Patents by Inventor Toshihiro Kodama
Toshihiro Kodama 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).
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Patent number: 10315854Abstract: A board conveyance device and conveyance belt inspection method that enable easy detection of a problem with conveyance belts. The board conveyance device includes: endless conveyance belts on which is set a conveyance path for conveying a board; a board sensor configured to detect the presence of the board at a specified detection position on the conveyance path; and a control section configured to, in a case in which the board is not being conveyed on the conveyance path, move the conveyance belts and determine a problem with the conveyance belts based on a detection result of the board sensor.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2014Date of Patent: June 11, 2019Assignee: FUJI CORPORATIONInventor: Toshihiro Kodama
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Patent number: 10242759Abstract: A control rod drive mechanism includes an outer tube and a guide tube which is arranged in the outer tube and is held by the outer tube. Furthermore, the control rod drive mechanism includes a spool piece with an inner magnet coupling and a rotary shaft connected to the inner magnet coupling arranged internally. The lower end portion of the outer tube is supported by the spool piece in the spool piece. The outside diameter of the outer tube, through the length of the outer tube, is smaller than the inside diameter of the spool piece and the outer tube, in the radial direction of the outer tube, is not projected outside the inner surface of the spool piece. Therefore, the installation places of the O-rings which are a seal member are reduced and the time required for maintenance of the control rod drive mechanism can be shortened.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2015Date of Patent: March 26, 2019Assignee: Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.Inventors: Takahiro Tsuchiya, Toshihiro Kodama, Hirokazu Akatsuka
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Patent number: 9822859Abstract: A control rod drive mechanism includes an outer tube, a guide tube disposed inside the outer tube, a ball tube, a hollow piston, and an electric motor. A gap between a ball traveling side of the screw shaft and the traveling balls and a gap between the traveling balls and a ball traveling side of the ball nut, having the gap coefficient (A) is given by: A=((2×R?L)?D)÷(2×R?L). The diameter of the traveling balls is determined to satisfy the expression given by A, in which A has the value of more than 0.03 and less than 0.17.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2017Date of Patent: November 21, 2017Assignee: Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.Inventors: Yuuichi Matsushita, Toshihiro Kodama, Kiyoshi Harada, Hirokazu Akatsuka, Takahiro Tsuchiya
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Publication number: 20170285545Abstract: A board conveyance device and conveyance belt inspection method that enable easy detection of a problem with conveyance belts. The board conveyance device includes: endless conveyance belts on which is set a conveyance path for conveying a board; a board sensor configured to detect the presence of the board at a specified detection position on the conveyance path; and a control section configured to, in a case in which the board is not being conveyed on the conveyance path, move the conveyance belts and determine a problem with the conveyance belts based on a detection result of the board sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 4, 2014Publication date: October 5, 2017Applicant: FUJI MACHINE MFG. CO., LTD.Inventor: Toshihiro KODAMA
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Publication number: 20170268642Abstract: A control rod drive mechanism includes an outer tube, a guide tube disposed inside the outer tube, a ball tube, a hollow piston, and an electric motor. A gap between a ball traveling side of the screw shaft and the traveling balls and a gap between the traveling balls and a ball traveling side of the ball nut, having the gap coefficient (A) is given by: A=((2×R?L)?D)÷(2×R?L). The diameter of the traveling balls is determined to satisfy the expression given by A, in which A has the value of more than 0.03 and less than 0.17.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 6, 2017Publication date: September 21, 2017Inventors: Yuuichi MATSUSHITA, Toshihiro KODAMA, Kiyoshi HARADA, Hirokazu Akatsuka, Takahiro TSUCHIYA
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Patent number: 9695918Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a gap expanding method of a ball screw for preventing an increase in torque relative to an electric motor due to a protruding bulge caused by generation of a scar on the traveling side of the screw shaft of the ball screw, and to provide a control rod drive mechanism incorporating the gap expanded ball screw. In a ball screw disposed in a control rod drive mechanism, the ball screw has a screw shaft and a ball nut engaged with the screw shaft via travelling balls, and the balls are each configured to have a diameter smaller than that of the existing ball, thereby expanding a gap between a ball traveling side of the screw shaft and the ball and a gap between the ball and a ball traveling side of the ball nut.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2014Date of Patent: July 4, 2017Assignee: Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.Inventors: Yuuichi Matsushita, Toshihiro Kodama, Kiyoshi Harada, Hirokazu Akatsuka, Takahiro Tsuchiya
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Publication number: 20160358677Abstract: A control rod drive mechanism (CRD) capable of more securely preventing outflow of water when a scram piping is broken is provided. In a CRD, a ball check valve is provided in a flange provided in a lower end portion of an outer tube. The ball check valve includes a ball, a retainer, and a ball support mechanism, and the retainer has a valve flow channel. The ball support mechanism for supporting the ball is provided in a lower opening portion. A height of an upper end of the ball support mechanism is set so as not to bring the ball into contact with an upper corner portion of the lower opening portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 26, 2016Publication date: December 8, 2016Inventors: Yasuhiko FURUTA, Hirokazu AKATSUKA, Toshihiro KODAMA
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Publication number: 20150255178Abstract: A control rod drive mechanism includes an outer tube and a guide tube which is arranged in the outer tube and is held by the outer tube. Furthermore, the control rod drive mechanism includes a spool piece with an inner magnet coupling and a rotary shaft connected to the inner magnet coupling arranged internally. The lower end portion of the outer tube is supported by the spool piece in the spool piece. The outside diameter of the outer tube, through the length of the outer tube, is smaller than the inside diameter of the spool piece and the outer tube, in the radial direction of the outer tube, is not projected outside the inner surface of the spool piece. Therefore, the installation places of the O-rings which are a seal member are reduced and the time required for maintenance of the control rod drive mechanism can be shortened.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2015Publication date: September 10, 2015Inventors: Takahiro TSUCHIYA, Toshihiro KODAMA, Hirokazu AKATSUKA
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Patent number: 8915161Abstract: A fine motion control rod drive mechanism handling apparatus attaches a fine motion control rod drive mechanism having a control rod drive mechanism body, a spool piece, a motor bracket and a motor unit to a reactor pressure vessel, and detaches it from the reactor pressure vessel. The fine motion control rod drive mechanism handling apparatus is provided with a bolt wrench assembly, a motor unit attachment mounted to the bolt wrench assembly, for meshing a first gear of a first gear coupling on a spool piece side with a second gear of a second gear coupling on a motor unit side, and a rotation mechanism mounted to the bolt wrench assembly, for rotating the motor unit attachment.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2011Date of Patent: December 23, 2014Assignee: Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.Inventors: Hirokazu Akatsuka, Toshihiro Kodama, Takeaki Suzuki
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Patent number: 8842795Abstract: A control rod grasped by a hook of a grasping equipment is moved down and is positioned at an upper end of a hollow piston of a control rod drive mechanism (CRD) in a state that the control rod is fully withdrawn from a core. Furthermore, the hook is inserted into an opening of a handle of the control rod. The hook is lifted up so as to make contact with the handle. The control rod grasped by the grasping equipment is rotated by a grasping equipment rotation apparatus. A state that gaps formed between joint convexities in a coupling socket of the control rod are positioned right above coupling spud convexities of the hollow piston occurs. At this time, the control rod falls by its own weight and the coupling spud convexities pass through the gaps. A grasping equipment movement apparatus suppresses the falling speed of the control rod. The control rod is rotated at 90° and the control rod and CRD are connected.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2010Date of Patent: September 23, 2014Assignee: Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.Inventors: Hirokazu Akatsuka, Toshihiro Kodama
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Publication number: 20140230585Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a gap expanding method of a ball screw for preventing an increase in torque relative to an electric motor due to a protruding bulge caused by generation of a scar on the traveling side of the screw shaft of the ball screw, and to provide a control rod drive mechanism incorporating the gap expanded ball screw. In a ball screw disposed in a control rod drive mechanism, the ball screw has a screw shaft and a ball nut engaged with the screw shaft via travelling balls, and the balls are each configured to have a diameter smaller than that of the existing ball, thereby expanding a gap between a ball traveling side of the screw shaft and the ball and a gap between the ball and a ball traveling side of the ball nut.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2014Publication date: August 21, 2014Applicant: Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.Inventors: Yuuichi MATSUSHITA, Toshihiro KODAMA, Kiyoshi HARADA, Hirokazu Akatsuka, Takahiro TSUCHIYA
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Publication number: 20110239797Abstract: A fine motion control rod drive mechanism handling apparatus attaches a fine motion control rod drive mechanism having a control rod drive mechanism body, a spool piece, a motor bracket and a motor unit to a reactor pressure vessel, and detaches it from the reactor pressure vessel. The fine motion control rod drive mechanism handling apparatus is provided with a bolt wrench assembly, a motor unit attachment mounted to the bolt wrench assembly, for meshing a first gear of a first gear coupling on a spool piece side with a second gear of a second gear coupling on a motor unit side, and a rotation mechanism mounted to the bolt wrench assembly, for rotating the motor unit attachment.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2011Publication date: October 6, 2011Inventors: Hirokazu AKATSUKA, Toshihiro Kodama, Takeaki Suzuki
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Publication number: 20110064180Abstract: A control rod grasped by a hook of a grasping equipment is moved down and is positioned at an upper end of a hollow piston of a control rod drive mechanism (CRD) in a state that the control rod is fully withdrawn from a core. Furthermore, the hook is inserted into an opening of a handle of the control rod. The hook is lifted up so as to make contact with the handle. The control rod grasped by the grasping equipment is rotated by a grasping equipment rotation apparatus. A state that gaps formed between joint convexities in a coupling socket of the control rod are positioned right above coupling spud convexities of the hollow piston occurs. At this time, the control rod falls by its own weight and the coupling spud convexities pass through the gaps. A grasping equipment movement apparatus suppresses the falling speed of the control rod. The control rod is rotated at 90° and the control rod and CRD are connected.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2010Publication date: March 17, 2011Inventors: Hirokazu AKATSUKA, Toshihiro Kodama
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Publication number: 20090185651Abstract: A control rod position detector for detecting position of a control rod being linked to a control rod drive mechanism, comprising: a first rotational axis rotated by a motor in the control rod drive mechanism; a gear mechanism engaging with the first rotational axis; and first and second position detectors attached to a second rotational axis of the second gear mechanism and outputting position signals of the control rod by rotation of the second rotational axis.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 21, 2009Publication date: July 23, 2009Inventors: Hirokazu Akatsuka, Toshihiro Kodama
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Patent number: 5331675Abstract: A control rod handling apparatus and method for exchanging a control rod connected to a control rod drive mechanism by a bayonet coupling. The control rod handling apparatus comprises a member or connection to a fuel exchange apparatus, a fixing part having guides to be seated at the top face of an upper grid plate in a reactor vessel and to e supported by the upper rid plate, a body provided at the lower part of the fixing part, a control rod handling part having a control rod grasping instrument provided at the bottom part of the body, a fuel support piece handling part having a fuel support piece grasping instrument and means for positioning the fuel support piece grasping instrument, which is provided outside the control rod handling part, means for vertically moving the fuel support piece handling part along with the outside of the control rod handling part, and means for rotating the control rod handling part, the fuel support piece handling part, and the means for vertical motion.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 1993Date of Patent: July 19, 1994Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Kiyokazu Hosoya, Toshihiro Kodama, Takahiro Konno
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Patent number: 4728484Abstract: An apparatus for handling a control rod driving mechanism (CRD) of a nuclear reactor. The apparatus has a turn carriage provided in a space within a reactor container where a pedestal is provided, and is adapted to turn on a rail provided on the inner peripheral wall of the container. The turn carriage carries a truck adapted to run along a rail on the turn carriage. A mast is provided on the truck and is driven by a mast driving means between an upright position and a horizontal position. The mast is designed for accommodating a CRD cart. The apparatus also has a CRD mounting/demounting means secured to the mast and adapted to be moved up and down by the CRD cart such as to mount and demount the CRD in and from a CRD housing.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 1985Date of Patent: March 1, 1988Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Toshihiro Kodama, Yoshimi Ishii, Isao Kouga, Noriaki Mase, Noriaki Hattori