Patents by Inventor Ayako Kitakaze

Ayako Kitakaze 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: 11707797
    Abstract: A machine tool includes a first spindle, a second spindle, and a joining means for joining the axial ends of workpieces gripped by the spindles to form a joined workpiece. The machine tool further includes an electric servomotor for moving the first spindle in the direction intersecting the axis of the first spindle, a current value detection means for detecting the current value of the electric servomotor, and a misalignment detecting means for detecting misalignment of a first workpiece and a second workpiece in the joined workpiece, based on the current value detected by the current value detection means when the joined workpiece gripped by the two spindles is rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ayako Kitakaze
  • Publication number: 20230182230
    Abstract: A machine tool and a control method for the machine tool, which determine the degree of misalignment during friction joint, are provided. The machine tool (an automatic lathe 1) includes: a first spindle 10 rotatably holding a first workpiece (a workpiece W1); a second spindle 20 arranged to face the first spindle and rotatably holding a second workpiece (a remaining workpiece W2); and a controller 40a, while rotating at least one of the first workpiece or the second workpiece, relatively moving the first spindle and the second spindle so as to get closer to each other and pushing a rear end portion of the second workpiece against a front end portion of the first workpiece to frictionally join the first and second workpieces. The controller has a misalignment amount detector detecting a misalignment amount s of the second workpiece with respect to the first workpiece during the friction joint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Applicant: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ayako KITAKAZE
  • Publication number: 20220126393
    Abstract: A machine tool includes a first spindle, a second spindle, and a joining means for joining the axial ends of workpieces gripped by the spindles to form a joined workpiece. The machine tool further includes an electric servomotor for moving the first spindle in the direction intersecting the axis of the first spindle, a current value detection means for detecting the current value of the electric servomotor, and a misalignment detecting means for detecting misalignment of a first workpiece and a second workpiece in the joined workpiece, based on the current value detected by the current value detection means when the joined workpiece gripped by the two spindles is rotated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Applicant: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ayako KITAKAZE
  • Patent number: 11253924
    Abstract: A control device for a machine tool and a machine tool, for which settings of the number of vibrations per rotation become easy, is provided. The control device of the machine tool controls a relative rotation between a workpiece and a cutting tool and a relative reciprocal movement between the workpiece and the cutting tool in a feed direction to perform vibration cutting to the workpiece. The control device includes a control section for controlling a spindle headstock, a first tool post, and a second tool post, the workpiece W being installed on the spindle headstock, the first tool post being provided to be reciprocally movable along the feed direction with respect to the spindle headstock and installed with a first cutting tool for cutting the workpiece, and the second tool post being provided to be reciprocally movable along the feed direction with respect to the spindle headstock independently of the first tool post and installed with a second cutting tool for cutting the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ayako Kitakaze, Masahiro Muramatsu, Kenji Noguchi
  • Patent number: 10610993
    Abstract: A control apparatus for machine tool, in accordance with user set conditions, feeds a cutting tool in a feeding direction while reciprocatively vibrating the cutting tool, smoothly cuts a workpiece, and achieves a machined surface having an improved appearance. In a machine tool and a control apparatus thereof, a control means is configured to set the number of rotations of relative rotation and the number of vibrations of reciprocating vibration during one rotation of the relative rotation in accordance with a vibration frequency attributable to a cycle during which an operation instruction can be issued, and the control means includes adjusting means configured to adjust the number of rotations or the number of vibrations set by the control means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignees: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd., Citizen Machinery Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaichi Nakaya, Kazuhiko Sannomiya, Ayako Kitakaze
  • Publication number: 20200101538
    Abstract: A control device for a machine tool and a machine tool, for which settings of the number of vibrations per rotation become easy, is provided. The control device of the machine tool controls a relative rotation between a workpiece and a cutting tool and a relative reciprocal movement between the workpiece and the cutting tool in a feed direction to perform vibration cutting to the workpiece. The control device includes a control section for controlling a spindle headstock, a first tool post, and a second tool post, the workpiece W being installed on the spindle headstock, the first tool post being provided to be reciprocally movable along the feed direction with respect to the spindle headstock and installed with a first cutting tool for cutting the workpiece, and the second tool post being provided to be reciprocally movable along the feed direction with respect to the spindle headstock independently of the first tool post and installed with a second cutting tool for cutting the workpiece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Applicant: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ayako KITAKAZE, Masahiro MURAMATSU, Kenji NOGUCHI
  • Patent number: 10414009
    Abstract: This invention provides a machine tool that, in addition to sequentially separating a chip generated from a workpiece in a reliable manner, improves the roundness of the finished workpiece and improves the visual appearance and roughness of a machined surface of the workpiece, and a control apparatus of the machine tool. A machine tool or a control apparatus thereof includes a vibration frequency setting unit for setting vibration frequency of the reciprocal vibration with respect to one relative rotation when machining a workpiece so that the intersections of paths of a cutting tool during forward movement and backward movement are dispersed on a circumferential surface of the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Ayako Kitakaze
  • Patent number: 10241493
    Abstract: To provide a machine tool and a control device for the machine tool that can smoothly cut a workpiece while segmenting chips by feeding a cutting tool in a feed direction while reciprocally vibrating the cutting tool along the feed direction on the basis of a condition set by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignees: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd., Citizen Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ayako Kitakaze, Masahiro Muramatsu, Toshinari Oyama, Kazuhiko Sannomiya
  • Publication number: 20180257192
    Abstract: A control apparatus for machine tool, in accordance with user set conditions, feeds a cutting tool in a feeding direction while reciprocatively vibrating the cutting tool, smoothly cuts a workpiece, and achieves a machined surface having an improved appearance. In a machine tool and a control apparatus thereof, a control means is configured to set the number of rotations of relative rotation and the number of vibrations of reciprocating vibration during one rotation of the relative rotation in accordance with a vibration frequency attributable to a cycle during which an operation instruction can be issued, and the control means includes adjusting means configured to adjust the number of rotations or the number of vibrations set by the control means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Inventors: Takaichi Nakaya, Kazuhiko Sannomiya, Ayako Kitakaze
  • Publication number: 20180050431
    Abstract: This invention provides a machine tool that, in addition to sequentially separating a chip generated from a workpiece in a reliable manner, improves the roundness of the finished workpiece and improves the visual appearance and roughness of a machined surface of the workpiece, and a control apparatus of the machine tool. A machine tool or a control apparatus thereof includes a vibration frequency setting unit for setting vibration frequency of the reciprocal vibration with respect to one relative rotation when machining a workpiece so that the intersections of paths of a cutting tool during forward movement and backward movement are dispersed on a circumferential surface of the workpiece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Applicant: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ayako Kitakaze
  • Publication number: 20170102685
    Abstract: To provide a machine tool and a control device for the machine tool that can smoothly cut a workpiece while segmenting chips by feeding a cutting tool in a feed direction while reciprocally vibrating the cutting tool along the feed direction on the basis of a condition set by a user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Inventors: Ayako Kitakaze, Masahiro Muramatsu, Toshinari Oyama, Kazuhiko Sannomiya