ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 31 -- United States Patent no. 12,509,153, issued on Dec. 30, was assigned to NIPPON STEEL Corp. (Tokyo).
"Columnar member" was invented by Satoshi Hirose (Tokyo).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A columnar member able to absorb more energy at the time of collision without an accompanying increase in weight, that is, a columnar member 100 having at least a top plate 12 and two vertical walls 14, 16 connected to the top plate 12 at ridge parts 15 at both side edges 12a, 12b of the top plate and extending along the ridge parts 15, which columnar member having a bend inducing part 22 at least at part of the top plate 12 and having soft parts 14b, 16b at the two vertical walls ...