Patents by Inventor Akira Kiyama

Akira Kiyama 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: 20240213556
    Abstract: A method for generating smoke in a cell pack by which a very small amount of smoke can be generated from a specific single unit cell among unit cells constituting the cell pack. The method causes smoke generation in a cell pack in which unit cells are connected and which includes a positive electrode output terminal for electrically connecting the positive electrode terminal of the unit cell and an external device, and a negative electrode output terminal for electrically connecting the negative electrode terminal of the unit cell and an external device. By attaching a heating means to the negative electrode output terminal, the electrode body of a specific single unit cell is heated through the negative electrode output terminal to which the heating means is attached. As a result, it is possible to cause the generation of a small amount of smoke from the specific single unit cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2024
    Publication date: June 27, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki HOJO, Akira KIYAMA
  • Publication number: 20230420752
    Abstract: A method for generating smoke in a cell pack by which a very small amount of smoke can be generated from a specific single unit cell among unit cells constituting the cell pack. The method causes smoke generation in a cell pack in which unit cells are connected and which includes a positive electrode output terminal for electrically connecting the positive electrode terminal of the unit cell and an external device, and a negative electrode output terminal for electrically connecting the negative electrode terminal of the unit cell and an external device. By attaching a heating means to the negative electrode output terminal, the electrode body of a specific single unit cell is heated through the negative electrode output terminal to which the heating means is attached. As a result, it is possible to cause the generation of a small amount of smoke from the specific single unit cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki HOJO, Akira KIYAMA
  • Patent number: 11799139
    Abstract: A method for generating smoke in a cell pack by which a very small amount of smoke can be generated from a specific single unit cell among unit cells constituting the cell pack. The method causes smoke generation in a cell pack in which unit cells are connected and which includes a positive electrode output terminal for electrically connecting the positive electrode terminal of the unit cell and an external device, and a negative electrode output terminal for electrically connecting the negative electrode terminal of the unit cell and an external device. By attaching a heating means to the negative electrode output terminal, the electrode body of a specific single unit cell is heated through the negative electrode output terminal to which the heating means is attached. As a result, it is possible to cause the generation of a small amount of smoke from the specific single unit cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki Hojo, Akira Kiyama
  • Publication number: 20230271522
    Abstract: A vehicle configured to perform external charging for charging an in-vehicle power storage device using electric power supplied from a system power supply outside the vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a control device and a storage device. The control device is configured to set a command value of a charging current supplied from the system power supply to the power storage device through the charging device during the external charging, and to control the charging current by transmitting the command value to the charging device. The storage device is configured to store a program executed by the control device. The control device calculates an integrated value of the command value when the command value is larger than a threshold value. The control device is configured to execute a reduction process of reducing the command value when the integrated value is large than when the integrated value is small.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2022
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiaki KIKUCHI, Hiroshi YOSHIDA, Akira KIYAMA, Yu SHIMIZU, Kensaku MIYAZAWA, Takayuki OSHINO
  • Publication number: 20220059876
    Abstract: An all-solid-state battery includes a solid electrode body including a positive electrode layer, a solid electrolyte layer, and a negative electrode layer, and a laminate film that stores the solid electrode body. The laminate film has a fragile part with respect to a needle-like foreign substance. The strength of the fragile part is lower than the strength of a part of the laminate film other than the fragile part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Sho Ando, Akira Kiyama, Masaki Kato, Koshiro Yoneda, Kensaku Miyazawa, Kunimitsu Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20220021004
    Abstract: A cell, which is a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, includes: an electrode assembly including a plurality of sheet-shaped positive electrodes and a plurality of sheet-shaped negative electrodes, the plurality of positive electrodes and the plurality of negative electrodes being alternately stacked with separators interposed therebetween; and a battery case that houses the electrode assembly. The electrode assembly includes: an outer layer including a positive electrode arranged on an outermost side of the electrode assembly, and a separator adjacent to the positive electrode; and an inner layer arranged on an inner side of the outer layer. The outer layer includes a fusing member configured to fuse due to heat generation in the electrode assembly caused by a short circuit in the electrode assembly. The inner layer does not include the fusing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akira KIYAMA, Sho Ando, Kunimitsu Yamamoto, Masaki Kato, Koshiro Yoneda, Kensaku Miyazawa
  • Publication number: 20220021047
    Abstract: A cell that is a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes an electrode body in which a sheet-shaped positive electrode and a sheet-shaped negative electrode are stacked via a separator, and a battery case that accommodates the electrode body and an electrolytic solution. The electrode body includes a predetermined number of outer layers including an outermost layer made up of the separator and the negative electrode disposed on an outermost side of the electrode body, and an inner layer disposed on an inner side than the outer layer. The outer layer includes a negative electrode mixture layer configured to suppress heat generation of the electrode body caused by a short circuit of the electrode body as a heat generation suppressing member. The inner layer does not include the heat generation suppressing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kensaku MIYAZAWA, Masaki KATO, Akira KIYAMA, Sho ANDO, Kunimitsu YAMAMOTO, Koshiro YONEDA
  • Publication number: 20180323479
    Abstract: A method for generating smoke in a cell pack by which a very small amount of smoke can be generated from a specific single unit cell among unit cells constituting the cell pack. The method causes smoke generation in a cell pack in which unit cells are connected and which includes a positive electrode output terminal for electrically connecting the positive electrode terminal of the unit cell and an external device, and a negative electrode output terminal for electrically connecting the negative electrode terminal of the unit cell and an external device. By attaching a heating means to the negative electrode output terminal, the electrode body of a specific single unit cell is heated through the negative electrode output terminal to which the heating means is attached. As a result, it is possible to cause the generation of a small amount of smoke from the specific single unit cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki HOJO, Akira KIYAMA
  • Patent number: 10026950
    Abstract: A prismatic secondary battery of one configuration has a current disconnection mechanism, and a distance from a first conductive member to a second conductive member along a surface of a first insulation member and passing an outer periphery of the first insulation member is greater than or equal to 2.4 mm. At least one of the first insulation member and a second insulation member is formed from a material having a weight reduction percentage of 100% in thermo gravimetric measurement under conditions of a measurement temperature of 25° C.-600° C., a temperature increase rate of 5° C.±0.5° C./min, a measurement atmosphere of inert gas flow, and an amount of measurement sample of 10 mg±5 mg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignees: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshinori Yokoyama, Naoya Tada, Yasuhiro Yamauchi, Toshihiro Takada, Hiroshi Inukai, Yasushi Tsuchida, Takashi Tokunaga, Akira Kiyama
  • Patent number: 9397372
    Abstract: Provided is a sealed battery with improved safety and reliability in which no spark discharge or voltage recovery occurs after a current interrupt mechanism has been actuated. A sealed battery 10 includes a current interrupt mechanism 40: having an inversion plate 50 and a collector 60. The collector 60 and the inversion plate 50 are electrically and mechanically joined in the easily breakable section 61 and the inversion section 51, the easily breakable section 61 is broken and displaced together with the inversion section 51 by the displacement of the inversion section 51, and the electric connection of the collector 60 and the inversion plate 50 is interrupted. The distance between the collector 60 and the easily breakable section 61 after the displacement is within a range of 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuichi Arai, Toshihiro Takada, Hiroshi Inukai, Hironori Harada, Akira Kiyama, Ryuta Morishima, Naoya Nakanishi, Yasuhiro Yamauchi, Yoshinori Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20160181589
    Abstract: A prismatic secondary battery of one configuration has a current disconnection mechanism, and a distance from a first conductive member to a second conductive member along a surface of a first insulation member and passing an outer periphery of the first insulation member is greater than or equal to 2.4 mm. At least one of the first insulation member and a second insulation member is formed from a material having a weight reduction percentage of 100% in thermo gravimetric measurement under conditions of a measurement temperature of 25° C.-600° C., a temperature increase rate of 5° C.±0.5° C./min, a measurement atmosphere of inert gas flow, and an amount of measurement sample of 10 mg±5 mg.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Yoshinori YOKOYAMA, Naoya TADA, Yasuhiro YAMAUCHI, Toshihiro TAKADA, Hiroshi INUKAI, Yasushi TSUCHIDA, Takashi TOKUNAGA, Akira KIYAMA
  • Publication number: 20150171409
    Abstract: A sealed battery includes a battery case, an external terminal, a collector terminal, a protruding member, and a pressure type current interrupting mechanism. The pressure type current interrupting mechanism electrically disconnects the external terminal from the collector terminal by an inverted plate deforming according to an increase in pressure inside the battery case. The protruding member has a through-hole that is communicated with a hollow portion of the external terminal. When the pressure type current interrupting mechanism is activated, the protruding member pierces the inverted plate, such that the hollow portion of the external terminal is communicated with the inside of the battery case further inside the battery case than the collector terminal of the battery case, via the through-hole of the protruding member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akira Kiyama, Toshihiro Takada, Hiroshi Inukai, Hironori Harada, Yasushi Tsuchida
  • Patent number: 8980469
    Abstract: A high-reliability prismatic secondary battery with a current interruption mechanism that is unlikely to be damaged even if the battery is subjected to shock is provided. The prismatic secondary battery includes a second insulating member having a first through-hole, the second insulating member being arranged between a first region of a positive electrode collector and an inversion plate. The first region of the positive electrode collector and the inversion plate are electrically connected to each other through the first through-hole. The second insulating member has a plurality of fixing pawl portions. The fixing pawl portions are hooked and fixed to a fixing portion formed on the outer surface side of the conductive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignees: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Eiji Okutani, Yoshinori Yokoyama, Yasuhiro Yamauchi, Toshiyuki Nohma, Hironori Harada, Toshihiro Takada, Hiroshi Inukai, Akira Kiyama, Ryuta Morishima
  • Patent number: 8936861
    Abstract: A sealed battery (10) provided by the present invention includes: a current cut-off valve (22); and a connecting member (30) having an engagement hole (34) formed in a location adjacent to the current cut-off valve. The current cut-off valve is conductively connected to the connecting member by joining linearly to a peripheral edge of the engagement hole and/or joining at a surface that is in contact with an inner wall of the engagement hole in a state in which part of the current cut-off valve is fitted into the engagement hole. When an internal pressure of a battery case (40) rises above a predetermined level, the current cut-off valve is deformed outward of the case by the internal pressure, the current cut-off valve is separated from the connecting member, and the electric connection between the connecting member and the current cut-off valve is broken.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Kiyama, Tadayoshi Yamada
  • Patent number: 8580428
    Abstract: A battery (100) provided by the present invention includes an electrode body (80) having a positive electrode and a negative electrode (84), a bottomed battery case (10) for holding the electrode body (80), and a current collecting plate (20) that connects the battery case (10) with either the positive electrode or the negative electrode of the electrode body. A part of the current collecting plate (20) and a bottom part (16) of the battery case (10) are fixed to each other by welding, and a sealed structure (40) that surrounds a weld (30) composed of a portion that has been welded is formed at the periphery of the weld (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akira Kiyama
  • Patent number: 8546013
    Abstract: A cylindrical battery is formed by sealing an electrode wound body in a cylindrical case and having an outer terminal member mounted to one end of the battery so as to axially penetrate through a gasket having a cylindrical portion and collar portions. A neck is formed at the inner surface of the case. A flange having an outer diameter greater than the inner diameter of the neck is formed on the outer terminal member. To mount the outer terminal member to the case, the gasket is mounted to the flange, liquid is charged from a through-hole with the flange held in a temporarily sealed state in which the flange is pressed into the case until being in contact with the neck, and an end portion of the case is bent to the inner surface side thereof to press the collar portion to the flange to complete sealing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keiichiro Kobayashi, Akira Kiyama, Kazuyuki Kusama
  • Patent number: 8338853
    Abstract: Light emitters and substrates for light emitters are provided to improve light-emitting efficiency and achieve improvement in crystal quality. A light emitter includes a single-crystal substrate, an oriented microcrystal layer, and a light-emitting layer. The light-emitting layer is made of a nitride semiconductor by means of a vapor-phase growth method. In the oriented microcrystal layer, the proportion of crystals, in which one of crystal axes is oriented with respect to the single-crystal substrate, is 5-9 out of 10 crystals. An average diameter of the crystal grains of the respective crystals, contained in the oriented microcrystal layer, is 1-1,000 nm. A light emitter may be equipped with an intermediate layer, a light-emitting layer, and a clad layer. These layers are formed on the oriented microcrystal layer by a vapor-phase growth method. The light-emitting layer contains microcrystal grains whose average grain diameter is 1-1,000 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Kiyama, Rentaro Mori, Hiroya Inaoka, Masayuki Ichiyanagi, Nobuhiko Sawaki, Yoshio Honda, Yasuyuki Yanase
  • Publication number: 20110206958
    Abstract: A sealed battery (10) provided by the present invention includes: a current cut-off valve (22); and a connecting member (30) having an engagement hole (34) formed in a location adjacent to the current cut-off valve. The current cut-off valve is conductively connected to the connecting member by joining linearly to a peripheral edge of the engagement hole and/or joining at a surface that is in contact with an inner wall of the engagement hole in a state in which part of the current cut-off valve is fitted into the engagement hole. When an internal pressure of a battery case (40) rises above a predetermined level, the current cut-off valve is deformed outward of the case by the internal pressure, the current cut-off valve is separated from the connecting member, and the electric connection between the connecting member and the current cut-off valve is broken.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Inventors: Akira Kiyama, Tadayoshi Yamada
  • Publication number: 20110081566
    Abstract: A circular cylindrical battery and a method of manufacturing the circular cylindrical battery, wherein air can be more smoothly released in liquid charging operation in a manufacturing process of the battery. A circular cylindrical battery is formed by sealing an electrode wound body in a cylindrical case and has an outer terminal member mounted to one end of the battery so as to axially penetrate through a gasket. A neck is formed at the inner surface of the cylindrical case. A flange having an outer diameter greater than the inner diameter of the neck is formed on the outer terminal member. The gasket has a cylindrical portion and collar portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Inventors: Keiichiro Kobayashi, Akira Kiyama, Kazuyuki Kusama
  • Publication number: 20110027644
    Abstract: A battery (100) provided by the present invention includes an electrode body (80) having a positive electrode and a negative electrode (84), a bottomed battery case (10) for holding the electrode body (80), and a current collecting plate (20) that connects the battery case (10) with either the positive electrode or the negative electrode of the electrode body. A part of the current collecting plate (20) and a bottom part (16) of the battery case (10) are fixed to each other by welding, and a sealed structure (40) that surrounds a weld (30) composed of a portion that has been welded is formed at the periphery of the weld (30).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Inventor: Akira Kiyama