Patents by Inventor Yukihito Tanaka

Yukihito Tanaka 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: 8252484
    Abstract: A high-performance separator for a fuel cell is provided that includes an electrically conducting flow path part and an integrated insulating outer circumferential part surrounding the flow path part. The flow path part includes an electrically conducting resin composition including a carbonaceous material (A) and a thermoplastic resin composition (B) at a mass ratio (A)/(B) of 1 to 20 with the total mass of (A) and (B) accounting for 80 to 100 mass % in the composition. The flow path part has a corrugated shape having a recess and a projection on each of front and back surfaces thereof, where the recess constitutes a groove for a flow path, and a thickness of 0.05 to 0.5 mm and a maximum thickness/minimum thickness ratio of 1 to 3. The insulating outer circumferential part includes an insulating thermoplastic resin composition having a volume resistivity of 1010 ?cm or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignees: Showa Denko K.K., Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Iino, Zenichiro Izumi, Yukihito Tanaka, Toshiki Kawamura
  • Patent number: 8252483
    Abstract: A lightweight, compact high-performance fuel cell separator is provided with enhanced output density and capable of being stacked without a gas seal member. Embodiments include a separator having a corrugated electrically conducting flow path. A recess and projection are formed on front and rear surfaces, each constituting a gas flow path alternately arrayed abreast in a plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignees: Showa Denko K.K., Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Iino, Zenichiro Izumi, Yukihito Tanaka, Toshiki Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20100047650
    Abstract: A high-performance separator for a fuel cell and a high-performance cell unit (single cell unit or short stack unit) for a fuel cell, each ensuring lightweight and compact fabrication necessary to enhance output density, enabling stacking without use of a gas seal member and making the insulating treatment of the outer circumference of the stack not necessary, and production methods thereof are provided. By a processing method of forming a thermoplastic resin composition highly filled with a carbonaceous material into a thin sheet form, heating the sheet to a melted state, and cold-shaping the melt at a high speed, a lightweight, compact and high-performance thin fuel cell separator having a corrugated flow path may be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tadashi Iino, Zenichiro Izumi, Yukihito Tanaka, Toshiki Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20090243147
    Abstract: A high-performance fuel cell separator ensuring lightweight and compact fabrication necessary to enhance output density and enabling stacking without use of a gas seal member, and a production method thereof, are provided. By a processing method of forming a thermoplastic resin composition highly filled with a carbonaceous material into a thin sheet form, heating the sheet to a melted state, and cold-shaping the melt at a high speed, a thin separator having a corrugated flow path can be molded at a high speed, and a lightweight, compact and high-performance separator for a fuel cell can be provided. Also, by forming the sheet in a multilayer structure and heat-welding it, the contact resistance with the gas diffusing electrode can be reduced, and a compact integrated fuel cell separator requiring no gasket can be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicants: SHOWA DENKO K.K., HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tadashi Iino, Zenichiro Izumi, Yukihito Tanaka, Toshiki Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20090004533
    Abstract: In a tightening load applying mechanism, a plurality of belleville springs for applying a load in a stacking direction to a stack body, a plurality of guide bars extending in the stacking direction, and a plurality of bearing members are provided between a movable presser plate and an end plate. The guide bars are slidably inserted into the bearing members in the stacking direction. Each of the bearing members has a housing fixed to the end plate, and a bearing attached to the housing. The guide bar is slidably fitted to the bearing in the stacking direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihito Tanaka, Harumi Hatano