Patents by Inventor Naokichi Imai

Naokichi Imai 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).

  • 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: 20180186134
    Abstract: A method for producing a fiber-reinforced composite material is provided. By satisfying particular conditions, this method is capable of suppressing the problem of poor appearance caused by the release film in the production of the fiber-reinforced composite material having a three-dimensional shape by heat-press molding to enable production of the fiber-reinforced composite material having a high quality appearance in high cycle. A method for manufacturing a fiber-reinforced composite material wherein a fiber-reinforced substrate containing a reinforcing fiber (A) and a thermosetting resin (B) is sandwiched between release films (C) to constitute a layered material, and the layered material is pressed in a mold heated to molding temperature to thereby cure the thermosetting resin (B), wherein the method satisfies the following (i), (ii), and (iii) or (i), (ii), and (iv): (i) the fiber-reinforced composite material has at least 1 bent part, (ii) the molding temperature is 130 to 180° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Naokichi IMAI, Masato HONMA
  • Patent number: 10005905
    Abstract: A molding material is provided including a composite having 1 to 50 wt % of (A) a bundle of continuous reinforcing fibers and 0.1 to 40 wt % of (B) a polyarylene sulfide prepolymer or (B?) a polyarylene sulfide; and 10 to 98.9 wt % of (C) a thermoplastic resin adhered to the composite; wherein the composite further has (D) a zero-valent transition metal compound or (E) a low-valent iron compound in an amount of 0.001 to 20 mol % based on the amount of sulfur atoms contained in the component (B) or (B?). A prepreg and a method of producing a fiber-reinforced molding base material is also provided. By using the molding material according to the present invention which exhibits excellent economic efficiency and productivity, a molded article having excellent mechanical characteristics can be easily produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Naokichi Imai, Kaori Narimatsu, Masato Honma, Shunsuke Horiuchi, Koji Yamauchi
  • 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
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20160251498
    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: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Inventors: Naokichi Imai, Kentaro Sano, Keisuke Inose
  • Publication number: 20140155540
    Abstract: Provided is a molding material comprising a composite of 1 to 50 wt % of a continuous reinforcing fiber bundle (A) and 0.1 to 20 wt % of a poly(phenylene ether ether ketone) oligomer (B); and 30 to 98.9 wt % of a thermoplastic resin (C) adhering to the composite, wherein the component (B) has a melting point of not higher than 270° C. Also provided are a method for molding the molding material, a method for producing the molding material, and a method for producing a fiber-reinforced composite material. A molded article having high heat resistance and dynamic properties can be easily produced without impairing the economic efficiency and productivity during the process for producing a molding material. In addition, a fiber-reinforced composite material can be produced with more ease and high productivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Naokichi Imai, Atsuki Tsuchiya, Masato Honma, Kohei Yamashita, Shunsuke Horiuchi, Koji Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 8685537
    Abstract: The invention provides a fiber reinforced resin composition comprising a melt-kneaded product (A) prepared by melt-kneading a first resin (A1) and a second resin (A2) that has a reactive functional group as well as a third resin (B) and a fibrous filler (C), wherein, with respect to the contents of the components, the first resin (A1), the second resin with a reactive functional group (A2), and the third resin (B) account for 0.1 to 75 wt %, 0.1 to 15 wt %, and 10 to 99.8 wt %, respectively, to form a resin composition while said fibrous filler (C) accounts for 0.1 to 300 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of said resin composition, said first resin (A1) and said third resin (B) forming a matrix resin, said second resin (A2) being dispersed as particles in said matrix resin, and said particles having a number average particle diameter of 10 to 1,000 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: TORAY Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Naokichi Imai, Masato Honma, Takayuki Fujiwara, Takashi Fujioka, Masaru Akita, Makiko Saito
  • Publication number: 20130295806
    Abstract: A molding material is provided including a composite having 1 to 50 wt % of (A) a bundle of continuous reinforcing fibers and 0.1 to 40 wt % of (B) a polyarylene sulfide prepolymer or (B?) a polyarylene sulfide; and 10 to 98.9 wt % of (C) a thermoplastic resin adhered to the composite; wherein the composite further has (D) a zero-valent transition metal compound or (E) a low-valent iron compound in an amount of 0.001 to 20 mol % based on the amount of sulfur atoms contained in the component (B) or (B?). A prepreg and a method of producing a fiber-reinforced molding base material is also provided. By using the molding material according to the present invention which exhibits excellent economic efficiency and productivity, a molded article having excellent mechanical characteristics can be easily produced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Inventors: Naokichi Imai, Kaori Narimatsu, Masato Honma, Shunsuke Horiuchi, Koji Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20120028047
    Abstract: The invention provides a fiber reinforced resin composition comprising a melt-kneaded product (A) prepared by melt-kneading a first resin (A1) and a second resin (A2) that has reactive functional group as well as a third resin (B) and a fibrous filler (C), wherein, with respect to the contents of the components, the first resin (A1), the second resin with a reactive functional group (A2), and the third resin (B) account for 0.1 to 75 wt %, 0.1 to 15 wt %, and 10 to 99.8 wt %, respectively, to form a resin composition while said fibrous filler (C) accounts for 0.1 to 300 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of said resin composition, said first resin (A1) and said third resin (B) forming a matrix resin, said second resin (A2) being dispersed as particles in said matrix resin, and said particles having a number average particle diameter of 10 to 1,000 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Inventors: Naokichi Imai, Masato Honma, Takayuki Fujiwara, Takashi Fujioka, Masaru Akita, Makiko Saito