Patents by Inventor Yasumoto Sato

Yasumoto Sato 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: 8779320
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide a resistance welding method capable of stabilizing quality or improving efficiency of resistance welding such as spot welding. This resistance welding method comprises a calculating step of calculating resistance ratio X of a second electric resistance value R2 of workpieces to be joined in residual heat after Joule heating stops to a first electric resistance value R1 of the workpieces immediately before the Joule heating stops or vice versa (R2/R1 or R1/R2); a determining step of determining whether the resistance ratio X is equal to or greater than a threshold value Xn, and a reheating step of carrying out the Joule heating again when the resistance ratio X is smaller than the threshold value Xn. Thereby at least part of a welding portion is melted and solidified to reliably form a nugget, and a stably resistance-welded member can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Goro Watanabe, Yasuhiro Ishii, Yasumoto Sato, Tsunaji Kitayama, Hisaaki Takao, Hideki Teshima, Keisuke Uchida
  • Publication number: 20120248086
    Abstract: In a resistance welding method, by controlling the power amount from a melting start time onward, the weld quality may be stabilized efficiently, even when a disturbance is present, because of the correlation between the amount of power input from the melting start start time and a resulting nugget. The resistance welding method includes: pressing an electrode against a workpiece; inputting power to the workpiece through the electrode to subject the workpiece to Joule heating; detecting the melting start time, which is the time at which at least a portion of the faying portion of a workpiece starts to melt when subjected to Joule heating; calculating a first power amount input into the workpiece from the melting start time; and determining whether the first power amount has reached a first set value; and continuing the Joule heating until the first power amount reaches the first set value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2010
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Goro Watanabe, Yasuhiro Ishii, Yasumoto Sato, Tsunaji Kitayama, Hisaaki Takao, Takahiro Onda, Hideki Teshima, Keisuke Uchida
  • Publication number: 20120126780
    Abstract: This invention aims to provide a resistance welding method capable of stabilizing quality or improving efficiency of resistance welding such as spot welding. This resistance welding method comprises a calculating step of calculating resistance ratio X of a second electric resistance value R2 of workpieces to be joined in residual heat after Joule heating stops to a first electric resistance value R1 of the workpieces immediately before the Joule heating stops or vice versa (R2/R1 or R1/R2); a determining step of determining whether the resistance ratio X is equal to or greater than a threshold value Xn, and a reheating step of carrying out the Joule heating again when the resistance ratio X is smaller than the threshold value Xn. Thereby at least part of a welding portion is melted and solidified to reliably form a nugget, and a stably resistance-welded member can be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA CHUO KENKYUSHO
    Inventors: Goro Watanabe, Yasuhiro Ishii, Yasumoto Sato, Tsunaji Kitayama, Hisaaki Takao, Hideki Teshima, Keisuke Uchida