Patents Assigned to Nippon Light Metal Company, Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20140308602
    Abstract: Provided are a collector plate for a fuel cell, which has low contact resistance and excellent corrosion resistance, and can be reliably used for a long period of time, while exhibiting excellent cost performance, and a method of producing the collector plate for a fuel cell. A collector plate for a fuel cell (1), which is provided on both ends of a cell stack in which a plurality of fuel cell units are stacked and is used for collecting current, includes: an aluminum substrate (2) formed of aluminum or an aluminum alloy; and an Ni plating film (4); a noble metal plating film (5) including one or more noble metals selected from the group consisting of Pd, Pt, Ag, Rh, Ir, Os, and Ru; and an Au plating film (6), the films being formed on one surface of the aluminum substrate (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: Nippon Light Metal Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yosuke Nishikawa, Yoshiyuki Hatazawa, Yoshihiro Taguchi, Toshihiro Nakagawa, Atsushi Oota
  • Patent number: 8845781
    Abstract: Provided are a method and an apparatus for melting an aluminum powder, which are capable of melting the aluminum powder with a high yield and allow the melted aluminum to be reused for a variety of applications. The method for melting the aluminum powder includes the steps of: preparing a mixture (M) including an aluminum powder (A) and a fluoride-based flux (F) by previously mixing the aluminum powder (A) and the fluoride-based flux (F); and melting the mixture (M) in molten aluminum (L).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignees: Toyo Aluminium Kabushiki Kaisha, Nippon Light Metal Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Ishiwata, Kazumi Tono, Yuji Suzuki, Akira Kato, Kazuya Higashimura, Akiei Tanaka, Katsuya Moriguchi
  • Publication number: 20140283577
    Abstract: An extrusion die is provided with a male die through which a billet is extruded from an upstream side to a downstream side and, the male die adapted for forming an inside shape of a hollow material; and a female die for holding the male die and forming an outside shape of the hollow material. The male die is formed of a spider and a holder for holding the spider. The spider is formed of a mandrel and a plurality of bridge parts for supporting the mandrel, and enabling a distal-end outer peripheral surface to engage with a bridge-holding surface. The distal-end outer peripheral surface of each of the bridge parts and the bridge-holding surface of the holder are joined by shrink-fitting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicants: Nikkeiken Aluminium Core Technology Company, Ltd., Nippon Light Metal Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Haisei Hayashi, Yuji Mochizuki, Shigenori Saito, Kenji Yuza, Hiroaki Sata, Hirofumi Sugihara
  • Publication number: 20140283652
    Abstract: Provided is a method of recovering rare-earth elements, including causing rare-earth elements particularly including Nd and Dy to leach efficiently from a raw material for leaching which contains the rare-earth elements, and separating and recovering the rare-earth elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kaoru Sugita, Yuji Ota, Yoshihiro Taguchi, Satoshi Takeda
  • Patent number: 8822607
    Abstract: A substrate for biochips which has a high probe loading amounts and a uniform immobilization density, and which further has a high detection sensitivity and a high reproducibility by preventing a non-specific adsorption of proteins, when used as a substrate for biochips for immobilizing probes composed of biologically relevant substances such as proteins and nucleic acids, is disclosed. Amino groups can be bound to the surface of the substrate uniformly, at a high density and stably by covalently immobilizing an amino group-containing polymer on the surface of the substrate. The probe immobilization rate is high and immobilizing density was uniform by immobilizing a probe composed of a biologically relevant substance such as a protein or nucleic acid by utilizing the amino groups. Further, detection sensitivity and reproducibility are high by inhibiting non-specific adsorption of proteins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignees: Hipep Laboratories, Nippon Light Metal Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Nokihara, Akiyoshi Hirata, Yasuo Oka, Yasushi Takebayashi
  • Patent number: 8814027
    Abstract: The present invention provides an economic rotation tool for joining a pair of metal members which form an inner corner by abutting the pair of metal members (1) each other, and a joining inner corner method using the same. The rotation tool for joining the pair of metal members which form an inner corner (1) by abutting the pair of metal members each other to perform friction stir welding on an inner corner portion formed by abutting a pair of metal members against each other comprising: a stirring pin (3) to be inserted into the inner corner portion; and a base block (2) supporting the stirring pin (3) and to be brought into contact with one and the other of the pair of metal members respectively, wherein the base block (2) includes: a body portion (4) having a taper shape; and a shoulder portion (5) formed detachably at a tip of the body portion, and the body portion (4) and the shoulder portion (5) are penetrated by the stirring pin (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Nippon Light Metal Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisashi Hori, Nobushiro Seo
  • Publication number: 20140231052
    Abstract: Provided is a precoated fin material for heat exchangers that allows the construction of a fin structure in which frost formation at the time of heater operation can be prevented to the extent possible, and under such a condition that condensation is liable to occur on a fin surface, a water droplet of condensed water can be quickly removed by bringing the water droplet into contact with a hydrophilic film, and as a result, a favorable heat exchange function can be maintained without any increase in ventilation resistance. Also provided is a heat exchanger including such fin structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Reiko Takasawa, Toru Ishii
  • Publication number: 20140224071
    Abstract: It is an objective of the present invention to provide a cap opening tool set that enables the user of a container to reduce surely an inner pressure of the container and loosen smoothly a screw cap even if the user has only a weak arm power. A cap opening tool set according to the present invention includes a ring and a cap opener. The ring includes a guide section for facing a circumferential surface section of a screw cap. The cap opener includes a head to be placed over the screw cap and arms extending from the head. The head includes a contact section, a top-surface facing section, and a needle. The contact section enters a space formed between the screw cap and the guide section and presses the circumferential surface section of the screw cap. The needle penetrates the top surface section of the screw cap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicants: UCC Ueshima Coffee Co., Ltd., Nippon Light Metal Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Kamakura, Shinichi Nomura, Osamu Nakagiri, Hiromitsu Nakashima
  • Publication number: 20140220316
    Abstract: A substrate for biochips, which does not induce autofluorescence, which can immobilize a biologically relevant substance(s) easily, which can prevent the undesirable spread of a liquid spot which is added dropwise on the biochips when using the biochips, in which the adhesion between a carbon-containing layer and an aluminum material is high, and which can be produced at lower cost than the known substrate for biochips; a method for producing the substrate; and a biochip including the substrate are disclosed. The substrate for biochips comprises a carbon-coated aluminum material, wherein the carbon-coated aluminum material comprises an aluminum material and a carbon-containing layer formed on at least one surface of the aluminum material, and further comprises an interposing layer which is formed between the aluminum material and the carbon-containing layer, and which interposing layer contains aluminum element and carbon element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicants: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD., TOYO ALUMINIUM KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Inoue, Zenya Ashitaka, Hiroyuki Kusai, Yasushi Takebayashi, Ryo Morishita, Yasuo Oka
  • Patent number: 8782892
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a heat transfer plate includes: an insertion process of inserting a heat medium pipe in a concave groove formed in a bottom face of a lid groove open to an obverse of a base member; a lid groove closing process of arranging a lid plate in the lid groove; and a main joining process of moving a main joining rotation tool along butt portions (V1, V2) between sidewalls of the lid groove and side faces of the lid plate, wherein in the main joining process a plastic fluidizing material (Q), where the base member and the lid plate are fluidized due to frictional heat, is made to flow in air gap portions (P1, P2) formed around the heat medium pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Nippon Light Metal Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobushiro Seo, Hisashi Hori, Shinya Makita
  • Patent number: 8784582
    Abstract: A heat exchanger use high strength aluminum alloy fin material having a high strength and excellent in thermal conductivity, erosion resistance, sag resistance, sacrificial anodization effect, and self corrosion resistance, characterized by containing Si: 0.8 to 1.4 wt %, Fe: 0.15 to 0.7 wt %, Mn: 1.5 to 3.0 wt %, and Zn: 0.5 to 2.5 wt %, limiting the Mg as an impurity to 0.05 wt % or less, and having a balance of ordinary impurities and Al in chemical composition, having a metal structure before brazing of a fibrous crystal grain structure, a tensile strength before brazing of not more than 240 MPa, a tensile strength after brazing of not less than 150 MPa, and a recrystallized grain size after brazing of 500 ?m or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Nippon Light Metal Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideki Suzuki, Yoshito Oki, Tomohiro Sasaki, Masae Nagasawa
  • Publication number: 20140182750
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy casting includes obtaining the aluminum alloy casting by casting an aluminum alloy into a mold, performing solution heat treatment, rapidly cooling the casting, performing aging treatment, and cooling the casting. The aluminum alloy includes, in terms of mass ratios, 4.0 to 7.0% of Si, 0.5 to 2.0% of Cu, 0.25 to 0.5% of Mg, no more than 0.5% of Fe, and no more than 0.5% of Mn, and at least one component selected from the group consisting of 0.002 to 0.02% of Na, 0.002 to 0.02% of Ca and 0.002 to 0.02% of Sr, a remainder being Al and inevitable impurities. An internal combustion engine cylinder head is composed of the aluminum alloy casting and manufactured by the method of the casting. The aluminum alloy casting is suitable for applications requiring superior elongation, high cycle fatigue strength and high thermal fatigue strength.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicants: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD., NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi SOUDA, Kouichi AKIYAMA, Hiroshi HORIKAWA, Masahiko SHIODA
  • Publication number: 20140165399
    Abstract: Provided is a method of producing a liquid-cooled jacket wherein deformation of a seal body can be minimized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Nobushiro SEO, Shinya MAKITA, Hisashi HORI, Masanori TAMAISHI
  • Publication number: 20140166731
    Abstract: The invention aims at providing a friction stir welding method which can achieve joining a butting portion to a deep location therein by reducing the load on the friction stirring device. The friction stir welding method for joining two metal members (1) using a primary joining rotary tool (F) with a stirring pin (F2) includes a primary joining process in which a rotating stirring pin (F2) is moved to the butting portion formed by butting the metal members (1) against each other and friction stir welding is carried out. In the primary joining process, only the stirring pin (F2) is brought into contact with the metal members (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Nobushiro Seo, Hisashi Hori
  • Patent number: 8740042
    Abstract: The invention provides a friction-welded part featuring easy design as well as a method of producing said part. The friction-welded part 1 is produced by friction-welding a first member 10 and a second member 20 together. The first member 10 is made of an aluminum alloy material, having a uniform cross-section portion 11 whose cross-sectional shape and size are not changed. The second member 20 is made of an aluminum alloy material, having a uniform cross-section portion 21 whose cross-sectional shape and size are not changed. According to the invention, the uniform cross-section portions 11 and 21 are friction-welded together to form the part 1. A heat affected zone “H” caused by friction welding is formed only in the uniform cross-section portions 11 and 21. The uniform cross-section portion 11 of the first member 10, and the uniform cross-section portion 21 of the second member 20, respectively, have a cylindrical shape, preferably having the same sectional dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignees: Nippon Light Metal Company, Ltd., Nikkeikin Aluminium Core Technology Company Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichiro Sumi, Kou Mizuguchi, Hiroyuki Mochizuki, Kazuhiro Nakakura
  • Publication number: 20140109609
    Abstract: A corrugated-fin heat exchanger is constructed by arranging a plurality of flat heat exchange tubes parallel to each other in a horizontal direction between a pair of opposing header pipes, joining, at a position between the plurality of flat heat exchange tubes, corrugated fins formed by alternately repeating peak folding and valley folding portions, and forming water flow passages from lug pieces that are obtained by obliquely cutting and raising flange portions extending along end portions of each of the plurality of flat heat exchange tubes (3) in a width direction thereof. A pitch (P) of each of the corrugated fins between a peak and a valley thereof, a width (L) of each of the lug pieces in a vertical direction thereof, and a thickness (T) of the each of the plurality of flat heat exchange tubes have a relationship of P×2?L?T.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Yoshida, Kazuhiko Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20140100389
    Abstract: A method of producing a phthaloyl dichloride compound, the method including: providing a compound represented by the following formula (1) and a compound represented by the following formula (2); and bringing the compound represented by the following formula (1) and the compound represented by the following formula (2) into reaction, so as to form a compound represented by the following formula (3), in the presence of at least one compound selected from a zirconium compound, a hafnium compound, and zinc oxide; wherein, in formulae, X represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a nitro group, a methyl group, or a methoxy group; when the X is plural, Xs may be the same or different from each other; n represents an integer of from 0 to 2; R represents a halogen atom, a chlorocarbonyl group, a low carbon number alkyl group, or a halogen-substituted low carbon number alkyl group; when the R is plural, Rs may be the same or different from each other; and m represents an integer of from 0 to 2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicants: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD., IHARANIKKEI CHEMICAL INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu KIMURA, Yoshihiro TAKAO, Toshimitsu SUGIYAMA, Takeshi HANAWA, Hiromichi ITO
  • Patent number: 8679640
    Abstract: Provided is an Al alloy member with an excellent mechanical strength that is sufficient for use in large-scale manufacturing apparatuses. The Al alloy member is characterized in that, in mass %, Mg concentration is 5.0% or less, Ce concentration is 15% or less, Zr concentration is 0.15% or less, the balance comprises Al and unavoidable impurities, the elements of the unavoidable impurities are respectively 0.01% or less, and the Vickers hardness of the Al alloy member is greater than 30.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignees: National University Corporation Tohoku University, Nippon Light Metal Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadahiro Ohmi, Masafumi Kitano, Minoru Tahara, Hisakazu Ito, Kota Shirai, Masayuki Saeki
  • Patent number: 8672212
    Abstract: A method of welding that realizes enhancements of airtightness and watertightness at weld area and a method of welding and method of friction stir welding that attain an enhancement of welding operation efficiency/speed. There is provided a method of welding including the first primary welding step of carrying out a friction stir welding on the abutting portion (J1) of metal members (1,1) from the surface (12) side of metal member (1) and the second primary welding step of carrying out a friction stir welding on the abutting portion (J1) from the reverse face (13) side of the member (1), wherein in the second primary welding step, the friction stir welding is performed while penetrating a stifling pin (B2) of rotation tool (B) in plasticized region (W1) foamed in the first primary welding step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Nippon Light Metal Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hayato Sato, Hisashi Hori
  • Publication number: 20140069620
    Abstract: Provided is a heat exchanger including a heat exchange fin in which frost formation at the time of heater operation can be prevented to the extent possible, and under such a condition that condensation is liable to occur on a fin surface, a water droplet of condensed water can be quickly removed by bringing the water droplet into contact with a hydrophilic film, and as a result, a favorable heat exchange function can be continuously obtained without any increase in ventilation resistance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Reiko Takaswa, Kazuhiko Yamazaki