Patents by Inventor Kazuki Okuno

Kazuki Okuno 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).

  • Patent number: 8902566
    Abstract: A capacitor has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a solid electrolyte layer arranged between the electrode layers. At least one of the electrode layers of this capacitor has an Al porous body, and an electrode body held in this Al porous body to polarize the electrolyte. The oxygen content in the surface of the Al porous body is 3.1% by mass or less. The matter that the oxygen content in the surface of the Al porous body is 3.1% by mass or less is equal to the matter that a high-resistance oxide film is hardly formed on the surface of the Al porous body. Thus, this Al porous body makes it possible to make the current collector area of the electrode layer large so that the capacitor can be improved in capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Ota, Akihisa Hosoe, Masatoshi Majima, Koji Nitta, Tomoyuki Awazu, Kazuki Okuno, Masahiro Kato, Shoichiro Sakai, Shinji Inazawa
  • Publication number: 20140346050
    Abstract: A method for producing an aluminum film by electrodepositing aluminum on a base in an electrolytic cell to which a liquid electrolyte containing a molten salt is fed includes adjusting a concentration of an additive in such a manner that a measured value of an overvoltage is within a predetermined range on the basis of a predetermined relationship between the overvoltage and the concentration of the additive added to the molten salt upon electrodepositing aluminum in the liquid electrolyte.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventors: Hideaki Sakaida, Akihisa Hosoe, Junichi Nishimura, Kazuki Okuno, Koutarou Kimura, Kengo Goto
  • Publication number: 20140234720
    Abstract: The invention offers an electrode material that can accomplish both high capacity and high output and a battery, a nonaqueous-electrolyte battery, and a capacitor all incorporating the electrode material. The electrode material has a sheet-shaped aluminum porous body carrying an active material. The above-described aluminum porous body has a skeleton structure that is formed of an aluminum layer and that has a vacant space at the interior. When observed by performing cutting in a direction parallel to the direction of thickness of the sheet, the above-described vacant space in the skeleton structure has an average area of 500 ?m2 or more and 6,000 ?m2 or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Okuno, Kengo Goto, Koutarou Kimura, Hajime Ota, Junichi Nishimura, Akihisa Hosoe
  • Patent number: 8728627
    Abstract: There is provided a manufacturing method of an aluminum structure, including a conductive treatment process of forming an electrically conductive layer on a surface of a resin molded body, the electrically conductive layer being made of one or more metals selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, palladium, nickel, copper, cobalt, iron, and aluminum, and a plating process of plating the resin molded body subjected to the conductive treatment process with aluminum in a molten salt bath. The manufacturing method of an aluminum structure allows aluminum plating on the surface of even a porous resin molded body having a three-dimensional network structure. In particular, there is also provided a manufacturing method of an aluminum structure that can form porous aluminum having a large area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihisa Hosoe, Koji Nitta, Kazuki Okuno, Tomoyuki Awazu, Shinji Inazawa
  • Publication number: 20140087206
    Abstract: Provided is a porous metal body containing at least nickel, tin, and chromium. An example of a method of producing such a porous metal body is a method including a conductive-coating-layer formation step of forming a conductive coating layer containing chromium on a surface of a porous base formed of a resin material; a metal-layer formation step of forming a nickel layer and a tin layer in any order on a surface of the conductive coating layer; a removal step of removing the porous base; and a diffusion step of, by a heat treatment, causing interdiffusion of metal atoms between the nickel layer and the tin layer and diffusing chromium contained in the conductive coating layer into the nickel layer and the tin layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicants: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC TOYAMA CO., LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki OKUNO, Masahiro KATO, Tomoyuki AWAZU, Masatoshi MAJIMA, Kengo TSUKAMOTO, Hitoshi TSUCHIDA, Hidetoshi SAITO
  • Publication number: 20130333209
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing an electrode for an electrochemical element, which can easily adjust a capacity and can produce the electrochemical element at low cost. The method for producing an electrode for an electrochemical element of the present invention includes a thickness adjustment step of compressing an aluminum porous body having continuous pores to adjust the thickness of the aluminum porous body to a predetermined thickness, and a filling step of filling the aluminum porous body, the thickness of which is adjusted, with an active material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2013
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicants: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC TOYAMA CO., LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihisa HOSOE, Kazuki OKUNO, Hajime OTA, Koutarou KIMURA, Kengo GOTO, Junichi NISHIMURA, Hideaki SAKAIDA
  • Publication number: 20130330614
    Abstract: In an electrode according to the present invention including a three-dimensional network aluminum porous body as a base material, the electrode is a sheet-shaped electrode, and a cell of the three-dimensional network aluminum porous body has an elliptic shape having a minor axis in the thickness direction of the electrode in a cross section parallel to the longitudinal direction and thickness direction of the electrode, and a cell of the three-dimensional network aluminum porous body has an elliptic shape having a minor axis in the thickness direction of the electrode in a cross section parallel to the width direction and thickness direction of the electrode. The electrode is preferably obtained by subjecting the three-dimensional network aluminum porous body to at least a current collecting lead welding step, an active material filling step and a compressing step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicants: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC TOYAMA CO., LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Akihisa HOSOE, Kazuki OKUNO, Hajime OTA, Koutarou KIMURA, Kengo GOTO, Hideaki SAKAIDA, Junichi NISHIMURA
  • Patent number: 8597487
    Abstract: Provided is a method of producing an aluminum structure using a porous resin molded body having a three-dimensional network structure, with which it is possible to form an aluminum structure having a low oxide content in the surface of aluminum (i.e., having an oxide film with a small thickness), and in particular, it is possible to obtain an aluminum porous body that has a large area. The method includes a step of preparing an aluminum-coated resin molded body in which an aluminum layer is formed, directly or with another layer therebetween, on a surface of a resin molded body composed of urethane, and a step of decomposing the resin molded body by bringing the aluminum-coated resin molded body into contact with concentrated nitric acid with a concentration of 62% or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihisa Hosoe, Kotaro Kimura, Takayasu Sugihara, Osamu Ohama, Kazuki Okuno, Tomoyuki Awazu, Koji Nitta
  • Publication number: 20130288124
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a current collector including an aluminum porous body suitable for an electrode for a nonaqueous electrolyte battery and an electrode for a capacitor electrode, and an electrode using the current collector. In the three-dimensional network aluminum porous body for a current collector of the present invention, when a sheet-shaped three-dimensional aluminum porous body is divided in the width direction into a central region and two end regions with the central region situated therebetween, the weight per unit area of aluminum in the aluminum porous body at the two end regions is larger than the weight per unit area of aluminum in the aluminum porous body at the central region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Applicants: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC TOYAMA CO., LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Akihisa Hosoe, Kazuki Okuno, Hajime Ota, Koutarou Kimura, Kengo Goto, Hideaki Sakaida, Junichi Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20130288123
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet-shaped three-dimensional network aluminum porous body for a current collector which is suitably used for electrodes for nonaqueous electrolyte batteries and electrodes for capacitors, an electrode and a capacitor each using the same. In such a three-dimensional network aluminum porous body for a current collector, the aluminum porous body has been made to have a compressive strength in a thickness direction of 0.2 MPa or more in order to efficiently fill an active material into the sheet-shaped three-dimensional network aluminum porous body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventors: Akihisa Hosoe, Kazuki Okuno, Hajime Ota, Koutarou Kimura, Kengo Goto, Hideaki Sakaida, Junichi Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20130266862
    Abstract: Provided are a porous metal body that is excellent in terms of corrosion resistance and that is suitable for a collector for batteries such as lithium-ion batteries, capacitors, or fuel cells; and methods for producing the porous metal body. A production method includes a step of coating a porous nickel body with an alloy containing at least nickel and tungsten or a metal containing at least tin; and a subsequent step of a heat treatment. Another production method includes a step of forming a nickel-plated layer on a porous base and then continuously forming an alloy-plated layer containing at least nickel and tungsten or tin, a step of removing the porous base, and a step of reducing metal. Such a method can provide a porous metal body in which tungsten or tin is diffused in a porous nickel body or a nickel-plated layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicants: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC TOYAMA CO., LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Okuno, Masahiro Kato, Masatoshi Majima, Tomoyuki Awazu, Hidetoshi Saito, Junichi Nishimura, Keiji Shiraishi, Hitoshi Tsuchida, Kengo Tsukamoto
  • Patent number: 8541134
    Abstract: In an electrode according to the present invention including a three-dimensional network aluminum porous body as a base material, the electrode is a sheet-shaped electrode, and a cell of the three-dimensional network aluminum porous body has an elliptic shape having a minor axis in the thickness direction of the electrode in a cross section parallel to the longitudinal direction and thickness direction of the electrode, and a cell of the three-dimensional network aluminum porous body has an elliptic shape having a minor axis in the thickness direction of the electrode in a cross section parallel to the width direction and thickness direction of the electrode. The electrode is preferably obtained by subjecting the three-dimensional network aluminum porous body to at least a current collecting lead welding step, an active material filling step and a compressing step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignees: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Toyama Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihisa Hosoe, Kazuki Okuno, Hajime Ota, Koutarou Kimura, Kengo Goto, Hideaki Sakaida, Junichi Nishimura
  • Patent number: 8528375
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing an electrode for an electrochemical element, which can easily adjust a capacity and can produce the electrochemical element at low cost. The method for producing an electrode for an electrochemical element of the present invention includes a thickness adjustment step of compressing an aluminum porous body having continuous pores to adjust the thickness of the aluminum porous body to a predetermined thickness, and a filling step of filling the aluminum porous body, the thickness of which is adjusted, with an active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignees: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Toyama Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihisa Hosoe, Kazuki Okuno, Hajime Ota, Koutarou Kimura, Kengo Goto, Junichi Nishimura, Hideaki Sakaida
  • Patent number: 8497037
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrode using a current collector made of an aluminum porous body which is suitably used for an electrode for a nonaqueous electrolyte battery and an electrode for a capacitor, and a method for producing the electrode. In the current collector of the present invention, a strip-shaped compressed part compressed in a thickness direction is formed at one end part of a three-dimensional network aluminum porous body and a tab lead is bonded to the compressed part by welding. The width of the compressed part is 2 to 10 mm. Further, the electrode is formed by filling the current collector with an active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignees: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Toyama Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihisa Hosoe, Kazuki Okuno, Hajime Ota, Koutarou Kimura, Kengo Goto, Hideaki Sakaida, Junichi Nishimura
  • Patent number: 8465875
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet-shaped three-dimensional network aluminum porous body for a current collector which is suitably used for electrodes for nonaqueous electrolyte batteries and electrodes for capacitors, an electrode and a capacitor each using the same. In such a three-dimensional network aluminum porous body for a current collector, the aluminum porous body has been made to have a compressive strength in a thickness direction of 0.2 MPa or more in order to efficiently fill an active material into the sheet-shaped three-dimensional network aluminum porous body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignees: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Toyama Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihisa Hosoe, Kazuki Okuno, Hajime Ota, Koutarou Kimura, Kengo Goto, Hideaki Sakaida, Junichi Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20130045425
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a three-dimensional network aluminum porous body which can be used for a process continuously producing an electrode and enables to produce a current collector having small electric resistance in the current collecting direction, and an electrode using the aluminum porous body, and a production method thereof. In a sheet-shaped three-dimensional network aluminum porous body for a current collector, when one of two directions orthogonal to each other is taken as an X-direction and the other is taken as a Y-direction, a cell diameter in the X-direction of the three-dimensional network aluminum porous body differs from a cell diameter in the Y-direction thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicants: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC TOYAMA CO., LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Akihisa HOSOE, Kazuki OKUNO, Hajime OTA, Koutarou KIMURA, Kengo GOTO, Hideaki SAKAIDA, Junichi NISHIMURA
  • Patent number: 8377567
    Abstract: A porous metal member composed of an alloy at least containing nickel and tungsten is provided. The alloy may contain 50 to 80 wt % of nickel and 20 to 50 wt % of tungsten and may further contain 10 wt % or less of phosphorus and/or 10 wt % or less of boron. Such a porous metal member can be produced by, for example, making a porous base such as a urethane foam be electrically conductive, forming an alloy film containing nickel and tungsten, then removing the porous base from the alloy film, and subsequently reducing the alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignees: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Toyama Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuki Okuno, Masahiro Kato, Tomoyuki Awazu, Masatoshi Majima, Hidetoshi Saito, Keiji Shiraishi, Hitoshi Tsuchida, Junichi Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20130040196
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrochemical element which has a high capacity and is low in cost. The electrochemical element of the present invention is an electrochemical element including an electrode for an electrochemical element, wherein a current collector of positive electrode and/or a current collector of negative electrode is a metal porous body having continuous pores and a mixture containing an active material is filled into the continuous pores.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicants: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC TOYAMA CO., LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Akihisa HOSOE, Kazuki OKUNO, Hajime OTA, Koutarou KIMURA, Kengo GOTO, Junichi NISHIMURA, Hideaki SAKAIDA
  • Publication number: 20130040195
    Abstract: In an electrode according to the present invention including a three-dimensional network aluminum porous body as a base material, the electrode is a sheet-shaped electrode, and a cell of the three-dimensional network aluminum porous body has an elliptic shape having a minor axis in the thickness direction of the electrode in a cross section parallel to the longitudinal direction and thickness direction of the electrode, and a cell of the three-dimensional network aluminum porous body has an elliptic shape having a minor axis in the thickness direction of the electrode in a cross section parallel to the width direction and thickness direction of the electrode. The electrode is preferably obtained by subjecting the three-dimensional network aluminum porous body to at least a current collecting lead welding step, an active material filling step and a compressing step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicants: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC TOYAMA CO., LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Akihisa HOSOE, Kazuki OKUNO, Hajime OTA, Koutarou KIMURA, Kengo GOTO, Hideaki SAKAIDA, Junichi NISHIMURA
  • Publication number: 20130040046
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing an electrode for an electrochemical element at low cost. The method for producing an electrode for an electrochemical element of the present invention includes a slurry preparation step of preparing a slurry of a mixture containing an active material, a slurry filling step of filling the slurry into continuous pores of an aluminum porous body having the continuous pores, and a slurry drying step of drying the filled slurry, wherein in the slurry preparation step, a slurry is prepared by using water as a solvent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicants: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC TOYAMA CO., LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Akihisa HOSOE, Kazuki OKUNO, Hajime OTA, Koutarou KIMURA, Kengo GOTO, Junichi NISHIMURA, Hideaki SAKAIDA