Patents by Inventor Akio Minakuchi

Akio Minakuchi 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).

  • Publication number: 20190367699
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a very simple and convenient method for producing a porous material of a water-soluble polymer. The herein disclosed method for producing a porous material of a water-soluble polymer includes a step of preparing a solution in which a water-soluble polymer is dissolved in a mixed solvent of water mixed with a solvent having a boiling point higher than that of water, and a step of evaporating and thereby removing the mixed solvent from the solution. The solubility of the water-soluble polymer in the solvent having a boiling point higher than that of water is lower than the solubility of the water-soluble polymer in water. Voids are formed, in the step of evaporating and thereby removing the mixed solvent, by the solvent having a boiling point higher than that of water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, OSAKA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Akio MINAKUCHI, Tomoyuki UEZONO, Hiroshi UYAMA, Chiaki YOSHIZAWA
  • Publication number: 20190367700
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a very simple and convenient method for producing a porous material of a water-soluble polymer. The herein disclosed method for producing a porous material of a water-soluble polymer includes a step of preparing an emulsion containing a water-soluble polymer, water, and a dispersoid, wherein the water-soluble polymer is dissolved and the dispersoid is dispersed in the emulsion, and a step of evaporating and thereby removing the water and the dispersoid from the emulsion. The boiling point of the dispersoid is higher than the boiling point of water. The solubility of the water-soluble polymer in the dispersoid is lower than the solubility of the water-soluble polymer in water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, OSAKA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Akio MINAKUCHI, Tomoyuki UEZONO, Hiroshi UYAMA, Chiaki YOSHIZAWA
  • Patent number: 10396342
    Abstract: Provided is a method for manufacturing a secondary cell by which a wound body can be effectively impregnated with an electrolytic solution. The method includes: a step of depressurizing an interior of an outer case 30; a step of pouring an electrolytic solution E into the depressurized outer case 30; a step of depressurizing the interior of the outer case 30; a step of pouring the electrolytic solution E into the depressurized outer case 30; a step of impregnating the wound body with the electrolytic solution E from both axial end portions 100a, 100b of a wound body 100; a step of waiting until a difference in pressure between a wound body external space S, which is a space between the outer case 30 and the wound body, and a wound body internal space S1 is reduced after the impregnation with the electrolytic solution E; and a step of pressurizing the wound body external space S.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akira Tsukui, Hiroyasu Kado, Nobuhiro Yamada, Akio Minakuchi
  • Patent number: 9588183
    Abstract: A secondary battery is charged at a predetermined charging current density to a first SOC, and discharged at a discharging current density same as the charging current density to a second SOC smaller than the first SOC, the voltage thereof is stabilized by leaving the secondary battery for a predetermined time while maintaining the secondary battery in the range of ±3° C. from the battery temperature of the secondary battery that has been discharged, the secondary battery the voltage of which has been stabilized is self-discharged under room temperature, and the presence or absence of a short-circuit is detected on the basis of a voltage drop amount after a given time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki Nakayama, Akio Minakuchi
  • Publication number: 20160254523
    Abstract: Provided is a method for manufacturing a secondary cell by which a wound body can be effectively impregnated with an electrolytic solution. The method includes: a step of depressurizing an interior of an outer case 30; a step of pouring an electrolytic solution E into the depressurized outer case 30; a step of depressurizing the interior of the outer case 30; a step of pouring the electrolytic solution E into the depressurized outer case 30; a step of impregnating the wound body with the electrolytic solution E from both axial end portions 100a, 100b of a wound body 100; a step of waiting until a difference in pressure between a wound body external space S, which is a space between the outer case 30 and the wound body, and a wound body internal space S1 is reduced after the impregnation with the electrolytic solution E; and a step of pressurizing the wound body external space S.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akira TSUKUI, Hiroyasu KADO, Nobuhiro YAMADA, Akio MINAKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20160190834
    Abstract: A charging method of a secondary battery having plural cells includes: connecting the plural cells in series and conducting constant current charging by a first power source; measuring voltages of the plural cells; and connecting the plural cells in parallel and conducting constant voltage charging by a second power source, a voltage of which is lower than a voltage of the first power source, in the case where a measured voltage difference among the plural cells is smaller than a specified value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2015
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akio MINAKUCHI, Hideto MORI
  • Publication number: 20150212162
    Abstract: A secondary battery is charged at a predetermined charging current density to a first SOC, and discharged at a discharging current density same as the charging current density to a second SOC smaller than the first SOC, the voltage thereof is stabilized by leaving the secondary battery for a predetermined time while maintaining the secondary battery in the range of ±3° C. from the battery temperature of the secondary battery that has been discharged, the secondary battery the voltage of which has been stabilized is self-discharged under room temperature, and the presence or absence of a short-circuit is detected on the basis of a voltage drop amount after a given time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki Nakayama, Akio Minakuchi
  • Patent number: 8531680
    Abstract: A method for inspecting the width of a coated film in accordance with the present disclosure is a method for detecting a width W1 of a coated film 20, the method including: a step of measuring a thickness profile in the transverse direction of the coated film 20; a step of creating approximating curves L1, L2 of a function of a distance X and a thickness Y in end-proximal regions 24a, 24b of both ends of the coated film 20; and a step of taking a distance Xe1 corresponding to a thickness threshold Yt determined from the approximating curve L1 of one end-proximal region 24a and a distance Xe2 corresponding to the thickness threshold Yt determined from the approximating curve L2 of the other end-proximal region 24b, and of calculating Xe1?Xe2 as the width W1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akio Minakuchi
  • Publication number: 20110249276
    Abstract: The method for inspecting the width of a coated film in accordance with the present invention is a method for detecting a width W1 of a coated film 20 that is formed on an elongated sheet-like substrate 10 along the longitudinal direction, the width W1 being detected in a transverse direction intersecting this longitudinal direction, the method including: a step of measuring a thickness profile in the transverse direction of the coated film 20; a step of creating approximating curves L1, L2 of a function of a distance X and a thickness Y in end-proximal regions 24a, 24b of both ends of the coated film 20 in the transverse direction, on the basis of the measured thickness profile; and a step of taking, as the both ends in the transverse direction, a distance Xe1 corresponding to a thickness threshold Yt determined from the approximating curve L1 of one end-proximal region 24a and a distance Xe2 corresponding to a thickness threshold Yt determined from the approximating curve L2 of the other end-proximal region
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Inventor: Akio Minakuchi
  • Patent number: 7351498
    Abstract: The present invention provides a lithium ion polymer battery comprising an electrode having excellent adhesion and electrical conductivity between a current collector and an active material layer, cycle capacity maintaining characteristics being improved, wherein a bonding layer, which bonds the current collector to the active material layer, is stable to an organic solvent in an electrolytic solution and is excellent in storage stability, and also, it is made possible to suppress the corrosion of the current collector by a strong acid such as hydrofluoric acid generated in the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Watarai, Akio Minakuchi, Akihiro Higami, Shoubin Zhang, Tadashi Kobayashi, Sawako Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20040234850
    Abstract: The present invention provides a lithium ion polymer battery comprising an electrode having excellent adhesion and electrical conductivity between a current collector and an active material layer, cycle capacity maintaining characteristics being improved, wherein a bonding layer, which bonds the current collector to the active material layer, is stable to an organic solvent in an electrolytic solution and is excellent in storage stability, and also, it is made possible to suppress the corrosion of the current collector by a strong acid such as hydrofluoric acid generated in the battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2004
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Inventors: Yusuke Watarai, Akio Minakuchi, Akihiro Higami, Shoubin Zhang, Tadashi Kobayashi, Sawako Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 6617074
    Abstract: A lithium ion polymer secondary battery is a laminate of a positive-electrode sheet of a positive-electrode collector foil provided with an active material thereon, a negative-electrode sheet of a negative-electrode collector foil provided with another active material thereon, and a polymer electrolyte layer interposed between the positive-electrode sheet and the negative-electrode sheet. One of the positive-electrode sheet and the negative-electrode sheet is a strip and is fan-folded at least one time so that the positive-electrode sheet is provided on the surface of the active material on the sheet. The other one of the positive-electrode sheet and the negative-electrode sheet consists of a plurality of sheet segments having an area which is the same as the area of each flat portion of the fan-folded sheet. The sheet segments are interposed between the flat portions of the fan-folded sheet so that the polymer electrolyte layer is in contact with the surfaces of the active materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Watarai, Akio Minakuchi, Tadashi Kobayashi, Akihiro Higami, Sawako Takeuchi