Patents by Inventor Naruhiko Nomura

Naruhiko Nomura 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).

  • Die
    Patent number: 12179250
    Abstract: The die includes a die base, a die body, and an opening/closing member. In the die base, a storage portion for storing refrigerant is formed. The die body includes a mounting surface, a forming surface, and a plurality of flow channels. The mounting surface is located on the storage portion side of the die base. The forming surface is located on the opposite side of the mounting surface. The flow channels pass through the die body from the mounting surface to the forming surface. The opening/closing member is disposed between the die base and the die body. The opening/closing member includes a plurality of through holes corresponding to the plurality of flow channels. The opening/closing member is configured to be movable with respect to the die base and the die body such that each of the through holes brings the corresponding flow channel and the storage portion into communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naruhiko Nomura, Toshiya Suzuki, Kenta Uenishi, Tohru Yoshida
  • Patent number: 12162057
    Abstract: This manufacturing method of a hot press-formed article includes a heating step of heating an Al-plated steel sheet and a forming step of obtaining a hot press-formed article using a die after the heating step, the Al-plated steel sheet has a base steel sheet, an Al plating layer, and a coating layer, the coating layer is a metal layer containing at least one metal of Mg, Ca, V, Ti, and Zn, a metal oxide layer containing an oxide of one or more of Mg, Ca, V, Ti, and Zn, or a mixed layer including the metal layer and the metal oxide layer, the die has a hard layer on a surface, HVDie that is a surface hardness of the die at a position of the hard layer is HV1500 or more and HV3800 or less, and a temperature Tm of the Al-plated steel sheet at a start of forming and an average movement velocity V of the die in the forming step satisfy 800?(HVDie/40)?Tm?850?(V/4)?(HVDie/100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Soshi Fujita, Yuki Suzuki, Masahiro Fuda, Hideaki Irikawa, Masahiro Kubo, Naruhiko Nomura
  • Patent number: 12134118
    Abstract: A workpiece transport unit including a pair of arms, an opening/closing mechanism configured to open and close the pair of arms in a horizontal direction, a pair of first placement surfaces provided at the pair of arms and configured for a first workpiece to be placed thereon, and a pair of second placement surfaces provided at the pair of arms and configured for a second workpiece to be placed thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2024
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naruhiko Nomura, Toshiya Suzuki, Kenta Uenishi
  • Publication number: 20240246134
    Abstract: This structural member design method is a method for designing a structural member obtained by forming a tailored blank. The method includes: a weld setting step of performing crash analysis by numerical simulation on an analytical model of the structural member, and setting the position of the weld such that a fracture index of a first region is equal to or more than a specified value and the fracture indices of all remaining regions other than the first region are less than the specified value; and a removal region setting step of setting, after the weld setting step, a region including a portion corresponding to the first region in the joined end portion as a removal region where the exposed portion is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2022
    Publication date: July 25, 2024
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koichi HAMADA, Toshiya SUZUKI, Yujiro TATSUMI, Naruhiko NOMURA
  • Publication number: 20240207967
    Abstract: A method of designing the width of the weld bead in a tailored blank includes: a model acquisition step for acquiring analysis model data containing elements for the first sheet, elements for the second sheet, and elements for the weld bead; a press-forming analysis step for performing press-forming analysis using the analysis model data to calculate deformation of the various elements when the tailored blank is press formed; and a bead-width designing step for deciding on a design value of the width of the weld bead for each of positions along the longitudinal direction of the weld bead in the tailored blank prior to press forming based on a press-forming-induced change in the width relating to the elements for the weld bead obtained through calculation, to generate bead-width design data indicating the relationship between a position along the longitudinal direction of the weld bead and the design value of the width of the weld bead.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2022
    Publication date: June 27, 2024
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naruhiko NOMURA, Toshiya SUZUKI, Koichi HAMADA, Yujiro TATSUMI, Masanori YASUYAMA
  • Patent number: 11998967
    Abstract: A panel-shaped formed product made of a metal sheet includes a top panel portion, an opening portion, and a vertical wall portion. The top panel portion is polygonal. The opening portion is provided in the top panel portion. The vertical wall portion extends from at least not less than two adjacent borders among the borders of the top panel portion. At least one pair of each vertical wall portion of pairs of adjacent vertical wall portions of the vertical wall portions has a stepped portion. As a result, the panel shaped formed product has fewer defects such as cracks and wrinkles even when it has a shape that is difficult to form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichiro Otsuka, Yoshiaki Nakazawa, Naruhiko Nomura, Toshiya Suzuki, Masahiro Kubo
  • Publication number: 20230356282
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a press-formed product includes a heating step, a transportation step, and a pressing step. At the heating step, workpieces are heated while a first workpiece W1 is placed on a first group of struts 3 extending upward from a tray body 2, and a second workpiece W2 is placed on a second group of struts 3 to be located above the first workpiece W1 and overlap it. At the transportation step, the second workpiece W2, while located above the first workpiece W1 and overlapping it, is transported, together with the tray body 2, from the heating device 14 to the lifting location. At the lifting location, the second workpiece W2 is lifted upward by the transportation device 46 and the first workpiece W1 is lifted by the transportation device 46 before they are transported to their respective pressing locations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventors: Toshiya SUZUKI, Naruhiko NOMURA, Koichi HAMADA, Yujiro TATSUMI
  • Publication number: 20230356283
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a press-formed product includes: a heating step; a transportation step; and a pressing step. The transportation step includes: using claws of a pair of first arms to support the lower surface, at both ends, of a first heated workpiece and lift the workpiece; using claws of a pair of second arms to support the lower surface, at both ends, of a second heated workpiece and lift the workpiece; transporting the first heated workpiece with the lower surface supported, at both ends, by the claws of the pair of first arms and the second heated workpiece with the lower surface supported, at both ends, by the claws of the pair of second arms, where the first and second heated workpieces overlap each other in the direction normal to the sheet surfaces; driving the pair of first arms to lower the first heated workpiece to a pressing location on a press machine; and driving the pair of second arms to lower the second heated workpiece to a pressing location on the press machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventors: Toshiya SUZUKI, Naruhiko NOMURA, Koichi HAMADA, Yujiro TATSUMI
  • Publication number: 20230330735
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a press-formed product includes a heating step, a transportation step, and a pressing step. At the heating step, a sheet-shaped heat storage member 5 and a sheet-shaped workpiece W1 placed above the heat storage member 5 are heated by a heating device 14 while overlapping in the direction normal to the sheet surfaces of the workpiece W1. At a first transportation sub-step, the heat storage member 5 and the workpiece W1 placed above the heat storage member 5 are transported from the heating device 14 to a lifting location while overlapping in the direction normal to the sheet surfaces of the workpiece W1. At a second transportation sub-step, the workpiece W1 placed above the heat storage member 5, when at the lifting location, is lifted upward by a transportation device 46 and transported to a pressing location on a press machine 20. At the pressing step, the workpiece W1 is processed by the press machine 20.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventors: Toshiya SUZUKI, Naruhiko NOMURA, Koichi HAMADA, Yujiro TATSUMI
  • Publication number: 20230166314
    Abstract: This manufacturing method of a hot press-formed article includes a heating step of heating an Al-plated steel sheet and a forming step of obtaining a hot press-formed article using a die after the heating step, the Al-plated steel sheet has a base steel sheet, an Al plating layer, and a coating layer, the coating layer is a metal layer containing at least one metal of Mg, Ca, V, Ti, and Zn, a metal oxide layer containing an oxide of one or more of Mg, Ca, V, Ti, and Zn, or a mixed layer including the metal layer and the metal oxide layer, the die has a hard layer on a surface, HVDie that is a surface hardness of the die at a position of the hard layer is HV1500 or more and HV3800 or less, and a temperature Tm of the Al-plated steel sheet at a start of forming and an average movement velocity V of the die in the forming step satisfy 800?(HVDie/40)?Tm?850?(V/4)?(HVDie/100).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Soshi FUJITA, Yuki SUZUKI, Masahiro FUDA, Hideaki IRIKAWA, Masahiro KUBO, Naruhiko NOMURA
  • DIE
    Publication number: 20230150006
    Abstract: The die includes a die base, a die body, and an opening/closing member. In the die base, a storage portion for storing refrigerant is formed. The die body includes a mounting surface, a forming surface, and a plurality of flow channels. The mounting surface is located on the storage portion side of the die base. The forming surface is located on the opposite side of the mounting surface. The flow channels pass through the die body from the mounting surface to the forming surface. The opening/closing member is disposed between the die base and the die body. The opening/closing member includes a plurality of through holes corresponding to the plurality of flow channels. The opening/closing member is configured to be movable with respect to the die base and the die body such that each of the through holes brings the corresponding flow channel and the storage portion into communication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2021
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naruhiko NOMURA, Toshiya SUZUKI, Kenta UENISHI, Tohru YOSHIDA
  • Patent number: 11633772
    Abstract: A method of producing a hot press-formed product, in which a die includes a hard layer having a skewness (Rsk), as measured in a direction from the outside of a die hole toward an inside of the die hole, of from ?5.0 to 1.2, and a hardness Hv_Die of from HV 1,000 to 1,800, over the entirety of a region of a steel sheet contact surface that is adjacent to a die shoulder portion. The steel sheet contact surface is a surface located outside of the die hole and configured to contact a hot-dip galvannealed steel sheet that is to be subjected to hot press forming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Kubo, Naruhiko Nomura, Toshiya Suzuki
  • DIE
    Publication number: 20230063824
    Abstract: A die includes a die body and a removable shell. The die body includes a supply flow channel formed inside the die body. One end of the supply flow channel opens at the surface of the die body. The supply flow channel is to be supplied with a fluid for temperature adjustment. The removable shell is mounted removably to the surface of the die body. The removable shell includes an outer surface that constitutes at least a part of the forming surface of the die. A temperature adjustment space is provided in the surface of the die body or in the removable shell. The temperature adjustment space is in communication with the supply flow channel. The removable shell is divided into a plurality of shell pieces. The plurality of shell pieces are arranged in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the die on the surface of the die body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2021
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naruhiko NOMURA, Toshiya SUZUKI, Kenta UENISHI, Tohru YOSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20220402015
    Abstract: To solve a problem about warpage of a steel sheet due to a difference in temperature raising rate between an overlapped part and a one-sheet part. This manufacturing method includes: a step of heating an overlapped blank; a step of transferring the heated overlapped blank; and a step of performing presswork on the heated overlapped blank by using a die, in which in the heating step, when sheet thicknesses of the first and second steel sheets are set to t1 and t2, respectively, and an average heating rate at a sheet temperature from 20 to 800° C. of a portion with a total sheet thickness (t1+t2) of an overlapped portion, and that of a non-overlapped portion are set to V and v1, respectively, the total sheet thickness (t1+t2) is 2.5 to 5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Soshi FUJITA, Yuki SUZUKI, Masahiro FUDA, Hideaki IRIKAWA, Jun MAKI, Nobuo YOSHIKAWA, Naruhiko NOMURA
  • Patent number: 11499202
    Abstract: A cooling method for a workpiece includes placing entirety of the workpiece in an inner space of a recess provided on a molding surface of a lower mold, pressing or restraining the workpiece by a mold including the lower mold and an upper mold in which a protrusion corresponding to the recess of the lower mold is provided on a molding surface, supplying a liquid coolant to the inner space of the recess through a coolant supply passage provided in at least one of the lower mold and the upper mold by a pump, and discharging air in the inner space of the recess upward through an air escape passage, and cooling the workpiece by immersing the entirety of the workpiece, which has been heated, in the liquid coolant that fills the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: AISIN FUKUI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Seki, Nobuyuki Naito, Yoichi Jinza, Hiroshi Fukuchi, Kazuo Hikida, Ken Takata, Naruhiko Nomura
  • Patent number: 11491528
    Abstract: A method of producing a hot press-formed product, in which a die includes a hard layer having a skewness (Rsk), as measured in a direction from the outside of a die hole toward the inside of the die hole, of from ?5.0 to 1.2, and a hardness Hv_Die of from HV 1,000 to 1,550, over the entirety of a region of a steel sheet contact surface that is adjacent to a die shoulder portion. The steel sheet contact surface is a surface located outside of the die hole and configured to contact a plated steel sheet (a plated steel sheet including at least one kind of plating layer selected from the group consisting of a hot-dip galvanizing layer and a zinc nickel plating layer) that is to be subjected to hot press forming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Kubo, Naruhiko Nomura, Toshiya Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20220152685
    Abstract: A workpiece transport unit including a pair of arms, an opening/closing mechanism configured to open and close the pair of arms in a horizontal direction, a pair of first placement surfaces provided at the pair of arms and configured for a first workpiece to be placed thereon, and a pair of second placement surfaces provided at the pair of arms and configured for a second workpiece to be placed thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Inventors: Naruhiko NOMURA, Toshiya SUZUKI, Kenta UENISHI
  • Patent number: 11104971
    Abstract: In a mold, at least one of a lower mold and an upper mold includes a coolant supply passage through which a liquid coolant is supplied to an inner space of a recess, and the mold includes an air escape passage through which air in the inner space of the recess is discharged upward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: AISIN AW INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro Seki, Nobuyuki Naito, Yoichi Jinza, Hiroshi Fukuchi, Kazuo Hikida, Ken Takata, Naruhiko Nomura
  • Publication number: 20210252580
    Abstract: A method of producing a hot press-formed product, in which a die includes a hard layer having a skewness (Rsk), as measured in a direction from the outside of a die hole toward the inside of the die hole, of from ?5.0 to 1.2, and a hardness Hv_Die of from HV 1,000 to 1,550, over the entirety of a region of a steel sheet contact surface that is adjacent to a die shoulder portion. The steel sheet contact surface is a surface located outside of the die hole and configured to contact a plated steel sheet (a plated steel sheet including at least one kind of plating layer selected from the group consisting of a hot-dip galvanizing layer and a zinc nickel plating layer) that is to be subjected to hot press forming.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro KUBO, Naruhiko NOMURA, Toshiya SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20210222264
    Abstract: A cooling method for a workpiece includes placing entirety of the workpiece in an inner space of a recess provided on a molding surface of a lower mold, pressing or restraining the workpiece by a mold including the lower mold and an upper mold in which a protrusion corresponding to the recess of the lower mold is provided on a molding surface, supplying a liquid coolant to the inner space of the recess through a coolant supply passage provided in at least one of the lower mold and the upper mold by a pump, and discharging air in the inner space of the recess upward through an air escape passage, and cooling the workpiece by immersing the entirety of the workpiece, which has been heated, in the liquid coolant that fills the recess.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2021
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Applicant: AISIN AW INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro SEKI, Nobuyuki NAITO, Yoichi JINZA, Hiroshi FUKUCHI, Kazuo HIKIDA, Ken TAKATA, Naruhiko NOMURA