Patents by Inventor Yusuke Watanabe

Yusuke Watanabe 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: 20240027389
    Abstract: Provided is a gas sensor element or the like in which the diffusion mode of NOx that reaches a measurement electrode is changed from molecular diffusion to a mode of diffusing while repeatedly colliding with a wall face of a sufficiently narrow flow path. In a gas sensor element according to one aspect of the invention, a porous diffusion layer, which accounts for 70% or more of a cross-section of a flow path of a measurement target gas that is orthogonal to a flow direction of the measurement target gas, has a porosity of 5% or more and 25% or less, and is located at a position that is upstream of the measurement electrode and where the distance to the measurement electrode is 0.15 mm or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Inventors: Yusuke WATANABE, Daichi ICHIKAWA
  • Patent number: 11879864
    Abstract: A metal terminal includes an element contacting portion which is disposed at one end of the metal terminal and is placed in contact with a sensor element, a lead wire retaining member which is disposed at another end of the metal terminal, and crimps and retains lead wires, a positioning member disposed between the one end and the other end and extending in a direction intersecting one direction, the positioning member positioning the metal terminal on a ceramic housing, and a guide member provided integrally with the positioning member at a site between the positioning member and the lead wire retaining member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Watanabe, Shotaro Niizuma, Hayami Aota, Toshihiro Hirakawa
  • Patent number: 11879865
    Abstract: A sensor element includes: an inner protective layer having a porosity of 30% to 65% on two main surfaces; an intermediate protective layer, at least a part of which has contact with the inner layer, and having a porosity of 25% to 80%, which is equal to or smaller than the porosity of the inner layer; and an outer protective layer surrounding an element base on an outermost periphery on the one end portion of the sensor element, having contact with the intermediate and the inner layer, having contact with a leading end surface of the element base or the intermediate layer on the leading end surface, and having a porosity of 15% to 30%, which is smaller than the porosity of the intermediate layer, wherein a difference of porosity between the inner and the outer layer is 10% to 50%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Watanabe, Mika Kai, Ryo Onishi, Saki Suzuki, Takashi Hino
  • Publication number: 20240011942
    Abstract: A sensor element for detecting a specific gas concentration in a measurement-object gas, the sensor element includes: an element body internally provided with a measurement-object gas flow portion that introduces a measurement-object gas and causes the measurement-object gas to flow therethrough; a reference-gas introduction portion disposed inside the element body, the reference-gas introduction portion being configured to introduce a reference gas; a reference-gas adjustment pump cell having a pump reference electrode disposed inside the element body, the reference-gas adjustment pump cell being configured to pump oxygen into a periphery of the pump reference electrode; and a sensor cell having a voltage reference electrode disposed inside the element body, and a measurement-object gas-side electrode disposed inside or outside the element body, the sensor cell being configured to generate a voltage based on an oxygen concentration in a periphery of the measurement-object gas-side electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Takayuki SEKIYA, Yusuke WATANABE, Kodai ICHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20240011938
    Abstract: A sensor element is for detecting a specific gas concentration in a measurement-object gas, and includes: an element body internally provided with a measurement-object gas flow portion; an adjustment chamber pump cell having an adjustment electrode disposed in an oxygen concentration adjustment chamber of the measurement-object gas flow portion, and a pump outer electrode disposed outside the element body, the adjustment chamber pump cell being configured to pump out oxygen from the oxygen concentration adjustment chamber or pump oxygen into the oxygen concentration adjustment chamber; a reference-gas introduction portion disposed inside the element body; and an outer sensor cell having a voltage outer electrode disposed outside the element body, and a reference electrode disposed inside the element body, the outer sensor cell being configured to generate a voltage based on an oxygen concentration in the measurement-object gas outside the element body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Takayuki SEKIYA, Yusuke WATANABE, Kodai ICHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20240011937
    Abstract: A sensor element is for detecting a specific gas concentration in a measurement-object gas, and includes: an element body including an oxygen-ion-conductive solid electrolyte layer and internally provided with a measurement-object gas flow portion that introduces the measurement-object gas and causes the measurement-object gas to flow therethrough; a flow portion pump cell having a pump inner electrode disposed in an internal cavity of the measurement-object gas flow portion, the flow portion pump cell being configured to pump out oxygen from the internal cavity or pump oxygen into the internal cavity; and a flow portion sensor cell having a voltage inner electrode disposed in the internal cavity, the flow portion sensor cell being configured to generate a voltage based on an oxygen concentration in the internal cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Takayuki SEKIYA, Yusuke WATANABE, Kodai ICHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20240006623
    Abstract: A surface-treated titanium material for a fuel cell separator, including a titanium substrate having a passive film on a surface of the titanium substrate and a surface layer formed on the titanium substrate. The surface layer includes a titanium oxide layer and carbon particles, the carbon particles are dispersed in an inside of the titanium oxide layer, and a total film thickness of the titanium oxide layer and the passive film is 25 nm or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.), TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiki SATO, Jun SUZUKI, Kotaro IKEDA, Yusuke WATANABE, Takuya ITAKURA, Tomoki TAMBO
  • Publication number: 20240001573
    Abstract: A cutter blade and a method for manufacturing a cutter blade capable of reducing the manufacturing cost are provided. A cutter blade according to an embodiment includes a blade edge part configured to slide along a plate surface of a die plate, the plate surface having holes formed therein, and thereby to cut a plurality of pieces of a material extruded from the holes onto the plate surface, and a base metal part to which the blade edge part is bonded by an adhesive. The blade edge part may be bonded to the base metal part in such a manner that the blade edge part can be replaced with a new one.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Inventors: Naoki UEDA, Ryusei TAYA, Yusuke WATANABE
  • Patent number: 11852607
    Abstract: A sensor element includes a first pump cell including a first pump electrode and a first reference electrode, a first pump circuit including the first pump cell and a first reference electrode lead, a second pump cell including a second pump electrode and a second reference electrode and a second pump circuit including the second pump cell and a second pump electrode. A resistance value R2 of the second pump circuit is higher than a resistance value R1 of the first pump circuit, and a porosity P2 of the second reference electrode lead is higher than a porosity P1 of the first reference electrode lead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Watanabe, Shotaro Niizuma
  • Publication number: 20230408440
    Abstract: A gas sensor includes a sensor element and a control unit thereof. The sensor element includes: a base part; a measurement-object gas flow cavity formed from one end part in a longitudinal direction of the base part; a pump cell including an intracavity electrode disposed in the measurement-object gas flow cavity; and a reference electrode disposed in a reference gas chamber formed inside the base part. The control unit includes: a driving control part; a storing part storing in advance, a standard correspondence relationship at a standard time at which a reference potential of the reference electrode is at a predetermined value; and a diagnosing part obtaining a diagnostic correspondence relationship, and comparing the obtained diagnostic correspondence relationship with the standard correspondence relationship to diagnose a deviation of a reference potential of the reference electrode at the diagnostic time from the predetermined value at the standard time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventor: Yusuke WATANABE
  • Patent number: 11845215
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object includes: a first step of forming a first portion of the three-dimensional shaped object by discharging a shaping material containing a resin from a discharge portion toward a stage or a previously formed layer and pressing the discharged shaping material against a tip end surface of the discharge portion; a heating step of heating the first portion to a temperature less than a glass transition temperature of the resin; and a second step of forming a second portion of the three-dimensional shaped object by discharging the shaping material from the discharge portion toward the first portion heated in the heating step and pressing the discharged shaping material against the tip end surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kenta Anegawa, Daizo Aoyagi, Yusuke Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11841651
    Abstract: An endless belt includes a base material layer containing a polymer material and conductive particles, wherein, in an image obtained by observing a cross section taken along a thickness direction of the base material layer with an atomic force microscope, a proportion of a total area Ap of cross sections of all the conductive particles is 9.0% or more and 14.5% or less with respect to a total cross-sectional area At of the base material layer, and a proportion of a total area Ab of cross sections of conductive particles having an area of 0.01 ?m2 or more among cross sections of the conductive particles is 28.0% or more and 65.0% or less with respect to the total area Ap of cross sections of all the conductive particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Yusuke Watanabe, Satoya Sugiura, Kenta Shingu, Toshiyasu Yukawa, Minoru Rokutan
  • Patent number: 11815485
    Abstract: A gas sensor includes: a sensor element; a plurality of element pads formed on a rear end portion of the sensor element; and a plurality of contact members holding the rear end portion of the sensor element and electrically connected respectively to the plurality of element pads. The plurality of contact members include contact members that each have an outer end surface protruding out from a corresponding one of end surfaces of the sensor element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Shotaro Niizuma, Yusuke Watanabe, Toshihiro Hirakawa, Hayami Aota
  • Patent number: 11808730
    Abstract: A gas sensor element in which oxidation of electrodes and a heater occurring with continued use is suppressed is provided. The gas sensor element includes a plurality of solid electrolyte layers stacked one over another, and includes an electrochemical cell including a pair of electrodes and a portion of the plurality of solid electrolyte layers existing between the pair of electrodes; a heater part capable of heating the gas sensor element; and a gettering layer located between the plurality of solid electrolyte layers and between the plurality of solid electrolyte layers and each of the pair of electrodes, and gettering impurities in a metal component of the electrodes and the heater part during driving of the gas sensor element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Takayuki Sekiya, Shota Kageyama, Yusuke Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20230324327
    Abstract: A controller of a gas sensor includes: a concentration identification part identifying a concentration of a predetermined gas component based on a measurement pump current flowing between a measurement electrode and an out-of-space pump electrode in accordance with the concentration of the predetermined gas component due to application of a predetermined pump voltage; and a correction processing part correcting the concentration of the predetermined gas component identified by the concentration identification part, the correction processing part corrects the concentration of the predetermined gas component based on a correlation identified in advance between an offset current value as a magnitude of the measurement pump current when a measurement gas not containing the predetermined gas component flows or a normalized value of the offset current value and output fluctuations of the measurement pump current at startup of the gas sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventors: Yusuke WATANABE, Taku OKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20230324329
    Abstract: A casing of a gas sensor having a reference gas space therein includes: an outer tube into which an end portion of a sensor element protrudes; and a seal member fit into an end portion of the outer tube to seal the reference gas space, the sensor element includes: a first electrode lead portion including a first electrode lead to electrically connect an outside and at least one inner electrode and a first lead insulating layer covering the first electrode lead; and a second electrode lead portion including a second electrode lead that can electrically connect the outside and a measurement electrode and a second lead insulating layer covering the second electrode lead, and A/B < 1.00, where A (cm-1) is diffusion resistance of the first electrode lead portion, B (cm-1) is diffusion resistance of the second electrode lead portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventors: Yusuke WATANABE, Taku OKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20230314366
    Abstract: A sub adjustment pump cell pumps out oxygen from a measurement gas introduced into a sub adjustment chamber to the extent that H2O and CO2 contained in the measurement gas are not decomposed, a first pump cell pumps out oxygen from a first chamber so that substantially all of H2O and CO2 contained in the measurement gas introduced from the sub adjustment chamber into the first chamber are decomposed, concentrations of H2O and CO2 are identified from a pump-in current when H2 and CO generated by decomposition are oxidized in the second chamber and the third chamber, and a concentration of oxygen contained in the measurement gas is identified based on a magnitude of a current flowing between a sub adjustment inner electrode and an outer electrode at the time when the sub adjustment pump cell pumps out oxygen from the sub adjustment chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Yuichiro KONDO, Osamu NAKASONE, Yusuke WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20230314363
    Abstract: A sensor element includes: an element body that includes a base part in an elongated plate shape and a measurement-object gas flow part; and a porous protective layer that is formed from one end and covers at least a part in the longitudinal direction of a surface of the element body. The protective layer include: an inner layer; and an outer layer covering the inner layer and a region where the inner layer is not formed. On one principal surface in a region where the inner layer is formed, a first space exists in at least a part between the inner and outer layers, and on the one principal surface in a region where the inner layer is not formed on the one principal surface on which the first space exists, a second space exists in at least a part between the one principal surface and the outer layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Shotaro NIIZUMA, Yusuke WATANABE, Toshihiro HIRAKAWA, Kirari TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 11774398
    Abstract: A sensor element for detecting a specific gas concentration in a measurement-object gas includes: an element body including an oxygen-ion-conductive solid electrolyte layer, and having inside a measurement-object gas flow portion that introduces and flows a measurement-object gas and a reference gas chamber used to store a reference gas that is a reference for detecting a specific gas concentration; a reference electrode disposed in the reference gas chamber; and an electrically conductive portion which includes a reference electrode terminal and a reference electrode lead portion that provides electrical continuity between the reference electrode terminal and the reference electrode. The reference gas chamber is provided inside the sensor element in an isolated form, and at least part of the electrically conductive portion is densely formed so as to block movement of oxygen between the reference gas chamber and the outside of the sensor element via the electrically conductive portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Watanabe, Takayuki Sekiya
  • Publication number: 20230304963
    Abstract: A gas sensor includes: a laminate formed of a plurality of layers including at least one layer of a solid electrolyte; a reference gas chamber formed in the laminate and containing a reference gas; and a reference electrode partially exposed in the reference gas chamber. A portion which is not exposed in the reference gas chamber, of the reference electrode is sandwiched between, among the layers, a first layer and a second layer adjacent to the first layer. When an area of the portion sandwiched between the first layer and the second layer, of the reference electrode is defined as a first area, and an area of a portion exposed in the reference gas chamber, of the reference electrode is defined as a second area, a ratio of the first area to the second area is 0.3 or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventors: Yusuke WATANABE, Shotaro NIIZUMA, Toshihiro HIRAKAWA, Hayami AOTA