Patents by Inventor Naoki Fujioka

Naoki Fujioka 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: 11938620
    Abstract: A robot cable-assembly management structure including a first fixing member that fixes, to a turning drum, a cable assembly extending beside the turning drum in a front-rear direction, and a second fixing member that fixes, to a side surface of the arm, the cable assembly extending to a front side of the first fixing member, at a position closer to a distal end of the arm than the second axis, where a movable portion of the cable assembly located between the first fixing member and the second fixing member is provided with a necessary length of allowance and is twisted in one direction, so that the movable portion is bent in a direction away from the side surface of the arm when the arm swings to a rear swing end is displaced toward the side surface of the arm as the arm swings toward a front swing end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoki Fujioka
  • Patent number: 11904460
    Abstract: A robot linear-object unit includes: a first part including cables, which lead to motors, that are covered by a flexible sheath having a circular outer shape in cross section; a second part including the cables in a loose state at one end of the first part; a plurality of third parts each including one or more of the cables of the second part bundled together for a connector connected to corresponding one of the motors, the third parts being covered by flexible covering materials having circular outer shapes in cross section; and a casing that accommodates the second part and is fixed to a movable part. The casing is provided with a plurality of through holes that allow the first and the third parts to pass through the casing. Spaces between the through holes, the sheath, and the covering materials are fixed in a liquid-tight state by cable glands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Fujioka, Yuuto Tochio
  • Publication number: 20230088797
    Abstract: A robot cable-assembly management structure including a first fixing member that fixes, to a turning drum, a cable assembly extending beside the turning drum in a front-rear direction, and a second fixing member that fixes, to a side surface of the arm, the cable assembly extending to a front side of the first fixing member, at a position closer to a distal end of the arm than the second axis, where a movable portion of the cable assembly located between the first fixing member and the second fixing member is provided with a necessary length of allowance and is twisted in one direction, so that the movable portion is bent in a direction away from the side surface of the arm when the arm swings to a rear swing end is displaced toward the side surface of the arm as the arm swings toward a front swing end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoki FUJIOKA
  • Patent number: 11597093
    Abstract: A calibration method for a laser processing robot, including: fixing a jig that includes a target-site to a base of the laser processing robot; placing a laser processing tool at a position where a laser beam is scanned with respect to the target-site, the laser processing tool having a function for two-dimensionally scanning the laser beam and a function for receiving the laser beam reflected at an object and for measuring a distance to the object; measuring distances to respective portions of the target-site by scanning the laser beam; calculating a coordinate transformation function for converting a position and orientation of the target-site, which is obtained based on the measured distances to the respective portions of the target-site, into an actual position and orientation of the target-site; and correcting a tool-center-point of the laser processing tool by the coordinate transformation function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko Inoue, Toshikatsu Kuroki, Naoki Fujioka, Atsushi Mori
  • Patent number: 11312010
    Abstract: A linear object handling structure of a robot that includes a base to be fixed to an installed surface, and a rotary barrel supported to be rotatable around a vertical rotary axis with respect to the base, and is provided with, in a region including the rotary axis, a through hole vertically penetrating through a top board of the base, and a hollow portion having a cylindrical inner surface extending inside the rotary barrel from the through hole along the rotary axis. A mechanism unit cable of the robot passes from an inside of the base to an upper part of the rotary barrel through the through hole and the hollow portion, and is fixed in the inside of the base and at the upper part of the rotary barrel while the mechanism unit cable is bent inside the hollow portion and is pressed against the inner surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoki Fujioka
  • Patent number: 11123861
    Abstract: A robot system including a robot body and a control device. The robot body includes wrist elements at a distal end of an arm; a wired wire body connected to an end effector fixed to the third wrist element. The control-device includes an angle calculation unit that calculates, in a Cartesian coordinate system of which the origin is the wire-body outlet and which has one coordinate axis extending in a direction along the first axis, angles of straight lines connecting the wire-body outlet and specific points of the wire body, with the straight lines projected onto a plane perpendicular to the coordinate axis, about the coordinate axis, with reference to a position where a load acting on the wire body is the least; and a determination unit that determines whether the absolute values of the angles calculated by the angle calculation unit have exceeded predetermined angle thresholds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko Inoue, Toshikatsu Kuroki, Naoki Fujioka
  • Patent number: 11117269
    Abstract: Provided is a robot including: a base; and a movable portion including a rotating drum that rotates about a vertical axis with respect to the base. The base is provided with an opening portion through which wire members are led into the base; the base and the rotating drum are provided with a hollow portion in which the wire members are guided into the rotating drum; the robot further includes a distribution board member that is detachably attached to the base; the distribution board member is provided with an attachment portion that is attached to the base, and a relay portion that is disposed on the outside of the opening portion with a gap therebetween; and the relay portion includes a mountable region in which a connector that relays some of the wire members is mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko Inoue, Toshikatsu Kuroki, Naoki Fujioka
  • Patent number: 11040454
    Abstract: A robot including a base, a first movable part, and a second movable part supported on the first movable part. The base includes an opening portion through which ends of inner cables disposed within the robot are inserted. The robot includes a number of distributing boxes that are detachably attached to the opening portion or to a portion near the opening portion of the base. The distributing boxes respectively include, robot-side walls through which ends of the inner cables are inserted in order to dispose the ends of the inner cables within the distributing boxes, and relay walls provided with connectors to which outer cables from a control device for the robot are connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoki Fujioka
  • Publication number: 20210143619
    Abstract: A robot linear-object unit includes: a first part including cables, which lead to motors, that are covered by a flexible sheath having a circular outer shape in cross section; a second part including the cables in a loose state at one end of the first part; a plurality of third parts each including one or more of the cables of the second part bundled together for a connector connected to corresponding one of the motors, the third parts being covered by flexible covering materials having circular outer shapes in cross section; and a casing that accommodates the second part and is fixed to a movable part. The casing is provided with a plurality of through holes that allow the first and the third parts to pass through the casing. Spaces between the through holes, the sheath, and the covering materials are fixed in a liquid-tight state by cable glands.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki FUJIOKA, Yuuto TOCHIO
  • Patent number: 10953543
    Abstract: A robot employing an operation program setting apparatus is configured to move, based on an operation program, a tool attached to a distal end portion of an arm of the robot along a predetermined processing trajectory along a work object, the operation program makes posture of the tool change at at least a position along the predetermined processing trajectory, the position is a posture changing position. The setting apparatus includes a controller configured to add a command to the operation program, the command is for making the tool start to be inclined when the tool approaches the posture changing position within a range of an acceptable inclination angle, the range is an angle range within which the tool is allowed to be inclined with respect to a surface of the work object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko Inoue, Naoki Fujioka
  • Patent number: 10821600
    Abstract: A robot which can prevent an excessive bending of an wire member. The robot includes a first wrist element coupled rotatably about a first axis, a second wrist element coupled rotatably about a second axis, a third wrist element coupled rotatably about a third axis and supporting an end effector configured to perform a work on a workpiece, a first wire member disposed in such a way as to pass through the inside of the first wrist element, the second wrist element, and the third wrist element and connected to the end effector, and a second wire member disposed in such a way as to pass through the inside of the first wrist element and run outside the second wrist element and the third wrist element and connected to the end effector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiko Inoue, Toshikatsu Kuroki, Naoki Fujioka
  • Publication number: 20200290212
    Abstract: A robot including a base, a first movable part, and a second movable part supported on the first movable part. The base includes an opening portion through which ends of inner cables disposed within the robot are inserted. The robot includes a number of distributing boxes that are detachably attached to the opening portion or to a portion near the opening portion of the base. The distributing boxes respectively include, robot-side walls through which ends of the inner cables are inserted in order to dispose the ends of the inner cables within the distributing boxes, and relay walls provided with connectors to which outer cables from a control device for the robot are connected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoki FUJIOKA
  • Patent number: 10744637
    Abstract: A robot includes a robot main body including a first member, a second member, and a joint that coupling the first and the second members together so as to be relatively rotatable around an axis, a fixed stopper fixed to the first member, and an adaptor and a movable stopper that are each detachably attached to the second member. The second member has a main-body-side attachment part to which either one of the adaptor and the movable stopper is selectively attached. The adaptor has an adaptor-side attachment part to which the movable stopper is attached and which is arranged in a position different from that of the main-body-side attachment part in a circumferential direction around the axis, while the adaptor is in a state of being attached to the main-body-side attachment part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoki Fujioka
  • Publication number: 20200206911
    Abstract: A linear object handling structure of a robot that includes a base to be fixed to an installed surface, and a rotary barrel supported to be rotatable around a vertical rotary axis with respect to the base, and is provided with, in a region including the rotary axis, a through hole vertically penetrating through a top board of the base, and a hollow portion having a cylindrical inner surface extending inside the rotary barrel from the through hole along the rotary axis. A mechanism unit cable of the robot passes from an inside of the base to an upper part of the rotary barrel through the through hole and the hollow portion, and is fixed in the inside of the base and at the upper part of the rotary barrel while the mechanism unit cable is bent inside the hollow portion and is pressed against the inner surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoki FUJIOKA
  • Publication number: 20200130191
    Abstract: A calibration method for a laser processing robot, including: fixing a jig that includes a target-site to a base of the laser processing robot; placing a laser processing tool at a position where a laser beam is scanned with respect to the target-site, the laser processing tool having a function for two-dimensionally scanning the laser beam and a function for receiving the laser beam reflected at an object and for measuring a distance to the object; measuring distances to respective portions of the target-site by scanning the laser beam; calculating a coordinate transformation function for converting a position and orientation of the target-site, which is obtained based on the measured distances to the respective portions of the target-site, into an actual position and orientation of the target-site; and correcting a tool-center-point of the laser processing tool by the coordinate transformation function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko INOUE, Toshikatsu KUROKI, Naoki FUJIOKA, Atsushi MORI
  • Publication number: 20200130180
    Abstract: A robot system including a robot body and a control device. The robot body includes wrist elements at a distal end of an arm; a wired wire body connected to an end effector fixed to the third wrist element. The control-device includes an angle calculation unit that calculates, in a Cartesian coordinate system of which the origin is the wire-body outlet and which has one coordinate axis extending in a direction along the first axis, angles of straight lines connecting the wire-body outlet and specific points of the wire body, with the straight lines projected onto a plane perpendicular to the coordinate axis, about the coordinate axis, with reference to a position where a load acting on the wire body is the least; and a determination unit that determines whether the absolute values of the angles calculated by the angle calculation unit have exceeded predetermined angle thresholds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko INOUE, Toshikatsu KUROKI, Naoki FUJIOKA
  • Publication number: 20190321988
    Abstract: Provided is a robot including: a base; and a movable portion including a rotating drum that rotates about a vertical axis with respect to the base. The base is provided with an opening portion through which wire members are led into the base; the base and the rotating drum are provided with a hollow portion in which the wire members are guided into the rotating drum; the robot further includes a distribution board member that is detachably attached to the base; the distribution board member is provided with an attachment portion that is attached to the base, and a relay portion that is disposed on the outside of the opening portion with a gap therebetween; and the relay portion includes a mountable region in which a connector that relays some of the wire members is mounted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko INOUE, Toshikatsu KUROKI, Naoki FUJIOKA
  • Publication number: 20190291273
    Abstract: A robot employing an operation program setting apparatus is configured to move, based on an operation program, a tool attached to a distal end portion of an arm of the robot along a predetermined processing trajectory along a work object, the operation program makes posture of the tool change at at least a position along the predetermined processing trajectory, the position is a posture changing position. The setting apparatus includes a controller configured to add a command to the operation program, the command is for making the tool start to be inclined when the tool approaches the posture changing position within a range of an acceptable inclination angle, the range is an angle range within which the tool is allowed to be inclined with respect to a surface of the work object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko INOUE, Naoki FUJIOKA
  • Publication number: 20190291266
    Abstract: A robot includes a robot main body including a first member, a second member, and a joint that coupling the first and the second members together so as to be relatively rotatable around an axis, a fixed stopper fixed to the first member, and an adaptor and a movable stopper that are each detachably attached to the second member. The second member has a main-body-side attachment part to which either one of the adaptor and the movable stopper is selectively attached. The adaptor has an adaptor-side attachment part to which the movable stopper is attached and which is arranged in a position different from that of the main-body-side attachment part in a circumferential direction around the axis, while the adaptor is in a state of being attached to the main-body-side attachment part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Applicant: Fanuc Corporation
    Inventor: Naoki FUJIOKA
  • Publication number: 20190077012
    Abstract: A robot which can prevent an excessive bending of an wire member. The robot includes a first wrist element coupled rotatably about a first axis, a second wrist element coupled rotatably about a second axis, a third wrist element coupled rotatably about a third axis and supporting an end effector configured to perform a work on a workpiece, a first wire member disposed in such a way as to pass through the inside of the first wrist element, the second wrist element, and the third wrist element and connected to the end effector, and a second wire member disposed in such a way as to pass through the inside of the first wrist element and run outside the second wrist element and the third wrist element and connected to the end effector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko Inoue, Toshikatsu Kuroki, Naoki Fujioka