Patents Assigned to THK Co., LTD
  • Publication number: 20200408275
    Abstract: Provided is a damping member which can be easily mounted to a rolling guide device already in use, can avoid an increase in size of the rolling guide device, and can easily enhance a damping force in an axial direction exerted by the rolling guide device. The damping member is applied to the rolling guide device in which a moving block is assembled to a track rail through intermediation of a plurality of rolling elements, is provided to the track rail in series with the moving block, and includes: a friction member which includes a sliding contact pad in contact with at least the track rail; and a fixing holder, which includes a holding portion configured to cover the friction member so as to press the sliding contact pad against the track rail, and is configured to couple the friction member to the moving block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keisuke Nakakubo, Junichi Washida, Tetsuya Fukumoto, Noriaki Chikamoto, Tadashi Nakano
  • Patent number: 10876575
    Abstract: A motion guide device is formed of: a track member including a base portion extending along a longitudinal direction, and a pair of wall portions erected from both edges of the base portion in a width direction, and having rolling element rolling grooves formed along a longitudinal direction; and a moving member which is assembled in a movable manner along the longitudinal direction between the wall portions, and to which a pair of guide members are assembled, load rolling element rolling grooves which correspond to the rolling element rolling grooves being formed in the guide members, wherein at least either one of the guide members is equipped with a biasing member on a surface of the guide member on a side opposite to a surface of the guide member on which the load rolling element rolling groove is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuto Homma, Kenichi Hasebe, Toshihisa Maeda, Junichi Sakai, Nobuyuki Maki, Kaoru Hoshide
  • Publication number: 20200401158
    Abstract: This image processing device includes: a detection object including cells having first cells capable of reflecting emitted light and second cells incapable of reflecting the emitted light, the cells being squares or rectangles, the first cells and the second cells being arranged in an a×a or a×b (where a, b=3, 4, 5, 6, . . . ) matrix on a two-dimensional plane; and a detector including: an illuminator emitting light; imagers imaging, by a camera, light reflected from the first cells after the first cells and the second cells constituting the detection object are illuminated with the light emitted from the illuminator; and a calculator obtaining information set on the detection object 11, based on imaged data items taken by the imagers. Such a configuration can accurately identify a compact marker and measure the distance, and achieve a system inexpensively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kitano, Tsubasa Usui
  • Publication number: 20200391390
    Abstract: In order to extend a life span of a flexible cable passing through a movable portion, provided is a hand mechanism which has a plurality of fingers and grips an object with the fingers, including: a flexible cable; a joint which flexes or extends with the grip of the object, has a path for the flexible cable, and has a first surface and a second surface that is a surface bending from the first surface at a bending portion in the path; and a sheet which is provided between the first surface and the flexible cable to have flexibility and is formed such that a gap is provided between the second surface and the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshimasa Endo, Kenji Hidaka
  • Publication number: 20200386273
    Abstract: A lubricant supplying device has: a mounted member that is mounted to a moving member, which moves along a rail, and that is disposed with an interval between the mounted member and concave portions that are provided in the rail along a length direction of the rail; and a supply path unit that is removably attached to the mounted member, wherein the supply path unit has an introducing port into which a lubricant is supplied, supplying members that project out from the mounted member toward the concave portions and supply the lubricant to rolling surfaces of the concave portions on which rolling bodies that are provided at the moving member roll, and a tubular member that connects the introducing port and the supplying members, and the mounted member has an accommodating portion that is concave and accommodates the supply path unit from the length direction of the rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kaoru Hoshide, Katsuya Iida, Tetsuhiro Nishide, Takuya Horie, Takeshi Shimamura
  • Publication number: 20200386270
    Abstract: A motion guide apparatus is provided which can make a carriage compact without reducing a rated load and an allowable load. The motion guide apparatus includes: a track member (1) and a carriage (2) that moves along the track member (1). A circulation path (7) of the carriage (2) includes a loaded path (C1), a return path (C2) parallel to the loaded path (C1), and a substantially U-shaped turn path (C3) connected to the loaded path (C1) and the return path (C2). At least a part of the turn path (C3) bends in side view in a direction where the loaded path (C1) and the return path (C2) coincide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toru Takahashi, Ryuichi Yamakoshi
  • Patent number: 10859895
    Abstract: A projector apparatus that can effectively reduce bending of a base plate supporting a lens shifting unit thereon and facilitates replacement of unit parts in the event of a failure is provided. The projector apparatus includes: a base plate attached inside a projector body; a lens supporting unit attached to the base plate and supporting a projection lens so as to be movable relative to the base plate; guiding mechanisms for guiding the lens supporting unit so as to be freely movable in a horizontal direction and a normal direction relative to the base plate; and fixing devices which fix the base plate to the projector body. The fixing devices include a plurality of first fixing devices provided at a peripheral edge of the base plate, and second fixing devices provided on an inner side of the plurality of first fixing devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignees: THK CO., LTD., NEC DISPLAY SOLUTIONS, LTD.
    Inventors: Marie Shimamura, Jun Hirota, Hajime Fukushima, Kunitaka Furuichi
  • Patent number: 10844904
    Abstract: To suitably set a control gain in feedback control while suppressing an increase in apparatus size. A workpiece transport control system includes: one or a plurality of motion guidance devices; a table on which a workpiece is to be placed; an actuator which imparts a driving force to the table; a control unit which performs transport control by feedback control; and a calculation unit which calculates a transport load applied from the workpiece to a moving member of each of the one or a plurality of motion guidance devices, wherein a control gain related to the feedback control in the transport control is adjusted on the basis of the transport load in each of the one or a plurality of motion guidance devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro Unno, Yuki Hayashi, Yuki Tanaka, Tomofumi Ohashi, Yusuke Asano, Katsunori Kogure
  • Patent number: 10837491
    Abstract: A multi-row rolling element housing band is provided which can promote an increase in the degree of precision of a guide. At least three rolling element rows (17) to (19) are arranged in a band (15). Each second rolling element (18a) of the second rolling element row (18) is displaced by P/n in a length direction of the band (15) from each first rolling element (17a) of the first rolling element row (17). Each third rolling element (19a) of the third rolling element row (19) is displaced by P/n in the length direction of the band (15) from each second rolling element (18a) of the second rolling element row (18). P is the pitch between the first rolling elements (17a), and n is the number of rows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toru Takahashi, Yoshihiro Hamada, Ryuichi Yamakoshi
  • Patent number: 10837490
    Abstract: Provided is a bearing retainer (1) which has excellent oil resistance and impact resistance. The bearing retainer (1) retains a plurality of balls in such a manner that the balls are apart from each other. In a ball screw that is provided with a first member and a second member which moves relatively to the first member, the plurality of balls is arranged on one of the first member or the second member so as to be in contact with both of the first member and the second member, and rolling of the balls enables the relative movement. This bearing retainer (1) is formed from a resin composition that contains an elastomer component and a fluororesin which is mainly composed of vinylidene fluoride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignees: KUREHA GOHSEN CO., LTD, THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kawasaki, Daisuke Mimori, Yasuaki Takaiwa, Kenichi Saitoh
  • Publication number: 20200355250
    Abstract: The ball screw device includes: a screw shaft having an N number (N is an integer equal to or larger than 2) of rolling grooves having the same lead; balls configured to roll in the rolling grooves; and a nut member, which is assembled to the screw shaft through intermediation of the balls, and includes one or a plurality of endless circulation paths configured to circulate the balls around the screw shaft. Each of the endless circulation paths of the nut member includes: an N number of load portions, which are configured to allow the balls to roll thereon while bearing a load, and correspond to the N number of rolling grooves, respectively; and an N number of no-load portions, which each couple adjacent ones of the load portions, and are configured to allow the balls to move between the N number of rolling grooves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomofumi Ohashi, Bin Zhao, Sho Iwashiro, Yoshihiro Kudo, Wataru Saito, Mika Oki, Takuya Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 10816037
    Abstract: A seal member for a linear guide including a guide rail and slider movably set on the guide rail through rolling elements, the seal member, attached to the slider, configured to seal an opening of a gap between the guide rail and slider, the seal member includes: fibers having been impregnated with rubber or resin, wherein a sliding contact part of said seal member, which is in sliding contact with the guide rail, is made of the fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignees: NITTA CORPORATION, THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takehito Dei, Yoji Ishizaki, Yoshiharu Kiyohara, Kenichiro Aoki, Yasuhiro Aoki
  • Publication number: 20200332833
    Abstract: A motion guide device includes: a track member including a rolling member rolling surface; a movable member including a loaded rolling member rolling surface, and a rolling member return passage; a pair of cap members including a direction change passage connecting the loaded rolling member rolling surface and the rolling member return passage; and a plurality of rolling members arrayed in a rollable manner on a loaded rolling member rolling passage, the rolling member return passage, and a pair of the direction change passages, the loaded rolling member rolling passage being made up of the rolling member rolling surface and the loaded rolling member rolling surface. A gap between the rolling member and the direction change passage at a boundary portion X is formed so as to become smaller than a gap between the rolling member and the rolling member rolling surface at the boundary portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kishi, Mitsumasa Wada, Hiroyoshi Yasutake, Eriko Oshima, Shinji Aoki, Takuma Tsunoda
  • Patent number: 10801919
    Abstract: A fault detection sensor-equipped actuator is provided which can easily detect a fault in at least one of a linear guide unit and a ball screw unit, using a shared sensor. In an actuator (10) including a linear guide unit (4) that guides linear movement of a movable body (1) and a ball screw unit (7) that drives the movable body (1) in an axial direction of a screw shaft (6), a sensor (18) configured to detect a fault in the actuator (10) is placed in a housing (11) where a coupling (12) that couples the screw shaft (6) and a motor (14) for rotating the screw shaft (6) is housed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Honjo, Shuhei Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 10800080
    Abstract: A tape-shaped product and a belt for a ball chain are provided. A tape-shaped product of synthetic resin includes a tape of a thermoplastic resin, and a preliminarily stretched fibrous member of a thermoplastic resin contained therein along longitudinally parallel edges or in proximity thereto of the tape. A belt for a ball chain, includes a tape-shaped product of synthetic resin formed by injection molding, together with a fibrous member as an insert of a resin of the same kind as that of the fibrous member so that the fibrous member is disposed along the longitudinal edges or in proximity thereto, ball-insetting holes are disposed at equal intervals, and ball-retaining projections are disposed around the holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Masumura, Kazuki Tomita, Akira Tochigi, Yuji Kokuno, Seiichi Ohira, Hidekazu Michioka, Katsuya Iida
  • Publication number: 20200309238
    Abstract: The method for manufacturing a linear motion guide device includes a step of forming a long member (8) having a pair of side wall parts (51) and a bottom wall part (52), a step of attaching a track body (4) to the pair of side wall parts (51) of the long member (8), and a step of cutting away a base member (5) to which the track body (4) is attached by cutting the long member (8) together with the track body (4) into a desired length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuto Homma, Kenichi Hasebe, Kaoru Hoshide
  • Publication number: 20200284297
    Abstract: Provided is a motion guide device load measuring system that can accurately measure loads acting on a motion guide device in use. The load measuring system includes a position detecting unit (4) for detecting the position of a sliding member (12) relative to a track member (11) in a direction of relative movement, and at least one sensor (2a-2d, 3a-3d) for detecting the relative displacement of the sliding member (12) relative to the track member (11) in a radial direction and/or a horizontal direction. A calculating unit (6) calculates loads acting on the motion guide device (1), in association with the position of the sliding member (12), on the basis of position information detected by the position detecting unit (4) and displacement information detected by one or more of the sensors (2a-2d, 3a-3d).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Asano, Tetsuhiro Nishide, Takuya Horie, Shinji Aoki, Hiroyuki Takizawa
  • Publication number: 20200269445
    Abstract: The present invention improves the stability while suppressing increases in the size and heat generation amount of motors used in a hand mechanism. The hand mechanism includes a first driving mechanism for driving a first joint portion of each finger portion and a second driving mechanism for driving a second joint portion of each finger portion, the second joint portion being positioned further away from a tip end portion of the finger portion than the first joint portion. Further, the second driving mechanism is a mechanism having smaller back-drivability than the first driving mechanism. When pressing force is to be exerted on the object from gripping finger portions that are in contact with the object, the motors of the first driving mechanisms are driven to rotate in a direction for bending the first joint portions while the motors of the second driving mechanisms are held in a stopped state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshimasa Endo
  • Patent number: 10754306
    Abstract: A new position control apparatus is provided which can reduce deviation caused by a non-linear spring characteristic of a rolling apparatus. In a position control apparatus (5) that controls the position of a movable body (1), in a positioning apparatus (9) including a rolling apparatus (2), a deviation e(t) or d of the movable body 1 caused by the non-linear spring characteristic of the rolling apparatus (2) is subtracted from or added to a position command Xref or r of the movable body (1). The deviation d is calculated by carrying out equivalent exchange on a control circuit for a friction force of the rolling apparatus (2), which is set as a quantity of the dimension of displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru Futami, Hitoshi Shibata, Tomofumi Ohashi
  • Patent number: 10738827
    Abstract: In a management system which manages user equipment installed in a prescribed space managed by a user, the user equipment including a plurality of motion guidance devices each including a track member, a moving member, and a plurality of displacement sensors which detect displacements of the moving member in a prescribed number of displacement directions in the moving member, on the basis of lifespan-related information corresponding to each of the plurality of motion guidance devices, a lifespan exhaustion ratio of each motion guidance device is calculated and, on the basis of the calculated lifespan exhaustion ratio, replacement object devices to be replaced within a prescribed period which constitute a part of or all of the plurality of motion guidance devices are determined. In addition, a user is notified of a replacement timing at which all of the determined replacement object devices in the user equipment are to be replaced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro Unno, Yuki Hayashi, Yuki Tanaka, Tomofumi Ohashi, Yusuke Asano, Katsunori Kogure