Abstract: An alkaline secondary battery which is characterized in that it comprises, a positive electrode containing nickel hydroxide having a value of 0.8° or more in the half-width of a peak in the (101) plane thereof as measured by X-ray powder diffraction (2?) using Cu—K? ray, and 4.0 to 15% by weight of at least one material selected from the group consisting of zinc and zinc compounds, and an alkali electrolyte, the ratio of which to theoretical capacity of the positive electrode being 0.7 to 2.0 cm3/Ah, the weight of the at least one material being one calculated as zinc element and based on the weight of the nickel hydroxide.

Abstract: An alkaline secondary battery which is characterized in that it comprises, a positive electrode containing nickel hydroxide having a value of 0.8° or more in the half-width of a peak in the (101) plane thereof as measured by X-ray powder diffraction (2&thgr;) using Cu—K&agr; ray, and 4.0 to 15% by weight of at least one material selected from the group consisting of zinc and zinc compounds, and an alkali electrolyte, the ratio of which to theoretical capacity of the positive electrode being 0.7 to 2.0 cm3/Ah, the weight of the at least one material being one calculated as zinc element and based on the weight of the nickel hydroxide.

Abstract: A rechargeable battery pack has a battery voltage detector, a full charge detecting circuit detecting a full charge state, a switch interposed in a charge current circuit that opens the charge current circuit when detecting a fall charge state, a memory for storing a closed circuit voltage immediately before the charge current circuit is opened, an internal resistance detection circuit for finding a value corresponding to an internal resistance of the rechargeable battery cell from an open circuit voltage and the closed circuit voltage stored in the memory after the charge current circuit is opened, and a lifetime indicator to predict lifetime. This enables accurate determination of the lifetime of the rechargeable battery cell under stable conditions without wastefully consuming the charging capacity.

Abstract: A battery pack having a plurality of battery cells stored side by side in a case. The case, in particular, includes a bottomed trough and a lid, the trough having a space as a cell storage portion defined between inner and outer wall portions paired to form a loop and a space as a hollow surrounded by the inner wall portion and penetrating the trough from top to bottom, the lid closing a top opening of the cell storage portion. The battery cells are arranged in a loop along the inner and outer wall portions, whereby a rise and variation in their temperature can be restrained.

Abstract: A rechargeable battery pack provided with a battery voltage detector for detecting a terminal voltage of a rechargeable battery cell, a −&Dgr;V detection circuit or other full charge detecting means for detecting a full charge state when charging the rechargeable battery cell, a switch device interposed in a charge current circuit of the rechargeable battery cell and opening the charge current circuit when detecting a full charge state, a memory for storing a closed circuit voltage of the rechargeable battery cell immediately before the charge current circuit is opened, an internal resistance detection circuit for finding a value corresponding to an internal resistance of the rechargeable battery cell from an open circuit voltage and the closed circuit voltage stored in the memory after the charge current circuit is opened, and a lifetime indicating means for referring to a battery lifetime table in accordance with a value corresponding to the internal resistance of the rechargeable battery cell to pred

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of manufacturing an alkaline secondary battery improved in the positive electrode utilization, the large-current discharge characteristic, the discharge capacity, and the capacity recovery ratio after storage. This method of manufacturing an alkaline secondary battery comprising a positive electrode containing a nickel compound and a cobalt compound, a negative electrode and an alkaline electrolyte, the method comprising the step of performing initial charging which comprises a charging process of supplying a current I (mA) satisfying the following Inequality (1):50<(T.times.C.sup.2)/(I.times.S)<2000 (1)where C is a electrochemical capacity (mAh) of the cobalt compound contained in the positive electrode, which is calculated on the basis of a electrochemical equivalent of the cobalt compound, T is a temperature (.degree.C.) at which the charging process is performed, and S is an area (cm.sup.2) of the positive electrode.