Patents by Inventor Tsuneo Ishigaki

Tsuneo Ishigaki 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: 10253889
    Abstract: To provide a gate valve such that two connected surfaces perpendicular to each other of a valve plate housing frame can be connected to two side walls perpendicular to each other of a chamber in such a manner that the connected surfaces are in contact with the side surfaces. When screwing a fixation screw perpendicularly into a screw hole formed in one chamber wall of a chamber through a screw insertion hole formed in one frame wall of a valve plate housing frame of a gate valve, and tightening the fixation screw to press and fix the frame wall against and to the first chamber wall, a thrust force in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the fixation screw is generated in the valve plate housing frame by a cam mechanism formed on the fixation screw and in the screw insertion hole, and the other frame wall of the valve plate housing frame is pressed against and fixed to the other chamber wall of the chamber by the thrust force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsuneo Ishigaki, Hiromi Shimoda, Takashi Nagao
  • Patent number: 9599233
    Abstract: In a valve box that makes up a gate valve, a balance room is disposed on one side wall that faces toward a processing chamber. In the balance room, a first seal member is provided to surround a first pathway, and a second seal member is mounted on an outer edge of the balance room. Further, a balance port is formed in the balance room. The balance port communicates with an accommodating room that is formed in the interior of the valve box. In a valve closed state in which a valve disk is seated on a valve seat of the valve box, the pressure inside the accommodating room and the pressure inside the balance room are equalized or made uniform through the balance port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsuneo Ishigaki, Hiromi Shimoda, Takashi Nagao
  • Patent number: 9482350
    Abstract: A gate valve that can suppress the deterioration of a seal member due to radicals is provided, and the seal member in the gate valve can be prevented from coming off a dovetail groove. A seal groove for attaching a seal member is formed by a first groove portion that has a rectangular cross-section and a second groove portion that is provided in the bottom wall of the first groove portion and that has a dovetail groove-like cross-section. The seal member is held in the second groove portion with part thereof protruded into the first groove portion. A valve seat that is inserted into and pulled out of the seal groove to be brought into and out of contact with the seal member is protruded from the inner surface of a partition wall in which a gate opening is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsuneo Ishigaki, Hiromi Shimoda, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20160238150
    Abstract: To provide a gate valve such that two connected surfaces perpendicular to each other of a valve plate housing frame can be connected to two side walls perpendicular to each other of a chamber in such a manner that the connected surfaces are in contact with the side surfaces. When screwing a fixation screw perpendicularly into a screw hole formed in one chamber wall of a chamber through a screw insertion hole formed in one frame wall of a valve plate housing frame of a gate valve, and tightening the fixation screw to press and fix the frame wall against and to the first chamber wall, a thrust force in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the fixation screw is generated in the valve plate housing frame by a cam mechanism formed on the fixation screw and in the screw insertion hole, and the other frame wall of the valve plate housing frame is pressed against and fixed to the other chamber wall of the chamber by the thrust force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Applicant: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsuneo ISHIGAKI, Hiromi SHIMODA, Takashi NAGAO
  • Patent number: 9404589
    Abstract: A parallel movement mechanism including guide grooves and guide rollers and a perpendicular movement mechanism including cam grooves and cam rollers are interposed between a drive rod of an air cylinder and a valve assembly. By moving the valve assembly parallel to valve seat surfaces formed around a pair of openings of a valve casing with the parallel movement mechanism, and then moving it perpendicularly to the valve seat surfaces with the perpendicular movement mechanism, valve seal members of valve elements can be brought into and out of contact with the valve seat surfaces, and the openings can be selectively opened and closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsuneo Ishigaki, Hiromi Shimoda, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20150369374
    Abstract: To provide a gate valve in which the deterioration of a seal member due to radicals can be suppressed, and the seal member can be prevented from coming off a dovetail groove. A seal groove for attaching a seal member is formed by a first groove portion that has a rectangular cross-section and a second groove portion that is provided in the bottom wall of the first groove portion and that has a dovetail groove-like cross-section. The seal member is held in the second groove portion with part thereof protruded into the first groove portion. A valve seat that is inserted into and pulled out of the seal groove to be brought into and out of contact with the seal member is protruded from the inner surface of a partition wall in which a gate opening is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Applicant: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsuneo ISHIGAKI, Hiromi SHIMODA, Hiroshi OGAWA
  • Publication number: 20150316155
    Abstract: In a valve box that makes up a gate valve, a balance room is disposed on one side wall that faces toward a processing chamber. In the balance room, a first seal member is provided to surround a first pathway, and a second seal member is mounted on an outer edge of the balance room. Further, a balance port is formed in the balance room. The balance port communicates with an accommodating room that is formed in the interior of the valve box. In a valve closed state in which a valve disk is seated on a valve seat of the valve box, the pressure inside the accommodating room and the pressure inside the balance room are equalized or made uniform through the balance port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Applicant: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsuneo ISHIGAKI, Hiromi SHIMODA, Takashi NAGAO
  • Publication number: 20150014556
    Abstract: A parallel movement mechanism including guide grooves and guide rollers and a perpendicular movement mechanism including cam grooves and cam rollers are interposed between a drive rod of an air cylinder and a valve assembly. By moving the valve assembly parallel to valve seat surfaces formed around a pair of openings of a valve casing with the parallel movement mechanism, and then moving it perpendicularly to the valve seat surfaces with the perpendicular movement mechanism, valve seal members of valve elements can be brought into and out of contact with the valve seat surfaces, and the openings can be selectively opened and closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Applicant: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsuneo ISHIGAKI, Hiromi Shimoda, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 8800956
    Abstract: A parallel movement mechanism including guide grooves and guide rollers and a vertical movement mechanism including cam grooves and cam rollers are interposed between a drive rod and a valve shaft of an air cylinder, and a valve seal of a valve plate is moved vertically toward and away from a valve seat surface to open and close the opening by moving the valve shaft in parallel to the valve seat surface by the parallel movement mechanism and moving the same vertically with respect to the valve seat surface by the vertical movement mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: SMC Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuneo Ishigaki, Hiromi Shimoda, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 8534311
    Abstract: A cartridge heater is accommodated in a heater bore in a shaft connected to a valve element, and a heating portion provided at an end portion of the cartridge heater is located at a joint portion of the shaft and the valve element. At the joint portion, a heat receiving groove and a pressurizing portion communicating with the heater bore are provided at a position between a surface of the valve element and that of the shaft located so as to oppose and to contact each other. The heat receiving groove includes an arcuate groove portion of the same radius as that of the heating portion of the cartridge heater, and the heating portion is pressed by the pressurizing portion to enter into plane-to-plane contact with an inner circumferential surface of the arcuate groove portion of the heat receiving groove, upon fastening the valve element and the shaft to each other with a bolt, with the heating portion located between the heat receiving groove and the pressurizing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: SMC Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuneo Ishigaki, Hiroshi Ogawa, Hiromi Shimoda
  • Publication number: 20110290340
    Abstract: A cartridge heater is accommodated in a heater bore in a shaft connected to a valve element, and a heating portion provided at an end portion of the cartridge heater is located at a joint portion of the shaft and the valve element. At the joint portion, a heat receiving groove and a pressurizing portion communicating with the heater bore are provided at a position between a surface of the valve element and that of the shaft located so as to oppose and to contact each other. The heat receiving groove includes an arcuate groove portion of the same radius as that of the heating portion of the cartridge heater, and the heating portion is pressed by the pressurizing portion to enter into plane-to-plane contact with an inner circumferential surface of the arcuate groove portion of the heat receiving groove, upon fastening the valve element and the shaft to each other with a bolt, with the heating portion located between the heat receiving groove and the pressurizing portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: SMC Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuneo ISHIGAKI, Hiroshi Ogawa, Hiromi Shimoda
  • Patent number: 7896313
    Abstract: A gate valve includes a valve plate for opening and closing a gas passageway, and an air cylinder and a shaft for linearly moving the valve plate between a main housing portion and a storage housing portion of a housing, and the air cylinder is arranged on the first lateral surface side of the housing in parallel with a moving direction of the valve plate, and the shaft is arranged so as to overlap with the valve plate in parallel with the moving direction. A tip end of the shaft is coupled with the valve plate at a position situated near a front end portion in the moving direction thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: SMC Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuneo Ishigaki
  • Patent number: 7841578
    Abstract: In a vacuum valve composed of a main valve portion that opens and closes a vale seat in a flow path connecting two ports by a valve member, and an operating portion that performs an opening and closing operation for the valve member, the housing of the main valve portion is assembled by joining the two port members with a cylindrically shaped housing main body formed by a squeezing process for a plate material made of metal, or a ring-shaped material made of the metal. In an end portion of the housing, a flange-shaped attaching portion that is bent inward is formed. The operating portion is attached onto the attaching portion via a ring-shaped supporting seat member. A sealing member is sandwiched between a ring-shaped supporting plate and the attaching portion. Both ends of a bellows are respectively connected to the supporting plate and the valve member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: SMC Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuneo Ishigaki
  • Publication number: 20090020719
    Abstract: A gate valve includes a valve plate for opening and closing a gas passageway, and an air cylinder and a shaft for linearly moving the valve plate between a main housing portion and a storage housing portion of a housing, and the air cylinder is arranged on the first lateral surface side of the housing in parallel with a moving direction of the valve plate, and the shaft is arranged so as to overlap with the valve plate in parallel with the moving direction. A tip end of the shaft is coupled with the valve plate at a position situated near a front end portion in the moving direction thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2008
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Applicant: SMC Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuneo ISHIGAKI
  • Publication number: 20070231166
    Abstract: In a vacuum valve composed of a main valve portion that opens and closes a vale seat in a flow path connecting two ports by a valve member, and an operating portion that performs an opening and closing operation for the valve member, the housing of the main valve portion is assembled by joining the two port members with a cylindrically shaped housing main body formed by a squeezing process for a plate material made of metal, or a ring-shaped material made of the metal. In an end portion of the housing, a flange-shaped attaching portion that is bent inward is formed. The operating portion is attached onto the attaching portion via a ring-shaped supporting seat member. A sealing member is sandwiched between a ring-shaped supporting plate and the attaching portion. Both ends of a bellows are respectively connected to the supporting plate and the valve member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Applicant: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tsuneo ISHIGAKI
  • Patent number: 7234679
    Abstract: A gate valve has a transfer chamber-side valve element and a process chamber-side valve element connected to a single shaft. A rotary latch pivotably supported on an inner surface of one of the valve element with the rotary latch having a latch surface at a forward end thereof, wherein when a rotational force is applied to the rotary latch in one direction, the latch surface is pressed against a joint surface of the single shaft, whereby the valve element is latched to said single shaft, and when a rotational force is applied to the rotary latch in the opposite direction, the latch surface is separated from the joint surface of the single shaft to unlatch the valve element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: SMC Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuneo Ishigaki
  • Publication number: 20060202147
    Abstract: A gate valve has a transfer chamber-side valve element and a process chamber-side valve element connected to a single shaft actuated with a single three-position air cylinder to selectively close a process chamber opening and a transfer chamber opening or fully open both the openings to allow an object to pass therethrough. A lever member is secured to the single shaft. A roller supported by the lever member is kept in engagement with a cam groove of a cam member. A cam support member for supporting the cam member is connected to the piston rod of the three-position air cylinder. A spring is interposed between the lever member and the cam support member. When the piston rod is in the first (lower extremity) position, both the transfer chamber-side valve element and the process chamber-side valve element fully open the transfer chamber opening and the process chamber opening, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2006
    Publication date: September 14, 2006
    Applicant: SMC Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuneo Ishigaki
  • Patent number: 7066443
    Abstract: A gate valve has a transfer chamber-side valve element and a process chamber-side valve element connected to a single shaft actuated with a single three-position air cylinder to selectively close a process chamber opening and a transfer chamber opening or fully open both the openings to allow an object to pass therethrough. A lever member is secured to the single shaft. A roller supported by the lever member is kept in engagement with a cam groove of a cam member. A cam support member for supporting the cam member is connected to the piston rod of the three-position air cylinder. A spring is interposed between the lever member and the cam support member. When the piston rod is in the first (lower extremity) position, both the transfer chamber-side valve element and the process chamber-side valve element fully open the transfer chamber opening and the process chamber opening, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: SMC Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuneo Ishigaki
  • Patent number: 6932111
    Abstract: A gate valve apparatus minimizes the chance that radicals and plasma in exhaust gas will contact a main valve seal, thereby preventing deterioration of the main valve seal. Slats of a flow control device are installed in an exhaust flow path to control the pressure in a process chamber. The main valve seal is provided on an abutting surface of a main valve element. An annular projection is provided on a pump-side inner wall surface of an accommodating chamber. When it is in a non-sealing position, the main valve element is moved toward the pump-side inner wall surface of the accommodating chamber to bring an outer peripheral portion of the main valve element into contact with the annular projection. Thus, the main valve seal is shielded from radicals and plasma in exhaust gas by the main valve element, the annular projection and the pump-side inner wall surface of the accommodating chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: SMC Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuneo Ishigaki
  • Publication number: 20040200534
    Abstract: A gate valve apparatus minimizes the chance that radicals and plasma in exhaust gas will contact a main valve seal, thereby preventing deterioration of the main valve seal. Slats of a flow control device are installed in an exhaust flow path to control the pressure in a process chamber. The main valve seal is provided on an abutting surface of a main valve element. An annular projection is provided on a pump-side inner wall surface of an accommodating chamber. When it is in a non-sealing position, the main valve element is moved toward the pump-side inner wall surface of the accommodating chamber to bring an outer peripheral portion of the main valve element into contact with the annular projection. Thus, the main valve seal is shielded from radicals and plasma in exhaust gas by the main valve element, the annular projection and the pump-side inner wall surface of the accommodating chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2004
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Inventor: Tsuneo Ishigaki