Patents by Inventor Hiroki Kunitake

Hiroki Kunitake 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: 7340946
    Abstract: A method and a device for inspecting a tire, the method comprising the steps of, in a rim assembly station (G) separated from an inspection station (K) having a tire inspector (58) installed thereon, forming a rim/tire assembly (44) in a setup by assembling one side and the other side rims (19) and (20) with an inspected tire (15) and, when an inspection is performed, transforming the rim/tire assembly (44) from the rim assembly station (G) to the tire inspector (58) on the inspection station (K), whereby a preparatory operation time in the tire inspector (58) can be shortened to shorten a cycle time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Gotou, Hiroki Kunitake, Yuuichi Waragai, Kenji Kouyama
  • Patent number: 7249496
    Abstract: An uniformity inspection line 1 comprises a decision-only line 2 having first UF machines 2M exclusive for the measurement of the uniformity of a tire 12 sorted and distributed on an automatic sorting line 21 and a correction-only line 3 having second UF machines 3M for the correction and re-measurement of the uniformity characteristics of a tire having uniformity characteristics outside specific values measured on the above decision-only line 2. Since the measurement of uniformity and the correction and re-measurement of uniformity characteristics are performed in different systems, uniformity inspection can be carried out efficiently even when the number of tires whose uniformity characteristics are to be corrected is varied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Bridgestone
    Inventors: Hiroki Kunitake, Takahiro Gotou, Yoshihiro Murota, Yoshiaki Hirata
  • Publication number: 20070084275
    Abstract: A method and a device for inspecting a tire, the method comprising the steps of, in a rim assembly station (G) separated from an inspection station (K) having a tire inspector (58) installed thereon, forming a rim/tire assembly (44) in a setup by assembling one side and the other side rims (19) and (20) with an inspected tire (15) and, when an inspection is performed, transforming the rim/tire assembly (44) from the rim assembly station (G) to the tire inspector (58) on the inspection station (K), whereby a preparatory operation time in the tire inspector (58) can be shortened to shorten a cycle time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2002
    Publication date: April 19, 2007
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahiro Gotou, Hiroki Kunitake, Yuuichi Waragai, Kenji Kouyama
  • Publication number: 20060090557
    Abstract: An uniformity inspection line 1 comprises a decision-only line 2 having first UF machines 2M exclusive for the measurement of the uniformity of a tire 12 sorted and distributed on an automatic sorting line 21 and a correction-only line 3 having second UF machines 3M for the correction and re-measurement of the uniformity characteristics of a tire having uniformity characteristics outside specific values measured on the above decision-only line 2. Since the measurement of uniformity and the correction and re-measurement of uniformity characteristics are performed in different systems, uniformity inspection can be carried out efficiently even when the number of tires whose uniformity characteristics are to be corrected is varied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2003
    Publication date: May 4, 2006
    Inventors: Hiroki Kunitake, Takahiro Gotou, Yoshihiro Murota, Yoshiaki Hirata
  • Patent number: 6513372
    Abstract: A high speed uniformity measurement device is provided in which high speed uniformity of a tire conveyed on a production line is measured automatically and continuously. At the high speed uniformity measurement device, a lower spindle is disposed so as to be movable up and down, and a lower side half rim is mounted to a distal end of the lower spindle. An upper spindle is provided, and a sensor for measuring high speed uniformity is provided at the upper spindle. An upper side half rim is mounted to a lower end of the upper spindle. A lock and unlock mechanism, for locking and unlocking the half rim, is formed at an upper side of the lower side half rim and at a lower side of the upper side half rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Anno, Takahiro Gotou, Hiroki Kunitake
  • Patent number: 6417918
    Abstract: The present invention is a tire inspecting apparatus comprising: a rotating unit, which rotates a tire having a specific point and a mark indicating a reference point; a sensor, which detects that the mark has been positioned in a predetermined direction with respect to a center of the tire; a detecting unit, which detects a position of the specific point; and a controller, which drives the rotating unit; stops the rotation of the tire when the mark has been positioned in the predetermined direction with respect to the center of the tire; causes the detecting unit to detect the position of the specific point; and detects an angle in a clockwise direction, between a direction connecting the detected position of the specific point and the center of the tire, and the predetermined direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Anno, Hiroki Kunitake, Takahiro Gotou, Masamichi Kihara
  • Publication number: 20010015098
    Abstract: A high speed uniformity measurement device is provided in which high speed uniformity of a tire conveyed on a production line is measured automatically and continuously. At the high speed uniformity measurement device, a lower spindle is disposed so as to be movable up and down, and a lower side half rim is mounted to a distal end of the lower spindle. An upper spindle is provided, and a sensor for measuring high speed uniformity is provided at the upper spindle. An upper side half rim is mounted to a lower end of the upper spindle. A lock and unlock mechanism, for locking and unlocking the half rim, is formed at an upper side of the lower side half rim and at a lower side of the upper side half rim.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2001
    Publication date: August 23, 2001
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Anno, Takahiro Gotou, Hiroki Kunitake
  • Patent number: 6144033
    Abstract: A mark inspecting system comprises a camera (30) held in a predetermined position on a marking device (20) capable of being located close to or in contact with a tire (1) supported on a marking table (3) to form a mark (M) on the tire (1), a photocoupler (36) for detecting the separation of the marking device (20) by a predetermined distance from the tire (1) after the mark (M) has been marked on the tire (1), a controller (35) for operating the camera (30) to form an image of the mark marked on the tire (1) upon the reception of a detection signal provided by the photocoupler (36) upon the detection of the separation of the marking device (20) by the predetermined distance from the tire (1), and an image processing device (31) for analyzing the image of the mark (M) formed by the camera (30) for the inspection of the mark (M).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Takao Kokubu, Hiroki Kunitake