Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a nozzle for ejecting liquid and a sealing unit that seals the nozzle. The sealing unit moves between a sealing position for sealing the nozzle in a direction of movement and an off position. A slider guides the sealing unit to the sealing position by moving rectilinearly in one of two opposite directions. The slider guides the sealing unit to the off position by moving in the other of the two directions. A drive mechanism performs first and second movements for moving the slider in the one and the other directions, respectively by a drive force from a motor. A drive force transmitting unit transmits the drive force to the drive mechanism by rotating while engaging the drive mechanism. The drive force transmitting unit rotates in the same direction while transmitting the drive force as the drive mechanism performs the first and second movements.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid through nozzles, a liquid accommodating portion which accommodates the liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejecting head, and a filter chamber which is arranged in a liquid supply path between the liquid ejecting head and the liquid accommodating portion and includes a filter. In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the filter is rotatable in the filter chamber between a first state in which the liquid passes through the filter and a second state in which the liquid flows along the filter.

Abstract: A battery pack includes at least a lithium ion secondary battery, a voltage sensor, and a control unit. The control unit controls discharge of the battery by a relatively high end-of-discharge voltage when the use frequency of the battery is relatively low during discharge of the battery. On the other hand, the control unit controls discharge of the battery by a relatively low end-of-discharge voltage when the use frequency of the battery is relatively high. Consequently, it is possible to prevent the utilizable capacity from decreasing more than a practical decrease in the capacity due to increase in the use frequency.

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.

Abstract: A negative electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery reversibly inserting and extracting lithium ions, and including current collector having concave portion and convex portion on at least one surface thereof; and columnar body formed on convex portion of current collector and including columnar body portions laminated in n stages (n?2) in which a content ratio of an element sequentially changes in the longitudinal direction of the current collector. The content ratio of an element is different between in an odd stage and in an even stage of columnar body portions.

Abstract: A battery pack 1 of the present invention includes: a secondary battery 2; a molded body 11 configured to store therein the secondary battery; and a foamable layer 12 provided between the secondary battery and an inner surface of the molded body and configured to foam at a predetermined temperature or higher to form a foam heat insulating layer. With this, a heat insulating layer contained in the battery pack is thin in a normal state where the battery is not generating heat, and the heat insulating layer exerts a high heat insulating effect at the time of malfunction to suppress the temperature increase of a surface of the battery pack.

Abstract: A battery pack 1 of the present invention includes: a secondary battery 2; a molded body 11 configured to store therein the secondary battery; a temperature increase suppressing layer 13 provided between the secondary battery and an inner surface of the molded body to suppress a temperature increase of an outer surface of the molded body; and a block layer 12 provided between the secondary battery and the temperature increase suppressing layer to block leakage from the secondary battery. With this, if a malfunction, such as a case where contents, such as a molten material, flows out from the secondary battery, occurs, the contents are prevented from flowing out to the outside of the battery pack, and the temperature increase of the surface of the battery pack is suppressed.

Abstract: A negative electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, which reversibly inserts/extracts lithium ions includes a current collector (11) in which a concave portion (12) and a convex portion (13) are formed at least one surface thereof; and a columnar body (15) which is formed by laminating n (n?2) stages of columnar body portions which are obliquely erected on the convex portion (13) of the current collector (11) and in which a content ratio of elements sequentially vary in a longitudinal direction of the current collector (11), and has a configuration in which variation directions of content ratios of elements of odd-numbered stages of columnar body portions and even-numbered stages of columnar body portions are different from each other. At least three surfaces (13a, 13b, 13c) of the convex portion (13) in a section of the longitudinal direction are covered by the columnar body portions.

Abstract: A method for producing an electrode for a lithium secondary battery according to the present invention includes (A) a step of causing a vaporized vapor deposition material to be incident on a surface of a current collector 11, having a plurality of bumps 12 at the surface thereof, in a direction 52 inclined with respect to the normal direction D to the surface of the current collector, thus to form an active material body 14 on each of the plurality of bumps 12 of the current collector 11; and (B) a step of stretching the current collector 11 having the active material bodies 14 formed thereon in at least one axial direction parallel to the surface of the current collector 11.

Abstract: Provided is a highly safe portable electronic device having a secondary battery as a power source, and including a housing, an electronic device body housed in the housing, and a battery housing portion housed in the housing, in which a surface is inhibited from being locally heated to high temperature. In the portable electronic device, the battery housing portion is a molding with a battery fitting portion for fitting the secondary battery therein, and the battery fitting portion has provided on its surface a heat-insulating layer having a thickness of from 500 to 3000 ?m and a thermal conductivity of 0.2 W/m·K or lower.

Abstract: A battery pack 1 includes a battery 10, thickness detection means 11, cycle number detection means 12, and first determination means 13. The battery 10 is an alloy-type secondary battery having an electrode assembly 20 which includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode including an alloyable active material, and an insulating layer. The thickness detection means 11 detects the thickness of the electrode assembly 20 of the battery 10. The cycle number detection means 12 detects the number of charge and discharge cycles of the battery 10. The first determination means 13 determines the replacement time of the battery 10 according to the detection results by the thickness detection means 11 and the cycle number detection means 12. This configuration allows the battery pack including the alloy-type secondary battery to estimate the replacement time of the alloy-type secondary battery almost accurately, thereby enhancing the convenience of the battery pack.

Abstract: A portable electronic device of the present invention includes a package, an electronic device body, a battery housing portion including a battery fitting portion for fitting a secondary battery therein, a foaming agent-containing layer provided on a surface of the battery housing portion, and a secondary battery to be fitted in the battery fitting portion. The foaming agent-containing layer is normally thin and, in the event of the battery generating heat, the layer turns into a thicker foamed layer which exhibits superior thermal insulation properties. Thus, it is possible to provide a portable electronic device having the degree of freedom in design for size and thickness reduction achieved at a high level, while offering high-level safety and reliability.

Abstract: Provided are a negative electrode 1 for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including the negative electrode 1 for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, the negative electrode 1 including: a negative electrode current collector 10; and a plurality of columns 13 of alloy-formable active material being capable of absorbing and desorbing lithium ions and being supported on the surface of the negative electrode current collector 10 so as to extend outward; a polymer layer 15 including a lithium-ion permeable resin and being formed on the outer surface of each column 13 of alloy-formable active material, the polymer layer 15 having a thickness capable of leaving gaps 17 between the columns 13 of alloy-formable active material adjacent to each other unfilled.

Abstract: Provided is a highly safe portable electronic device having a secondary battery as a power source, and including a package, an electronic device body housed in the package, and a battery housing portion housed in the package, in which even if the content melts due to an extremely significant impact applied thereto, discharge of a melt is inhibited. In the portable electronic device, the battery housing portion is a molding with a battery fitting portion for fitting the secondary battery therein, and the battery fitting portion has a covering layer, which includes a temperature suppression layer and a block layer, provided on its surface.

Abstract: A production method of an electrode for a lithium-ion secondary battery includes: (A) a step of providing a current collector 11 having a plurality of bumps 12 on a surface thereof; (B) a step of allowing an evaporated source material to strike from a direction E which is tilted with respect to the normal of the surface of the current collector 11 to form a corresponding plurality of pillar-like members 14 on the plurality of bumps 12; and (C) a step of oxidizing the plurality of pillar-like members 14 to form a plurality of active material members 18 containing an oxide of the source material.

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.

Abstract: A negative electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including: a current collector; and an active material layer including at least two alloy-based active materials selected from the group consisting of silicon, tin, a silicon oxide, and a tin oxide. The active material layer includes a first portion supported on a surface of the current collector, a second portion supported on a surface of the first portion, and a third portion supported on a surface of the second portion. The first portion includes the silicon oxide or the tin oxide, and the oxygen content in the silicon oxide or the tin oxide in the first portion decreases continuously or stepwise as approaching the second portion. The second portion includes silicon or tin. The third portion includes the silicon oxide or the tin oxide, and the oxygen content in the silicon oxide or the tin oxide in the third portion increases continuously or stepwise with distance from the second portion.

Abstract: A negative electrode includes current collector in which concave portion and convex portion are formed at least one surface thereof, and columnar body which is formed by laminating n (n?2) stages of columnar body portions which are formed on convex portion of current collector, and includes columnar body portions in which variation direction of content ratios of elements of odd-numbered stages of columnar body portions and that of even-numbered stages of columnar body portions are different from each other, and plural protruding bodies are provided on the surfaces of columnar body portions at the side in which intersection angles between central lines of obliquely erected directions of columnar body portions and a central line of a thickness direction of current collector, and space is provided in columnar body by protruding bodies of the laminated columnar body portions.

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.

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.