Patents by Inventor Muneaki Ikeda

Muneaki Ikeda 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: 20170009315
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a high-strength hot-dip galvannealed steel sheet excellent in bake hardenability and bendability and having a component composition containing, in mass %, C: from 0.05 to 030%, Si: from 0.5 to 3.0%, Mn: from 0.2 to 3.0%, P: from 0 to 0.10%, S: from 0 to 0.010%, N: form 0 to 0.010%, and Al: from 0.001 to 0.10%, with the remainder being iron and unavoidable impurities. The steel sheet has a steel structure containing, in terms of area percentage, martensite: form 50 to 85% and ferrite: 0% or more and less than 5%, with the remainder being bainite. The steel sheet has a dislocation density of 5.0×1015 m?2 or more, a solute carbon amount of 0.08 mass % or more and a tensile strength of 1180 MPa or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Kosuke SHIBATA, Toshio MURAKAMI, Muneaki IKEDA, Michiharu NAKAYA
  • Patent number: 9534279
    Abstract: A high-strength cold-rolled steel sheet has a chemical composition including C of 0.05% to 0.30%, Si of greater than 0% to 3.0%, Mn of 0.1% to 5.0%, P of greater than 0% to 0.1%, S of greater than 0% to 0.02%, Al of 0.01% to 1.0%, and N of greater than 0% to 0.01%, in mass percent, with the remainder including iron and inevitable impurities. The steel sheet has a microstructure containing ferrite as a soft primary phase in an area percentage of 20% to 50% with the remainder including tempered martensite and/or tempered bainite as a hard secondary phase. The ferrite grains are adapted to contain cementite particles having an appropriate size in an appropriate number density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomokazu Masuda, Hideo Hata, Katsura Kajihara, Toshio Murakami, Masaaki Miura, Muneaki Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20160160335
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a high-strength plated steel sheet having a plated layer on a surface of a base steel sheet, contains predetermined steel compositions, and includes, in order from a base steel sheet side of an interface between the base steel sheet and the plated layer: a soft layer having a Vickers hardness of 90% or less of a Vickers hardness of a t/4 portion of the base steel sheet, where t is a thickness of the base steel sheet, and a hard layer having a structure containing martensite and bainite as main components. The soft layer has an average depth D of 20 ?m or more, an internal oxide layer has an average depth d of 4 ?m or more and less than D.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventor: Muneaki IKEDA
  • Publication number: 20150144231
    Abstract: In a steel sheet having a specific chemical composition and having a microstructure including ferrite that is a soft first phase by 20-50% in terms of the area ratio, the remainder being tempered martensite and/or tempered bainite that is a hard second phase, the microstructure of steel of a surface layer section of the steel sheet from the surface to the depth of 100 ?m and a center section of t/4-3t/4 (t is the sheet thickness) is controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Tomokazu Masuda, Katsura Kajihara, Toshio Murakami, Masaaki Miura, Muneaki Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20150114524
    Abstract: In a high strength cold-rolled steel plate having a specific chemical composition, a soft first phase (ferrite) has an area ratio of 20-50%, the remainder being a hard second phase (tempered martensite and/or tempered bainite), among all the ferrite grains, ferrite grains that have an average grain diameter of 10-25 ?m account for a total area ratio of 80% or more, the number of the cementite grains that have an equivalent circle diameter of 0.3 ?m or more is more than 0.15 piece and 1.0 piece or less per 1 ?m2 of ferrite, and the tensile strength is 980 MPa or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Tomokazu Masuda, Katsura Kajihara, Toshio Murakami, Masaaki Miura, Muneaki Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20150111064
    Abstract: Provided are: a high-strength hot-dip galvanized steel sheet in which bending workability of the high-strength hot-dip galvanized steel sheet is improved, and in which strength difference between a center part and end parts in the sheet width direction is reduced; and a method for manufacturing a high-strength hot-dip galvanized steel sheet. The steel sheet is a hot-dip galvanized steel sheet having a hot-dip galvanizing layer on a surface of a base steel sheet containing: C, Mn, P, S, and Al; Ti and B in amounts satisfying equation (1); and N; and Si as needed; the remainder comprising iron and unavoidable impurities; the metallographic structure of the base steel sheet having martensite, bainite, and ferrite, the ratios of each with respect to the overall metallographic structure being 50 area % or more of the martensite, 15-50 area % of the bainite, and 5 area % or less of the ferrite, 0.005×[Mn]+0.02×[B]1/2+0.025?[Ti]?0.15.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO(KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Muneaki Ikeda, Masaaki Miura
  • Publication number: 20140305553
    Abstract: A high-strength cold-rolled steel sheet has a chemical composition including C of 0.05% to 0.30%, Si of greater than 0% to 3.0%, Mn of 0.1% to 5.0%, P of greater than 0% to 0.1%, S of greater than 0% to 0.02%, Al of 0.01% to 1.0%, and N of greater than 0% to 0.01%, in mass percent, with the remainder including iron and inevitable impurities. The steel sheet has a microstructure containing ferrite as a soft primary phase in an area percentage of 20% to 50% with the remainder including tempered martensite and/or tempered bainite as a hard secondary phase. The ferrite grains are adapted to contain cementite particles having an appropriate size in an appropriate number density.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Tomokazu Masuda, Hideo Hata, Katsura Kajihara, Toshio Murakami, Masaaki Miura, Muneaki Ikeda
  • Patent number: 8673093
    Abstract: The present invention is the thin steel sheet containing C, Si, Mn, P, S, Al, Mo, Ti, B, and N wherein a value Z calculated by the equation described below is 2.0-6.0, an area ratio against all the structure is 1% or above for retained austenite and 80% or above for total of bainitic ferrite and martensite, a mean axis ratio of the retained austenite crystal grain is 5 or above, and tensile strength is 980 MPa or above where Value Z=9×[C]+[Mn]+3×[Mo]+490×[B]+7×[Mo]/{100×([B]+0.001),and the thin steel sheet has 980 MPa or above tensile strength and enhanced hydrogen embrittlement resistance properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Muneaki Ikeda, Kouji Kasuya, Yoichi Mukai, Fumio Yuse, Junichiro Kinugasa
  • Publication number: 20130008570
    Abstract: Disclosed is an ultra high strength steel plate with at least 1100 MPa of tensile strength that has both an excellent strength-stretch balance and excellent bending workability, and a method for producing the same. The metal structure of the steel plate has martensite, and the soft phases of bainitic ferrite and polygonal ferrite. The area of the aforementioned martensite constitutes 50% or more, the area of the aforementioned bainitic ferrite constitutes 15% or more, and the area of the aforementioned polygonal ferrite constitutes 5% or less (including 0%). When the circle-equivalent diameter of the aforementioned soft phases is measured, the coefficient of variation (standard deviation/mean value) is less or equal to 1.0. The ultra high strength steel plate has at least 1100 MPa of tensile strength.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel Ltd)
    Inventors: Muneaki Ikeda, Yukihiro Utsumi, Masaaki Miura
  • Patent number: 8298356
    Abstract: The ultrahigh-strength steel sheet contains, in mass %, C: 0.05-0.25%, Si: 1.00-2.5%, Mn: 2.0-4.0%, P: 0.1% or below (not inclusive of 0%), S: 0.05% or below (not inclusive of 0%), Al: 0.01-0.15%, Ti: 0.003-0.10%, N: 0.01% or below (not inclusive of 0%), the balance comprising iron with inevitable impurities, and is a composite structure steel sheet comprising 10-50 area % ferrite and 50 area % or above martensite, in which the average circle-equivalent grain diameter of ferrite grains is 2.0 ?m or below, the average aspect ratio of ferrite grains is 2.0 or below, and the tensile strength is 1,100 MPa or above. Accordingly, the ultrahigh-strength steel sheet is excellent in hydrogen embrittlement resistance and workability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Muneaki Ikeda, Yukihiro Utsumi
  • Patent number: 7887648
    Abstract: The invention relates to an ultrahigh-strength thin steel sheet excellent in the hydrogen embrittlement resistance, the steel sheet including, by weight %, 0.10 to 0.60% of C, 1.0 to 3.0% of Si, 1.0 to 3.5% of Mn, 0.15% or less of P, 0.02% or less of S, 1.5% or less of Al, 0.003 to 2.0% of Cr, and a balance including iron and inevitable impurities; in which grains of residual austenite have an average axis ratio (major axis/minor axis) of 5 or more, the grains of the residual austenite have an average minor axis length of 1 ?m or less, and the grains of the residual austenite have a nearest-neighbor distance between the grains of 1 ?m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichiro Kinugasa, Fumio Yuse, Yoichi Mukai, Shinji Kozuma, Hiroshi Akamizu, Kouji Kasuya, Muneaki Ikeda, Koichi Sugimoto
  • Publication number: 20100132848
    Abstract: The ultrahigh-strength steel sheet contains, in mass %, C: 0.05-0.25%, Si: 1.00-2.5%, Mn: 2.0-4.0%, P: 0.1% or below (not inclusive of 0%), S: 0.05% or below (not inclusive of 0%), Al: 0.01-0.15%, Ti: 0.003-0.10%, N: 0.01% or below (not inclusive of 0%), the balance comprising iron with inevitable impurities, and is a composite structure steel sheet comprising 10-50 area % ferrite and 50 area % or above martensite, in which the average circle-equivalent grain diameter of ferrite grains is 2.0 ?m or below, the average aspect ratio of ferrite grains is 2.0 or below, and the tensile strength is 1,100 MPa or above. Accordingly, the ultrahigh-strength steel sheet is excellent in hydrogen embrittlement resistance and workability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2009
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel Ltd)
    Inventors: Muneaki Ikeda, Yukihiro Utsumi
  • Publication number: 20100080728
    Abstract: The present invention is the thin steel sheet containing C, Si, Mn, P, S, Al, Mo, Ti, B, and N wherein a value Z calculated by the equation described below is 2.0-6.0, an area ratio against all the structure is 1% or above for retained austenite and 80% or above for total of bainitic ferrite and martensite, a mean axis ratio of the retained austenite crystal grain is 5 or above, and tensile strength is 980 MPa or above. Value Z=9×[C]+[Mn]+3×[Mo]+490×[B]+7×[Mo]/{100×([B]+0.001)} Thus a high strength thin steel sheet with 980 MPa or above tensile strength and enhanced hydrogen embrittlement resistance properties can be provided. Also, in accordance with the present invention, the hot-rolled steel sheet for cold-rolling capable of manufacturing the high strength thin steel sheet with good productivity and having improved cold-rollability can be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2007
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Muneaki Ikeda, Kouji Kasuya, Yoichi Mukai, Fumio Yuse, Junichiro Kinugasa
  • Publication number: 20090238713
    Abstract: The invention relates to an ultrahigh-strength thin steel sheet excellent in the hydrogen embrittlement resistance, the steel sheet including, by weight %, 0.10 to 0.60% of C, 1.0 to 3.0% of Si, 1.0 to 3.5% of Mn, 0.15% or less of P, 0.02% or less of S, 1.5% or less of Al, 0.003 to 2.0% of Cr, and a balance including iron and inevitable impurities; in which grains of residual austenite have an average axis ratio (major axis/minor axis) of 5 or more, the grains of the residual austenite have an average minor axis length of 1 ?m or less, and the grains of the residual austenite have a nearest-neighbor distance between the grains of 1 ?m or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.), Shinshu TLO Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichiro Kinugasa, Fumio Yuse, Yoichi Mukai, Shinji Kozuma, Hiroshi Akamizu, Kouji Kasuya, Muneaki Ikeda, Koichi Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 7130940
    Abstract: An interface apparatus includes a USB interface portion which makes communication with an external first device via a USB cable, a parallel interface portion which makes communication with an external second device via a parallel cable, and a control portion which, after a processing command signal has been received from the first device via the USB interface, when a signal state of the parallel interface portion is detected, and then, it is determined that the second device connected to the parallel interface portion enters a power saving mode, generates a switch signal for switching the current power saving mode to a normal mode to supply the switch signal to the second device via the parallel interface portion, and after it has been detected that the second device has been switched into the normal mode, controls the processing command signal so as to be supplied to the second device via the parallel interface portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Muneaki Ikeda
  • Patent number: 7113490
    Abstract: A DCE sends a first command to a DTE if data transmission from the DCE has not ended at a predetermined timing after the end of data transfer from the DTE to the DCE. The DTE sends a second command to the DCE at an arbitrary timing upon reception of the first command. Upon reception of the second command, the DCE sends to the DTE the first command if data transmission has not ended, or a third command if data transmission has ended. The DTE and DCE execute a post-data transmission procedure after they exchange the third command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Muneaki Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20050198428
    Abstract: An interface apparatus includes a USB interface portion which makes communication with an external first device via a USB cable, a parallel interface portion which makes communication with an external second device via a parallel cable, and a control portion which, after a processing command signal has been received from the first device via the USB interface, when a signal state of the parallel interface portion is detected, and then, it is determined that the second device connected to the parallel interface portion enters a power saving mode, generates a switch signal for switching the current power saving mode to a normal mode to supply the switch signal to the second device via the parallel interface portion, and after it has been detected that the second device has been switched into the normal mode, controls the processing command signal so as to be supplied to the second device via the parallel interface portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Publication date: September 8, 2005
    Inventor: Muneaki Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20030112769
    Abstract: A DCE sends a first command to a DTE if data transmission from the DCE has not ended at a predetermined timing after the end of data transfer from the DTE to the DCE. The DTE sends a second command to the DCE at an arbitrary timing upon reception of the first command. Upon reception of the second command, the DCE sends to the DTE the first command if data transmission has not ended, or a third command if data transmission has ended. The DTE and DCE execute a post-data transmission procedure after they exchange the third command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Applicant: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Muneaki Ikeda