Patents by Inventor Hiroya ICHIKAWA

Hiroya ICHIKAWA 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: 11440137
    Abstract: A laser peening device includes: a laser oscillator; an irradiation nozzle for irradiating a laser beam onto an irradiation target; an optical transmission unit; a shutter attached to the optical transmission unit; a liquid feeder for supplying the irradiation nozzle with liquid to cause the liquid to flow along an optical path of the laser beam running from the irradiation nozzle to the irradiation target; an ongoing irradiation sensor for obtaining information on ongoing laser beam irradiation indicating whether the laser beam is being appropriately irradiated for execution of ongoing laser peening operation on the irradiation target; and a control unit controlling the shutter according to the information on the ongoing laser beam irradiation obtained by the ongoing irradiation sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ENERGY SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Souichi Ueno, Akihiro Tsuji, Hiroya Ichikawa, Kazuki Kora
  • Publication number: 20190344383
    Abstract: A laser peening device of an embodiment comprises: a laser oscillator; an irradiation nozzle for irradiating a laser beam onto an irradiation target; an optical transmission unit; a shutter attached to the optical transmission unit; a liquid feeder for supplying the irradiation nozzle with liquid so as to cause the liquid to flow along an optical path of the laser beam running from the irradiation nozzle to the irradiation target; an ongoing irradiation sensor for obtaining information on ongoing laser beam irradiation indicating whether the laser beam is being appropriately irradiated for execution of ongoing laser peening operation on the irradiation target; and a control unit for controlling the shutter according to the information on the ongoing laser beam irradiation obtained by the ongoing irradiation sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ENERGY SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Souichi UENO, Akihiro TSUJI, Hiroya ICHIKAWA, Kazuki KORA
  • Patent number: 10329641
    Abstract: One embodiment of the laser processing apparatus is for surface treatment by supplying liquid to a surface of the target member and irradiating pulsed laser light to the surface of the target member via the liquid. The apparatus includes a laser oscillator and a liquid supply. The laser oscillator irradiates the laser light to the surface through the liquid via an optical window. The liquid supply is configured to supply the liquid to the surface of the target member via a flow path passing on an outer surface of the optical window. When the liquid is in contact with a laser light emission surface of the optical window, the laser light emission surface transmits the laser light. When the liquid is not in contact with the laser light emission surface, the laser light emission surface reflects the laser light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Kota Nomura, Itaru Chida, Katsunori Shiihara, Hiroya Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 10317367
    Abstract: An eddy-current flaw detector includes a trace data calculator configured to calculate each coordinate with respect to flaw detection points on which an inspection probe is used upon performing an eddy-current testing based on an inputted condition of eddy-current flaw detection and surface shape data of an inspection-object surface measured by a profilometer, and to calculate a normal vector of each flaw detection point; a gap evaluation calculator configured to acquire an evaluation result on a gap between the inspection-object surface and the inspection probe for each flaw detection point; a flaw detection data collector configured to acquire flaw detection data of an inspection object for each flaw detection point; a flaw detection data analyzer configured to evaluate presence/absence of a flaw in the inspection-object surface based on the flaw detection data of the inspection object and the evaluation result on the gap for each flaw detection point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Noriyasu Kobayashi, Souichi Ueno, Naotaka Suganuma, Tatsuya Oodake, Takeshi Maehara, Takashi Kasuya, Hiroya Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 10226838
    Abstract: An embodiment is to provide a laser light irradiation apparatus and a laser peening treatment method, by which even a member to be processed, existing in a narrow portion, can be easily processed by laser peening. The laser light irradiation apparatus 1 according to the embodiment includes: an optical fiber 2 through which laser light is guided; a condensing lens 3 that is placed on one end of the optical fiber, the condensing lens and the optical fiber defining the light path of the laser light; a guide 4 that retains the optical fiber; and a movement mechanism 5 for changing the position of the optical fiber, wherein the light path of the laser light guided through the optical fiber is emitted at an angle changed to more than 0° and less than 90° with respect to the central axis of the optical fiber by the condensing lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Kota Nomura, Itaru Chida, Katsunori Shiihara, Hiroya Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 10001458
    Abstract: There is provided an eddy current flaw detection technique capable of, even when inspecting an object having a narrow portion with a small curvature radius, recognizing detection sensitivity change due to change of attitude of a probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Noriyasu Kobayashi, Souichi Ueno, Hiroya Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20170336361
    Abstract: An eddy-current flaw detector includes a trace data calculator configured to calculate each coordinate with respect to flaw detection points on which an inspection probe is used upon performing an eddy-current testing based on an inputted condition of eddy-current flaw detection and surface shape data of an inspection-object surface measured by a profilometer, and to calculate a normal vector of each flaw detection point; a gap evaluation calculator configured to acquire an evaluation result on a gap between the inspection-object surface and the inspection probe for each flaw detection point; a flaw detection data collector configured to acquire flaw detection data of an inspection object for each flaw detection point; a flaw detection data analyzer configured to evaluate presence/absence of a flaw in the inspection-object surface based on the flaw detection data of the inspection object and the evaluation result on the gap for each flaw detection point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Noriyasu KOBAYASHI, Souichi UENO, Naotaka SUGANUMA, Tatsuya OODAKE, Takeshi MAEHARA, Takashi KASUYA, Hiroya ICHIKAWA
  • Patent number: 9662744
    Abstract: A laser irradiation device in which laser light is adjusted to create a laser beam, including a protective glass window arranged in an emission region that emits the laser beam; a reflection mechanism that passes the laser beam and reflects visible light; a wavelength-dependent optical screening mechanism that cuts off light of a wavelength region other than visible light from the light that is reflected by the reflection mechanism; image pickup camera configured to capture the visible light reflected with the reflection optical element; and an image adjustment lens unit that adjusts an image in the visible light that is input from the wavelength-dependent optical screening mechanism. The wavelength-dependent optical screening mechanism is provided between the reflection optical element and the image camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Itaru Chida, Katsunori Shiihara, Yasuaki Tokunaga, Takeshi Maehara, Keiichi Hirota, Hiroya Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20170087667
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a laser processing apparatus has: a laser light source; a light collector; a water nozzle; a sound sensor; a timer; and a distance calculator. The light collector collects the laser light on a workpiece. The water nozzle supplies a water stream to a surface to be treated of the workpiece. The sound sensor is provided at a predetermined position relative to at least one of the water nozzle and the light collector, and receives a sound coming from the surface to be treated. The timer detects a detected time width from a reference time point to a time point when the sound sensor receives the sound. The distance calculator calculates a distance from one of the water nozzle and the light collector to the surface to be processed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Setsu YAMAMOTO, Akira ITO, Kota NOMURA, Jun SEMBOSHI, ltaru CHIDA, Katsunori SHIIHARA, Hiroya ICHIKAWA, Keiichi HIROTA, Masahiro YOSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20160288258
    Abstract: An embodiment is to provide a laser light irradiation apparatus and a laser peening treatment method, by which even a member to be processed, existing in a narrow portion, can be easily processed by laser peening. The laser light irradiation apparatus 1 according to the embodiment includes: an optical fiber 2 through which laser light is guided; a condensing lens 3 that is placed on one end of the optical fiber, the condensing lens and the optical fiber defining the light path of the laser light; a guide 4 that retains the optical fiber; and a movement mechanism 5 for changing the position of the optical fiber, wherein the light path of the laser light guided through the optical fiber is emitted at an angle changed to more than 0° and less than 90° with respect to the central axis of the optical fiber by the condensing lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: KOTA NOMURA, ITARU CHIDA, KATSUNORI SHIIHARA, HIROYA ICHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20160138127
    Abstract: One embodiment of the laser processing apparatus is for surface treatment by supplying liquid to a surface of the target member and irradiating pulsed laser light to the surface of the target member via the liquid. The apparatus includes a laser oscillator and a liquid supply. The laser oscillator irradiates the laser light to the surface through the liquid via an optical window. The liquid supply is configured to supply the liquid to the surface of the target member via a flow path passing on an outer surface of the optical window. When the liquid is in contact with a laser light emission surface of the optical window, the laser light emission surface transmits the laser light. When the liquid is not in contact with the laser light emission surface, the laser light emission surface reflects the laser light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Kota NOMURA, ltaru CHIDA, Katsunori SHIIHARA, Hiroya ICHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20160123928
    Abstract: There is provided an eddy current flaw detection technique capable of, even when inspecting an object having a narrow portion with a small curvature radius, recognizing detection sensitivity change due to change of attitude of a probe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Noriyasu KOBAYASHI, Souichi UENO, Hiroya ICHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20150239065
    Abstract: A laser processing apparatus for radiating a laser beam to a member to be treated provided in an air environment to perform surface treatment. The member to be treated forms a structure extending in a vertical direction. The laser processing apparatus includes: a liquid supply mechanism that jets and supplies liquid to a surface of the member to be treated; a laser radiation mechanism that radiates the laser beam in pulses to the surface of the member to be treated via the liquid; and a cylindrical gas laminar flow nozzle disposed below the liquid supply mechanism and configured to jet a gas upward to form a gas flow surrounding the member to be treated around an axis direction thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Inventors: Kota NOMURA, Yuji SANO, Itaru CHIDA, Katsunori SHIIHARA, Hiroya ICHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20140224780
    Abstract: A laser irradiation device comprises a laser oscillator, a laser irradiation head that performs laser processing by directing the laser beam onto the region to be processed; and a transmission mechanism that gets the laser beam through emitted from the laser oscillator to the laser irradiation head. The laser irradiation head comprises: a laser beam adjustment unit that adjusts the laser light to create a laser beam; a protective glass window arranged in an emission region that emits the laser beam; a reflection mechanism that gets the laser beam through and reflects visible light; a wavelength-dependent optical screening mechanism that cuts off light of a wavelength region other than visible light from the light that is reflected by the reflection mechanism; an image adjustment lens unit that adjusts an image comprising visible light that is input from the wavelength-dependent optical screening mechanism; an image pickup camera that inputs an image; and an image processing mechanism that processes the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Itaru CHIDA, Katsunori SHIIHARA, Yasuaki TOKUNAGA, Takeshi MAEHARA, Keiichi HIROTA, Hiroya ICHIKAWA