Patents Assigned to SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
  • Patent number: 10220491
    Abstract: An electric clamp apparatus includes a body, a rotary drive unit which is driven rotatably by an electric signal, and a rotary body rotated under a driving action of the rotary drive unit. Gear teeth of a clamp arm are enmeshed with helical screw grooves formed on the outer circumferential surface of the rotary body. The rotary body is rotated by driving the rotary drive unit, whereby the clamp arm, which is enmeshed with the screw grooves, is rotated through a predetermined angle to bring about a clamped state for clamping a workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Chiaki Fukui, Noriyuki Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 10195720
    Abstract: An electric clamp apparatus includes a body, a rotary drive unit which is driven rotatably by an electric signal, and a clamp arm disposed rotatably with respect to the body. By driving the rotary drive unit, a drive force is transmitted to the clamp arm through a drive force transmission mechanism, whereby the clamp arm is rotated via a link arm through a predetermined angle with respect to the body, and a workpiece is clamped between the clamp arm and a support member of the body. Further, rotational operation of the clamp arm is regulated by abutment of a sub-roller against an inclined portion of a displacement body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Chiaki Fukui, Noriyuki Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 10151416
    Abstract: A pipe joint has a tube for fluid detachably fitted thereto, and is connected to a hydraulic device such as a cylinder. The pipe joint is provided with a body into which the tube for fluid is inserted, and an attachment/detachment mechanism which is provided inside the body and which can attach/detach the tube for fluid. An inner sleeve for connecting the tube for fluid and the hydraulic device is provided in the body, the inner sleeve being interchangeable with orifices having different opening diameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshimoto Taneya, Taku Tomita, Shuichi Saito
  • Patent number: 10041514
    Abstract: In a fluid pressure cylinder, first and second cylinder chambers facing respective opposite end surfaces of a piston are formed inside a cylinder tube including a supply port and a discharge port, and a first piston rod connected to one end surface side of the piston is formed to have a greater diameter than that of a second piston rod connected to another end surface side of the piston. Therefore, a second pressure-receiving area of a second pressure-receiving surface formed on the other end surface of the piston is greater than a first pressure-receiving area of a first pressure-receiving surface formed on the one end surface. Pressure fluid in the first cylinder chamber is supplied to the second cylinder chamber, whereby area difference between the first pressure-receiving area and the second pressure-receiving area causes the piston to move toward the first cylinder chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Youji Takakuwa
  • Patent number: 9908219
    Abstract: A clamp apparatus includes a pair of first and second clamp arms. A driving force transmission mechanism transmits a driving force of a drive unit, whereby the first clamp arm is operated to rotate via a link arm, while simultaneously, the second clamp arm is rotated, and after being rotated through a predetermined angle, under moving action of a roller, which is inserted into a cam groove of a link plate, rotation of the second clamp arm is stopped and maintained in advance with respect to the first clamp arm. Consequently, after positioning of a workpiece has been carried out by the second clamp arm, rotation of which is stopped, the first clamp arm continues to be rotated, whereby the workpiece is clamped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Takahashi, Hideki Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9885439
    Abstract: In a pipe joint, a tapered male screw thread is provided at one end and a joint connection section which is connected to a joint section is provided at the other end. The tapered male screw thread has a length adapted so that, when the tapered male screw thread has been fastened to a tapered female screw thread formed in an end cap, the entire length is engaged with the tapered female screw thread, and the sealing effect is obtained by a seal member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeyuki Joh, Yusuke Saito
  • Patent number: 9829135
    Abstract: A pipe joint is equipped with a body, and an attachment and detachment mechanism by which a fluid tube is mounted detachably with respect to the body. A pawl of a chuck that constitutes the attachment and detachment mechanism includes a stopper member that abuts against an outer circumferential surface of the fluid tube, and piercing members, distal ends of which project more toward a side of the fluid tube than the stopper member and pierce into the outer circumferential surface of the fluid tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Hanne
  • Patent number: 9827642
    Abstract: In a clamping device, a detection mechanism detects a state of clamping/unclamping and includes: a detected body that moves together with a piston and a piston rod; a circuit board disposed to face the detected body and capable of detecting the position of the detected body; and an indicator lamp that is connected to the circuit board and is lit/extinguished depending on the state of clamping/unclamping. By pressing a setting button provided on the detection mechanism when the rotation angle of the arm is changed, the second detection position of the circuit board for detecting the unclamped state is changed, making it possible to detect the detected body at a newly set detection position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takuya Higurashi
  • Patent number: 9784389
    Abstract: A pipe joint contains a body having a fluid passage in the interior thereof, a tightening cap screw-engaged with an end of the body for connecting a tube thereto, and an indicator ring interposed between a stopper of the body and an end of the tightening cap. The indicator ring is equipped with a flat section and an inclined section, which is inclined with respect to the flat section, and is formed with a smaller diameter than an outer circumferential surface of the tightening cap. When the tightening cap is screw-rotated to thereby connect the tube, as a result of the inclined section being pressed and deformed by movement of the tightening cap, the inclined section projects radially outward with respect to the outer circumferential surface of the tightening cap, whereby a tightened condition is visually confirmed by the outer edge of the indicator ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Fukano, Tadashi Uchino
  • Patent number: 9765800
    Abstract: A piston main body in a piston assembly of a fluid pressure cylinder includes a first piston member and a second piston member including a plate-shaped member. The first piston member and the second piston member are joined in a state overlapping in the axial direction of a piston rod. The second piston member is not provided with a hole that passes through in the plate thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Chiaki Fukui
  • Patent number: 9752685
    Abstract: A flow rate control apparatus includes a valve mechanism capable of controlling a flow rate of a pressure fluid that flows from a second port to a first port. Second stopper walls are formed on a seating section of a needle valve constituting the valve mechanism and which is capable of advancing and retracting in an axial direction. In addition, in a total valve-closed state when the seating section of the needle valve is seated on a seat of a first body, the second stopper walls come into abutment and are stopped in a circumferential direction of the needle valve with respect to first stopper walls of the first body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenji Shishido
  • Patent number: 9746006
    Abstract: An open end of a cylinder main body is blocked by a cap, which includes a main body portion, and an outer edge portion that bends from the main body portion toward the open end of the cylinder main body, a distal end of the outer edge portion being locked with an inner circumferential wall. When a piston comes into abutment against the main body portion, a space is formed by the outer edge portion, the inner circumferential wall, and the end surface of the piston. A first port is disposed so as to communicate with the space, whereby the space serves as a space into which the pressure fluid is introduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichiro Ishibashi, Koji Hara, Toshio Sato
  • Patent number: 9689520
    Abstract: A pipe joint has a tube for fluid detachably fitted thereto, and is connected to a hydraulic device such as a cylinder. The pipe joint is provided with a resin body into which the tube for fluid is inserted, and a metal body which can rotate relative to the resin body. The resin body comprises orifices which each have a different opening diameter, and, as a result of the rotation of the resin body relative to the metal body, the orifices can be disposed in a connection part providing a connection path between the tube for fluid and the hydraulic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshimoto Taneya, Taku Tomita, Shuichi Saito
  • Patent number: 9598762
    Abstract: In a DLC film-formed material, an intermediate layer is disposed between a substrate and a DLC film. The intermediate layer is a composite layer containing a component metal atom derived from the substrate and a diamond-like carbon. For example, such intermediate layer can be formed by applying a negative bias to the substrate while reducing the absolute value of the negative bias with time, in a plasma layer formation process. A carbon target or a hydrocarbon gas can be used as a carbon source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignees: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Mitsuda, Kenji Nose, Yuya Morihisa
  • Patent number: 9587774
    Abstract: An adapter includes a base body including a pair of coupling members and a connecting plug inserted through a hole in the base body and screw-engaged with a port of the two-way valve. In addition, upon threaded engagement of the connecting plug, the base body is mounted with respect to an attachment surface of the two-way valve. Further, a seal member is installed on an end surface of the base body, such that a sealing function is performed by abutment of the seal member against the attachment surface. Moreover, first and second connecting flanges of a connecting apparatus are engaged with respect to the coupling members of the adapter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinichi Ito
  • Patent number: 9556991
    Abstract: A pipe joint has a body, and an annular packing is mounted to the opening of the body into which a fluid tube is inserted. The packing is provided with: a body section having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape; and a seal section protruding in the radial direction from the inner peripheral surface of the body section. The seal section is formed at substantially the center of the body section in the widthwise direction thereof and is formed in a triangular cross-sectional shape tapering to the inner peripheral side. When the fluid tube is inserted in the opening, the seal section of the packing makes sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface of the fluid tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masayoshi Furuya, Akihito Takanashi
  • Patent number: 9550262
    Abstract: In an electric clamp apparatus, a drive unit including a motor is disposed on an end of a body on which a clamp arm is rotatably supported. The drive unit includes a hollow housing connected to the body, and a motor unit, which is configured to be accommodated in the interior of the housing. After the motor unit has been inserted into the interior of the housing from one end side thereof, two lock plates, which are disposed on a frame of the motor unit, are rotated, whereby holes of the lock plates are made to engage with projections of the housing. As a result, the motor unit is fixed in a state of being accommodated in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Fukano, Noriyuki Miyazaki, Takeshi Seo
  • Patent number: 9523444
    Abstract: A flow rate control device is provided with a flow rate adjustment indication device for operating the displacement of a needle valve relative to a flow passage. The flow rate adjustment indication device is provided with a housing, a rotation transmission member which displaces the needle valve by rotational operation, and an annularly shaped indication ring which has a hole through which the rotation transmission member is inserted. The indication ring has graduations which indicate a change in the flow rate of liquid. The engagement of the engagement section of the needle valve displaces the indication ring in the circumferential direction and changes the position of the graduations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenji Shishido
  • Patent number: 9488990
    Abstract: In a solenoid valve system, a plurality of first through third solenoid valve units are divided into a plurality of first through third groups. In this case, a safety power source control unit is provided for controlling the first through third solenoid valve units with respect to each of the first through third groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Fumio Morikawa, Naoki Sakamura
  • Patent number: 9409282
    Abstract: A clamp apparatus is equipped with a body, and a drive unit having a piston displaced under the supply of a pressure fluid. A clamp arm is disposed rotatably on the body. In addition, a piston rod of the drive unit is connected detachably with respect to a displaceable body of a driving force transmission mechanism which is disposed in the interior of the body. Upon detachment of a connector of the piston rod from a connecting recess of the displaceable body, the state of connection between the drive unit and the driving force transmission mechanism is released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Chiaki Fukui, Youji Takakuwa