, is made in the front sheet and/or the back sheet of the used absorbent article, which is then agitated in an organic acid aqueous solution with a pH of less than or equal to 2.5, and the superabsorbent polymer is deactivated and the pulp fibers and superabsorbent polymer are discharged from the used absorbent article through the opening or cut.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Takayoshi KONISHI, Toshio HIRAOKA, Koichi YAMAKI, Noritomo KAMEDA