Patents by Inventor Tamio Tanikawa

Tamio Tanikawa 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).

  • Micro manipulator
    Patent number: 7146872
    Abstract: Provision of a 3-DOF micro manipulator easy to operate and capable of executing accurate positioning, wherein the link mechanisms of the micro manipulator whose main operation is parallel 3-DOF operation are implemented by cutting, folding, and moding a sheet of metal plate. Base and end effector are connected by three link mechanisms. The three link mechanisms are manufactured by cutting and folding a flexible plate material, and are equipped with plate-like arm portions each having a spread in the axially peripheral direction of the end effector, with hinge portions that are formed longitudinally across each arm portion in order to function as revolving joints R, and with a hinge portion also formed at the middle position of the arm portion in order to function as revolving joints R. Also, a parallelogrammatic link is formed between one longitudinal end of the arm portion and the middle portion thereof in order to function as a prismatic joint pair P.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Science Systems, Ltd., National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Morita, Motohide Ukiana, Kazuhiro Fujii, Shigeto Isakozawa, Hidemi Koike, Tamio Tanikawa
  • Apparatus and method for trapping micro-object
    Publication number: 20040209382
    Abstract: A trapping apparatus uses a gripping mechanism 4 to grip a crystal 1 in a droplet 2 placed in the specified location on a base 3 and then uses a trapping mechanism 5 to trap the crystal 1 being gripped by the gripping mechanism 4 in order to separate the trapped crystal 1 from the droplet 2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Publication date: October 21, 2004
    Inventors: Soichi Wakatsuki, Masahiko Hiraki, Minoru Nagai, Tamio Tanikawa
  • Micro manipulator
    Publication number: 20030056364
    Abstract: Provision of a 3-DOF micro manipulator easy to operate and capable of executing accurate positioning, wherein the link mechanisms of the micro manipulator whose main operation is parallel 3-DOF operation are implemented by cutting, folding, and molding a sheet of metal plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2002
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Morita, Motohide Ukiana, Kazuhiro Fujii, Shigeto Isakozawa, Hidemi Koike, Tamio Tanikawa
  • Micromanipulator
    Patent number: 5651574
    Abstract: A micromanipulator comprises an upper parallel linkage connecting a base member and an opposed middle plate by links, a lower parallel linkage connecting the middle plate and an opposed base plate by links, a first finger attached to the base member of the upper parallel linkage, a second finger attached to the middle plate and is arranged opposite the first finger, drive controllers provided on the links for effecting relative motions of the fingers and for positioning the fingers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 29, 1997
    Assignee: Agency of Industrial Science & Technology, Ministry of International Trade & Industry
    Inventors: Tamio Tanikawa, Tatsuo Arai