Patents by Inventor Yoshihiko Hotta

Yoshihiko Hotta 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: 5321239
    Abstract: A card processing method of recording information or displaying, rewriting or erasing recorded information in a card having a magnetic recording portion, and a rewritable display portion which employs a reversible thermosensitive recording material, in which the step (a) of reading recorded information in the magnetic recording portion and the step (b) of rewriting the recorded information in the magnetic recording portion are carried out prior to the step (c) of erasing recorded information from the rewritable display portion and the step (d) of writing information in the rewritable display portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1994
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumihito Masubuchi, Yoshihiko Hotta, Kunichika Morohoshi, Makoto Kawaguchi, Yukio Konagaya, Toru Nogiwa, Nobuo Yamada
  • Patent number: 5310718
    Abstract: A method of compensating for the distortion in a recording layer of a reversible thermosensitive recording medium, for which transparency of the recording layer is changeable, depending upon the temperature thereof, and the recording layer is capable of forming images and erasing the images reversibly. The distortion in the recording layer is caused by the repeated image formation by image formation means and/or image erasure by image erasing means. In this method, stress is applied to the recording layer before and/or after image formation by the movement of the recording medium relative to the image formation means, in a direction different from the direction of the application of stress in the course of a previous image formation or image erasure. Instead of the stress, thermal energy can be employed for compensating for the distortion in the recording layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1994
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Amano, Makoto Kawaguchi, Yoshihiko Hotta, Atsushi Kutami, Kunichika Morohoshi, Akihide Ito, Fumihito Masubuchi, Takao Igawa, Tsutomu Kagawa, Nobuo Yamada, Katsuyoshi Kodama
  • Patent number: 5308823
    Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording material is made up of a substrate having a thermosensitive layer consisting essentially of a resin matrix and an organic low molecular substance dispersed in this resin matrix and is arranged to change its transparency reversibly depending upon the temperature. This thermosensitive layer further contains at least one additive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1994
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Hotta, Keishi Kubo
  • Patent number: 5305613
    Abstract: An air conditioning system suitable for use in an electric vehicle. In the air conditioning system, a refrigerant gas circulatory system of the heat pump type for selectively effecting cooling and heating is disposed inside the electric vehicle and comprises lines which interconnect three heat exchangers, a directional control valve, a compressor and an expansion valve to one another. A control device is provided so as to activate and inactivate the heat exchanger, the directional control valve and the compressor. Before the expected running of the vehicle, at least a portion of the refrigerant gas circulatory system can be operated by the control device using a drive source different from the drive source used for running the vehicle. Accordingly, a comfortable room environment can be established for the expected time on riding by activating the air conditioning system in an unmanned state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1994
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Hotta, Akihiro Tajiri
  • Patent number: 5298476
    Abstract: A rewritable bar code display medium is disclosed, which is composed of a support and a reversible thermosensitive recording layer for reversibly forming bar codes therein formed on the support, which reversible thermosensitive recording layer varies in transparency with change in temperature, and an image display method using the rewritable bar code display medium, and an apparatus for implementing the image display method are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1994
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Hotta, Keishi Kubo, Shoji Maruyama, Takashi Yano, Hajime Takayama
  • Patent number: 5283220
    Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording material is composed of a support and a reversible thermosensitive recording layer formed thereon. The reversible thermosensitive recording layer is composed of a matrix resin, such as polyvinyl chloride or vinyl chloride copolymer, and an organic low-molecular-weight material dispersed in the form of finely-divided particles in the matrix resin, with the weight percentage Y of the vinyl chloride repeat in the matrix resin and the average polymerization degree X of the matrix resin satisfying the relationship:-0.68 log X+3.794.ltoreq.log Y.ltoreq.-0.215 log X+2.66.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 1, 1994
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Kawaguchi, Yoshihiko Hotta, Yukio Konagaya, Kunichika Morohoshi, Toru Nogiwa, Akira Suzuki, Fumihito Masubuchi, Atsushi Kutami, Tetsuya Amano
  • Patent number: 5278128
    Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording material composed of a support, an undercoat layer formed on the support, and a reversible thermosensitive recording layer formed on the undercoat layer, capable of reversibly assuming a transparent state and a white opaque state depending on the temperature thereof, the undercoat layer having at least one colored portion and at least one light reflecting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 11, 1994
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Hotta, Atsushi Kutami, Makoto Kawaguchi, Tetsuya Amano
  • Patent number: 5260254
    Abstract: An information memory and display medium comprising: (a) a support, (b) a magnetic recording layer formed on the support, (c) a thermosensitive recording layer formed on the magnetic recording layer, which comprises (i) a light reflection layer formed on the magnetic recording layer, and (ii) a reversible thermosensitive recording layer formed on the light reflection layer, comprising a matrix resin, and one or more organic low-molecular-weight compounds dispersed in the matrix resin, with the transparency thereof being reversibly changeable between a transparent state and an opaque state depending upon the temperature thereof, thereby capable of yielding thermally erasable images. The thermosensitive recording layer may further comprise a smoothing layer between the magnetic recording layer and the light reflection layer, and/or an overcoat layer on the reversible thermosensitive recording layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1993
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Hotta, Toru Nogiwa
  • Patent number: 5219820
    Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording material is composed of a support, and a reversible thermosensitive recording layer formed thereon, having a reversible temperature-dependent transparency, which contains a matrix resin and an organic low-molecular-weight material. The organic low-molecular-weight material is in the form of particles, and substantially covered by the matrix resin, and the content thereof in the reversible thermosensitive recording layer is increased from the surface side thereof toward the support side. This reversible thermosensitive recording material can be prepared by a method of coating a solution or dispersion of the matrix resin and the organic low-molecular-weight material on the support, which are dissolved or dispersed in a mixed solvent composed of at least two solvents, each having a different vapor pressure, and drying the solution or dispersion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1993
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunichika Morohoshi, Yoshihiko Hotta, Yukio Konagaya, Makoto Kawaguchi, Toru Nogiwa, Akira Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5158926
    Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording material is composed of a support and a reversible thermosensitive recording layer formed on the support. The reversible thermosensitive recording layer includes a matrix resin and an organic low-molecular-weight material dispersed in the matrix resin, and has a temperature-dependent transparency. The matrix resin includes a resin component having a glass transition temperature of 90.degree. C. or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1992
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Hotta, Makoto Kawaguchi, Kunichika Morohoshi, Yukio Konagaya, Toru Nogiwa, Akira Suzuki, Fumihito Masubuchi
  • Patent number: 5158924
    Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording material is composed of a support and a reversible thermosensitive recording layer formed thereon, which is capable of recording and erasing images repeatedly by utilizing its property that the transparency can be changed reversibly from a transparent state to an opaque state, and vice versa, depending upon the temperature thereof. The reversible thermosensitive recording layer is composed of a reversible thermosensitive layer and a protective layer formed thereon and has a scratching intensity of 10 g or more and a coefficient of friction of 0.10 or less. Images are reversibly formed and erased on this reversible thermosensitive recording material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1992
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukio Konagaya, Yoshihiko Hotta, Makoto Kawaguchi, Toru Nogiwa, Kunichika Morohoshi, Akira Suzuki, Fumihito Masubuchi, Takao Igawa
  • Patent number: 5116803
    Abstract: The present invention provides the following 3 types of reversible thermosensitive recording materials:1. A reversible thermosensitive recording material having a thermosensitive layer whose transparency reversibly changes depending on its temperature, said layer comprising a resin matrix and an organic low molecular substance dispersed in said resin matrix;2. A reversible thermosensitive recording material having a thermosensitive layer that is consisted essentially of a resin matrix and an organic low molecular substance dispersed in this resin matrix and is arranged to change its transparency reversibly depending upon temperatures, wherein said thermosensitive layer further contains at least one additive; and3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1992
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Hotta, Keishi Kubo
  • Patent number: 5108980
    Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording material is disclosed, which comprises (a) a support, (b) a reversible thermosensitive recording layer formed thereon which comprises as the main components a matrix resin and an organic low-molecular-weight material dispersed in the matrix resin, and has a temperature-dependent transparency, and (c) an overcoat layer comprising as the main component a resin or an ultraviolet-light-setting resin, formed on the reversible thermosensitive recording layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1992
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Hotta, Keishi Kubo
  • Patent number: 5087601
    Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording material is disclosed, which comprises (i) a reversible thermosensitive recording layer which comprises as the main components a matrix resin and an organic low-molecular-weight material dispersed in the matrix resin, and (ii) a light reflection layer made of a metal thin film, which is preferably surface-treated to have a specular gloss of 70 to 250% in accordance with JIS Z8741 or a surface roughness of 0.5 to 10 .mu.m in terms of the ten-point average roughness defined in JIS B0601. This reversible thermosensitive recording material may further comprises a crystal-growth controlling agent in the reversible thermosensitive recording layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1992
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Hotta, Keishi Kubo, Makoto Kawaguchi, Toru Nogiwa
  • Patent number: 5085934
    Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording material comprising (a) a support, and (b) a reversible thermosensitive recording layer formed thereon, which comprises a matrix resin, and low-molecular-weight components of (i) at least one higher fatty acid having 16 or more carbon atoms and (ii) at least one aliphatic saturated dicarboxylic acid having 20 or more carbon atoms, dispersed in the matrix resin, with the ratio by weight of the amount of the higher fatty acid to the amount of the aliphatic saturated dicarboxylic acid being in the range of 95:5 to 50:50.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1992
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Hotta, Syoji Maruyama, Makoto Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 5017421
    Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording material is disclosed, which comprises (a) a support, (b) a reversible thermosensitive recording layer formed thereon which comprises as the main components a matrix resin and an organic low-molecular-weight material dispersed in the matrix resin, and has a temperature-dependent transparency, and (c) an overcoat layer comprising as the main component a resin or an ultraviolet-setting resin, formed on the reversible thermosensitive recording layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1991
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Hotta, Keishi Kubo
  • Patent number: 4977030
    Abstract: The present invention provides a reversible thermosensitive layer whose transparency reversibly changes depending on its temperature. The layer comprises a resin matrix and an organic low molecular substance dispersed in said resin matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 11, 1990
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Hotta, Keishi Kubo
  • Patent number: 4917948
    Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording material is disclosed, which comprises (a) a support, and (b) a reversible thermosensitive recording layer formed thereon, which comprises as the main components a matrix resin, at least one higher monocarboxylic fatty acid having 16 or more carbon atoms, and at least one aliphatic saturated dicarboxylic acid or a derivative thereof, with the ratio by weight of the amount of the higher monocarboxylic fatty acid to the amount of the aliphatic saturated dicarboxylic acid or a derivative thereof being in the range of (95:5) to (20:80).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1990
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshihiko Hotta
  • Patent number: 4454521
    Abstract: A diazo-type thermosensitive recording material comprising a diazo-type thermosensitive coloring layer formed on a support material, the diazo-type thermosensitive coloring layer comprising a diazo compound, a coupler capable of forming an azo dye in the reaction between the diazo compound and the coupler, and a petroleum resin with a melting or softening point ranging from 50.degree. C. to 150.degree. C., and with the addition of auxiliary components for improving the properties of the thermosensitive recording material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1982
    Date of Patent: June 12, 1984
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Suguro, Masanaka Nagamoto, Takanori Motosugi, Yoshihiko Hotta, Toshiyuki Watanabe