Patents by Inventor Tatsuo Hiroshima
Tatsuo Hiroshima 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).
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Patent number: 8593137Abstract: An eddy current sensor that includes: a probe and a computing unit. The probe has an exciting portion and a detecting portion. The exciting portion includes a first excitation coil that is wound around a non-magnetic bobbin so that a center axis direction is oriented in an x-axis direction and a second excitation coil that is wound around the non-magnetic bobbin to intersect with the first excitation coil so that a center axis direction is oriented in a y-axis direction. The detecting portion includes a detection coil that is arranged at the lower one of two intersecting portions of the first excitation coil and the second excitation coil. An eddy current measurement method for determining the thickness of a hardened layer.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2011Date of Patent: November 26, 2013Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Naotaka Ide, Takanari Yamamoto, Tatsuo Hiroshima
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Publication number: 20130076348Abstract: An eddy current sensor that includes: a probe and a computing unit. The probe has an exciting portion and a detecting portion. The exciting portion includes a first excitation coil that is wound around a non-magnetic bobbin so that a center axis direction is oriented in an x-axis direction and a second excitation coil that is wound around the non-magnetic bobbin to intersect with the first excitation coil so that a center axis direction is oriented in a y-axis direction. The detecting portion includes a detection coil that is arranged at the lower one of two intersecting portions of the first excitation coil and the second excitation coil. An eddy current measurement method for determining the thickness of a hardened layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2011Publication date: March 28, 2013Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Naotaka Ide, Takanari Yamamoto, Tatsuo Hiroshima
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Patent number: 7161360Abstract: An electrostatic capacitance sensor, includes an electrostatic capacitance detector, an operational amplifier in which a feedback impedance circuit is connected between an output terminal and an inverse input terminal of the operational amplifier, a signal line connected between the inverse input terminal of the operational amplifier and the electrostatic capacitance detector, an alternating-current signal generator connected to a non-inverse input terminal of the operational amplifier, and a shield for shielding at least a portion of the signal line, the shield being connected to the non-inverse input terminal of the operational amplifier and the alternating-current signal generator. The electrostatic capacitance detector includes a detecting electrode and a shield electrode. The detecting electrode includes a detector-detecting electrode for detecting an object to be detected and an electrode introducer-detecting electrode for introducing an electrode to the detector-detecting electrode.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2004Date of Patent: January 9, 2007Assignee: Tokyo Electron Ltd.Inventors: Yoshihiro Hirota, Toshiyuki Matsumoto, Tatsuo Hiroshima
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Publication number: 20050140378Abstract: An electrostatic capacitance sensor, includes an electrostatic capacitance detector, an operational amplifier in which a feedback impedance circuit is connected between an output terminal and an inverse input terminal of the operational amplifier, a signal line connected between the inverse input terminal of the operational amplifier and the electrostatic capacitance detector, an alternating-current signal generator connected to a non-inverse input terminal of the operational amplifier, and a shield for shielding at least a portion of the signal line, the shield being connected to the non-inverse input terminal of the operational amplifier and the alternating-current signal generator. The electrostatic capacitance detector includes a detecting electrode and a shield electrode. The detecting electrode includes a detector-detecting electrode for detecting an object to be detected and an electrode introducer-detecting electrode for introducing an electrode to the detector-detecting electrode.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2004Publication date: June 30, 2005Inventors: Yoshihiro Hirota, Toshiyuki Matsumoto, Tatsuo Hiroshima
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Patent number: 6828806Abstract: An electrostatic capacitance sensor, includes an electrostatic capacitance detector, an operational amplifier in which a feedback impedance circuit is connected between an output terminal and an inverse input terminal of the operational amplifier, a signal line connected between the inverse input terminal of the operational amplifier and the electrostatic capacitance detector, an alternating-current signal generator connected to a non-inverse input terminal of the operational amplifier, and a shield for shielding at least a portion of the signal line, the shield being connected to the non-inverse input terminal of the operational amplifier and the alternating-current signal generator. The electrostatic capacitance detector includes a detecting electrode and a shield electrode. The detecting electrode includes a detector-detecting electrode for detecting an object to be detected and an electrode introducer-detecting electrode for introducing an electrode to the detector-detecting electrode.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2000Date of Patent: December 7, 2004Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Yoshihiro Hirota, Toshiyuki Matsumoto, Tatsuo Hiroshima
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Patent number: 6791319Abstract: An exciting coil is constructed by winding a winding in a groove formed on the outer circumference of a circular ring member, and a detecting coil in the shape of a polygon (such as a triangle and a pentagon) when seen from the front is positioned. One side of the detecting coil is placed in a diameter direction of the exciting coil, inside the exciting coil, and the vertex opposite to the one side is placed apart from the exciting coil so that the detecting coil is orthogonal to the exciting coil. A side surface of the exciting coil on the side opposite to the vertex is placed to face the surface of a test material, and used as a flaw detection surface.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2002Date of Patent: September 14, 2004Assignee: Marktec CorporationInventor: Tatsuo Hiroshima
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Publication number: 20040075429Abstract: An exciting coil is constructed by winding a winding in a groove formed on the outer circumference of a circular ring member, and a detecting coil in the shape of a polygon (such as a triangle and a pentagon) when seen from the front is positioned. One side of the detecting coil is placed in a diameter direction of the exciting coil, inside the exciting coil, and the vertex opposite to the one side is placed apart from the exciting coil so that the detecting coil is orthogonal to the exciting coil. A side surface of the exciting coil on the side opposite to the vertex is placed to face the surface of a test material, and used as a flaw detection surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2003Publication date: April 22, 2004Applicant: MARKTEC CORPORATIONInventor: Tatsuo Hiroshima
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Publication number: 20030132748Abstract: An exciting coil is constructed by winding a winding in a groove formed on the outer circumference of a circular ring member, and a detecting coil in the shape of a polygon (such as a triangle and a pentagon) when seen from the front is positioned. One side of the detecting coil is placed in a diameter direction of the exciting coil, inside the exciting coil, and the vertex opposite to the one side is placed apart from the exciting coil so that the detecting coil is orthogonal to the exciting coil. A side surface of the exciting coil on the side opposite to the vertex is placed to face the surface of a test material, and used as a flaw detection surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 2002Publication date: July 17, 2003Inventor: Tatsuo Hiroshima
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Patent number: 6335642Abstract: A impedance-to-voltage converter for converting an impedance of a target to a voltage is described which comprises an operational amplifier (OP), a coaxial cable consisting a signal line and shielding element(s), and an AC signal generator. A feedback impedance circuit is connected between output and inverting terminals of the OP, and whereby a non-inverting terminal and the inverting terminal are an imaginal-short condition. One end of the signal line is connected to the inverting input terminal of the OP and the other end is connected to one electrode of the target and the AC signal generator is connected to the non-inverting input terminal of the OP. The shielding element comprises at least one shielding layer surrounding the signal line and is connected to the non-inverting input terminal of the OP, and thus the signal line and the shielding layer are the same voltage due to the imaginal-short of the input terminals of the OP, resulting in reduction of noise on the signal line.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 1999Date of Patent: January 1, 2002Assignees: Sumitomo Metal Industries Limited, Hokuto Electronics Inc.Inventors: Tatsuo Hiroshima, Koichi Nakano, Muneo Harada, Toshiyuki Matsumoto, Yoshihiro Hirota
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Patent number: 6331780Abstract: A static capacitance-to-voltage converter is capable of converting a static capacitance into a voltage without suffering from a stray capacitance formed between a signal and a shielding line or a stray capacitance formed between an exposed portion of the signal line and its surroundings. The static capacitance-to-voltage converter is formed of an operational amplifier placed in an imaginary short-circuit state between an inverting input and a non-inverting input thereof; a signal line having one end connected to the inverting input and the other end capable of being connected to a static capacitance; a shielding line surrounding the signal line and connected to the non-inverting input; an alternating current signal generator for applying the non-inverting input with an alternating current signal; and zero adjusters for adjusting the output of the static capacitance-to-voltage converter to minimum when no static capacitance is connected to the signal line.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 1999Date of Patent: December 18, 2001Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd.Inventors: Tatsuo Hiroshima, Koichi Nakano, Muneo Harada, Toshiyuki Matsumoto, Yoshihiro Hirota
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Patent number: 5151671Abstract: A circuit breaker includes a compressive turning spring hung between a movable contact arm pivoted at an end to a handle rotatably mounted to a first reference position and a cradle pivotably mounted to a second reference position and disengageably locked to an abnormal current detection and trip mechanism. Under normal operation of the breaker, the turning spring exerts a contact pressure between movable and fixed contacts. Upon detection of an abnormal current, the turning spring is caused to turn so as to open the contacts. With this arrangement, the dispositions of constituent elements and their interlocking assembly can be simplified.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 1991Date of Patent: September 29, 1992Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.Inventors: Akihiko Hirao, Tomoyuki Sawada, Shinji Takayama, Youichi Aoyama, Yukihiro Matsuoka, Tatsuo Hiroshima
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Patent number: 4673877Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring a liner thickness of a zirconium liner provided at the inner surface of a zirconium alloy tube, the principle of measurement of which is to insert coils into the tube to generate an eddy current, detect the impedance component in the direction perpendicular to the direction of coil impedance change caused by the lift-off variation between the coils and the inner surface of tube, and obtain the liner thickness on the basis of the impedance component. In a case where the lift-off variation is larger, the impedance component in the direction of coil impedance change caused by the lift-off variation is detected, so that the component is used to correct the impedance component perpendicular to the same, thereby obtaining the liner thickness in accordance with the corrected values.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 1983Date of Patent: June 16, 1987Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Takahide Sakamoto, Tatsuo Hiroshima
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Patent number: 4641092Abstract: A flaw detection apparatus for detecting flaws at the outer surface of a product, such as a steel bar, wire or steel pipe, which is round in section and produced by the hot rolling, by use of a probe of non-contact type and rotating around the product to be inspected, the apparatus providing a means for suppressing vibrations of an object to be inspected, a means for measuring a distance (lift-off) between the object to be inspected and the probe, and a means for carrying out positional control on the basis of the detection result of the lift-off measurement so that the axis of rotation of probe is allowed to be coincident with the axis of object to be inspected.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 1983Date of Patent: February 3, 1987Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Takahide Sakamoto, Tatsuo Hiroshima, Noriyuki Matsubara, Kenichi Miyata
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Patent number: 4602212Abstract: A technique for detecting flaws in a metal product which uses a combined eddy current and magnetic flaw detection technique. A first magnetic field having flux lines parallel to the surface of the test object and a second field having flux lines perpendicular to the surface of the test object are generated. The resultant magnetic field is affected by faults in the metal test object. A magnetic field detector adjacent the test object detects the resultant magnetic field and produces an output signal which is processed by a circuit to provide a pair of component signals representing the portion of the output signal corresponding to the individual components of the resultant magnetic field, thus providing an indication of the type of faults that are present in the test object.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 1983Date of Patent: July 22, 1986Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Tatsuo Hiroshima, Tetsuya Hirota
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Patent number: 4337099Abstract: A flaw detecting unit inspects the surface of a red-hot steel material, the nail marking unit drives steel nails into the flaw in response to the flaw detection signal, and a scarfing unit scarfs the flaw starting from the nails in response to the scarfing command signal.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 1980Date of Patent: June 29, 1982Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Tatsuo Hiroshima, Takahide Sakamoto
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Patent number: 4336923Abstract: Surface defects occurring periodically in specific regions of the surface of steel material are removed by moving a detector head having a scarfing torch disposed forwardly of a detector probe for scanning along a predetermined path, during which the surface of the scanning path is scarfed smooth and detected by said head, and the surface defects are scarfed away according to the results of the detection.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 1980Date of Patent: June 29, 1982Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Toshio Shiraiwa, Tatsuo Hiroshima, Takahide Sakamoto
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Patent number: 4318439Abstract: A cutting apparatus lights the surface of a moving hot steel material with lamps, locates any flaw with a video camera or the like, scarfs the surface of the steel material adjacent the flaw with a scarfing torch, measures the depth of the flaw with an eddy current detecting probe or the like, estimates accurately the loss of length due to conditioning size and depth of the flaw with a computer, and cuts the steel material in a predetermined length plus the accurately estimated length corresponding to the loss of length due to conditioning.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 1979Date of Patent: March 9, 1982Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Tatsuo Hiroshima, Takahide Sakamoto, Kenichi Matsui, Ichiroh Ohgaki
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Patent number: 4247818Abstract: The present invention is an automatic sensitivity adjustment apparatus for calibration of a nondestructive inspection instrument with a reference standard. Calibration is performed by setting the gain of a variable gain amplifier while a reference standard containing a standard flaw is passed before the sensing means of the instrument. A discriminator circuit connected to the sensing means detects when the output of the sensing means exceeds a predeterminedlevel. A hold time controller sends a sampling enable signal to a peak hold circuit which is also connected to the sensing means to cause the peak hold circuit to sample the sensing means output. The hold time controller senses the peak in the response of the sensing means and causes the peak hold circuit to hold that peak value. The output of the peak hold circuit is applied to the input of a variable gain amplifier. A comparator compares the output of the variable gain amplifier with a reference voltage produced by a reference voltage setting means.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 1978Date of Patent: January 27, 1981Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Inc.Inventors: Tatsuo Hiroshima, Tetsuya Hirota
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Patent number: 4127813Abstract: A method is provided for balancing the sensitivity of two channels comprising intermittently-appearing pulse waves, such as the signals generated by respective sensors in a detecting couple which is used in the so-called differential detection of flaws in materials. The balancing of the levels of the pulse signals is accomplished by the use of, essentially, a pair of sample and hold circuits, one or two variable gain amplifiers and the same number of comparison loops as variable gain amplifiers.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 1977Date of Patent: November 28, 1978Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Tatsuo Hiroshima, Tetsuya Hirota
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Patent number: 4019130Abstract: In a high-temperature furnace such as a heating furnace, a melting furnace or a blast furnace, a cooling cell assembly of a ferromagnetic material such as iron is used in the furnace wall. The thickness of the cooling cell assembly can be detected by winding primary and secondary windings about an iron core, passing an alternating current through the primary winding and inserting a sensor in an inspection hole for detecting the current or voltage induced in the secondary winding, forming a magnetic circuit in the sensor and a portion of the furnace wall, and detecting variations in magnetic permeability between the cooling cell assembly and mortar, refractory bricks or air gaps.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 1975Date of Patent: April 19, 1977Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Yoshiyasu Sakamoto, Tatsuo Hiroshima, Toshihiko Sakai, Tetuo Asano