Patents by Inventor Kentaro Sano

Kentaro Sano 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: 20200079917
    Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a fiber-reinforced composite material exhibiting high heat resistance and excellent appearance quality. It is a method for producing a fiber-reinforced composite material, which includes disposing a prepreg containing a reinforced fiber being impregnated with an epoxy resin composition in a mold, pressurizing and heating the prepreg at 0.2 to 2.5 MPa and 130° C. to 200° C. as primary curing, and then further heating the prepreg at 210° C. to 270° C. for 10 minutes or more as secondary curing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Kentaro Sano, Ayumi Mori, Taiki Kuroda, Toshiya Kamae
  • Patent number: 10472498
    Abstract: A molded article includes 10 to 40% by mass of reinforcing fibers (A); and 60 to 90% by mass of a matrix resin (B) mainly including a polyarylene sulfide, the molded article satisfying conditions (I) to (IV) and having a tensile strength of 240 MPa or more in a main orientation direction of the reinforcing fibers (A) in the molded article: (I) strand tensile strength of the reinforcing fibers (A) is 1.5 to 5.5 OPa; (II) number average fiber length of the reinforcing fibers (A) in the molded article is 0.4 mm or more and less than 0.6 mm; (III) tensile elongation of the matrix resin (B) is 1.5 to 10%; and (IV) interfacial shear strength between the reinforcing fibers (A) and the matrix resin (B) is 20 MPa or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Naokichi Imai, Kentaro Sano, Keisuke Inose
  • Publication number: 20190211201
    Abstract: The present invention provides an epoxy resin composition that serves to produce a cured epoxy resin that simultaneously realizes a high heat resistance, a high elastic modulus, and a low color and to produce a molded article having a good appearance without suffering the formation of white spots on the surface thereof when used as matrix resin in a fiber reinforced composite material. The epoxy resin composition includes an epoxy resin as component [A], an aromatic urea [B1] and/or an imidazole compound [B2] as component [B], and a borate ester compound as component [C], containing dicyandiamide in the amount of 0.5 part by mass or less relative to the total quantity of epoxy resins which accounts for 100 parts by mass, wherein the epoxy resin composition meets certain sets of further requirements with respect to its composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Kentaro Sano, Taiki Kuroda, Reo Takaiwa, Noriyuki Hirano
  • Patent number: 10344117
    Abstract: An epoxy resin composition includes [A] an epoxy resin, [B] dicyandiamide, [C] an aromatic urea and [D] a boric acid ester and satisfies any one of (i) requirements [a] and [b], (ii) requirements [c] and [d] and (iii) requirements [c] and [e]:[a]: the time from when the temperature reaches 100° C. till when the heat flow reaches a peak top is 60 minutes or shorter as determined by a differential scanning calorimetry; [b]: the time from when the temperature reaches 60° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Kentaro Sano, Reo Takaiwa, Noriyuki Hirano
  • Publication number: 20190177470
    Abstract: The present invention provides an epoxy resin composition that serves to produce a cured epoxy resin that simultaneously realizes a high heat resistance, a high elastic modulus, and a low color and to produce a molded article having a good appearance without suffering the formation of white spots on the surface thereof when used as matrix resin in a fiber reinforced composite material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Kentaro Sano, Taiki Kuroda, Reo Takaiwa, Noriyuki Hirano
  • Patent number: 10316159
    Abstract: An epoxy resin composition includes: an [A] epoxy resin at least comprising an [A1] isocyanurate epoxy resin and an [A2] glycidyl amine epoxy resin; [B] dicyandiamide; and [C] diaminodiphenyl sulfone, wherein (1) an average epoxy equivalent of the [A] epoxy resin is 115 g/eq to 150 g/eq, and (2) an amount of the component [C] added is an amount of 0.05 equivalent to 0.3 equivalent relative to epoxy groups in the [A] epoxy resin in terms of active hydrogen groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Reo Takaiwa, Junko Kawasaki, Kentaro Sano, Noriyuki Hirano
  • Patent number: 10308775
    Abstract: A fiber-reinforced resin composition includes a polyarylene sulfide (A), a carbodiimide compound (B) and carbon fibers (C) in specific blending amounts and in which the carbon fibers (C) are surface-treated with a sizing agent (D), the carbodiimide compound (B) is an aliphatic carbodiimide compound, and the sizing agent (D) is a compound having three or more specific functional groups in one molecule; and a fiber-reinforced composite material includes a thermoplastic resin (A?), an adhesive compound (B?) and reinforcing fibers (C?) and in which the adhesive compound (B?) is a compound having two or more specific structures in one molecule, the thermoplastic resin (A?) is a thermoplastic resin containing an element other than carbon in a repeating unit structure of a main chain, and an abundance ratio Rb of the adhesive compound (B?) is 1.2 or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Toray Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Naokichi Imai, Keisuke Inose, Kentaro Sano, Atsuki Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 10266641
    Abstract: Provided are: an epoxy resin composition for fiber-reinforced composite materials, which has a good balance between storage stability and fast curing properties at high levels; a prepreg; and an epoxy resin composition which exhibits excellent mechanical characteristics as a fiber-reinforced composite material. A resin composition which contains an epoxy resin, dicyandiamide, an imidazole compound and an acidic compound, while satisfying the following conditions (a)-(c): (d) The time until the heat flow rate reaches the peak top after the epoxy resin composition reaches 100° C. is 25 minutes or less as measured by a differential scanning calorimeter at an isothermal temperature of 100° C. in a nitrogen gas stream. (e) The time until the heat flow rate reaches the peak top after the epoxy resin composition reaches 60° C. is 15 hours or more as measured by a differential scanning calorimeter at an isothermal temperature of 60° C. in a nitrogen gas stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Reo Takaiwa, Kentaro Sano, Noriyuki Hirano
  • Patent number: 10093802
    Abstract: A molding material includes 5 to 50 parts by mass of reinforcing fibers (A) with a sizing agent (s) deposited thereon, 1 to 20 parts by mass of a component (B) containing a polycarbodiimide compound (B-1) that is liquid at 50° C., and 30 to 94 parts by mass of a thermoplastic resin (C) containing an element other than carbon in the repeating unit structure of the main chain, based on 100 parts by mass of the total of the components (A) to (C), wherein the molding material is a composite in which a composite fiber bundle (D) with the component (A) impregnated with the component (B) is covered with the component (C).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Kentaro Sano, Keisuke Inose, Naokichi Imai, Atsuki Tsuchiya
  • Publication number: 20180251617
    Abstract: An epoxy resin composition includes: an [A] epoxy resin at least comprising an [A1] isocyanurate epoxy resin and an [A2] glycidyl amine epoxy resin; [B] dicyandiamide; and [C] diaminodiphenyl sulfone, wherein (1) an average epoxy equivalent of the [A] epoxy resin is 115 g/eq to 150 g/eq, and (2) an amount of the component [C] added is an amount of 0.05 equivalent to 0.3 equivalent relative to epoxy groups in the [A] epoxy resin in terms of active hydrogen groups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Reo Takaiwa, Junko Kawasaki, Kentaro Sano, Noriyuki Hirano
  • Patent number: 10017613
    Abstract: A carbon fiber-reinforced polyarylene sulfide has both dynamic characteristics and molding cycle characteristics and can be produced with high productivity by preparing a polycarbodiimide-modified polyarylene sulfide using a polyarylene sulfide and a polycarbodiimide as raw materials, then melting the resulting polycarbodiimide-modified polyarylene sulfide, and combining the polycarbodiimide-modified polyarylene sulfide with carbon fibers at a specific ratio to produce a composite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Naokichi Imai, Kentaro Sano, Keisuke Inose
  • Publication number: 20180142083
    Abstract: A molded article includes 10 to 40% by mass of reinforcing fibers (A); and 60 to 90% by mass of a matrix resin (B) mainly including a polyarylene sulfide, the molded article satisfying conditions (I) to (IV) and having a tensile strength of 240 MPa or more in a main orientation direction of the reinforcing fibers (A) in the molded article: (I) strand tensile strength of the reinforcing fibers (A) is 1.5 to 5.5 OPa; (II) number average fiber length of the reinforcing fibers (A) in the molded article is 0.4 mm or more and less than 0.6 mm; (III) tensile elongation of the matrix resin (B) is 1.5 to 10%; and (IV) interfacial shear strength between the reinforcing fibers (A) and the matrix resin (B) is 20 MPa or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2018
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Inventors: Naokichi Imai, Kentaro Sano, Keisuke Inose
  • Patent number: 9902840
    Abstract: A molded article includes 10 to 40% by mass of reinforcing fibers (A); and 60 to 90% by mass of a matrix resin (B) mainly including a polyarylene sulfide, the molded article satisfying conditions (I) to (IV) and having a tensile strength of 240 MPa or more in a main orientation direction of the reinforcing fibers (A) in the molded article, wherein (I) strand tensile strength of the reinforcing fibers (A) is 1.5 to 5.5 GPa, (II) number average fiber length of the reinforcing fibers (A) is 0.4 to 10 mm, (III) tensile elongation of the matrix resin (B) is 1.5 to 10%, and (IV) interfacial shear strength between the reinforcing fibers (A) and the matrix resin (B) is 20 MPa or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Naokichi Imai, Kentaro Sano, Keisuke Inose
  • Patent number: 9879123
    Abstract: A molded article excellent in dynamic characteristics and water degradation resistance can be obtained by using a fiber-reinforced polypropylene resin composition including a carbodiimide-modified polyolefin (a), a polypropylene resin (b) and reinforcing fibers (c), wherein the content of the carbodiimide group contained in a resin component in the fiber-reinforced polypropylene resin composition is 0.0005 to 140 mmol based on 100 g of a matrix resin component, and the reinforcing fibers (c) are sizing-treated with a polyfunctional compound (s); and a molding material using the fiber-reinforced polypropylene resin composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Kentaro Sano, Noriyuki Hirano, Masato Honma, Atsuki Tsuchiya
  • Publication number: 20180022862
    Abstract: An epoxy resin composition includes [A] an epoxy resin, [B] dicyandiamide, [C] an aromatic urea and [D] a boric acid ester and satisfies any one of (i) requirements [a] and [b], (ii) requirements [c] and [d] and (iii) requirements [c] and [e]: [a]: the time from when the temperature reaches 100° C. till when the heat flow reaches a peak top is 60 minutes or shorter as determined by a differential scanning calorimetry; [b]: the time from when the temperature reaches 60° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2015
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Kentaro Sano, Reo Takaiwa, Noriyuki Hirano
  • Publication number: 20170291985
    Abstract: Provided are: an epoxy resin composition for fiber-reinforced composite materials, which has a good balance between storage stability and fast curing properties at high levels; a prepreg; and an epoxy resin composition which exhibits excellent mechanical characteristics as a fiber-reinforced composite material. A resin composition which contains an epoxy resin, dicyandiamide, an imidazole compound and an acidic compound, while satisfying the following conditions (a)-(c): (d) The time until the heat flow rate reaches the peak top after the epoxy resin composition reaches 100° C. is 25 minutes or less as measured by a differential scanning calorimeter at an isothermal temperature of 100° C. in a nitrogen gas stream. (e) The time until the heat flow rate reaches the peak top after the epoxy resin composition reaches 60° C. is 15 hours or more as measured by a differential scanning calorimeter at an isothermal temperature of 60° C. in a nitrogen gas stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Reo Takaiwa, Kentaro Sano, Noriyuki Hirano
  • Publication number: 20160340485
    Abstract: There is provided a cured product of an epoxy resin composition, in which the compounding composition and the phase-separated structure of the epoxy resin composition are controlled so that the balance between rigidity and toughness of the cured product is superior compared with those of cured products of conventional epoxy resin compositions. A cured product of an epoxy resin composition, which has both superior rigidity and superior toughness compared with conventional materials can be produced by curing an epoxy resin composition comprising an epoxy resin, a polyrotaxane having graft-chain-modified cyclic molecules and a curing agent for the epoxy resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2015
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Keiichiro NOMURA, Nobuhiro MORIOKA, Kentaro SANO, Noriyuki HIRANO, Sadayuki KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20160272814
    Abstract: A molding material includes 5 to 50 parts by mass of reinforcing fibers (A) with a sizing agent (s) deposited thereon, 1 to 20 parts by mass of a component (B) containing a polycarbodiimide compound (B-1) that is liquid at 50° C., and 30 to 94 parts by mass of a thermoplastic resin (C) containing an element other than carbon in the repeating unit structure of the main chain, based on 100 parts by mass of the total of the components (A) to (C), wherein the molding material is a composite in which a composite fiber bundle (D) with the component (A) impregnated with the component (B) is covered with the component (C).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Inventors: Kentaro Sano, Keisuke Inose, Naokichi Imai, Atsuki Tsuchiya
  • Publication number: 20160264740
    Abstract: A fiber-reinforced resin composition includes a polyarylene sulfide (A), a carbodiimide compound (B) and carbon fibers (C) in specific blending amounts and in which the carbon fibers (C) are surface-treated with a sizing agent (D), the carbodiimide compound (B) is an aliphatic carbodiimide compound, and the sizing agent (D) is a compound having three or more specific functional groups in one molecule; and a fiber-reinforced composite material includes a thermoplastic resin (A?), an adhesive compound (B?) and reinforcing fibers (C?) and in which the adhesive compound (B?) is a compound having two or more specific structures in one molecule, the thermoplastic resin (A?) is a thermoplastic resin containing an element other than carbon in a repeating unit structure of a main chain, and an abundance ratio Rb of the adhesive compound (B?) is 1.2 or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: Naokichi Imai, Keisuke Inose, Kentaro Sano, Atsuki Tsuchiya
  • Publication number: 20160257793
    Abstract: A carbon fiber-reinforced polyarylene sulfide has both dynamic characteristics and molding cycle characteristics and can be produced with high productivity by preparing a polycarbodiimide-modified polyarylene sulfide using a polyarylene sulfide and a polycarbodiimide as raw materials, then melting the resulting polycarbodiimide-modified polyarylene sulfide, and combining the polycarbodiimide-modified polyarylene sulfide with carbon fibers at a specific ratio to produce a composite.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Inventors: Naokichi Imai, Kentaro Sano, Keisuke Inose