Patents by Inventor Yasushi Kohno

Yasushi Kohno 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: 6602428
    Abstract: A sensor for measuring a physical amount such as an amount of air includes a membrane structure composed of metal stripes sandwiched between first and second insulating layers. A metal layer made of platinum or the like is formed on the first insulating layer and then heat-treated to improve its properties. Then, the metal layer is etched into a form of the metal stripes. The second insulating layer made of a material such as silicon dioxide is formed on the etched metal stripes. Since the metal layer is heat-treated before it is etched into the form of metal stripes, the metal stripes are not deformed by the heat-treatment. The second insulating layer can be formed on the metal stripes without generating cracks in the second insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Wado, Makiko Sugiura, Toshimasa Yamamoto, Yukihiro Takeuchi, Yasushi Kohno
  • Patent number: 6572809
    Abstract: A gel coating method comprising making a mold (27), which has both a gelatinizer impermeability or a slight gelatinizer impermeability and a hardening agent permeability, retain a hardening agent (26) thereon beforehand by immersing the mold (27) in the hardening agent (26) and taking out the mold (27) therefrom, placing a gelatinizer (30) and an object to be sealed (9) in the resultant mold (27), allowing the hardening agent (26) to permeate through the mold (27) as a whole by immersing the mold in the hardening agent (26) again, and uniformly hardening the gelatinizer (30), which is around the object to be sealed (9), from the portion thereof which contacts the mold (27), whereby the object to be sealed (9) is rendered easily removable as gel-coated object (9a) from the mold (27).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: Agritecno Yazaki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yugo Nishiyama, Yasushi Kohno
  • Publication number: 20030094041
    Abstract: An airflow meter has a membrane type sensor element. The sensor element is supported on a support member so that a sensing surface of the sensor element is in parallel to the airflow direction. The airflow meter has at least one means for protecting the sensor element from dust such as foreign particles. The protecting means is provided with an obstruction member that is disposed upstream or downstream of the sensor element with respect to the airflow direction. The sensor element is hidden behind the obstruction member. The obstruction member has gradually spreading surfaces and gradually converging surfaces along the airflow direction. Alternatively, the protecting means can be provided with a deflector, a cover member, a flow guide member, an inlet or a dust collector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2002
    Publication date: May 22, 2003
    Inventors: Takao Iwaki, Toshiyuki Morishita, Yasushi Kohno, Hiroyuki Wado, Yasushi Goka, Makoto Tsunekawa, Toshirou Gotou, Kiyoyuki Sugiura
  • Publication number: 20020148289
    Abstract: In a sensor chip for a fluid flow sensor, a thin film portion is formed above a hollow cavity portion while leaving thin film layers formed on the surface of a substrate. A conductor is provided on the inner wall face of a through hole formed to penetrate the substrate to thereby electrically connect a detecting portion constituted by a conductor film in the thin film layers and a substrate conductor portion formed on the rear face side of the through hole. The surface of a circuit board is formed with a control circuit and a base conductor portion electrically connected to the control circuit. The sensor chip and the circuit board are layered and the substrate conductor portion and the base conductor portion are electrically connected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Publication date: October 17, 2002
    Inventors: Toshiki Isogai, Yasushi Kohno, Toshimasa Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Wado
  • Publication number: 20020112397
    Abstract: A method of preventing defective germination or rosette formation of a plant seed that tends to suffer from defective germination or rosette formation during growth thereof is provided, which can be easily carried out without using large-scale equipment and makes the sowing after the treatment of the method easy. The method of preventing defective germination or rosette formation of a plant seed includes the steps of: leaving the plant seed to stand in highly watery condition at low temperature in a dark place; and drying the plant seed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2001
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Inventor: Yasushi Kohno
  • Patent number: 6428855
    Abstract: A process for producing an excellent gel-coated seed, a coating gel-layer of which has a uniform thickness and hardness, is provided. The process for producing a gel-coated seed according to the present invention employs a gel-forming solution and a hardener for gelatinizing the gel-forming solution, wherein a seed is dipped into the gel-forming solution after the hardener adheres to the seed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Agritecno Yazaki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Kohno, Kazuhiro Inose
  • Publication number: 20020073774
    Abstract: A flowmeter includes a heating resistor and a resistive element for detecting the temperature of the heating resistor. The heating resistor is controlled so that the temperature detected by the resistive element approaches a reference temperature determined based on the temperature of the fluid flow. As a result, the temperature of the upstream side of the heating resistor becomes lower than the reference temperature, while the temperature of the downstream side of the heating resistor becomes higher than the reference temperature. Another resistive element is arranged on the upstream side or the downstream side of the heating resistor for detecting the rate of the fluid flow, and the rate and the direction of the fluid flow are detected by comparing the temperature of the resistive element with the reference temperature. This flowmeter is immune to variation in the resistance of the heating resistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2001
    Publication date: June 20, 2002
    Inventor: Yasushi Kohno
  • Publication number: 20020070195
    Abstract: A sensor for measuring a physical amount such as an amount of air includes a membrane structure composed of metal stripes sandwiched between first and second insulating layers. A metal layer made of platinum or the like is formed on the first insulating layer and then heat-treated to improve its properties. Then, the metal layer is etched into a form of the metal stripes. The second insulating layer made of a material such as silicon dioxide is formed on the etched metal stripes. Since the metal layer is heat-treated before it is etched into the form of metal stripes, the metal stripes are not deformed by the heat-treatment. The second insulating layer can be formed on the metal stripes without generating cracks in the second insulating layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2001
    Publication date: June 13, 2002
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Wado, Makiko Sugiura, Toshimasa Yamamoto, Yukihiro Takeuchi, Yasushi Kohno
  • Publication number: 20020011025
    Abstract: A method of preventing defective germination or growth of a plant is provided, by which even plant seeds having small size can be sown easily and securely. The method of preventing defective germination or growth of a plant includes the steps of: encapsulating plant seeds in an aqueous gel capsule; refrigerating the plant seeds under the condition that the plant seeds do not germinate; and sowing the plant seeds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2001
    Publication date: January 31, 2002
    Inventors: Yasushi Kohno, Noritoshi Katsutani
  • Patent number: 6261371
    Abstract: A seed coating apparatus comprises a seed supplying unit, a coating unit, a hardening unit and a washing unit assembled in series. The coating unit is provided with an exchangeable nozzle block having the nozzles and with passages for respectively feeding the nozzles with gelling solution. All the passages are simultaneously blocked-and-resumed by two valves, which slidably cross the passages at upstream and downstream portions thereof. Each nozzle is supplied therein with a seed through a cylinder disposed at the center thereof and with gelling solution from the passage flowing toward the cylinder through discharge ports in opposite to each other. Holes of the nozzles for dropping the gel-coated seeds to the hardening unit are closed by a shutter after the gel-coated seeds are dropped therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Agritecno Yazaki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazushi Nakatsukasa, Yasushi Kohno, Takamichi Maejima
  • Patent number: 6223594
    Abstract: A thermal type air flow amount measuring apparatus is provided for measuring, a amount of air flowing in an air flow passage. The apparatus includes a bypass passage unit for bypassing a part of the air flowing through the air flow passage into the bypass passage. A flow amount measuring device is disposed in the bypass passage unit. A throttle unit is disposed upstream of the flow amount measuring device in the bypass passage unit and a support unit is disposed downstream over the throttle unit to support the flow amount measuring unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Takiguchi, Ryo Nagasaka, Minoru Kondo, Yasushi Kohno, Makoto Tsunekawa, Hideki Koyama
  • Patent number: 6220090
    Abstract: An air flow meter disposed in an intake pipe has a bypass member having a U-shaped bypass passage, into which part of air flowing through the intake pipe is introduced. An outflow port disposed at a downstream air side of the bypass passage is surrounded at its three sides by opposing surfaces of a pair of side walls and a wall surface of a partition wall disposed at “an upstream air side of the outflow port”. Further, the outflow port is opened in an air flow direction in the bypass passage and in an air flow direction in the air flow passage. Therefore, air flowing through the bypass passage is partially discharged into the air flow passage through the outflow port gradually before joining main air flow in the air flow passage, thereby restricting decrease in air flow velocity and occurrence of turbulence in the bypass passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi Kohno, Ryo Nagasaka, Minoru Kondo, Makoto Tsunekawa, Tomoyuki Takiguchi
  • Patent number: 6112457
    Abstract: A seed 9 is held in an aqueous gel 7 so as to constitute a seed covered with gel S. Seed covered with gel S is dried after seed 9 germinates. Otherwise, a through hole 12a is pierced vertically within a gel culture medium 12, a seed 13 is inserted into trough hole 12a, and gel culture medium 12 including seed 13 is dried after seed 13 germinates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: Agritecno Yazaki Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Kohno, Takamichi Maejima, Kazuhiro Inose, Yugo Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 6048571
    Abstract: An apparatus for encapsulating seed by gel of the present invention, wherein seed are drawn from a hopper of a seed supply portion into a stocker, are absorbed by an absorption head from a stocker, and are conveyed by move of the absorption head. The stocker comprising a vibrator and a vibratory plate, wherein one side of the vibratory plate forms a recess for storing the seed thereon, and the other side of the vibratory plate is connected with the vibrator, so that the seed on the vibratory plate are suspended by vibration of the vibrator. Thrust pins exsertably inserted into end nozzles of the absorption head and connected with an actuator, so that the thrust pins project at the period of casting the seed from the end nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: Agritecno Yazaki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Kohno, Kazushi Nakatsukasa
  • Patent number: 5910281
    Abstract: A method for restoring a dried aqueous organic gel capsule which includes aqueous organic gel hardened with a metal ion and then has been solidified by drying, wherein the method comprises immersing the solidified capsule in an aqueous solution containing the metal ion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1999
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi Kohno, Yoichi Ido, Masayoshi Minami, Riichi Minamiguchi
  • Patent number: 5906732
    Abstract: An in-liquid small substance separation/recovery apparatus which can separate small substances in a liquid into discrete ones in large amounts, includes a branch tube having an inlet port, a discharge port, and a separation/recovery port, a sensor to detect the small substances in a fluid passing through the inlet port, a controller to close and open a pair of valves, one at the discharge port and another at the separation/recovery port, and equipped with timers to start clocking a predetermined length of time each time the sensor detects a small substance and to signal the controller to open the valve at the discharge port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1999
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Yasushi Kohno
  • Patent number: 5902398
    Abstract: An artificial seed manufacturing apparatus in which enclosures can be inserted into capsules without fail, and the diameter of the capsule can automatically be controlled. This apparatus comprises: an enclosure supply mechanism with a container, a tip, and a driving source; a coating material delivery mechanism with a passage, a pressure plunger, a hollow nozzle plunger, and a stepping motor; and a control unit for controlling the enclosure supply mechanism and the coating material delivery mechanism, comprising: moving distance storing means for erasably storing setting data which are inputted through setting operation to designate moving distance of the pressure plunger; and stepping motor control means for supplying driving pulse, the stepping motor control means allowing the pressure plunger to reciprocate by the moving distance, to the stepping motor based on the data stored in the moving distance storing means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi Kohno, Takeo Hayashi
  • Patent number: 5866193
    Abstract: An apparatus for encapsulating seed by gel comprising a seed supplying portion and a processing portion, wherein seed has fallen from a hopper of a seed supplying portion are carried to a plurality of processing nozzles of a processing portion, for encapsulating seed by gelling. A supplying portion comprising the hopper filled with seed, a carrying device disposed below the hopper for arranging seed in correspondence with the number of processing nozzle of the processing portion, and switching devices disposed respectively at the end portions of seed carriage lanes formed by the carrying device so many as the processing nozzles. The carrying device comprising a box-shaped trough, partitions disposed at the upstream portion of the trough for restriction of the height of the flowing of seed, partitions for dividing the flowing of seed into streams so many as the processing nozzles, and a vibrator disposed below the trough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1999
    Assignee: Agritecno Yazaki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Kohno, Takamichi Maejima, Kazushi Nakatsukasa
  • Patent number: 5840121
    Abstract: A suction tip is moved between a seed-attracting position and a seed-releasing position when a rotary member is rotated by a drive source. The suction tip is moved upwardly and downwardly by an actuator attached to the rotary member. A gel-discharging mechanism disposed in alignment with the seed-releasing position includes a reciprocatable piston. When the piston moves front, a pressure is applied on gel, by which a hollow nozzle plunger opens a valve to allow the discharge of the gel. When the piston moves back, gel is supplemented. A portion of the gel discharged drops by its own weight, while the remainder forms a gel layer that closes the lower end of the hollow nozzle plunger. At the seed-releasing position, the suction tip is driven by the actuator to be lowered into the hollow portion to release the seed on the gel layer. Extremely small seeds can be reliably supplied on the gel layer at the lower end of the hollow portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Yasushi Kohno
  • Patent number: 5830271
    Abstract: For feeding seeds contained in a tank main body of a seeds feeding section to a gel coating section by means of suction tips arranged in a seeds transfer section in order to coat them with a gellant, a total of eight through bores are formed along the upper end of the peripheral wall of the tank main body at positions corresponding to the suction tip and arranged at regular intervals so that an annular adaptor having a through bore running through the center thereof is fitted into each of the through bores. The inner peripheral wall of the through bore has a large diameter section located on the outer peripheral side of the peripheral wall for receiving a suction tip and a small diameter section smaller than the large diameter section located on the inner peripheral side of the peripheral wall for allowing seeds to pass therethrough from the tank main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi Kohno, Yoichi Ido, Kazushi Nakatsukasa