Patents by Inventor Yoshihiro SHO

Yoshihiro SHO 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).

  • Publication number: 20240118572
    Abstract: A planar light source includes a substrate, light sources, and at least one partitioning member. The partitioning member includes first wall parts, second wall parts, and partitioned regions. The first wall parts define first ridges extending in a first direction. The second wall parts define second ridges extending in a second direction. The partitioned regions each is surrounded by the first ridges and the second ridges in a plan view. the partitioned regions are arranged in the first and second directions. At least one first cut is defined on at least one of the first ridges. At least one second cut is defined on at least one of the second ridges. The at least one first cut and the at least one second cut are spaced apart from each other. At least one of the light sources is arranged in a corresponding one of the partitioned regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventors: Koki SHIBAI, Yoshihiro SHO, Motokazu YAMADA, Naoya KASHIWAGI, Shimpei SASAOKA
  • Patent number: 11868005
    Abstract: A planar light source includes a substrate, light sources, and a partitioning member. The partitioning member defines partitioned regions arranged in a first direction and in a second direction that intersects the first direction. At least one of the light sources is arranged in a corresponding one of the partitioned regions. The partitioning member includes a plurality of first wall parts defining a plurality of first ridges extending in the first direction, and a plurality of second wall parts defining a plurality of second ridges extending in the second direction. The first wall parts define at least one first cut on at least one of the first ridges. At least one of the partitioned regions is surrounded by the first ridges and the second ridges in a plan view and includes an opposing pair of the first wall parts and an opposing pair of the second wall parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: NICHIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koki Shibai, Yoshihiro Sho, Motokazu Yamada, Naoya Kashiwagi, Shimpei Sasaoka
  • Patent number: 11777055
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes a substrate, a plurality of light sources, a partitioning member, a light transmissive member, a plurality of reflecting portions. The light sources are arranged on the substrate. Each of the light sources has a light emitting diode. The partitioning member includes a plurality of wall portions defining a plurality of sections respectively surrounding at least one of the light sources, the wall portions including top portions. The light transmissive member is arranged above the light sources. The plurality of reflecting portions are arranged on a lower surface of the light transmissive member. Lower surfaces of the reflecting portions are positioned lower than apexes of the top portions of the wall portions of the partitioning member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: NICHIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shimpei Sasaoka, Toshiyuki Hashimoto, Yoshihiro Sho, Toshinobu Katsumata
  • Patent number: 11650457
    Abstract: A surface light source includes a plurality of light sources, a substrate, a first member disposed on the substrate and including a plurality of recessed first demarcating portions each including a first inclined portion and a first bottom portion and one or more recessed second demarcating portions each including a second inclined portion and a first opening, and a second member overlying a portion of the first member and including a third inclined portion overlapping with the second inclined portion, a fourth inclined portion adjacent to the third inclined portion and not overlapping with the second inclined portion, a second bottom portion located inside the first opening, and a third bottom portion continuous with a lower end of the fourth inclined portion, and the plurality of light sources being respectively disposed on the substrate exposed in the first bottom portion, the second bottom portion, and the third bottom portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: NICHIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koki Shibai, Shimpei Sasaoka, Yoshihiro Sho, Naoya Kashiwagi
  • Publication number: 20220404671
    Abstract: A planar light source includes a substrate, light sources, and a partitioning member. The partitioning member defines partitioned regions arranged in a first direction and in a second direction that intersects the first direction. At least one of the light sources is arranged in a corresponding one of the partitioned regions. The partitioning member includes a plurality of first wall parts defining a plurality of first ridges extending in the first direction, and a plurality of second wall parts defining a plurality of second ridges extending in the second direction. The first wall parts define at least one first cut on at least one of the first ridges. At least one of the partitioned regions is surrounded by the first ridges and the second ridges in a plan view and includes an opposing pair of the first wall parts and an opposing pair of the second wall parts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: Koki SHIBAI, Yoshihiro SHO, Motokazu YAMADA, Naoya KASHIWAGI, Shimpei SASAOKA
  • Publication number: 20220350203
    Abstract: A surface light source includes a plurality of light sources, a substrate, a first member disposed on the substrate and including a plurality of recessed first demarcating portions each including a first inclined portion and a first bottom portion and one or more recessed second demarcating portions each including a second inclined portion and a first opening, and a second member overlying a portion of the first member and including a third inclined portion overlapping with the second inclined portion, a fourth inclined portion adjacent to the third inclined portion and not overlapping with the second inclined portion, a second bottom portion located inside the first opening, and a third bottom portion continuous with a lower end of the fourth inclined portion, and the plurality of light sources being respectively disposed on the substrate exposed in the first bottom portion, the second bottom portion, and the third bottom portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2022
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Applicant: NICHIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koki SHIBAI, Shimpei SASAOKA, Yoshihiro SHO, Naoya KASHIWAGI
  • Patent number: 11205744
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes a substrate, a demarcating member and a light-diffusing plate. The substrate has a plurality of light sources. The demarcating member includes a plurality of wall parts defining a plurality of compartments respectively corresponding to the light sources with each of the light sources being surrounded by corresponding ones of the wall parts defining a single compartment. Each of the wall parts include a ridge part and an inclined surface part. The light-diffusing plate is disposed above the light sources and having a plurality of first protrusions disposed on a first surface of the light-diffusing plate facing the substrate. Each of the first protrusions overlaps the inclined surface part of each of corresponding ones of the wall parts in a plan view. Each of the first protrusions surrounds a corresponding one of the light sources in the plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: NICHIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shimpei Sasaoka, Toshiyuki Hashimoto, Toshinobu Katsumata, Yoshihiro Sho
  • Publication number: 20210313487
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes a substrate, a plurality of light sources, a partitioning member, a light transmissive member, a plurality of reflecting portions. The light sources are arranged on the substrate. Each of the light sources has a light emitting diode. The partitioning member includes a plurality of wall portions defining a plurality of sections respectively surrounding at least one of the light sources, the wall portions including top portions. The light transmissive member is arranged above the light sources. The plurality of reflecting portions are arranged on a lower surface of the light transmissive member. Lower surfaces of the reflecting portions are positioned lower than apexes of the top portions of the wall portions of the partitioning member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: Shimpei SASAOKA, Toshiyuki HASHIMOTO, Yoshihiro SHO, Toshinobu KATSUMATA
  • Patent number: 11069831
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes a substrate, a plurality of light sources, a partitioning member and a diffuser panel. The light sources are arranged on the substrate. Each of the light sources has a light emitting diode. The partitioning member includes a plurality of wall portions defining a plurality of sections respectively surrounding at least one of the light sources. The wall portions include top portions. The diffuser panel is arranged above the light sources. The diffuser panel defines a plurality of grooves respectively accommodating the top portions of the partitioning member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: NICHIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shimpei Sasaoka, Toshiyuki Hashimoto, Yoshihiro Sho, Toshinobu Katsumata
  • Publication number: 20200161516
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes a substrate, a demarcating member and a light-diffusing plate. The substrate has a plurality of light sources. The demarcating member includes a plurality of wall parts defining a plurality of compartments respectively corresponding to the light sources with each of the light sources being surrounded by corresponding ones of the wall parts defining a single compartment. Each of the wall parts include a ridge part and an inclined surface part. The light-diffusing plate is disposed above the light sources and having a plurality of first protrusions disposed on a first surface of the light-diffusing plate facing the substrate. Each of the first protrusions overlaps the inclined surface part of each of corresponding ones of the wall parts in a plan view. Each of the first protrusions surrounds a corresponding one of the light sources in the plan view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Shimpei SASAOKA, Toshiyuki HASHIMOTO, Toshinobu KATSUMATA, Yoshihiro SHO
  • Publication number: 20200105966
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes a substrate, a plurality of light sources, a partitioning member and a diffuser panel. The light sources are arranged on the substrate. Each of the light sources has a light emitting diode. The partitioning member includes a plurality of wall portions defining a plurality of sections respectively surrounding at least one of the light sources. The wall portions include top portions. The diffuser panel is arranged above the light sources. The diffuser panel defines a plurality of grooves respectively accommodating the top portions of the partitioning member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: Shimpei Sasaoka, Toshiyuki Hashimoto, Yoshihiro Sho, Toshinobu Katsumata
  • Patent number: 10001672
    Abstract: A side edge planar lighting unit includes a light emitting diode, a light guide plate, and a transparent flexible resin between the light emitting diode and the light guide plate. The light emitting diode and the light guide plate are brought into close contact by the transparent flexible resin. The light guide plate includes a light exit face on a first main surface, a reflective face on a side opposite the light exit face, and a recessed portion in a first side edge. The recessed portion includes the light entrance face on a bottom surface, a pair of light entrance side faces facing each other across the light entrance face, and an anti-slip portion made of an uneven structure on at least one of the light entrance side faces. The transparent flexible resin is fitted in the recessed portion of the light guide plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignees: CITIZEN ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyokazu Watanabe, Yoshihiro Sho, Naoya Kashiwagi, Takashi Watanabe, Takumi Miyashita, Toshinobu Katsumata, Takuma Horiuchi, Junji Miyashita, Tomoo Udagawa, Kazuhiro Uwajima
  • Publication number: 20180120643
    Abstract: A side edge planar lighting unit includes a light emitting diode, a light guide plate, and a transparent flexible resin between the light emitting diode and the light guide plate. The light emitting diode and the light guide plate are brought into close contact by the transparent flexible resin. The light guide plate includes a light exit face on a first main surface, a reflective face on a side opposite the light exit face, and a recessed portion in a first side edge. The recessed portion includes the light entrance face on a bottom surface, a pair of light entrance side faces facing each other across the light entrance face, and an anti-slip portion made of an uneven structure on at least one of the light entrance side faces. The transparent flexible resin is fitted in the recessed portion of the light guide plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Inventors: Kiyokazu WATANABE, Yoshihiro SHO, Naoya KASHIWAGI, Takashi WATANABE, Takumi MIYASHITA, Toshinobu KATSUMATA, Takuma HORIUCHI, Junji MIYASHITA, Tomoo UDAGAWA, Kazuhiro UWAJIMA