Patents by Inventor Toshiyuki Mihara

Toshiyuki Mihara 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: 7649139
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thermoelectric element in which a thin film of p-type thermoelectric material and a thin film of n-type thermoelectric material, which are formed on an electrically insulating substrate, are electrically connected, in which the p-type thermoelectric material and the n-type thermoelectric material are selected from specific complex oxides with a positive Seebeck coefficient and specific complex oxides with a negative Seebeck coefficient, respectively. The present invention also provides a thermoelectric module using the thermoelectric element(s) and a thermoelectric conversion method. In the thermoelectric element of the present invention, since a p-type thermoelectric material and an n-type thermoelectric material are formed into a thin film on an electrically insulating substrate, the thermoelectric element of the invention can be formed on substrates having various shapes, thereby providing thermoelectric elements having various shapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Mihara, Ryoji Funahashi, Jun Akedo, Sou Baba, Masashi Mikami
  • Publication number: 20070144573
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thermoelectric element in which a thin film of p-type thermoelectric material and a thin film of n-type thermoelectric material, which are formed on an electrically insulating substrate, are electrically connected, in which the p-type thermoelectric material and the n-type thermoelectric material are selected from specific complex oxides with a positive Seebeck coefficient and specific complex oxides with a negative Seebeck coefficient, respectively. The present invention also provides a thermoelectric module using the thermoelectric element(s) and a thermoelectric conversion method. In the thermoelectric element of the present invention, since a p-type thermoelectric material and an n-type thermoelectric material are formed into a thin film on an electrically insulating substrate, the thermoelectric element of the invention can be formed on substrates having various shapes, thereby providing thermoelectric elements having various shapes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2005
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Applicant: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRAIL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Mihara, Ryoji Funahashi, Jun Akedo, Sou Baba, Masashi Mikami
  • Publication number: 20060118160
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thermoelectric element comprising an electrically conductive substrate, a p-type thermoelectric material, and an n-type thermoelectric material; the p-type thermoelectric material being positioned on the substrate via an electrically conductive thermal buffer material, and the n-type thermoelectric material being positioned on the substrate via an electrically conductive thermal buffer material; wherein each thermoelectric material comprises a specific oxide and each electrically conductive thermal buffer material comprises an electrically conductive material having a thermal expansion coefficient between that of the thermoelectric material to which the thermal buffer material is bonded and that of the substrate. The invention also provides a thermoelectric module comprising a plurality of the thermoelectric elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Applicant: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Ryoji Funahashi, Masashi Mikami, Toshiyuki Mihara, Saori Urata, Naoko Ando
  • Patent number: 6265475
    Abstract: A high damping material composition useful as a vibration damper and an acoustic insulating material such as a sound insulating wall for an acoustic room, a sound insulating partition for a construction structure and a soundproofing wall for a vehicle. The high damping material composition of the present invention containing the following components (A) and (B); (A) a polymer having in the molecular chain thereof a chemical structural unit derived from the following (a); (a) at least one selected from the group consisting of an acrylic monomer, a methacrylic monomer, an ethylene-acrylic copolymer, an ethylene-methacrylic copolymer and vinyl acetate; (B) at least one damping property imparting agent selected from the group consisting of a hindered phenol compound, a phosphite ester compound, a phosphate ester compound, a basic compound containing nitrogen and a hindered amine compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Tokai Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Wu Chifei, Takeshi Nomura, Toshiyuki Mihara, Kazunobu Hashimoto, Tetsuya Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 6169288
    Abstract: A laser ablation type ion source including vacuum chambers provided with a retaining section for holding a solid raw material for the generation of ions, an ion extracting electrode, an ion accelerating electrode, and a mass spectrograph for ion separation. The ion source also includes a laser beam source for injecting a laser beam of high density into the vacuum chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: Agency of Industrial Science & Technology, Ministry of International Trade & Industry
    Inventors: Yuji Horino, Toshiyuki Mihara, Akiyoshi Chayahara, Atsushi Kinomura, Nobuteru Tsubouchi
  • Patent number: 5798134
    Abstract: A process for producing a nickel oxide film characterized in that a composite film consisting of metallic nickel and carbon is heat-oxidized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1998
    Assignee: Agency of Industrial Science & Technology
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Sato, Shigeharu Tamura, Shoichi Mochizuki, Toshiyuki Mihara