Patents by Inventor Shozo Kawanishi

Shozo Kawanishi 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: 11402255
    Abstract: A weighing apparatus includes a rough-charge weigher and a combination weigher. A plurality of weighing hoppers of the combination weigher are, when seen in a plan view, arranged in a manner to form a line that constitutes a part of a virtual circle. The plurality of weighing hoppers include a one-end weighing hopper disposed at one end of the line, an other-end weighing hopper disposed at the other end of the line, and a plurality of middle weighing hoppers arranged on the line between the one-end weighing hopper and the other-end weighing hopper. The rough-charge weigher is, when seen from the one-end weighing hopper and the other-end weighing hopper, disposed at an opposite side to the middle weighing hoppers, and at least a part of the rough-charge weigher is disposed inside the virtual circle or on the virtual circle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Inventor: Shozo Kawanishi
  • Patent number: 11248948
    Abstract: When a combination calculator has selected both a first weighing hopper and a second weighing hopper corresponding to one feeding hopper, a controller drives a feeder so as to increase an amount of objects to be weighed that are held in the one feeding hopper, and then causes the one feeding hopper to discharge the objects to be weighed in both a first direction and a second direction concurrently to distribute the objects to be weighed to the first weighing hopper and the second weighing hopper that have been emptied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Inventor: Shozo Kawanishi
  • Patent number: 11137280
    Abstract: A weighing apparatus includes a rough-charge weigher and a combination weigher. The rough-charge weigher includes: a feeding device; a lower hopper configured to hold and discharge objects to be weighed that are fed from the feeding device; a feeding adjuster configured to feed the objects to be weighed from the feeding device to the lower hopper, and adjust an amount of the objects to be weighed that are fed to the lower hopper; and a weight sensor provided on either the feeding device or the lower hopper. A controller: continuously measures, by the weight sensor, a weight of the objects to be weighed that are fed by the feeding adjuster from the feeding device to the lower hopper; and at a point when the weight of the objects to be weighed that are fed to the lower hopper has reached the rough-charge weight, stops the feeding adjuster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Inventor: Shozo Kawanishi
  • Publication number: 20210063232
    Abstract: When a combination calculator has selected both a first weighing hopper and a second weighing hopper corresponding to one feeding hopper, a controller drives a feeder so as to increase an amount of objects to be weighed that are held in the one feeding hopper, and then causes the one feeding hopper to discharge the objects to be weighed in both a first direction and a second direction concurrently to distribute the objects to be weighed to the first weighing hopper and the second weighing hopper that have been emptied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventor: Shozo Kawanishi
  • Publication number: 20210063230
    Abstract: A weighing apparatus includes a rough-charge weigher and a combination weigher. A plurality of weighing hoppers of the combination weigher are, when seen in a plan view, arranged in a manner to form a line that constitutes a part of a virtual circle. The plurality of weighing hoppers include a one-end weighing hopper disposed at one end of the line, an other-end weighing hopper disposed at the other end of the line, and a plurality of middle weighing hoppers arranged on the line between the one-end weighing hopper and the other-end weighing hopper. The rough-charge weigher is, when seen from the one-end weighing hopper and the other-end weighing hopper, disposed at an opposite side to the middle weighing hoppers, and at least a part of the rough-charge weigher is disposed inside the virtual circle or on the virtual circle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventor: Shozo Kawanishi
  • Publication number: 20210063233
    Abstract: A weighing apparatus includes a rough-charge weigher and a combination weigher. The rough-charge weigher includes: a feeding device; a lower hopper configured to hold and discharge objects to be weighed that are fed from the feeding device; a feeding adjuster configured to feed the objects to be weighed from the feeding device to the lower hopper, and adjust an amount of the objects to be weighed that are fed to the lower hopper; and a weight sensor provided on either the feeding device or the lower hopper. A controller: continuously measures, by the weight sensor, a weight of the objects to be weighed that are fed by the feeding adjuster from the feeding device to the lower hopper; and at a point when the weight of the objects to be weighed that are fed to the lower hopper has reached the rough-charge weight, stops the feeding adjuster.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventor: Shozo Kawanishi
  • Patent number: 10837821
    Abstract: A combination weighing apparatus including a plurality of units arranged to form a circumference in a horizontal direction, wherein the plurality of units include weighing hoppers, each of which holds, weighs and discharges the object. The combination weighing apparatus comprises at least one small unit and at least one large unit, and: each of the weighing hoppers is a single-chamber weighing hopper or a double-chamber weighing hopper, the small unit includes the single-chamber weighing hopper and does not include the double-chamber weighing hopper, and the large unit includes the double-chamber weighing hopper and does not include the single-chamber weighing hopper; and/or some of the plurality of units include memory hoppers each of which is disposed below the weighing hopper, holds the objects discharged from the weighing hopper and discharges the objects, the small unit does not include the memory hopper, and the large unit includes the memory hopper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: YAMATO SCALE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shozo Kawanishi
  • Publication number: 20190137323
    Abstract: A combination weighing apparatus including a plurality of units arranged to form a circumference in a horizontal direction, wherein the plurality of units include weighing hoppers, each of which holds, weighs and discharges the object. The combination weighing apparatus comprises at least one small unit and at least one large unit, and: each of the weighing hoppers is a single-chamber weighing hopper or a double-chamber weighing hopper, the small unit includes the single-chamber weighing hopper and does not include the double-chamber weighing hopper, and the large unit includes the double-chamber weighing hopper and does not include the single-chamber weighing hopper; and/or some of the plurality of units include memory hoppers each of which is disposed below the weighing hopper, holds the objects discharged from the weighing hopper and discharges the objects, the small unit does not include the memory hopper, and the large unit includes the memory hopper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventor: Shozo Kawanishi
  • Patent number: 9778092
    Abstract: A packer scale comprises a weighing hopper which is supplied with objects dropped from above, holds the objects for a specified period and discharges the objects downward; first to fourth load cells having shaft-like load application sections, respectively; and first to fourth suspending units which suspend the weighing hopper such that the weighing hopper is mounted to the load application sections of the first to fourth load cells; the weighing hopper includes a hopper body having a tubular shape with a rectangular cross-section, in a plan view; and the first to fourth suspending units are mounted to an upper portion of the hopper body, in locations which are in the vicinity of corner portions of the tubular shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: YAMATO SCALE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shozo Kawanishi, Akinari Okunosono, Masatomi Tsuruoka
  • Patent number: 9726533
    Abstract: A weighing apparatus comprise a large throw-in weighing hopper which is fed with objects having a weight which is less than a target weight of the objects, holds the objects which are weighed, and discharges the weighed objects; a plurality of medium throw-in weighing hoppers which are respectively fed with the objects having weights adjusted with a different ratio, hold the objects for which combination calculation is performed based on the weights of the objects, and discharge the objects based on a result of the combination calculation; and a loss-in weight hopper which is used in loss-in weighing and performs loss-in discharge of the objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: YAMATO SCALE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shozo Kawanishi, Akinari Okunosono, Mitsushi Nishikawa, Masatomi Tsuruoka, Hiroyuki Inami, Kuninori Kozai
  • Patent number: 9228884
    Abstract: A weighing system (100) comprises a platform scale (50) on which a container containing objects is placed; and a hand-operated combination weigher 10 including a plurality of weighing trays 12 on which the objects are put; wherein a controller of the weighing system (100) derives a target weight of the objects in the combination weigher (10) using a weight of the container which is weighed by the platform scale (50); and the controller selects a combination of the weighing trays (12) so that a combination weight of the objects on the weighing trays (12) falls within an allowable range of the target weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: YAMATO SCALE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shozo Kawanishi
  • Publication number: 20150308884
    Abstract: A packer scale comprises a weighing hopper which is supplied with objects dropped from above, holds the objects for a specified period and discharges the objects downward; first to fourth load cells having shaft-like load application sections, respectively; and first to fourth suspending units-which suspend the weighing hopper such that the weighing hopper is mounted to the load application sections of the first to fourth load cells; the weighing hopper includes a hopper body-having a tubular shape with a rectangular cross-section, in a plan view; and the first to fourth suspending units are mounted to an upper portion of the hopper body, in locations which are in the vicinity of corner portions of the tubular shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: YAMATO SCALE CO., LTD
    Inventors: Shozo Kawanishi, Akinari Okunosono, Masatomi Tsuruoka
  • Patent number: 9079721
    Abstract: A combination weigher comprises a collecting conveyor which conveys objects and discharges the objects; a plurality of weighing conveyors configured to convey the objects fed thereto and discharge the objects, to feed the objects to the collecting conveyor apparatus; a plurality of weight sensors for measuring weights of the objects held on the weighing conveyors; and a control section which finds a discharge combination including a combination of the weighing conveyors holding the objects in which a total weight thereof falls within a target weight range, based on the measured weight values of the weight sensors and activates the weighing conveyors selected to make up the discharge combination to convey the objects on the weighing conveyors and discharge the objects, wherein a conveying speed of the collecting conveyor apparatus is set higher than a conveying speed of the weighing conveyors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: YAMATO SCALE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shozo Kawanishi, Takeyoshi Nagao, Takaaki Kawashima
  • Patent number: 8866029
    Abstract: A link apparatus supplies objects discharged from a weighing machine to package bags being conveyed successively at a high speed and comprises plural hopper groups each including n hoppers; and plural arms configured to convey an associated hopper group along a revolving path including a first area where the objects are supplied to the hopper group and a second area under which package bags are conveyed successively. The arms convey the hopper groups from the first area to the second area in a predetermined order, the n hoppers sequentially conveyed to the second area are located above the n package bags conveyed to a region under the second area; the hoppers are located above the package bags in the second area, and the hopper groups are stopped in the first area. The hopper groups discharge the objects, when the hopper groups are conveyed in the second area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Inventor: Shozo Kawanishi
  • Publication number: 20140083816
    Abstract: A combination weigher comprises a collecting conveyor which conveys objects and discharges the objects; a plurality of weighing conveyors configured to convey the objects fed thereto and discharge the objects, to feed the objects to the collecting conveyor apparatus; a plurality of weight sensors for measuring weights of the objects held on the weighing conveyors; and a control section which finds a discharge combination including a combination of the weighing conveyors holding the objects in which a total weight thereof falls within a target weight range, based on the measured weight values of the weight sensors and activates the weighing conveyors selected to make up the discharge combination to convey the objects on the weighing conveyors and discharge the objects, wherein a conveying speed of the collecting conveyor apparatus is set higher than a conveying speed of the weighing conveyors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: YAMATO SCALE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shozo Kawanishi, Takeyoshi Nagao, Takaaki Kawashima
  • Publication number: 20140014414
    Abstract: A weighing apparatus (100) comprise a large throw-in weighing hopper (21) which is fed with objects having a weight which is less than a target weight of the objects, holds the objects which are weighed, and discharges the weighed objects; a plurality of medium throw-in weighing hoppers (64, 65, 66, 44) which are respectively fed with the objects having weights adjusted with a different ratio, hold the objects for which combination calculation is performed based on the weights of the objects, and discharge the objects based on a result of the combination calculation; and a loss-in hopper (42) which is used in loss-in weighing and performs loss-in discharge of the objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: YAMATO SCALE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shozo Kawanishi, Akinari Okunosono, Mitsushi Nishikawa, Masatomi Tsuruoka, Hiroyuki Inami, Kuninori Kozai
  • Patent number: 8584713
    Abstract: A link apparatus for weighing objects from a weighing machine to bags conveyed at high speed, a weighing apparatus and a packing apparatus using the link apparatus, and a weighing and packaging system are disclosed. A link apparatus comprises funnel-shaped chutes supplied with objects through entrances and respectively discharge the objects through exits. A rotary board conveys the chutes along a revolving path where the exits are arranged in one line in a direction along the revolving path. The revolving path includes a first area under which package bags are conveyed in the direction along the revolving path, the first area being a part of the revolving path; wherein the entrances are formed by elongated openings; and the rotary board conveys the chutes such that the exits are located above the package bags in the first area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Shozo Kawanishi
    Inventor: Shozo Kawanishi
  • Publication number: 20130264127
    Abstract: A weighing system (100) comprises a platform scale (50) on which a container containing objects is placed; and a hand-operated combination weigher 10 including a plurality of weighing trays 12 on which the objects are put; wherein a controller of the weighing system (100) derives a target weight of the objects in the combination weigher (10) using a weight of the container which is weighed by the platform scale (50); and the controller selects a combination of the weighing trays (12) so that a combination weight of the objects on the weighing trays (12) falls within an allowable range of the target weight.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: YAMATO SCALE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shozo Kawanishi
  • Patent number: 8525049
    Abstract: A combination weigher capable of high-speed operation comprises plural weighing units each of which includes a weighing hopper group including plural weighing hoppers arranged along an inner side of an imaginary circle and fed with objects; and a collecting chute disposed below the weighing hopper group and configured to collect the objects discharged from the weighing hoppers and to discharge the objects from a discharge outlet at a bottom part thereof, wherein weighing hopper groups of the respective weighing units include plural weighing hoppers arranged on inner sides of different imaginary circles, the different imaginary circles partially overlap with each other, and the weighing hoppers are not disposed in circular-arc regions of the imaginary circles corresponding to the overlapping region of the different imaginary circles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Inventor: Shozo Kawanishi
  • Patent number: 8525048
    Abstract: A combination weigher capable of performing a high-speed operation regardless of a characteristic of a weighed object comprises plural weighing units and a lower collecting chute and a lower collecting hopper which collect the objects which have been discharged from upper collecting hoppers of weighing units and discharge them, and a control unit. The control unit repetitively performs a process for determining a discharge combination from weighing hoppers in all weighing units, a process for causing weighing hoppers making up the discharge combination to discharge the objects, a process for causing all of the upper collecting hoppers to discharge the objects; and a process for causing the lower collecting hopper to discharge the objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Shozo Kawanishi
    Inventor: Shozo Kawanishi