Patents by Inventor Yoshihiro Fukano
Yoshihiro Fukano 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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Publication number: 20130264172Abstract: A stopper cylinder is equipped with a body having a drive unit, a piston mechanism being displaceable along an axial direction in the interior of a tube connected to the body, and a stopper lever connected to the piston mechanism for stopping conveyance of a workpiece. Displacement of the piston mechanism is restricted by an electromagnetic lock mechanism, which is disposed on the body and is excited by supply of electric power. After approaching the workpiece, by releasing a locked state of the electromagnetic lock mechanism, the piston mechanism is displaced to a position facing the workpiece by an elastic force of a spring.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2012Publication date: October 10, 2013Applicant: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yoshihiro FUKANO, Shoichi Makado, Masaki Miyahara
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Patent number: 8523255Abstract: A retaining stud is inserted from a bottom portion of a suction pad that constitutes part of an ejector equipped suction apparatus, and an end of the retaining stud is inserted into an adapter plate. Further, a small diameter portion of a lock plate engages with a lock plate groove, which is exposed externally on the retaining stud, whereby the retaining stud and the lock plate are connected together integrally. In addition, an ejector is fixed using a side wall portion of the adapter plate. A mounting bracket is attached to the adapter plate while covering the lock plate, and a transfer means such as a robot arm or the like is fixed to the mounting bracket using a bolt.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2012Date of Patent: September 3, 2013Assignee: SMC Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshihiro Fukano, Koji Sugano, Yasuhiko Obata, Akira Sasaki
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Patent number: 8495924Abstract: In an electric actuator, a connector is coupled to one end of a screw shaft that makes up a displacement mechanism, the screw shaft being rotatably supported by first and second bearings. Further, on the other end of the screw shaft, a support ring is disposed through a holder, wherein the support ring is slidable along an inner circumferential surface of a piston rod. On the outer circumferential surface of a piston, a rotation-stopping member is provided, which includes projections thereon that project in a radial direction from the outer circumferential surface, the projections being inserted into grooves of said body.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2009Date of Patent: July 30, 2013Assignee: SMC Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshihiro Fukano, Toru Sugiyama, Masaki Miyahara
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Patent number: 8480383Abstract: A solenoid pump is equipped with a housing formed therein with a fluid passage through which a fluid flows from an inlet port to an outlet port, and a movable member, which is displaced based on an excitation state of a solenoid section, for thereby opening and closing the fluid passage. The fluid passage includes an inlet side passage that communicates with the inlet port, an outlet side passage that communicates with the outlet port, and a pump chamber made up of a space in communication with the inlet side passage and the outlet side passage, and surrounded by the housing and an end portion of the movable member. Accompanying displacement thereof, the movable member opens and closes communication between the pump chamber and the outlet side passage.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2011Date of Patent: July 9, 2013Assignee: SMC Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshihiro Fukano, Takamitsu Suzuki
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Publication number: 20130150193Abstract: A tooth-skipping prevention mechanism includes a block, which is inserted displaceably into a first end block in an electric actuator. A cavity having a semicircular shape in cross section is formed in one end of the block facing toward an outer circumferential side of a drive pulley and recessed toward another end side of the block. In addition, the cavity is arranged at a predetermined distance with respect to an outer circumferential surface of a timing belt that is enmeshed with the drive pulley. When the timing belt is moved in a radial outward direction so as to separate away from the drive pulley, movement of the timing belt is restricted, whereby the enmeshed condition of the timing belt and the drive pulley is maintained.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2012Publication date: June 13, 2013Applicant: SMC Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshihiro FUKANO, Shoichi Makado, Masaki Imamura
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Publication number: 20130147183Abstract: A pipe joint contains a body having a fluid passage in the interior thereof, a tightening cap screw-engaged with an end of the body for connecting a tube thereto, and an indicator ring interposed between a stopper of the body and an end of the tightening cap. The indicator ring is equipped with a flat section and an inclined section, which is inclined with respect to the flat section, and is formed with a smaller diameter than an outer circumferential surface of the tightening cap. When the tightening cap is screw-rotated to thereby connect the tube, as a result of the inclined section being pressed and deformed by movement of the tightening cap, the inclined section projects radially outward with respect to the outer circumferential surface of the tightening cap, whereby a tightened condition is visually confirmed by the outer edge of the indicator ring.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2012Publication date: June 13, 2013Applicant: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yoshihiro Fukano, Tadashi Uchino
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Publication number: 20130119284Abstract: A pinch valve includes a spring disposed between a movable iron core of a solenoid and an end cover thereof, and which urges the movable iron core toward the side of a tube provided in a body. An elastic force of the spring is set to be smaller than a reactive force of the tube that is applied to a valve plug. In a non-excited state of the solenoid, the valve plug is pressed toward the solenoid by the reactive force of the tube, so as to enable a fluid to flow through a flow passage of the tube. Conversely, in an excited state of the solenoid, since an attractive force of the movable iron core toward the tube is added to the elastic force of the spring, the valve plug is pressed in opposition to the reactive force of the tube for thereby blocking the flow passage.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 2012Publication date: May 16, 2013Applicant: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yoshihiro FUKANO, Shoichi Makado, Yasuhiro Ushijima
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Publication number: 20130099146Abstract: A solenoid valve. In a solenoid section forming part of the solenoid valve, a sleeve is provided on the inner circumferential side of a bobbin around which a coil is wound. This sleeve is formed from magnetic material and includes a cylindrical section and a flange section formed at a lower end of the cylindrical section. At an upper end of the cylindrical section, a tapered section is formed in which an outer circumferential face is recessed in the radially inward direction. The tapered section is arranged facing and in close contact with the outer circumferential face of a fixed core such that the magnetic flux density in the tapered section increases when the solenoid section is excited.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2011Publication date: April 25, 2013Applicant: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yoshihiro Fukano, Masami Yoshida, Takeshi Karibe
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Publication number: 20130082475Abstract: A vacuum suction apparatus is equipped with a body having a supply port, and a pad provided on a lower portion of the body to which a workpiece can be attracted under suction. The pad is constituted from a base plate accommodated in a space of the body, a flexible intermediate plate provided on a lower portion of the base plate, and a suction sheet body disposed on a lower portion of the intermediate plate and having a sheet that attracts the workpiece under suction. In addition, the base plate, the intermediate plate and the suction sheet body are stacked along an axial direction of the body. The rigidity of the base plate is highest, whereas the rigidities of the intermediate plate and the suction sheet body are lower in this order, and the flexibilities thereof are greater in this order from the base plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2012Publication date: April 4, 2013Applicant: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yoshihiro FUKANO, Shuzo Sakurai, Masahiko Someya
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Patent number: 8382451Abstract: In a constant rate discharge pump, a rotary drive source is disposed on an end of a housing, and on the other end of the housing, a pump head is provided, having a pump chamber into which a fluid is drawn, and a filling chamber filled with an indirect medium. Further, a displacement mechanism having a displacement nut which is displaced under a driving action of the rotary drive source is disposed in the interior of the housing. A bellows is interposed between a tubular body connected to the displacement nut and a first block of the pump head, wherein the interior of the bellows also is filled with the indirect medium, which is made up from an incompressible fluid. Furthermore, a flexible diaphragm is disposed in the pump head between the fluid and the indirect medium.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2009Date of Patent: February 26, 2013Assignee: SMC Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshihiro Fukano, Takamitsu Suzuki
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Patent number: 8353498Abstract: In a manual switching valve, which enables a valve plug to be opened and closed manually, a piston is threadedly engaged with a shaft that is inserted through a housing, wherein a handle having a switching mechanism therein is installed on an upper end of the shaft. After a valve plug is seated on a valve seat, any further turning force applied to the handle is interrupted without being transmitted to the shaft owing to the fact that balls disengage from tooth portions of the shaft.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2007Date of Patent: January 15, 2013Assignee: SMC Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshihiro Fukano, Tadashi Uchino
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Patent number: 8303458Abstract: An automatic speed reduction ratio switching apparatus is equipped with a sun gear connected to an input shaft, first and second carriers connected to a feed screw shaft, planetary gears meshed with the sun gear and which are mounted rotatably in the first and second carriers, and an internal gear meshed with the planetary gears and which is capable of movement in an axial direction. A packing member is arranged between the internal gear and the second carrier, for regulating movement in the axial direction of the internal gear, while enabling movement of the internal gear in the axial direction when a thrust force is applied at or above a predetermined value.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2009Date of Patent: November 6, 2012Assignee: SMC Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshihiro Fukano, Toru Sugiyama, Masaki Imamura
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Patent number: 8303007Abstract: A drive mechanism and a gripper mechanism equipped with the drive mechanism are provided. An electrical gripper includes a drive mechanism equipped with a motor, a feed screw that transmits a rotary drive force from the motor to a feed nut capable of displacement in an axial direction, and a gripper section that grips a workpiece by coupling to the feed nut and being displaced thereby. The drive mechanism further is constituted by a self-locking mechanism, which prevents the feed nut from being retracted as a result of a reactive force received in the event that the feed nut is advanced and the workpiece is gripped by the gripper section.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2008Date of Patent: November 6, 2012Assignee: SMC Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshihiro Fukano, Shoichi Makado
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Publication number: 20120256433Abstract: A retaining stud is inserted from a bottom portion of a suction pad that constitutes part of an ejector equipped suction apparatus, and an end of the retaining stud is inserted into an adapter plate. Further, a small diameter portion of a lock plate engages with a lock plate groove, which is exposed externally on the retaining stud, whereby the retaining stud and the lock plate are connected together integrally. In addition, an ejector is fixed using a side wall portion of the adapter plate. A mounting bracket is attached to the adapter plate while covering the lock plate, and a transfer means such as a robot arm or the like is fixed to the mounting bracket using a bolt.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 3, 2012Publication date: October 11, 2012Applicant: SMC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yoshihiro Fukano, Koji Sugano, Yasuhiko Obata, Akira Sasaki
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Patent number: 8254077Abstract: A solenoid valve driving circuit for a solenoid valve includes a current detector for detecting a current that flows in a solenoid coil, a rate of change over time calculating unit for calculating a rate of change over time of the detected current, and a maintaining state transition determining unit for determining a timing at which transition from a first period to a second period occurs based on the calculated rate of change over time.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2010Date of Patent: August 28, 2012Assignee: SMC Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshihiro Fukano, Shigeharu Oide, Takayoshi Hatou, Hidenori Ogawa
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Publication number: 20120107155Abstract: A solenoid pump is equipped with a housing formed therein with a fluid passage through which a fluid flows from an inlet port to an outlet port, and a movable member, which is displaced based on an excitation state of a solenoid section, for thereby opening and closing the fluid passage. The fluid passage includes an inlet side passage that communicates with the inlet port, an outlet side passage that communicates with the outlet port, and a pump chamber made up of a space in communication with the inlet side passage and the outlet side passage, and surrounded by the housing and an end portion of the movable member. Accompanying displacement thereof, the movable member opens and closes communication between the pump chamber and the outlet side passage.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 11, 2011Publication date: May 3, 2012Applicant: SMC Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshihiro Fukano, Takamitsu Suzuki
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Patent number: D665287Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2012Date of Patent: August 14, 2012Assignee: SMC CorporationInventors: Yoshihiro Fukano, Takamitsu Suzuki
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Patent number: D676111Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2011Date of Patent: February 12, 2013Assignee: SMC CorporationInventors: Yoshihiro Fukano, Takamitsu Suzuki
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Patent number: D685661Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2012Date of Patent: July 9, 2013Assignee: SMC CorporationInventors: Yoshihiro Fukano, Tadashi Uchino
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Patent number: D687730Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2012Date of Patent: August 13, 2013Assignee: SMC Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshihiro Fukano, Tadashi Uchino