Patents Assigned to Nippon ITF Inc.
  • Patent number: 11851741
    Abstract: A hard carbon film that forms a sliding surface of a sliding member, wherein the hard carbon film includes terminal atoms that bond to carbon atoms and has a plurality of protruding shaped parts, part of which protrude from the surface thereof, with the periphery of each of the plurality of protruding shaped parts being terminated by a terminal atom. A manufacturing method for the hard carbon film for producing the hard carbon film on a sliding surface of the sliding member using arc vapor deposition having graphite as the vaporization source, wherein a gas containing the terminal atoms that bond to carbon atoms is introduced, and the plurality of protruding shaped parts is grown on the surface of the hard carbon film while terminating the periphery of the plurality of protruding shaped parts by bonding of the terminal atoms to carbon atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: NIPPON ITF, INC.
    Inventors: Takehiko Ooshiro, Yukako Fukutani, Koji Miyake
  • Patent number: 11293548
    Abstract: A sliding member (10) including a coating film (1) composed of a hard carbon layer on a sliding surface (16) of a base material (11). The coating film has, when a cross section thereof is observed by a bright-field TEM image, a thickness within a range of 1 ?m to 50 ?m, and is configured by repeating units including black hard carbon layers (B), relatively shown in black, and white hard carbon layers (W), relatively shown in white, and laminated in a thickness direction, and comprise an inclined region, provided on a base material side, where thicknesses of white hard carbon layers (W) of the repeating units gradually increase in a thickness direction, and a homogeneous region\, provided on a surface side of the sliding member, where thicknesses of the white hard carbon layers (W) of the repeating units are the same or substantially the same in the thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignees: NIPPON PISTON RING CO., LTD, NIPPON ITF, INC
    Inventors: Takahiro Okazaki, Yoshihiro Ito, Hiroyuki Sugiura, Shinya Kanazawa, Hideki Moriguchi, Akinori Shibata, Takehiko Ooshiro
  • Patent number: 11261519
    Abstract: The purpose of the invention is to provide technology, which, in addition to being capable of forming thick hard carbon films of excellent durability even using PVD, is able to establish both chipping resistance and wear resistance in the formed hard carbon film and able to improve low friction properties and peeling resistance. Provided is a coating film to be coated on the surface of a substrate, the coating film having a total film thickness of greater than 1 ?m to 50 ?m wherein: when a cross-section is observed using bright field TEM images, white hard carbon layers that are shown as relatively white and black hard carbon layers that are shown as black are alternately laminated in the thickness direction; and the white hard carbon layers have regions that have grown in a fan-shape in the thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignees: NIPPON ITF, INC., NIPPON PISTON RING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideki Moriguchi, Akinori Shibata, Takehiko Ooshiro, Yoshihiro Ito, Takahiro Okazaki, Hiroyuki Sugiura
  • Patent number: 11247903
    Abstract: Provided is a physical vapor deposition (PVD) method in which a thick, hard carbon film having excellent durability can be formed, and chipping resistance and wear resistance can bot be achieved while improving the low friction properties and peeling resistance of the formed hard carbon film. Provided is a coating film having a total film thickness of greater than 1 ?m and less than or equal to 50 ?m, wherein, when observed using a bright field TEM image, the cross section of the coating film is revealed to consist of relatively white hard carbon layers and relatively black hard carbon layers alternately stacked in the thickness direction, and the white hard carbon layers have a region having a columns-shape, which has grown in the thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: NIPPON ITF, INC.
    Inventors: Hideki Moriguchi, Akinori Shibata
  • Publication number: 20210156021
    Abstract: A hard carbon film that forms a sliding surface of a sliding member, wherein the hard carbon film includes terminal atoms that bond to carbon atoms and has a plurality of protruding shaped parts, part of which protrude from the surface thereof, with the periphery of each of the plurality of protruding shaped parts being terminated by a terminal atom. A manufacturing method for the hard carbon film for producing the hard carbon film on a sliding surface of the sliding member using arc vapor deposition having graphite as the vaporization source, wherein a gas containing the terminal atoms that bond to carbon atoms is introduced, and the plurality of protruding shaped parts is grown on the surface of the hard carbon film while terminating the periphery of the plurality of protruding shaped parts by bonding of the terminal atoms to carbon atoms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: NIPPON ITF, INC.
    Inventors: Takehiko OOSHIRO, Yukako FUKUTANI, Koji MIYAKE
  • Publication number: 20200217416
    Abstract: A sliding member (10) including a coating film (1) composed of a hard carbon layer on a sliding surface (16) of a base material (11). The coating film has, when a cross section thereof is observed by a bright-field TEM image, a thickness within a range of 1 ?m to 50 ?m, and is configured by repeating units including black hard carbon layers (B), relatively shown in black, and white hard carbon layers (W), relatively shown in white, and laminated in a thickness direction, and comprise an inclined region, provided on a base material side, where thicknesses of white hard carbon layers (W) of the repeating units gradually increase in a thickness direction, and a homogeneous region\, provided on a surface side of the sliding member, where thicknesses of the white hard carbon layers (W) of the repeating units are the same or substantially the same in the thickness direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Applicants: NIPPON PISTON RING CO., LTD., NIPPON ITF, INC.
    Inventors: Takahiro OKAZAKI, Yoshihiro ITO, Hiroyuki SUGIURA, Shinya KANAZAWA, Hideki MORIGUCHI, Akinori SHIBATA, Takehiko OOSHIRO
  • Patent number: 10634249
    Abstract: A piston ring in which carbon films with film qualities optimized to be adapted to required performance are formed on an outer circumferential sliding surface and top and bottom surfaces thereof with good productivity is provided, and a high-performance engine which employs the piston ring is also provided. In the piston ring, a carbon film is formed on an outer circumferential sliding surface and top and bottom surfaces. The carbon film contains a stacking of at least two types of carbon film layers with different film qualities, and a thickness ratio of the two types of carbon film layers is different between the outer circumferential sliding surface and the top and bottom surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignees: Nippon ITF, Inc., Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiko Ooshiro, Koji Miyake, Masanori Tsujioka, Satoshi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10458548
    Abstract: Provided is a piston ring having excellent low-friction properties and abrasion resistance manufactured without the need for precision control using an ordinary film formation device that does not have a special function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignees: NIPPON ITF, INC., Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiko Ooshiro, Koji Miyake, Masanori Tsujioka, Satoshi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10457885
    Abstract: Provided are a coating film, a manufacturing method for the same, and a PVD device that not only sufficiently improve the balance of low-friction properties and wear resistance, but also improve chipping resistance and peeling resistance. This film is coated on a substrate surface, wherein the coating film has a hard carbon that presents relatively black and white when observed in a cross-sectional bright-field TEM image, a mesh-shaped hard carbon layer is formed using a PVD method, said layer having white-colored hard carbon in a mesh shape extending in the thickness direction and black-colored hard carbon dispersed into the cavities in the mesh, and the ID/IG ratio is 1-6 when the mesh-shaped hard carbon layer is measured using Raman spectroscopy, said ratio being the ratio of the Raman spectrum D band peak area intensity and G band peak area intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignees: NIPPON ITF, INC., NIPPON PISTON RING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideki Moriguchi, Tadashi Saito, Yoshikazu Tanaka, Akinori Shibata, Tetsumi Arahi, Katsuaki Ogawa, Takahiro Okazaki, Hiroyuki Sugiura, Yoshihiro Ito
  • Patent number: 10428416
    Abstract: Provided are a coating film, a manufacturing method for the same, and a PVD device that not only sufficiently improve the balance of low-friction properties and wear resistance, but also improve chipping resistance (defect resistance) and peeling resistance. This coating film coats a substrate surface, wherein a hard carbon layer is formed extending in columns-shape perpendicular to the substrate when observed in a cross-sectional bright-field TEM image, the hard carbon layer is formed using a PVD method, and the ID/IG ratio is 1-6 when the hard carbon layer is measured using Raman spectroscopy, said ratio being the ratio of the Raman spectrum D band peak area intensity and G band peak area intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignees: NIPPON ITF, INC., NIPPON PISTON RING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideki Moriguchi, Tadashi Saito, Yoshikazu Tanaka, Tetsumi Arahi, Katsuaki Ogawa, Takahiro Okazaki, Hiroyuki Sugiura, Yoshihiro Ito
  • Publication number: 20190100434
    Abstract: Provided is a physical vapor deposition (PVD) method in which a thick, hard carbon film having excellent durability can be formed, and chipping resistance and wear resistance can bot be achieved while improving the low friction properties and peeling resistance of the formed hard carbon film. Provided is a coating film having a total film thickness of greater than 1 ?m and less than or equal to 50 ?m, wherein, when observed using a bright field TEM image, the cross section of the coating film is revealed to consist of relatively white hard carbon layers and relatively black hard carbon layers alternately stacked in the thickness direction, and the white hard carbon layers have a region having a columns-shape, which has grown in the thickness direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    Applicant: NIPPON ITF, INC.
    Inventors: Hideki MORIGUCHI, Akinori SHIBATA
  • Publication number: 20180371608
    Abstract: The purpose of the invention is to provide technology, which, in addition to being capable of forming thick hard carbon films of excellent durability even using PVD, is able to establish both chipping resistance and wear resistance in the formed hard carbon film and able to improve low friction properties and peeling resistance. Provided is a coating film to be coated on the surface of a substrate, the coating film having a total film thickness of greater than 1 ?m to 50 ?m wherein: when a cross-section is observed using bright field TEM images, white hard carbon layers that are shown as relatively white and black hard carbon layers that are shown as black are alternately laminated in the thickness direction; and the white hard carbon layers have regions that have grown in a fan-shape in the thickness direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Applicants: NIPPON ITF, INC., NIPPON PISTON RING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideki MORIGUCHI, Akinori SHIBATA, Takehiko OOSHIRO, Yoshihiro ITO, Takahiro OKAZAKI, Hiroyuki SUGIURA
  • Publication number: 20180238450
    Abstract: Provided is a piston ring having excellent low-friction properties and abrasion resistance manufactured without the need for precision control using an ordinary film formation device that does not have a special function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Applicants: NIPPON ITF, INC., Honda Motor Co.,Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiko OOSHIRO, Koji MIYAKE, Masanori TSUJIOKA, Satoshi YOSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20180231125
    Abstract: A piston ring in which carbon films with film qualities optimized to be adapted to required performance are formed on an outer circumferential sliding surface and top and bottom surfaces thereof with good productivity is provided, and a high-performance engine which employs the piston ring is also provided. In the piston ring, a carbon film is formed on an outer circumferential sliding surface and top and bottom surfaces. The carbon film contains a stacking of at least two types of carbon film layers with different film qualities, and a thickness ratio of the two types of carbon film layers is different between the outer circumferential sliding surface and the top and bottom surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Applicants: Nippon ITF, Inc., Honda Motor Co.,Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiko OOSHIRO, Koji MIYAKE, Masanori TSUJIOKA, Satoshi YOSHIDA
  • Patent number: 9953808
    Abstract: Provided is an arc evaporation source for melting and evaporating a cathode material by arc discharge for film formation on a surface of a substrate, and including a cathode formed in a substantially disc shape and a magnetic field generating apparatus, disposed at a back side of the cathode. The magnetic field generating apparatus generates a magnetic field which forms magnetic lines that form an acute angle with respect to a substrate direction at an outer circumferential surface of the cathode, magnetic lines that are substantially perpendicular to the discharge surface at an outermost circumference part of the discharge surface of the cathode, and magnetic lines that form an acute angle with respect to a center direction of the cathode at a region towards the outer circumferential surface of the discharge surface of the cathode, by at least one permanent magnet disposed at the back side of the cathode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: NIPPON ITF, INC.
    Inventors: Naoto Okazaki, Ken Yoshihara, Hiroshi Ishizuka, Tomoyasu Matsuno, Shinji Narahara
  • Publication number: 20170306257
    Abstract: Provided are a coating film, a manufacturing method for the same, and a PVD device that not only sufficiently improve the balance of low-friction properties and wear resistance, but also improve chipping resistance and peeling resistance. This film is coated on a substrate surface, wherein the coating film has a hard carbon that presents relatively black and white when observed in a cross-sectional bright-field TEM image, a mesh-shaped hard carbon layer is formed using a PVD method, said layer having white-colored hard carbon in a mesh shape extending in the thickness direction and black-colored hard carbon dispersed into the cavities in the mesh, and the ID/IG ratio is 1-6 when the mesh-shaped hard carbon layer is measured using Raman spectroscopy, said ratio being the ratio of the Raman spectrum D band peak area intensity and G band peak area intensity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Applicants: NIPPON ITF, INC., NIPPON PISTON RING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideki MORIGUCHI, Tadashi SAITO, Yoshikazu TANAKA, Akinori SHIBATA, Tetsumi ARAHI, Katsuaki OGAWA, Takahiro OKAZAKI, Hiroyuki SUGIURA, Yoshihiro ITO
  • Publication number: 20170283935
    Abstract: Provided are a coating film, a manufacturing method for the same, and a PVD device that not only sufficiently improve the balance of low-friction properties and wear resistance, but also improve chipping resistance (defect resistance) and peeling resistance. This coating film coats a substrate surface, wherein a hard carbon layer is formed extending in columns-shape perpendicular to the substrate when observed in a cross-sectional bright-field TEM image, the hard carbon layer is formed using a PVD method, and the ID/IG ratio is 1-6 when the hard carbon layer is measured using Raman spectroscopy, said ratio being the ratio of the Raman spectrum D band peak area intensity and G band peak area intensity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Applicants: NIPPON ITF, INC., NIPPON PISTON RING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideki MORIGUCHI, Tadashi SAITO, Yoshikazu TANAKA, Tetsumi ARAHI, Katsuaki OGAWA, Takahiro OKAZAKI, Hiroyuki SUGIURA, Yoshihiro ITO
  • Publication number: 20130129264
    Abstract: A lubricant oil composition containing an organic molybdenum compound which contains at least either one of a nitrogen (N) atom and an oxygen (O) atom in the molecule thereof and which may optionally contain a sulfur (S) atom, wherein a sulfur content of the organic molybdenum compound is 0.5% by mass or less based on the organic molybdenum compound. The lubricant oil composition, when used as a lubricant oil for a low-friction sliding material, exhibits an extremely low friction coefficient. A sliding mechanism having excellent low-friction property and wear resistance can be provided by combining the lubricant oil composition and a sliding member having a DLC film on its sliding face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicants: NIPPON ITF, INC., IDEMITSU KOSAN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuaki Watanabe, Masashi Kaji, Masanori Tsujioka, Koji Miyake
  • Publication number: 20120177915
    Abstract: Provided by the present invention is a lubricating oil composition showing a very low frictional coefficient when used as a lubricating oil for a low friction sliding material prepared by blending with an additive selected from a specific phosphorus-zinc-containing compound and a specific sulfur-containing compound, and a sliding mechanism having an excellent low frictional property in which a DLC film containing 5 to 50 atom % of hydrogen is formed or a sliding mechanism having an excellent low frictional property in which 1 to 30 atom % of tungsten (W) or molybdenum (Mo) is contained is provided by combining the above lubricating oil composition with a sliding member having a film of a specific low frictional sliding material on a sliding face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicants: NIPPON ITF INC., IDEMITSU KOSAN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Moritsugu Kasai, Ryou Yamada, Masanori Tsujioka, Koji Miyake
  • Publication number: 20120172266
    Abstract: Provided by the present invention is a lubricating oil composition showing, though containing ZnDTP as an abrasion resistant agent, a low friction coefficient when used as a lubricating oil for a low friction sliding material, that is, a specific lubricating oil composition which is prepared by blending a lubricant base oil with (A) a specific alkali earth metal-containing cleaning agent, (B) a specific boron-non-containing succinimide base ashless dispersant, (C) a zinc dialkyldithiophosphate and (D) a specific sulfur base compound and which is used for a low friction sliding material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicants: NIPPON ITF INC., IDEMITSU KOSAN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Moritsugu Kasai, Ryou Yamada, Masanori Tsujioka, Koji Miyake