Patents by Inventor Muneo Matsushita

Muneo Matsushita 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: 20230339037
    Abstract: Provided are a resistance spot welding method and a method for manufacturing a resistance spot welded joint. At least one of the steel sheets used is a high strength steel sheet. The method includes a main current application step in which current is applied with a current Iw and a tempering post-heat treatment step. The tempering post-heat treatment step includes a cooling process and a heating process and can include at least one of a transition process and a holding process. In the heating process, a current is applied at a current value It, shown in formula (2), for a current application time tt. 0.8×Iw?It?1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Reiko ENDO, Muneo MATSUSHITA, Yasuaki OKITA, Hiroshi MATSUDA
  • Publication number: 20230286077
    Abstract: Provided is a double-side friction stir welding method of metal sheets or metal plates to each other, and a double-side friction stir device for performing the double-side friction stir welding. According to the present invention, a pair of rotating tools facing each other is respectively arranged on a top-surface side and a bottom-surface side of a butted portion or an overlapping portion, which comprises a joint portion of two metal sheets or two metal plates, the pair of rotating tools is moved in a welding direction while being rotated at the butted portion or the overlapping portion, and while the metal sheets or the metal plates are softened by frictional heat generated between the rotating tools and the metal sheets or the metal plates, softened parts are stirred by the rotating tools to produce a plastic flow to join the metal sheets or the metal plates to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Applicant: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Muneo Matsushita, Rinsei Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20220371119
    Abstract: A double-sided friction stir welding method, methods for producing a cold-rolled steel strip and a coated steel strip, a double-sided friction stir welding apparatus, and facilities for producing a cold-rolled steel strip and a coated steel strip. The double-sided friction stir welding method includes pressing two rotating tools, which are disposed on a first surface and a second surface of a butt portion or overlap portion of the steel strips, against the butt portion or overlap portion of steel strips and moving the rotating tools in the welding direction while rotating the rotating tools in opposite directions to each other, so that an unwelded portion of the steel strips is softened by frictional heat generated between the rotating tools and the unwelded portion of the steel strips, and the softened portion is stirred with the rotating tools to generate plastic flow so as to weld the steel strips together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Muneo MATSUSHITA, Shohei IWATA, Yasushi KITANI
  • Patent number: 11446757
    Abstract: There is provided a friction stir welding method in which, when double-sided friction stir welding is performed, enough plastic flow to obtain a welded state uniform in the thickness direction of metal sheets can be obtained, in which an increase in welding speed is achieved while the occurrence of defects during welding is prevented, and in which sufficient strength and improvement in welding workability can be achieved. There is also provided a friction stir welding device suitable for the friction stir welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Muneo Matsushita, Rinsei Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20220228233
    Abstract: This application relates to a resistance spot weld, a resistance spot welding method, a resistance spot welded joint, and a method for manufacturing the resistance spot welded joint. In the resistance spot weld, at least one of steel sheets is a high-strength steel sheet having a prescribed chemical composition. In at least one of a nugget edge region corresponding to a faying interface, the nugget edge region has a metal microstructure including tempered martensite as a main phase. The hardness Hv of the nugget edge region and the hardness Hmw of martensite in the nugget as a whole satisfy formula (4). In at least one of a strong HAZ region corresponding to the faying interface, the hardness Hh of the strong HAZ region and the hardness Hmh of martensite in a prescribed steel sheet satisfy formula (8).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Reiko ENDO, Muneo MATSUSHITA, Hiroshi MATSUDA
  • Patent number: 11241755
    Abstract: An object is to provide a friction stir welding method and apparatus that provide sufficient strength and good welding workability by advantageously eliminating plastic flow deficiency generated as a result of insufficient heating of workpieces. In friction stir welding for steel sheets (3,3) as workpieces, a pair of facing rotary tools (1,15) are inserted into a non-welded part from both one surface side and the other surface side of the steel sheets (3,3), the rotary tools move in a welding direction while rotating, and in addition, a preheating process for heating steel sheets (3,3) is performed by heating means (5) provided in front of the rotary tools (1,15). The configuration of the pair of facing rotary tools (1,15) and the surface temperature, area, position, and so forth of a heated region in the preheating process are strictly controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Muneo Matsushita, Rinsei Ikeda, Koichi Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20210362266
    Abstract: The present invention provides a resistance spot welding method. A resistance spot welding method according to the present invention in which a sheet combination of two or more overlapping steel sheets is sandwiched between a pair of electrodes and joined together by applying current while applying pressure, the method including a main current application step in which current application is performed with a current Iw (kA), and subsequently, a post-tempering heat treatment step in which after cooling is performed for a cooling time tct (ms) shown in formula (1) below, current application is performed with a current It (kA) shown in formula (2) below for a current application time tt (ms) shown in formula (3) below: 800?tct . . . formula (1), 0.5×Iw?It?Iw . . . formula (2), and 500?tt . . . formula (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Applicant: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Reiko Endo, Muneo Matsushita, Koichi Taniguchi, Hiroshi Matsuda, Rinsei Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20210260685
    Abstract: A welding process used in a method of manufacturing a steel sheet assembly includes spot welding steel sheets performed for a heat time of 0.08 seconds or more using a convex electrode with a tip radius of curvature of 20 mm or more or a flat electrode such that the weld force F (kN) for initial 0.03 seconds of the heat time satisfies formula: F<0.00125×(1+0.75×tall)+3 where TS (MPa) denotes an average strength of the steel sheets and represents a weighted mean value of a thickness of each of the steel sheets, and tall (mm) denotes a total thickness of the steel sheets (the sum of the thicknesses of the steel sheets).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Hiroshi Matsuda, Yasuaki Okita, Muneo Matsushita, Rinsei Ikeda, Kenji Oi
  • Publication number: 20210023650
    Abstract: Disclosed are rotating tools for double-sided friction stir welding that are applied to double-sided friction stir welding, which is a technique for welding two metal plates by rotating a pair of rotating tools, which oppose each other, in opposite directions, a double-sided friction stir welding apparatus that uses the rotating tools, and a double-sided friction stir welding method. A pair of rotating tools for double-sided friction stir welding that are used in double-sided friction stir welding, which is a technique for welding metal plates by using a pair of rotating tools that are each disposed on one of first and second surfaces of an unwelded portion of the metal plates such that the rotating tools rotate in opposite directions, include end portions each of which is formed in a circular and planar shape. The end portions are each made of a material harder than the metal plates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Applicant: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Muneo Matsushita, Rinsei Ikeda, Hiroshi Matsuda, Daiki Yamagishi
  • Publication number: 20200306871
    Abstract: An object is to provide a friction stir welding method and apparatus that provide sufficient strength and good welding workability by advantageously eliminating plastic flow deficiency generated as a result of insufficient heating of workpieces. In friction stir welding for steel sheets (3,3) as workpieces, a pair of facing rotary tools (1,15) are inserted into a non-welded part from both one surface side and the other surface side of the steel sheets (3,3), the rotary tools move in a welding direction while rotating, and in addition, a preheating process for heating steel sheets (3,3) is performed by heating means (5) provided in front of the rotary tools (1,15). The configuration of the pair of facing rotary tools (1,15) and the surface temperature, area, position, and so forth of a heated region in the preheating process are strictly controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2017
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicant: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Muneo MATSUSHITA, Rinsei IKEDA, Koichi TANIGUCHI
  • Patent number: 10766099
    Abstract: A friction stir welding apparatus that includes a rotary tool and a heating device. The heating device is placed in front of the rotary tool to heat steel sheets that are used as a workpiece. The rotary tool is moved in the welding direction so that steel sheet is softened by frictional heat. Additionally, the surface temperature, the area, and the position of the heated region during the heating process are strictly controlled. The heating of the steel sheets by the welding apparatus provides sufficient strength and good welding workability by advantageously eliminating plastic flow defects generated due to insufficient heating of workpieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Muneo Matsushita, Koichi Taniguchi, Rinsei Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20200238434
    Abstract: Provided is a double-side friction stir welding method of metal sheets or metal plates to each other, and a double-side friction stir device for performing the double-side friction stir welding. According to the present invention, a pair of rotating tools facing each other is respectively arranged on a top-surface side and a bottom-surface side of a butted portion or an overlapping portion, which comprises a joint portion of two metal sheets or two metal plates, the pair of rotating tools is moved in a welding direction while being rotated at the butted portion or the overlapping portion, and while the metal sheets or the metal plates are softened by frictional heat generated between the rotating tools and the metal sheets or the metal plates, softened parts are stirred by the rotating tools to produce a plastic flow to join the metal sheets or the metal plates to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Applicant: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Muneo Matsushita, Rinsei Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20200215644
    Abstract: There is provided a friction stir welding method in which, when double-sided friction stir welding is performed, enough plastic flow to obtain a welded state uniform in the thickness direction of metal sheets can be obtained, in which an increase in welding speed is achieved while the occurrence of defects during welding is prevented, and in which sufficient strength and improvement in welding workability can be achieved. There is also provided a friction stir welding device suitable for the friction stir welding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Muneo MATSUSHITA, Rinsei IKEDA
  • Publication number: 20190111514
    Abstract: An object is to provide a friction stir welding method and apparatus that provide sufficient strength and good welding workability by advantageously eliminating plastic flow deficiency generated as a result of insufficient heating of workpieces. In friction stir welding for steel sheets (3, 3) as workpieces, a pair of facing rotary tools (1, 15) are inserted into a non-welded part from both one surface side and the other surface side of the steel sheets (3, 3), the rotary tools move in a welding direction while rotating, and in addition, a preheating process for heating steel sheets (3, 3) is performed by heating means (5) provided in front of the rotary tools(1, 15). The configuration of the pair of facing rotary tools (1, 15) and the surface temperature, area, position, and so forth of a heated region in the preheating process are strictly controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2017
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Applicant: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Muneo Matsushita, Rinsei Ikeda, Koichi Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 10207353
    Abstract: An oval nugget can reliably be obtained with this indirect spot welding method. In this indirect spot welding method, an electrode end portion of a welding electrode includes a tip of the welding electrode, and as viewed from the tip, the electrode end portion has a two-step dome shape formed by a first curved surface with a curvature radius r1 (mm) located within a range of a circle of radius R (mm) centering on the tip and a second curved surface with a curvature radius r2 (mm). 2?t?R?6?t (1), 30?r1 (2), and 6?r2?12 (3), where t is the sheet thickness (mm) of a thinner metal sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Muneo Matsushita, Rinsei Ikeda
  • Patent number: 10207354
    Abstract: In the indirect spot welding apparatus, a lower limit in a stable pressing force region where the pressing force of the spot welding electrode against the metal sheets can be controlled within a tolerance of ±10% ranges from 70 N to 200 N and an upper limit in the stable pressing force region ranges from 800 N to 2000 N, and an overshoot OS(%)=(PL?AL)/AL×100 of the pressing force occurring when the spot welding electrode is pressed against the metal sheets is controlled to be 10% or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Muneo Matsushita, Rinsei Ikeda
  • Patent number: 10189111
    Abstract: This indirect spot welding is for welding members including at least two overlapping steel sheets that have a ferrite phase as a main phase by holding a welding electrode (23) against a steel sheet (21) from one side while applying pressure with the electrode (23), attaching a feeding point (24) to a steel sheet (22) at the other side at a location remote from the electrode (23), and allowing current to flow between the electrode (23) and the feeding point (24). This welding includes contacting magnetic rigid bodies (26-1, 26-2) to a peripheral area of the electrode (23) from the one side against which the electrode (23) is held and securing an overlapping region in the peripheral area of the electrode (23) by a magnetic force produced by the rigid bodies (26-1, 26-2), thereby obtaining a weld having fully satisfactory strength, regardless of the rigidity of the members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Muneo Matsushita, Rinsei Ikeda, Akihide Yoshitake
  • Patent number: 10005151
    Abstract: A friction stir welding method for steel sheets includes inserting a rotating tool into an unwelded portion where two or more steel sheets are overlapped or butted together; moving the rotating tool along portions to be welded while rotating the tool so that a softened portion is formed in the steel sheets by friction heat generated between the rotating tool and the steel sheets, and the steel sheets are welded together by utilizing a plastic flow generated by the softened portion being stirred; and preheating the unwelded portion before welding by the rotating tool by a pair of heating devices disposed over and under the unwelded portion and ahead of the rotating tool in the advancing direction to enable high speed welding without the risk of generation of welding defects and damage to the welding tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Taniguchi, Muneo Matsushita, Rinsei Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20180043466
    Abstract: A friction stir welding apparatus that includes a rotary tool and a heating device. The heating device is placed in front of the rotary tool to heat steel sheets that are used as a workpiece. The rotary tool is moved in the welding direction so that steel sheet is softened by frictional heat. Additionally, the surface temperature, the area, and the position of the heated region during the heating process are strictly controlled. The heating of the steel sheets by the welding apparatus provides sufficient strength and good welding workability by advantageously eliminating plastic flow defects generated due to insufficient heating of workpieces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Muneo MATSUSHITA, Koichi TANIGUCHI, Rinsei IKEDA
  • Publication number: 20170348790
    Abstract: A steel sheet assembly includes a plurality of lapped steel sheets which have a tensile strength of 1,470 MPa or less and a thickness of 0.3 mm to 5.0 mm, the steel sheet assembly being formed by applying, in advance, an adhesive and a carbon-supplying agent to a surface of either or both of the steel sheets to be lapped and then welding the steel sheets. A weld of the assembly has a nugget diameter of 2.8?t (mm) or more, where t (mm) denotes the thickness of a thinner one of the steel sheets on both sides of a weld interface, and the amount of C is increased by 0.02 % by mass or more as compared to the steel sheets before being applied with the adhesive and the carbon-supplying agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Inventors: Hiroshi Matsuda, Yasuaki Okita, Muneo Matsushita, Rinsei Ikeda, Kenji Oi