Patents by Inventor Kenji Harayama

Kenji Harayama 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: 11801641
    Abstract: A shaping apparatus, a shaping method, and a shaping program with which a shaped object can be formed to have the interior with excellent color expression are provided. A 3D printer forms a three-dimensional shaped object having an interior colored, with layer bodies of a light reflective material and a coloring material ejected from an ejection head based on color image data layered. The 3D printer determines arrangement positions of a light reflective material and a coloring material so that the light reflective material is arranged at a predetermined position in each unit volume in a region to be colored inside a shaped object and the coloring material is arranged around the light reflective material based on the color image data. A set position of the unit volume is set to make one surface of one unit volume come into contact with a plurality of other unit volumes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunio Hakkaku, Kenji Harayama
  • Publication number: 20230256666
    Abstract: A repairing method for a shaped object includes: preparing a defective portion part to be attached to a defective portion in a repair target shaped object; creating a repair patch which is an attachment member to be attached to at least one part of the repair target shaped object; and attaching the repair patch to cover at least one part of a boundary portion of the repair target shaped object and the defective portion part; where at least one part of the repair target shaped object is colored. The repair patch including a colored layer and an adhesive layer is created using a shaping device capable of shaping a shaped object colored by a layered shaping method, and the colored layer is colored and formed in accordance with a color of a portion covered by the repair patch in a shaped object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Harayama, Masayuki Furuse
  • Patent number: 11627236
    Abstract: A shaping device is provided and includes a head portion that ejects a material of a shaped object, and a controller that controls the operation of the head portion based on ejecting position specifying data indicating a position to eject the material of each color, the ejecting position specifying data being data in which a color is expressed in a predetermined material color space. The controller generates the ejecting position specifying data based on input data in which colors are expressed in a predetermined input color space, and in the process of generating the ejecting position specifying data, performs a color conversion process of converting a color using at least a profile that associates the color in the input color space with the color in the material color space, and a color adjustment parameter which is a parameter used for adjustment performed for color conversion performed using the profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji Harayama
  • Patent number: 11618223
    Abstract: A shaping method is provided and includes: generating a slice data indicating a cross-section of a shaped object based on a shaped object data, and shaping the shaped object. In a shaped object data preparing step, the shaped object data including multiple pieces of part data is prepared. Each piece of the part data is data indicating at least an outer surface shape of a portion indicated by the part data and a color to be colored on an outer surface. In the slice data generating step, the slice data indicating a cross-section of the shaped object is generated by setting the color of each position of the cross-section corresponding to a portion indicated by each piece of the part data, and a color of an interior of the portion indicated by each piece of the part data is set based on a color set for the outer surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji Harayama
  • Patent number: 11485068
    Abstract: A manufacturing method for a shaped object for manufacturing the shaped object used as a parts when creating a three-dimensional object assembled by combining multiple parts, where the shaped object including a surface region, an end region, and an inner region is shaped. A surface colored portion, which is a portion to be colored in the surface region, is formed, so that a light entering from a side opposite to the inner region is reflected by the inner region to an outside of the shaped object. And, an end colored portion, which is a portion to be colored in the end region, is formed to have a light reflectivity higher than that of the surface colored portion using a coloring material and a light reflective material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji Harayama
  • Publication number: 20220329742
    Abstract: A photographing apparatus for photogrammetry continuously photographs a target object performing a series of motions by synchronizing a plurality of photographing devices provided at a plurality of different viewpoints. The plurality of photographing devices include the plurality of image-capturing units that photograph the target object. Each of the plurality of photographing devices includes the plurality of primary storages each storing each image data of the target object photographed in synchronization by the plurality of image-capturing units, and the plurality of signal output units each outputting a completion signal for each of the image data when storage of each of the image data in a preceding motion of the target object into the plurality of primary storages is completed. The plurality of photographing devices perform photographing in the subsequent motion of the target object based on the completion signal of the signal output unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kyohei Maruyama, Kenji Harayama
  • Patent number: 11312081
    Abstract: A shaping system for shaping a stereoscopic shaped object, the shaping system including a shaping device serving as a shaping portion and a control PC serving as a shaping controller. At a time of shaping a shaped object, the shaping device further forms a support layer that supports at least a part of the shaped object being shaped, and the control PC predicts a support layer removal time which is a time required for removing the support layer after formation of the shaped object and the support layer in the shaping device is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji Harayama
  • Patent number: 11312065
    Abstract: A building apparatus configured to build an object includes inkjet heads serving as a plurality of ejection heads, a scanning driver, and a maintenance unit configured to perform a maintenance of the inkjet head. The scanning driver allows a plurality of inkjet heads to perform at least a main scanning operation and allows the inkjet head to perform the main scanning operation multiple times until building of the object is completed. The maintenance unit performs the maintenance of the inkjet head in an interval between two successive main scanning operations and performs the predetermined maintenance for only part of a plurality of inkjet heads in each maintenance. Hence, building with high accuracy is performed more appropriately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Harayama, Takuya Matsushima
  • Patent number: 11292199
    Abstract: To provide a building system for building an object, including a building apparatus that ejects a material of the object, a data generation unit, and a control unit. The data generation unit generates ejection position designating data based on input data indicating the object in a format different from that of the ejection position designating data. During a time when the data generation unit performs an operation of generating the ejection position designating data, the control unit causes a head to form a plurality of material layers constituting at least a part of the object, and sets a layer forming start timing for starting to form the material layers so that the interlayer time does not exceed an upper limit time set in advance. Hence, appropriately building a high quality object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji Harayama
  • Patent number: 11270518
    Abstract: An object shaping method is provided and includes: a data reading stage of reading a three-dimensional object data representing a three-dimensional object to be shaped, a slice data generating stage of generating a slice data representing a cross section of the three-dimensional object, and an object shaping stage of shaping the three-dimensional object in accordance with the slice data. In the slice data generating stage, pieces of slice data representing shapes and colors of the three-dimensional object at a plurality of different positions set in a layer-stacking direction are generated. A color adjustment process is executed at a time of generating the slice data associated with at least part of the plurality of different positions in the layer-stacking direction. The color adjustment process is a process for moderating variability of color appearance to the eye along an outer surface shape of the three-dimensional object shaped in the object shaping stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Harayama, Takeaki Kazaana
  • Publication number: 20210402703
    Abstract: A shaping apparatus, a shaping method, and a shaping program with which a shaped object can be formed to have the interior with excellent color expression are provided. A 3D printer forms a three-dimensional shaped object having an interior colored, with layer bodies of a light reflective material and a coloring material ejected from an ejection head based on color image data layered. The 3D printer determines arrangement positions of a light reflective material and a coloring material so that the light reflective material is arranged at a predetermined position in each unit volume in a region to be colored inside a shaped object and the coloring material is arranged around the light reflective material based on the color image data. A set position of the unit volume is set to make one surface of one unit volume come into contact with a plurality of other unit volumes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunio Hakkaku, Kenji HARAYAMA
  • Patent number: 11141933
    Abstract: A shaping apparatus, a shaping method and a shaped object are provided. The shaping apparatus for shaping a shaped object that is stereoscopic and in which at least one part is colored is provided and includes: inkjet heads which are coloring heads that eject a coloring ink; an inkjet head which is a light reflective material head that ejects a white ink to become a light reflective material; and a controller. The shaped object including a region to be colored is shaped as the shaped object. At least a part of the region to be colored is formed by arranging a plurality of color cells set in advance as a unit of coloring. Each of the color cells includes a reflective core formed of the white ink, and an outer peripheral portion formed of the coloring ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji Harayama
  • Publication number: 20210086445
    Abstract: A shaping device for shaping a three-dimensional shaped object, the shaping device including a plurality of inkjet heads, which are a plurality of ejection heads, and a control unit; where at least some of the plurality of inkjet heads ejects ink to become the material for coloring; and the control unit causes the plurality of inkjet heads to eject ink so that the shaped object in which a way of coloring for at least one part is different from a way of coloring for at least other parts is shaped based on shaping data, which is data indicating shape and color of the shaped object, and coloring system designating data, which is data indicating the way of coloring for at least one part of the shaped object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventor: Kenji Harayama
  • Publication number: 20210016491
    Abstract: A manufacturing method for a shaped object for manufacturing the shaped object used as a parts when creating a three-dimensional object assembled by combining multiple parts, where the shaped object including a surface region, an end region, and an inner region is shaped. A surface colored portion, which is a portion to be colored in the surface region, is formed, so that a light entering from a side opposite to the inner region is reflected by the inner region to an outside of the shaped object. And, an end colored portion, which is a portion to be colored in the end region, is formed to have a light reflectivity higher than that of the surface colored portion using a coloring material and a light reflective material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji HARAYAMA
  • Patent number: 10811246
    Abstract: A forming method for forming a three-dimensional object includes a generating step including, based on model data representing the object, generating cross-section data respectively representing cross-sections of the object that are different in position in a cross-section arrangement direction. An executing step includes discharging build materials respectively based on the cross-section data. When at least a portion of the object is to be colored: the cross-section data include colored region data respectively representing cross-sections of a colored region of the object that is to be colored based on a color of a surface of the object; the executing step includes forming the colored region using the build materials based on the colored region data; the model data represents the color of the surface of the object in a multi-level gradation; and each of the colored region data represents a color in a lower level of gradation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji Harayama
  • Publication number: 20200262145
    Abstract: A 3D printer for manufacturing a three-dimensional object including a target shaped object to be a target and a support portion for supporting the target shaped object at the time of shaping of the target shaped object with an ink including a color ink for forming a color layer for realizing the color of the outer appearance of the target shaped object and a non-color ink that is not the color ink for forming at least one of the target shaped object excluding the color layer and the support portion fills at least one of the interior of the target shaped object and the interior of the support portion that is not the color layer preferentially with the ink with closer expiration date among the plurality of color inks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Inventors: Kenji Harayama, Takeaki Kazaana
  • Publication number: 20200198247
    Abstract: A shaping device is provided and includes a head portion that ejects a material of a shaped object, and a controller that controls the operation of the head portion based on ejecting position specifying data indicating a position to eject the material of each color, the ejecting position specifying data being data in which a color is expressed in a predetermined material color space. The controller generates the ejecting position specifying data based on input data in which colors are expressed in a predetermined input color space, and in the process of generating the ejecting position specifying data, performs a color conversion process of converting a color using at least a profile that associates the color in the input color space with the color in the material color space, and a color adjustment parameter which is a parameter used for adjustment performed for color conversion performed using the profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji HARAYAMA
  • Publication number: 20200180229
    Abstract: A shaping system for shaping a stereoscopic shaped object, the shaping system including a shaping device serving as a shaping portion and a control PC serving as a shaping controller. At a time of shaping a shaped object, the shaping device further forms a support layer that supports at least a part of the shaped object being shaped, and the control PC predicts a support layer removal time which is a time required for removing the support layer after formation of the shaped object and the support layer in the shaping device is completed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji HARAYAMA
  • Publication number: 20200047429
    Abstract: A shaping apparatus, a shaping method and a shaped object are provided. The shaping apparatus for shaping a shaped object that is stereoscopic and in which at least one part is colored is provided and includes: inkjet heads which are coloring heads that eject a coloring ink; an inkjet head which is a light reflective material head that ejects a white ink to become a light reflective material; and a controller. The shaped object including a region to be colored is shaped as the shaped object. At least a part of the region to be colored is formed by arranging a plurality of color cells set in advance as a unit of coloring. Each of the color cells includes a reflective core formed of the white ink, and an outer peripheral portion formed of the coloring ink.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Applicant: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji HARAYAMA
  • Patent number: 10532516
    Abstract: The shaping method for shaping a 3D object includes shaping execution data generating step of generating shaping execution data indicating the 3D object in a format corresponding to a shaping device; and shaping executing step of shaping the 3D object with the shaping device based on the shaping execution data, the 3D object being shaped using at least a shaping material of plural colors, wherein the shaping execution data generating step is a step of generating the shaping executing data based on 3D object data indicating the 3D object in which at least one part is colored, the shaping execution data being generated by at least carrying out color conversion using a shaping material profile or a profile corresponding to the shaping material of plural colors, and the color conversion being carried out using the plurality of shaping material profiles different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji Harayama