Patents by Inventor Masatoshi Furuichi

Masatoshi Furuichi 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: 9620405
    Abstract: A substrate transfer robot is disposed in a robot installment area defined between a first apparatus and a second apparatus including an opening. The first apparatus includes a first wall, the second apparatus including a second wall. The first apparatus accommodates the substrate at each of a lowest height position and a highest height position. The substrate transfer robot includes a base stationary, a hand configured, and an arm. The arm is rotatably mounted to the base to move the hand. The hand and the arm move in a height direction between a movable range defined between a lowest position and a highest position. The arm rotates with partially entering the opening when the substrate transfer robot takes out the substrate from the first apparatus. The substrate is accommodated at each of the lowest height position and the highest height position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Masatoshi Furuichi, Yoshiki Kimura
  • Patent number: 9570336
    Abstract: A substrate transfer system includes a substrate transfer robot. The substrate transfer robot is provided between a first apparatus and a second apparatus which has a wall provided opposite to the substrate transfer robot and having an opening on the wall. The substrate transfer robot is configured to transfer a substrate from the first apparatus to the second apparatus via the opening and includes a base having a first axis, an arm body, and a hand. The arm body has a proximal end and a distal end and is connected to the base at the proximal end to rotate around the first axis. The substrate transfer robot includes a minimum distance from the first axis to an outermost portion of the arm body and the hand in a radius direction from the first axis being larger than a distance between the first axis and the opening on the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Masatoshi Furuichi, Yoshiki Kimura
  • Publication number: 20160148830
    Abstract: A substrate transfer system includes a substrate transfer robot. The substrate transfer robot is provided between a first apparatus and a second apparatus which has a wall provided opposite to the substrate transfer robot and having an opening on the wall. The substrate transfer robot is configured to transfer a substrate from the first apparatus to the second apparatus via the opening and includes a base having a first axis, an arm body, and a hand. The arm body has a proximal end and a distal end and is connected to the base at the proximal end to rotate around the first axis. The substrate transfer robot includes a minimum distance from the first axis to an outermost portion of the arm body and the hand in a radius direction from the first axis being larger than a distance between the first axis and the opening on the wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Masatoshi FURUICHI, Yoshiki KIMURA
  • Patent number: 9293355
    Abstract: A substrate transfer system includes a substrate transfer robot disposed in a robot installment area defined between a first apparatus and a second apparatus comprising an opening. The substrate transfer robot includes a hand and an arm. The hand is configured to support a substrate. The arm is configured to move the hand. The arm and the hand supporting the substrate are configured to rotate on a horizontal surface within a minimal rotation area of the substrate transfer robot such that an outer periphery of the minimal rotation area overlaps an inside of the second apparatus through the opening so as to transfer the substrate from a first position in the first apparatus to a second position in the second apparatus through the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Masatoshi Furuichi, Yoshiki Kimura
  • Patent number: 9272413
    Abstract: A conveying system according to an embodiment includes a robot and a controller. The controller includes a switching unit. The robot includes an arm unit formed of a hand and a plurality of arms connected rotatably with respect to one another, and a base unit. An arm on a rear end side is connected to the base unit rotatably about a rotation axis, and the hand is rotatably connected to an arm on a front end side. The switching unit switches cylindrical coordinate control for controlling the arm unit such that a trajectory of the hand overlaps with any one of lines radiating from the rotation axis and rectangular coordinate control for controlling the arm unit such that the trajectory of the hand overlaps with none of the lines at a predetermined timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Masatoshi Furuichi, Yoshiki Kimura, Tomohiro Matsuo, Yoshihiro Kusama
  • Patent number: 9266234
    Abstract: A transfer robot includes an arm unit having a hand capable of holding one of transferred objects, a base unit mounted to an installation frame and horizontally rotatably supporting the arm unit, an attachment member for attaching the base unit to the installation frame, and an elevation mechanism arranged within the base unit and provided with an elevation member linked to the arm unit. The elevation mechanism is configured to move the arm unit up and down within an arm-unit up/down movement range defined above the base unit by moving the elevation member up and down along a vertical shaft. The base unit is fixed to the installation frame in a state that a portion of the base unit extending by a specified height from a bottom wall of the base unit to the attachment member is embedded in the base receiving recess of the installation frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventor: Masatoshi Furuichi
  • Patent number: 9252036
    Abstract: A substrate transfer system includes a substrate transfer robot disposed in a robot installment area defined between a first apparatus and a second apparatus. The first apparatus includes a first cassette, a second cassette and a first wall. The second apparatus includes a second wall. The substrate transfer robot transfers a substrate from each of the first cassette and the second cassette to the second apparatus. The substrate transfer robot includes a hand and an arm. The arm includes a first arm rotatable about a center of rotation. The first cassette is closer to the center of rotation than the second cassette. The arm moves with being partially disposed beyond the second wall in plan view and the arm moves without being disposed beyond the second wall in plan view when taking out the substrate from the first cassette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Masatoshi Furuichi, Yoshiki Kimura
  • Patent number: 9252035
    Abstract: A substrate transfer system includes a substrate transfer robot disposed in a robot installment area defined between a first apparatus and a second apparatus. The first apparatus includes cassettes. The cassettes are each configured to accommodate at least one substrate. The second apparatus includes a second wall opposite to a first wall. The substrate transfer robot transfers the at least one substrate from each of the cassettes to the second apparatus. The substrate transfer robot includes a base stationary, a hand, and arms. A first arm includes a first end and a second end. The first end is rotatably coupled to the base. A second arm includes a third end and a fourth end. The third end is rotatably coupled to the second end. The second end of the first arm moves beyond the second wall when the substrate transfer robot takes out the substrate from the first apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Masatoshi Furuichi, Yoshiki Kimura
  • Publication number: 20150332947
    Abstract: A substrate transfer system includes a substrate transfer robot disposed in a robot installment area defined between a first apparatus and a second apparatus. The first apparatus includes a first cassette, a second cassette and a first wall. The second apparatus includes a second wall. The substrate transfer robot transfers a substrate from each of the first cassette and the second cassette to the second apparatus. The substrate transfer robot includes a hand and an arm. The arm includes a first arm rotatable about a center of rotation. The first cassette is closer to the center of rotation than the second cassette. The arm moves with being partially disposed beyond the second wall in plan view and the arm moves without being disposed beyond the second wall in plan view when taking out the substrate from the first cassette.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Masatoshi FURUICHI, Yoshiki KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20150332945
    Abstract: A substrate transfer system includes a substrate transfer robot disposed in a robot installment area defined between a first apparatus and a second apparatus. The first apparatus includes cassettes. The cassettes are each configured to accommodate at least one substrate. The second apparatus includes a second wall opposite to a first wall. The substrate transfer robot transfers the at least one substrate from each of the cassettes to the second apparatus. The substrate transfer robot includes a base stationary, a hand, and arms. A first arm includes a first end and a second end. The first end is rotatably coupled to the base. A second arm includes a third end and a fourth end. The third end is rotatably coupled to the second end. The second end of the first arm moves beyond the second wall when the substrate transfer robot takes out the substrate from the first apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Masatoshi FURUICHI, Yoshiki KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20150332946
    Abstract: A substrate transfer robot is disposed in a robot installment area defined between a first apparatus and a second apparatus including an opening. The first apparatus includes a first wall, the second apparatus including a second wall. The first apparatus accommodates the substrate at each of a lowest height position and a highest height position. The substrate transfer robot includes a base stationary, a hand configured, and an arm. The arm is rotatably mounted to the base to move the hand. The hand and the arm move in a height direction between a movable range defined between a lowest position and a highest position. The arm rotates with partially entering the opening when the substrate transfer robot takes out the substrate from the first apparatus. The substrate is accommodated at each of the lowest height position and the highest height position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Masatoshi FURUICHI, Yoshiki KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20150246447
    Abstract: A suction pad includes a pad portion for holding a target object by suction and having a first and a second connection end portion; and a first and a second fixing portion provided at positions spaced apart from the pad portion so as to be opposite to each other across the pad portion to fix the pad portion. The suction pad further includes a first support portion having an extension length larger than a spaced-apart distance between the pad portion and the first fixing portion and connecting the first connection end portion to the first fixing portion; and a second support portion having an extension length larger than a spaced-apart distance between the pad portion and the second fixing portion and connecting the second connection end portion to the second fixing portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Publication date: September 3, 2015
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Masatoshi FURUICHI, Ryuji ANDO
  • Patent number: 9108320
    Abstract: A suction structure includes a fixing base, a pad fixed to the fixing base and a seal member arranged between the pad and the fixing base. The pad includes a contact portion arranged to make contact with a target object to be sucked, a space surrounded by the contact portion, a suction hole through which the space communicates with a vacuum source via the seal member, and one or more support portions fixing the pad to the fixing base. Each of the support portions is arranged on an axis of tilting movement, and being provided with a twist portion for supporting the contact portion such that the contact portion makes the tilting movement about the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventor: Masatoshi Furuichi
  • Patent number: 9028197
    Abstract: A robot includes an arm having a base end portion rotatably installed through a joint part and a tip end portion in which an output shaft is installed; and a drive mechanism arranged within the arm and configured to drive the output shaft at a reduced speed. The drive mechanism includes a motor having a motor shaft, a driving pulley attached to the motor shaft, a driven pulley attached to the output shaft, at least one intermediate pulley provided between the driving pulley and the driven pulley, and a plurality of belts for operatively interconnecting the driving pulley and the driven pulley through the intermediate pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Masatoshi Furuichi, Osamu Komiyaji, Masayuki Suzuki, Hiroki Sanemasa
  • Patent number: 8992160
    Abstract: A transfer robot according to an embodiment includes an arm and a body. The arm is provided, at a terminal end thereof, with a robot hand transferring a thin plate-like workpiece, and operates in horizontal directions. The body includes a lifting and lowering mechanism that lifts and lowers the arm. In the transfer robot, at least a part of the body is disposed outside a side wall of a transfer room that is connected to an opening and closing device opening and closing a storage container for the thin plate-like workpiece and to a processing room processing the thin plate-like workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventor: Masatoshi Furuichi
  • Publication number: 20150015014
    Abstract: A suction structure includes a fixing base, a pad fixed to the fixing base and a seal member arranged between the pad and the fixing base. The pad includes a contact portion arranged to make contact with a target object to be sucked, a space surrounded by the contact portion, a suction hole through which the space communicates with a vacuum source via the seal member, and one or more support portions fixing the pad to the fixing base. Each of the support portions is arranged on an axis of tilting movement, and being provided with a twist portion for supporting the contact portion such that the contact portion makes the tilting movement about the axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventor: Masatoshi FURUICHI
  • Publication number: 20150008691
    Abstract: A suction structure includes a fixing base, a pad, and a support body. The pad includes a contact portion which makes contact with a target object to be sucked. The support body is installed to the fixing base and the support body is configured to elastically support the pad. Further, the pad and the support body define an inner space, and the fixing base includes a suction hole which brings the inner space into communication with a vacuum source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Masatoshi FURUICHI, Kazunori HINO, Ryuji ANDO
  • Publication number: 20150008688
    Abstract: A suction structure includes a pad and a fixing base. The pad includes a contact portion which has a seal wall and makes contact with a target object to be sucked, a major surface portion which is surrounded by the contact portion and defines an inner space in conjunction with the seal member as the contact portion makes contact with the target object, and a thin portion formed in the major surface portion. The fixing base includes a suction hole configured to bring the inner space into communication with a vacuum source and supporting the pad.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Masatoshi FURUICHI, Kazunori HINO, Ryuji ANDO
  • Patent number: 8833196
    Abstract: A gear unit includes an inner shaft and an outer shaft concentrically arranged to make up two concentric output shafts; and a first and a second input shaft extending in a direction orthogonal to the output shafts and operatively connected to the inner shaft and the outer shaft, respectively. The inner shaft includes an inner gear attached thereto and the outer shaft includes an outer gear attached thereto. The inner gear and the outer gear are arranged in a mutually-opposing relationship. The first input shaft and the second input shaft are spaced apart from each other by a specified distance along an axial direction of the output shafts. The first input shaft includes a first input gear meshing with the inner gear and the second input shaft includes a second input gear meshing with the outer gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Masatoshi Furuichi, Hiroki Sanemasa
  • Patent number: 8807911
    Abstract: A transfer robot according to the embodiment includes an arm unit, a base unit, a guide unit, a lifting unit, and a vent part. The arm unit includes a robot hand capable of holding an object to be transferred. The base unit is formed into a substantially box shape. The guide unit includes a vertical shaft vertically arranged in the base unit. The lifting unit is provided to be raisable and lowerable along the vertical shaft and supports the arm unit at an upper end portion. The vent part is opened in an upper surface of the base unit and vents downflow from an outside to an inside of the base unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Masatoshi Furuichi, Masayuki Suzuki