Patents by Inventor Hitoshi Kazama

Hitoshi Kazama 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: 9695495
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy sheet for motor vehicles is produced by casting a melt, containing 3.0-3.5 mass % Mg, 0.05-0.3 mass % Fe, 0.05-0.15 mass % Si, and less than 0.1 mass % Mn, a balance substantially being inevitable impurities and Al, into a slab having a thickness of 5 to 15 mm in a twin-belt caster so that cooling rate at ¼ depth of thickness of the slab is 20 to 200° C./sec; winding the cast thin slab into a coiled thin slab subjected to cold rolling with a roll having a surface roughness of 0.2 to 0.7 ?m Ra at a cold rolling reduction of 50 to 98%; subjecting the cold rolled sheet to final annealing either continuously in a CAL at a holding temperature of 400 to 520° C. within 5 minutes or in a batch annealing furnace at a holding temperature of 300 to 400° C. for 1 to 8 hours; and subjecting the resulting sheet to straightening with a leveler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: NIPPON LIGHT METAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Pizhi Zhao, Toshiya Anami, Kazumitsu Mizushima, Akira Goto, Hitoshi Kazama, Kunihiro Yasunaga
  • Publication number: 20170159212
    Abstract: System and method of producing a fiber-reinforced composite material for preventing void formation and improving mechanical properties such as strength and modulus of elasticity are described. The fiber-reinforced composite material contains a thermoplastic resin as a matrix resin and is formed using reinforcing fibers, in particular, a sheet of fiber substrate such as a woven fabric of reinforcing fibers, or a yarn bundle of a fiber substrate of reinforcing fibers. The fiber-reinforced composite material is composed of a resin-laminated substrate which includes a resin-filled substrate formed by filling spaces between fibers in a sheet or a strand of a fiber substrate with thermoplastic polyurethane filler, and a matrix resin layer composed of a thermoplastic resin disposed on the surface of the resin-filled substrate. The added amount of the thermoplastic polyurethane filler to the fiber substrate is from 10 to 30 vol % with respect to the volume of the fiber substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Inventors: Hitoshi KAZAMA, Atsushi SUMIDA
  • Publication number: 20150114523
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy sheet for motor vehicles is produced by casting a melt, containing 3.0-3.5 mass % Mg, 0.05-0.3 mass % Fe, 0.05-0.15 mass % Si, and less than 0.1 mass % Mn, a balance substantially being inevitable impurities and Al, into a slab having a thickness of 5 to 15 mm in a twin-belt caster so that cooling rate at ¼ depth of thickness of the slab is 20 to 200° C./sec; winding the cast thin slab into a coiled thin slab subjected to cold rolling with a roll having a surface roughness of 0.2 to 0.7 ?m Ra at a cold rolling reduction of 50 to 98%; subjecting the cold rolled sheet to final annealing either continuously in a CAL at a holding temperature of 400 to 520° C. within 5 minutes or in a batch annealing furnace at a holding temperature of 300 to 400° C. for 1 to 8 hours; and subjecting the resulting sheet to straightening with a leveler.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Applicant: NIPPON LIGHT METAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Pizhi ZHAO, Toshiya ANAMI, Kazumitsu MIZUSHIMA, Akira GOTO, Hitoshi KAZAMA, Kunihiro YASUNAGA
  • Patent number: 8691031
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy sheet is manufactured by preparing a slab having a thickness of 5 to 15 mm with a continuous casting machine by a continuous casting process using molten alloy containing 0.40% to 0.65% of Mg, 0.50% to 0.75% of Si, 0.05% to 0.20% of Cr, and 0.10% to 0.40% of Fe, a remainder being Al; winding the slab into a coil; cold-rolling the slab into a sheet; subjecting the sheet to solution heat treatment in such a manner that the sheet is heated to a temperature of 530° C. to 560° C. at a heating rate of 10° C./sec or more and then maintained at the temperature for five seconds or more; quenching the sheet with water; coiling up the sheet; maintaining the sheet at a temperature of 60° C. to 110° C. for 3 to 12 hours; and then cooling the sheet to room temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignees: Nippon Light Metal Co., Ltd., Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Novelis Inc.
    Inventors: Pizhi Zhao, Toshiya Anami, Ichiro Okamoto, Hitoshi Kazama, Kunihiro Yasunaga, Noboru Hayashi, Kevin Gatenby, Simon Barker, Edward Luce
  • Patent number: 8425698
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy sheet having excellent press formability and stress corrosion cracking resistance, comprises 3.3 to 3.6 percent by weight of Mg and 0.1 to 0.2 percent by weight of Mn, furthermore, 0.05 to 0.3 percent by weight of Fe and 0.05 to 0.15 percent by weight of Si, and the remainder comprises Al and incidental impurities, wherein the sizes of intermetallic compounds is 5 ?m or less, the recrystallized grain size is 15 ?m or less in the region at a depth of 10 to 30 ?m below the sheet surface, and the surface roughness is Ra 0.2 to 0.7 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignees: Nippon Light Metal Co., Ltd, Novelis Inc., Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Pizhi Zhao, Toshiya Anami, Ichiro Okamoto, Hitoshi Kazama, Kunihiro Yasunaga, Noboru Hayashi, Kevin Gatenby, Mark Gallerneault, Simon Barker
  • Publication number: 20120291924
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy sheet is manufactured by preparing a slab having a thickness of 5 to 15 mm with a continuous casting machine by a continuous casting process using molten alloy containing 0.40% to 0.65% of Mg, 0.50% to 0.75% of Si, 0.05% to 0.20% of Cr, and 0.10% to 0.40% of Fe, a remainder being Al; winding the slab into a coil; cold-rolling the slab into a sheet; subjecting the sheet to solution heat treatment in such a manner that the sheet is heated to a temperature of 530° C. to 560° C. at a heating rate of 10° C./sec or more and then maintained at the temperature for five seconds or more; quenching the sheet with water; coiling up the sheet; maintaining the sheet at a temperature of 60° C. to 110° C. for 3 to 12 hours; and then cooling the sheet to room temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicants: NIPPON LIGHT METAL CO., LTD., NOVELIS INC., HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Pizhi ZHAO, Toshiya ANAMI, Ichiro OKAMOTO, Hitoshi KAZAMA, Kunihiro YASUNAGA, Noboru HAYASHI, Kevin GATENBY, Simon BARKER, Edward LUCE
  • Publication number: 20100307645
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy sheet for motor vehicles is produced by casting a melt, containing 3.0-3.5 mass % Mg, 0.05-0.3 mass % Fe, 0.05-0.15 mass % Si, and less than 0.1 mass % Mn, a balance substantially being inevitable impurities and Al, into a slab having a thickness of 5 to 15 mm in a twin-belt caster so that cooling rate at ¼ depth of thickness of the slab is 20 to 200° C./sec; winding the cast thin slab into a coiled thin slab subjected to cold rolling with a roll having a surface roughness of 0.2 to 0.7 ?m Ra at a cold rolling reduction of 50 to 98%; subjecting the cold rolled sheet to final annealing either continuously in a CAL at a holding temperature of 400 to 520° C. or in a batch annealing furnace at a holding temperature of 300 to 400° C.; and subjecting the resulting sheet to straightening with a leveler.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Applicant: Nippon Light Metal Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Pizhi Zhao, Toshiya Anami, Kazumitsu Mizushima, Akira Goto, Hitoshi Kazama, Kunihiro Yasunaga
  • Patent number: 7575811
    Abstract: A hydrous oxide film is formed on the surface of a superplastic forming aluminum alloy sheet. The superplastic forming aluminum alloy sheet can be formed without applying a lubricant to a die, exhibits excellent releasability, and prevents scratches due to sliding between the die and the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignees: Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd., Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Uchida, Yasunori Nagai, Takamichi Watanabe, Hitoshi Kazama, Osamu Yokoyama, Kazuya Saito
  • Publication number: 20090081072
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy sheet is manufactured by preparing a slab having a thickness of 5 to 15 mm with a continuous casting machine by a continuous casting process using molten alloy containing following components: 0.40% to 0.65% of Mg, 0.50% to 0.75% of Si, 0.05% to 0.20% of Cr, and 0.10% to 0.40% of Fe, remainder being Al, the components being essential elements, and optionally up to 0.15% Cu, 0.10% Ti; winding the slab into a coil; hot-rolling or directly coiling up the slab; cold-rolling the slab into a sheet; subjecting the sheet to solution heat treatment with a continuous annealing furnace; and then pre-aging the sheet. The aluminum alloy sheet has the same composition as the molten alloy, has a grain size of 10 to 25 ?m, is superior in bake hardenability, bendability, and surface quality (orange peel), and can be manufactured with low cost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Applicants: NIPPON LIGHT METAL CO., LTD, HONDA MOTOR., LTD., NOVELIS INC.
    Inventors: Pizhi Zhao, Toshiya Anami, Ichiro Okamoto, Hitoshi Kazama, Kunihiro Yasunaga, Noboru Hayashi, Kevin Gatenby, Simon Barker, Edward Luce
  • Publication number: 20090007994
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy sheet having excellent press formability and stress corrosion cracking resistance, comprises 3.3 to 3.6 percent by weight of Mg and 0.1 to 0.2 percent by weight of Mn, furthermore, 0.05 to 0.3 percent by weight of Fe and 0.05 to 0.15 percent by weight of Si, and the remainder comprises Al and incidental impurities, wherein the sizes of intermetallic compounds is 5 ?m or less, the recrystallized grain size is 15 ?m or less in the region at a depth of 10 to 30 ?m below the sheet surface, and the surface roughness is Ra 0.2 to 0.7 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Applicants: NOVELIS INC., NIPPON LIGHT METAL CO., LTD., HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Pizhi Zhao, Toshiya Anami, Ichiro Okamoto, Hitoshi Kazama, Kunihiro Yasunaga, Noboru Hayashi, Kevin Gatenby, Mark Gallerneault, Simon Barker
  • Publication number: 20080050606
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy plate to be subjected to a bake coating contains silicon (Si) and magnesium (Mg) with the balance being aluminum (Al) and inevitable impurities. In order to set the content of Mg2Si in a range of 0.50% by weight?Mg2Si?1.00% by weight, when the Si content by weight percent is taken on an x-axis of rectangular coordinates and the Mg content by weight percent is taken on a y-axis of the rectangular coordinates, the Si and Mg contents are set in a region in a diagram formed by sequentially connecting a point A (0.18, 0.31), a point B (1.3, 0.31), a point C (1.3, 0.64), a point D (0.37, 0.64), a point E (0.37, 1.0), a point F (0.18, 1.0) and the point A (0.18, 0.31). Thus, a bake-hard effect can be obtained, and the aluminum alloy plate can be produced at a relatively low manufacturing cost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kazama, Kunihiro Yasunaga
  • Publication number: 20070048539
    Abstract: A hydrous oxide film is formed on the surface of a superplastic forming aluminum alloy sheet. The superplastic forming aluminum alloy sheet can be formed without applying a lubricant to a die, exhibits excellent releasability, and prevents scratches due to sliding between the die and the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Publication date: March 1, 2007
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Uchida, Yasunori Nagai, Takamichi Watanabe, Hitoshi Kazama, Osamu Yokoyama, Kazuya Saito
  • Publication number: 20060035106
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy sheet for high-speed high-temperature blow forming has an aluminum alloy containing 4 to 5% of Mg, 0.35 to 0.5% of Mn and 0.001 to 0.05% of Cr, 0.6% or less of Si+Fe, 0.15% or less of Cu, and the balance being substantially Al. The aluminum alloy sheet has an elongation of 150% or more in a high-temperature tensile test at 400 to 550° C. and at a strain rate of 10?2/second or more, has a cavitation area percentage of 2% or less at the time of 100% tensile deformation, and is free from any abnormally grown grains of 100 microns or more. A formed piece of the aluminum alloy sheet also has a cavitation area percentage of 2% or less when blow-formed at 400 to 550° C. and at a reduction in sheet thickness of 65% or less, and is free from any abnormally grown grains of 100 microns or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2005
    Publication date: February 16, 2006
    Applicants: Furukawa-Sky Aluminum Corp., Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Noguchi, Toshiyasu Ukena, Hitoshi Kazama, Kunihiro Yasunaga, Osamu Yokoyama, Keiichiro Nakao
  • Publication number: 20050218121
    Abstract: The resistance welding method of different kinds of materials is the method for welding an iron material and an aluminum alloy material, and comprises the steps of: performing in advance a coating treatment at least to a portion of the aluminum alloy material, where resistance welding is performed, with any of iron and iron-base alloy and forming a surface layer; and performing resistance welding of the iron material and the aluminum alloy material through the surface layer, and the resistance welding may be any of spot welding and projection welding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Publication date: October 6, 2005
    Inventors: Noboru Hayashi, Hitoshi Kazama, Wataru Oikawa
  • Publication number: 20040231764
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy plate to be subjected to a bake coating contains silicon (Si) and magnesium (Mg) with the balance being aluminum (Al) and inevitable impurities. In order to set the content of Mg2Si in a range of 0.50% by weight≦Mg2Si≦1.00% by weight, when the Si content by weight percent is taken on an x-axis of rectangular coordinates and the Mg content by weight percent is taken on a y-axis of the rectangular coordinates, the Si and Mg contents are set in a region in a diagram formed by sequentially connecting a point A (0.18, 0.31), a point B (1.3, 0.31), a point C (1.3, 0.64), a point D (0.37, 0.64), a point E (0.37, 1.0), a point F (0.18, 1.0) and the point A (0.18, 0.31). Thus, a bake-hard effect can be obtained, and the aluminum alloy plate can be produced at a relatively low manufacturing cost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2004
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kazama, Kunihiro Yasunaga
  • Publication number: 20030164208
    Abstract: In the production of an aluminum alloy plate for an automobile body, a molten alloy having an aluminum alloy composition of 3.00% by weight≦Mg≦3.50% by weight, 0.20% by weight≦Fe≦0.60% by weight, 0.10% by weight≦Si≦0.15% by weight, 0.01% by weight≦Ti≦0.05% by weight, Mn≦0.05% by weight and the balance of aluminum containing inevitable impurities is subjected to a liquid metal rolling to provide a plate material; the plate material is subjected to a cold rolling to provide a cold-rolled plate; and the cold-rolled plate is subjected to an annealing treatment at a temperature T set in a range of 340° C.≦T≦400° C. and for a period of time t set in a range of 9 hours≦t≦11 hours.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2003
    Publication date: September 4, 2003
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kunihiro Yasunaga, Hitoshi Kazama
  • Publication number: 20010032800
    Abstract: A tray is constituted by a tray body portion for connecting a plurality of pockets and cushioning portions which are arranged on the bottom portions of the pockets serving as contact positions between the pockets and CSPs when the CSPs are stored in the pockets and which are formed of a soft material having a degree of hardness lower than that of the tray body portion. The tray moderates impact force acting on the CSPs in falling the tray to prevent the CSP from being broken and damaged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2001
    Publication date: October 25, 2001
    Inventors: Masato Numazaki, Usuke Enomoto, Hiromichi Suzuki, Hitoshi Kazama
  • Patent number: 6182922
    Abstract: A reassemblable reel which can easily be assembled and has a capacity as well as strength sufficient to contain and protect a great quantity of chips or other electronic components when in use and, after use, can easily be disassembled into compact parts which are easy to transport. The reassemblable reel generally includes two flanges and a reel hub having flexible plates formed therein. Each flexible plate is provided with tooth-shaped protrusions formed on the front and back ends of the flexible plate. The reel is so designed as to be formed by bringing the flanges into contact with both ends of the reel hub and pushing the flanges to engage the flexible plates with the tooth-shaped protrusions in stopper portions formed in the flanges. The tooth-shaped protrusions of each flexible plate can be disengaged by pushing the flexible plate from the outside of either flange in such a direction as to disengage the tooth-shaped protrusions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: Toyo Jushi Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hitoshi Kazama
  • Patent number: 5571349
    Abstract: In a method of producing twisted aluminum products, an elongate heat-treatable aluminum article is twisted at first to have a value "tan .phi." of 0.5 or more, with the term .phi. denoting a helical angle of the thus twisted article. The twisted aluminum article is then subjected to a solid solution treatment and the step of aging, in this order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1996
    Assignees: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Showa Aluminum Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi Nakazawa, Hitoshi Kazama, Yasushi Tashiro, Tadashi Yasuoka