Patents by Inventor Kouichi Amaya

Kouichi Amaya 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: 11465358
    Abstract: A three-dimensional object shaping method includes the steps of a powder layer forming step, a sliding step of a squeegee on the supplied powder, and a sintering step of irradiating the powder layer, all successively repeated, wherein after dividing shaping regions into a plurality of laminating units, each laminating unit of the plurality of laminating units is divided into an inside region including a maximum prearranged sintering region, and an outside region not including the maximum prearranged sintering region, and wherein the squeegee sliding speed in the outside region is set to be greater than the sliding speed in the inside region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Matsuura Machinery Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichi Amaya, Kousuke Ishimoto
  • Patent number: 11097497
    Abstract: A support for supporting a workpiece from below efficiently while reducing the amount of necessary materials, and a shaping method for shaping the workpiece and support efficiently includes a hollow state support for supporting a workpiece from below, and the hollow state support has a lattice form with crossing of straight linear or curved columnar bodies, wherein a sintered strength at a connecting region with the workpiece is lower than the sintered strength at the other regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Matsuura Machinery Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichi Amaya, Kousuke Ishimoto
  • Patent number: 11077500
    Abstract: A three-dimensional shaping method in which the powder supplying blade 2 is able to travel without any problems, in which a control system stores in advance a fine sintered region 11 so that any one of a cross-sectional area or a mean diameter in the horizontal direction, a shaping width and an undercut angle at the end is equal to or less than a predetermined extent, or the control system makes a determination in a sintering step, for said each element, so in the case of the raised sintered portions 12 forming on the upper side of the sintered region 11, a rotating cutting tool 3 cuts the raised sintered portions 12 entirely or partially, thereby achieving the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Matsuura Machinery Corporation
    Inventors: Kousuke Ishimoto, Makoto Ichimura, Kouichi Amaya
  • Patent number: 10946582
    Abstract: A method for producing a three-dimensional shaped product based on dispersion of powder by a squeegee and irradiation of the powder layer with a laser beam or electron beam, including the steps of installing a suction device that suctions fumes generated from the powder layer, in a state surrounding the entire periphery of a shaping table, and selecting a suction reference position at the shortest distance from the irradiation reference position currently moved and worked in a prescribed time range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Matsuura Machinery Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichi Amaya, Seiichi Tomita
  • Patent number: 10899088
    Abstract: A support for supporting a workpiece from below efficiently while reducing the amount of necessary materials, and a shaping method for shaping the workpiece and support efficiently includes a hollow state support for supporting a workpiece from below, and the hollow state support has a lattice form with crossing of straight linear or curved columnar bodies, wherein a sintered strength at a connecting region with the workpiece is lower than the sintered strength at the other regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Matsuura Machinery Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichi Amaya, Kousuke Ishimoto
  • Patent number: 10773459
    Abstract: A three-dimensional shaping method utilizing a powder layer forming step, and a sintering step with a laser beam or electron beam, the method including the steps of a) measuring a light intensity of sparks and photographing the sparks generated with fly-off of powder caused by irradiation of the beam over the entire periphery of the sintering region, b) commanding to continue sintering within the next time unit or the next powder layer forming step, when it is detected that the region width and light intensity are within the standard ranges for a given time unit, and c) commanding to cancel sintering in the next time unit or the next powder layer forming step when a sintering defect has occurred, when it is detected that a condition has occurred in which the region width and light intensity deviate from the standard ranges for a given time unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Matsuura Machinery Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichi Amaya, Kousuke Ishimoto, Takeshi Yamada
  • Publication number: 20200276754
    Abstract: A method for producing a three-dimensional shaped product based on dispersion of powder by a squeegee and irradiation of the powder layer with a laser beam or electron beam, including the steps of installing a suction device that suctions fumes generated from the powder layer, in a state surrounding the entire periphery of a shaping table, and selecting a suction reference position at the shortest distance from the irradiation reference position currently moved and worked in a prescribed time range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventors: Kouichi Amaya, Seiichi Tomita
  • Publication number: 20200180237
    Abstract: A support for supporting a workpiece from below efficiently while reducing the amount of necessary materials, and a shaping method for shaping the workpiece and support efficiently includes a hollow state support for supporting a workpiece from below, and the hollow state support has a lattice form with crossing of straight linear or curved columnar bodies, wherein a sintered strength at a connecting region with the workpiece is lower than the sintered strength at the other regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: Kouichi Amaya, Kousuke Ishimoto
  • Patent number: 10663948
    Abstract: A method for a three-dimensional shaped product produced by lamination, irradiation-based sintering and cutting, when undercut regions are present, comprising the steps of: 1. setting a model for the three-dimensional shaped product; 2. selecting a standard of undercut angle; 3. rotating the model in angle units; 4. calculating a total projected area on a horizontal plane of the undercut regions having angles crossing the horizontal plane which are smaller angles than a standard of undercut angle; 5. selecting a rotation angle such that the total projected area is either smallest or a prescribed standard value is reached; 6. when a minimum total area in step 5 is larger than a predetermined standard value or all of the total projected area in step 4 is larger than the predetermined standard value, sending a command to set a shaping region of a support section for supporting the undercut region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Matsuura Machinery Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichi Amaya, Jun Kobayashi, Tatsuya Kabeshita
  • Patent number: 10576684
    Abstract: A three-dimensional shaping method utilizing a powder layer forming step, and a sintering step with a laser beam or electron beam, the method including the steps of a) measuring the reflection intensity of the beam irradiated in each sintering step, or the reflection intensity of other light, b) commanding to continue sintering within the next time unit, or when the next powder layer forming step is given, when it has been detected that the reflection intensity of the step a) is within a standard range for a given time unit, and, c) judging that a sintering defect has been produced, and commanding to cancel sintering in the next time unit, or when the next powder layer forming step is given, when it is detected that a condition has occurred in which the reflection intensity of step a) deviates from the standard range for a given time unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Matsuura Machinery Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichi Amaya, Kousuke Ishimoto, Takeshi Yamada
  • Patent number: 10562111
    Abstract: A cutting tool 1 includes a cutting edge equipped with a helically curved groove 2 at a side outer periphery in the longitudinal direction, and a coolant passage pipe 3 extended internally and communicatively connected with ejection holes 4 of coolant arranged inside the groove 2 by way of a coolant passage pipe 31 branched from the coolant passage pipe 3 extended around a rotation center axis along the longitudinal direction or along the helically curved groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Matsuura Machinery Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichi Amaya, Ryuzo Tanaka, Yoshiaki Kano, Yasunori Takezawa, Tetsuya Igarashi
  • Patent number: 10525530
    Abstract: A three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a shaping table 31, a squeegee 32, a sintering device, a cutting device, transport pathways 4 through which metal powder and fumes that have been discharged to the outer side of a shaping tank 1 after cutting with the cutting device, and metal powder that has been discharged to the outer side of a chamber 2 surrounding the shaping tank 1 without forming part of the laminated layer, are transported to a sifter 5 located at the top of a powder tank 6, and supply devices for inert gas that does not react with the metal powder at an inlet 40 of each transport pathway 4, so as to suppress oxidation of metal powder in the transport pathway for collected metal powder and fumes, and also dust explosion due to sudden oxidation of the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Matsuura Machinery Corp.
    Inventors: Kouichi Amaya, Toshihiko Kato, Tetsushi Midorikawa, Mitsuyoshi Yoshida, Kazuhiro Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20190224760
    Abstract: A cutting tool 1 has cutting edges 2 formed by a plurality of side surfaces on both sides 21, 22 raised at a side portion along a longitudinal direction, and the cutting tool 1 in which a coolant passage pipe 30 is extended around a rotation center axis 5, and coolant passage pipes 31 branched from the extended coolant passage pipe 30 are projected along a direction of a raised side surface 21 on a rotating direction side of the raised side surfaces on both sides 21, 22.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Inventors: Kouichi Amaya, Ryuzo Tanaka, Yoshiaki Kano, Yasunori Takezawa, Tetsuya Igarashi
  • Publication number: 20190224761
    Abstract: A cutting tool 1 includes a cutting edge equipped with a helically curved groove 2 at a side outer periphery in the longitudinal direction, and a coolant passage pipe 3 extended internally and communicatively connected with ejection holes 4 of coolant arranged inside the groove 2 by way of a coolant passage pipe 31 branched from the coolant passage pipe 3 extended around a rotation center axis along the longitudinal direction or along the helically curved groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Inventors: Kouichi Amaya, Ryuzo Tanaka, Yoshiaki Kano, Yasunori Takezawa, Tetsuya Igarashi
  • Publication number: 20190152163
    Abstract: A support for supporting a workpiece from below efficiently while reducing the amount of necessary materials, and a shaping method for shaping the workpiece and support efficiently includes a hollow state support for supporting a workpiece from below, and the hollow state support has a lattice form with crossing of straight linear or curved columnar bodies, wherein a sintered strength at a connecting region with the workpiece is lower than the sintered strength at the other regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventors: Kouichi Amaya, Kousuke Ishimoto
  • Publication number: 20190070662
    Abstract: A three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a shaping table 31, a squeegee 32, a sintering device, a cutting device, transport pathways 4 through which metal powder and fumes that have been discharged to the outer side of a shaping tank 1 after cutting with the cutting device, and metal powder that has been discharged to the outer side of a chamber 2 surrounding the shaping tank 1 without forming part of the laminated layer, are transported to a sifter 5 located at the top of a powder tank 6, and supply devices for inert gas that does not react with the metal powder at an inlet 40 of each transport pathway 4, so as to suppress oxidation of metal powder in the transport pathway for collected metal powder and fumes, and also dust explosion due to sudden oxidation of the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Inventors: Kouichi Amaya, Toshihiko Kato, Tetsushi Midorikawa, Mitsuyoshi Yoshida, Kazuhiro Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20190039287
    Abstract: A three-dimensional shaping method utilizing a powder layer forming step, and a sintering step with a laser beam or electron beam, the method including the steps of a) measuring the reflection intensity of the beam irradiated in each sintering step, or the reflection intensity of other light, b) commanding to continue sintering within the next time unit, or when the next powder layer forming step is given, when it has been detected that the reflection intensity of the step a) is within a standard range for a given time unit, and, c) judging that a sintering defect has been produced, and commanding to cancel sintering in the next time unit, or when the next powder layer forming step is given, when it is detected that a condition has occurred in which the reflection intensity of step a) deviates from the standard range for a given time unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventors: Kouichi Amaya, Kousuke Ishimoto, Takeshi Yamada
  • Publication number: 20190039315
    Abstract: A three-dimensional object shaping method includes the steps of a powder layer forming step, a sliding step of a squeegee on the supplied powder, and a sintering step of irradiating the powder layer, all successively repeated, wherein after dividing shaping regions into a plurality of laminating units, each laminating unit of the plurality of laminating units is divided into an inside region including a maximum prearranged sintering region, and an outside region not including the maximum prearranged sintering region, and wherein the squeegee sliding speed in the outside region is set to be greater than the sliding speed in the inside region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventors: Kouichi Amaya, Kousuke Ishimoto
  • Publication number: 20190041827
    Abstract: A method for a three-dimensional shaped product produced by lamination, irradiation-based sintering and cutting, when undercut regions are present, comprising the steps of: 1. setting a model for the three-dimensional shaped product; 2. selecting a standard of undercut angle; 3. rotating the model in angle units; 4. calculating a total projected area on a horizontal plane of the undercut regions having angles crossing the horizontal plane which are smaller angles than a standard of undercut angle; 5. selecting a rotation angle such that the total projected area is either smallest or a prescribed standard value is reached; 6. when a minimum total area in step 5 is larger than a predetermined standard value or all of the total projected area in step 4 is larger than the predetermined standard value, sending a command to set a shaping region of a support section for supporting the undercut region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventors: Kouichi Amaya, Jun Kobayashi, Tatsuya Kabeshita
  • Publication number: 20190039314
    Abstract: A three-dimensional shaping method utilizing a powder layer forming step, and a sintering step with a laser beam or electron beam, the method including the steps of a) measuring a light intensity of sparks and photographing the sparks generated with fly-off of powder caused by irradiation of the beam over the entire periphery of the sintering region, b) commanding to continue sintering within the next time unit or the next powder layer forming step, when it is detected that the region width and light intensity are within the standard ranges for a given time unit, and c) commanding to cancel sintering in the next time unit or the next powder layer forming step when a sintering defect has occurred, when it is detected that a condition has occurred in which the region width and light intensity deviate from the standard ranges for a given time unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventors: Kouichi Amaya, Kousuke Ishimoto, Takeshi Yamada