Patents by Inventor Tadafumi Hirano

Tadafumi Hirano 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: 9316600
    Abstract: An inspection method and inspection equipment for mouth section of bottle-can including: first-inspection process for eliminating the bottle-can in which existence of a low-brightness area is detected from a monochrome inspection-image which is obtained by imaging the curl portion with irradiating white light to the curl portion in an imaging area of the bottle-can which is conveyed along a main-conveyance path; and a second-inspection process for judging quality of the bottle-can while conveying the bottle-can which is eliminated by the first-inspection process along a secondary-conveyance path, by irradiating illumination lights having two colors from different directions to the curl portion in the imaging area along substantially a tangential direction of a cylindrical surface of the mouth section so as to image a color inspection-image, and distinguishing existence or not of the asperity on the curl portion from signal strengths of the light colors of the color inspection-image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignees: Kurashiki Boseki Kabushiki Kaisha, Universal Can Corporation
    Inventors: Akio Kurosawa, Tadayuki Sota, Tadafumi Hirano
  • Patent number: 8786865
    Abstract: Provided is an asperity detection device for a can which does not need an additional conveyance device for inspection, reduces increased inspection costs, and allows for quick detection of defective merchandise while conveying the can.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Universal Can Corporation
    Inventor: Tadafumi Hirano
  • Publication number: 20140125796
    Abstract: An inspection method and inspection equipment for mouth section of bottle-can including: first-inspection process for eliminating the bottle-can in which existence of a low-brightness area is detected from a monochrome inspection-image which is obtained by imaging the curl portion with irradiating white light to the curl portion in an imaging area of the bottle-can which is conveyed along a main-conveyance path; and a second-inspection process for judging quality of the bottle-can while conveying the bottle-can which is eliminated by the first-inspection process along a secondary-conveyance path by irradiating illumination lights having two colors from different directions to the curl portion in the imaging area along substantially a tangential direction of a cylindrical surface of the mouth section so as to image a color inspection-image, and distinguishing existence or not of the asperity on the curl portion from signal strengths of the light colors of the color inspection-image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicants: UNIVERSAL CAN CORPORATION, KURASHIKI BOSEKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akio Kurosawa, Tadayuki Sota, Tadafumi Hirano
  • Publication number: 20120243003
    Abstract: Provided is an asperity detection device for a can which does not need an additional conveyance device for inspection, reduces increased inspection costs, and allows for quick detection of defective merchandise while conveying the can.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Inventor: Tadafumi Hirano