Patents Assigned to CITIZEN MACHINERY CO., LTD.
  • Patent number: 10744611
    Abstract: In a machine tool, under user set conditions, a cutting tool is fed in a feeding direction while the cutting tool is moved repetitively to cut a workpiece smoothly while separating chips easily. In the machine tool and a control apparatus thereof, control means is configured to set the number of rotations of relative rotation for executing machining of a workpiece, and the number of repetitions of repetitive movement during one rotation of the relative rotation in accordance with a repetitive movement frequency attributable to a cycle during which an operation instruction can be issued.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignees: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd., Citizen Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaichi Nakaya, Kazuhiko Sannomiya, Hiroshi Shinohara
  • Patent number: 10744567
    Abstract: The invention provides a control apparatus for a machine tool, which can perform reciprocating vibration in consideration of a vibration frequency, increase flexibility in machining a workpiece, and perform vibration cutting by means of an external spindle or the like without rotating a spindle. The control apparatus and the machine tool include control means. The control means includes an imaginary spindle regarded as a spindle for rotating a workpiece W or a cutting tool. The control means sets the number of rotations of the imaginary spindle and the number of reciprocating vibrations in accordance with a vibration frequency attributable to a cycle during which an operation instruction can be issued.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignees: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD., CITIZEN MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Sannomiya, Takaichi Nakaya
  • Publication number: 20200238465
    Abstract: A machine tool includes: a cutting tool; rotating means; feeding means; vibrating means for reciprocatingly vibrating the cutting tool and the workpiece relative to each another; and amplitude control means for controlling the amplitude of the reciprocating vibration by the vibrating means. The cutting process is carried out by rotation of the workpiece and the cutting tool relative to each other and feeding of the cutting tool accompanied by the reciprocating vibration with said amplitude in the machining feeding direction of the cutting tool, to thereby move the cutting tool along a predetermined movement path relative to the workpiece. The movement path comprises a plurality of divisional paths divided at predetermined coordinate positions on the movement path. The amplitude control means is adapted to set the amplitude individually for each of the divisional paths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Applicants: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD., CITIZEN MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takaichi NAKAYA
  • Patent number: 10671046
    Abstract: A numerical control device is for machining a machining object by moving a tool and the machining object relative to each other along a movement path while applying vibration, by use of a drive axis provided for the tool or the machining object. The device includes a storage unit that holds an invalid frequency region, and a vibration condition determining unit to determine a frequency for the vibration, based on a rotational speed of a main shaft for rotating the machining object, a number of vibrations of the vibration in each one rotation of the main shaft, and the invalid frequency region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD., CITIZEN MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Watanabe, Masakazu Sagasaki, Hitoshi Matsumoto, Takanori Shinohara, Kazuhiko Sannomiya, Yuki Hirata
  • Patent number: 10661349
    Abstract: An automatic lathe includes a main spindle that rotates a workpiece about a shaft center, a cutting tool that processes the workpiece, a feeder that moves the cutting tool, an input receiver that receives inputs regarding an eccentric distance and a radius, and a controller that controls the movement by the feeder such as to set a virtual circle having a radius of the distance, to set an offset virtual circle having a center at a position where a center of the virtual circle is offset from the shaft center of the workpiece in the radial direction of the workpiece by the radius, and to move the cutting tool along an circumference of the offset virtual circle in relation to a rotation of the workpiece by the main spindle. A hole is processed, which has the radius at a position away from the shaft center by the distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignees: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD., CITIZEN MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hikaru Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20200156200
    Abstract: A control device for a machine tool and a machine tool capable of easily performing cutting with vibration according to the amount of feed is provided. A control device (180) for a machine tool comprises a control means (181) for controlling the relative rotation and feeding of a cutting tool and a material, the control means performing control such that cutting is performed with vibrating the cutting tool relative to the material by combining a forward feed movement in the machining direction, in which the cutting tool machines the material, and a return movement in the counter-machining direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Applicants: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD., CITIZEN MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takaichi NAKAYA, Hiroshi SHINOHARA
  • Patent number: 10625355
    Abstract: A numerical control apparatus includes: a drive unit controlling a main shaft rotating a workpiece, a first drive shaft feeding a cutting tool relatively to the workpiece along a perpendicular direction to a lead direction of a thread, and a second drive shaft feeding the cutting tool relatively to the workpiece along the lead direction; and a vibration unit superimposing, on movement of the first drive shaft, vibration having a period having a predetermined ratio with a rotation period of the main shaft, and forms a thread on the workpiece by moving the cutting tool and the workpiece relative to each other and performing cut processes on the workpiece. The numerical control apparatus includes a thread-cutting vibration adjustment unit controlling the drive unit to shift phase of the vibration with respect to phase of the main shaft by a predetermined vibration phase shift amount every time in the cut processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD, CITIZEN MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Watanabe, Masakazu Sagasaki, Yuki Hirata, Kazuhiko Sannomiya, Takaichi Nakaya
  • Publication number: 20200108450
    Abstract: A tool rest for a machine tool, with a plurality of rotary tools and a tool-rotating drive shaft supported rotatably so that its rotation is transmitted to each rotary tool. The tool rest includes: a plurality of input portions fixed to the tool-rotating drive shaft; and engaging portions corresponding to the respective input portions, rotatably supported and adopted to be driven in rotation by the input portions for engaging with engaged portions of each rotary tool to transmit power when a prescribed rotational phase is reached. Adjusting means is provided between a prescribed input portion and the engaging portion, for adjusting the phase of the engaging portion relative to the tool-rotating drive shaft such that the engaging portions and the corresponding engaged portions are engaged simultaneously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2018
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Applicants: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD., CITIZEN MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Noriyoshi TAGUCHI
  • Patent number: 10610993
    Abstract: A control apparatus for machine tool, in accordance with user set conditions, feeds a cutting tool in a feeding direction while reciprocatively vibrating the cutting tool, smoothly cuts a workpiece, and achieves a machined surface having an improved appearance. In a machine tool and a control apparatus thereof, a control means is configured to set the number of rotations of relative rotation and the number of vibrations of reciprocating vibration during one rotation of the relative rotation in accordance with a vibration frequency attributable to a cycle during which an operation instruction can be issued, and the control means includes adjusting means configured to adjust the number of rotations or the number of vibrations set by the control means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignees: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd., Citizen Machinery Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaichi Nakaya, Kazuhiko Sannomiya, Ayako Kitakaze
  • Patent number: 10589367
    Abstract: A machine forms threads on a workpiece by relatively feeding the workpiece and a cutting tool in a feeding direction while relatively rotating the workpiece and the cutting tool, and by performing a helical cutting work multiple times while carrying out relative reciprocal vibration of the workpiece and the cutting tool in a radial direction of the workpiece. The machine tool or a control device of the machine tool includes a vibration setting unit to set a pattern of vibration during each cutting work accompanied by the reciprocal vibration so that a cut portion of one cutting work partially includes a portion that has been cut in another cutting work. The machine tool and the control device prevent a long, continuous chip from becoming entangled with a workpiece or a cutting tool in the process of forming threads on the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignees: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd., Citizen Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Sannomiya, Takaichi Nakaya
  • Publication number: 20200061766
    Abstract: A coolant coupling device (20) includes: a cylinder chamber (25) provided for a support member (2) for a tool rest (4) in a machine tool and supplied with coolant; a piston (P) movably arranged in the cylinder chamber (25); and a coolant supply flow channel (30) provided for the piston (P) for passing coolant therethrough. The piston (P) is driven by the coolant supplied to the cylinder chamber (25) so that an outlet (32) of the coolant supply flow channel (30) is connected to a coolant inlet port (10) of the tool rest (4) to supply the coolant to the tool rest (4). The piston (P) comprises a cylindrical projection (29) protruding toward and into the cylinder chamber (25), and the coolant supply flow channel (30) has an inlet (34) that opens at an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical projection (29).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Applicants: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD., CITIZEN MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuyuki IZUMI
  • Patent number: 10481582
    Abstract: A machine tool includes a machining chamber, an illuminator in the machining chamber, and an NC unit. The NC unit includes a manual execution unit for executing the machining operation via a pulse signal generated in response to operation of a manually operated part, and has a one-block stop mode in which the NC program is executed for one block and then stopped. A notification unit issues a notification of completion of the execution of one block of the NC program while the machining operation is executed manually using the manual execution unit in the one-block stop mode, and the notification unit includes the illuminator. A change in the illumination state of the illuminator enables an operator to observe the interior of the machining chamber continuously while being notified of the completion of the execution of the one block of the NC program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignees: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd, Citizen Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Noriyuki Asahara
  • Patent number: 10414010
    Abstract: In a machine tool and a control apparatus thereof, a repetitive movement unit is configured so that the cutting tool performs one repetitive movement with respect to multiple relative rotations between the workpiece and the cutting tool and so that a rotation angle of the relative rotation between the workpiece and the cutting tool during relative movement at a second speed is smaller than a rotation angle of the relative rotation during relative movement at a first speed in one repetitive movement. This configuration limits degradation of machining efficiency when the cutting tool machines the workpiece by performing one repetitive movement with respect to multiple relative rotations between the workpiece and the cutting tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignees: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd., Citizen Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Sannomiya, Hitoshi Matsumoto, Nobuyoshi Imasaki
  • Patent number: 10401822
    Abstract: This start limiting device (1) is provided with a start prohibiting means (11) which prohibits starting a device (2) when movement of said device (2) is detected, and a start prohibition releasing means (14) which releases the prohibition by the start prohibiting means (11) on starting the device (2); when movement of said device (2) is detected, the start prohibiting means (11) prohibits starting the device (2) such that the prohibition on starting the device can be released by the start prohibition releasing means (14). This start limiting device (1) is provided with a command receiving means (12) which receives a prescribed command, and the start prohibition releasing means (14) is configured to release the prohibition on starting the device until it is determined that a prescribed time condition has been satisfied from the time that the command receiving means (12) receives the aforementioned command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignees: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD., CITIZEN MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takanori Shinohara
  • Patent number: 10359765
    Abstract: A control device for a machine tool to produce a plurality of different-shaped products efficiently and successively is provided. In the control device, each driving shaft of modules is assigned to different control systems. The device includes a multi-system program storage part for storing a plurality of multi-system programs to machine a workpiece in different shapes, a multi-system program dividing part for dividing the multi-system programs into machining programs, a divided program storage part for storing the divided machining programs individually, a system-based program storage part for storing the machining programs for the respective control systems, and a machining program selection part for selecting the machining program from the divided program storage part in accordance with the machining step to be executed and for storing the selected machining program in the system-based program storage part for the respective control systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignees: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD., CITIZEN MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takaichi Nakaya, Hitoshi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 10293409
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a machine tool includes two fixed modules and two movable modules each of which having a main spindle, a headstock, and a tool post being integrally formed, and a bed on which these are installed. The movable modules are provided on the bed to be movable in the Y-axis direction, the fixed modules are fixed on the bed on the opposite sides of the these movable modules, and a recess is provided next to the fixed module, the recess being formed by cutting out the bed. The movable modules are movable such that the axis lines of the main spindles of the movable modules are aligned with the axis line of the main spindle of the fixed module or the fixed module. The movable module is movable to the opposite position of the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignees: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD., CITIZEN MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takaichi Nakaya, Mamoru Kubota, Sakae Nakazawa, Kazuhiko Sannomiya
  • Patent number: 10268176
    Abstract: To provide a machine tool and a control device for the machine tool that can smoothly cut a workpiece while segmenting chips by feeding a cutting tool in a feed direction while reciprocally vibrating the cutting tool along the feed direction on the basis of a condition set by a user. The machine tool (100) or the control device (C) includes the control section (C1) that determines a number of rotations of the relative rotation and a number of vibrations of the reciprocal vibration per rotation of the relative rotation when the workpiece (W) is machined in accordance with a vibration frequency dependent on a period in which an operating instruction can be executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignees: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd., Citizen Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Sannomiya, Hitoshi Matsumoto, Takanori Shinohara, Hiroshi Shinohara, Toshinari Oyama, Nobuyoshi Imasaki
  • Patent number: 10252345
    Abstract: A machine tool includes a movement device, which has a first feed shaft and a second feed shaft that mutually intersect, and a plurality of tools, which are driven by the movement device and respective blade edges of which are staggered stepwise. The blade edges of the tools are aligned with the second axis due to the inclination of the tools as a unit. The machine tool is capable of executing center level adjustment of a plurality of tools mounted on a tool post against a workpiece having a larger diameter, and is also capable of reducing wasted time in non-cutting operation via equal stroke lengths of the tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignees: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd., Citizen Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kera, Noriyuki Asahara, Hiroshi Kasuya, Kyota Kotake
  • Patent number: 10241493
    Abstract: To provide a machine tool and a control device for the machine tool that can smoothly cut a workpiece while segmenting chips by feeding a cutting tool in a feed direction while reciprocally vibrating the cutting tool along the feed direction on the basis of a condition set by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignees: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd., Citizen Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ayako Kitakaze, Masahiro Muramatsu, Toshinari Oyama, Kazuhiko Sannomiya
  • Patent number: 10213887
    Abstract: A turret tool post includes a turret turnably supported by a post body, turret turning part having a turret turning shaft and the like to turn the turret, a tool attachment part turnably holding a rotatable tool and attached to the turret, and tool-attachment-part turning part turning the tool attachment part to turn the rotatable tool. The tool-attachment-part turning part and the turret turning part are provided independently and arranged to face each other. The tool-attachment-part turning part includes a tool turning motor installed inside the turret and an attachment-part transmission shaft connected to the tool turning motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignees: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD., CITIZEN MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Atsushi Aoyagi