Patents by Inventor Kuniharu Yamauchi

Kuniharu Yamauchi 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: 20240109107
    Abstract: The coating material supply device has a coating material supply channel for supplying coating material and capable of cleaning at least the coating material supply channel by sending a cleaning liquid and cleaning air into the coating material supply channel. The device has a cleaning liquid supply unit for supplying the cleaning liquid to the coating material supply channel. The device includes a bubble generator for generating fine bubbles, an air supply unit for supplying the cleaning air to the coating material supply channel, and a cleaning control unit. The cleaning control unit alternately feeds the cleaning liquid containing the fine bubbles and the cleaning air into the coating material supply channel, by controlling to alternately drive the cleaning liquid supply unit and the air supply unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventor: Kuniharu Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20240024900
    Abstract: Paint supply channel from paint chamber to rotary atomizing head of cartridge that forms the paint supply source is provided with first shearing member or second shearing member as a paint micronization means in order to promote micronization of the paint sprayed from rotary atomizing head. This first shearing member and second shearing member are equipped with a plurality of micropores for which the total area of the part that permits the distribution of paint is 1.53 mm2 or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Inventor: Kuniharu Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 11845095
    Abstract: An inkjet coating machine is provided to prevent the components in the paint from precipitating. The inkjet coating machine includes: a robot arm having a chuck at a front end and a nozzle head unit detachably mounted on the chuck. The nozzle head unit includes a nozzle head having a nozzle for spraying the paint, a nozzle control unit for controlling driving of the nozzle, and a head-side circulation path enabling the paint to circulate within the nozzle head. The nozzle head, the nozzle control unit and the head-side circulation path are integrally configured. The coating machine further includes a standby holding unit that holds at least one nozzle head unit in standby and a head replacement unit that replaces the nozzle head unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Jose Rodrigues, Takahiro Tawata, Kuniharu Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20230109844
    Abstract: A painting device equipped with a painting head having multiple nozzles that discharge coating material toward an object of painting. The painting device includes a supply passage that supplies the coating material to the painting head, and a return flow passage that returns, to the upstream side of the supply passage. A portion of the coating material supplied to the painting head that was not discharged from the multiple nozzles is possessed by the painting head, wherein the supply passage, the painting head, and the return flow passage constitute a coating material circulation passage. The coating material circulation passage is divided into multiple segments, each of which contains at least one of the multiple circuit component parts arranged in the coating material circulation passage or the painting head, and wherein the coating material circulation passage allows the multiple segments to be cleaned individually.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Inventor: Kuniharu Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 11618048
    Abstract: The present application is related to reducing the paint left inside the piping of the painting device. More specifically the present application is directed to a painting device that includes: a paint output part for outputting paint towards an object to be painted; a paint piping for the paint to pass through towards the paint output part; and a steel ball provided inside the paint piping; and a paint supply part supplying the paint to the paint piping from a side opposite to the paint output part. After the paint supply part stops supplying of the paint, the steel ball moves inside the paint piping towards the paint output part while the paint output part outputs the paint towards the object to be painted. The first moving fluid causes the steel ball to move inside the paint piping towards the paint output part by pushing the steel ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: ABB SCHWEIZ AG
    Inventors: Takahiro Tawata, Kuniharu Yamauchi, Jose Rodrigues
  • Publication number: 20220410189
    Abstract: The durability of resin components can be improved by preventing ozone from staying in gaps where there is no air flow. A cylindrical gap is provided around the outer peripheral side of the head portion between the head portion and the resin cover portion covering the outer peripheral side of the head portion. Moreover, the head portion is provided with a pilot air introduction path guiding the pilot air exhausted from the switching valves to the cylindrical gap. In addition, the arm portion is provided with a pilot air exhaust path exhausting the pilot air from the cylindrical gap to the outside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventor: Kuniharu Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20220168769
    Abstract: An inkjet coating machine is provided to prevent the components in the paint from precipitating. The inkjet coating machine includes: a robot arm having a chuck at a front end and a nozzle head unit detachably mounted on the chuck. The nozzle head unit includes a nozzle head having a nozzle for spraying the paint, a nozzle control unit for controlling driving of the nozzle, and a head-side circulation path enabling the paint to circulate within the nozzle head. The nozzle head, the nozzle control unit and the head-side circulation path are integrally configured. The coating machine further includes a standby holding unit that holds at least one nozzle head unit in standby and a head replacement unit that replaces the nozzle head unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Jose Rodrigues, Takahiro Tawata, Kuniharu Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 11213838
    Abstract: The coating machine is provided with an air motor (3), a rotational shaft (4) that is rotatably supported by the air motor (3), a feed tube (5) that extends to a tip end of the rotational shaft (4) through the inside of the rotational shaft (4), a rotary atomizing head (6) that is mounted to the tip end of the rotational shaft (4), and a shaping air ring (7) that surrounds an outer periphery of the rotary atomizing head (6) and an axial tip end of which is arranged in back of a paint releasing edge (6D) of the rotary atomizing head (6). The shaping air ring (7) includes a great number of first shaping air spurting holes (9), and a great number of second shaping air spurting holes (10). An inner diameter dimension (d1) of the first shaping air spurting hole (9) is set to be larger than an inner diameter dimension (d2) of the second shaping air spurting hole (10). The number (N2) of the second shaping air spurting holes (10) is set to be smaller than the number (N1) of the first shaping air spurting holes (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: ABB SCHWEIZ AG
    Inventor: Kuniharu Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20210283641
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electrostatic coating apparatus comprising: an atomizing head cleaning flow path (13) which is disposed at a coating machine (3) and through which a cleaning fluid for cleaning a rotary atomizing head (6) and a front end of a feed tube (8C) of a cartridge (8) flows; a cleaning fluid flow path (14) connecting a cleaning fluid supply source (15) with the atomizing head cleaning flow path (13); a cleaning fluid valve (16) disposed in the cleaning fluid flow path (14) and configured to open and close the cleaning fluid flow path (14); a discharge air flow path (17) connected to the atomizing head cleaning flow path (13) and through which the discharge air flows; a cleaning fluid discharge flow path (20) connected to the cleaning fluid flow path (14) at a connection point (D) located between the atomizing head cleaning flow path (13) and the cleaning fluid valve (16); a discharge air switching valve (21) disposed in the atomizing head cleaning flow path (13) and configured to open and close the ato
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2021
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventor: Kuniharu Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20200206764
    Abstract: The present application is related to reducing the paint left inside the piping of the painting device. More specifically the present application is directed to a painting device that includes: a paint output part for outputting paint towards an object to be painted; a paint piping for the paint to pass through towards the paint output part; and a steel ball provided inside the paint piping; and a paint supply part supplying the paint to the paint piping from a side opposite to the paint output part. After the paint supply part stops supplying of the paint, the steel ball moves inside the paint piping towards the paint output part while the paint output part outputs the paint towards the object to be painted. The first moving fluid causes the steel ball to move inside the paint piping towards the paint output part by pushing the steel ball.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Takahiro Tawata, Kuniharu Yamauchi, Jose Rodrigues
  • Patent number: 10399096
    Abstract: A rotary atomizing head includes an outer peripheral surface washing passage open onto an atomizing head outer peripheral surface for causing wash fluid supplied from a feed tube to flow out into an annular clearance between the rotary atomizing head and a shaping air ring. An outflow opening of an outflow passage constituting the outer peripheral surface washing passage is provided in a position closer to the backside into the annular clearance by a length dimension than a front end surface of a front ring section constituting the shaping air ring. Further, the outflow opening opens to the annular clearance in an angle that is an acute angle to the atomizing head outer peripheral surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: ABB SCHWEIZ AG
    Inventor: Kuniharu Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20190224699
    Abstract: The coating machine is provided with an air motor (3), a rotational shaft (4) that is rotatably supported by the air motor (3), a feed tube (5) that extends to a tip end of the rotational shaft (4) through the inside of the rotational shaft (4), a rotary atomizing head (6) that is mounted to the tip end of the rotational shaft (4), and a shaping air ring (7) that surrounds an outer periphery of the rotary atomizing head (6) and an axial tip end of which is arranged in back of a paint releasing edge (6D) of the rotary atomizing head (6). The shaping air ring (7) includes a great number of first shaping air spurting holes (9), and a great number of second shaping air spurting holes (10). An inner diameter dimension (d1) of the first shaping air spurting hole (9) is set to be larger than an inner diameter dimension (d2) of the second shaping air spurting hole (10). The number (N2) of the second shaping air spurting holes (10) is set to be smaller than the number (N1) of the first shaping air spurting holes (9).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Applicant: ABB K.K.
    Inventor: Kuniharu YAMAUCHI
  • Patent number: 9789500
    Abstract: A bearing air passage through which bearing air is supplied toward an air bearing of an air motor and a turbine air passage through which driving air is supplied toward a turbine are provided in a housing. An annular space surrounding the air motor is provided between the housing and a cover. A bearing air branch passage connecting the annular space and the bearing air passage to each other and a turbine air branch passage for connecting the annular space and the turbine air passage to each other are provided. The air branch passages lead a part of the compressed air to the annular space and keep the cover in a heated state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: ABB K.K.
    Inventor: Kuniharu Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20170128969
    Abstract: A rotary atomizing head (7) is provided with an outer peripheral surface washing passage (14) open onto anatomizing head outer peripheral surface (13) for causing wash fluid supplied from a feed tube (6) to flow out into an annular clearance (20) between the rotary atomizing head (7) and a shaping air ring (15). An outflow opening (14C1) of an outflow passage (14C) constituting the outer peripheral surface washing passage (14) is provided in a position closer to the backside into the annular clearance (20) by a length dimension (L1) than a front end surface (17A) of a front ring section (17) constituting the shaping air ring (15). Further, the outflow opening (14C1) opens to the annular clearance (20) in an angle (?1) that is an acute angle to the atomizing head outer peripheral surface (13).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Applicant: ABB K.K.
    Inventor: Kuniharu YAMAUCHI
  • Patent number: 9604233
    Abstract: A shaping air ring (10) is configured of a body (11), a cover (13) and a nozzle (15). A tapered conical protrusion (17) is provided in a front end of the nozzle (15) to abut on the cover (13) in contact therewith without a clearance therebetween. Numerous inclined recessed grooves (20) are provided on a forward tapered surfaces (17C) of the conical protrusion (17) over the entire periphery. Further, a first shaping air ejecting hole (23) is formed between each of the inclined recessed grooves (20) and an inner peripheral surface (13B2) of the cover (13) to eject shaping air toward a releasing edge (9E) of a rotary atomizing head (9). Second shaping air ejecting holes (24) are provided on an inner peripheral surface (16A) of the nozzle (15) to eject shaping air along an outer peripheral surface (9C) of the rotary atomizing head (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: ABB K.K.
    Inventor: Kuniharu Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 9399231
    Abstract: A bearing air passage through which bearing air is supplied toward an air bearing of an air motor and a turbine air passage through which driving air is supplied toward a turbine are provided in a housing. An annular space surrounding the air motor is provided between the housing and a cover. A bearing air branch passage connecting the annular space and the bearing air passage to each other and a turbine air branch passage for connecting the annular space and the turbine air passage to each other are provided. The air branch passages lead a part of the compressed air to the annular space and keep the cover in a heated state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: ABB K.K.
    Inventor: Kuniharu Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 9370787
    Abstract: A feed tube is provided in a rotational shaft that is rotated by a motor. The feed tube includes a connecting member that includes a paint supplying port, a tube body including a base end connected to the connecting member and a front end that extends in the rotational shaft toward a rotary atomizing head, a positioning member provided in the front end of the tube body and including a tube positioning hole, and a paint tube including a base end connected to the paint supplying port of the connecting member and a front end inserted through the tube positioning hole of the positioning member. The paint tube is formed of a tubular body in an inside of which a paint passage is formed by using a resin material having water repellency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: ABB K.K.
    Inventor: Kuniharu Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20160067724
    Abstract: A bearing air passage through which bearing air is supplied toward an air bearing of an air motor and a turbine air passage through which driving air is supplied toward a turbine are provided in a housing. An annular space surrounding the air motor is provided between the housing and a cover. A bearing air branch passage connecting the annular space and the bearing air passage to each other and a turbine air branch passage for connecting the annular space and the turbine air passage to each other are provided. The air branch passages lead a part of the compressed air to the annular space and keep the cover in a heated state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Applicant: ABB K.K.
    Inventor: Kuniharu YAMAUCHI
  • Publication number: 20160059248
    Abstract: A shaping air ring (10) is configured of a body (11), a cover (13) and a nozzle (15). A tapered conical protrusion (17) is provided in a front end of the nozzle (15) to abut on the cover (13) in contact therewith without a clearance therebetween. Numerous inclined recessed grooves (20) are provided on a forward tapered surfaces (17C) of the conical protrusion (17) over the entire periphery. Further, a first shaping air ejecting hole (23) is formed between each of the inclined recessed grooves (20) and an inner peripheral surface (13B2) of the cover (13) to eject shaping air toward a releasing edge (9E) of a rotary atomizing head (9). Second shaping air ejecting holes (24) are provided on an inner peripheral surface (16A) of the nozzle (15) to eject shaping air along an outer peripheral surface (9C) of the rotary atomizing head (9).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Applicant: ABB K.K.
    Inventor: Kuniharu YAMAUCHI
  • Patent number: 9126817
    Abstract: A cartridge discharges paint in a paint chamber from a feed tube by displacing a piston in a tank. A waste liquid adjusting valve located on a downstream side of a waste liquid passage on-off valve and including a throttle passage is provided in a waste liquid passage to be connected to the feed tube. This waste liquid adjusting valve is opened at the time of washing clean the paint chamber and a paint supply passage of the feed tube to widely enlarge the passage cross-sectional area of the waste liquid passage. When paint is replenished into the paint supply passage, the waste liquid adjusting valve uses the throttle passage as a flow passage to narrowly throttle the passage cross-sectional area of the waste liquid passage. The amount of discarded paint which flows out from the feed tube is thereby reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: ABB K.K.
    Inventor: Kuniharu Yamauchi