Patents by Inventor Naoaki Sonoda

Naoaki Sonoda 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: 11168186
    Abstract: Provided is a reinforcing fiber mat including a reinforcing fiber mat constituted by reinforcing fibers having an average fiber length of 3 to 100 mm. The reinforcing fibers satisfy the following i) to iv): i) a weight-average fiber width (Ww) of the reinforcing fibers satisfies the following Equation (1): 0.03 mm<Ww<5.0 mm ??(1); ii) an average fiber width dispersion ratio (Ww/Wn) defined as a ratio of the weight-average fiber width (Ww) to a number-average fiber width (Wn) of the reinforcing fibers is 1.8 or more and 20.0 or less; iii) a weight-average fiber thickness of the reinforcing fibers is smaller than the weight-average fiber width (Ww); and iv) a fiber width distribution of the reinforcing fibers included in the reinforcing fiber mat has at least two peaks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Teijin Limited
    Inventors: Naoaki Sonoda, Makoto Ootsubo, Takeru Ohki
  • Patent number: 11021583
    Abstract: There is provided a random mat including carbon fibers and a matrix resin, wherein the carbon fibers in the random mat have an average fiber length in a range of 3 mm to 100 mm, a fiber areal weight of the carbon fibers is 25 to 10,000 g/m2, the carbon fibers include a specific carbon fiber bundles having a specific opening degree in a specific amount per the total carbon fibers, and the specific carbon fiber bundles with a thickness of 100 ?m or more are included in a ratio of less than 3% of the number of the total specific carbon fiber bundles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Teijin Limited
    Inventors: Yuhei Konagai, Katsuyuki Hagihara, Takeshi Naito, Naoaki Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20200332077
    Abstract: Provided is a reinforcing fiber mat including a reinforcing fiber mat constituted by reinforcing fibers having an average fiber length of 3 to 100 mm. The reinforcing fibers satisfy the following i) to iv): i) a weight-average fiber width (Ww) of the reinforcing fibers satisfies the following Equation (1): 0.03 mm<Ww<5.0 mm (1); ii) an average fiber width dispersion ratio (Ww/Wn) defined as a ratio of the weight-average fiber width (Ww) to a number-average fiber width (Wn) of the reinforcing fibers is 1.8 or more and 20.0 or less; iii) a weight-average fiber thickness of the reinforcing fibers is smaller than the weight-average fiber width (Ww); and iv) a fiber width distribution of the reinforcing fibers included in the reinforcing fiber mat has at least two peaks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventors: Naoaki Sonoda, Makoto Ootsubo, Takeru Ohki
  • Patent number: 10738168
    Abstract: Provided is a fiber-reinforced composite material shaped product having isotropy and mechanical strength and a random mat used as an intermediate material thereof. The random mat includes reinforcing fibers having an average fiber length of 3 to 100 mm and a thermoplastic resin, in which the reinforcing fibers satisfy the following i) to iii). i) A weight-average fiber width (Ww) of the reinforcing fibers satisfies the following Equation (1). 0.03 mm<Ww<5.0 mm??(1) ii) An average fiber width dispersion ratio (Ww/Wn) defined as a ratio of the weight-average fiber width (Ww) to a number-average fiber width (Wn) of the reinforcing fibers is 1.8 or more and 20.0 or less. iii) A weight-average fiber thickness of the reinforcing fibers is smaller than the weight-average fiber width (Ww).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Teijin Limited
    Inventors: Naoaki Sonoda, Makoto Ootsubo, Takeru Ohki
  • Patent number: 10406762
    Abstract: A carbon-fiber-reinforced resin composite material includes: carbon fibers including carbon fiber bundles and a thermoplastic resin, in which (1) a coefficient of variation (CV1) of a total areal weight of the carbon-fiber-reinforced resin composite material is 10% or lower, (2) a coefficient of variation (CV2) of a carbon fiber volume fraction (Vf) in the carbon-fiber-reinforced resin composite material which is defined by Expression (a) is 15% or lower, and (3) a weight average fiber length of the carbon fibers is 1 to 100 mm. Carbon Fiber Volume Fraction (Vf)=100×Volume of Carbon Fibers/(Volume of Carbon Fibers+Volume of Thermoplastic Resin)??Expression (a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Teijin Limited
    Inventors: Shuhei Onoue, Makoto Ootsubo, Yasunori Nagakura, Naoaki Sonoda
  • Patent number: 10208174
    Abstract: There is provided a random mat including reinforcing fibers having an average fiber length of 3 to 100 mm and a thermoplastic resin, wherein the reinforcing fibers satisfy the following i) to iii). i) The reinforcing fibers have a weight-average fiber width (Ww) which satisfies the following equation (1). 0 mm<Ww<2.8 mm??(1) ii) The reinforcing fibers have an average-fiber-width dispersion ratio (Ww/Wn), which is defined as a ratio of the weight-average fiber width (Ww) to a number-average fiber width (Wn), of 1.00 or more and 2.00 or less. iii) The reinforcing fibers have a weight-average fiber thickness which is smaller than the weight-average fiber width (Ww) thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Teijin Limited
    Inventors: Naoaki Sonoda, Makoto Ootsubo, Takeru Ohki
  • Publication number: 20180244875
    Abstract: There is provided a random mat including carbon fibers and a matrix resin, wherein the carbon fibers in the random mat have an average fiber length in a range of 3 mm to 100 mm, a fiber areal weight of the carbon fibers is 25 to 10,000 g/m2, the carbon fibers include a specific carbon fiber bundles having a specific opening degree in a specific amount per the total carbon fibers, and the specific carbon fiber bundles with a thickness of 100 ?m or more are included in a ratio of less than 3% of the number of the total specific carbon fiber bundles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Inventors: Yuhei Konagai, Katsuyuki Hagihara, Takeshi Naito, Naoaki Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20180134857
    Abstract: There is provided a random mat including reinforcing fibers having an average fiber length of 3 to 100 mm and a thermoplastic resin, wherein the reinforcing fibers satisfy the following i) to iii). i) The reinforcing fibers have a weight-average fiber width (Ww) which satisfies the following equation (1). 0 mm<Ww<2.8 mm (1) ii) The reinforcing fibers have an average-fiber-width dispersion ratio (Ww/Wn), which is defined as a ratio of the weight-average fiber width (Ww) to a number-average fiber width (Wn), of 1.00 or more and 2.00 or less. iii) The reinforcing fibers have a weight-average fiber thickness which is smaller than the weight-average fiber width (Ww) thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2018
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Inventors: Naoaki Sonoda, Makoto Ootsubo, Takeru Ohki
  • Patent number: 9909253
    Abstract: There is provided a random mat including carbon fibers having an average fiber length of from 3 mm to 100 mm and a thermoplastic resin, wherein a fiber areal weight of the carbon fibers is from 25 to 10,000 g/m2, a proportion of carbon fiber bundles (A) constituted by single carbon filaments of a critical single fiber number or more defined by the formula (1) to the total amount of fibers in the random mat is from 40 to 99 Vol %, and an average number (N) of fibers in the carbon fiber bundles (A) satisfies the formula (2): critical single fiber number=600/D??(1) 2.0×105/D2?N<8.0×105/D2??(2) wherein D is an average fiber diameter (?m) of carbon fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Teijin Limited
    Inventors: Naoaki Sonoda, Takeru Ohki, Katsuyuki Hagihara
  • Patent number: 9884954
    Abstract: A random mat contains reinforcing fibers having an average fiber length of 3 to 100 mm and a thermoplastic resin, the reinforcing fiber contains reinforcing fiber bundle (A) defined as the bundle composed of the reinforcing fibers of a critical number of single fiber (defined by the following formula (1)) or more, an average thickness of the reinforcing fiber bundles (A) is 100 ?m or less, and the number (n) of the reinforcing fiber bundles (A) per unit weight (g) of the reinforcing fibers satisfies the following formula (I): Critical number of single fiber=600/D (1) (wherein D is the average fiber diameter (?m) of the reinforcing fiber), and 0.65×104/L<N (I) (wherein L is the average fiber length (mm) of the reinforcing fiber).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Teijin Limited
    Inventors: Naoaki Sonoda, Yuhei Konagai, Katsuyuki Hagihara
  • Publication number: 20180001577
    Abstract: A carbon-fiber-reinforced resin composite material includes: carbon fibers including carbon fiber bundles and a thermoplastic resin, in which (1) a coefficient of variation (CV1) of a total areal weight of the carbon-fiber-reinforced resin composite material is 10% or lower, (2) a coefficient of variation (CV2) of a carbon fiber volume fraction (Vf) in the carbon-fiber-reinforced resin composite material which is defined by Expression (a) is 15% or lower, and (3) a weight average fiber length of the carbon fibers is 1 to 100 mm. Carbon Fiber Volume Fraction (Vf)=100×Volume of Carbon Fibers/(Volume of Carbon Fibers+Volume of Thermoplastic Resin) . . . Expression (a).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Applicant: Teijin Limited
    Inventors: Shuhei Onoue, Makoto Ootsubo, Yasunori Nagakura, Naoaki Sonoda
  • Patent number: 9580568
    Abstract: There is provided a fiber-reinforced composite material is constituted by reinforcing fibers with an average fiber length of 5 mm to 100 mm and a thermoplastic resin, in which in a viscoelastic characteristic that is defined by following formulas (1) and (2), an average value in a range of ?25° C. of the melting point of a matrix resin to +25° C. of the melting point of a matrix resin satisfies following formula (3): tan ?=G?/G???(1) tan ??=Vf×tan ?/(100?Vf)??(2) 0.01?tan ???0.2??(3) wherein G? represents a storage modulus (Pa) of the fiber-reinforced composite material, G? represents a loss modulus (Pa) of the fiber-reinforced composite material, and Vf represents a volume fraction (%) of the reinforcing fibers in the fiber-reinforced composite material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Teijin Limited
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Hagihara, Yuhei Konagai, Naoaki Sonoda, Masatomo Teshima
  • Patent number: 9193840
    Abstract: A composite material includes: carbon fibers having an average fiber length of more than about 10 mm and about 100 mm or less; and a thermoplastic resin. The carbon fibers are substantially two-dimensionally-randomly oriented. The composite material includes a carbon fiber bundle (A) in a ratio of about 30 volume % or more and less than about 90 volume % to a total volume of the carbon fibers, the carbon fiber bundle (A) including the carbon fibers of a critical single fiber number defined by formula (1) or more. An average number (N) of the carbon fibers in the carbon fiber bundle (A) satisfies formula (2). Critical single fiber number=600/D??(1) 6×104/D2<N<2×105/D2??(2) D is an average fiber diameter (?m) of the carbon fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Teijin Limited
    Inventors: Yuhei Konagai, Yutaka Kondo, Naoaki Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20150292145
    Abstract: There is provided a random mat including carbon fibers having an average fiber length of from 3 mm to 100 mm and a thermoplastic resin, wherein a fiber areal weight of the carbon fibers is from 25 to 10,000 g/m2, a proportion of carbon fiber bundles (A) constituted by single carbon filaments of a critical single fiber number or more defined by the formula (1) to the total amount of fibers in the random mat is from 40 to 99 Vol %, and an average number (N) of fibers in the carbon fiber bundles (A) satisfies the formula (2): critical single fiber number=600/D??(1) 2.0×105/D2?N<8.0×105/D2??(2) wherein D is an average fiber diameter (?m) of carbon fibers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Applicant: Teijin Limited
    Inventors: Naoaki Sonoda, Takeru Ohki, Katsuyuki Hagihara
  • Publication number: 20150258762
    Abstract: There is provided a method of producing a random mat for manufacturing a thermoplastic composite material, including: slitting continuously a strand including reinforcing fibers in a longitudinal direction of the strand to form a plurality of reinforcing fiber strands with narrow width; cutting the reinforcing fiber strands with narrow width continuously to be an average fiber length of 3 mm to 100 mm to form reinforcing fiber strand pieces; spraying gas onto the cut reinforcing fiber strand pieces for opening the reinforcing fiber strand pieces to form reinforcing fiber bundle pieces; and depositing and fixing the reinforcing fiber bundle pieces onto a breathable support together with a thermoplastic resin in a powder or short fibrous form to form an isotropic random mat in which the reinforcing fibers and the thermoplastic resin are mixed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Applicant: Teijin Limited
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Hagihara, Yuhei Konagai, Naoaki Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20150203663
    Abstract: A random mat contains reinforcing fibers having an average fiber length of 3 to 100 mm and a thermoplastic resin, the reinforcing fiber contains reinforcing fiber bundle (A) defined as the bundle composed of the reinforcing fibers of a critical number of single fiber (defined by the following formula (1)) or more, an average thickness of the reinforcing fiber bundles (A) is 100 ?m or less, and the number (n) of the reinforcing fiber bundles (A) per unit weight (g) of the reinforcing fibers satisfies the following formula (I): Critical number of single fiber=600/D (1) (wherein D is the average fiber diameter (?m) of the reinforcing fiber), and 0.65×104/L<N (I) (wherein L is the average fiber length (mm) of the reinforcing fiber).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Applicant: Teijin Limited
    Inventors: Naoaki Sonoda, Yuhei Konagai, Katsuyuki Hagihara
  • Publication number: 20150203642
    Abstract: Provided is a fiber-reinforced composite material shaped product having isotropy and mechanical strength and a random mat used as an intermediate material thereof. The random mat includes reinforcing fibers having an average fiber length of 3 to 100 mm and a thermoplastic resin, in which the reinforcing fibers satisfy the following i) to iii). i) A weight-average fiber width (Ww) of the reinforcing fibers satisfies the following Equation (1). 0.03 mm<Ww<5.0 mm??(1) ii) An average fiber width dispersion ratio (Ww/Wn) defined as a ratio of the weight-average fiber width (Ww) to a number-average fiber width (Wn) of the reinforcing fibers is 1.8 or more and 20.0 or less. iii) A weight-average fiber thickness of the reinforcing fibers is smaller than the weight-average fiber width (Ww).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Applicant: TEIJIN LIMITED
    Inventors: Naoaki Sonoda, Makoto Ootsubo, Takeru Ohki
  • Publication number: 20150158984
    Abstract: There is provided a random mat including reinforcing fibers having an average fiber length of 3 to 100 mm and a thermoplastic resin, wherein the reinforcing fibers satisfy the following i) to iii). i) The reinforcing fibers have a weight-average fiber width (Ww) which satisfies the following equation (1). 0 mm<Ww<2.8 mm ??(1) ii) The reinforcing fibers have an average-fiber-width dispersion ratio (Ww/Wn), which is defined as a ratio of the weight-average fiber width (Ww) to a number-average fiber width (Wn), of 1.00 or more and 2.00 or less. iii) The reinforcing fibers have a weight-average fiber thickness which is smaller than the weight-average fiber width (Ww) thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Applicant: Teijin Limited
    Inventors: Naoaki Sonoda, Makoto Ootsubo, Takeru Ohki
  • Publication number: 20150044455
    Abstract: There is provided a random mat including carbon fibers and a matrix resin, wherein the carbon fibers in the random mat have an average fiber length in a range of 3 mm to 100 mm, a fiber areal weight of the carbon fibers is 25 to 10,000 g/m2, the carbon fibers include a specific carbon fiber bundles having a specific opening degree in a specific amount per the total carbon fibers, and the specific carbon fiber bundles with a thickness of 100 ?m or more are included in a ratio of less than 3% of the number of the total specific carbon fiber bundles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: TEIJIN LIMITED
    Inventors: Yuhei Konagai, Katsuyuki Hagihara, Takeshi Naito, Naoaki Sonoda
  • Patent number: 8946342
    Abstract: There is provided a random mat of the present invention including: reinforcing fibers having an average fiber length of 5 to 100 mm; and a thermoplastic resin, wherein a fiber areal weight of the reinforcing fibers is from 25 to 3,000 g/m2, for a reinforcing fiber bundle (A) including the reinforcing fibers equivalent to or more than a critical single fiber number defined by formula (1), a ratio of the reinforcing fiber bundle (A) to a total amount of the reinforcing fibers in the mat is from 30 vol % to less than 90 vol %, and an average number (N) of the reinforcing fibers in the reinforcing fiber bundle (A) satisfies formula (2): Critical single fiber number=600/D??(1) 0.7×104/D2<N<1×105/D2??(2) wherein D is an average fiber diameter (?m) of single reinforcing fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Teijin Limited
    Inventors: Yuhei Konagai, Naoaki Sonoda, Noboru Okimoto, Katsuyuki Hagihara