Patents by Inventor Seiji Yamaura

Seiji Yamaura 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: 11135780
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus 1 that includes a pair of molds 10a and 10b that press together, heat, and weld an overlapping part of a plurality of film-like members, a pair of heater blocks 20a and 20b that respectively support the pair of molds; a plurality of first support blocks 37 that are connected via a plurality of rod-like members 50, which midway include parts that restrict transmission of heat, to one heater block 20a; a plurality of second support blocks 38 that are connected via the plurality of rod-like members to the other heater block 20b; and a driving mechanism 60 that changes, via the support blocks, a gap between the pair of molds to press together the film-like members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Nagano Automation Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji Yamaura, Hirotaka Kojima
  • Publication number: 20200079029
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus 1 that includes a pair of molds 10a and 10b that press together, heat, and weld an overlapping part of a plurality of film-like members, a pair of heater blocks 20a and 20b that respectively support the pair of molds; a plurality of first support blocks 37 that are connected via a plurality of rod-like members 50, which midway include parts that restrict transmission of heat, to one heater block 20a; a plurality of second support blocks 38 that are connected via the plurality of rod-like members to the other heater block 20b; and a driving mechanism 60 that changes, via the support blocks, a gap between the pair of molds to press together the film-like members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Seiji YAMAURA, Hirotaka KOJIMA
  • Patent number: 9871268
    Abstract: A secondary battery manufacturing method enables smooth pulling of a separator by guide members by inhibiting a phenomenon in which, when the separator is being pulled by the guide members, the separator moves in the width direction and rattles. The method includes pulling in a separator by guide bars to zigzag-fold the separator; and suspending the separator between the guide bars via a suspension roller while locating buffer rollers at a predetermined descending position, the buffer rollers being disposed between support rollers for supporting the separator at midpoints upstream, in the transport direction of the separator, of the suspension roller, the buffer rollers being ascendable and descendable in contact with an upper surface of the separator to be adjustable vertically, and allowing the buffer rollers to ascend in accordance with movement of the guide bars, thereby supplying the separator of a length pulled in by the guide bars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignees: ELIIY POWER CO., LTD., NAGANO AUTOMATION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sato, Seiji Yamaura
  • Patent number: 9853329
    Abstract: After a separator is brought into a tension-free state, a plurality of guide members are crossed in a horizontal direction between rows of the guide members to fold the separator or a superposed body zigzag. Positive electrode plates or negative electrode plates are inserted into the resulting furrows to produce a secondary battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignees: ELIIY POWER CO., LTD., NAGANO AUTOMATION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sato, Seiji Yamaura, Takuya Sakata
  • Patent number: 9595721
    Abstract: A stacking apparatus includes a first rotating table that is equipped with a plurality of stacking regions and intermittently rotates the plurality of stacking regions respectively to a plurality of work positions, a first turning unit; and a second turning unit. The first turning unit includes a first arm that turns between the first stacking position and a first pickup position where an anode sheet is picked up and a second arm that turns in concert with movement of the first arm between the first stacking position and a second pickup position where a separator is picked up. The second turning unit includes a third arm that picks up a cathode sheet and a fourth arm that turns in concert with movement of the third arm and picks up a separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: NAGANO AUTOMATION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenichi Hirai, Seiji Yamaura
  • Patent number: 9466825
    Abstract: An apparatus including: a first bonding unit that at least partially bonds a first separator strip and a second separator strip in a width direction at a first position; a first feeding unit that supplies the first separator strip to the first position; a second feeding unit that supplies the second separator strip to the first position so as to make an angle to the first separator strip; and a third feeding unit that supplies, in synchronization with timing of bonding of the first separator strip and the second separator strip in the width direction at the first position, an electrode sheet to the first position so as to be between the first separator strip and the second separator strip and make an angle to the first separator strip and the second separator strip respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Nagano Automation Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsukasa Miyazaki, Seiji Yamaura
  • Patent number: 9450268
    Abstract: A production apparatus is equipped with a supply unit which has a cassette member 50 for bearing a predetermined number of positive electrode plates or negative electrode plates, and which batchwise supplies a plurality of positive electrode plates 5 or negative electrode plates 6 placed on the cassette member 50 to respective electrode plate conveying trays 19 of an electrode plate conveying member 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignees: ELIIY POWER CO., LTD., NAGANO AUTOMATION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sato, Seiji Yamaura
  • Patent number: 9401576
    Abstract: A stacking apparatus according to the present invention manufacturing a stacked electrode in which cathode sheets and anode sheets are stacked with a separator in between includes a first unit that folds a continuous separator sheet onto a first region and a second unit that alternately supplies an anode sheet and a cathode sheet to the first region in synchronization with the first unit folding the continuous separator sheet. The first unit includes a first wall surface and a second wall surface whose lengths are substantially equal to the folded length and fold the continuous separator onto the first region in a state where the continuous separator sheet is alternately vacuum chucked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: NAGANO AUTOMATION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tsukasa Miyazaki, Seiji Yamaura
  • Publication number: 20150333361
    Abstract: A secondary battery manufacturing method enables smooth pulling of a separator by guide members by inhibiting a phenomenon in which, when the separator is being pulled by the guide members, the separator moves in the width direction and rattles. The method includes pulling in a separator by guide bars to zigzag-fold the separator; and suspending the separator between the guide bars via a suspension roller while locating buffer rollers at a predetermined descending position, the buffer rollers being disposed between support rollers for supporting the separator at midpoints upstream, in the transport direction of the separator, of the suspension roller, the buffer rollers being ascendable and descendable in contact with an upper surface of the separator to be adjustable vertically, and allowing the buffer rollers to ascend in accordance with movement of the guide bars, thereby supplying the separator of a length pulled in by the guide bars.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroshi SATO, Seiji YAMAURA
  • Publication number: 20150129107
    Abstract: An apparatus including: a first bonding unit that at least partially bonds a first separator strip and a second separator strip in a width direction at a first position; a first feeding unit that supplies the first separator strip to the first position; a second feeding unit that supplies the second separator strip to the first position so as to make an angle to the first separator strip; and a third feeding unit that supplies, in synchronization with timing of bonding of the first separator strip and the second separator strip in the width direction at the first position, an electrode sheet to the first position so as to be between the first separator strip and the second separator strip and make an angle to the first separator strip and the second separator strip respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Tsukasa Miyazaki, Seiji Yamaura
  • Publication number: 20150086317
    Abstract: There is provided a stacking system capable of manufacturing an electrode structure, where negative electrode sheets and positive electrode sheets are stacked with separators in between, precisely and at high speed. The present invention includes a first turntable that rotationally moves a plurality of stacking regions to a plurality of work positions in order and a plurality of conveying apparatuses that stack, at stacking positions included in the plurality of work positions, target objects at the stacking regions of the first turntable that have arrived at the stacking positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Seiji Yamaura, Tsukasa Miyazaki
  • Publication number: 20150020380
    Abstract: There is provided a stacking apparatus including: a pickup unit including a plurality of suction units that pass a first position, a second position, a third position, and a fourth position, which are disposed at equal intervals in a first direction around a circumference, in order; and a driving unit that moves the respective suction units of the plurality of suction units in order to the first position, the second position, the third position, and the fourth position and also causes up-down movement of the respective suction units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventors: Seiji Yamaura, Tsukasa Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 8910671
    Abstract: An apparatus that supplies electrolyte inside a battery case disposed inside a reduced pressure chamber includes: a measuring unit where a piston moves in a first direction in a measuring space (S) inside a cylinder, a dispenser that injects electrolyte from above into a battery case, a first pipeline that connects an upper end portion of the measuring space (S) of the measuring unit and the dispenser, and a back pressure valve disposed on the first pipeline. The dispenser includes a discharge nozzle disposed inside the battery case or in a periphery of an upper end of the battery case, a needle valve that is disposed inside the discharge nozzle and opens and closes the discharge nozzle, and an actuator that drives the needle valve up and down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Nagano Automation Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji Yamaura, Kenichi Hirai
  • Publication number: 20140230239
    Abstract: A production apparatus is equipped with a supply unit which has a cassette member 50 for bearing a predetermined number of positive electrode plates or negative electrode plates, and which batchwise supplies a plurality of positive electrode plates 5 or negative electrode plates 6 placed on the cassette member 50 to respective electrode plate conveying trays 19 of an electrode plate conveying member 20.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: ELIIY Power Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sato, Seiji Yamaura
  • Publication number: 20140109396
    Abstract: A stacking apparatus includes a first rotating table that is equipped with a plurality of stacking regions and intermittently rotates the plurality of stacking regions respectively to a plurality of work positions, a first turning unit; and a second turning unit. The first turning unit includes a first arm that turns between the first stacking position and a first pickup position where an anode sheet is picked up and a second arm that turns in concert with movement of the first arm between the first stacking position and a second pickup position where a separator is picked up. The second turning unit includes a third arm that picks up a cathode sheet and a fourth arm that turns in concert with movement of the third arm and picks up a separator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: NAGANO AUTOMATION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenichi Hirai, Seiji Yamaura
  • Publication number: 20140101928
    Abstract: After a separator is brought into a tension-free state, a plurality of guide members are crossed in a horizontal direction between rows of the guide members to fold the separator or a superposed body zigzag. Positive electrode plates or negative electrode plates are inserted into the resulting furrows to produce a secondary battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: ELIIY Power Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sato, Seiji Yamaura, Takuya Sakata
  • Publication number: 20140059855
    Abstract: A stacking apparatus according to the present invention manufacturing a stacked electrode in which cathode sheets and anode sheets are stacked with a separator in between includes a first unit that folds a continuous separator sheet onto a first region and a second unit that alternately supplies an anode sheet and a cathode sheet to the first region in synchronization with the first unit folding the continuous separator sheet. The first unit includes a first wall surface and a second wall surface whose lengths are substantially equal to the folded length and fold the continuous separator onto the first region in a state where the continuous separator sheet is alternately vacuum chucked.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: NAGANO AUTOMATION CO., LTD
    Inventors: Tsukasa Miyazaki, Seiji Yamaura
  • Publication number: 20130025741
    Abstract: An apparatus that supplies electrolyte inside a battery case disposed inside a reduced pressure chamber includes: a measuring unit where a piston moves in a first direction in a measuring space (S) inside a cylinder, a dispenser that injects electrolyte from above into a battery case, a first pipeline that connects an upper end portion of the measuring space (S) of the measuring unit and the dispenser, and a back pressure valve disposed on the first pipeline. The dispenser includes a discharge nozzle disposed inside the battery case or in a periphery of an upper end of the battery case, a needle valve that is disposed inside the discharge nozzle and opens and closes the discharge nozzle, and an actuator that drives the needle valve up and down.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: Nagano Automation Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Seiji Yamaura, Kenichi Hirai