Patents Assigned to VEHICLE ENERGY JAPAN INC.
  • Publication number: 20240097141
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an electrode for a secondary battery capable of measuring the width of a first mixture layer and the width of a second mixture layer when the first mixture layer and the second mixture layer are stacked and formed on the surface of a metal foil. A positive electrode body (electrode for a secondary battery) includes a strip-like positive electrode foil and a positive electrode mixture layer provided on the positive electrode foil. The positive electrode mixture layer includes a first positive electrode mixture layer provided on the positive electrode foil and a second positive electrode mixture layer provided on the first positive electrode mixture layer. The first positive electrode mixture layer has a width greater than a width of the second positive electrode mixture layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: Vehicle Energy Japan Inc.
    Inventor: Motonari KIFUNE
  • Patent number: 11923519
    Abstract: A temperature rising between unit cells in a cell group is suppressed. A battery pack disclosed in the invention includes a case, a cell group which connects a plurality of unit cells and is disposed to abut on a bottom surface of the case, and a fixing member which fixes the cell group. The fixing member includes a heat path that links from the upper surface of a battery to the side surface of the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Vehicle Energy Japan Inc.
    Inventor: Hirofumi Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20240066547
    Abstract: Provided is a coating die enabling coating of two layers of coating films stably. The coating die includes: a first block including a first manifold to receive a first coating liquid; a second block including a second manifold to receive a second coating liquid; and a shim sandwiched between the first block and the second block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: Vehicle Energy Japan Inc.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Horinouchi, Takashi Kashimura
  • Patent number: 11899070
    Abstract: An appropriate upper limit current value is set in consideration of steep change in battery voltage in a high-current region caused by the ion concentration gradient in a diffusion layer formed around an interface between an electrode and an electrolyte. An upper limit current calculator 152 includes: a concentration gradient estimator 1523 that estimates a lithium ion concentration gradient in a diffusion layer formed around an interface between an electrode and an electrolyte of a battery, based on a current flowing in the battery, or on the current and a temperature; and an upper limit current determiner 1524 that determines an upper limit current value of the battery, based on the lithium ion concentration gradient. The upper limit current determiner 1524 determines the upper limit current value such that an overvoltage of the battery according to the lithium ion concentration gradient falls within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: VEHICLE ENERGY JAPAN INC.
    Inventors: Ryohhei Nakao, Hiroshi Morikawa, Masashi Naitoh, Masafumi Shiwa, Fanny Matthey
  • Publication number: 20240006663
    Abstract: A solid electrolyte sheet capable of increasing rigidity near an end surface of the solid electrolyte sheet, and a solid electrolyte secondary battery used with the solid electrolyte sheet are provided. A solid electrolyte sheet 10 includes a base 11 formed in a plate shape containing a solid electrolyte, and a plate-shaped reinforcing part 12 formed on an outside of the base, in which the reinforcing part 12 is made of a combination of two electrical insulating members different in material, and higher in rigidity than the base 11. Since rigidity near the periphery of the solid electrolyte sheet can be increased, a risk of damage near the periphery of the solid electrolyte sheet can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicant: Vehicle Energy Japan Inc.
    Inventors: Yuki YAMAMOTO, Yukio YAMAKAWA
  • Patent number: 11850627
    Abstract: Provided is a coating die enabling coating of two layers of coating films stably. The coating die includes: a first block including a first manifold to receive a first coating liquid; a second block including a second manifold to receive a second coating liquid; and a shim sandwiched between the first block and the second block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: VEHICLE ENERGY JAPAN INC.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Horinouchi, Takashi Kashimura
  • Publication number: 20230411793
    Abstract: A square secondary battery, including: a conductive container which is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape opened on one surface side; a lid which seals the one surface side of the container; a charge/discharge body which is housed in the container and which has electrodes respectively formed on both sides in a width direction; and an insulating member which coats the charge/discharge body and which insulates the charge/discharge body and the container from each other, wherein the insulating member is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape opened on one surface side and at least one side surface among a pair of side surfaces respectively opposing the electrodes of the charge/discharge body is folded in a direction of separation from the charge/discharge body along a height direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicant: VEHICLE ENERGY JAPAN INC.
    Inventor: Nobuyoshi Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20230402719
    Abstract: An assembled battery including a plurality of batteries each including a container which houses a charge/discharge body, an electrode terminal on one surface of the container, a sealing member which is provided between the container and the electrode terminal sealing between the container and the electrode terminal, and a busbar joined to each of the electrode terminals of the batteries that differ from each other. Each of the electrode terminals includes an electrode terminal protruding section extending in a direction of separation from the one surface. The busbar includes a busbar hole for the electrode terminal protruding section to be fitted. The electrode terminal protruding section and the busbar hole fit to each other and abut on each other. A coupling section between an outer surface of the electrode terminal protruding section and an inner surface of the busbar hole is at least partially welded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Applicant: VEHICLE ENERGY JAPAN INC.
    Inventors: Hiroaki MASUDA, Yasuyuki AIZAWA
  • Patent number: 11843101
    Abstract: Provided is a battery pack including: a first battery group in which a plurality of storage batteries having a battery can side surface and a battery can bottom surface linked to the battery can side surface are laminated so that the battery can side surfaces face each other; a second battery group in which a plurality of storage batteries having a battery can side surface and a battery can bottom surface linked to the battery can side surface are laminated so that the battery can side surfaces are face each other; and a case housing the first battery group and the second battery group, wherein the facing surfaces of the first battery group and the second battery group are directly or indirectly thermally connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Vehicle Energy Japan Inc.
    Inventors: Masanari Oda, Hirofumi Takahashi, Shigeki Makino, Wataru Sato, Hitoshi Nishimori
  • Publication number: 20230352795
    Abstract: An assembled battery includes: a plurality of batteries, each with a container that contains an electric charger/discharger and an electrolytic solution and a gas discharge unit on its one surface, wherein the plurality of batteries are stacked so that the one surface of each battery is aligned to be flush with the one surface of the other batteries; a metal first flow path member is placed opposite the surface with the gas discharge unit, and configures a first flow path unit for gas discharged from the gas discharge units of the batteries; a second flow path member that forms a second flow path unit with a smaller flow path cross-sectional area; a connector that couples the first and the second flow path unit via an opening in the first flow path member; and a guide member that partitions a space inside the connector. This configuration allows for efficient gas discharge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicant: VEHICLE ENERGY JAPAN INC.
    Inventor: Koji Chida
  • Publication number: 20230318139
    Abstract: A lithium ion secondary battery can suppress the deterioration of the insulating property of a positive electrode insulating layer by preventing the material of the positive electrode insulating layer from sinking into a positive electrode active material layer. A lithium ion secondary battery according is a lithium ion secondary battery including a positive electrode and a negative electrode that are laminated upon each other. The lithium ion secondary battery is characterized in that the positive electrode includes: a positive electrode foil; a positive electrode active material layer formed on a surface of the positive electrode foil; and a positive electrode insulating layer formed on a surface of the positive electrode active material layer, in which the positive electrode active material layer includes a positive electrode active material and a first nonaqueous binder, and the positive electrode insulating layer includes an inorganic filler, a second nonaqueous binder, and a dispersant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Applicant: Vehicle Energy Japan Inc.
    Inventors: Yusuke TACHIKAWA, Yasutaka KUROKI, Takeshi MIKI
  • Publication number: 20230290931
    Abstract: A lithium ion secondary battery is provided which has a sufficient discharge capacity and has a low internal resistance in a low SOC range. The lithium ion secondary battery includes: a positive electrode including a positive electrode mixture containing a positive electrode active material represented by the following formula: Li1+xMAO2; (where X satisfies ?0.15?X?0.15, MA represents a group of elements including at least one selected from the group consisting of Mn and Al, Ni, and Co.); and a negative electrode including a negative electrode mixture containing a negative electrode active material containing a carbon-based material, a negative electrode additive containing a copper oxide, and a binder, in which the negative electrode mixture contains the copper oxide in an amount of 0.5 wt % or more and 15 wt % or less based on the total weight of the negative electrode active material and the negative electrode additive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Applicant: Vehicle Energy Japan Inc.
    Inventors: Takeshi MIKI, Shuichi SUZUKI, Yusuke TACHIKAWA
  • Patent number: 11749871
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a battery module having more improved safety than the conventional battery pack and capable of protecting the battery cells more reliably. The current value at which a cell blocking portion CB inside each of a plurality of battery cells BC interrupts a current path inside the battery cell BC is larger than the current value at which the module fuse MF connected in series to the module terminals MT and the plurality of battery cells BC blows out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: VEHICLE ENERGY JAPAN INC.
    Inventors: Kazunori Ojima, Sadayuki Aoki, Osamu Kubota, Yoshitaka Watahiki
  • Publication number: 20230275307
    Abstract: A battery assembly includes a battery body, a plurality of battery cells stacked in the battery body in a stacking direction, a pair of end components, including insulating material, each disposed at an end of the battery body in the stacking direction, and a pair of side plates, including metal, disposed on opposite sides of the battery cells and connecting to the end components. A first end component of the pair of end components includes a fixing portion, which accommodates a fixing body, to install the battery assembly to an installing body. The fixing portion and the side plates are not connected electrically to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Applicant: VEHICLE ENERGY JAPAN INC.
    Inventors: Eisuke SENGOKU, Takuro TSUNAKI, Takashi SUZUKI, Tatsuo SUGAWARA, Tatsuhiko KAWASAKI
  • Patent number: 11728518
    Abstract: Provided is a rectangular secondary cell enabling seal performance of a gasket to be improved with a simple structure without enlarging a shaft of a terminal. A rectangular secondary cell according to the present invention includes a cell can housing a winding group and having an opening portion, a lid provided with a positive electrode terminal electrically connected to the winding group and closing the opening portion, and a gasket having an interposed portion interposed between the lid and a lower surface of the positive electrode terminal. In the gasket, an external shape of the interposed portion is smaller than an external shape of the lower surface of the positive electrode terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Vehicle Energy Japan Inc.
    Inventors: Kohtaroh Ikeda, Kouichi Kajiwara
  • Patent number: 11699818
    Abstract: Provided is a battery pack capable of improving load resistance of a reinforcing part and protecting battery cells inside a case. The battery pack 100 includes a reinforcing part 30 that is in contact with a bottom wall 10e of the case 10. The reinforcing part 30 extends in one direction D1 along the bottom wall 10e, and has dimensions d1, d2 in directions orthogonal to the one direction D1 that are larger than thickness t of side walls 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d of the case 10 and of the bottom wall 10e. The reinforcing part 30 has a pair of end fixed parts 31 that are fixed to both ends of the battery module 20 in the one direction D1, and an intermediate fixed part 32 between the pair of end fixed parts 31 and fixed to the battery module 20 or the case 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: VEHICLE ENERGY JAPAN INC.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Nishimori, Takayuki Nakajima
  • Patent number: 11699832
    Abstract: To prevent an increase in the electrical resistance between a terminal for external connection and a cell terminal of a battery cell of a battery cell group. A battery module 100 includes a battery cell group 10, a pair of end plates 20, a bus bar 30, and a fastening member 40. The end plate 20 includes a recess 21 adapted to partially house the fastening member 40 in a mutually movable manner in one direction (X-direction) corresponding to the stacked direction of the plurality of battery cells 1. The battery module 100 also has a gap S between an inner side wall 21a of the recess 21 and the fastening member 40 in the one direction (X-direction).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: VEHICLE ENERGY JAPAN INC.
    Inventors: Osamu Kubota, Kazunori Ojima, Yoshitaka Watahiki, Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11670814
    Abstract: An electricity storage block includes: an element stacked body in which a plurality of square electricity storage elements is stacked and arranged such that wide surfaces of the adjacent square electricity storage elements are opposed to each other; and a pressing device that presses the element stacked body toward the thermally-conductive sheet arranged on the heat transfer plate. The element stacked body includes holders having wide surface abutment parts in abutment with one of the wide surfaces in a pair in at least the predetermined square electricity storage element. The outer surfaces of the bottom plates of the square electricity storage elements are set as heat transfer surfaces thermally connected to the heat transfer plate via the thermally-conductive sheet. The heat-transfer surfaces protrude toward the heat transfer plate more than the end surfaces of the wide surface abutment parts at the heat transfer plate side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: VEHICLE ENERGY JAPAN, INC.
    Inventors: Osamu Kubota, Akira Sato, Kazunori Ojima, Sadayuki Aoki
  • Patent number: 11642692
    Abstract: Provided is a coating die enabling coating of two layers of coating films stably. The coating die includes: a first block including a first manifold to receive a first coating liquid; a second block including a second manifold to receive a second coating liquid; and a shim sandwiched between the first block and the second block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: VEHICLE ENERGY JAPAN INC.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Horinouchi, Takashi Kashimura
  • Patent number: 11646474
    Abstract: A secondary battery module includes a plurality of battery blocks each obtained by stacking a plurality of battery cells. The secondary battery module includes a holding member adapted to hold the plurality of battery blocks and including a pair of opposed end plates, a pair of opposed side plates, and a section plate arranged between the adjacent battery blocks to partition the battery blocks; and an inter-block bus bar provided across the section plate and adapted to electrically connect the adjacent battery blocks. The inter-block bus bar has a fuse portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Vehicle Energy Japan, Inc.
    Inventors: Koji Chida, Yasuyuki Aizawa, Masatake Fuke