Patents Represented by Attorney Paul A. Guss
  • Patent number: 7162399
    Abstract: A pneumatic device selection system has a computer, first through sixth databases connected to the computer and storing data of at least pneumatic devices, a coordinate input unit and a keyboard connected to the computer, for entering input data based on an input action of an operator into the computer, and a display unit connected to the computer, for displaying information from the computer. The pneumatic device selection system functionally has a first selection processor for selecting a cylinder operating system based on input data from the coordinate input unit or the like, and a second selection processor for selecting a shock absorber based on input data from the coordinate input unit or the like and/or a selection result from the first selection processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Huping Zhang, Mitsuru Senoo, Naotake Oneyama
  • Patent number: 7143956
    Abstract: A suck back valve includes an ON/OFF valve mechanism which opens/closes a fluid passage by displacing a valve member together with a first piston under an action of a pressure fluid supplied into a first cylinder chamber, and a suck back mechanism which has a suction member formed deformably in a flow chamber to suck a pressure fluid contained in the fluid passage by displacing the suction member together with a second piston under an action of the pressure fluid supplied to a second cylinder chamber. The ON/OFF valve mechanism and the suck back mechanism are assembled coaxially and integrally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Fukano
  • Patent number: 7141814
    Abstract: An input circuit has a first current-limiting resistor, a second current-limiting resistor, and an AC-input photocoupler. The photocoupler has an input terminal connected to a first external terminal and another input terminal connected to a positive electrode through the first current-limiting resistor and also to a ground electrode through the second current-limiting resistor. The first external terminal is connected to a PNP transistor and NPN transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Tanabe, Shigeharu Oide
  • Patent number: 7124657
    Abstract: An electric actuator comprises an actuator body which is a rectangular tube have having two pairs of opposing surfaces disposed in parallel and which has a slit formed to extend by a predetermined length along an edge of the rectangular tube; a slider which reciprocates along the slit of the actuator body by a rotary driving source; the rotary driving source which is connected to one end of the actuator body; and a driving force-transmitting mechanism which converts the rotary driving force of the rotary driving source into the rectilinear motion which is transmitted to the slider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Toru Sugiyama, Masahiko Someya
  • Patent number: 7118507
    Abstract: An automatic reduction-ratio changing apparatus comprises a planetary gear mechanism including a sun gear, planet gears, and an internal gear. When a load, which exceeds a predetermined torque, is applied to the internal gear, a pawl of a lock lever is engaged with a ratchet section of a housing to stop the rotation of the internal gear and lock the internal gear. When a displaceable member of an actuator is displaced from an outward route to a homeward route, the rotation of a motor is reversed, and an input shaft and a cam are rotated in a reverse direction to release from the locked state. Accordingly, the speed reduction ratio, which is transmitted from an output shaft to the actuator, is automatically switched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Tomita, Motohiro Sotome
  • Patent number: 7111835
    Abstract: A clamp apparatus has a lower body. A rotary driving source driven by an electric signal, a pump mechanism having a pressure oil-sucking/discharging mechanism energized/deenergized by the rotary driving source, a cylinder mechanism provided with a piston for moving in an axial direction in accordance with supply of pressure oil, and an accumulator for retaining the pressure oil are integrally assembled to the lower body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Akio Saitoh, Motoshi Togasaki, Kazuyuki Oguma
  • Patent number: 7108095
    Abstract: A system and method for generating power includes a motor assembly, an inertia-assisted, torque-enhanced gearbox, including a flywheel assembly and a clutch assembly, and a generator assembly. The motor assembly is used to drive the flywheel assembly up to the generator's designed operating speed. When the flywheel assembly reaches the generator operating speed, the clutch assembly engages and connects the flywheel assembly to the generator assembly. When the flywheel assembly is connected to the generator assembly, it supplies the generator with the starting torque required to start the generator. The motor assembly then supplies the torque necessary to operate the flywheel assembly and the generator assembly at the generator's designed operating speed. When the generator encounters peak loads, the flywheel assembly also supplies peak load torques to the generator assembly. The generator assembly is operable to supply power to a load connected to the generator assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Inventors: Jerry Washington, Dewayne Washington
  • Patent number: 7109412
    Abstract: A cable, which includes a plurality of tubes disposed continuously in the height direction, has one end which is fixed to a first cable-connecting section disposed at one end of a body of an electric actuator. The cable has the other end which is connected to a second cable-connecting section connected to a slider which is displaceable along the axis under the driving action of a rotary driving source. The cable is installed substantially horizontally with respect to the body. The dimension in the height direction is large, and the dimension in the thickness direction is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Toru Sugiyama, Masahiko Someya
  • Patent number: 7105846
    Abstract: After a syringe containing a radioactive sample therein and housed in a radiation shield case is mounted on a radioactive sample holder and set in a radioactive sample measuring apparatus, an upwardly projecting handle of the radioactive sample holder is depressed to cause a syringe holder base supported on second shafts to lower a flange of the syringe held by the syringe holder base, pulling the syringe out of the radiation shield case. Then, the amount of radioactivity of the radioactive sample contained in the syringe is measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Anzai Medical Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenzo Eguchi
  • Patent number: 7096735
    Abstract: A vibration sensor mounted on a tree on the earth outputs a signal voltage corresponding to a sound from the earth. The signal voltage is continuously measured by a sound observing device and read into a data processing device. The data processing device has a forecasting unit for forecasting a slope failure based on a change in the measured sounds from the earth. Specifically, the forecasting unit measures sounds from the earth simultaneously in a plurality of sites, and calculates a position in which the sounds from the earth are produced based on simultaneous observation of sounds from multiple sites. The forecasting unit also includes a system for capturing a ground surface image, and slope failures are forecast based on a change in the measured sounds from the earth and a change in the captured ground surface image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Inventors: Yokio Sakai, Kunio Torii
  • Patent number: 7094203
    Abstract: Gamma rays obtained from radioisotope administered to an examinee are detected by a gamma ray information-detecting unit so that a first tomographic image obtained therefrom is formed on a CRT. Further, a second tomographic image of the examinee detected by using an ultrasonic wave information-detecting unit juxtaposed with respect to the gamma ray information-detecting unit is formed while making the second tomographic image overlap on the first tomographic image. Thus, it is possible to obtain a tomographic image in which relative positional relationship of tissue is clear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Anzai Medical Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomio Inoue, Tadashi Ito, Masao Jimbo, Takeshi Sasaki, Shuji Tsuchiya, Kenzo Eguchi, Hao Wei, Katsuroh Ohwadano, Hideki Ryuo
  • Patent number: 7076413
    Abstract: A stroke time of a piston from excitation of a solenoid valve for driving the piston of a pneumatic cylinder to arrival at an end position thereof and a velocity of the piston at the arrival of the piston at the end position are determined by a simulation calculating unit for several load rates of the pneumatic cylinder for a plurality of determined combinations of the solenoid valve, a speed controller, the pneumatic cylinder, and tubes for connecting therebetween. The stroke time and velocity of the piston determined by the simulation calculating unit for each of the load rates for each of the plurality of combinations are displayed in a superimposed manner on a display unit with a display control means based on a stroke of the pneumatic cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Huping Zhang, Mitsuru Senoo, Naotake Oneyama
  • Patent number: 7066202
    Abstract: An indicator-equipped flow regulating valve includes a valve body through which a fluid flows, a connecting body connected to an upper portion of the valve body, a housing connected to an upper portion of the connecting body, a piston arranged in the connecting body and the housing and displaceable when pressed by the pilot air, a shaft connected to the piston, a diaphragm connected to a lower end of the shaft and seated on a valve seat formed in the valve body, a flow regulating section regulating the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the valve body, and an indicator section indicating an opened/closed state of the diaphragm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Fukano
  • Patent number: 7059612
    Abstract: A gasket comprises a ring member made of a metal material, and a covering section composed of an elastic material, wherein the covering section integrally covers side surfaces and an inner circumferential surface of the ring member respectively. First to third protruding sections, which protrude radially inwardly by predetermined lengths and which have linear side sections, are provided on an inner circumference of the covering section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akira Kuribayashi
  • Patent number: 7055320
    Abstract: An actuator comprises a pump-driving section which is driven and rotated by a current, and a pump mechanism which is connected to the pump-driving section and which sucks/discharges a pressure oil. A cylinder mechanism, which has a piston that is displaceable in the axial direction by being supplied with the pressure oil, is provided on the pump-driving section and the pump mechanism. The amount of discharge of the pressure oil to the cylinder mechanism is adjusted by freely changing the angle of inclination of a tilting member provided in the pump mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Akio Saitoh, Masaru Saitoh
  • Patent number: 7051369
    Abstract: A sensor is provided at the gateway of a local area network for successively acquiring IP packets passing through the gateway. The sensor detects various cracker attacks against the network based on the acquired IP packets. Information as to attacks detected by the sensor is given to a director which controls a firewall at the gateway of the network. Based on the given information, the director controls settings for the firewall to prevent IP packets associated with the detected attacks from entering the local area network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Inventor: Yoshimi Baba
  • Patent number: 7042187
    Abstract: A driver for an electric actuator comprises a direction-switching means which switches a direction of rotation of a rotary driving source based on a direction instruction input signal, a current amplifier/limiter which converts a voltage outputted from the direction-switching means into a corresponding current and which limits the current with reference to a preset reference current IMAX or a threshold value, a current sensor which detects the current supplied to the rotary driving source, and a current loop by which a detection signal from the current sensor is fed back to an upstream side of the current amplifier/limiter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Takeshi Hirose
  • Patent number: 7040668
    Abstract: A tube joint comprises a body composed of a resin material, a connecting member installed to one end of the body, an insert section inserted into the body, a first deformable section with a reduced diameter as compared with the insert section, and a second deformable section with a further reduced diameter as compared with the first deformable section. A fluid tube, to which a pressure fluid is supplied, is inserted into the other end of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takumi Ezura
  • Patent number: 7028355
    Abstract: A medical sanitary multifunctional system bed is provided for nursing, having necessary functions that can be added optionally according to clinical conditions of users. The optional addition of functions allows the medical sanitary multifunctional system bed to perform necessary functions, on a case-by-case basis, thereby minimizing the economic burden imposed on patients. Ordinarily, the bed includes a lower capsule, supported by a metallic support frame, an upper capsule mounted on the lower capsule, a movable and rotatable portion, which is supported by the metallic support frame, and a plurality of removable cushions placed on the movable portion. On a optional basis, the bed may include a stool, a bathtub, a shower, and additional washers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Inventor: Masateru Koga
  • Patent number: 7021192
    Abstract: A pair of throttle valves are installed to first and second installation holes of a cylinder tube, respectively. The throttle valve comprises a rotatable member, a needle which is engaged with the rotatable member and which controls the flow rate of a pressure fluid flowing through first and second bypass passages formed in each of the first and second installation holes, a covering member which covers each of said first and second installation holes, and a stopper ring which prevents the displacement of the rotatable member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazushi Kita, Jun Yamada, Kazufumi Waki, Kouhei Toyohara, Yuuya Osamura