Patents by Inventor Kaoru Hiraga

Kaoru Hiraga 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: 10046407
    Abstract: In a wire electric discharge machine, a workpiece mounting unit mounts a workpiece tilted at a preset angle to a plane based on two orthogonal axes, X- and Y-axes. An XY-coordinate system is tilted at the preset angle so that it is transformed into an X?Y?-coordinate system. A machining command value commanded by a machining program is corrected based on the X?Y?-coordinate system. Thus, the tilted workpiece is taper-machined with a wire electrode kept substantially perpendicular to the XY-plane (table surface).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuo Arakawa, Kaoru Hiraga, Yuji Tuboguchi
  • Patent number: 10035206
    Abstract: A controller for a wire electric discharge machine recognizes that a consumable, such as a filter, an electrode pin, and an ion exchange resin, has reached the end of its life and the timing at which discharge machining is interrupted and temporarily stops programmed operation in accordance with the timing. When receiving an evaluation result representing that time for exchange of the consumable has been reached, the controller instructs a consumable exchanging unit, such as a robot, to cause it to exchange the consumable for automatic exchange of the consumable. After the consumable has been exchanged, a programmed operation resumption instructing unit resumes the programmed operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kaoru Hiraga
  • Patent number: 10024644
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine for detecting an end face of an object, configured so that when a contact detection movement is started and if contact between the wire electrode and the workpiece is detected, positions in which the contact between the wire electrode and the workpiece is detected are stored as contact detection positions and that when a non-contact detection movement is then started and if non-contact between the wire electrode and the workpiece is detected, positions in which the non-contact between the wire electrode and the workpiece is detected are stored as non-contact detection positions. When it is determined whether or not a set number of times of execution is reached and if the set number of times of execution is reached, a reference position is obtained by adding the radius of the wire electrode and a clearance of the wire guide to an end face determination position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Abe, Kaoru Hiraga
  • Patent number: 10016832
    Abstract: A machining path drawing apparatus for a wire electric discharge machine that draws a machining path for the wire electric discharge machine having a core fixation function includes a machining shape information calculation unit for analyzing a machining program to determine machining shape information, a core fixation function operating region detection unit for determining a region where the core fixation function operates in the machining shape information, and a machining path drawing unit for drawing the region where the core fixation function operates with a display attribute changed when a machining path is drawn based on the machining shape information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Abe, Kaoru Hiraga
  • Patent number: 9993888
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine recognizes that the finished piece (core) has been separated from the piece of work as a result of electrical discharge machining, allows fluid to be jetted against the finished piece (core) from the lower nozzle so that the finished piece (core) floats upward, recognizes that the finished piece (core) has floated upward by a predetermined amount on the basis of the completion of the process program or the information gained from the sensor, and allows the core removal unit to catch the finished piece (core) for removal and collection after it has been recognized that the finished piece (core) has floated upward by the predetermined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirotsugu Kasai, Kaoru Hiraga
  • Publication number: 20180136635
    Abstract: A program generating apparatus includes a machining program generating unit configured to generate a machining program for controlling a wire electrical discharge machine so as to machine a workpiece in accordance with a machining shape of the workpiece input by a user and so as to fix a core which is produced when the workpiece is machined, to the workpiece. In the program generating apparatus, a core handling program generating unit generates a core handling program for controlling a robot so as to remove the core from the workpiece by applying an impact to the core in accordance with the input machining shape of the workpiece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Inventors: Kaoru HIRAGA, Shouta IRIE
  • Patent number: 9796034
    Abstract: In the case where the shape of a machining path generated by analyzing a machining program includes a concave arc corner portion, the machining path is compensated by inserting a path leading from the end point to the start point of the concave arc along a path inside the concave arc and leading from the start point to the end point of the concave arc on the concave arc again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shouta Irie, Kaoru Hiraga
  • Patent number: 9796026
    Abstract: A machining program creating device for a wire electric discharge machine creates a machining program for machining a keyway on the side surface of a round hole in a workpiece, based on a previously specified diameter of the round hole, a center position of the round hole measured by bringing a wire electrode into contact with the workpiece, and a previously defined shape of the keyway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kaoru Hiraga, Masanobu Takemoto
  • Publication number: 20170282268
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine and a wire electrical discharge machining method are provided. The wire electrical discharge machine is equipped with a core position recognizing unit configured to recognize the position of a core which is fixed by a core fixing function, a core removal unit configured to remove the core, which is in the recognized position, from a workpiece on which machining has been performed, and a core removal determining unit configured to determine whether or not the core in the recognized position has actually been removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shouta Irie, Kaoru Hiraga
  • Patent number: 9724776
    Abstract: In a corner portion formed at an intersection of a first block to be machined first and a second block to be machined second, an end point of the first block is extended. Then, after moving from the first block to the extended end point of the first block, a wire electrode of an electrical discharge machine returns to an end point of the original block (an end point of the original first block and a start point of the original second block) therefrom along the same path as before, and machines the second block therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kaoru Hiraga
  • Publication number: 20170173715
    Abstract: A core image acquiring unit is mounted at a position where the core image acquiring unit looks down at a workpiece on a table, such as an upper guide unit of a wire electric discharge machine, the core machining is performed, while fixing the core using a core fixing function, at a stage in which machining is completed to the end point of the machining path of cutting the core, the core and the workpiece are picked up by the core image acquiring unit, from the captured image, it is determined whether a machining groove has a constant width, or adhesion and deposition of machining debris are present in the machining groove, or the core is fixed by a difference in states of the surface light between the core and the workpiece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventor: Kaoru HIRAGA
  • Patent number: 9656339
    Abstract: A machining pass generating apparatus for a wire electric discharge machine, which is configured to generate a machining pass for machining a key groove on a side surface of a round hole, includes a processor. The processor is configured to define a shape of the key groove to be machined, designate a diameter of the round hole, designate a position of the round hole, and generate a machining pass, the pass suppresses an opening of the key groove from being narrowed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masanobu Takemoto, Kaoru Hiraga
  • Publication number: 20170087654
    Abstract: A wire electric discharge machine includes a machine learning device that learns an adjustment of an axis feed command of the wire electric discharge machine. The machine learning device determines an adjustment amount of the axis feed command by using data related to a movement state of an axis, and adjusts the axis feed command based on the determined adjustment amount of the axis feed command. Subsequently, the machine learning device performs machine learning of the adjustment of the axis feed command based on the determined adjustment amount of the axis feed command, the data related to the movement state of the axis, and a reward calculated based on the data related to the movement state of the axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Inventors: Hiroyuki ABE, Kaoru HIRAGA
  • Publication number: 20170068231
    Abstract: A machining program creation apparatus for a wire electrical discharge machine for creating a machining program for cutting a predetermined machining shape in an object to be machined includes a first unit defining the machining shape; a second unit defining a shape of the object to be machined; a third unit designating a reference position to be used when the machining shape is machined; a fourth unit for generating a first machining path for cutting the machining shape based on the machining shape, the shape of the object to be machined, and the machining reference position; a fifth unit for generating the shape of the object to be machined as a second machining path based on the shape of the object to be machined and the machining reference position; and a sixth unit for drawing the first and the second machining paths on the same screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: Masanobu TAKEMOTO, Kaoru HIRAGA
  • Publication number: 20170060105
    Abstract: A wire electric discharge machine according to the present invention includes a machine learning device which performs machine learning for adjustment of a machining condition of the wire electric discharge machine, the machine learning device includes a state observation unit which acquires data related to a machining state of a workpiece, a reward calculation unit which calculates a reward based on data related to a machining state, a machining condition adjustment learning unit which determines an adjustment amount of a machining condition based on a machine learning result and data related to a machining state, and a machining condition adjustment unit which adjusts a machining condition based on the determined adjustment amount of a machining condition, and the machining condition adjustment learning unit performs machine learning for adjustment of a machining condition based on the determined adjustment amount of a machining condition, data related to a machining state and acquired by the state observat
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Mitsuharu ONODERA, Kaoru HIRAGA
  • Publication number: 20170010085
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine for detecting an end face of an object, configured so that when a contact detection movement is started and if contact between the wire electrode and the workpiece is detected, positions in which the contact between the wire electrode and the workpiece is detected are stored as contact detection positions and that when a non-contact detection movement is then started and if non-contact between the wire electrode and the workpiece is detected, positions in which the non-contact between the wire electrode and the workpiece is detected are stored as non-contact detection positions. When it is determined whether or not a set number of times of execution is reached and if the set number of times of execution is reached, a reference position is obtained by adding the radius of the wire electrode and a clearance of the wire guide to an end face determination position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventors: Hiroyuki ABE, Kaoru HIRAGA
  • Publication number: 20160279724
    Abstract: Provided is a wire electric discharge machine in which workpiece attaching and detaching unit attaches and detaches a workpiece to and from workpiece fixing unit, machining-reference-part detecting unit detects the position of a machining reference part of the workpiece, workpiece-positioning executing unit positions the workpiece in a position where the workpiece does not collide with machining-reference-part measuring unit, measurement-positioning executing unit positions the machining-reference-part measuring unit in a predetermined measurement start position, the machining-reference-part measuring unit measures the position of the machining reference part of the workpiece, and machining-reference-part-measurement executing unit executes a position measuring operation for the machining reference part of the workpiece using the machining-reference-part measuring unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Inventors: Shouta IRIE, Kaoru HIRAGA
  • Publication number: 20160263689
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine recognizes that the finished piece (core) has been separated from the piece of work as a result of electrical discharge machining, allows fluid to be jetted against the finished piece (core) from the lower nozzle so that the finished piece (core) floats upward, recognizes that the finished piece (core) has floated upward by a predetermined amount on the basis of the completion of the process program or the information gained from the sensor, and allows the core removal unit to catch the finished piece (core) for removal and collection after it has been recognized that the finished piece (core) has floated upward by the predetermined amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: Hirotsugu KASAI, Kaoru HIRAGA
  • Publication number: 20160243635
    Abstract: A wire electric discharge machine configured to interrupt a program operation if a connection hole for connecting a wire electrode is located in a position deviated from a wire electrode connection position on a machining path so that connection by wire electrode connection unit is not completed and store the wire electrode connection position, and to restart the program operation after performing machining such that the wire electrode is returned to the wire electrode connection position by automatic control and machining to widen a machined groove portion in the wire electrode connection position, when subjected to a re-machining operation after manual connection of the wire electrode in the position of the connection hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventors: Hiroyuki ABE, Kaoru HIRAGA
  • Publication number: 20160175956
    Abstract: A controller for a wire electric discharge machine recognizes that a consumable, such as a filter, an electrode pin, and an ion exchange resin, has reached the end of its life and the timing at which discharge machining is interrupted and temporarily stops programmed operation in accordance with the timing. When receiving an evaluation result representing that time for exchange of the consumable has been reached, the controller instructs a consumable exchanging unit, such as a robot, to cause it to exchange the consumable for automatic exchange of the consumable. After the consumable has been exchanged, a programmed operation resumption instructing unit resumes the programmed operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventor: Kaoru HIRAGA