Patents by Inventor Masaru Hiratsuka

Masaru Hiratsuka has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7166389
    Abstract: A battery pack is provided. The battery device is accommodated and hermetically sealed in a packaging unit and is packed along with a connection substrate and a frame by the packaging unit. A laminated material used for hermetically sealing the battery device is also used as an exterior material for the battery pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Hiratsuka, Mitsuo Sakamoto, Takao Sawaguchi, Kazuhito Hatta
  • Publication number: 20060283008
    Abstract: A battery element is housed and sealed in a package body, and further, packed together with a connecting board and a frame by the package body. A laminate material for sealing the battery element is used as an outer package material of a battery pack. Thus, the increase of volume for the pack is reduced as much as possible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Inventors: Masaru Hiratsuka, Mitsuo Sakamoto, Takao Sawaguchi, Kazuhito Hatta, Hiroyuki Yamada
  • Publication number: 20060068281
    Abstract: An outer casing of a non-aqueous electrolyte battery is capable of being mass-produced as well as thin and resistant to damage. The outer casing 4 comprises a casing body 4a and a cover 4b. After being internally packaged, a non-aqueous electrolyte battery 2, e.g. a lithium-ion polymer secondary battery, is sandwiched between the casing body 4a and the cover 4b, which are then joined together integrally. The cover 4b is formed from a film-shaped sheet material 4c of a synthetic resin to make the outer casing 4 thin. The casing body 4a and the cover 4b have a casing body outer peripheral frame 9 and a cover outer peripheral frame 10, respectively, formed by injection molding. Joint portions of the casing body 4a and the cover 4b have stepped portions 9a and 10a, respectively. The stepped portions ensure the mechanical strength against shock and impact. With this structure, the outer casing 4 is resistant to damage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Publication date: March 30, 2006
    Inventors: Masaru Hiratsuka, Mitsuo Sakamoto, Masanori Naritomi
  • Publication number: 20050017678
    Abstract: A battery element is housed and sealed in a package body, and further, packed together with a connecting board and a frame by the package body. A laminate material for sealing the battery element is used as an outer package material of a battery pack. Thus, the increase of volume for the pack is reduced as much as possible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2004
    Publication date: January 27, 2005
    Inventors: Masaru Hiratsuka, Mitsuo Sakamoto, Takao Sawaguchi, Kazuhito Hatta, Hiroyuki Yamada
  • Publication number: 20040115527
    Abstract: A battery pack is provided. The battery device is accommodated and hermetically sealed in a packaging unit and is packed along with a connection substrate and a frame by the packaging unit. A laminated material used for hermetically sealing the battery device is also used as an exterior material for the battery pack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Inventors: Masaru Hiratsuka, Mitsuo Sakamoto, Takao Sawaguchi, Kazuhito Hatta
  • Patent number: 6746798
    Abstract: A rectangular and sealed battery incorporating an outer can for accommodating a power generation element and a cover for closing an opening of the outer can such that the outer can and the cover are welded to each other. The thickness of a body portion of the outer can is smaller than the thickness of the opening. A flange formed into a stepped portion is provided for the outer end of the cover, and the end of the opening of the outer can is made contact with the outer surface of a projection of the cover formed by the stepped portion so as to be joined to the outer surface of the projection and butt-welded to the flange. In the foregoing case, the cover and the end of the opening of the outer can are welded to each other from a side direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Hiratsuka, Yoshinori Hashimoto, Takayuki Yamahira
  • Publication number: 20030165736
    Abstract: Disclosed are a battery pack and a method of producing the same. A battery pack includes a cell main body in which a cell element comprising a solid state electrolyte or a gel form electrolyte disposed between a cathode active material layer and an anode active material layer is contained inside a sheath material comprised of an aluminum laminated film, an outer case having a box-like shape with one end face open and containing the cell main body therein, and a cap for closing the open face of the outer case. In the battery pack, initial charging of the cell main body is conducted after the cell main body is contained into the outer case to assemble the battery pack. An enhancement of cell capacity at a fixed outside size or a reduction in outside size at a fixed cell capacity is achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2003
    Publication date: September 4, 2003
    Inventor: Masaru Hiratsuka
  • Patent number: 6174617
    Abstract: A variety of information is transmitted to an electronic apparatus by using a microcomputer for low-speed processing and with saved power. A CPU acquires detection data of a thermistor, and detection data, such as the terminal voltage or the discharge current of a battery, at intervals of 10 seconds, through respective interfaces, calculates the remaining capacity and the total capacity of the battery, stores the results and the acquired data as transmission data in a RAM, and transmits this stored transmission data at intervals of one second from a communication interface to an electronic apparatus. Since the CPU transmits the data in one direction independently of the operation of the CPU on the electronic apparatus side, it is possible to greatly lower the operating clock of the CPU and to greatly reduce the consumption of power thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2001
    Assignees: Sony Chemicals Corporation, Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Hiratsuka, Kazuyuki Morita, Yasuhito Eguchi
  • Patent number: 5796238
    Abstract: A battery pack (1) is connected to an external circuit (9) and to a power source circuit (10) which is also connected to the external equipment (9). The battery pack (1) is discharged to supply the current to the external equipment (9) or is charged by the current supplied from the power source circuit (10). An analog circuit (12) and a micro-computer (11) within the battery pack (1) detect the on/off state of the external circuit (9) and effect charging in the on-state of the external equipment with the power equal to the total supply power from the power source circuit less the maximum power consumed by the external equipment, while effecting charging during the off-state of the external equipment with the supply power from the power source circuit. The charging/discharging control is performed by the on/off control by the micro-computer (11) of a charging switch (S1), a discharging switch (S2) and a switch (S4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Hiratsuka, Shigeki Murayama, Tamiji Nagai, Yasuhito Eguchi
  • Patent number: 5680027
    Abstract: A battery pack (1) is connected to an external equipment (9) and to a power source circuit (10) designed to supply the power to the external equipment (9). The communication of the information is made between a micro-computer (11) in the battery pack (1) and the external equipment (9) via a terminal (8). At least the information indicating the present residual capacity of a battery main unit (4) is transmitted by such communication from the micro-computer (11) to the external equipment (9). The residual capacity is found by the calculations performed by the micro-computer (11) on the current, voltage, internal resistance and the temperature of the battery main unit (4). In this manner, the residual capacity may be accurately found on the side of the external equipment (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Hiratsuka, Shigeki Murayama, Tamiji Nagai, Yasuhito Eguchi, Kaoru Tomono
  • Patent number: 5415947
    Abstract: A battery pack having a detection recess formed along a center line of a bottom surface arranged such that the detection recess is engaged with a convexed portion of a battery charger. Therefore, whether or not the battery pack is properly attached to the battery charger can easily be detected by the inclination of the battery pack about the center line. Further, a battery pack is arranged such that an aperture is formed on an outer surface of the battery pack and an output terminal is inwardly disposed on the aperture. Therefore, damage to the batteries in the battery pack caused by a short-circuit resulting from products made of conductive metal material such as a key ring, necklace, or chain contacting both of the output terminals, as occurs when terminals are disposed on the outer surface of the battery pack, can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1995
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hidero Mitsui, Toshitaka Takei, Masaru Hiratsuka
  • Patent number: 5029013
    Abstract: Dual video recording/reproducing apparatus includes a video playback unit, a video recording unit having recording circuitry for recording a video output signal from the video playback unit, as well reproducing circuitry for reproducing a video signal, and a sub-picture signal former responsive to a video signal supplied thereto for providing a sub-picture signal adapted to be displayed as a sub-picture insert of a main picture. A switch couples either the video output from the video playback unit or the video output from the reproducing circuitry included in the video recording unit to the sub-picture signal former. The video signal which is not coupled to the sub-picture signal former constitutes the main picture signal; and the sub-picture and main picture signals are combined to form a display signal which, when displayed, produces a main picture and a sub-picture insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1991
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Hiratsuka, Hitoshi Nakashima, Kiyoshi Nakagawa, Shinya Fukushima