Abstract: A secondary cell comprises an electrode unit housed in a cell can comprising a cylinder having a bottom and a closed opening, and a current collector plate 50 is provided at one end of the electrode unit. The current collector plate 50 has a plurality of protrusions 52 extending radially thereof and joined to an edge of the electrode unit. The surface of the current collector plate 50 to be joined to the bottom wall of the cylinder has a flat region R extending on a predetermined closed-loop track on the surface, and the portions of the current collector plate 50 and the cylinder to be joined are subjected along the flat region R to laser welding from outside the cylinder.

Abstract: A nickel electrode for an alkaline storage battery in which an active material mainly containing nickel hydroxide is applied to a porous sintered nickel substrate, wherein a layer containing at least one hydroxide of an element selected from a group consisting of Ca, Sr, Sc, Y, lanthanoid, and Bi is formed on a surface of the active material thus applied to the sintered nickel substrate, or between the sintered nickel substrate and the active material.

Abstract: A nickel electrode for an alkaline storage battery in which an active material mainly containing nickel hydroxide is applied to a porous sintered nickel substrate, wherein a layer containing at least one hydroxide of an element selected from a group consisting of Ca, Sr, Sc, Y, lanthanoid, and Bi is formed on a surface of the active material thus applied to the sintered nickel substrate, or between the sintered nickel substrate and the active material.

Abstract: A separator for a nickel-metal hydride storage battery having a hydrogen-absorbing alloy as a negative electrode. The separator is a laminate of a substrate and a porous hydrophilic film.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary cell comprises a rolled-up electrode unit 2 composed of a positive electrode 23, a negative electrode 21 and a separator 22 interposed therebetween, and a negative electrode current collector plate 3 and a positive electrode current collector plate 30 joined to the respective ends of the electrode unit 2. The negative electrode collector plate 3 is joined to an edge of the negative electrode 21 projecting at one of the opposite ends of the electrode unit 2. The collector plate 3 has a two-layer structure comprising a copper layer 31 made of copper or an alloy consisting predominantly of copper, and a metal layer made of a metal not forming an intermetallic compound with lithium and having a lower laser beam reflectivity than copper or an alloy consisting predominantly of the metal. The collector plate 3 has its copper layer 31 contacted with the edge of the negative electrode 21 and welded thereto with a laser beam.

Abstract: A battery module has a plurality of electrically connected unit cells fixed in a container. A buffer member is provided at the void between the inner wall of the container and the unit cell. By virtue of the buffer member in the battery module formed of a heat conductive elastic body, the requirement of vibration resistance can be met by the buffer member while the heat generated by the unit cell can be easily discharged via the buffer member. Thus, a battery module suppressed in degradation of the performance of the unit cell caused by heat can be provided.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a metal hydride alkaline storage cell includes a first step of preparing a negative electrode by applying a paste containing hydrogen absorbing alloy powder onto a substrate; and a second step of placing the negative electrode and a positive electrode into a cell can with disposing separator therebetween, and thereafter pouring an electrolyte into the cell can. Into the paste or the electrolyte, a catalytic metal compound that has a proportion of 0.1 to 2.5 wt. % based on the weight of the hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder and that is soluble in the electrolyte is added. Consequently, the catalytic action of the metal is fully utilized by this method that dots a catalytic metal or metal compound on the alloy surface, and thereby the inner pressure characteristic (high-rate charge characteristic) of a cell is improved.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary cell comprises a rolled-up electrode unit 2 composed of a positive electrode 23, a negative electrode 21 and a separator 22 interposed therebetween, and a negative electrode current collector plate 3 and a positive electrode current collector plate 30 joined to the respective ends of the electrode unit 2. The negative electrode collector plate 3 is joined to an edge of the negative electrode 21 projecting at one of the opposite ends of the electrode unit 2. The collector plate 3 has a two-layer structure comprising a copper layer 31 made of copper or an alloy consisting predominantly of copper, and a metal layer made of a metal not forming an intermetallic compound with lithium and having a lower laser beam reflectivity than copper or an alloy consisting predominantly of the metal. The collector plate 3 has its copper layer 31 contacted with the edge of the negative electrode 21 and welded thereto with a laser beam.

Abstract: A fuel cell separator which has a metal substrate and offers a high corrosion resistance and conductivity is provided. The separator has a metal layer on the surface of the substrate made of stainless steel, and a conductive layer on top of the metal layer. The conductive layer is made up of conductive particles which are fusion-bonded to each other and exhibit excellent conductivity. The separator also has a highly corrosion-resisting oxide layer which covers exposed parts of the metal layer, the parts where the metal layer is not covered with the conductive particles. This enables the fuel cell separator to assume high conductivity at an interface between the metal layer and the conductive particles, and high corrosion resistance at the exposed parts of the surface of the metal layer.

Abstract: For us in nonaqueous electrolyte secondary cells, the invention provides an electrode which comprises a first carbon material serving as a core material, and a second carbon material coating the first carbon material over the surface thereof and containing boron. When used as an active substance for negative electrode to provide a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary cell, the electrode diminishes the reduction of the cell capacity that would result if the cell is allowed to store, giving improved storage characteristics to the cell.

Abstract: A nickel electrode for an alkaline storage battery in which an active material mainly containing nickel hydroxide is applied to a porous sintered nickel substrate, wherein a layer containing at least one hydroxide of an element selected from a group consisting of Ca, Sr, Sc, Y, lanthanoid, and Bi is formed on a surface of the active material thus applied to the sintered nickel substrate, or between the sintered nickel substrate and the active material.

Abstract: A metal hydride alkaline storage cell of the present invention comprises a positive electrode, a separator impregnated with an electrolyte, and a negative electrode comprising hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder. On the surface of the hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder, there is formed a layer of hydrogen-absorbing alloy oxide, and on the layer of the oxide, there is dotted a catalytic metal or metal compound formed in a granular state by adding a substance soluble in the electrolyte. The substance is selected from the group consisting of a metal fluoride, a metal chloride, a metal iodide, and a metal sulfide. The proportion of the metal fluoride, the metal chloride, the metal iodide, or the metal sulfide in adding, is restricted within the range of from 0.1 to 2.5 wt. % based on the weight of hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary cell comprises a rolled-up electrode unit 2 composed of a positive electrode 23, a negative electrode 21 and a separator 22 interposed therebetween, and a negative electrode current collector plate 3 and a positive electrode current collector plate 30 joined to the respective ends of the electrode unit 2. The negative electrode collector plate 3 is joined to an edge of the negative electrode 21 projecting at one of the opposite ends of the electrode unit 2. The collector plate 3 has a two-layer structure comprising a copper layer 31 made of copper or an alloy consisting predominantly of copper, and a metal layer made of a metal not forming an intermetallic compound with lithium and having a lower laser beam reflectivity than copper or an alloy consisting predominantly of the metal. The collector plate 3 has its copper layer 31 contacted with the edge of the negative electrode 21 and welded thereto with a laser beam.

Abstract: A secondary cell comprises an electrode unit housed in a cell can comprising a cylinder having a bottom and a closed opening, and a current collector plate 50 is provided at one end of the electrode unit. The current collector plate 50 has a plurality of protrusions 52 extending radially thereof and joined to an edge of the electrode unit. The surface of the current collector plate 50 to be joined to the bottom wall of the cylinder has a flat region R extending on a predetermined closed-loop track on the surface, and the portions of the current collector plate 50 and the cylinder to be joined are subjected along the flat region R to laser welding from outside the cylinder.

Abstract: Used as the positive electrode active substance of a lithium ion secondary cell is a mixture of a lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese composite oxide represented by the formula LiNi(1−x−y)COxMnyO2 wherein 0.5<x+y<1.0 and 0.1<y<0.6 and a lithium-manganese composite oxide represented by the formula Li(1+Z)Mn2O4 wherein 0≦z≦0.2. The substance used gives outstanding power characteristics to the cell.

Abstract: In an alkaline secondary battery provided with a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator to be interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and an alkaline electrolyte solution, the above-mentioned separator has carbon-carbon double bonds. Further, an average amount of carbon-carbon double bonds in the separator is in the range of 10 &mgr;mol/g to 200 &mgr;mol/g, and an average amount of increased nitrogen in the separator after the separator is immersed in an alkaline aqueous solution having ammonium salt dissolved therein is not less than 140 &mgr;g/g.

Abstract: A metal hydride alkaline storage cell of the present invention comprises a positive electrode, a separator impregnated with an electrolyte, and a negative electrode comprising hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder. On the surface of the hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder, there is formed a layer of hydrogen-absorbing alloy oxide, and on the layer of the oxide, there is dotted a catalytic metal or metal compound formed in a granular state by adding a substance soluble in the electrolyte. The substance is selected from the group consisting of a metal fluoride, a metal chloride, a metal iodide, and a metal sulfide. The proportion of the metal fluoride, the metal chloride, the metal iodide, or the metal sulfide in adding is restricted within the range of from 0.1 to 2.5 wt. % based on the weight of hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder.

Abstract: A rechargeable lithium battery using an Li alloying metal as the active material of at least one of its positive and negative electrodes. The metal active material is covered with a thin film which is nonreactive with Li ions, permits passage of Li ions but does not have an Li ion conductivity.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary cell comprises a rolled-up electrode unit 2 composed of a positive electrode 23, a negative electrode 21 and a separator 22 interposed therebetween, and a negative electrode current collector plate 3 and a positive electrode current collector plate 30 joined to the respective ends of the electrode unit 2. The negative electrode collector plate 3 is joined to an edge of the negative electrode 21 projecting at one of the opposite ends of the electrode unit 2. The collector plate 3 has a two-layer structure comprising a copper layer 31 made of copper or an alloy consisting predominantly of copper, and a metal layer made of a metal not forming an intermetallic compound with lithium and having a lower laser beam reflectivity than copper or an alloy consisting predominantly of the metal. The collector plate 3 has its copper layer 31 contacted with the edge of the negative electrode 21 and welded thereto with a laser beam.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary cell comprises a rolled-up electrode unit 2 composed of a positive electrode 23, a negative electrode 21 and a separator 22 interposed therebetween, and a negative electrode current collector plate 3 and a positive electrode current collector plate 30 joined to the respective ends of the electrode unit 2. The negative electrode collector plate 3 is joined to an edge of the negative electrode 21 projecting at one of the opposite ends of the electrode unit 2. The collector plate 3 has a two-layer structure comprising a copper layer 31 made of copper or an alloy consisting predominantly of copper, and a metal layer made of a metal not forming an intermetallic compound with lithium and having a lower laser beam reflectivity than copper or an alloy consisting predominantly of the metal. The collector plate 3 has its copper layer 31 contacted with the edge of the negative electrode 21 and welded thereto with a laser beam.