Patents by Inventor Tadasu Kawamoto

Tadasu Kawamoto 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: 5820800
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing vacuum suction pads, in which, in addition to reductions of contaminant components, the material of vacuum suction pads is subjected to an improved surface treatment which prevents deposition of pad marks on work surfaces and reduces frictional resistance of suction pads on work surfaces to lessen their fatigue. Suction pads of synthetic rubber, to be connected to a vacuum source, are each formed with a thin halogenation-hardened layer at least on a sucking surfaces to be held in contact with a work surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: SMC Corporation
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Shuuzou Sakurai, Tadasu Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 5811901
    Abstract: A motor is integrally mounted on one end of a ball screw over which an engaging block is threaded, and an encoder is integrally mounted on the other end of the ball screw for detecting the rotational speed or angular displacement of the motor. The motor, the ball screw, and the encoder are combined into a unitized assembly as a drive unit. The motor and the encoder are positioned on respective steps of a frame, and detachably fastened to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Tadasu Kawamoto, Masahiko Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5747896
    Abstract: An electric actuator has an elongate base, a power unit and an encoder device which are fixedly mounted on respective opposite ends of the base in confronting relation to each other, a slide table displaceable longitudinally along the base, a ball screw for transmitting rotational power from the power unit to the slide table, and a pair of guide lands integral with the base for guiding the slide table longitudinally along the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Tadasu Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 5676016
    Abstract: An electric actuator has a body with a hole defined therein and an electric motor fixed to an end of the body. The electric motor has a rotatable shaft to which a feed screw is coaxially connected, and a feed nut is threaded over the feed screw. The hole receives an elongate cylindrical tubular member slidably fitted therein which surrounds the feed screw. The feed nut is secured to an end of the tubular member, and a support for feeding a workpiece supported thereon is fixed to the other end of the tubular member. The feed screw, which serves as a drive force transmitting shaft, is protected by the surrounding tubular member from the deposition thereon of dust, dirt, or other foreign matter and hence from unwanted shutdown or breakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Akio Saitoh, Tadasu Kawamoto, Masahisa Hasegawa, Toru Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 5639553
    Abstract: There are described an improved vacuum suction pad and a method for manufacturing such suction pads, in which, in addition to reductions of contaminant components, the material of vacuum suction pads is subjected to an improved surface treatment which prevents deposition of pad marks on work surfaces and reduces frictional resistance of suction pads on work surfaces to lessen their fatigue. Suction pads of synthetic rubber, to be connected to a vacuum source, are each formed with a thin halogenation-hardened layer at least on a sucking surfaces to be held in contact with a work surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1997
    Assignee: SMC Corporation
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Shuuzou Sakurai, Tadasu Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 5637940
    Abstract: A motor is integrally mounted on one end of a ball screw over which an engaging block is threaded, and an encoder is integrally mounted on the other end of the ball screw for detecting the rotational speed or angular displacement of the motor. The motor, the ball screw, and the encoder are combined into a unitized assembly as a drive unit. The motor and the encoder are positioned on respective steps of a frame, and detachably fastened to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1997
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Tadasu Kawamoto, Masahiko Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5484051
    Abstract: A balancer is installed with a frame directed substantially vertically. When an electric motor is energized, a ball screw shaft is rotated about its own axis, displacing a table mechanism in a substantially vertical direction. Simultaneously, a cylinder in the frame is operated to move a piston substantially vertically. At this time, magnets on the piston and magnets in the table mechanism are magnetically attracted to each other, so that the table mechanism is pulled in the same direction as the piston. Consequently, the burden on the electric motor which is loaded by the weight of a workpiece carried by the table mechanism is lessened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1996
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Tadasu Kawamoto, Teruo Inaba
  • Patent number: 5213385
    Abstract: A suction pad assembly for holding a work by suction includes a suction pad and a connector. The suction pad comprises a root part connected to a vacuum and suction source through the connector and a skirt part integrally joined to the root part. The connector has an entirely protrudent part in a noncircular form in transverse section. The root part has a recess into which the noncircularly protrudent part of the connector is fitted. Alternatively, the root part has an entirely protrudent part in a noncircular form in transverse section and the connector has a recess in a noncircular form in transverse section, into which the protrudent part of the root part is fitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1993
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Shuuzou Sakurai, Tadasu Kawamoto, Masahisa Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 5211435
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus for holding by suction and conveying. The apparatus comprises a pipe joint connected to a vacuum and suction source through a tube; a cylindrical connector connected to a suction pad; and a connecting member through which the pipe joint is coupled to the connector. The connecting member includes a cylindrical member angularly movably surrounding the outer periphery of the connector, and between the cylindrical member and the connector, is provided structure inhibiting the movement of the cylindrical member in a direction of the longitudinal axis thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1993
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Shuuzou Sakurai, Tadasu Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 5193796
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus for holding by suction and conveying, making use of a suction pad for holding a work by suction. The apparatus is characterized in that the suction pad comprises a root part to be connected to a vacuum and suction source and a skirt part provided integrally with the root part, and a cushioning part is provided integrally between the root part and the skirt part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1993
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Shuuzou Sakurai, Tadasu Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 5193776
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a mechanism for locking the angular movement of a suction pad. The mechanism comprises a tubular body fitted to a root part of the suction pad and having a flange; a cover member attached to a moving assembly for displacing the suction pad; a first bush having a slide resistance lower than the tubular body and fitted to the flange of the tubular body; and a second bush having a slide resistance lower than the cover member and fitted to the inside of the cover member. The first bush and second bush are engaged with each other in such a manner that alternating concavities and convexities of the first bush are meshed with alternating convexities and concavities of the second bush, respectively, whereby the displacement of the suction pad in its axial direction is guided, and the angular movement of the suction pad is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1993
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Tadasu Kawamoto, Shuuzou Sakurai, Akio Saitoh
  • Patent number: 5192070
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a suction pad for attracting and holding a work, which comprises a suction base coupled via a connector to a vacuum suction source, a suction skirt integrally provided in continuation with the base, and a vacuum chamber which is defined inside the suction pad and communicates with the inside of the skirt. In addition, the suction pad includes a plurality of smaller-diameter through holes which cause the vacuum chamber to communicate with a suction surface of the skirt, and partition walls for surrounding the through holes. The partition walls define a number of small vacuum chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1993
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Shuuzou Sakurai, Tadasu Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 5190332
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a suction pad for attracting and holding a work, which comprises a suction base coupled to a vacuum suction source, a suction skirt integrally provided in continuation with the base, and a rib provided in a position near a circumferential end of the suction skirt, the rib being brought into contact with the work when the suction pad attracts and holds the work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1993
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Shuuzou Sakurai, Tadasu Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 5172949
    Abstract: A suction pad for attracting a workpiece under vacuum has a cylindrical base to be connected to a vacuum source, and a skirt integrally joined to the base, for developing a vacuum therein to attract the workpiece. The suction pad can be kept at a temperature suitable for the workpiece, by an electric heater which is controlled in response to a temperature signal from a temperature sensor embedded in the skirt. The suction pad with the controlled temperature does not cause problems which would otherwise result from the different temperatures of the suction pad and the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1992
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Shuuzou Sakurai, Tadasu Kawamoto