Patents by Inventor Yoshihiko Fujio

Yoshihiko Fujio 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: 20200354163
    Abstract: A conveying and sorting apparatus has a plurality of tilting conveyor units in a row in the conveying direction. Each tilting conveyor unit is able to switch between a horizontal conveying orientation and a tilted orientation for ejecting the object being conveyed, by means of gravity, laterally with respect to the conveying direction and has a belt conveyor with a plurality of ridge portions which extend in the width direction on the inside surface, and on the outside surface the ridge portions which extend in the width direction are provided an equivalent intervals in the length direction of the belt. A plurality of recessed grooves which engage with each of the ridge portions on the inside surface of the belt are provided to the peripheral surfaces of a front pulley and a rear pulley of the belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventor: Yoshihiko Fujio
  • Publication number: 20200354164
    Abstract: A conveying and sorting apparatus has a plurality of tilting conveyor units in a row in a conveying direction, and reflective photoelectric sensors. The tilting conveyor units are supported above a frame so as to be able to swing to the left and right about a support shaft which is parallel with the conveying direction, between a horizontal conveying orientation and a tilted orientation for ejecting the object being conveyed, by means of gravity, in the lateral direction with respect to the conveying direction. The reflecting photoelectric sensors detect objects being conveyed which pass between the tilting conveyor units by means of light beams which pass, in the vertical direction, between tilting conveyor units which adjoin one another in the conveying direction. The reflecting photoelectric sensors are attached to a support member which surrounds the periphery of the support shaft and which is supported by the frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventor: Yoshihiko Fujio
  • Publication number: 20200324980
    Abstract: A transportation path diverter diverts the transportation path of a conveyed article. The transportation path diverter includes an upstream-side lower diverting conveyor, a downstream-side upper diverting conveyor, a downstream-side lower diverting conveyor, a height sensor, and an article sensor. The height sensor detects the article conveyed by the upstream-side lower diverting conveyor, the article having at least a predetermined height. The article sensor detects the article transferred from the upstream-side lower diverting conveyor to the downstream-side lower diverting conveyor. A swing of the downstream-side upper diverting conveyor by a first swinging device is controlled based on the detection of the article by the height sensor and the article sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Publication date: October 15, 2020
    Applicant: DAIFUKU CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshihiko FUJIO
  • Patent number: 10669104
    Abstract: A goods transport facility for transporting goods along a transportation path including a curved part, and in particular a goods transport facility provided with a plurality of transport carriages that move along a pair of left and right rails, which are provided along the transportation path, so as to transport goods. A rail width adjusting mechanism capable of changing a rail width between the left and right rails and is provided in at least one of a curving region and an S-curve region in the curved part of the transportation path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: DAIFUKU CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshihiko Fujio
  • Patent number: 10562716
    Abstract: A conveyor apparatus that conveys articles supported by a plurality of arranged article supports. The conveyor apparatus including infilling members, being disposed between the article supports. In one embodiment, an infill plate serving as the infilling member is urged to a tray by springs, so that the infill plate is kept in contact with the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: DAIFUKU CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshihiko Fujio
  • Publication number: 20190263597
    Abstract: A goods transport facility for transporting goods along a transportation path including a curved part, and in particular a goods transport facility provided with a plurality of transport carriages that move along a pair of left and right rails, which are provided along the transportation path, so as to transport goods. A rail width adjusting mechanism capable of changing a rail width between the left and right rails and is provided in at least one of a curving region and an S-curve region in the curved part of the transportation path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Applicant: DAIFUKU CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshihiko FUJIO
  • Patent number: 10294033
    Abstract: A conveyor apparatus that conveys articles supported by a plurality of arranged article supports, the conveyor apparatus including infilling members, each being disposed between the article supports. In one embodiment, the infilling member includes a plate contact part in contact with the article support such that the upward curvature of the plate contact part is larger than that of the tray contact part of the article support corresponding to the plate contact part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: DAIFUKU CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshihiko Fujio
  • Publication number: 20190055089
    Abstract: A conveyor apparatus that conveys articles supported by a plurality of arranged article supports, the conveyor apparatus including infilling members, each being disposed between the article supports. In one embodiment, the infilling member includes a plate contact part in contact with the article support such that the upward curvature of the plate contact part is larger than that of the tray contact part of the article support corresponding to the plate contact part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Applicant: DAIFUKU CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshihiko FUJIO
  • Publication number: 20190047795
    Abstract: A conveyor apparatus that conveys articles supported by a plurality of arranged article supports. The conveyor apparatus including infilling members, being disposed between the article supports. In one embodiment, an infill plate serving as the infilling member is urged to a tray by springs, so that the infill plate is kept in contact with the tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Applicant: DAIFUKU CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshihiko FUJIO
  • Patent number: 10202245
    Abstract: A conveyor device for conveying articles includes: travel units, trays provided for the respective travel units, and infill plates, each covering a clearance left between the trays. A swing bar supports the infill plate so as to vertically swing the infill plate and is provided at a position shifted by a predetermined distance L in a direction opposite to the traveling direction of the travel unit from the position of a coupler connecting the travel unit supporting a plate-tilting shaft and the travel unit traveling ahead, the plate-tilting shaft supporting the infill plate so as to laterally tilt the infill plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshihiko Fujio
  • Publication number: 20190031448
    Abstract: A conveyor device for conveying articles includes: travel units, trays provided for the respective travel units, and infill plates, each covering a clearance left between the trays. A swing bar supports the infill plate so as to vertically swing the infill plate and is provided at a position shifted by a predetermined distance L in a direction opposite to the traveling direction of the travel unit from the position of a coupler connecting the travel unit supporting a plate-tilting shaft and the travel unit traveling ahead, the plate-tilting shaft supporting the infill plate so as to laterally tilt the infill plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Applicant: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshihiko Fujio
  • Patent number: 9950828
    Abstract: A baggage conveyance tray suitable for a sorting conveyor system for conveying baggage at airports has raised wall plate portions protruding on the front and rear both end portions of the tray in the length (conveyance) direction thereof extending in the right-left width direction of the tray. A baggage placement surface located between the front and rear both raised wall plate portions is concave along the length direction such that the central portion in the right-left width direction is lowered while the right and left both sides are raised. Elongated protrusion portions extending along the right-left width direction of the tray are disposed on the baggage placement surface at intervals in the length direction of the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Fujio, Takuya Isomura
  • Patent number: 9725245
    Abstract: A transport conveyor and a transport unit including such a transport conveyor are provided in which the transport conveyor can be made compact in the lateral direction while being compatible with a downstream conveyor whose transport direction is different from that of the transport conveyor. A second transport winding member (9), a first relaying winding member (10), and a second relaying winding member are supported to be swingable about a vertical axis (X1) extending along the vertical direction and located on the other side end portion, along a transport direction, of the transport conveyor (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshihiko Fujio
  • Patent number: 9670000
    Abstract: A non-driving pulley included in the conveyor device has an adjustment collar between a bearing and a shaft of the non-driving pulley. The adjustment collar has an adjustment outer surface inclined relative to a reference axis XB of the shaft. The adjustment collar rotated relative to the shaft changes the state of inclination of the adjustment outer surface supporting the bearing, thereby changing the orientation of the non-driving pulley having the wrapped belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshihiko Fujio
  • Publication number: 20170144840
    Abstract: A transport conveyor and a transport unit including such a transport conveyor are provided in which the transport conveyor can be made compact in the lateral direction while being compatible with a downstream conveyor whose transport direction is different from that of the transport conveyor. A second transport winding member (9), a first relaying winding member (10), and a second relaying winding member are supported to be swingable about a vertical axis (X1) extending along the vertical direction and located on the other side end portion, along a transport direction, of the transport conveyor (5).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Inventor: Yoshihiko Fujio
  • Publication number: 20170088359
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to easily regulate mistracking of a belt revolving between multiple pulleys in a conveyor device. Another object of the present invention is to save the space of a mechanism for regulating mistracking in the conveyor device. A non-driving pulley included in the conveyor device has an adjustment collar between a bearing and a shaft of the non-driving pulley. The adjustment collar has an adjustment outer surface inclined relative to a reference axis XB of the shaft. The adjustment collar rotated relative to the shaft changes the state of inclination of the adjustment outer surface supporting the bearing, thereby changing the orientation of the non-driving pulley having the wrapped belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Applicant: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshihiko Fujio
  • Publication number: 20160264283
    Abstract: A baggage conveyance tray suitable for a sorting conveyor system for conveying baggage at airports has raised wall plate portions protruding on the front and rear both end portions of the tray in the length (conveyance) direction thereof extending in the right-left width direction of the tray. A baggage placement surface located between the front and rear both raised wall plate portions is concave along the length direction such that the central portion in the right-left width direction is lowered while the right and left both sides are raised. Elongated protrusion portions extending along the right-left width direction of the tray are disposed on the baggage placement surface at intervals in the length direction of the tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Fujio, Takuya Isomura
  • Patent number: 9376271
    Abstract: An article transport facility allows transport carriages to travel with sufficient stability while avoiding damages to any transport carriage when the connection to another adjacent transport carriage is disengaged. Each of a plurality of transport carriages, which forms a carriage sequence, includes a carriage main body, a wheel which rolls on a travel surface formed along the travel path, a first connecting portion provided to a forward end portion of the carriage main body, and a second connecting portion provided to a back end portion of the carriage main body. The first connecting portion is connected to the second connecting portion of another transport carriage that is immediately in front so as to be pivotable about a carriage pivot axis extending along a vertical direction. The wheel is provided in the forward end portion of the carriage main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Fujio, Takuya Isomura
  • Publication number: 20160046453
    Abstract: An article transport facility is provided which can allow transport carriages to travel with sufficient stability while avoiding damages to any transport carriage when the connection to another adjacent transport carriage is disengaged. Each of a plurality of transport carriages, which forms a carriage sequence, includes a carriage main body (6), a wheel (8) which rolls on a travel surface (26a) formed along the travel path, a first connecting portion (10) provided to a forward end portion of the carriage main body (6), and a second connecting portion (11) provided to a back end portion of the carriage main body (6). The first connecting portion (10) is connected to the second connecting portion (11) of another transport carriage that is immediately in front so as to be pivotable about a carriage pivot axis (P1) extending along a vertical direction. The wheel (8) is provided in the forward end portion of the carriage main body (6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Fujio, Takuya Isomura
  • Patent number: D755464
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: DAIFUKU CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Fujio, Takuya Isomura