Patents by Inventor Shigeru Hirano

Shigeru Hirano 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: 20160102414
    Abstract: A Ni-plated steel sheet according to the present invention includes a steel sheet, a first Ni-plated layer which is formed at least on a one-sided surface of the steel sheet and contains Ni, and a second Ni-plated layer which is formed on the first Ni-plated layer and contains Ni. An average central-line roughness Ra at an interface between the first Ni-plated layer and the second Ni-plated layer is less than 0.1 ?m, an average central-line roughness Ra of a surface of the second Ni-plated layer is 0.1 ?m to 100 ?m, and a coating amount of Ni in the entirety of the first Ni-plated layer and the second Ni-plated layer is 20 mg/m2 to 2500 mg/m2 per one-sided surface in terms of metal Ni.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Inventors: Yoshiaki TANI, Shigeru HIRANO, Akira TACHIKI, Morio YANAGIHARA, Makoto KAWABATA, Hirokazu YOKOYA
  • Publication number: 20160098002
    Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heating belt having a heat generating layer configured to generate heat by energization, a pressing roller configured to abut on an outer peripheral surface of the heating belt to form a nip portion, a pressing mechanism configured to press the heating belt against the pressing roller, an outer ring electrically connected to the heating belt in an end portion of the heating belt, a power feed member configured to abut on the outer ring to feed power to the outer ring, and an inner ring configured to clamp the end portion of the heating belt between the inner ring and the outer ring. A chamfered portion of the inner ring is chamfered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Inventors: Ryo Yashiro, Hidekazu Maruta, Masayuki Tamaki, Ryo Suzuki, Mitsuru Hasegawa, Rikiya Takemasa, Koichi Kakubari, Shigeru Hirano
  • Patent number: 9291958
    Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes: an endless belt; a heater for heating the belt, the heater forms a sliding portion between an inner surface of the belt and the heater; a rotatable member cooperative with the heater to sandwich the belt to form a nip between an outer peripheral surface of the belt and the rotatable member; a temperature detector provided on a surface of the heater relatively more remote from the sliding portion than the heater; a controller for controlling the timing of feeding the sheet to the nip on the basis of an output of the detector; and lubricant provided in at least a part of the sliding portion except for a range which is in an opposing relation with the detector. The sliding portion is free of the lubricant in the range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ikuo Nakamoto, Shigeru Hirano
  • Patent number: 9212428
    Abstract: The present invention provides a steel sheet for a container including a cold-rolled steel sheet and a composite film formed on the cold-rolled steel sheet through an electrolysis process in a solution containing: at least one metal ion of an Sn ion, an Fe ion, and an Ni ion; Zr ion; a nitric acid ion: and an ammonium ion, in which the composite film contains at least one element of: Zr of 0.1 to 100 mg/m2 in equivalent units of metal Zr; Sn of 0.3 to 20 g/m2 in equivalent units of metal Sn; Fe of 5 to 2000 mg/m2 in equivalent units of metal Fe; and Ni of 5 to 2000 mg/m2 in equivalent units of metal Ni.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeru Hirano, Akira Tachiki, Hirokazu Yokoya, Morio Yanagihara, Makoto Kawabata
  • Patent number: 9212423
    Abstract: Steel sheet for container use with excellent canmaking workability and with excellent drawability and ironability, weldability, corrosion resistance, coating adhesion, film adhesion, and wettability characterized in that a surface of the steel sheet has a Zr film which contains, by amount of metal Zr, 1 to 100 mg/m2 of Zr oxides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Tachiki, Shigeru Hirano, Hirokazu Yokoya
  • Publication number: 20150323890
    Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes an endless belt; a heater for heating the belt, the heater forms a sliding portion between an inner surface of the belt and the heater; a rotatable member cooperative with the heater to sandwich the belt to form a nip between an outer peripheral surface of the belt and the rotatable member; a temperature detector provided on a surface of the heater relatively remoter from the sliding portion; a controller for controlling timing of feeding the sheet to the nip on the basis of an output of the detector; lubricant provided in at lease a part of the sliding portion except for a range which is in opposing relation with the detector, wherein the sliding portion is free of the lubricant in the range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: Ikuo Nakamoto, Shigeru Hirano
  • Patent number: 9157165
    Abstract: A method of production of a chemically treated steel sheet using cathode electrolysis to form a chemically treated coating which stably resupplies Zr ions in a treatment solution and uses an insoluble anode to continuously and stably treat a steel strip by cathode electrolysis in a treatment solution containing Zr ions and fluorine ions, characterized by using two or more types of zirconium compounds selected from predetermined Zr compounds to resupply zirconium ions in a plating solution consumed by the cathode electrolysis during the cathode electrolysis and maintaining a content of ions in the plating solution at zirconium ions: 0.05 to 30 g/liter, fluorine ions: 0.5 to 10 times the content of the zirconium ions, and ions derived from said two or more types of zirconium compounds other than zirconium ions and fluorine ions: not more than 10 times the content of the zirconium ions in performing the cathode electrolysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeru Hirano, Akira Tachiki
  • Patent number: 9127341
    Abstract: A surface-treated steel sheet for a container, comprising: a steel sheet, and a Zr compound film disposed on the steel sheet, wherein the Zr compound film being formed by a dipping or electrolytic treatment in a solution containing Zr ion, F ion, ammonium ion and nitrate ion; and the coating weight of the Zr compound film is 1 to 100 mg/m2 in terms of the amount of metallic Zr, and 0.1 mg/m2 or less in terms of the F amount. There is provided a steel sheet for container, which has an excellent processability in the can manufacturing, and at the same time, is excellent in drawing and ironing processability, weldability, corrosion resistance, adherence thereof to a coating material and adherence thereof to a film, and a process for producing such a steel sheet for container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeru Hirano, Akira Tachiki, Hirokazu Yokoya
  • Patent number: 9084980
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a zeolite enabling a dehydration treatment of a nonaqueous electrolytic solution without causing a problem of elution of sodium from the zeolite at the time of dehydrating a nonaqueous electrolytic solution for a lithium battery by using a zeolite. The present invention relates to a zeolite, wherein from 97.5 to 99.5 mol % of the ion-exchangeable cation is ion-exchanged with lithium, and when this zeolite is used, a nonaqueous electrolytic solution can be dehydrated while keeping the elution of a cation impurity such as sodium down to 50 ppm or less. As for the zeolite species, at least one or more zeolites selected from the group consisting of A-type, chabazite, ferrierite, ZSM-5 and clinoptilolite can be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: TOSOH CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shigeru Hirano
  • Patent number: 9061787
    Abstract: A three-piece resealable can for acidic liquid includes, a cylindrical can body member that includes a screw portion at one end; and a can bottom member that contacts the can body member so as to close an opening portion of the other end of the can body member. The can body member includes a cylindrical first steel sheet, Ni plating that is formed on an inner circumferential surface of the first steel sheet, a polyester film that is formed so as to be disposed on the outermost surface of the inner circumference of the can body member, and a chromate film that is formed between the first steel sheet and the polyester film. The can bottom member includes a second steel sheet, and Sn plating that is formed on the can body member side of the can bottom member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeru Hirano, Hiroshi Nishida, Hirokazu Yokoya
  • Publication number: 20150167192
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a steel sheet for a container which has a plated layer containing Ni of 300 to 1000 mg/m2 in terms of Ni metal, provided on at least one surface of a steel sheet, which has a chemical conversion treatment film containing Zr of 1.0 to 50 mg/m2 in terms of Zr metal, provided on the steel sheet, which contains a phosphate compound of 0.5 to 25 mg/m2, and of which a F-atom number density measured by XPS analysis of a plane of 2 nm and a plane of 4 nm in a depth direction obtained by a sputtering treatment is equal to or less than 2 at %. The method includes forming the chemical conversion treatment film on the steel sheet by performing an immersion or a cathodic electrolytic treatment with a solution containing Zr ions, F ions, and phosphate ions, and performing a washing treatment with a warm water at 40° C. or higher for 0.5 or more seconds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL AND SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira TACHIKI, Shigeru HIRANO, Hirokazu YOKOYA, Masakazu NODA, Hiroshi NISHIDA, Kazushige HASEGAWA
  • Patent number: 8993118
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a steel sheet for a container excellent in corrosion resistance, adhesion, and weldability is provided, which includes a steel sheet; a Ni plating layer which is formed on a surface of the steel sheet in an amount of plating deposition containing a Ni amount of 0.3 to 3 g/m2 and contains Co in the range of 0.1 to 100 ppm; and a chromate coating layer which is formed on a surface of the Ni plating layer in an amount of coating deposition containing a converted Cr amount of 1 to 40 mg/m2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeru Hirano, Makoto Kawabata
  • Publication number: 20150086720
    Abstract: A surface-treated steel sheet for a container, comprising: a steel sheet, and a Zr compound film disposed on the steel sheet, wherein the Zr compound film being formed by a dipping or electrolytic treatment in a solution containing Zr ion, F ion, ammonium ion and nitrate ion; and the coating weight of the Zr compound film is 1 to 100 mg/m2 in terms of the amount of metallic Zr, and 0.1 mg/m2 or less in terms of the F amount. There is provided a steel sheet for container, which has an excellent processability in the can manufacturing, and at the same time, is excellent in drawing and ironing processability, weldability, corrosion resistance, adherence thereof to a coating material and adherence thereof to a film, and a process for producing such a steel sheet for container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Shigeru HIRANO, Akira TACHIKI, Hirokazu YOKOYA
  • Publication number: 20150064495
    Abstract: A steel sheet used to manufacture a container, wherein the steel sheet includes a chromate film layer or a film layer including Zr on the Ni plating layer, the Ni plating layer includes one or more of a hydroxyl Ni and a Ni oxide, an adhesion amount of the Ni plating layer in terms of an amount of Ni is 0.3 g/m2 or more, a concentration of oxygen atoms of the Ni plating layer due to the hydroxyl Ni and the Ni oxide is 1 to 10 atomic %, an adhesion amount of the chromate film layer in terms of the amount of Cr is 1 to 40 g/m2, and an adhesion amount of the film layer including Zr in terms of an amount of Zr is 1 to 40 g/m2 or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeru Hirano, Yoshiaki Tani
  • Publication number: 20150043953
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing belt, a pressure roller, a heater, a stay holder, and a scraper. The fixing belt is configured to heat an image on a sheet at a nip portion and has an inner surface with a grease applied thereon. The pressure roller drives and rotates the fixing belt and forms the nip portion between the pressure roller and the fixing belt. The heater and the stay holder press the fixing belt toward the pressure roller from the inner surface of the fixing belt. The scraper scrapes the lubricant transferred to the pressure roller in an area that can come into contact with the fixing belt and that does not come into contact with a maximum width sheet introducible into the fixing apparatus on one end side in a rotational axis direction of the pressure roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: Ikuo Nakamoto, Shigeru Hirano
  • Publication number: 20150037247
    Abstract: [Problem] To provide a strontium ion-exchanged clinoptilolite having excellent nitrogen-absorbing properties; and a method for producing the strontium ion-exchanged clinoptilolite. [Solution] Synthetic clinoptilolite having a strontium ion at an ion exchange site thereof is useful as a nitrogen adsorbent. The synthetic clinoptilolite can be produced by bringing a solution containing a strontium ion into contact with synthetic clinoptilolite under ambient pressure to cause ion exchange.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicant: TOSOH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeru Hirano, Hajime Funakoshi, Yoju Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20140183086
    Abstract: A three-piece resealable can for acidic liquid includes, a cylindrical can body member that includes a screw portion at one end; and a can bottom member that contacts the can body member so as to close an opening portion of the other end of the can body member. The can body member includes a cylindrical first steel sheet, Ni plating that is formed on an inner circumferential surface of the first steel sheet, a polyester film that is formed so as to be disposed on the outermost surface of the inner circumference of the can body member, and a Zr-containing film that is formed between the first steel sheet and the polyester film. The can bottom member includes a second steel sheet, and Sn plating that is formed on the can body member side of the can bottom member. The Zr-containing film contains Zr compounds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeru Hirano, Yoshiaki Tani, Hirokazu Yokoya
  • Patent number: 8753754
    Abstract: The present invention provides a steel sheet for a can exhibiting excellent corrosion resistance, adhesive properties, and weldability, including a steel sheet, an Ni—Cu alloy plating layer formed on at least one surface of the steel sheet; and a chromate film layer formed on a surface of the Ni—Cu alloy plating layer, in which the Ni—Cu alloy plating layer has Ni attached thereto in an amount of from 0.30 g/m2 to 3.0 g/m2, and Cu contained therein in an amount of from 0.5 mass % to 20 mass %; and the chromate film layer has Cr attached thereto in an amount of from 1.0 mg/m2 to 40 mg/m2 in equivalent units of Cr.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeru Hirano, Makoto Kawabata
  • Publication number: 20130146594
    Abstract: A three-piece resealable can for acidic liquid includes, a cylindrical can body member that includes a screw portion at one end; and a can bottom member that contacts the can body member so as to close an opening portion of the other end of the can body member. The can body member includes a cylindrical first steel sheet, Ni plating that is formed on an inner circumferential surface of the first steel sheet, a polyester film that is formed so as to be disposed on the outermost surface of the inner circumference of the can body member, and a chromate film that is formed between the first steel sheet and the polyester film. The can bottom member includes a second steel sheet, and Sn plating that is formed on the can body member side of the can bottom member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Inventors: Shigeru Hirano, Hiroshi Nishida, Hirokaza Yokoya
  • Publication number: 20130143066
    Abstract: The present invention provides a steel sheet for a can exhibiting excellent corrosion resistance, adhesive properties, and weldability, including a steel sheet, an Ni—Cu alloy plating layer formed on at least one surface of the steel sheet; and a chromate film layer formed on a surface of the Ni—Cu alloy plating layer, in which the Ni—Cu alloy plating layer has Ni attached thereto in an amount of from 0.30 g/m2 to 3.0 g/m2, and Cu contained therein in an amount of from 0.5 mass % to 20 mass %; and the chromate film layer has Cr attached thereto in an amount of from 1.0 mg/m2 to 40 mg/m2 in equivalent units of Cr.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeru Hirano, Makoto Kawabata