Patents by Inventor Yoshihiro Yamana

Yoshihiro Yamana 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: 8691921
    Abstract: The present invention provides a polyurethane which is non-sticky, exhibits superior handling properties and superior moldability, and has superior adhesive properties with silicones even if a surface activation treatment is not carried out beforehand. The polyurethane of the present invention contains polyol units and organic polyisocyanate units. The polyol units contain an alkenyl group-containing organopolysiloxane structure in an amount ranging from 0.01 to 20% by weight with respect to the weight of the aforementioned polyurethane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Dow Corning Toray Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayoshi Otomo, Yuichi Tsuji, Katsumi Kihara, Hidekazu Saito, Yoshihiro Yamana, Kazumasa Hattori
  • Publication number: 20120041141
    Abstract: The present invention provides a polyurethane which is non-sticky, exhibits superior handling properties and superior moldability, and has superior adhesive properties with silicones even if a surface activation treatment is not carried out beforehand. The polyurethane of the present invention contains polyol units and organic polyisocyanate units. The polyol units contain an alkenyl group-containing organopolysiloxane structure in an amount ranging from 0.01 to 20% by weight with respect to the weight of the aforementioned polyurethane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Inventors: Takayoshi Otomo, Yuichi Tsuji, Katsumi Kihara, Hidekazu Saito, Yoshihiro Yamana, Kazumasa Hattori
  • Patent number: 7794641
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing golf balls composed of a core and a cover of one or more layer that encloses the core, at least one cover layer being made of a thermoplastic polyurethane composition characterized by including at least 90 wt % of a thermoplastic polyurethane obtained by a polyurethane-forming reaction of an organic diisocyanate compound with a long-chain polyol and a chain extender, which thermoplastic polyurethane composition cover layer has an inherent viscosity in a DMF solvent of larger than 1.5 dl/g and an inherent viscosity in a 0.05 mol/L n-butylamine-containing DMF solution of larger than 0.5 dl/g, the golf ball manufacturing method being characterized by: conditioning the thermoplastic polyurethane to a pre-processing moisture content of 500 ppm or less, then injection molding the moisture-conditioned thermoplastic polyurethane to form the thermoplastic polyurethane composition cover layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nagasawa, Yoshinori Egashira, Yoshihiro Yamana, Hidekazu Saito, Hiroki Kimura
  • Publication number: 20090286939
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing golf balls composed of a core and a cover of one or more layer that encloses the core, at least one cover layer being made of a thermoplastic polyurethane composition characterized by including at least 90 wt % of a thermoplastic polyurethane obtained by a polyurethane-forming reaction of an organic diisocyanate compound with a long-chain polyol and a chain extender, which thermoplastic polyurethane composition cover layer has an inherent viscosity in a DMF solvent of larger than 1.5 dl/g and an inherent viscosity in a 0.05 mol/L n-butylamine-containing DMF solution of larger than 0.5 dl/g, the golf ball manufacturing method being characterized by: conditioning the thermoplastic polyurethane to a pre-processing moisture content of 500 ppm or less, then injection molding the moisture-conditioned thermoplastic polyurethane to form the thermoplastic polyurethane composition cover layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE SPORTS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nagasawa, Yoshinori Egashira, Yoshihiro Yamana, Hidekazu Saito, Hiroki Kimura
  • Patent number: 7601290
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing golf balls composed of a core and a cover of one or more layer that encloses the core, at least one cover layer being made of a thermoplastic polyurethane composition characterized by including at least 90 wt % of a thermoplastic polyurethane obtained by a polyurethane-forming reaction of an organic diisocyanate compound with a long-chain polyol and a chain extender, which thermoplastic polyurethane composition cover layer has an inherent viscosity in a DMF solvent of larger than 1.5 dl/g and an inherent viscosity in a 0.05 mol/L n-butylamine-containing DMF solution of larger than 0.5 dl/g, the golf ball manufacturing method being characterized by: conditioning the thermoplastic polyurethane to a pre-processing moisture content of 500 ppm or less, then injection molding the moisture-conditioned thermoplastic polyurethane to form the thermoplastic polyurethane composition cover layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nagasawa, Yoshinori Egashira, Yoshihiro Yamana, Hidekazu Saito, Hiroki Kimura
  • Patent number: 7479533
    Abstract: A golf ball composed of a core and one or more cover layer which encloses the core is characterized in that at least one cover layer is made of a thermoplastic polyurethane composition characterized by including at least 90 wt % of a thermoplastic polyurethane obtained by a polyurethane-forming reaction of an organic diisocyanate compound with a long-chain polyol and a chain extender, and in that the polyurethane composition cover layer is characterized that an inherent viscosity in a DMF solvent is larger than 1.5 dl/g and an inherent viscosity in a DMF solution containing 0.05 mol/L n-butylamine is larger than 0.5 dl/g. The golf ball has a high rebound, an excellent scuff resistance, is recyclable in a molding operation, and has excellent manufacturability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nagasawa, Yoshinori Egashira, Yoshihiro Yamana, Hidekazu Saito, Hiroki Kimura
  • Patent number: 7387837
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thermoplastic polyurethane composition which comprises an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer and/or a polyamide, and a thermoplastic polyurethane, in which the retention of melt tension thereof, when kept in a molten state at 220° C. for 1 hour, determined by the following equation (1), is not less than 10%. Retention of melt tension (%)=[Melt tension after being kept in a molten state/Melt tension before being kept in a molten state]×100??(1) The thermoplastic polyurethane composition of the present invention is excellent in production stability of a molded article, and can provide a molded article excellent in appearance because the progress of gelation thereof is suppressed even in a molten state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Kuraray Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Yamana, Hiroyuki Ono
  • Patent number: 7388066
    Abstract: In a golf ball composed of a core and one or more cover layers which enclose the core, at least one cover layer is made primarily of a thermoplastic polyurethane obtained by a polyurethane forming reaction of an organic polyisocyanate compound with a long-chain polyol and a chain extender, and satisfies conditions (1) to (3) below: (1) the long-chain polyol includes a copolymeric polycarbonate polyol having a number-average molecular weight of 400 to 4,000; (2) the thermoplastic polyurethane present in the cover material (after molding) has an inherent viscosity, as measured in DMF, of more than 1.5 dl/g; and (3) the thermoplastic polyurethane present in the cover material (after molding) has an inherent viscosity, as measured in a DMF solution containing 0.05 mol/L of n-butylamine, of at least 0.5 dl/g. The golf ball has an improved scuff resistance, particularly an improved low-temperature scuff resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nagasawa, Yoshihiro Yamana, Hidekazu Saito, Hiroki Kimura
  • Patent number: 7278929
    Abstract: A three-piece solid golf ball composed of a solid core, an intermediate layer which encloses the core, and a cover layer which encloses and is softer than the intermediate layer is characterized in that the solid core undergoes a deflection of 2.8 to 3.6 mm when a load of 130 kg is applied thereto from an initial load of 10 kg and has a surface hardness and a center hardness which differ by at least 15 Shore D hardness units; the intermediate layer has a surface hardness which differs from the surface hardness of the solid core by not more than 12 Shore D hardness units; and the cover layer has a surface hardness which differs from the surface hardness of the intermediate layer by at least 7 Shore D hardness units, is made primarily of a thermoplastic polyurethane, and has a thickness in a range of 0.5 to 1.3 mm. This combination of features provides an overall outstanding golf ball endowed with excellent flight characteristics, excellent controllability and durability, and a soft feel on impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junji Umezawa, Kazufumi Tabata, Hiroyuki Nagasawa, Yoshihiro Yamana, Hidekazu Saito, Hiroki Kimura
  • Publication number: 20070073031
    Abstract: In a golf ball composed of a core and one or more cover layers which enclose the core, at least one cover layer is made primarily of a thermoplastic polyurethane obtained by a polyurethane forming reaction of an organic polyisocyanate compound with a long-chain polyol and a chain extender, and satisfies conditions (1) to (3) below: (1) the long-chain polyol includes a copolymeric polycarbonate polyol having a number-average molecular weight of 400 to 4,000; (2) the thermoplastic polyurethane present in the cover material (after molding) has an inherent viscosity, as measured in DMF, of more than 1.5 dl/g; and (3) the thermoplastic polyurethane present in the cover material (after molding) has an inherent viscosity, as measured in a DMF solution containing 0.05 mol/L of n-butylamine, of at least 0.5 dl/g. The golf ball has an improved scuff resistance, particularly an improved low-temperature scuff resistance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2005
    Publication date: March 29, 2007
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nagasawa, Yoshihiro Yamana, Hidekazu Saito, Hiroki Kimura
  • Publication number: 20060252579
    Abstract: A three-piece solid golf ball composed of a solid core, an intermediate layer which encloses the core, and a cover layer which encloses and is softer than the intermediate layer is characterized in that the solid core undergoes a deflection of 2.8 to 3.6 mm when a load of 130 kg is applied thereto from an initial load of 10 kg and has a surface hardness and a center hardness which differ by at least 15 Shore D hardness units; the intermediate layer has a surface hardness which differs from the surface hardness of the solid core by not more than 12 Shore D hardness units; and the cover layer has a surface hardness which differs from the surface hardness of the intermediate layer by at least 7 Shore D hardness units, is made primarily of a thermoplastic polyurethane, and has a thickness in a range of 0.5 to 1.3 mm. This combination of features provides an overall outstanding golf ball endowed with excellent flight characteristics, excellent controllability and durability, and a soft feel on impact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2005
    Publication date: November 9, 2006
    Inventors: Junji Umezawa, Kazufumi Tabata, Hiroyuki Nagasawa, Yoshihiro Yamana, Hidekazu Saito, Hiroki Kimura
  • Publication number: 20060252578
    Abstract: A golf ball composed of a core and one or more cover layer which encloses the core is characterized in that at least one cover layer is made of a thermoplastic polyurethane composition characterized by including at least 90 wt % of a thermoplastic polyurethane obtained by a polyurethane-forming reaction of an organic diisocyanate compound with a long-chain polyol and a chain extender, and in that the polyurethane composition cover layer is characterized that an inherent viscosity in a DMF solvent is larger than 1.5 dl/g and an inherent viscosity in a DMF solution containing 0.05 mol/L n-butylamine is larger than 0.5 dl/g. The golf ball has a high rebound, an excellent scuff resistance, is recyclable in a molding operation, and has excellent manufacturability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2005
    Publication date: November 9, 2006
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nagasawa, Yoshinori Egashira, Yoshihiro Yamana, Hidekazu Saito, Hiroki Kimura
  • Publication number: 20060249880
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing golf balls composed of a core and a cover of one or more layer that encloses the core, at least one cover layer being made of a thermoplastic polyurethane composition characterized by including at least 90 wt % of a thermoplastic polyurethane obtained by a polyurethane-forming reaction of an organic diisocyanate compound with a long-chain polyol and a chain extender, which thermoplastic polyurethane composition cover layer has an inherent viscosity in a DMF solvent of larger than 1.5 dl/g and an inherent viscosity in a 0.05 mol/L n-butylamine-containing DMF solution of larger than 0.5 dl/g, the golf ball manufacturing method being characterized by: conditioning the thermoplastic polyurethane to a pre-processing moisture content of 500 ppm or less, then injection molding the moisture-conditioned thermoplastic polyurethane to form the thermoplastic polyurethane composition cover layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2005
    Publication date: November 9, 2006
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nagasawa, Yoshinori Egashira, Yoshihiro Yamana, Hidekazu Saito, Hiroki Kimura
  • Publication number: 20060177669
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thermoplastic polyurethane composition which comprises an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer and/or a polyamide, and a thermoplastic polyurethane, in which the retention of melt tension thereof, when kept in a molten state at 220° C for 1 hour, determined by the following equation (1), is not less than 10%. Retention of melt tension (%)=[Melt tension after being kept in a molten state/Melt tension before being kept in a molten state]×100??(1) The thermoplastic polyurethane composition of the present invention is excellent in production stability of a molded article, and can provide a molded article excellent in appearance because the progress of gelation thereof is suppressed even in a molten state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Publication date: August 10, 2006
    Applicant: Kuraray Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Yamana, Hiroyuki Ono
  • Patent number: 7084207
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thermoplastic polyurethane composition which comprises an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer and/or a polyamide, and a thermoplastic polyurethane, in which the retention of melt tension thereof, when kept in a molten state at 220° C. for 1 hour, determined by the following equation (1), is not less than 10%. Retention of melt tension (%)=[Melt tension after being kept in a molten state/Melt tension before being kept in a molten state]×100 ??(1) The thermoplastic polyurethane composition of the present invention is excellent in production stability of a molded article, and can provide a molded article excellent in appearance because the progress of gelation thereof is suppressed even in a molten state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Kuraray Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Yamana, Hiroyuki Ono
  • Publication number: 20030225201
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thermoplastic polyurethane composition which comprises an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer and/or a polyamide, and a thermoplastic polyurethane, in which the retention of melt tension thereof, when kept in a molten state at 220° C. for 1 hour, determined by the following equation (1), is not less than 10%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2003
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Applicant: Kuraray Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Yamana, Hiroyuki Ono
  • Patent number: 6197915
    Abstract: The invention relates to thermoplastic polyurethanes obtainable by reacting a polyol composition (A) which consists essentially of a polyester-polyol (A-1) having a crystallization enthalpy of at most 70 J/g and a number-average molecular weight of from 1000 to 5000 and a polyether-polyol (A-2) having a number-average molecular weight of from 500 to 2500, and in which the average number, f, of the functional hydroxyl groups existing therein falls between 2.006 and 2.100, an organic diisocyanate (B), and a chain extender (C), at a ratio that satisfies the following formula: 1.00≦b/(a+c)≦1.10 wherein a indicates the number of moles of all polyols constituting the polyol composition (A), b indicates the number of moles of the organic diisocyanate (B), and c indicates the number of moles of the chain extender (C); to elastic fibers comprising them; and to a method for producing polyurethane elastic fibers by melt-spinning the thermoplastic polyurethane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Kuraray Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Yamana, Hiroyuki Ono
  • Patent number: 5403654
    Abstract: This invention relates to a chopped strand mat and a thermoplastic sheet for the manufacture of molded articles which are excellent in strength, rigidity and impact resistance as well as in color quality.The chopped strand mat according to the invention comprises chopped strands having fiber lengths of 10 to 100 mm and doped with a surface treating composition comprising an expoxysilane coupling agent and an epoxy resin and, as a binder, a polymer containing an acrylic ester unit. The thermoplastic sheet according to the present invention comprises the chopped strand mat impregnated with a thermoplastic resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1995
    Assignees: Kuraray Co., Ltd., Central Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Akira Muto, Yoshihiro Yamana, Isao Ohnishi, Shigeru Yano, Mitsuo Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 4916010
    Abstract: A stampable molding material composed of a thermoplastic resin containing a reinforcing material of a mat of chopped glass strands and a flake-type filler, having a weight average flake diameter of not more than 100.mu., can give molded articles characterized by having a high surface smoothness, high heat resistance, low warping property, and excellent mechanical properties. Such molded articles can advantageously be used as automobile parts, electrical parts, parts of general goods and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1990
    Assignee: Kuraray Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Yamana, Yasuhira Takeuchi