Patents by Inventor Toshiro Kugimiya

Toshiro Kugimiya 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).

  • Method for drying microstructure member
    Patent number: 6804900
    Abstract: Method for drying a microstructure member having many micro concavities in a surface, the micro concavities containing water, includes adjusting the temperature of liquid inside the micro concavities to a temperature in the range of the cloud point of a surfactant ±1° C., and supplying a mixture of the surfactant and a hydrophobic solvent adjusted to a temperature in the range of the cloud point ±1° C. into the micro concavities to remove part or all of the water; heating the liquid inside the micro concavities to a temperature exceeding the cloud point +1° C., and supplying the hydrophobic solvent controlled to a temperature exceeding the cloud point +1° C. into the micro concavities to replace the liquid in the concavities with the hydrophobic solvent; and placing the resulting microstructure member with the concavities into contact with liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide to replace the hydrophobic solvent with the liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kawakami, Toshiro Kugimiya
  • Method for drying microstructure member
    Publication number: 20040038532
    Abstract: Method for drying a microstructure member having many micro concavities in a surface, the micro concavities containing water, includes adjusting the temperature of liquid inside the micro concavities to a temperature in the range of the cloud point of a surfactant ±1° C., and supplying a mixture of the surfactant and a hydrophobic solvent adjusted to a temperature in the range of the cloud point ±1° C. into the micro concavities to remove part or all of the water; heating the liquid inside the micro concavities to a temperature exceeding the cloud point +1° C., and supplying the hydrophobic solvent controlled to a temperature exceeding the cloud point +1° C. into the micro concavities to replace the liquid in the concavities with the hydrophobic solvent; and placing the resulting microstructure member with the concavities into contact with liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide to replace the hydrophobic solvent with the liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Publication date: February 26, 2004
    Applicant: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kawakami, Toshiro Kugimiya