Patents by Inventor Akira Numasato

Akira Numasato 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: 11731156
    Abstract: A painting system includes painting unit including a first painting robot and a second painting robot, a cartridge carrier, and a cleaning tank. The painting robots each include a robot arm including a painting machine. The cartridge carrier includes a cartridge grip part. A first region is a region where a movable region of the painting machine of the first painting robot overlaps with a movable region of the cartridge grip part. A second region is a region where the movable region of the painting machine of the second painting robot overlaps with the movable region of the cartridge grip part. The cleaning tank is provided in a position including at least a part of the first region and at least a part of the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinji Tani, Akira Numasato, Kazuki Tanaka, Takufumi Kimura
  • Patent number: 11642689
    Abstract: A coating apparatus includes a first module and a second module constituting a coating area where a coating target is coated. The first module includes a first frame and a coating robot. The second module includes a second frame. When the first module and the second module are arranged to adjoin each other in a movement path direction in which the coating target relatively moves along the coating area, the first frame of the first module and the second frame of the second module that are arranged to adjoin each other are configured to be coupled together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinji Tani, Akira Numasato, Kazuki Tanaka, Takufumi Kimura
  • Patent number: 11642688
    Abstract: A paint system includes a paint unit having a first paint robot and a second paint robot. The first paint robot includes a first robot base and a first robot arm operably mounted on the first robot base. The second paint robot includes a second robot base and a second robot arm operably mounted on the second robot base. When a virtual plane extending in a vertical direction and along a direction of relative movement between an object to be painted and the paint unit is defined as a reference plane, a distance between the first robot base and the reference plane is set to be shorter than a distance between the second robot base and the reference plane. A passage range allowing passage of the second robot arm is provided under the first robot base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinji Tani, Akira Numasato, Kazuki Tanaka, Takufumi Kimura
  • Patent number: 11433413
    Abstract: A paint system includes a paint unit having a first paint robot and a second paint robot. The first paint robot includes a first robot base and a first robot arm operably mounted on the first robot base. The second paint robot includes a second robot base and a second robot arm operably mounted on the second robot base. When a virtual plane extending in a vertical direction and along a direction of relative movement between an object to be painted and the paint unit is defined as a reference plane, a distance between the first robot base and the reference plane is set to be shorter than a distance between the second robot base and the reference plane. A passage range allowing passage of the second robot arm is provided under the first robot base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinji Tani, Akira Numasato, Kazuki Tanaka, Takufumi Kimura
  • Patent number: 11351559
    Abstract: A rotary atomization head is provided, which prevents discharged threads of a coating material from making contact with each other and from being unified. A rotary head 1 includes: a diffusion surface 122 to diffuse the coating material toward an outer edge part 123 by centrifugal force; and a plurality of grooves 124 formed on the outer edge part 123. The plurality of grooves 124 extends in a radial direction. The adjacent grooves 124 have different depths. The grooves 124 have the same width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TRINITY INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinji Tani, Akira Numasato, Takahito Kondo, Yuki Murai, Takao Ueno, Takatoshi Okuta, Ken Maeda, Kota Harada
  • Publication number: 20220008947
    Abstract: A painting system includes painting unit including a first painting robot and a second painting robot, a cartridge carrier, and a cleaning tank. The painting robots each include a robot arm including a painting machine. The cartridge carrier includes a cartridge grip part. A first region is a region where a movable region of the painting machine of the first painting robot overlaps with a movable region of the cartridge grip part. A second region is a region where the movable region of the painting machine of the second painting robot overlaps with the movable region of the cartridge grip part. The cleaning tank is provided in a position including at least a part of the first region and at least a part of the second region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinji TANI, Akira Numasato, Kazuki Tanaka, Takufumi Kimura
  • Publication number: 20220001411
    Abstract: A coating apparatus includes a first module and a second module constituting a coating area where a coating target is coated. The first module includes a first frame and a coating robot. The second module includes a second frame. When the first module and the second module are arranged to adjoin each other in a movement path direction in which the coating target relatively moves along the coating area, the first frame of the first module and the second frame of the second module that are arranged to adjoin each other are configured to be coupled together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinji TANI, Akira NUMASATO, Kazuki TANAKA, Takufumi KIMURA
  • Patent number: 11213839
    Abstract: A coating device includes a rotary head, a power supply part that applies a voltage to the rotary head, and a control part that controls the power supply part. The rotary head is configured so that a coating material is electrostatically atomized. The control part is configured so as to calculate a discharge current based on a total current flowing from the power supply part to the rotary head and a leak current, and control the power supply part based on the discharge current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Trinity Industrial Corporation, Ransburg Industrial Finishing K.K.
    Inventors: Shinji Tani, Akira Numasato, Kazuki Tanaka, Takahito Kondo, Yuki Murai, Yuki Hirai, Atsushi Tomita, Kenji Okamoto, Naohiro Masuda
  • Publication number: 20210370332
    Abstract: A paint system includes a paint unit having a first paint robot and a second paint robot. The first paint robot includes a first robot base and a first robot arm operably mounted on the first robot base. The second paint robot includes a second robot base and a second robot arm operably mounted on the second robot base. When a virtual plane extending in a vertical direction and along a direction of relative movement between an object to be painted and the paint unit is defined as a reference plane, a distance between the first robot base and the reference plane is set to be shorter than a distance between the second robot base and the reference plane. A passage range allowing passage of the second robot arm is provided under the first robot base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinji TANI, Akira NUMASATO, Kazuki TANAKA, Takufumi KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20210101171
    Abstract: A coating booth includes a coating chamber in which coating is performed on a coated object by a coating device, a supply air chamber placed above the coating chamber, and a recovery chamber placed below the coating chamber. The coating booth is configured such that: air directed from the supply air chamber toward the recovery chamber flows through a predetermined region inside the coating chamber, the predetermined region including a passage region for the coated object; and the air directed from the supply air chamber toward the recovery chamber does not flow through a predetermined-region outside region inside the coating chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akira NUMASATO, Shinji TANI, Kazuki TANAKA, Takufumi KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20210094058
    Abstract: A plurality of painting zones is connected in series by a plurality of air exhaust ducts so as to allow air to flow through the painting zones. A paint mist in air having passed through a painting chamber of each painting zone is removed by a dry filter. Feedback control is performed on the temperature and the humidity of air in a second painting zone other than a third painting zone to which conditioned air from an air conditioner is supplied. Thus, it is possible to appropriately adjust the temperature and the humidity of each painting zone and avoid degradation of painting quality in each painting zone, while achieving downsizing of the entire system by not providing a recycling air conditioner on the route of an air flow passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keiichi FUJIWARA, Shinji Tani, Akira Numasato, Kazuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10960419
    Abstract: A coating device is equipped with a rotary head, a drive unit, and an electric power supply unit. The rotary head is configured to be supplied with a coating material. The rotary head includes a diffusion surface that is configured such that the coating material is diffused toward an outer edge portion of the diffusion surface by a centrifugal force, and a plurality of groove portions that are included in the outer edge portion. The rotary head is configured to discharge a threadlike coating material from the groove portions. Also, the coating device is configured such that a diameter of the threadlike coating material is set equal to or larger than 0.03 mm and equal to or smaller than 0.1 mm and that the threadlike coating material is electrostatically atomized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Trinity Industrial Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Tani, Akira Numasato, Atsuo Nabeshima, Takahito Kondo, Yuki Murai, Takao Ueno, Katsuhiro Ishikawa, Takatoshi Okuta, Kota Harada
  • Publication number: 20200094273
    Abstract: A coating device includes a rotary head, a power supply part that applies a voltage to the rotary head, and a control part that controls the power supply part. The rotary head is configured so that a coating material is electrostatically atomized. The control part is configured so as to calculate a discharge current based on a total current flowing from the power supply part to the rotary head and a leak current, and control the power supply part based on the discharge current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Trinity Industrial Corporation, Ransburg Industrial Finishing K.K.
    Inventors: Shinji Tani, Akira Numasato, Kazuki Tanaka, Takahito Kondo, Yuki Murai, Yuki Hirai, Atsushi Tomita, Kenji Okamoto, Naohiro Masuda
  • Publication number: 20190388915
    Abstract: A rotary atomization head is provided, which prevents discharged threads of a coating material from making contact with each other and from being unified. A rotary head 1 includes: a diffusion surface 122 to diffuse the coating material toward an outer edge part 123 by centrifugal force; and a plurality of grooves 124 formed on the outer edge part 123. The plurality of grooves 124 extends in a radial direction. The adjacent grooves 124 have different depths. The grooves 124 have the same width.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TRINITY INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinji Tani, Akira Numasato, Takahito Kondo, Yuki Murai, Takao Ueno, Takatoshi Okuta, Ken Maeda, Kota Harada
  • Publication number: 20190083994
    Abstract: A coating device is equipped with a rotary head, a drive unit, and an electric power supply unit. The rotary head is configured to be supplied with a coating material. The rotary head includes a diffusion surface that is configured such that the coating material is diffused toward an outer edge portion of the diffusion surface by a centrifugal force, and a plurality of groove portions that are included in the outer edge portion. The rotary head is configured to discharge a threadlike coating material from the groove portions. Also, the coating device is configured such that a diameter of the threadlike coating material is set equal to or larger than 0.03 mm and equal to or smaller than 0.1 mm and that the threadlike coating material is electrostatically atomized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Trinity Industrial Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji TANI, Akira NUMASATO, Atsuo NABESHIMA, Takahito KONDO, Yuki MURAI, Takao UENO, Katsuhiro ISHiKAWA, Takatoshi OKUTA, Kota HARADA
  • Patent number: 7220966
    Abstract: A system for detecting defects in paint coatings includes a temperature manipulation apparatus configured to change the temperature of a surface and a coating applied to the surface. The system may further include an infrared sensor for measuring the change in temperature (over time) of the surface and coating and a processor to compare the measured change in temperature of the surface and coating to an expected change of temperature (over time) in order to determine anomalies in the coatings. A self-referencing method of determining defects is also disclosed, wherein surrounding pixels are utilized as a reference in the detection process for calculating the change in temperature of each pixel. In addition, application of the inventive aspects to inspection of adhesion interfaces is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kozo Saito, Mohammed I. Hassan Ali, Akira Numasato, Mohammed A. Omar, Masahito Sakakibara, Toshikazu Suzuki, Yasuo Tanigawa
  • Publication number: 20070051891
    Abstract: A system for detecting defects in paint coatings includes a temperature manipulation apparatus configured to change the temperature of a surface and a coating applied to the surface. The system may further include an infrared sensor for measuring the change in temperature of the surface and coating and a processor to compare the measured change in temperature of the surface and coating to an expected change of temperature in order to determine anomalies in the coatings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Publication date: March 8, 2007
    Inventors: Kozo Saito, Mohammed Hassan Ali, Akira Numasato, Mohammed Omar, Masahito Sakakibara, Toshikazu Suzuki, Yasuo Tanigawa
  • Patent number: 7129492
    Abstract: A system for detecting defects in paint coatings includes a temperature manipulation apparatus configured to change the temperature of a surface and a coating applied to the surface. The system may further include an infrared sensor for measuring the change in temperature of the surface and coating and a processor to compare the measured change in temperature of the surface and coating to an expected change of temperature in order to determine anomalies in the coatings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, Inc., University of Kentucky Research Foundation
    Inventors: Kozo Saito, Mohammed I. Hassan Ali, Akira Numasato, Mohammed A. Omar, Masahito Sakakibara, Toshikazu Suzuki, Yasuo Tanigawa
  • Publication number: 20050186327
    Abstract: A system for detecting defects in paint coatings includes a temperature manipulation apparatus configured to change the temperature of a surface and a coating applied to the surface. The system may further include an infrared sensor for measuring the change in temperature (over time) of the surface and coating and a processor to compare the measured change in temperature of the surface and coating to an expected change of temperature (over time) in order to determine anomalies in the coatings. A self-referencing method of determining defects is also disclosed, wherein surrounding pixels are utilized as a reference in the detection process for calculating the change in temperature of each pixel. In addition, application of the inventive aspects to inspection of adhesion interfaces is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Publication date: August 25, 2005
    Inventors: Kozo Saito, Mohammed Ali, Akira Numasato, Mohammed Omar, Masahito Sakakibara, Toshikazu Suzuki, Yasuo Tanigawa
  • Publication number: 20050023468
    Abstract: A system for detecting defects in paint coatings includes a temperature manipulation apparatus configured to change the temperature of a surface and a coating applied to the surface. The system may further include an infrared sensor for measuring the change in temperature of the surface and coating and a processor to compare the measured change in temperature of the surface and coating to an expected change of temperature in order to determine anomalies in the coatings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2003
    Publication date: February 3, 2005
    Inventors: Kozo Saito, Mohammed Hassan Ali, Akira Numasato, Mohammed Omar, Masahito Sakakibara, Toshikazu Suzuki, Yasuo Tanigawa