EP0599815B1 - Magnetische Legierung und Herstellungsverfahren - Google Patents

Magnetische Legierung und Herstellungsverfahren Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0599815B1
EP0599815B1 EP94101456A EP94101456A EP0599815B1 EP 0599815 B1 EP0599815 B1 EP 0599815B1 EP 94101456 A EP94101456 A EP 94101456A EP 94101456 A EP94101456 A EP 94101456A EP 0599815 B1 EP0599815 B1 EP 0599815B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
magnetic alloy
rare earth
iron
boron
coercive force
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP94101456A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0599815A1 (de
Inventor
Osamu C/O Seiko Epson Corporation Kobayashi
Koji Osamu C/O Seiko Epson Corporation Akioka
Tatsuya Osamu Seiko Epson Corporation Shimoda
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Seiko Epson Corp
Original Assignee
Seiko Epson Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from JP62104622A external-priority patent/JP2611221B2/ja
Application filed by Seiko Epson Corp filed Critical Seiko Epson Corp
Priority claimed from EP87308559A external-priority patent/EP0288637B1/de
Publication of EP0599815A1 publication Critical patent/EP0599815A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0599815B1 publication Critical patent/EP0599815B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01F—MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
    • H01F1/00—Magnets or magnetic bodies characterised by the magnetic materials therefor; Selection of materials for their magnetic properties
    • H01F1/01—Magnets or magnetic bodies characterised by the magnetic materials therefor; Selection of materials for their magnetic properties of inorganic materials
    • H01F1/03—Magnets or magnetic bodies characterised by the magnetic materials therefor; Selection of materials for their magnetic properties of inorganic materials characterised by their coercivity
    • H01F1/032—Magnets or magnetic bodies characterised by the magnetic materials therefor; Selection of materials for their magnetic properties of inorganic materials characterised by their coercivity of hard-magnetic materials
    • H01F1/04—Magnets or magnetic bodies characterised by the magnetic materials therefor; Selection of materials for their magnetic properties of inorganic materials characterised by their coercivity of hard-magnetic materials metals or alloys
    • H01F1/047—Alloys characterised by their composition
    • H01F1/053—Alloys characterised by their composition containing rare earth metals
    • H01F1/055—Alloys characterised by their composition containing rare earth metals and magnetic transition metals, e.g. SmCo5
    • H01F1/057—Alloys characterised by their composition containing rare earth metals and magnetic transition metals, e.g. SmCo5 and IIIa elements, e.g. Nd2Fe14B

Definitions

  • This invention relates to magnetic alloys and methods of making the same.
  • Magnetic alloys, and especially permanent magnets made therefrom, are used in a wide field from household electric appliances to peripheral console units of large sized computers.
  • Typical permanent magnets now in use are alnico, hard ferrite magnets and rare earth element - transition metal magnets.
  • a R-Co (R represents a rare earth element) permanent magnet and a R-Fe-B permanent magnet, which are rare earth element-transition metal magnets can produce a high magnetic performance, so that much research has hitherto been conducted in relation to them.
  • Reference 1 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 46008/1984.
  • Reference 3 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 211549/1983.
  • Reference 5 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 100402/1985.
  • an alloy ingot is first made by melting and casting, and pulverised to obtain a metal powder having an appropriate particle size (several microns). Powder is needed with a binder of moulding additive, and pressed in a magnetic field to obtain a moulded body.
  • the moulded body is sintered at approximately 1100°C in an argon atmosphere for 1 hour and thereafter rapidly quenched to room temperature. After sintering, the sintered body is heat treated at approximately 600°C to improve the coercive force.
  • a rapidly quenched thin fragment of an R-Fe-B alloy is first made using a melt spinning apparatus at an optimum substrate velocity.
  • the thus obtained ribbon-like thin fragment having a thickness of 30 ⁇ m (microns) is an aggregate of crystals having a diameter of not more than 100 nm (1,000 Angstroms). It is brittle and easily broken. Since the crystal grains are distributed isotropically, the thin fragment is magnetically isotropic.
  • the thin fragment is pulverised to an appropriate particle size and kneaded with a resin. The mixture is then pressed.
  • Method (3) produces a dense R-Fe-B magnet having anisotropy by subjecting the rapidly quenched thin fragment obtained by method (2) to a so-called two-stage hot pressing process in vacuum or in an inert gas atmosphere.
  • uniaxial pressure is applied so as to align the easy magnetisation axis in parallel to the pressing direction and to make the magnet anisotropic.
  • the crystal grains of the thin fragment produced by the melt spinning apparatus have a smaller grain diameter than the grain diameter of the crystal grains which exhibit the largest coercive force so that the optimum grain diameter is obtained when the crystal grains are made coarser during the subsequent hot pressing process.
  • Method (1) necessitates the step of powdering an alloy. Since an R-Fe-B alloy is very active in oxygen, the step of powdering further accelerates oxidation, whereby the oxygen concentration of the sintered body is inconveniently raised. Furthermore, when the powder is moulded, a moulding additive such as zinc stearate must be used. The moulding additive is removed from the moulded body prior to the sintering step, but several percent thereof remains in the magnet in the form of carbon. This carbon unfavourably significantly lowers the magnetic performance of the R-Fe-B alloy.
  • the moulded body obtained by press moulding the alloy with the moulding additive added thereto is called a green body, which is very brittle and difficult to handle. It therefore disadvantageously requires much labour to insert the green bodies in a sintering oven in a neatly arranged form.
  • manufacture of an R-Fe-B permanent magnet generally not only requires expensive equipment, but also has low productivity, resulting in high manufacturing costs. It cannot, therefore, be said that method (1) is capable of making the best use of the merit of an R-Fe-B magnet which is comparatively inexpensive in material costs.
  • Both methods (2) and (3) use a vacuum melt spinning apparatus. This apparatus has very low productivity and is very expensive at present.
  • Method (2) adopting a resin bonding process produces a magnet having theoretical isotropy and, hence, a low energy product. Since the squareness of the hysteresis loop is not good, this magnet is disadvantageous both in the temperature characteristics and in use.
  • Method (3) is a unique method in that the hot pressing process is used in two stages. However, it cannot be denied that this method is very inefficient in actual mass production.
  • the crystal grains are remarkably coarse at a relatively high temperature of, for example, more than 800°C, which lowers the coercive force iHc to such a great extent that a practical permanent magnet is not obtainable.
  • a further method (4) of manufacturing a permanent magnet is disclosed in French patent publication no. 2 586 323.
  • a method is used, comprising melting an alloy, pouring the molten alloy into a mould casting it and either hot working before casting or applying a resin thereafter.
  • This method results in a permanent magnet which overcomes the problems of oxidation and the need to handle a green body.
  • the resultant permanent magnet also has slightly improved magnetic characteristics over method (1), (2) and (3) above.
  • the improvement is not significant and given the importance of such magnets greater magnetic characteristics are considered essential.
  • such a magnet still suffers from the disadvantage that the coercive force is unacceptably low since the crystal grains are relatively tiny.
  • the present invention seeks to eliminate the above described disadvantages of known methods and to provide a magnetic alloy and a method of making the same which can readily be used to manufacture a high performance low cost permanent magnet.
  • the known methods of making rare earth element-iron magnets have serious defects such as difficulty in handling pulverised powder and poor productivity.
  • the optimum composition of an R-Fe-B magnet is conventionally considered to be R 15 Fe 77 B 8 , as is described in Reference 2 above.
  • R and B are richer than in the composition R 2 Fe 82.4 B 5.9 , which is obtained by calculating the main phase R 2 Fe 14 B, compound in terms of percentage. This is because a non-magnetic phase such as an R-rich phase and B-rich phase as well as the main phase is necessary in order to obtain a coercive force.
  • the maximum value of the coercive force is obtained when the B content is lower than that of the main phase.
  • this composition range has not been taken into much consideration, because the coercive force is greatly reduced when a sintering process is used.
  • the coercive force is easy to obtain when the B content is lower than the stoichiometric composition, and difficult to obtain when the B content is higher.
  • the coercive force mechanism itself conforms to the nucleation model. This is obvious from the fact that the initial magnetisation curves of the coercive forces in both cases show a steep rise such as those of SmCo 5.
  • the coercive force of a magnet of this type fundamentally conforms to a single magnetic domain model.
  • the magnet has a magnetic domain wall in the crystal grains, so that reverse magnetisation is easily caused by the movement of the magnetic wall, thereby reducing the coercive force.
  • the R 2 Fe 14 B phase has an appropriate grain diameter.
  • the appropriate grain diameter is about 10 ⁇ m (microns) and, in the case of a sintering type magnet, it is possible to determine the grain diameter by adjusting the grain size of the powder before sintering.
  • the composition has a great influence on the grain size, and if not less than 8 atm % of B is included, the R 2 Fe 14 B phase as cast is apt to have coarse grains, so that it is difficult to obtain a good coercive force unless the quenching rate is increased more than usual.
  • This region can be said from another point of view to be a phase richer in Fe than R 2 Fe 14 B phase, and Fe is first crystallised out as a primary crystal in the solidification step and subsequently the R 2 Fe 14 B phase appears by peritectic reaction.
  • the quenching rate is much higher than the equilibrium reaction, the R 2 Fe 14 B phase solidifies around the primary crystal Fe.
  • a phase richer in B such as an R 15 Fe 77 B 8 phase, which is a typical composition of a sintering type magnet, is almost negligible.
  • the heat treatment is carried out in order to diffuse the primary crystal Fe so as to attain the equilibrium state, the coercive force largely depending on the diffusion of the Fe phase.
  • adoption of the columnar structure has two effects; one is that it enables the permanent magnet to possess plane anisotropy, and the other is that it enables the permanent magnet to obtain a high performance during hot working.
  • the intermetallic compound R 2 Fe 14 B which becomes the source of the magnetism of the R-Fe-B magnet, has the property of distributing the easy magnetisation axis C in a plane perpendicular to the columnar crystals when the columnar structures are grown.
  • the C axis is not in the direction of columnar crystal growth but is in a plane perpendicular thereto, namely, the permanent magnet has anisotropy in a plane.
  • This permanent magnet naturally and very advantageously has a higher performance than a permanent magnet which has a uniaxial macrostructure. Even if the columnar structure is adopted, the grain diameter must be fine in terms of the coercive force, and it is therefore desirable that the B content is low.
  • the adoption of a columnar structure further enhances the effect of hot working on bringing about anisotropy.
  • M.A. B X / (Bx 2 + By 2 + Bz 2 ) x 100 (%) wherein Bx, By, Bz represent residual magnetic flux density in the directions x, y and z respectively, the degree of magnetic alignment in the isotropic magnet is about 60%, and in the plane anisotropic magnet, it is about 70%.
  • the effect of hot working on bringing about anisotropy exists irrespective of the degree of magnetic alignment of the material being processed, but the higher the degree of magnetic alignment of the original material, the higher the degree of magnetic alignment of the final processed material. Therefore, enhancing the degree of magnetic alignment of the original material by adopting a columnar structure is effective for finally obtaining a high performance anisotropic magnet.
  • rare earth element at least one selected from the group consisting of Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu is used. Pr produces the highest magnetic performance.
  • Pr, Pr-Nd alloy, Ce-Pr-Nd alloy, etc. are used. Addition of a small amount of an element, e.g. heavy rare earth elements such as Dy and Tb, and Al, Mo, Si, etc. enhances the coercive force.
  • an element e.g. heavy rare earth elements such as Dy and Tb, and Al, Mo, Si, etc. enhances the coercive force.
  • the main phase of an R-Fe-B magnet is R 2 Fe 14 B. Therefore, if the R content is less than about 8 atm %, it is impossible to form the above described compound and the magnet has a cubic structure the same as that of an alpha-iron magnet, so that it is impossible to obtain high magnetic properties.
  • the R content is preferably 8 to 25 atm %.
  • the B is essential for forming an R 2 Fe 14 B phase, and if the B content is less than 2 atm %, a rhomobohedral R-Fe structure is formed, so that a high coercive force is not expected.
  • the B content exceeds 28 atm %, a non-magnetic B-rich phase increases, thereby greatly lowering the residual magnetic flux density.
  • the B content is preferably 2 to 8 atm %. If it exceeds 8 atm %, it is difficult to obtain a fine R 2 Fe 14 B phase, so that the coercive force is reduced.
  • Co is an effective element for increasing the Curie point of an R-Fe-B magnet.
  • the site of Fe is substituted by Co to form R 2 Co 14 B, but this compound has a small crystal magnetic anisotropy and with increase in amount, the coercive force of the magnet as a whole decreases. Therefore, in order to provide a coercive force of not smaller than 1 KOe, to use not more than 50 atm % Co is preferable.
  • Reference 6 shows the effect of Al on a sintered magnet, but the same effect is produced on a cast magnet.
  • Al is a non-magnetic element
  • the amount of Al to be added is increased, the residual magnetic flux density is lowered. If the amount exceeds 15 atm %, the residual magnetic flux density is lowered to not more than that of a hard ferrite and the roll of a rare earth magnet which has high performance is not attained. Therefore, the amount of Al to be added is not more than 15 atm %.
  • An alloy having the composition shown in Table 1 was first melted in an induction furnace, and cast into an iron mould to form a columnar structure.
  • the casting was annealed at 1000°C for 24 hours to be magnetically hardened.
  • the casting was cut and ground in this stage, thereby obtaining a magnet having plane anisotropy obtained by utilising the anisotropy of the columnar crystals.
  • the processing temperature was 1000°C.

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
  • Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Hard Magnetic Materials (AREA)

Claims (11)

  1. Anisotrope Seltenerd-Eisen-Bor Magnetlegierung, umfassend eine Legierung von zwischen etwa 8 bis 30 Atomprozent mindestens eines Seltenerdelements, zwischen-etwa 2 und 8 Atomprozent Bor und der Rest Eisen, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Magnetlegierung eine Stengelmakrostruktur aufweist.
  2. Seltenerd-Eisen-Bor Magnetlegierung nach Anspruch 1, wobei die Magnet legierung eine in einer Ebene senkrecht zur Kristallwachstumsrichtung ausgerichtete einfache Magnetisierungsachse hat.
  3. Seltenerd-Eisen-Bor Magnetlegierung nach Anspruch 1 oder Anspruch 2, wobei das Eisen in einer Menge bis zu etwa 88 Atomprozent vorhanden ist.
  4. Seltenerd-Eisen-Bor Magnetlegierung nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei das Seltenerdelement ausgewählt ist aus der Gruppe bestehend aus Yttrium, Lanthan, Cer, Praseodym, Neodymium, Promethium, Samarium, Europium, Gadolinium, Terbium, Dysprosium, Holmium, Erbium, Thulim, Ytterbium, Lutetium und Gemischen davon.
  5. Seltenerd-Eisen-Bor Magnetlegierung nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, weiterhin umfassend eine wirksame Menge Kobalt zur Erhöhung der Curie-Temperatur eines aus der Magnetlegierung gebildeten Magneten.
  6. Seltenerd-Eisen-Bor Magnetlegierung nach Anspruch 5, wobei das Kobalt in einer Menge bis zu etwa 50 Atomprozent vorhanden ist.
  7. Seltenerd-Eisen-Bor Magnetlegierung nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, weiterhin umfassend eine wirksame Menge mindestens eine die Koerzitivkraft verstärkende Komponente ausgewählt aus der Gruppe bestehend aus Aluminium, Molybdän, Kupfer und Gemischen davon, zur Verstärkung der Koerzitivkraft eines aus der Magnet legierung gebildeten Magneten.
  8. Seltenerd-Eisen-Bor Magnetlegierung nach Anspruch 7, wobei die die Koerzitivkraft verstärkende Komponente in einer Menge bis zu etwa 15 Atomprozent vorhanden ist.
  9. Seltenerd-Eisen-Bor Magnetlegierung nach Anspruch 4, wobei das Seltenerdelement ausgewählt ist aus der Gruppe bestehend aus Neodymium, Praseodym, Cer und Gemischen davon, weiterhin umfassend eine wirksame Menge Kobalt zur Erhöhung der Curie-Temperatur der Magnet legierung und eine wirksame Menge mindestens von einem ausgewählt aus der Gruppe bestehend aus Aluminium, Molybdän, Kupfer und Gemischen davon, zur Verstärkung der Koerzitivkraft eines aus der Magnetlegierung gebildeten Magneten.
  10. Seltenerd-Eisen-Bor Magnetlegierung nach Anspruch 9, wobei Kobalt in einer Menge bis zu etwa 50 Atomprozent vorhanden ist und die die Koerzitivkraft verstärkende Komponente Aluminium in einer Menge bis zu etwa 15 Atomprozent ist.
  11. Verfahren zur Herstellung einer Seltenerd-Eisen-Bor Magnetlegierung, umfassend:
    Gießen einer geschmolzenen Legierungszusammensetzung, umfassend mindestens ein Seltenerdelement, Eisen und Bor in eine Eisenform bei einer kontrollierten Gießtemperatur um einen planen anisotropen Gußblock mit einer Stengelmakrostruktur zu bilden.
EP94101456A 1987-04-30 1987-09-28 Magnetische Legierung und Herstellungsverfahren Expired - Lifetime EP0599815B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP104622/87 1987-04-30
JP62104622A JP2611221B2 (ja) 1986-05-01 1987-04-30 永久磁石の製造方法
EP87308559A EP0288637B1 (de) 1987-04-30 1987-09-28 Dauermagnet und sein Herstellungsverfahren

Related Parent Applications (3)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP87308559.1 Division 1987-09-28
EP87308559A Division-Into EP0288637B1 (de) 1987-04-30 1987-09-28 Dauermagnet und sein Herstellungsverfahren
EP87308559A Division EP0288637B1 (de) 1987-04-30 1987-09-28 Dauermagnet und sein Herstellungsverfahren

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0599815A1 EP0599815A1 (de) 1994-06-01
EP0599815B1 true EP0599815B1 (de) 1998-01-07

Family

ID=26110950

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP94101456A Expired - Lifetime EP0599815B1 (de) 1987-04-30 1987-09-28 Magnetische Legierung und Herstellungsverfahren

Country Status (1)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0599815B1 (de)

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2586323B1 (fr) * 1985-08-13 1992-11-13 Seiko Epson Corp Aimant permanent a base de terres rares-fer
JP2558095B2 (ja) * 1986-02-26 1996-11-27 セイコーエプソン株式会社 希土類一鉄系永久磁石の製造方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0599815A1 (de) 1994-06-01

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US5538565A (en) Rare earth cast alloy permanent magnets and methods of preparation
EP0886284B1 (de) Gusslegierung für die Herstellung von Dauermagneten mit seltenen Erden und Verfahren zur Herstellung dieser Legierung und dieser Dauermagneten
KR960008185B1 (ko) 희토류-철계 영구자석 및 이의 제조방법
US4921551A (en) Permanent magnet manufacture from very low coercivity crystalline rare earth-transition metal-boron alloy
JPH07122413A (ja) 希土類永久磁石およびその製造方法
US6136099A (en) Rare earth-iron series permanent magnets and method of preparation
JP2558095B2 (ja) 希土類一鉄系永久磁石の製造方法
EP0288637B1 (de) Dauermagnet und sein Herstellungsverfahren
JPH06207203A (ja) 希土類永久磁石の製造方法
US5186761A (en) Magnetic alloy and method of production
JPH045740B2 (de)
EP1632299A1 (de) Verfahren zur herstellung eines auf seltenen erden basierenden legierungspulvers und verfahren zur herstellung eines gesinterten magneten auf basis seltener erden
US5460662A (en) Permanent magnet and method of production
EP0599815B1 (de) Magnetische Legierung und Herstellungsverfahren
JP2857824B2 (ja) 希土類−鉄系永久磁石の製造方法
JP2609106B2 (ja) 永久磁石およびその製造方法
JP2611221B2 (ja) 永久磁石の製造方法
EP0289680B1 (de) Dauermagnet und dessen Herstellungsverfahren
JP2730441B2 (ja) 永久磁石用合金粉末の製造方法
JPH07123083B2 (ja) 鋳造希土類―鉄系永久磁石の製造方法
JP2746111B2 (ja) 永久磁石用合金
JPH04143221A (ja) 永久磁石の製造方法
JP2631380B2 (ja) 希土類―鉄系永久磁石の製造方法
JPH0527241B2 (de)
JPH08250312A (ja) 希土類−鉄系永久磁石およびその製造方法

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 19940222

AC Divisional application: reference to earlier application

Ref document number: 288637

Country of ref document: EP

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): AT CH DE FR GB IT LI NL

17Q First examination report despatched

Effective date: 19950829

GRAG Despatch of communication of intention to grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOS AGRA

GRAH Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOS IGRA

GRAH Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOS IGRA

GRAA (expected) grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210

AC Divisional application: reference to earlier application

Ref document number: 288637

Country of ref document: EP

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: B1

Designated state(s): AT CH DE FR GB IT LI NL

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: NL

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 19980107

Ref country code: LI

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 19980107

Ref country code: IT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT;WARNING: LAPSES OF ITALIAN PATENTS WITH EFFECTIVE DATE BEFORE 2007 MAY HAVE OCCURRED AT ANY TIME BEFORE 2007. THE CORRECT EFFECTIVE DATE MAY BE DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE RECORDED.

Effective date: 19980107

Ref country code: CH

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 19980107

REF Corresponds to:

Ref document number: 162001

Country of ref document: AT

Date of ref document: 19980115

Kind code of ref document: T

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: CH

Ref legal event code: EP

REF Corresponds to:

Ref document number: 3752160

Country of ref document: DE

Date of ref document: 19980212

ET Fr: translation filed
NLV1 Nl: lapsed or annulled due to failure to fulfill the requirements of art. 29p and 29m of the patents act
REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: CH

Ref legal event code: PL

PLBE No opposition filed within time limit

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT

26N No opposition filed
PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: AT

Payment date: 20000913

Year of fee payment: 14

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: AT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20010928

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: GB

Ref legal event code: IF02

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: FR

Payment date: 20060908

Year of fee payment: 20

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DE

Payment date: 20060922

Year of fee payment: 20

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Payment date: 20060927

Year of fee payment: 20

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: GB

Ref legal event code: PE20

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF EXPIRATION OF PROTECTION

Effective date: 20070927