Patents by Inventor Tadahiro YOSHIMOTO

Tadahiro YOSHIMOTO 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).

  • Publication number: 20230139400
    Abstract: An automated warehouse includes a placement section module that is slidably supported by a frame member via a slide mechanism. The slide mechanism supports the placement section module in such a manner that the placement section module is slidable relative to the frame member between a reference position and a protruding position. A cover member covers a face of the placement section module on a back face side in a depth direction. When the placement section module is at the protruding position, an upper side of storage regions is exposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventor: Tadahiro Yoshimoto
  • Publication number: 20230138966
    Abstract: A cover member covers a target region set in a portion of a back face of a storage rack or over an entirety of the back face. Storage regions are respectively formed between pairs of two placement sections adjacent to each other in an up-down direction. The cover member is changeable between a closed state in which the cover member covers the target region and an open state in which the cover member has been moved relative to a frame member to expose the target region. Placement section accessory members are on a back face side in a depth direction relative to storage regions formed on corresponding placement sections, are on a front face side in the depth direction relative to the cover member, and overlap the storage regions as viewed in the depth direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventor: Tadahiro Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 10978328
    Abstract: A wall member that covers lateral sides of an article storage rack includes a main wall portion that is installed in an orientation in which it extends along a vertical direction at a position that is spaced apart upward from an installation floor, and a sub-wall portion that is installed at a position that is spaced apart upward from the installation floor. An inlet port is formed at an upper end of the main wall portion, a first space surrounded by the main wall portion and a second space directly below the sub-wall portion are in communication with each other, an outlet port is formed below an end portion of the sub-wall portion on a second side, and an end portion of the sub-wall portion on a first side is connected to a lower end of the main wall portion in a state in which the flow of air between the sub-wall portion and the main wall portion is restricted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Abe, Tadahiro Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 10957570
    Abstract: An advancing/retracting mechanism includes a first arm, a second arm, a first coupling part that couples the first arm and the second arm, and a second coupling part that couples a supporting body and the first arm. A transfer device is configured to move the supporting body back and forth with the first coupling part located on a first side relative to the second coupling part, by rotating the first arm and the second arm. In a first region, which is a region in the depth direction and includes an end on the front side of the rack body, a distance from the width directional center to the first supporting portion is longer than a distance from the width directional center to the second supporting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Abe, Tadahiro Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 10836575
    Abstract: A storage rack includes a plurality of storage portions each configured to store a container. The container has a supported portion and an intake portion in a bottom surface of the container, the intake portion supplying gas into the container, wherein the center of gravity of the container is located between the supported portion and the intake portion as seen along a vertical direction. Provided to each of the storage portions are a container support in which a support surface is formed for supporting the supported portion from below, a nozzle configured to contact the intake portion from below to supply gas into the container through the intake portion, and a restriction member configured to contact a side surface of the container when stored on the storage portion to restrict movement of the container along a horizontal direction. The container is supported only by the support surface and the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Abe, Tadahiro Yoshimoto, Naoyuki Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 10804128
    Abstract: A transport space Si is formed in front of an article storage rack 1, and a plurality of up-down partition bodies that partition storage sections 1a adjacent to each other in an up-down direction are provided in the article storage rack 1. A flow path space S2 extending in the up-down direction is formed between a wall portion 43 and the plurality of storage sections 1a, and each of the plurality of storage sections 1a is located between the flow path space S2 and the transport space S1, and is in communication with the flow path space S2 and the transport space S1. A gas supply portion 51 includes a flow inlet 53 into which a gas from the outside flows, and is in communication with an upper end portion of the transport space S1 and an upper end portion of the flow path space S2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Abe, Tadahiro Yoshimoto, Kazuya Omori, Shinsuke Kawamura
  • Patent number: 10766697
    Abstract: A rack body includes a first supporting portion, a second supporting portion, and a third supporting portion, and is configured to be able to support a plurality of articles aligned in a depth direction from below. Assuming that, an article storage place on the backmost side of the rack body is a first storage place, and an article storage place on the frontmost side of the rack body is a second storage place, the first supporting portion, the second supporting portion, and the third supporting portion respectively include first engaging parts that engage with the recesses of the article that is stored at the first storage place, and the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion respectively include restricting parts that are arranged opposing side faces of the bottom of the article that is stored at the second storage place, and are configured to restrict horizontal movement of the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Abe, Tadahiro Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 10658213
    Abstract: A storage facility includes N accommodating sections, where N is a positive integer, M main pipes through which an inert gas flows, where M is a positive integer of 2?M<N, M flow control devices, M branch pipe groups, and a plurality of switching valves. Each branch pipe group includes N branch pipes, and the switching valves are respectively provided on the branch pipes included in at least (M?1) of the branch pipe groups. Each flow control device is configured to control the flow rate of the inert gas flowing through the main pipe to which this flow control device is connected, based on a flow-through pipe count, which is the number of the branch pipes for which the flow of the inert gas is not blocked by the switching valve, out of the N branch pipes of the branch pipe group that corresponds to this main pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Abe, Tadahiro Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 10583983
    Abstract: A gas supplying device has a plurality of connectors each of which is configured to be connected to a container stored in the corresponding one of supplying storage sections, supply lines configured to divide and supply gas to the plurality of connectors, and a mass flow controller configured to control a flow rate of gas that flows through one of the supply lines. The supply lines include first supply lines each of which is installed to a corresponding supplying storage sections, a second supply line installed upstream of the first supply lines, and a branching supply line for dividing gas supplied from the second supply line into the first supply lines. The mass flow controller is installed in the second supply line and in an installation area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Kawamura, Tadahiro Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 10522378
    Abstract: A storage rack includes: a plurality of supporting pillars and a platform on which an object to be stored is to be placed. The platform includes a platform body, and a pair of attachment plates each having a plate shape. A pair of surfaces that face each other of a pair of supporting pillars are respectively provided with a pair of recessed grooves into which the pair of attachment plates are inserted. Each recessed groove includes a groove-side abutting portion that extends linearly in a direction orthogonal to the left-right direction. An outer edge of the attachment plate includes a plate-side abutting portion that is parallel with the groove-side abutting portion. The platform is fixed to the pair of supporting pillars such that the plate-side abutting portion abuts against the groove-side abutting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Abe, Tadahiro Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 10373851
    Abstract: A container storage facility includes a storage rack having a plurality of storage sections as storage section groups, a gas supply device configured to supply a cleaning gas to the storage sections via a branch-type supply pipe, a transport apparatus configured to transport containers to the storage sections, and a control unit configured to control operations of the transport apparatus. When a plurality of containers are to be stored in the storage sections, the control unit controls the operations of the transport apparatus so as to transport the containers of the same type to the storage sections that belong to the same storage section group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Abe, Tadahiro Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 10354897
    Abstract: A container storage facility has storage portions for storing containers, and supplies a purge gas to the interior of the containers. The container storage facility includes ejection portions that eject the purge gas, a gas supply device that controls the supply flow rate of the purge gas, a main pipe that conducts the purge gas output from the gas supply device, and branch pipes that are branched from the main pipe and are connected to the ejection portions. The ejection portions eject the purge gas regardless of whether or not containers are stored in the storage portions, and the gas supply device controls the supply flow rate of the purge gas so as to increase as the total number of containers stored in the storage portions decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Abe, Tadahiro Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 10354898
    Abstract: A container storage facility includes a storage rack that has a plurality of storage sections as a storage section group, a gas supply device for supplying a cleaning gas to the storage sections via a branch-type supply pipe, a transport apparatus for transporting containers to the storage sections, and a control unit for controlling operation of the transport apparatus. When a container is first stored in a storage section included in the storage section group, the control unit controls operations of the transport apparatus so as to transport the container to a storage section to which the cleaning gas is supplied from an end area of the supply pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Abe, Tadahiro Yoshimoto
  • Publication number: 20190193935
    Abstract: A rack body includes a first supporting portion, a second supporting portion, and a third supporting portion, and is configured to be able to support a plurality of articles aligned in a depth direction from below. Assuming that, an article storage place on the backmost side of the rack body is a first storage place, and an article storage place on the frontmost side of the rack body is a second storage place, the first supporting portion, the second supporting portion, and the third supporting portion respectively include first engaging parts that engage with the recesses of the article that is stored at the first storage place, and the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion respectively include restricting parts that are arranged opposing side faces of the bottom of the article that is stored at the second storage place, and are configured to restrict horizontal movement of the article.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Takeshi Abe, Tadahiro Yoshimoto
  • Publication number: 20190198370
    Abstract: An advancing/retracting mechanism includes a first arm, a second arm, a first coupling part that couples the first arm and the second arm, and a second coupling part that couples a supporting body and the first arm. A transfer device is configured to move the supporting body back and forth with the first coupling part located on a first side relative to the second coupling part, by rotating the first arm and the second arm. In a first region, which is a region in the depth direction and includes an end on the front side of the rack body, a distance from the width directional center to the first supporting portion is longer than a distance from the width directional center to the second supporting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Takeshi Abe, Tadahiro Yoshimoto
  • Publication number: 20190189486
    Abstract: A storage facility includes N accommodating sections, where N is a positive integer, M main pipes through which an inert gas flows, where M is a positive integer of 2?M<N, M flow control devices, M branch pipe groups, and a plurality of switching valves. Each branch pipe group includes N branch pipes, and the switching valves are respectively provided on the branch pipes included in at least (M-1) of the branch pipe groups. Each flow control device is configured to control the flow rate of the inert gas flowing through the main pipe to which this flow control device is connected, based on a flow-through pipe count, which is the number of the branch pipes for which the flow of the inert gas is not blocked by the switching valve, out of the N branch pipes of the branch pipe group that corresponds to this main pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Takeshi Abe, Tadahiro Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 10287096
    Abstract: An article support rack is disclosed having a plurality of rack portions. Each shelf row includes one or more main body portions and rib portions, and is supported by shelf support members in a cantilever fashion from a back-face side. Each of the rib portions is located, in plan view, between two articles that are adjacent to each other along a first direction and that are supported by a lower level shelf row which is one of the shelf rows that is located one level below a shelf row to which the rib portion is provided. Each of the rib portions has a first portion located higher than lower level articles each of which is an article supported by the lower level shelf row, and a second portion located lower than the first portion. Each second portion is so located that the second portion does not overlap with the maximum width areas of a lower level article as seen along the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadahiro Yoshimoto, Hideo Yoshioka, Takeshi Abe
  • Patent number: 10274214
    Abstract: A storage facility is achieved that is capable of suppressing, with a simple configuration, the inactive gas concentration in the gas discharged to the outside of a storage space. The storage facility includes a storage device including a plurality of storage sections in an inside of a storage space formed so as to be partitioned from the outside, and an inactive gas supply portion that supplies inactive gas to an inside of a container stored in the storage section. The storage device includes a gas discharge portion that discharges, to the outside of the storage space, gas within the storage space that contains the gas discharged from the container. The gas discharge portion includes a restricting orifice portion serving as a restricting portion that restricts a flow rate of gas, and the restricting orifice portion is formed below a region where the storage sections are disposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Otsuka, Shinsuke Kawamura, Tadahiro Yoshimoto
  • Publication number: 20190067068
    Abstract: A storage rack includes: a plurality of supporting pillars and a platform on which an object to be stored is to be placed. The platform includes a platform body, and a pair of attachment plates each having a plate shape. A pair of surfaces that face each other of a pair of supporting pillars are respectively provided with a pair of recessed grooves into which the pair of attachment plates are inserted. Each recessed groove includes a groove-side abutting portion that extends linearly in a direction orthogonal to the left-right direction. An outer edge of the attachment plate includes a plate-side abutting portion that is parallel with the groove-side abutting portion. The platform is fixed to the pair of supporting pillars such that the plate-side abutting portion abuts against the groove-side abutting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Takeshi Abe, Tadahiro Yoshimoto
  • Publication number: 20190002200
    Abstract: An article support rack is disclosed having a plurality of rack portions. Each shelf row includes one or more main body portions and rib portions, and is supported by shelf support members in a cantilever fashion from a back-face side. Each of the rib portions is located, in plan view, between two articles that are adjacent to each other along a first direction and that are supported by a lower level shelf row which is one of the shelf rows that is located one level below a shelf row to which the rib portion is provided. Each of the rib portions has a first portion located higher than lower level articles each of which is an article supported by the lower level shelf row, and a second portion located lower than the first portion. Each second portion is so located that the second portion does not overlap with the maximum width areas of a lower level article as seen along the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Tadahiro Yoshimoto, Hideo Yoshioka, Takeshi Abe