Patents by Inventor Motohiro Sotome
Motohiro Sotome 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).
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Patent number: 8123234Abstract: A pair of gripping sections performs opening and closing operations along a base member through displacement of a piston by means of a pressure fluid supplied to a chuck body. A pair of fingers, which constitute the gripping sections, is openable and closable in directions perpendicular to opening/closing directions of the gripping sections, by means of a driving force supplied from a driving section. The gripping sections are positioned with respect to a workpiece by actuating the pair of fingers to perform the opening/closing operation. Thereafter, by supplying the pressure fluid, the workpiece is gripped at a desired gripping position by means of the gripping sections.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2007Date of Patent: February 28, 2012Assignee: SMC Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Seiji Tomita, Motohiro Sotome
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Patent number: 7784373Abstract: Rotational motion of a male screw member is converted to linear motion of a female screw member that is screw engaged with the male screw member, thereby causing movement of a rod member for clamping an object. When a load from the object becomes larger than a predetermined value, and exceeds the frictional force of a viscous material and a friction plate, the female screw member is gradually turned and clamping continues while movement of the rod member is decelerated.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2007Date of Patent: August 31, 2010Assignee: SMC Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hideaki Minbuta, Motohiro Sotome
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Patent number: 7488020Abstract: A workpiece-gripping chuck includes a converting mechanism provided in a body, which converts a driving force from a rotary driving source into a displacement in the axial direction. First and second pistons of the converting mechanism are displaced in the axial direction under a rotary action of a pinion gear. Further, the first and second pistons are displaced in the axial direction, respectively, by supplying a pressure fluid from a first or second port formed in the body. A workpiece may be positioned by means of a pair of gripping members under the driving action of the rotary driving source, and the workpiece is further gripped by the gripping members by applying a pressing force of the pressure fluid in addition to the driving force.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2006Date of Patent: February 10, 2009Assignee: SMC Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Motohiro Sotome, Yuji Tsuda
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Publication number: 20080148888Abstract: Rotational motion of a male screw member is converted to linear motion of a female screw member that is screw engaged with the male screw member, thereby causing movement of a rod member for clamping an object. When a load from the object becomes larger than a predetermined value, and exceeds the frictional force of a viscous material and a friction plate, the female screw member is gradually turned and clamping continues while movement of the rod member is decelerated.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2007Publication date: June 26, 2008Applicant: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hideaki Minbuta, Motohiro Sotome
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Publication number: 20080023925Abstract: A pair of gripping sections performs opening and closing operations along a base member through displacement of a piston by means of a pressure fluid supplied to a chuck body. A pair of fingers, which constitute the gripping sections, is openable and closable in directions perpendicular to opening/closing directions of the gripping sections, by means of a driving force supplied from a driving section. The gripping sections are positioned with respect to a workpiece by actuating the pair of fingers to perform the opening/closing operation. Thereafter, by supplying the pressure fluid, the workpiece is gripped at a desired gripping position by means of the gripping sections.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 9, 2007Publication date: January 31, 2008Applicant: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Seiji Tomita, Motohiro Sotome
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Patent number: 7118507Abstract: An automatic reduction-ratio changing apparatus comprises a planetary gear mechanism including a sun gear, planet gears, and an internal gear. When a load, which exceeds a predetermined torque, is applied to the internal gear, a pawl of a lock lever is engaged with a ratchet section of a housing to stop the rotation of the internal gear and lock the internal gear. When a displaceable member of an actuator is displaced from an outward route to a homeward route, the rotation of a motor is reversed, and an input shaft and a cam are rotated in a reverse direction to release from the locked state. Accordingly, the speed reduction ratio, which is transmitted from an output shaft to the actuator, is automatically switched.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2003Date of Patent: October 10, 2006Assignee: SMC Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Seiji Tomita, Motohiro Sotome
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Publication number: 20060175852Abstract: A workpiece-gripping chuck includes a converting mechanism provided in a body, which converts a driving force from a rotary driving source into a displacement in the axial direction. First and second pistons of the converting mechanism are displaced in the axial direction under a rotary action of a pinion gear. Further, the first and second pistons are displaced in the axial direction, respectively, by supplying a pressure fluid from a first or second port formed in the body. A workpiece may be positioned by means of a pair of gripping members under the driving action of the rotary driving source, and the workpiece is further gripped by the gripping members by applying a pressing force of the pressure fluid in addition to the driving force.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 9, 2006Publication date: August 10, 2006Applicant: SMC Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Motohiro Sotome, Yuji Tsuda
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Patent number: 6889563Abstract: A float-type flowmeter measures the rate of a fluid flowing upwardly through a tube based on the position of a float movably disposed in the tube and including a magnetic material. A coil is wound around the tube such that the intervals gradually decrease in an axial direction. The coil is excited by an alternating current supplied from an inductance change detector. The inductance change detector detects a change in the inductance of the coil which is caused when the float moves in the axial direction, and generates a voltage. A voltage-to-position (flow rate) converter determines a flow rate from the voltage corresponding to the position of the float.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2003Date of Patent: May 10, 2005Assignee: SMC Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Seiji Tomita, Setsuro Kawasaki, Motohiro Sotome, Tsuyoshi Watanabe
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Publication number: 20040152556Abstract: An automatic reduction-ratio changing apparatus comprises a planetary gear mechanism including a sun gear, planet gears, and an internal gear. When a load, which exceeds a predetermined torque, is applied to the internal gear, a pawl of a lock lever is engaged with a ratchet section of a housing to stop the rotation of the internal gear and lock the internal gear. When a displaceable member of an actuator is displaced from an outward route to a homeward route, the rotation of a motor is reversed, and an input shaft and a cam are rotated in a reverse direction to release from the locked state. Accordingly, the speed reduction ratio, which is transmitted from an output shaft to the actuator, is automatically switched.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2003Publication date: August 5, 2004Applicant: SMC Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Seiji Tomita, Motohiro Sotome
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Publication number: 20030226407Abstract: A float-type flowmeter measures the rate of a fluid flowing upwardly through a tube based on the position of a float movably disposed in the tube and including a magnetic material. A coil is wound around the tube such that the intervals gradually decrease in an axial direction. The coil is excited by an alternating current supplied from an inductance change detector. The inductance change detector detects a change in the inductance of the coil which is caused when the float moves in the axial direction, and generates a voltage. A voltage-to-position (flow rate) converter determines a flow rate from the voltage corresponding to the position of the float.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2003Publication date: December 11, 2003Applicant: SMC Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Seiji Tomita, Setsuro Kawasaki, Motohiro Sotome, Tsuyoshi Watanabe