Patents Examined by Janelle Combs Morillo
  • Patent number: 6660111
    Abstract: An Al—Mg—Si series alloy ingot consisting essentially of Si:0.2-0.8 wt %, Mg:0.3-0.9 wt %, Fe:0.35 wt % or less, Cu:0.20 wt % or less and the balance of aluminum and inevitable impurities is prepared. The alloy ingot is homogenized, then subjected to rough hot rolling and finish hot rolling, and finally to cold rolling. One of the rough hot rolling is controlled such that material temperature immediately before one of the rough hot rolling is from 350 to 440° C., cooling rate between one of the rough hot rolling and rough hot rolling subsequent thereto is 50° C./min or more, material temperature immediately after one of the rough hot rolling is from 250 to 340° C. and plate thickness immediately after one of the rough hot rolling is 10 mm or less. The cold rolling is controlled such that rolling reduction is 30% or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Showa Aluminum Corp.
    Inventors: Kyohei Taguchi, Ichizo Tsukuda, Kazuo Kimura, Ryosuke Shimao
  • Patent number: 6660108
    Abstract: A method of producing an aluminum alloy fin material for brazing, which comprises: casting an aluminum alloy by continuous cast-rolling, wherein the alloy comprises above 0.1 wt % to 3 wt % of Ni, above 1.5 wt % to 2.2 wt % of Fe, and 1.2 wt % or less of Si, and at least one of Zn, In, and Sn in given amounts, the balance being unavoidable impurities and aluminum, and cold-rolling in which annealing at 250 to 500° C. is conducted plural times midway in the cold-rolling, thereby producing the fin material of a given thickness; wherein a cast coil with a given thickness is produced by continuous cast-rolling, and wherein the second last annealing is carried out with a given thickness, and wherein the final annealing is carried out under heating conditions that do not allow complete recrystallization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeyoshi Doko, Akira Kawahara
  • Patent number: 6656422
    Abstract: The invention includes a die-bonding solder material having tin and gold. The composition ratio of tin and gold includes a eutectic point defined by having more content of tin than the content of gold. The die-bonding solder material further includes a metal additive having a higher melting point than tin, forming no eutectic with tin, and having a higher eutectic point with gold than the melting point of an eutectic of tin gold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Yamatake Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Masuda
  • Patent number: 6656421
    Abstract: An aluminum-beryllium-silicon based alloy is disclosed, which comprises 5.0 to 30.0 mass % of Be, 0.1 to 15.0 mass % of Si and 0.1 to 3.0 mass %, the balance being Al and inevitable impurities. The alloy is useful for producing automobile engine parts, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignees: NGK Insulators, Ltd., Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshimasa Ochiai, Hiroshi Yamada, Masami Hoshi
  • Patent number: 6656296
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy article containing the alloying amounts of iron, silicon, manganese, titanium, and zinc has controlled levels of iron and manganese to produce an alloy article that combines excellent corrosion resistant with good formability. The alloy article composition employs a controlled ratio of manganese to iron and controlled total amounts of iron and manganese to form intermetallic compounds in the final alloy article. The electrolytic potential of the intermetallic compounds match the aluminum matrix of the article to minimize corrosion. The levels of iron and manganese are controlled so that the intermetallic compounds are present in a volume fraction that allows the alloy article to be easily formed. The aluminum alloy composition is especially adapted for extrusion processes, and tubing that are used in heat exchanger applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Reynolds Metals Company
    Inventors: Baolute Ren, Subhasish Sircar, William A. Cassada, III
  • Patent number: 6652673
    Abstract: A zirconium system amorphous alloy having a composition expressed by a general formula Zr100-X-Y-a-b Tix Aly Cua Nib wherein a, b, X, and Y in the formula represent atomic percentage, and fulfill X<10, Y>5, Y<−(1/2)X+35/2, 15≦a≦25, and 5≦b≦15, the zirconium system amorphous alloy has an amorphous phase of more than 50 volume % of the alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignees: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd., YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Akihisa Inoue, Tao Zhang, Masahide Onuki, Tetsuo Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6652678
    Abstract: A method of converting an ingot of a 6000 series aluminium alloy to self-annealing sheet, comprises subjecting the ingot to a two-stage homogenisation treatment, first at at least 560° C. and then at 450° C. to 480° C., then hot rolling the homogenised ingot at a starting hot roll temperature of 450° C. to 480° C. and a finishing hot roll temperature of 320° C. to 360° C. The resulting hot rolled sheet has an unusually low Cube recrystallisation component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Alcan International Limited
    Inventors: Graeme John Marshall, Karl Albert Herbst, Martin Heinze, Richard Hamerton
  • Patent number: 6649126
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy for high pressure die-casting capable of providing a sufficient castability and a tensile strength of not less than 320 MPa and elongation of not less than 20%, The aluminum alloy contains from 3.6 to 5.5 mass % of Mg, from 0.6 to 1.2 mass % of Mn, from 0.2 to less than 0.5 mass % of Ni, from 0.001 to 0.010 mass % of Be, from 0.01 to 0.3 mass % of Ti, from 0.001 to 0.05 mass % of B, and the balance aluminum and inevitable impurities. The aluminum alloy is particularly available as a material of a vehicle frame and a vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Ryobi Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Komazaki, Naomi Nishi, Izumi Murashima, Hideto Sasaki
  • Patent number: 6638377
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy piping material for automotive piping excelling in corrosion resistance and workability and a method of fabricating the same. The aluminum alloy piping material is made of an aluminum alloy which contains 0.3-1.5% of Mn, 0.01-0.20% of Fe, and 0.01-0.20% of Si, wherein the content of Cu as impurities is limited to 0.05% or less, with the balance being Al and impurities, wherein, among Si compounds, Fe compounds, and Mn compounds present in the alloy's matrix, the number of compounds with a particle diameter (equivalent circle diameter, hereinafter the same) of 0.5 &mgr;m or more is 3×104 or less per mm2. The aluminum alloy piping material has a tensile strength of 70-130 MPa (temper: O material). An ingot of an aluminum alloy having the composition is hot extruded. The resulting extruded pipe is cold drawn at a working ratio of 30% or more and annealed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Koyama, Hirokazu Tanaka, Yoshifusa Shoji
  • Patent number: 6638375
    Abstract: An aluminum bearing alloy includes, by mass, 3 to 40% Sn, 0.5 to 7% Si, 0.05 to 2% Fe, balance of Al, and unavoidable impurities. In the alloy, a ternary-element intermetallic compound of Al—Si—Fe and Si particles are contained as hard particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Daido Metal Company Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahito Fujita, Yukihiko Kagohara, Koichi Yamamoto, Takayuki Shibayama
  • Patent number: 6638376
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy piping material exhibiting good corrosion resistance and having an excellent workability, such as bulge formation capability at the pipe ends. The aluminum alloy piping material is suitably used for pipes connecting automotive radiators and heaters or pipes connecting evaporators, condensers, and compressors. The aluminum alloy material is formed from an aluminum alloy which contains 0.3-1.5% of Mn, 0.20% or less of Cu, 0.06-0.30% of Ti, 0.01-0.20% of Fe, and 0.01-0.20% of Si, with the balance being Al and impurities, wherein, among Si compounds, Fe compounds, and Mn compounds present in the matrix, the number of compounds with a particle diameter of 0.5 &mgr;m or more is 2×104 or less per mm2. The aluminum alloy piping material may further comprise 0.4% or less of Mg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Hasegawa, Haruhiko Miyachi, Hirokazu Tanaka, Yoshifusa Shoji, Takahiro Koyama, Toshihiko Fukuda
  • Patent number: 6630037
    Abstract: High strength and high toughness aluminum alloy forgings having, as a whole, a strength at &sgr;0.2 of 315 N/mm2 or more and an impact shock value of 20 J/cm2 or more, wherein the aluminum alloy material contains Mg: 0.6-1.6%, Si: 0.8-1.8%, Cu: 0.1-1.0%, Fe: 0.30% or less, one or more of Mn: 0.15-0.6%, Cr: 0.1-0.2% and Zr: 0.1-0.2%, and the balance of Al and inevitable impurities, wherein the volume fraction of total constituents phase particles (Mg2Si and Al—Fe—Si—(Mn, Cr, Zr) series intermetallic compounds) in the aluminum alloy structure in the forgings is 1.5% or less per unit area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki Sawada, Takayuki Kitano, Manabu Nakai
  • Patent number: 6630247
    Abstract: A ceramic-metal composite that is tough and stiff has been prepared and is comprised of an inert ceramic (e.g., alumina) embedded and dispersed in a matrix comprised of a metal (e.g., aluminum), a reactive ceramic (e.g., boron carbide) and a reactive ceramic-metal reaction product (e.g., AlB2, Al4BC, Al3B48C2, AlB12, Al4C3, AlB24C4 or mixtures thereof) wherein grains of the inert ceramic have an average grain size greater than or equal to the average grain size of grains of the reactive ceramic. The ceramic-metal composite may be prepared by forming a mixture comprised of an inert ceramic powder (e.g., alumina) and a reactive ceramic powder (e.g., boron carbide), the inert ceramic powder having an average particle size equal to or greater than the average particle size of the reactive ceramic powder, forming the mixture into a porous body and consolidating the porous body in the presence of a metal (e.g., aluminum) to form the ceramic-metal composite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Richard T. Fox, Chan Han, Aleksander J. Pyzik
  • Patent number: 6627340
    Abstract: Hydrogen propelled fuel cell vehicle system designs that reduce the relative cost of releasing hydrogen from hydrogen storage alloys by providing and/or utilizing secondary sources of heat to supply the heat of desorption of stored hydrogen. The secondary source can include combusting conventional secondary (non-hydrogen) fuels. The fuel supply system uses fundamentally new magnesium-based hydrogen storage alloy materials which for the first time make it feasible and practical to use solid state storage and delivery of hydrogen to power fuel cell vehicles. These exceptional alloys have remarkable hydrogen storage capacity of over 7 weight % coupled with extraordinary absorption kinetics such that the alloy powder absorbs 80% of its total capacity within 1.5 minutes at 300° C. and a cycle life of at least 2000 cycles without loss of capacity or kinetics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Stanford R. Ovshinsky, Rosa T. Young
  • Patent number: 6627330
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy brazing sheet has a quad-layer structure made of an outer filler material, intermediate layer material, core material, and inner filler material. The core material contains 0.5-1.6% of Mn, 0.10-0.50% of Cu, 0.05-0.50% of Mg, and 0.06-0.30% of Ti, and, as impurities, 0.5% or less of Fe, 0.5% or less of Si, and 0.1% or less of Zn, with the remainder being Al and unavoidable impurities; the intermediate layer material contains 0.2-1.5% of Mg and at least one of 0.5-4% of Zn, 0.005-0.2% of In, and 0.01-0.2% of Sn, and, as impurities, 0.3% or less of Si, 0.3% or less of Fe, 0.05% or less of Cu, 0.05% or less of Mn, and 0.3% or less of Ti, with the remainder being Al and unavoidable impurities. The thickness of the intermediate layer material is 50 &mgr;m or more and no more than the thickness of the core material. The outer filler material and the inner filler material are Al—Si—Mg alloys, the outer filler material, preferably including at least one of 0.005-0.2% of In and 0.01-0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignees: Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd., Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Shimizu, Haruhiko Miyachi, Toshihiko Fukuda, Hiroshi Ikeda, Yoshifusa Shoji
  • Patent number: 6627010
    Abstract: The present invention concerns procedures for producing an alloy from a eutectic alloy system, in order to form a workpiece for rolling or extrusion purposes by, for example, producing an Al—Mg—Si alloy, which can be precipitation-hardened, which alloy, after having been heated to a temperature above the solubility temperature of phases which can be precipitated, is kept at this temperature until the phases have dissolved and is cooled at a cooling rate which is rapid enough to avoid most of the precipitation of the phases and slow enough to avoid most of the precipitation of dispersoid particles. At cooling rates within this interval, most coarse phases which have a reductive effect on the processing rate can be avoided and, at the same time, the number of small dispersoid particles which have a reductive effect on the mechanical properties after hardening is limited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Norsk Hydro ASA
    Inventors: Oddvin Reiso, Ulf Tundal, John Erik Hafsås, Oddgeir Sjøthun
  • Patent number: 6623570
    Abstract: A casting alloy of the AlMgSi type comprises Magnesium 3.0 to 7.0 wt. % Silicon 1.7 to 3.0 wt. % Manganese 0.2 to 0.48 wt. % Iron 0.15 to 0.35 wt. % Titanium as desired max. 0.2 wt. % Ni 0.1 to 0.4 wt % and aluminum as the rest along with production related impurities, individually at most 0.02 wt. %, in total at most 0.2 wt. %, with the further provision that the magnesium and silicon are present in the alloy in a Mg:Si weight ratio of 1.7:1, corresponding to the composition of the quasi binary eutectic made up of the solid state phases Al and Mg2Si, whereby the deviation from the exact composition of the quasi-binary eutectic amounts to at most −0.5 to +0.3 wt. % for magnesium and −0.3 to +0.5 wt. % for silicon the finely dispersed precipitates of the intermetallic phase Mg2Si results in high ductility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: Alcan Technology & Management Ltd.
    Inventors: Reinhard Winkler, Gunter Höllrigl, Jürgen Wuest, Klaus Währisch
  • Patent number: 6623693
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy composition consists essentially of controlled amounts of iron, silicon, copper, manganese, magnesium, titanium, zinc, zirconium, and free machining elements with the balance being aluminum and incidental impurities. The alloy provides improvements in combined strength, corrosion resistance, machinability, and brazeability. A component or article made from the aluminum alloy can be machined to the right configuration and can be brazed to another component to form a high quality brazed joint. In addition, the article can withstand corrosive environments and has the necessary mechanical properties to interface with other components. The alloy is adapted for particular use as a component in a heat exchanger assembly, such as a connector block having one or more machined surfaces or passageways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: Reynolds Metals Company
    Inventor: Subhahish Sircar
  • Patent number: 6616778
    Abstract: A process for producing a ferritically rolled steel strip, in which liquid steel is cast in a continuous-casting machine (1) to form a slab and, utilizing the casting heat, is conveyed through a furnace device (7) undergoes preliminary rolling in a preliminary rolling device (10) and, in a final rolling device (14), is finishing-rolled to form the ferritic steel strip with a desired final thickness, in which process, in a completely continuous, an endless or a semi-endless process, the slab is rolled in the austenitic range in the preliminary rolling device (10) and, after rolling in the austenitic range, is cooled to a temperature at which the steel has a substantially ferritic structure, and the strip is rolled, in the final rolling device, at speeds which substantially correspond to the speed at which it enters the final rolling device (14) and the following thickness reduction stages, and in at least one stand of the final rolling device (14), the strip is ferritically rolled at a temperature of between 8
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Corus Staal BV
    Inventor: André Bodin
  • Patent number: 6613167
    Abstract: A process for improving 6XXX alloys, such as 6013, preferably includes heating, hot rolling, inter-rolling thermal treatment at a very high temperature such as 1020° F. or more, again hot rolling (with or without subsequent continuous hot rolling or cold rolling or both), solution heat treating and artificial aging. The initial heating, inter-rolling, thermal treatment and solution treatment, especially the latter two, are carried out at very high temperatures such as 1030° F. Each aforesaid hot rolling stage produces substantial metal thickness reduction. The improved sheet or plate product has a substantially reduced occurrence of reduced density features revealed in scanning electron microscope examination at 500× and exhibits improved (reduced) fatigue crack growth rate providing an advantage in aerospace applications such as fuselage skin, especially fuselage belly skin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Alcoa Inc.
    Inventors: Paul E. Magnusen, Dhruba J. Chakrabarti, Anne E. Zemo, Robert W. Westerlund, Anthony Morales, Daniel T. Moulton