Patents by Inventor Masaya Ugaji

Masaya Ugaji 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: 8888870
    Abstract: In order to enhance charge and discharge efficiency and to improve cycle characteristics by increasing a facing area between a positive electrode active material and a negative electrode active material, in a negative electrode for lithium secondary battery having a current collector and an active material layer carried on the current collector, the active material layer includes a plurality of columnar particles. The columnar particles include an element of silicon, and are tilted toward the normal direction of the current collector. Angle ? formed between the columnar particles and the normal direction of the current collector is preferably 10°??<90°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yasutaka Kogetsu, Masaya Ugaji, Keiichi Takahashi, Shinji Mino, Nobuaki Nagao, Satoshi Shibutani, Kazuyoshi Honda
  • Publication number: 20140308582
    Abstract: Provided is a negative electrode for lithium ion secondary batteries, which can enhance the penetration of non-aqueous electrolyte, and can improve the input-output characteristics. The negative electrode includes a negative electrode core material sheet, and a negative electrode material mixture layer supported thereon. The negative electrode material mixture layer includes negative electrode active material particles, and a binder. The negative electrode material mixture layer has a plurality of pores interspersed on the surface and in the interior of the negative electrode material mixture layer. The pores have an average maximum diameter R of 45 to 125 ?m. The pores have a number density of 8 to 17 pores per 1 cm2 of the surface of the negative electrode material mixture layer or per 1 cm2 of a cross section in the plane direction of the negative electrode material mixture layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2012
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Inventors: Taiki Satow, Shinji Kasamatsu, Masaya Ugaji
  • Publication number: 20140162112
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electronic device including: a component that generates heat while operating; a first battery capable of being charged and discharged; a second battery that is capable of being charged and discharged, and has a higher heat resistance than the first battery; and a housing accommodating the component, and providing a first space for accommodating the first battery and a second space for accommodating the second battery. The first space and the second space are arranged such that the temperature of the second battery becomes higher than that of the first battery on average, while the component is operating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaya Ugaji, Masaki Deguchi
  • Publication number: 20140141305
    Abstract: In a wound electrode group, a positive electrode 10 includes positive electrode active material layers formed on both surfaces of a band-like positive electrode current collector, and a negative electrode includes negative electrode active material layers on both surfaces of a band-like negative electrode current collector. Charge capacity of the negative electrode falls within a range of 83-99% of theoretical capacity of the negative electrode in a full charge state of a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery. An active material mass M1 per unit area of a negative electrode active material layer formed on an outer circumference of the negative electrode current collector, and an active material mass M2 per unit area of a negative electrode active material layer formed on an inner circumference satisfy a relational expression of M1/M2<(R1+t/2)/(R1?t/2), where the electrode group has an innermost diameter of R1, and the negative electrode has a thickness of t.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Muraoka, Masaya Ugaji, Takahiro Aoyama, Haruya Nakai
  • Patent number: 8728665
    Abstract: A negative electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery includes a negative electrode core member and a negative electrode mixture layer adhering to the negative electrode core member. The negative electrode mixture layer includes active material particles, a cellulose ether compound, and rubber particles. The cellulose ether compound has a degree of etherification of 0.25 or more and 0.7 or less and an average degree of polymerization of 20 or more and 1200 or less. The negative electrode mixture layer contains remaining particles including a water-insoluble portion of the cellulose ether compound and having a mean particle size of 1 ?m or more and 75 ?m or less. The bonding strength between the active material particles is 98 N/cm2 or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Taiki Satow, Shinji Kasamatsu, Nobuhiro Hirano, Masaya Ugaji
  • Patent number: 8541986
    Abstract: In a charging method for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery which includes a positive electrode including a lithium-containing composite oxide as an active material, a negative electrode including an alloy-formable negative electrode active material, and a non-aqueous electrolyte, a voltage of the secondary battery is detected. When the detected value is smaller than a predetermined voltage x, charging is performed at a comparatively small current value B. When the detected value is equal to or greater than the predetermined voltage x and smaller than a predetermined voltage z, charging is performed at a comparatively great current value A. When the detected value is equal to or greater than the predetermined voltage z and smaller than a predetermined voltage y, charging is performed at a comparatively small current value C. When the detected value is greater than the predetermined voltage y, constant-voltage charging is performed or charging is terminated. Here, x<z<y.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuki Hiraoka, Masaya Ugaji, Taisuke Yamamoto, Katsumi Kashiwagi
  • Patent number: 8470476
    Abstract: A lithium ion battery includes: a positive electrode; a negative electrode that includes a negative electrode active material layer that contains an alloy-formable active material; an ion permeable insulating layer that is interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and an ion conductive polymer layer that is interposed between the negative electrode and the ion permeable insulating layer, in which the ion conductive polymer layer is configured to include a negative electrode-side portion and an ion permeable insulating layer-side portion that have different compositions, and the ion permeable insulating layer-side portion is configured to have higher ion conductivity than the negative electrode-side portion. With such a lithium ion battery, charge/discharge cycle characteristics and rate characteristics can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Taisuke Yamamoto, Masaya Ugaji, Masahiro Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 8426069
    Abstract: A battery of this invention includes: a separator which is folded in a zigzag manner, thereby forming a layered structure having at least one first-electrode holding part and at least one second-electrode holding part which are alternately aligned; a first electrode accommodated in the first-electrode holding part; and a second electrode accommodated in the second-electrode holding part. At least one of the first electrode and the second electrode has at least one protruding part. The first electrode is connected to a first terminal, and the second electrode is connected to second terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Sadayuki Okazaki, Shinji Mino, Masaya Ugaji, Masayoshi Hiramoto
  • Publication number: 20130082664
    Abstract: Charging of a lithium ion secondary battery including a positive electrode including a positive electrode active material capable of absorbing and releasing lithium ions, a negative electrode including a negative electrode active material being an alloy-formable active material capable of absorbing and releasing lithium ions, a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte is performed. In charging, the remaining capacity and the temperature of the lithium ion secondary battery are detected, and the lithium ion secondary battery is charged until the battery voltage reaches a reference voltage E1 associated beforehand with the remaining capacity and the temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Inventors: Tatsuki Hiraoka, Taisuke Yamamoto, Katsumi Kashiwagi, Masaya Ugaji
  • Patent number: 8399129
    Abstract: A negative electrode for a lithium secondary battery of the present invention includes a current collector and a negative electrode active material layer carried on the current collector. The negative electrode active material layer includes a plurality of columnar particles. The current collector has a surface including a depression and a plurality of projected regions defined by the depression. The projected regions carry the columnar particles. Further, the present invention relates to a lithium secondary battery using the foregoing negative electrode. According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a high-capacity negative electrode excellent mainly in cycle characteristics for a lithium secondary battery, and a lithium secondary battery including the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masaya Ugaji, Masaki Hasegawa, Taisuke Yamamoto, Keisuke Ohara, Yasutaka Kogetsu, Takuhiro Nishimura
  • Patent number: 8389156
    Abstract: This invention provides a negative electrode and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including the negative electrode. The negative electrode includes a Li-absorbing element as a negative electrode active material, is free from deformation, separation of the negative electrode active material layer from the negative electrode current collector, and deposition of lithium on the negative electrode current collector, and is excellent in cycle characteristic, large-current discharge characteristic, and low-temperature discharge characteristic. The negative electrode of this invention includes: a current collector having depressions and protrusions on a surface in the thickness direction thereof; and a negative electrode active material layer that includes a plurality of columns containing a negative electrode active material that absorbs and releases lithium ions, the columns being grown outwardly from the surface of the current collector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Katsumi Kashiwagi, Kazuyoshi Honda, Masaki Hasegawa, Masaya Ugaji, Yasutaka Kogetsu, Shuji Ito
  • Patent number: 8373419
    Abstract: In a lifetime estimating method for a rechargeable lithium battery, the open circuit voltages of the rechargeable lithium battery after discharging for at least two different charge/discharge cycle numbers are detected while charge/discharge cycles go on. Next, at least the two of the voltage values are plotted for respective cycle numbers, and a circular arc passing the plotted points is drawn. Furthermore, the lifetime of the rechargeable lithium battery is estimated based on a size of the circular arc. The progression of deterioration can be suppressed by controlling the charge and discharge of the rechargeable lithium battery based on the lifetime estimation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masaya Ugaji, Taisuke Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8318359
    Abstract: An electrode for a lithium secondary battery including a sheet-like current collector and an active material layer carried on the current collector. The active material layer is capable of absorbing and desorbing lithium, and the active material layer includes a plurality of columnar particles having at least one bend. An angle ?1 formed by a growth direction of the columnar particles from a bottom to a first bend of the columnar particles, and a direction normal to the current collector is preferably 10° or more and less than 90°. When ?n+1 is an angle formed by a growth direction of the columnar particles from an n-th bend counted from a bottom of the columnar particles to an (n+1)-th bend, and the direction normal to the current collector, and n is an integer of 1 or more, ?n+1 is preferably 0° or more and less than 90°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Keiichi Takahashi, Masaya Ugaji, Yasutaka Kogetsu, Shinji Mino, Nobuaki Nagao, Masaki Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 8313862
    Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery has at least negative electrode, a positive electrode, and a separator between the positive electrode and negative electrode. Negative electrode has columnar first negative electrode active materials that are discretely formed on the outer peripheral surface of negative electrode current collector in the winding direction and can reversibly insert and extract lithium ions, and columnar second negative electrode active materials discretely formed on the inner peripheral surface. The positive electrode has positive electrode mixture layers containing a positive electrode active material capable of reversibly inserting and extracting lithium ions, on both surfaces of a positive electrode current collector. The difference between the porosity generated between first negative electrode active materials in negative electrode and that generated between the second negative electrode active materials in winding is set within 1.1%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Shirane, Kaoru Inoue, Masaya Ugaji
  • Patent number: 8303672
    Abstract: An electrode for a lithium secondary battery including a sheet-like current collector and an active material layer carried on the current collector. The active material layer is capable of absorbing and desorbing lithium, and the active material layer includes a plurality of columnar particles having at least one bend. An angle ?1 formed by a growth direction of the columnar particles from a bottom to a first bend of the columnar particles, and a direction normal to the current collector is preferably 10° or more and less than 90°. When ?n+1 is an angle formed by a growth direction of the columnar particles from an n-th bend counted from a bottom of the columnar particles to an (n+1)-th bend, and the direction normal to the current collector, and n is an integer of 1 or more, ?n+1 is preferably 0° or more and less than 90°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Keiichi Takahashi, Masaya Ugaji, Yasutaka Kogetsu, Shinji Mino, Nobuaki Nagao, Masaki Hasegawa
  • Publication number: 20120264013
    Abstract: Disclosed is a lithium ion secondary battery including: a positive electrode including a positive electrode active material layer comprising a positive electrode active material capable of absorbing and releasing lithium ions, and a positive electrode current collector; a negative electrode including a negative electrode active material layer comprising an alloy-formable active material, and a negative electrode current collector; a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and a non-aqueous electrolyte. The positive electrode active material layer has an easily swellable resin having a degree of swelling with the non-aqueous electrolyte of 20% or more, and the negative electrode active material layer has a hardly swellable resin having a degree of swelling with the non-aqueous electrolyte of less than 20%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Inventors: Tatsuki Hiraoka, Taisuke Yamamoto, Katsumi Kashiwagi, Masaya Ugaji
  • Patent number: 8273479
    Abstract: A negative electrode for a lithium secondary battery according to the present invention includes a current collector 12, and an active material layer 14 formed on the current collector 12. The active material layer 14 includes a plurality of negative-electrode active material members 16 disposed on the current collector 12. Each negative-electrode active material member 16 is oxide, including a first region 18 of a relatively high oxygen concentration and a plurality of second regions 20 having an oxygen concentration which is lower than that of the first region 18. The first region 18 extends from a bottom face of each negative-electrode active material member 16 in a direction away from the surface of the current collector. The plurality of second regions 20 are alternately disposed on both sides of the first region 18.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Hasegawa, Masaya Ugaji, Keisuke Ohara, Hitoshi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8268484
    Abstract: An electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery 6 according to the present invention includes: a current collector 3; a first active material layer 2 formed on the current collector 3; and a second active material layer 5 provided on the first active material layer 2, the second active material layer 5 including a plurality of active material particles 4. The plurality of active material particles 4 is mainly of a chemical composition represented as SiOx (0?x<1.2). The first active material layer 2 is mainly of a chemical composition represented as SiOy (1.0?y<2.0, y>x). The area in which the first active material layer 2 is in contact with the plurality of active material particles 4 is smaller than the area in which the current collector 3 is in contact with the first active material layer 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Sadayuki Okazaki, Kazuyoshi Honda, Masaya Ugaji
  • Patent number: 8247096
    Abstract: In a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery 1 including a positive electrode 11, a negative electrode 12, a separator 14, a positive electrode lead 15, a negative electrode lead 16, a gasket 17, and a housing case 18, the negative electrode 12 including a negative electrode active material layer 12b including an alloy-formable active material, a resin layer 13 is formed on the surface of the negative electrode active material layer 12b. The resin layer 13 includes a resin component with lithium ion conductivity and an additive for non-aqueous electrolyte. This configuration enables the battery performance to be maintained at a high level and the battery swelling to be suppressed, even when the number of charge/discharge cycles is increased, providing the non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery 1 with a high level of safety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masaya Ugaji, Masahiro Kinoshita, Taisuke Yamamoto, Masaki Deguchi
  • Publication number: 20120208084
    Abstract: A negative electrode for lithium ion secondary batteries, including: a negative electrode current collector having a plurality of protrusions formed on a surface thereof; and a plurality of granular bodies, the granular bodies being supported on the protrusions, respectively, and including an alloy-formable active material capable of absorbing and releasing lithium ions, wherein: the granular bodies have a resin layer on their respective surfaces; and the resin layer includes a first resin component which is at least one selected from polyimides and polyacrylic acid, and a second resin component which is composed of a copolymer including vinylidene fluoride units and hexafluoropropylene units. A lithium ion secondary battery including the above negative electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Inventors: Tatsuki Hiraoka, Taisuke Yamamoto, Katsumi Kashiwagi, Masaya Ugaji