Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Yuhara

Hiroshi Yuhara 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: 10573865
    Abstract: A joining device includes a pair of cylindrical rotors 210 and 220, holding surfaces 211 and 221 of which for holding a pair of sheet-like members 30, respectively, have a width smaller than a width of the pair of sheet-like members 30. The joining device has a conveyance unit 200 which superimposes the pair of sheet-like members sequentially while conveying the pair of sheet-like members, by rotating the pair of cylindrical rotors, and joining units (first joining units 300) which join portions of the superimposed pair of sheet-like members to each other sequentially, the portions protruding beyond the holding surfaces of the cylindrical rotors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: ENVISION AESC JAPAN LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yuhara, Takahiro Yanagi, Manabu Yamashita
  • Patent number: 10396401
    Abstract: A stacking apparatus having a cylindrical conveyance drum holding and rotating to covey a separator and an electrode conveyance unit conveying a positive electrode in a tangential direction of the conveyance drum so that the positive electrode overlaps the separator. To the outer circumferential surface of the conveyance drum, there are defined a suction area for drawing the separator that is non-rotatably positioned on an upstream side of a rotation direction of the conveyance drum with respect to a location to which the positive electrode in conveyed and a non-suction area for removing the separator that is non-rotatably positioned on a downstream side of the rotation direction of the same. The separator in the suction area is conveyed to the non-suction area, is removed from the outer circumferential surface, and is transferred onto the positive electrode, thereby gradually stacking the separator on the positive electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yuhara, Takahiro Yanagi, Manabu Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9876217
    Abstract: A battery electrode manufacturing apparatus including: a front end die which cuts a strip-shaped electrode material into an electrode shape; a hand which grasps the electrode material and conveys the electrode material to the cutting position of the front end die; and a first suction conveyor which is disposed upstream of the front end die in a conveying direction and has a supporting surface for supporting the electrode material during the cutting by the front end die. The hand includes a first grasper and a second grasper, and the first suction conveyor is disposed between the first grasper and the second grasper. The hand carries the electrode material to the cutting position, at such a position that the electrode material does not contact the front end die and the first suction conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Watanabe, Hiroshi Yuhara, Manabu Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9780401
    Abstract: A device for producing a packaged electrode includes: a conveyance unit configured to sequentially overlay the electrode and the pair of separators from a front end side in a conveying direction while conveying the electrode and the pair of separators; a first joining chip configured to join lateral edges of the pair of separators together; at least one second joining chip positioned downstream of the first joining chip in the conveying direction and configured to join the lateral edges of the pair of separators together. Front ends of the lateral edges of the pair of separators being sequentially overlaid while being conveyed by the conveyance unit are joined together by the first joining chip positioned upstream before the front ends are conveyed to the second joining chip positioned downstream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yuhara, Takahiro Yanagi, Taewon Kim, Manabu Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9650223
    Abstract: A carrying apparatus carries a battery electrode member (an electrode material film web or an electrode film). The carrying apparatus includes a carrier for holding while curving, and then carrying the electrode member. The carrier is configured to hold the electrode member at a position that doesn't cause a contact with components for another process at a downstream along a carrying direction. Since the electrode member is curved, its stiffness along the carrying direction is strengthened and thereby sagging down is prevented. In addition, the holding position by the carrier is the position that doesn't cause a contact with components for another process at a downstream along a carrying direction. Therefore, according to the carrying apparatus, it is possible to carry the electrode member (an end of an electrode material web or an electrode) to a target position reliably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yuhara, Manabu Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9543560
    Abstract: A device for producing a packaged electrode having an electrode sandwiched between a pair of separators includes: a conveyance unit configured to sequentially overlay the electrode and the pair of separators from a front end side in a conveying direction while conveying the electrode and the pair of separators; a joining unit configured to join lateral edges of the pair of separators together, the lateral edges being positioned in a direction intersecting the conveying direction; and a controller configured to control operations of the conveyance unit and the joining unit. The controller is configured to repeatedly perform joining a plurality of times from the front end side in the conveying direction, each of the joining being performed while moving the joining unit so that a speed of the joining unit relative to a conveyance speed of a workpiece approaches zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yuhara, Takahiro Yanagi, Manabu Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9525260
    Abstract: A production device 100 for a packaged electrode 20, to which a separator welding device is applied, includes joining heads 301 having joining tips 302 and 303 that join a pair of separators 30 to each other and holding units 304 that fasten the pair of separators. After the joining heads 301 are moved closer to each other with respect to the separators, and the separators are fastened by the holding units 304, the pair of separators is joined to each other by the joining tips 301. Meanwhile, after the joining heads 301 are separated from each other with respect to the separators, and the joining tips are separated from the pair of separators, the separators are released from fastening by the holding units 304.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yuhara, Takahiro Yanagi, Manabu Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9502704
    Abstract: A separator conveying device includes a columnar rotor that holds a continuously supplied separator material on an outer circumferential surface thereof; a cutting unit that cuts the separator material while the separator material is held on the outer circumferential surface of the columnar rotor into a separator with a predetermined shape; and a control unit configured to control a suction force in a slip region. The separator cut out by the cutting unit is conveyed by rotating the columnar rotor while maintaining a state where the separator is held on the outer circumferential surface of the columnar rotor. The outer circumferential surface of the columnar rotor is formed into a suction region where the separator material or the separator is sucked and the slip region where the suction force is switched between sucking and fixing the separator material, and slipping the separator material while sucking the separator material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yuhara, Takahiro Yanagi, Manabu Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9492939
    Abstract: A cutting apparatus for a separator of an electrical device cuts or severs a separator which includes a melt material representing a substrate and a heat-resistant material laminated on the melt material and having a higher melt temperature than the melt material. The separator cutting apparatus comprises at least two cutting members which are disposed spaced apart from one another, a first suction member, and second suction members. The cutting members cut the separator such that a cut piece generates. The first suction member moves the cut piece in a direction away from the separator while sucking the cut piece. The second suction members suck up the cutting dust produced accompanying the cutting process of the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Yanagi, Hiroshi Yuhara
  • Patent number: 9461330
    Abstract: A first holding unit (114) reciprocates between a first table (121) and a stacking table (141) and a second holding unit (115) reciprocates between the stacking table (141) and a second table (141). When the first holding unit (114) holds a separator-electrode assembly (20) whose horizontal position has been adjusted on the first table (121), the second holding unit (115) releases a second electrode (30) over the stacking table (141). When the first holding unit (114) releases the separator-electrode assembly (20) over the stacking table (141), the second holding unit (115) holds the second electrode (30) whose horizontal position has been adjusted on the second table (131). The present invention provides a stacking device and a stacking method which are capable of stacking the separator-electrode assembly including a first electrode sandwiched by separators and the second electrode having a different polarity from the first electrode efficiently with high accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Watanabe, Hiroshi Yuhara, Manabu Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9425478
    Abstract: The stacking apparatus of the present invention includes a separator conveyance unit to convey a separator of predetermined shape in a held state, an electrode conveyance unit to convey a positive electrode of predetermined shape, and a control unit to synchronize the conveying position and conveyance speed of the separator conveyance unit with those of the electrode conveyance unit so that the separator and positive electrode overlap each other at a predetermined position. The stacking apparatus conveys the separator and positive electrode and transfers the separator onto the electrode from a downstream side of the conveying direction while gradually removing the separator from the separator conveyance unit, thereby stacking the separator on the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yuhara, Takahiro Yanagi, Manabu Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9310194
    Abstract: The present invention provides a position detection device and a position detection method, which, even if a separator or an electrode is deformed, are capable of correcting such deformation and detecting a position of the separator or the electrode with high precision, and are capable of enhancing precision in subsequent steps. The position detection device (200) includes: a pressing unit (240) that presses a sheet member (22), which is cut out from a sheet material (D) wound up in a roll shape and composes a battery element, against a flat reference surface (215); and a position detection unit (230) that detects a position of the sheet member (22) pressed against the reference surface (215) by the pressing unit (240). Then, the position of the sheet member (22), which is detected by the position detection unit (230), is used as position information of the sheet member (22) in a subsequent step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yuhara, Manabu Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9299965
    Abstract: A production device 100 for a packaged electrode 20 includes a conveyance unit 200 superimposing an electrode 40 and a pair of separators 30 from a front end 51 side of a conveying direction while conveying them, first joining units 300 joining lateral edges 31 of the separators to each other, and second joining units 400 joining at least either front edges 32 or rear edges 33 of the separators to each other. The lateral edges of the separators, superimposed while being conveyed by the conveyance unit, are joined to each other by the first joining units from the front end side of a conveying direction. At least either the front edges or the rear edges of the separators are joined to each other by the second joining units in a state where conveyance is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yuhara, Takahiro Yanagi, Manabu Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20150298338
    Abstract: A cutting apparatus for a separator of an electrical device cuts or severs a separator which includes a melt material representing a substrate and a heat-resistant material laminated on the melt material and having a higher melt temperature than the melt material. The separator cutting apparatus comprises at least two cutting members which are disposed spaced apart from one another, a first suction member, and second suction members. The cutting members cut the separator such that a cut piece generates. The first suction member moves the cut piece in a direction away from the separator while sucking the cut piece. The second suction members suck up the cutting dust produced accompanying the cutting process of the separator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Inventors: Takahiro YANAGI, Hiroshi YUHARA
  • Patent number: 8845839
    Abstract: A lamination, apparatus laminates sheet members including at least one of an electrode and a separator. The lamination apparatus includes a table on which the sheet members are laminated, a clamper that presses an assembled laminate of the sheet members laminated on the table; a clamper drive unit that horizontally-rotates and vertically-moves the clamper, a level adjuster that moves the table downward relative to the clamper according to a lamination progress of the sheet members. After a new sheet member is laminated on the assembled laminate pressed downward by the clamper, the clamper drive unit lifts up the clamper above the new sheet member while rotating the clamper and then moves the clamper downward to press the new sheet member from above. The level adjuster moves the table downward by a stroke corresponding to thickness of the number of laminated sheets of the sheet members included in the assembled laminate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yuhara, Manabu Yamashita
  • Patent number: 8844795
    Abstract: In some examples, an electrode plate K is conveyed to a gap 230 of a pair of stacking drums 210 and 220 with a conveying section 100. In synchronization with conveyance of the electrode plate K, the drums 210 and 220 feed a pair of separators S each formed into a predetermined shape with the separators S adhering to corresponding peripheral surfaces of the pair of drums 210 and 220. While feeding the electrode plate K forward in a generally horizontal manner, the separators S are sequentially stacked on both surfaces of the electrode plate K in synchronized with rotations of the drums 210 and 220, and both edge portions of the separators S are welded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignees: Kyoto Seisakusho Co., Ltd., Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Yano, Manabu Yamashita, Hiroshi Yuhara, Takahiro Yanagi, Yasufumi Okazaki
  • Publication number: 20140059875
    Abstract: The present invention provides a position detection device and a position detection method, which, even if a separator or an electrode is deformed, are capable of correcting such deformation and detecting a position of the separator or the electrode with high precision, and are capable of enhancing precision in subsequent steps. The position detection device (200) includes: a pressing unit (240) that presses a sheet member (22), which is cut out from a sheet material (D) wound up in a roll shape and composes a battery element, against a flat reference surface (215); and a position detection unit (230) that detects a position of the sheet member (22) pressed against the reference surface (215) by the pressing unit (240). Then, the position of the sheet member (22), which is detected by the position detection unit (230), is used as position information of the sheet member (22) in a subsequent step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yuhara, Manabu Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20140033883
    Abstract: A separator conveying device (300) includes: columnar rotors (310, 320) which hold a separator material (S), which is continuously supplied thereto, on outer circumferential surfaces (311) thereof; and cutting units (350) which cut the separator material in a state where the separator material is held on the outer circumferential surfaces of the columnar rotors, and cut out separators (40) with a predetermined shape. Then, the separators cut out by the cutting units are conveyed by rotating the columnar rotors while maintaining a state where the separators are held on the outer circumferential surfaces. In accordance with the separator conveying device of the present invention, the separators are cut out on the outer circumferential surfaces of the columnar rotors, and accordingly, tension acting on the separators at a time when the separators are cut becomes uniform, and a shape of the separators after the separators are cut becomes stable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yuhara, Takahiro Yanagi
  • Publication number: 20140026398
    Abstract: A first holding unit (114) reciprocates between a first table (121) and a stacking table (141) and a second holding unit (115) reciprocates between the stacking table (141) and a second table (141). When the first holding unit (114) holds a separator-electrode assembly (20) whose horizontal position has been adjusted on the first table (121), the second holding unit (115) releases a second electrode (30) over the stacking table (141). When the first holding unit (114) releases the separator-electrode assembly (20) over the stacking table (141), the second holding unit (115) holds the second electrode (30) whose horizontal position has been adjusted on the second table (131). The present invention provides a stacking device and a stacking method which are capable of stacking the separator-electrode assembly including a first electrode sandwiched by separators and the second electrode having a different polarity from the first electrode efficiently with high accuracy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Inventors: Masashi Watanabe, Hiroshi Yuhara, Manabu Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20140026399
    Abstract: A stacking apparatus having a cylindrical conveyance drum holding and rotating to covey a separator and an electrode conveyance unit conveying a positive electrode in a tangential direction of the conveyance drum so that the positive electrode overlaps the separator. To the outer circumferential surface of the conveyance drum, there are defined a suction area for drawing the separator that is non-rotatably positioned on an upstream side of a rotation direction of the conveyance drum with respect to a location to which the positive electrode in conveyed and a non-suction area for removing the separator that is non-rotatably positioned on a downstream side of the rotation direction of the same. The separator in the suction area is conveyed to the non-suction area, is removed from the outer circumferential surface, and is transferred onto the positive electrode, thereby gradually stacking the separator on the positive electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yuhara, Takahiro Yanagi, Manabu Yamashita