Patents by Inventor Yusuke Kuji

Yusuke Kuji 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: 12359349
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a carbon fiber bundle includes a stabilization process of subjecting an acrylic fiber bundle to a heat treatment within a range of 200° C. to 300° C. in an oxidizing atmosphere; a pre-carbonization process of performing a heat treatment within a range of 300° C. to 1,000° C. using a heat treatment furnace having at least one inert gas supply port on each of an incoming side and an outgoing side of the fiber bundle and at least one exhaust port between the incoming-side and outgoing-side inert gas supply ports, the heat treatment being performed with a temperature of an inert gas supplied being higher on the outgoing side than on the incoming side; and a carbonization process of performing a heat treatment at a temperature of 1,000° C. to 2,000° C. in an inert gas atmosphere, in which from a position at which an atmospheric temperature in the heat treatment furnace is 300° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Takuya Kataoka, Naoto Hosotani, Takamitsu Hirose, Yusuke Kuji
  • Patent number: 12060659
    Abstract: A method of producing an oxidized fiber bundle includes heat-treating an acrylic fiber bundle aligned in a heat treatment chamber in which hot air is circulated while causing the acrylic fiber bundle to run on direction-changing rollers disposed on both ends of an outside of the heat treatment chamber, wherein first hot air is supplied in a direction substantially parallel to a running direction of the acrylic fiber bundle, and second hot air is supplied from above the acrylic fiber bundle at an angle of 20 to 160° with respect to a wind direction of the first hot air, so that the second hot air passes at least a part of a running acrylic fiber bundle in a longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Kohei Takamatsu, Yusuke Kuji, Naoto Hosotani, Taku Yamamoto, Kazuyuki Gondo
  • Patent number: 12012671
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a stabilized fiber bundle is described, which includes subjecting an acrylic fiber bundle aligned, to a heat treatment in an oxidizing atmosphere, with the acrylic fiber bundle being turned around by a guide roller placed on each of both ends outside a hot air heating-type oxidation oven, wherein an air velocity Vm of first hot air sent through a supply nozzle(s) disposed above and/or under a fiber bundle travelled in the oxidation oven, in a substantially horizontal direction to a travelling direction of the fiber bundle, and an air velocity Vf of second hot air flowing in a fiber bundle passing a flow channel in which the fiber bundle is travelled that satisfies expression 1) 0.2?Vf/Vm?2.0??1) to produce a high-quality stabilized fiber bundle and a high-quality carbon fiber bundle at high efficiencies without any process troubles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Naoto Hosotani, Taku Yamamoto, Kazuyuki Gondo, Kohei Takamatsu, Yusuke Kuji
  • Publication number: 20230193522
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a carbon fiber bundle includes a stabilization process of subjecting an acrylic fiber bundle to a heat treatment within a range of 200° C. to 300° C. in an oxidizing atmosphere; a pre-carbonization process of performing a heat treatment within a range of 300° C. to 1,000° C. using a heat treatment furnace having at least one inert gas supply port on each of an incoming side and an outgoing side of the fiber bundle and at least one exhaust port between the incoming-side and outgoing-side inert gas supply ports, the heat treatment being performed with a temperature of an inert gas supplied being higher on the outgoing side than on the incoming side; and a carbonization process of performing a heat treatment at a temperature of 1,000° C. to 2,000° C. in an inert gas atmosphere, in which from a position at which an atmospheric temperature in the heat treatment furnace is 300° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Takuya Kataoka, Naoto Hosotani, Takamitsu Hirose, Yusuke Kuji
  • Publication number: 20220251736
    Abstract: A method of producing an oxidized fiber bundle includes heat-treating an acrylic fiber bundle aligned in a heat treatment chamber in which hot air is circulated while causing the acrylic fiber bundle to run on direction-changing rollers disposed on both ends of an outside of the heat treatment chamber, wherein first hot air is supplied in a direction substantially parallel to a running direction of the acrylic fiber bundle, and second hot air is supplied from above the acrylic fiber bundle at an angle of 20 to 160° with respect to a wind direction of the first hot air, so that the second hot air passes at least a part of a running acrylic fiber bundle in a longitudinal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Inventors: Kohei Takamatsu, Yusuke Kuji, Naoto Hosotani, Taku Yamamoto, Kazuyuki Gondo
  • Publication number: 20210348305
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a stabilized fiber bundle, including travelling an acrylic fiber bundle in an oxidation oven, with the acrylic fiber bundle being conveyed by guide rollers placed on both sides outside the oxidation oven, to subject the acrylic fiber bundle to a heat treatment in an oxidizing atmosphere, wherein a direction of hot air in the oxidation oven is horizontal to a travelling direction of the fiber bundle, and a contact probability P between adjacent fiber bundles, defined by expression (1), is 2 to 18%: P=[1?p(x){?t<x<t}]×100??(1) wherein P represents the contact probability (%) between adjacent fiber bundles, t represents an interspace (mm) between adjacent fiber bundles, p(x) represents a probability density function of a normal distribution N(0, ?2), ? represents a standard deviation of an amplitude of vibration, and x represents a random variable under the assumption that a median amplitude of vibration is zero.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Inventors: Yusuke Kuji, Kohei Takamatsu
  • Publication number: 20210310158
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a stabilized fiber bundle is described, which includes subjecting an acrylic fiber bundle aligned, to a heat treatment in an oxidizing atmosphere, with the acrylic fiber bundle being turned around by a guide roller placed on each of both ends outside a hot air heating-type oxidation oven, wherein an air velocity Vm of first hot air sent through a supply nozzle(s) disposed above and/or under a fiber bundle travelled in the oxidation oven, in a substantially horizontal direction to a travelling direction of the fiber bundle, and an air velocity Vf of second hot air flowing in a fiber bundle passing a flow channel in which the fiber bundle is travelled that satisfies expression 1) 0.2?Vf/Vm?2.0 ??1) to produce a high-quality stabilized fiber bundle and a high-quality carbon fiber bundle at high efficiencies without any process troubles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Naoto Hosotani, Taku Yamamoto, Kazuyuki Gondo, Kohei Takamatsu, Yusuke Kuji
  • Patent number: 10612164
    Abstract: A method of cleaning an oxidation oven that subjects a polyacrylonitrile-based precursor fiber for carbon fiber to an oxidation treatment in an oxidizing atmosphere, wherein the oxidation oven has a mechanism for circulating an oxidizing gas internally, the method including the steps of: causing a liquid to come in contact with dust adhering to a wall surface of the oxidation oven so that pressure in a direction perpendicular to the wall surface is 2 MPa or more; discharging the liquid out of the oxidation oven to discharge dust peeled off from the wall surface out of the oxidation oven; and circulating an oxidizing gas having a temperature of 40° C. or higher in the oxidation oven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Yusuke Kuji, Wataru Yamamoto, Masaomi Uchiyama
  • Publication number: 20200071856
    Abstract: A method of cleaning an oxidation oven that subjects a polyacrylonitrile-based precursor fiber for carbon fiber to an oxidation treatment in an oxidizing atmosphere, wherein the oxidation oven has a mechanism for circulating an oxidizing gas internally, the method including the steps of: causing a liquid to come in contact with dust adhering to a wall surface of the oxidation oven so that pressure in a direction perpendicular to the wall surface is 2 MPa or more; discharging the liquid out of the oxidation oven to discharge dust peeled off from the wall surface out of the oxidation oven; and circulating an oxidizing gas having a temperature of 40° C. or higher in the oxidation oven.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventors: Yusuke Kuji, Wataru Yamamoto, Masaomi Uchiyama