Patents by Inventor Yoshimasa Funakawa

Yoshimasa Funakawa 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: 20210115541
    Abstract: A high-strength steel sheet includes a steel structure with: ferrite being 35% to 80%, martensite being 5% to 35%, and tempered martensite being 0% to 5% in terms of area fraction; retained austenite being 8% or more in terms of volume fraction; an average grain size of: the ferrite being 6 ?m or less; and the retained austenite being 3 ?m or less; a value obtained by dividing an area fraction of blocky austenite by a sum of area fractions of lath-like austenite and the blocky austenite being 0.6 or more; a value obtained by dividing, by mass %, an average Mn content in the retained austenite by an average Mn content in the ferrite being 1.5 or more; and a value obtained by dividing, by mass %, an average C content in the retained austenite by an average C content in the ferrite being 3.0 or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuki ENDO, Yoshiyasu KAWASAKI, Yuki TOJI, Yoshimasa FUNAKAWA, Mai AOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20210108282
    Abstract: A high-strength steel includes a steel structure with: in area fraction, 60.0% to less than 90.0% of ferrite, 0% to less than 5.0% of unrecrystallized ferrite, 2.0% to 25.0% of martensite, 0% to 5.0% of carbide, and 0% to 3.0% of bainite; in volume fraction, more than 7.0% of retained austenite; in a cross-sectional view of 100 ?m×100 ?m, a value obtained by dividing number of retained austenite that are not adjacent to retained austenite whose crystal orientations are different by a total number of retained austenite being less than 0.80, an average crystal grain size of the ferrite being 6.0 ?m or less, an average crystal grain size of the retained austenite being 3.0 ?m or less, and a value obtained by dividing, by mass %, an average content of Mn in the retained austenite by an average content of Mn in steel being 1.50 or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiyasu KAWASAKI, Kazuki ENDO, Yuki TOJI, Yoshimasa FUNAKAWA, Satoshi MAEDA, Mai AOYAMA
  • Patent number: 10961601
    Abstract: A steel sheet has a composition comprising, in mass %, C: 0.0008 to 0.0024%, Si: less than 0.15%, Mn: more than 0.55% and less than 0.90%, P: more than 0.025% and less than 0.050%, S: 0.015% or less, sol. Al: 0.01% or more and 0.1% or less, N: 0.01% or less, B: more than 0.0003% and less than 0.0035%, Nb: more than 0.005% and less than 0.016%, Ti: 0.009% or less, and Sb: 0.002 to 0.030%, in which C and Nb satisfy the following formula (1), and the balance is Fe and unavoidable impurities, and in which a ds/d ratio of an average crystal grain diameter, at a ¼ thickness position of the sheet (d), to that at a steel sheet surface layer (ds), is 0.40 to 1.20, where d is 8 to 18 ?m, and where ?10?([% C]?([% Nb]/93)×12)×10,000?14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Ono, Yoshimasa Funakawa
  • Patent number: 10961600
    Abstract: Provided herein is a plated steel sheet having a yield ratio, strength (tensile strength), elongation, hole expansibility, and CTS. A method for producing the plated steel sheet is also provided, among others. A steel sheet of a specific composition is provided that has a micro structure containing 70 to 90% of ferrite, 5 to 20% of martensite, 5% or less of retained austenite, 10% or less of bainite, and 5% or less of perlite by volume. The ferrite has an average crystal grain diameter of 20 ?m or less. The martensite has an average crystal grain diameter of 5 ?m or less. The retained austenite has an average crystal grain diameter of 5 ?m or less. The bainite has an average crystal grain diameter of 7 ?m or less. The steel sheet has a tensile strength of 590 MPa or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Takashima, Yoshimasa Funakawa
  • Patent number: 10941461
    Abstract: A steel sheet is provided, having a tensile strength of 340 MPa or more, a particular composition and a steel structure in which ferrite has an average crystal grain size of 5 ?m or more and 25 ?m or less, 40% or more of cementite in terms of area fraction precipitates in ferrite grain boundaries, and the ferrite has a texture in which an inverse intensity ratio of ?-fiber to ?-fiber is 0.8 or more and 7.0 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidekazu Minami, Yoshimasa Funakawa
  • Patent number: 10941476
    Abstract: High strength steel sheets that have excellent ductility and low-temperature toughness and methods for producing such high strength steel sheets. A high strength steel sheet includes a composition containing, on a mass % basis, C: 0.05% to 0.30%, Si: 0.5% to 2.5%, Mn: 0.5% to 3.5%, P: 0.003% to 0.100%, S: 0.02% or less, Al: 0.010% to 1.5%, and N: 0.01% or less, the balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities, and a steel microstructure including a ferrite phase with an area fraction of 10% to 70%, a hard second phase with an area fraction of 30% to 90%, and a carbide that is at an interface between a ferrite phase and a hard second phase and that has an average equivalent-circle diameter of 200 nm or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Ueno, Hiroshi Hasegawa, Yoshimasa Funakawa, Yoshimasa Himei, Yoshikazu Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10920294
    Abstract: A steel sheet having low yield ratio, tensile strength of 780 MPa or more, and good bending fatigue properties. The steel sheet includes a specific chemical composition and a steel microstructure having an area percentage of a ferrite phase of 20% or more and 80% or less and an area percentage of a martensite phase of 20% or more and 80% or less, the area percentage being determined by microstructure observation, in which a surface layer portion of the steel sheet has an average ferrite grain size of 5.0 ?m or less and an inclusion density of 200 particles/mm?2 or less, and in which the steel sheet has a surface hardness of 95% or more when the steel sheet has a hardness of 100% at a position ½t, where t represents the thickness of the steel sheet, away from a surface of the steel sheet in the thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noriaki Kohsaka, Yoshimasa Funakawa
  • Patent number: 10920293
    Abstract: Provided herein is a plated steel having high strength with excellent elongation, excellent hole expansibility, and excellent material uniformity, and a method for producing such a plated steel. The steel sheet provided herein has a specific composition, and a steel structure that contains ferrite as a primary phase, and 2 to 12% of perlite, and 3% or less of martensite by volume, and in which the remainder is a low-temperature occurring phase. The ferrite has an average crystal grain diameter of 25 ?m or less. The perlite has an average crystal grain diameter of 5 ?m or less. The martensite has an average crystal grain diameter of 1.5 ?m or less. The perlite has a mean free path of 5.5 ?m or more. The steel sheet has a tensile strength of 440 MPa or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Takashima, Yoshimasa Funakawa
  • Patent number: 10900096
    Abstract: Provided herein is a steel sheet of a specific composition that has a micro structure containing, by volume, 75 to 95% of ferrite, 3 to 15% of martensite, 0.5 to 10% of perlite, 10% or less of unrecrystallized ferrite, and 21.5% or less of a low-temperature occurring phase representing the remainder, and in which the ferrite has an average crystal grain diameter of 6 ?m or less, and the martensite has an average crystal grain diameter of 3 ?m or less, and an average aspect ratio of 4.0 or less, and in which a Nb base precipitate having an average grain diameter of 0.10 ?m or less is contained. The steel sheet has a tensile strength of 590 MPa or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Takashima, Chikaumi Sawanishi, Yoshimasa Funakawa
  • Publication number: 20210010101
    Abstract: A high-strength steel sheet includes a steel structure with: ferrite being 35% to 80% and tempered martensite being greater than 5% and 20% or less in terms of area fraction; retained austenite being 8% or more in terms of volume fraction; an average grain size of: the ferrite being 6 ?m or less; and the retained austenite being 3 ?m or less; a value obtained by dividing an area fraction of blocky austenite by a sum of area fractions of lath-like austenite and the blocky austenite being 0.6 or more; a value obtained by dividing, by mass %, an average Mn content in the retained austenite by an average Mn content in the ferrite being 1.5 or more; and a value obtained by dividing, by mass %, an average C content in the retained austenite by an average C content in the ferrite being 3.0 or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuki ENDO, Yoshiyasu KAWASAKI, Yuki TOJI, Yoshimasa FUNAKAWA, Mai AOYAMA
  • Patent number: 10870902
    Abstract: A cold-rolled steel sheet has: a predetermined chemical composition; and a microstructure in which tempered martensite and bainite are contained in a total area ratio of 95-100% with respect to a whole volume of the microstructure; a number of predetermined inclusion groups is at most 0.8/mm2, the inclusion groups being formed by one or more inclusion particles, the one or more inclusion particles having a major axis length of 0.3 ?m or more and extending and/or distributed in a dot-sequence manner along a rolling direction; a number of carbides mainly composed of Fe having a predetermined size is at most 3,500/mm2; a number of carbides that are distributed in the tempered martensite and/or in the bainite and that have a diameter of 10 nm to 50 nm is at least 0.7×107/mm2; and prior ? grains have a mean grain size of 18 ?m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Ono, Yoshimasa Funakawa, Ryosuke Yamaguchi, Nobuyuki Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20200370140
    Abstract: Disclosed is a hot-pressed member that can exhibit very high tensile strength after hot pressing as high as TS: 1780 MPa or more, and excellent indentation peeling strength at projection welds by properly adjusting its chemical composition and its microstructure such that a prior austenite average grain size is 7 ?m or less within a range of 50 ?m or less in a thickness direction from a surface of the member, a volume fraction of martensite is 90% or more, and an average intergrain distance of Nb and Ti carbonitrides having a grain size of less than 0.10 ?m within a depth range of 20 ?m to 100 ?m in the thickness direction from the surface of the member is 5 ?m or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsutoshi TAKASHIMA, Takashi KOBAYASHI, Yoshimasa FUNAKAWA, Seiji NAKAJIMA
  • Publication number: 20200354806
    Abstract: Disclosed is a hot-pressed member that can exhibit very high tensile strength after hot pressing as high as TS: 1780 MPa or more, excellent resistance to resistance welding cracking, and excellent delayed fracture resistance after resistance welding by having a specific chemical composition, and a microstructure such that a prior austenite average grain size is 7 ?m or less, a volume fraction of martensite is 90% or more, and at least 5 Nb-based precipitates having a grain size of less than 0.08 ?m are present on average per 100 ?m2 of a cross section parallel to a thickness direction of the member within a range of 100 ?m in the thickness direction from a surface of the member, and such that a Ni diffusion region having a thickness of 0.5 ?m or more is present in a surface layer of the member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsutoshi TAKASHIMA, Chikaumi SAWANISHI, Takashi KOBAYASHI, Yoshimasa FUNAKAWA
  • Publication number: 20200353527
    Abstract: Disclosed is a hot-pressed member that can exhibit very high tensile strength after hot pressing of 1780 MPa or more, excellent delayed fracture resistance, and high cross tensile strength after resistance spot welding by properly adjusting its chemical composition and its microstructure such that a prior austenite average grain size is 8 ?m or less, a volume fraction of martensite is 90% or more, and at least 10 cementite grains having a grain size of 0.05 ?m or more are present on average per 200 ?m2 of a cross section parallel to a thickness direction of the member, and such that at least 10 Ti-based precipitates having a grain size of less than 0.10 ?m are present on average per 100 ?m2 of the cross section parallel to the thickness direction of the member in a range of 100 ?m in the thickness direction from a surface of the member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsutoshi TAKASHIMA, Takashi KOBAYASHI, Yoshimasa FUNAKAWA, Seiji NAKAJIMA
  • Publication number: 20200332382
    Abstract: Disclosed is a hot-pressed steel sheet member having a tensile strength of 1780 MPa or more and excellent bending collapsibility. The hot-pressed steel sheet member has: a specific chemical composition where a ratio of a C content in mass % to a Nb content in mass %, C/Nb, is from 22 to 100; a microstructure in which an average grain size of prior austenite grains is 8 ?m or less, a volume fraction of martensite is 90% or more, and a solute C content is 25% or less of a total C content; and a tensile strength of 1780 MPa or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsutoshi TAKASHIMA, Takayuki FUTATSUKA, Kentaro SATO, Shimpei YOSHIOKA, Yoshihiko ONO, Yoshimasa FUNAKAWA
  • Patent number: 10801085
    Abstract: A high-strength steel sheet having high yield ratio, excellent stretch flange formability, and resistance to secondary working embrittlement. The steel sheet has a composition containing C: 0.02% to less than 0.10%, Si: less than 0.3%, Mn: less than 1.0%, P: 0.10% or less, S: 0.020% or less, Al: 0.01% to 0.10%, N: 0.010% or less, and Nb: 0.003% to less than 0.070% on a mass basis, the remainder being Fe and inevitable impurities. A steel microstructure of the steel sheet contains ferrite: 90% or more and a total of pearlite, martensite, retained austenite, and cementite: 0% to 10% on an area fraction basis, in which the average grain size of the ferrite is 15.0 ?m or less, and in which the average aspect ratio of the ferrite is 1.2 or more; and a tensile strength of 500 MPa or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuma Honda, Yoshimasa Funakawa, Kozo Harada
  • Publication number: 20200299798
    Abstract: A steel sheet has a composition comprising, in mass %, C: 0.0008 to 0.0024%, Si: less than 0.15%, Mn: more than 0.55% and less than 0.90%, P: more than 0.025% and less than 0.050%, S: 0.015% or less, sol. Al: 0.01% or more and 0.1% or less, N: 0.01% or less, B: more than 0.0003% and less than 0.0035%, Nb: more than 0.005% and less than 0.016%, Ti: 0.009% or less, and Sb: 0.002 to 0.030%, in which C and Nb satisfy the following formula (1), and the balance is Fe and unavoidable impurities, and in which a ds/d ratio of an average crystal grain diameter, at a ¼ thickness position of the sheet (d), to that at a steel sheet surface layer (ds), is 0.40 to 1.20, where d is 8 to 18 ?m, and where ?10?([% C]?([% Nb]/93)×12)×10,000?14.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Applicant: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Ono, Yoshimasa Funakawa
  • Publication number: 20200299797
    Abstract: Provided are a coated steel sheet and so forth, the coated steel sheet having a tensile strength of 590 MPa or more and good stretch-flangeability. The coated steel sheet includes a specific component composition, in which the area fraction of a ferrite phase is 80% or more and 98% or less, the area fraction of a martensite phase of 2% or more and 15% or less, ferrite grains have an average thickness of 3.0 ?m or less in the sheet-thickness direction, the martensite phase has an average grain size of 2.0 ?m or less, and a Nb-containing carbide precipitated in the ferrite grains has an average grain size of 8 nm or less, and in which the steel sheet has a tensile strength of 590 MPa or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Applicant: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Noriaki Kohsaka, Yoshimasa Funakawa
  • Patent number: 10760142
    Abstract: Provided are a high-strength steel sheet and a method for manufacturing the steel sheet. The high-strength steel sheet has a specified chemical composition with the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities, a microstructure including, in terms of area ratio, 30% or more of a ferrite phase, 40% to 65% of a bainite phase and/or a martensite phase, and 5% or less of cementite, in which, in a surface layer that is a region within 50 ?m from the surface in the thickness direction, the area ratio of a ferrite phase is 40% to 55% and the total area ratio of a bainite phase having a grain diameter of more than 5 ?m and/or a martensite phase having a grain diameter of more than 5 ?m is 20% or less, and a tensile strength is 980 MPa or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Nobusuke Kariya, Yoshihiko Ono, Yoshimasa Funakawa, Kazuma Mori, Reiko Sugihara, Kenji Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20200270717
    Abstract: A steel sheet having excellent fatigue resistance as a material for automobile parts and a TS of 590 MPa or more, and a method for producing the same. The steel sheet having a specified chemical composition and a microstructure of 50% or more and 90% or less of martensite, 10% to 50% of ferrite and bainite in total, in terms of an area ratio, and an average concentration of solute Mn in ferrite in a region from a surface of a base steel to a depth of 0.5 ?m is 60% or more relative to an average concentration of solute Mn in ferrite at a location of ¼ in the thickness of the steel sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2017
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuya NAKAGAITO, Yoshimasa FUNAKAWA, Yoshihiko ONO, Hiroshi HASEGAWA