Patents by Inventor Hitoshi Maekawa

Hitoshi Maekawa 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: 20230301850
    Abstract: In a power transmission mechanism 20, a line connecting a center shaft 21 of a reference gear member 40 and a first shaft 44 of a first planetary gear member 42 and a line connecting the center shaft 21 of the reference gear member 40 and a second shaft 47 of a second planetary gear member 45 form a specific angle ?. Rotation in one direction is prevented when a first carrier member 22 and a second carrier member 32 are relatively rotated in a direction to decrease the specific angle ?. Further, a rotation prevention release unit is provided to release a prevention state of the rotation when the first carrier member 22 and the second carrier member 32 are relatively rotated in a direction to increase the specific angle ?.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Applicant: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventor: Hitoshi MAEKAWA
  • Patent number: 11686479
    Abstract: An encapsulated cleanroom system comprising a processing chamber and a storage section in which the processing chamber is stored, wherein, during operation, the pressure in the storage section is lower or higher than the pressures in the processing chamber and exterior space. The system can simultaneously prevent the entry of outside gases into its processing chamber and the leakage of the gases inside the processing chamber to the exterior space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Shiro Hara, Hitoshi Maekawa, Sommawan Khumpuang, Takashi Yajima, Yuuki Ishida
  • Publication number: 20210302034
    Abstract: An encapsulated cleanroom system comprising a processing chamber and a storage section in which the processing chamber is stored, wherein, during operation, the pressure in the storage section is lower or higher than the pressures in the processing chamber and exterior space. The system can simultaneously prevent the entry of outside gases into its processing chamber and the leakage of the gases inside the processing chamber to the exterior space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Shiro HARA, Hitoshi MAEKAWA, Sommawan KHUMPUANG, Takashi YAJIMA, Yuuki ISHIDA
  • Patent number: 11011403
    Abstract: An automatic clamping mechanism capable of automatically securing and releasing a wafer transport container to or from a manufacturing apparatus and having a small height dimension is provided at low cost. A wafer transport container is placed on a container placing table. A semiconductor wafer is loaded into the manufacturing apparatus main body from a wafer loading port while being placed on a container base part of the wafer transport container. An automatic clamping mechanism generates a press force component in a vertical direction at the wafer transport container and secures the wafer transport container to the container placing table by bringing claw parts of a plurality of clamping claws into contact with an inclined contact surface provided on a container lid part of the wafer transport container and pressing the inclined contact surface in a substantially horizontal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignees: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, DESIGN NETWORK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shiro Hara, Hitoshi Maekawa, Hiroyuki Nishihara, Koji Sagisawa
  • Patent number: 10332768
    Abstract: A compact manufacturing device to automatically transport a wafer transport container. The compact manufacturing device comprises a processing chamber and a device front chamber provided inside a housing, a container mounting table provided in the housing to mount a substrate transport container accommodating a processing substrate, and a container transport mechanism. The container transport mechanism delivers the substrate transport container to the adjacent compact manufacturing device along a container transport path and/or receives the substrate transport container from adjacent compact manufacturing device along the container transport path when a plurality of the compact manufacturing devices are provided in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Shiro Hara, Hitoshi Maekawa
  • Publication number: 20190164797
    Abstract: An automatic clamping mechanism capable of automatically securing and releasing a wafer transport container to or from a manufacturing apparatus and having a small height dimension is provided at low cost. A wafer transport container is placed on a container placing table. A semiconductor wafer is loaded into the manufacturing apparatus main body from a wafer loading port while being placed on a container base part of the wafer transport container. An automatic clamping mechanism generates a press force component in a vertical direction at the wafer transport container and secures the wafer transport container to the container placing table by bringing claw parts of a plurality of clamping claws into contact with an inclined contact surface provided on a container lid part of the wafer transport container and pressing the inclined contact surface in a substantially horizontal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Applicants: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, DESIGN NETWORK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shiro HARA, Hitoshi MAEKAWA, Hiroyuki NISHIHARA, Koji SAGISAWA
  • Patent number: 10137570
    Abstract: The present invention provides a transfer robot which has a simple structure and a small occupied area in an operation. A transfer robot of the present invention includes a support member fixed to a side wall or the like, a transfer arm by which a hand member is held capable of linear movement, and first and second link members. One end portions of the first and second link members are rotatably linked to the support member, respectively. Another end portions of the first and second link members are rotatably linked to the transfer arm, respectively. The hand member holds/transfers a work. A rotational driving force applied to a linking portion between the support member and the first link member is transmitted to the transfer arm by a predetermined mechanism and linearly moves the hand member. The transfer arm moves by rotating the first link member or the second link member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Kenji Hirota, Shinichi Imai, Shiro Hara, Hitoshi Maekawa
  • Patent number: 10115619
    Abstract: A transfer box has a sealing structure hermetically sealable by means of tight coupling of a transfer box body and a transfer box door. The transfer box is structured in such a way that magnets on the transfer box body face magnetic bodies on the transfer box door when the transfer box door is closed on the transfer box body, with these magnets and magnetic bodies forming a magnetic closed circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (AIST)
    Inventors: Shiro Hara, Hitoshi Maekawa
  • Publication number: 20170309507
    Abstract: A compact manufacturing device to automatically transport a wafer transport container. The compact manufacturing device comprises a processing chamber and a device front chamber provided inside a housing, a container mounting table provided in the housing to mount a substrate transport container accommodating a processing substrate, and a container transport mechanism. The container transport mechanism delivers the substrate transport container to the adjacent compact manufacturing device along a container transport path and/or receives the substrate transport container from adjacent compact manufacturing device along the container transport path when a plurality of the compact manufacturing devices are provided in parallel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Applicant: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Shiro HARA, Hitoshi MAEKAWA
  • Patent number: 9604477
    Abstract: In order to provide a printer capable of detecting a continuous paper sheet without causing a sensor provided in the downstream side of a thermal head from being hindered by an ink ribbon, the printer includes: a main body (20) defining a conveying passage of a continuous paper sheet (P); a print unit having a thermal head (40) provided in the main body (20) to print predetermined information on the continuous paper sheet (P) by using an ink ribbon, and a platen roller (41) provided to face the thermal head (40) by interposing the continuous paper sheet (P); and a sensor unit (45) installed in the main body (20) and provided with a sensor (48) for detecting the continuous paper sheet (P), the sensor unit (45) being configured to move between a first position where the sensor (48) detects the continuous paper sheet (P) in the downstream side of the thermal head (40) and a second position farther than the first position from the thermal head (40).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: SATO HOLDINGS KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hitoshi Maekawa
  • Patent number: 9539839
    Abstract: In order to obtain a ribbon feeding shaft capable of accurately adjusting a position of a regulating member and preventing a positional deviation, a long sheet material holding device includes a pair of first locking groove trains (91c and 91d) arranged in parallel with each other along the axial direction of the holding shaft (91), the pair of first locking groove trains (91c and 91d) having a series of grooves (61c and 61d) respectively, the series of grooves (61c and 61d) extending across the axial direction of the holding shaft (91), each of the series of grooves (61c and 61d) being provided with slope surfaces (71c, 71d) sloped along the axial direction of the holding shaft (91) and oppositely to each other and perpendicular surfaces (81c, 81d) perpendicular to the axial direction of the holding shaft (91), and a pair of second locking groove trains (92c, 92d) formed in a pair of locking members (92x, 92y) provided in the regulating member 92 inserted into the holding shaft (91), to match the surfaces of
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: SATO HOLDINGS KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hitoshi Maekawa
  • Patent number: 9524895
    Abstract: There is provided a substrate transfer antechamber mechanism for a compact manufacturing apparatus that produces various types of devices in small volume using a small-diameter processing substrate at low cost. A container placement table, on which a wafer transfer container housing a semiconductor wafer is placed, is provided on an upper surface of an apparatus antechamber for a compact semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and the apparatus antechamber includes therein a wafer elevating mechanism and a horizontal transfer mechanism. The wafer elevating mechanism moves down while holding from below a delivery bottom of the wafer transfer container, on which the semiconductor wafer remains placed, to transfer the semiconductor wafer into the apparatus antechamber. The horizontal transfer mechanism transfers the semiconductor wafer into a processing chamber using a transfer arm that receives the semiconductor wafer from the delivery bottom and extends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Shiro Hara, Hitoshi Maekawa
  • Patent number: 9478452
    Abstract: A production system to facilitate the commonization of front chambers among a plurality of production devices that are different in the kind of a process to be performed for a processing substrate. Control units are provided separately in a processing chamber and a front chamber of a small production device. When the processing-chamber control unit outputs a load request signal, the front-chamber control unit loads a processing substrate to the processing chamber, and outputs a load acknowledgment signal. When the load acknowledgment signal is input, the processing-chamber control unit performs a process for the processing substrate, and outputs an unload request signal after the completion of the process. When the unload request signal is input, the front-chamber control unit unloads the processing substrate, and outputs an unload acknowledgment signal. When the unload acknowledgment signal is input, the processing chamber starts the preparation of the next process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Shiro Hara, Hitoshi Maekawa, Shizuka Nakano
  • Publication number: 20160152057
    Abstract: In order to obtain a ribbon feeding shaft capable of accurately adjusting a position of a regulating member and preventing a positional deviation, a long sheet material holding device includes a pair of first locking groove trains (91c and 91d) arranged in parallel with each other along the axial direction of the holding shaft (91), the pair of first locking groove trains (91c and 91d) having a series of grooves (61c and 61d) respectively, the series of grooves (61c and 61d) extending across the axial direction of the holding shaft (91), each of the series of grooves (61c and 61d) being provided with slope surfaces (71c, 71d) sloped along the axial direction of the holding shaft (91) and oppositely to each other and perpendicular surfaces (81c, 81d) perpendicular to the axial direction of the holding shaft (91), and a pair of second locking groove trains (92c, 92d) formed in a pair of locking members (92x, 92y) provided in the regulating member 92 inserted into the holding shaft (91), to match the surfaces of
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Inventor: Hitoshi MAEKAWA
  • Publication number: 20160129706
    Abstract: In order to provide a printer capable of detecting a continuous paper sheet without causing a sensor provided in the downstream side of a thermal head from being hindered by an ink ribbon, the printer includes: a main body (20) defining a conveying passage of a continuous paper sheet (P); a print unit having a thermal head (40) provided in the main body (20) to print predetermined information on the continuous paper sheet (P) by using an ink ribbon, and a platen roller (41) provided to face the thermal head (40) by interposing the continuous paper sheet (P); and a sensor unit (45) installed in the main body (20) and provided with a sensor (48) for detecting the continuous paper sheet (P), the sensor unit (45) being configured to move between a first position where the sensor (48) detects the continuous paper sheet (P) in the downstream side of the thermal head (40) and a second position farther than the first position from the thermal head (40).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Applicant: SATO HOLDINGS KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hitoshi MAEKAWA
  • Patent number: 9254540
    Abstract: Mounting structure to allow a production line made up of movable manufacturing devices to be rearranged quickly, safely, and reliably. The mounting structure according to the present invention includes a fixing structure installed on a floor and a leg portion installed on a bottom plate of the movable manufacturing device. The fixing structure comprises a floor side positioning member and a floor side coupling member while the leg portion comprises a leg side positioning member and a leg side coupling member. The floor side positioning member and the leg side positioning member positions the movable manufacturing device accurately by fitting each other when the device is placed at the specified location of the fixing structure. The floor side coupling member and the leg side coupling member fixes the movable manufacturing device located on the fixing structure by coupling each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignees: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, DESIGN NETWORK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shiro Hara, Shizuka Nakano, Hitoshi Maekawa, Shinji Futagawa, Takahiro Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20150380289
    Abstract: [Problem to be Solved] A production system to facilitate the commonization of front chambers among a plurality of production devices that are different in the kind of a process to be performed for a processing substrate. According to the production system of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the development cost and production cost of the production devices. [Solution] Control units are provided separately in a processing chamber and a front chamber of a small production device. When the processing-chamber control unit outputs a load request signal, the front-chamber control unit loads a processing substrate to the processing chamber, and outputs a load acknowledgment signal. When the load acknowledgment signal is input, the processing-chamber control unit performs a process for the processing substrate, and outputs an unload request signal after the completion of the process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Applicant: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Shiro HARA, Hitoshi MAEKAWA, Shizuka NAKANO
  • Publication number: 20150321347
    Abstract: The present invention provides a transfer robot which has a simple structure and a small occupied area in an operation. A transfer robot of the present invention includes a support member fixed to a side wall or the like, a transfer arm by which a hand member is held capable of linear movement, and first and second link members. One end portions of the first and second link members are rotatably linked to the support member, respectively. Another end portions of the first and second link members are rotatably linked to the transfer arm, respectively. The hand member holds/transfers a work. A rotational driving force applied to a linking portion between the support member and the first link member is transmitted to the transfer arm by a predetermined mechanism and linearly moves the hand member. The transfer arm moves by rotating the first link member or the second link member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Applicants: TAZMO CO., LTD., NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Kenji HIROTA, Shinichi IMAI, Shiro HARA, Hitoshi MAEKAWA
  • Publication number: 20150311101
    Abstract: There is provided a substrate transfer antechamber mechanism for a compact manufacturing apparatus that produces various types of devices in small volume using a small-diameter processing substrate at low cost. A container placement table, on which a wafer transfer container housing a semiconductor wafer is placed, is provided on an upper surface of an apparatus antechamber for a compact semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and the apparatus antechamber includes therein a wafer elevating mechanism and a horizontal transfer mechanism. The wafer elevating mechanism moves down while holding from below a delivery bottom of the wafer transfer container, on which the semiconductor wafer remains placed, to transfer the semiconductor wafer into the apparatus antechamber. The horizontal transfer mechanism transfers the semiconductor wafer into a processing chamber using a transfer arm that receives the semiconductor wafer from the delivery bottom and extends.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Shiro HARA, Hitoshi MAEKAWA
  • Publication number: 20150170948
    Abstract: A transfer box has a sealing structure hermetically sealable by means of tight coupling of a transfer box body and a transfer box door. The transfer box is structured in such a way that magnets on the transfer box body face magnetic bodies on the transfer box door when the transfer box door is closed on the transfer box body, with these magnets and magnetic bodies forming a magnetic closed circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: Shiro HARA, Hitoshi MAEKAWA