Patents by Inventor Hidekazu Minami

Hidekazu Minami 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).

  • Publication number: 20240425959
    Abstract: Provided is a continuous annealing line capable of producing a steel sheet excellent in hydrogen embrittlement resistance. A continuous annealing line 100 includes: a payoff reel 10 to feed a cold-rolled steel sheet S; an annealing furnace 20 to continuously anneal the cold-rolled steel sheet S and including a heating zone 22, a soaking zone 24, and a cooling zone 26; a downstream line 30; a tension reel 50 configured to coil the cold-rolled steel sheet S; and a vibration application device 60 or 70 configured to apply vibration to the cold-rolled steel sheet S being passed from the cooling zone 26 to the tension reel 50 so that the cold-rolled steel sheet is caused to vibrate at a frequency of 100 Hz or more and 100,000 Hz or less and a maximum amplitude of 10 nm or more and 500 ?m or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2022
    Publication date: December 26, 2024
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidekazu MINAMI, Kazuki ENDOH, Yuki TOJI
  • Patent number: 12157923
    Abstract: A high-strength hot-dip galvanized steel sheet includes a hot-dip galvanized layer on a surface of the steel sheet and has a specific component composition and a steel microstructure containing, on an area percentage basis, 90% to 100% of martensite and carbide-containing bainite in total and 0% to 10% of retained austenite, and containing prior austenite grains having an aspect ratio of 2.0 or less, in a region extending from 300 ?m to 400 ?m from the surface layer, in which the ratio of the average amount of C at 5 ?m from the surface layer to the average amount of C at 70 ?m from the surface layer is 0.2 to 0.8, and the ratio of the standard deviation of the amount of C to the average amount of C in a region extending from 300 ?m to 400 ?m from the surface layer is 0.40 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hasegawa, Hidekazu Minami, Tatsuya Nakagaito
  • Publication number: 20240376577
    Abstract: The steel sheet comprising a chemical composition containing C, Si, Mn, P, S, Al, N, Ti, Nb, and B, with the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities, and satisfying predetermined formula (1), in which the total area ratio of martensite and bainite is 95% or more, the grain size of prior austenite grains is 10 ?m or less, the B concentration at a prior austenite grain boundary is 0.10% or more in mass %, the C concentration at the prior austenite grain boundary is 1.5 times or more than the C content in the steel, the amount of precipitated Fe is 200 mass ppm or less, and for a defined in predetermined formula (2), a ratio of adislocation on dislocation to agrain boundary on the prior austenite grain boundary: adislocation/agrain boundary is 1.3 or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Publication date: November 14, 2024
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji TANAKA, Kazuki ENDOH, Hidekazu MINAMI, Junya TOBATA, Yuki TOJI
  • Publication number: 20240368719
    Abstract: Provided is a high strength steel sheet with high stretch flangeability and high YR in the rolling direction as well as in the direction orthogonal to the rolling direction with TS of 1180 MPa or more. The high strength steel sheet has a prescribed chemical composition and steel microstructure. In particular, an average grain size of the hard phase is 5.3 ?m or less, the volume fraction-carbon concentration ratio of retained austenite (?) is 0.10 or more and 0.45 or less, and the integration degree of {112} <111> orientation is 1.0 or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Publication date: November 7, 2024
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidekazu MINAMI, Masayasu UENO, Yuki TOJI, Yuji TANAKA, Junya TOBATA, Kazuki ENDOH
  • Publication number: 20240360532
    Abstract: The steel sheet comprising a chemical composition containing C, Si, Mn, P, S, Al, N, Ti, Nb, and B, with the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities, and satisfying predetermined formula, in which the total area ratio of martensite and bainite is 95% or more, the average grain size of prior austenite grains is 10 ?m or less, the B concentration at a prior austenite grain boundary is 0.10% or more in mass %, a C-concentrated region is provided along a martensitic grain boundary, and the C-concentrated region has a C concentration of 4.0 times or more than the C content in the steel, and the C-concentrated region has a concentration width of 3 nm or more and 100 nm or less in a direction perpendicular to the martensitic grain boundary and a length of 100 nm or more in a direction parallel to the martensitic grain boundary.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Publication date: October 31, 2024
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji TANAKA, Takeshi NISHIYAMA, Masanari TOMOZAWA, Kazuki ENDOH, Hidekazu MINAMI, Junya TOBATA, Yuki TOJI
  • Publication number: 20240352549
    Abstract: Provided are a steel sheet dehydrogenation apparatus, a steel sheet production system, and a steel sheet production method capable of producing a steel sheet excellent in hydrogen embrittlement resistance without changing the mechanical properties of the steel sheet. A dehydrogenation apparatus comprises: a housing configured to house a steel sheet coil obtained by coiling a steel strip; and a vibration application device configured to apply vibration to the steel sheet coil housed in the housing so that the steel sheet coil is caused to vibrate at a frequency of 100 Hz to 100,000 Hz and a maximum amplitude of 10 nm to 500 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2022
    Publication date: October 24, 2024
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki TOJI, Kazuki ENDOH, Hidekazu MINAMI
  • Publication number: 20240287636
    Abstract: A high strength steel sheet includes a specific microstructure having a specific chemical composition and satisfying the formulas (1) and (2) defined below: KAM ? ( S ) / KAM ? ( C ) < 1. ( 1 ) wherein KAM (S) is a KAM (Kernel average misorientation) value of a superficial portion of the steel sheet, and KAM (C) is a KAM value of a central portion of the steel sheet, Hv ? ( Q ) - Hv ? ( S ) ? 8 ( 2 ) wherein Hv (Q) indicates the hardness of a portion at ¼ sheet thickness and Hv (S) indicates the hardness of a superficial portion of the steel sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2022
    Publication date: August 29, 2024
    Applicant: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Junya Tobata, Yuki Toji, Hidekazu Minami
  • Publication number: 20240287637
    Abstract: A high strength steel sheet with a chemical composition containing C, Si, Mn, P, S, Al, N, Nb, Ti, and B, where [% Si]/[% Mn] is 0.10 or more and 0.60 or less, and free Ti content determined from Formula (1), below, is 0.001 mass % or more, with the balance being Fe and inevitable impurity. In a steel sheet surface layer, a total amount of Nb solute and 100 nm or smaller precipitate is 0.002 mass % or more. free ? Ti ? content ? ( % ) = [ % ? Ti ] - ( 47.9 / 14. ) × [ % ? N ] - ( 47.9 / 32.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2022
    Publication date: August 29, 2024
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidekazu MINAMI, Yusuke WADA, Yuki TOJI, Takeshi NISHIYAMA, Michitoshi SAEKI
  • Publication number: 20240263287
    Abstract: Provided is a hot-dip galvanized steel sheet that has a high YR, as well as high ductility, stretch flangeability, and bendability, improved shear workability, and a TS of 1,180 MPa or more. The base steel sheet of the hot-dip galvanized steel sheet has a defined chemical composition and steel microstructure. In particular, a number ratio of retained austenite (y) having an aspect ratio of 2.0 or less is more than 50%, a number of bins of hardness frequency: 0.25 or more is 1, the area ratio of quenched martensite in a surface layer is 80% or less, a surface layer softening thickness is 10 ?m or more and 100 ?m or less, and the amount of low temperature range diffusible hydrogen is 0.015 mass ppm or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Publication date: August 8, 2024
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidekazu MINAMI, Yusuke WADA, Yuki TOJI, Yoichi MAKIMIZU
  • Patent number: 11965222
    Abstract: A method of producing a hot-rolled steel sheet and a method for producing a cold-rolled full hard steel sheet are provided. The methods comprising heating a steel slab having a composition containing, in terms of mass %, C: 0.010% or more and 0.150% or less, Si: 0.20% or less, Mn: 1.00% or less, P: 0.100% or less, S: 0.0500% or less, Al: 0.001% or more and 0.100% or less, N: 0.0100% or less, and the balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities, in which 0.002%?[% P]+[% S]?0.070% ([% M] denotes a content (mass %) of M element in steel) is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Hidekazu Minami, Yoshimasa Funakawa
  • Patent number: 11946111
    Abstract: A steel sheet is provided, having a tensile strength of 590 MPa or more, a particular composition and a steel structure that contains, in terms of area fraction, particular amounts of ferrite and martensite, in which the ferrite average crystal grain size is 20 ?m or less, the martensite average size is 15 ?m or less, the ratio of the average crystal grain size of the ferrite to the average size of the martensite (ferrite average crystal grain size/martensite average size) is 0.5 to 10.0, the ratio of the hardness of the martensite to the hardness of the ferrite (martensite hardness/ferrite hardness) is 1.0 or more and 5.0 or less, and, in the texture of the ferrite, the inverse intensity ratio of ?-fiber to the ?-fiber is 0.8 or more and 7.0 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Hidekazu Minami, Yoshimasa Funakawa, Shinjiro Kaneko
  • Patent number: 11939642
    Abstract: A high-strength steel sheet having a tensile strength of 1,180 MPa or more, and specified chemical composition. The steel sheet includes a steel structure in which an area fraction of martensite having a carbon concentration of more than 0.7×[% C] and less than 1.5×[% C] is 55% or more, an area fraction of tempered martensite having a carbon concentration of 0.7×[% C] or less is 5% or more and 40% or less, a ratio of a carbon concentration in retained austenite to a volume fraction of retained austenite is 0.05 or more and 0.40 or less, and the martensite and the tempered martensite each have an average grain size of 5.3 ?m or less, where [% C] represents the content, by mass %, of compositional element C in steel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidekazu Minami, Yuji Tanaka, Junya Tobata, Takeshi Yokota
  • Publication number: 20240084412
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are a method for producing a hot-rolled steel sheet, a method for producing a cold-rolled full hard steel sheet, and methods for producing a heat-treated steel sheet that serve as the methods for producing intermediate products for obtaining a steel sheet having a tensile strength of 590 MPa or more, a particular composition and a particular steel structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Applicant: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Hidekazu Minami, Yoshimasa Funakawa, Shinjiro Kaneko
  • Patent number: 11926881
    Abstract: A high-strength cold-rolled steel sheet having a high yield ratio and excellent stretch flangeability and a method for manufacturing the steel sheet. The high-strength cold-rolled steel sheet has a chemical composition including, by mass %, C: 0.10 to 0.30%, Si: 0.50 to 2.00%, Mn: 2.5 to 4.0%, P: 0.050% or less, S: 0.020% or less, Al: 0.10% or less, N: 0.01% or less, Ti: 0.100% or less, and B: 0.0003 to 0.0030%, with the balance being Fe and incidental impurities. N and Ti satisfy a specified formula, and the total area fraction of martensite and bainite is 95% or more. The number density of bainite grains having an area of 3 ?m2 or more and a carbon concentration of less than 0.7C is 1200 grains/mm2 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji Tanaka, Hidekazu Minami, Naoki Takayama, Takako Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20230357883
    Abstract: Provided are a steel sheet dehydrogenation apparatus, a steel sheet production system, and a steel sheet production method capable of producing a steel sheet excellent in hydrogen embrittlement resistance without changing the mechanical properties of the steel sheet. A dehydrogenation apparatus comprises: a housing configured to house a steel sheet coil obtained by coiling a steel strip; and a sound wave irradiator configured to irradiate the steel sheet coil housed in the housing with sound waves to obtain a product coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki TOJI, Kazuki ENDOH, Hidekazu MINAMI
  • Publication number: 20230265539
    Abstract: Provided is a continuous annealing line capable of producing a steel sheet excellent in hydrogen embrittlement resistance. A continuous annealing line 100 comprises: a payoff reel 10 configured to uncoil a cold-rolled coil C to feed a cold-rolled steel sheet S; an annealing furnace 20 configured to continuously anneal the cold-rolled steel sheet S and including a heating zone 22, a soaking zone 24, and a cooling zone 26 that are arranged from an upstream side in a sheet passing direction; a downstream line 30 configured to continuously pass the cold-rolled steel sheet S discharged from the annealing furnace 20 therethrough; a tension reel 50 configured to coil the cold-rolled steel sheet S; and a sound wave irradiator 60 configured to irradiate the cold-rolled steel sheet S being passed from the cooling zone 26 to the tension reel 50 with sound waves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidekazu MINAMI, Kazuki ENDOH, Yuki TOJI
  • Publication number: 20230160032
    Abstract: A steel sheet having a tensile strength (TS) of 780 MPa or more and less than 1180 MPa, high LME resistance, and good weld fatigue properties. The steel sheet has a specific chemical composition and a specific steel microstructure. Crystal grains containing an oxide of Si and/or Mn in a region within 4.9 ?m in a thickness direction from a surface of the steel sheet have an average grain size in the range of 3 to 10 ?m, the lowest Si concentration LSi and the lowest Mn concentration LMn in the region within 4.9 ?m in the thickness direction from the surface of the steel sheet and a Si concentration TSi and a Mn concentration TMn at a quarter thickness position of the steel sheet satisfy a specified formula.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Publication date: May 25, 2023
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lingling YANG, Yoshiyasu KAWASAKI, Hidekazu MINAMI, Tatsuya NAKAGAITO, Shotaro TERASHIMA, Shunsuke YAMAMOTO, Katsuya HOSHINO, Yuki TAKEDA
  • Publication number: 20230129828
    Abstract: A steel sheet with a tensile strength (TS) of 780 MPa or more and less than 1180 MPa, a member, and a method for producing them. In a region of the steel sheet within 4.9 ?m in the thickness direction, a region with a Si concentration not more than one-third of the Si concentration in the chemical composition of the steel sheet and with a Mn concentration not more than one-third of the Mn concentration in the chemical composition of the steel sheet has a thickness of 1.0 ?m or more. The lowest Si concentration LSi and the lowest Mn concentration LMn in the region within 4.9 ?m from the surface of the steel sheet and a Si concentration TSi and a Mn concentration TMn at a quarter thickness position of the steel sheet satisfy the following formula (1): LSi+LMn?(TSi+TMn)/4??(1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiyasu KAWASAKI, Lingling YANG, Shotaro TERASHIMA, Hidekazu MINAMI, Tatsuya NAKAGAITO, Shunsuke YAMAMOTO, Katsuya HOSHINO, Yuki TAKEDA
  • Patent number: 11578381
    Abstract: A production method for a high-strength steel sheet having a tensile strength TS of 780 MPa or more is provided. The production method comprises: heating a steel slab having a predetermined chemical composition; hotrolling the steel slab; coiling the hot-rolled sheet; subjecting the hot-rolled sheet to pickling treatment; holding the hot-rolled sheet in a pre-determined temperature range for predetermined time; cold rolling the hot-rolled sheet to obtain a cold-rolled sheet; subjecting the cold-rolled sheet to first annealing treatment; cooling the cold-rolled sheet at a pre-determined average cooling rate; cooling the cold-rolled sheet to room temperature; reheating the clod-rolled sheet to perform second annealing treatment; cooling the cold-rolled sheet at a first average cooling rate; cooling the cold-rolled sheet at a second average cooling rate; reheating the cold-rolled sheet to a predetermined reheating temperature range; and holding the cold-rolled sheet in the reheating temperature range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidekazu Minami, Shinjiro Kaneko
  • Patent number: 11492677
    Abstract: A high-strength steel sheet has a specific composition and a microstructure. In the microstructure, the area fraction of elongated ferrite phase grains having an aspect ratio of 3 or more is 1% or less, the average crystal grain size of martensite included in a region extending 50 ?m from a surface of the steel sheet is 20 ?m or less, the content of oxide particles having a minor axis length of 0.8 ?m or less in the region extending 50 ?m from the surface of the steel sheet is 1.0×1010 particles/m2 or more, and the content of coarse oxide particles having a minor axis length of more than 1 ?m in the region extending 50 ?m from the surface of the steel sheet is 1.0×108 particles/m2 or less. The content of hydrogen trapped in the steel sheet is 0.05 ppm by mass or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hasegawa, Hidekazu Minami, Tatsuya Nakagaito, Kana Sasaki, Shoji Tanaka