Patents by Inventor Satoshi Takatsugi

Satoshi Takatsugi 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: 7556753
    Abstract: A method of indicating an open/close state of a check valve of an injection molding machine simply and more accurately. The method detects screw rotational force during injection and displays in wave form on the screen of a display device changes in detected rotational force. An open/close state of the check valve can be indicated based on the waveform pattern displayed on the display screen because the screw rotational force waveform pattern changes when the check valve closes. From the fact that the screw rotational force waveform pattern changes when the check valve closes, the open/close state of the check valve can be indicated from the displayed waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Tatsuhiro Uchiyama, Satoshi Takatsugi, Osamu Saito, Junpei Maruyama
  • Publication number: 20090053349
    Abstract: Screw rotation speeds and screw rotating torques are measured at predetermined time intervals during metering and substituted into a previously-assumed function to determine a maximum screw rotating torque at each screw rotation speed. An allowable upper limit of screw rotating torque is set for each screw rotation speed on the basis of the determined maximum screw rotating torque. If a screw rotating torque exceeding the allowable upper limit is detected during metering after the allowable upper limit is set, the screw rotation is stopped or changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Publication date: February 26, 2009
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Hiroshi IMAMURA, Wataru SHIRAISHI, Satoshi TAKATSUGI
  • Publication number: 20090026646
    Abstract: When a resin passage of a check ring is opened, resin backflow occurs during time when an injection screw is moved forward, and a reverse rotational force is applied to the screw by resin backflow. On the other hand, when the resin passage is closed, there is no resin backflow and the reverse rotational force applied to the screw is greatly reduced. Consequently, after completion of metering process and before injection process, the screw is moved forward after the screw has been rotated in reverse a predetermined amount to prevent resin backflow. At this time, a maximum value of the reverse rotational force applied to the screw is detected. Until the detected maximum reverse rotational force reaches a reference value or less, the reverse rotation amount is increased sequentially and respective molding cycles are carried out.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2007
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Junpei MARUYAMA, Satoshi TAKATSUGI, Tatsuhiro UCHIYAMA
  • Publication number: 20090022838
    Abstract: When a screw equipped with a check ring is moved forward, torque acting on the screw is detected, and whether the check ring is closed is determined on the basis of the detected torque. The screw is rotated in reverse when the check ring is determined not to be closed, and the reverse rotation of the screw is stopped when the check ring is determined to be closed. The reverse rotation of the screw is thereby controlled so that the screw is rotated in reverse by an optimal amount for reliably closing the check ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2007
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Junpei MARUYAMA, Satoshi TAKATSUGI
  • Publication number: 20090022839
    Abstract: While a check ring of a screw of an injection molding machine is in open state, an absolute value (|? resin pressure / ? rotation amount |) of a variation of a resin pressure per unit variation of the screw reverse rotation becomes greater than a predetermined reference value. However, after the check ring is closed, |? resin pressure / ? rotation amount | becomes equal to or less than the reference value. From this, detecting if the |? resin pressure / ? rotation amount | during reverse rotation of the screw, it is possible to determine that the check ring is closed or not. As a result, it is possible to obtain a screw reverse rotation amount which is optimal for reliably closing the check ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Junpei MARUYAMA, Satoshi TAKATSUGI
  • Publication number: 20080317897
    Abstract: An injection molding machine nozzle capable of letting heat escape from a nozzle end portion and preventing the occurrence of cobwebbing with a simple structure. A heat conducting member is mounted on the nozzle end portion. When the end of the nozzle is contacted against a mold the heat conducting member also contacts the mold. The heat conducting member is composed of the material having heat conductivity equal to or greater than that of the nozzle. The heat of the nozzle end portion is conducted to the heat conducting member and released at the mold, thus preferentially cooling only melted resin of the nozzle end portion. Cobwebbing does not occur even when the mold is opened and the molded article is removed because the melted resin of the muzzle end portion has been cooled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2008
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Hiroyasu ASAOKA, Wataru SHIRAISHI, Satoshi Takatsugi
  • Publication number: 20080305199
    Abstract: Torques and resin pressures applied to a screw are detected during the forward movement of the screw and coefficients of correlation between the detected torques and resin pressures are calculated. When the check ring is open, the flight of the screw receives resin pressure, and the screw torque increases proportionally to the resin pressure due to resin backflow, so the coefficients of correlation between the screw torques and the resin pressures are higher than a reference value. When the check ring closes, the flight of the screw no longer receive resin pressure, so the screw torque decreases and the coefficients of correlation become lower than the reference value. The check ring is determined to be closed when the coefficients of correlation become lower than the reference value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Junpei MARUYAMA, Satoshi TAKATSUGI
  • Publication number: 20080305201
    Abstract: When the screw moves forward, resin backflow occurs. The backflow acts on the screw, applying torque to the screw. During forward movement of the screw, screw torque is produced as shown in FIG. 3A if the check ring is not worn, or as shown in FIG. 3B if the check ring is worn, because wear increases the backflow and delays the closure of the check ring. The magnitude of the peak screw torque and the associated time and screw position vary depending on the presence or absence of wear, so wear of the check ring is estimated from variations in these physical quantities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Junpei Maruyama, Akira Oomori, Satoshi Takatsugi
  • Publication number: 20080305202
    Abstract: An injection molding machine estimates a check valve wear amount, making it possible to predict a check valve use limit. At start of injection, the check valve is at a position advanced a stroke S0 with respect to a screw position (a position of a check seat that contacts the check valve and closes a resin flow channel). As the screw advances, the check valve retreats and closes when the screw moves a distance X0. When the check valve is worn ?S (S1=S0+?S), it closes when the screw moves X1. Since the check valve stroke and the distance the screw moves until the check valve closes are proportional, S0/X0=S1/X1=a. Therefore, ?S=aX1?S0, and the wear amount ?S can be obtained by detecting the check valve closing position X1 and using this position X1 and the known stroke S0. The closing position is detected from the peak value of rotational force acting on the screw. Once the wear amount is obtained, the check valve use limit can be predicted from an allowable value of wear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Akira OOMORI, Junpei MARUYAMA, Satoshi TAKATSUGI, Wataru SHIRAISHI
  • Patent number: 7452198
    Abstract: A controller for an injection molding machine capable of reducing an extension of a cycle time in a screw retreat process after the end of measurement, obtaining a more accurate and uniform measured resin amount, and determining measurement conditions in a short period of time. After the measurement is finished, the screw is stopped from rotating and retreated at a first speed V1. The screw is reversely rotated at a predetermined speed Rv in a set zone. As this is done, the screw is retreated at a second speed V2 lower than the first speed V1. After the reverse rotation zone is terminated, the screw is stopped from rotating and retreated at a third speed V3 to a set retreat stop position. By doing this, the cycle time can be made shorter than in the case where the retreat and reverse rotation of the screw are performed separately. Since the retreating speed of the screw is low while the screw is being reversely rotated, a sudden pressure change can be suppressed, so that precise measurement can be made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Wataru Shiraishi, Toshio Ishikuro, Satoshi Takatsugi, Tatsuhiro Uchiyama, Hiroshi Watanabe, Tatsuya Kawasaki, Junpei Maruyama
  • Patent number: 7435070
    Abstract: When a metering process is started, a screw rotates at a preset rotating speed, thereby carrying out back pressure control to keep the pressure of a resin at a preset pressure, and retreats. When the screw is located near a preset metering completion position, the control mode is switched to positioning control for the preset metering completion position, and a screw rotation stop command is outputted. The screw overruns for some distance before its rotation stops after it retreats and stops at the preset metering completion position. A resin quantity for the overrun is corrected to obtain a preset metered resin quantity by reversely rotating the screw by a rotational amount corresponding to the overrun.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd.
    Inventors: Wataru Shiraishi, Satoshi Takatsugi, Toshio Ishikuro, Hiroyasu Asaoka
  • Patent number: 7431583
    Abstract: The invention provides an injection molding capable of adjusting a detection level with a simple structure and detecting a deposit level of the resin pellets near a plasticizing screw. A cooling jacket is mounted so that a resin supplying hole of the cooling jacket communicates with a resin supplying hole of a heating cylinder. A sensor head mounted on a sensor mounting plate is inserted into the resin supplying hole through a sensor insertion port provided on a hopper plate and a resin inlet and detects the deposit level of the resin pellets deposited in the resin supplying hole. Changing the extent of insertion of the sensor head enables the resin pellets deposit detection level to be changed, and further, enables the deposit level near the outer periphery of the screw to be detected. Setting the sensor detection direction perpendicular to the resin deposit direction enables dirtying of the sensor detection surface by the resin pellets to be reduced, thus enabling erroneous detection readings to be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Satoshi Takatsugi, Wataru Shiraishi, Hiroyasu Asaoka, Toshio Ishikuro, Hiroshi Imamura
  • Publication number: 20080199551
    Abstract: An injection molding machine capable of accurately detecting a rotational force exerted on a screw by resin backflow to easily evaluate states of resin backflow and closure of a check valve. In a state where the screw is stopped axially and rotationally after metering is finished, a load exerted on the screw in the rotational direction is detected. This load is a rotational force exerted on the screw from resin remaining between flights of the screw (resistance torque component). During injection, a load T exerted on the screw in the direction of rotation is detected, and the resistance torque component is subtracted from the detected load T to obtain a backflow torque component generated by resin flowing back through the check valve. By simultaneously displaying waveforms of backflow torque components in a plurality of molding cycles to be overlapped, stability of closure of the check valve is readily evaluated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2007
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Junpei MARUYAMA, Tatsuhiro UCHIYAMA, Satoshi TAKATSUGI
  • Publication number: 20080197521
    Abstract: A method of indicating an open/close state of a check valve of an injection molding machine simply and more accurately. The method detects screw rotational force during injection and displays in wave form on the screen of a display device changes in detected rotational force. An open/close state of the check valve can be indicated based on the waveform pattern displayed on the display screen because the screw rotational force waveform pattern changes when the check valve closes. From the fact that the screw rotational force waveform pattern changes when the check valve closes, the open/close state of the check valve can be indicated from the displayed waveform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Tatsuhiro Uchiyama, Satoshi Takatsugi, Osamu Saito, Junpei Maruyama
  • Publication number: 20080150181
    Abstract: An injection molding machine capable of appropriately adjusting a control condition for a reverse rotation of a screw and a method for adjusting the control condition. Molding is repeated with an amount of a reverse rotation of the screw performed after completion of metering and before injection to be varied in each molding cycle. In injection, resin flows backward until a check valve becomes closed. A peak value of a rotational force causing reverse rotation of the screw by the back flow of resin and other physical amounts are detected as indices of resin back-flow amount. An evaluation value of the control condition is obtained by inputting the indices of resin back-flow amount, metering time, etc. into an evaluation function. The value of screw reverse rotation amount with which the highest evaluation value is obtained is set for the screw reverse rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Junpei MARUYAMA, Satoshi TAKATSUGI, Tatsuhiro UCHIYAMA
  • Publication number: 20080152748
    Abstract: If a screw is moved forward after a metering step is completed, the screw moves in a state where a check ring on a tip end of the screw is in open state. Resin flows in a direction opposite to the injection direction. A rotational force is applied to the screw due to the backflow of the resin. If the check ring closes a resin passage, the rotational force acting on the screw is reduced. A peak time of the screw rotational force is detected as closing point in time of the check ring. Physical amounts such as a screw rotational force and a screw position at that timing are detected. Since the closing point in time of the check ring is precisely detected, correction of the injection/hold pressure switching position and the injection speed switching position can be adjusted more precisely. It is possible to precisely determine whether a molded article is non-defective or defective based on the detected physical amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2007
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Satoshi TAKATSUGI, Tatsuhiro UCHIYAMA, Junpei MARUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20070196530
    Abstract: A controller for an injection molding machine capable of reducing an extension of a cycle time in a screw retreat process after the end of measurement, obtaining a more accurate and uniform measured resin amount, and determining measurement conditions in a short period of time. After the measurement is finished, the screw is stopped from rotating and retreated at a first speed V1. The screw is reversely rotated at a predetermined speed Rv in a set zone. As this is done, the screw is retreated at a second speed V2 lower than the first speed V1. After the reverse rotation zone is terminated, the screw is stopped from rotating and retreated at a third speed V3 to a set retreat stop position. By doing this, the cycle time can be made shorter than in the case where the retreat and reverse rotation of the screw are performed separately. Since the retreating speed of the screw is low while the screw is being reversely rotated, a sudden pressure change can be suppressed, so that precise measurement can be made.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2007
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Wataru Shiraishi, Toshio Ishikuro, Satoshi Takatsugi, Tatsuhiro Uchiyama, Hiroshi Watanabe, Tatsuya Kawasaki, Junpei Maruyama
  • Patent number: 7235198
    Abstract: When a metering process is started, a screw rotates at a preset rotating speed, thereby carrying out back pressure control to keep the pressure of a resin at a preset pressure, and retreats. When the screw is located near a preset metering completion position, the control mode is switched to positioning control for the preset metering completion position, and a screw rotation stop command is outputted. The screw overruns for some distance before its rotation stops after it retreats and stops at the preset metering completion position. A resin quantity for the overrun is corrected to obtain a preset metered resin quantity by reversely rotating the screw by a rotational amount corresponding to the overrun.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd.
    Inventors: Wataru Shiraishi, Satoshi Takatsugi, Toshio Ishikuro, Hiroyasu Asaoka
  • Publication number: 20070026096
    Abstract: The invention provides an injection molding capable of adjusting a detection level with a simple structure and detecting a deposit level of the resin pellets near a plasticizing screw. A cooling jacket is mounted so that a resin supplying hole of the cooling jacket communicates with a resin supplying hole of a heating cylinder. A sensor head mounted on a sensor mounting plate is inserted into the resin supplying hole through a sensor insertion port provided on a hopper plate and a resin inlet and detects the deposit level of the resin pellets deposited in the resin supplying hole. Changing the extent of insertion of the sensor head enables the resin pellets deposit detection level to be changed, and further, enables the deposit level near the outer periphery of the screw to be detected. Setting the sensor detection direction perpendicular to the resin deposit direction enables dirtying of the sensor detection surface by the resin pellets to be reduced, thus enabling erroneous detection readings to be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Publication date: February 1, 2007
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Satoshi Takatsugi, Wataru Shiraishi, Hiroyasu Asaoka, Toshio Ishikuro, Hiroshi Imamura
  • Patent number: 7125232
    Abstract: A screw is rotated at a set speed and retreated by performing back pressure control for keeping a resin pressure at a set pressure. When the retreat position of the screw reaches a change point set nearby a set metering completion position, the back pressure control for keeping the resin pressure at a set resin pressure is stopped. A command for positioning the screw at a metering completion position is output to position the screw at the metering completion position. At the same time, when a screw position reaches the change point, the screw is reversed by a set value at a set speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Fanuc LTD
    Inventors: Hiroshi Watanabe, Tatsuhiro Uchiyama, Wataru Shiraishi, Satoshi Takatsugi