Patents by Inventor Junichi Aoki

Junichi Aoki 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: 11806899
    Abstract: The present invention provides a technology in production of a prepreg and enhances the production efficiency, in which the technology allows the arrangement property and rectilinearity of reinforcing fibers to be well maintained and allows any resin to be applied stably at a high speed. A prepreg is produced by a method which includes: discharging a molten resin in planar form to form a resin film, and applying the resin film onto a reinforcing fiber sheet conveyed continuously, wherein the reinforcing fiber sheet is conveyed substantially in the horizontal direction, and wherein an angle made between the discharge direction of the resin and the conveyance direction of the reinforcing fiber sheet 1a is 80° or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Junichi Aoki, Takashi Ochi, So Nishino, Satoshi Enzaki, Takaaki Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11566117
    Abstract: A method of producing a prepreg is described, in which a matrix resin is applied to a reinforcing fiber sheet in which the sheet can continuously run without clogging due to generated fuzz even at a high running speed and where the reinforcing fiber sheet can be efficiently impregnated with the matrix resin. A method of producing a prepreg includes allowing a reinforcing fiber sheet to pass substantially vertically downward through the inside of a coating section storing a matrix resin to apply the matrix resin to the reinforcing fiber sheet; and then applying a resin film to a primary impregnate prepreg withdrawn from the coating section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Takashi Ochi, So Nishino, Junichi Aoki, Yoshikazu Kono, Tamotsu Suzuki, Takashi Ikushima
  • Patent number: 11499025
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for producing a prepreg, for applying a coating liquid to a reinforcing fiber sheet, the apparatus including: a coating section including: a liquid pool storing the coating liquid and having a portion whose cross-sectional area decreases continuously and vertically downward, and a narrowed section having a slit-like outlet in communication with the lower end of the liquid pool; a running mechanism for allowing the reinforcing fiber sheet to run vertically downward and be introduced into the coating section; a take-up mechanism for taking up the reinforcing fiber sheet downward from the coating section; wall constituent members opposed to each other in the thickness direction of the reinforcing fiber sheet to form the narrowed section; and an external force application mechanism for applying an external force to the wall constituent members in the thickness direction of the reinforcing fiber sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: So Nishino, Yoshikazu Kono, Takashi Ochi, Junichi Aoki, Yoshiyuki Kitamura, Kiyoshi Minoura
  • Patent number: 11491685
    Abstract: A method is described for producing a prepreg formed by applying a matrix resin to a reinforcing fiber sheet, wherein the method can effect continuous running without clogging due to generated fuzz even at a high running speed and effect efficient impregnation of the reinforcing fiber sheet with a matrix resin. A method of producing a prepreg includes allowing a reinforcing fiber sheet to pass substantially vertically downward through the inside of a coating section storing a matrix resin to obtain a matrix resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber sheet in which the matrix resin is applied to the reinforcing fiber sheet and at least heating the matrix resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber sheet, wherein the coating section includes a liquid pool and a narrowed section which are in communication with each other, wherein the liquid pool has a portion whose cross-sectional area decreases continuously along a running direction of the reinforcing fiber sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Ochi, Yoshikazu Kono, So Nishino, Junichi Aoki, Kiyoshi Minoura, Tamotsu Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20220112344
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for producing a prepreg, for applying a coating liquid to a reinforcing fiber sheet, the apparatus including: a coating section including: a liquid pool storing the coating liquid and having a portion whose cross-sectional area decreases continuously and vertically downward, and a narrowed section having a slit-like outlet in communication with the lower end of the liquid pool; a running mechanism for allowing the reinforcing fiber sheet to run vertically downward and be introduced into the coating section; a take-up mechanism for taking up the reinforcing fiber sheet downward from the coating section; wall constituent members opposed to each other in the thickness direction of the reinforcing fiber sheet to form the narrowed section; and an external force application mechanism for applying an external force to the wall constituent members in the thickness direction of the reinforcing fiber sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: So Nishino, Yoshikazu Kono, Takashi Ochi, Junichi Aoki, Yoshiyuki Kitamura, Kiyoshi Minoura
  • Patent number: 11224993
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing a coating liquid impregnated sheet-like reinforcing fiber bundle formed by applying a coating liquid to a sheet-like reinforcing fiber bundle that is unidirectionally arranged continuous reinforcing fibers long in one direction. The present invention provides a production method and a coating device of a coating liquid impregnated sheet-like reinforcing fiber bundle, wherein the method and device can effect continuous running without clogging of generated fuzz even at a high running speed and effect efficient impregnation of a coating liquid into the sheet-like reinforcing fiber bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Ochi, So Nishino, Tamotsu Suzuki, Junichi Aoki
  • Patent number: 11208535
    Abstract: The invention enhances the production efficiency in the production of prepreg by allowing the arrangement property and rectilinearity of reinforcing fibers to be well maintained, allowing the basis weight uniformity of an applied resin to be good, and further allowing a high line speed and suppression of contamination in the process to be achieved. The invention provides a method of producing a prepreg, which includes: discharging a molten resin from a discharge portion; introducing the discharged resin by an air flow; and capturing the discharged resin on a reinforcing fiber sheet conveyed continuously, wherein a key point is that the discharged resin is captured in a region in which the reinforcing fiber sheet is conveyed substantially in planar form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Takashi Ochi, Junichi Aoki, Takaaki Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11192280
    Abstract: The present invention is a method of producing a coating liquid-impregnated reinforcing fiber fabric 1b, including allowing a reinforcing fiber fabric 1a to pass substantially vertically downward through the inside of a coating section 20 storing a coating liquid 2 to provide the reinforcing fiber fabric 1a with the coating liquid 2; wherein the coating section 20 includes a liquid pool and a narrowed section which are in communication with each other; wherein the liquid pool has a portion whose cross-sectional area decreases continuously along a running direction of the reinforcing fiber fabric 1a, wherein the narrowed section has a slit-like cross-section and has a smaller cross-sectional area than the top side of the liquid pool, and wherein the vertical height of the portion whose cross-sectional area decreases continuously in the liquid pool is 10 mm or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Takashi Ochi, So Nishino, Tamotsu Suzuki, Junichi Aoki
  • Publication number: 20210292496
    Abstract: A method of producing a prepreg is described, in which a matrix resin is applied to a reinforcing fiber sheet in which the sheet can continuously run without clogging due to generated fuzz even at a high running speed and where the reinforcing fiber sheet can be efficiently impregnated with the matrix resin. A method of producing a prepreg includes allowing a reinforcing fiber sheet to pass substantially vertically downward through the inside of a coating section storing a matrix resin to apply the matrix resin to the reinforcing fiber sheet; and then applying a resin film to a primary impregnate prepreg withdrawn from the coating section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Ochi, So Nishino, Junichi Aoki, Yoshikazu Kono, Tamotsu Suzuki, Takashi Ikushima
  • Publication number: 20210291405
    Abstract: A method is described for producing a prepreg formed by applying a matrix resin to a reinforcing fiber sheet, wherein the method can effect continuous running without clogging due to generated fuzz even at a high running speed and effect efficient impregnation of the reinforcing fiber sheet with a matrix resin. A method of producing a prepreg includes allowing a reinforcing fiber sheet to pass substantially vertically downward through the inside of a coating section storing a matrix resin to obtain a matrix resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber sheet in which the matrix resin is applied to the reinforcing fiber sheet and at least heating the matrix resin-impregnated reinforcing fiber sheet, wherein the coating section includes a liquid pool and a narrowed section which are in communication with each other, wherein the liquid pool has a portion whose cross-sectional area decreases continuously along a running direction of the reinforcing fiber sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Ochi, Yoshikazu Kono, So Nishino, Junichi Aoki, Kiyoshi Minoura, Tamotsu Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20210213649
    Abstract: The present invention is a method of producing a coating liquid-impregnated reinforcing fiber fabric 1b, including allowing a reinforcing fiber fabric 1a to pass substantially vertically downward through the inside of a coating section 20 storing a coating liquid 2 to provide the reinforcing fiber fabric 1a with the coating liquid 2; wherein the coating section 20 includes a liquid pool and a narrowed section which are in communication with each other; wherein the liquid pool has a portion whose cross-sectional area decreases continuously along a running direction of the reinforcing fiber fabric 1a, wherein the narrowed section has a slit-like cross-section and has a smaller cross-sectional area than the top side of the liquid pool, and wherein the vertical height of the portion whose cross-sectional area decreases continuously in the liquid pool is 10 mm or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Ochi, So Nishino, Tamotsu Suzuki, Junichi Aoki
  • Patent number: 11034810
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an epoxy resin composition capable of providing a carbon fiber-reinforced composite material that is excellent in moldability, heat resistance, and mechanical properties such as tensile strength and compression strength, and a prepreg. The present invention provides an epoxy resin composition containing at least components [A] to [D] shown below: [A]: an epoxy resin having a xylene group; [B]: a glycidyl amine epoxy resin having three or more glycidyl groups in a molecule; [C]: a thermoplastic resin; and [D]: an aromatic polyamine, the epoxy resin composition containing 10 to 80 parts by mass of the component [A] and 20 to 90 parts by mass of the component [B] based on 100 parts by mass in total of epoxy resins, and also 1 to 25 parts by mass of the component [C] based on 100 parts by mass in total of epoxy resins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Junichi Aoki, Koji Furukawa, Atsuhito Arai, Jun Misumi, Hiroaki Sakata, Takashi Ochi
  • Patent number: 10851217
    Abstract: Provided are: an epoxy resin composition that gives a carbon fiber-reinforced composite material having excellent moldability, heat resistance, and mechanical properties such as tensile strength and compressive strength; and a prepreg. An epoxy resin composition containing at least the following constituent elements [A]-[D]. The epoxy resin composition contains 5-50 parts by mass of constituent element [A] and 20-95 parts by mass of constituent element [B], as well as 1-25 parts by mass of constituent element [C], relative to 100 parts by mass of the total amount of epoxy resin. Constituent element [A] is an epoxy resin having primarily two epoxy groups and one or more condensed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon skeletons within a repeating unit of a specific structure; [B] is a glycidylamine epoxy resin having three or more glycidyl groups in the molecule; [C] is a sulfone or imide thermoplastic resin; and [D] is an epoxy resin curing agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Junichi Aoki, Koji Furukawa, Kyoko Tamaru, Atsuhito Arai, Hiroaki Sakata, Takashi Ochi
  • Publication number: 20200277461
    Abstract: The invention enhances the production efficiency in the production of prepreg by allowing the arrangement property and rectilinearity of reinforcing fibers to be well maintained, allowing the basis weight uniformity of an applied resin to be good, and further allowing a high line speed and suppression of contamination in the process to be achieved. The invention provides a method of producing a prepreg, which includes: discharging a molten resin from a discharge portion; introducing the discharged resin by an air flow; and capturing the discharged resin on a reinforcing fiber sheet conveyed continuously, wherein a key point is that the discharged resin is captured in a region in which the reinforcing fiber sheet is conveyed substantially in planar form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Ochi, Junichi Aoki, Takaaki Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20200276733
    Abstract: The present invention provides a technology in production of a prepreg and enhances the production efficiency, in which the technology allows the arrangement property and rectilinearity of reinforcing fibers to be well maintained and allows any resin to be applied stably at a high speed. A prepreg is produced by a method which includes: discharging a molten resin in planar form to form a resin film, and applying the resin film onto a reinforcing fiber sheet conveyed continuously, wherein the reinforcing fiber sheet is conveyed substantially in the horizontal direction, and wherein an angle made between the discharge direction of the resin and the conveyance direction of the reinforcing fiber sheet 1a is 80° or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Junichi Aoki, Takashi Ochi, So Nishino, Satoshi Enzaki, Takaaki Yamashita
  • Patent number: 10702956
    Abstract: Provided is a flux activator containing a halogen compound represented by formula 1 below: where X1 and X2 represent different halogen atoms, R1 and R2 are each a group represented by any one of formulas —OH, —O—R3, —O—C(?O)—R4, and —O—C(?O)—NH—R5, R1 and R2 optionally represent the same group or different groups, R3, R4, and R5 are each an aromatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms or an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, and R3, R4, and R5 optionally represent the same group or different groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: KOKI COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Yukikata, Yuusuke Sato, Junichi Aoki, Mitsuyasu Furusawa, Kimiaki Mori
  • Publication number: 20200039114
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing a coating liquid impregnated sheet-like reinforcing fiber bundle formed by applying a coating liquid to a sheet-like reinforcing fiber bundle that is unidirectionally arranged continuous reinforcing fibers long in one direction. The present invention provides a production method and a coating device of a coating liquid impregnated sheet-like reinforcing fiber bundle, wherein the method and device can effect continuous running without clogging of generated fuzz even at a high running speed and effect efficient impregnation of a coating liquid into the sheet-like reinforcing fiber bundle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Ochi, So Nishino, Tamotsu Suzuki, Junichi Aoki
  • Publication number: 20200010633
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an epoxy resin composition capable of providing a carbon fiber-reinforced composite material that is excellent in moldability, heat resistance, and mechanical properties such as tensile strength and compression strength, and a prepreg. The present invention provides an epoxy resin composition containing at least components [A] to [D] shown below: [A]: an epoxy resin having a xylene group; [B]: a glycidyl amine epoxy resin having three or more glycidyl groups in a molecule; [C]: a thermoplastic resin; and [D]: an aromatic polyamine, the epoxy resin composition containing 10 to 80 parts by mass of the component [A] and 20 to 90 parts by mass of the component [B] based on 100 parts by mass in total of epoxy resins, and also 1 to 25 parts by mass of the component [C] based on 100 parts by mass in total of epoxy resins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Junichi AOKI, Koji FURUKAWA, Atsuhito ARAI, Jun MISUMI, Hiroaki SAKATA, Takashi OCHI
  • Patent number: 10280251
    Abstract: Provided is an epoxy resin composition for giving a carbon fiber-reinforced composite material that simultaneously achieves tensile strength and compressive strength. An epoxy resin composition containing at least the following constituent elements [A]-[D] wherein the epoxy resin composition contains 5-50 mass % of constituent element [A] and 20-95 mass % of constituent element [B] relative to 100 mass % of total epoxy resin weight. [A]: at least one epoxy resin selected from 1,2-bis(glycidyloxy)benzene, 1,3-bis(glycidyloxy)benzene, 1,4-bis(glycidyloxy)benzene, derivatives of these, and epoxy resins having a structure represented by general formula [1] (in general formula [1], at least one of R1-R5 and at least one of R6-R10 is a glycidyl ether group, and the other R1-R10 represent any of a hydrogen atom, halogen atom, or aliphatic hydrocarbon group having four or fewer carbon atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Junichi Aoki, Atsuhito Arai, Hiroaki Sakata, Takashi Ochi
  • Publication number: 20180244880
    Abstract: Provided are: an epoxy resin composition that gives a carbon fiber-reinforced composite material having excellent moldability, heat resistance, and mechanical properties such as tensile strength and compressive strength; and a prepreg. An epoxy resin composition containing at least the following constituent elements [A]-[D]. The epoxy resin composition contains 5-50 parts by mass of constituent element [A] and 20-95 parts by mass of constituent element [B], as well as 1-25 parts by mass of constituent element [C], relative to 100 parts by mass of the total amount of epoxy resin. Constituent element [A] is an epoxy resin having primarily two epoxy groups and one or more condensed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon skeletons within a repeating unit of a specific structure; [B] is a glycidylamine epoxy resin having three or more glycidyl groups in the molecule; [C] is a sulfone or imide thermoplastic resin; and [D] is an epoxy resin curing agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Junichi Aoki, Koji Furukawa, Kyoko Tamaru, Atsuhito Arai, Hiroaki Sakata, Takashi Ochi