Patents by Inventor Koei Watanabe

Koei 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).

  • Patent number: 7505146
    Abstract: A method and a device for identifying an upper surface and a lower surface of a component having asymmetric upper and lower outer shapes are provided. In particular, a method and a device for identifying orientation of an item that hardly allows visual identification of the upper and lower surface. A disk-like, cylindrical, or annular component having asymmetric upper and lower outer shapes is placed on a reference surface having a reference block, an outer peripheral part of the component on the reference surface is brought into contact with the reference block, and identification of the upper and lower surface of the component is achieved in an inline system based on a gap created between the outer peripheral part of the component and the reference block, using a light source lighting device and a detection camera arranged across the reference block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Riken, YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Oya, Ryoji Usui, Hajime Tanabe, Koei Watanabe, Mitsuyasu Fukusawa, Osamu Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20080252902
    Abstract: A method and a device for identifying an upper surface and a lower surface of a component having asymmetric upper and lower outer shapes are provided. The components include, for example, disk-like, cylindrical, or annular components, more specifically engine parts having an orientation such as piston rings. In particular, a method and a device for identifying orientation of an item that hardly allows visual identification of the upper and lower surface. A disk-like, cylindrical, or annular component having asymmetric upper and lower outer shapes is placed on a reference surface having a reference block, an outer peripheral part of the component on the reference surface is brought into contact with the reference block, and identification of the upper and lower surface of the component is achieved in an inline system based on a gap created between the outer peripheral part of the component and the reference block, using a light source lighting device and a detection camera arranged across the reference block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2004
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA RIKEN, YKK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Oya, Ryoji Usui, Hajime Tanabe, Koei Watanabe, Mitsuyasu Fukusawa, Osamu Watanabe