Patents by Inventor Yoshifumi Kaji

Yoshifumi Kaji 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: 7455888
    Abstract: In an apparatus A in which electrode powder 10 is allowed to adhere via the electrostatic force to an electrolyte membrane that serves as a substrate 2 so as to form a catalyst layer, a screen 5 is held in a state of non-contact with the substrate 2, and a voltage is applied therebetween. The electrode powder 10 is allowed to adhere to an elastic feed roller 7, and the feed roller 7 is allowed to rotate in contact with the screen 5 by pressure. The electrode powder 10 is dispersed toward the substrate 2 so as to stably adhere thereto via both the electrostatic force and the extruding force of the elastic body. Variation of thickness and collapse of the outline are extremely reduced on the catalyst layer to be transferred and formed on the substrate (electrolyte membrane) via the electrostatic force using a conventionally used mesh-like screen so as to obtain a membrane electrode assembly with a high product manufacturing accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaishi
    Inventors: Satoshi Kadotani, Tatsuya Kawahara, Masashi Murate, Yoshifumi Kaji
  • Publication number: 20070129237
    Abstract: In an apparatus A in which electrode powder 10 is allowed to adhere via the electrostatic force to an electrolyte membrane that serves as a substrate 2 so as to form a catalyst layer, a screen 5 is held in a state of non-contact with the substrate 2, and a voltage is applied therebetween. The electrode powder 10 is allowed to adhere to an elastic feed roller 7, and the feed roller 7 is allowed to rotate in contact with the screen 5 by pressure. The electrode powder 10 is dispersed toward the substrate 2 so as to stably adhere thereto via both the electrostatic force and the extruding force of the elastic body. Variation of thickness and collapse of the outline are extremely reduced on the catalyst layer to be transferred and formed on the substrate (electrolyte membrane) via the electrostatic force using a conventionally used mesh-like screen so as to obtain a membrane electrode assembly with a high product manufacturing accuracy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Inventors: Satoshi Kadotani, Tatsuya Kawahara, Masashi Murate, Yoshifumi Kaji
  • Patent number: 7022638
    Abstract: In the method and apparatus for manufacturing a fuel cell electrode, electrode material is electrostatically held on a photosensitive drum with a prescribed pattern. The electrode material of the prescribed pattern is then transferred from the photosensitive drum onto an electrolyte membrane or a membrane of a diffusion layer. The transferred electrode material of the prescribed pattern is then fixed to the membrane. The electrode material may be electrostatically applied to the membrane a plurality of times in order to vary the electrode structure in the thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Kaji, Masashi Murate
  • Patent number: 6749959
    Abstract: The gas separator is provided with a substrate portion having a predetermined concave-convex shape, an underlying coating layer formed on the substrate portion, a first coating layer for coating the substrate portion and the underlying coating layer, and a second coating layer formed thereon. The second coating layer is formed from a carbon material, and is sufficiently conductive. Moreover, the second coating layer protects the underlying layer. The first coating layer is formed from a noble metal. Therefore, the first coating layer coated with the second coating layer exhibits extremely high corrosion resistance. The underlying coating layer and the substrate portion are coated with the first and second coating layers, so that the progress in corrosion can be sufficiently prevented. Thus, excellent overall corrosion resistance of the separator can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiromichi Nakata, Masayoshi Yokoi, Masazumi Onishi, Hideo Aihara, Masashi Murate, Yoshifumi Kaji
  • Publication number: 20030054225
    Abstract: In the method and apparatus for manufacturing a fuel cell electrode, electrode material is electrostatically held on a photosensitive drum with a prescribed pattern. The electrode material of the prescribed pattern is then transferred from the photosensitive drum onto an electrolyte membrane or a membrane of a diffusion layer. The transferred electrode material of the prescribed pattern is then fixed to the membrane. The electrode material may be electrostatically applied to the membrane a plurality of times in order to vary the electrode structure in the thickness direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Kaji, Masashi Murate
  • Publication number: 20010028974
    Abstract: The gas separator is provided with a substrate portion having a predetermined concave-convex shape, an underlying coating layer formed on the substrate portion, a first coating layer for coating the substrate portion and the underlying coating layer, and a second coating layer formed thereon. The second coating layer is formed from a carbon material, and is sufficiently conductive. Moreover, the second coating layer protects the underlying layer. The first coating layer is formed from a noble metal. Therefore, the first coating layer coated with the second coating layer exhibits extremely high corrosion resistance. The underlying coating layer and the substrate portion are coated with the first and second coating layers, so that the progress in corrosion can be sufficiently prevented. Thus, excellent overall corrosion resistance of the separator can be realized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Publication date: October 11, 2001
    Inventors: Hiromichi Nakata, Masayoshi Yokoi, Masazumi Onishi, Hideo Aihara, Masashi Murate, Yoshifumi Kaji