Patents by Inventor Tsutomu Nanataki

Tsutomu Nanataki 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).

  • Piezoelectric/electrostrictive body, piezoelectric/electrostrictive laminate, and piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator
    Patent number: 7417361
    Abstract: There is disclosed a piezoelectric/electrostrictive body which has superior piezoelectric/electrostrictive properties and which exhibits a sufficient durability even in a case where a flexural displacement is repeated a large number of times. A piezoelectric/electrostrictive body 30 is constituted of a large number of crystal grains 31 having the piezoelectric/electrostrictive properties in the form of a film or a layer having one or more layers. A number ratio of crystal grains 32, a part of which is exposed to at least one of interfaces 35a, 35b between the bodies and the outside in a thickness direction, is 80% or more of a large number of crystal grains 31 observed in an arbitrary section in the thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Nanataki, Mutsumi Kitagawa, Toshikatsu Kashiwaya
  • DIELECTRIC DEVICE AND ITS MANUFACTURING METHOD
    Publication number: 20080199730
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a dielectric device includes steps described below. (1) Mixing step: Powders serving as a matrix and additive powders for sintering the matrix are mixed. (2) Mixture heat-treating step: The mixture of the matrix and the additive that has been subject to the mixing step is heat-treated. (3) Deposition layer formation step: The material powders obtained through the mixture heat-treating step are injected toward a substrate so as to form a deposition layer on the substrate. (4) Deposition layer heat-treating step: The deposition layer formed on the substrate through the deposition layer formation step is heat-treated so as to form the dielectric layer on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kei Sato, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • DIELECTRIC DEVICE AND ITS MANUFACTURING METHOD
    Publication number: 20080196227
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a dielectric device includes steps described below. (1) Mixing step: Powders serving as a matrix and additive powders for sintering the matrix are mixed. (2) Mixture heat-treating step: The mixture of the matrix and the additive that has been subject to the mixing step is heat-treated. (3) Deposition layer formation step: The material powders obtained through the mixture heat-treating step are injected toward a substrate so as to form a deposition layer on the substrate. (4) Deposition layer heat-treating step: The deposition layer formed on the substrate through the deposition layer formation step is heat-treated so as to form the dielectric layer on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kei Sato, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • Piezoelectric/electrostrictive body, piezoelectric/electrostrictive laminate, and piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator
    Patent number: 7414352
    Abstract: There is disclosed a piezoelectric/electrostrictive body which has superior piezoelectric/electrostrictive properties and which exhibits a sufficient durability even in a case where a flexural displacement is repeated a large number of times. A piezoelectric/electrostrictive body is constituted of a large number of crystal grains having the piezoelectric/electrostrictive properties in the form of a film or a layer having one or more layers. A number ratio of crystal grains whose grain diameters W in a width direction are longer than grain diameters T in a thickness direction is 70% or more of a large number of crystal grains observed in an arbitrary section in the thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Nanataki, Mutsumi Kitagawa, Toshikatsu Kashiwaya
  • METHOD OF PRODUCING CERAMIC STRUCTURE AND CERAMIC STRUCTURE
    Publication number: 20080160324
    Abstract: Striped sheets each having a structure in which two types of first layers and second layers are stacked in the X direction are prepared. More specifically, first raw material sheets having the same composition as the first layers and second raw material sheets having the same composition as the second layers are regularly alternately stacked in the X direction to prepare a uniaxial stack. The uniaxial stack is then cut along the X direction to prepare the striped sheets. A large number of striped sheets and a large number of homogeneous sheets are then collected to form a sheet group. The striped sheets and the homogeneous sheets are alternately stacked in the Y direction different from the X direction to prepare a biaxial stack having two stacking axes in the X direction and the Y direction. The biaxial stack is fired to produce a ceramic structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto OHMORI, Natsumi Shimogawa, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A PIEZOELECTRIC/ELECTROSTRICTIVE DEVICE
    Publication number: 20080160179
    Abstract: There is disclosed a piezoelectric/electrostrictive porcelain composition capable of manufacturing, at a comparatively low sintering temperature, a piezoelectric/electrostrictive body which is dense and superior in crystallinity and which has satisfactory piezoelectric/electrostrictive characteristics so that deviation of the composition is not easily generated. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive porcelain composition contains as a major component a piezoelectric/electrostrictive porcelain composition component including a PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3—PbZrO3—PbTiO3 ternary solid solution system composition and NiO or including a Pb(Mg, Ni)1/3Nb2/3O3—PbZrO3—PbTiO3 ternary solid solution system composition, and further contains lead germanate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Nanataki, Hirofumi Yamaguchi, Toshikatsu Kashiwaya, Yuya Kikuta
  • HONEYCOMB-TYPE PIEZOELECTRIC/ELECTROSTRICTIVE ELEMENT
    Publication number: 20080129156
    Abstract: A honeycomb-type piezoelectric/electrostrictive element includes a honeycomb structure section having a partition wall which partitions cells passing through the honeycomb structure section in an axial direction, and an electrode as an internal electrode disposed on an inner wall surface of the cell to internally cover the entire inner wall surface, wherein the partition wall is formed of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive body, and the honeycomb structure section can be deformed by applying a voltage between the electrodes disposed in the cells adjacent through the partition wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki KOBAYASHI, Tsutomu NANATAKI
  • DEVICE WITH CERAMIC THIN PLATE MEMBER AND METAL THIN PLATE MEMBER
    Publication number: 20080124601
    Abstract: A device includes a ceramic thin plate member including a fired ceramic sheet; and a metal thin plate member having an outer shape larger than that of the ceramic thin plate member. An outer circumferential portion of the ceramic thin plate member is joined to the metal thin plate member. The ceramic thin plate member has through holes and a plurality of crease portions. Each crease portion has a ridge portion whose crest continuously extends from a joint portion between the ceramic thin plate member and the metal thin plate member toward an outer circumferential portion of the metal thin plate member. Since thermal stress due to a difference in thermal expansion between the metal thin plate member and the ceramic thin plate member can be relaxed through expansion of the crease portions, the ceramic thin plate member does not deform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto OHMORI, Natsumi Shimogawa, Tsutomu Nanataki, Hiroki Fujita
  • Display apparatus, method of driving display apparatus, electron emitter, method of driving electron emitter, apparatus for driving electron emitter, electron emission apparatus, and method of driving electron emission apparatus
    Patent number: 7379037
    Abstract: One image is displayed in a period as one frame, which includes one charge accumulation period and one light emission period. In the charge accumulation period, all electron emitters are scanned, and voltages depending on the luminance levels of corresponding pixels are applied to the electron emitters which correspond to pixels to be turned on (to emit light), to accumulate charges (electrons) in amounts depending on the luminance levels of corresponding pixels in the electron emitters which correspond to pixels to be turned on. In the next light emission period, a constant voltage is applied to all the electron emitters to emit electrons in amounts depending on the luminance levels of corresponding pixels from the electron emitters which correspond to pixels to be turned on, thereby emitting light from the pixels to be turned on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihisa Takeuchi, Tsutomu Nanataki, Iwao Ohwada, Takayoshi Akao
  • THIN PLATE MEMBER FOR UNIT CELL OF SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL
    Publication number: 20080096076
    Abstract: A thin plate member 10 includes an electrolyte layer 11, a fuel electrode layer 12 laminated and formed on the upper surface of the electrolyte layer 11 and having a thermal expansion coefficient greater than that of the electrolyte layer 11, and an air electrode layer 13 laminated and formed on the lower surface of the electrolyte layer 11. Further, a porous layer 14 made of a porous insulating member having a thermal expansion coefficient smaller than that of the fuel electrode layer 12 and a terminal 15 for taking generated power to the outside are laminated and formed extremely uniformly on the upper surface of the fuel electrode layer 12 in plan view. As a result, the warp of the whole thin plate member 10 with respect to the internal stress caused by the difference in the thermal expansion coefficient between layers can be suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2007
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto OHMORI, Natsumi Shimogawa, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • PIEZOELECTRIC/ELECTROSTRICTIVE FILM TYPE ELEMENT AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF
    Publication number: 20080095927
    Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive film type device including a thin substrate made of ceramic and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive operating portion disposed on the substrate and constituted by successively laminating a lower electrode film, a piezoelectric/electrostrictive film containing a large number of crystal particles constituted of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive composition, and an upper electrode film. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive composition contains one or more alkali metal elements selected from the group consisting of lithium, potassium, and sodium, and one or more metal elements selected from the group consisting of niobium, tantalum, antimony, and silver. Circle equivalent diameters of 90% or more of the large number of crystal particles are in a range of 0.3 to 50 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2007
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Nanataki, Hirofumi Yamaguchi, Toshikatsu Kashiwaya, Takaaki Koizumi
  • PIEZOELECTRIC/ELECTROSTRICTIVE DEVICE
    Publication number: 20080054761
    Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive device is provided, including a pair of mutually opposing thin plate sections and a fixation section for supporting the thin plate sections. A piezoelectric/electrostrictive element is arranged on each of the thin plate sections. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device also includes movable sections defined by at least first end portions of the thin plate sections and a material which is different from that of the thin plate section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihisa Takeuchi, Tsutomu Nanataki, Koji Ikeda, Koji Kimura, Kazuyoshi Shibata
  • CERAMIC THIN PLATE MEMBER
    Publication number: 20080050558
    Abstract: A thin plate member 10 has a uniform thickness of not less than 5 ?m and not more than 100 ?m, includes at least a ceramic sheet, and is formed by sintering. The thin plate member 10 has plural convex portions 11 protruding from one plane P of the thin plate member 10, and plural concave portions 12 caved in from the plane P. Accordingly, the deflection amount obtained when the thin plate member 10 is supported at a predetermined support section of the thin plate member 10 and a load is applied to a load applying section, which is other than the support section, of the thin plate member 10 in a direction orthogonal to the plane P is smaller than the deflection amount of a thin plate member that is flat without having the convex portion 11 and the concave portion 12. That is, the thin plate member 10 which is difficult to be deformed can be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Ohmori, Natsumi Shimogawa, Takahiro Maeda, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • High efficiency dielectric electron emitter
    Patent number: 7336026
    Abstract: An electron emitter has an emitter made of a dielectric material and an upper electrode and a lower electrode for being supplied with a drive voltage for emitting electrons. The upper electrode is disposed on an upper surface of the emitter, and the lower electrode is disposed on a lower surface of the emitter. The upper electrode has a plurality of through regions through which the emitter is exposed. Each of the through regions of the upper electrode has a peripheral portion having a surface facing the emitter and spaced from the emitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihisa Takeuchi, Tsutomu Nanataki, Iwao Ohwada, Takayoshi Akao
  • Piezoelectric/electrostrictive film type device and method of manufacturing the same
    Patent number: 7332851
    Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive film device is provided including a thin ceramic substrate and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive operating portion disposed on the substrate. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive operating portion includes a lower electrode film, a piezoelectric/electrostrictive film including a large number of crystal particles having a piezoelectric/electrostrictive composition, and an upper electrode film successively laminated on the substrate. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive composition excludes lead and contains one or more alkali metal elements selected from the group consisting of lithium, potassium, and sodium, and one or more metal elements selected from the group consisting of niobium, tantalum, antimony, and silver. Circle equivalent diameters of at least 90% of the crystal particles in the piezoelectric/electrostrictive film are in a range of 0.3 to 50 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Nanataki, Hirofumi Yamaguchi, Toshikatsu Kashiwaya, Takaaki Koizumi
  • PIEZOELECTRIC/ELECTROSTRICTIVE CERAMIC COMPOSITION, PIEZOELECTRIC/ELECTROSTRICTIVE DEVICE, AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME
    Publication number: 20080018207
    Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive ceramic composition includes a Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3—PbTiO3—PbZrO3 ternary solid solution system composition as the major component, and further contains 0.05 to 3.0 mass % of Ni (in terms of NiO) and 0.01 to 1.0 mass % of Ag (in terms of AgO). The piezoelectric/electrostrictive ceramic composition can be used to form a piezoelectric/electrostrictive portion having excellent mechanical strength, and excellent piezoelectric/electrostrictive characteristics as well with seldom dielectric breakdown even under an application of a high electric field, at a relatively low firing temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2007
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Nanataki, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Koichi Yoshino
  • Piezoelectric/electrostrictive device
    Patent number: 7321180
    Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive device is provided, including a pair of mutually opposing thin plate sections and a fixation section for supporting the thin plate sections. A piezoelectric/electrostrictive element is arranged on each of the thin plate sections. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device also includes movable sections defined by at least first end portions of the thin plate sections and a material which is different from that of the thin plate section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihisa Takeuchi, Tsutomu Nanataki, Koji Ikeda, Koji Kimura, Kazuyoshi Shibata
  • Electron emitter and method of producing the same
    Patent number: 7307383
    Abstract: An electron emitter includes an emitter section having a plate shape, a cathode electrode formed on a front surface of the emitter section, and an anode electrode formed on a back surface of the emitter section. A gap is formed between an outer peripheral portion of the cathode electrode and the front surface of the emitter section. The front surface of the emitter section contacts a lower surface of the outer peripheral portion to form a base end as a triple junction. The gap expands from the base end toward a tip end of the outer peripheral portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihisa Takeuchi, Tsutomu Nanataki, Iwao Ohwada
  • Electron emitter and light emission element
    Patent number: 7288881
    Abstract: Primary electrons impinge upon an emitter section of an electron emitter for causing emission of the secondary electrons. The secondary electrons are outputted from the electron emitter. The secondary electrons emitted from the emitter section are accelerated in an electric field applied to the emitter section for generating an electron beam. The electron emitter has the emitter section having a plate shape, a cathode electrode formed on a front surface of the emitter section, an anode electrode formed on a back surface of the emitter section. A drive voltage from a pulse generation source is applied between the cathode electrode and the anode electrode through a resistor. The anode electrode is connected to GND. A collector electrode is provided above the cathode electrode. A bias voltage is applied to the collector electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihisa Takeuchi, Tsutomu Nanataki, Iwao Ohwada
  • CERAMIC THIN PLATE MEMBER
    Publication number: 20070248869
    Abstract: A thin plate member is a thin plate member that is formed by sintering, contains a ceramic layer, and comprises a thin part having two or more types of layers laminated, each of which is made of a material having a different thermal expansion coefficient, and a thick part that is made by laminating plural layers including at least all of the layers constituting the thin part, and has a thickness greater than the thickness of the thin part. The thin part has a shape warping in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the thin plate member. By virtue of this configuration, the internal electrical resistance of the thin part can be reduced. Further, the thin plate member can be provided that is difficult to be deformed with respect to the internal stress caused by the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2007
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Ohmori, Natsumi Shimogawa, Michihiro Asai, Tsutomu Nanataki