Abstract: A technique for suppressing formation of a black region in a wound electrode body is provided. A method for fabricating a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery disclosed here includes: an assembly step of constructing a secondary battery assembly including a wound electrode body; and an initial charging step of performing initial charging on the secondary battery assembly. In the initial charging step, the secondary battery assembly is charged at a first charging rate until a negative electrode potential with respect to a lithium metal reference (vs. Li/Li+) of the secondary battery assembly reaches at least 0.5 V, and a remaining gas amount of the wound electrode body at the end of the initial charging step is 58 cc or less.

Abstract: A door handle device for a vehicle includes: a handle member attached to a door to be handled by a user, the handle member having a front cover, and a back cover; and a handling detection sensor for detecting the handling of the handle member, wherein the back cover includes: a pair of movement-restricted portions arranged at both ends of the back cover, wherein relative movement of the pair of movement-restricted portions to the front cover is restricted; and a flexible portion arranged between the pair of movement-restricted portions, the flexible portion being bendable according to the handling; and wherein the handling detection sensor detects the bending of the flexible portion.

Abstract: Provided is a technique for preventing plastic deformation of a battery case due to restraint during initial charging. A manufacturing method disclosed herein is a manufacturing method of a non-aqueous electrolyte solution secondary battery. This method includes assembling to construct a secondary battery assembly, and initial charging of the secondary battery assembly. In the initial charging, the initial charging is started with the secondary battery assembly restrained or not restrained; when a negative electrode potential of the secondary battery assembly reaches 0.6 V, a restraint force P1 is applied to the secondary battery assembly, wherein the restraint force P1 is greater than a restraint force applied before the negative electrode potential reaches 0.6 V; and the restraint force P1 is applied to the secondary battery assembly until the negative electrode potential reaches at least 0.3 V.

Abstract: Provided is a technique for preventing plastic deformation of a battery case due to restraint during initial charging. A manufacturing method disclosed herein is a manufacturing method of a non-aqueous electrolyte solution secondary battery. This method includes assembling to construct a secondary battery assembly, and initial charging of the secondary battery assembly. In the initial charging, the initial charging is started with the secondary battery assembly restrained or not restrained; when a negative electrode potential of the secondary battery assembly reaches 0.6 V, a restraint force P1 is applied to the secondary battery assembly, wherein the restraint force P1 is greater than a restraint force applied before the negative electrode potential reaches 0.6 V; and the restraint force P1 is applied to the secondary battery assembly until the negative electrode potential reaches at least 0.3 V.

Abstract: Provided is a technology capable of improving the impregnation efficiency of an electrolyte into an electrode body. In accordance with a preferable one embodiment of a method for manufacturing a secondary battery herein disclosed, a method for manufacturing a secondary battery including an electrode body, an electrolyte, and a battery case is provided. The manufacturing method includes a solution introducing step of introducing the electrolyte into the battery case, and a pressure reducing step of reducing the pressure in the battery case after the solution introducing step. After an elapse of 10 hours or more after the solution introducing step, the pressure reducing step is carried out.

Abstract: A negative electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprises an active material layer including active material particles. The active material particles include carbon-based active material particles and metal-based active material particles. The active material layer has a connecting portion connecting a pair of the active material particles to each other. The connecting portion has a first layer including at least one of polyacrylic acid and a salt thereof as well as a second layer formed on a surface of the first layer and including styrene-butadiene rubber. Both the first layer and the second layer are in contact with surfaces of the pair of the active material particles connected by the connecting portion.

Abstract: A negative electrode composite material slurry comprises a negative electrode active material including a Si-based active material, one or more auxiliary materials selected from the group consisting of polyacrylic acid, styrene-butadiene rubber, carboxymethylcellulose, and carbon nanotubes, and water. The negative electrode composite material slurry has a pH from 4.5 to 7.3.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a negative electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising a negative electrode active material layer, wherein the negative electrode active material layer includes a negative electrode active material, carbon nanotubes, and a binder, the negative electrode active material includes an alloy-based negative electrode active material and a carbon-based negative electrode active material, the carbon nanotubes include single-walled carbon nanotubes having a curved structure, the single-walled carbon nanotubes having a curved structure have an average length of 1 ?m or more and an average diameter of 0.05 ?m or less, and the single-walled carbon nanotube having a curved structure is in contact with a particle and another particle.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a checkout apparatus includes a coin change machine configured to dispense stored coins as change, a bill change machine configured to dispense stored bills as change, a change calculation unit configured to calculate a change amount, a first determination unit configured to determine whether the amount of coins is equal to or more than an amount of a minimum amount bill, a second determination unit configured to determine whether the calculated change amount is equal to or more than the amount of the minimum amount bill, and a change unit configured to output, to the coin change machine, a coin dispensing signal for dispensing, with coins, an amount not exceeding an amount of deposited coins and equal to or more than the amount of the minimum amount bill in the change amount.

Abstract: Provided is a technique for suppressing the formation of black regions in a wound electrode body. The production method disclosed herein is a method for producing a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery that includes a wound electrode body, a non-aqueous electrolyte, and a battery case. This production method includes the following steps: an assembling step S1 of placing the wound electrode body and the non-aqueous electrolyte in the battery case to construct a secondary battery assembly; a first step S2 of performing initial charging on the secondary battery assembly; and a second step S3 of setting the temperature of the wound electrode body to 50° C. or lower and keeping this state for at least 72 hours after the first step.

Abstract: A door handle device for a vehicle includes: a handle member attached to a door to be handled by a user, the handle member having a front cover, and a back cover; and a handling detection sensor for detecting the handling of the handle member, wherein the back cover includes: a pair of movement-restricted portions arranged at both ends of the back cover, wherein relative movement of the pair of movement-restricted portions to the front cover is restricted; and a flexible portion arranged between the pair of movement-restricted portions, the flexible portion being bendable according to the handling; and wherein the handling detection sensor detects the bending of the flexible portion.

Abstract: A method of producing a negative electrode composite material slurry for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprises a first step to obtain a first mixed-kneaded body, and a second step to use the first mixed-kneaded body to obtain the negative electrode composite material slurry. The first step includes a step to mix and knead a negative electrode active material including a carbon-based active material and a Si-based active material, carboxymethylcellulose, polyacrylic acid, and water. The second step includes a step (x1) to mix and knead the first mixed-kneaded body, carboxymethylcellulose, and water. A solid content of the first mixed-kneaded body is from (a-3)% to a%, and a solid content of the negative electrode composite material slurry is from (a-15)% to (a-10)%. “a” refers to the solid content [%] defined in the specification.

Abstract: The herein disclosed negative electrode is a negative electrode for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery that includes a current collector, and a negative electrode active material layer disposed on a single surface or both surfaces of the current collector. The negative electrode active material layer includes a negative electrode active material and a binder. A graphite particle and a Si-containing particle are included as the negative electrode active material. A carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), a poly acrylic acid (PAA), and a styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) are included as the binder. A spring constant in a thickness direction of the negative electrode is equal to or more than 70 kN/mm and not more than 400 kN/mm, and a yield loop height on a stiffness test is equal to or less than 13 mm.

Abstract: The herein disclosed negative electrode is a negative electrode for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery that includes a current collector, and a negative electrode active material layer disposed on the current collector. The negative electrode active material layer includes a negative electrode active material and a binder, and a graphite particle and a Si-containing particle are included as the negative electrode active material. An average 10% yield strength of the graphite particle is equal to or less than 12 MPa. A BET specific surface area of the graphite particle is equal to or more than 0.5 m2/g and not more than 3.5 m2/g. A spring constant in a thickness direction of the negative electrode is equal to or less than 200 kN/mm. A 90° peel strength between the current collector and the negative electrode active material layer is equal to or more than 1.5 N/m.

Abstract: A secondary battery module includes a nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary battery and an elastic body, wherein a negative electrode constituting the nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary battery includes a negative-electrode active material layer, the negative-electrode active material layer includes a first layer, and a second layer that is formed on the first layer and has a higher compression modulus than the first layer, a separator constituting the nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary battery has a lower compression modulus than the first layer, the elastic body has a lower compression modulus than the separator, the graphite particles contained in the first layer have a BET specific surface area of 1 to 2.5 m2/g, and the content of Si particles in the first layer is 6 mass % to 13 mass % relative to the total amount of the negative-electrode active material layer.

Abstract: A secondary battery module according to the present embodiment includes a nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary battery and an elastic body, wherein a negative electrode constituting the nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary battery includes a negative-electrode current collector and a negative-electrode active material layer, the negative-electrode active material layer includes a first layer formed on the negative-electrode current collector, and a second layer that is formed on the first layer and has a higher compression modulus than the first layer, a separator constituting the nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary battery has a lower compression modulus than the first layer, the elastic body has a lower compression modulus than the separator, a graphite particles contained in the first layer have a BET specific surface area of 1 to 2.5 m2/g, and the first layer 52a contains 0.01 mass % to 0.4 mass % of a carbon nanotube having one to five graphene sheets.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a negative electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, wherein each of first silicon-containing particles and second silicon-containing particles contains a carbon domain and a silicon domain dispersed in the carbon domain and having a nano size, each of a first binder and a second binder contains carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and a content ratio of the carboxymethyl cellulose in a second active material layer is more than a content ratio of the carboxymethyl cellulose in a first active material layer.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a negative electrode active material layer including a negative electrode active material. The negative electrode active material includes first graphite particles, second graphite particles each having a compressive elastic modulus more than a compressive elastic modulus of each of the first graphite particles, and Si-containing particles. A contact length Lt1 between a first graphite particle and a Si-containing particle is equal to or more than a contact length Lt2 between a second graphite particle and the Si-containing particle.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a negative electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, the negative electrode comprising an active material layer, wherein the active material layer contains graphite particles, fibrous carbon, silicon-containing particles, and a binder, a BET specific surface area of the graphite particles is 3.5 m2/g or less, the fibrous carbon includes a carbon nanotube, each of the silicon-containing particles includes a domain composed of carbon and a domain composed of silicon and having a size of 50 nm or less, and an oxygen content ratio in each of the silicon-containing particles is 7 wt % or less. According to the present disclosure, a negative electrode and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery are provided to suppress decrease in initial capacity and cycling performance.

Abstract: Provided is a technology capable of improving the impregnation efficiency of an electrolyte into an electrode body. In accordance with a preferable one embodiment of a method for manufacturing a secondary battery herein disclosed, a method for manufacturing a secondary battery including an electrode body, an electrolyte, and a battery case is provided. The manufacturing method includes a solution introducing step of introducing the electrolyte into the battery case, and a pressure reducing step of reducing the pressure in the battery case after the solution introducing step. After an elapse of 10 hours or more after the solution introducing step, the pressure reducing step is carried out.