Patents by Inventor Katsuaki Kono

Katsuaki Kono 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).

  • Publication number: 20090173046
    Abstract: A bag forming and packaging machine for packaging a product using a roll of packaging material including a recording medium that readably records packaging related information. The bag forming and packaging machine includes a non-contact reading device that reads the packaging related information electromagnetically recorded in the recording medium in a non-contact fashion through a resonance phenomenon of radio waves; and a bag forming and packaging unit that produces a bag using the packaging material of the roll and packages the product in the bag based on the packaging related information read by the reading device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: Ishida Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukio NAKAGAWA, Takafumi Ohtani, Yoshio Iwasaki, Katsuaki Kono
  • Patent number: 6945008
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a packaging system for causing articles M to fall downward along a predetermined falling route A and filling the articles M into a tubular film F. The packaging system is provided with an auxiliary device 205 operating on the falling route A at predetermined timing and facilitating or improving the flow of the articles M, determination unit 21a determining whether a state of the flow of the articles M on the falling route A is normal or abnormal, and a change unit 21b changing the operating timing of the auxiliary device 205 according to the state of the flow of the articles M determined by the determination unit 21a. With this configuration, the state of the flow of the articles M is improved and the high productivity (yield) and/or operativity of the packaging system can be maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Ishida Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukio Nakagawa, Katsuaki Kono, Yasushi Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20050198920
    Abstract: A packaging condition for packaging a product using a film roll is stored in a recording medium, and the packaging condition is read by a recording medium reading device in a rotator of a support shaft. In this case, an operator can set an optimum packaging condition at the time of exchange of packaging rolls regardless of his/her skill. Therefore, even an unskilled operator would not set an erroneous packaging condition which may result in additional time loss and film loss.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2003
    Publication date: September 15, 2005
    Inventors: Yukio Nakagawa, Takafumi Ohtani, Yoshio Iwasaki, Katsuaki Kono
  • Publication number: 20040206046
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a packaging system for causing articles M to fall downward along a predetermined falling route A and filling the articles M into a tubular film F. The packaging system is provided with an auxiliary device 205 operating on the falling route A at predetermined timing and facilitating or improving the flow of the articles M, determination unit 21a determining whether a state of the flow of the articles M on the falling route A is normal or abnormal, and a change unit 21b changing the operating timing of the auxiliary device 205 according to the state of the flow of the articles M determined by the determination unit 21a. With this configuration, the state of the flow of the articles M is improved and the high productivity (yield) and/or operativity of the packaging system can be maintained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2003
    Publication date: October 21, 2004
    Applicant: ISHIDA CO., LTD
    Inventors: Yukio Nakagawa, Katsuaki Kono, Yasushi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6804629
    Abstract: A production management system 1 includes a production line 2, a plurality of image-taking components 22 and a communications line 5. The production line 2 includes a combination weigher 2a and a bagger 2b. The communications line 5 is capable of distributing operating conditions from the combination weigher 2a and the bagger 2b. The plurality of image-taking components 22 are provided at the combination weigher 2a and the bagger 2b respectively, and are used for checking operating conditions. The communications line 5 is capable of distributing image information from the plurality of image-taking components 22. The present invention provides at low cost a production management system having a production line that includes a combination weigher and a bagger and is capable of using image information for monitoring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Ishida Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuki Hashiguchi, Katsuaki Kono
  • Patent number: 6711874
    Abstract: A package inspecting system includes a packaging machine 200 including a vertical sealing device 201 for sealing opposite longitudinal side edges of a packaging material F, which extend in a direction conforming to a direction of flow of the packaging material F, together to render the packaging material F into a tubular form, and an end sealing device 202 for sealing an end of the tubular packaging material F after articles M have been filled in the tubular packaging material F, to thereby provide a bagged product M1, and a seal checker 400 for inspecting a sealing condition of the packaging material F of the bagged product M1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Ishida Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukio Nakagawa, Katsuaki Kono, Yasushi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6615095
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to present a control system that can be constructed using existing equipment and that can be adapted easily to changes in a production line. A product processing apparatus 2 or an RCU 3 and information terminals 4 are interconnected by the Internet or by an intranet 5. A WWW server 34 and a CGI are loaded onto the RCU 3, and a WWW browser is loaded onto the information terminal 4a. A processing program 39 that reads and writes operational information between the WWW server 34 and an operational program 31 that operates within the control unit of the product processing apparatus 2 and the RCU 3 is loaded onto the RCU 3. When a WWW browser accesses a web page prepared in advance on the WWW server 34, the processing program 39, activated by the CGI, provides operational information to the WWW server 34. The WWW server 34 presents the operational information to the WWW browser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Ishida Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuaki Kono, Takafumi Ohtani, Akira Ishino
  • Publication number: 20020184851
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a packaging system for causing articles M to fall downward along a predetermined falling route A and filling the articles M into a tubular film F. The packaging system is provided with an auxiliary device 205 operating on the falling route A at predetermined timing and facilitating or improving the flow of the articles M, determination unit 21a determining whether a state of the flow of the articles M on the falling route A is normal or abnormal, and a change unit 21b changing the operating timing of the auxiliary device 205 according to the state of the flow of the articles M determined by the determination unit 21a. With this configuration, the state of the flow of the articles M is improved and the high productivity (yield) and/or operativity of the packaging system can be maintained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2002
    Publication date: December 12, 2002
    Applicant: ISHIDA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yukio Nakagawa, Katsuaki Kono, Yasushi Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20020161467
    Abstract: The present invention provides at low cost a production management system having a production line that includes a combination weigher and a bagger and is capable of using image information for monitoring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Inventors: Nobuki Hashiguchi, Katsuaki Kono
  • Patent number: 6460312
    Abstract: A packaging system for causing articles M to fall downward along a predetermined falling route A and filling the articles M into a tubular film F. The packaging system is provided with an auxiliary device 205 operating on the falling route A at predetermined timing and facilitating or improving the flow of the articles M, determination unit 21a determining whether a state of the flow of the articles M on the falling route A is normal or abnormal, and a change unit 21b changing the operating timing of the auxiliary device 205 according to the state of the flow of the articles M determined by the determination unit 21a. With this configuration, the state of the flow of the articles M is improved and the high productivity (yield) and/or operativity of the packaging system can be maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Ishida Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukio Nakagawa, Katsuaki Kono, Yasushi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6401437
    Abstract: A device 1 includes the weighing device 110 for weighing articles, the packaging device 120, and a control device 50. The packaging device 120 produces bags from a film, and packages in the bags the articles which have been weighed by the weighing device 110. The control device 50 determines the size of a bag to be produced in the packaging device 120 based on the weight data of the articles sent from the weighing device 110. The weighing and packaging device 1 reduces a burden for an operator and/or time required to perform normal weighing and packaging processes, as well as other special processes such as a zero point calibrating process and an all-drain process. The device 1 can produce bags having a size that is adjusted to the amount of articles being packaged during special processes, when the amount of articles to be packaged tend to vary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Ishida Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsuaki Kono
  • Patent number: 6373001
    Abstract: There is provided an abnormal device determining means (CPU 51) which reads a tendency of displacement between the combination calculated weight Wc of the contents M and the post-discharge Ws measured value of the same contents M measured after such contents M have been bagged and which, based on the tendency of displacement so read, determines which one of the combination calculated value Wc and the post-discharge measured value Ws is abnormal, and a display device (54) for displaying a result of the determination. Thus, since based on the displacement tendency of the combination calculated value Wc and the post-discharge measured value Ws, which one of the combination calculated value Wc and the post-discharge measured value Ws is abnormal is determined, it can readily and easily grasped which one of the combination weighing apparatus (1) and the weight checker (300) suffers from a trouble.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Ishida Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuaki Kono, Yukio Nakagawa, Yasushi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6365846
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a combination weighing apparatus for selecting a combination of some of weighing hoppers (6i) accommodating therein articles that have been supplied thereto, which combination results in a combination calculated value (Wc) of measured weights of the articles (M) contained in some of the weighing hoppers (6i) forming the combination, falling within a predetermined combination tolerance, and for subsequently discharging the articles (M) in the selected weighing hoppers (6i). In accordance with a condition of a flow of the articles (M) on a falling route downstream of the combination weighing apparatus (1), discharge timing for discharging the articles (M) from the hoppers (6i) is automatically changed among the hoppers (6i). It is thereby possible to promptly detect abnormality in the flow of the articles and to maintain the high operativity and productivity (yield) of the combination weighing apparatus (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Ishida Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuaki Kono, Yukio Nakagawa, Yasushi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6291781
    Abstract: A combination weighing and counting apparatus includes a plurality of vibrating feeders (1) arranged and mounted on a support frame and adapted to be electrically powered from an alternating current source to transport articles, a plurality of weighing hoppers (28) for measuring respective weights of the articles (M) supplied from the vibrating feeders (1), and a combination selecting device for combining weights or numbers of the articles supplied to the weighing hoppers and for selecting a combination of the articles (M) which falls within a tolerance range. To minimize vibration of the support frame so that any undesirable reduction in weighing accuracy can be suppressed, there is provided a feeder drive control device (42) for driving the neighboring vibrating feeders (1) at a driving phase opposite to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Ishida Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takafumi Ohtani, Katsuaki Kono
  • Patent number: 6285918
    Abstract: A weighing and packaging system includes a weighing apparatus (1) for weighing an article (M) and discharging an article (M) having a predetermined weight, and a packaging apparatus (200) operatively associated with the weighing apparatus (1) for receiving the article (M) discharged from the weighing apparatus (1) and packaging the article (M). An override means (85) is provided for changing an operating condition of one of the weighing and packaging apparatuses (1,200) automatically when an operating condition of the other of the weighing and packaging apparatuses (1,200) is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Ishida Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsuaki Kono
  • Patent number: 5756938
    Abstract: A weight measuring apparatus which comprises an input signal switching circuit for selectively outputting analog signals input to a plurality of channels, analog-to-digital converter for converting an analog signal output from the input signal switching circuit into a digital signal, and a digital signal processing circuit for filtering a digital quantity output from the analog-to-digital converter for each channel, or filtering digital quantities from a plurality of channels after these digital quantities have been combined together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Ishida Scales Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuaki Kono, Kazufumi Naito
  • Patent number: 5084832
    Abstract: For a system such as a combinational weighing system that requires a large number of parameters to be set for its operation, groups of parameters which frequently assume same sets of values are identified and each of such sets is assigned a reservation number. Memory space for storing values assumed by the parameters can be reduced if these values are grouped by such frequently occurring combinations and the user specifies a single reservation number instead of specifying values of the individual parameters. Selection of operating condition is effected by an input device with a touch screen. For some parameters, currently set values are displayed as a bar graph and a user can set or reset a value directly on the screen by moving a cursor on the bar graph.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1992
    Assignee: Ishida Scales Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji Yamada, Katsuaki Kono, Kiichi Terashima
  • Patent number: 4992929
    Abstract: For a system such as a combinational weighing system that requires a large number of parameters to be set for its operation, groups of parameters which frequently assume the same sets of values are identified and each of such sets is assigned a reservation number. Memory space for storing values assumed by the parameters can be reduced if these values are grouped by such frequently occurring combinations and the user specifies a single reservation number instead of specifying values of the individual parameters. Selection of operating condition is effected by an input device with a touch screen. For some parameters, currently set values are displayed as a bar graph and a user can set or reset a value directly on the screen by moving a cursor on the bar graph.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1991
    Assignee: Ishida Scales Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji Yamada, Katsuaki Kono, Kiichi Terashima
  • Patent number: 4811256
    Abstract: For a system such as a combinational weighing system that requires a large number of parameters to be set for its operation, groups of parameters which frequently assume same sets of values are identified and each of such sets is assigned a reservation number. Memory space for storing values assumed by the parameters can be reduced if these values are grouped by such frequently occurring combinations and the user specifies a single reservation number instead of specifying values of the individual parameters. Selection of operating condition is effected by an input device with a touch screen. For some parameters, currently set values are displayed as a bar graph and a user can set or reset a value directly on the screen by moving a cursor on the bar graph. Operating conditions can be changed in each cycle of the combinational calculation without stopping the overall operation of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1989
    Assignee: Ishida Scales Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji Yamada, Katsuaki Kono, Kiichi Terashima
  • Patent number: 4549618
    Abstract: A combinatorial weighing method and apparatus for supplying a plurality of weighing machines with articles to be weighed, obtaining a plurality of combinations of the weighing machines, each weighing machine combination giving a combination of articles having a combined weight value equal or closest to a target weight value, and selecting an optimum combination from these plural combinations. The optimum combination is one which provides a combination of articles having a combined weight value having a minimum error with respect to the target weight value and which is within preset allowable limits. The statistical dispersion of the weight values from the weighing machines which do not participate in the combination has a value that is equal to or greater than a predetermined tolerance. When an optimum combination is obtained, the articles are discharged from the weighing machines corresponding thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1985
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Ishida Koki Seisakusho
    Inventor: Katsuaki Kono