Patents by Inventor Koichi Soma
Koichi Soma 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: 20190315446Abstract: The present invention provides an underwater moving vehicle improved in motion performance and capable of stably maintaining its position. [Solution] An underwater moving vehicle comprising: a vehicle body (1) configured to be set in advance in such a manner that weight of the vehicle body (1) becomes larger than buoyant force generated in water; a thruster (32) configured to generate an upward thrust by driving screw propellers (21); a drive adjuster (50) configured to control water depth of the vehicle body (1) to a predetermined position by adjusting drive of the screw propellers (21) and generating the upward thrust equivalent to difference between the weight and the buoyant force; and a water flow deflector (34) configured to move the vehicle body (1) in a horizontal direction by deflecting a downward water flow generated by the screw propellers (21).Type: ApplicationFiled: April 19, 2017Publication date: October 17, 2019Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions CorporationInventors: Tomoyuki ITO, Koichi SOMA
-
Patent number: 8995603Abstract: A control rod/fuel support handling apparatus that is used in the case where a control rod and a fuel support are held, removed and lifted in a reactor and then are transported into the reactor in a periodical inspection of a BWR and in the case where the control rod and the fuel support are attached and mounted again into the reactor, the control rod/fuel support handling apparatus including: a fuel support gripper that holds the fuel support with a support gripping member; a control rod gripper that includes a vertically movable and rotatable elevating/rotating unit, holds the control rod with a control rod gripping member, disconnects and connects the control rod and a control rod drive mechanism, and allows removal and attachment of the control rod; and a control panel that controls automatically controls the control rod gripper in response to the instructions from an operation pendant.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2009Date of Patent: March 31, 2015Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Tsutomu Tomatsu, Koichi Soma, Kaoru Takagi
-
Patent number: 8607401Abstract: A cleaning apparatus is generally composed of a suction unit provided with a suction source, a suction nozzle equipped with a suction port adapted to suck dust or like from a surface to be cleaned, a suction hose connected at one end to the suction nozzle and connected at another end to the suction unit, a low-center-of-gravity support member provided for the suction hose so as to serve as a fulcrum when the suction hose is bent and deformed, a wire member supported at a distal end by the suction nozzle and arranged along the suction hose, and a control unit used to bend and deform the suction hose by manipulating the wire member with the low-center-of-gravity support member serving as a fulcrum. This cleaning apparatus is specifically usable for a bottom surface of a reactor pressure vessel.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2010Date of Patent: December 17, 2013Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Hisashi Hozumi, Mitsuaki Shimamura, Yutaka Togasawa, Naruhiko Mukai, Shinji Toki, Yasuhiro Yuguchi, Koichi Soma
-
Publication number: 20110317797Abstract: A control rod/fuel support handling apparatus that is used in the case where a control rod and a fuel support are held, removed and lifted in a reactor and then are transported into the reactor in a periodical inspection of a BWR and in the case where the control rod and the fuel support are attached and mounted again into the reactor, the control rod/fuel support handling apparatus including: a fuel support gripper that holds the fuel support with a support gripping member; a control rod gripper that includes a vertically movable and rotatable elevating/rotating unit, holds the control rod with a control rod gripping member, disconnects and connects the control rod and a control rod drive mechanism, and allows removal and attachment of the control rod; and a control panel that controls automatically controls the control rod gripper in response to the instructions from an operation pendant.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2009Publication date: December 29, 2011Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBAInventors: Tsutomu Tomatsu, Koichi Soma, Kaoru Takagi
-
Patent number: 8085296Abstract: A method of computing an operating position based on a relative distance between a monitor and a movable body correlating data is obtained in advance for determining a one to one correlation between the relative distance and dimensions on the surface of a photographed object of an image. A relative angle is measured between the photographed object and the monitor. The movable body is photographed using a camera of the monitor. The distance and dimensions between reference points on the image are compared with the correlating data coincident with the measured relative angle.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2006Date of Patent: December 27, 2011Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Yasuhiro Yuguchi, Koichi Soma, Takeshi Maehara, Ikuko Kameyama, Tetsuro Nakagawa, Hiroyuki Adachi
-
Publication number: 20110292205Abstract: A method of computing an operating position based on a relative distance between a monitor and a movable body correlating data is obtained in advance for determining a one to one correlation between the relative distance and dimensions on the surface of a photographed object of an image. A relative angle is measured between the photographed object and the monitor. The movable body is photographed using a camera of the monitor. The distance and dimensions between reference points on the image are compared with the correlating data coincident with the measured relative angle.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 5, 2006Publication date: December 1, 2011Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Yasuhiro Yuguchi, Koichi Soma, Takeshi Maehara, Ikuko Kameyama, Tetsuro Nakagawa, Hiroyuki Adachi
-
Publication number: 20100205770Abstract: A cleaning apparatus is generally composed of a suction unit provided with a suction source, a suction nozzle equipped with a suction port adapted to suck dust or like from a surface to be cleaned, a suction hose connected at one end to the suction nozzle and connected at another end to the suction unit, a low-center-of-gravity support member provided for the suction hose so as to serve as a fulcrum when the suction hose is bent and deformed, a wire member supported at a distal end by the suction nozzle and arranged along the suction hose, and a control unit used to bend and deform the suction hose by manipulating the wire member with the low-center-of-gravity support member serving as a fulcrum. This cleaning apparatus is specifically usable for a bottom surface of a reactor pressure vessel.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2010Publication date: August 19, 2010Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Hisashi HOZUMI, Mitsuaki Shimamura, Yutaka Togasawa, Naruhiko Mukai, Shinji Toki, Yasuhiro Yuguchi, Koichi Soma
-
Publication number: 20090200277Abstract: A protection plate is welded to a metal structure in water so that the protection plate covers the surface of the structure including a portion to be repaired. The welding is carried out such that the periphery of the protection plate is welded in water by laser welding while inactive gas is supplied to portion to be welded to seal the portion to be repaired by the protection plate. Welding is carried out while the inactive gas is supplied to the portion to be welded coaxially with a laser beam during the laser welding. The plate is provided therein with an opening in advance so as to release vapor produced from water remaining during welding between the protection plate and the structure and the opening is sealed after the periphery of the protection plate is welded to the structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2008Publication date: August 13, 2009Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBAInventors: Katsunori SHIIHARA, Wataru KONO, Yoshimi TANAKA, Masataka TAMURA, Katsuhiko SATO, Tomoyuki ITO, Koichi SOMA, Tomoharu TANABE
-
Patent number: 7303360Abstract: Disclosed is a system that performs inspection and repair of an underwater structure, specifically core internals in a pressure vessel. An underwater vehicle is provided with a drive wheel, a contact force generating unit (e.g., thruster) that presses the drive wheel to a vertical wall of the underwater structure, an ascending force control unit (e.g., ballast) that controls the buoyancy of the vehicle, a guide roller that engages with and is pressed against an undersurface of the underwater structure by the ascending force controlled by the ascending force control unit. The underwater vehicle is appropriately positioned with respect to the vertical direction by the guide roller. The drive wheel is driven for rotation so that the underwater vehicle runs horizontally along the vertical wall to reach the inspection or repair site, where the inspection or repair is carried out by work tool mounted to the underwater vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2007Date of Patent: December 4, 2007Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Tetsuro Nakagawa, Yasuhiro Yuguchi, Koichi Soma, Hiroshi Iimori, Mitsuaki Shimamura
-
Publication number: 20070189858Abstract: Disclosed is a system that performs inspection and repair of an underwater structure, specifically core internals in a pressure vessel. An underwater vehicle Is provided with a drive wheel, a contact force generating unit (e.g., thruster) that presses the drive wheel to a vertical wall of the underwater structure, an ascending force control unit (e.g., ballast) that controls the buoyancy of the vehicle, a guide roller that engages with and Is pressed against an undersurface of the underwater structure by the ascending force controlled by the ascending force control unit. The underwater vehicle is appropriately positioned with respect to the vertical direction by the guide roller. The drive wheel Is driven for rotation so that the underwater vehicle runs horizontally along the vertical wall to reach the inspection or repair site, where the inspection or repair is carried out by work tool mounted to the underwater vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 13, 2007Publication date: August 16, 2007Inventors: Tetsuro NAKAGAWA, Yasuhiro YUGUCHI, Koichi SOMA, Hiroshi IIMORI, Mitsuaki SHIMAMURA
-
Patent number: 6556641Abstract: There are provided a control rod holding unit 16 for releasably holding a control rod 7 which is loaded in a reactor vessel 1, and fuel support/control rod guide tube holding unit 17 for releasably holding a fuel support 8 which supports a bottom end of a fuel assembly 10 and a control rod guide tube 6 on which the fuel support 8 is placed at top end. The control rod holding unit 16 and the fuel support/control rod guide tube holding unit 17 are fitted to a main body frame 26 which can be hoisted down inside the reactor vessel 1. Accordingly, there can be provided a reactor-internal equipment handling apparatus and method which are capable of reducing a term of work which is required for operations to load/unload the control rods, the fuel supports, and the control rod guide tubes.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2001Date of Patent: April 29, 2003Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Takeshi Maehara, Koichi Soma, Kazuo Sakamaki
-
Patent number: 6501813Abstract: A control rod/fuel support grapple is provided which is capable of pulling up simultaneously a control rod and a fuel support from a reactor and also uncoupling the control rod and control rod drive mechanism. The control rod/fuel support grapple comprises a control rod holding unit for holding a control rod's hoist handle, a fuel support holding unit for holding a fuel support, and a coupling releasing unit or uncoupling the control rod and the control rod drive mechanism, coupled by virtue of a spud coupling. These three units are attached to a main body frame which is lowered into a reactor pressure vessel.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 1998Date of Patent: December 31, 2002Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Koichi Soma, Kazuo Sakamaki
-
Publication number: 20020003850Abstract: There are provided a control rod holding unit 16 for releasably holding a control rod 7 which is loaded in a reactor vessel 1, and fuel support/control rod guide tube holding unit 17 for releasably holding a fuel support 8 which supports a bottom end of a fuel assembly 10 and a control rod guide tube 6 on which the fuel support 8 is placed at top end. The control rod holding unit 16 and the fuel support/control rod guide tube holding unit 17 are fitted to a main body frame 26 which can be hoisted down inside the reactor vessel 1. Accordingly, there can be provided a reactor-internal equipment handling apparatus and method which are capable of reducing a term of work which is required for operations to load/unload the control rods, the fuel supports, and the control rod guide tubes.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2001Publication date: January 10, 2002Inventors: Takeshi Maehara, Koichi Soma, Kazuo Sakamaki
-
Patent number: 6295329Abstract: A reactor-internal equipment handling apparatus which is capable of reducing work required to load/unload control rods, fuel supports, and control rod guide tubes, includes a control rod holding unit (16) for releasably holding a control rod (7) which is loaded into a reactor vessel (1), and fuel support/control rod guide tube holding unit (17) for releasably holding a fuel support (8) which supports a bottom end of a fuel assembly (10) and a control rod guide tube (6) on which the fuel support (8) is placed. The control rod holding unit (16) and the fuel support/control rod guide tube holding unit (17) are fitted to a main body frame (26) which can be hoisted down inside the reactor vessel (1).Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 1999Date of Patent: September 25, 2001Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Takeshi Maehara, Koichi Soma, Kazuo Sakamaki