Patents by Inventor Kazuhiro Kawasaki
Kazuhiro Kawasaki 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).
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Publication number: 20210368589Abstract: An induction heating system includes induction heating apparatuses, each including a high-frequency current transformer, a low-frequency current transformer and a heating coil, a high-frequency input switch connected to the high-frequency current transformer, a low-frequency input switch connected to the low-frequency current transformer, a first power source to output a high-frequency electric power and a low frequency electric power, a second power source, a first power source output switch connectable to the first power source, a second power source output switch connectable to the second power source, and a switch controller. Each induction heating apparatus includes a heater controller to send a signal to the switching controller to turn on one of the first power source output switch and the second power source output switch, to turn off the other, and to switch on or off each of the high-frequency input switch and the low-frequency input switch.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 4, 2021Publication date: November 25, 2021Inventors: Tetsuya Ono, Masato Sugimoto, Yutaka Kiyosawa, Toshihiro Aiba, Kazutomi Oka, Kunihiro Kobayashi, Fumiaki Ikuta, Kazuhiro Kawasaki
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Patent number: 10487387Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide, as a simple method, a surface nitriding treatment method of a titanium material, forming a hardened nitrided layer excellent in abrasion resistance on the surface of a titanium material in a shorter time. In order to achieve the object, the present invention adopts a surface nitriding treatment method of a titanium material, wherein a hardened nitrided layer is formed on the surface of the titanium material, by blowing nitrogen gas at a flow rate of 10 L/min or more to the surface of the titanium material while the titanium material is being heated to 800° C. to 1000° C. in an inert gas atmosphere.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2016Date of Patent: November 26, 2019Assignees: KEIO UNIVERSITY, NETUREN CO., LTD.Inventors: Jun Komotori, Shumpei Ota, Kengo Fukazawa, Yoshitaka Misaka, Kazuhiro Kawasaki
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Patent number: 10458775Abstract: An apparatus is provided to measure a depth of a hardened layer formed at a surface layer of a quenched workpiece. The apparatus includes an exciting coil configured to generate a magnetic flux to magnetize the workpiece and a detecting coil configured to detect the magnetic flux generated by the exciting coil. The exciting coil has a U-shaped excitation core portion and an excitation coil portion wound on the excitation core portion. The excitation core portion is arranged such that distal ends of magnetic poles of the excitation core portion face the workpiece. The detecting coil has a detection core portion and a detection coil wound on the detection core portion. The detection core portion is arranged between the magnetic poles of the excitation core portion and along a surface of the workpiece.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2016Date of Patent: October 29, 2019Assignees: NETUREN CO., LTD., OITA UNIVERSITYInventors: Yoshitaka Misaka, Kazuhiro Kawasaki, Kenta Sakurai, Yuji Gotoh
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Publication number: 20190218635Abstract: Object of the present invention is to provide a welding method prevented the fracture at the spot welding zone by recovering the strength of a spot welding zone, namely, the ductility and the toughness in the spot welding zone, and a weld structure manufactured by the method. In the welding method, a spot welding zone provided with a weld nugget is formed by conducting spot welding on the heat treated steel sheets in a stack; the spot welding zone is tempering treated by the high-frequency electrical current application to make the weld nugget have a hardness of 150% or less of the hardness of the heat treated steel sheets, and the heat affected zone surrounding the weld nugget is made to have a hardness of 30% to 90% of the hardness at the weld nugget before the tempering treatment by the high-frequency electrical current application.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 22, 2019Publication date: July 18, 2019Applicant: NETUREN CO., LTD.Inventors: Akira TERAJIMA, Kazuhiro KAWASAKI, Fumiaki IKUTA, Yasuyuki KOYATA, Yoshitaka MISAKA
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Patent number: 10301692Abstract: Object of the present invention is to provide a welding method prevented the fracture at the spot welding zone by recovering the strength of a spot welding zone, namely, the ductility and the toughness in the spot welding zone, and a weld structure manufactured by the method. In the welding method, a spot welding zone provided with a weld nugget 13a is formed by conducting spot welding on the heat treated steel sheets in a stack; the spot welding zone is tempering treated by the high-frequency electrical current application to make the weld nugget have a hardness of 150% or less of the hardness of the heat treated steel sheets, and the heat affected zone surrounding the weld nugget is made to have a hardness of 30% to 90% of the hardness at the weld nugget before the tempering treatment by the high-frequency electrical current application.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2015Date of Patent: May 28, 2019Assignee: NETUREN CO., LTD.Inventors: Akira Terajima, Kazuhiro Kawasaki, Fumiaki Ikuta, Yasuyuki Koyata, Yoshitaka Misaka
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Publication number: 20190099829Abstract: A method for spot-welding metallic materials includes: sandwiching the metallic materials with a pair of electrodes; a pre-heating step for pre-heating a region different from a given region which should be welded by applying electric power having a high frequency to the pair of electrodes; and a welding step for spot-welding a given region of the metallic materials by applying electric power for welding to the pair of electrodes. The heating time in the pre-heating step and that in the welding step are independently controlled.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2018Publication date: April 4, 2019Applicants: NETUREN CO., LTD., NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS SCIENCEInventors: Takahiko KANAI, Munehisa HATTA, Fumiaki IKUTA, Kazuhiro KAWASAKI, Eizaburo NAKANISHI, Tsuyoshi YOSHIDA, Kotobu NAGAI, Masao HAYAKAWA, Takehiko ITAGAKI
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Patent number: 10189112Abstract: A welding equipment for metallic materials capable of performing heat treatment such as tempering based on partial heating in spot welding is provided. The welding equipment sandwiches metallic materials with a pair of electrodes, and heats different regions of the metallic materials by energization, with the pair of electrodes maintained at the same position with respect to the metallic materials. The welding equipment includes a first heating means connected to the pair of electrodes for heating and welding the internal region of the circle defined by projecting the cross-sectional area of the axis of the electrodes on the metallic materials by applying power having a low first frequency, a second heating means for heating a ring-shaped region along the circle by applying power having a second frequency that is higher than the first frequency, and an energization control unit for independently controlling the first and the second heating means.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2015Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignees: NETUREN CO., LTD., NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS SCIENCEInventors: Takahiko Kanai, Munehisa Hatta, Fumiaki Ikuta, Kazuhiro Kawasaki, Eizaburo Nakanishi, Tsuyoshi Yoshida, Kotobu Nagai, Masao Hayakawa, Takehiko Itagaki
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Publication number: 20190021140Abstract: An induction heating system includes induction heating apparatuses, each including a high-frequency current transformer, a low-frequency current transformer and a heating coil, a high-frequency input switch connected to the high-frequency current transformer, a low-frequency input switch connected to the low-frequency current transformer, a first power source to output a high-frequency electric power and a low frequency electric power, a second power source, a first power source output switch connectable to the first power source, a second power source output switch connectable to the second power source, and a switch controller. Each induction heating apparatus includes a heater controller to send a signal to the switching controller to turn on one of the first power source output switch and the second power source output switch, to turn off the other, and to switch on or off each of the high-frequency input switch and the low-frequency input switch.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2018Publication date: January 17, 2019Inventors: Tetsuya ONO, Masato SUGIMOTO, Yutaka KIYOSAWA, Toshihiro AIBA, Kazutomi OKA, Kunihiro KOBAYASHI, Fumiaki IKUTA, Kazuhiro KAWASAKI
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Patent number: 10159117Abstract: An induction heating system includes induction heating apparatuses, each including a high-frequency current transformer, a low-frequency current transformer and a heating coil, a high-frequency input switch connected to the high-frequency current transformer, a low-frequency input switch connected to the low-frequency current transformer, a first power source to output a high-frequency electric power and a low frequency electric power, a second power source, a first power source output switch connectable to the first power source, a second power source output switch connectable to the second power source, and a switch controller. Each induction heating apparatus includes a heater controller to send a signal to the switching controller to turn on one of the first power source output switch and the second power source output switch, to turn off the other, and to switch on or off each of the high-frequency input switch and the low-frequency input switch.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2013Date of Patent: December 18, 2018Assignee: NETUREN CO., LTD.Inventors: Tetsuya Ono, Masato Sugimoto, Yutaka Kiyosawa, Toshihiro Aiba, Kazutomi Oka, Fumiaki Ikuta, Kazuhiro Kawasaki
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Publication number: 20180155816Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide, as a simple method, a surface nitriding treatment method of a titanium material, forming a hardened nitrided layer excellent in abrasion resistance on the surface of a titanium material in a shorter time. In order to achieve the object, the present invention adopts a surface nitriding treatment method of a titanium material, wherein a hardened nitrided layer is formed on the surface of the titanium material, by blowing nitrogen gas at a flow rate of 10 L/min or more to the surface of the titanium material while the titanium material is being heated to 800° C. to 1000° C. in an inert gas atmosphere.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2016Publication date: June 7, 2018Applicants: Keio University, Neturen Co., Ltd.Inventors: Jun KOMOTORI, Shumpei OTA, Kengo FUKAZAWA, Yoshitaka MISAKA, Kazuhiro KAWASAKI
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Publication number: 20180051975Abstract: An apparatus is provided to measure a depth of a hardened layer formed at a surface layer of a quenched workpiece. The apparatus includes an exciting coil configured to generate a magnetic flux to magnetize the workpiece and a detecting coil configured to detect the magnetic flux generated by the exciting coil. The exciting coil has a U-shaped excitation core portion and an excitation coil portion wound on the excitation core portion. The excitation core portion is arranged such that distal ends of magnetic poles of the excitation core portion face the workpiece. The detecting coil has a detection core portion and a detection coil wound on the detection core portion. The detection core portion is arranged between the magnetic poles of the excitation core portion and along a surface of the workpiece.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2016Publication date: February 22, 2018Applicants: NETUREN CO., LTD., OITA UNIVERSITYInventors: Yoshitaka MISAKA, Kazuhiro KAWASAKI, Kenta SAKURAI, Yuji GOTOH
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Publication number: 20160368080Abstract: Provided are: a welded structural member whose spot-welded part has both strength and ductility, and whose rupture strength proven by a rupture test such as a cross tensile test is high; and a method for welding such a structural member. The welded part 3 of the welded structural member 1 made of the above steel plates bonded by overlapping their faces and forming the welded part 3 by spot welding includes: a molten and solidified part 4; and a heat-affected zone 5 surrounding the molten and solidified part 4. The hardness on the welded surface increases to harder than the hardness of the steel plates 2 (base material) along a direction from a region outside the heat-affected zone 5 toward the heat-affected zone 5.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 27, 2014Publication date: December 22, 2016Applicant: NETUREN CO., LTD.Inventors: Munehisa Hatta, Takahiko Kanai, Kazutomi Oka, Atsushi Ito, Fumiaki Ikuta, Kazuhiro Kawasaki
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Patent number: 9498840Abstract: A welding structural part 1 is manufactured by overlapping the surfaces of steel sheets 2, and forming a weld zone by spot welding. The weld zone 3 includes: a weld nugget 4; and a heat affected zone 5 surrounding the weld nugget 4, wherein the hardness in the weld zone increases along an exterior region 6 of the heat affected zone 5 toward the heat affected zone 5, and then decreases along the heat affected zone 5 toward the central region of the weld nugget 4. In the boundary region between the weld nugget 4 and the heat affected zone 5, the weld nugget 4 may have a convex portion 4A bulging into the heat affected zone 5 along the overlapped portion. The steel sheets 2 contain carbon in 0.15 mass % or more.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2010Date of Patent: November 22, 2016Assignees: NETUREN CO., LTD., NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS SCIENCEInventors: Takahiko Kanai, Munehisa Hatta, Fumiaki Ikuta, Kazuhiro Kawasaki, Eizaburou Nakanishi, Masayuki Miyake, Kotobu Nagai, Masao Hayakawa, Takehiko Itagaki
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Patent number: 9304108Abstract: A quenching depth measuring method is used for measuring the quenching depth in a workpiece and includes the steps of: magnetizing the workpiece by disposing, in the vicinity of the workpiece, a magnetizer equipped with an exciting coil; detecting, through a detection coil, an induced magnetic field generated by the magnetization; measuring the induced magnetic field as the output voltage of the detection coil; and specifying the thickness of the quenched hardened layer of the workpiece on the basis of known electromagnetic characteristic information of an unquenched material and a fully-quenched material and an output voltage value measured by the detection coil, the unquenched material being made of the same material as the constituent material of the workpiece and being a material on which a quenching process is not performed, the fully-quenched material being a material on which the quenching process is performed.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2011Date of Patent: April 5, 2016Assignees: NETUREN CO., LTD., NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION OITA UNIVERSITYInventors: Yuji Gotoh, Noriyoshi Takaoka, Kazuhiro Kawasaki, Yoshitaka Misaka
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Publication number: 20160076117Abstract: Object of the present invention is to provide a welding method prevented the fracture at the spot welding zone by recovering the strength of a spot welding zone, namely, the ductility and the toughness in the spot welding zone, and a weld structure manufactured by the method. In the welding method, a spot welding zone provided with a weld nugget 13a is formed by conducting spot welding on the heat treated steel sheets in a stack; the spot welding zone is tempering treated by the high-frequency electrical current application to make the weld nugget have a hardness of 150% or less of the hardness of the heat treated steel sheets, and the heat affected zone surrounding the weld nugget is made to have a hardness of 30% to 90% of the hardness at the weld nugget before the tempering treatment by the high-frequency electrical current application.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2015Publication date: March 17, 2016Applicant: NETUREN CO., LTD.Inventors: Akira TERAJIMA, Kazuhiro KAWASAKI, Fumiaki IKUTA, Yasuyuki KOYATA, Yoshitaka MISAKA
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Publication number: 20150306696Abstract: A welding equipment for metallic materials capable of performing heat treatment such as tempering based on partial heating in spot welding is provided. The welding equipment sandwiches metallic materials with a pair of electrodes, and heats different regions of the metallic materials by energization, with the pair of electrodes maintained at the same position with respect to the metallic materials. The welding equipment includes a first heating means connected to the pair of electrodes for heating and welding the internal region of the circle defined by projecting the cross-sectional area of the axis of the electrodes on the metallic materials by applying power having a low first frequency, a second heating means for heating a ring-shaped region along the circle by applying power having a second frequency that is higher than the first frequency, and an energization control unit for independently controlling the first and the second heating means.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 12, 2015Publication date: October 29, 2015Applicants: NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS SCIENCE, NETUREN CO., LTD.Inventors: Takahiko KANAI, Munehisa HATTA, Fumiaki IKUTA, Kazuhiro KAWASAKI, Eizaburo NAKANISHI, Tsuyoshi YOSHIDA, Kotobu NAGAI, Masao HAYAKAWA, Takehiko ITAGAKI
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Publication number: 20150237680Abstract: An induction heating system includes induction heating apparatuses, each including a high-frequency current transformer, a low-frequency current transformer and a heating coil, a high-frequency input switch connected to the high-frequency current transformer, a low-frequency input switch connected to the low-frequency current transformer, a first power source to output a high-frequency electric power and a low frequency electric power, a second power source, a first power source output switch connectable to the first power source, a second power source output switch connectable to the second power source, and a switch controller. Each induction heating apparatus includes a heater controller to send a signal to the switching controller to turn on one of the first power source output switch and the second power source output switch, to turn off the other, and to switch on or off each of the high-frequency input switch and the low-frequency input switch.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2013Publication date: August 20, 2015Inventors: Tetsuya Ono, Masato Sugimoto, Yutaka Kiyosawa, Toshihiro Aiba, Kazutomi Oka, Kunihiro Kobayashi, Fumiaki Ikuta, Kazuhiro Kawasaki
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Patent number: 9079266Abstract: A welding equipment for metallic materials capable of performing heat treatment such as tempering based on partial heating in spot welding is provided. The welding equipment 1 sandwiches metallic materials 9 with a pair of electrodes 4, 4, and heats different regions of the metallic materials 9 by energization, with the pair of electrodes 4, 4 maintained at the same position with respect to the metallic materials 9. The welding equipment includes a first heating means 6 connected to the pair of electrodes 4, 4 for heating and welding the internal region of the circle defined by projecting the cross-sectional area of the axis of the electrodes on the metallic materials by applying power having a low first frequency, a second heating means 8 for heating a ring-shaped region along the circle by applying power having a second frequency that is higher than the first frequency, and an energization control unit 10 for independently controlling the first and the second heating means 6, 8.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2009Date of Patent: July 14, 2015Assignees: NETUREN CO., LTD., NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS SCIENCEInventors: Takahiko Kanai, Munehisa Hatta, Fumiaki Ikuta, Kazuhiro Kawasaki, Eizaburo Nakanishi, Tsuyoshi Yoshida, Kotobu Nagai, Masao Hayakawa, Takehiko Itagaki
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Patent number: 8932416Abstract: A high-strength die-quenched part 1 is formed by heating a high-strength steel sheet 11 up to an austenite region, hot stamping and cooling inside a mold, and its microstructure has the martensite wherein carbide particles 2 are finely dispersed over an entire region including prior-austenite grain boundaries. It is desirable that the prior-austenite grain size in the microstructure of the high-strength steel sheet, which is a base material, be 10 ?m or smaller. The high-strength die-quenched part has high-strength and high-ductility thanks to its martensite.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2010Date of Patent: January 13, 2015Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., National Institute for Materials Science, Neturen Co., LtdInventors: Eizaburou Nakanishi, Masayuki Miyake, Kotobu Nagai, Masao Hayakawa, Takehito Itagaki, Takahiko Kanai, Munehisa Hatta, Kazuhiro Kawasaki
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Publication number: 20130300405Abstract: A quenching depth measuring method is used for measuring the quenching depth in a workpiece and includes the steps of: magnetizing the workpiece by disposing, in the vicinity of the workpiece, a magnetizer equipped with an exciting coil; detecting, through a detection coil, an induced magnetic field generated by the magnetization; measuring the induced magnetic field as the output voltage of the detection coil; and specifying the thickness of the quenched hardened layer of the workpiece on the basis of known electromagnetic characteristic information of an unquenched material and a fully-quenched material and an output voltage value measured by the detection coil, the unquenched material being made of the same material as the constituent material of the workpiece and being a material on which a quenching process is not performed, the fully-quenched material being a material on which the quenching process is performed.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 26, 2011Publication date: November 14, 2013Applicant: NETUREN CO., LTD.Inventors: Yuji Gotoh, Noriyoshi Takaoka, Kazuhiro Kawasaki, Yoshitaka Misaka