Patents by Inventor Teppei SONODA

Teppei SONODA 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: 10821540
    Abstract: The seam welding apparatus includes a pair of rotating electrodes, an electrode supporting frame, a distance measuring means, and a controller. The electrode supporting frame supports the pair of rotating electrodes. The distance measuring means is provided on the electrode supporting frame and measures a distance to an edge of the steel plate. The controller controls the robot to adjust a running direction of the rotating electrodes so that a deviation comes into zero when a distance actually measured by the distance measuring means deviates from a predetermined distance. Thereby, it is accomplished that the seam welding apparatus is downsized as well as uninfluenced by the surface state and/or shape of workpiece (steel plate).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI, HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kawai, Kazuhiko Yamaashi, Haruhiko Kobayashi, Mitsugu Kaneko, Noriko Kurimoto, Masami Nakakura, Teppei Sonoda
  • Patent number: 10543560
    Abstract: A seam welding system includes a pair of roller electrodes. The pair of roller electrodes hold a to-be-welded object between circumferential surfaces of the roller electrodes, rotate while holding the to-be-welded object between the circumferential surfaces, and perform seam welding on the to-be-welded object when a current flows between the roller electrodes while rotating and holding the to-be-welded object between the circumferential surfaces. To an electrode movement mechanism, the roller electrodes are mounted. The electrode movement mechanism moves the roller electrodes along a welding line of the to-be-welded object. Drive sources respectively rotate the roller electrodes and a joint of the electrode movement mechanism. A controller controls an amount by which the roller electrodes rotate based on a torque change in the drive sources so as to keep torques respectively acting on the roller electrodes within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI, HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masami Nakakura, Teppei Sonoda
  • Patent number: 9908160
    Abstract: A robot system includes an end effector, a robot arm, and a controller. The end effector includes a pressure roller and a linear motion mechanism. The linear motion mechanism is configured to move the pressure roller with respect to a pressed surface. The robot arm is configured to support the end effector. The controller is configured to control the linear motion mechanism to move the pressure roller to make a pressing force of the pressure roller against the pressed surface approximately uniform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Manabu Okahisa, Masami Nakakura, Teppei Sonoda
  • Patent number: 9434020
    Abstract: A seam welding robot includes a robot arm and a welding unit that is coupled to the robot arm. The welding unit includes a pair of roller electrodes. The pair of roller electrodes rotates following motion of the robot arm while sandwiching and pressurizing welding targets. The welding unit passes a welding electric current between the pair of roller electrodes to seam-weld the welding targets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Masami Nakakura, Teppei Sonoda, Manabu Okahisa
  • Publication number: 20150298244
    Abstract: A seam welding system includes a pair of roller electrodes. The pair of roller electrodes hold a to-be-welded object between circumferential surfaces of the roller electrodes, rotate while holding the to-be-welded object between the circumferential surfaces, and perform seam welding on the to-be-welded object when a current flows between the roller electrodes while rotating and holding the to-be-welded object between the circumferential surfaces. To an electrode movement mechanism, the roller electrodes are mounted. The electrode movement mechanism moves the roller electrodes along a welding line of the to-be-welded object. Drive sources respectively rotate the roller electrodes and a joint of the electrode movement mechanism. A controller controls an amount by which the roller electrodes rotate based on a torque change in the drive sources so as to keep torques respectively acting on the roller electrodes within a predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Masami NAKAKURA, Teppei SONODA
  • Publication number: 20150283644
    Abstract: The seam welding apparatus includes a pair of rotating electrodes, an electrode supporting frame, a distance measuring means, and a controller. The electrode supporting frame supports the pair of rotating electrodes. The distance measuring means is provided on the electrode supporting frame and measures a distance to an edge of the steel plate. The controller controls the robot to adjust a running direction of the rotating electrodes so that a deviation comes into zero when a distance actually measured by the distance measuring means deviates from a predetermined distance. Thereby, it is accomplished that the seam welding apparatus is downsized as well as uninfluenced by the surface state and/or shape of workpiece (steel plate).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Applicants: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Yasuhiro KAWAI, Kazuhiko YAMAASHI, Haruhiko KOBAYASHI, Mitsugu KANEKO, Noriko KURIMOTO, Masami NAKAKURA, Teppei SONODA
  • Publication number: 20150121983
    Abstract: A robot system includes an end effector, a robot arm, and a controller. The end effector includes a pressure roller and a linear motion mechanism. The linear motion mechanism is configured to move the pressure roller with respect to a pressed surface. The robot arm is configured to support the end effector. The controller is configured to control the linear motion mechanism to move the pressure roller to make a pressing force of the pressure roller against the pressed surface approximately uniform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Manabu OKAHISA, Masami NAKAKURA, Teppei SONODA
  • Publication number: 20150034607
    Abstract: A grinding system includes a welding gun movable relative to a workpiece. A pair of clamp devices move relatively toward each other to clamp a workpiece. A welding tip is disposed on one of the pair of clamp devices. A detector detects a relative movement amount of the welding tip with respect to the other clamp device. A dresser grinds the welding tip. While the dresser is grinding the welding tip, a determinator determines whether to make the dresser end grinding the welding tip based on the movement amount detected by the detector. When the determinator determines to make the dresser end grinding the welding tip, an instructor instructs the dresser to end grinding the welding tip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Yosuke MORI, Teppei SONODA
  • Publication number: 20150034608
    Abstract: A grinding system includes a period determiner that determines, on the basis of a torque of a grinder of a dresser that grinds a welding tip, whether the current period is a grinding period in which the grinder is grinding the welding tip or a non-grinding period in which the grinder is not grinding the welding tip; and an anomaly detector that detects anomalies that are associated beforehand with each of the grinding period and the non-grinding period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Yosuke MORI, Teppei SONODA
  • Publication number: 20140061168
    Abstract: A seam welding robot includes a robot arm and a welding unit that is coupled to the robot arm. The welding unit includes a pair of roller electrodes. The pair of roller electrodes rotates following motion of the robot arm while sandwiching and pressurizing welding targets. The welding unit passes a welding electric current between the pair of roller electrodes to seam-weld the welding targets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Masami NAKAKURA, Teppei SONODA, Manabu OKAHISA