Patents by Inventor Koji Katano
Koji Katano 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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Patent number: 11932102Abstract: A vehicle includes a tank having a cylindrical tank main unit, and a neck provided at a first end in an axial direction of the tank main unit, a bracket that fixes the tank main unit to a vehicle body of the vehicle by neck mounting, using the neck, and a fixing device. The fixing device has a covering portion that grips and holds, at a second end in the axial direction of the tank main unit, the tank main unit so as to surround an outer circumferential face of the tank main unit, and a fixing portion that is integrally provided with the covering portion and that is fixed to the vehicle body.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2021Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Koji Katano, Akihiko Ohba
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Publication number: 20240068624Abstract: A gas cylinder bundle includes a gas cylinder bundle frame and a high-pressure tank arranged on the gas cylinder bundle frame. The gas cylinder bundle frame is equipped with a plurality of levels of shelf portions in an up-down direction on which the high-pressure tank is arranged. The high-pressure tank is arranged such that an axial direction of the high-pressure tank arranged on a shelf portion of a next level above a shelf portion of one level faces a direction rotated by 90° with respect to an axial direction of the high-pressure tank arranged on the shelf portion of the one level.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 6, 2023Publication date: February 29, 2024Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Koji KATANO
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Patent number: 11761583Abstract: A tank includes a liner that includes a barrel portion in a cylindrical shape and a pair of dome portions provided at both ends of the barrel portion in the axial direction, and a reinforcing layer that covers the liner and that is formed from a fiber reinforced resin formed by impregnating a fiber bundle with a resin. A portion of the reinforcing layer that covers the dome portions includes a radial arrangement layer in which fibers of the fiber bundle are arranged radially along the radial direction of the dome portions when seen in the direction of an axis of the tank.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2022Date of Patent: September 19, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Daisuke Satoya, Koji Katano, Takeshi Ishikawa
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Patent number: 11680683Abstract: A high-pressure tank comprises a liner, a strengthening layer including a first helical layer and a first hoop layer each including a carbon fiber, and a protective layer including a second helical layer and a second hoop layer each including a glass fiber, in this order. The high-pressure tank is provided with a stress-generating portion, a reinforcement layer includes a first area ? overlapping the stress-generating portion in a stacking direction and a second area ? that is an area except for the first area, and a one-round portion including a final crossing portion at an end of winding of the glass fiber constituting the second hoop layer overlaps the second area in the stacking direction.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2021Date of Patent: June 20, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Koji Katano, Masayoshi Takami, Motohiro Mizuno
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Patent number: 11654607Abstract: A method for manufacturing a high pressure tank includes a step of forming a reinforcing pipe portion including a straight pipe portion and reduced-diameter portions, a step of forming reinforcing dome portions, a step of forming a joined body by joining the reinforcing pipe portion and the reinforcing dome portions, and a step of forming an outer helical layer on an outer face of the joined body. The reinforcing dome portions are disposed with opening ends of the reinforcing dome portions positioned on outer faces of the reduced-diameter portions of the reinforcing pipe portion.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2021Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Koji Katano
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Publication number: 20230150211Abstract: A method for manufacturing a high-pressure tank including a liner and a fiber-reinforced resin layer, the fiber-reinforced resin layer having a first reinforcing layer covering an outer surface of the liner and a second reinforcing layer covering an outer surface of the first reinforcing layer includes: forming a cylinder member made of a fiber-reinforced resin and having fibers oriented in a circumferential direction of the cylinder member; forming two dome members made of the fiber-reinforced resin; forming a reinforcing body that is the first reinforcing layer by joining the cylinder member and the dome members; and forming on an outer surface of the reinforcing body the second reinforcing layer made of the fiber-reinforced resin and having fibers oriented across the dome members.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 15, 2023Publication date: May 18, 2023Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Koji KATANO
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Publication number: 20230151927Abstract: A high-pressure tank includes a reinforcing layer and a liner having a gas-barrier property and disposed on an inner surface of the reinforcing layer. The reinforcing layer includes a cylindrical reinforcing pipe having a plurality of cylindrical pipe forming portions coupled together, and a pair of semispherical reinforcing domes, one of the pair of semispherical reinforcing domes being disposed at a first end of the reinforcing pipe, and the other one of the pair of semispherical reinforcing domes being disposed at a second end of the reinforcing pipe.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 6, 2023Publication date: May 18, 2023Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Koji KATANO, Takashi USUI
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Publication number: 20230119246Abstract: A high-pressure tank includes a liner that includes a body that is cylindrical in shape and a pair of dome portions each of which is provided at a respective end of the body in an axial direction, and a reinforcing layer provided on an outer circumferential face of the liner. The reinforcing layer includes a pair of resin rings each of which is provided encircling a respective end portion of an outer circumferential face of the body, a hoop layer that covers part of the outer circumferential face of the body, between the resin rings, and a helical layer that covers the resin rings, the hoop layer, and the dome portions. The resin rings are configured to cover part of the body from boundary portions between the body and the dome portions, and increase in thickness from the boundary portions toward a middle of the body.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2022Publication date: April 20, 2023Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takuya KOBAYASHI, Koji KATANO, Takeshi ISHIKAWA, Daisuke SATOYA
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Patent number: 11618224Abstract: A method for manufacturing a high-pressure tank including a liner and a fiber-reinforced resin layer, the fiber-reinforced resin layer having a first reinforcing layer covering an outer surface of the liner and a second reinforcing layer covering an outer surface of the first reinforcing layer includes: forming a cylinder member made of a fiber-reinforced resin and having fibers oriented in a circumferential direction of the cylinder member; forming two dome members made of the fiber-reinforced resin; forming a reinforcing body that is the first reinforcing layer by joining the cylinder member and the dome members; and forming on an outer surface of the reinforcing body the second reinforcing layer made of the fiber-reinforced resin and having fibers oriented across the dome members.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2020Date of Patent: April 4, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Koji Katano
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Patent number: 11584093Abstract: A high-pressure tank includes a liner for storing a fluid, and a reinforcing layer covering an outer surface of the liner and including a fiber wound around the liner and a resin. The reinforcing layer includes a helical layer group including laminated helical layers, and a large-angle layer provided adjacent to the helical layer group and on the liner-side. The helical layer group includes an innermost layer that is closest to the liner and that is one of first and second helical layers respectively having the largest and second largest fiber winding angles, an outermost layer that is closest to an outer surface of the high-pressure tank and that is the other one of the first and second helical layers, and an intermediate layer disposed between the innermost and outermost layers and including a helical layer that is smaller in winding angle than the innermost and outermost layers.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2020Date of Patent: February 21, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Koji Katano
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Patent number: 11566752Abstract: A high-pressure tank includes a cylindrical portion including a fiber-reinforced resin and a dome portion including a fiber-reinforced resin. The cylindrical portion includes an axial fiber layer including a fiber oriented in a center axis direction of the high-pressure tank, and a circumferential fiber layer including a fiber oriented in a circumferential direction of the high-pressure tank. An end portion of the axial fiber layer and an end portion of the dome portion are joined to each other.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2021Date of Patent: January 31, 2023Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Koji Katano
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Publication number: 20230010853Abstract: A high-pressure tank includes an assembly of a pipe split body having a pipe liner and a pipe reinforcement layer covering an outer circumferential surface of the pipe liner, first dome split body having a first dome liner and a first dome reinforcement layer covering an outer circumferential surface of the first dome liner, and second dome split body having a second dome liner and a second dome reinforcement layer covering an outer circumferential surface of the second dome liner. The pipe split body and the first dome split body are assembled such that the first dome liner is located in the outer portion of the high-pressure tank relative to the pipe liner. The pipe split body and the second dome split body are assembled such that the second dome liner is located in the outer portion of the high-pressure tank relative to the pipe liner.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 5, 2022Publication date: January 12, 2023Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hironori NAKAMURA, Koji KATANO, Daisuke SATOYA, Takuya KOBAYASHI
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Publication number: 20220412508Abstract: A tank includes a liner that includes a barrel portion in a cylindrical shape and a pair of dome portions provided at both ends of the barrel portion in the axial direction, and a reinforcing layer that covers the liner and that is formed from a fiber reinforced resin formed by impregnating a fiber bundle with a resin. A portion of the reinforcing layer that covers the dome portions includes a radial arrangement layer in which fibers of the fiber bundle are arranged radially along the radial direction of the dome portions when seen in the direction of an axis of the tank.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2022Publication date: December 29, 2022Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Daisuke SATOYA, Koji KATANO, Takeshi ISHIKAWA
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Patent number: 11529780Abstract: A manufacturing method for a high-pressure tank includes joining a cylindrical member and dome members to each other so that a first reinforcing layer and a second reinforcing layer to which a cap is attached are formed, and after a resin material is poured inside the first reinforcing layer, rotating the first reinforcing layer so that the resin material covers an inner surface of the first reinforcing layer, and solidifying the resin material so that the liner is formed. The cap is attached to the first reinforcing layer so that a recessed portion in which the resin material is collected is formed between the cap and the first reinforcing layer. After the first reinforcing layer is rotated, the resin material is solidified in a state where the cap side is positioned on a lower side.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2020Date of Patent: December 20, 2022Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Koji Katano
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Patent number: 11506337Abstract: A manufacturing method of a high-pressure tank including a reinforcement layer configured of fiber reinforced resin including carbon fiber and a liner provided on an inner side of the reinforcement layer includes: a step (a) of preparing the reinforcement layer including a cylindrical portion and a pair of dome portions, the dome portions disposed at respective ends of the cylindrical portion; a step (b) of forming a film on an inner surface of each of the cylindrical portion and the dome portions without using a polymerization catalyst that is deactivated by a component contained in the reinforcement layer; a step (c) of applying a material of the liner to a surface of the film, the material being an uncured material of the liner and containing the polymerization catalyst; and a step (d) of forming the liner by curing the material of the liner applied through a polymerization reaction.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2021Date of Patent: November 22, 2022Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Koji Katano
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Patent number: 11486545Abstract: A manufacturing method for manufacturing a tank includes: a step of forming a structural body constituted by a liner and a fiber reinforced resin layer placed on the outer periphery of the liner, the structural body including a cylindrical portion and dome portions provided in opposite ends of the cylindrical portion in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion; a step of winding a heat insulating sheet around the fiber reinforced resin layer after the step of forming the structural body, the heat insulating sheet having notches in dome forming portions provided to correspond to the dome portions; and a step of covering the dome portions with the dome forming portions.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2021Date of Patent: November 1, 2022Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Koji Katano
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Patent number: 11472135Abstract: A method for manufacturing a high-pressure tank including a liner and a reinforcing layer covering an outer surface of the liner includes: forming a cylinder member made of a fiber-reinforced resin; forming a pair of dome members made of the fiber-reinforced resin; and forming a reinforcing body that is the reinforcing layer by joining the cylinder member and the dome members. When forming the cylinder member, a resin-impregnated fiber sheet is wound around an outer peripheral surface of a mandrel to form a cylinder body, and a resin-impregnated fiber bundle is then wound so as to overlap the cylinder body.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2020Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Junya Maeda, Koji Katano
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Patent number: 11441732Abstract: A high-pressure tank includes a liner, a first reinforcing layer covering an outer surface of the liner, and a second reinforcing layer covering an outer surface of the first reinforcing layer. The first reinforcing layer is formed as a cylindrical member, a valve-side dome member, and an end-side dome member are fitted to each other in a state where resin intervening members are arranged between these members neighboring each other, respectively. The resin intervening member is formed into a ring shape.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2020Date of Patent: September 13, 2022Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Koji Katano
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Patent number: 11298868Abstract: A manufacturing method for manufacturing a reinforced layer constituting a high-pressure tank includes: a first forming step of forming a cylindrical pipe portion and extending in an axial direction of the high-pressure tank, the pipe portion including a first end portion including a first end and a second end portion including a second end, the pipe portion being formed to have a first stepped portion such that the first stepped portion projects outwardly at a position distanced from the first end in the axial direction by a first distance; a first placing step of placing the first end inside a first dome portion by moving at least either of the first dome portion and the pipe portion until a first bottom end portion of the first dome portion abuts with the first stepped portion; and a first joining step of joining the pipe portion to the first dome portion.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2021Date of Patent: April 12, 2022Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Koji Katano
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Publication number: 20220099251Abstract: A manufacturing method of a high-pressure tank including a reinforcement layer configured of fiber reinforced resin including carbon fiber and a liner provided on an inner side of the reinforcement layer includes: a step (a) of preparing the reinforcement layer including a cylindrical portion and a pair of dome portions, the dome portions disposed at respective ends of the cylindrical portion; a step (b) of forming a film on an inner surface of each of the cylindrical portion and the dome portions without using a polymerization catalyst that is deactivated by a component contained in the reinforcement layer; a step (c) of applying a material of the liner to a surface of the film, the material being an uncured material of the liner and containing the polymerization catalyst; and a step (d) of forming the liner by curing the material of the liner applied through a polymerization reaction.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 28, 2021Publication date: March 31, 2022Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Koji KATANO