Patents by Inventor Koji Ohira

Koji Ohira 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: 9337489
    Abstract: A cathode active material of the present invention is a cathode active material having a composition represented by General Formula (1) below, LiFe1?xMxP1?ySiyO4??(1), where: an average valence of Fe is +2 or more; M is an element having a valence of +2 or more and is at least one type of element selected from the group consisting of Zr, Sn, Y, and Al; the valence of M is different from the average valence of Fe; 0<x?0.5; and y=x×({valence of M}?2)+(1?x)×({average valence of Fe}?2). This provides a cathode active material that not only excels in terms of safety and cost but also can provide a long-life battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Ohira, Motoaki Nishijima, Toshitsugu Sueki, Shogo Esaki, Isao Tanaka, Yukinori Koyama, Katsuhisa Tanaka, Koji Fujita, Shunsuke Murai
  • Patent number: 9325009
    Abstract: A cathodic active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to the invention includes a lithium-containing transition metal phosphate containing Li and a transition metal. A transition metal site and P site of the lithium-containing transition metal phosphate are replaced by elements other than elements contained in the lithium-containing transition metal phosphate, and the quantity of P site is excessive with respect to a stoichiometric proportion of the lithium-containing transition metal phosphate. With this cathodic active material, a high-power and high-capacity secondary battery which is superior in safety and cost and has superior rate performance can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichi Kamimura, Motoaki Nishijima, Tomohisa Yoshie, Koji Ohira
  • Patent number: 9293234
    Abstract: Provided is a positive electrode active material giving nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary batteries superior in cycle characteristics. The positive electrode active material according to the present invention includes a lithium-containing composite metal oxide having the composition represented by the following General Formula (1): LizFe1-xMxP1-ySiyO4??(1) (wherein M is at least one metal element selected from Zr, Sn, Y, and Al, 0.05<x<1, and 0.05<y<1), characterized in that: the positive electrode active material is in the single crystalline phase of the lithium-containing composite oxide represented by General Formula (1) when 1>z>0.9 to 0.75 or 0.25 to 0.1>z>0; the positive electrode active material has two crystalline phases of the lithium-containing composite oxides represented by the following General Formulae (2) and (3) when 0.9 to 0.75>z>0.25 to 0.1: LiaFe1-xMxP1-ySiyO4??(2) (wherein 0.75 to 0.9?a?1.00, 0.05<x<1, and 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Motoaki Nishijima, Koji Ohira, Toshitsugu Sueki, Shougo Esaki, Isao Tanaka, Yukinori Koyama, Katsuhisa Tanaka, Koji Fujita, Shunsuke Murai
  • Publication number: 20160072313
    Abstract: A lithium-ion battery includes a cathode active material of the Olivine-type crystal structure. The lithium-ion battery is charged under control of a charging control apparatus, which performs a charging process for charging up to a target voltage according to a constant-current and constant-voltage charging method, a negative-electrode potential evaluation process for evaluating a potential change quantity at the negative-electrode, and a voltage setting process for setting the target voltage to a lower voltage based on the potential change quantity of the negative-electrode evaluated by the negative-electrode potential evaluation process. The charging voltage is changed from the target voltage to the set voltage even when the negative-electrode potential changes with an increase in the number of charging and aging deterioration. Thus a positive-electrode potential is suppressed from rising because of less susceptibility to the increase in number of charging and aging deterioration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: YOSHINORI SATOU, MASAKI UCHIYAMA, NOBUO YAMAMOTO, KOJI OHIRA
  • Publication number: 20150303472
    Abstract: The positive electrode active material of the present invention contains an lithium iron phosphate compound having such diffraction peaks that diffraction peak intensity ratios at 2?=17.2±0.5°, 2?=20.8±0.5° and 2?=25.6±0.5° are from 29 to 37, from 70 to 80 and from 85 to 94, respectively, when the diffraction peak intensity at 2?=35.6±0.5° is deemed as 100 in a powder X-ray diffractometry using Cu-K? ray as a radiation source. It becomes possible to provide a positive electrode active material that provides higher rate property and discharge capacity, and a positive electrode and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery using the positive electrode active material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohisa YOSHIE, Yuichi KAMIMURA, Koji OHIRA, Motoaki NISHIJIMA
  • Publication number: 20150270544
    Abstract: A lithium-ion secondary battery includes: a first cathode active material having a polyanion structure which stores and releases a lithium ion; and a second cathode active material having a lithium diffusion coefficient different from a lithium diffusion coefficient of the first cathode active material. The second cathode active material has a layered rock salt-type structure. A discharge curve of the first cathode material and a discharge curve of the second cathode material intersect with each other at at least two points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Publication date: September 24, 2015
    Inventors: SYUUHEI YOSHIDA, YUTA SHIMONISHI, DAISUKE SHIBATA, KOJI OHIRA
  • Patent number: 9112229
    Abstract: A cathode active material comprising a composition represented by the following general formula (1): LiaM1xM2yM3zPmSinO4??(1) wherein M1 is at least one kind of element selected from the group of Mn, Fe, Co and Ni; M2 is any one kind of element selected from the group of Ti, V and Nb; M3 is at least one kind of element selected from the group of Zr, Sn, Y and Al; “a” satisfies 0<a?1; “x” satisfies 0<x?2; “y” satisfies 0<y<1; “z” satisfies 0?z<1; “m” satisfies 0?m<1; and “n” satisfies 0<n?1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Ohira, Motoaki Nishijima
  • Patent number: 9083046
    Abstract: A cathode active material comprising a composition represented by the following general formula (1): LiaM1xM2yM3zPmSinO4??(1) wherein M1 is at least one kind of element selected from the group of Mn, Fe, Co and Ni; M2 is any one kind of element selected from the group of Zr, Sn, Y and Al; M3 is at least one kind of element selected from the group of Zr, Sn, Y, Al, Ti, V and Nb and different from M2; “a” satisfies 0<a?1; “x” satisfies 0<x?2; “y” satisfies 0<y<1; “z” satisfies 0<z<1; “m” satisfies 0?m<1; and “n” satisfies 0<n?1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Ohira, Motoaki Nishijima
  • Publication number: 20150171429
    Abstract: A cathode active material of the present invention is a cathode active material having a composition represented by General Formula (1) below, LiFe1-xMxP1-ySiyO4 ??(1), where: an average valence of Fe is +2 or more; M is an element having a valence of +2 or more and is at least one type of element selected from the group consisting of Zr, Sn, Y, and Al; the valence of M is different from the average valence of Fe; 0<x?0.5; and y=x×({valence of M}?2)+(1?x)×({average valence of Fe}?2). This provides a cathode active material that not only excels in terms of safety and cost but also can provide a long-life battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: Koji OHIRA, Motoaki NISHIJIMA, Toshitsugu SUEKI, Shogo ESAKI, Isao TANAKA, Yukinori KOYAMA, Katsuhisa TANAKA, Koji FUJITA, Shunsuke MURAI
  • Publication number: 20150162611
    Abstract: An object is to provide a cathode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery exhibiting a capacity even at a high rate. The object is achieved by providing a cathode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including phosphate containing lithium and manganese, in which a manganese site is substituted with at least one element selected from Zr, Sn, Y, and Al, and a phosphorous site is substituted with at least one element selected from Si and Al, and a metal oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Inventors: Yuichi Kamimura, Motoaki Nishijima, Tomohisa Yoshie, Koji Ohira, Toshitsugu Sueki
  • Patent number: 9017876
    Abstract: A method of producing a positive electrode active material, comprising the steps of: preparing a solution by dissolving, in a solvent, respective predetermined amounts of a lithium source, a M source, a phosphorus source and a X source necessary for forming a positive electrode active material represented by the following general formula (1) having an olivine structure; gelating the obtained solution by addition of a cyclic ether; and calcinating the generated gel to obtain a carbon-coated lithium-containing composite oxide, wherein the positive electrode active material is represented by the general formula (1): LixMyP1-zXzO4??(1) wherein M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Ni, Mn, Zr, Sn, Al and Y, X is at least one selected from the group consisting of Si and Al, and 0<x?2, 0.8?y?1.2, 0?z?1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshitsugu Sueki, Motoaki Nishijima, Koji Ohira, Shogo Esaki, Isao Tanaka, Yukinori Koyama, Katsuhisa Tanaka, Koji Fujita, Shunsuke Murai
  • Publication number: 20150104709
    Abstract: A cathode active material of the present invention is a cathode active material having a composition represented by General Formula (1) below, LiFe1-xMxP1-ySiyO4??(1), where: an average valence of Fe is +2 or more; M is an element having a valence of +2 or more and is at least one type of element selected from the group consisting of Zr, Sn, Y, and Al; the valence of M is different from the average valence of Fe; 0<x?0.5; and y=x×({valence of M}?2)+(1?x)×({average valence of Fe}?2). This provides a cathode active material that not only excels in terms of safety and cost but also can provide a long-life battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: Koji OHIRA, Motoaki NISHIJIMA, Toshitsugu SUEKI, Shogo ESAKI, Isao TANAKA, Yukinori KOYAMA, Katsuhisa TANAKA, Koji FUJITA, Shunsuke MURAI
  • Publication number: 20150104710
    Abstract: A cathode active material of the present invention is a cathode active material having a composition represented by General Formula (1) below, LiFe1?xMxP1-ySiyO4??(1), where: an average valence of Fe is +2 or more; M is an element having a valence of +2 or more and is at least one type of element selected from the group consisting of Zr, Sn, Y, and Al; the valence of M is different from the average valence of Fe; 0<x?0.5; and y=x×({valence of M}?2)+(1?x)×({average valence of Fe}?2). This provides a cathode active material that not only excels in terms of safety and cost but also can provide a long-life battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: Koji OHIRA, Motoaki NISHIJIMA, Toshitsugu SUEKI, Shogo ESAKI, Isao TANAKA, Yukinori KOYAMA, Katsuhisa TANAKA, Koji FUJITA, Shunsuke MURAI
  • Patent number: 9005810
    Abstract: A cathode active material having a composition represented by the following formula (1) LiMn1?xMxP1?ySiyO4??(1) wherein M is at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of Zr, Sn, Y and Al; x is within a range of 0<x?0.5; and y is within a range of 0<y?0.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Ohira, Motoaki Nishijima
  • Patent number: 8999576
    Abstract: A cathode active material of the present invention is a cathode active material having a composition represented by General Formula (1) below, LiFe1-xMxP1-ySiyO4??(1), where: an average valence of Fe is +2 or more; M is an element having a valence of +2 or more and is at least one type of element selected from the group consisting of Zr, Sn, Y, and Al; the valence of M is different from the average valence of Fe; 0<x?0.5; and y=x×({valence of M}?2)+(1?x)×({average valence of Fe}?2). This provides a cathode active material that not only excels in terms of safety and cost but also can provide a long-life battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Ohira, Motoaki Nishijima, Toshitsugu Sueki, Shogo Esaki, Isao Tanaka, Yukinori Koyama, Katsuhisa Tanaka, Koji Fujita, Shunsuke Murai
  • Patent number: 8968936
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a lithium-containing composite oxide represented by general formula (1) below, the method at least including a step of preparing a solution by dissolving a lithium source, an element M source, a phosphorus source, and an element X source that serve as source materials in a solvent, the phosphorus source being added after at least the element M source is dissolved; a step of gelating the resulting solution; and a step of calcining the resulting gel: LixMyP1-zXzO4??(1) (where M represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Ni, Mn, Zr, Sn, Al, and Y; X represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Si and Al; and 0<x?2, 0.8?y?1.2, 0?z?1). According to the present invention, a positive electrode active material for lithium secondary batteries that offers high safety and high cost efficiency and are capable of extending battery life can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Motoaki Nishijima, Koji Ohira, Toshitsugu Sueki, Shougo Esaki, Isao Tanaka, Yukinori Koyama, Katsuhisa Tanaka, Koji Fujita, Shunsuke Murai
  • Publication number: 20150017538
    Abstract: Provided is a cathode active material which is superior in safety and cost and makes it possible to provide a nonaqueous secondary battery having a long life. The cathode active material has a composition represented by the following formula (1): LiMn1-xMxP1-yAlyO4 ??(1) (wherein M is at least one selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, Zr, Sn and Y, x is in a range of 0<x?0.5, and y is in a range of 0<y?0.25).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Koji Ohira, Motoaki Nishijima, Yuichi Kamimura
  • Publication number: 20140186714
    Abstract: A cathodic active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to the invention includes a lithium-containing transition metal phosphate containing Li and a transition metal. A transition metal site and P site of the lithium-containing transition metal phosphate are replaced by elements other than elements contained in the lithium-containing transition metal phosphate, and the quantity of P site is excessive with respect to a stoichiometric proportion of the lithium-containing transition metal phosphate. With this cathodic active material, a high-power and high-capacity secondary battery which is superior in safety and cost and has superior rate performance can be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichi Kamimura, Motoaki Nishijima, Tomohisa Yoshie, Koji Ohira
  • Publication number: 20140178765
    Abstract: A positive electrode active substance including a lithium-containing metal oxide represented by the following general formula (1): LiFe1-xMxP1-ySiyO4??(1) wherein M represents an element selected from Sn, Zr, Y, and Al; 0<x<1; and 0<y<1, wherein the lithium-containing metal oxide has a lattice constant and a half value width of a diffraction peak of a (011) plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: KOJI OHIRA, Motoaki Nishijima, Toshitsugu Sueki, Shougo Esaki, Isao Tanaka, Yukinori Koyama, Katsuhisa Tanaka, Koji Fujita, Shunsuke Murai
  • Publication number: 20140023912
    Abstract: At least one of holes is formed at a position that is at a higher level than a surface of an electrolyte in use of a nonaqueous secondary battery, and that is not overlapped with an electrode laminate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Inventors: Koji OHIRA, Hiroshi OKAMOTO