Patents by Inventor Yukio Miya

Yukio Miya 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: 6131533
    Abstract: A hard carbon film is formed over an inner surface of a guide bush by fixing an auxiliary electrode support member for supporting an auxiliary electrode of a jig for forming a film in a center bore of the guide bush by an auxiliary electrode insulation member, disposing an auxiliary electrode in alignment with the axis of the center bore so as to face the inner surface, disposing legs, and a first electrode plate, a second electrode plate, and the insulation member which are fixed to the legs are placed on the bottom of a vacuum vessel placing the guide bush on the first electrode plate contacted electrically with a power source, while the projection of the auxiliary electrode support member projecting out of the auxiliary electrode insulation member is contacted electrically with the second electrode plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Sugiyama, Yukio Miya, Ryota Koike, Takashi Toida, Toshiichi Sekine
  • Patent number: 6126793
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of forming an intermediate film and a hard cabon film over the inner surface of a cylindrical member having a bore, such as a bushing or a cylinder, with the hard carbon film being formed on the intermediate film with a uniform thickness, greatly enhancing of abrasion resistance of the inner surface. The cylindrical member is placed in a vacuum vessel, an auxiliary electrode of an intermediate film forming material, such as a titanium-silicon alloy or the like, is inserted in the bore of the cylindrical member, a sputtering gas is supplied into the vacuum vessel, a voltage is applied to the auxiliary electrode to produce a plasma around the auxiliary electrode in order that the intermediate film forming material is sputtered from the auxiliary electrode and an intermediate film is formed over the inner surface of the cylindrical member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Sugiyama, Yukio Miya, Ryota Koike, Takashi Toida, Toshiichi Sekine
  • Patent number: 6117496
    Abstract: A hard carbon film is formed over an inner surface of a guide bush including the steps of fixing an auxiliary electrode support member for supporting an auxiliary electrode of a jig for forming a film in a center bore of the guide bush by an auxiliary electrode insulation member, disposing an auxiliary electrode in alignment with the axis of the center bore so as to face the inner surface, disposing legs, and a first electrode plate, a second electrode plate, and the insulation member which are fixed to the legs are placed on the bottom of a vacuum vessel placing the guide bush on the first electrode plate contacted electrically with a power source, while the projection of the auxiliary electrode support member projecting out of the auxiliary electrode insulation member is contacted electrically with the second electrode plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Sugiyama, Yukio Miya, Ryota Koike, Takashi Toida, Toshiichi Sekine
  • Patent number: 6096390
    Abstract: A hard carbon film is formed over an inner surface of a guide bush by the steps of disposing the guide bush in a vacuum vessel, inserting an electrode into a center bore of the guide bush and applying a positive current to the electrode, introducing a gas, containing carbon, through a gas inlet port into the vacuum chamber after evacuating the vacuum vessel, and producing a plasma in the vacuum vessel to form a hard carbon film of hydrogenated amorphous carbon over the inner surface of the guide bush by a plasma CVD method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryota Koike, Yukio Miya, Osamu Sugiyama, Takashi Toida, Toshiichi Sekine
  • Patent number: 6080445
    Abstract: A method of forming films over an insulating material is provided whereby an underlayer film having electric conductivity is formed on the surface of the insulating material constituting a base member, and a hard carbon film is formed over the underlayer film so that the surface electrical resistance value of the hard carbon film can be controlled so as not to cause the surface thereof to be charged with static electricity by varying an electrical resistance value of the underlayer film. In the case where the underlayer film is formed of a metal film composed of titanium, chromium, tungsten, or the like, the resistance value thereof can be changed by varying the thickness of the metal film. In the case where the underlayer film is formed of a semiconductor film composed of silicon, germanium, or the like, the resistance value thereof can be changed by varying the thickness of the semiconductor film, or the concentration of an impurity added thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Sugiyama, Yukio Miya, Ryota Koike, Takashi Toida
  • Patent number: 6056443
    Abstract: A hard carbon film (15) is formed directly or through an intermediate layer for enhancing adhesion over an inner surface (11b) and over a portion (11h.sub.1) of an end face (11h) of a guide bush 11 adjacent to the end of the inner surface for holding a workpiece (51) rotatably and axially slidable on an automatic lathe at a position near a cutting tool, to be in sliding contact with the workpiece (51) or directly or through an intermediate layer for enhancing adhesion on the surface of a superhard lining fixed to the inner surface (11b) in a plasma CVD process employing an auxiliary electrode and a dummy member. Thereby, the guide bush (11) has remarkably enhanced durability and prevents seizing that makes a machining operation impossible, even when the guide bush (11) is used for an extended period of time and when the automatic lathe operates for heavy machining. Flaws caused by flashes on the workpiece are prevented from occurring on the inner surface of the guide bush (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2000
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryota Koike, Yukio Miya, Osamu Sugiyama, Takashi Toida, Toshiichi Sekine
  • Patent number: 6033533
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of forming an intermediate film and a hard cabon film over the inner surface of a cylindrical member having a bore, such as a bushing or a cylinder, with the hard carbon film being formed on the intermediate film with a uniform thickness, greatly enhancing of abrasion resistance of the inner surface. The cylindrical member is placed in a vacuum vessel, an auxiliary electrode of an intermediate film forming material, such as a titanium-silicon alloy or the like, is inserted in the bore of the cylindrical member, a sputtering gas is supplied into the vacuum vessel, a voltage is applied to the auxiliary electrode to produce a plasma around the auxiliary electrode in order that the intermediate film forming material is sputtered from the auxiliary electrode and an intermediate film is formed over the inner surface of the cylindrical member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Sugiyama, Yukio Miya, Ryota Koike, Takashi Toida, Toshiichi Sekine
  • Patent number: 6020036
    Abstract: A guide bush (11), coming in sliding contact with a workpiece, for use in an automatic lathe is placed in a vacuum vessel (61), and after inserting an auxiliary electrode (71), which is grounded or to which a positive DC voltage is applied, in the center bore (11j) of the guide bush (11), forming the inner surface (11b) thereof, the vacuum vessel (61) is evacuated such that an initially reached pressure therein is not higher than a predetermined degree of vacuum. Then, after a DC voltage is applied to an anode (79) and an AC voltage is applied to a filament (81) while applying a DC voltage to the guide bush (11), carbon-containing gas is fed into the vacuum vessel (61), producing a plasma therein and the pressure inside the vacuum vessel (61) is controlled to attain a film-forming pressure higher than the initially reached pressure while forming a hard carbon film over the inner surface of the guide bush (11) by means of a plasma CVD process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Sugiyama, Yukio Miya, Ryota Koike, Takashi Toida, Toshiichi Sekine
  • Patent number: 5993680
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of removing a hard carbon film (15) from the inner surface of a guide bush (11) through etching. The method comprises the steps of inserting an auxiliary electrode (71) in the center bore (11j) of the guide bush (11) wherein the hard carbon film (15) is formed over the inner surface thereof, in sliding contact with a workpiece, disposing the guide bush (11) with the auxiliary electrode inserted in the center bore thereof in a vacuum vessel (61) provided with an anode (79) and a filament (81) therein, grounding the auxiliary electrode (71) or applying a positive DC voltage thereto, and producing a plasma in the vacuum vessel (61) by feeding an oxygen-containing gas therein and applying a DC voltage to the anode (79) and an AC voltage to the filament (81) respectively, while applying a DC voltage to the guide bush (11) after evacuating the vacuum vessel (61).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Sugiyama, Yukio Miya, Ryota Koike, Takashi Toida, Toshiichi Sekine
  • Patent number: 5965217
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of forming a two-layer intermediate film over the inner surface of a cylindrical member, such as a bushing or a cylinder, with a DLC film being formed on the intermediate film with a uniform thickness by using an auxiliary electrode, greatly enhancing of abrasion resistance of the inner surface. The cylindrical member is placed in a vacuum vessel, an auxiliary electrode of a first intermediate film forming material is inserted in the bore of the cylindrical member, a sputtering gas is supplied into the vacuum vessel, keep the auxiliary electrode at ground potential or a negative DC voltage is applied to the auxiliary electrode to produce a plasma around the auxiliary electrode in order that a first intermediate film is formed over the inner surface of the cylindrical member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Sugiyama, Yukio Miya, Ryota Koike, Takashi Toida, Toshiichi Sekine
  • Patent number: 5941647
    Abstract: A hard carbon film is formed directly or through an intermediate layer for enhancing adhesion over an inner surface of a guide bush in such a manner that the thickness of the inner surface at the portion near an open end is greater than that at the inner portion thereof, wherein the inner surface is in sliding contact with a workpiece and the guide bush is mounted on an automatic lathe for holding the workpiece rotatably and slidably in the axial direction near a cutting tool. Accordingly, the guide bush is disposed in a vacuum vessel to form a hard carbon film of a hydrogenated amorphous carbon over the inner surface of the guide bush by a plasma CVD method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryota Koike, Yukio Miya, Osamu Sugiyama, Takashi Toida, Toshiichi Sekine
  • Patent number: 5939152
    Abstract: A hard carbon film is formed in a vacuum vessel directly or through an intermediate layer for enhancing adhesion over an inner surface of a guide bush with a uniform thickness and excellent adhesion wherein the inner surface is in sliding contact with a workpiece and the guide bush is mounted on an automatic lathe for holding the workpiece rotatably and slidably in the axial direction near a cutting tool. Accordingly, the method comprises disposing the guide bush in a vacuum vessel, inserting an auxiliary electrode into the center bore forming the inner surface of the guide bush to be at a ground potential, introducing a gas containing carbon into the vacuum vessel through the gas inlet port after evacuating the vacuum vessel, and applying a DC voltage to the guide bush through a reactor, thereby producing a plasma in the vacuum vessel so that a hard carbon film of hydrogenated amorphous carbon is formed over the inner surface of the guide bush by a plasma CVD method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Sugiyama, Yukio Miya, Ryota Koike, Takashi Toida, Toshiichi Sekine
  • Patent number: 5934321
    Abstract: In a valve unit 10 for a water mixing valve comprising a stationary disk 11 provided with a hot water inlet, a cold water inlet, and a mixed water discharge outlet, and a rotary disk 12 slidably overlapping the stationary disk, and provided with a mixing chamber, a face 11s, 12s of at least one of the stationary disk 11 and the rotary disk 12, slidable relative to the other, is provided with a hard carbon film 15 with a first intermediate layer 13a made of titanium or chromium and a second intermediate layer 13b made of silicon or silicon carbide being interposed in-between. With the valve unit constituted as above, the hard carbon film having high adhesion strength is formed on the slidable face 11s/12s of the stationary disk 11 or the rotary disk 12, or on both the slidable faces, substantially enhancing resistance-to-wear of the valve unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukio Miya, Osamu Sugiyama, Ryota Koike, Takashi Toida
  • Patent number: 5922418
    Abstract: An auxiliary electrode which is to be connected to a ground potential or applied with a positive DC voltage is disposed in a center bore which forms an inner surface of a guide bush, and a ringlike dummy member made of a conductive material having an internal diameter equal to or larger than the diameter of the center bore of the guide bush with its both ends having a different diameter is placed on an end face of the guide bush opening the inner surface thereof so that one end having the smaller diameter contacts the end face of the guide bush with its center in alignment with the central axis of the center bore. A DLC film is formed over an inner surface of a guide bush which is in sliding contact with a workpiece held in the guide bush by disposing the guide bush in a vacuum vessel after evacuating the vessel and introducing a gas containing carbon, producing a plasma in a vacuum vessel by applying a DC voltage or a radio frequency power to the guide bush by the plasma CVD process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryota Koike, Yukio Miya, Osamu Sugiyama, Takashi Toida, Toshiichi Sekine
  • Patent number: 5879763
    Abstract: A cylindrical member having a center bore is disposed in a vacuum vessel provided with a gas inlet port and a gas outlet port, and an auxiliary electrode is inserted into the center bore of the cylindrical member along the central axis thereof so as to extend to substantially an entire length of the center bore, thereby permitting the auxiliary electrode to be grounded or having a positive DC voltage applied to the auxiliary electrode. A gas containing carbon is supplied into the vacuum vessel through the gas inlet port after the vacuum vessel is evacuated and a voltage is applied to the cylindrical member to produce a plasma in the vacuum vessel including an inside of the center bore of the cylindrical member, thereby forming a hard carbon film over the inner surface of the cylindrical member by a plasma CVD process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Sugiyama, Yukio Miya, Takashi Toida
  • Patent number: 5786570
    Abstract: A heating roller device including a center shaft, a heat roller rotatably supported on the center shaft, and heating means provided inside the heat roller has the wear resistance of the outer surface of its heat roller outer surface increased and its availability factor enhanced by forming the outer surface of the heat roller with a hard carbon film of hydrogenated amorphous carbon. The hard carbon film is preferably formed on an intermediate layer formed on the outer surface of the heat roller beforehand so and to increase its adhesion to the outer surface. Wear resistance can be further enhanced by forming the outer surface of the heat roller with a hard layer, forming an intermediate layer on the hard layer and forming the hard carbon film on the intermediate layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukio Miya, Osamu Sugiyama, Ryota Koike, Takashi Toida, Yuji Fukazawa
  • Patent number: 5762110
    Abstract: A dent (1A) for a reed for use on a high-speed weaving machine, comprises a thin flat strip (3) made of stainless steel, and a hard carbon film (2) formed on only the surface of a working ridge edge portion (3b) of the thin flat strip (3) to come into sliding contact with a yarn. The method of manufacture comprising steps of superposing a plurality of thin flat strips (3) made of a stainless steel in the same shape in a stack with the flat side surfaces (3a) of the adjacent thin flat strips (3) in close contact with each other, placing the stack of thin flat strips (3) in a film forming atmosphere with the ridge edge portions opposite the working edge portions (3b) to come in sliding contact with a yarn trued up by a dent aligning jig, and coating the working ridge edge portions (3b) of the thin flat strips (3) exposed to the film forming atmosphere with a hard carbon film (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitugu Enomoto, Hideo Shinomiya, Yukio Miya, Takanori Nanya, Shinji Ikeda
  • Patent number: 5511587
    Abstract: A diamond-like carbon (DLC) film is formed on a portion of a reed blade in a high-speed loom which requires the highest wear resistance. When a stainless steel is used as the base material of the reed blade, the DLC film is formed through an intermediate layer comprising, e.g., a titanium carbide layer. Reed blades coated with a DLC film are arranged at the side portions of the reed where wear progresses quickly, while reed blades coated with hard films requiring a relatively low cost, or non-coated reed blades, are arranged in the central portion of the reed, thereby uniforming the blade wear throughout the entire reed. The reed is suitable to many types of fibers, ranging from natural to synthetic and new material fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1996
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukio Miya, Shigeru Kizaki, Osamu Sugiyama, Akiteru Hatayama, Yoshitsugu Shibuya, Mitsugu Enomoto, Koichi Naoi, Yuji Fukazawa, Takanori Nanya, Shotaro Shimizu, Hiroshi Tagawa
  • Patent number: 4191905
    Abstract: A housing for a subminiature piezoelectric quartz crystal vibrator element, in which a glass substrate has a recess formed in an upper surface thereof, the subminiature quartz crystal vibrator element being supported such as to be positioned within a periphery of the recess in the upper surface and separated by fixed distances from surfaces of the recess, a cover is disposed upon the glass substrate to hermetically seal the quartz crystal vibrator element between the cover and the glass substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1978
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1980
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Company Limited
    Inventors: Yuh Yasuda, Sigeru Kizaki, Yukio Miya
  • Patent number: 4183629
    Abstract: An electronic optical display device comprising two substrates and an electronic optical substance sealed in a gap formed between said substrates and displaying when an electric voltage is applied thereto is disclosed. The device comprises two upper and lower substrates which are the same in plane configuration and a lead electrode extending along the side surface of said substrates and is most suitable for use in a thin type digital watch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1977
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1980
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuo Nishimura, Hisao Wakabayashi, Takatoshi Osaka, Kazunari Kume, Yasuhiro Ogura, Yukio Miya