Patents by Inventor Koujirou Sakai

Koujirou Sakai 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: 20140021888
    Abstract: A motor driving device includes a rectifier, an inverter connected to a DC link on a DC side of the rectifier, a power failure detecting unit for detecting a power failure on the alternating side of the rectifier, an electric storage device connected to the DC link, a charging unit that possesses a voltage boosting function of charging the electric storage device by direct current power at the DC link, a discharging unit that causes direct current power stored in the electric storage device to be discharged to the DC link, and a control unit that causes the charging unit to operate when the power failure detecting unit does not detect a power failure, or before start of motor drive, and causes the discharging unit and the inverter to operate when the power failure detecting unit detects a power failure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Inventors: Masakazu NIWA, Koujirou SAKAI
  • Publication number: 20130264986
    Abstract: A motor drive device (1) of the present invention includes a converter unit (10) and an inverter unit (30). The converter unit (10) includes: power supply voltage monitoring unit (3) for detecting a power failure; DC link voltage detecting means (4); capacitor total capacity calculating means (6) which calculates total capacity of DC link smoothing capacitors (17, 18) and calculates a DC link low-voltage alarm detection level for an instantaneous power failure; DC link low-voltage alarm detection level setting means (8) which varies the DC link low-voltage alarm detection level for an instantaneous power failure as necessary; and alarm generating means (7) which monitors the DC link voltage and generates an alarm to protect the converter unit. In the case where a power failure is detected, the DC link low-voltage alarm detection level is increased in accordance with the total capacity of the DC link smoothing capacitors (17, 18).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masakazu NIWA, Koujirou SAKAI
  • Patent number: 8415906
    Abstract: When the output of motor reaches or exceeds a predetermined value during acceleration of the motor, the control target value of the DC link voltage which is the voltage of a power storage device is gradually lowered in corresponding relationship to the motor output. When the motor enters a constant speed control mode, the DC link control target value is maintained at a constant level. When the motor enters a deceleration control mode, the DC link control target value is gradually raised in corresponding relationship to the motor output, and regenerative power is recovered by the power storage device and reused in the next control cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: FANUC Corporation
    Inventors: Yasusuke Iwashita, Masakazu Niwa, Takashi Harada, Koujirou Sakai, Shinichi Horikoshi
  • Patent number: 8410744
    Abstract: During motor acceleration control period that starts at time T1, if power supply output or supply current exceeds a predetermined level at time T2, PWM control in a PWM converter is turned off until a deceleration control period of T3 to T4 ends. As a result, DC link voltage (voltage of a power storage device) at the start of the deceleration control at time T3 drops to provide space for storing regenerative power; since the PWM control in the PWM converter is off during the deceleration control period, the regenerative power can be stored into the power storage device and reused in the next control cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: FANUC Corporation
    Inventors: Yasusuke Iwashita, Shinichi Horikoshi, Takashi Harada, Masakazu Niwa, Koujirou Sakai
  • Publication number: 20120326641
    Abstract: A motor drive apparatus includes an AC/DC converter which converts AC power supplied from a power supply to DC power, a DC/AC converter which converts DC power to AC power and vice versa, a DC link unit which connects the DC side of the AC/DC converter to the DC side of the DC/AC converter and delivers the DC power from one to the other and vice versa, an energy storage unit which includes at least one capacitor storage unit and at least one flywheel storage unit each of which is connected to the DC link unit and stores or supplies the DC power, and an energy control unit which performs control so that the energy storage unit stores or supplies the DC power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koujirou SAKAI, Yasusuke IWASHITA
  • Patent number: 8143836
    Abstract: A motor controller capable of effectively utilizing electrical energy accumulated in a capacitor and achieving a reduction in capacitance of the capacitor. The motor controller includes a converter that receives an input AC voltage and performs AC-to-DC power conversion thereon, an inverter that receives DC power and performs DC-to-AC conversion thereon, and a capacitor and a charging/discharging control circuit connected in parallel with a DC link between the converter and the inverter. Electrical energy is supplied from the capacitor to the DC link via the charging/discharging control circuit. The charging/discharging control circuit has a circuit for discharging electrical energy accumulated in the capacitor and for stepping up a voltage of the capacitor when discharging the electrical energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Yasusuke Iwashita, Yuuichi Yamada, Mamoru Yaeshima, Masatomo Shirouzu, Koujirou Sakai
  • Publication number: 20120068637
    Abstract: During motor acceleration control period that starts at time T1, if power supply output or supply current exceeds a predetermined level at time T2, PWM control in a PWM converter is turned off until a deceleration control period of T3 to T4 ends. As a result, DC link voltage (voltage of a power storage device) at the start of the deceleration control at time T3 drops to provide space for storing regenerative power; since the PWM control in the PWM converter is off during the deceleration control period, the regenerative power can be stored into the power storage device and reused in the next control cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: FANUC Corporation
    Inventors: Yasusuke Iwashita, Shinichi Horikoshi, Takashi Harada, Masakazu Niwa, Koujirou Sakai
  • Publication number: 20120068636
    Abstract: When the output of motor reaches or exceeds a predetermined value during acceleration of the motor, the control target value of the DC link voltage which is the voltage of a power storage device is gradually lowered in corresponding relationship to the motor output. When the motor enters a constant speed control mode, the DC link control target value is maintained at a constant level. When the motor enters a deceleration control mode, the DC link control target value is gradually raised in corresponding relationship to the motor output, and regenerative power is recovered by the power storage device and reused in the next control cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: FANUC Corporation
    Inventors: Yasusuke IWASHITA, Masakazu Niwa, Takashi Harada, Koujirou Sakai, Shinichi Horikoshi
  • Patent number: 8054012
    Abstract: A motor driving apparatus having a converter, which receives AC voltage and converts it to DC power, and an inverter, which receives the DC power and converts it to AC power, includes a charge/discharge control circuit and a capacitor connected in parallel to a link section between the converter and the inverter, and energy stored in the capacitor C8 is charged and discharged at arbitrary timing by the charge/discharge control circuit. The invention thus provides a motor driving apparatus that supplies energy to a motor so that the peak of the input current from a power supply to the motor can also be suppressed when particularly large energy is needed during the second half period of motor acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Shunsuke Matsubara, Yasusuke Iwashita, Yuuichi Yamada, Shigeki Hanyu, Masatomo Shirouzu, Koujirou Sakai
  • Publication number: 20110238338
    Abstract: Disclosed is a motor driving apparatus in which provisions are made so as to easily isolate the cause of a fault in the event of the occurrence thereof. The voltage and current in each phase of the AC power being supplied to a converter are detected, and the most recently detected data are stored in a power supply monitoring unit for a predetermined period of time. If an alarm occurs in the converter, inverter, or controller, the data currently held in the power supply monitoring unit are recorded in a recording unit. By displaying the thus recorded data, one can easily identify whether the cause of the alarm is due to the power supply or the motor driving apparatus itself.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Inventors: Yasusuke IWASHITA, Shinichi Horikoshi, Takashi Harada, Koujirou Sakai
  • Patent number: 7868569
    Abstract: A motor driving apparatus comprises a charge/discharge control circuit for controlling charge to or discharge from a capacitor connected in parallel in a link section between a converter and an inverter, and a current control means for controlling discharge current from the charge/discharge control circuit. The current control means controls discharge current from the charge/discharge control circuit based on input current to the inverter or output current from the converter so that output current from the converter is equal to a prescribed value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Yasusuke Iwashita, Mamoru Yaeshima, Yuuichi Yamada, Masatomo Shirouzu, Koujirou Sakai
  • Publication number: 20090237016
    Abstract: A motor controller capable of effectively utilizing electrical energy accumulated in a capacitor and achieving a reduction in capacitance of the capacitor. The motor controller includes a converter that receives an input AC voltage and performs AC-to-DC power conversion thereon, an inverter that receives DC power and performs DC-to-AC conversion thereon, and a capacitor and a charging/discharging control circuit connected in parallel with a DC link between the converter and the inverter. Electrical energy is supplied from the capacitor to the DC link via the charging/discharging control circuit. The charging/discharging control circuit has a circuit for discharging electrical energy accumulated in the capacitor and for stepping up a voltage of the capacitor when discharging the electrical energy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Yasusuke IWASHITA, Yuuichi Yamada, Mamoru Yaeshima, Masatomo Shirouzu, Koujirou Sakai
  • Publication number: 20090218976
    Abstract: A motor driving apparatus comprises a charge/discharge control circuit for controlling charge to or discharge from a capacitor connected in parallel in a link section between a converter and an inverter, and a current control means for controlling discharge current from the charge/discharge control circuit. The current control means controls discharge current from the charge/discharge control circuit based on input current to the inverter or output current from the converter so that output current from the converter is equal to a prescribed value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Yasusuke IWASHITA, Mamoru Yaeshima, Yuuichi Yamada, Masatomo Shirouzu, Koujirou Sakai
  • Publication number: 20090091281
    Abstract: A motor driving apparatus having a converter, which receives AC voltage and converts it to DC power, and an inverter, which receives the DC power and converts it to AC power, includes a charge/discharge control circuit and a capacitor connected in parallel to a link section between the converter and the inverter, and energy stored in the capacitor C8 is charged and discharged at arbitrary timing by the charge/discharge control circuit. The invention thus provides a motor driving apparatus that supplies energy to a motor so that the peak of the input current from a power supply to the motor can also be suppressed when particularly large energy is needed during the second half period of motor acceleration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Publication date: April 9, 2009
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Shunsuke MATSUBARA, Yasusuke IWASHITA, Yuuichi YAMADA, Shigeki HANYU, Masatomo SHIROUZU, Koujirou SAKAI
  • Publication number: 20080024079
    Abstract: A motor driving apparatus includes a converter unit that converts alternating-current voltage supplied from an external power source into direct-current voltage, and a motor driving unit that receives direct-current power output from the converter unit and drives a motor. The motor driving apparatus stores direct-current power from the converter unit and regenerated power from the motor, and stores these power in a capacitor bank connected in series to a charging and discharging circuit. The capacitor bank connected in series to the charging and discharging circuit is integrated with a charging and discharging circuit optimum for a total capacitance of plural capacitors within the capacitor bank, thereby forming a module. One or more modules are provided corresponding to the capacitance required in the motor driving apparatus. Based on this configuration, the capability of the charging and discharging circuit and the capacitance of the capacitors are not limited by each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Publication date: January 31, 2008
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Shunsuke MATSUBARA, Yasusuke IWASHITA, Yuuichi YAMADA, Shigeki HANYU, Koujirou SAKAI