Abstract: A battery pack has multiple wall-shaped projecting portions, which are provided on side surfaces of battery cells perpendicular to a layer direction X, extend in a flow direction of cooling fluid and arranged in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction of the cooling fluid, to form fluid passages between neighboring battery cells. It further has multiple enlarged projecting portions, which are provided at intermediate portions of the wall-shaped projecting portions extending in the flow direction of the cooling fluid and brought into contact with the neighboring battery cells to receive action force therefrom. An outer dimension of the enlarged projecting portions in the direction, in which the multiple wall-shaped projecting portions are arranged, is made larger than a thickness dimension of the wall-shaped projecting portions.

Abstract: A battery unit for vehicles comprises a plurality of battery, bus bars, and insulating plates. The plurality of batteries is installed with the terminals facing in the same direction, where the direction to which the pairs of terminals are facing is arranged in the same direction and the batteries are electrically connected by the bus bars. A refrigerant flows in the direction to which the pairs of terminals are connected, and cools the terminals and the bus bars. The insulating plates are disposed between the bus bars connected with different batteries. In addition, the insulating plates and are disposed extending in the direction to which the pairs of terminals are connected.

Abstract: A temperature regulator is provided for a battery which includes an electrode body, a terminal electrically connected to the electrode body, and a casing that receives the electrode body and supports the terminal with an end portion of the terminal protruding outside of the casing. The casing is electrically and thermally insulated from the terminal. The temperature regulator includes a flow producer, a temperature sensor, and a controller. The flow producer produces a flow of a heat transfer medium for exchanging heat between the heat transfer medium and one of the terminal and casing. The temperature sensor senses the temperature of the other of the terminal and casing. The controller controls, based on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor, the flow producer to adjust the flow rate of the heat transfer medium, thereby regulating the temperature of the electrode body to fall within a predetermined range.

Abstract: A battery pack has multiple wall-shaped projecting portions, which are provided on side surfaces of battery cells perpendicular to a layer direction X, extend in a flow direction of cooling fluid and arranged in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction of the cooling fluid, to form fluid passages between neighboring battery cells. It further has multiple enlarged projecting portions, which are provided at intermediate portions of the wall-shaped projecting portions extending in the flow direction of the cooling fluid and brought into contact with the neighboring battery cells to receive action force therefrom. An outer dimension of the enlarged projecting portions in the direction, in which the multiple wall-shaped projecting portions are arranged, is made larger than a thickness dimension of the wall-shaped projecting portions.

Abstract: A battery includes a casing made of metal; and a safety valve made of a thin plate. The casing includes a vent hole that provides communication between the inside of the battery and the outside of the battery. A seal member made of synthetic resin is provided between the peripheral edge portion around the vent hole and the peripheral edge portion of the safety valve. The seal member connects the peripheral edge portion around the vent hole to the peripheral edge portion of the safety valve such that the peripheral edge portion around the vent hole does not contact the peripheral edge portion of the safety valve.

Abstract: A battery unit for vehicles comprises a plurality of battery, bus bars, and insulating plates. The plurality of batteries is installed with the terminals facing in the same direction, where the direction to which the pairs of terminals are facing is arranged in the same direction and the batteries are electrically connected by the bus bars. A refrigerant flows in the direction to which the pairs of terminals are connected, and cools the terminals and the bus bars. The insulating plates are disposed between the bus bars connected with different batteries. In addition, the insulating plates and are disposed extending in the direction to which the pairs of terminals are connected.

Abstract: A temperature regulator is provided for a battery which includes an electrode body, a terminal electrically connected to the electrode body, and a casing that receives the electrode body and supports the terminal with an end portion of the terminal protruding outside of the casing. The casing is electrically and thermally insulated from the terminal. The temperature regulator includes a flow producer, a temperature sensor, and a controller. The flow producer produces a flow of a heat transfer medium for exchanging heat between the heat transfer medium and one of the terminal and casing. The temperature sensor senses the temperature of the other of the terminal and casing. The controller controls, based on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor, the flow producer to adjust the flow rate of the heat transfer medium, thereby regulating the temperature of the electrode body to fall within a predetermined range.

Abstract: The battery unit includes battery cells each of which has a case containing its electrode body, and its positive and negative terminals in a state that an end portion of the positive terminal and an end portion of the negative terminal are exposed outside the case. The battery unit is provided with radiators each of which is thermally connected to at least one of these end portions of at least corresponding one of the battery cells. The positive and negative terminals of the battery cells are cooled by a flow of coolant supplied to the radiators. The battery unit is further provided with a coolant supply passage through which the coolant is supplied to the radiators, and a coolant discharge passage through which the coolant which has passed through each of the radiators is discharged without passing through any other of the radiators.

Abstract: A battery includes a casing made of metal; and a safety valve made of a thin plate. The casing includes a vent hole that provides communication between the inside of the battery and the outside of the battery. A seal member made of synthetic resin is provided between the peripheral edge portion around the vent hole and the peripheral edge portion of the safety valve. The seal member connects the peripheral edge portion around the vent hole to the peripheral edge portion of the safety valve such that the peripheral edge portion around the vent hole does not contact the peripheral edge portion of the safety valve.

Abstract: A battery separator of the invention is obtained by press forming a meltblown nonwoven fabric comprising 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer or a 4-methyl-1-pentene/?-olefin copolymer, the battery separator having an average fiber diameter of 0.8 to 5 ?m, a basis weight of 9 to 30 g/m2, a porosity of 30 to 60%, and a load at 5% elongation in the MD direction (longitudinal direction) of not less than 1.2 (kg/5 cm width). A lithium ion secondary battery of the invention includes the battery separator.

Abstract: A battery separator of the invention is obtained by press forming a meltblown nonwoven fabric comprising 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer or a 4-methyl-1-pentene/?-olefin copolymer, the battery separator having an average fiber diameter of 0.8 to 5 ?m, a basis weight of 9 to 30 g/m2, a porosity of 30 to 60%, and a load at 5% elongation in the MD direction (longitudinal direction) of not less than 1.2 (kg/5 cm width). A lithium ion secondary battery of the invention includes the battery separator.

Abstract: A lithium secondary cell, in which a water-soluble polymer having a superior resistance to organic solvents is used as a binder, is disclosed. The cell comprises a positive electrode and an electrolytic solution, wherein the positive electrode includes a positive electrode active material having a LiNiO2 compound expressed as LixNi1−yMyO2 (M is at least one element selected from a group including Co, Mn, Al, B, Ti, Mg and Fe, 0<x≦1.2, 0<y≦0.25) with a specific crystallimity and a binder for binding the positive electrode active material. The BET specific surface area of the LiNiO2 compound is not more than 0.65 m2/g. The binder has a water-soluble polymer not swollen with the electrolytic solution. The surface of the positive electrode active material is covered by the water-soluble polymer.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electrode for a lithium secondary battery capable of achieving high power output characteristics when applied to a lithium secondary battery. The present invention relates to an electrode for a lithium secondary battery having an electrode composite material layer comprising an active material and a binder, wherein the binder {circle over (1)} contains a hydrophilic binder consisting of a cellulose derivative and an electrolyte-philic binder containing polyether structure, {circle over (2)} contains a block-type hydrophilic-electrolytephilic binder consisting of a cellulose derivative having grafted electrolyte-philic side chain consisting of polyether structure, or {circle over (3)} has dispersed soluble dispersion that is soluble in non-aqueous electrolyte.

Abstract: A lithium secondary cell, in which a water-soluble polymer having a superior resistance to organic solvents is used as a binder, the capacity is high, the charge-discharge cycle is superior, and the increase of the internal resistance is suppressed, is disclosed. The lithium secondary cell according to the invention comprises a positive electrode and an electrolytic solution, wherein the positive electrode includes a positive electrode active material having a LiNiO2 compound expressed as LixNi1−yMyO2 (M is at least one element selected from a group including Co, Mn, Al, B, Ti, Mg and Fe, 0<x≦1.2, 0<y≦0.25) and a binder for binding the positive electrode active material. The BET specific surface area of the LiNiO2 compound is not more than 0.65 m2/g. The binder has a water-soluble polymer not swollen with the electrolytic solution. The surface of the positive electrode active material is covered by the water-soluble polymer. The reduction of the cell capacity is suppressed.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a porous film of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery and a method of fabricating the electrode of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery by which a highly safe and inexpensive non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery can be produced, and a highly safe and inexpensive non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery are disclosed. The method of fabricating the electrode of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to the invention comprises the steps of forming an electrode plate providing a positive electrode or a negative electrode of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery and forming and attaching a porous film of a polymer material on the surface of the electrode plate thereby to produce the electrode plate having the porous film on the surface thereof.

Abstract: There are provided coiled electrode batteries with high yields, while short-circuiting in the batteries is prevented. A coiled electrode battery according to the invention has coiled electrodes consisting of positive and negative poles 21, 22 and two separators 23 lying between them. In the coiled electrodes, insulating layers 216, 226 made of insulating resin are formed on both sides of the proximal sections of the protrusions 213, 223 of the positive and negative poles 21, 22. Thus, even if the non-protruding sections of the positive and negative electrodes 21, 22 become exposed due to winding misalignment of the separators 23 in the lengthwise direction, the presence of the insulating layers 216, 226 prevents short-circuits between the proximal sections of the protrusions 213, 223 of the positive and negative electrodes 21, 22. As a result, yields are increased as short-circuits are avoided inside the battery.

Abstract: A negative electrode comprises carbon particles which individually consist of a core of crystalline carbon and an amorphous carbon layer formed on at least a part of the surfaces of the core, and an amorphous carbon matrix dispersing the carbon particles therein. The carbon matrix is formed by thermal decomposition of a thermosetting resin. A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary cell which comprises an electrode of the type mentioned above as at least one of electrodes is also described.

Abstract: A nonaqueous secondary cell comprises at least one pair of electrodes, and a separator provided between the at least one paired electrodes and impregnated with a nonaqueous electrolyte containing a mixed solvent of propylene carbonate and ethylene carbonate. At least one electrode of the at least one paired electrodes has, at least on surfaces thereof, an active substance layer made of composite carbon particles, which individually comprise a core of crystalline carbon and a low crystallinity or amorphous carbon layer formed on at least a part of the surfaces of the core, and a carbon matrix covering at least a part of the composite carbon particles and uniformly dispersing and holding the composite carbon particles therein.