Patents by Inventor Toru Hashimura

Toru Hashimura 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: 11072373
    Abstract: A vehicle structural member includes an elongate hollow member having an integrated structure, and supporting members joined to the elongate hollow member. The elongate hollow member includes: a first portion that includes a first pipe, a second pipe disposed outside the first pipe and extending along the first pipe, and a connection portion extending along the first pipe and the second pipe, formed integrally with the first pipe and the second pipe, and connecting the first pipe and the second pipe; and a second portion that includes the first pipe continuing from the first portion, and does not include the second pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Hashimura, Taiki Yamakawa, Yasuhiro Maeda
  • Patent number: 11052446
    Abstract: A method for joining members includes: providing a wall surface body which is a die-molded article provided with a hole portion with a draft angle provided from its opposite end portions toward its center portion, a tubular body with a hollow shape, and an elastic body; inserting the tubular body into the hole portion in the wall surface body; inserting the elastic body into the inside of the tubular body; and compressing the elastic body in the direction of an axial line L of the tubular body to expand the elastic body outwardly in the radial direction of the axial line L, thereby deforming and expanding the tubular body to joint the tubular body to the wall surface body by press-fitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Maeda, Toru Hashimura, Kenichi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11052448
    Abstract: The member joining device includes: a tubular unit including a tubular assembly that is fixed, a flange portion whose position in a first central axis direction is fixed with respect to the tubular assembly; a shaft unit that includes a shaft assembly inserted into the tubular assembly in a linearly movable manner, and a protrusion portion whose position in a second central axis direction is fixed with respect to the shaft assembly, wherein the protrusion portion is positioned radially outside the first central axis of the tubular assembly, the protrusion portion faces the flange portion in the central axis direction; a rubber member arranged radially outside the tubular assembly, between the protrusion portion and the flange portion in the central axis direction; and a motion mechanism that moves the shaft unit in the central axis direction with respect to the tubular unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Maeda, Toru Hashimura, Kenichi Watanabe, Takayuki Kimura
  • Patent number: 10974673
    Abstract: A vehicular structure includes: a first member formed in a tubular shape and having protrusions on an outer periphery thereof; and a second member formed in a tubular shape and having a locking wall with a hole in which the first member is inserted. The first member is joined to the second member such that a portion of the first member that is inserted in the hole of the second member is expanded, and the protrusions are in contact with the locking wall of the second member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Hashimura, Ryohei Yukishige, Yasuhiro Maeda
  • Patent number: 10926314
    Abstract: In a method for joining bumper members, a bumper reinforcement including a rear inclined wall provided with a hole, and a bumper stay in a hollow shape are prepared. The method for joining bumper members includes the steps of: inserting the bumper stay through the hole of the bumper reinforcement to pass through the rear inclined wall; inserting rubber into the bumper stay; and compressing the rubber in a direction of an axis L of the bumper stay to expand the rubber outward from inside to expand and deform at least a portion of the bumper stay inserted into the hole, thereby joining the bumper stay to the rear inclined wall by press-fitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Maeda, Toru Hashimura, Junya Naitou, Hideto Katsuma
  • Patent number: 10906079
    Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a composite cross-section member, a continuous steel sheet is fed to a manufacturing device and bent and roll-formed into a predetermined cross-sectional shape, a discontinuous aluminum core is locally inserted at an arbitrary stage of the roll forming, and the steel sheet is bent such that the core and the steel sheet are integrated, to obtain a composite cross-section member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Maeda, Toru Hashimura, Ryohei Yukishige
  • Publication number: 20210016832
    Abstract: In a bumper system, one end portion of a first tube is inserted into first beam holes, and the other end portion of the first tube is inserted into a first plate hole, one end portion of a second tube is inserted into second beam holes, and the other end portion of the second tube is inserted into a second plate hole. The bumper stay is joined to a bumper beam and a vehicle body plate by press-fitting in a state in which the first tube is expanded at the holes and the second tube is expanded at the holes. A first connection rib is in contact with the bumper beam, and a second connection rib is in contact with the vehicle body plate in the same direction as a direction in which the first connection rib is in contact with the bumper beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Toru HASHIMURA, Taiki YAMAKAWA
  • Publication number: 20210009058
    Abstract: A vehicular structure includes: a first member formed in a tubular shape and having protrusions on an outer periphery thereof; and a second member formed in a tubular shape and having a locking wall with a hole in which the first member is inserted. The first member is joined to the second member such that a portion of the first member that is inserted in the hole of the second member is expanded, and the protrusions are in contact with the locking wall of the second member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Toru HASHIMURA, Ryohei YUKISHIGE, Yasuhiro MAEDA
  • Publication number: 20200406333
    Abstract: A joined body includes: a first member having a pipe shape; and a second member including a wall portion having a plate shape, and a flange portion having a cylinder shape provided with an insertion hole through which the first member is inserted. In a state where the first member is inserted into the insertion hole of the flange portion of the second member, the first member and the second member are joined with the first member pipe-expanded. A material of the second member is larger than a material of the first member in a spring-back amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2018
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Yasuhiro MAEDA, Kenichi WATANABE, Takayuki KIMURA, Toru HASHIMURA
  • Publication number: 20200406844
    Abstract: A structural member for a vehicle includes bumper stays having a tubular configuration and fixed to each of front ends of a pair of front side members included in a vehicle, and a tubular bumper beam provided with holes and into which the bumper stay is inserted. Each of the bumper stays includes a first shock absorbing portion and a second shock absorbing portion provided adjacent to the first shock absorbing portion on an outer side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Taiki YAMAKAWA, Toru HASHIMURA, Yasuhiro MAEDA
  • Publication number: 20200377046
    Abstract: A vehicle structure includes a first member that extends in a vehicle width direction, second members that extend in a front-back direction that are inserted in the front-back direction with respect to the first member, and third members that are arranged at end portions of the first member in the vehicle width direction and joined to the end portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Toru HASHIMURA, Taiki YAMAKAWA, Yasuhiro MAEDA, Kenichi WATANABE, Junya NAITO, Akihiko TATSUMI
  • Patent number: 10850318
    Abstract: A joining method for members includes: providing a steel component 10 including insertion holes 14a and 15a, an aluminum pipe 20 having a hollow shape, and a support component 30; inserting the aluminum pipe 20 into the insertion holes 14a and 15a of the steel component 10; and enlarging the aluminum pipe 20 through deformation and joining the aluminum pipe 20 to the steel component 10 by press-fitting. The press-fit joining is performed while at least part of the support component 30 is disposed in a press-fitting region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Maeda, Toru Hashimura, Kenichi Watanabe, Junya Naitou
  • Patent number: 10843251
    Abstract: In a method for joining members of the present invention, a B-pillar, a rocker, a side panel served as frame members of a vehicle body, and an elastic body are provided. The B-pillar includes a tubular portion and an extension portion extended from the tubular portion. The rocker includes a first hole portion. The side panel includes a support portion. Next, the tubular portion of the B-pillar is inserted into the first hole portion of the rocker. The elastic body is inserted into the tubular portion of the rocker. The elastic body is pressurized in an axial line L1 direction of the tubular portion of the B-pillar to be expanded outward in a radial direction of the axial line L1, so that the tubular portion of the B-pillar is expanded and deformed to be joined to the first hole portion of the rocker by press-fitting. Further, the extension portion of the B-pillar and the support portion of the side panel are joined by a method different from joining by press-fitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Maeda, Toru Hashimura, Kenichi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10787137
    Abstract: A structural member includes an inner member and an outer member formed of a material different from that of the inner member, the outer member being positioned outside the inner member so as to surround the inner member and including a first adjacent surface adjacent to an outer surface of the inner member, wherein an insulator is disposed between the first adjacent surface and a second adjacent surface of the inner member, the second adjacent surface being adjacent to the first adjacent surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Maeda, Toru Hashimura, Ryohei Yukishige, Akihiko Tatsumi
  • Patent number: 10744552
    Abstract: The joining method for members according to the present invention includes: providing an aluminum component including an insertion hole provided with a rib in at least part of an edge part, and a hollow steel pipe; inserting the steel pipe into the insertion hole of the aluminum component; and expanding and deforming the steel pipe to join the steel pipe to the aluminum component by press-fitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Hashimura, Kenichi Watanabe, Junya Naitou, Yasuhiro Maeda
  • Publication number: 20200246860
    Abstract: A method for joining members according to the present invention includes: providing a first member, a second member, a guide shaft member, a rubber member, a first plunger, a second plunger, and a drive mechanism; inserting the second member into a hole portion of the first member; inserting the guide shaft member into a through-hole of the rubber member; inserting the rubber member, into which the guide shaft member is inserted, inside the second member; arranging an assembly in which the first member, the second member, the rubber member, and the guide shaft member so as to horizontally extend; arranging the assembly so as to be sandwiched by the first plunger and the second plunger; and moving the second plunger toward the first plunger; compressing the rubber member by the first plunger and the second plunger in a direction where the guide shaft member extends, and expanding the rubber member radially outside the guide shaft member; and thus expanding and deforming at least a portion of the second member
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Yasuhiro MAEDA, Toru HASHIMURA, Kenichi WATANABE, Takayuki KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20200238365
    Abstract: The member joining device includes: a tubular unit including a tubular assembly that is fixed, a flange portion whose position in a first central axis direction is fixed with respect to the tubular assembly; a shaft unit that includes a shaft assembly inserted into the tubular assembly in a linearly movable manner, and a protrusion portion whose position in a second central axis direction is fixed with respect to the shaft assembly, wherein the protrusion portion is positioned radially outside the first central axis of the tubular assembly, the protrusion portion faces the flange portion in the central axis direction; a rubber member arranged radially outside the tubular assembly, between the protrusion portion and the flange portion in the central axis direction; and a motion mechanism that moves the shaft unit in the central axis direction with respect to the tubular unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Yasuhiro MAEDA, Toru HASHIMURA, Kenichi WATANABE, Takayuki KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20200139910
    Abstract: A structural member includes an inner member and an outer member formed of a material different from that of the inner member, the outer member being positioned outside the inner member so as to surround the inner member and including a first adjacent surface adjacent to an outer surface of the inner member, wherein an insulator is disposed between the first adjacent surface and a second adjacent surface of the inner member, the second adjacent surface being adjacent to the first adjacent surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Yasuhiro MAEDA, Toru HASHIMURA, Ryohei YUKISHIGE, Akihiko TATSUMI
  • Publication number: 20200108432
    Abstract: A joining method for members according to the present invention includes: providing a steel component including insertion holes, an aluminum pipe having a hollow shape, and a support component; inserting the aluminum pipe into the insertion holes of the steel component; and enlarging the aluminum pipe through deformation and joining the aluminum pipe to the steel component by press-fitting. The press-fit joining is performed while at least part of the support component is disposed in a press-fitting region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Yasuhiro MAEDA, Toru HASHIMURA, Kenichi WATANABE, Junya NAITOU
  • Publication number: 20200010122
    Abstract: A vehicle structural member includes an elongate hollow member having an integrated structure, and supporting members joined to the elongate hollow member. The elongate hollow member includes: a first portion that includes a first pipe, a second pipe disposed outside the first pipe and extending along the first pipe, and a connection portion extending along the first pipe and the second pipe, formed integrally with the first pipe and the second pipe, and connecting the first pipe and the second pipe; and a second portion that includes the first pipe continuing from the first portion, and does not include the second pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.)
    Inventors: Toru HASHIMURA, Taiki YAMAKAWA, Yasuhiro MAEDA