Patents by Inventor Shigemitsu ANDO

Shigemitsu ANDO 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: 11678837
    Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide a hardness meter which estimates hardness in a stable manner regardless of a compression strength. A hardness meter includes: a movable portion which is continuously pressed against an object to be measured; a sensor which outputs an output signal reflecting a reaction force at a part of the object to be measured; a motive force mechanism that causes the movable portion to perform a piston motion; a hardness estimating portion which estimates the hardness of the object on the basis of an alternating current component of the output signal, generated by the piston motion; a position estimating portion which estimates a measurement position information by shooting with a camera; and a hardness map display portion which maps and displays the hardness on a schematic diagram of the surface of a living body based on the measurement position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuko Sano, Akihiko Kandori, Mitsuo Okimoto, Shigemitsu Ando, Mitsunobu Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11619572
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a durometer enabling a contact portion in contact with an object to perform smooth piston motion. The durometer includes a main body unit including a movable unit pressed continuously against an object to be measured, a first sensor outputting acceleration information corresponding to an acceleration of movement of a contact part of the object to be measured in contact with the movable unit in a pressing direction, a second sensor outputting reactive force information corresponding to a reactive force at the contact part of the object to be measured in contact with the movable unit, a motor, a crank mechanism driven by the motor and causing the main body unit and the movable unit to perform piston motion, and at least one buffering member disposed on a periphery of the main body unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiko Kandori, Yuko Sano, Yuhua Zhang, Shigemitsu Ando, Mitsunobu Watanabe, MItsuo Okimoto
  • Publication number: 20220240839
    Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide a hardness meter which estimates hardness in a stable manner regardless of a compression strength. A hardness meter includes: a movable portion which is continuously pressed against an object to be measured; a sensor which outputs an output signal reflecting a reaction force at a part of the object to be measured; a motive force mechanism that causes the movable portion to perform a piston motion; a hardness estimating portion which estimates the hardness of the object on the basis of an alternating current component of the output signal, generated by the piston motion; a position estimating portion which estimates a measurement position information by shooting with a camera; and a hardness map display portion which maps and displays the hardness on a schematic diagram of the surface of a living body based on the measurement position information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Applicant: Maxell, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuko SANO, Akihiko KANDORI, Mitsuo OKIMOTO, Shigemitsu ANDO, Mitsunobu WATANABE
  • Patent number: 11337641
    Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide a hardness meter which estimates hardness in a stable manner regardless of a compression strength. Disclosed is a hardness meter characterized in being provided with: a movable portion which is continuously pressed against an object to be measured; a sensor which outputs an output signal reflecting a reaction force at a part of the object to be measured that is in contact with the movable portion; a motive force mechanism that causes the movable portion to perform a piston motion; and a hardness estimating portion which estimates the hardness of the object to be measured on the basis of an alternating current component of the output signal, generated by the piston motion of the movable portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: MAXELL, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuko Sano, Akihiko Kandori, Mitsuo Okimoto, Shigemitsu Ando, Mitsunobu Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20210341368
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a durometer enabling a contact portion in contact with an object to perform smooth piston motion. The durometer includes a main body unit including a movable unit pressed continuously against an object to be measured, a first sensor outputting acceleration information corresponding to an acceleration of movement of a contact part of the object to be measured in contact with the movable unit in a pressing direction, a second sensor outputting reactive force information corresponding to a reactive force at the contact part of the object to be measured in contact with the movable unit, a motor, a crank mechanism driven by the motor and causing the main body unit and the movable unit to perform piston motion, and at least one buffering member disposed on a periphery of the main body unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2021
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Applicant: MAXELL, LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiko Kandori, Yuko Sano, Yuhua Zhang, Shigemitsu Ando, Mitsunobu Watanabe, MItsuo Okimoto
  • Patent number: 11092526
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a durometer enabling a contact portion in contact with an object to perform smooth piston motion. The durometer includes a main body unit including a movable unit pressed continuously against an object to be measured, a first sensor outputting acceleration information corresponding to an acceleration of movement of a contact part of the object to be measured in contact with the movable unit in a pressing direction, a second sensor outputting reactive force information corresponding to a reactive force at the contact part of the object to be measured in contact with the movable unit, a motor, a crank mechanism driven by the motor and causing the main body unit and the movable unit to perform piston motion, and at least one buffering member disposed on a periphery of the main body unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: MAXELL, LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiko Kandori, Yuko Sano, Yuhua Zhang, Shigemitsu Ando, Mitsunobu Watanabe, MItsuo Okimoto
  • Publication number: 20200256776
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a durometer enabling a contact portion in contact with an object to perform smooth piston motion. The durometer includes a main body unit including a movable unit pressed continuously against an object to be measured, a first sensor outputting acceleration information corresponding to an acceleration of movement of a contact part of the object to be measured in contact with the movable unit in a pressing direction, a second sensor outputting reactive force information corresponding to a reactive force at the contact part of the object to be measured in contact with the movable unit, a motor, a crank mechanism driven by the motor and causing the main body unit and the movable unit to perform piston motion, and at least one buffering member disposed on a periphery of the main body unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Applicant: MAXELL, LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiko KANDORI, Yuko SANO, Yuhua ZHANG, Shigemitsu ANDO, Mitsunobu WATANABE, MItsuo OKIMOTO
  • Patent number: 10620101
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a durometer enabling a contact portion in contact with an object to perform smooth piston motion. The durometer includes a main body unit including a movable unit pressed continuously against an object to be measured, a first sensor outputting acceleration information corresponding to an acceleration of movement of a contact part of the object to be measured in contact with the movable unit in a pressing direction, a second sensor outputting reactive force information corresponding to a reactive force at the contact part of the object to be measured in contact with the movable unit, a motor, a crank mechanism driven by the motor and causing the main body unit and the movable unit to perform piston motion, and at least one buffering member disposed on a periphery of the main body unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: MAXELL, LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiko Kandori, Yuko Sano, Yuhua Zhang, Shigemitsu Ando, Mitsunobu Watanabe, Mitsuo Okimoto
  • Publication number: 20190313962
    Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide a hardness meter which estimates hardness in a stable manner regardless of a compression strength. Disclosed is a hardness meter characterized in being provided with: a movable portion which is continuously pressed against an object to be measured; a sensor which outputs an output signal reflecting a reaction force at a part of the object to be measured that is in contact with the movable portion; a motive force mechanism that causes the movable portion to perform a piston motion; and a hardness estimating portion which estimates the hardness of the object to be measured on the basis of an alternating current component of the output signal, generated by the piston motion of the movable portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Applicant: MAXELL, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuko SANO, Akihiko KANDORI, Mitsuo OKIMOTO, Shigemitsu ANDO, Mitsunobu WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20180172569
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a durometer enabling a contact portion in contact with an object to perform smooth piston motion. The durometer includes a main body unit including a movable unit pressed continuously against an object to be measured, a first sensor outputting acceleration information corresponding to an acceleration of movement of a contact part of the object to be measured in contact with the movable unit in a pressing direction, a second sensor outputting reactive force information corresponding to a reactive force at the contact part of the object to be measured in contact with the movable unit, a motor, a crank mechanism driven by the motor and causing the main body unit and the movable unit to perform piston motion, and at least one buffering member disposed on a periphery of the main body unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Applicant: MAXELL, LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiko KANDORI, Yuko SANO, Yuhua ZHANG, Shigemitsu ANDO, Mitsunobu WATANABE, Mitsuo OKIMOTO