Patents by Inventor Kenshin Kitoh

Kenshin Kitoh 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: 9692026
    Abstract: Provided is a secondary battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, an alkaline electrolytic solution, a separator structure, and a resin container. The separator structure includes a ceramic separator composed of an inorganic solid electrolyte exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and optionally a resin frame and/or resin film disposed to surround the periphery of the ceramic separator. The separator structure is bonded to the resin container with an adhesive, and/or the ceramic separator is bonded to the resin frame and/or the resin film with the adhesive. The adhesive is selected from an epoxy resin adhesive, a natural resin adhesive, a modified olefin resin adhesive, and a modified silicone resin adhesive, and the adhesive exhibits a variation in weight of 5% or less after immersed, in a solidified form, in a 9 mol/L aqueous KOH solution at 25° C. for 672 hours.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naomi Hashimoto, Kenshin Kitoh, Yuichi Gonda
  • Patent number: 9685680
    Abstract: Disclosed is use of an all-solid-state battery as a backup power source in at least one device selected from the group consisting of a computer, a laptop computer, a portable computer, a pocket computer, a workstation, a supercomputer, computer-peripheral hardware, and a server. This all-solid-state battery comprises a positive electrode layer comprising a positive-electrode active material that is an oriented polycrystalline body composed of lithium transition metal oxide grains oriented in a given direction; a solid electrolyte layer composed of a lithium-ion conductive material; and a negative electrode layer comprising a negative-electrode active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Mizuno, Toshihiro Yoshida, Kenshin Kitoh, Iwao Ohwada
  • Publication number: 20170141445
    Abstract: An air electrode has a plurality of carbon nanotubes and a plurality of layered double hydroxide particles. The plurality of layered double hydroxide particles is supported on the plurality of carbon nanotubes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya HATTORI, Kenshin KITOH
  • Publication number: 20170104241
    Abstract: Provided is a highly reliable nickel-zinc battery including a separator exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability. The separator is disposed in a hermetic container to separate a positive-electrode chamber accommodating a positive electrode and a positive-electrode electrolyte from a negative-electrode chamber accommodating a negative electrode and a negative-electrode electrolyte. The positive-electrode chamber has an extra positive-electrode space having a volume that meets a variation in amount of water in association with reaction at the positive electrode during charge and discharge of the battery, and the negative-electrode chamber has an extra negative-electrode space having a volume meeting a variation in amount of water in association with reaction at the negative electrode during charge and discharge of the battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi HAYASHI, Naohito YAMADA, Kenshin KITOH
  • Publication number: 20170077555
    Abstract: Provided is a highly reliable nickel-zinc battery including a separator exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability. The nickel-zinc battery includes a positive electrode containing nickel hydroxide and/or nickel oxyhydroxide; a positive-electrode electrolytic solution in which the positive electrode is immersed, the electrolytic solution containing an alkali metal hydroxide; a negative electrode containing zinc and/or zinc oxide; a negative-electrode electrolytic solution in which the negative electrode is immersed, the electrolytic solution containing an alkali metal hydroxide; a hermetic container accommodating the positive electrode, the positive-electrode electrolytic solution, the negative electrode, and the negative-electrode electrolytic solution; and the separator exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability and disposed in the hermetic container so as to separate a positive-electrode chamber from a negative-electrode chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi HAYASHI, Naohito YAMADA, Kenshin KITOH
  • Publication number: 20170077554
    Abstract: Provided is a highly reliable nickel-zinc battery, which includes a separator exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability. The separator is disposed in a hermetic container to separate a positive-electrode chamber from a negative-electrode chamber. The positive-electrode chamber has an extra positive-electrode space having a volume that meets part of a variation in amount of water in association with the positive electrode reaction, and the negative-electrode chamber has an extra negative-electrode space having a volume that meets part of a variation in amount of water in association with the negative electrode reaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi HAYASHI, Naohito YAMADA, Kenshin KITOH
  • Publication number: 20170077476
    Abstract: Provided is a separator structure for use in a zinc secondary battery. The separator structure includes a ceramic separator composed of an inorganic solid electrolyte and having hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability, and a peripheral member disposed along the periphery of the ceramic separator and composed of at least one of a resin frame and a resin film. The separator structure exhibits water impermeability as a whole. The separator structure of the present invention can reliably separate the positive electrode side from the negative electrode side in a zinc secondary battery, is readily sealed and bonded to a resin battery container, and exhibits significantly improved handleability during the assembly of the battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Kenshin KITOH, Naohito YAMADA, Hiroshi HAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20170010202
    Abstract: In a particle counter and a method of counting a number of particles, the particle counter includes a casing made of a ceramic, an electric charge adder configured to add electric charges to particles in a measurement target gas supplied into the casing, a first electric charge collector configured to collect the electric charges added to the particles, and a number measuring unit configured to measure a number of the particles based on a quantity of the collected electric charges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuyuki MIZUNO, Kenshin KITOH
  • Publication number: 20160294018
    Abstract: Provided is a highly reliable nickel-zinc battery including a separator exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi HAYASHI, Naohito YAMADA, Kenshin KITOH
  • Publication number: 20160276714
    Abstract: Provided is a highly reliable nickel-zinc battery including a separator exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi HAYASHI, Naohito YAMADA, Kenshin KITOH
  • Publication number: 20160268639
    Abstract: Disclosed is use of an all-solid-state battery as a backup power source in at least one device selected from the group consisting of a computer, a laptop computer, a portable computer, a pocket computer, a workstation, a supercomputer, computer-peripheral hardware, and a server. This all-solid-state battery comprises a positive electrode layer comprising a positive-electrode active material that is an oriented polycrystalline body composed of lithium transition metal oxide grains oriented in a given direction; a solid electrolyte layer composed of a lithium-ion conductive material; and a negative electrode layer comprising a negative-electrode active material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuyuki MIZUNO, Toshihiro YOSHIDA, Kenshin KITOH, Iwao OHWADA
  • Publication number: 20160268568
    Abstract: Provided is a hydroxide-ion-conductive dense membrane having a He permeability per unit area of 10 cm/min·atm or less. The present invention provides a highly-densified hydroxide-ion-conductive membrane that can significantly reduce permeation of substances other than hydroxide ions (in particular, Zn, which may cause growth of dendritic zinc in a zinc secondary battery) and that is particularly suitable for use in, for example, a separator for a battery (in particular, a zinc secondary battery, which may cause growth of dendritic zinc).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Kouta ASAI, Kenshin KITOH
  • Patent number: 9431067
    Abstract: The present invention provides a volatile memory backup system including an all-solid-state battery. The backup system includes a volatile memory, a nonvolatile memory connected to the volatile memory so as to transfer data therebetween, an all-solid-state battery connected to the volatile memory and the nonvolatile memory, the battery continuously or intermittently supplying a current to the volatile memory during a power failure to retain data in the volatile memory, and a controller connected in parallel with the battery, the controller intermittently supplying a peak current to the volatile memory during the power failure and intermittently transferring divided volumes of data in the volatile memory to the nonvolatile memory by the peak current and a current from the battery temporarily increased in association with the peak current to store the data in the nonvolatile memory, thereby gradually accumulating the data in the volatile memory into the nonvolatile memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Iwao Ohwada, Kenshin Kitoh
  • Publication number: 20160226049
    Abstract: Provided is a secondary battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, an alkaline electrolytic solution, a separator structure, and a resin container. The separator structure includes a ceramic separator composed of an inorganic solid electrolyte exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and optionally a resin frame and/or resin film disposed to surround the periphery of the ceramic separator. The separator structure is bonded to the resin container with an adhesive, and/or the ceramic separator is bonded to the resin frame and/or the resin film with the adhesive. The adhesive is selected from an epoxy resin adhesive, a natural resin adhesive, a modified olefin resin adhesive, and a modified silicone resin adhesive, and the adhesive exhibits a variation in weight of 5% or less after immersed, in a solidified form, in a 9 mol/L aqueous KOH solution at 25° C. for 672 hours.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Inventors: Naomi HASHIMOTO, Kenshin KITOH, Yuichi GONDA
  • Patent number: 9391349
    Abstract: The present invention provides a lithium-air secondary battery that is capable of effectively preventing deterioration of an alkaline electrolytic solution, air electrode, and negative electrode and has a long life and high long-term reliability. The lithium-air secondary battery comprises an air electrode 12 functioning as a positive electrode, an anion exchanger 14 provided in close contact with one side of the air electrode and composed of a hydroxide-ion conductive inorganic solid electrolyte, a separator 16 provided away from the anion exchanger and composed of a lithium-ion conductive inorganic solid electrolyte, a negative electrode 18 provided so as to be capable of supplying and receiving lithium ions to and from the separator and comprising lithium, and an alkaline electrolytic solution 20 filled between the anion exchanger and the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naohito Yamada, Kazuhiro Yamamoto, Kenshin Kitoh
  • Patent number: 9383119
    Abstract: The heater includes a heater main body, a housing storing the heater main body therein, and a coating material arranged in at least a part between the heater main body and the housing and covering at least a part of the heater main body. The coating material is a material containing at least one of ceramic and glass, the heater main body has a cylindrical honeycomb structural portion having partition walls separating and forming a plurality of cells and a pair of electrode portions disposed on a side face of the honeycomb structural portion, the housing contains the heater main body so as to cover the side face side of the heater main body, and the partition walls of the honeycomb structural portion is of a material containing ceramic as the main component and produces heat by energization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kida, Kenkichi Nagai, Kenshin Kitoh
  • Publication number: 20160071552
    Abstract: The present invention provides a volatile memory backup system including an all-solid-state battery. The backup system includes a volatile memory, a nonvolatile memory connected to the volatile memory so as to transfer data therebetween, an all-solid-state battery connected to the volatile memory and the nonvolatile memory, the battery continuously or intermittently supplying a current to the volatile memory during a power failure to retain data in the volatile memory, and a controller connected in parallel with the battery, the controller intermittently supplying a peak current to the volatile memory during the power failure and intermittently transferring divided volumes of data in the volatile memory to the nonvolatile memory by the peak current and a current from the battery temporarily increased in association with the peak current to store the data in the nonvolatile memory, thereby gradually accumulating the data in the volatile memory into the nonvolatile memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: Iwao OHWADA, Kenshin KITOH
  • Patent number: 9003867
    Abstract: To provide a gas sensor which can stably carry out a retention of a sensor element by a contact member and a reservation of an electric continuity between them. A contact member has an insertion port in which the sensor element is inserted and retained to obtain an electric connection with the sensor element. The contact member is provided with a plurality of sensor element retaining members which respectively have a plurality of abutting parts abutting on the sensor element, at least a part of a plurality of abutting parts is a first abutting part which has a leading end part formed as a linear shape or a point-like shape, and the leading end part of the first abutting part is a free end part which applies an elastic force to the sensor element while having point contact or line contact with the sensor element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenshin Kitoh
  • Publication number: 20150037688
    Abstract: An all-solid-state cell contains at least a positive electrode layer, a solid electrolyte layer, and a negative electrode layer, which are arranged in a stack. The positive electrode layer contains only a positive electrode active material, and a predetermined crystal plane of the positive electrode active material is oriented in a direction of lithium ion conduction. The negative electrode layer contains a carbonaceous material, and the volume ratio of the carbonaceous material to the negative electrode layer is 70% or greater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Haruo Otsuka, Naomi Hashimoto, Toshihiro Yoshida, Kenshin Kitoh
  • Publication number: 20150024292
    Abstract: The present invention provides a lithium-air secondary battery that is capable of effectively preventing deterioration of an alkaline electrolytic solution, air electrode, and negative electrode and has a long life and high long-term reliability. The lithium-air secondary battery comprises an air electrode 12 functioning as a positive electrode, an anion exchanger 14 provided in close contact with one side of the air electrode and composed of a hydroxide-ion conductive inorganic solid electrolyte, a separator 16 provided away from the anion exchanger and composed of a lithium-ion conductive inorganic solid electrolyte, a negative electrode 18 provided so as to be capable of supplying and receiving lithium ions to and from the separator and comprising lithium, and an alkaline electrolytic solution 20 filled between the anion exchanger and the separator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventors: Naohito YAMADA, Kazuhiro YAMAMOTO, Kenshin KITOH