Patents by Inventor Toshihiko Inoue
Toshihiko Inoue 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: 20190321988Abstract: Provided is a robot including: a base; and a movable portion including a rotating drum that rotates about a vertical axis with respect to the base. The base is provided with an opening portion through which wire members are led into the base; the base and the rotating drum are provided with a hollow portion in which the wire members are guided into the rotating drum; the robot further includes a distribution board member that is detachably attached to the base; the distribution board member is provided with an attachment portion that is attached to the base, and a relay portion that is disposed on the outside of the opening portion with a gap therebetween; and the relay portion includes a mountable region in which a connector that relays some of the wire members is mounted.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 22, 2019Publication date: October 24, 2019Applicant: FANUC CORPORATIONInventors: Toshihiko INOUE, Toshikatsu KUROKI, Naoki FUJIOKA
-
Patent number: 10427308Abstract: Provided is a wire body processing structure for a robot having a wrist, a base end of which is connected to a forearm in a rotatable manner about a first axis and a distal end of which has a plurality of working tools attached thereto. The wire body processing structure includes a first flexible conduit disposed along the first axis from the forearm to the distal end of the wrist and also includes a second flexible conduit disposed longitudinally within the first conduit. A first wire body for one of the working tools is extended longitudinally through the second conduit. A second wire body for another one of the working tools is extended longitudinally through a space between the first conduit and the second conduit.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2017Date of Patent: October 1, 2019Assignee: FANUC CORPORATIONInventors: Toshihiko Inoue, Tomoyuki Motokado, Wataru Amemiya
-
Publication number: 20190291273Abstract: A robot employing an operation program setting apparatus is configured to move, based on an operation program, a tool attached to a distal end portion of an arm of the robot along a predetermined processing trajectory along a work object, the operation program makes posture of the tool change at at least a position along the predetermined processing trajectory, the position is a posture changing position. The setting apparatus includes a controller configured to add a command to the operation program, the command is for making the tool start to be inclined when the tool approaches the posture changing position within a range of an acceptable inclination angle, the range is an angle range within which the tool is allowed to be inclined with respect to a surface of the work object.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2019Publication date: September 26, 2019Applicant: FANUC CORPORATIONInventors: Toshihiko INOUE, Naoki FUJIOKA
-
Patent number: 10406680Abstract: Provided is an industrial robot that includes: a second arm that is provided, at the distal end of a first arm pivotable about a first axis, in a pivotable manner about a second axis parallel to the first axis; and a wrist that is disposed at the distal end of the second arm and that has a plurality of wrist elements, and including the first wrist element provided in a rotatable manner about a longitudinal axis of the second arm. Motors and that drive the wrist elements, are accommodated in a space inside the first wrist element. The second arm is provided with a hollow portion that communicates with the space. A cable to be wired to the motors is wired into the hollow portion from the outside of the second arm and is relayed by a connector fixed to the wall section at the position of the through-hole.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2018Date of Patent: September 10, 2019Assignee: FANUC CORPORATIONInventors: Toshihiko Inoue, Tooru Nagai
-
Patent number: 10335944Abstract: A robot wrist structure includes a first wrist element, a second wrist element, and a third wrist element which are respectively rotatable about a first axis to a third axis; drive motors for the second and third wrist elements; and gear sets that reduce speeds of rotation of the drive motors. The gear sets respectively include a driven-side large-diameter gear that rotates the second wrist element and a driven-side small-diameter gear that rotates the third wrist element, where the driven-side large-diameter gear and the driven-side small-diameter gear are coaxially arranged so as to be rotatable about the second axis. The small-diameter gear is fixed to a drive-side bevel gear that meshes with a driven-side bevel gear fixed to the third wrist element. The second wrist element includes a first housing that is fixed to the large-diameter gear; and a second housing rotatably supports the third wrist element.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2017Date of Patent: July 2, 2019Assignee: FANUC CORPORATIONInventors: Toshihiko Inoue, Shunsuke Abiko, Tooru Nagai
-
Publication number: 20190160694Abstract: A structure of a robot includes: a first member having a hollow portion in the vicinity of a horizontal axis; a second member rotatably supported on a side surface of the first member and having a hollow portion in the vicinity of the horizontal axis; a drive motor producing power for rotating the second member; and a speed reducer reducing the rotation speed of the drive motor and transmitting the rotation to the second member. The speed reducer includes: an output hypoid gear formed of a ring gear disposed coaxially with the horizontal axis and fixed to the first member; an input hypoid gear engaged with the output hypoid gear; and a transmission mechanism transmitting rotation from the drive motor to the input hypoid gear while reducing the speed. The drive motor, the input hypoid gear, and the transmission mechanism are supported in the second member in an accommodated state.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2018Publication date: May 30, 2019Applicant: FANUC CORPORATIONInventors: Toshihiko INOUE, Tomoyuki MOTOKADO
-
Publication number: 20190118379Abstract: This control device is able to prevent the position displacement of a workpiece supported by a workpiece moving device. The control device includes a workpiece moving device controller configured to control the workpiece moving device wherein a time constant corresponding to a time period from a commencement to an termination of acceleration and deceleration of the workpiece moving device is longer for causing the robot and the workpiece moving device to perform an operation other than the workpiece processing operation, compared with the time constant for performing a workpiece processing operation in which the robot and the workpiece moving device perform work on the workpiece in cooperation with each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2018Publication date: April 25, 2019Applicant: Fanuc CorporationInventor: Toshihiko Inoue
-
Patent number: 10232518Abstract: Provided is a robot pivot shaft structure that includes a revolving drum rotatably supported at an upper portion of a base and that has a hollow portion, a drive motor rotating the revolving drum, and a speed reduction mechanism reducing the rotational speed of the drive motor. The speed reduction mechanism has a small gear fixed to a shaft of the drive motor, a large gear meshed with the small gear, an input hypoid gear fixed to the large gear, and an output hypoid gear meshed with the input hypoid gear. The output hypoid gear is fixed to the revolving drum and is disposed in the base. The input hypoid gear and the large gear are rotatably supported at the base. The drive motor is fixed to the base and disposed below the revolving drum, the position being horizontally shifted from vertically below the hollow portion.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2017Date of Patent: March 19, 2019Assignee: FANUC CORPORATIONInventors: Toshihiko Inoue, Masayoshi Mori
-
Publication number: 20190076968Abstract: A work table support device capable of adapting to a plurality of applications. The workpiece support device includes a base; a conductive work table rotatably supported on the base; a current-collecting brush that is fixed to the base, slidably contacts an end face of the work table, and supplies electric power to work table, and a cover that is removably attached to the base, surrounds the current-collecting brush and the end face, and includes cover segments that can be assembled and disassembled one another.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2018Publication date: March 14, 2019Applicant: FANUC CORPORATIONInventors: Toshihiko Inoue, Tomoyuki Motokado, Tooru Nagai
-
Publication number: 20190077012Abstract: A robot which can prevent an excessive bending of an wire member. The robot includes a first wrist element coupled rotatably about a first axis, a second wrist element coupled rotatably about a second axis, a third wrist element coupled rotatably about a third axis and supporting an end effector configured to perform a work on a workpiece, a first wire member disposed in such a way as to pass through the inside of the first wrist element, the second wrist element, and the third wrist element and connected to the end effector, and a second wire member disposed in such a way as to pass through the inside of the first wrist element and run outside the second wrist element and the third wrist element and connected to the end effector.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2018Publication date: March 14, 2019Applicant: FANUC CORPORATIONInventors: Toshihiko Inoue, Toshikatsu Kuroki, Naoki Fujioka
-
Publication number: 20180333844Abstract: Provided is an industrial robot that includes: a second arm that is provided, at the distal end of a first arm pivotable about a first axis, in a pivotable manner about a second axis parallel to the first axis; and a wrist that is disposed at the distal end of the second arm and that has a plurality of wrist elements, and including the first wrist element provided in a rotatable manner about a longitudinal axis of the second arm. Motors and that drive the wrist elements, are accommodated in a space inside the first wrist element. The second arm is provided with a hollow portion that communicates with the space. A cable to be wired to the motors is wired into the hollow portion from the outside of the second arm and is relayed by a connector fixed to the wall section at the position of the through-hole.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2018Publication date: November 22, 2018Applicant: FANUC CORPORATIONInventors: Toshihiko INOUE, Tooru NAGAI
-
Patent number: 10093024Abstract: Provided is a linear-object handling structure of a robot, in which a linear object for a motor that drives a second arm and a wrist and a linear object for a work tool that is attached to the wrist pass from a base part to the inside of a rotational drum in the vicinity of a first axis, are guided upward to the outside through a through-hole provided in the rotational drum, are respectively curved toward opposite lateral sides of the rotational drum in the substantially circumferential directions while each given a margin of length required for the motion of the rotational drum, are guided from the lateral sides of the rotational drum to the second arm in the longitudinal direction of the first arm while each being given a margin of length required for the motions of the first arm and the second arm.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2017Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignee: FANUC CORPORATIONInventors: Toshihiko Inoue, Tomoyuki Motokado, Masayoshi Mori, Wataru Amemiya
-
Patent number: 10081101Abstract: Provided is a robot arm including an upper arm, a forearm installed at the distal end of the upper arm, a wrist element installed at the distal end of the forearm to be rotatable around an axis line and having a hollow part through which the axis line penetrates, a motor installed in the forearm and rotating the element around the axis line, and a mechanism transmitting rotation of the motor to the element while reducing speed of rotation. The motor includes a rotation center axis extending obliquely downward on the opposite side of the upper arm. The mechanism includes a hypoid gear set including an output hypoid gear fixed to the element coaxially with the axis line and an input hypoid gear, and a gear set including a gear wheel fixed to the input hypoid gear and a pinion fixed to the motor.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2017Date of Patent: September 25, 2018Assignee: FANUC CORPORATIONInventors: Toshihiko Inoue, Tooru Nagai
-
Patent number: 10052762Abstract: A robot control apparatus for controlling a robot for gripping two workpieces includes an upper limit value changing unit for changing at least one of the upper speed limit value and the upper acceleration limit value of the robot depending on the type and number of workpieces gripped, and an operation controlling unit for controlling the operation of the robot such that at least one of the speed and the acceleration of the robot does not exceed the changed upper speed limit value and upper acceleration limit value.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2016Date of Patent: August 21, 2018Assignee: FANUC CORPORATIONInventors: Toshihiko Inoue, Shunsuke Abiko
-
Publication number: 20180178309Abstract: There is provided a welding wire processing structure, of an arc welding robot, including a wire hose for feeding a welding wire to a wire feeder that is attached to a rear portion of an arm provided with a welding torch at a tip, from a rear end surface of the wire feeder to a forward side, and a connector for attaching the wire hose to the rear end surface, where the connector connects the wire hose in a direction intersecting a feed direction of the welding wire by the wire feeder.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2017Publication date: June 28, 2018Applicant: FANUC CORPORATIONInventors: Toshihiko INOUE, Shunsuke ABIKO
-
Publication number: 20170368697Abstract: A first hollow part having a center axis coincident with a first axis of a wrist structure is formed in a forearm. A through passage, which communicates with the first hollow part is formed in a first wrist element. A second hollow part having a center axis coincident with a third axis is formed in a third wrist element. An umbilical member is inserted through the first hollow part, the through passage, and the second hollow part. A brake device is eliminated from at least one of a motor for a second wrist and a motor for a third wrist.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2017Publication date: December 28, 2017Applicant: FANUC CORPORATIONInventor: Toshihiko Inoue
-
Patent number: 9819027Abstract: A method for producing a battery resulting from the joining with a plurality of weld nuggets therebetween of a foil layered part, at which foil exposed portions exposing an aluminum foil overlap, and a positive terminal member made of aluminum, includes: a formation step for forming at the foil layered part a foil welded part at which are formed, by welding aluminum foils together by means of ultrasonic welding, a first high-position part at at least a section of a surface to be joined, and a plurality of first low-position parts distributed at scattered points within the first high-position part; and a resistance-welding step for contacting the first high-position part to the positive terminal member, generating weld nuggets at the first low-position part by flowing an electric current, and resistance-welding the foil welded part and the positive terminal member with the weld nuggets therebetween.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2012Date of Patent: November 14, 2017Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Toshihiko Inoue, Masaharu Miyahisa, Hajime Konishi, Koichi Toriyama
-
Publication number: 20170291305Abstract: Provided is a wire body processing structure for a robot having a wrist, a base end of which is connected to a forearm in a rotatable manner about a first axis and a distal end of which has a plurality of working tools attached thereto. The wire body processing structure includes a first flexible conduit disposed along the first axis from the forearm to the distal end of the wrist and also includes a second flexible conduit disposed longitudinally within the first conduit. A first wire body for one of the working tools is extended longitudinally through the second conduit. A second wire body for another one of the working tools is extended longitudinally through a space between the first conduit and the second conduit.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2017Publication date: October 12, 2017Applicant: FANUC CORPORATIONInventors: Toshihiko INOUE, Tomoyuki MOTOKADO, Wataru AMEMIYA
-
Publication number: 20170291313Abstract: A linear object handling structure of a robot includes a rotational drum supported above a base in a rotatable manner about a vertical axis line, a plurality of operation shafts supported by the rotational drum, and a hollow part near the vertical axis line in the rotational drum. A first linear object group including cables for driving the operation shafts has one end fixed to the base and the other end wired to the motors of the operation shafts supported by the rotational drum, and is disposed to penetrate through the hollow part. A second linear object group for a peripheral device supported by any one of the operation shafts is collectively covered by a flexible conduit pipe, disposed to penetrate through the hollow part, and detachably fixed to the base and the rotational drum.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2017Publication date: October 12, 2017Applicant: FANUC CORPORATIONInventors: Toshihiko INOUE, Tomoyuki MOTOKADO, Masayoshi MORI, Wataru AMEMIYA
-
Publication number: 20170282382Abstract: Provided is a robot pivot shaft structure that includes a revolving drum rotatably supported at an upper portion of a base and that has a hollow portion, a drive motor rotating the revolving drum, and a speed reduction mechanism reducing the rotational speed of the drive motor. The speed reduction mechanism has a small gear fixed to a shaft of the drive motor, a large gear meshed with the small gear, an input hypoid gear fixed to the large gear, and an output hypoid gear meshed with the input hypoid gear. The output hypoid gear is fixed to the revolving drum and is disposed in the base. The input hypoid gear and the large gear are rotatably supported at the base. The drive motor is fixed to the base and disposed below the revolving drum, the position being horizontally shifted from vertically below the hollow portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2017Publication date: October 5, 2017Applicant: FANUC CORPORATIONInventors: Toshihiko INOUE, Masayoshi MORI