Patents by Inventor Akira Niwa

Akira Niwa 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).

  • Publication number: 20240097464
    Abstract: An accommodating box may include: a case; and a plurality of battery attaching units supported by the case. Each of the battery packs may include an engagement member configured to engage with the electrical device when the battery pack is attached to the electrical device, engagement between the battery pack and the electrical device being released by a user's operation on the engagement member. Each of the battery attaching units may include: a terminal member unit configured to be electrically connected to one of the battery packs when the battery pack is attached to the battery attaching unit; and a holding member that holds the terminal member unit. The holding member may not be engaged with the engagement member of the battery pack when the battery pack is attached to the battery attaching unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira NIWA
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20230369940
    Abstract: A power tool includes a brushless motor having a stator and a rotor. The stator includes a stator core having teeth, first and second insulators fixed to the stator core, and coils respectively wound around the teeth, all of the coils being wound around the first and second insulators. The rotor includes a rotor core disposed in the interior of the stator, a rotary shaft fixed to the rotor core, and one or more permanent magnets fixed to the rotor core. Power supply lines are configured to respectively supply current to the coils. Fusing terminals are fixed to the first insulator members. The fusing members respectively pinch the power supply lines and are thereby respectively electrically connected to the power supply lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Akira NIWA, Kei KOUDA
  • Patent number: 11757331
    Abstract: A power tool includes a brushless motor that has a stator including a tubular stator core, a rotor disposed in the tubular stator core, first and second electrically insulating members affixed to opposite ends of the stator core and a plurality of coils. A sensor-circuit board is supported by the first electrically insulating member. The first electrically insulating member is bounded by a first plane perpendicular to the rotational axis and a second plane perpendicular to the rotational axis, and the sensor-circuit board is located between the first plane and the second plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Niwa, Kei Kouda
  • Publication number: 20220337121
    Abstract: An electric work machine includes: a motor having a rotor disposed in an interior of a stator and being rotatable about a rotational axis; and an output shaft, on which a tool accessory is mountable and which is configured to be driven using motive power output from the motor. The stator includes: a stator core; a coil wound on a portion of the stator core; and a fusing terminal disposed more inward in a radial direction of the stator core than the coil and being connected to the coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventor: Akira NIWA
  • Patent number: 11433525
    Abstract: In one aspect of the present disclosure, an electric working machine includes an integrally-molded member, a first conductor, and a second conductor. The integrally-molded member includes a surface and contains an insulation material. The first conductor is integrally provided to the surface of the integrally-molded member and supplies a first current. The second conductor is integrally provided to the integrally-molded member and supplies a second current. A portion of the second conductor is embedded into the integrally-molded member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira Niwa
  • Publication number: 20220094251
    Abstract: An electric work machine includes a motor, a driver, and a rotation sensor. The motor includes a stator, and a rotor of permanent-magnet type. The stator includes a cylindrical body, teeth, and coils. The rotation sensor is installed in an area of the stator close to the rotor than an area where the coils are disposed in a radial direction of the stator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Applicant: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira NIWA
  • Patent number: 11280488
    Abstract: An electric working machine according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a motor, a driving mechanism, a housing, a grip, a first light emitter, and a light guide. The first light emitter emits light. The light guide has a ring-shape. The light guide is extending along an outer circumference of the housing. The light guide includes a light entering surface receiving the light emitted from the first light emitter. While propagating the light entered from the light entering surface in the light guide, the light guide radiates the light from a surface of the light guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira Niwa
  • Publication number: 20220085698
    Abstract: An electric work machine in one aspect of the present disclosure includes a motor, a driver, and a temperature sensor. The motor includes a stator, and a rotor. The stator includes a cylindrical body, a tooth, and a coil. The cylindrical body includes a first inner circumferential surface. The tooth is disposed to stand on the first inner circumferential surface. The coil is wound around the tooth. The coil generates a magnetic force in response to receiving an electric power. The temperature sensor is installed in/on the tooth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Applicant: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira NIWA, Kei KOUDA
  • Publication number: 20220077748
    Abstract: A power tool includes a brushless motor that has a stator including a tubular stator core, a rotor disposed in the tubular stator core, first and second electrically insulating members affixed to opposite ends of the stator core and a plurality of coils. A sensor-circuit board is supported by the first electrically insulating member. The first electrically insulating member is bounded by a first plane perpendicular to the rotational axis and a second plane perpendicular to the rotational axis, and the sensor-circuit board is located between the first plane and the second plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventors: Akira NIWA, Kei KOUDA
  • Patent number: 11211846
    Abstract: A power tool includes a motor (8) having a stator (9), a rotor (10) and three terminals (81). The stator includes a tubular stator core (60) having six teeth (63), first and second electrically insulating members (61, 62) affixed to the stator core, and six coils (64) wound around the teeth such that three phases are defined. The three terminals are held by the first electrically insulating member and are respectively electrically connected to the three phases. All of the six coils may be formed by winding a single continuous winding wire (101) sequentially around each of the six teeth. All of the three terminals (81) may be disposed within a semicircular area of the stator core. At least a first crossover wire portion (102) of the winding wire may be disposed on the second electrically insulating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Niwa, Kei Kouda
  • Publication number: 20210222866
    Abstract: An electric working machine according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a motor, a driving mechanism, a housing, a grip, a first light emitter, and a light guide. The first light emitter emits light. The light guide has a ring-shape. The light guide is extending along an outer circumference of the housing. The light guide includes a light entering surface receiving the light emitted from the first light emitter. While propagating the light entered from the light entering surface in the light guide, the light guide radiates the light from a surface of the light guide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Applicant: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira NIWA
  • Publication number: 20210083543
    Abstract: An electric working machine includes a molded member, a motor, a control circuit, and an electric circuit. The molded member includes an insulating material and is molded in one piece. The control circuit is configured to control the motor. The electric circuit is coupled to the control circuit. The electric circuit includes a surface circuit that is integrally arranged on a surface of the molded member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Applicant: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro WATANABE, Akira NIWA
  • Patent number: 10890750
    Abstract: An observation system includes a microscope optical system, an image pickup unit, an image pickup control unit, a detection unit, and an observation control unit. The image pickup unit is configured to take an image of a field-of-view range of the microscope optical system. The image pickup control unit is configured to cause the image pickup unit to take images of an observation sample in the field-of-view range at a plurality of focal positions and generate detection images. The detection unit is configured to detect a three-dimensional position of an observation target object in the observation sample from the detection images. The observation control unit is configured to fit the field-of-view range of the microscope optical system to the three-dimensional position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Kyoto University
    Inventors: Suguru Dowaki, Shiori Oshima, Eriko Matsui, Tatsutoshi Nakahata, Megumu Saito, Akira Niwa
  • Patent number: 10720822
    Abstract: In a brushless motor comprising a stator core having a plurality of teeth that protrude therefrom in radial directions, a front insulator which is attached to the stator core and which has a plurality of insulating portions that protrude therefrom along the direction of protrusion of the respective teeth, and a plurality of coils formed by magnet wire wound about each of the insulating portions at the respective teeth, a top face of the respective insulating portions of the front insulator is provided in advance with a deformable rib which is capable of being deformed by tension of the magnet wire wound thereabout, and the magnet wire is wound about the deformable rib to form the coils as the deformable rib is made to deform in correspondence to the external shape of the magnet wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira Niwa
  • Patent number: 10669529
    Abstract: Provided is a method for producing vascular endothelial cells from pluripotent stem cells, the method comprising the following steps (i) to (iii): (i) a step of culturing pluripotent stem cells in a culture medium comprising a BMP, on a culture vessel coated with a first matrix, to produce mesodermal progenitor cells; (ii) a step of dissociating the resulting cells into single cells; and (iii) a step of culturing the resulting cells in a culture medium comprising VEGF, on a culture vessel coated with a second matrix selected from the group consisting of laminin-411 or a fragment thereof, laminin-511 or a fragment thereof, Matrigel, type IV collagen and fibronectin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignees: Kyoto University, Osaka University
    Inventors: Tatsutoshi Nakahata, Megumu Saito, Akira Niwa, Ryo Ota, Kiyotoshi Sekiguchi
  • Publication number: 20200101587
    Abstract: In one aspect of the present disclosure, an electric working machine includes an integrally-molded member, a first conductor, and a second conductor. The integrally-molded member includes a surface and contains an insulation material. The first conductor is integrally provided to the surface of the integrally-molded member and supplies a first current. The second conductor is integrally provided to the integrally-molded member and supplies a second current. A portion of the second conductor is embedded into the integrally-molded member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Applicant: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira NIWA
  • Patent number: 10562115
    Abstract: A covering member made of a resin is integrally molded with a sensor substrate of a brushless motor in a circular saw by low-temperature, low-pressure injection molding. The covering member covers rotation detecting elements, a thermistor, resistors, and connecting portions (terminals) of lead wires that serve as electrically conductive portions conducting electric currents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryosuke Suzuki, Akira Niwa
  • Publication number: 20190280560
    Abstract: A power tool includes a motor (8) having a stator (9), a rotor (10) and three terminals (81). The stator includes a tubular stator core (60) having six teeth (63), first and second electrically insulating members (61, 62) affixed to the stator core, and six coils (64) wound around the teeth such that three phases are defined. The three terminals are held by the first electrically insulating member and are respectively electrically connected to the three phases. All of the six coils may be formed by winding a single continuous winding wire (101) sequentially around each of the six teeth. All of the three terminals (81) may be disposed within a semicircular area of the stator core. At least a first crossover wire portion (102) of the winding wire may be disposed on the second electrically insulating member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Applicant: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira NIWA, Kei KOUDA
  • Patent number: 10348158
    Abstract: A power tool (1) includes a brushless motor (8) having a stator (9) and a rotor (10). The stator (9) includes: a tubular stator core (60); front and rear insulators (61, 62) fixed to the stator core; and coils (64), which are wound around a plurality of teeth (63) on the stator core. The rotor (10) includes: a rotor core (67) disposed within the stator; a rotary shaft (11) fixed to the rotor core; and one or more permanent magnets (68) fixed to the rotor core. A sensor-circuit board (65) detects the position(s) of the permanent magnet(s) and is fixed to the stator. One or more notched parts (91) is/are formed, in an outer circumference of the sensor-circuit board, between circumferentially-adjacent teeth in an axial direction of the stator. The notch part(s) allow(s) air for cooling the brushless motor to pass more easily through the interior of the stator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Niwa, Kei Kouda