Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Tsunehisa Hata

Yoshikazu Fujisawa

Tadayoshi Hayashi

Hideo Shimizu

Hisashi Katoh

Shosuke Ohhama

Kazuo Shibata

Hideyo Miyano

Hideaki Ushio

Yusuke Toyoda

Tadayoshi Nakajima

Shinsuke Koda

Kenji Matsumoto

Takeo Itou

Tetsuya Miyahara

Katsuhiro Shibata

Fumiaki Fukuchi

Tomoyuki Imanishi

Takahiro Mizukami

Kenichi Kawasaki

Toshikazu Hirobe

Akihiko Asami

Tomoyuki Goto

Norito Suzuki

Katuya Nagase

A subframe structure includes a frame front part and a frame rear part in a vehicle front-rear direction. The frame front part and the frame rear part are joined together. The frame front part has a higher strength than the frame rear part. The subframe has different strengths from part to part. The frame front part is made of a galvannealed steel plate (GA steel plate) subjected to an electrodeposition coating. The frame rear part is made of a hot-dip galvanized steel plate (GI steel plate) subjected to an electrodeposition coating. A rear cross member of an aluminum die-casting and a rear cross panel of a hot-dip galvanized steel plate (GI steel plate) are integrally joined together by a friction stir welding.

Different materials joint structure

Disclosed is a friction-stir welded structure in which corrosion resistance of a peeling region is ensured when a film coating is peeled away from a steel sheet. In a sub-frame, an aluminum alloy member is laid over a steel member that has been electropainted, and the overlaid part where the member is laid over is friction-stir welded at inner and outer welds. The aluminum alloy member has an aluminum layered part which together with the steel member constitutes the overlaid part due to being laid over the steel member, and aluminum extending parts provided to the aluminum layered part. The aluminum extending parts have aluminum extending parts that are orthogonal to the extending direction of the inner and outer welds and that protrude outward from the steel member.

Friction-stir welded structure

Disclosed is a subframe for a vehicle that allows a molten metal to be smoothly guided in order to maintain a good flow. This subframe for a vehicle is equipped with a rear subframe. For the rear subframe, a rear cross member, a rear section of a left side member, and a rear upper section of a right side member are constructed with an aluminum alloy and formed into one piece that has a substantially U-shape in a plan view. The rear cross member has a radial rib group that extends radially and a parallel rib group that intersects with the radial rib group. The radial rib group is configured such that radial ribs positioned further outside in the vehicle width direction form larger tilt angles.

Subframe for vehicle

A thin and large high toughness die-cast product is provided that is formed from an Al&#x2014;Mg casting alloy having the composition 3.5 wt %&#x2266;Mg&#x2266;4.5 wt %, 0.8 wt %&#x2266;Mn&#x2266;1.5 wt %, Si&#x3c;0.5 wt %, Fe&#x3c;0.5 wt %, a sum (Ti+Zr) of amounts of Ti and Zr added of equal to or greater than 0.3 wt %, and a ratio (Ti/Zr) of the amounts of Ti and Zr added of at least 0.3 but not more than 2, with the balance being Al.

Die casting having high toughness

An aluminum-based composite member having an increased strength of bond between an aluminum-based body and a cast iron material portion which is incorporated into the aluminum-based body by casting is provided by an improved process. The following steps are employed in the process: a step of removing an oxide film on the surface of the cast iron material portion and activating such surface; a step of forming a protecting plated-layer having a thickness a in a range of 0.8 .mu.m.ltoreq.a.ltoreq.5 .mu.m on the surface of the cast iron material portion; a step of preheating the cast iron material portion in a reducing gas atmosphere and reducing an oxide on the surface of the protecting plated-layer; a step of vanishing the protecting plated-layer by a diffusing phenomenon and forming an aluminum-based alloy plated layer on the surface of the cast iron material portion by immersing the cast iron material portion into a molten aluminum-based alloy; a step of quenching the cast iron material portion in an inert gas atmosphere; and a step of incorporating the cast iron material portion into the aluminum-based body by casting.

Process for producing aluminum-based composite member

A cylinder block is produced by subjecting an outer surface of a cylinder sleeve section Sc of cast iron to a shot blast treatment, forming a first intermediate layer 31 of aluminum-based material containing Si, Cu and the like on the cylinder section Sc, and inserting the cylinder sleeve section Sc in a cast-in manner within a cylinder barrel 1.sub.U of aluminum alloy. The electrical-potential difference between the cylinder sleeve section Sc and the cylinder barrel 1.sub.U and the first intermediate layer 31 is decreased by the first intermediate layer 31 to enhance the durability against an electrolytic corrosion and to enhance the deposition by a mutual diffusing action therebetween. In a modification, a second intermediate layer 32 of a Ni-Al based material is formed under the first intermediate layer 31 at a portion of the cylinder sleeve section Sc inserted in a cast-in manner within the cylinder barrel 1.sub.U, whereby the adhesion can be further enhanced.

Cylinder block

A cylinder block has a cylinder block body and a cylinder liner block mounted by casting in the cylinder block body. The cylinder liner block is formed from a material having a rigidity larger than that of the cylinder block body, and the cylinder liner block comprises a liner section mounted by casting in position in a cylinder barrel portion of the cylinder block body, and a reinforcing wall section mounted by casting in position in a bearing wall of a crank case portion of the cylinder block body. Thus, it is possible to increase the wear resistance of cylinders in the cylinder block, as well as to provide an increase in performance by reductions in vibration and noise of the engine including the cylinder block, and to provide reductions in size, weight and cost of the cylinder block by a reduction in thickness of the bearing walls.

Process for casting a cylinder block

A cylinder block has a cylinder block body and a cylinder liner block mounted by casting in the cylinder block body. The cylinder liner block is formed from a material having a rigidity larger than that of the cylinder block body, and the cylinder liner block comprises a liner section mounted by casting in position in a cylinder barrel portion of the cylinder block body, and a reinforcing wall section mounting by casting in position in a bearing wall of a crank case portion of the cylinder block body in a. Thus, it is possible to increase the wear resistance of cylinders in the cylinder block, as well as to provide an increase in performance by reductions in vibration and noise of the engine including the cylinder block, and to provide reductions in size, weight and cost of the cylinder block by a reduction in thickness of the bearing walls.

Cylinder block and a process for casting the same

A fiber-reinforced piston ring for an internal combustion engine comprised of composite body of reinforcing fiber which is long carbon fibers oriented in a peripheral direction of the piston ring and having a fiber volume fraction in a range of 5% to 60% in a matrix of an aluminum alloy. In alternate embodiments the composite body is provided with a layer of aluminum alloy, or a hard layer for wear resistance, or a combination of an aluminum alloy layer and a hard layer.

Fiber-reinforced piston ring for internal combustion engine

A cylinder block made of fiber-reinforced light alloy for an internal combustion engine comprises a cylinder barrel having a fiber-reinforced part formed around a cylinder bore, and a cylinder block outer wall surrounding the cylinder barrel and defining a water jacket between itself and the barrel, wherein a reinforcing deck part is provided to connect between the outer wall and an end portion of the barrel adjacent the cylinder head joining surface, the deck part having a thickness in the direction of barrel axis set to be not less than 7% of a piston stroke.

Cylinder block made of fiber-reinforced light alloy for internal

An internal combustion engine having a cylinder block made of a light-alloy with a cylinder wall around a cylinder bore including a cylindrical fiber-reinforced portion which is formed of a mixture of an alumina-based fiber and a carbon fiber with a light-alloy matrix. The alumina-based fiber has a fiber volume fraction set in a range of 8 to 20%, and the carbon fiber has a fiber volume fraction set in a range of 0.3 to 15%. The alumina-based fiber contains 25% or less, by weight, of silica, has an average aspect ratio of 20 to 150, and an alpha rate of 2 to 60%. The carbon fiber has an average aspect ratio set in a range of 10 to 100 and a Young's modulus set in a range of 20 to 30 t/mm.sup.2. The piston for the cylinder bore has an iron-plated layer covered by a tin-plated layer. The piston rings for the piston may be of austenitic stainless steel to provide thermal expansion characterics similar to the cylinder wall and may be provided with a nitride or chromium-plated layer.

Growing community of inventors

Saitama, Japan

Tsunehisa Hata