Patents by Inventor Toshiyuki Aso

Toshiyuki Aso 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: 8129928
    Abstract: Provided is a power branching system for driving a plurality of motors by use of a single servo driver, the power branching system capable of protecting each of the motors. The power branching system of the present invention has power lines 15 branched at some midpoint to connect the plural motors 5 and the servo driver 12; a plurality of current sensors 21 provided at branched power lines 15b for detecting currents supplied to the respective motors 5; and controlling means 22 for receiving current data detected by the plural current sensors 21, determining whether or not the detected currents are balanced and generating an alarm signal when the currents are unbalanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: THK Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Shoda, Yuki Nomura, Toshiyuki Aso
  • Patent number: 8097986
    Abstract: Disclosed is a micro actuator capable of being formed in compact as a whole, such as 10 mm in diameter by diminishing a difference between a stroke distance of a moving member and an overall length, and by reducing a sectional area taken in a direction orthogonal to a stroke direction. The micro actuator includes: a spline shaft formed as a cylinder with a hollow part and having an axially extending slit opening; a spline nut fit-engaged with the spline shaft and axially guiding the spline shaft; a pair of end caps fixed to openings at both ends of the spline shaft; a magnet rod supported at both ends within the hollow part of the spline shaft by the end caps; and a forcer loosely fit-engaged with a periphery of the magnet rod within the hollow part of the spline shaft to constitute a linear motor together with the magnet rod and connected with the spline nut through the slit opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: THK Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Kimura, Toshiyuki Aso, Yoshinobu Tanaka, Hidekazu Michioka, Makoto Iizumi
  • Patent number: 8047095
    Abstract: Provided is an XY table actuator that, while building-in a drive means for freely moving an object placed on a table within an XY-plane and positioning the object, can be significantly reduced in size and that helps to suppress an increase in table height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: THK Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Aso, Yoshihiro Kimura
  • Patent number: 8030804
    Abstract: Provided is a linear motor capable of reducing cogging. The linear motor has a field magnet part 5 having a plurality of permanent magnets 21 arranged to form N and S poles alternately; a core 14 having a plurality of salient poles 14a, 14b and 14c arranged facing the field magnet part 5; and a three-phase coil 16 wound around the salient poles 14a, 14b and 14c of the core 14. At respective sides in the moving direction of an armature having the three-phase coil 16 and the core 14, auxiliary cores 18 made of a magnetic material are provided to sandwich the armature 10. The distance P1 between a center of each auxiliary core and a center of a center salient pole 14b is set to be substantially ¼×(2N+1)×a magnetic pole pitch between N poles of the field magnet part 5 (N: an integer equal to or greater than 1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: THK Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Aso, Hiroshi Kaneshige, Akie Tanaami
  • Publication number: 20110181129
    Abstract: Provided is a linear and rotary actuator capable of bearing moment and load from a movable body and downsizing its radial dimension. A spline shaft is held in housings to be movable linearly in the axial direction and rotatable about the axis. The spline shaft is connected to a mover shaft of a linear motor. The spline shaft is surrounded with a hollow rotor of a rotary motor. The rotor is connected to a spline nut which transmits rotation of the rotor to the spline shaft by rotating together with the rotor and allows linear movement of the spline shaft. The rotor of the rotary motor is rotated by a stator of the rotary motor. The spline nut, the stator of the rotary motor and a stator of the linear motor are arranged in this order from an end of the spline shaft and mover shaft along the axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Aso, Shuhei Yamanaka, Takayuki Kuze
  • Patent number: 7880344
    Abstract: An X-Y table actuator is constituted by stacking a stationary plate, an intermediate plate, and a movable plate. Between the stationary plate and the intermediate plate, arranged is an X-direction drive means for driving the intermediate plate in an X-direction with respect to the stationary plate. Between the intermediate plate and the movable plate, on the other hand, there is provided a Y-direction drive means for moving the movable plate forward and backward in a Y-direction with respect to the intermediate plate. By stacking the stationary plate and the movable plate, which are formed into a substantially channel-shape, and the intermediate plate, which is formed into a substantially flat-shape on each other, a housing chamber for the X-direction drive means is formed between the stationary plate and the intermediate plate, and a housing chamber for the Y-direction drive means is formed between the intermediate plate and the movable plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: THK Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Kimura, Toshiyuki Aso, Masashi Ishii
  • Publication number: 20110001282
    Abstract: A rotary table device includes a cooling structure and a rotary bearing provided with a cooling structure. A rotary table device provided with a cooling structure includes a hollow motor as a drive source, a table rotated by the hollow motor, and a rotary bearing supporting rotational motion of the table, in which the rotary bearing includes an outer ring having an inner peripheral surface to which a rolling surface is formed, an inner ring having an outer peripheral surface to which a rolling surface facing the rolling surface of the outer ring is formed, and a number of rolling members in a rolling passage formed by the rolling surface of the outer ring and the rolling surface of the inner ring, and a heat sink is formed to either one of the inner and outer rings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2009
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru Taniguchi, Toshiyuki Aso, Toshiya Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7812482
    Abstract: By reviewing a material of a forcer housing and an assembly structure of a coil member with respect to the forcer housing, a thrust force is increased, an optimum shape can be easily given to the forcer housing depending on a purpose of use, and a linear motor can be manufactured at low cost. The linear motor includes a magnet rod composed of a large number of magnetic poles arranged with predetermined pitches along an axial direction and a forcer having a through-hole into which the magnet rod is loosely inserted and reciprocatable relatively to the magnet rod according to an applied electric signal. The forcer is composed of a forcer housing in which the through-hole is defined and a coil member which is arranged on an inner peripheral surface of the through-hole of the forcer housing and to which the electric signal is applied. The forcer housing is formed by mold forming with an insulating nonmetal inorganic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: THK Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Aso, Taro Miyamoto, Shuhei Yamanaka
  • Publication number: 20100206102
    Abstract: A linear actuator with a dustproof mechanism provides reliable dustproof capability over the entire stroke of the actuator. A linear actuator 100 with a dustproof mechanism includes a ball screw, a movable stage 4 including a ball screw nut that engages the ball screw, the movable stage capable of making linear reciprocating motion in the axial direction of the ball screw in response to rotary motion of the ball screw, a housing member 2 disposed to cover at least the ball screw, openings 27, 28 formed in the housing member 2 along the path along which the movable stage 4 travels, and dustproof belts 29, 30 disposed inside the housing member 2 to block the openings 27, 28. The linear actuator 100 with a dustproof mechanism further includes end plate covers 105a, 105b that cover both ends of the housing member 2 and hence has high dustproof performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2008
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Aso, Toshiya Tanaka, Norinobu Ogawa, Toshiaki Mizuno, Minoru Tsukada, Yukitoshi Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20100207464
    Abstract: Provided is a linear motor capable of reducing cogging. The linear motor has a field magnet part 5 having a plurality of permanent magnets 21 arranged to form N and S poles alternately; a core 14 having a plurality of salient poles 14a, 14b and 14c arranged facing the field magnet part 5; and a three-phase coil 16 wounded around the salient poles 14a, 14b and 14c of the core 14. At respective sides in the moving direction of an armature having the three-phase coil 16 and the core 14, auxiliary cores 18 of magnetic body are provided to sandwich the armature 10. The distance P1 between a center of each auxiliary core and a center of a center salient pole 14b is set to be substantially ¼×(2N+1)×a magnetic pole pitch between N-N poles of the field magnet part 5 (N: an integer equal to or greater than 1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Aso, Hiroshi Kaneshige, Akie Tanaami
  • Publication number: 20100171459
    Abstract: Provided is a position detection system which is inexpensive and does not need to control the accuracy of mounting a sensor strictly. The position detection system according to the present invention includes; a linear motor having a rod 1 in which magnetic poles of N pole and S pole are arranged alternately in an axial direction and a plurality of coils 4 surrounding the rod 1; a magnetic sensor 12 for detecting change in the direction of the magnetic field of the rod 1 caused by linear movement of the rod 1 relative to the coils 4 to output a sine wave signal and a cosine wave signal which are 90° phase shifted to each other; and a position detecting circuit 13 for detecting a position of the rod 1 relative to the coils 4. As the magnetic sensor 12 detects the change in the direction of the magnetic field of the rod 1, the sine wave signal and the cosine wave signal output from the magnetic sensor 12 hardly vary eve when the distance between the rod 1 and the magnetic sensor is changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Aso, Shuhei Yamanaka, Toshiro Tojo
  • Publication number: 20100127578
    Abstract: Provided is an X-Y table actuator, which is capable of moving and positioning a movable table (5) freely in an X-Y plane with a sufficient thrust, and can be simply manufactured at a low cost. The X-Y table actuator is constituted by stacking a stationary plate (2), an intermediate plate (4), and a movable plate (5). Between the stationary plate (2) and the intermediate plate (4), arranged is an X-direction drive means for driving the intermediate plate (4) in an X-direction with respect to the stationary plate (2). Between the intermediate plate (4) and the movable plate (5), on the other hand, there is provided a Y-direction drive means (7) for moving the movable plate (5) forward and backward in a Y-direction with respect to the intermediate plate (4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Kimura, Toshiyuki Aso, Masashi Ishii
  • Publication number: 20100102496
    Abstract: A rotary table device includes a hollow motor drive source, a table rotated thereby, and a rotary bearing supporting the table. The rotary bearing is provided an outer race having an inner surface to which a rolling surface is formed, an inner race having an outer peripheral surface to which a rolling surface opposing to the rolling surface of the outer race is formed, and a plurality of rolling members disposed in a rolling passage formed by the rolling surface of the outer race and the rolling surface of the inner race, and a cooling medium passage (?, ?) is formed so as to be adjacent to either one of the inner race and outer race constituting a rotational driving side. According to the structure mentioned above, a rotary bearing and a rotary table device capable of achieving suitable cooling effect can be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru Taniguchi, Toshiya Tanaka, Toshiyuki Aso
  • Publication number: 20100060087
    Abstract: A drive guide device capable of effectively releasing heat produced by a mover. The drive guide device has a movement unit 100 moved by a linear motor while being guided by a rail 230. The movement unit 100 has the mover 140 to which electricity is conducted to produce a magnetic field, a table 110 placed on the mover 140 on the opposite side of a base 210 to which the rail 230 is fixed, a heat sink 130 having heat radiation fins for releasing heat produced by the mover 140 and placed between the mover 140 and the table 110, and a heat transmission route for transmitting heat, which cannot be released by the heat sink 130, to the table 110. The table 110 is made from a material having a low thermal expansion coefficient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Aso, Akihiro Unno
  • Publication number: 20100024587
    Abstract: Provided is an XY table actuator that, while building-in a drive means for freely moving an object placed on a table within an XY-plane and positioning the object, can be significantly reduced in size and that helps to suppress an increase in table height.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2006
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Aso, Yoshihiro Kimura
  • Publication number: 20090309529
    Abstract: Provided is a power branching system for driving a plurality of motors by use of a single servo driver, the power branching system capable of protecting each of the motors. The power branching system of the present invention has power lines 15 branched at some midpoint to connect the plural motors 5 and the servo driver 12; a plurality of current sensors 21 provided at branched power lines 15b for detecting currents supplied to the respective motors 5; and controlling means 22 for receiving current data detected by the plural current sensors 21, determining whether or not the detected currents are balanced and generating an alarm signal when the currents are unbalanced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Publication date: December 17, 2009
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuo Shoda, Yuki Nomura, Toshiyuki Aso
  • Publication number: 20090261663
    Abstract: Provided is a linear motor capable of simplifying assembling of a coil unit and stabilizing a coil pitch and the overall length of the coil unit. The linear motor has a rod 1 having magnets 3, a plurality of coils 4 arranged in the axial direction of the rod 1, a housing 2 covering the coils 4, and a coil holder 5 holding the coils 4 in the housing 2. The coil holder 5 includes a holder main body 5a elongating in the coil arrangement direction and a plurality of spacer portions 5b made of resin and each interposed between each adjacent two of the coils 4 to insulate the coils 4 from each other, the spacer portions 5b being formed integrally with the holder main body 5a.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Aso, Shuhei Yamanaka, Kazuya Horiike, Taro Miyamoto, Yukitaka Ikeya, Tadao Yoneta
  • Patent number: 7586219
    Abstract: The present invention provides a drive guide apparatus capable of ensuring an increased lifetime by preventing heat generated from a primary side of a linear motor from being transferred to a rail or a moving member of a guide mechanism to which the primary side of the linear motor is connected, thereby preventing variation of rolling resistance or sliding resistance of the guide mechanism. The drive guide apparatus has a linear motor and a guide mechanism that has a rail and a moving member provided to be movable relative to the rail. A primary side of the linear motor is connected to the rail. Thermal insulators for blocking heat generated from the primary side of the linear motor are provided between the primary side and the rail of the guide mechanism to which the primary side is connected directly or indirectly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: THK Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Taro Miyamoto, Toshiyuki Aso, Shuhei Yamanaka, Wataru Nakayama
  • Publication number: 20090218894
    Abstract: A compact linear motor is provided which is able to limit a rod, which linearly moves relatively to coils, from revolving. The linear motor comprises a rod (11) equipped with magnets (13), coils (4) surrounding the rod (11), and a housing (5) covering the coils (4), and the rod (11) is made to linearly move relatively to the coils (4) by magnetic fields from the magnets (13) and current made to flow through the coils (4). And the rod (11) comprises an outer circumferential surface on which spline grooves (10a) are formed so as to run along an axial direction of the rod (11). The housing (5) comprises a spline nut (8) that fits the spline grooves (10a) and limits the rod (11) from revolving around an axis line thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2006
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Aso, Shuhei Yamanaka
  • Publication number: 20090152960
    Abstract: Disclosed is a micro actuator capable of being formed in compact as a whole, such as 10 mm in diameter by diminishing a difference between a stroke distance of a moving member and an overall length, and by reducing a sectional area taken in a direction orthogonal to a stroke direction. The micro actuator includes: a spline shaft formed as a cylinder with a hollow part and having an axially extending slit opening; a spline nut fit-engaged with the spline shaft and axially guiding the spline shaft; a pair of end caps fixed to openings at both ends of the spline shaft; a magnet rod supported at both ends within the hollow part of the spline shaft by the end caps; and a forcer loosely fit-engaged with a periphery of the magnet rod within the hollow part of the spline shaft to constitute a linear motor together with the magnet rod and connected with the spline nut through the slit opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Kimura, Toshiyuki Aso, Yoshinobu Tanaka, Hidekazu Michioka, Makoto Iizumi