Patents by Inventor Tohru Okada

Tohru Okada 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: 11890694
    Abstract: There is provided a resistance spot welding apparatus including a first rod-shaped electrode body, second rod-shaped electrode body, first ring-shaped member, second ring-shaped member, first elastic body, and second elastic body. The first rod-shaped electrode body and second rod-shaped electrode body are arranged facing each other, the first rod-shaped electrode body is inserted into a through hole of the first ring-shaped member, the first elastic body is connected to an opposite side of first ring-shaped member to second rod-shaped electrode body side, the first rod-shaped electrode body and first ring-shaped member are not electrically connected to each other, the second rod-shaped electrode body is inserted into a through hole of the second ring-shaped member, the second elastic body is connected to an opposite side of second ring-shaped member to first rod-shaped electrode body side, and the second rod-shaped electrode body and second ring-shaped member are not electrically connected each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Nakazawa, Tohru Okada, Yasuhiro Ito, Masanori Yasuyama, Yasunori Sawa
  • Publication number: 20220176486
    Abstract: A joint structure includes a first sheet member, a second sheet member, a third sheet member, and plural joining parts formed at locations where the first sheet member, the second sheet member, and the third sheet member overlap, so as to join the first sheet member, the second sheet member, and the third sheet member together. The plural joining parts are formed at an interval along an edge of the first sheet member and an edge of the second sheet member. The third sheet member includes a fold-back portion provided at least between the plural joining parts by folding the third sheet member back around the edge of the first sheet member and the edge of the second sheet member such that the fold-back portion is disposed on an opposite side of the first sheet member from a side overlapped with the second sheet member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Inventors: Hiroki FUJIMOTO, Koichi HAMADA, Atsushi ONO, Yasunori SAWA, Toshiya SUZUKI, Tohru OKADA
  • Publication number: 20220168839
    Abstract: A welded joint manufacturing method includes: abutting a first electrode against a first steel sheet of a welded joint at a site A, which is a location at an outer side of a nugget in a sheet-plane direction in a plane running parallel to the first steel sheet; abutting a second electrode against a second steel sheet at a site B, which is a location at an outer side of the nugget in a sheet-plane direction in a plane running parallel to the first steel sheet of the welded joint, and positioned on an opposite side of the nugget from the site A; and passing a current through the welded joint between the first electrode and the second electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Inventors: Tohru OKADA, Hiroki FUJIMOTO, Masanori YASUYAMA, Yoshiaki NAKAZAWA
  • Patent number: 11235417
    Abstract: A structural member is provided that includes a steel sheet with a tensile strength of 980 MPa or higher overlying another metal plate and joined thereto by welding, where a break initiating near a welded portion is less likely to be produced. A structural member (10, 10a, 10b, 10c) includes: a first member (1), the first member being a steel sheet with a tensile strength of 980 MPa or higher; a second member (2) overlying the first plate (1), the second member being a metal plate; a plurality of welded portions (3, 31, 32); a plurality of heat-affected zones (5, 51, 52) each formed to surround the corresponding one of the welded portions (3, 31, 32), the heat-affected zones having a Vickers hardness lower than that of the first member by 50 HV or more. A pair of edge sections (4) of the first member (1) are provided between adjacent heat-affected zones (5, 51, 52).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Hirose, Koichi Hamada, Hiroki Fujimoto, Tohru Okada
  • Patent number: 11165855
    Abstract: A networked computer system distributes content that is to be added to receipts by receipt issuing devices. The system includes a central server, first and second store servers communicating with the central server over a first network, first receipt issuing devices communicating with the first store server over a first local network, and second receipt issuing devices communicating with the second store server over a second local network. A first control plane is implemented in the central server to control whether or not the content is to be distributed to the first store server and whether or not the content is to be distributed to the second store server. A second control plane is implemented in the first and second store servers to control whether or not the content is to be distributed to the first and second receipt issuing devices, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keiichi Hasegawa, Naoki Nishiyama, Yasuhiro Arai, Tohru Okada
  • Patent number: 11027361
    Abstract: By obtaining a spot-welded joint being a spot-welded joint formed by overlapping a plurality of pieces of steel plates (1A, 1B) and performing spot welding on the steel plates, including a high-strength steel plate whose tensile strength is 750 (MPa) to 2500 (MPa), being at least one piece of steel plate out of the plurality of pieces of steel plates, in which a carbon equivalent Ceq of the high-strength steel plate is 0.20 mass % to 0.55 mass %, and ten or more of iron-based carbides in each of which a length of a longest portion is 0.1 (?m) or more exist in a square region 103 within a heat-affected zone 4 of a cross section that passes through a center of a welding mark, and is cut along a plate thickness direction of the steel plates (1A, 1B), a cross tensile strength of the spot-welded joint to be formed is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chisato Wakabayashi, Fuminori Watanabe, Seiji Furusako, Yasunobu Miyazaki, Hiroyuki Kawata, Tohru Okada, Hideki Hamatani
  • Patent number: 10994364
    Abstract: A spot welded joint in which a high CTS is obtained even if including one or more high strength steel sheets and a method of welding of the same, that is, a spot welded joint 1 including a plurality of steel sheets, wherein one or more steel sheets is a tensile strength 750 to 2500 MPa high strength steel sheet and, at a cross-section in the sheet thickness direction of the steel sheets, when defining superposed surfaces of a high strength steel sheet S1 arranged at an outermost side and another steel sheet 1B as the “plane A” and defining a plane passing through a point of one-half of a distance between a nugget end position E of a high strength steel sheet S1 side on the line L1 in the sheet thickness direction and a crossing point O of the plane A and the line L1 and parallel to the plane A as the “plane B”, at a square area SA of sides of 30 ?m centered about a crossing point X of a line L2, which is separated by 250 ?m to the heat affected zone side from a tangent at any position on a nugget end line NEL
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chisato Yoshinaga, Seiji Furusako, Fuminori Watanabe, Yasunobu Miyazaki, Tohru Okada
  • Patent number: 10888949
    Abstract: Provided is a spot welding machine able to perform spot welding in which the desired nugget size is formed while suppressing spatter even if the strengths or thicknesses of the metal sheets change, the machine comprising: a pair of electrode tips, a pair of pressing members arranged around the tips, a first power supply, first and second drive mechanisms, and a pressing force control part, wherein the tips and the pressing members are respectively arranged facing each other so as to be able to sandwich a set of sheets between them, the first drive mechanisms give pressing forces pressing the tips against the sheets, the second drive mechanisms give pressing forces pressing the pressing members against the sheets, and the control part independently controls the pressing forces given by the first and second drive mechanisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gen Murayama, Tohru Okada, Masanori Yasuyama
  • Patent number: 10828717
    Abstract: A lap welding method of a steel sheet includes spot welding in a state in which the flange portion of a second steel sheet member having the flange portion and a standing wall portion is overlapped with the first steel sheet member, thereby forming a nugget between a first steel sheet member and a flange portion; and, after the spot welding, laser welding a region between an R stop of the standing wall portion and the nugget, thereby forming a weld bead, and, in the weld bead, a length dimension is equal to or longer than a diameter of the nugget, and a width dimension is 0.5 to 3.0 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seiji Furusako, Tohru Okada, Koichi Sato, Yasunobu Miyazaki
  • Publication number: 20200338661
    Abstract: A structural member is provided that includes a steel sheet with a tensile strength of 980 MPa or higher overlying another metal plate and joined thereto by welding, where a break initiating near a welded portion is less likely to be produced. A structural member (10, 10a, 10b, 10c) includes: a first member (1), the first member being a steel sheet with a tensile strength of 980 MPa or higher; a second member (2) overlying the first plate (1), the second member being a metal plate; a plurality of welded portions (3, 31, 32); a plurality of heat-affected zones (5, 51, 52) each formed to surround the corresponding one of the welded portions (3, 31, 32), the heat-affected zones having a Vickers hardness lower than that of the first member by 50 HV or more. A pair of edge sections (4) of the first member (1) are provided between adjacent heat-affected zones (5, 51, 52).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: Satoshi Hirose, Koichi Hamada, Hiroki Fujimoto, Tohru Okada
  • Publication number: 20200306866
    Abstract: There is provided a resistance spot welding apparatus including a first rod-shaped electrode body, second rod-shaped electrode body, first ring-shaped member, second ring-shaped member, first elastic body, and second elastic body. The first rod-shaped electrode body and second rod-shaped electrode body are arranged facing each other, the first rod-shaped electrode body is inserted into a through hole of the first ring-shaped member, the first elastic body is connected to an opposite side of first ring-shaped member to second rod-shaped electrode body side, the first rod-shaped electrode body and first ring-shaped member are not electrically connected to each other, the second rod-shaped electrode body is inserted into a through hole of the second ring-shaped member, the second elastic body is connected to an opposite side of second ring-shaped member to first rod-shaped electrode body side, and the second rod-shaped electrode body and second ring-shaped member are not electrically connected each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiaki NAKAZAWA, Tohru Okada, Yasuhiro Ito, Masanori Yasuyama, Yasunori Sawa
  • Publication number: 20200276665
    Abstract: A spot welding method wherein even in a sheet combination with a sheet thickness ratio of 5 or more where the metal sheet with the thinnest sheet thickness is arranged at the outermost surface, it is possible to use an easily electrically controlled, compact welding apparatus to perform spot welding forming a desired nugget diameter while suppressing spatter at the interface of the thin sheet/thick sheet is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gen MURAYAMA, Tohru OKADA
  • Publication number: 20200259888
    Abstract: A networked computer system distributes content that is to be added to receipts by receipt issuing devices. The system includes a central server, first and second store servers communicating with the central server over a first network, first receipt issuing devices communicating with the first store server over a first local network, and second receipt issuing devices communicating with the second store server over a second local network. A first control plane is implemented in the central server to control whether or not the content is to be distributed to the first store server and whether or not the content is to be distributed to the second store server. A second control plane is implemented in the first and second store servers to control whether or not the content is to be distributed to the first and second receipt issuing devices, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Inventors: Keiichi HASEGAWA, Naoki NISHIYAMA, Yasuhiro ARAI, Tohru OKADA
  • Patent number: 10722935
    Abstract: Provided is a mechanical joining apparatus enabling stable riveting when joining metal sheets even when the sheets are large in deformation resistance, the apparatus comprising a punch and die, blank holder and power device, wherein the punch and die are arranged facing each other, the holder is configured by an electrode material able to push against and electrically heat the sheets by one end of the holder, the punch is comprised of a material able to drive in a rivet, the die is comprised of an electrode material able to support and electrically heat the sheets, and the power device is configured to start supply of current through the holder and die so as to raise the temperature of the sheets at the same time as the start of driving in of the rivet and to continue to supply current until the end of driving in of the rivet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seiji Furusako, Tohru Okada, Yasunobu Miyazaki, Fuminori Watanabe, Yoshiaki Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 10668557
    Abstract: A spot welding electrode of a donut-shaped electrode wherein even when a welded member of a steel sheet is slanted with respect a plane perpendicular to an axis of the spot welding electrode, a cross tensile strength (CTS) of the spot welded joint can be improved. The donut shape spot welding electrode according to the present invention has an electrode tip and an electrode support. The electrode tip contacts the electrode support to be able to move. Due to this, it is possible to strikingly raise the ability of the donut-shaped electrode to track a steel sheet and make the entire surface of the donut shape contact-and-conduction part contact the steel sheet, so it is possible to secure a high CTS value even if the steel sheet is slanted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fuminori Watanabe, Tohru Okada, Seiji Furusako
  • Publication number: 20200156177
    Abstract: The present invention provides an overlap-welded member in which an overlapped portion including plural steel sheet members is joined at a spot-welded portion, in which at least one of the plural steel sheet members contains martensite, and the spot-welded portion includes: a nugget formed through spot welding; a heat-affected zone formed in the vicinity of the nugget; the softest zone having the lowest Vickers hardness in the heat-affected zone; and a tempered area formed between a central portion of the nugget and the softest zone and made out of tempered martensite having Vickers hardness of not more than 120% in the case where Vickers hardness of the softest zone is 100%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tohru OKADA, Hideki UEDA
  • Patent number: 10645151
    Abstract: A networked computer system distributes content that is to be added to receipts by receipt issuing devices. The system includes a central server, first and second store servers communicating with the central server over a first network, first receipt issuing devices communicating with the first store server over a first local network, and second receipt issuing devices communicating with the second store server over a second local network. A first control plane is implemented in the central server to control whether or not the content is to be distributed to the first store server and whether or not the content is to be distributed to the second store server. A second control plane is implemented in the first and second store servers to control whether or not the content is to be distributed to the first and second receipt issuing devices, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keiichi Hasegawa, Naoki Nishiyama, Yasuhiro Arai, Tohru Okada
  • Patent number: 10603713
    Abstract: Provided is a mechanical joining apparatus enabling reduction of breakage of the area around a rivet of a joint obtained by riveting, the apparatus comprising a punch and die, blank holder, first power device, second power device and cooling device, wherein the first power device is configured to start supply of current through the holder and die so as to raise the temperature of the sheets before the punch drives in the rivet, the second power device is configured to start supply of current through the punch and die so as to supply current through and heat treat the rivet after the punch drives in the rivet, and the cooling device is connected to the punch and is configured to cool the rivet after the rivet is heat treated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seiji Furusako, Tohru Okada, Yasunobu Miyazaki, Fuminori Watanabe, Yoshiaki Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 10603743
    Abstract: There is provided a power supply device that supplies an output current to an electric processing device which performs electric processing on workpieces. The device includes: a first power supply; a magnetic energy recovery switch that receives a current supplied from the first power supply, and converts the received current into the output current; and a control unit that controls the magnetic energy recovery switch such that an electric current frequency of the output current includes a first electric current frequency and a second electric current frequency which are different from each other within a one-time electric processing time using the electric processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fuminori Watanabe, Kazuhiko Fukutani, Seiji Furusako, Chisato Yoshinaga, Tohru Okada
  • Patent number: 10589380
    Abstract: The present invention has as its object to inhibit fracture due to a HAZ softened part in substantially circular laser lap welding taking the place of resistance spot welding for joining a superposed plurality of steel sheets including a high strength steel sheet. To solve this problem, the inventors discovered lap welding comprising superposing a plurality of steel sheets and firing a laser to form a substantially circular laser weld (1), which lap welding firing the laser in a straight line through an outer edge of the substantially circular laser weld (1) so as to form a hardened part (8) at the steel sheets and thereby suppressing fracture arising from the HAZ softened part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki Fujimoto, Tohru Okada, Takashi Imamura