Patents by Inventor Ryou Nishikawa

Ryou Nishikawa 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: 11229967
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine which performs electrical discharge machining on a workpiece, includes: a worktable on which the workpiece is placed; a placement area detector that divides the top surface of the worktable into multiple areas and detects the areas where the workpiece is placed; a placement time measuring unit that measures placement time for which the workpiece is placed on each of the areas detected by the placement area detector; and a cumulative time storage that adds up the placement times measured by the placement time measuring unit for each of the areas as a cumulative time for the area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryou Nishikawa, Shouji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10792745
    Abstract: A controller for a wire electrical discharge machine that machines a workpiece along a machining path by relatively moving the workpiece and a wire electrode to each other while generating electric discharge across an electrode gap between the workpiece and the wire electrode, includes: a machining surface state acquisition unit configured to acquire the state of a machining surface of the workpiece; and a machining path setting unit configured to specify an excessively machined portion of the workpiece based on the acquired state of the machining surface and set an approach point at which the wire electrode is made to approach the machining surface from a machining start point, so as to avoid the excessively machined portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryou Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 10730127
    Abstract: A control device includes a speed setting unit configured to set a relative movement speed of a wire electrode with respect to a workpiece depending on the average of gap voltage per unit time, i.e., average gap voltage, and set the relative movement speed so as to move the wire electrode backward when the average gap voltage is less than a threshold, and a map compensation unit configured to change the threshold from a first threshold that is set when the amount of change in the average gap voltage is lower than a predetermined variation, to a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold, when the average gap voltage has changed in a decreasing direction and the amount of change in the average gap voltage becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryou Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 10427232
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine includes a filter for removing machined swarf produced by electrical discharge machining from a working fluid, and a heating device for heating the working fluid stored inside the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryou Nishikawa, Yasuo Hasegawa
  • Publication number: 20190143432
    Abstract: A controller for a wire electrical discharge machine that machines a workpiece along a machining path by relatively moving the workpiece and a wire electrode to each other while generating electric discharge across an electrode gap between the workpiece and the wire electrode, includes: a machining surface state acquisition unit configured to acquire the state of a machining surface of the workpiece; and a machining path setting unit configured to specify an excessively machined portion of the workpiece based on the acquired state of the machining surface and set an approach point at which the wire electrode is made to approach the machining surface from a machining start point, so as to avoid the excessively machined portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventor: Ryou NISHIKAWA
  • Patent number: 10179368
    Abstract: A wire electric discharge machine has a function of estimating the time for replacement of a filter based on a use situation for the machine. A time Tr during which the filter is serviceable is calculated according to an equation, Tr=|(Pd?Pn)/?P|, based on a fluid pressure variation amount ?P, a current filter fluid pressure Pn, and a filter life pressure. A remaining available time Td for the filter which takes into account the operation rate of the machine is calculated according to an equation, Td=Tr/W.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryou Nishikawa, Shouji Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20180361490
    Abstract: A control device includes a speed setting unit configured to set a relative movement speed of a wire electrode with respect to a workpiece depending on the average of gap voltage per unit time, i.e., average gap voltage, and set the relative movement speed so as to move the wire electrode backward when the average gap voltage is less than a threshold, and a map compensation unit configured to change the threshold from a first threshold that is set when the amount of change in the average gap voltage is lower than a predetermined variation, to a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold, when the average gap voltage has changed in a decreasing direction and the amount of change in the average gap voltage becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined variation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventor: Ryou NISHIKAWA
  • Patent number: 10058944
    Abstract: A wire electric discharge machine, configured to determine whether or not electrical discharge machining of a workpiece can be performed, includes a determination unit for determining that wire electrical discharge machining of the workpiece can be performed when a wire electrode is moved toward the workpiece and a contact detection unit detects contact, and for determining that the wire electrical discharge machining of the workpiece cannot be performed when a breaking detection unit detects the breaking of the wire electrode before the contact detection unit detects the contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryou Nishikawa
  • Publication number: 20180079021
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine which performs electrical discharge machining on a workpiece, includes: a worktable on which the workpiece is placed; a placement area detector that divides the top surface of the worktable into multiple areas and detects the areas where the workpiece is placed; a placement time measuring unit that measures placement time for which the workpiece is placed on each of the areas detected by the placement area detector; and a cumulative time storage that adds up the placement times measured by the placement time measuring unit for each of the areas as a cumulative time for the area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryou Nishikawa, Shouji Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20180021869
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine includes a filter for removing machined swarf produced by electrical discharge machining from a working fluid, and a heating device for heating the working fluid stored inside the filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2017
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryou Nishikawa, Yasuo Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 9541914
    Abstract: One arbitrary point on an upper surface of a workpiece and two points at arbitrary heights on a tapered section of the workpiece are measured using a contact detector disposed on an upper wire guide of a wire electric discharge machine to calculate the shape accuracy and tapered angle. Based on the calculated data, the upper and lower wire guide support positions of the upper and lower wire guides are calculated. Using the calculated upper and lower wire guide support positions, electric discharge machining is performed on the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryou Nishikawa, Shouji Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20160096231
    Abstract: A wire electric discharge machine has a function of estimating the time for replacement of a filter based on a use situation for the machine. A time Tr during which the filter is serviceable is calculated according to an equation, Tr=|(Pd?Pn)/?P|, based on a fluid pressure variation amount ?P, a current filter fluid pressure Pn, and a filter life pressure. A remaining available time Td for the filter which takes into account the operation rate of the machine is calculated according to an equation, Td=Tr/W.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Inventors: Ryou NISHIKAWA, Shouji TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20160039025
    Abstract: A wire electric discharge machine, configured to determine whether or not electrical discharge machining of a workpiece can be performed, includes a determination unit for determining that wire electrical discharge machining of the workpiece can be performed when a wire electrode is moved toward the workpiece and a contact detection unit detects contact, and for determining that the wire electrical discharge machining of the workpiece cannot be performed when a breaking detection unit detects the breaking of the wire electrode before the contact detection unit detects the contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventor: Ryou NISHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20140236341
    Abstract: One arbitrary point on an upper surface of a workpiece and two points at arbitrary heights on a tapered section of the workpiece are measured using a contact detector disposed on an upper wire guide of a wire electric discharge machine to calculate the shape accuracy and tapered angle. Based on the calculated data, the upper and lower wire guide support positions of the upper and lower wire guides are calculated. Using the calculated upper and lower wire guide support positions, electric discharge machining is performed on the workpiece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: FANUC Corporation
    Inventors: Ryou NISHIKAWA, Shouji TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 8759708
    Abstract: In a wire electric discharge machine in which chuck part electrodes that hold a wire electrode are provided on the upper side of an upper wire guide and electrodes of a detecting part are provided on a lower stream side of the chuck part electrodes, a part, which contacts with the chuck part electrodes, of a surface of the wire electrode is hardened by locally cooling down the part by air blowing during energization to the wire electrode. Accordingly, wire metal powder is hardly generated from the wire electrode even though the wire electrode rubs against the chuck part electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
    Inventors: Harutora Inaba, Ryou Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 8404991
    Abstract: A wire-cut electric discharge machine has a cooling device for cooling the machining fluid. A controller for controlling the cooling operation of the cooling device controls the machining fluid temperature by automatically switching, depending on the relationship between the ambient temperature of the wire-cut electric discharge machine and the temperature of the machining fluid, between a fixed temperature control mode in which the machining fluid temperature is maintained at a preset value and a differential temperature control mode in which the machining fluid temperature follows the ambient temperature to limit the difference between the machining fluid temperature and the ambient temperature to a preset range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotsugu Kasai, Ryou Nishikawa
  • Publication number: 20120305530
    Abstract: In a wire electric discharge machine in which chuck part electrodes that hold a wire electrode are provided on the upper side of an upper wire guide and electrodes of a detecting part are provided on a lower stream side of the chuck part electrodes, a part, which contacts with the chuck part electrodes, of a surface of the wire electrode is hardened by locally cooling down the part by air blowing during energization to the wire electrode. Accordingly, wire metal powder is hardly generated from the wire electrode even though the wire electrode rubs against the chuck part electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Harutora INABA, Ryou NISHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20120048832
    Abstract: A wire-cut electric discharge machine has a cooling device for cooling the machining fluid. A controller for controlling the cooling operation of the cooling device controls the machining fluid temperature by automatically switching, depending on the relationship between the ambient temperature of the wire-cut electric discharge machine and the temperature of the machining fluid, between a fixed temperature control mode in which the machining fluid temperature is maintained at a preset value and a differential temperature control mode in which the machining fluid temperature follows the ambient temperature to limit the difference between the machining fluid temperature and the ambient temperature to a preset range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirotsugu KASAI, Ryou NISHIKAWA
  • Patent number: 7465899
    Abstract: A wire electric discharge machine capable of maintaining machining-fluid temperature in a machining tank uniformly, even when the state of machining changes, for example between rough machining and finish machining. A first temperature sensor for detecting the machining-fluid temperature in a clean-fluid tank is provided to the clean-fluid tank or a machining-fluid cooling device. A second temperature sensor for detecting the machining-fluid temperature in the machining tank is provided. On the basis of machining conditions, etc., a controller of the wire electric discharge machine selects the second temperature sensor in machining producing much heat such as rough machining, and selects the first temperature sensor in machining producing little heat such as finish machining. The machining-fluid cooling device performs cooling control on the machining fluid in the clean-fluid tank based on the temperature detected by the selected temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Yuki Kita, Ryou Nishikawa
  • Publication number: 20070278190
    Abstract: A wire electric discharge machine capable of maintaining machining-fluid temperature in a machining tank uniformly, even when the state of machining changes, for example between rough machining and finish machining. A first temperature sensor for detecting the machining-fluid temperature in a clean-fluid tank is provided to the clean-fluid tank or a machining-fluid cooling device. A second temperature sensor for detecting the machining-fluid temperature in the machining tank is provided. On the basis of machining conditions, etc., a controller of the wire electric discharge machine selects the second temperature sensor in machining producing much heat such as rough machining, and selects the first temperature sensor in machining producing little heat such as finish machining. The machining-fluid cooling device performs cooling control on the machining fluid in the clean-fluid tank based on the temperature detected by the selected temperature sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Yuki Kita, Ryou Nishikawa