Patents by Inventor Kazutaka Nakayama

Kazutaka Nakayama 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: 20230234247
    Abstract: Provided is a collaborative-robot risk assessment guidance device (1) including: an input device (2) that receives inputs from a user; a storage device (3) that stores information; a display device (4) that displays the information; and at least one processing device (5), wherein the processing device (5) prompts the user to input, by means of the input device (2), basic information including conditions for collaborating with people, prompts the user to select, by means of the input device (2), at least one candidate information item for hazard sources stored in the storage device (3) in association with the input basic information, performs a risk assessment on a basis of risk specifics information stored in the storage device (3) in association with the selected candidate information item for the hazard sources, determines whether a result of the risk assessment is at or below an acceptable risk, and displays, on the display device (4), countermeasure proposals for separating people and a collaborative robo
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2021
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki TOUMA, Kazutaka NAKAYAMA
  • Patent number: 11633866
    Abstract: A robot casing includes, in a hollow resin body portion, two attachment openings and one work opening that communicate between an inside and an outside of the body portion. The two attachment openings are respectively provided in both end portions of the body portion; a metal member constituting an attachment surface is embedded in a resin constituting the body portion at a periphery of the attachment opening; the metal member is provided with attachment holes that allow attachment screws, which are used for attachment to the attachment surface, to penetrate therethrough or to be fastened thereinto, and is also embedded in the resin in a state in which the attachment surface is exposed; and components can be respectively attached to the two attachment openings by utilizing the work opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazutaka Nakayama
  • Patent number: 11628573
    Abstract: The present invention provides an unmanned transfer robot system including: an unmanned transfer vehicle capable of traveling on a road surface between a plurality of work stations; a robot that is mounted on the unmanned transfer vehicle; a sensor that is mounted on the robot and that detects a condition of the road surface; and a control unit that controls the robot and the unmanned transfer vehicle. Within an operation range of the robot, the sensor is disposed at a position where the sensor can detect a condition of the road surface in the periphery of the unmanned transfer vehicle, and the control unit controls the unmanned transfer vehicle on the basis of the condition of the road surface acquired by the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Youhei Yamaguchi, Kazutaka Nakayama
  • Publication number: 20230115356
    Abstract: A light-weight gear including: an annular tooth portion made of metal; a shaft extending along a central axis of the tooth portion and made of metal; and a coupling element configured to couple the shaft to the tooth portion and made of a resin, in which a joining part between the shaft and the coupling element and a joining part between the tooth portion and the coupling element are provided with irregularities configured to be engaged with one another in a circumferential direction, and corners of the irregularities are rounded to release a stress. Also, provided is a manufacturing method of a light-weight gear including: disposing the tooth portion and the shaft in a mold and injecting a molten resin into a cavity of the mold, thereby simultaneously performing injection molding of the coupling element and joining the coupling element to the tooth portion and the shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazutaka NAKAYAMA
  • Patent number: 11618163
    Abstract: An industrial robot system includes: a robot that includes a torque sensor on at least one rotary shaft; and a controller that controls the robot. The controller includes a moment output unit that outputs a value of moment from a posture of the robot or the posture and a motion of the robot, a program storage unit that stores a motion program, a drive control unit that causes each of component parts of the robot to perform a rotating motion around the rotary shaft in accordance with the motion program, and an output calibration unit that associates a torque detection value detected by the torque sensor with the value of moment output from the moment output unit in the rotating motion of each of the component parts around the rotary shaft performed by the drive control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazutaka Nakayama, Takahiro Iwatake
  • Publication number: 20230101098
    Abstract: A robot control device includes: a creep-information storage unit that stores an amount of bending in correspondence with a cumulative time, the bending occurring in a robot due to creep deformation; a mastering-data storage unit that stores mastering data of the robot; a timer that measures the cumulative time; and a correction unit that corrects the mastering data stored in the mastering-data storage unit based on the amount of bending stored in the creep-information storage unit in correspondence with the cumulative time measured by the timer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazutaka NAKAYAMA, Kenichiro OGURI
  • Publication number: 20230061619
    Abstract: A rotary shaft structure includes an actuator having an output shaft for rotationally driving a driven body, a force sensor which is arranged between the output shaft and the driven body and which detects a force exerted between the output shaft and the driven body, and a flexible deformation body which is in contact with the output shaft and the driven body, wherein the entirety of the force sensor is sealed by the output shaft, the driven body, and the flexible deformation body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventor: Kazutaka Nakayama
  • Patent number: 11592096
    Abstract: A light-weight gear including: an annular tooth portion made of metal; a shaft extending along a central axis of the tooth portion and made of metal; and a coupling element configured to couple the shaft to the tooth portion and made of a resin, in which a joining part between the shaft and the coupling element and a joining part between the tooth portion and the coupling element are provided with irregularities configured to be engaged with one another in a circumferential direction, and corners of the irregularities are rounded to release a stress. Also, provided is a manufacturing method of a light-weight gear including: disposing the tooth portion and the shaft in a mold and injecting a molten resin into a cavity of the mold, thereby simultaneously performing injection molding of the coupling element and joining the coupling element to the tooth portion and the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazutaka Nakayama
  • Patent number: 11590664
    Abstract: Provided is a robot system which includes: a robot; a controller controlling the robot and causing the robot to operate in a plurality of operation modes; and a display device attached on the robot and caused by the controller to operate in patterns in accordance with the operation modes, the patterns being different from one another. The display device includes: a sheet-like base part being deformable in a shape in accordance with an outer surface of the robot and having flexibility; one or more display parts fixed on the base part; and a fixture maintaining the base part in a state in which the base part is attached on the outer surface of the robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazutaka Nakayama
  • Patent number: 11571808
    Abstract: A rotary axis module includes an actuator that includes a first member and a second member, the actuator relatively driving the second member so as to rotate about a predetermined axis with respect to the first member, a DC power source, and a switch. The actuator includes a brake that is releasable by supplying a DC voltage. A first brake circuit that is connected to a control device that controls the actuator, and a second brake circuit that is provided in parallel with the first brake circuit and connected to the DC power source via the switch, are connected to the brake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazutaka Nakayama
  • Patent number: 11548148
    Abstract: A robot control device includes: a creep-information storage unit that stores an amount of bending in correspondence with a cumulative time, the bending occurring in a robot due to creep deformation; a mastering-data storage unit that stores mastering data of the robot; a timer that measures the cumulative time; and a correction unit that corrects the mastering data stored in the mastering-data storage unit based on the amount of bending stored in the creep-information storage unit in correspondence with the cumulative time measured by the timer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazutaka Nakayama, Kenichiro Oguri
  • Patent number: 11426866
    Abstract: A robot that includes a base that is provided with a flat installation surface member that is disposed on an installation target surface and a columnar member that extends upward from the installation surface member; and a first arm, one end of which is supported so as to be rotatable about a first horizontal axis located above the columnar member of the base and that has a motion range below the first horizontal axis. The columnar member has a length that is equal to or longer than the length of the first arm and has a uniform transverse sectional area that is the same as the first arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazutaka Nakayama, Kenichirou Abe, Masahiro Morioka
  • Patent number: 11420345
    Abstract: A robot including: two link members with longitudinal axes that are coupled such that the link members are able to relatively rotate about an axial line; and a sensor that detects a force around the axial line acting between the link members due to an object pinched between the link members, in which the robot has such a shape that a width dimension in a direction along a plane of a cross-sectional surface of at least one of the link members, which perpendicularly intersects the axial line, on at least one sides from the longitudinal axes that intersect the axial line continuously spread from at least midway positions of the at least one of the link members in the direction of the longitudinal axes toward the axial line, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi Furuta, Kazutaka Nakayama
  • Patent number: 11389959
    Abstract: A robot system including a robot and a control device that controls the robot. The robot includes a first member, a second member that is rotationally driven around a predetermined first axis relative to the first member, and a first torque detector that detects a torque around the first axis. The control device includes an external-force upper-limit-value estimator that estimates an external-force upper limit value serving as an assumable upper limit value for an external force acting on the second member based on the torque detected by the first torque detector, and controls the robot to avoid an increase in the external force when the estimated external-force upper limit value is larger than a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akifumi Furuichi, Kazutaka Nakayama, Kuniyasu Matsumoto, Yasuhiro Naitou
  • Patent number: 11358276
    Abstract: A robot includes: a wrist unit including a plurality of wrist joints; and a plurality of basic joints configured to determine the position of the wrist unit in a three-dimensional space. Only the basic joints are provided with torque sensors configured to detect torque of the basic joints about axis lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazutaka Nakayama, Kenichiro Oguri
  • Publication number: 20220176549
    Abstract: A collaborative robot operation apparatus includes an operation unit that is operated by an operator in direct teaching of a robot including a cylindrical outer surface at least in a part, a communication unit that communicates operation information to the operation unit, to a control apparatus of the robot, and an attachment portion that detachably attaches the operation unit on the outer surface of the robot. The operation unit includes a rotation stopping portion between the outer surface of the robot and the operation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazutaka NAKAYAMA
  • Patent number: 11331815
    Abstract: A rotary shaft structure including: a first member; a second member that is supported so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis with respect to the first member; an actuator that includes an output shaft member connected to the second member and that rotationally drives the second member about the rotation axis with respect to the first member; a sensor that detects a physical quantity acting between the output shaft member and the second member; and a first fixing member that is fixed to the output shaft member. A wire body is routed from the first member side to the second member side; the first fixing member extends toward the second member, with a prescribed gap between the first fixing member and the sensor; and the wire body routed from the first member side is fixed to the first fixing member on the second member side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazutaka Nakayama
  • Patent number: 11312006
    Abstract: A robot drive unit is provided with: a housing; a shaft body that is relatively rotated with respect to the housing; rotating-body sealing members that is provided in the housing; a contact-surface member that is provided on the shaft body and that contact with the rotating-body sealing members; and a sealing member that seals a gap between the shaft body and the contact-surface member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoaki Mizukoshi, Kazutaka Nakayama
  • Patent number: 11305439
    Abstract: A robot wiring additional routing method that includes detaching some fasteners to detach a cover member from a housing member, thus forming a gap between the detached cover member and the housing member; disposing additional wiring at such a position as to be routed across an inside and an outside of the housing member via the formed gap; and, in a state in which a spacer that maintains the gap is sandwiched between the cover member and the housing member, attaching the detached cover member to the housing member by the detached fasteners or other fasteners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazutaka Nakayama
  • Patent number: 11305415
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus that fixes a robot having a robot main body mounted on a truck to an external structure in a positioning state, the truck being capable of traveling on a floor surface, the apparatus including: a first unit provided in one of the robot and the external structure; a second unit provided in the other of the robot and the external structure; a positioning mechanism that determines relative relation between the truck and the robot, and the external structure by use of the first unit and the second unit; and a lock mechanism that locks the truck and the robot, and the external structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru Murakami, Kazutaka Nakayama