Patents by Inventor Masahito Sakakibara

Masahito Sakakibara 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: 11480484
    Abstract: A method for measuring an axial-force of a bolt fastened to a component to be fastened, includes temporarily fastening the bolt to the component to be fastened with a temporarily-tightening torque, the temporarily-tightening torque being a torque which is determined in advance and by which a depression is formed on a head of the bolt, measuring a first axial force of the temporarily-fastened bolt, regularly fastening the bolt to the component to be fastened with a regularly-tightening torque, the regularly-tightening torque being torque which is determined in advance and larger than the temporarily-tightening torque, measuring a second axial force of the regularly-fastened bolt, and measuring an estimated axial force of the regularly-fastened bolt by using the torque with which the bolt is temporarily fastened, the torque with which the bolt is regularly fastened, and a difference between the first and second axial forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahito Sakakibara, Yuichi Hirano
  • Publication number: 20190257706
    Abstract: A method for measuring an axial-force of a bolt fastened to a component to be fastened, includes temporarily fastening the bolt to the component to be fastened with a temporarily-tightening torque, the temporarily-tightening torque being a torque which is determined in advance and by which a depression is formed on a head of the bolt, measuring a first axial force of the temporarily-fastened bolt, regularly fastening the bolt to the component to be fastened with a regularly-tightening torque, the regularly-tightening torque being torque which is determined in advance and larger than the temporarily-tightening torque, measuring a second axial force of the regularly-fastened bolt, and measuring an estimated axial force of the regularly-fastened bolt by using the torque with which the bolt is temporarily fastened, the torque with which the bolt is regularly fastened, and a difference between the first and second axial forces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahito SAKAKIBARA, Yuichi HIRANO
  • Patent number: 10325362
    Abstract: At a first timing when a tightening machine temporarily tightens a bolt, a distance sensor acquires a first distance image. A distance sensor controller measures a first recess amount of the head of the bolt at the first timing by the first distance image. A manipulator controller is configured to change a relative posture of an image sensor relative to the head of the bolt in accordance with a rotation angle by which the bolt is rotated from the first timing to a second timing. The distance sensor acquires a second distance image at the second timing, and the distance sensor controller measures a second recess amount of the head of the bolt at the second timing by the second distance image, so as to measure an axial tension of the bolt by use of a difference between the first recess amount and the second recess amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahito Sakakibara, Yuichi Hirano
  • Publication number: 20180165804
    Abstract: At a first timing when a tightening machine temporarily tightens a bolt, a distance sensor acquires a first distance image. A distance sensor controller measures a first recess amount of the head of the bolt at the first timing by the first distance image. A manipulator controller is configured to change a relative posture of an image sensor relative to the head of the bolt in accordance with a rotation angle by which the bolt is rotated from the first timing to a second timing. The distance sensor acquires a second distance image at the second timing, and the distance sensor controller measures a second recess amount of the head of the bolt at the second timing by the second distance image, so as to measure an axial tension of the bolt by use of a difference between the first recess amount and the second recess amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2017
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahito SAKAKIBARA, Yuichi Hirano
  • Patent number: 9805459
    Abstract: An axial force measurement method includes: a step of calculating an average value of the height of pixels positioned inside a minimum circle, which is centered on a gravity center position of a head, as a minimum point; a step of extracting pixels with a relatively large height from the pixels on the basis of a pixel value of the pixels and calculating an average value of the height of the extracted pixels as a maximum point; a step of calculating a displacement amount of the head on the basis of a difference between the minimum point and the maximum point; and a step of calculating an axial force by substituting the displacement amount of the head into a relational expression of an axial force and the displacement amount of the head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hisanori Nakamura, Masahito Sakakibara, Tatsuro Mori, Yuichi Hirano, Yusuke Matsumoto, Takashi Sakui
  • Publication number: 20160267645
    Abstract: An axial force measurement method includes: a step of calculating an average value of the height of pixels positioned inside a minimum circle, which is centered on a gravity center position of a head, as a minimum point; a step of extracting pixels with a relatively large height from the pixels on the basis of a pixel value of the pixels and calculating an average value of the height of the extracted pixels as a maximum point; a step of calculating a displacement amount of the head on the basis of a difference between the minimum point and the maximum point; and a step of calculating an axial force by substituting the displacement amount of the head into a relational expression of an axial force and the displacement amount of the head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hisanori NAKAMURA, Masahito SAKAKIBARA, Tatsuro MORI, Yuichi HIRANO, Yusuke MATSUMOTO, Takashi SAKUI
  • Publication number: 20130153252
    Abstract: An impact wrench which includes an air motor and a main shaft that is rotated by pulsed impact torque that is converted from rotary torque from the air motor to tighten a bolt, is provided with a torque sensor that detects a tightening torque on the bolt, and a controller that performs control functions to tighten the bolt, and the controller changes the rotational speed of the air motor to tighten up the bolt when the tightening torque that is detected by the torque sensor becomes equal to or higher than a prescribed value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masahito Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 8430058
    Abstract: Provided is an electrostatic coating apparatus capable of insulating an electric motor electrically from a member, to which an electrostatic high voltage is applied, and reducing the size and weight of the electrostatic coating apparatus. This electrostatic coating apparatus comprises a rotary atomizing head, to which high voltage is electrostatically applied, an electrostatically grounded AC servomotor, and a spindle and a fixed insulating member for insulating the AC servomotor electrically from the rotary atomizing head and a speed-increasing device to be set at the same potential as that of the former. The spindle and the fixed insulating member have insulation distance enlarging portions and of the mode, in which the creepage insulation distances from the speed-increasing device to the AC servomotor are enlarged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Ransburg Industrial Finishing K.K., Harmonic Drive Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Masahito Sakakibara, Hisanori Nakamura, Youichi Hanai, Hideki Saito, Michio Mitsui, Toshio Hosoda, Kiyoto Kobayashi, Takeshi Ichikawa, Yoshinori Aida
  • Patent number: 8342432
    Abstract: An electrostatic atomizer 30 has a removably attachable canister 24. Once a paint bag 2 housed in the canister 24 exhausts, it is replaced by a new canister 24. Paint in a paint bag 2 is driven out by a mono pump 35 located in a pump segment 23 of the electrostatic atomizer 20. The mono pump 35 has a helical shaft 36 inside a paint feed tube 31. The mono pump 35 is driven by a servomotor via an insulating drive shaft 38. Paint in the paint bag 2 is drawn up when the helical shaft 36 rotates, and it is delivered to a bell cup 21 through the feed tube 31. Quantity of paint atomized by the bell cup 21 and interruption of the atomization are controlled by controlling the rotation of the mono pump 35.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Ransburg Industrial Finishing K.K.
    Inventors: Michio Mitsui, Shinji Tani, Masahito Sakakibara, Kimio Toda, Toshio Hosoda
  • Patent number: 8339624
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus has a function of processing a plurality of jobs in parallel. The image processing apparatus includes a job processing section, a language information receiving section, a job managing section and a display controlling section. The job processing section processes each job. The language information receiving section receives language information relating to each job. The job managing section manages the plurality of jobs while associating each job with the language information relating to each job. The display controlling section displays display information relating to each job in a language corresponding to the language information relating to each job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahito Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 8261689
    Abstract: The stain preventing cover is formed from a composite sheet 24 having a three layer structure as a raw material which is produced by laminating a first sheet material 21 having a low dielectric constant and having insulation performance, a second sheet material 22 having a dielectric constant higher than that of the first sheet material 21 or having semiconductivity and a third sheet material 23 having a dielectric constant lower than that of the second sheet material 22 and having insulation performance, in which an end of the second sheet material 22 is positioned together with an end of the first and third sheet materials 21 and 23 adjacent to a electrostatic high voltage part 10 of a coating machine and another end thereof is positioned distant from an earth part 11 of the coating machine to be electrically insulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Ransburg Industrial Finishing K.K.
    Inventors: Masahito Sakakibara, Hisanori Nakamura, Youichi Hanai, Hideki Saitou, Michio Mitsui, Masatoshi Iwase
  • Publication number: 20120031329
    Abstract: Provided is an electrostatic coating apparatus capable of insulating an electric motor electrically from a member, to which an electrostatic high voltage is applied, and reducing the size and weight of the electrostatic coating apparatus. This electrostatic coating apparatus comprises a rotary atomizing head, to which high voltage is electrostatically applied, an electrostatically grounded AC servomotor, and a spindle and a fixed insulating member for insulating the AC servomotor electrically from the rotary atomizing head and a speed-increasing device to be set at the same potential as that of the former. The spindle and the fixed insulating member have insulation distance enlarging portions of the mode, in which the creepage insulation distances from the speed-increasing device to the AC servomotor are enlarged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, HARMONIC DRIVE SYSTEMS INC., RANSBURG INDUSTRIAL FINISHING K.K.
    Inventors: Masahito Sakakibara, Hisanori Nakamura, Youichi Hanai, Hideki Saito, Michio Mitsui, Toshio Hosoda, Kiyoto Kobayashi, Takeshi Ichikawa, Yoshinori Aida
  • Patent number: 7966967
    Abstract: An electrostatic coating system (1) comprising a coating gun (2) for spraying a coating material toward an article (9) to be coated, and a robot arm (3) for moving the coating gun (2) with respect to the article (9) to be coated wherein a voltage is applied to the coating gun (2). A needle-like electrode (11) which is an electrostatic electrode having a pointed end applied with a voltage having the same polarity as that of the voltage applied to the coating gun (2), is attached to the coating gun (2) or the robot arm (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Ransburg Industrial Finishing K.K.
    Inventors: Masahito Sakakibara, Shinichi Washizu, Michio Mitsui, Kimiyoshi Nagai
  • Publication number: 20100212587
    Abstract: The stain preventing cover is formed from a composite sheet 24 having a three layer structure as a raw material which is produced by laminating a first sheet material 21 having a low dielectric constant and having insulation performance, a second sheet material 22 having a dielectric constant higher than that of the first sheet material 21 or having semiconductivity and a third sheet material 23 having a dielectric constant lower than that of the second sheet material 22 and having insulation performance, in which an end of the second sheet material 22 is positioned together with an end of the first and third sheet materials 21 and 23 adjacent to a electrostatic high voltage part 10 of a coating machine and another end thereof is positioned distant from an earth part 11 of the coating machine to be electrically insulated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Inventors: Masahito Sakakibara, Hisanori Nakamura, Youichi Hanai, Hideki Saitou, Michio Mitsui, Masatoshi Iwase
  • Patent number: 7617993
    Abstract: One embodiment of the invention is directed to an apparatus for atomizing a fluid. This apparatus includes an atomizing nozzle assembly. The atomizing nozzle assembly includes: a spray applicator enclosure having a fluid entry zone, a flow shape profiler region, a transducer, and a cavitation enhancer module, wherein the cavitation enhancer module includes a residence modulation zone and the residence modulation zone includes a backward facing step region. The apparatus is configured such that fluid can enter the fluid entry zone to the nozzle profiler, the transducer and the cavitation enhancer module. Other embodiments relate to methods for atomizing fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Corporation, University of Kentucky, Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Vedanth Srinivasan, Abraham J. Salazar, Kozo Saito, Richard Alloo, Masahito Sakakibara
  • Publication number: 20090262387
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus has a function of processing a plurality of jobs in parallel. The image processing apparatus includes a job processing section, a language information receiving section, a job managing section and a display controlling section. The job processing section processes each job. The language information receiving section receives language information relating to each job. The job managing section manages the plurality of jobs while associating each job with the language information relating to each job. The display controlling section displays display information relating to each job in a language corresponding to the language information relating to each job.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD
    Inventor: Masahito SAKAKIBARA
  • Publication number: 20090140067
    Abstract: One embodiment of the invention is directed to an apparatus for atomizing a fluid. This apparatus includes an atomizing nozzle assembly. The atomizing nozzle assembly includes: a spray applicator enclosure having a fluid entry zone, a flow shape profiler region, a transducer, and a cavitation enhancer module, wherein the cavitation enhancer module includes a residence modulation zone and the residence modulation zone includes a backward facing step region. The apparatus is configured such that fluid can enter the fluid entry zone to the nozzle profiler, the transducer and the cavitation enhancer module. Other embodiments relate to methods for atomizing fluids.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Inventors: Vedanth Srinivasan, Abraham J. Salazar, Kozo Saito, Richard Alloo, Masahito Sakakibara
  • Publication number: 20080178802
    Abstract: An electrostatic coating system (1) comprising a coating gun (2) for spraying a coating material toward an article (9) to be coated, and a robot arm (3) for moving the coating gun (2) with respect to the article (9) to be coated wherein a voltage is applied to the coating gun (2). A needle-like electrode (11) which is an electrostatic electrode having a pointed end applied with a voltage having the same polarity as that of the voltage applied to the coating gun (2), is attached to the coating gun (2) or the robot arm (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, RANSBURG INDUSTRIAL FINISHING K.K.
    Inventors: Masahito Sakakibara, Shinichi Washizu, Michio Mitsui, Kimiyoshi Nagai
  • Patent number: 7384670
    Abstract: A rotary atomizer (1) has a rotary atomizing head (4) driven by an air motor (2) at a rotational speed of 4,000˜5,000 rpm, for example. A coating material is supplied to a central portion of the rotary atomizing head (4) through a paint supply pipe (5). The atomizer (1) further includes a supersonic horn (6) having a vibration plane (6a) located adjacent to the outer circumferential perimeter of the rotary atomizing head (4). The vibration plane (6a) is an inclined plane gradually increasing its diameter forward. The coating material immediately after spattered from the outer circumferential perimeter of the rotary atomizing head (4) is exposed to supersonic vibration from the vibration plane (6a), and it is atomized by the supersonic vibration to particles of a uniform grain size. At the same time, the atomized coating material is driven forward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Ransburg Industrial Finishing K.K.
    Inventors: Shinji Tani, Masahito Sakakibara, Michio Mitsui, Hiroshi Kobayashi, Kimiyoshi Nagai
  • Publication number: 20070268512
    Abstract: A printing control apparatus, which includes a storage section that stores a printing job; a transfer section that transfers the stored printing to a printing apparatus according to a transfer request based on an authentication and changes a state of the printing job from a printing suspended state to a printing instructed state; a monitoring section that monitors a printing process in the printing apparatus for the printing job transferred by the transfer section; and a printing control section that, in case where the monitoring section detects that the printing process of the transferred printing job in the printing apparatus has been interrupted, instructs the printing apparatus to halt the printing processing, and causes the state of the printing job to be changed from the printing instructed state to the printing suspended state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2006
    Publication date: November 22, 2007
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masahito Sakakibara