Patents by Inventor Kenji Yamato

Kenji Yamato 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: 20230112952
    Abstract: A hermetically sealed battery includes: a battery can having a cylindrical shape with a bottom and an opening; an electrode body accommodated in the battery can; and a sealing plate sealing the opening of the battery can. The sealing plate has a first main surface facing an outside of the battery can and a second main surface opposite thereto. The sealing plate includes an outer peripheral portion having a flat plate shape, an inner peripheral portion having a flat plate shape, an inclined portion provided between the outer and inner peripheral portions. The inclined portion is inclined such that the inner peripheral portion is positioned on an outer side of the battery can than the outer peripheral portion. The inclined portion includes a thin portion and a thicker base portion. The thin portion and the base portion are arranged in a radial direction of the sealing plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Yamato, Masao Ootsuka
  • Patent number: 11469463
    Abstract: A cylindrical battery including a battery case and a lid, the battery case having an opening doubly wound and tightened to be sealed by an outer peripheral portion of the lid, wherein an opening-side outer peripheral portion of the battery case has a diameter reduced inward in the radial direction, an outer peripheral surface of the battery case is covered with a label, a space surrounded by the outer peripheral surface of the battery case, the outer peripheral portion of the lid, and the label is provided, and 1.2×T1?D?2.7×T1 is satisfied in a range of 0.1 mm?T1?0.5 mm, where D is a diameter of an inscribed circle that is tangent to the outer peripheral surface of the battery case, the outer peripheral portion of the lid, and the label, and T1 is a thickness of the battery case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Yamato, Tadayoshi Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20210265689
    Abstract: A battery including a battery can including a cylinder portion, a bottom wall for closing a first end of the cylinder portion, and an opening edge continuous to a second end of the cylinder portion; a power generation element housed in the cylinder portion; and a sealing plate fixed to the opening edge so as to seal an opening of the opening edge. The sealing plate includes a lid portion, and a peripheral edge portion continuous to the lid portion, the opening edge and the peripheral edge portion are linked to each other by a double seaming structure, and 0.1 mm?T1?0.5 mm, 0.1 mm?T2?0.5 mm, 1.1?T2/T1?3.0, and ?0.21T2+1.72T1?X?0.27T2+4.51T1 are satisfied, where X (min) is an overlap length of a body hook of the opening edge and a cover hook of the peripheral edge portion in the double seaming structure, T1 is a thickness of the body hook, and T2 is a thickness of the cover hook.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: KENJI YAMATO, TADAYOSHI TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20200350521
    Abstract: A cylindrical battery including a battery case and a lid, the battery case having an opening doubly wound and tightened to be sealed by an outer peripheral portion of the lid, wherein an opening-side outer peripheral portion of the battery case has a diameter reduced inward in the radial direction, an outer peripheral surface of the battery case is covered with a label, a space surrounded by the outer peripheral surface of the battery case, the outer peripheral portion of the lid, and the label is provided, and 1.2×T1?D?2.7×T1 is satisfied in a range of 0.1 mm?T1?0.5 mm, where D is a diameter of an inscribed circle that is tangent to the outer peripheral surface of the battery case, the outer peripheral portion of the lid, and the label, and T1 is a thickness of the battery case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: KENJI YAMATO, TADAYOSHI TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 10516173
    Abstract: An alkaline dry battery includes a bottomed cylindrical battery case; a positive electrode packed in the battery case and including n hollow cylindrical pellets; a negative electrode disposed in a hollow portion of the pellets; a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and an alkaline electrolytic solution. The positive electrode includes manganese dioxide and a conductive agent, n is an integer of 1 or more, and an average density of manganese dioxide of the positive electrode is 2.80 to 3.00 g/cm3. The density dc of manganese dioxide in the center portion in the height direction of the positive electrode is 98% or less of an average value de of density of manganese dioxide in each of both end portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenji Yamato
  • Publication number: 20180309138
    Abstract: An alkaline dry battery includes a bottomed cylindrical battery case; a positive electrode packed in the battery case and including n hollow cylindrical pellets; a negative electrode disposed in a hollow portion of the pellets; a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and an alkaline electrolytic solution. The positive electrode includes manganese dioxide and a conductive agent, n is an integer of 1 or more, and an average density of manganese dioxide of the positive electrode is 2.80 to 3.00 g/cm3. The density dc of manganese dioxide in the center portion in the height direction of the positive electrode is 98% or less of an average value de of density of manganese dioxide in each of both end portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventor: KENJI YAMATO
  • Patent number: 10069118
    Abstract: A sealing body of a battery includes a positive electrode cap, a safety valve electrically connected to the positive electrode cap, a plurality of protrusions that are disposed annularly and intermittently on the outer peripheral side of a conductive contact part of the safety valve and that are each formed so as to be inclined toward the center of the sealing body, and an insulating member that covers at least top parts of the plurality of protrusions, side surfaces thereof on the center side, and a surface of the safety valve on the center side, that is fitted to the center side of the plurality of protrusions, whose vertical sectional shape is bent in a Z-shape. A terminal plate is fitted and fixed to the center side of the insulating member and is connected by welding to the conductive contact portion through a central opening of the insulating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Yamato, Shuichi Yamashita, Yuma Yamaguchi, Takahiro Fukuoka
  • Publication number: 20150333313
    Abstract: A sealing body of a battery includes a positive electrode cap, a safety valve electrically connected to the positive electrode cap, a plurality of protrusions that are disposed annularly and intermittently on the outer peripheral side of a conductive contact part of the safety valve and that are each formed so as to be inclined toward the center of the sealing body, and an insulating member that covers at least top parts of the plurality of protrusions, side surfaces thereof on the center side, and a surface of the safety valve on the center side, that is fitted to the center side of the plurality of protrusions, whose vertical sectional shape is bent in a Z-shape. A terminal plate is fitted and fixed to the center side of the insulating member and is connected by welding to the conductive contact portion through a central opening of the insulating member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Yamato, Shuichi Yamashita, Yuma Yamaguchi, Takahiro Fukuoka
  • Publication number: 20140038005
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to manufacture a sealed cell having a highly conductive sealing body with a safety valve at high productivity. In order to accomplish above object, the present invention espouses a method of manufacturing a sealed cell including: preparing a terminal cap and a safety valve, the terminal cap including an external terminal projecting toward the outside of the cell, and a flange, and the safety valve including a conductive contact portion projecting toward the inside of the cell, and a peripheral portion and having an outer periphery bent toward the outside of the cell so as to form a bent portion; temporarily fixing the safety valve and the terminal cap together at the bent portion after coupling the safety valve and the terminal cap to each other; and conductively adhering the flange and the peripheral portion to each other near the bent portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Yamato, Syuichi Yamashita, Yuma Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 8435658
    Abstract: A sealed cell has a sealing body with a space-saving safety valve that has excellent safety. The sealing body includes a terminal cap and a safety valve. The terminal cap includes one or more gas releasing holes for releasing a gas from inside to outside of the cell. The gas releasing holes are provided in the external terminal. A safety valve includes a conductive contact portion projecting toward an inside of the sealed cell, a peripheral portion in a periphery of the conductive contact portion, and one or more break grooves formed radially in the peripheral portion. At least one of the gas releasing holes overlap with at least one of break grooves in planar view of the sealed cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi Yamashita, Shuichi Matsuura, Kenji Yamato
  • Publication number: 20100247984
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a sealed cell having a sealing body with a space-saving safety valve that has excellent safety. The sealed cell is sealed by caulking the sealing body around an opening of a bottomed cylindrical outer can. The sealing body includes a terminal cap and a safety valve. The terminal cap includes an external terminal projecting toward an outside of the sealed cell, a flange portion in a periphery of the external terminal, and one or more gas releasing holes for releasing a gas from inside to outside of the cell. The gas releasing holes is provided in the external terminal. And the safety valve includes a conductive contact portion projecting toward an inside of the sealed cell, a peripheral portion in a periphery of the conductive contact portion, and one or more break grooves formed radially in the peripheral portion, Moreover, at least one of the gas releasing holes overlap with at least one of break grooves in planar view of the sealed cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shuichi Yamashita, Shuichi Matsuura, Kenji Yamato
  • Patent number: 7678501
    Abstract: In the present invention, the electrode assembly is first formed, and then a tab portion is formed by compressing an active material unfilled portion in an electrode having a foamed-metal electrode substrate (Tab Portion Formation Step). Accordingly, in the manufacturing method of the present invention, even if winding misalignment is created in which the edge of the separator is located adjacent to one edge of the active material unfilled portion during the formation of the electrode assembly, the misaligned portion of the separator is pushed in the width direction of the electrode together with the active material unfilled portion when the compression is applied in the Tab Portion Formation Step. Herewith, it is less likely to tuck a part of the separator between the tab portion and the current collector when the current collector is joined in the Current Collector Joining Step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kei Tomihara, Kazuki Hamasaki, Yoichiri Shibata, Takuya Okamoto, Kenji Yamato, Etsuya Fujisaka, Hiroshi Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20060240323
    Abstract: In the present invention, the electrode assembly is first formed, and then a tab portion is formed by compressing an active material unfilled portion in an electrode having a foamed-metal electrode substrate (Tab Portion Formation Step). Accordingly, in the manufacturing method of the present invention, even if winding misalignment is created in which the edge of the separator is located adjacent to one edge of the active material unfilled portion during the formation of the electrode assembly, the misaligned portion of the separator is pushed in the width direction of the electrode together with the active material unfilled portion when the compression is applied in the Tab Portion Formation Step. Herewith, it is less likely to tuck a part of the separator between the tab portion and the current collector when the current collector is joined in the Current Collector Joining Step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2006
    Publication date: October 26, 2006
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kei Tomihara, Kazuki Hamasaki, Yoichiro Shibata, Takuya Okamoto, Kenji Yamato, Etsuya Fujisaka, Hiroshi Fukuda