Patents by Inventor Hidetoshi Somekawa

Hidetoshi Somekawa 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: 20110076178
    Abstract: An Mg-base alloy shows that an Mg-base alloy, which is added Zn and Al to magnesium, has a composition represented by (100-a-b) wt % Mg-a wt % Al-b wt % Zn, and satisfying 0.5?b/a. The alloy can reduce yield anisotropy, which is a serious problem for the wrought magnesium alloy, while maintaining a high strength property. The alloy is produced by additive elements, such as Zn and Al, which are easily obtained in place of rare earth elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Somekawa, Alok Singh, Yoshiaki Osawa, Toshiji Mukai
  • Patent number: 7871476
    Abstract: A magnesium alloy exhibiting high strength and high ductility, characterized in that it comprises 0.03 to 0.54 atomic % of certain solute atoms belonging to 2 Group, 3 Group or Lanthanoids of the Periodic Table and having an atomic radius larger than that of magnesium and the balanced amount of magnesium, and has a fine crystal grain structure wherein solute atoms having an average crystal grain diameter of 1.5 ?m or less and being unevenly present in the vicinity of crystal grain boundaries at a concentration being 1.5 to 10 times that within crystal grains, wherein an atom selected from the group consisting of Ca, Sr, Ba, Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Th, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu can be used as the above solute atom; and a method for producing the magnesium alloy. The above magnesium alloy is novel and achieves high strength and high ductility at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: National Institute for Materials Science
    Inventors: Toshiji Mukai, Kazuhiro Hono, Hidetoshi Somekawa, Tomoyuki Honma
  • Publication number: 20100254849
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a magnesium alloy having high strength and sufficient formability. A magnesium alloy mainly contains magnesium and has high tensile strength and high compression strength. The crystal grain structure of the alloy has a high angle grain boundary, and the inside of the crystal grain surrounded by the high angle grain boundary is composed of subgrains.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2008
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Inventors: Toshiji Mukai, Hidetoshi Somekawa, Tadanobu Inoue, Alok Singh
  • Publication number: 20100163141
    Abstract: An Mg alloy provided with high strength and high ductility by matching the strength and ductility in tensile deformation and compressive deformation at the same levels is provided. The Mg alloy of the present invention is characterized by having a chemical composition consisting of Y: 0.1 to 1.5 at % and a balance of Mg and unavoidable impurities and having a microstructure with high Y regions with Y concentrations higher than an average Y concentration distributed at nanometer order sizes and intervals. The present invention further provides an Mg alloy characterized by having a chemical composition consisting of Y: more than 0.1 at % and a valance of Mg and unavoidable impurities, having a microstructure with high Y regions with Y concentrations higher than an average Y concentration distributed at nanometer order sizes and intervals and having an average recrystallized grain size within the range satisfying the following formula 1: ?0.87c+1.10<log d<1.14c+1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, National Institute for Materials Science
    Inventors: Tetsuya Shoji, Akira Kato, Toshiji Mukai, Hidetoshi Somekawa
  • Publication number: 20090306725
    Abstract: A magnesium-based medical device which can adjust a degree of corrosion within a wide range of period such that the device can maintain a sufficient strength only during a desired period and disappears within a desired period thereafter and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. A magnesium-based medical device of the present invention is a magnesium-based medical device in which a base material is made of magnesium or a magnesium alloy, wherein a corrosion-resistant film is formed on a surface of the base material, and variation in surface hardness of the formed corrosion-resistant film in the in-plane direction is less than 21 in terms of a dispersion value of Vickers hardness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Inventors: Sachiko Hiromoto, Akiko Yamamoto, Norio Maruyama, Toshiji Mukai, Hidetoshi Somekawa
  • Publication number: 20090171452
    Abstract: As a novel biodegradable metallic material the degradation speed of which in vivo can be controlled over a broad scope while achieving desired mechanical properties such as strength, work hardening and ductility without restricting the shape of an implant device, it is intended to provide a magnesium-based biodegradable metallic material which comprises Mg containing Mg as the major composition and having a concentration of inevitable impurities equal to or less than 0.05 atomic %, is free from precipitates or intermetallic compounds, and has an average grain size being regulated to equal to or less than ΒΌ of the minimum part of the material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2006
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Inventors: Akiko Yamamoto, Sachiko Hiromoto, Norio Maruyama, Toshiji Mukai, Hidetoshi Somekawa
  • Publication number: 20090131540
    Abstract: A biodegradable magnesium based metallic material for medical use which is degraded and absorbed in vivo, characterized by comprising a film, which contains magnesium oxide and magnesium hydroxide and is formed on the surface of crystallized magnesium or a magnesium alloy by anodic oxidation. This magnesium based metallic material is capable of exhibiting desired mechanical properties such as strength and ductility at an early stage of implantation without changing the mechanical properties inherent to magnesium or its alloy and also controlling the retention time of the mechanical properties to be short or long in a desired manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Inventors: Sachiko Hiromoto, Akiko Yamamoto, Norio Maruyama, Toshiji Mukai, Hidetoshi Somekawa
  • Publication number: 20080017285
    Abstract: A magnesium alloy exhibiting high strength and high ductility, characterized in that it comprises 0.03 to 0.54 atomic % of certain solute atoms belonging to 2 Group, 3 Group or Lanthanoids of the Periodic Table and having an atomic radius larger than that of magnesium and the balanced amount of magnesium, and has a fine crystal grain structure wherein solute atoms having an average crystal grain diameter of 1.5 ?m or less and being unevenly present in the vicinity of crystal grain boundaries at a concentration being 1.5 to 10 times that within crystal grains, wherein an atom selected from the group consisting of Ca, Sr, Ba, Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Th, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu can be used as the above solute atom; and a method for producing the magnesium alloy. The above magnesium alloy is novel and achieves high strength and high ductility at the same time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Applicant: NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS SCIENCE
    Inventors: Toshiji Mukai, Kazuhiro Hono, Hidetoshi Somekawa, Tomoyuki Honma