Patents by Inventor Tomotaka Kinugawa
Tomotaka Kinugawa 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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Publication number: 20240067448Abstract: A holder includes a holder body, a holding part supported in a manner movable in a first direction relative to the holder body, and a holding part driver that drives the holding part. The holding part includes a supported portion supported by the holder body, a base extending downward from the supported portion, and an extension extending from the base in the first direction. The extension includes, on an upper surface of the extension, a mount area on which the lower surface of the handle is placeable. The extension includes a protrusion located opposite to the base across the mount area in the first direction. The protrusion protrudes upward from the mount area.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2023Publication date: February 29, 2024Inventors: Tomotaka Kinugawa, Jia-Yang Shen
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Publication number: 20240059486Abstract: A transport vehicle includes a first sensor that detects a relative distance in a vertical direction between a holder and at least one handle contactlessly. A controller determines, based on a detection result from the first sensor, whether the relative distance is at a first set value as a reference for the holder to hold or release the at least one handle and whether the relative distance is at a second set value corresponding to a descending limit for the holder with respect to the at least one handle.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 16, 2023Publication date: February 22, 2024Inventors: Tomotaka Kinugawa, Kiyohide Ichino
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Publication number: 20230278833Abstract: The article transport vehicle includes a travel section, a holding section, an elevating device, an inclination detection device, an inclination adjustment device, and an inclination control device for controlling the inclination adjustment device. The inclination adjustment device is configured to act on a target belt among a plurality of suspension belts to adjust an inclination of the holding section by adjusting a suspension height at which the holding section is held by the target belt. During the lowering of the holding section to the transfer position by the elevating device, the inclination control device executes an adjustment operation during lowering, in which the inclination of the holding section is detected by the inclination detection device, and based on the result of the detection performed by the inclination detection device, the inclination adjustment device is controlled to adjust the inclination of the holding section.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2023Publication date: September 7, 2023Inventors: Tomotaka Kinugawa, Hiroshi Otsuka, Keisuke Shiroishi, Koji Kawaguchi, Yasushi Morikawa
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Patent number: 10640294Abstract: A support portion includes: a first portion that is supported on a travel portion; a second portion that is coupled to a holding portion; and a damper portion that is provided between the first portion and the second portion. The damper portion includes: a guide portion that guides movement of the first portion relative to the second portion along a specific guiding direction; a link mechanism that is coupled to each of the first portion and the second portion, and that moves in conjunction with movement of the first portion relative to the second portion; and an elastic body. The elastic body is coupled to the link mechanism so as to dampen operation of the link mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2019Date of Patent: May 5, 2020Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tomotaka Kinugawa, Hiroshi Sakata, Hiroshi Otsuka
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Publication number: 20190382206Abstract: A support portion includes: a first portion that is supported on a travel portion; a second portion that is coupled to a holding portion; and a damper portion that is provided between the first portion and the second portion. The damper portion includes: a guide portion that guides movement of the first portion relative to the second portion along a specific guiding direction; a link mechanism that is coupled to each of the first portion and the second portion, and that moves in conjunction with movement of the first portion relative to the second portion; and an elastic body. The elastic body is coupled to the link mechanism so as to dampen operation of the link mechanism.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2019Publication date: December 19, 2019Inventors: Tomotaka Kinugawa, Hiroshi Sakata, Hiroshi Otsuka
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Patent number: 10242898Abstract: An article transport facility includes an alignment portion that aligns the position of an inspection unit that is transferred to a transport target location with a proper support position, and a position detection device for detecting the position of a detection target portion provided on a holding portion is provided in the inspection unit. The horizontal offset amount of the holding portion relative to the proper support position is measured based on detection information from the position detection device in a state in which the inspection unit is aligned with the proper support position and the holding portion is positioned at a release position or a release movement position.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2016Date of Patent: March 26, 2019Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.Inventor: Tomotaka Kinugawa
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Patent number: 10023205Abstract: First travel rail pair provided along a first path has a first discontinuous section. And second travel rail pair provided along a second path has a second discontinuous section. First guide members allow movement of guided members along a travel direction and restrict vertical movement of one or more of the guided member when the article transport vehicle travels through a crossing portion along the first path. Second guide members allow movement of the guided members along the travel direction and restrict vertical movement of one or more of the guided members when the article transport vehicle travels through a crossing portion along the second path.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2016Date of Patent: July 17, 2018Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tomotaka Kinugawa, Daisuke Ogawa
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Patent number: 9975705Abstract: An article transport facility in which the attitude of its support mechanism can be easily corrected to an appropriate attitude. The facility includes an angle sensor configured to detect an angle of a first reference surface of an article supported by a vertically movable member with respect to the horizontal plane, one or more winding mechanisms, one or more second actuators configured to actuate the one or more winding mechanisms, and a controller. Each winding mechanism is configured to selectively take up and feed out a target elongate flexible member. The controller controls one or more second actuators to adjust the angle of the first reference surface to a preset angle with respect to the horizontal plane based on the detected information from the angle sensor.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2016Date of Patent: May 22, 2018Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tomotaka Kinugawa, Yasushi Morikawa
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Patent number: 9934993Abstract: A controller performs a stop control if a first detector detects that an article transport vehicle traveling in a first path entered a managed area, and a second detector or a third detector detects that another article transport vehicle exists in a selected path. And the controller performs a travel control if the first detector detects that an article transport vehicle traveling in a first path entered the managed area, and presence of another article transport vehicle is not detected in the selected path by the second detector or the third detector.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2017Date of Patent: April 3, 2018Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tomotaka Kinugawa, Hiroshi Otsuka
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Patent number: 9932175Abstract: An article transport facility comprises a plurality of article transport vehicles each of which is configured to travel along a track and to transport an article. Each article transport vehicle includes at least one obstacle detection sensor, each configured to detect an obstacle that exists in at least one detection area defined in a peripheral area of the article transport vehicle. The transport vehicle controller of each article transport vehicle is configured to receive the detection area information from the transport facility controller through wireless communication, and to transmit the received detection area information to at least one of the at least one obstacle detection sensor. Each of the at least one obstacle detection sensor is configured to cause the area information memory to store the transmitted detection area information.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2016Date of Patent: April 3, 2018Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tomotaka Kinugawa, Tadashi Nishikawa
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Publication number: 20170229333Abstract: A controller performs a stop control if a first detector detects that an article transport vehicle traveling in a first path entered a managed area, and a second detector or a third detector detects that another article transport vehicle exists in a selected path. And the controller performs a travel control if the first detector detects that an article transport vehicle traveling in a first path entered the managed area, and presence of another article transport vehicle is not detected in the selected path by the second detector or the third detector.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 9, 2017Publication date: August 10, 2017Inventors: Tomotaka Kinugawa, Hiroshi Otsuka
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Publication number: 20170183154Abstract: An article transport facility comprises a plurality of article transport vehicles each of which is configured to travel along a track and to transport an article. Each article transport vehicle includes at least one obstacle detection sensor, each configured to detect an obstacle that exists in at least one detection area defined in a peripheral area of the article transport vehicle. The transport vehicle controller of each article transport vehicle is configured to receive the detection area information from the transport facility controller through wireless communication, and to transmit the received detection area information to at least one of the at least one obstacle detection sensor. Each of the at least one obstacle detection sensor is configured to cause the area information memory to store the transmitted detection area information.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2016Publication date: June 29, 2017Inventors: Tomotaka Kinugawa, Tadashi Nishikawa
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Patent number: 9685360Abstract: A transport device includes a large-article drive portion that moves each of a pair of large-article supporting portions between a large-article supporting position and a large-article retracted position, and a small-article drive portion that moves each of a pair of small-article supporting portions between a small-article supporting position and a small-article retracted position. The small-article retracted position is set at a height at which the pair of small-article supporting portions are located above a supported portion supported by the pair of large-article supporting portions, and the pair of small-article supporting portions are provided between the pair of large-article supporting portions in a lateral width direction.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2014Date of Patent: June 20, 2017Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.Inventor: Tomotaka Kinugawa
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Publication number: 20170152111Abstract: An article transport facility in which the attitude of its support mechanism can be easily corrected to an appropriate attitude. The facility includes an angle sensor configured to detect an angle of a first reference surface of an article supported by a vertically movable member with respect to the horizontal plane, one or more winding mechanisms, one or more second actuators configured to actuate the one or more winding mechanisms, and a controller. Each winding mechanism is configured to selectively take up and feed out a target elongate flexible member. The controller controls one or more second actuators to adjust the angle of the first reference surface to a preset angle with respect to the horizontal plane based on the detected information from the angle sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 23, 2016Publication date: June 1, 2017Inventors: Tomotaka Kinugawa, Yasushi Morikawa
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Patent number: 9592959Abstract: An intermediate transfer device is located upwardly of an article delivering and receiving portion and downwardly of a ceiling transport vehicle. A transfer device grip is provided such that the intermediate transfer device is in vertical alignment with the ceiling transport vehicle and the article delivering and receiving portion and is capable of traveling, while guided and supported by a guiding support, to and among a transfer position for the delivering and receiving portion, a transfer position for the intermediate rack, a transfer-time retracted position, and a temporary-storage-time retracted. The guiding support is configured to form a space through which the grip portion and an article can pass in the vertical direction when the ceiling transport vehicle transfers the article.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2015Date of Patent: March 14, 2017Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tomotaka Kinugawa, Suguru Shibata, Daisuke Ogawa
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Patent number: 9536766Abstract: An article transport carriage includes a carriage main body configured to travel along a travel path, a support portion configured to support a bottom surface of an article from below, a projecting and retracting actuator for projecting and retracting the support portion between a projected position and a retracted position, a pressure applying portion located directly above the article supported by the support portion in the retracted position, and a distance changing actuator for changing the distance in the vertical direction between the support portion and the pressure applying portion between a pressure applying distance and a spaced apart distance.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2015Date of Patent: January 3, 2017Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.Inventor: Tomotaka Kinugawa
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Patent number: 9508583Abstract: An article transport carriage includes a carriage main body configured to travel along a travel path, a support portion configured to support a bottom surface of an article from below, a projecting and retracting actuator for projecting and retracting the support portion between a projected position and a retracted position, a pressure applying portion located directly above the article supported by the support portion in the retracted position, and a distance changing actuator for changing the distance in the vertical direction between the support portion and the pressure applying portion between a pressure applying distance and a spaced apart distance.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2015Date of Patent: November 29, 2016Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.Inventor: Tomotaka Kinugawa
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Patent number: 9508580Abstract: A transport device includes a large-article drive portion that moves each of a pair of large-article supporting portions between a large-article supporting position and a large-article retracted position, and a small-article drive portion that moves each of a pair of small-article supporting portions between a small-article supporting position and a small-article retracted position. The small-article retracted position is set at a height at which the pair of small-article supporting portions are located above a supported portion supported by the pair of large-article supporting portions, and the pair of small-article supporting portions are provided between the pair of large-article supporting portions in a lateral width direction.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2014Date of Patent: November 29, 2016Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.Inventor: Tomotaka Kinugawa
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Publication number: 20160288802Abstract: First travel rail pair provided along a first path has a first discontinuous section. And second travel rail pair provided along a second path has a second discontinuous section. First guide members allow movement of guided members along a travel direction and restrict vertical movement of one or more of the guided member when the article transport vehicle travels through a crossing portion along the first path. Second guide members allow movement of the guided members along the travel direction and restrict vertical movement of one or more of the guided members when the article transport vehicle travels through a crossing portion along the second path.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 5, 2016Publication date: October 6, 2016Inventors: Tomotaka Kinugawa, Daisuke Ogawa
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Publication number: 20160276191Abstract: An article transport facility includes an alignment portion that aligns the position of an inspection unit that is transferred to a transport target location with a proper support position, and a position detection device for detecting the position of a detection target portion provided on a holding portion is provided in the inspection unit. The horizontal offset amount of the holding portion relative to the proper support position is measured based on detection information from the position detection device in a state in which the inspection unit is aligned with the proper support position and the holding portion is positioned at a release position or a release movement position.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2016Publication date: September 22, 2016Inventor: Tomotaka Kinugawa