Patents by Inventor Kazuyoshi Honda

Kazuyoshi Honda 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: 20120301615
    Abstract: A conveyance system 50A of a film-forming apparatus 20A includes a blowing roller 6 having a function of supplying a cooling gas toward a substrate 21. The blowing roller has the first shell 11 and the internal block 12. The first shell 11 has a plurality of first through holes 13 as a gas supply channel, and is rotatable in synchronization with the substrate 21. The internal block 12 is disposed inside the first shell 11. A manifold 14 is defined by the internal block 12 inside the first shell 11. The manifold 14 is formed so as to introduce the gas toward the plurality of first through holes 13 within the range of a holding angle. A clearance 15 facing the plurality of first through holes 13 outside the range of the holding angle is further formed inside the first shell 11. In the radial direction, the manifold 14 has a relatively large dimension, and the clearance 15 has a relatively small dimension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Honda, Satoshi Shibutani, Yasuharu Shinokawa, Sadayuki Okazaki, Noriyuki Uchida, Noriaki Amo
  • Patent number: 8273136
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an electrode of an electrochemical element includes: (A) forming an active material layer on a current collector; and (B) providing lithium to the active material layer. The A step and the B step are carried out in continuous space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hideharu Takezawa, Toshitada Sato, Kazuyoshi Honda
  • Patent number: 8268484
    Abstract: An electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery 6 according to the present invention includes: a current collector 3; a first active material layer 2 formed on the current collector 3; and a second active material layer 5 provided on the first active material layer 2, the second active material layer 5 including a plurality of active material particles 4. The plurality of active material particles 4 is mainly of a chemical composition represented as SiOx (0?x<1.2). The first active material layer 2 is mainly of a chemical composition represented as SiOy (1.0?y<2.0, y>x). The area in which the first active material layer 2 is in contact with the plurality of active material particles 4 is smaller than the area in which the current collector 3 is in contact with the first active material layer 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Sadayuki Okazaki, Kazuyoshi Honda, Masaya Ugaji
  • Patent number: 8241699
    Abstract: A vapor deposition device 100 for moving a sheet-like substrate 4 in a roll-to-roll system in a chamber 2 to continuously form a vapor deposition film on the substrate 4. The vapor deposition device 100 comprises an evaporation source 9 for evaporating a vapor-depositing material; a transportation section including first and second rolls 3 and 8 for holding the substrate 4 in the state of being wound therearound and a guide section for guiding the substrate 4; and a shielding section, located in a vapor deposition possible zone, for forming a shielded zone which is not reachable by the vapor-depositing material from the evaporation source 9.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Sadayuki Okazaki, Kazuyoshi Honda, Tomofumi Yanagi, Shoichi Imashiku
  • Publication number: 20120148746
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thin film manufacturing method which realizes stable, highly-efficient film formation using a nozzle-type evaporation source while avoiding unnecessary scattering and deposition of a film formation material after the termination of the film formation. Used is a film forming apparatus including: an evaporation chamber 16; a film forming chamber 17 in which a substrate 21 is provided; an evaporation source 19 holding a film formation material 15 and including an opening surface 14; a moving mechanism 35 configured to cause the evaporation source 19 to move; and a conductance variable structure 34.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Honda, Kunihiko Bessho, Takashi Shimada
  • Publication number: 20120141677
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thin film manufacturing method which realizes stable, highly-efficient film formation using a nozzle-type evaporation source while avoiding unnecessary scattering and deposition of a film formation material before the start of the film formation. Used is a film forming apparatus including: an evaporation chamber 16; a film forming chamber 17 in which a substrate 21 is provided; an evaporation source 19 holding a film formation material 15 and including an opening surface 14; a moving mechanism 35 configured to cause the evaporation source 19 to move; and a conductance variable structure 34. The film forming chamber 17 and the evaporation chamber 16 are evacuated. In a state where the differential pressure between these chambers can be secured by the conductance variable structure 34, the nonreactive gas is introduced to the evaporation chamber 16 to adjust the pressure in the evaporation chamber 16 to predetermined pressure or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Honda, Kunihiko Bessho, Takashi Shimada
  • Patent number: 8192864
    Abstract: In a method for examining a negative electrode of a battery, a total thickness of a current collector and an active material layer is measured. Then, in order to estimate a composition of the active material layer, the total resistivity of the current collector and the active material layer is measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hideharu Takezawa, Takayuki Shirane, Shinya Fujimura, Sadayuki Okazaki, Kazuyoshi Honda
  • Publication number: 20120121794
    Abstract: A manufacturing method according to the present invention includes a step of allowing lithium to deposit on a substrate provided with a layer capable of forming a compound together with lithium. A first beta ray and a second beta ray are emitted toward the substrate for irradiation before the deposition step to measure backscattering, from the substrate, of the first beta ray and the second beta ray. The first beta ray and the second beta ray are emitted toward the substrate for irradiation after the deposition step to measure backscattering, from the substrate, of the first beta ray and the second beta ray. A decrement in backscattering of the first beta ray before and after lithium deposition and a decrement in backscattering of the second beta ray before and after lithium deposition are calculated. The deposition step is controlled depending on the decrement in the backscattering of the first beta ray and the decrement in the backscattering of the second beta ray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Inventors: Hiromasa Yagi, Kazuyoshi Honda
  • Publication number: 20120100306
    Abstract: Particles coming from an evaporation source 9 are deposited on a substrate 21 at a specified film forming position 33 in a vacuum so as to form a thin film on the substrate 21. A rod-shaped material 32 containing a source material of the thin film is melted above the evaporation source 9 and the melted material is supplied to the evaporation source 9 in the form of droplets 14.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yuma Kamiyama, Kazuyoshi Honda, Yasuharu Shinokawa
  • Patent number: 8148012
    Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a negative electrode for a battery, an active material layer including a metallic element M and an element A that is at least any one of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon is formed on a current collector. This active material layer is irradiated with an X-ray and at least one of intensity of a K? ray of the element A and intensity of a K? ray of the metallic element M in fluorescent X-rays generated from the active material layer is measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hideharu Takezawa, Takayuki Shirane, Shinya Fujimura, Sadayuki Okazaki, Kazuyoshi Honda
  • Patent number: 8142931
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a negative electrode for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes the following three steps of: A) fabricating the negative electrode by depositing a negative electrode active material on a current collector; B) heat-treating the negative electrode; and C) imparting lithium to the negative electrode active material after the B step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Toshitada Sato, Daisuke Suetsugu, Katsumi Kashiwagi, Kazuyoshi Honda
  • Patent number: 8129076
    Abstract: To accelerate a film formation rate in forming a negative electrode active material film by vapor deposition using an evaporation source containing Si as a principal component, and to provide an electrode for lithium batteries which is superior in productivity, and keeps the charge and discharge capacity at high level are contemplated. The method of manufacturing an electrode for lithium batteries of the present invention includes the steps of: providing an evaporation source containing Si and Fe to give a molar ratio of Fe/(Si+Fe) being no less than 0.0005 and no greater than 0.15; and vapor deposition by melting the evaporation source and permitting evaporation to allow for vapor deposition on a collector directly or through an underlying layer. The electrode for lithium batteries of the present invention includes a collector, and a negative electrode active material film which includes SiFeyOx (wherein, 0<x<2, and 0.0001?y/(1+y)?0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Shibutani, Yuko Ogawa, Kazuyoshi Honda
  • Patent number: 8122934
    Abstract: Disclosed is a mold 10 for forming cast rods including: a segment assembly 12 including a plurality of segments 14 being placed side by side, and a plurality of cavities 26 extending along a longitudinal direction 16; and clamping means (18 to 21) for clamping the segment assembly 12 in directions orthogonal to the longitudinal direction 16. The mold 10 has one or more cavity-forming portions 28 each forming a part of one of the peripheral surfaces of the cavities 26. Each cavity 26 is formed by a combination of two or more segments 14, and at least one of the plurality of segments 14 has two or more cavity-forming portions 28.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Honda, Yuma Kamiyama, Yasuharu Shinokawa
  • Publication number: 20120017430
    Abstract: In order to enhance charge and discharge efficiency and to improve cycle characteristics by increasing a facing area between a positive electrode active material and a negative electrode active material, in a negative electrode for lithium secondary battery having a current collector and an active material layer carried on the current collector, the active material layer includes a plurality of columnar particles. The columnar particles include an element of silicon, and are tilted toward the normal direction of the current collector. Angle ? formed between the columnar particles and the normal direction of the current collector is preferably 10°??<90°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yasutaka KOGETSU, Masaya UGAJI, Keiichi TAKAHASHI, Shinji MINO, Nobuaki NAGAO, Satoshi SHIBUTANI, Kazuyoshi HONDA
  • Publication number: 20120009349
    Abstract: In a film forming method using gas cooling, a decrease in a film formation rate and an excessive load on a vacuum pump due to gas introduction are avoided while achieving an adequate cooling effect. A thin film forming device of the present invention includes: a cooling body 10 having a cooling surface 10S located near a rear surface of a substrate 7 in a thin film forming region 9; and a gas introducing unit configured to introduce a gas to between the cooling surface 10S and the rear surface of the substrate 7. In a width-direction cross section of the substrate, a center portion of the cooling surface is shaped to project toward the rear surface of the substrate 7 as compared to both end portions of the cooling surface. In the width-direction cross section of the substrate, the cooling surface preferably has a bilaterally-symmetric shape and more preferably has a shape represented by a catenary curve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Inventors: Yasuharu Shinokawa, Satoshi Shibutani, Kazuyoshi Honda, Takashi Shimada, Yuma Kamiyama, Masahiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8091505
    Abstract: In a method for testing a negative electrode of a secondary battery, light is irradiate to an active material layer formed on a current collector having a plurality of projections at least on one side thereof, the active material layer including first columnar bodies of active material grown obliquely from the projections. The angle is measured between the reflected light from the active material layer and a normal line parallel to the thickness direction of the current collector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hideharu Takezawa, Shinya Fujimura, Sadayuki Okazaki, Kazuyoshi Honda
  • Patent number: 8080334
    Abstract: In order to enhance charge and discharge efficiency and to improve cycle characteristics by increasing a facing area between a positive electrode active material and a negative electrode active material, in a negative electrode for lithium secondary battery having a current collector and an active material layer carried on the current collector, the active material layer includes a plurality of columnar particles. The columnar particles include an element of silicon, and are tilted toward the normal direction of the current collector. Angle ? formed between the columnar particles and the normal direction of the current collector is preferably 10°??<90°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yasutaka Kogetsu, Masaya Ugaji, Keiichi Takahashi, Shinji Mino, Nobuaki Nagao, Satoshi Shibutani, Kazuyoshi Honda
  • Patent number: 8076027
    Abstract: A negative electrode for a secondary battery includes a separator; a negative electrode active material layer which is fixed to the separator and can store and emit lithium ions; and a current collector layer formed on the side of the separator opposite to the negative electrode active material layer. The negative electrode active material layer contains at least one selected from the group consisting of silicon, silicon alloys, compounds containing silicon and oxygen, compounds containing silicon and nitrogen, compounds containing silicon and fluorine, tin, tin alloys, compounds containing tin and oxygen, compounds containing tin and nitrogen, and compounds containing tin and fluorine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Honda, Yuuko Ogawa, Yasutaka Kogetsu
  • Publication number: 20110281029
    Abstract: Deterioration of the degree of vacuum in a vacuum chamber is prevented while securing adequate cooling performance by gas cooling. A substrate 21 is provided in a vacuum, and the cooling body 1 is provided close to a film non-formation surface of the substrate 21. A thin film is formed by depositing a film forming material on a film formation surface of the substrate 21 while introducing a cooling gas into between the substrate 21 and the cooling body 1. At this time, a gas which reacts with the film forming material is introduced as the cooling gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Honda, Yasuharu Shinokawa, Hiromasa Yagi, Satoshi Shibutani, Sadayuki Okazaki, Yuko Ogawa, Daisuke Suetsugu
  • Publication number: 20110269020
    Abstract: Provided is a method for easily and surely removing projections formed on the surface of an active material layer by a vacuum process when producing an electrochemical element electrode. Carried out to produce the electrochemical element electrode are: a first step of forming an active material layer on a current collector by a vacuum process, the active material layer being capable of storing and emitting lithium; a second step of storing the lithium in the active material layer; and a third step of removing projections on the surface of the active material layer storing the lithium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Inventors: Yuma Kamiyama, Kazuyoshi Honda, Yasuharu Shinokawa, Tomofumi Yanagi