Patents by Inventor Hirotsune Watanabe

Hirotsune Watanabe 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).

  • Patent number: 12152189
    Abstract: A surfactant composition for a foamed sand including 80 to 99.8 mass % of a compound (A) represented by formula (1); 0.1 to 10 mass % of a compound (B) represented by formula (2); and 0.1 to 10 mass % of an amphoteric surfactant (C): R1O-(EO)n—SO3M1??(1) wherein R1 represents a hydrocarbon group having 6 to 22 carbons, EO represents oxyethylene group, n is 1 to 10, and M1 represents an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, ammonium or an organic ammonium; R2O—SO3M2??(2) wherein R2 represents a hydrocarbon group having 6 to 22 carbons, and M2 represents an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, ammonium or an organic ammonium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignees: NOF CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Norihiro Sugaya, Hiroyuki Komiya, Munehiro Yamada, Hirotsune Watanabe, Shogo Izumi
  • Patent number: 12145196
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a cast product in which a core can be easily discharged from a casting roughly-shaped material is provided. A method for manufacturing a cast product according to the present disclosure includes: a step of hermetically sealing a casting roughly-shaped material formed by casting using a core in a container containing water; a step of heating the water contained in the container while keeping the casting roughly-shaped material hermetically sealed and thereby destroying the core while keeping a pressure inside the container at a pressure higher than an atmospheric pressure, and thereby forming core sand; and a step of discharging the core sand from the casting roughly-shaped material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2024
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shoko Hori, Hirotsune Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11986878
    Abstract: When molding surfaces (50A) of a pair of dies (50) are to be cleaned by air-blowing, air is blown towards the molding surfaces (50A) from blowing nozzles (22A) of a cleaning blowing function portion (22) while a moving body (16) is reciprocatingly moved by driving force of a driving mechanism (18). When a parting agent is to be applied to the molding surfaces (50A) of the pair of dies (50), the mold release agent is jetted out towards the molding surfaces (50A) from spraying nozzles (24A) of a parting agent application function portion (24) while the moving body (16) is reciprocatingly moved by the driving force of the driving mechanism (18). In both of these situations, at the same time as the treatment of the molding surfaces (50A), a cleaning brush (32) reciprocatingly moves together with the moving body (16) and sweeps a device floor surface (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignees: Sintokogio, Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Youhei Noguchi, Koji Sakou, Hirotaka Kurita, Takashi Nagaya, Hirotsune Watanabe, Katsutoshi Okumura
  • Patent number: 11892337
    Abstract: An opening portion that is formed so as to pass-through an opening/closing plate portion of a gate, can be disposed at a region overlapping a lower end opening of a hopper. The opening portion is structured by a first pass-through portion, and a second pass-through portion that is formed so as to be continuous with the first pass-through portion. A width, in a direction orthogonal to a lined-up direction in which the first pass-through portion and the second pass-through portion are lined up, is narrower than the first pass-through portion. Further, a driving mechanism moves the gate such that the opening/closing plate portion moves in the lined-up direction as seen in a plan view. Based on a preset target value of weight of sand, a control section controls the driving mechanism so as to decrease an amount of overlap of the opening portion of the gate and the lower end opening of the hopper in a stepwise manner in accordance with an increase in the weight of the sand measured by a scale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignees: Sintokogio, Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Youhei Noguchi, Koji Sakou, Hirotaka Kurita, Takashi Nagaya, Hirotsune Watanabe, Takumi Maegawa
  • Patent number: 11761070
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy member capable of suppressing deterioration in ductility thereof. In the method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy member, an aluminum alloy casting material that contains 2.0 to 5.5 mass % of Cu, and 4.0 to 7.0 mass % of Si in which a content of Mg is 0.5 mass % or less, a content of Zn is 1.0 mass % or less, a content of Fe is 1.0 mass % or less, a content of Mn is 0.5 mass % or less and the balance is made of Al and inevitable impurities is used. The method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy member includes a heating and holding step of heating and holding the aluminum alloy casting material within a solid-liquid coexisting temperature region; and a quenching step of rapidly cooling the aluminum alloy casting material after performing the heating and holding step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Yokota, Hirotsune Watanabe, Makoto Kikuchi, Hiroshi Kawahara, Yasushi Iwata, Jun Yaokawa, Kazuma Hibi
  • Patent number: 11633894
    Abstract: A cavity includes a first cavity portion, and a second cavity portion that is formed between the first cavity portion and a runner and that corresponds to a baseboard. There is adopted a configuration in which a foamed admixture is supplied to the first cavity portion via the second cavity portion upon being supplied to the cavity via the runner. A collision portion with which the foamed admixture supplied to the cavity can collide before reaching the first cavity portion is formed at the second cavity portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirotsune Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11607829
    Abstract: A cavity includes a first cavity portion, and a second cavity portion that is formed between the first cavity portion and a runner and that corresponds to a baseboard. There is adopted a configuration in which a foamed admixture is supplied to the first cavity portion via the second cavity portion upon being supplied to the cavity via the runner. A collision portion with which the foamed admixture supplied to the cavity can collide before reaching the first cavity portion is formed at the second cavity portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirotsune Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11548059
    Abstract: An inorganic mold release agent for a core that is applied to a surface of a core containing an aggregate and an inorganic binder, and the mold release agent for a core is a powder containing silica powder, which is applied in a powder form to the surface of the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasutake Nagata, Hirotsune Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11214857
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy member capable of suppressing deterioration in ductility thereof. In the method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy member, an aluminum alloy casting material that contains 2.0 to 5.5 mass % of Cu, and 4.0 to 7.0 mass % of Si in which a content of Mg is 0.5 mass % or less, a content of Zn is 1.0 mass % or less, a content of Fe is 1.0 mass % or less, a content of Mn is 0.5 mass % or less and the balance is made of Al and inevitable impurities is used. The method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy member includes a heating and holding step of heating and holding the aluminum alloy casting material within a solid-liquid coexisting temperature region; and a quenching step of rapidly cooling the aluminum ally casting material after performing the heating and holding step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Yokota, Hirotsune Watanabe, Makoto Kikuchi, Hiroshi Kawahara, Yasushi Iwata, Jun Yaokawa, Kazuma Hibi
  • Publication number: 20210270664
    Abstract: An opening portion (34) that is formed so as to pass-through an opening/closing plate portion (32) of a gate (30), can be disposed at a region overlapping a lower end opening (24A) of a hopper (20). The opening portion (34) is structured by a first pass-through portion (34A), and a second pass-through portion (34B) that is formed so as to be continuous with the first pass-through portion (34A). A width, in a direction orthogonal to a lined-up direction in which the first pass-through portion (34A) and the second pass-through portion (34B) are lined up, is narrower than the first pass-through portion (34A). Further, a driving mechanism (40) moves the gate (30) such that the opening/closing plate portion (32) moves in the lined-up direction as seen in a plan view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Inventors: Youhei Noguchi, Koji Sakou, Hirotaka Kurita, Takashi Nagaya, Hirotsune Watanabe, Takumi Maegawa
  • Publication number: 20210268572
    Abstract: When molding surfaces (50A) of a pair of dies (50) are to be cleaned by air-blowing, air is blown towards the molding surfaces (50A) from blowing nozzles (22A) of a cleaning blowing function portion (22) while a moving body (16) is reciprocatingly moved by driving force of a driving mechanism (18). When a parting agent is to be applied to the molding surfaces (50A) of the pair of dies (50), the mold release agent is jetted out towards the molding surfaces (50A) from spraying nozzles (24A) of a parting agent application function portion (24) while the moving body (16) is reciprocatingly moved by the driving force of the driving mechanism (18). In both of these situations, at the same time as the treatment of the molding surfaces (50A), a cleaning brush (32) reciprocatingly moves together with the moving body (16) and sweeps a device floor surface (12).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Inventors: Youhei Noguchi, Koji Sakou, Hirotaka Kurita, Takashi Nagaya, Hirotsune Watanabe, Katsutoshi Okumura
  • Patent number: 10967421
    Abstract: A method of reusing core sand includes crushing a core used for casting into granules, the core includes water glass as a binder, and the water glass includes water-soluble water glass and water-insoluble water glass; heating the core; detaching the water glass from the core sand; and separating and collecting the core sand from a mixture of the water glass and the core sand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daisuke Yamashita, Hirotsune Watanabe, Masashi Morikawa
  • Patent number: 10888919
    Abstract: A core forming device is equipped with a kneading tank in which raw materials of a core are kneaded, a raw material supply unit that supplies the raw materials to the kneading tank, a mold that accommodates a kneaded material including the raw materials kneaded in the kneading tank and that forms the core, a piston that injects the kneaded material into the mold, a position sensor that detects a position of the piston, and a control unit that controls a supply amount of the raw materials supplied to the kneading tank from the raw material supply unit. The control unit determines the supply amount of the raw materials based on a difference between the position of the piston upon completion of injection and a reference position of the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Sintokogio, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Okumura, Hirotsune Watanabe, Shogo Izumi, Hirotaka Kurita, Katsushige Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10668525
    Abstract: A method of reusing core sand includes crushing a core used for casting into granules; heating the granules at a temperature of 300° C. to 550° C.; causing the heated granules to collide against each other such that water glass used as a binder detaches from the core sand; and blowing air into a mixture of the water glass and the core sand, which are detached from each other, such that the core sand is separated and collected from the mixture due to a difference in specific gravity between the water glass and the core sand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daisuke Yamashita, Hirotsune Watanabe, Masashi Morikawa
  • Patent number: 10183322
    Abstract: A method of reusing core sand includes: crushing a core used for casting into granules; heating the granules at a temperature of 300° C. to 550° C.; causing the heated granules to collide against each other such that water glass used as a binder detaches from the core sand; and blowing air into a mixture of the water glass and the core sand, which are detached from each other, such that the core sand is separated and collected from the mixture due to a difference in specific gravity between the water glass and the core sand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daisuke Yamashita, Hirotsune Watanabe, Masashi Morikawa
  • Patent number: 10099278
    Abstract: A mold-making device may include a stirring device including a stirring tank and at least one stirring blade. The stirring device may further include a packing port that is configured to open and close on a bottom of the stirring tank. The stirring device may stir a particulate aggregate and at least one additive by rotating the at least one stirring blade within the stirring tank to yield an admixture. A forming mold may communicate with the packing port and mold the admixture into a predetermined shape. A packing device may compress a surface of the admixture within the stirring tank and pack the admixture into the forming mold via the packing port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Sintokogio, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazumasa Uchida, Masaomi Mitsutake, Hirotsune Watanabe, Takumi Maegawa, Masashi Morikawa, So Nakayama, Tomokazu Suda, Toshihiko Zenpo
  • Patent number: 10035181
    Abstract: To provide an apparatus for reclaiming foundry sand and a method for reclaiming foundry sand that can effectively remove binders and so on that attach to returned foundry sand that has been used. Foundry sand that has been used is supplied from a chute for feeding sand 14A to a rotor 16. The rotor 16 is rotated by a driver 20 so that frictional force is generated on the sand in the rotor 16. Then, the sand in the rotor 16 is dropped into the container for washing with water 30 that is located below the rotor 16. In the container for washing with water 30, an agitator 34 is rotated by the driver 20 so that the sand in the container for washing with water 30 is agitated and washed with water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: SINTOKOGIO, LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Kato, Toshihiko Zenpo, Tomohiro Aoki, Takehiko Matsumoto, Takumi Maegawa, Hirotsune Watanabe, Tomokazu Suda, Masaomi Mitsutake, Hisao Nakane
  • Patent number: 9962868
    Abstract: First, a supply device supplies a foamed kneaded material into a cylinder. Then, in a state in which an internal space of the cylinder is communicated with a pattern forming space of a mold, the piston disposed in the cylinder is moved toward the foamed kneaded material side while opening a gas release hole formed piercing through the piston. Then, at a timing when the piston has reached an expected position where the piston is expected to be on contacting the foamed kneaded material supplied into the cylinder, the gas release hole is closed by an open-close plug. Then, the foamed kneaded material supplied into the cylinder is pressed toward the pattern forming space side of the mold by moving the piston toward the foamed kneaded material side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignees: SINTOKOGIO, LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Kato, Toshihiko Zenpo, Toshio Kanno, Hirotsune Watanabe, Tomokazu Suda, Yasutake Nagata, Masaomi Mitsutake, Takumi Maegawa
  • Patent number: 9931691
    Abstract: A molding method of a sand mold including a hardened layer in a predetermined thickness range from an outer layer part, includes: forming a cavity and a filling opening of a die so that a dimension, which is a largest dimension between two intersections of straight lines passing through a section of a boundary portion between the cavity and the filling opening of the die, with respect to an outside line of the section, is less than a predetermined ratio with respect to a thickness dimension of that part of a product portion of the sand mold from which a blowing opening molded in the filling opening projects, the product portion being formed by the cavity of the die; and filling foamed sand into the cavity from the filling opening of the die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaki Okada, Masaomi Mitsutake, Hirotsune Watanabe, Masashi Morikawa
  • Patent number: 9789533
    Abstract: Sand for a casting mold including sand, a binder, and an inorganic compound particle having poor water solubility and generating a gas, which is at least one of water vapor or carbon dioxide gas, by heat from a molten metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignees: SINTOKOGIO, LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohiro Aoki, Yusuke Kato, Takehiko Matsumoto, Kenichiro Mori, Toshihiko Zenpo, Tomokazu Suda, Masaomi Mitsutake, Takumi Maegawa, So Nakayama, Masashi Morikawa, Hirotsune Watanabe