Patents by Inventor Akira Hara

Akira Hara 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: 11911891
    Abstract: An actuator system that picks up workpieces aims to shorten tact time and to reduce damages to workpieces. The actuator system includes an actuator that picks up a workpiece, an external force detection sensor that detects a physical quantity that is correlated with an external force that is applied to the workpiece, a head unit that is connected to the actuator and the external force detection sensor without a communication network, the head unit being configured to control the actuator based on a sensing result from the external force detection sensor when a pickup request signal that is a signal requesting pickup of the workpiece is received, and a control device that is connected to the head unit over the communication network, the control device being configured to transmit the pickup request signal to the head unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Katsuya Fukushima, Masashi Ishii, Hiroki Niwa, Akira Suzuki, Kazuto Oga, Shogo Wakuta, Satoshi Hara, Tomofumi Mizuno, Shigeki Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11889632
    Abstract: A feeder includes a sprocket that feeds a tape accommodating multiple components; a motor that rotates the sprocket; a storage section to store the rotational position of the sprocket detected by a sensor as an initial rotational position when the tape is set in the feeder and store a cumulative feeding amount of the tape fed by the rotation of the sprocket; and a control section to control the motor such that the sprocket rotates in a forward direction based on a feeding amount of the tape required for a supply when supplying the components to the component mounting machine, and control the motor such that the sprocket does not rotate in a reverse direction in excess of the initial rotational position based on the initial rotational position and the cumulative feeding amount when rewinding the tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Hara, Yuichi Shimamoto
  • Publication number: 20240009701
    Abstract: A weight with optimum weight and high strength can be easily manufactured and the vibration actuator with excellent vibration characteristic is provided. The vibration actuator is formed by a casing 2 with cylindrical shape, a coil 21 provided in the casing 2, and a mover 4 that vibrates along an vibration-axis direction of the casing 2. The mover 4 includes a mover body and a weight fixed to the mover body. A protrusion 311 protruding toward an opening of the casing 2 is provided at a central portion of the mover body, and a recess 321 which is recessed toward the opening of the casing 2 is provided at the central portion of the weight 32. The mover body and the weight 32 is fixed in a state in which the protrusion 311 is inserted into the recess 321.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Applicant: FOSTER ELECTRIC COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Yoshikazu OKAZAKI, Tatsushi SASANUMA, Takafumi ASUKAGAWA, Yusuke CHIBA, Hajime GOTO, Akira HARA, Ken YAMAKAMI
  • Publication number: 20230320054
    Abstract: A device management apparatus includes a board working machine and a management section. The board working machine includes a first slot and a second slot, and performs a predetermined board work on a board to produce a board product. The first slot can hold a device used in the production of the board product. The second slot can preliminarily hold the device that is scheduled to be used in the production of the board product or can temporarily hold the device that has become unnecessary in the production of the board product. The management section updates a control program for controlling the device of a target device requiring update of the control program in the second slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Applicant: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji NAKAI, Nobuhisa KOMIYAMA, Akira HARA, Yuichi SHIMAMOTO
  • Patent number: 11499811
    Abstract: An angle sensor of a tape feeder includes a magnetic body that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of a sprocket, a magnetic sensor that outputs a detection signal corresponding to the angle of the magnetic body with respect to the feeder main body, and an angle calculating section that performs offset processing for adjusting an origin of the detection signal using a preset offset value, gain processing that adjusts the magnitude of the detection signal using a preset gain value, and that calculates the angle of the magnetic body based on the adjusted detection signal. The control device performs correction processing for correcting at least one of the offset value or the gain value based on the detected signals outputted from the magnetic sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuaki Kura, Akira Hara, Yuichi Shimamoto
  • Publication number: 20220295678
    Abstract: A feeder includes a sprocket that feeds a tape accommodating multiple components; a motor that rotates the sprocket; a storage section to store the rotational position of the sprocket detected by a sensor as an initial rotational position when the tape is set in the feeder and store a cumulative feeding amount of the tape fed by the rotation of the sprocket; and a control section to control the motor such that the sprocket rotates in a forward direction based on a feeding amount of the tape required for a supply when supplying the components to the component mounting machine, and control the motor such that the sprocket does not rotate in a reverse direction in excess of the initial rotational position based on the initial rotational position and the cumulative feeding amount when rewinding the tape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Applicant: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira HARA, Yuichi SHIMAMOTO
  • Patent number: 11425850
    Abstract: The feeder includes a first sprocket provided in an insertion section, having engagement protrusions, engageable with engagement holes of a carrier tape, formed on only a part of the outer circumference, and a second sprocket arranged side by side with the first sprocket, on the supply section side of the first sprocket, having engagement protrusions formed over the entire circumference. A control device of the feeder restricts contact between the engagement protrusions of the first sprocket facing the carrier tape and the carrier tape after the engagement protrusions of the second sprocket disengage from the carrier tape in an unloading process of conveying the carrier tape to the insertion section side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Hara, Akira Takahashi, Hiroyasu Ohashi
  • Patent number: 11357151
    Abstract: A component mounting machine performs a mounting operation of mounting an electronic component to a board. The component mounting machine includes: multiple related operation devices each including an electrically-operated section configured to perform a related operation that is an operation related to the mounting operation, and an output section configured to output an operation signal representing a state of the electrically-operated section that is operating; and circuitry configured to limit the quantity of the related operation devices for which the electrically-operated section is in an operating state to a specified quantity or fewer based on whether there is presence of the operation signal of the multiple related operation devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taro Ito, Akira Hara, Nguyen Hieu Nghia
  • Patent number: 11147199
    Abstract: A control device of the tape feeder includes: a step-out detecting section for detecting a step-out of a stepping motor; a memory section for storing a target angle of a sprocket for positioning one of multiple cavities at a supply section; and a restoration process section for performing origin alignment, when the step-out detecting section detects a step-out of the stepping motor, wherein pulse power is supplied to the stepping motor so that the sprocket reaches a predetermined angle, supplying the pulse power to the stepping motor in accordance with the current angle and the target angle of the sprocket after the origin alignment is completed, and moving one of the multiple cavities to the supply section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidekazu Asao, Akira Hara, Toshiaki Kondo
  • Patent number: 10881041
    Abstract: A component mounting machine includes: a feeder device; a component transfer device; a splice portion detecting section detecting a splice portion further on a near side than a supply position of the feeder device; a passing determination section determining if the splice portion is in the passing state in which the splice portion is positioned within a passing area; a suction abnormality determination section determining the suction abnormality state in which a suction nozzle is not able to suck a component; a work defect determination section determining the splicing work defect when the suction abnormality state is determined and the splice portion is determined to be in the passing state; and an abnormality display section that performs dedicated abnormality display when the splicing work defect is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira Hara
  • Publication number: 20200267879
    Abstract: A tape feeder including: an angle sensor configured to detect a final angle of the sprocket at a point in time at which interruption of power supply to the tape feeder is detected, and a current angle of the sprocket at a point in time at which resumption of power supply to the tape feeder is detected; and a control device configured to, when resumption of power supply to the tape feeder is detected, set a target angle of the sprocket based on the final angle, and perform control to rotate the sprocket from the current angle to the target angle so as to convey the carrier tape to a predetermined position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Applicant: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidekazu ASAO, Akira HARA
  • Publication number: 20200217639
    Abstract: An angle sensor of a tape feeder includes a magnetic body that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of a sprocket, a magnetic sensor that outputs a detection signal corresponding to the angle of the magnetic body with respect to the feeder main body, and an angle calculating section that performs offset processing for adjusting an origin of the detection signal using a preset offset value, gain processing that adjusts the magnitude of the detection signal using a preset gain value, and that calculates the angle of the magnetic body based on the adjusted detection signal. The control device performs correction processing for correcting at least one of the offset value or the gain value based on the detected signals outputted from the magnetic sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Applicant: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuaki KURA, Akira HARA, Yuichi SHIMAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20200178427
    Abstract: A control device of the tape feeder includes: a step-out detecting section for detecting a step-out of a stepping motor; a memory section for storing a target angle of a sprocket for positioning one of multiple cavities at a supply section; and a restoration process section for performing origin alignment, when the step-out detecting section detects a step-out of the stepping motor, wherein pulse power is supplied to the stepping motor so that the sprocket reaches a predetermined angle, supplying the pulse power to the stepping motor in accordance with the current angle and the target angle of the sprocket after the origin alignment is completed, and moving one of the multiple cavities to the supply section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Applicant: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidekazu ASAO, Akira HARA, Toshiaki KONDO
  • Publication number: 20200077553
    Abstract: A component mounting machine configured to perform a mounting operation of mounting an electronic component to a board, the component mounting machine including: multiple related operation devices each including an electrically-operated section configured to perform a related operation that is an operation related to the mounting operation, and an output section configured to output an operation signal representing a state of the electrically-operated section that is operating; and a limiting device configured to limit the quantity of the related operation devices for which the electrically-operated section is in an operating state to a specified quantity or fewer based on whether there is presence of the operation signal of the multiple related operation devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Applicant: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taro ITO, Akira HARA, Nguyen Hieu NGHIA
  • Publication number: 20200045861
    Abstract: The feeder includes a first sprocket provided in an insertion section, having engagement protrusions, engageable with engagement holes of a carrier tape, formed on only a part of the outer circumference, and a second sprocket arranged side by side with the first sprocket, on the supply section side of the first sprocket, having engagement protrusions formed over the entire circumference. A control device of the feeder restricts contact between the engagement protrusions of the first sprocket facing the carrier tape and the carrier tape after the engagement protrusions of the second sprocket disengage from the carrier tape in an unloading process of conveying the carrier tape to the insertion section side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Applicant: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira HARA, Akira TAKAHASHI, Hiroyasu OHASHI
  • Patent number: 10110148
    Abstract: A stepping motor control device is provided with a stopping position determination section and a drive control section. The stopping position determination section determines whether a mover stopping position during the holding state is a stabilized phase or a semistable phase. When it is determined that the mover stopping position is a semistable phase during the holding state by the stopping position determination section, and the control state of the stepping motor transitions from the holding state to the standby state in which the holding of the mover is released due to a trigger signal from a device or the holding state persisting for a fixed time, the drive control section changes the mover stopping position to one of the stabilized phases adjacent to the mover stopping position during the holding state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke Nakamura, Akira Hara, Satoshi Osaki
  • Publication number: 20180235120
    Abstract: Provided is a component mounting machine (1) including: a feeder device (3); a component transfer device (4); a splice portion detecting section (33) that detects a splice portion (79) further on a near side than a supply position (32) of the feeder device; a passing determination section (step S2, step S3) that determines whether or not the splice portion 79 is within the passing state in which the splice portion is positioned within a passing area; a suction abnormality determination section (step S5, step S8) that determines the suction abnormality state in which a suction nozzle (46) is not able to suck a component (P); a work defect determination section (step S9) that determines the splicing work defect in a case where the suction abnormality state is determined and the splice portion is determined to be in the passing state; and an abnormality display section (388) that performs dedicated abnormality display in a case where the splicing work defect is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Applicant: FUJI MACHINE MFG. CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Akira HARA
  • Publication number: 20160365812
    Abstract: A stepping motor control device is provided with a stopping position determination section and a drive control section. The stopping position determination section determines whether a mover stopping position during the holding state is a stabilized phase or a semistable phase. When it is determined that the mover stopping position is a semistable phase during the holding state by the stopping position determination section, and the control state of the stepping motor transitions from the holding state to the standby state in which the holding of the mover is released due to a trigger signal from a device or the holding state persisting for a fixed time, the drive control section changes the mover stopping position to one of the stabilized phases adjacent to the mover stopping position during the holding state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Publication date: December 15, 2016
    Applicant: FUJI MACHINE MFG. CO., LTD
    Inventors: Daisuke NAKAMURA, Akira HARA, Satoshi OSAKI
  • Publication number: 20130005698
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical for preventing or treating an inner ear disorder, comprising a spirohydantoin derivative represented by a general formula (I): in the formula, X represents a halogen atom or a hydrogen atom, and R1 and R2 simultaneously or individually represent a hydrogen atom or an optionally substituted C1-6 alkyl group, or a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof as an active ingredient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2011
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicants: University of Tsukuba, Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Hara, Keiji Tabuchi, Chihiro Hibi
  • Publication number: 20050138752
    Abstract: There is disclosed a cylinder cleaning brush unit including a brush roller for cleaning a cylinder. The cylinder includes an outer surface to which impurities are adhered, the impurities being removed from the outer surface by the brush roller with cleaning liquid being supplied. The brush unit comprises an opening through which effluent is discharged from the brush unit, the effluent including the cleaning liquid and the impurities. The brush unit further comprises a filter installed in the opening, the effluent being filtrated by the filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2005
    Publication date: June 30, 2005
    Inventor: Akira Hara